Speedrunning Guide: Emerald

Malfunction

nice desu ne
Tangerine said:
  • Speedrun Guides/Tips. How to approach the game if you are to speed run the game. We need this for the ADV games, the XD games, and the DS generation games.
After contacting mingot, I'll be responsible for doing the Speedrun guides for the Advance games, and will be starting with Emerald. We're still debating on what exactly to put in this guide, so we decided to make a thread and gather ideas.
Basically, the guides will be short "walkthroughs", where we list the most important points of the game. Keep in mind, though, that everything in this guide will have to be related to the competitive aspect of Pokemon. For example, we won't have a list of how to get all the items in the game, but we will have a list of the locations of the most important TMs in the game, and any other competitive items, such as the Choice Band or the Leftovers items. Keep that in mind when you post any suggestions.

Project Outline

This is an outline of the guide. Once the guide is completed, this will basically become the Table of Contents section.

======
The Adventure Begins
This part will contain a basic introduction to some tips that will help speedrun through Emerald. Things like setting options to the choice of your starter will be here.

The First, Second, and Third Badges
The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Badges
Aqua vs. Magma, and the Final Two Badges
The Pokemon League and the Battle Frontier
The bulk of the guide. How to efficiently walk through the game while getting the most important items, TMs, etc.

Other Stuff You Should Know About
This section will basically contain some tips on things that a player will need to know after beating the game, such as catching Kyogre and Groudon, and getting Lati@s. Lists of some stuff that aren't really necessary for a competitive player, such as Pokemon Contests, the TV news, etc.
======


The Real Deal
This might be a bit messed up at this moment, so don't worry if you find things that don't chronologically fit.

======
Introduction
(pending)

The Adventure Begins
So we start our adventure. Before starting a new game, though, let's go over some stuff that will help you finish the game faster. On the title screen, go to options. The "Text Speed" option should be set to "Fast", the "Battle Style" option should be set to "Set", while the "Battle Scene" option should be turned off. This should turn off the move animations while in battle, speeding things up quite a bit.
That done, let's start our adventure. Begin a new game, then select your gender and name. Get off the truck when it stops moving, and head home with your mom. Head upstairs to your room, and set the time of the clock. There's a potion in the PC, get it. Leave the house then go to your rivals house, listen to her blabbering, then head out and into the wild. Professor Birch asks you for help, so open the bag and choose a starter. For the purpose of the guide, the best starter will be Torchic, so you should go with it. Battle the Zigzagoon, go to the professor's lab and receive your starter. Leave and head out to the wild again. Keep heading up till Oldale Town, then up to Route 103. Battle your rival and beat him, then head back to the lab. Leave after getting the Pokedex and your five PokeBalls. Talk to your mom to get the Running Shoes, and then head to Route 103 one last time. You'll want to look for both a Zigzagoon and a Wingull, as they'll be of use later on in the game. Capture them, then heal your Pokemon at the PokeCenter. Go to the PokeMart, get some Potions and maybe some antidotes, then head out to Route 102 on the West. And so the adventure begins.

