[COMPLETE] Let's Play Pokemon Snakewood! (HD Remix)

Rainbow Chara X · May 2, 2023

Oh goodness, what do we have here?

Pokemon Snakewood is a Ruby rom hack released in 2010 or so by a man called Cutlerine. It's a hack where Hoenn is overrun with zombies and the entire region is falling apart. When I first saw this, I thought it was going to be rad because the concept was promising. However, from either trying too much or trying too hard, Cutlerine's hack manages to get really... weird. I mean it's all over the place.

Ever since then, I've been enchanted by Snakewood's strangeness but I've never quite tried it myself. By the way, this is the first screenshot let's play I've ever done and it was inspired by the likes over at the LP Archive.

So buckle your safety belts, fellow PC members, because this is going to be a rollercoaster of crazy.

2023 NOTE: I used to have these let's plays of mine uploaded on my blog here, but the images and formatting broke. So I figured it would be best to just re-do the chapters and clean them up a bit since the original prints were made in 2015 + a thread is a much better place to put all of the chapters together. That, and you all will be getting more content this time around.

CHAPTER LIST FAST TRAVEL:

Spoiler:

Chapter 1 - Whisper of Hell

Spoiler:

Upon starting the game, we are greeted by Birch and his beard. We also learn that our character is an amnesiac.

It's always that trope, huh.

Birch sends out a Bulbasaur... that doesn't look quite right. (and doesn't sound quite right as it makes the Azurill noise).

Narration: "But that Pokemon looks strange... I think something very very odd has happened... Is it just my memory playing tricks on me, or is that Pokemon I just remembered... dead?"

"That can't be right, surely? Pokemon don't die, they just faint and lose the will to fight, right?"

I'll admit, this intro is cool. It's setting up the sequence of events nicely. Now we get the choice for our two main heroes.

Oh no.

Our two main characters are not very appealing, as the male is an angry-looking Dante ripoff while the hot pink sweater on the girl is laughable at best. Not only that, the default names are so edgy I almost cut myself on them.

Wraith, Shade, Dark and Eye (???) for the male option
Ghost, Haunt, Jericho and Loba for the female option

Since I have at least some form of class, I went with this instead. Because he looks like a Jack to me more than anything else.

"No, but seriously you should leave."

Expect more of this humor, by the way. Especially when it's trying to be serious.

[fade to black]

Whoa.

What happened to Littleroot? It's nothing but rubble.

Also, since this is a still image, imagine the screen shaking before making a truck-stopping noise since it's still using part of the in-game intro. I'll give Cutlerine credit for chopping out the rest of the intro, though.

Let's go read that sign on the bottom.

... Christ. Now we have a mood going. Let's see how long it lasts, though.

Head over to the left, and we have some Pokeballs. These are your starters for the game!

The top is Claydol (rotating on its own axis), the left is Koffing (spewing toxic fumes) and the one Jack is standing in front of is Paras (ill health).

Since I like Paras a bit more than the other two, I went with him. I was going to name him Reginald based off of Haydunn's Nuzlocke of this game, but feh. I like Reggie better. Also, once you choose a Pokemon from these three, you can't get more.

: ("Ya, mon! I'm happy to help ya out.")

"After all, you're not a crook... are you?"

Excuse me? We are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The region is in chaos. The town is nothing but ruins. There is nobody else here. Having more Pokemon equals better chances to survive. So why god tell me are you chastising me for trying to get more than one?!

I'll be a crook however I want, thank you!

...Well, moving on. We make our way towards the route ahead only to hear:

"AAAAAAAH! H-help! Someone!"

It's Birch being attacked by a zombie! Well shit, I'm glad we got here just in time then.

Dude, I was just trying to see how close I can get without getting my face chewed off. I wasn't trying to run away, chill.

Hey, what's up bruh.

Zombie Kid Liam, huh? I should mention this little blue putz has the Team Aqua/Magma battle theme playing right now like he's some hot shot.

B... Boilbasaur. All of the zombie Pokemon in this hack have "punny" names but a lot of them are just really dumb. I should that none of the zombie Pokemon are able to be captured in the wild, barring two special exceptions. You'll know when we get there.

Reggie scratches it to death with little effort regardless.

So defeating the Pokemon somehow destroys the zombie trainer as well? I'm not complaining, good riddance. At the very least, they're not Return of the Living Dead zombies.

