You ever just finish playing Super Mario Brothers and think, “Boy, I’d sure like to journey around the continent with some animal buddies?”
Pokemon: It’s fairly popular. Debuting in Japan in 1996 and the US in 1998, the initial Pokemon games were a huge hit. As were subsequent games. Really, it’s hard not to know at least a little about Pokemon through cultural osmosis. That being said, the original games were kind of a mess. Like, “held together with duct tape” and “boy did they not know how to balance this” kinds of mess. So, in 2004, Game Freak used the engine of the then-current games and remade the original games. And thus, we have Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen versions. These remakes are a part of the Generation III titles, so there are quite a few quality of life additions over the original games that help pick up the game’s pace and balance it slightly. Like the originals, both FireRed and LeafGreen don’t differ in content that much, the main difference between the two is that certain Pokemon are either more common or only available in one game over the other.
If you need a quick rundown of Pokemon basics, it goes like this: you get an animal, you catch other animals, and you build a team of animals with different elements so you can effectively defeat other trained animals in combat. There’s more complexity in the stats and moves of each Pokemon, (which is difficult to learn on your own considering grinding in this game can be tedious,) but for the most part the main story of the game is mostly about learning the fundamentals of Pokemon Types.
So if it wasn’t obvious from the thread title, this won’t be a 100% Pokedex run. Catching them all has never exactly been easy, (or possible without somebody who owns the other version of the game,) and it gets harder between generations. So this will be a casual run through of FireRed, though I will be cutting unimportant random encounters and some of the fluff from common trainer battles. But my boyfriend @LoakaMossi will be joining me for this one, so “fluff” doesn’t refer to “basically the entire fight because I can’t think of how to talk about a Horsea after the hundredth time I’ve seen one.”
Characters
Leaf Hotaru Aki
A girl from Palette Town, who began traveling Kanto to fill up Professor Oak’s Pokedex. Keeps naming Pokemon after food and food-related items. Might? Need to eat breakfast???
Blue Gary Hideki Oak
A jerk from Palette Town, who began traveling Kanto to be a snob about filling the Pokedex. It’s pointless to ask why he’s like this; he’s been Hideki’s rivals since they were babies.
Turtlemisu, the Wartortle
Serious Nature
Given to Hotaru by Professor Oak. The most adorably serious Pokemon you’ll ever meet.
Had enough of the rock types on Route 25, so he evolved into Wartortle just to slam dunk them harder.
Peri the Mankey
Impish Nature
Caught in Route 22. Since Mad and Fuzz aren’t valid types, Peri is just Fighting instead.
Spearmint the Fearow
Sassy Nature
Caught in Route 22. Refuses to take guff from anyone. Not actually aware of what the word “guff” means, though.
Evolved on Route 9 after sleeping for a bit and waking up to the most wonderful smell.
Haiyu the Pikachu
Bold Nature
Caught in Viridian Forest. hey “nice” HP growth haha it sucks [she turns around and reveals she is a Pokemon from the tokugawa shogunate] oh heck.
Vanished mysteriously after defeating Starmie at Cerulean Gym. Perhaps she was satisfied after defeating her anime rival, and left to train further.
Gateau the Nidoqueen
Adamant Nature
Caught on Route 3. I’ve never seen Gateau on any of the exercise equipment, but I’m like 99% sure she uses them on a regular basis.
Evolved into a Nidorina on the S.S. Anne. The stink of rich folk only furthered Gateau’s desire to suplex a fully-grown human being.
Evolved not long after in Vermilion City’s gym. No longer has a need for suplexes, she can just bump a person to death now.
Qandi the Geodude
Lax Nature
Caught in Mt. Moon. She’s pretty good at punching, probably due to being 50% arms. Thankfully pretty ambivalent about everything, because as far as rocks go, she’s really strong.
Shiitake the Paras
Hasty Nature
Caught in Mt. Moon. Shiitake is an omnivore, in that he eats everything. E V E R Y T H I N G. Doesn’t let being tiny get him down.
Myra the Drowzee
Adamant Nature
Caught on Route 11. Devours the souls of the living as they sleep. So she gets along well with Shiitake, the other horrifying member of the party.
Char the Growlithe
Brave Nature
Caught on Route 8. No Pokemon is his equal, unless they can move the earth itself. Or throw rocks at him. Or sprinkle water on him. Other than that, he’s a perfect and good boy.
**Eeveemame the Jolteon
Gentle Nature
Obtained and evolved in Celadon City. A very powerful and spiky Pokemon who might be the inheritor of some great title and/or fortune. Does not mind being called “zappy boy” on occasion.
Episodes
Part 1: The Tortoise and the Trainer
Part 3: Brock and Rolling Start
Part 6: Pokemon Battles at the Big Bridge
Part 7: Flowing Through the Cape
Part 14: A Stop at Rock Tunnel
Part 15: Char vs the Forces of Route 8
Part 16: Take Me Down to Celadon City
Part 19: OverGast Weather at the Haunted Tower
Part 23: Cycling Road of Violence
Part 26: Koffing, Weezing, Gastly
Part 29: Cinna-Barred From Entry
Part 31: Knot, a Lot of Islands
Part 35: Secret of the Hidden Gym Leader
Part 36: Onward to Victory (Road)!
Bonus Part 1: Vacation at the Sevii Islands
Bonus Part 2: What Lorelei-s Within
Bonus Part 3: Brick Break the Rich
Bonus Part 4: Six Hours, Six Pokemon, Six Island
Bonus Part 5: Sapphire Braille of Pure Love
Bonus Part 6: Admin-ing Your Mistakes