Poké-Month: Pokémon X (Part 3)

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4

Looks like this is where I’m gonna have that serious talk… I still dread it. We're still a small way from getting there, though.

Trouble’s brewing again

Shut up, Lysandsre, you twit.

Six badges down, two to go, Elite 4 next and the totally unexpected break into the story by the villains unleashing their big plan – gee, it’s like the Pokémon games are formulaic or something! There isn’t much on Route 15, aside from the Lost Hotel that houses a handful of Pokémon unique to the place (like dear old Rotom). Oh, and of course another call from Lysandre who asks questions about Mega Evolution – is it limited to only a few Pokémon? Well, we know it is, there’s only 30 species here that can do it. But he asks if, within the same species, some could while others couldn’t. Y’know, his discourse sure starts to wander into some sort of supremacist territory… Just saying!

This is the game stating that you'll find (and
catch) the mascot Legendary before the
credits roll, with zero subtlety.

Next up is Dendemille Town, where snow is falling. The Professor and one of his aides arrive to tell the tale of Kalos' legendary Pokémon: The box mascot, Xerneas for X, Yveltal for Y. Apparently, this was vital information worth traveling all the way to here for us to hear. The reason? Their enerny may be tied to the reason why Mega Evolution exists in Kalos. We're also gently prodded (read: Forcefully recommended) that we seek out that Legendary to learn more.

We need to ride Mamoswine across Route 17, but they’re currently “distracted” by something in the Frost cavern up north, so we make a detour. Deep within the cave, we stumble on Team Flare again, who have stolen a ton of Pokéballs from the factory and are now using them to catch Pokémon across Kalos with noticeably powerful attributes (such as an Abomasnow with a Snow Warning ability stronger than average, or so they claim). Two grunts and a scientist, who exposit on their group’s motives: They take everything for themselves, so that they’ll have it all when they’re the only ones to… survive? What?

Trevor, don't ask questions, just beat them!

God damn it, THAT discussion is coming and I don’t like it.

That massive crystal was allegedly created by
the power of a Legendary Pokémon. Could
you imagine the Pokémon world without
these wonders?

We fight the grunts and then the scientist, and they flee. With this threat dealt with, Mamoswine return to Route 17 and we can continue our journey unhindered. On to Anistair City, where we have to get more information on the box mascot, which also gives us more details about the great war from 3,000 years ago that allegedly ended in tragedy. The story changes depending on the version mascot: Xerneas gives life and energy, while Yveltal takes life and energy away.

Before we can tackle on the Gym, however, we’re challenged by Serena once again. And of course, she loses, and once again is disappointed in herself. The rival in X and Y makes me feel bad; you beat them, they don’t catch up, you get the Mega Ring, cue their angst.

Calm before the storm

I'm still not sure how Olympia's Gym turns
into... this. Pocket dimension maybe?
Psychics of the Pokémon world are weird.

We now walk into the seventh Gym, home of Olympia the Psychic-type specialist. And what a spectacle! You walk in and the Gym disappears, replaced by a 3D spherical plane on which you duel the other trainers before getting to her, with portals as well. She’s no slouch either, with a team composed of Sigilyph, Meowstic and a Slowking that doesn’t talk. Upon defeat, she hands over the Psychic Badge.

Hm, usually it’s right after the seventh Gym that the villainous Team’s plot kicks into hyperdrive and we have to stop them. As we leave the Gym, Serena congratulates the player for their victory… and then the Holo Caster beeps.

It’s Lysandre.

He's purposefully avoiding the real word.
Call it what it is, you fucking coward.
Ge-no-cide, that's what it is!

This guy, this freaking guy, exposits his plan to reactivate the ultimate weapon to “eliminate” everyone who isn’t a member of Team Flare, humans and Pokémon alike, to return the world to a “beautiful, natural state”. Yeah, uh, the words he’s looking for are murder and genocide. On the sole basis that there are too many “unproductive fools” in the world who take advantage of the resources and do nothing to save the world. There’s so much to unpack here… Which brings me to my thesis:

Are Team Flare Nazis?

YES THEY FREAKING AR-

Take a step back, Nic! It’s not that clear-cut. God damn, they piss me off so much, it’s difficult for me to remain objective talking about them.

Would a "more beautiful world" really be
"beautiful" if it was achieved through mass
murder, though?

Okay, so what do we know about these guys? Let’s first talk about Lysandre and his whim of a “beautiful world”. A philanthropist turned misanthrope, soured from most of mankind after his inventions were used for bad endeavors. He’s angry at a vague definition of “people who take everything” from the world, whatever that could mean, while he deplores the lack of “people who give”. Oh, and he's a goddamn hypocrite; for his anger at "people who take", his plan involves taking damn near everything - including most of the lives in Kalos. He clearly thinks highly of himself, talking about his royal ancestry, and seems to believe that it validates his quest to commit atrocities.

5 millions for a fugly red suit and a haircut that
literally everyone else has in the group.
Totally worth it, amirite?