* shudder *

Birch says that he knows us and that we're the older brother of Landon, who is now married to May. He also asks us if we know anything about the zombie plague, but our hero just goes:

Oh, what a card this man is.

Seriously though, I don't care if you have amnesia. I wouldn't forget something as big as THE DEAD COMING BACK FROM THEIR GRAVES.

Anyway, the good professor leads us to Oldale.

This Pokecenter is where we wind up, and the two guys in green are guarding the way. So far I like how Snakewood is progressing in regards of zombie apocalypse story.

Before we go outside though, let me bend time and space for this special occasion.

~~(Inputs gameshark codes loudly)~~

Ta-dah!

Now we have a new friend. Since I wanted to be a bit naughty, I put in a code to get Kirlia much earlier than I'm supposed to. And trust me, we're going to need Bella's help for this venture cause Snakewood is going to pile-drive you until you scream uncle.

This should also be the extent of the cheating as I'm confident I can beat Snakewood with what I get. Unless it's a very special occasion. Scout's honor.

Future Dan: Dude, you have no idea how important this one decision you made is. Also:

--

2023 EDITION NOTE - Red Emeras (

) mark scenes or dialogue that are not in the actual game.

--

(

)

[A Kirlia spontaneously teleports into the room and face-plants onto the floor. She looks up and observes the room.]

[Current OST for LP scene: Illusionary World]

: ("Where...? Where am I?")

: "Huh?! What's a Kirlia doing here? It's not a zombie... is it?"

: ("How dare you! I am a perfectly normal Gar--")

: ("... Wait. Zombie?! What part of the world did I end up in?")

: "You're in the Hoenn region. I don't know what's happening either, but apparently corpses are coming back up as flesh-eating monsters. It's looking like armageddon out there."

: ("How horrible!")

: ("N-no... Please don't tell me this was part of their plan...")

: "What're you talking about?"

[The strange Kirlia looks over Jack and sighs]

: [Thinking to herself] ("He doesn't look like a very reliable human. Smells a bit too. But still... better than nothing, at least.")

: ("You're a trainer, yes? What do you say to teaming up? If things are as dire as you say, then we can't afford to make any mistakes.")

: "Not a bad plan, actually. A strong psychic type like yourself might be exactly what we needed. You can call me Jack. Should I give you a nickname or... ?"

: ("Call me Bellamine.")

: "Ooh. Pleased to meet you, then."

[Bellamine curtsies to him]

: ("Likewise. If we're going to work together, we may as well make it painless.")

: "Let's go kick some ass, then."

--
Extra note: I will be using sprites from the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Sprite Repository to better show off the emotions of my Pokemon when I write scenes, as originally I was limited to what was in the actual games + had to rip portraits directly from the 3DS games for Pokemon that existed past Gen 4.

You can find the credits for the people who made each portrait at the bottom of each update, below the Team Set-Up.
--

Upon going to the left, we're greeted with this guy.

"To be let out on your own! So stay away!"

Dude, I'm bootleg Dante. I'm pretty sure I can still leave everything in my way a bloodied pulp. You want a demonstration?

This is a bit of a baldfaced lie as there are Pokemart employees in some other towns... but thanks for the Light Potion anyway.

Let's go inside the Pokemart to see what might have changed.

Oh damn, another zombie. Let's get 'em!

... Ah. No need to fear - she's apparently too distracted by shopping to be a real threat. Move along, then.

Ooh, a vending machine!

I'm parched. Let's get some water.

But how did it even... oh, who cares.
What's worse is that you can give this to one of your Pokemon and it actually heals them up! Isn't that great?

We head up north to Route 103 where Birch is waiting for us.

Excellent question, Jack.

"And our entire families vanish without trace, there is still time for science!"

Jack is thinking what we're all thinking.

"And yet... here is a nest, complete with an Egg!"

I have several questions.

Yeah, time's a wasting when the undead horde is right behind you!

"That Eggs only hatch when taken around with other Pokemon."

That only raises further questions.

: "But what about the parent Pokemon?"

: "I don't see any, do you?"

Way to be a dick, prof. That said, the egg will be much safer in our hands than leaving it for some cadaver to smash it open.

"I also wanted to talk to you about the zombies."

: "Seems like nobody wants to talk about anything else."

: "Yes, quite."

I would imagine people want to talk about them given that society is about to collapse, if it hasn't already.

Anyway, Birch is telling us that Landon is the League Champion and that he and May went to look for the source of the zombies. Since they never came back, Birch wants Jack to look for them not only because they're family but also because since Landon is the Champion, he can beat back the zombies no problem. Jack is skeptical.

