Hitting a Plateau: Ranching at Base Camp Indigo

Farfetch'd Still Broken

I have achieved the tedious! The flagship team from Commune Pastures Pokemone Ranch has bested the eight gym leaders of Johto, traversed the victory road, and promptly gotten stuck.

Between training inequities and an overall lack of preparation insofar as our move selection and typing is concerned, we've hit a bit of a plateau. To that end, I've made a substitution - my Hoppip, violet, has been replaced with the Salazar, a dratini that was gifted to the ranch by the Master at Dragon's Den.

The Elite Four, and Champion Lance, will be the final five battles for this team, once we've gotten them ready to get to that point. The Johto Six has proven itself time and time again, from the earliest battles against Falkner and the local schoolboys around Violet City, right on up to the other league-recognized trainers preparing for their own Elite Four challenge bouts in the foothills around the plateau. Immortalized in the Hall of Fame, they will be retired to the Ranch, where they may live out the rest of their lives doing whatever they please.

I'm not sure yet whether or not I will undertake to topple the Kanto Gym Leaders and bring a challenge back to the Elite Four, and possibly beyond, but watch this space, because, if I do decide to go that route, I will be announcing the Kanto Six well in advance.

As per usual, I've updated our stocking list.

Bold Battles form Banner-Building Bender!

Farfetch'd is still broken

It's been a banner weekend for us here at the Commune Pastures Pokemon Ranch, with our headlining team sweeping badges from Cianwood, Olivine, and Mahogany Gyms. Three badges in three days brings us screaming on back to Goldenrod City for some "relaxation" at the Pokeathelon Dome and some general-purpose housekeeping back at the ranch in Ecruteak.

Suffering from a shortage of orders, there's not quite as much to the latter as I would like - for the most part, it's raking in apricorns, keeping my bags organized, updating our comprehensive listing and planning my next moves. You see, I've come to really enjoy this gym challenge, and while I appreciate there's a bit of a jump between Pryce's skill level and that of the dragon-taming Clair, it's only a matter of time before I've run out of Gym Leaders to beat.

So, I've decided to test my continuing luck - and the quality of our breeding stock - by bringing my challenge to the Elite Four. Such a decision is never taken lightly, particularly when it involves travel to Kanto with a boatload full of pokemon - Quagsire and Kangaskhan aren't exactly small. Still, I think I've got it in me... and from there, who knows?