Pokemon and Me Part 2: Minunboy (3-4)

  If you haven't read part one it's here!  Read that first.  Or even read it again!!
  The third generation of Pokemon began in Japan in November 2002 with the release of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.  These games then came out for North America in March 2003.  These games were the first Pokemon games for the new system, the Gameboy Advanced (or in my case, Advanced SP).  These games

took place in the Hoenn region and introduced 135 new Pokemon bringing the total up to 386.  This caused

New picture!

the creation of Pokemon Colosseum  a Gamecube game that came out in Japan in November 2003 and March 2004 for NA.  This game allowed trade to the new games and added an edge to the Pokemon series with a new pro(an?)tagonist and the plot to turn pokemon into Shadow Pokemon to make them stronger and to take over.  During the same generation, Gamefreak released a remake of the first generation games under the new titles Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen.  These came out in Japan in January 2004 and for NA in September of that year.  This game was essentially a "port" of Red and Blue for the newer systems, allowing trade between the newer games so that trainers could have the Pokemon from earlier generations (Gameboy/Gameboy Color to Advanced trading wasn't possible).  Finally, after much uproar about the lack of moving sprites and endgame material in Ruby and Sapphire, another 3rd was born-Pokemon Emerald.  It was released in Japan on September 16, 2004 and in North America on May 1, 2005  Emerald added to the plot, combining that of its predecessors and adding a few features that made my childhood so memorable.
     I missed out on the Ruby and Sapphire bandwagon when the Gameboy Advanced came out.  I waited it

out until the amazing SP came out.  When it did, i bought a wave of Advanced games ranging from LoZ Minish Cap to Kim Possible, but most importantly, Pokemon.  If i remember correctly, i THINK i had Pokemon FireRed and then lost it.  After that, i was instead given LeafGreen.  Weeeeelllllll apparently this generation was cursed for me as i then lost that game and had to get a replacement.  I didn't play the new game very much, only getting a few Pokemon and then, put of the blue sometime in middle school, i found my original Green and traded the best Pokemon over.  Then, a god-sent came.  When Emerald was released, i finally got the chance to understand what everyone was talking about when the talked about Ruby and Sapphire.  Looking back at the dates, i'm actually confused as to how i knew so much abut Gen 3 without having been part of that original 2 games.
    It all started in 3rd grade after Nick had left.  Joey had also moved away, leaving just Seattle, John, and me.  This year though, one of our old friends became closer to us.  My friend Chris became part of my little group.  The first thing i remember when i hear that old name is Minun boy.  Chris and i now played together at recess the way the others and i used to and i nicknamed him Minun boy.  It was his favorite Pokemon and i remember at the same time, i was Wolf Girl, or WG.  He must have played Ruby or Sapphire, and me, being out of the loop, picked a different name.  During recess, we would play Pokemon like i had used to and he taught me about the new Pokemon as we sat on the swings flying on the wings of Swellows.  Sadly, i only got one good year with Chris before i had to move schools.  
   During the next summer, videogames were a different beast.  Since i was younger, i had been forced into the same camp my cousin was attending this year.  I remember how much i hated it.  This was actually the first year i can vividly remember.  I was at the time, deep in my tomboy stage.  The girls at the camp always played games like pattycake or MASH which i would not embrace until 8th grade.  I was left to try to make friends with the boys, however as it was a sport camp and i didn't like sports all that much, i was afraid it would be hard.  Armed with my new games, i took my SP one day.  I sat against the wall, popped in Emerald, and started to play.  In a few minutes, a few boys looked over at me and came over.  A few asked me what i was playing and when i responded playing Pokemon, i finally found my cliche.  The boys would bring there's and we would trade.  We even brought our cards and out Yu-Gi-Oh stuff.  However, i entered a dark time in my life.  A very dark time.  I fell into peer pressure.  I...used a gameshark!!!!  I was addicted.  I could get Pokemon i shouldn't have.  However, i stayed strong and broke my addiction quickly after only a few uses on Green i think.  Here, i fell into fraud as well.  Logan, a friend who after a while turned enemy for reasons i cant remember, traded fake cards.  As i went back through my deck of Yu-Gi-Oh cards just a month or 2 ago, i discovered and entire deck worth of fakes.  Dark days my friends.  

This ruins lives

    Let this be an example to everyone.  Addiction to cheating just leads to heartbreak.  You'll see later when i again fell back on this horrid time and i want you all to know, this is horrible.  Sure, i got mew and other unattainable Pokemon, but i feel...dirty for having done so.  Don't give in to the drug that is a gameshark or other cheating device.  Always say no to game enhancers!!      
    All that aside, i'd like to say Emerald is probably my favorite of all Pokemon games.  Since i had that game, i never understood everyone's hatred of Gen 3 based on Ruby and Sapphire.  There is so much controversy over this generation, but it's my favorite.  The Pokemon to me seemed the last ones to really look like they exist in the Pokemon world.    My starter was Torchic staying with my fire type trend having done crystal with Quilava.  To this day, Blaziken is one of my favorite Pokemon!  I think, aside from gen 1, this is the hardest starter decision i've ever made.  Gen 4 and 5 and even the upcoming 6 

made it obvious from the start who i wanted, but this was so hard.  The thing i loved the most from this game was the tournaments   Trying to make your Pokemon have moves that fit and making a strategy of what to use when for ribbons PLUS making poffins alone or with friends to help them?  I really wish this had stayed.  I like the style competitions of Gen 4 but Gen 5's musicals felt extremely lacking in comparison to its predecessors.  Also, the ability to create bases almost anywhere with the use of Hidden Power was AMAZINGLY FUN!!!  I really wish that feature had stayed into Gen 5 like it did in Gen 4.  I loved the earthyness of this generation and the look of the region is my favorite (but not as iconic as Kanto).  The music is my favorite with the trumpets and powerful sound and the inclusion if weather was just perfect.  This is not to say i hate any of the games, but this is by far my favorite.  We'll see about gen 6 but i have a feeling it wont compare.  I hope you guys enjoyed this  The next section will talk a bit more about gen 3 in 4th and 5th grade and into gen 4.  
    So that's it!  I hope you all enjoyed this one!  This is your last chance to vote on the poll!  I'm also glad to see some new viewers from new places!!  I hope everyone will come back tomorrow for a chat about my first day of school and maaayyybbeeee if i get it done on time, my Lea and Z 3rd anniversary comic!!!  See you all tomorrow!  <3

P.S. if you want a good review of Ruby, Sapphire, and a bit about Emerald, check out this video!