Pokémon White journal - entry one

As with my journal for Soul Silver, I'm going to be keeping track of my progress with Pokémon White, offering up any opinions about the gameplay, story, and the 150 new Pokémon along the way. I found that last time this journal really helped me to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of HG/SS as I powered through it. With White Version, I plan to take it at a slower pace, but hopefully this journal will be just as helpful.

At present, I am almost eight hours into the game. I have spent a small amount of time grinding and revisiting areas to catch wild Pokémon I had previously missed. As a whole, it's been pretty straightforward so far, save for the open areas in Pinwheel Forest. I feel this is a result of the increases in user-friendliness carried over from the Generation IV titles, but at the same time, I'm hoping there are some more wide-open areas later on. It would make sense that, with only three gym badges under my wing, much of the world remains to be explored.

Since Nintendo was offering via download, I have added Victini to my Pokédex at a very early point. However, I have no intention of using said legendary until much later on. I still want the game to have some challenge to it. But while we're on the topic of my team, I chose Oshawott as my starter. In the past, I've leaned toward fire-types, but I wanted to mix things up this time around. Plus, I think Tepig's evolved forms look a tad ugly. The rest of my team has generally included Blitzle, Throh, and Lillipup/Herdier. Until recently, my fire type was Pansear/Simisear, but has since been swapped for Darumaka. And the latest addition, Roggenrola, had filled Tympole's brief position on my team. I'm certain each of the different types will merit use in the upcoming gyms, and I'm fine with swapping them out as need be when the time comes. In storage, I also have Purrloin, Sandile, Woobat, Scraggy, Pidove, and Audino.

I'm already finding that I dislike the grass types in Unova. They apparently all have giga grain and sleep powder, which makes them less of a threat in battle than it does a major annoyance. The rest have presented some interesting battle scenarios, however, due largely to just how flexible many of the Gen V Pokémon are with learning moves that are outside of their type.

So far the gym battles have presented just the right degree of challenge, I feel. It definitely helps that characters in-game actually provide you with some sense of direction this time around. Between gym battles, trainer battles, and even wild battles, it seems like my Pokémon are leveling up at a much faster rate than in previous games. I felt that leveling up was easier in HG/SS than it had been on the Gameboy Color, but White Version has my party progressing at an even faster rate. I suppose it's just as well, though - to my understanding, the legendaries appear at something like level 70 this time around. And I do want Zekrom and Kyurem by the time this is all said and done.