An Absolute Gem of a Journey [Emerald Nuzlocke]

[Kerou 犠牲]

An Absolute Gem of a Journey

Due to never playing Emerald fully and having never attempted a Nuzlocke Challenge (or at least not remembering doing one) I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, especially with the RSE remakes approaching so hopefully we can all be refreshed storyline wise as to what's going on. I'm writing this out of enjoyment and nostalgia so hopefully we can get some readers, some followers and just a good experience all round =]

Also, if this seems to be slowing down too much then do give me a prod in the right direction since I will at least beat this game!

Rules:

- Any Pokémon that faints is considered dead, and must be released.
- The player may only catch the first Pokémon encountered in each area, and none else. If the first Pokémon encountered faints or flees, there are no second chances.
- All Pokemon must be nicknamed.
- The starter Pokemon must be with you at all times. If it ever faints, you die of heartbreak.
- Considering a black out/white out to be "game over," even if there are Pokémon left in the PC.
- Going to options and making the battle style "set". Making you unable to switch out between your foes' Pokémon.

Profile:

GL
Pokémon Caught: 19
Pokémon Lost: 1
Badges:

Catching Log:

Oscar - Lv. 5 [Starter]
Alain - Lv. 3 [Route 103]
Jay - Lv. 3 [Route 102]
Joey - Lv. 3 [Route 104]
Bully - Lv. 5 [Petalburg Woods]
Sian - Lv. 6 [Route 116]
Poseidon - Lv. 5 [Dewford Town]
Wanda - Lv. 8 [Granite Cave]
Tim - Lv. 13 [Route 110]
Snoop - Lv. 14 [Route 117]
Shawn - Lv. 14 [Route 112]
Herc - Lv. 14 [Route 113]
Fluffy - Lv. 16 [Route 114]
Sunny - Lv. 16 [Meteor Falls]

Party:


Oscar – Lv. 39
Double Kick
Blaze Kick
Bulk Up
Ember


Poseidon – Lv. 39
Twister
Tackle
Bite
Dragon Rage


Fluffy – Lv. 38
Peck
Take Down
Dragon Breath
Safeguard

Introduction:



I had spent weeks and weeks wishing and waiting for this day to arrive because it meant that I could finally start my adventure as a Pokémon trainer. I was scared to leave Dad behind in Petalburg City but I knew he'd be more impressed than anyone to see me reach him in my quest for badges. Still, getting knocked around by boxes in the back of the lorry made me forget about that almost immediately, it wasn't the ideal start to the day. It made it an even bigger relief once we had arrived, not only had I escaped the torturous wrath of the boxes but I could finally be the person I aspired to be.

Entering my room, it was quite apparent that Mum was still trapped in the mid 2000s. Instead of getting the Wii U I had asked for for many months now, all I received was a Nintendo Gamecube. It's not like I'd be spending much time at home but I would still have liked to have had a break every now and then and play Mario Kart 8 with my friends from Petalburg. After setting up my PC, withdrawing a Potion from my PKMN.NET inbox in the process, I decided to wander downstairs to see what my Mum was up to. I was worried for her but didn't want to admit it, I knew she'd be crying over the fact that her and Dad decided to move away from each other for my sake, especially as I'd be leaving so soon. It must be such a bittersweet feeling to see your little boy grow up so fast...

Coming downstairs, I saw that she was watching the TV; judging by the look on her face, Dad must have been on the screen. Unfortunately, by the time I had got myself into a position where I could see it the report was over. Mum wiped a tear from her face, trying to hide her sadness and instructed me to go visit Professor Birch who lived next door. I introduced myself to the neighbours, Birch excluded, who wasn't there. His daughter, May, was around the same age as me. I get the feeling this won't be the last I see of her. It was strange how she said she'd go help her dad yet went to her computer instead. I took this opportunity to introduce myself to the good Professor.