: "The same person who vanished without a trace when he went to beat back the zombies."

"It's the best we got. So! Will you go?"

Jack is just like "OK" and is told to go to Petalburg.

Granted, we can't really knock Birch's plan because he knows we have magical protagonist plot armor. If we were playing a Nuzlocke though, it'd be a different story.

Oh this man.

Birch tells us that he's going to get the PC connection up and running so he can contact more survivors. While he's at it, he gives us a Poke Phone so he can contact us directly. As Birch leaves, we make our way back towards Oldale until we come across a new face.

Oh. Hello, random lady who is obviously not a villain.

"You must be pretty weak-willed. But I suppose I could use the experience from thrashing you."

I don't think anybody will notice if we add one more casualty to the pile. Let's do this.

The fight itself is nothing special. Reggie scratches while the Sneasel taunts.

HOWEVER, there's something very interesting with this Mon right here. See, when Cutlerine was editing Pokemon for this hack, he changed around a lot of stuff.

Primarily, this "Sneasel" is not actually Sneasel. It is actually Mawile with a Sneasel makeover. I inputted a bunch of wild encounter gameshark codes before doing this let's play to see what was changed, and much to my surprise the original Sneasel slate is still Sneasel.

Future Dan: I find it even more interesting in retrospect because I used Gen 3 Suite to hack in certain members for later let's plays, and I still can't quite grasp what Cutlerine's reasoning was here. Maybe it was to add Weavile into the game or something - remember, this hack was made back in 2010.

Useless trivia aside, the cloaked dingus goes down without much of a fight.

Nah, not really. Paras always has an Oran Berry equipped, so unless you got a critical hit, this fight was pretty much mine.

"I ought to tell you my name so you can tremble the next time you hear it. It's Alicia. Now let me pass!"

Pffffffffffft. Whatever you say, Alicia.

: "Well, that was unpleasant. Hope I never get to see her again."

Something in my gut tells me this won't just be any normal zombie apocalypse... but that's beside the point. See you guys then.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Team setup:

(Reggie, level 5,

/

) - "That Alicia really be boiling my blood there! She wants these claws, she'll be getting 'em!"

(Bellamine, level 3,

) - "Oh Rubus, I hope you're alright..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portrait credits:
- Reggie (Paras & Parasect – Non-standard sprites are made by jackolanternjackalope. Parasect doesn't have any new portraits so he doesn't get a change.)
- Bellamine (Kirlia & Gardevoir – Non-standard sprites are made by JFain and Ichor)

Rainbow Chara X · May 3, 2023

Things are pretty eventful this episode! Let's break it down.

Chapter 2 - We're Going Places

Spoiler:

We find our hero Jack contemplating what to do with his life regarding all of this zombie apocalypse nonsense.

That is, until he sees a horrible sight: zombie singles in our area!

I mean, a boy in peril! He rushes in to the rescue!

OH MY GOD!

It's like you just took a bunch of white and black, slapped it onto the Lass sprite and called it a day. Like what the hell, man? I thought the main heroes were pretty dopey looking, but this is legitimately awful.

She sends out a Polihag (groan) but it only does Bubble. Reggie does what he does best.

Oh no. Consider this a taste of what is coming up ahead. Anyway, switching to Bella.

It's just a green Charmander with red eyes. That's not a zombie. That's a recolor that needs some Clear Eye. Either way, Bellamine smears his body against the curb with Confusion.

Damn it, I need some Clear Eye after looking at that sprite again.

B... but I thought she was a ghost? Make up your mind, Cutlerine!

Hey, thanks!

I actually needed those so I wouldn't have to speed up all the time. But wait a second.

: "What a crappy flashback."

Agreed. But we get the Running Shoes now! Also, expect Jack to get flashback headaches like those a lot. It's part of the Amnesiac Struggle (tm), I'm afraid.

Oh no, not another one of you. This fight is unavoidable even if you offscreen her, as she will still walk over to you. It's dumb. Also, insert innuendo here because I used it up with the last one.

Jesus. Now that's a zombie. Poor Marill looks kind of creepy here with the soulless eyes and the blood. I don't know why it would just turn orange all of a sudden, but maybe it's something to do with Marill skin putrefying or nonsense like that.

Anyway, with that eyesore out of the way, let's go talk to the fine fellow over at the corner.

