Pokemon White no EXP speedrun video playthrough

Technically, this is a TAS (because I'm playing the game on an emulator), but it should be able to be replicated on a handheld system with enough practice. You'll notice that I scroll through menu commands really quickly and that the clock advances really fast; this is due to the fact that DeSmuME can only run at about 50% of game speed when recording on my computer. You'll also notice that I only need a split second to check stats; this is me pausing the emulator so I don't have to be so precise with timing or decision-making. I can't really do anything about the former short of getting a better computer.

The premise is, essentially, that Pokemon can't gain EXP (and subsequently EVs) from battle. Use of the daycare, in addition to Rare Candies and vitamins, is allowed (but the daycare is a waste of time so...). Everything else is fair play.

General habits that I follow to minimize playtime include using the touchpad for menu commands (using A requires 2 clicks most of the time), running/biking whenever possible, minimizing path lengths, avoiding trainer and wild Pokemon battles, using set battle style when switching is not needed, skipping item balls, using lots of HP recovery items, etc. Any exceptions to these habits are generally made for a good reason.

Also, excuse me for the awkward segment numbering convention, but it's roughly divided based on badges obtained. Excuse me as well for the oversegmentation, because I don't have the patience needed for intense RNG manipulations (that, and a 5 minute segment takes like 12 minutes to record in real time).

Segments 1-1 through 1-3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoHF3VwWe0M

Segment 1-1:

There isn't much that I can improve on here. The most important factor is just to optimize menu commands, which I think I do a decent job of. Before when I am able to set the text speed to fast, holding down A will also increase the text speed. This means that I use B to scroll through the text, which makes it difficult to successively speed through text affirm menu commands. Screwing up on, for example, affirming your name, will cost a few seconds that can be easily shaved off. Speaking of the name, a true speedrunner would just use "あ," but I like to identify myself with "ドンドン" (dondon).

For the starter, I choose Pokabu, whom I believe is the best choice in the context of this speedrun. First, choosing Pokabu prevents my rivals from choosing it, which means I don't have to face a fully evolved Enbuoo in the future (Daikenki and Jarooda have worse type coverage and are easier to battle against). Second, Pokabu is the best starter for the first set of rival battles, with the highest base Atk (63) of the three and the highest physical bulk (65/45). I believe if Pokabu had a +Atk nature on top of its current bases, it would have been able to 3HKO Tsutaaja. Whatever the case, winning these battles is important, if only for the extra cash.

Play time: 0:06

Segment 1-2:

The primary purpose of the segment break is to make sure that I don't encounter any wild Pokemon when walking through the grass on Route 1. The wild Pokemon here are in the level 2-4 range, and are not worth catching. The Pokemon Center tour cannot be skipped, as far as I can tell. I buy 11 Potions for future use; Poke Balls are not necessary as 5 is more than enough for the purposes of this speedrun (no Pokemon should take more than 1 ball to catch).

The first N battle could have gone better if Choroneko didn't use Growl on the first turn. Pokabu 4HKOs at +0 Atk and 6HKOs at -1 Atk. Even if Choroneko used Growl after 2 attacks, I would still have saved a round of battle. That aside, this, along with most other earlygame battles, are straightforward.

Mom gives me the Running Shoes upon entering Route 2, which makes the run progress much faster.

Play time: 0:11

Segment 1-3:

This is a short segment. Wild Pokemon on Route 2 are in the level 4-7 range, and level 7 is a significant improvement on level 5. In order to cut down on time, I will allow myself to encounter only Pokemon that I will catch; I can catch either level 7 Minezumi or level 7 Yooterii on this route. Yooterii has slightly better bases, but the difference is negligible at this level; the important thing is that both of them have STAB Tackle (75 BP) whereas Choroneko only has unSTAB Scratch (40 BP).

Play time: 0:12

Segments 1-4 through 1-6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1j8FncGfdU

Segment 1-4:

This segment serves approximately the same purpose as the previous segment. The reason that I need 2 level 7 Pokemon with STAB Tackle is that one of the trainers in the Abandoned Lot of Dreams has 3 level 7 Pokemon, and 1 vs. 3 does not turn out well, especially given the amount of Tail Whips that are going to be thrown out. It just so happens that I encounter another level 7 Minezumi, which is good enough at this point in the game.

Play time: 0:13

Segment 1-5:

Right at the beginning of the segment, I need to sneak through the grass without encountering another Pokemon. I'm required to battle Belle; there is nothing special about the strategy, but I probably should not have switched the Minezumis at the beginning (the male Minezumi has 14 Atk to the female Minezumi's 13 Atk).