Just outside of Littleroot, I saw my first taste of danger. Birch was in trouble, a wild Pokémon seemed to have taken a liking to his scent and decided to follow him in a not-so friendly way. Instinctively, I raced to his bag which he must have dropped in shock, grabbed a Pokéball and unleashed what was inside in the hope of defending him. The ball popped open and a ray of light began to take the shape of a small, chick like Pokémon. As it's colour began to form a realisation hit that the Pokémon I had released was a Torchic. Little did I know that this was the start of something  quite beautiful...

[Richard and Blaziken]

Looking forward to seeing this! I know a bit of what's been happening, but I've always enjoyed your writing style, so this should be fun.

[Kerou 犠牲]

It's gonna be a bit slow starting but it will pick up, I've got some ideas that I'm hoping to execute so let's see how well it goes =]



Chapter 1: In the Beginning

After an intense battle, I had managed to ward off the Zigzagoon that had been troubling Birch. He sighed hugely and wandered over to me, shaking my hand profusely.

"You saved me. Thanks a lot!" he exclaimed before realising who I was, "you're GL! Come back to my Pokémon Lab later, okay?"

I nodded in acceptance before watching him stroll back into Littleroot, dusting himself off with each step. Checking the time on my watch, I decided to return home to have lunch.

~a few hours later~

"Hello GL, it's a pleasure to see Norman's son grow up so much over the years. Do you remember the last time we spoke to each other? You were only 5!" Birch shouted in excitement as I entered his Lab.

"I vaguely do, I think I was too busy drawing me and Dad battling, even then I wanted to become a Pokémon trainer," I chuckled, causing Birch to laugh to himself.

"Ahh, my daughter was the same. Enough of that though. I was really impressed with the way you handled yourself out there today, you had a natural ability that proved you were Norman's son. I was impressed so much that I'm allowing you to have the Torchic you battled with today. It's the least I can do."

It felt like a moment of ecstasy; I was finally getting my own Pokémon. I'd never expected to get a Pokémon as saught after as a Torchic too, I was sure Dad would insist on me getting a Slakoth to follow in the family footsteps. I held the Pokéball in my hand tightly, staring deeply into it.

"You know... you can give him a name GL. Some say naming your Pokémon increases your emotional connection to them," Birch added.

"I think I'll name him Oscar. Thanks a lot Professor!" I gratefully stated, causing Birch to nod like a proud uncle.

"Take care of it, and enjoy your adventure. Before you leave you should go see my daughter May, she too has just gotten a new Pokémon and it would be a great experience for you two to battle each other. I believe she has gone to Route 103 to do a bit of research; she's just like me," Birch said. I nodded in response before leaving the Lab. I wasted no time at all in trying to find May, sprinting through Oldale Town and entering Route 103. I saw her in the distance, she rose from the ground and smiled at me, realising why I had found her.

"Let's have a quick battle!"



The battle was furious, both Oscar and her Mudkip were trying ferocious scratches and tackles respectively. Both had reached a position where they panting, losing energy and close to defeat.



"Don't let up Oscar, hit him with another Scratch!"

Oscar sprinted at May's Mudkip and jumped before swiping with one of its claws, hitting it hard enough to cause it to break down in defeat. May sighed as she returned her Pokémon to its ball.

"I can already tell why there's hype around you GL. It seems like you've got it. I mean, you just got that Pokémon but it already likes you... silly me, we should be getting back" May smiled. I returned Oscar to its ball and grinned to myself before heading home. As we approached Littleroot Town May stopped in her tracks.

"I know you're going to be leaving home, I too will be going. If we see each other on our journeys we should battle again. It'd be a good test of our own abilities. I, like you, have goals I want to reach and I think battling you will help me reach them," May sharply stated. I looked back at her and nodded in agreement.

"I look forward to our rematch."

We entered Littleroot and saw Professor Birch and Mum standing outside the house. The Professor walked up to us with an inquisitive look on his face.

"So May, how did he do?"

"He did as well as expected."

