Assignment One

Observation One

Background Information: Pokémon Sapphire takes place on a fictional land called the Hoenn region. The protagonist of this game can be either a boy or a girl, the player gets to decide. You also get to name your player, but throughout the observation, I will refer to this character as May (female) or “you”. For those who may not be familiar with the franchise, Pokémon are basically creatures that populate a fictional world in which humans happen to live in as well. The actual brand of Pokémon usually refers to the video games but there is also a poplar trading card game and an anime. Pokémon can be trained and cared for. In this game, there are 135 new Pokémon which adds to the 250 Pokémon of the previous generations. There are 17 different “types” of Pokémon like fire, ice, electric, etc. Each type has its strengths and weaknesses.

Figured World: a “world” (group, dimension, location, etc.) that depends on specific rules and conventions for appropriate behavior. Example: a volleyball field

In this world, if you make eye contact with another Pokémon trainer, you two must engage in battle. However, it’s more like if a trainer wants to battle and happens to see you, you have no choice but to battle. After your first battle with a trainer, you can be the one who chooses to battle them any time as long as they are up for it, this will take time but not much. You are incapable of running from battles with other trainers, there is no reason behind this but it may be because it could be seen as disrespectful. Whoever loses the Pokémon battle has to pay the winner. The way to win a Pokémon battle is defeat the opponent’s entire team of Pokémon. If you lose, you will be transported to a Pokémon Center where you can heal your team. There is no such thing as a tie battle as trainers compete to defeat the entire team of the opponent. You can be approached by wild Pokémon as well. You can flee from a wild Pokémon unless they have an ability that prevents you from doing so. During battle, you are allowed to use items to aid your Pokémon such as berries, heals, and potions. If you wish to catch a wild Pokémon, you need a Pokeball. You can keep up to six Pokémon with you at a time but you can put any extra Pokémon in a PC at the Pokémon center. This is done automatically when your party is full. You can also switch up your party with Pokémon in the PC. Pokémon can only know four moves at a time. You can choose what moves to keep and what moves to forget. Certain Pokémon can learn certain moves, it usually depends on their type and level. The highest level a Pokémon can reach is 100. On another note, it is perfectly normal to walk into people’s homes and talk to them. Talking to NPC’s (non-playable characters) will give you advice, items, or just interesting conversations.

Actors: People or characters who play significant roles within a figured world. Example: volleyball players

May/Brendan (pictured): This is the protagonist and your character within the game. Their goal is collect as many Pokémon as possible, assemble a team of strong Pokémon, stop an earth-threatening organization, and become a Pokémon champion.

Professor Birch: This is the Pokémon professor of the Hoenn region. He wishes to uncover the many secrets of Pokémon in the world. He also wants your help as he asks you to collect as many Pokémon as you can so that more information can be discovered.

The Friend/Rival (May or Brendan, it will be opposite of your gender): The friend in this game is after the same goal as you. While they are technically your rival, they encourage you on your journey. You will occasionally have to fight them but it is only to prove how strong you have gotten.

Mom: Your mom is excited yet very sad that you will already be leaving her to pursue your Pokémon journey. She stays at home and will heal your Pokémon if you come back and visit her, but she will immediately encourage you to keep on moving.

Norman/Dad: Although not formally introduced yet, your dad is the gym leader of Petalburg City. It is hinted that you will eventually face him.

Wally: Another friend/rival. He is quite frail and sickly but is still determined to venture in the Pokémon world.

Artifacts: Physical items or feelings/emotions that are significant in some way to actors or communities of practice. Example: a volleyball

Pokeballs: These items are what allow you to capture wild Pokémon. They hold Pokémon inside. There are different types of Pokeballs that serve different purposes and have different catch rates (chances of actually catching a Pokémon).

The care and curiosity towards Pokémon: A majority of characters will usually feel a positive feeling towards Pokémon such as affection and love. But there is so much to be learned about which creates curiosity.

Potions: These are used to heal a Pokémon’s health. There are different types of potions (example: super and full restore) that heal a certain amount of health points.

PokeDex (pictured): A tool given to you by Professor Birch that will log data on Pokémon that you encounter and catch.

Running shoes: Given to you by your mother before you head on your journey. These will enable the running function. Press B and hold while moving.

Berries: The fruit of the Pokémon world; every berry has a different effect on the Pokémon that eats it. Some can heal health or even a status. You can plant berries in a dirt patch after you picked the ones already there.

Badges (pictured): A token of reward and proof of defeating a gym leader. There are eight badges that are each given by their corresponding gym leaders. Every gym badge even has certain effects like allowing you to control Pokémon of certain levels and being able to use certain moves.

A trainer’s determination: It’s as though every trainer wants to be the best there is. Every trainer tries their hardest in battles against one another in order to prove their Pokémon’s and their own worth.

TM: Technical Machine, or TM for short, is an item that will teach Pokémon a move. This is handy because there may be a move that a Pokémon can’t learn on its own. TM’s in this game can only be used once.

Wailmer Pail: Shaped like the Pokémon, Wailmer, this pail is used to help your Berries grow faster once you’ve planted them.

Literacy Practices: Forms of communication between communities of practices or outsiders. Can be done in a variety of ways. Example: body language or eye contact.

Talking face-to-face: A majority of any communication this game will be done via talking to one another in real life and time.

