Yay,
more progress[/url]! I'm currently at Lavender Town, equivalent to the end of part 7 of the SDA run. In-game time is 52 minutes, which makes it a whopping 24 minutes faster than the SDA run at this point! My confidence in being able to pull out a sub-2 hour run is beginning to rise.. Most of the time saved between this WIP and the last one came from avoiding 6 trainer fights in the Rock Cave.
Also, after watching a good bit more of the SDA run, it seems I've greatly underestimated the value of Dig. It does work in buildings as well - it seems anywhere that's not outdoors and has trainers in it can be Dug out of, and like Teleport it takes you all the way back to the last Pokemon center you visited. This will make Teleport not quite as valuable as I originally thought.. I'll have to think about it.
Summing everything up, after looking everything through this appears to be the route I'll be taking in the final run (some parts will require testing though, correct me if there's something here that I can't do in this particular order):
- Start the game, take Squirtle as starter
- Take a mad dash through the first part of the game, not healing and surviving on just new abilities learnt naturally up until I reach Cerulean City. Either in Pewter or Cerulean I buy four Pokeballs (I'll need to determine which is closer). First (Pidgey/Spearow) and (Bellsprout/Paras) I meet after this point that's not out of the way I catch - these will be my Fly and Cut slaves, respectively.
- Enter the Cerulean Pokemon center, healing and setting the Dig/Teleport point there
- Go north and run through the massive gauntlet of trainers to get to Bill's house, catching an Abra along the way. After I pick up the SS Anne ticket and exit Bill's house, Teleport back to the Cerulean City Pokemart.
- Fight the Rocket that stole the Dig TM, teach Dig to Wartortle (replaces Tail Whip), then head south toward Vermilion.
- Pick up the Bike Voucher, then head to the SS Anne and fight Rival, then get Cut HM. Walk all the way off boat, watch unnecessarily long cutscene, then Teleport back to Cerulean.
- Get the Bike, defeat Misty to get Badge 2 and Bubblebeam TM, then teach Cut to Cut slave, Bubblebeam to Wartortle (replaces Bubble), then head to Vermilion while cutting down tree in southern part of Cerulean.
- Defeat Lt. Surge to get Badge 3, Dig back to Cerulean.
- Head east out of Cerulean (Cut tree south of town then use eastern path, cut down second tree blocking path), then go through path and through Rock Tunnel to enter Lavender. Heal at Pokemon Center, also setting Teleport/Dig point to Lavender Town.
- Continue along path to the west, going through underground tunnel to get to Celadon City.
- Go immediately into department store, pick up a Pokedoll and two bottles of Fresh Water. Give one to the little girl to pick up Ice Beam TM (use on Wartortle, replaces Water Gun).
- Go west of town and pick up Fly HM. Teach to Fly slave. Fly back to Celadon.
- Head to western part of town and defeat Erika to pick up Badge 4. Dig out of Gym back to Lavender Town.
- Go up Pokemon Tower (around here, Wartortle will probably evo to Blastoise), using Pokedoll on the Ghost to reveal it without needing Silph Scope, defeat/run from it to move it out of the way. Continue toward the top, saving the old man and picking up the Pokeflute. Fly back to Celadon City.
- Head west again, play Pokeflute to awaken Snorlax blocking Cycling Road, capturing it with the final Pokeball (this will be my Strength slave). Continue on, going allllll the way down Cycling Road to Fuchsia City.
- Here's where it gets a little tricky, the order of these next three actions may be shuffled around a bit.. First, go to Safari Zone and pick up the Gold Teeth and the Surf HM (teach to Blastoise, replaces Bubblebeam). Fly back to Fuchsia City. Second, go into the Gym and defeat Koga for Badge 5. Finally, go back out and go a bit to the east and give back the Gold Teeth to the Warden to get the Strength HM (goes onto Strength slave). Fly back to Celadon/Lavender (whichever one will get me to Silph Co tower fastest) and head into Saffron City by giving the guard the other water bottle.
- Head up through the loooooooong Silph Co tower, getting the Master Ball (which I won't use anyways) and access to the Saffron Gym. Defeat Sabrina for Badge 6. Dig out of Gym, then Fly back to Pallet Town.
- Surf downward to Cinnabar Island and enter the abandoned building to get the Secret Key, then straight into the Gym and defeat Blaine for Badge 7. Dig out of Gym, then Fly back to Viridian City.
- Defeat Giovanni for Badge 8, Dig out of Gym, then Fly back to Viridian City. Head east toward Victory Road.
- Travel through Victory Road, use any Rare Candies I may have obtained, heal for the final time at the Pokemon Center at Indigo Plateau, then go up to fight the Elite 4 + 1.
- Sit back and enjoy the ending.
Anyways, if there are any questions/comments, as always, fire away..