"Well then, I guess you should take this GL."

Birch passed over to me a box, immediately it reminded me of the travelling I endured this morning and began to give me a slight headache. Opening it somewhat tentatively, I saw a red device and five Pokéballs.

"The device I'm giving you is a PokéDex; I'm sure your father has told you about one of these before..."

I stopped in my tracks and thought back to six months ago...

Look GL, I've got something to tell you. Your mother and I... we're growing apart. Before you start worrying, we're not getting a divorce. The problem is that I'm too engrossed with work. I've got so much to do at this Gym that we're not getting enough time to sort things out and it's in a position where I can't leave yet. This is why we've made a decision that you and your mother will be leaving for Littleroot Town. You wanted to start your journey, right? Well, this will be your chance. Hopefully you can battle me. I'll make sure you get something to help you too. Don't be afraid to make the big leaps in your life now because you don't want to be left in the position I am now...

"Thanks Professor. This means a lot."

Birch nodded before pointing me in the direction of my Mum. She was immediately fighting back the tears.



She passed me a bag and some new Nike trainers, knowing they'd help me zip across the region. Tears flowed down her face as she grabbed me tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Mum, it's time. I'll be back soon, I promise," I said softly, wiping the tears off her face before hugging her one last time. Letting go, she nodded regretfully.

"Best of luck GL, I hope you have a gem of a journey!" Birch shouted as I began to walk off; without looking back a solitary tear dropped down my face. It was finally time.

Party:


Oscar - Lv. 7
Scratch
Growl
Focus Energy





;o

[Richard and Blaziken]

Wooo Oscar! Post more, I'm enjoying this!

[SirBlaziken]

So, another person who a new nuzlocker has done an RSE as their first. Good luck GL, and i'd recommend evolving Oscar before Roxanne, then again, that's obvious.

[Kerou 犠牲]

Thanks guys =]

I've got some things planned out already but I don't know how quickly it'll get posted, apologies if things look rushed too. Forgot to note down some of the stuff so I sorta did this as filler and will move onto more stuff on the next chapter ^^;



Chapter 2: What a Catch, Donnie

The sun beamed down brightly as I made each step, trying to regain composure following the emotional goodbye I had with Mum. I sighed to myself, knowing that I could put the emotions aside on switch my focus to what was in front of me. Petalburg City wasn't too far away from where we had moved to so I had decided to make that my next destination; after all, it would be the best time in months I could properly speak to Dad.

Once I got back into Oldale, I quickly entered the PokéCenter and allowed my Pokémon to be healed. As the healing process began I grabbed the empty Pokéballs from my bag and attached them to my belt. After seeing that May had been doing research in the fields above Oldale, I decided to make that my next destination in order to expand my team as well as my PokéDex's database.

There were no other trainers in the fields above Oldale, a few wild Pokémon were playing together except for a Poochyena which almost seemed above playing. I stared at it for a moment as before it noticed; it's eyes lit up, knowing that a serious challenge was ahead of it. I smiled to myself, knowing this could be my opportunity for a first catch.

"Oscar, waste no time at all by using Scratch on it!"

After each attack the Poochyena began to fall lower and lower to the ground despite trying to fight on. I wasted no time in throwing one of the Pokéballs at it. Just before the contact of the ball it sighed almost in relief, somewhat glad to be away from the childlike mentality of the other wild Pokémon. I quickly rested in the PokéCenter and moved onwards.

To get to Petalburg City I had to get through Route 102 which was quite short. A few trainers were gathered around together, testing out their own Pokémon they had just received. I was excited to test out my newly caught Poochyena, now named Alain. As I made each step towards the trainers a Lotad began to follow me; it seemed like it wanted to tag along with me and my party of Pokémon. I smiled to myself, knowing this would be a good chance to give Alain some action.

"Alain, hit it with Tackle! Again! Keep wearing it down!"

