Pikachu annoys me

I hate the perishing sight of him. I just had my first post-Trial trainer battle with Hau in UltraSun and his Pikachu almost annihilated me. Admittedly, this is what comes of having a team that is two thirds Flying types but the almost invincible nature of Electric types gets to me sometimes, especially Pickahu with its Static ability that paralyzes you for daring to use a physical attack against the little yellow git.

Ground types, that's the only sort that gets a super effective against Electric.

Guess what type I've never particularly enjoyed using?

Underneath all the bitching and moaning here I do feel there is a serious point here. Pokémon has always had a “play as you like” ethos and, for the most part, you can. Electric types, though, are a very real exception to this rule. Obviously they can be dealt with but it tends to take a lot of Paralyze Heals.

Still, I have plenty more encounters with Hau to work out a strategy. 

How a fuzzy bat saved my UltraSun playthrough

Its funny how my engagement with Pokémon UltraSun has completely changed through the capture of two pokémon. I bought the game a few weeks ago so I'd have something to play over Christmas when family was being a bit trying. I didn't actually get that far over the festive period beyond jumping through all the initial hoops (picking my starter, learning how to battle and catch pokémon, the usual). I found myself moderately annoyed that Zygarde cells had been removed from the game and was a little intrigued by the little robot chap and chapess wandering around but I wasn't really engaged.

Then, just this weekend, I wandered into the Pokémon Centre on Route 3 and one of the NPCs wanted to trade a Spearow for a Hawlucha.

Now, I love Flying-types and there are some that are just must haves for me when they appear. Hawlucha is one of them: its a hawk that looks like a Mexican professional wrestler. How could I not want that. I dutifully wandered into the high grass looking for a Spearow (about the only Flying-type whose design I utterly despise and will not have on my team under any, any circumstances). I caught one, having accidentally one hit killed about seven because I was stupidly over-levelled, and returned to the Pokémon Centre to claim my prize.

I was a little annoyed that because of getting him in trade I didn't get to name him but, nevermind, I had one of my favourite Pokémon on my team. It was a definite pick me up.

Then came the real turning point. After beating Captain Ilima's Trial I was wandering around Verdant Cave looking for a Gumshoos I was going to name “The Donald”. Sadly, I never found that Gumshoos but I did stumble across something even better...

A Noibat! A pokémon I had never seen or heard of before but that looked so cool I had to have it. Its funny how that happens sometimes. I had no idea what it did or what type it was (being Flying), I just latched on to how cool the design was. On the strength of design alone I think this little chappy is going to remain a permanent fixture of my team.

As it turns out its a Flying/Dragon-type and I've never had a Dragon-type before. I've had my arse kicked by them on many an occasion but never had one on the team before. He's only Level 8, the little fellow, and has bugger all useful attacks but I hope that all that stands between it and being as awesome in a fight as it is to look at is a little power leveling.

Between this and the little robot chap and chapess turning out to be a more substantial new plot thread than I anticipated I'm feeling rather re-energised about UltraSun.

Erika's Pokémon Team

(circa Melemele Meadow)

Barnrum the Popplio

Weatherwax the Murkrow

Diamondback the Ekans

Sqidgy the Inkay

Cha the Hawlucha

Snuffles the Noibat

Returning to the Alola Region

I wanted to play one of the Pokémon Ultra games but I was damned if I was going to pay full price for the thing. This isn't just because I'm cheap (which I am) but because I found Pokémon Moon a bit underwhelming. There was a lot I liked about it, most especially the format chance away from gym battles to the more individualized Trial Captains. Still, the Alola Region felt a bit small and hemmed in compared to the sprawling mass of Kalos.

I've kept myself relatively spoiler free on this one. I know the Rockets are back in the post game, I know there are new Ultra Beasts (who I think I can capture?), and I know there's a bunch more story and side quest content. I'm prepared to give it a go.

And the first job, of course, is to pick my starter.

My starter in Moon was Rowlet because he looked cute and I've always had a preference for Flying types. Also, he was absolutely bloody adorable. I feel I should make a different choice this time around for the sake of variety. My choices are a cat that evolves into John Cena and a sea lion that evolves into Liberace. Also, in common with all Water starters, Popplio's second form looks bloody awful. That said, I have a profound and irrational dislike of humanoid Pokémon which is what Litten ends up as. I'm sorry, they look creepy and it starts to feel a bit too much like slavery.

So, Popplio, I choose you which should be interesting because their final form, Primarina, is dual Water/Fairy and in spite of them being around for a couple of generations now I don't think I've ever used a Fairy type. Also, Water starters are a rare one for me but Bulbasaur was what I used in the very first Pokémon game back in the day and what I'm currently using in my FireRed playthrough so let's come full circle for the last Pokémon game on the dedicated handheld console before it all moves over to Switch.

Let the Trials commence.