One nice addition in Sapphire is the running shoes, which you get almost right as the game begins. With the shoes, you can run across the map twice as fast as normal. In the previous games, you had to wait to get a bike or something to motor around... and I was never sure if biking counted against your egg-hatching time. Anyway, with all the walking you do in these games, it's nice to be able to speed it up a bit.
As expected, the first Gym Leader battle was a total non-event. Although, with Treecko as my lead attacker, I held a definite type advantage... grass over rock. His Absorb attack flattened several Geodudes in a row, and Roxanne's entire force consisted of another Geodude (one shot kill, thank you very much) and a Nosepass, a hideous Easter Island sort of rock monster. She used a bunch of Potions on the Nosepass to prolong the battle, which I considered a pretty cheap play from a Gym Leader.
The big news is that I achieved two evolutions tonight. My loyal Treecko evolved into a Grovyle, which turns it from a gecko-looking thing into a feathered reptile-looking thing. Much cooler, but it's always emotional to see one of your pals change form. The Cascoon came out of its shell and emerged as a Dustox, just as expected. I was hoping for something cooler - like the old Butterfree or Beedrill - so I may not keep the Dustox around for long. I'm curious to see the Poochyena evolve, so he has been moved to the top of the queue.
Time: 4:06
Badges: 1
Pokedex: 12
Party: Poochyena lv9, Dustox lv11, Grovyle lv17, Shroomish lv7, Nincada lv7, Taillow lv8
