Now then, it's time to challenge the second Island Trial, and the first of Akala Island's.
Yeah, I forgot to teach Charge Beam, I'll get on that during the Trial. Zapple is still stuck being a little underwhelming because of "being a Pikachu", but the Expert Belt can close that gap somewhat. And if nothing else, it can always land a T-Wave to slow down the Totem.
The real linchpin of this team, as one might've expected from the words "Grass resists Water", will be Oatchi. +9 in the attacking stat, a stronger offensive move, and the ability to start safely charging up +Atk stacks. Razor Leaf is going to be really good for this fight, too.
Sam is here for one purpose and one purpose only: The Totem is holding a Berry, and Sam's job is to click Pluck and deny it to him. If he can get a -Def with Rock Smash, all the better for him.
Although Dottie is an Electric type, she has no special advantages that would make her better than any other. She also has no disadvantages, and has the sort of Special bulk that lets me think a Work Up strategy could work out in her favour.
Stun Spore, Struggle Bug, Draining Kiss. This is a set that clicks itself, honestly. Although presumably, this is what Dottie is Baton Passing into.
Only here in his signature role as a tanking master. He won the argument between himself and Murphy on two words: "Ground type."
Welcome to Brooklet Hill proper. Time to meet our Trial Captain...
Lana. Surprisingly, as far as series history goes, Lana is the second female Water expert in the series. No, seriously, after Misty, every single Water expert up until now has been male, and Gens 3 and 5 even double-dipped into the type. Gender-balancing type experts is a little tricky, but this example is just so hilarious it deserves a mention.
...Um, I'm actually here for a... you know what, whatever, I'm geared up.
Already I'm getting a different vibe from this Trial.
Rotom Pokedex gets some decent jokes here, but it remains, as ever, completely oblivious to context.
Net Ball here. Notice the fisherman behind me- he's a Trainer, and yes he will fight you. I'm going to be avoiding the Trainers, since I'd rather prepare for the Trial.
Similarly, there is tall grass in which to catch new species. Since we have not started our Trial yet, we are free to catch any Pokemon here for our Trial- I'll tell you right now that the species are Paras, Morelull, Dewpider, Surskit, Poliwag and Psyduck. I'm not going to deal with catching anything until afterwards, though. I will tell you that there are two good choices here, but the remainder can't really shore themselves up with just what they get before the Totem.
As we approach Lana again, there's a pan up to the sky.
At the distances we're talking about, it's actually somewhat reasonable we can't see it- especially since our camera isn't pointed at it on the overworld.
Fearsome Water type? Team, I think we know what to do.
A little bit of a marine investigation.
And, rather politely, Lana hands over the equipment we need to actually travel there. Lapras Paddle is the equivalent of Surf in the Poke Ride system, allowing us to cross any body of water we can touch, and will also allow us to find many Water types to add to our team.
Yes, there is no reason we can't take Lapras Paddle out of this Trial and go plunging into the rest of the overworld for EXP and new catches before we properly start. I usually don't, as a matter of politeness, and I don't think any of the Pokemon made available will be of use against the Totem.
Surf was often a middle of the game field move to gain, although I suppose a good part of it was, considering its high utility value, the move itself was given 95 BP, and thus they had to lock it that late just to make Water types not murder the entire game too quickly. This is probably the earliest we've ever obtained it thus far in the series, and only SV really competes with the timing.
...We should send you back to Kukui, I think that was a design flaw.
That backpacker is absolutely hideous to dodge in the water, but on land, not so much. Not that we really need to grab this...
...Isn't this supposed to be your job?
There's no real point in registering Lapras Paddle to your Ride Pager: clicking on any body of water will give you a prompt to get on Lapras's back.
When you get just a bit close to the splashing, a few little fish will spread out from the splash and jump downstream. You can just barely make them out in each shot here- they're barely any better in motion.
You have to touch it again to get an encounter to happen. I don't think you have to do the fight, but you probably should do either way.
Wishiwashi (Ultra Sun): They're weak, so they move in schools. However, they can also often be seen all alone, having strayed from the school.
Wishiwashi is a new Pokemon to the Alola region, and is a particularly interesting specimen- and future member of the team. Since we are not in a Trial yet, we do technically have the option of catching it- and in hindsight, I would definitely recommend catching this Wishiwashi. As for how it performs in battle, well... I think the Pokedex said it best. Wishiwashi has defeated longtime record holder Sunkern for the title of "lowest BST of any Pokemon ever".
Oatchi was overkill.
This Wishiwashi that appear here are regular wild encounters that happen to have a set level and cannot be Shiny. As such, their IVs and Nature are randomly generated, as any wild encounter would be.
I don't think it had a chance of surviving that.
