GC does a Let's Play: I also have Pokeymans and I will show you them

[Thadius]

Wait.

You crossed over into the Baldur-Gate verse there.

That means...

Why hello there!

You brought this on yourself you know.

[Great Cartoonist]

<Okay, so it seems our good host GC has been off sick for a few weeks and that's why he's put off this Let's Play for a solid two months... or maybe he's stupid or something. I'unno. Well anyway, the point is we're back and that's what matters. Now let's see what's next on the agenda...>


<Wait, what? When did I ever think about going to Disneyland? That place is eeeeeeeeeeeeevil. Also, for kids. I'm not a kid. As much as I wish I were.>


<Ah, that's much better. Well, I suppose there's only one more place of interest to visit now. Take it away, almighty author.>

<Uhhmmmm, who are you talking to?>

<HOLYHONEYDEWONTOASTwhen did you come in.>

<Adrian was behind you the whole time.>

<Oh... right. Yeah. Ummmm... I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said that I had an imaginary friend?>

<Ohh, Adrian did not know you had an imaginary friend! Adrian used to have one once... Adrian and onii-sama had lots of fun with->

<Forget I asked.>

...


And we're back where we left off.


The only thing to do now here is to settle some matters with the local gym leader.
And no, I'm not going to pull out that Dugtrio. We're doing things the HARD way.


Unfortunately, the gym is blocked off by a currently indestructible shrub that continues to block our path for no other reason than because it's a jerk.

<Also, why can't you just BURN the suckers down? It's made of wood, wood catches fire, I can FREAKING START FIRES, why aren't we allowed to BURN THESE GODDAMN THINGS?!>




However, with HM01 in hand, we can now do something about it.




Simply use it from the inventory menu, as seen here.


Upon which it shows you which Pokemon are eligible for learning the move. This follows a somewhat logical reasoning, in that it would be odd to have a Pokemon like Voltorb perform a cutting attack when it's a goddamn ball of explosives. I say "somewhat" because I still don't get how a ghost balloon can perform a cutting attack.


And now our Pokemon has a new option when we select it. Using this when near a shrub...


...will remove that obstacle from your path. Later generations made it simpler by instantly giving you a prompt to use your Pokemon's HM moves when interacting with something that you can use an HM move on. But they took a step back in generation 3 and 4 by adding longer, unnecessary flavor animations to go with the HM moves that you can't skip.


























Moving on...


If you hadn't guessed by now, this is obviously a puzzle.




There are two switches to find. If you guess wrong after turning on the first one, the puzzle resets.


This, obviously, makes blind guessing difficult. Unless you know the trick. Or have savestates.


But we're not going to waltz right into Surge's face just yet. These guys have money on them.


Yes I know this is a port city but this guy doesn't quite fit the theme of this gym.


He has two of them. These guys can only stand up to one Pay Day. Still, it's not like we can't use Pay Day anywhere else.


I have yet to surprise anyone.




<Wait, WHAAAAAAT? Those two switches were on OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE ROOM! They were nowhere NEAR each other! How would you consider them being NEXT TO EACH OTHER if there are THREE OTHER BINS BETWEEN THEM?>


So you're saying you're a wizard with a focus in lightning spells. Okay then.


I have no clue how a rocker fits in with an electric theme. Maybe it's because they use electric guitars or something? Actually, what the hell is he supposed to be holding in that picture?


This is the entire fight summed up in one picture.


Also, he had a Magnemite in between the two Voltorbs. But why am I telling you this you obviously don't care by now.


Seriously, Pay Day is pretty awesome.




<That advice could have been useful like five minutes ago, when we just solved the damn puzzle.>




Why are you telling me this I don't want to know the life story of a complete nobody who I'll never see again ever.


Ahahahahah what a joke.




See? A joke.


Oh hey, another you probably already know what I was going to say.


Wow, that's like if I got in fifteen uses of Pay Day against the last guy.




What's to be cautious about? He's got freaking Chris Redfield biceps and enough Pokemon to power a city-wide grid. I say he's only doing it just to spite me.










I like how EVERY SINGLE GODDAMN TRAINER is stupidly overconfident when you challenge them, until you hand their asses to them. It's funny. (Well, okay, there are a few exceptions.)




Man, come on. We've been fighting this drivel all throughout the gym. Can't these gym leaders have a more varied selection?


Same boring tactics as always.


Yes, yes, I know what you're all thinking. No, I won't do it.




Pathetic.


Boring.


Still boring. Wait, I have an idea...


<What the...? Oh HELL no. No, no, nononononononononononononononononono. Please tell me you're joking. ...Please?>

<You goddamn pansy, get in there.>


<...Damn.>

<Zzzapzapzapzaaaaapzaaapzapzapzap! Zaap! Zap zap zapzapzazazap!>

<What in the hell kind of language is that? That's even stupider than... well... um... okay, I've got nothing here, so I'll just go with you're stupid.>

<Zap zapzazapzap?>

<I still don't understand what you just said and I hate you.>


Where Pikachu had high damage and speed with low defense, Raichu has even more of all of them. Which is pretty much standard fare for most evolutions.

<Rassafrassa friggin'-stinkin' gargl-bargl patterwhackin' puddingblackin'...>

<You can do it, Bard-kun! Adrian believes in you!>

<...riproarin' shell-tastin' knee-stickin' desk-transin'...>


This moment brought to you by hardware-limited AI.


<...and then I'd set fire to his remains, and then I'd toss a Fireball right on his ashes and send them to the winds, and then I'd turn the air to acid so that anything left will dissolve into nothing, and then I'd...>


<Zaaap zaaaapzap!>


<The HELL are you rambling about?>


<Zaaap zaaaapzap!>


<Oh, shut up.>

Now, the problem with evolution stone evolutions is that they don't learn any new moves, which means that you have to level up the base form before you evolve it or use TMs to get a proper moveset. Which leads to...


