Recap: Saga completed the Vesryn region and began Aroma with her new starter, Iago the Mudkip.

Back in Vesryn, I purchased all of those stat-upper items with the intention of using them on my final team. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use them on my high-leveled Pokemon, so they remained unused in my bag when I went to Aroma. You know what that means, right? Iago is about to get a large dose of vitamins.

And hell, while we’re at it, let’s see what TMs we can teach him.

Alright, so here’s what we’ve got.

Iago is very adamant and also somewhat stubborn.

Here are his stats and moveset.

The final battle of Vesryn left Saga’s item supply pretty empty. You can see here she is running at the store clerk to throw her thousands of riches at his face to replenish her items.

While exploring the region, Iago destroys the wilds and very quickly levels up, evolving into Marshtomp before I know it.

Ah, hooray! Looks like we’ve got some plot going now!

Oh… nevermind.

They both say the same thing.

I guess they’re just there to block that pathway, then.

Iago and I find our way to Tauri Town having added no Pokemon to our roster, as none of the wilds appeal to me.

We run into this rebel who manages to do what we have all wanted to do for years and give him a thumbs-up for his act of defiance.

Oh, thank Arceus. I have found the beginning of the plot at last!

Professor Maple: I am Professor Maple. I’m the leading researcher here in Aroma. As I’m sure you noticed, when you came to the region, you had to leave your team in Vesryn.

Don’t remind me… sniffle…

Professor Maple: We were nervous about letting anyone in the region at all, actually. Recently, Pokemon in the region have contracted this strange disease, making them shells of their former selves. They turn a purple color, and have strange Shadow moves. These Shadow moves are strong against every type except other Shadow Pokemon. While this may seem like an advantage, these Pokemon cannot grow stronger until they are healed. They have also retreated into the depths of their heart, which is causing severe mental trauma. Only the most evil of people could possibly want to use Shadow Pokemon! Fortunately, we have countermeasures. Follow me.

Professor Maple: somebody else’s Pokemon.

Bitch, I’m Wilson’s daughter. If he can genetically alter Pokemon using science without getting kicked out of the trainer world, I sure as hell can catch other people’s Pokemon.

Professor Maple: However, with this disease, we have to make an exception.

Changing the rules is totally okay if you claim it’s for a greater good.

Professor Maple: This device here is the Snag Machine. It can bypass the security standards of a PokeBall and steal a Pokemon. However, it is designed to only work with Shadow Pokemon. So, you can save Shadow Pokemon from their evil trainers, but you can’t catch normal ones! Take it, Saga! I hope you use it for good!

…do I have to?

Professor Maple: Saga, do you remember Team Asgard?

No. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them that I have completely forgotten who they are.

Professor Maple: At the moment, Aroma is under siege by two different Teams. Their names are Team Cipher and–

???: Team Aqua!

Aqua Grunt: A nifty little device! I’m sure we’ll find a good use for it! And now it’s Team Aqua’s!

Aw damn. The Aqua grunt ran off with it. Looks like I’m no use to you now. Guess I’ll just go back to Vesryn…

Professor Maple: Saga! That’s Team Aqua! You have to go after them!

Sigh… fine. I’ll go save your region.

Professor Maple: And don’t forget! If they have a Shadow Pokemon, free it!

What? How? The Aqua grunt took the snag thingy with him. How am I supposed to catch a Shadow Pokemon without it?

Aqua Grunt: You have the device, right? You go! I’ll deal with them! *other grunt runs off* Look, kid. You’re in way over your head, here! We’re going to use that device to harness the power of the Blue Orb! Sorry, kid, but this is where your adventure stops here! Wahaha! My Shadow Pokemon will destroy your Pokemon, then I will steal your team and corrupt them all as well!

Oh… I guess Aqua took some other machine. Professor Maple needs to learn how not to leave important devices out in his lab for anyone to take.

Iago seems a tad bit overlevelled, but I don’t really care. He scalds the grunt’s dog and we ready our PokeBalls for whatever Shadow Pokemon he’s got.

Gasp!

It’s an Eevee!!

You guys!!

I can finally get my Leafeon!!

I’m not playing games, here. I want this Eevee and I want him to be a Leafeon.

I throw an Ultra Ball and he is immediately mine.

Aqua isn’t very happy we kicked their ass.

Alright, now let’s check out this Future-Leafeon of ours!

Oh… I guess Professor Maple wants to talk to us first.

Professor Maple: And you managed to save that Eevee from them as well… I see now everything I heard about you was true. I recommend you head south, along Route 2x to Orion City! In Orbic Cave on Route 2x, apparently there is something or other that Team Aqua is after. You have to go! Be sure to rescue all Shadow Pokemon you may find along the way!

Yeah yeah, save the world, defeat the team, I’ve got it. Are you done?