Eye Contact: Making eye contact with another trainer will mean that you two must battle. It’s a strange rule but it always comes in play when you first encounter a trainer.

NPC advice: NPC’s generally give advice, specifically in the beginning of the game.

Challenges: A trainer who challenges you to a battle will generally make themselves sound like the bigger person and try to intimidate you. This is meant to intimidate and motivate the player. Both the opponent and the player want to show ow strong they are, it is never about the money earned afterwards.

Communities of Practice: a group of people who share the same interest and goal and learn together to achieve that goal of their interest. Example: a team of girls who want to play volleyball

Family: Mom, Norman, & May. This small family builds on encouragement and belief in one another. Your parents want you to explore the world of Pokémon but they want you to be safe as well. They know that you will grow up and learn on your own.

Researchers: Birch, May, & Brendan. This trio is determined to study Pokémon and learn what most have yet to know. With their Pokedex and their Pokémon teams, discovering the secrets of Pokémon is a breeze.

Newbies: May, Brendan, & Wally. These three are new to the world of Pokémon and will eventually become masters. They each embark on their own journey and challenge each other along the way.

Gym Leaders: Norman will be introduced in this observation but there are seven other gym leaders. The gym leaders are the most skilled Pokémon trainers in their towns. They are highly admired. There is a specific order that you will need to face the gym leaders. This will be obvious through their levels and locations. NPC’s will usually hint on who will be next to challenge. These leaders determine your strength and defeating all eight will qualify you to challenge the Pokémon League of the Elite Four.

Domain: the area of interest in which a community commits to. Example: being good at volleyball or working as a team.

Pokémon: With Pokémon, every practice of every community is achievable. By collecting Pokémon, more can be learned about the world. By training Pokémon, the possibility of being a Pokémon master is greater than when you first began our journey. Through Pokémon, people learn what you are capable of. Your Pokémon reflect your journey and knowledge. This is because your Pokémon will become stronger as your progress in the game. You will also learn about your Pokémon and use your knowledge to face those who oppose you.

Practices of the Communities: the actions of a community which gives this community experience and knowledge of a domain of interest. Example: playing volleyball.

Catching Pokémon: In order to get information about Pokémon, you must capture Pokémon. Plus it makes a fun goal for the player.

Training Pokémon: The only way to make progress is to train and level up your Pokémon. By training and leveling up Pokémon, your team will be stronger and ready to fight stronger opponents that were once impossible to face.

Exploring the world: Through exploring, you will not only find new areas, but new Pokémon. As said before, more Pokémon means more secrets uncovered.

Collecting badges: Defeating gym leaders is important but what’s really important is earning their badges so that you can show your experience to other trainers and qualify to challenge the Elite Four.

Pokémon Battles: Through Pokémon battles, these actors are able show the strength of their Pokémon team and their own willpower. Battling shows your strength and how it grows throughout your quest.

00:00-2:00

You are greeted by a friendly professor by the name of Birch. He tells you that you are in the world of Pokémon which is filled with creatures called Pokémon. He tells you that Pokémon can be seen as playmates, helpers, and even fighters against other Pokémon. Pokémon apparently have countless secrets to them which is what Birch is trying to uncover as a professor. Birch then asks for your gender and your name. Once you have chosen these, Birch will reveal that you will be moving into Littleroot Town, where he happens to research Pokémon in his lab. Birch then sends you out into the world of Pokémon and advises you to stop by his lab once you’ve settled in at home.

2:00-6:00

You find yourself in the back of a moving truck. The truck will open and you will jump out just in front of your new home. Your mother will come from the house and welcome you home. Once inside your new home, you can see some Pokémon called Machokes helping you and your mom move in. Machokes are a Fighting-type Pokémon, they resemble humanoid body builders.

Your mother tells you that you have a room to yourself and that you should set up the clock that your father bought for you. Setting up the clock is more important than you think because certain Pokémon are available at certain times. Once in your room, you will find that it is ready for you to live in. You’ve got a bed, a TV, a PC, and the clock from your father is hanging on the wall. After setting up the clock, your mother will come in and share that the Machokes have finished unpacking. Once downstairs, your mother will be watching the TV and invite you over because your father happens to be on.

Once you reach the television, the news report on Petalburg City has already ended. While your mom is upset, she shares that Professor Birch happens to live next door and that you should introduce yourself to him. Once outside the house, you can see that Littleroot town consists of your home, Birch’s lab and his home. If you go next door to Birch’s, his wife will greet you and share that she and Birch have a son (or daughter if your character is a boy) that is about your age. The son, Brendan, happens to be upstairs and preparing for his own Pokémon journey. When you greet Brendan, he tells you how he wishes to befriend all the Pokémon of the world. He also hopes that you and he will be able to become friends. Apparently, Brendan is supposed to be helping his father with research, so he heads out.

6:00-7:00

Once you leave Brendan’s house, you would have to go north where you will find a little boy in blue. Once you try to pass him, he’ll tell you that he heard someone shouting for help. Proceeding upwards, you will see Birch being chased by a Pokémon called Poochyena; they are Dark-type and they look like small, black hyena pups. He asks that you defeat the Poochyena by using a Pokémon from a pokeball in his bag. There are three pokeballs, each with a different Pokémon inside. The Pokémon are Treecko(Grass-type, it looks like a green gecko), Torchic(Fire-type, it looks like an orange chick), and Mudkip(Water-type, it looks like a blue axolotl).