In Sanyou City, I obtain a Dusk Ball from the shady old man in order to make catching Nageki easier. Of all Pokemon that I am planning to catch in the game, Nageki is tied for the lowest catch rate (45), so this item will make the procedure a great deal more painless.

Trainer battles in the Abandoned Lot of Dreams are straightforward and unavoidable. Near the end of the segment I wasn't sure if that person was the one that I had to talk to, so I end up wasting about a second overshooting and then backtracking.

Play time: 0:18

Segment 1-6:

The run is going to be a Yanappu solo up until Shippou City, so it is crucial that I get a satisfactory one. Having 31 HP, 16 Def greatly increases the chances of Yanappu surviving 2 +1 Atk Bites from Koon's Yooterii. I could have used an extra point in Atk, which would have saved me a couple of rounds of combat in the future. The problem with Yanappu is that Vine Whip has only 35 BP and 15 PP, which runs out quickly at this point in the game. Hiyappu is by far the best of the 3 monkeys, with the strongest STAB attack that also has the highest PP (Water Gun at 40 BP and 25 PP), but Tsutaaja is bad enough earlygame that I was willing to pass up Hiyappu.

I make a small detour to get an X Defend, which I probably should not have gotten as it's not going to be useful anytime soon. Next is the second Cheren battle. Pretty easy with a type and a level advantage (one of the few times in this game where I'll have the latter). I heal at the Pokemon Center afterwards because it involves no backtracking and gives Yanappu a fresh 15 PP on Vine Whip for the gym.

In preparation for the gym battle, in most cases it would be prudent to give Yanappu an Oran Berry. With the new Pickup mechanics, however, which allow a Pickup Pokemon to salvage a berry used by another Pokemon, giving my opponent an Oran Berry is a lot more counterproductive than using one.

Play time: 0:24

Segment 1-7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIKiXYi-24

The first gym battle is easily the most difficult one in the game. Yanappu 5HKOs Koon's Yooterii with Vine Whip and Scratch; Koon's Potion turns that into an 8HKO. Cheer Up also turns Yooterii's Bite into a near 2HKO on Yanappu at +1 Atk. As is evident, I sacrifice both Minezumi in order to get opportunities to get heals on Yanappu. Vine Whip not 3HKOing Koon's Hiyappu is a bummer, but for some reason it wouldn't use Fury Swipes, which can easily KO a weakened Yanappu at any point.

After the battle, I decide not to use the Pokemon Center. It doesn't really matter when I use the Pokemon Center; unSTAB Cut and STAB Vine Whip have almost the same BP (50 vs. 52.5) and 15 uses of Vine Whip can't even last me through the entirety of Route 3, let alone the 2 extra battles in the Abandoned Lot of Dreams. I space out here for a few moments and forget to move forward after Belle hails me down, which wastes about a second. Everything else goes as planned.

Play time: 0:33

Segments 2-1 through 2-4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yj02s8Q5fQ

Segment 2-1:

There are 4 battles in this segment, all of which are extremely straightforward. Cheren's Mijumaru can't really go wrong in a team battle; Water Gun does more damage than anything Yanappu can muster unboosted and Tail Whip lets Vine Whip do more damage.

Play time: 0:39

Segment 2-2:

Avoiding trainers and wild Pokemon encounters. I didn't want to push my luck after finding that Ether so I cut the segment off there.

Play time: 0:40

Segment 2-3:

In addition to being very easy to catch, Otamaro is the most common Pokemon on this route. Level 17 is the jackpot, although its SpA IV could be better...

Play time: 0:41

Segment 2-4:

Capturing Nageki is incredibly essential for defeating Aloe thanks to its amazing bulk. Wild level 17 Nageki have Vital Throw, but it's a huge pain in the ass to catch and find (and half the time it'll appear in a double battle). The day is long due to the season being summer, and I'm not sure if the time counts as being night, but I fortuitously capture it on the first try with a Dusk Ball after a good deal of weakening.

Play time: 0:43

Segments 2-5 through 2-6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veVuBDdL1vM

Segment 2-5:

Nageki doesn't have any damaging moves (other than Seismic Toss, but that doesn't hit for type effectiveness), so teaching it Rock Smash is necessary. It's a shame that Nageki just barely falls short of OHKOing the level 15 Yooteriis, but everything goes smoothly here aside from a small mistake that I make trying to send out a fainted Pokemon on a switch. I change the battle style to set because most gym battles from this point on are going to be solos, and this saves time over the long run.

Play time: 0:49

Segment 2-6:

The battle with Aloe goes well. I give Nageki a Chesto Berry to nullify Aloe's Miruhoggu's Hypnosis, which turned out to be useless because it missed. I had to make sure that Nageki was at full HP with no Def drops against Aloe's Miruhoggu so that it could possibly survive a revenge Retribution, but aside from that, this was a fairly easy fight.