"This zombie is clearly eating but you don't feel like seeing exactly what it is."

... Let's leave him alone, then.

Let's get some food of our own. Also, since this picture needs some more pizzazz I should mention that the zombified Pokemon are actually no different than their regular counterparts.

Sorry to spoil, but a majority of them don't have additional/changed types nor are they that much stronger than how they normally are. They're just edited to be a bit "spookier" looking, and that's really it.

2023 Dan Addon: I feel decompilation would be amazing towards making an actual awesome Pokemon zombie hack where there's zombie versions without having to take up slots of existing Pokemon. Maybe even an infection mechanic, though that might be out of scope for rom hacks.

... I immediately feel out of my league. Let's not touch those two for right now.

Go south of there and you get this.

I have no idea what the Broken Heart item is. Its description is "One of many the plague has left in Hoenn" but I have no idea what its effect is. Maybe it's like a selling item. I don't know.

Anyway, since the zombie blocking the way is pretty strong, let's go on a bit of a grinding session. It ends with Reggie learning Stun Spore, along with two new additions to the team.

; ("Oh thank goodness, a living trainer! Please take me with you, nya!!")

: ("Take me along too! I was itching for adventure way before this zombie thing happened.")

Meet Zagon the Zigzagoon and Alice the Skitty. Zagon is not immediately useful, but trust me she becomes a beast later on. Alice, however, is more immediately useful but might not be so important later on. Either way, they're both welcomed with open arms.

Now that the party's a few levels stronger, let's do this.

RUDE CRUDE DUDES ALERT

Guys, seriously. Watch out for this dude. He will rip you apart with little effort, considering his high level and the fact he knows Ember. If Reggie tried to fight him right now, he would have been dead on arrival. If you're playing a Nuzlocke of this hack, be really goddamn careful as this Charmander can probably end your streak prematurely. (although why you'd do a nuzlocke of this game to begin with is a very interesting question)

No need to fear, as Bellamine puts him in his place. Thatta girl.

The person coming up after the ghost girl (???) is this kid. Unlike her however, Allen here is an absolute putz. He has two Boilbasaurs that get dumped out by Bellamine in no time flat.

What exactly are these words the zombies are saying? Cause I think that was a foreign curse word. You sassin' me, boy?

Ah! We're finally at Petalburg and... it's gone to hell, I'm afraid. Let's ask that lady over there to see if she can help u--

... Of course. This pun is lame too. I don't know why zombification would turn Squirtle into this copper-like form like he's a melting caramel bar. Damn, now I'm hungry. Anyway, once that's dealt with, let's make our way towards the house to our south.

Doesn't look that bad. I should mention that none of the music in this game has been modified to sound spookier, so the bright and happy Petalburg theme is still playing like normal.

"This woman appears to have had her legs gnawed off, which accounts as to why her corpse is still on this chair."

... Oh. That's gruesome. Cutlerine's at his best when he's writing horror, let's not kid ourselves.

Anyway, we make our way towards the gym until we see a bag on the ground.

It's essentially the Pokecenter of this town, and I'm grateful. I'm not going back to Oldale just to recover wounds.

"It's impossible to enter. The doors are firmly wedged shut by a pile of skulls and stuff."

Damn. What even happened here? How did the zombies overtake everybody this messily?

Another person that doesn't have the green skin recolor disease!

: "Yes, how do you know that?"

Person: "You look like your brother. Are you going after him?"

He... does?

: "Of course."

Person: "Then will you bring peace and put the dead back in their graves?"

: "... Sure, whatever."

... Well, that was a thing. Goodbye, random NPC that existed for only one scene.

Let's go into that house, actually.

Oh sweet!

That crate contains an infinite amount of Potions for you to take, free of charge. Although it should make you really suspicious about the road ahead if a level 9 zombie Charmander is what they throw at you right out of the gate...

"Perhaps it's the salty sea air."

If saltwater and the sea air are the primary weaknesses of the zombies (along with just beating the guts out of them), then they chose the literal worst region to make a Zombie Apocalypse happen.

Speaking of the beach...

We get jumped by this guy.

Hey genius, you were the one that attacked me. I didn't even want your stupid items anyway.

"I've lost everything. The zombies ate my family and destroyed my home. What little I had left was stolen by looters. Sob... sob..."

... Well damn.

"I'm trying to extract some salt from the seawater. If a zombie comes in contact with salt, they turn back into a corpse. Haitian legend said so."

