PokéTunes part II: Adventurous Journey

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The first Pokémon game I played seriously was Platinum. If we're being honest, being a Brazilian little kid not knowing English meant I'd often get stuck in the game, but the one time I really couldn't figure out where to go was not being able to enter the Battle Zone. Registering every Pokémon in the Pokémondex was an arduous task for an eight-year-old that used to always skip trainers. A couple of years later, I finally came back to the game and, now knowing English, managed to achieve my goal. Upon arriving at this mountain, though, with my DS's volume all the way up, I was delighted by an impressive drum break that just happened to be the intro to Stark Mountain's theme.

Speaking of drum breaks, the emphasis this track puts on drums is just really impressive; not only is there a sick 8-bar long drum solo, but even as a background the drums just play such a big role on the track. They responsible for the funky rhythm of the track as well as the almost tribal feel it gives. The constant drumming and percussion done throughout the track are truly capable of creating tension, but it's more of an energetic tension than anything, as such tension not only resolves on the flute-only and guitar-only sections and on the occasional short silent bars, but also, oddly enough, on the drum solo. Still, a track can't really achieve such high levels of funkiness and excitement with only drums, right? The other key element to drive the tune to its fullest in grooviness and funkiness is the bass. The more-than-upbeat bassline is playing on the low end with a unique rhythm and in constant motion. And while, yes, these two elements are the key to the spirit of the track, the guitar really shall not be underestimated here, as it plays a major role in contextualizing the tune, giving it kind of a foreign feel thanks to the combination of the melody and chord progression coupled with the drums. The scale picked, notable for that Egyptian / Spanish feel, also adds a lot more personality and interest to the track, tying it to that almost stereotypical desert area that most Pokémon regions tend to have. Very subtle chord and note borrowing also gives the chord progression and melody a lot more energy by injecting a couple of dark moves into them, emphasizing the surly and harsh ambience that embodies Stark Mountain.

Accessing this desolate mountain from the world of Pokémon was probably one of the best experiences I had when playing the games of the Pokémon franchise, getting the achievement of finally arriving at Stark Mountain, catching Heatran and, of course, hearing such outstanding music in the background. All in all, I'm glad I decided to get back to my Platinum game and complete the Pokémondex, as otherwise I'd have missed out on what is now one of my favorite Pokémon tracks.

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This is arguably one the best tracks of the entire series, and for a good reason: the tango feeling evoked by the guitars and violins is truly mesmerizing, but this track is not only beautiful, it's also very adventurous. Being the very last route before Victory Road really amplifies the feeling of being close to achieving glory, and the arrangement provokes such a foreign sound that it really feels like your journey is coming to an end. Overall, the richness embodied by several instruments on this tune really adds an epic layer to it, almost giving kind of a lush sound. The very subtle borrowing of chords, commonly labeled modal interchange, also gives a boost to that adventurous quality of the track, but most chords are still kept more simple, which isn't really ideal, but it makes the track a little more easy to hear and gives more room for the melody to shine. It's also worth mentioning that this track got a remix in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U that gives the track even more of that Tango feeling and increases the tempo, making it even more upbeat. Nonetheless, on both versions of the song, I feel like its absolute strong point is its melody—cherrypicking the perfect notes for the melody of this piece must have been quite the challenge—and overall, the long, stretched-out, notes give the melody a lot more uniqueness and allow it to stand out by making room for clusters of short notes that play with the listener's mind by giving soft tension and release to keep the tunes' interest. Another aspect essential to making this melody so interesting is mainly covered by the first part where the melody comes up, leaping in 5ths upwards and downwards, as these notes are notable for evoking an epic and adventurous feel. After the leaps, the melody starts to pick up a tighter and more upbeat rhythm only to resolve at a major tonic, which also adds to the adventure aspect considering the track is in a minor key. The next section adds some extra interest by making the melody walk up and down the scale skipping a few notes and with a very interesting yet constant rhythm, which then leads to the tune to resolve and start looping again.

The route itself has a very strong part in the lore of BW; being right before the Victory Road, the route contains eight gates, one for each badge, which in all honesty is quite a unique addition. Too bad you don't get to listen to this song when passing through them. In addition, the notable encounter with rivals Cheren and Bianca makes this place even more remarkable, and this piece playing in the background really adds a layer of depth to the game's story. It makes me really sad that they removed it for pretty much no apparent reason in BW2, but at least Game Freak make sure to include this awesome track in a house on Icirrus City.

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Anistar's theme is very ominous and ancient sounding, giving the feeling of mystery, which plays a big role in classifying this tune as adventurous. With bells and clock sounds and an intriguing melody, the tune manages to achieve that eerie quality, clearly reflecting the feel already provoked by the city's environment, that seems to incorporate that mysterious vibe. The subtle change of keys also adds to that ominous quality, subverting the listener's expectations but on a more relaxed segment, making the song a bit more pleasing. The change of voices in the same transition to a lighter piano also gives the tune some more breathing room. The whole mysterious atmosphere actually ties in perfectly with Anistar, considering that the Sundial is arguably the games' most mysterious sight, which is not only said to have come from outer space, but also the key to enable Mega Evolution, yet another ominous and unexplored element of the games.

Another aspect of Anistar is the beauty behind both its theme and its layout; the calm section I've mentioned earlier is truly soothing and inspiring, but the city's layout of being above the delightful Kalosian sea, and of course, having the Sundial, which can produce a rain of crystal sparkles in the correct timing, only add to the atmosphere. Speaking of timing, the city also has a pretty deep link to the concept of time; the Sundial is a tool ancient Kalosian people used to measure time, as also reflected by the clock sounds in the track and by the ancient feel evoked, and the ancient aspect is also reflected by the Memory Girl, capable of reading Pokémon's past; on the other hand, Olympia seems to have the surprising ability to tell the future and the fate of you and your Pokémon, tying the city into this whole passing of time thing. One more link to this time talk is that Anistar City seems to be based on the French City of Strasbourg, where traces of human occupation were discovered to date back 600,000 years, and to imagine that Sundial has been standing there counting our time for so long!

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Right from the get-go, Brun Way's theme surprised me with a steady string introduction, already featuring an interesting chord progression, with techniques such as borrowing chords and notes in order to surprise the listener and build some tension for the main section. Then, the song truly begins and achieves its apex, with soothingly beautiful, yet cautiously forceful strings, evoking quite an epic and adventurous feel. This feel is achieved mostly by the rock-solid melody, with several adventurous elements, and by the voicing, because we all know how powerful strings can be to spark a feel for adventure. This section truly reflects the feeling of this route, and I can almost picture myself walking along it and facing countless trainers on my way to Dendemille Town. After the peak, the song calms itself down but achieves an even more delightful section, in which the more beautiful aspect of the route is spotlit instead, only left with a flute and quieter strings and harps on the background. The song contrasts the adventurous aspect of itself with a more delicate and delightful section, giving the listener some room to breathe and some time to appreciate the landscape and the view of the golden autumn leaves scattered all over Brun Way. All in all, this tune manages to link beauty and adventure in a single piece and is arguably one of the best route themes throughout Pokémon's history.