The fact Lana reacts to fighting the Wishiwashi definitely tells me we needed to actually engage it.
Probably a school of them.
...Lana, what have we done here...?
If only to make sure nobody else gets hurt.
I mean, I presume you have an auditory input processor, otherwise you would fail your most basic function.
Landing on the other side, we've got a land passage to get through here before our next water area.
Over on this ledge is a Revive pickup and a Poke Finder spot. You can snap pictures of Poliwag, Politoed, Psyduck in USUM, and Dewpider/Surskit depending on time of day.
Just a short patch of grass you can mostly sneak around here.
...Nice weather, Lana. Should we be worried?
...I'm going to say the answer is yes, but I have changed my reasons. Twice.
It says a lot that we are just now thinking to mention it. 'Course, I'm starting to think maybe it should have remained unmentioned...
Probably bigger than a Wishiwashi this time...
...If it were a "strapping young Swimmer", I'm having problems believing we wouldn't see their flailing arms above the water. At least, not without them being in critical danger.
I struggle to believe you avoid all of the water being splashed around in here.
There's a secret cubby in this water, and it turns out it's just beyond this dialogue trigger.
Ah well, herding the fishies downstream first...
Huh. Nevermind, it is another Wishiwashi.
You may rest assured the only reason I'm not Razor Leafing turn 1 is because I want Wishiwashi to still be alive at the end of the turn so I can make a point.
They do also know Dark moves. At this stage in the game, it is impossible for a single Pokemon to resist both Water and Dark moves, but also it's a Wishiwashi. I think you get a stage of resistance just for that.
While the first Wishiwashi will not call for help under any circumstances, the second one will always successfully call for help. I think you can stop it by defeating the original, but do not focus on the summons.
Despite being a higher level, it's a little harder to catch these ones. (Also, if you were thinking of chaining them, you could, but they don't have a HA.)
That is, how you say, the overkill?
...As omens go, somewhere up there with "black Meowth crosses the street".
Do I want to ask? No, no I don't.
14.5m long (47 feet 7 inches) and just shy of 400 kg heavy (877 pounds). If that was what was splashing, we could see it from here.
If we're lucky, it'll be from drowning.
I'll be right behind you! I just want to check out that secret...
...Hey yeah, good point. When did Lana get to the other side of that body of water? She was on the north side just a few seconds ago...
No matter, secret TM. Now then, you remember what I said earlier about the timing of the Surf HM being based on not giving all Water types an obscenely powerful move to wipe out the early game with?
Scald is an 80 BP Special Water move with a 30% chance of inflicting the Burn status ailment on whatever it hits. Scald is weaker than Surf was, but that 30% Burn chance was enough to cause pretty much every friendship with Surf to end, Scald is our new best friend. And while it's hardly Inkay's level 9 Foul Play levels of busted, it is going to tear a hole in the game that won't be patched for a good while to come...
Nothing I have on hand can learn it, although Noah's two Water types will be thrilled.
Dodging the fisherman and heading down the last part of the hill...
...You mean a legendary already?
Pull the other one, Lana! I'm sure Kyogre's chilling back in Hoenn.
Sorry. I may have come from a different part of Japan, but Hoenn is still in Japan.
The idea of a massive seawater Pokemon having made its way in is not farfetched, of course. And it would not be a particularly pleasant time for anybody involved, including the invader.
The game has almost gone out of its way to make this rainstorm in Brooklet Hill our first exposure to a weather effect. I have mentioned weather a few times- a few Pokemon thus far have had weather-triggered Abilities- but we have not yet had access to a way to change it.
Please don't remind me of how scary Water Pokemon can be in the rain...
Oh, now you've clocked that?
...If one's thing for certain, Lana has got atmosphere down pat.
And now that we've followed her between those two wooden posts...
I was wondering when I was going to see that.
The only part of this sequence that is considered part of the SM Water Trial is this final bit, where we fight the Totem. Before now, all of the Island Trial rules were disabled.
Kyogre: "Wake me when you need the King."
...You sure that's the Totem? Looks more like a Wishiwashi to me...
...You know something I don't, and you are having fun doing it.
Not that we can encounter any until we fight the Totem.
I am hoping we get so lucky.
I'm fairly sure this is our first one in SM.
If you talk to Lana, she gives you another reminder of some of the things you can do to tip the odds in your favour.
Including a few of the other "weaknesses"...
The Trial, as it is known, will just ask us to Paddle into the splash and fight the thing inside.
How are you doing that, Lana? If I didn't know better, I'd say you actually did get us to wake up a Kyogre...
A bunch of fish start to swim into a giant shadow.
And bursting out from the waves is a Pokemon new to Alola...
A gigantic titan, more than befitting the title of "Lord of the Ocean"... and its name?