At the Pokemon Center, I deposit Pokabu, both Minezumi, and Yanappu. Preemptively depositing Pokemon means that when I catch new ones, I won't have to backtrack to a PC and withdraw them. At the shop counter, I buy 1 Great Ball for capturing Darumakka later on and 10 Super Potions with the rest of my cash.

Play time: 0:55

Pokemon obtained:

Code:
Pokemon      Lv. Nature   HP  Atk Def SpA SpD Spe Ability
Pokabu         5 Relaxed   22  12  11   9  10   9 Blaze
Minezumi       7 Brave     24  14  12  10  12  11 Run Away
Minezumi       7 Quirky    24  13  10  11  12  11 Keen Eye
Yanappu       10 Naughty   31  18  16  18  13  20 Gluttony
Otamaro       17 Hardy     44  25  23  22  20  27 Hydration
Nageki        15 Serious   63  36  30  17  30  18 Inner Focus
 
It's not really difficult, especially when you're not faced with the limitations of a speedrun. Pokemon White (and Black) is fairly generous with giving the player the right relatively high-leveled wild Pokemon at the right points in the game.

Anyway, it's nice to know that some people are following this.

Segments 3-1 through 3-4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZlp1TZFCR4

Segment 3-1:

The first double battle here is actually kind of tough due to Otamaro facing double type disadvantage, but it can survive 3 Razor Leafs with an Oran Berry, barring any critical hits. Nageki needs to be faster or win the speed tie with the Kurumiru that they're ganging up on. Once one of the Kurumiru faint, it's smooth sailing from there.

Play time: 0:57

Segment 3-2:

The purpose of this segment is to encounter and capture a level 15 or higher Kurumiru and to advance through some grass. Kurumiru learns Razor Leaf at level 15, which is essential for a couple of upcoming battles.

Play time: 0:58

Segment 3-3:

Navigating the grass in the forest would have required less segments had I thought ahead and bought some Repels. Sticking Otamaro in the lead would block out all wild Pokemon sans level 17 Churine and Kurumiru.

Play time: 0:59

Segment 3-4:

The noticeable mistake here that I made in this segment with the double switching was because I thought I was required to fight the Pokemon Ranger with a Baoppu, but it turns out that I didn't have to. I could have continued this segment after entering Hiun City, but truthfully I didn't plan out what I was going to do there yet, so I erred on the side of caution and ended the segment.

Play time: 1:03

Segment 3-5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p8ezpeLwso

Capturing a Darumakka is essential for quickly completing the Hiun gym. It doesn't really matter what level it's at, because it's just that good. The rest of this segment just consists of 3 easy battles to obtain the Amulet Coin and some event progression.

Play time: 1:12

Segments 3-6 through 3-7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3GB0IeJXc4

Segment 3-6:

Not much to say here. The only obstacles to a clean Darumakka sweep of the gym trainers are Fire Fang misses (mostly due to Hustle) and an Ishizumai, which requires Otamaro's assistance.

Play time: 1:16

Segment 3-7:

Artie is a really easy gym leader. The battle pretty much speaks for itself; I would have had to reset had Hoiiga poisoned Darumakka with Poison Tail, however, because I didn't use the Pokemon Center and I have no way of curing Poison (other than it running its course and wasting a second with the display message).

Play time: 1:20

Segments 4-1 through 4-2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx3zCkvmJQA

Segment 4-1:

Since both rival battles are spaced closely together, I thought it would be a good idea to combine them into one segment. Belle is easy; Kurumiru does very well against 3 of her 4 Pokemon. I should have sent in Darumakka against Janobii, since Fire Fang is a near OHKO, but if I switched in on a Grass Mixer acc drop, I would have been more likely to miss. Cheren is, in contrast, much more difficult. Darumakka not winning the speed tie against Mamepato for a chance at a Headbutt flinch is depressing, as is the fact that Kurumiru was 1 HP away from activating its Oran Berry and surviving a -1 Def Shell Blade.

Play time: 1:27

Segment 4-2:

The goal here is to get to Raimon City and obtain 10 Ultra Balls and a Bicycle. It really sucks that Otamaro missed a Mud Shot for a KO on Yabukuron, which cost a couple of seconds, but shit happens...

Play time: 1:30

Segments 4-3 through 4-6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjqeWCrR7nU

Segment 4-3:

There are 2 Pokemon that I need to obtain from this section of the world map. I fortuitously encounter a level 22 Meguroko with Intimidate along the way, which was exactly what I was looking for.