Once you have picked a Pokémon, it will be used in your battle against Poochyena. There are a few things to note in the battle screen.

You will see that your chosen Pokémon starts at level 5 (Lv: 5) while the wild Poochyena is only level 2. Next to the name of each Pokémon is a gender symbol. Typically, your starter Pokémon is most likely to be a boy. There are occasionally Pokémon who have no gender or can only be one gender. Under the name of each Pokémon, there is a green bar. The green bar represents the Pokémon’s’ health. Once the health goes down halfway, it will turn yellow. When health is below 25%, it will turn red. Under your own Pokémon’s health bar there are a pair of numbers (example: 19/19). Because the Pokémon is on your team, there is a number for you to keep track of how much health your own Pokémon has. If your Pokémon takes damage, the left number will go down (example: 10/19). There is a green dialogue box that will narrate the battle. To the right of the box, is a white box with the actions “Fight”, “Bag”, “Pokémon”, and “Run”. “Fight” will be chosen if you want to or need to fight against your opponent. “Bag” will be chosen if you want to use an item from your bag, like a potion to heal your Pokémon in-battle. “Pokémon” will be chosen if you want to switch the Pokémon that is currently out and in battle. “Run” will be chosen if you want to run from the battle, but there are some situations when you cannot (example, during a trainer battle).

The first battle of the game is a teaching method of the two types of moves: Special and Physical. Physical attacks, like Pound or Scratch, will do damage to the opponent’s health bar. Special attacks, like Growl or Leer, will do damage to the opponent’s stats like Defense and Speed. On another note, Pokémon have stats that include Defense, Attack, Special Defense, Special Attack, Speed, and Health Points. These stats can be raised once a Pokémon levels up.

7:00-13:00

After you’ve beaten the Poochyena, your starter Pokémon will gain experience points, this will happen after every battle you win. Experience points will help your Pokémon level up. The battle screen will change to the travel screen where Birch will thank you for saving him. He takes you to his lab and comments on your battling skills by comparing you to your father. He even gives you the Pokémon that you used against Poochyena as a reward.

Note: After catching new Pokémon, you have the option to give it a nickname.

Birch advises you to meet up with Brendan on Route 103 so that he can teach you more about being a Pokémon trainer. This is when you finally are able to explore outside of Littleroot. Heading north, you will reach Route 101 and may run into an NPC who will tell you that Pokémon can be found in tall grass. Tall grass is very distinct from regular ground you walk on. Tall grass will be darker and look like bushes. It will also move while you walk through it.

There is another NPC who can tell you that you can heal your Pokémon at the Pokémon Center. Pokémon Centers have a bright red roof and the initials P.C. on the side. There is a Pokémon Center in every town. When walking through Route 101 to Route 103, you may run into Pokémon. However, you won’t be able to catch any until you get pokeballs. Every area around Hoenn has different Pokémon. For example, through Route 101 to Route 103, you will mostly run into Poochyena, Zigzagoon, and Wurmple. These Pokémon are very common and are low-

leveled in these areas. Wild Pokémon levels will also be different depending on where you are.

Oldale town is just above Route 101. In every town, there are NPC’s (non-playable character) that will give you advice, make small talk, or even give you items. In this town, you learn through NPC’s that PokeMarts are where

you can buy items like potions and pokeballs. . PokeMarts have a bright blue roof and “MART” on the side. There is one in every town.

Keep going north and you eventually run into Brendan who happens to be logging what Pokémon can be found in Route 103. He then challenges you to a Pokémon battle! When in battle with Brendan, you will see that his Pokémon may be stronger than yours due to the type. The Pokémon that you first choose in this game will determine what Brendan chooses. For example, if you choose Torchic (fire-type), Brendan will choose Mudkip (water-type) because Water is strong against Fire.

Note: Strength in Pokémon usually depends on both type and level. Example: A level 50 water-type Pokémon can possibly defeat a level 60 fire-type Pokémon. But a level 100 fire-type Pokémon can easily defeat a level 3 water-type Pokémon.

After defeating Brendan, he will have you follow him back to Birch’s lab.

13:00-21:00

Once at Birch’s, he gives you the PokeDex. Brendan also gives you a gift: five pokeballs. With that, you are now able to embark on your Pokémon journey, but not before you say goodbye to mom. Once you exit the lab and proceed north, your mom stops you and gives you a pair of Running Shoes. She has a hard time with her farewells but tells you to visit any time.

21:00-35:00

You can now start your quest by travelling through Route 102 and into Petalburg City where you will finally meet your dad. Route 102 is west from Oldale Town. In this Route, there will be wild

Pokémon and a handful of trainers ready to challenge you. You will also be able to pick your first batch of Berries.

