LOG ENTRY: THE ALUMINUM ANOMALY
Day 1. I’ve dropped into the Epico Region. My Pokedex is malfunctioning—or rather, it's hyperventilating. The sensors are picking up over 380 unidentified biological signatures. We aren't in Kanto anymore. The local Professor, Canary, handed me a starter, but my eyes are glued to the scanner. Fakemon. Regional variants. A supposed "??? Type"? My completionist anxiety is spiking. If these entities don't have proper Dex entries, I’m going to lose my mind.
THE CATCHABILITY INDEX
I immediately attempted to map the fauna distribution. The region claims to be semi-open world, which is a double-edged sword for a hunter like me. Freedom is nice, but structure guarantees capture chains. The sheer volume of new species (380+) is staggering. I’ve spotted custom shinies in the wild—the palette swaps are distinct, not just lazy hue shifts. Living Dex is possible without cheats. At least, that's the theory. With a roster this bloated and experimental, I'm constantly terrified of a database crash.
NOTE: The local criminal syndicate, "Team Ubers", is threatening to shut down Pokemon Showdown. It's meta-commentary manifested as a physical threat. If they delete the servers, where will I upload my save files?
QUALITY OF LIFE (OR LACK THEREOF)
Here is the good news: I haven't touched a Hidden Machine since I arrived. The local tech allows for traversal without wasting a move slot on Cut or Rock Smash. This is optimal. Furthermore, every Pokemon Center is equipped with a Name Rater and Move Relearner. This streamlines the optimization process significantly. I don't have to fly back to a specific town to fix a moveset.
However, the version stamp on this reality reads v0.1. This is a massive red flag for anyone attempting a 100% run. I encountered several texture anomalies and the "Completed" status of this world feels... tenuous. Missable event warning! Save before entering the cave. I found myself soft-locked once near a cliff edge and lost 40 minutes of encounter data.
FINAL TALLY
The pacing is erratic. You are fighting for the future of competitive battling simulators, which is high stakes for a nerd like me, but the world itself feels like it's still under construction. The "semi-open" nature means level scaling can get weird. I spent way too much time grinding on low-level Fakemon just to fill a page.
100% completion took me 35 hours. But that's with significant wandering and trying to decipher which Fakemon evolves into what. It's a fever dream of a region. Play it for the curiosity of the new species, but don't expect the stability of a Unbound or Radical Red.