Play time: 1:32

Segment 4-4:

The other Pokemon that I need to obtain, Desumasu, also fortuitously appears at level 22. It just needs to be at level 21 to have Will-o-wisp. I make a small mistake by riding the bike into deep sand.

Play time: 1:33

Segment 4-5:

TM39 (Rock Tomb) is a bit out of the way, but it is a move that I can't do without for the Raimon gym. Thankfully the 2 Pokemon Rangers cooperated and didn't turn around to challenge me to a trainer battle, because I had a couple of failed attempts where one of them would not turn around for more than 10 seconds.

Play time: 1:34

Segment 4-6:

The N battle was going perfectly until Zuruggu KO'd Nageki with a critical hit, but Meguroko KO'd him back with another critical hit, which saved the segment from failure.

Play time: 1:38

Segments 4-7 through 4-8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKuFQC5aVEY

Segment 4-7:

I hate the gym trainers here. Meguroko 3HKOs Emonga with the already inaccurate Rock Tomb, and they all carry Double Team to compound the problem. Additionally, while I can use Assurance to finish them off for a more accurate attack, it might activate Static and paralyze Meguroko, which I have no way of curing.

Play time: 1:42

Segment 4-8:

Kamitsure is not an easy battle and actually requires a substantial amount of luck. First is that I need a total of 6 Rock Tombs to hit at 80 acc each; second is that I need exactly 2 of 2 Will-o-wisps to hit at 75 acc each. Of course, one of the Will-o-wisps misses, and Meguroko is OHKO'd by a critical hit Quick Attack (...). Thankfully, the strategy has room for error and I was able to eke out a win (though if Desumasu had missed that second Will-o-wisp, I would have given up on the segment and started over simply because I would have had to waste time healing Meguroko every other turn).

Play time: 1:47

Pokemon obtained:

Code:
Pokemon      Lv. Nature   HP  Atk Def SpA SpD Spe Ability
Pokabu         5 Relaxed   22  12  11   9  10   9 Blaze
Minezumi       7 Brave     24  14  12  10  12  11 Run Away
Minezumi       7 Quirky    24  13  10  11  12  11 Keen Eye
Yanappu       10 Naughty   31  18  16  18  13  20 Gluttony
Otamaro       17 Hardy     44  25  23  22  20  27 Hydration
Nageki        15 Serious   63  36  30  17  30  18 Inner Focus
Kurumiru      15 Relaxed   42  22  33  20  24  19 Swarm
Darumakka     16 Quirky    52  38  22  12  20  24 Hustle
Meguroko      22 Serious   60  43  21  21  21  39 Intimidate
Desumasu      22 Serious   54  18  43  35  39  24 Mummy
 
Wow, this is really cool! How much preparation do you do before hand? Also why didn't you pick up a shinbora in the last past. I'm sure it's psybeam would have been worth the detour.
 
Wow, this is really cool! How much preparation do you do before hand? Also why didn't you pick up a shinbora in the last past. I'm sure it's psybeam would have been worth the detour.
I already played through the game once like this beforehand, but without the goal of speedrunning. So, I have a rough idea of what Pokemon I'll need at minimum to clear a section of the game with the least required effort. The rest is just planning out Pokemon Center visits and item pickups. If this were an actual legit speedrun I'd put a little more effort into planning and playing, but it's not, so...

As for Shinboraa, while it is a cool Pokemon, it has a rather low catch rate (45) and it doesn't do very well against N or the Raimon gym. Past that, better Pokemon will take its place.

Segments 5-1 through 5-3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLilYKydUE

Segment 5-1:

Unfortunately, attending the Pokemon Musical is a mandatory event needed to advance the plot - Belle will stop you upon attempting to leave town otherwise. This segment has the 5th Cheren battle, which I think is one of the most difficult in the game. Nageki can 3HKO Reparudasu if he procs a Def drop on the first Rock Smash; Reparudasu will use Fake Out and Torment in succession, without fail. Hatooboo is super annoying and is probably the cause of most restarts, due to having Roost. I sacrifice Darumakka for some token damage with Incinerate and a free heal on Nageki so the latter can use Leer before succumbing to Air Slash. This is important because it allows Meguroko to 2HKO with Rock Tomb, preventing Hatooboo from stalling eternally with Roost. Futachimaru is also a difficult opponent; I sacrifice Otamaro to put Futachimaru at -2 Spe after 2 Mud Shots so that Desumasu can burn and fire off an Evil Eye and Meguroko can KO with Dig. Had Futachimaru not wasted a turn on Focus Energy, I would have used Kurumiru to get the KO instead of Meguroko.