<ZAAAP ZAAPZAP ZAAAP!>
<SONUVA [flan] [freebie] [fun] [fool] [ferret] [find] [etc.] [etc.] [etc.] HATE THIS [filth]ING GARARABLARAGALBARLRBLAHGRALR!>

As always, gym leaders' Pokemon use their exclusive TM move.


<HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU!>

<Zaaapzazap!>


<Zaaap zaaaapzap!>


<HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA>

<Zap zap zaaaaap!>


<ZAP Zapzapzap!>


<HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A>


<Zaap zaap za...>

<A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A oh. Well that was quick.>










He's supposed to be some kind of war veteran, but all that is worth jack when battling with Pokemon.

<I still hate you you know>






Oh hey, now we can use another HM! ...One we don't have at the moment, so yeah, it's probably not important.




More prizes! I'm feigning excitement!


Wow, that's actually pretty direct and to-the-point.








I hardly believe bushes can grow back that fast in real life, which confirms my theory that this bush is just being a massive jerk.


<I'll get you yet, you stupid plant. One day.>




































Now, this update was way different from what I originally had in mind, but I went with this version because it was less stupid and I wasn't suffering from a fever at the time.
But just to satisfy your curiosity, here is a sample from the original version.


DEMONS ABOUND! THIS ABOMINATION BLOCKS MY PATH! I MUST USE FIRE TO CLEANSE ITS TAINT FROM THE LAND!

<Um, I guess what he meant to say is that this bush really sucks?>


YOU'LL NOT GET THE BETTER OF ME, VILLAIN! JUSTICE WILL ONE DAY MEET WITH YOU!


BY THE WILL OF THE GODS, YOU WILL RETURN TO THE DEPTHS FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!

<I think we can officially say he's gone off the deep end.>

<Who?>

<Umm, ummmm, ah, I mean... I'm... yes, I'm going off the deep end. Yes. Obviously I must be crazy if I am talking to myself.>

<Awww, poor Bard-kun.>


FOUL DOOR! YOU THINK YOUR ENCHANTMENTS WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ME?

<Oh crap, RUN!>

[Great Cartoonist]

<...damn... damn... damn... damn... ARRRRGH! You [really long list of words your mother would be none too proud of] HOW IN THE [also, another one] DID EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM GET A BLUE SHELL!?>

Ahahahaha.

<Agh gah ghk erk dagh you you you errrgh>

Oh come on, it's only one game out of, say, infinity, you can play another one if you don't like it.

<Eeeehhh... yeah, maybe I should. Yeah. Who cares about that triple star rating on everything. Just eats up a whole load of your time for a lot of nothing.>

Speaking of which, did you crazy kids ever get back to this so-called "Let's Play" that you and your greater have been working on?

<Well, I haven't heard from him for like a month, which either means that he's busy with some really important projects or something, or he's just being lazy. Again. In the meantime, I can work on some important projects of my own. Now where did I put Ninja Gaiden? I am not going to let that game laugh at me again like it did the last 500 times.>

<I see you guys are still around.>

<Oh hello there. Why are you here?>

<Eh, was bored.>

<Well then, come join us.>

<But not in a lazy sense.>

<Ah. In that case go away.>

<No.>

<Figured that wouldn't work.>

<Oh, and if you're wondering what GC's been up to... he is actually pretty busy at the moment, so maybe that's why he's not been updating regularly like he should.>

<Well that's a first. I guess it might have something to do with his last update not getting back any replies, so maybe he figured everyone's lost interest at this point and just filed it under "very low-priority".>

Or maybe he accidentally deleted his save files when he was trying to clean up some space on his hard drive.

...

...

<That's oddly specific.>

Just speculation.

<So tell me, Ms. girly-colors, why are you REALLY here?>

<I told you, I wanted to know what you were up to, that's all.>

<Are you sure?>

<Of course I->

<Also, you don't have to keep using Pokemon-speak, I can understand plain English like everyone else around here.>

Oh, right. Forgot about that.

<Back to my question. Are you REALLY here because you just wanted to look around?>

Yes.

<Really?>

YES!

<REEAAAALLLLLLY?>

YES!

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...you got New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii?

<Oh yeah, I haven't beaten that one yet.>

Neither have I. Let's rock.

Dibs on Mario!

[Tev]

Originally Posted by Great Cartoonist

<Well that's a first. I guess it might have something to do with his last update not getting back any replies, so maybe he figured everyone's lost interest at this point and just filed it under "very low-priority".>

Actually it was more of a "I missed the update and as such thought you were still on hiatus" kind of thing. Glad to see you're still alive and making stuff though.

[Token]

Best way to get replies: piss off Mac.

As for the save file, yikes. Been there dude, it's not fun.

[Fusionman]

You lost your save file? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUC CCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you save-state anywhere close to there?

[Great Cartoonist]

Welp, here is our progress since the last update:













































































































Will add more to it later on, so stay tuned. Or something.

[Tev]

By adding more you mean text right? Because while this is hilarious to read ad-lib, I'm all kinds of lost.

[Great Cartoonist]

Welp, let's get one thing straight here.

Due to REAL LIFE I am constantly in a state of being unable to update this playthrough as often as I thought I would. Y'see, things like this need a sort of commitment, and as we all know, commitment builds character.
But then you have these other, equally if not more important things that are calling out to you, and they also require commitment, so a sort of compromise needs to be made one way or another.

I'm not saying that I'm going to be quitting this fun little romp through MURDERBEASTLAND, it's just that it's going to be put on hold until I can get my other priorities sorted out.

"Man," you might be thinking, "how many times have I head this one before?"

The answer? By my experiences, a lot.