Schooling Wishiwashi (Sun): Weak Wishiwashi school together to concentrate their power. Their united force makes them the demon of the sea, feared near and far.
Wishiwashi. Wishiwashi is a rather unique Pokemon, as its Ability only works if it's level 20 or higher. If this condition is met, it will call for help from its friends, Schooling into a much stronger battle form that boosts all four Atk and Def stats all the way to 130-140. At these values, Schooling Wishiwashi's BST total is 620, higher than many strong Pokemon, ranging from the psuedo-legendaries, Mythicals, and even smaller Legendaries.
As funny as it would be, it is indeed not stronger than Kyogre.
Although it does enjoy a +1 Def. A little weird, since both its weaknesses typically hit Specially, but Alola's best and original Grass and Electric options are Dartrix, Bounsweet, Fomantis and Grubbin, all of which are physical attackers.
From the looks of it, its IV, EV and Nature situation is the same as Ilima's- 0s in everything but Atk, which is random. I'm a little stumped by this one, because it's not even a physical build- why give the Atk stat the bias? On the other hand, perhaps it's for the best that a 620 BST Pokemon isn't given extra stats... Its moves are... Water Gun, Growl, Soak, and Rain Dance. Maybe this is what the Torment TM was for...
- Water Gun: 40 BP Special Water. Trust me, if it had Scald, we would not be winning this fight.
- Growl: -1 Atk. Yeah, uh, hit it Special if you can.
- Soak: Turns you into a pure Water type. Takes away your STAB, but also, you know, gives you a resist to Water.
- Rain Dance: Creates the Rain weather condition for five turns. As I'll cover in a few seconds, it might as well be Splash.
- It's holding a Sitrus Berry, which will heal it for 25% HP if it falls below 50%.
- Its Ability slot is, of course, Schooling. It will have an effect in this fight, though.
Zapple will lead us, mostly because it has the most important jobs.
And that is why Rain Dance is useless to Wishiwashi. The ambient rain is applying the Rain weather effect to the battlefield, and overworld rain is special: If we, somehow, had the ability to change the weather, it would be changed back to rain once the timer elapses. Rain Dance would be useful to Wishiwashi to change the weather back to rain sooner, but the game has been suspciously careful not to provide us with any options to do so without trading or grinding to the point we overlevel Wishiwashi.
Zapple's job here is done. Wishiwashi is slow enough that this isn't for the Speed cut (although that is appreciated), but moreso for the chance of passing turns.
Water Gun did a lot more than that to poor Zapple.
Totem Wishiwashi is the first Totem to use the normal rules for calling for help- although slightly edited in one specific case. Totem Wishiwashi may summon Wishiwashi at high health, and will call for Alomomola at lower HP values. I did get the Alomomola summon, so I'll go over it then, but the Wishiwashi is the exception to the rules- like the other Wishiwashis, it appears to be generated as any random encounter might.
It's also level 18, so it won't School.
Related note: Look at the power of Rain-boosted Water Gun. Scald is double the power. Frankly, I am worried about Dartrix's odds of taking Totem Wishiwashi's Scald...
Zapple's other job before it is defeated is to make life simpler for the other Pokemon, and takes out the Wishiwashi. It knows the move Helping Hand, which will boost the Schooling Wishiwashi's power by 50% again.
Be grateful that Schooling Wishiwashi doesn't demand we defeat every member of the school individually.
I wish.
Oh, that's lovely. Woodstock's finally learned his Poison move, and it'll help him immensely in the future. It is a 50 BP Physical Poison move with a 50% chance of inflicting bad Poison- and if we can land that on a Totem, victory will be a cinch.
If.
No luck on that paralysis.
Now then, Sam, it's time for your one job.
There'll be none of that nonsense to deal with in this fight, mister.
Look at this nonsense. There's like no switch-in options. Whatever comes out is probably being scared back out from the word go.
At least Sam got the -Def drop from Rock Smash.
Time for Oatchi to show off why he's the one holding the big boy stick.
Starting with an Atk up, for good measure.
That was probably the best time to see one of those. Maybe against Zapple, but can't win 'em all.
Probably could've oneshot if you had the Expert Belt. But oh well, I don't mind this one too badly...
Although not dealing with losing that would've been nice.
I mentioned Schooling would come back into play at some point, didn't I? Yeah... now it's time to mention the bad news about Wishiwashi. If the turn ends and Wishiwashi finds itself at 25% HP or less, the school will disperse, and you are left with one last little one to take out.
Alomomola (Sun): It uses its special mucus to close the wounds of injured Pokémon. The reason for this behavior remains unknown.