Next is a surprisingly difficult team battle. STAB Take Downs hurt and it was unfortunate that Meguroko got OHKO'd by a critical hit. I wish Cheren didn't lead with a Reparudasu, and it would have been questionably faster to attempt to KO his Reparudasu so that he would send out Futachimaru, but whatever.

Play time: 1:55

Segment 5-2:

What's important here is that I capture a Chiraami - the level, nature, and ability don't matter due to the new in-game trade mechanics in this game. Chiraami has the highest catch rate possible, so there's a very good chance at catching it at full HP and not wasting time by attacking. In Hodomoe City, I trade it for a level 25 Basurao.

Play time: 1:58

Segment 5-3:

I will need a Hatooboo in the future for Fly. It won't be used for battle, so its parameters don't matter.

Play time: 1:59

Segments 5-4 through 5-7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88f6xwmxn54

Segment 5-4:

The primary purpose of making a detour onto Route 6 is to capture a Kurumayu. It will provide support in the upcoming Hodomoe gym and Belle battles, as Basurao can't do everything on its own.

Play time: 2:00

Segment 5-5:

4 easy sequential Plasma grunt battles. Avoiding the trainers was slightly more difficult, but they react to running and ignore walking, and I take advantage of that fact. I pick up the NeverMeltIce at the end of the segment because I will need the 20% damage boost to Ice-type attacks for the Souryuu gym.

Play time: 2:05

Segment 5-6:

Basurao does well against the gym trainers. The Adamant nature is proving to be irksome here as Boiling Water just misses the OHKO on a Warubiru.

Play time: 2:09

Segment 5-7:

The difficulty of this battle is more similar to that of the Hiun gym battle, but Yaakon's Doryuuzu is actually a legitimate threat. Basurao barely survives an attack at full HP from +1 Atk, so Desumasu needs to burn Doryuuzu. Having Kurumayu means that I don't have to worry about keeping Basurao from getting KO'd, as Gamagaru's matchup against Kurumayu is utterly hopeless.

Play time: 2:12

Segments 6-1 through 6-3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8FnA-ahx2E

Segment 6-1:

Since I have to buy a handful of Max Repels for the upcoming dungeon, I just make a full Pokemon Center stop instead of using healing items to revive Basurao and heal it and Kurumayu to full HP for the 4th Belle battle. This isn't too difficult; ideally Basurao 2HKOs Haaderia with residual burn damage, but only does so in this segment after Belle uses a Hyper Potion. Kurumayu solidly walls Janobii, but Razor Leaf doesn't usually KO in conjunction with 2 Bug Bites, so Belle uses her other Hyper Potion here. I should have given the Chesto Berry to Basurao instead of Kurumayu so I could get in an extra Crunch.

Play time: 2:16

Segment 6-2:

The objective in this segment is to capture a Shikijika in doubles grass and go into the cave. Level 28 would have been optimal to exclude all Pokemon in Electric Rock Cave with Max Repel, but level 27 gets most of them anyway. I get a couple of events out of the way so that restarting the next segment won't be as painful.

Play time: 2:19

Segment 6-3:

In order to avoid the Elite Trainer battle at the beginning of the segment, I had to wait until he went to my right before I could push the electric rock, as otherwise I would stay stationary long enough that I would be seen. The Plasma grunt battles, while easy, aren't complete pushovers; Shikijika doesn't get STAB on Jump Kick and thus fails to OHKO many opponents while Basurao's lack of type advantage puts it in the same boat. Therefore, there were a handful of possible outcomes that could have ended the segment, such as Jump Kick missing, critical hits, getting put to sleep, getting poisoned, encountering a wild Pokemon, etc., so I ended the segment after 3 Plasma grunt battles.

Play time: 2:22

Segments 6-4 through 6-6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCNYtnuMEX4

Segment 6-4:

The same factors as the previous segment apply: Jump Kick missing, critical hits, getting put to sleep, getting poisoned, encountering a wild Pokemon, etc. are disastrous events. The last event is especially common because for a moment I change my lead Pokemon to Basurao, who is ineffective at warding away most of the wild Pokemon in the cave. I actually had one segment end after the final Plasma grunt battle because I was greedy and wanted to get up the stairs, but encountered a wild Pokemon almost immediately.

Play time: 2:26

Segment 6-5:

The 4th N battle is, in my opinion, fairly enjoyable. Basurao gets exactly want I want, a burn on Gantoru to KO after Sturdy activates. Bachuru is N's toughest Pokemon because I lack any sort of type advantage and 5 of 6 party Pokemon are weak to 1 of its dual STABs, but it's defensively not very bulky and ultimately not too difficult to tag team. I was also afraid that Meguroko might not be able to take a -1 Atk STAB Gear Saucer, but a timely critical hit negated all worry in that regard.

