Route 4 (4番道路)
Beru stops me in the gatehouse on my way out of the city, and challenges me to a battle. Her first Pokemon, a level 18 Haaderia, is basically a redux of the second gym leader battle, with me relying on Take Down recoil to wear down its HP. Nageki falls to a Take Down crit, but Beru has used 2 Super Potions up to this point, and Darumakka manages to burn with a Fire Fang. Next is Beru's level 20 Futachimaru (フタチマル), who suffers a slow, sleepy death to Churine. Third up is her level 18 Munna, perfectly countered by Kurumiru (but not before being put to sleep by Yawn), and last up is her level 18 Boappu, met swiftly with Otamaro.
Cheren is also waiting just outside of the city, and he challenges me to a battle as well (why do these always come in pairs?). His first Pokemon is a level 20 Mamepato, who doesn't get a chance to do much of anything because Darumakka's Fire Fang burned it on the first attack. Darumakka stays in to fight Cheren's level 20 Yanappu, and OHKOs with a Fire Fang. Cheren's third Pokemon is a level 20 Reparudasu (レパルダス), whom Nageki wears down with Seismic Toss. Last is his level 22 Chaobuu (チャオブー), who was 3HKO'd with sandstorm damage even by Otamaro's Bubblebeam, and had a Sitrus Berry to boot, so it was a 4HKO (while Otamaro barely escaped a 2HKO with sandstorm by Nitro Charge). For whatever reason, Chaobuu kept using Defense Curl, which gave me a couple of free attacks. Darumakka finishes the KO with Uproar and sandstorm damage.
Where the route branches off to the east along an asphalt path, a building at a turn along the path has a worker that gives me TM28 (Dig). Further along the route, I enter even deeper into a desert.
Rizooto Desert (リゾートデザート)
I do a whole lot of exploring in this area, as there are a lot of items scattered about. In the northwest corner of this map, I find a Heart Scale.
I also find a hidden Stardust in the corner of a patch of bare ground surrounded on 3 sides by rock and 1 side by sand (in addition to a not so hidden one in a pit somewhere in this map). In the southwest corner of this map is TM39 (Rock Tomb) and a Fire Stone. I spend a bit of time here looking for some higher leveled wild Pokemon, also going into a small structure in the northwest corner of the map. I capture a level 22 Meguroko, a level 21 Desumasu (デスマス), a level 22 Ishizumai, and a level 20 Shinboraa (シンボラー). I also capture a level 16 Meguroko with Intimidate so I can Intimidate shuffle against tough opponents. At the north end of the map, I enter the small structure surrounded by weird blue helmets.
Kodai no Shiro (古代の城)
My purpose here is to obtain a fossil. I have to navigate around the one on the far left, though, which necessitates a trainer battle. An archeologist past the second quicksand pit offers me a choice between 2 fossils, and I choose the second one (which will revive into Aaken (アーケン)). A man at the end of the route does not let me pass, so my work here is done for the time being. Before I leave, I capture a level 20 Meguroko with Intimidate for more potential Intimidate shuffling.
Route 4 (4番道路)
Araragi and Cheren stop me in the north gatehouse and give me 10 Ultra Balls. I stop here and teach Dig and Rock Tomb to Meguroko and Dig to Ishizumai.
Raimon City (ライモンシティ)
Upon entering the city, I see 2 Plasma grunts harassing an old man. The old man turns to me for protection... which pits me against a Plasma grunt. He has a level 18 Miruhoggu (who is surprisingly slower than Meguroko) and a level 18 Yabukuron (ヤブクロン), both of whom are easily KO'd by Meguroko. In exchange, the old man gives me a Bicycle (woop!). Beru shows up and mentions something about a musical, then runs off. I follow Beru to the musical hall, meet the owner, and engage in some shenanigans that I can't be bothered to understand. Outside, Beru is arguing with her father until the gym leader, Kamitsure (カミツレ), appears and convinces him to leave. Unsure of what to do, I exit the city to the west to explore a little bit further.
Route 5 (5番道路)
I don't find much to do here - I try to avoid as many trainers as possible and collect the items, which doesn't really contain anything of note. I do encounter and capture a level 22 Reparudasu here, though.
Raimon City (ライモンシティ)
I try to walk into a large building east of the Pokemon Center and bump into a blue-haired girl with pigtails, who gives me a Vs. Recorder. I head to the east section of town and am stopped by N, who takes me on a ride in a ferris wheel (this is kind of creepy). He then challenges me to a battle once we exit. His first Pokemon is a level 22 Meguroko, whom I immediately Fake Out with Reparudasu and switch to Ishizumai to help finish off the KO. Next up is a level 22 Darumakka, which Ishizumai 2HKOs with Knock Down (うちおとす). N's third Pokemon is a level 22 Zuruggu (ズルッグ), whose typing is troublesome for my current team, hitting 5 members SE - I send in Desumasu and burn it, then stall with HP recovery and fire off Night Shades. Last is a level 22 Shinboraa, easily dispatched by Reparudasu's Fake Out and Pursuit attacks.
Conveniently, the gym is located in the same part of the map. The trainers here are super annoying (there are a bunch of Emongas (エモンガ) with Double Team, and Meguroko 3HKOs with Rock Tomb), but it helps that Meguroko has the Overconfident (じしんかじょう) ability and 2HKOs the switch-in. Enemy Shimamas are easily OHKO'd by Meguroko's Dig.
Despite being warned in advance, I did not find Kamitsure to be very tough. Her first Emonga used Volt Change (ボルトチェンジ) to her second Emonga against Desumasu, while Desumasu burned the switch-in. I immediately switch to Meguroko to prevent further Volt Changes and to restore Desumasu's HP. Meguroko and Emonga duke it out with Rock Tombs and Aerial Aces, and Kamitsure uses 2 Hyper Potions on Emonga before it faints. I switch Desumasu back in to combat her first Emonga, whom I immediately burn and then repeat the previous strategy on. For her last Pokemon, Zeburaika (ゼブライカ), I Intimidate shuffle 3 times with my other Megurokos and switch in the Meguroko with Dig for a 2HKO. Upon defeat, Kamitsure gives me TM72 (Volt Change).
Code:
Party Pokemon:
Pokemon Lv. Nature HP Atk Def SpA SpD Spe
Meguroko 22 Docile 56 39 21 24 24 38
Desumasu 21 Adamant 53 24 44 27 36 20
Ishizumai 22 Bold 60 35 52 24 23 36
Reparudasu 22 Lonely 65 52 24 43 33 52
Meguroko 16 Naive 46 32 17 19 15 27
Meguroko 20 Relaxed 53 34 22 19 21 32
Other Pokemon:
Pokemon Lv. Nature HP Atk Def SpA SpD Spe
Shinboraa 20 Naive 61 34 39 47 34 53
