So thanks to Gol. That Bastard. I have decided that I'm gonna break out the old RPG Maker that isn't actually old at all, Pokémon Reborn. Because, yaknow, bandwagons are fun (and also because Reborn is fun and doesn't glitch like HG or SS emulators).
For those of you unfamiliar with the construct that is Pokémon Reborn, essentially it's a fan made Pokémon game made using Gen3 graphics, with a few broadly based changes:
1: The story is leagues ahead of any canon Pokémon game. And I mean LEAGUES (disclaimer: I haven't played Sun and Moon and apparently it has the best canon story. So reborn is leagues ahead of everything gen6 and older) It's pretty dark, and seriously doesn't shy away from exploring some serious themes and all that. All in all, it's downright unbelievable for a free fan made Pokémon game.
2: It's not easy, at all. The game is easily more difficult than a standard Nuzlocke challenge in an ordinary Pokémon game (even if you don't exploit the fact that you can grind into invincibility in canon), and is probably more difficult than any normal Pokémon challenge (if only because you can grind). That said, it's not like its rage quit and hate the game difficult, it’s just something that makes not fucking around with your team important instead of an optional extra.
There are also a bunch of random cool mechanics in the game, like the nice sidequests (I don't really know what else to call them), and a dynamic weather system.
For the run-through itself I'm not really gonna be imposing any extra rules or anything, purely because the game is pretty hard on its own and also because I've never actually finished the game so I want a pure run for my first time and all that.
Anyways, there's not really all that much else I can think of to say here, so let's get this going!
And so our journey begins! As you can see I am playing the latest release of Reborn, episode 16. As far as I am aware, the current release gets me to the 14th gym leader (of which there are 18) and around level 80. So no worries, there's a long journey ahead of us!
Our complementary intro speech is given to us by Ame, who seems to basically be the secretary of the Reborn league, and her badass Absol. It's all pretty standard fair at this point, I learn that I'm being given the talk on the train into Reborn city, decide upon Decibel, the non-binary badass in a nice suit, and take on the legendary name Jinana. Ame has a few warnings for me, Reborn City apparently doesn't have many Pokémon in it, and I gotta be a badass trainer to get through the league, etc etc. It's so normal that I could practically fall asleep reading it...
...Yet, Reborn isn’t gonna take any of my shit, and instead decides to interrupt my introduction speech with an almost perfectly executed terrorist attack.
As you can see, Grandview station is basically completely fucked, and the game takes this opportunity to introduce me to Julia: an incredibly unstable bomber girl, apparently. Ame comes to the immediate assumption that she bombed the train, but it turns out that she was only brought here by the joys of hearing something go boom. With poor Jinana's day completely ruined Ame decides to go and figure out who almost killed her, and tells me to go find a friend of hers outside the Grand Hall of Opal Ward.
The area is almost entirely locked down by police as a result of the terrorist threat, and a few poor bystanders are lamenting the fact that they can't get back home thanks to the lockdown. One offer me a potion because she thinks that it will somehow heal me, while another talks about how her fiancée was on the train... When it exploded.
...
With little other choice, Jinana makes xyr way to the Grand Hall. It's becoming increasingly apparent that Reborn City is in an incredibly poor state. According to the bystanders on the route to the hall, Jinana hears that the water is polluted to the point where it makes those to who drink it sick, and that the Pokemon in the region are largely extinct. Crime seems to be at an all-time high as well. Even though the police investigating the bombing seem reasonably competent, the rest either aren't, or they are simply massively understaffed.
So there's a lot to be done down in Reborn city, it seems. Better get started then.
Outside the Grand Hall, I meet the friend who Ame was talking about: Victoria, the first of the 3 main rivals in the game and also the least interesting. She leads me into the hall itself...
For us to find Ame once again. Don't ask me why she didn't just come with me to the Hall or anything. Evidently, the person behind the bombing (or rather one of the people, a Grunt of Reborn's own evil team) has been caught and is being interrogated for information now. Reborn police definitely don't fuck around. Either way, Victoria mentions something about getting a new Pokémon on the request of some women named Kiki, and the two of them talk for a bit until Ame leads me upstairs to choose my starter.