Okay. Now let’s look at Future-Leafeon.

He’s got some kind of gauge on his first screen. Not really sure how to deplete it, but I guess we’ll figure it out.

There are those Shadow moves I was told about.

Fighting with my first Shadow Pokemon teaches me a lot…

Like, that every few turns they enter hyper mode and hurt themselves.

And, they don’t gain experience after fights.

Also, they can’t learn any moves besides those Shadow ones.

I don’t think I enjoy Shadow Pokemon.

Oh goddamnit, this mutherfucker followed me all the way to Aroma.

DIDN’T YOU HEAR? VESRYN POKEMON CAN’T CROSS OVER TO THIS REGION. GET OUT.

Ahh, you dick.

See that gauge? I think the more Future-Leafeon participates in battles, the more the bar depletes itself. This must be the way to purify Pokemon.

I really hate the no-experience-gaining aspect of Shadow Pokemon. Pretty soon, the wilds will catch up to him in level, and he won’t be able to keep fighting one-on-one. In double battles, Iago is pretty much the breadwinner, especially since he doesn’t hurt himself after every few attacks.

During a fight with a Cooltrainer, Future-Leafeon faints and Iago witnesses the next Shadow Pokemon. We chuck an Ultra Ball at him and add him to our collection.

It takes… FOREVER… to lower that damn bar.

We trudge through a few routes and all the way into a cave and still this guy won’t open up his damn heart.

We do find this adorable rock-bunny thing inside the cave and catch her because I don’t like that 75% of my team is Shadow Pokemon.

She is named Jade and we learn she is part-Fairy type, so I teach her Dazzling Gleam in place of one of her rock moves.

Not even four seconds later, we have to rescue this Geodude from a Hiker.

For pete’s sake, my team is filling up with these Shadows! Are you telling me I’m going to have to fight hundreds of battles with each of them? There’s got to be a quicker way to purify them.

Aqua Chick: retrieve it from the depths of the Orbic Cave!

We get to the end of the cave to witness Team Aqua doing some monologue-ing.

Aqua Chick: Now, we need to find Team Cipher! They promised to show us Kyogre’s secret location! Then finally, Team Aqua will rise! We will find and kill Brendan for the embarrassment he’s caused us!

Brendan’s here? And you lost to him? Hah! That’s classic.

Aqua Chick: Oh, are you Professor Maple’s new lackey? What a joke! He’s always on about how we should respect Pokemon… You see, we have this agreement with Cipher! Cipher is a team from the Orre region, and they are the ones that brought the Shadow Pokemon to the region.

Let me at ’em. I’ll tear them to pieces. Making me fight with a team full of Shadows that kill themselves…forcing me to leave my Champion Pokemon behind… I’ll make them pay.

Aqua Chick: We have an agreement! We use their Shadow Pokemon, and thus corrupt even more Pokemon, and they give us the secret location of where Kyogre sleeps! Let’s battle, kid! Let me corrupt your Pokemon!

Since Future-Leafeon was first in my party, he popped out of his Ultra Ball raring to go. I withdrew him despite his enthusiasm and put Jade in the fight instead.

I love fighting with Jade. We’ve got this little strategy that always pans out that consists of a few Sharpens to maximize her attack before SMACKING THE OPPONENT DOWN WITH HER ROCK-HARD BODY OF POWER.

If the smackdown doesn’t OHKO her enemies, Jade summons a SERIES OF FALLING ROCKS onto her opponent, crushing them beneath the force. The Aqua girl sends out her spider friend next, and I rub my hands together in preparation for a major squashing… but she withdraws him soon after to send out Pidgeotto because… I don’t know, she must hate him or something. Instant OHKO. Ariados comes back out onto the field to submit to his fate.

Jade raises her attack a little more before blinding the sunovabitch to death. She levels up in the process because she is a BOSS.

I throw Future-Leafeon into the ring to try to fight against Vulpix until I learn he’s a Shadow Pokemon. Withdrawing Eevee, Iago runs onto the field while I throw an Ultra Ball and add my team’s sixth member.

Charmeleon tried to stand his ground against Iago. He did a pretty decent job holding on even though there was NOTHING IN HIS HEALTH BAR…..

Aqua girl tries to impress us with her rhyming abilities once the battle ends and then decides we are an interesting bunch.

Aqua Chick: But your insubordination and determination intrigues me… Bah! Team Aqua, let’s go to Orion City! We have a rendezvous with Cipher!

They vanish in a flash of red light, leaving us alone in the hot cave of lava.

The exit isn’t far from that point and we soon make it to Orion City!

Okay, so here is Saga’s first full team of the Aroma region… four Shadows and two actual useful Pokemon. I can only imagine how many more Shadows we need to catch and purify. This is going to be a long-ass journey, that’s for sure.