Once you’ve reached Petalburg City, you will have to meet up with your dad, Norman. Norman is in the Petalburg Gym just up north. He notices your Pokémon and realizes that you’re on your way to be a Pokémon trainer. Suddenly, a boy comes in and interrupts. His name is Wally, he will be living in Verdanturf Town with his relatives and he wants to catch a Pokémon to keep him company. But, like yourself, Wally is new to the world of Pokémon and isn’t sure how to catch one of his own. So, Norman suggests that you side with Wally to help him catch his first Pokémon. Wally will take you to Route 102 where he will encounter a Ralts. Through this, the game will teach you how capturing wild Pokémon is done. Basically, it is best to weaken the wild Pokémon until their health bar has turn yellow or even red. After you’ve weakened the wild Pokémon enough, you can try throwing a pokeball from your bag to catch it. Wally manages to capture the Ralts and you are both brought back to the Petalburg Gym to report to Norman. Wally is grateful for your help and returns to his mother, leaving you with your father. Norman advises you to Rustboro City to face gym leader Roxanne. He also tells you that you must face other gym leaders and collect their badges. Norman is too strong to face right now, plus he is the fifth gym leader, so you won’t be able to challenge him so soon. Once this talk with your father is over, you can now continue your journey by travelling west from Petalburg.

35:00-45:00

You will eventually end up in Route 104 where you may be challenged by trainers and wild Pokémon. You will need to go north and into Petalburg Woods. The Petalburg Woods entrance will be seen as a clearing from countless pine trees. Going through the woods will eventually bring you to Rustboro City where you can challenge the first gym leader, Roxanne.

The Petalburg Woods is darker than most areas and has an ominous tone of music. Proceeding through the woods, you will eventually come across a man who is looking for a Pokémon named Shroomish. The conversation is cut short when a man in a blue bandana appears from north. Apparently the man looking for a Shroomish is a Devon researcher who is in possession of important documents. The Devon researcher asks for you to protect him from the strange man. This second stranger is a member of Team Aqua and you will have to beat him in a Pokémon match.

Team Aqua Grunt’s Team: Poochyena, Level 9, Dark

After defeating the Team Aqua Grunt, the Devon researcher rewards you a Great ball. Apparently the Team Aqua Grunt is headed towards Rustboro as you are. The Devon researcher quickly heads up there as a crisis is afoot. Keep roaming through the woods and you will end up on the north part of Route 104.

45:00-50:00

If you speak to the NPC to left of the exit of Petalburg Woods, he will give you a TM for the move Bullet Seed. If you keep left and enter the flower shop upwards, you can learn more about

Berries and get the Wailmer Pail from a nice lady. Keep right and you’ll find a bridge, along with some Pokémon trainers, that will bring you to Rustboro City.

Observation Two

Background Information: At this point of the observation, our protagonist will already have beaten seven out of the eight gym leaders. But this observation focuses one of the most important parts of Pokémon Sapphire Version. In this game, the antagonist group Team Aqua is trying to capture the legendary Pokémon, Kyogre, in order to achieve their goal of flooding the world with water. In order to stop this from happening, May will have to take on the heads of Team Aqua and capture Kyogre.

Introduced Actors:

Shelly: She is one of the admins of Team Aqua. She wants the seas to expand just as much as the organization.

Archie (pictured): The head of Team Aqua. He directs his organization to do whatever they can to achieve his goal of capturing Kyogre and flooding the Pokémon world.

Maxie: The head of Team Magma. Leads his group to work against Team Aqua and avoid a massive flood storm.

Steven Stone: Son of the president of Devon Corporation. He collects rare stones and uses Steel-type Pokémon in battle. He serves as a supporter on your journey as you get involved in a great commotion that determines the fate of the world.

Introduced Artifacts:

HM’s: Hidden Machines or HM’s are moves that can be taught to Pokémon. HM’s differ from TM’s because HM’s have unlimited uses and can be used outside of battle. HM’s will also require a certain gym badge to be obtained in order to be used. Example: In order to use the HM move Dive, you need to beat the seventh gym leaders Tate and Liza. Dive would be able to be used to dive into the ocean depths. The significant HM’s in this observation include:

Surf- Allows your Pokémon to surf waters.

Dive- Allows your surfing Pokémon to dive underwater

Flash- When in a dark room, this move will create a “flash” that brightens up the place so you can see easily.

Strength- Allows your Pokémon to push sphere rocks that are in your way.

Rock Smash- Allows your Pokémon to smash cracked rocks that are in your way.

Waterfall- Allows your surfing Pokémon to climb up waterfalls.

Colored Orbs: In this game there are two Colored Orbs; Red and Blue. Each Orb has a mysterious power that can be used to control their corresponding legendary Pokémon. The Blue Orb is for Kyogre, the Red it for another Pokémon that is not in this game, but the Red Orb does play a significant role in this game as it mistaken for the Orb to control Kyogre.

Introduced Communities of Practice:

Team Aqua: Grunts, Shelly, Archie. They seek to cover the world in water for the good of Pokémon and humans.

Team Magma: Grunts, Maxie, etc. The rival group of Team Aqua, they are working to prevent Team Aqua’s plan from being enacted. Their true goal is unknown and irrelevant in this game.

Introduced Domain:

Legendary Pokémon: By manipulating the power of legendary Pokémon, such as Kyogre, people can easily get what they want. However, this can quickly backfire to cause more trouble than intended.

Introduced Practices of the Communities:

Disruption: Team Aqua has a twisted goal of capturing Kyogre, the legendary sea Pokémon, in order to flood the earth with water. It’s their belief that is it the only hope for a true bond between Pokémon and humans. They do this through a series of illegal acts such as theft.

Travel: It takes a journey for each actor and community to get what they desire. This is easily done by the use of transportation and even Pokémon.

