Pokémon Heartgold Memory-Through
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver have been recognised by many as the best Pokémon remakes, if not the best games in the franchise.
I recently started playing the game again from the beginning. This time, I chose all the Pokémon that I hadn't had the chance to play with before. In the meantime, I decided to collect memories of the game by collecting Pokémon cards.
Ethan’s Adventure
As in every Pokémon game, the Professor asks the famous question, "Are you a boy or a girl?" Here is the first card. This is Ethan's adventure from Destined Rivals. It is one of the few illustrations of the game's main character. Why this card? In my opinion, the character's illustration is the best and most accurate. I also like the setting, as it reminds me of the trees surrounding New Bark Town.
Professor Elm’s Training Method
After speaking with our mum, we are ready to begin our adventure. At Professor Elm's lab, we choose our first Pokémon. I chose this card from the Expedition set because Sugimori's artwork is both incredible and funny. There's Totodile eating Professor Elm's hand, Chikorita looking shocked, and Cyndaquil just chilling.
Chikorita
I chose Chikorita for this adventure. I selected this card from the HeartGold and SoulSilver set because it's the only one depicting Professor Elm's lab.
The artwork isn't the best, but it brings back memories. It also features a recurring theme of night-time, which is present in many cards in the HeartGold and SoulSilver series.
Fun fact: Professor Elm now lives upstairs in the lab. In the original games, he lived in what is now Lyra's or Ethan's house.
New Bark Town
Of all the towns where players start, this is the only one without a route connecting it to the north. Instead, there are routes to the east and west. It is also the only starting town that players have to pass through again after obtaining their eighth badge, en route to the Indigo Plateau.
Violet City
After completing our first mission for Professor Elm — taking the egg from Mr Pokémon and defeating our rival, Silver — we finally arrived in Violet City, where history and tradition are well preserved. It is called Mauville in French. However, in English, this is the name of a different city located in the Hoenn region.
We're gonna meet a famous TV character in this town! Primo. Depending on our response, he will give us gifts, including eggs. One of these will be an egg of Slugma. This is one of the two Fire-type Pokémon of the second generation, alongside Cyndaquil. This Pokémon can only be obtained on this occasion, and it is almost impossible to guess the correct answer without a tool.
To challenge the Violet Gym Leader, we must first defeat the Sages of the Sprout Tower. The tower itself is over 100 feet tall and is supported by a giant, flexible pillar that sways from side to side. This flexibility protects the tower from earthquakes and symbolises the battles that take place on the upper floors. According to legend, a 100-foot-tall Bellsprout was used to create the swaying pillar.
One specific thing I like about this artwork is the cloud that resembles a Bellsprout, which is a very nice touch.
The tower is inhabited by sages who study diligently and teach that all living beings can coexist through cooperation. The monks primarily train Bellsprout, but occasionally use Hoothoot as well.
After defeating the sages, I decided to catch a Hoothoot too. I was undecided between a Hoothoot and a Natu, but I chose the former in the end. Ken Sugimori designed Hoothoot, and he stated in an interview that it is his favourite Pokémon because he had a pet bird as a child that would stand on one foot. Interestingly, in the anime, Falkner's Hoothoot stands on two feet.
Before challenging his gym, I decided to explore the Ruins of Alph. It is a famous place for archaeologists researching the ruins and trying to solve the mystery of the Pokémon known as the Unown. Once any of the four slide puzzles inside have been activated, the ruins are filled with Unown.
It is said that in the past, the Unowns and a tribe of humans lived in these ruins. According to researchers, it is said that the old Pokémon statues in the underground part of the ruins were erected by this tribe. The Unowns were very timid and would not venture outside the ruins. As more and more people settled in the surrounding area, the tribe who wished for Unowns and humans to live in harmony decided to leave.
It's time to challenge Falkner, the Flying-type Pokémon Gym Leader. He reveres his father and aspires to follow in his footsteps to become the greatest Pokémon master specialising in birds.
It's a little disappointing that he only uses first-generation Pokémon, when he could have used Natu and Xatu, or Hoothoot and Noctowl, for example. After being defeated, he awards us the Zephyr Badge.
After we obtained our first Gym Badge, Professor Elm gave us the Pokémon Egg that Mr Pokémon had given him. This egg contained a Togepi. I chose this Neo Genesis card because Kimura's illustration is amazing. The illustration resembles life, from the hole-shaped egg in the tree to the leaves arranged in a circle.
To continue soon…