His group, Team Flare, is mostly made up of good-looking young adults who are also rich; the entrance fee to joining the Team is 5 million Pokédollars (~50,000$ USD) as we learn from someone at Lysandre Café. There’s no way a random person just has that much money lying around. They also think highly of themselves (gee, it’s almost like they’re supremacists or something) and seem fine with killing everybody else. Yes, humans AND Pokémon. Worst of all, even though they love to boast about their goals, nobody seems to take them seriously. And for all of Lysandre’s crusade against the selfish and the entitled, the members of Team Flare all seem to be pretty selfish and entitled. They all strike me as spoiled brats who still haven't had some sense knocked into them. Oh, and the “Holo Caster”? Team Flare has been spying on all the communications made through these devices.

Their plan amounts to genocide, swapping antisemitism for classism (subtext being that, since it costs so much to join them, Team Flare’s grunts basically want to kill everyone poorer than them). Plus, they have an “ideal” regarding the “perfect person” (not unlike the Nazis and their Aryans), or at least believe that only the beautiful may survive, which is a wider definition but still just as nasty. Though their plan moves along, no authority whatsoever thinks they're enough of a threat to react. Whereas Gym Leaders were active against Team Plasma in Pokémon Black & White, here you won’t see any Gym Leader, Elite 4 member, or the Champion even raise a finger to try to stop Team Flare.

And they look so proud of it, too.

Add to this that X and Y take place in a Pokémon version of France, and that Lysandre’s device is called a Holo Caster… Holocauster? Those are NOT accidents on Game Freak’s part, they knew exactly what they were doing. Now, in all fairness, Pokémon is still a franchise for children, so everything about Team Flare is considerably toned down compared to the much darker discourse that could be had. And although there are similarities to be found, there are enough differences to make this villainous group something that takes inspiration from History’s greatest monsters, while still being its own thing at the end of the day. So, Nazis? Not directly, though there are traits; therefore it’s fair to lump Team Flare in with all the other villainous groups in media that were inspired, more or less directly, by the Nazis.

I think what makes me hate them so much is that their vanity and their spite for anything less wealthy and less pretty unfortunately mirrors some real-life sentiments shared by a thankfully small number of people - and yes, that does include the "kill the poor" part. And Neo-Nazism is still a nasty social problem that we need to solve. Put those two together, and they hit closer to home than other Team in the franchise. And if I had the option, I’d skip the Pokémon battle and go Captain America on all of them. Punching Nazi-inspired villains is a long-time video game tradition, after all.

Speaking of, it’s time to storm their hideouts.

Inglourious Trayners

…man I wish. I wish I could go full Tarantino on these guys. Anyway…

Y'know, Gyarados feels strangely out of place
in this guy's team. Something's fishy.
Pun not intended.

Our first stop is the only obvious hideout for now: Lysandre Café. After battling thewaiters, we find the secret entrance to Lysandre Labs. Guess who’s waiting behind the door? Why, Lysandre himself. Sudden boss battle! The only notable members in his team are a male Pyroar and a Gyarados. He accepts defeat but leaves in an elevator. To follow him, the player will need to find the key, in the hands of one of the Scientists.

We’re not the only ones trying to stop them; so are Sina and Dexio, in superhero personas that make the South Park kids look professional in comparison. They say that they’re looking for a very tall guy that Team Flare is also after.

In another room, two more Scientists are waiting. Why am I not saying their names? Because they’re underdeveloped to the point of being interchangeable, which is a recurring problem with this villainous Team. Once beaten, they finally spill the beans: To activate the Ultimate Weapon from the 3,000 years old legend, they need a lot of electricity (hence why they messed with the power plant) as well as the life energy of a huge number of Pokémon.

Little teleportation pads, and squares that send
you spinning in one direction. Team Rocket
called, they want their shit back.

On the plus side, the cutscene retelling
AZ's story is gorgeous to watch.

We obtain the key to the elevator and go underground, where we find Lysandre talking to the weird tall guy we saw on Route 13, now locked behind bars. This guy is AZ, the King. We get the full backstory of this guy. His beloved Pokémon, a one-of-a-kind Floette, died in a war he was waging against another kingdom; he built a machine to bring it back to life. It worked, at the cost of the lives of several Pokémon, but the war had not ended. He turned the machine into a weapon and activated it, ending the war by wiping out both sides of the conflict. The Floette, horrified by the conditions of its revival and the King’s actions, fled. AZ has been searching for that Floette ever since; he also carried the key to the weapon around his neck, and Lysandre just took it.

Why didn't you just bury that thing somewhere
and forgot it ever existed?

One floor lower, we see Lysandre again, this time accompanied by Head Scientist Xerosic. After Lysandre leaves, we battle Xerosic. When defeated, he reveals two buttons at the back; one to activate the Weapon, one to turn it off. The Head Scientist gives YOU that option. But that doesn’t matter; even if you turn it off, he’ll remotely activate it anyway. And so, we’re treated to a cutscene of the Weapon rising from the Ground in Geosenge Town, toppling the wood cabins.

