Introduction:
I’ve played Pokemon for over 20 years. When I first received a copy of Pokemon Blue, I was only 6 years old… I didn’t understand how to catch Pokemon. I didn’t know what a “parcel” was or why I needed to deliver it to Professor Oak. I was so dumb, I thought I was being PAID money every time I entered Pewter City Museum.
My stupidity didn’t hold me back from being totally sucked into the Pokemon World. 6 year old Marina was HOOKED on this game, and Pokemon continued to stick with me. Wherever life has taken me, Pokemon were always by my side. Now, after over two decades of exploration, I’m embarking on a new odyssey—a journey that intertwines nostalgia with fresh experiences, all in the pursuit of a unique challenge.
The Genesis of a Challenge:
The idea of starting fresh with Pokémon has been gnawing at me for a while. A lot of my current Pokemon retain my deadname as the Original Trainer, and 25 years worth of Pokemon in my Home account is pretty overwhelming.
The desire to cleanse my collection of past memories, and to create a new legacy, gave me an idea—a journey through each generation of Pokémon, culminating in a team forged in the crucible of an epic odyssey. The catalyst for this undertaking? Fluffy Barrage—a VTuber-exclusive Pokémon tournament hosted by Waffobaffo.
The Plan:
My plan is simple: traverse through each generation of Pokémon games, starting with Fire Red and culminating in the most recent release, Scarlet aiming to 100% them along the way:
- Fire Red
- Emerald (including the Battle Frontier)
- Colosseum + XD (including Mt Battle)
- Platinum
- Heart Gold (including the Battle Frontier)
- White
- Black 2 (including PWT and Black Tower)
- Y
- Alpha Sapphire (including the Battle Maison)
- Ultra Moon (including Battle Tree)
- Sword (including Battle Tower)
- Scarlet
The Team:
I’ll be starting this journey with two companions: Marill (Candy Egg) and Geodude (Beach Ball).
Azumarill is my favorite Pokemon. The blue rabbit has been a staple in my teams since Pokemon Silver. Round, cute, and able to punch through some of the toughest walls out there, I couldn’t imagine a playthrough like this without my lucky rabbit! Starting a playthrough with Marill was an easy choice!
As for Geodude, it’s a Pokémon I’ve often overlooked. To earn some extra points with Bee, one of the Fluffy Barrage folks, I’m gonna have Graveler play a role (or roll) on my team! Perhaps this journey will help me gain a new appreciation for the Pokemon!
I’ll also be adding new members to my team in each game, expanding my roster while staying true to the challenge’s spirit.
The Challenges:
I won’t be just playing through these games conventionally—I’ll be adhering to a set of challenges and rules that will push me to think outside the box, building a strong bond with my team, and earn some style points along the way:
No emulators. I’ll be playing on physical cartridges (or digitally purchased) games only. I’ll utilize modded consoles or FPGA consoles (like the Analogue Pocket) to help bridge some technical gaps, but all Pokemon will be acquired “legal” and “legit”, as far as Nintendo is concerned.
Every game starts with Marill and Geodude. I’ll trade them over and use PKHex as needed to reset their levels.
Each game, I can add one (1) additional Pokemon to my team. They’ll be transferred over alongside Beach Ball and Candy Egg whenever we start a new game.
Beach Ball (Geodude) cannot evolve to Golem. Having Graveler specifically is a must!
All team members must be caught in Dive Balls. This will limit my options a bit, but Dive Balls are objectively the best looking Poke Balls.
My team theme will be “Beach Day.” Normally, I stick to water Pokemon, but I’m expanding on that idea a bit to freshen things up and allow for more variety. The beach concept work great for me, I am a squid, after all!
Beach Ball must win a Master Rank Beauty contest. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make some decent PokeBlocks and Poffins… and I’ll need LOTS of makeup.
The Journey Begins:
As I set foot on this epic quest, I invite you to join me! Through blog posts and Twitter updates, I’ll chronicle my adventures, sharing insights regarding the technical intricacies of my run and the emotional highs and lows of my adventure. I’m hoping to take a crack at drawing some comics based on our adventures as well!
So here’s to new beginnings, to the thrill of discovery, and to the bonds forged through pixels and pixels alone. Join me as I embark on the Fluffy Barrage Challenge—a journey that transcends time and space!