The Lotad could not cause much damage to Alain, making the process of catching it a lot easier than anticipated. I decided to name it Jay. Feeling confident with the amount of Pokémon in my team, I decided to train. Time began to quickly pass as each Pokémon showed huge signs of improvement. Deciding to rest for the night, I headed back to Oldale and slept for the night in the PokéCenter.

Party:


Oscar – Lv. 8
Scratch
Growl
Focus Energy


Alain – Lv. 5
Tackle
Howl


Jay – Lv. 5
Astonish

[SaRo|Rapidash]

Getting Lotad is pretty lucky, make sure you protect that! Poochyena is helpful too, moreso than Zigzagoon, in that it has an immunity to the 7th gym, which Oscar (the best nickname ) will hate.

I love your way of writing this, and this looks to be a pretty interesting one. Good luck ^^

[Kerou 犠牲]

Getting Lotad is pretty lucky, make sure you protect that! Poochyena is helpful too, moreso than Zigzagoon, in that it has an immunity to the 7th gym, which Oscar (the best nickname ) will hate.

I love your way of writing this, and this looks to be a pretty interesting one. Good luck ^^

there are two Pokémon I've been really happy about catching and Lotad's one of them, even though Astonish is just so bad =/

I actually would have preferred Zigzagoon but we'll see later down the road.



BTW guys if there's any nicknames you want in this then just say! I can't decide who I catch and I'm quite a bit ahead in terms of game played but there's still chance for names to get picked =]

Will update soon as well, with no internet today I got quite a lot done for this ^^;

[SirBlaziken]

If you catch a shroomish, nickname it God, or Zeus or something godly. 

[Kerou 犠牲]

unfortunately in terms of playing I'm a lot further than that, as a heads up think fourth gym and further in terms of nicknames ^^;



Chapter 3: Dance With My Father

- Rested at Oldale Town, chapter begins in Route 103

I had an overwhelming eagerness to go out there and battle the trainers who had gathered just outside of Petalburg City. A few of them were showing each other what Pokémon they had caught and others were showing off this technology kit they had; it was one that I didn't really recognise. I decided to let Alain rest in the PC box, leaving me with Oscar and Jay to battle the trainers.

A first trainer scouted me out and decided to battle me with a Zigzagoon; Oscar made light work of him. Impressed by my abilities, he said I should try a few of the other trainers. This allowed my Pokémon to get valuable experience in comparison with encounters with wild opposition. Jay in particular thrived; with his newly learned Absorb attack it seemed to relish the chance of showcasing its abilities. After about five or six trainer battles, I had managed to come out of them all unscathed with my party looking tested but not overly troubled.

Above the spot where most of the trainers had gathered were some berry patches, I managed to pick some Pecha and Oran berries and even planted my own; unfortunately I didn't have anything to help them grow. I remember Mum teaching me about different berries when we lived wih Dad; she used to spend a lot of time in the garden growing many types while he was out working and I was at PokéSchool in Rustboro City. I knew that if I looked hard enough I could find a multitude of berries and if I found a way to grow them I could bring a collection when I inevitably returned home.

It was time to enter Petalburg; after the last battle I decided to sprint as quickly as possible to get into the city. The place itself was very quiet, I was able to get in, heal my Pokémon and head towards the gym in minutes. Most of the other aspiring trainers had either already headed out on their journeys or were outside the city training in preparation for adventure. I wasted no time at all in entering the Gym to speak with Dad.

"What a pleasant surprise! It's great to see you here!" He beamed proudly as I closed the doors behind me. I ran up to him and hugged him as if I hadn't seen him for years.

"I've got some Pokémon now, I'm ready t..."

"Oh, and you must be Wally!"

A rather frail and sickly looking person entered the gym. I began to realise who the trainer was; his name was Wally, he was in the same class in PokéSchool in Rustboro as me, although he was often ill and did the work from home. When he was in class his shy demeanor left him to somewhat struggle.

