Gym Leader #5: Norman - Pokemon Emerald

Gym Leader #5: Norman - Normal

Norman has four Pokemon; Spinda, Vigoroth, Linoone & Slaking. His gym is interesting; you will get the choice on which trainers in the gym you want to battle. Each room has one trainer in it who has one Pokemon, but in the battle, they will use one item depending on their room: X Speed, X Accuracy, X Defence, Hyper Potion, Dire Hit, etc.. Battle your way through the room to make it to Norman's room.

Spinda

Level: 27

Type: Normal

Ability: Own Tempo

Attacks: Teeter Dance, Psybeam, Facade & Encore

Weakness: Fighting

Strategy: Don't bother uses status inflicting moves as you will probably get stuck into using it continuously because of Encore, as Facade will be doubled in power. Teeter Dance will also confuse you so try and avoid it.

Vigoroth

Level: 27

Type: Normal

Ability: Vital Spirit

Attacks: Slash, Facade, Encore & Faint Attack

Weakness: Fighting

Strategy: Same with Vigoroth, hit hard to avoid Encore. Slash & Facade can be really annoying as it will ripe through your team quickly.

Linoone

Level: 29

Type: Normal

Ability: Pickup

Attacks: Slash, Belly Drum, Facade & Headbutt

Weakness: Fighting

Strategy: Belly Drum will half the HP of Linoone but give a large boost to it's Attack Stat. Paired with Headbutt, Facade & Slash, Linoone can tear though your team quiet unexpectedly.

Slaking

Level: 31

Type: Normal

Ability: Truant

Attacks: Counter, Yawn, Facade & Faint Attack

Weakness: Fighting

Strategy: Slaking's ability forces it to "loaf around" for every other turn, meaning it can only attack half of the time. This can work in your favor, if you have a Pokemon with the move Protect, you can protect yourself from Slaking's Attack and then hit when it is loafing around. If not, Slaking can be tricky, the move Counter will always go second but gives twice the damage you did in that turn, which can be really annoying. Yawn will put you to sleep after a second turn & Facade is a strong attack which will double in power if status inflicted. Just hit hard and fast, freezing or making Slaking fall asleep would also be a good tactic.

Once you defeat Norman you will get TM 42 Facade and the Balance Badge.

The Normal Gym & New Mauville (Update 6/5/19)

In Pokemon Emerald, I went back to Petalburg City to defeat the Norman Gym, and got HM03 Surf from Wally's Dad; then surfed along Route 105, Route 106 & Route 107 to gain some extra experience. I then went to Mauville City and met up with Wattson who gave told me to turn off the generator of the underground New Mauville, which he gave me TM24 Thunderbolt in return, which I then realised that none of my Pokemon can learn anyways... Afterwards I went along Route 118 & Route 119, where I defeated the Mimic Circle. Onwards I walked, towards the Weather Institute where I defeated Team Aqua & in return for saving the scientists I was rewarded a Castform. While crossing the next bridge my Wynaut Egg hatched and then I defeated May once again.

In Pokemon Go, I was able to evolve my Turtwig into a Grotle.

Infinite Number Of Realities - Trials Rising: Sixty Six DLC

Travel to a different reality in "Ghost Town" - 10

This is done on the track: "Ghost Town" - Michigan, USA

I recommend using the Rhino or the Mantis

You need to make it to Checkpoint 2, where you will break through some wooden door onto a ramp. As you go up the ramp you will see a moose head on the wall in front of you. You need to bail and grab onto the moose's head until the eyes glow purple. Then you need to continue to Checkpoint 3, where you will do a loop-the-loop, slow down and drop to the floor before the ramp to make it into a shack with a trap door which is glowing purple. Drop down the trap door and you will be transported to another reality. You need to ride hard and fast to make each jump as the world will be spinning around and shifting where the platforms are going to be.

At the of the other reality there is a Sixty Six Squirrel is waiting for you. Continue along the platform where you will be fired out of a pipe at Checkpoint 5.

Michigan has the highest number of "ghost towns" per square mile than any other state in America. One of the ghost towns is called Clifton, which was vastly populated because of the copper mines, but where the mines dried up, the ghost was left deserted in 1845.

Clifton Copper Mine

Spelunker - Trials Rising: Sixty Six DLC

Navigate the underground caves of "The Petrified Forest" - 10

This is done on the track: "The Petrified Forest" - Arizona, USA

I recommend using the Mantis.

At the start of the track, you need to reverse backwards into the entrance of an abandoned mineshaft. Where you need to roll backwards off the ledge onto another ledge below, then slowly go forward off the edge onto another ledge. Then backwards onto the ledge below that. Another forwards onto the ledge below that. And then forwards onto the ledge below that one. And backwards onto the ledge below. And lastly, forwards onto the last ledge below.

You can then pick up a Sixty Six Squirrel which is waiting for you, continuing out off the cave you will magically appear at Checkpoint 1.

The Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona has been made famous for the Petrified Logs, Fossils and Geological Rock Formations. Petrified Wood is a fossilized log or tree which has all of the organic structure replaced by rock over hundreds of thousands of years.

Petrified Log

Beat the Heat - Trials Rising: Sixty Six DLC

Brave the burning building in "The Windy City" - 10

This is done on the track: "The Windy City" - Chicago, USA

I recommend choosing the Mantis or the Helium

You need to make to Checkpoint 9, as soon as you go up the large ramp, slow down and drop down to the ground and go through a burning doorway. You will then make it inside the burning building where you have to make it across to the otherside of the room. This part of the track is made up of weak breakable wooden platform. As soon as your wheels touch the wooden platform it will break about 2 seconds later. So you need to be quick and controlled to make to the other side.

There is a Sixty Six Squirrel waiting for you at the end, continue through the large air duct while blasts you out on Checkpoint 11.

The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 was one of the most devastating fires in American History. The fire was caused by the O'Leary Family by accidentally knocking over a lantern, helped by the long summer of that year. 

The Great Chicago Fire

Graduating Trials & Route 66 Squirrels (Update 5/5/19)

In Trials Rising, I was able to collect all 14 Sixty Six Squirrels, which gave me 60 Gamerscore, over 4 Achievements. I was also able to get a Grade B or better on all of the University of Trials Tracks, which gave me another 10 Gamerscore.

Perfection #18 - The Grand Tour Game

The Grand Tour Game follows the episodes of Amazon Prime Exclusive, The Grand Tour. Playing through as Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond & James May on their petrol-fuelled adventures around the globe in tonnes of different cars. You race around the show's very own Eboladrome as well as multiple locations with various different challenges on each level, including; time trials, item collection & multiplayer races.

Now I can start the honest part... I'm going to lie but next to all of the cars handle like crap, and the game's graphics and gameplay feels like it was originally designed for mobile. The AI catch up is Super Mario Kart Style annoying, unless you aren't in first place where everyone in front of you will brake so you have a better chance for you to overtake them. 95% of the challenges are really easy to complete, but there are a couple of challenges which feel impossible, and then you hate yourself retrying because is that bad to play, so you end up just being really annoyed so you can just get past the level and stop playing the game.

I ended up getting all 215 Gold Medal in all Scenes of all of the episodes. I was also able to get all of the Achievements, worth a total of 1,545 Gamerscore. I won 50 Races as all 4 Playable Characters, as well as got all of the Power-Up Achievement Requirements.

Difficulty: 5/10

Time to complete: 30 Hours to 100%

Overall Enjoyment: 6/10