10:20:00-10:35:00

After defeating the seventh gym leaders, Liza and Tate, your next destination will be to Team Aqua’s hideout. Their hideout is somewhere below the sea so you will need a Pokémon that knows the moves Surf and Dive. You will also need a Pokémon that knows Rock Smash and Strength in order to progress in the hideout. Once you’ve got this Pokémon, head into the ocean and south to Route 127. You will want to use Dive once you end up in a large mass of darkened water. Being underwater makes the scene become blue in color and a catchy tune will play. May needs to follow along a path southwards which will eventually lead you to an underwater cave. Head inside and you will see a submarine that was stolen by Team Aqua. This marks the entrance to the Seafloor Cavern which is above water so you’ll need to dive up. If you head north, you will quickly see another cave entrance which you’ll need to go through.

Going right then up, you will see some rocks that will need to be moved or smashed with their corresponding HM’s. Once these rocks are out of your way, head to the stairs up north and then

head south to see an opening. You will most likely have to battle the two grunts before proceeding this far.

In this next room, stay to your right, get the rocks out of your way, and proceed into the next opening. You need to hop of the ledge and another that will bring you to the east. You can face the Aqua Grunt if he catches you sneaking by.

The next room has a bit of a puzzle to solve. It’s like a maze and paths will be blocked in most areas. There will be two entries up north. You have to figure out how to move the rocks in order to get into one of those entries. The one on the left is the right way to go. However, in order to reach it, you will have to solve the “puzzle” as if you are headed for the right room.

Once you’ve entered the left room, you will find a body of water which you have to Surf on. There are strong currents in the water which will push May in the directions they flow. The way to go is to take the current to the right. Take another right which will bring you up to a clear spot. You will need to go on the right current which eventually takes you to the other side of the room. You will end up in another clearing with three different directions to take. Taking the one to the left takes you where you need to be in order to progress. Head north, take land, and enter the next entry.

You will find yet another puzzle of boulders to push. It will seem like you need to take the entry on the right, but you will actually have to maneuver the boulders to head north where an Aqua Grunt is waiting.

This grunt is no ordinary member of Team Aqua, she is Shelly who is one of the admins. Shelly will be surprised that you made it this far and will challenge you to a Pokémon battle.

Shelly’s Team:

Sharpedo- Level 38, Water/Dark (pictured left)

Mightyena- Level 38, Dark (The evolved form of Poochyena, pictured right)

Once Shelly is defeated, May heads north to the next room. Awaiting is yet another puzzle of boulders.

Once you’ve moved the boulders, you can proceed to the next room north.

This next area will be very foggy. Follow the path and you will end up in the abode of the legendary Pokémon, Kyogre.

10:35:00-10:40:00

Approaching Kyogre will cause Team Aqua’s leader, Archie to interrupt the scene. In order for him to achieve his goal, he knows he must defeat you first. You will then be in battle with Archie.

Archie’s Team:

Mightyena- Level 41

Crobat- Level 41, Poison/Flying

Sharpedo- Level 43

Even after defeating Archie, he is still determined to make Kyogre obey his command. Archie takes out the Red Orb and uses it on Kyogre.

But something unexpected happens. Using the Red Orb caused Kyogre to leave the cavern. Archie gets a call and is told that it is raining violently outside. At first this excites Archie as he wanted this, but it is much worse than predicted. The scene is cut short yet again when Team Magma suddenly appears. Maxie, the leader of Team Magma, is furious at Archie for causing an endless rainstorm on Earth. Eventually the world will drown under Kyogre’s wrath. Archie is still confused but Team Magma take the two of you outside to talk more.

Once outside the cavern, you see how badly it’s raining. There’s a thunderstorm and the rain falls fast. Now Archie sees his mistake. Maxie tells you how Team Magma was trying to prevent Team Aqua’s plans come into play and he advises that since you are only a child, you should stay out of the way. The two men then leave.

You are immediately accompanied by Steven as he flies down from his Pokémon. As Steven takes in the disaster at hand, he notices that the rain is caused by a huge rain cloud that is

spreading from above Sootopolis City. He flies over to figure out what is happening. This is the player’s hint to follow after Steven.

10:40:00-10:50:00

Once in Sootopolis City, you can see that all the buildings are locked shut as people are indoors to be safe from this rainstorm. You will need to head up north to meet up with Steven and Wallace. After introducing himself, Wallace reveals that he is the protector of the Cave of Origin. The rainfall is coming from a strange power inside this cave. Wallace will also notice the Blue Orb in your possession. He will guide you to the Cave of Origin which is just south from your current spot. Wallace tells you that you must take the Blue Orb with you inside the cave to stop this rainfall.

Inside the cave will be dark, if you have a Pokémon that knows the move Flash, it will brighten up the place so that you are able to see. It is possible to traverse this cave without Flash, but it will be much difficult. The first dark room requires that you move north and take the ladder to go below. The next room will take you south then to the left to another ladder. Every now and then, there is a rumbling. In the next room, you will need to stick to the right and the path should take you south then west to another ladder. Once in the next room, you will need to be sure to pick up the item which will be the Waterfall HM. Sticking to the left will take you north and right to another ladder.