The First, Second, and Third Badges
Heading West, you'll find a couple of trainers. Since we just started the game, we will need all the experience we can get, so battle all trainers you see for now. Once you're done your Torchic should be around level 10. Head out of the wild to Petalburg City, and heal your Pokemon as necessary. If you need to stock on any items, do it now. Head up and enter the Gym, speak to your Dad, help Wally catch a Pokemon, then get out of the Gym. Head West to the Route 104. Go down to the beach, and you'll see some kid running like crazy on the sand. Battle him then keep going up. There's a trainer near the entrance of the forest, so battle her and go in. If you can, try avoiding the first trainer you see inside the forest, as his experience isn't worth the time. Going up, pick the PokeBall, then head right. You'll see a helpless man being attacked by some bad guy, so help him out. After that, keep moving, battle the trainer, pick the PokeBall, then leave the forest.
Heading on to Route 104, you will find a couple of trainers that you should battle. After passing the twins, though, there will be a fisherman that should be avoided. Head North and you should be in Rustboro City. Heal up as necessary, then check out the house near the PokeCenter for HM 01, Cut. You can teach that to your Zigzagoon so that we can cut any small trees in the need arises. After that, head all the way up then right till you reach Route 116. You should battle all trainers you find along the way, since they provide valuable experience that will help us defeat the first Gym Leader. Try battling them one by one, though, so that all the experience goes to your starter. When you're done with all the trainers, head back to Rustboro, heal up, and get ready to take on the Gym.
If you followed along and battled all the trainers that we went through, your Torchic should have evolved into a Combusken. You can now easily defeat this Rock-type Gym with Combusken's Double Kick attack. Once defeated, the Gym leader will give you the Stone Badge, so get it and leave.
Now that we have gotten some cash, go to the PokeMart and get some Repels, as they can certainly speed things up by preventing wild Pokemon from appearing. Stock on any other items you need, and then head out back to Route 116. Keep going East until reaching a cave with an old man near the entrance. Go inside, then head East till you find another of those bad guys. Defeat him, listen to the old man's blabbering, then head back to Rustboro. On the way, the guy you saved in the forest will take you to his Boss, were the latter will ask you to do some stuff for him. Accept his offer, and he will give you a Pokenav. Sweet. After you're done, leave the building, and head back to Route 104. You'll be stopped by your Rival, so battle him and head back to the forest. Keep heading all the way down until you're out to Route 104. Next to the beach is a small house. Go in, talk to the old man, then head with him to Dewford Island. You should be ready to take on the Gym now, so go in.
We'll need the experience we get from trainers here, so we'll be battling all of them. Once you enter, move right until you find a path to the south. Battle the girl in there. Now go up, then right for a double battle. Go back down then head to the left until you find a trainer. Beat him, then go right and up for another battle. Finally, head right for a final battle against a female trainer. Beat her, then head left until you find the Gym Leader Brawly. You can easily take on him with your Combusken, so beat him, get your badge, and get about.
Heal up at the PokeCenter then head north. Battle the first Fisherman you see, but avoid the second one. A cave should be to your left, so go in. The man you'll find near the entrance gives you HM 05, Flash, but none of your Pokemon learns it, so it's not really necessary. Anyways, use a repel, then head all the way to the west. Pick up the Escape Rope, then go down the ladders. Head up, then keep going all the way right till you find some ladder. After that, keeping heading west till you find some stairs that direct to the North, then go all the way to the right. Climb up, then move 4 steps to the left, and you should see light again. Head left then down until you reach a small exit. Inside you will find Steven, so talk to him and then leave. Go right, jump on the ledges, then head right till you reach the entrance. Leave the cave, talk to the old man with the boat, and head to Slateport City.
Once you arrive, try avoiding the trainers on the beach. Go up and you'll reach a house that's on your left. Battle the three trainers in there, then talk to the man in the middle of the house and he'll give you six Soda Pops. Leave, then head up to the city and heal your Pokemon if necessary. Leave the PokeCenter, head down until you find a building that has a small boat next to it. Go in, and talk to the man who's sitting near a table. Leave the place, then head to the museum (right to the south of the PokeCenter). Go to the second floor, then talk to the man you find in there. Some bad guys will come in, so defeat them. After they finish their blabbering, leave the museum. Stock up on any items (repels, in particular) you need then head North out of the city. Head up, battle the couple, then go left. Try battling all the trainers you find, as they provide valuable experience. The only trainer you'll need to avoid is the fisherman. Use a repel, then go into the grass, battle the trainer, then head up. You'll find your rival, and you'll have to battle her. Her Marshtomp is kind of tough, but you should be able to defeat it with your Double Kick. Moving on, head up and battle the two seemingly jogging people. As a rule of thumb, a better approach would be to battle two trainers one by one if possible, as this gives all the experience to your starter. After defeating them, head left, beat the two trainers, then head all the way North until you reach Mauville City. Go in the house located to the right of the PokeMart, speak to the guy in there, and get HM 06, Rock Smash. Head to the Gym, and you'll find Wally blocking it. Speak to him and then battle him. After that
head to the building beside the PokeCenter. Talk to the man inside, and he'll let you choose between two bikes. Select the Acro Bike, as it is more efficient for traveling the over Hoenn. Go to your Bag, switch to key items, select "Acro Bike", then click "Register". Now you can easily ride on your bike/get off it by pressing the Select Button. Now head West into Route 117; there's something we need to get done before taking on the Gym.
Once in Route 117, head West, while avoiding the double battle and the first trainer after them. Then keep heading West, battling the trainers all the way, until you reach a female trainer that looks around in all directions. Avoid battling her, and keep heading West until you reach Verdanturf Town. Head North-West and go inside the cave, battle the guy in there, move up the stairs, then break the rock to the left. The guy will thank you and give you HM 04, Strength. After that, leave the cave and head back to Mauville City.
Heal up if necessary, then head to the Gym. You can avoid the trainers here if you want, but it's recommend to battle them as they give good Experience. When you're done, save the game then take on the Gym Leader. Although he might be a bit tough, you should be able to beat him. Leave when you're done,
then make sure you at least enter the PokeCenter, as this is important later on. Head North to Route 111.

