GMH plays Pokémon Perfect Crystal: the Quest for the Full Pokédex

Stormtroper

Though, this makes me wonder what the average trainer is like, in-universe.

Why do they have so few pokémon? Why do they have such mediocre records compared to the protagonist? I'm looking for diegetic explanations for these questions.

I've heard it speculated that going around the world doing all this pokémon training is actually a very difficult thing for people in-universe, so there are relatively few trainers who really do specialize in going around battling, while a lot of people just sorta do it for fun. Possibly using whatever pokémon they happen to have on hand.

So you have a lot of people who just engage in this hobby casually. Like, imagine someone who just catches locally-available common pokémon around where they live. And presumably, caring for pokémon in the Pokémon setting actually requires some sort of dedicated upkeep, not unlike keeping a pet in real life, so people who live and breathe pokémon and have a ton of them are few, while most people just keep a few pokémon around and maybe release/gift the rest around to family and friends and the wild.

I've thought so, too. The only characters who do the whole pokémon trainer pilgrimage are the main character, the rival, and a handful of other major characters. I figure most trainer are simply hobbyists who catch pokés related to their other hobbies or their profession, and most those who take the activity more seriously simply stick to their local gym.

I hadn't thought of the upkeep costs as a reason to have a less than full team, but it makes sense (at least for those who you don't know for a fact have other mons around).

glennmagusharvey

Did some moveset planning.

Swinub/Piloswine could end up with Strength and Rock Smash.
Tangela could end up with Flash.
Lickitung has way too many good options, but could end up with Strength and Surf.
Seel/Dewgong gets Surf, predictably, and probably also Headbutt.

glennmagusharvey

My inventory is overflowing.

I have 49 items in my PC and 20 items in my bag (not counting the balls, key items, or TM/HM pockets).

Also, I'm now thinking about which pokémon would be useful for venturing into the Whirl Islands and Ice Path. Whirl Islands needs my Tentacruel for Surf and Whirlpool, and I've also discovered/heard that it requires Flash, Strength, and Rock Smash. (And Waterfall, but that's later.) It has water pokémon like Krabby and Seel, as well as Zubats/Golbats. Ice Path, as far as I've seen, probably has ice pokémon, along with Zubats/Golbats.

So, I might be interested in grass-types, electric-types, water-types, fire-types, rock-types, poison-types, psychic-types, and fighting-types.

glennmagusharvey

Ivysaur L30 [grass/poison, no poison moves]
-Magneton L30 [electric/steel, no steel moves?]
Graveler L30 [rock/ground]
Wartortle L20 (that's not a typo) [water]
Psyduck L30 [water, + psychic move; Surf]
Koffing L30 [poison]
-Sudowoodo L29 [rock, + fighting move]
Growlithe L30 [fire; + dark move]
Vulpix L30 [fire]
Quilava L30 [fire]
Charmeleon L30 [fire]
-Ampharos L30 [electric]
Bayleef L20 (again, that's not a typo)
"Wrathwag" L19 [water; it's still a poliwag]
"Toedwag" L19 [water; again, still a poliwag]
"Viloddish" L21 [grass/poison; it's a gloom now]
"Belloddish" L20 [grass/poison; it's still an oddish at this point]
Weepinbell L31 [grass/poison; Cut]
-Tangela L23 [grass; Sleep Powder]
Machoke L30 [fighting; Rock Smash]
Goldeen L27 [water, + flying move?]
"Bropoke" L29 [water/psychic; Surf]
"Kingpoke" L26 [water/psychic; Surf]
-Feraligatr L35 [water; Surf]
-Tentacruel L30 [water/poison; Surf, Whirlpool] (required for Whirl Islands)
Slugma L31 [fire; + rock and poison moves]
-Arbok L30 [poison; + dark move]
-Lanturn L30 [water/electric]
-Primeape L30 [fighting]
-Azumarill L31 [water; + rock move]
-Kingler L29 [water; special sucks]
Voltorb L29 [electric; no electric moves]
Exeggcute L10 [grass/psychic; moveset?????]
Venonat L30 [bug/poison; not sure about moveset]
Paras L10 [bug/grass; no grass moves?, will get Spore]
-Hypno L26 [psychic; Hypnosis]
Seel L23 [water; no water moves, + ice move]
Shellder L31 [water; no water moves, + ice move]
-Octillery L29 [water; + ice and psychic moves]
Phanpy L19 [ground; Rock Smash]
Sunkern L14 [grass]
NidoranF L12 [poison]
NidoranM L12 [poison]
Haunter L25 [ghost/poison; no poison moves?, Hypnosis]
-Alakazam L18 [psychic]
-Houndoom L27 [fire/dark]
-Beedrill L30 [bug/poison; Cut]
-Murkrow L16 [dark/flying]
-Qwilfish L5 [water/poison]
-Xatu L30 [psychic/flying; no psychic moves, + ghost move (but it's Night Shade)]

(by moves i mean attacks)
[normal moves are assumed]
- means "this doesn't evolve further", though this doesn't mean i won't use it

glennmagusharvey

notes to self:
go training
use MooMoo Milk liberally
use Fresh Water liberally
sell Escape Rope
use Antidotes liberally
get Burn Heal, Ice Heal; use them liberally

glennmagusharvey

someone other than Arbok needs Strength

Stormtroper

get Burn Heal, Ice Heal; use them liberally

With how seldom these two status effects come up, I don't expect anything less.

glennmagusharvey

maybe i should just sell those lol

glennmagusharvey

so Slowking can learn Whirlpool but Slowbro can't, for some funny reason

glennmagusharvey

made some decisions about my teams.

Sunkern: evolve to Sunflora before level 31. (haven't decided exactly when yet)
moveset: Absorb -> Petal Dance (31), Growth -> SolarBeam (46), Synthesis/Mega Drain, Sunny Day -- maybe swapping out Mega Drain and Sunny Day for some other moves.

Oddish -> Gloom -> Vileplume via leaf stone after 44, in order to get a Petal Dance.
Oddish -> Gloom -> Vileplume via sun stone after 44 but before 55, in order to get Petal Dance which can be replaced with Solar Beam later.

Slowpoke -> Slowbro (natural evolution at 37)
Curse, Strength, Psychic, Surf
Slowpoke -> Slowking before 37
Whirlpool, Headbutt/Strength?, Psychic, Surf
These two are gonna handle a ton of field moves.

Bulbasaur->Ivysaur->Venusaur
I'd already decided this one a while back but forgot it. SolarBeam, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf. (only downsite is lack of type variety but this is still a good moveset)

Bellsprout->Weepinbell->Victreebel (after 54)
Vine Whip -> Razor Leaf, Growth -> Sweet Scent? -> Slam, Wrap -> Acid, Sleep Powder
other move alterations possible later.
because Weepinbell gets Slam at 54.

Shellder->Cloyster after 49. because Shellder finally learns Ice Beam at 49. Sadly it has a crappy movepool before then.

Poliwag->Poliwhirl->Poliwrath/Politoed
This one has been one of the very messy entries. I finally decided the following:
Wrathwag should eventually get Mind Reader, Hypnosis, Submission (or Dynamic Punch via TM), Surf. Mind Reader helps with both Hypnosis and DynamicPunch.
Toedwag should be evolved after 51 in order to get Rain Dance, Body Slam, Hydro Pump/Surf, and Hypnosis.

glennmagusharvey

start using Nidorino
* crappy learnset makes for lots of room for HMs
* can learn Strength and immune to poison status
* Surf/Strength/Horn Attack/Double Kick? or just wipe away even those last two vestiges of the natural learnset and put in some nice stuff like Shadow Ball and an elemental punch