You will now be at the source of this chaos. Kyogre will be seen in a pool of water in the center of this next room. It’s very quiet and foggy. Approaching Kyogre will cause the Blue Orb in your possession to glow. Once its blue glow has spread across the room, Kyogre swims towards you and engages in battle.

Note: You can take a chance to capture Kyogre. But this is the only chance the player has. Kyogre is a legendary Pokémon which means that there is only one and defeating it without catching it will make it disappear from the game.

Once Kyogre is defeated (or captured), you can exit the Seafloor Cavern and see that the storm has stopped and all is well. Your next destination is to the Sootopolis gym to take on the eight gym leader, Wallace. His gym is at the very center of the city and surrounded by water, so you have to use Surf to get there.

Observation Three

Background Information: At this point of the game, the player would have beaten all eight gym leaders and can now take on the Elite Four to become the Hoenn region’s Pokémon champion. By completing this task, the player essentially “beats” the game. However, there may be leftover tasks that have yet to be completed such as collecting the remaining legendary Pokémon or collecting all Pokémon of Hoenn. This observation takes place once the player has reached Ever Grande City and must go through Victory Road in order to face the Elite Four.

Introduced Actors:

Sydney: The first Elite to fight.

Phoebe: The second Elite to fight.

Glacia: The third Elite to fight

Drake: The fourth Elite to fight.

Note: There is not much information on the Elite Four. They have their own personalities but they do not play an entirely significant role in the game other than determining your strength.

Steven Stone: At this point of the game, he is revealed to be the Pokémon champion of Hoenn.

Introduced/Reoccurring Communities of Practice:

Elite Four: Sydney, Phoebe, Glacia, Drake, Steven. These five powerful trainers will put your skills to the ultimate test. Defeating the Elite Four will crown you champion. It also gives a great sense of accomplishment.

Friends: Brendan, Birch, Steven, Wally, Etc. While there to battle you for the most part, these people are to encourage the player that they are capable of their goals. They appear multiple times during your journey and are always encouraging you to do your best.

11:35:00-11:50:00

Victory Road requires the HM’s Strength, Surf, and Rock Smash. Flash and Waterfall HM’s are optional but not necessary, however they may make the journey easier. Victory Road is full of strong trainers and wild Pokémon. The wild Pokémon in Victory Road include Golbat, Lairon, Makuhita, and many others that are usually leveled between 30 and 40. Being in a cave is like walking through tall grass, meaning that every step you take can potentially disturb a wild Pokémon.

Once in Victory Road, the player is to follow the path which takes them to the right side of the first area. They will eventually run into an elevated part on the southern area. May takes the stairs up this elevation and crosses the bridge. Once on the other side, another elevation will be up north which May will have to head towards. Again, there is a bridge to cross. On the other side of this bridge and up north will be a latter to take down.

The next room is dark so Flash can be used to make it bright. May has to go south and move a couple boulders out of the way with Strength. The path ahead will take her to a pair of boulders and rocks move and smash respectively. Once these rocks are out of the way, the path continues

and brings May to yet another elevation and a bridge to cross. On the other side there is a ladder to climb upwards which is optional as there are a couple items you can grab. Otherwise, May has to hop of the ledge to the left of the ladder and keep left until she reaches the ladder to go down.

Once in the next room, May has to go north and surf across the body of water that appears. On the other side are stairs to go up. Following the path and staying down will bring you to a bridge to cross to the left side. The path will take you north and to a body of water to surf. May has to go down the waterfall and head right to reach a ladder.

The next room takes you south and to the right to reach another pair of rocks and boulders. Once they are taken care of, pass through and take the ladder north. The next room brings May to a bridge. Once the bridge has been crossed, May needs to head north which will finally bring her to the exit.

However, before May reaches the exit, she is stopped by her old friend, Wally. Wally may have lost to you before, but now he is determined to show that he has grown since that day, so he challenges you to a battle.

Wally’s Team:

Altaria: Level 44, Dragon/Flying (pictured right)

Delcatty: Level 43, Normal

Roselia: Level 44, Grass/Poison

Magneton: Level 41, Electric/Steel

Gardevoir: Level 45, Psychic (this the evolved Ralts from the beginning of the game, pictured further right)

Once you have defeated Wally, your travel through Victory Road has ended and you can finally make your way to the Elite Four on the other side of Ever Grande City. You can take an easy trip all the way to the Pokémon League by following the red brick road.

11:50:00-11:58:00

Inside will be a Pokémon Center and a PokeMart. In between these two areas, two boys will be blocking an entrance. In order to continue on to the Elite Four, you must have collected the eight gym badges, so the two boys will check to be sure that you have them all. Once you have been qualified, you can go through the entrance.

“Trainer! Believe in yourself and your Pokémon, and go Forth!”

Note: Once you enter, there is no turning back. The doors behind you will shut close and the only way out is to defeat the Elite Four. Losing any battle will automatically bring you the Pokémon Center.

Through the entrance will be some blue stairs that take you to the first Elite, Sydney. Sydney is known for his Dark-type Pokémon and his arena is a bright red.

Sydney’s Team:

Mightyena- Level 46

Shiftry- Level 48, Grass/Dark (pictured to the left)

Cacturne- Level 46, Grass/Dark

Sharpedo- Level 48

Absol- Level 49, Dark (pictured right)

After Sydney is defeated, the doors behind him open which brings you to the stairs that lead to the next Elite, Phoebe.