The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Badges
A couple of trainers wait ahead. Battle them one by one, keep heading up, then talk to the man you find near the entrance of the house. Battle all of the four trainers, then head into the house and talk to the lady to get a Macho Brace. Leave, head North, break the rocks, and then battle the trainers along the way, barring the interview couple. Head West when you reach the sandstorm, and battle the two trainers standing there. Go up and then West, battle the hiker, then enter the cave. Use a Repel and move up through the cave until you get to the exit. Go right, battle the two guys, keep heading right, battle the guy and then head North. Head West, battle the girl and keep moving. Use a Repel once you're in Route 113, and keep heading West while avoiding all the trainers in there. When you reach the two running up and down, battle the boy, then keep heading West. Keep heading West (don't go into the PokeCenter), then down until you reach the wild. Head down then left up the stairs, and keep moving on, avoiding the trainers if possible. Eventually, you will reach a cave. Go in, head left and listen to the chit-chat. Leave the cave, open the start menu, go to Abra, then select Teleport. This should bring you back to Mauville City's PokeCenter.
Heal up if necessary, then head up back to Route 112. Once there, instead of going to the cave you went to earlier, move right, and go into the Cable Car place. Ride it, then leave to Mt. Chimney. In here, you will find team Aqua and Magma fighting. Head up the stairs, then go left and separately battle the two Magma guys. Go up, battle the guy, beat him, then take on their boss. After the battle, your Combusken should have evolved to Blaziken. Otherwise, it'll evolve at level 36. Anyway, head down all the way down to the Jagged Pass, avoiding as much trainers as possible. Keep heading down, and eventually you'll reach Lavaridge Town. Heal up if necessary at the PokeCenter, stock up on any needed items (especially Super Repels and Revives), and then head to this town's Gym. Reaching the Gym Leader might be a bit tricky, so carefully follow the instructions here.
Go into the Gym. In here, you will find little holes in the ground. Move left, leave the first hole, then go up. If you stand between the two holes, you'll get a double battle. Once you're done with the two trainers, head left into the whole. Move one step up, one left, then all the way up into the hole. Keep heading up into the hole, move one step right, then three up. Move five steps right, and then one up into the hole. Now move three steps right and all the down into the hole. Move two steps to the right, then move down, jump over the ledge, and go into the hole. Now you have reached the Gym leader, so beat her, take the TM, and go down the ledge to exit the Gym. Outside, your rival will talk to you a bit and give you the Go-Googles. Now heal up, and head all the way back to Petalburg City (you should know the way by now).
Head to the Gym. Make your way through the Gym and then defeat the Gym Leader (your father). Double Kick should be enough to OHKO most of the Pokemon used in the Gym. Once you're done, grab the TM and head out with Wally's father. He'll give you HM 03, Surf. Heal as necessary, and get ready for the next badge.
Teach your Zigzagoon Surf, then head towards route 103. Stand next to the water and then use Surf. Keep heading right until you reach land. Continue right and then head towards Mauville city. Once there, head right towards route 118, sweep through the trainers, then surf on the water. Once on land, move right and then head up. You should find Steven, and after listening to his little chit-chat move a few steps to the right and then up. Beat the bird keeper trainer then keep heading up. Keep heading up towards the thick grass (preferably using some repels). Keep going, battling trainers along the way, until you reach a bridge. Move left along it and then up, and you should enter thick grass again. Keep going northeast through the bushes. Eventually you'll reach a bridge blocked by team Aqua. Go into the building. Head up and then a bit to the left. Heal yourself in the bed then head right. Battle both trainers there and then head up the stairs. Sweep through the three trainers and then battle there pseudo-boss. After easily beating her, the professor will give a Castform. Take it, heal again, then leave the building.
Head east along the bridge. After a few steps up you'll be stopped by your rival. Beat him in a battle and he'll give you the best HM in the game, Fly. Keep heading north, battling the trainers along the way, and you'll eventually reach Fortree city. Stock up on what's necessary, then head right. Before taking on the gym, we'll have to take care of something. Keep heading right until you're out of the city. Battle the trainers along the way, and eventually you'll reach a bridge. You'll find Steven there, so talk to him and he'll give you the Devon Scope. Now head back to the city, and go to the gym. Move to the left, and after battling the trainer, head up. Battle the two trainers. Keep heading up to another double battle, then go left and battle the trainer. If necessary, head back to the PokeCenter and heal your Pokemon. Once ready, battle the Gym Leader. The only Pokemon you might find problematic should be Altaria, but it should fall after some repeated hits. You can now use Fly outside battles, so teach it to your Wingull, heal your Pokemon, and get ready for the seventh badge.