We brought it to 2/3rds HP (...at least), so Wishiwashi calls for its other ally, Alomomola. Alomomola is the Wigglytuff of the sea- an absolutely insane HP stat backed up by not that much in the rest of the table. It has the Healer Ability, giving it a 30% chance of curing Wishiwashi's statuses at the end of every turn, and knows the moves Water Gun, Double Slap, Helping Hand and Heal Pulse. Heal Pulse is a Psychic Status move that will heal the target for 50% of their maximum HP.
Yes, Wishiwashi will start Schooling again if it is brought above 25%.
Fortunately, Oatchi still goes first, so all of this was academic.
Now that is overkill.
Uh.. I'm not sure what you were planning on doing with that.
Did you know that Alomomola can't actually learn Water Gun at all under normal conditions? So much for cheating into that move.
Still, if I have the chance, I'd like to get my Atk back, so I can get past that damage I dealt to you last turn.
...It would be nice not to dodge.
Thank you.
The sheer concentrated smug. You doubted it could pull it off?
Sky's cleared up, too. Maybe we should get Wishiwashi tested for Drizzle.
"You can't victory pose from the back of a Lapras."
Also Lana needs to make her victory speech.
You might need some more Speed investment. And maybe a Sp. Def bonus.
Island Trial Number 2 complete.
Waterium-Z acquired. We can now use Hydro Vortex on Water moves.
Yes, including Scald.
And, of course, the Z-Pose.
You sorta do the waves associated with the rolling tides.
And she also offers us yet another source of Water-type Pokemon. There's a reason Water types are the most populous type, even beyond just the fact that marine life beats out terrestial life on an even greater scale. The Fishing Rod may be used to find Pokemon in certain puddles of water. Unlike in past games, there is a distinction between "Water you can fish in" and "Water you can surf in"- so, it may be possible to roll fishing tables in areas where we can't use Lapras Paddle. I don't think there's ever an example of vice versa, although a few areas might pull it off.
Also as a case of changes Alola makes, there are three kinds of fishing rods in past games- the Old Rod, the Good Rod, and the Super Rod. Lana's Fishing Rod is the only one of its kind in this game. This is not a good thing.
Fishing is done at these little mounds of rocks in the water. You'll know 'em when you see 'em, and now they even have helpful prompts.
Fishing still works mostly the same as it does in past games: You hold your rod over the water, wait for your character to give a "!" bubble, and press A to tug the encounter in. It's just now got better visual feedback on the fight during the snag.
The Dive Ball has a 3.5x modifier when attempting to catch Pokemon that were encountered as a Surfing or Fishing encounter. Note: There are a small handful of Pokemon that can be encountered in this manner that are not Water types (there is at least one example, late in the game, of a new encounter to Alola). The Dive Ball does work on these, while Net Balls don't. Otherwise, Net Balls have pretty solid overlap.
A red Gyarados, huh? Gyarados are typically found in blue.
Whether or not you accept her story hook, line and sinker, she'll laugh off your reply and not confirm or deny it. Shiny Gyarados are indeed red, and indeed, anyone who's played GSC can tell you they've found a Red Gyarados.
She then offers us a free ride up to Route 5. If you say no, you are allowed to stick around here in Brooklet Hill and fish and/or walk back manually, but it's probably best to go back, stock up, heal, switch your team around, that sort of thing.
Brooklet Hill's Totem Den will, of course, be open for you to roll the encounter tables even afterwards.
This place is surprisingly close to Heahea City geographically. As dangerous as that sounds.
The two blocking the path? Yeah, I'm familiar with them.
Lana: "Sometimes the only lesson they learn is fear."
And now that we have a Waterium Z Crystal, I bet they won't be in to much of a hurry to face a Scald Hydro Vortex.
...I think I splashed it.
Honestly, the first time I experienced Lana, I didn't really think much of her- not because I didn't like her, I just didn't think much of anything either way about the encounter. Looking back on it for the blog, and particularly comparing it and contrasting it with her USUM Trial, I sorta get what they're going for now. Lana is the first (and to date, the only) Water Expert to be themed around anglers- fishermen who use the "rod and hook" kind of fishing technique for recreation. Angler fishing has two major reputations: Sitting around waiting to hook a fish, and telling tall tales to pass the time. Lana's pranks during the Trial are her sorta building upon the idea of "I once caught a fish this big!", except this time, we actually did hook a big fish from a small splash. Or, well, I suppose we caught all of the little minnows at once. One of the cooler small details about seeing a Type Expert for the first time is figuring out how their characterisation fits into their typing- other Water experts in the series include the tomboyish swimmer, the clueless surfer, and the seafood chef. Lana's probably the first that a) actually fits the type rather than vice versa and b) requires a bit of a closer look than first glance- probably why she doesn't stand out otherwise.
Next time: Making a smaller splash.
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