Gameplay Journal The Matchmaker - A Crystal Wedlocke

Neb · Jun 27, 2019

Intro and Rules
Welcome to "The Matchmaker," my first gameplay journal on Lake Valor and my first Wedlocke! For those who aren't familiar with Wedlockes, here's a quick list, albeit slightly altered to make it more interesting:

Any Pokémon that faints is considered dead and must be released.

The player may have three male Pokémon and three female Pokémon in their party at any time. Each male Pokémon forms a pair with a female Pokémon, and the two may only switch with each other in battle (there are same-sex variants of this challenge, but I stuck with the original since this is my first attempt. I'll definitely try it in the future though).

The player may only catch the first Pokémon encountered in each area. In the next area, you'll have to find a partner for the newest single.

Genderless Pokémon can not be caught. If they must be caught for any reason, they must not be used.

I'll also be implementing dupes clause so there is enough variety in the pairs.

To make the run a little more interesting, I'll have a random name generator determine the nicknames for each Pokémon and the rival. Whether the names are common or straight out of a YA novel, I can't say.

Chapter 1: Our First Two Pairs
As Johto's newest Pokémon matchmaker, I rushed to Elm's lab where I received Tegid the Totodile. A peppy and eager young Pokémon, Tegid was more than willing to start our journey. Unfortunately for him, we had to avoid catching his partner until we were done with Elm's errand.

Our nighttime stroll through Route 29 was a pleasant one. Aside from a Hoothoot, we ran into no Pokémon. Even though it was optional at this point, I decided to let the Guide Gent show me around.

The stroll continued as we trekked through Route 30. With no Pokémon on par with Tegid, I was actually starting to get bored. The little damage we did receive was fixed once Mr. Pokémon healed Tegid up. As for the stroll back? Just a straight shot down.

On the way out of Cherrygrove, a red haired trainer appeared and agreed to battle me. Like with every first rival battle, I used leer a few times and spammed tackle until I won. I didn't even need to heal since Tegid still had his berry on.

Before leaving, I found the red haired boy's trainer license. His name was "Marios Stabile," a magnificent name for a rather shabby lad. I didn't even hesitate when the cop in Elm's lab asked for his name. No Pokémon thief gets through me!

Not long after, Florentine, the girl of Tegid's dreams appeared. She was a level 3 Hoothoot; inexperienced in battle, but very passionate. In mere moments they were helping each other train. I could've sworn I even saw Tegid nuzzle Florentine in between a battle.

After a quick heal at the Pokémon Center, I returned to Route 30 for the next single. This time it was Estera, a shy Poliwag who often kept her distance. To prevent myself from leaving her in the back of the party, I backtracked to the southern half of Route 46.

As soon as we stepped in the grass, a Geodude appeared. Due to being 4x weak to Estera's only attack, I had to chuck Pokeballs and pray. Much frustration was had, but Guilherme was caught. Just like his response to the Pokeballs, Guilherme was very brash. Whether or not the personality clash works, I can guarantee they will be a very interesting pair.

Neb · Jul 19, 2019

Chapter 2: A Spooky Development
Out of fear of losing one of my party members early, I spent around a half hour training around Route 29. With tackle users aplenty, Guilherme had no issue getting stronger. Had I not trained up, the trainers up to Violet City would have actually been a challenge. At least I got some extra exp.

Violet City brings back some memories of my childhood. In the remakes, I used to struggle with Falker and his roost spamming Pidgeotto. My 8 year old self would get so frustrated that I'd delete my save file after every loss. Now I can get through this town with little issue.

Florentine ended up having a tackle spree in Sprout Tower. Everyone else was weak to vine whip, and she was my only flying type. Once another Hoothoot showed up, I could almost sense Tegid's enthusiasm to feel useful.

As I came back from a quick rest at the Pokémon Center, a low leveled Gastly appeared. To ensure this encounter was a success, I swapped to Estera, the team's hypnosis user.

After a few missed attacks, the Gastly was mine! This time the random name generator went with Angelika, the second most hipster baby name I have ever heard (nothing will ever top Lakynn). Since she was so much weaker than the rest of the team, I put her in the back until I could find her a partner.

For the final sage, Tegid and Florentine were chosen. Risking the others for one win is just reckless. Even so, I thought it was a wise idea to send Tegid out to handle the Bellsprout. Quickly correcting my mistake, I switched over to Florentine. Peck was my first choice of move since it was supereffective against Bellsprout and recieved a STAB bonus. To make switching back into Tegid less risky, I let Florentine use growl on the other Hoothoot. From there, Tegid just scratched his way to success while I used the occasional potion.

I have to say, Tegid and Florentine have developed some real synergy together! Who knows, maybe they'll be the longest lasting pair in the journey.