Aqua vs. Magma, and the Final Two Badges

Head back to route 120. Keep going past the bridge, battling any trainers along the way. Keep going past the thick grass and past the bridge. Keep heading down then right, until you reach route 121. Keep heading right, battling the trainers along the way. Along the way, you should find Team Aqua heading somewhere. Keep going right until you reach Lilycove City. Heal your Pokemon at the PokeCenter, then go up and you should find the Department Store, with its entrance blocked by your rival. Talk him into a battle, stock up on items from inside if necessary, then head right to the beach. Use Surf and head up into Team Aqua's Hideout. You'll find the way blocked by two members. Speak to them, then head to route 122. Once there, keep heading down until you reach what seems to be a cave. Go left until you reach a door out, then head east. Keep heading north until you find some team Aqua members. Fight them and keep heading up. Speak to Aqua's boss, Archie, listen to the old couple, then fly all way to Lavaridge town.






======

If you have any suggestions, please post them in here.
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
If I were you, I would include an area that details which Pokemon are the best for speedrunning, and possibly a list of all unimportant areas (Abandoned Ship, for example) that do not lend themselves to beating teh E4.
 
Would this include the regular Pokemon speedrunning techniques? (I.E. setting text speed to very fast, etc)
 

Tangerine

Where the Lights Are
is a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
List of trainers to avoid because they're worthless, etc. There are a lot of trainers that aren't worth the EXP, for example. This is particularly important since you do need to level up and trainers are the most efficient way of leveling up.
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
If I were you, I would include an area that details which Pokemon are the best for speedrunning, and possibly a list of all unimportant areas (Abandoned Ship, for example) that do not lend themselves to beating teh E4.
Yeah, along the guide, I would list out the best Pokemon to use to finish the game. But what would the list of unimportant areas serve? I'll go through the game's storyline and get all the important items, so I don't really think that's needed.

Would this include the regular Pokemon speedrunning techniques? (I.E. setting text speed to very fast, etc)
I don't really think so. These are more of preferences..

List of trainers to avoid because they're worthless, etc. There are a lot of trainers that aren't worth the EXP, for example. This is particularly important since you do need to level up and trainers are the most efficient way of leveling up.
Yeah, I think this can help. Thanks for your input ;)
 

McGrrr

Facetious
is a Contributor Alumnus
* Soft reset traveling through route 116 until you catch Abra (for teleport).
* List all places where teleport saves time until you gain access to HM fly.
 

Toothache

Let the music play!
is a Community Leader Alumnus
As someone who has just completed an all-snags speedrun of Colosseum, let me start with any tips I've learned from speedrunning:

1) Don't bother with the Macho Brace
You need to be fast to sweep something away, and if you are slower this means you take more attacks, costing extra time and healing potential. The gain from the Macho Brace is too small to be considered, especially when it reduces your speed in battle making you more prone to faster attacks.

2) Calculate PP carefully
It isn't so much of an issue on Colosseum compared to other games, but it is imperative to note how much PP of a move you will need to plan in advance.