Huh. I'm interested in this concept and while it cripples the already not-that-hard-to-kill undead, it's a nice idea.

"I just tried to get Mr. Briney to take me to Dewford because it's an island and zombies can't cross running water. But Mr. Briney tried to eat me!

Oh. Moving on.

Yeah, get out of the way. You're just experience fodder anyway.

We're at the woods now and I just gotta say. If you don't train here, you're going to have a bad time.

Our first encounter in the woods is Lyle here. Despite the smug look on his face, he's actually fighting us so we don't get ourselves killed from the zombies. He's actually a nice guy, even if his method is a bit backward.

: "... I'll be fine, okay."

Jack is the last person I expect to die in this story. Lyle, you're higher up on the hit list due to being a random NPC.

We go to our right here and we meet Larry the Looter. Larry here is actually an impromptu Mart and a friendly guy. He sells us stuff. That makes him a winner in my eyes.

I decided to do a bit more grinding to prepare for the next big fight. And while I was at it -

: ("Am I glad to meet you! Me and my siblings got separated when my buddy told us to run in here. I hope he's alright.")

Our hero of the evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Now the team consists of -

Reggie (Paras, Male, Modest nature)
Bellamine (Kirlia, Female, Rash nature)
Egg the Egg (??????????????????)
Zagon (Zigzagoon, Female, Lax nature)
Alice (Skitty, Female, Jolly nature)
and now Ambes (Pikachu, Male, Quirky nature)

I think we can coast through the zombies with this team, even if natures will mean absolutely nothing to me later on.

Right now though, we have to deal with some trouble!

Oh no, here we go.

Yeeeeesh. They're actually kind of terrifying. And trust me, if you didn't take precautions this fight will end you. Which is why I did this.

: ("Hey there, stud~")

ALICE EWWW NOOO

This is messed up in so many ways.

... But what can I say. She's a maneater.

Seriously though if this was Reggie or Bellamine, they would have both died horribly.

RUDE CRUDE DUDES ALERT #2

You thought the Charmander from before was bad? This guy is an utter nightmare. Despite his dopey looking gold appearance, Dirtkrow here will tear your soul out and eat it. He will make mincemeat out of all of your Pokemon - especially if you choose Paras. Hence why finding Pikachu in this segment is absolutely necessary.

2023 Dan Addon: Cut to Scarlet and Violet. "Murkrow is overpowered" suddenly becomes a lot less hilarious or more depending on your stance.

My hero.

Yeah, suck a chode.

"We demons may possess corpses but we are honorable. You have defeated me, and so I will warn you that stronger demons than I lurk ahead in the city you call Rustboro."

oh that ain't good

Huh. That's convenient.

Oh, is Jack going to have a flashback?

[The screen darkens a bit]

Landon: "This Stone Badge raises the Attack of my Pokemon. I got it from the Gym Leader Roxanne!"

: "Urrghhh... That flashback hurt my brain. But I remember where these come from. These Gym Badges - the Gym Leaders have them. And the Gym Leaders are strong... So what could have possibly happened to Rustboro that even the Gym Leader was defeated? I'd better investigate - with extreme caution."

Oh ho, the plot thickens! I don't know if I've said this by now, but I like Jack. The two main characters, despite getting the silliest default names, are actually the most down-to-earth characters of the entire thing. They're nice to watch and their reactions are appropriate.

"I'm going to die... I can feel the poison chilling my blood and turning my brain to soup. Urgh..."

Oh **** is he going to turn into a zombie? Cause if so, bring it on!

... Never mind. May he rest in... peace?

Anyway, that's all for this update. Next time we tackle Rustboro and see just what the hell happened to Hoenn.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team setup:

(Reggie,

,

/

) - "Sweet lion of Zion, that brother would've killed me if I went out. Thanks for taking my place, Ambes."

(Bellamine,

,

) - "Alice, please never do that again." *shivers*

(Alice,

,

) - "You're just jealous of my natural good looks."

(Ambes,

,

) - "I sure hope Big Sis got away in time..."

(Zagon,

,

) - "Can you teach me how to do that, Alice?"

(Egg the Egg,

) - Currently hatching

POST-EDIT Dan: This was the start of the 100 screenshots per chapter formula that would later go on to be a staple of my LPs. Funny how this "whopper" turned out to be standard procedure by later chapter standards.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portrait Credits:

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 3, 2023

It's so fascinating seeing people who never knew screenshot let's plays are a thing.

