On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Delta Episode 2: Electric Boogaloo

Holy $#!t

Just… so much holy $#!t

All of the things happening

I should… like… talk about it all. I warn you, this one just kept getting longer and longer and at some point I just lost control of it, because there were just so many things I had to comment on and I didn’t want to split up the events of Delta Episode any further. If even half of the things I’m reading into these events are true, my views about the history of the Pokémon world and the relationship between humans and Pokémon need serious revision; I mean, I’m seriously beginning to think Archie might have been right to waken Kyogre, and to hell with the risks. Some of the ideas I’m starting to have will probably crystallise in the article I’m supposed to be writing soon about Mega Evolution (and by the way, I am so glad I didn’t try to write that before playing this game), but the rest… hard to say. May have to write something else to deal with the history of Hoenn in detail. I’ll think about it. In the meantime, here are my reactions to the final plot sequence of Alpha Sapphire…

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Delta Episode 1

This damn plot extension is making my head spin in at least three major ways, and I haven’t even finished it yet. So much to talk about, so much to think about! Not going to bother listing the team at this point; you know who they are if you’ve been reading these. Let’s just talk about what’s happening…

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Ep VII

We must be nearly done by now, right?
My journey through Alpha Sapphire continues to the Elite Four – and beyond. Team status is as follows:

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Ep VI

Well, Kyogre is still a thing… And just like that, the game’s climax is done with and I’m just sunbathing in Sootopolis City while I wait for my appointment with Wallace. Good times. So, how’s the team doing?

And I think it’s only fair at this point to give a little credit to someone who was with me throughout all of that nonsense, the long-suffering…

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Ep V

Sitting in Lilycove City at the moment, having just cleared out the Team Aqua base in the bay. In theory I should now pursue Archie across the ocean to prevent him from ending the world or whatever, but I’m just not really feeling it at the moment; I think I might just hang out here for a while and enter some contests. I mean, a trainer can’t visit Lilycove and not enter a contest, right?

Current team:

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Ep IV

Reports of my death have been mildly exaggerated…
Yes, yes, I know, I’m being lazy; I had to do my usual thing where I fly halfway around the world and then immediately attend an academic conference because apparently I hate myself, and there was other personal stuff that kinda sucked but to be honest I deserved everything I got, and really it’s not been a great week all around, but the show must go on, and all that, because I have at least ten questions piled up in my inbox and should probably do those sooner or later. Hopefully Jim and I will be saying our piece on Bianca and Cheren within the next week. For now, let’s get back to Alpha Sapphire, where I am hanging out in the vicinity of Fortree City.

Current team:

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Ep III

I don’t actually want to go on a Pokémon training quest anymore; I just want to live in Lavaridge Town, lounge around in their hot springs every day, and make a killing on the herbal medicine market by training Grass Pokémon to prepare stronger concoctions.

Current team:

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Ep II

Chilling at Slateport City. Shopping in the market. Being an obnoxious tourist. Fish and chips on the beach. Et cetera. Nothing tremendously dramatic or exciting has happened since last time – certainly nothing like learning about STEALTH MODE or getting my ass handed to me by a random wild Pokémon – but I’ve earned my first two badges and been introduced to contests.

Current team is:

Continue reading →

On Playing Through Alpha Sapphire: Ep I

I’m not really planning to do a full-length journal on Alpha Sapphire like I did with White 2 or X, partly because I’m just kinda ‘over’ that particular type of writing at the moment, partly because I want to focus more on this thing I’m doing with the rivals, partly because I’m just not sure how I would work something like that when I already know the basic outline of the story of these games, although I’m sure there will be plenty of new details. So I’m just going to wing it and talk about stuff that’s interesting as I move. I’m going to go pretty slowly – I may actually make a real effort, for the first time in years, to complete my Pokédex on Alpha Sapphire, so I’m catching everything I come across and training most of it at least a little bit. So I’ll just give you brief updates on my progress and talk about anything I come across that I like, or don’t like, or is just interesting. Whatevs.

Currently hanging out in Rustboro City. Haven’t entered the Gym yet. Primary team is as follows:

Continue reading →