Play time: 2:31

Segment 6-6:

I have to capture a Zeburaika in this segment. This segment is, hands down, the most frustrating one in the entire run, partially because I was a little too cautious on the last segment and made an early save, and partially because the damn thing is so hard to catch. At this point I only have 1 healthy (i.e. non-fainted) Pokemon, which has the neat side effect of always triggering single battles in doubles grass. The bad news is, Basurao is destroyed by the type matchup and Zeburaika does not like to be caught at full health. I basically had to pray that it didn't use Spark on turn 1 and that Boiling Water would inflict a burn, then I had 1 chance to capture it. A level 33 Zeburaika would have been preferable due to its level advantage over wild Pokemon in Mt. Neji, but this one will do with a Rare Candy.

Play time: 2:32

Segments 6-7 through 6-9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v-I0dnFNdE

Segment 6-7:

There is only 1 mandatory battle in the entire Tower of Heaven portion. The female trainer guarding TM61 (Will-o-wisp) occasionally doesn't like to cooperate and won't turn in the right directions for 15 seconds at a time, which would prompt a restart. The trainers on the 3rd and 4th floors, amusingly, all turn simultaneously and predictably when I press B to run, and thus require no luck to avoid.

Play time: 2:37

Segment 6-8:

Can you say Zeburaika solo? Ideally I should have attempted the segment until enemy Hatooboos stopped using Detect, but I got really lazy here after the nightmares that were the previous 2 segments.

Play time: 2:41

Segment 6-9:

Fuuro is not a difficult battle, so I felt confident enough to tackle both her and Cheren battle 6 in one segment. Zeburaika and Basurao pull their weight for a not too difficult battle. The reason why I taught Zeburaika Volt Change is that it's 2HKO'd by Futachimaru with Water Pulse and Aqua Jet (lame), and Volt Change makes sacrificing KO fodder that much easier.

Play time: 2:46

Pokemon obtained:

Code:
Pokemon      Lv. Nature   HP  Atk Def SpA SpD Spe Ability
Pokabu         5 Relaxed   22  12  11   9  10   9 Blaze
Minezumi       7 Brave     24  14  12  10  12  11 Run Away
Minezumi       7 Quirky    24  13  10  11  12  11 Keen Eye
Yanappu       10 Naughty   31  18  16  18  13  20 Gluttony
Otamaro       17 Hardy     44  25  23  22  20  27 Hydration
Nageki        15 Serious   63  36  30  17  30  18 Inner Focus
Kurumiru      15 Relaxed   42  22  33  20  24  19 Swarm
Darumakka     16 Quirky    52  38  22  12  20  24 Hustle
Meguroko      22 Serious   60  43  21  21  21  39 Intimidate
Desumasu      22 Serious   54  18  43  35  39  24 Mummy
Basurao       25 Adamant   75  63  42  45  37  59 Rock Head
Hatooboo      25 Quiet     66  46  41  33  30  35 Pigeon Chest
Kurumayu      23 Impish    65  35  55  27  48  26 Leaf Guard
Shikijika     27 Hasty     69  42  33  32  37  52 Chlorophyll
Zeburaika     32 Hardy     99  77  51  57  47  87 Lightningrod
 
Using a non-patched Rom.

And yea, I have the same problem with DeSmuMe on my mac.

I hate it since I don't get access to youtube... but seems like you're putting a lot of effort. Keep up the good work!
 
Time to finish this up.

Segments 7-1 through 7-2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z68o3yrkLE8

Segment 7-1:

There are fortunately only 2 mandatory battles in the entirety of Mt. Neji - I probably could not have survived more than that, as Zeburaika does not match up very well against the multitude of Gantoru and Dotekkotsu. Picking up the Ice Jewel in the middle of the segment was a minor annoyance which cost a couple of seconds, but I've had a couple of runs thwarted before by wild Moguryuu appearing in the dustclouds, and dodging all of the trainers here is pretty difficult; the Ice Jewel might also come in handy, so I settle for this minor flaw. Prior to exiting the cave, I set my game clock forward to a winter month so that I can access a Rare Candy in Sekka City and the doubles grass outside Dragon Spiral Tower.

Play time: 2:51

Segment 7-2:

The first of 2 Pokemon that I need to capture (in any order) is a level 37 Kojofuu. Kojofuu learns Jump Kick at level 37, which makes for 3 Fighting type attacks in its base moveset; this is important as it won't require me to use any PP restoring items in the next section of the game. Jump Kick is also a pretty powerful attack in its own right.