11:58:00-12:08:00

Phoebe has a party of Ghost-type Pokémon. Her arena is purple and has what looks like demolished structures.

Phoebe’s Team:

Dusclops: Level 48, Ghost (pictured above to the left)

Banette: Level 49, Ghost (pictured above to the right)

Sabeleye: Level 50, Dark/Ghost (pictured right)

Banette: Level 49

Dusclops: Level 51

After Phoebe is defeated, the doors behind her open which will eventually take you to the next Elite, Glacia.

12:08:00-12:18:00

Glacia has a team of Ice-type Pokémon, Her arena matches her Pokémon-type as it has ice blocks and is a light blue color.

Glacia’s Team:

Glalie: Level 50, Ice (pictured left)

Sealeo: Level 50, Ice/Water

Sealeo: Level 52

Glalie: Level 52

Walrein: Level 53, Ice/Water (pictured right)

Once you have defeated Glalie, the doors behind her open and you can proceed to take on the last Elite, Drake.

12:18:00-12:33:00

Drake has a team of Dragon-type Pokémon. His arena is very intimidating in its strong red tone and spiked decorations,

Drake’s Team:

Shelgon: Level 52, Dragon

Altaria: Level 54

Flygon: Level 53, Ground/Dragon (pictured left)

Flygon: Level 53

Salamence: Level 55, Dragon/Flying (pictured right)

After Drake is defeated, all that is left is to take on the Pokémon champion, Steven Stone. The doors behind Drake will take you to a long set of stairs that build up the intimidation of the next battle.

12:33:00-12:48:00

Steven’s arena is in an octagonal shape and is purple-toned. Your character will automatically be brought to him once the doors behind you shut. Steven wants you to take him on with everything you’ve learned through your journey.

Steven’s Team:

Skarmory: Level 57, Steel/Flying

Cradily: Level 56, Rock/Grass

Claydol: Level 55, Ground/Psychic (pictured right)

Armaldo: Level 56, Rock/ Bug

Aggron: Level 56, Steel/Rock

Metagross: Steel/Psychic (pictured further right)

After defeating Steven, he congratulates you proudly. He recognizes your true power that you share with your Pokémon. Just as he is about to announce you champion, your friend, Brendan will appear. He’s just about to give you advice on beating Steven when he realizes that the job has already been done. Suddenly, Professor Birch appears as well to congratulate you and take a look at your PokeDex. There’s one more room to enter in this building which Steven guides you to.

This last room is where the records are taken from the Elite Four battles and champions are honored. Your name, along with your Pokemons’, are about to be recorded as champions.

This is when the game lets you see your winning team and be congratulated. Your Pokémon are now part of the Hall of Fame. Thus, the credits roll.

12:48:00-12:56:00

The credits consist of your character riding on their bicycle through the hours of the day. The landscapes and the colors of sky behind you will change as the hours go by.

Every now and then will be a slight slideshow of the Pokémon you have encountered and/or caught.

At about a minute and half within the credits, your rival will show up on their bike and pass by. Your character stares and speeds up their peddling. Soon, your character has caught up with your

rival and is now in the lead. The last Pokémon on the slideshow will always be your starter Pokémon in their first evolution. It is now nighttime and your character and rival bike off-screen. “The End” is in white against a black background. A very light tone of music plays.

Interviews

Elisa, 23

Tell me what stands out to you about Pokémon Sapphire from the previous Pokémon video games?

Well, the first detail that comes to my mind are probably the secret bases. I loved decorating them with dolls and posters however I pleased. Then there are the Pokémon from that generation. A lot of my favorites, such as Absol, Gardevoir or Tropius are from that one. Next would be the weather system, I think. Who wouldn't want to walk around in puddles in the rain all day?

Describe what makes the Pokémon franchise so successful?

Probably the pet-aspect. Since it's pretty much a feeling of 'raising your own family' and going on adventures with your friends. Other than that, probably the competitive scene. People like being the best. For me it was always the collecting-aspect. I like having one of each and being able to breed for people.

But if we go to the economic side, it was probably the anime produced to promote the games that actually brought it to the masses.

Describe what challenged you in Pokémon Sapphire?

Getting around the many, many Tentacools, would be my first thought. Or actually finding the Pokémon I want and catching them. Getting a Ralts early game or an Absol later that had that specific gender you want for that one nickname was just tedious.

Give an example of how Pokémon impacted your life

Well, it was probably the first thing in a long line that I 'obsessed' about. I found that usually I 'cling' to one thing in particular, then get bored of it and move on. But Pokémon has been sticking around for, well, most of my life, really.

[Pokémon] Helped me make friends (and hopefully will do so again with Pokémon Go), gave me something to do when I was at home and done with school work, since my parents weren't very interested in spending time with me. It helped me to slightly get along with my older brother, too. It was really one of the few things I could always go back and rely on, really.

Nowadays I’m thinking about starting a livestream channel on twitch.tv, focused on randomized Pokémon games.

Tell me what you like about playing Pokémon Sapphire

Well, I know it very well, so I like, well, randomizing it and seeing what I'm going to get. I'm not very fond of some of the Pokémon in gen 4 and 5 (I skipped over b/w because of that), so the Pokémon available in-game are my favorite selection, minus gen 6 Pokémon, which I’ve grown to like a lot. But I can't exactly get those in Sapphire

It was also the first Pokémon game I was actually old enough to really 'enjoy'. I played Red and Gold, sure, but I don't remember it much. Sapphire sticks out to me more.

