Episode 2: The Final Sacrifice

With Varik dealt with, you might say we're "On the Road to Viridian City". The guy who gives out the potion is here with the same role as always, but he oddly says his name here (Justin). I wonder if that's just a dev calling out one of their friends. Or maybe Justin will be an incredibly important recurring character, who knows. Of course, with our first tall grass comes our first new Star Beast.

Just being a generic animal definitely makes me assume this is a Vast Fame original rather than a new design, although if I ever saw that for a Starbie that actually was a new design I'm gonna feel like a real asshole. This thing's also got Poison Sting, so it's another good candidate for being the reason behind the PC Antidote. I Wrap a couple into the dirt for the experience here.

After a grueling journey we arrive at Viridian City. The first thing that catches my eye is the Chansey replacement in the Starbie Center. Once we find a center without someone rudely standing in the way, we should be able to learn what this thing's name is. But for now it remains a mystery.

This NPC offers to helpfully explain to us about the two kind of caterpillar. According to the expert, Mulcrunch eats meat, while Cupeedle doesn't, and Mulcrunch is stronger but slower while Cupeedle is fast but "a bit flimsy". However, they're apparently both "really useful". I wonder if Shi Kong Xing Shou had two different bug families like this or if one or both of these are Star Beasts originals. Once I'm finished with the game I'll have to see if I can find a list of all of the original game's creatures so I can learn definitely who comes from where.

The other notable changed dialogue that I found on this first trip is this guy in the Mart, who says that the shop "sells many RADIATIONs. I mean, ANTIDOTEs." This is almost certainly another oblique reference, and if all of them are as specific as that Ashens reference from earlier I should probably get used to not being in on the joke for a lot of this game's flavor text. In any case, we pick up Cherry's Parcel and we're ready to head back.

Everything goes as expected, we get the Stardex and head back north. On the way back up through Route 1 though, I do learn of a second Starbie that can spawn there.

Not really anything to write home about, but the name just being "Roc" means this was definitely another port from the original, so I can't be too upset. It's not like the real Pokémon games don't have just as many forgettable birds.

I pick up some Star Balls once I'm back in Viridian so we can start formally putting together our team. Before we leave Viridian, I definitely want to check the grass on Route 22 for any new Starbies and take on the optional Rival fight. And new Starbies are exactly what I find.

I'm pretty sure this isn't actually our lost dog, but it's someone's lost dog. My Poison Stings being not very effective confirm that this is a Poison type, which makes me not especially interested in adding it to the team for now.

Now this guy I can really get down with. The continuity of the angle of the stick is a little fucked up on the sprite, but maybe it's just a bendy stick. It also has the move Sharpen which is novel, cool to see that move getting some wider disribution. I decided to look around a bit more before committing to catch it though.

Now we're talking. Honestly, I enjoy this design but I don't quite love it as much as Spriggle. However! This team is going to want one or maybe even two Electric types on it if we're trying to build with Wrap, for Thunder Wave purposes. I'm not sure I'll be keeping this dog on my team long-term, but I think it'll be nice to have in the short term. It had the move Bite in the battle, but I'm not actually sure if Dark is a type in this game or if it's just Normal. But we're catching it, so we'll find out.

In addition to being a better way of disposing of car batteries than throwing them in the ocean, Zapodi has something of an X-Factor. Not only is Bite indeed a Dark-type move here, but Zapodi is also Electric/Dark, meaning it's already got a 60 power stab move on a pretty strong Special stat. This game doesn't have the Physical/Special split which is fine, but it does make Zapodi's other move being Screech pretty funny. Screech is actually pretty good, but as of now it has no moves that can actually make use of it. (Testing this in a Zapodi mirror match is how I got the chance to test if Phys/Spec was in the game). Oh well, just from the first couple battles using this it's already doing huge damage with Bite to things that are the same level, so I think he'll be a great addition to the team.

Oh yeah, and when I think of "Zap" there's only one name that comes to mind. So welcome to the team, Rowsdower.

At this point I started training Rowsdower to get him to roughly the same level as Mr. Bungle, since they'll probably be my main two fighters for the foreseeable future. After running around in this grass for a while two-shotting scorpions and birds with Bite, I've realized that despite being the first thing I ever got on this route that Slimogg seems to actually be a pretty rare encounter. So even though I said I wasn't planning on making it a permanent addition to the team, I decided I might as well catch one once I found a second one. So that's what I did.

Welcome to the team, Stanko. You're probably just going to be switching into things and getting knocked out. But you're a Poison/Normal type and you've got Scratch, so if you do get a free turn you do have a decent button to click with it at least.

With two team members ready to go, it's time to rematch Varik. Same dialogue here as the original. He's added a Roc to his team, which isn't too surprising since it's filling the role of the Spearow on the original rival's team.

While Rowsdower is favored in this matchup since Gust actually has been updated to Flying in this game (Did you know Gust was Normal in RBY? Pretty funny stuff), a couple Sand Attacks and a 3 level disadvantage means I can't actually beat this bird 1 on 1. Bungle picks up the knockout with some classic Wrap goodness, and not only scores a level up but also learns Water Gun, which will be a huge help. Not so much against Quincy, who comes in next and has Leech Seed and Harden, but Bite being Special allows Rowsdower to take it down. Good teamwork, fellas.

At this point I was about ready to head back and start for Viridian Forest, but there was something strange that caught my eye.

Gee, this cave entrance wasn't here before. What wonders lay ahead? (The wonder was a bug).

The cave, or at least the accessible part of it, is very tiny. But in this little area is some sort of creature with the beetle sprite. Apprently, it was responsible for digging this tunnel, but it got lost trying to get home. Amateur mistake, to be honest, and now it has resorted to violence. That's not going to solve anything, man!

In my infinite wisdom, I didn't decide it was worth healing before I tried to battle this bug, so now I'm stuck with a very weak party up against a Level 10(!!!) bug with a Scratch that took care of both of my remaining creatures in one strike each. After blacking out I returned for a rematch, only for Rowsdower to once again be felled in one turn by a super effective Double Kick, and Mr. Bungle only barely fared any better. Clearly we are dealing with no ordinary Slashopper. This is a true force of nature. Even the mighty power of Stanko, the level 3 Slimogg was nothing in the face of its Scratching prowess. We were gonna need to grind more.

So it's back to the Scorpsy mines. Or so I thought! After another blackout, the first encounter back on Route 22 was a hitherto unseen beast. Perhaps our meeting here was fate, the destined hero who has come to slay the mighty Level 10 Grasshopper Thing.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Between the time when I wrote this and the time that I posted it, the director and producer of The Final Sacrifice announced a Kickstarter for a Making-Of Documentary for the movie. If you're a real Zap Rowsdower fan, go check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/realrowsdower/the-making-of-the-final-sacrifice

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