3) Animation lengths
More of an issue for the GC games, where animations cannot be turned off, try choosing the moves which cause the shortest animation but still finish off your opponents. On that note, try and reduce the number of super-effective and not very effective messages because they add extra length to the battles. The GC games dont have that issue because any extra messages are added during the attack animation so no time is lost there, but it is useful to note for the handheld games.

4) Luck reduction
Especially in long segments of Colosseum, where the ability to save is limited, there are areas with long periods between save points, and it is often required to use less accurate moves to speed through the battles quickly. If a neutral Earthquake can KO something that Blizzard also can, and you have the PP spare, use that primarily, since it reduces the luck required throughout the segment. In the handheld games and XD, where you can save before every battle, this is not much of an issue, you can keep resetting until you get the hits you need.

5) Cash management
You will find only a few TMs out of the several you pick up will be worth using on your Pokemon, and since your cash is limited by doing only the required battles (and as few optional ones as you need), you will often need to sell the remainder. Vitamins are also a great source of cash, and it is probably worth selling the defensive vitamins (HP Up, Iron, Zinc) and use any offensive ones (Protein, Calcium, Carbos) for your primary Pokemon. As for buying items, there are often only a few you need. Escape Ropes make for a fast escape from caves, the various Repels keep wild encounters away, Potions are a necessity in several places. If possible, try and reduce or eliminate the status you suffer in battles to reduce the number of status-healing items you need to acquire. Since you cannot buy Ethers or Elixirs, try and get only those that are not far out of the way.

6) Use one Pokemon
The fastest way to beat any Pokemon is to simply dump as much experience points as possible onto a single Pokemon, so they gain all the levelling and should be able to sweep in the majority of battles. Try and choose something with a good variety of move types that can be acquired quickly. For Colosseum, for example, I chose Feraligatr because it has a good selection of moves - Earthquake, Bite, Slash, Surf, Hydro Pump, and Blizzard - useful at various parts of the game. For the GC games especially where there are numerous double battles, moves that hit both opponents are vital for speeding up battles, although these sorts of moves are less common in XD and are slower to get normally. Earthquake and Blizzard also cover both of Feraligatr's weaknesses, Electric and Grass.

For exp management, there are two great items to get for the games. In the handheld games, the Lucky Egg is a great source of additional experience. (much easier to get in the DS games, and not available in RSE) In the GC games, the Exp Share gives one Pokemon 75% of the experience from battle instead of 50%, which means it gets more exp overall - helpful in those instances where you need a partner to assist your primary Pokemon.

7) Extra Pokemon
Since the fastest way to get through a Pokemon game is to pile all the exp onto one Pokemon, it is important to note that it is never the only Pokemon that needs to be used in a speedrun. The handheld games should also get HM slaves to take care of the various HM moves necessary to get through the game (although Flash can be ignored since it is a convenience). It is also worth considering getting an Abra for Teleport, since that can be a great time saver where backtracking is needed (such as getting back to Cerulean after getting the Bike Voucher in RBY/FRLG). Speaking of the bike, use it often, it is faster than walking/running.

In XD and Colosseum, you will need 2 Pokemon for the majority of battles at least. Something that can also use Helping Hand is a very nice luxury to have, because it raises the damage of your main Pokemon (and always goes first, so it can be used by anything regardless of level or speed)

This is just a basic summary of things to think about. I'm sure there are plenty more which can be added once I think of them.
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
@McGraw: I don't really understand what you're trying to say here.. Can you further elaborate?

@Toothache: This is some great stuff. Thanks!
 

McGrrr

Facetious
is a Contributor Alumnus
@McGraw: I don't really understand what you're trying to say here.. Can you further elaborate?
It is essential to catch Abra for teleport; for moving quickly before you gain access to HM fly. For instance, you can teleport back to Mauville after clearing Meteor Falls and getting HM strength.

The earliest you can encounter Abra is on route 116. Therefore, save before entering the grass there and soft reset until you encounter/catch an abra (just throw a great ball). Alternatively, you can catch one in Dewford.

From memory, here are a few other examples of shortcuts:
* Teleport to Mauville after beating Flannery
* Teleport to Mauville after beating Norman
* Teleport to Fortree after getting the Devon Scope

Obviously, enter/heal in the relevant Pokecenters and avoid entering any other Pokecenters.
 