The real HQ

Ah yes, the "I've read Thomas Robert Malthus"
starter pack. Thanos bought exactly the same.

Off to Geosenge we Fly – the entrance to Flare HQ is now revealed. Serena arrives to help. Inside, deep underground, we hear Lysandre’s great plan. In short: For there to be enough resources for everyone, most humans must die. And Pokémon? They must ALL die, because they can be used as tools of war. Oh, and he has captured a Legendary Pokémon (Xerneas in X, Yveltal in Y) to provide all the remaining energy necessary to power the Weapon. Guess that’s why his team stole so many Pokéballs back at the factory. In hindsight, most of their smaller plans make sense towards their greater goals, but they are so underdeveloped and generic that we can’t even bring ourselves to give a damn about HOW these things all connect. I’m at the point where I just want this to be over with.

Not only I can, but I will.

We fight Lysandre again, and kick his ass. He cordially invites us to see the Legendary Pokémon shackled at the lowest floor of the HQ, and the player and their rival do – though they have to beat up some Admins in double battles on the way. For added surprise, Shauna shows up to lend a hand! And we’re glad she’s here, as she owns a tool that lets her open the electronic lock on the door leading to the Legendary. She also distracts the Admins behind the door by fleeing, reducing their numbers so we only have four to defeat before reaching the Legendary.

Ooooooooh... Aaaaaaaaah... Purdy.

The Pokémon then bursts out of containment, and we battle to catch it. The fight is scripted, you HAVE to capture it – if you knock it out, the fight starts over. You are also given the option to swap it into your team afterwards. And you might want it there, as Lysandre then walks in, dressed in a stupid suit with a visor and robot arms, and engages a third and final battle.

He looks equal parts like he put way too much
and really not enough work on a Doctor
Octopus cosplay.

I realized too late that the Let's Play I was using
for images was for Pokémon Y. Regardless,
once more, thanks for MunchingOrange
for it! (He included a few moments taken
from X, hence why I had a screenshot of
Xerneas above.)

Lysandre is a threatening boss, with four high-level Pokémon. His team consists of Mienshao, Honchkrow, Pyroar and a Mega Gyarados (Water/Dark). He is, notably, one of only three Trainers using a Mega, though it's implied his gear is forcing Gyarados to Mega Evolve. Oh, he’s tough alright… in Pokémon Y, anyway. Yveltal is also a Dark-type. However, Xerneas, a pure Fairy-type, is strong against Dark (Hochkrow, Gyarados) and Fighting (Mienshao), or 75% of his team. He is a JOKE in X, which is the version that I played. Hell, if your Pokémon are overleveled due to the Exp. Share, he might still be easy to defeat. Depending on the version and how prepared you are, his boss battle can be incredibly anticlimactic and disappointing.

At least it's not gonna kill anybody important.

Angry, Lysandre says that he has accumulated enough energy to fire the Ultimate Weapon once, and so the player, Shauna and Serena flee. The machine fires… and by a stroke of luck, its blast lands right back where it came from, destroying not only the weapon but also the underground HQ, causing a landslide that kills everyone (in Y) or traps them under rubble (in X). That distinction is important; in X, it’s heavily implied that by being so close to the Weapon when it fired, both Lysandre, his Team, and the heroes have been made immortal, just like AZ. However, whereas the heroes fled in time, the Flares are trapped down there… and still alive… possibly forever…

That’s still too kind of a comeuppance for these guys.

Let’s resume the adventure now

Not a lot of time to dwell on the results, but at least everyone helped – Tierno, Trevor, Sina and Dexio did their part outside of the HQ. Even a freed AZ comes by to see the crater left behind by the blast and landslide.

Professor... it would be an honor.

Time to go back to earning badges! On Route 18, we are introduced to the last new type of battle: Inverse Battles, where the effectiveness of type matchups is reversed. Cool idea, but only available here and nowhere else, so it isn’t really given a chance to shine. South is Couriway Town, where we have a surprise encounter with Professor Sycamore, who apologizes for Lysandre (no trouble, nobody could have foreseen what he would become), then thanks the player. Oh, and he challenges us to a Pokémon battle with the three Kanto starters, all evolved, at Level 50.

After winning this battle, we move on to Route 19. On it there’s a long, suspended wooden bridge, and this is where we meet our friends again: Shauna, Tierno and Trevor! Who all challenge the player to a Pokémon battle, in that order! This gives everyone a chance to see how much this adventure has made them grow. Aw, that’s so nice. Through the gate and we see the frozen Snowbelle City, where our destiny awaits: The eighth Gym. Unfortunately for us, Wulfric the Ice-type specialist is in the Winding Woods at the moment, so we’ll have to fetch him if we want this final badge.

After this heavy part, it's great to meet
nice people again.

Also known as Route 20, these Woods are a maze, but they lead to an area called the Pokémon Village, where Pokémon who ran away from abusive Trainers get to live in peace. Wulfric is indeed there. After presenting himself, the Gym Leader heads back to Snowbelle to properly challenge the player. Well, back to the city we go.

How about we conclude this in Part 4?