Play time: 2:52

Segments 7-3 through 7-4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmCn-1ynhHs

Segment 7-3:

The second of 2 Pokemon that I need to capture is a level 37 Tsunbeaa. I would have rather had it be male so that it triggers Rivalry penalties against Iris's female Onondo, but the gender distribution among the trainers in the Souryuu gym is split fairly evenly anyway. It also needs a +Atk nature, and even then it might still miss out on OHKOs on Pokemon in the Souryuu gym with NeverMeltIce and Icicle Drop. Regardless, it's a choice between Tsunbeaa and the less bulkier and powerful Baibanira, so the decision is obvious. I feel confident enough that Kojofuu can solo the Sekka gym that I don't end the segment after catching Tsunbeaa.

Play time: 2:59

Segment 7-4:

Probably the most variable portion of the gym battle is the Tsunbeaa matchup. It nearly OHKOs Kojofuu with an Icicle Drop; I was originally attempting to go for a paralysis with Force Palm, but a critical hit that got me a free Drain Punch also worked well in my favor. Furiijio lacks Ice Beam and thus doesn't come near OHKOing Kojofuu, and faints to a light breeze.

Play time: 3:03

Segments 8-1 through 8-2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-z5BvswDGI

Segment 8-1:

Commence a long sequece of Plasma grunt battles. There's really nothing that can go wrong here aside from Kojofuu missing a Jump Kick; everything pretty much falls in one attack. I have enough money to buy TM16 (Light Screen) and TM33 (Reflect) now, and take advantage of the fact that Raimon City is along the way.

Play time: 3:13

Segment 8-2:

The objective of this segment is to sneak past the Route 4 trainers unseen and move my way through the Ancient Castle until I reach a location where I can manipulate a Max Repel to find and catch a wild Desukaan.

Play time: 3:16

Segments 8-3 through 8-4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ShPJobTvY

Segment 8-3:

Desukaan has good bulk with access to 2 forms of residual damage, and is a very useful all-around stop to threats that my other Pokemon can't handle with type advantages. At level 37, Desukaan actually does not know any damaging attacks, which is why I picked up TM61 (Will-o-wisp) and TM30 (Shadow Ball) earlier.

Play time: 3:18

Segment 8-4:

A straightforward segment. I finish up this section of the plot and prepare to head to Souryuu City.

Play time: 3:23

Segment 8-5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlQdcEcsSqM

I didn't have the foresight to change the season back to a non-winter season, and as such, navigating Route 8 by sliding across ice takes slightly longer than just biking straight through it. Belle battle 5 is tricky but not particularly difficult; Muurando is a huge pain, though, and is even threatening when burned because STAB Normal attacks do a number on Kojofuu. Because Will-o-wisp missed on the first attempt, I sacrifice Hatooboo to get a free switch-in. The Jarooda matchup can also go several different ways; Jarooda knows Coil, which turns Leaf Blade into a 2HKO on Tsunbeaa and also reduces damage from Icicle Drop.

On Route 9, I make a stop at the department store to stock up on battle items for the Pokemon League, and spend the rest of my money on Proteins. From this point onwards, I will no longer need to make shopping trips (with one exception).

Play time: 3:32

Segments 8-6 through 8-7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKffDqvXLBo

Segment 8-6:

Oh my. I was incredibly lucky that I only had to attempt this segment once. This is the longest gym in the game, and so many things could have gone wrong. Icicle Drop missing against female Rivalry Onondo would have been fatal, as well as poorly timed Revenges that OHKO Tsunbeaa. It doesn't help that Tsunbeaa rarely outspeeds anything, which forces me to continually open my bag for Hyper Potions. A NeverMeltIce allows Tsunbeaa to secure the OHKO against all Onondo.

Play time: 3:42

Segment 8-7:

The same factors apply for the gym battle, except on a much smaller scale. I didn't count on Desukaan getting OHKO'd by a critical hit Assurance, because the plan was originally to Will-o-Wisp + Curse and KO Ononokusu with residual damage, but Tsunbeaa came through anyway. On a Pokemon Center stop, I stock up on Revives and Full Restores (the latter is not available before the Souryuu gym) for the Pokemon League.

Play time: 3:46

Segments E-1 through E-5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLFeRC2bTvc

Segment E-1:

The final Cheren battle is a tough one. Cheren has a couple of threats that are difficult to completely counter at this point in the game, and I use up a couple of resources to help my team past him. Tsunbeaa takes the Ice Jewel in order to secure a clean OHKO against Cheren's Kenhorou. Desukaan takes over 50% of its HP from Baokkii's Bursting Flame, and requires the Sitrus Berry in order to get off a Curse. Reparudasu, despite its high Atk, is hard countered by Kojofuu's Drain Punch. Daikenki is neutralized by Desukaan's Will-o-Wisp, and for whatever reason will always attempt to Encore Desukaan even when it hasn't previously used a move.