Pretty obvious, but you should also detail when to use repel, which repel you should buy, and how you should afford them. You should also list which recovery items are the most cost-effective (generally full heal + hyper potion), and if the Amulet Coin is not too far off track, you should probably detail how to find that. Emerald can easily be beaten with Blaziken + Pelipper (Fly/Surf/Waterfall/Dive) + Linoone (Cut/Strength/Rock Smash). You should also state when the Acro Bike is needed (if it is at all), so that the player can plan for when they need to switch from the Mach bike.
 

Darkmalice

Level 3
is a Tiering Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
You should also state when the Acro Bike is needed (if it is at all), so that the player can plan for when they need to switch from the Mach bike.
The Acro Bike isn't needed to speed through Emerald. It is only needed for a few "extras," such as catching Heracross in the Safari Zone, and getting a few extra unneeded items. The rest I agree with.

We should also mention catching Rayquaza, as it is excellent for speedrushing the Elite Four. Blaziken has major problems against Wallace, but Rayquaza can be taught Thunder or Thunderbolt, and it has Fly for Ludicolo and Whiscash. Thunder requires soft-reseting against Wallace (when a miss occurs, causing Rayquaza to take an Ice Beam which normally 2HKOs), but Thunderbolt requires 4000 coins (80,000 pokedollars) or for you to do the Mawile activity. It is better just to continuously throw Ultra Balls at Rayquaza and soft-reset, as the catching Latias/os without the Master Ball is more time consuming.
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
@McGraw: I see, this can really speed up things. Thanks!

@Dark Talon/nessmalice: These will be parts of the walkthrough, and will certainly be mentioned. Thanks for your input.
 
A good idea would be listing Pokemon that just level up slower than the rest, For example a Breloom isn't really worth using since it's base experience is considered "fluctuating" and requires a total of 1,640,000 experience points to reach level 100. Additionally Pokemon that level up way faster such as Zangoose who only requires 600,000 experience should also be worth a mention.
 

Xia

On porpoise
is a Contributor Alumnus
Personally, I'm not sure if the Battle Frontier really needs included in tis guide. Most speed guides I've read only carry you through the E4 (the end of in-game), though it's really your decision, Mal.
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
@mailman: I will be playing through the game, and will be using a team (probably not more than three Pokemon), so I don't really think that will be needed.

@Xia: I'm not planning on going in-depth on the battle frontier. It'll be pretty much basic information, such as the location of the move tutors. I might also mention what would be the fastest way to get battle points.

Thanks.
 
May I ask what the overall point of this guide is? Is it:
1. To do a classic speed-run just for the sake of doing a speed-run?
2. To get your game to an "end-game" state, where everything is available to you?

Practically speaking, #2 is more interesting to me. If I ever restart my save game, I want to know how to most quickly get back to the end-game state. I want to be able to clone, EV, breed, etc. Usually, I'd restart a save for getting a better natured legendary, or re-using one of the one-time move tutors.

That said, you can plow through these games very quickly if you can trade with another cart. It breaks the spirit of a classic speed-run, but it *is* the most efficient way of completing the game. If you are the OT of your pokemon, they will never disobey. Knowing this, you can trade your pokemon to another end-game cart, level it up there, and trade it back. Having a level 50+ pokemon from the beginning will make things go pretty quickly.
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
Obviously, the point of this guide is for your to get your game completed so that you're able to access everything in the game, as you just described. We're not trying to set record-breaking times here; rather, all we want is to help the competitive battler finish the game while obtaining the most important things that he will need, such as TMs and other competitive items.
Unfortunately, not everybody has access to multiple games, so trading your Pokemon and leveling them up won't be possible. That's why we're writing these guides - to help individuals gain what they want in-game without the help of an "outsider".
 

mingot

free agent
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Top Researcher Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
Sure, but I don't think having a tip like "trade egg of great pokemon, hatch, trade back, level up, trade back" is something we should exclude. Hell, when it came time to do a quick run through of platinum this is exactly what I did. The HM slaves were just traded over.