Tell me what concerns you about the Pokémon franchise in the future, do you think they will eventually run out of ideas? Or have they already have?

Alright. The biggest problem from my point of view is probably that they just keep creating new Pokémon out of bad ideas, instead of stopping at a good number. If they run out of ideas, they'll either not create any more or throw in every stupid idea they can think of, which would drastically lower the quality of the games. So the missing realization of 'okay, enough is enough' would be problematic in that regard.

If we look at the close future, Pokémon Go is a very neat idea, but it also throws up a lot of problems. Mostly the fact that there will be people who will use it for other things that their intended purposes. If children playing it aren't properly supervised, they could very easily be stolen away, the 'wild Pokémon' spots could be easily used to find easy victims.

And let's be honest, Nintendo is only just dipping a toe into the pond of mobile games. They've done micro transactions well so far, in my opinion, but that could easily change with this one. Accidentally save your payment-details in the google store and give your phone to your kid and you could be in a lot of trouble.

Also, Nintendo’s current copyright-actions worry me. If they eventually take down anything related to their franchises, it could very well stamp the popularity of Pokémon into the ground. Especially with those Yokai games coming out, they could very easily overtake them. I think some of the earlier Yokai games have already overtaken some Pokémon games in japan. So Pokémon will maybe someday end up as 'the old thing' while that Yokai series becomes the new 'Pokémon' thing.

I like the idea that they recently used in the anime, where Ash's Greninja started looking like its trainer. That could offer up a new branch of customization in Pokémon, so they wouldn't need to bring out new Pokémon from bad ideas. I'd like to be able to customize something else than Pikachu all the time.

Tell me what stands out to you about Pokémon from any other video game?

Well-executed turn-based rpg combat, for starters. With even Final Fantasy abandoning that classic format, Pokémon really becomes one of the better alternatives.

Next up, variety. With over 700 Pokémon, and a lot of games, there's something in it for everyone.

It's also easily accessible, legal or not, since it's very easy to get an emulator and the games or a romhack from somewhere. Those things can even emulate the games on phones, so you can take it with you, too!

You can also play it for a very long time if you're into shiny hunting or competitive, while some mmo's can very easily run out of content. As long as the story isn't the end, it is very difficult to 'finish' a Pokémon game, as long as you have personal goals. Sure, Monster Hunter does that, too, but that game series is a bit more difficult.

The Pokémon community is also one of the more creative ones out there. If you're looking for a particular fan art or game, you're probably going to find it somewhere.

Seth Boyer, 19

Tell me what stands out to you about Pokémon Sapphire from the previous Pokémon video games?

Well, they started doing dual typing a lot more in this game as well as double battles! The only bad thing about it is that they added another water HM, haha. There are way too many water ones.

Describe what makes the Pokémon franchise so successful?

It’s a long game, there are tons of ways to go about it. It’s an adventure entirely free to you. They keep core elements and carefully implement new intimidating ones that have always impressed fans

Describe what challenged you in Pokémon Sapphire?

Pokémon Sapphire had a lot more adventuring than any other Pokémon game. Even the new ones. Giving the Dive option made finding legendaries so much more difficult than before.

Give an example of how Pokémon impacted your life

Pokémon has helped me so much! It all started at my cousin’s house when he was playing Pokémon Crystal. He gave me a copy of Gold and Blue, and I was hooked. It stirred my imagination like no other game could and I went to the show from there. Pokémon is beautiful game series and it will always be a part of my life. It has been an amazing coping mechanism and great imagination fuel for me.

Tell me what you like about playing Pokémon Sapphire

Generation three has some of my favorite Pokémon! And it has so many fun cute things like the secret base to stash all your goodies!

Tell me what concerns you about the Pokémon franchise in the future, do you think they will eventually run out of ideas? Or have they already have?

I feel like they’re already starting to. I could rant about this for hours but here’s all I need to say. A garbage Pokémon. What a phenomenal idea.

I’m not sure they will run out of ideas for other things besides Pokémon designs, however. Nintendo has been good about taking full advantage of their technology and constantly with each new generation game giving us more surprises while keeping us happy with remakes in between. That’s genius.

Tell me what stands out to you about Pokémon from any other video game?

Probably the turn-based strategy mixed with the fact that you can choose your little warrior friends and customize them down to the smallest detail. The fact that they’re made with many goals to accomplish. I have 400+ hours and I still never did everything I wanted in Black.

Ashlyn’s Feedback:

Denise--

Fantastic work on this assignment! Your descriptions were very thick and easy to follow as a reader, and your definitions of the terms were spot on; you certainly went above and beyond on this work.

Include a short hand list of the basic game rules. I know you discuss these throughout the examples and observations, but having a short land list for readers unfamiliar with the game would certainly be useful.

Remove all the commentary bubbles for the second draft; this made it a bit harder for me to follow the writing because I was focusing whether or not those changes had been made.

Be sure to caption and credit all the images throughout your observation write up

Give us some context about your interviewee. In other words, in 3-4 sentences tell us why you chose to interview this person and explain what his perspective offers with regards to what you observed first hand. This can easily be added at the very beginning of the interview section.