Reborn does not fuck around with the usual 3 starter business, instead we get the choice between any starter from genI to genVI (with genVII pokemon not being in the game as of yet). Thanks to Wright, I have decided that Jinana shall be going through life with a Snivy by xyr side.
And so Smugleaf comes into Jinana's possession. A brave and curious fucker this one is, with the best ability that a snivy could have, and a reasonable enough IV spread. (Two mechanics in Reborn are that pokemon can have hidden abilities, and also that you can see their Evs and IVs.)
Coming soon: Jinana has his first battles, and meets Cain, without a doubt the strangest fucking rival ever.
With xyr starter now chosen, Jinana and Smugleaf make their way back downstairs. Before long Ame takes Victoria up to make her choice, and even though she says that she isn't gonna choose her Pokémon based off of my choice, I'm not entirely sure that I believe her. As I wait for the two of them to come back, I am approached by the weirdest looking guy that the game has to offer.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Cain. Now, this guy is without the doubt the definition of camp; basically whenever he gets some screen time, expect me to say things like "I'm so fucking done with this guy" and the like. But, somewhere over the course of my previous interactions with the game, the little fishnet wearing fucker grew on me to the point where he is by far my favourite of the 3 rivals of Reborn, and probably one of my favourite NPCs in general.
Anyways, Cain and I swap details about ourselves and he reveals that while he's not a new trainer, he's had to start over due to uh.... "Circumstances". No doubt we'll find out what exactly these circumstances are later in the game. Then, like any good rival, he challenges me to a battle.
Ofc, as early as we are in the game, Cain only has his lil lv5 Nidoran. (Hmmm... Poison type main, purple clothing. I wonder if he's going to be a poison type trainer)
Regardless, it doesn't take very long before I wipe the floor with Cain's Nidoran, getting Smugleaf up to level 6. Cain takes me over to the built in Pokémon centre, before Ame and Victoria find us once again. Cain explains that we had some fun while Victoria was picking her Pokémon, at which point she drops this comment.
Jesus Victoria, put your shipping on hold please.
Thankfully, Cain clarifies the misunderstanding and Victoria decides that she's going to challenge me to a battle as well. You know, based off that clothing, I'd almost expect Victoria to be training some Fighting type Pokémon.
I send out Smugleaf, waiting eagerly to see what Pokémon Victoria decided on as her starter...
VICTORIA YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO PICK YOUR STARTER BASED OFF OF MINE
Jokes, Victoria always picks Tepig as her starter, I just had the luck to go with the type disadvantaged starter from the same generation. Regardless, the girl is hardly a challenge for Smugleaf and so he gets to level 7 very quickly, picking up Vine Whip on the way. With that out of the way, the two of us head back to Ame and are registered for the league. She gives us our pokedex, a pokegear, and...Running Shoes? Odd item to have on promotion don't you think Ame? She takes her leave in order to return to the Grunt's interrogation, while Victoria tells me to stop by at Kiki's academy sometime. Even better, I have to go because she's the fighting type gym leader of Reborn. She hands me some pokeballs, tells me that my first target should be the Peridot Ward Gym, and gets the hell outta dodge.
Before leaving the Grand Hall, Jinana decides to buy a few pokeballs from the built in Pokemart, and checks out the weather forecast (apparently some rain is expected in a couple days). At the entrance to the hall, xe runs into a fisherman selling Pokémon.
Oh I know how this one works, nice Gyarados in the making right there. Jinana decides to pay up for the brilliant Pokémon...
D:
MY GYARADOS!
The fisherman leaves without giving me a refund as well... So much for my beautiful new Pokémon ;-;. Hopefully I'll be able to find the thief sooner or later.
As I leave the Hall, distraught due to the loss of my baby, the screen cuts to a scene of the interrogation. The inspector is pretty good at this whole thing by the looks of it, as he uses a Torkoal to burn the fucker who has the info they need.
Aaaaghh indeed. Ame will surely have some answers soon enough, at which point I'm sure that I won't be drafted to help or anything, right?
I figure that I'll get a few basic Pokémon before I start the next post, so that we can make our way straight into the event Pokémon that Reborn is filled with. See you guys then.