Obviously, we don't want anything in the guide to depend on being able to do this, but it is certainly worth mentioning as a very efficient way to go about a play through.
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
Just as you said, I'll include this information in the last part of the guide, just as a small tip. I'm planning to include some tips, just as the ones Toothache listed, in the last part of the guide, "Other Stuff You Should Know".
 
Unfortunately, not everybody has access to multiple games, so trading your Pokemon and leveling them up won't be possible. That's why we're writing these guides - to help individuals gain what they want in-game without the help of an "outsider".
That's fair enough. Still, I'd guess that a good portion of people do have access to "outside help" (perhaps moreso in gen 4). One more tip if "outside help" is available: Trade yourself a nugget. As mentioned above, money is usually tight and $5000 can buy you all the repels and escape ropes you need.

Sure, but I don't think having a tip like "trade egg of great pokemon, hatch, trade back, level up, trade back" is something we should exclude. Hell, when it came time to do a quick run through of platinum this is exactly what I did.
That's interesting... In Emerald, I'm pretty sure you *can't* trade eggs until you get the National dex. As such, in Emerald you're limited to your starter or one of the guys you can catch early on.
 

Darkmalice

Level 3
is a Tiering Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Your guide says to choose the Acro Bike. It should be the Mach Bike, as it is faster and can travel up sand slopes (not sure if these are what they are called, but the other bike is too slow to travel up these).

Could we use the word "chat" instead of "blabbering"? Chat is shorter, and it makes the guide easier to read (it's pretty condensed in terms of informartion). Not that I'm saying the chat/blabbering isn't annoying though.
 

Tangerine

Where the Lights Are
is a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
So we start our adventure. Before starting a new game, though, let's go over some stuff that will help you finish the game faster. On the title screen, go to options. The "Text Speed" option should be set to "Fast", while the "Battle Scene" option should be turned off. This should turn off the move animations while in battle, speeding things up quite a bit.
You should also add so that Battle Style is set to "Set" rather than Switch - in a speed run you're levelling one pokemon anyway and it really saves time. You can turn it into switch mode for "harder" battles
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
That's fair enough. Still, I'd guess that a good portion of people do have access to "outside help" (perhaps moreso in gen 4). One more tip if "outside help" is available: Trade yourself a nugget. As mentioned above, money is usually tight and $5000 can buy you all the repels and escape ropes you need.


That's interesting... In Emerald, I'm pretty sure you *can't* trade eggs until you get the National dex. As such, in Emerald you're limited to your starter or one of the guys you can catch early on.
I'm sure mingot meant that you would send a Pokemon such as your starter to another game, level it up, and then send it back. But anyway, I'll be making a short section covering this, and will say something about trading items such as Nuggets.

Your guide says to choose the Acro Bike. It should be the Mach Bike, as it is faster and can travel up sand slopes (not sure if these are what they are called, but the other bike is too slow to travel up these).

Could we use the word "chat" instead of "blabbering"? Chat is shorter, and it makes the guide easier to read (it's pretty condensed in terms of informartion). Not that I'm saying the chat/blabbering isn't annoying though.
Well, in my opinion the Acro Bike would be better because it is easier to control. You won't be really moving easily with a Mach Bike and you would probably waste repels way faster than you would with an Acro Bike. If more people think that the Mach Bike is a better choice, though, then I'll change it. Also, there aren't any slopes you need to travel to move on with the game, the only ones you will find are for getting items and such.
I thought that "blabbering" would be a better word because the people don't really say anything valuable, but I'll try using a variety of terms along the guide.

You should also add so that Battle Style is set to "Set" rather than Switch - in a speed run you're levelling one pokemon anyway and it really saves time. You can turn it into switch mode for "harder" battles
Indeed, will edit the OP.

Thanks guys.
 
Head North-West and go inside the cave, battle the guy in there, move up the stairs, then break the rock to the left. The guy will thank you and give you HM 04, Strength. After that, leave the cave and head back to Mauville City.
In your guide, it states that you need to break these rocks and get HM 04 before you battle the third Gym Leader. You need to get the third badge to use Rock Smash, don't you?
 

Malfunction

nice desu ne
Yeah TheMantyke, I messed up on that part, thanks for pointing it out.

Now that I finally have some free time, I'll try my best to finish this guide by the upcoming Friday, Sunday at most.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top