"I'm here for the extra-curriculur lesson on Pokémon catching," He muttered nervously. Having dropped out of school to move to Littleroot, I didn't get the opportunity to get this extra lesson; it was to help students get a grasp on how to catch Pokémon. Mum thought that moving to Littleroot would allow me to learn from Birch and get the best final bits of knowledge.

"Yes, of course. Your timing couldn't be any better actually; this is my son, GL. He's going to help you. I'm not really the biggest fan of books, I think students learn better through activity. Here is a Pokémon and some Pokéballs, with the help of GL, you are going to catch a wild Pokémon. You have caught a Pokémon before, right son?" Dad explained with an inquisitive gaze at me.

"Yeah, but..."

"Fantastic! Your best bet is probably the patch of grass just outside of here in Route 102! I'm looking forward to the result!" He interrupted, chuckling to himself. Wally and I sighed, neither getting what we expected. We both left the gym and began to make our way to the aforementioned area.

"So, your name is Wally, right? I think we were in the same class in school," I said, trying to get a conversation started.

"Yeah, I remember you, you were one of the better students, yet you left..." He responded reluctantly. I sighed once more.

"I moved; my Mum and Dad decided to split up. Mum thought it was of best interest to finish my education under Professor Birch in Littleroot..."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear!" Wally interrupted, feeling like he had caused offence. I looked at him and saw the nervous look in his eyes.

"It's fine, I kind of saw it coming... look, we're here!" I remarked, seeing a bunch of wild Pokémon. After a second of relief, Wally began to feel tense.

"What do I do? What do I do?" He asked repeatedly, I began to chuckle.

"Stay calm, you've got this. There's quite a lot of Pokémon here, pick out one you like the look of best. Then, use the Pokémon you've got from my Dad to weaken it before throwing a Pokéball at it. You're the one in control, you should be able to do this!" I instructed enthusiastically. Wally nodded before scouting out a wild Pokémon. A different looking Pokémon; one I hadn't seen in this area before, caused him to raise an eyebrow.

"Okay, remember everything from school, you know what to do.." He whispered to himself in an attempt to motivate himself. I stepped out of the way and began to watch, seeing his confidence grow and grow as the process went on. A minute had passed before the job was completed.

"Yes! I caught it!" He shouted ecstatically, leaping in celebration. I couldn't help but be happy for him; seeing his nervous disposition change to one of relief and energy caused me to clap proudly.

"We better get back, you did great Wally," I smiled, causing a brief nod in response. We strolled back without hesitation, eager to show the result of our task.

"Maybe I won't make such a bad trainer after all," Wally chirped for mental reinforcement.

"You'll be fine. I mean, we all mistakes so don't let it get you down. I remember once in school I felt like an idiot because I thought Dragonite could learn Barrier..." I chuckled, trying to retain his new found confidence. He laughed as we reentered the gym.

"I see some smiles, I guess you caught a Pokémon then?" Dad asked sharply.

"I managed to catch a Ralts, here," Wally exclaimed as he began to pass everything back to Dad.

"Oh no, you keep that. Look at it as a symbol of your achievements, plus a Ralts suits you a lot" Dad interrupted as Wally grabbed the last Pokéball.

"Really? I'm going to show this to my relatives in Verdanturf then! Thank you... and thank you GL. I hope to battle you one day," He shouted excitedly as he left the gym.

"Now then, I think it's time..."

"Yes it's time you moved onto Rustboro City. It's where all the aspiring trainers first begin their collection for Gym Badges. I'll only battle you when you're ready GL," Dad interrupted immediately.

"But..."

"But nothing. You've still got plenty of things to learn before you're ready. Now go, I've got work to do."

I left the gym, disappointed by Dad's reaction. I was sure this would have been the start in rebuilding the family...

Party:


Oscar – Lv. 12
Scratch
Growl
Focus Energy
Ember


Jay – Lv. 12
Astonish
Absorb

[Spriter]

Good work so far man, keep it up Loving the nicknames, particularly Torchic's name.

