33: Opelucid City

33: Opelucid City

When you arrive in town Alder is waiting for you, and he walks you to the back of the crowd so you can watch Ghetsis discretely as he tries to get Trainers to join Plasma...   Thankfully it does not work on the Trainers here, and they do not abandon their Pokemon.

Alder takes you to chat with the Gym Leader who is with Iris nearby -- and as the conversation progresses a decision is reached.  Alder departs for the League, and Iris escorts you to Draydens to learn the story about the Legendary Dragons.

Drayden explains that the Light Stone you are holding will wake up the Dragon, and then he tells you the whole story -- a complicated one worthy of the signature of an epic bard...  Was there a previous Unova that was destroyed by the dragons?  Did they create a new Unova?  This is all very difficult to believe...

Drayden departs for his Gym -- and before you leave to explore the city head upstairs and chat the Trainers up there, as one will give you a Float Stone, and another gives you a Ring Target.  Now hit the Pokemon Center to heal and save, then

After you restock in at the Poke Mart Counter I should point out the pair of vending machines across the street! 

In the building to the west are a bunch of Musical Fans -- and an old man there will give you A Gift Box for your prop collection if you ask him to.  You can get a different prop from him each real life day, so head back if you like props... 

Upstairs is an ex-Team Plasma Grunt you can chat with, and a so-so Trainer who thinks Plasma may be on to something... 

To the north is the City Gym, and directly next to it is a house with a Trainer who will gift you with a Destiny Knot hold item.  The next building is the Rotation Battle House for the city -- go ahead and battle the girl Trainer in here. 

She has a full set of the elemental monkeys with each at Level 39, and each one is evolved -- I took all three out with my Liepard using nothing but Night Slash... YMMV.  Basically it is some free XP so why not?  Upstairs is another Trainer with a trio of Level 39 Pokemon -- an Elgyem, Mienfoo, and a Pawniard.

In the building to the southeast is an Effort Lady who can tell you how far along your EV Training has come, and upstairs is an inventor who wants to borrow a Pokemon that knows the move Charge to power his time machine -- your call on whether you loan him one!

Use your Dowser to pick up a Max Repel, and an Ultra Ball, and you have exhausted pretty much all that there is to do here other than chat with Trainers!  That being the case, return to the Poke Center to heal and save, then head for the Gym!

-- Opelucid City Gym --

The first order of the day is to take care of the AGL's, so enter the Gym and take the Fresh Water from the Greeter.  He explains the workings of the Gym -- the switches and all -- and then we head north for our first AGL battle!

Ace Trainer Webster has a Level 41 Fraxure.

Follow the narrow path around and up the neck to the right hand turn-out, jump the ramp and have our next AGL battle!

Ace Trainer Olwen has a Level 41 Deino.

Jump down and then head towards the neck again, run across the head, and down on to the path, following it around to our next AGL battle!

Ace Trainer Jose has a pair of Level 40 Fraxure.

Now jump down on the left front paw to raise the head, then climb it and follow the narrow upper ledge to our next AGL battle!

Ace Trainer Clara has a Level 41 Fraxure.

Head south along his back to the next AGL battle!

Veteran Hugo has a Level 42 Druddigon.

Follow the path around and down to the next AGL for another battle...

Ace Trainer Tom has a Level 39 Deino, a Level 39 Druddigon, and a Level 39 Fraxure.

Run south along the narrow path and jump on to another paw switch to realign the head yet again, and run along the back to the next AGL battle!

Ace Trainer Dara has a Level 40 Deino, and a Level 40 Druddigon.

Drop down on the switch to realign the nearby head then climb it and  when you reach the curve head to the right -- you are probably pretty mauled by now, so check your team and heal whoever needs healing, right?  Once of the challenges of this Gym is that it is not easy to duck out to heal up at the Center!

Veteran Kim has a Level 40 Fraxure, and a Level 41 Fraxure.

At the next juncture instead of going straight you can go left, which will move the head to face the Gym Leader's position -- or you can go straight and exit the Gym to return to the Poke Center to heal and save.  What you decide to do here really depends on how badly mauled your team was, and how much PP you had to burn.

If you burned through a lot of critical PP you really should go ahead and heal up now, as you will want your team ready to face the Dragon Master!

Winning the 8th Gym Badge

-- Drayden Gym Leader Battle --

When you return to the Gym, head  along the path putting all of the paws in the up position, and when you have done that, the way will be clear again to face the Gym Leader!

Drayden lead with his Level 41 Fraxure, then brings out his Level 41 Druddigon, and finally finishes up with his Level 43 Haxorus!

In addition to a cool $5160 you also receive the Legend Badge -- the 8th and final Badge!!  All Pokemon regardless of their level or trade status will now obey you!  Drayden gifts you with TM82, Dragon Tail, and then asks you to go to the Pokemon League after Alder because he has doubts that Alder will be strong enough to deal with the threat posed by N.

To exit step on the glowing green pad behind him, and you will teleport to the entrance!  Now hit the Pokemon Center to heal and save, then restock your kit before you do anything else!

As you exit the Gym Professor Juniper is waiting -- and after asking how the battle was, she gives you her report on how to resurrect the Legendary Pokemon Reshiram -- which in the end is no report at all.  Instead of giving you the answer you desperately need, she walks you over to the north gate that leads to Route 10 and tells you to clear the Badge Checkpoint and then make your way through Victory Road to the League HQ.

After asking you if you have any regrets -- you do not -- she gifts you with a Master Ball (one of two you can get in the game, the other is obtained by completing a specific number of trades via the Global Trade Station).  Save that Master Ball for capturing the roaming Pokemon Legendary -- do not waste it!