Play time: 3:51

Segment E-2:

The goal of this segment is to get past the first floor without a wild encounter and fight the only mandatory trainer battle in Victory Road. My Pokemon are not at a high enough level for Repel to be effective here.

Play time: 3:53

Segment E-3:

I capture a level 40 Koromori, which is needed for screen passing in the E4 battles up ahead. It also provides a small level range of wild Pokemon that I can leverage Repel against.

Play time: 3:54

Segment E-4:

This segment is required to get through the rest of Victory Road without a wild encounter.

Play time: 3:55

Segment E-5:

I need to capture a level 42 Aianto, who has the perfect typing for sweeping the E4. Desukaan is sacrificed so that I can view Aianto's ability, which needs to be Hustle for the extra offense.

Play time: 3:58

Segments E-6 through E-8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qhdzdBFkOs

Segment E-6:

First up is Katorea (or Caitlin in the US). The sole reason why she is fought first is because her Rankurusu is the only E4 lead that can OHKO Koromori behind a Light Screen or Reflect, and the faster Koromori is KO'd, the more turns I have to set up Aianto. As for the battle itself, the only possibilities for a game over are critical hits (which bypass Light Screen's Sp. Def. boost) or an early Sp. Def. drop from Focus Blast.

Play time: 4:01

Segment E-7:

Second up is Giima. Giima's Zuruzukin likes to use Sand-Attack a lot, and I use a Guard Spec. on Aianto to prevent any accuracy drops. Critical hits, again, are segment-ending possibilities, but a fairly easy battle.

Play time: 4:04

Segment E-8:

Third up is Shikimi. Aianto getting burned by Shanderaa's Flame Body is annoying, but not insurmountable. Desukaan's Mummy removes Hustle, and without STAB on Crunch, I needed more X Attacks compared to previous battles.

Play time: 4:07

Segment E-9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkVnkYKdtq0

Last up is Renbu. This is the E4 battle with the greatest likelihood for error, as Stone Edge has a 12.5% chance to get a critical hit given that it hits. Aianto also doesn't hit fighting types for super effective damage, and doesn't OHKO any Pokemon on Renbu's team except for Kojondo.

Play time: 4:17

Segment E-10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW0Trylnink

This is it. Zekuromu is an easy catch with the Master Ball. Zekuromu easily solos N with an X Attack and an X Speed; I was lucky that Baibanira's Blizzard missed, but a Zekuromu with an Atk boosting nature can OHKO with an X Attack. Against Geechisu, Aianto has the proper typing to set up to +6 Atk, +1 Spe against Desukaan, which OHKOs every Pokemon that Geechisu has regardless of type neutrality, with the exception of Baffuron, who KOs himself with Afro Break recoil.

Final play time: 4:29

Pokemon obtained:

Code:
Pokemon      Lv. Nature   HP  Atk Def SpA SpD Spe Ability
Pokabu         5 Relaxed   22  12  11   9  10   9 Blaze
Minezumi       7 Brave     24  14  12  10  12  11 Run Away
Minezumi       7 Quirky    24  13  10  11  12  11 Keen Eye
Yanappu       10 Naughty   31  18  16  18  13  20 Gluttony
Otamaro       17 Hardy     44  25  23  22  20  27 Hydration
Nageki        15 Serious   63  36  30  17  30  18 Inner Focus
Kurumiru      15 Relaxed   42  22  33  20  24  19 Swarm
Darumakka     16 Quirky    52  38  22  12  20  24 Hustle
Meguroko      22 Serious   60  43  21  21  21  39 Intimidate
Desumasu      22 Serious   54  18  43  35  39  24 Mummy
Basurao       25 Adamant   75  63  42  45  37  59 Rock Head
Hatooboo      25 Quiet     66  46  41  33  30  35 Pigeon Chest
Kurumayu      23 Impish    65  35  55  27  48  26 Leaf Guard
Shikijika     27 Hasty     69  42  33  32  37  52 Chlorophyll
Zeburaika     32 Hardy     99  77  51  57  47  87 Lightningrod
Kojofuu       37 Serious   86  76  47  52  49  61 Regeneration
Tsunbeaa      37 Naughty  122 100  72  57  65  46 Snow Cloak
Desukaan      37 Bashful   91  47 114  83  93  28 Mummy
Koromori      40 Lax      102  43  47  61  49  63 Unaware
Aianto        44 Careful  115 118 104  50  57 101 Hustle
Zekrom        50 Naive    168 158 137 132  94 117 Teravoltage
 

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