Looking forward to seeing how far you get before you lose something, I suppose.

[Richard and Blaziken]

Finally caught up on this, so post more! Looking forward to seeing someone evolve

[Kerou 犠牲]

Chapter 4: Woods

Despite the disappointment in the instructions from my Dad, I decided to follow them in the hope of finally getting worthwile time with him. I healed up, bought more Pokéballs and moved onto Route 104. Just before I left Petalburg City a man ran past me; he mentioned something about looking for the best trainers.

There were a few trainers eager for battles and some who gave me some valuable advice. I managed to catch a Wingull which I lovingly named Joey. I also found a small house which was empty, it looks like whoever lived there was either extremely welcoming or completely fearless. Luckily for them I wasn't, and still aren't I'd like to add, the type to steal.

Just a little north stood Petalburg Woods, famous for its Bug type Pokémon and, in terms of the family, the place where Dad first caught a Slakoth. I managed to catch a Shroomish, it looked extremely troublesome; the type to cause anything problems, so I named it Bully. I got a lot of training completed here too, both against trainers and wild Pokemon. It didn't take long for Jay to evolve into a Lombre and, not soon after, Oscar to become a Combusken.

As I proceeded through the woods I noticed a man looking somewhat troubled, as I made my way towards him I noticed another figure following him. I moved in closer, intrigued by the situation ahead of me.

"Can I help you with anything?" I asked, immediately causing the man to act somewhat suspiciously.

"I don't suppose you know if there are any Shroomish around here? Oh no!" He asked before responding to the figure getting closer. He ran behind me, almost as if I was his shield.

"Hand over the goods... and don't make me go through this kid to get it. Being a member of Team Aqua means I'll do anything to get what I want!"

I recognised the name 'Team Aqua'; the news often reported them as a group of thugs who would steal for the sake of water domination.

"I'm not letting you steal from him. Leave or else..." I stated calmly. The Team Aqua member looked at me surprisedly.

"Fine then kid, we'll play it my way. Poochyena, go get him!"

I slyly smiled as Oscar, now boasting a powerful Double Kick attack in its arsenal, dispatched the Poochyena with ease. The Aqua grunt back away slowly, shaking his head before running off.

"Thank you so much! Here, take this Great Ball as a thank you! Now I'm going to head back to Devon Corp. in Rustboro!" The man gleefully yelled before running off. The rest of the woods were quiet in comparison, a few more battles took place before I moved on.

Outside of Petalburg Woods stood a small berry and flower shop; one that my parents always used to go to. For nostalgia's sake, I entered to see what they had.

"Oh my! GL you have grown so much!"

The owner ran up to me and hugged me, leaving me surprised that they even remembered me.

"I hope you're okay, we heard about your parents splitting up... tell your Mum to come visit us," she stated as she let go of me.

"I probably won't see her for a while, I'm on my Pokémon journey," I reluctantly responded.

"Oh... well take this instead. Maybe you could give her this as a present when you do go back."

She passed me a Wailmer Pail, something I could use to help berries grow in the ground.

"I will do, I'll give her the berries I can grow with it. She'd like that," I said with a smile on my face, before waving goodbye. As I placed it in my bag, I began to think about how Dad was getting the blame again, and how I too blamed him. I sighed as I walked onwards to Rustboro City.

Party:


Oscar – Lv. 16
Double Kick
Peck
Focus Energy
Ember


Jay – Lv. 15
Astonish
Absorb
Nature Power
Fake Out



the next one might take a while to come out, I've played ahead a lot but I haven't had chance to do as much writing as I would have liked but yeah, it will get done eventually

[Richard and Blaziken]

Hoping Oscar and Jay make it to the end, I've gotten attached to them. Looking forward to more!

[Spriter]

Nice idea with the parents splitting up thing

But yeah, nice work in keeping those two alive thus far, they'd better make it far