Context: There was someone who found the original version of this let's play from a while back and used it as a reference in their video essay about Snakewood as a guide of sorts. For me it was a culture shock moment, cause this was the only method I had to record gameplay without using... well, actual video recording equipment. I was pretty broke back then.

Chapter 3 - An Ace Takes Flight

Spoiler:

I neglected to show this Ether last update. It's cool that there's PP restoration items hanging around, but they fall into the "too cool to use" club for me.

I had also forgotten to give this fine chap the time of day.

This line out of context is somehow even more disgusting than the actual context.

Anyway, a quick demonology note - Andromalius is the 72nd Earl of Hell. He is depicted as a man holding a serpent and is responsible for punishing thieves along with exposing evil and dishonest dealings. All of the possessed corpse enemies in this game reference an Ars Goetian demon, which is cool and all but if they're not important to the story then they're just fodder.

However, he does have a very interesting Pokemon.

Would you look at that. An evil egg.

But seriously though, the Secretegg series of Fakemon are actually the most complex Pokemon in this entire hack. They have the most evolutions out of any Pokemon (outside of Eevee, which I don't think is in this) and all of them are pretty crazy. You can level it up normally, but at a certain point if you give it an Elemental Stone (Fire, Water and Thunder respectively) Secretegg (or rather a later stage of it) will actually evolve into ENTEI, SUICUNE OR RAIKOU.

I am not making this up. It's a really good Pokemon to keep around, even if it's not very interesting sprite-wise.

Pssh. Go after some looters instead. Preferably punish the lot that robbed that one woman blind on the beach.

This is what he was blocking, by the way. This makes grinding a hell of a lot easier later on.

Now we're actually getting somewh-- what is that in the upper left corner

Oh dear god. Shield your eyes, Ambes!

: "... Goddamn, that's barbaric. Let's just take this Super Potion and leave."

[Ambes gazes at the severed Pikachu head, his eyes locked in a thousand yard stare.]

: "... You okay, little buddy?"

[Jack shakes Ambes, who snaps out of his trance.]

: ("This... this was my friend. Just the other day we were talking about our future and meeting cute girls... but now...")

[Jack gives the Pikachu a hug, who sobs into his jacket]

: ("What sick person would do this?!")

Wait a second, who could have done this?

The zombies seem very unlikely cause they just eat everything and all the survivors would be more concerned with... you know, surviving. So you got me. Poor Ambes, though.

Inside of the flower house you can find a Wailmer Pail. I don't know why you would use it, as berry planting wasn't even that feasible in the original game. Much less so in a hack as difficult and plot-driven as Snakewood.

: "Lady, do I look like I'm rotting or have blue skin?"

: "And I had to knock out your Pokemon before you could realize that."

"Now I'm lost, tired AND with a fainted Pokemon. I'm surely dead meat."

: "I would be more sympathetic to your plight if I didn't scream 'I'm not a zombie, what is wrong with you' like five times as we fought."

"Go to the city and rid us of the demons. If it'll help, please take this TM09."

That's cool and all, but only Reggie can learn it and even then there's better moves coming up for him anyway. It's the thought that counts.

So wait, the zombies can't cross water either? Hoenn is like 60 percent water! How are they getting anywhere?

Bah. How's fishing going for y--

Of course. He has like three of these, by the way. Hurray for experience fodder!

Up the path, we meet these two ~~(along with another one that was unimportant to show)~~.

It's a gruesome sprite edit and all, but why do all of the kids have yellow clothes after they get zombified? Actually, I don't want to know why.

Oh joy, more "puns"! But really. If you prepared, this fight is nothing special. I would complain about how the coloring is inconsistent between the evolutions but zombie Wartortle's evil black eyes kinda scare me.

Rustboro City, at last. I should mention that Rustboro has some of my favorite music out of Gen 3. It's just homey to me. It's only matched by Solaceon in Gen 4 and Lacunosa in Gen 5.

But wait, before we go into the city... I sense a major asshole up ahead. Let's go back and grind a bit more.

... I'm somehow not surprised Snakewood would do this.

You know I had to. Benedict, out of every type I expected, wound up being Normal / Bug... which explains why the Leech Life of that other Egg nearly killed Bellamine. Oh well.

"Gasp... gasp... I've been running from the zombies for days now. But they're everywhere. My Pokemon can barely carry on..."

: "Of course you can. I mean, I have like millions of the damn things." [hands her a potion]

Lady: "Thank you, thank you! You literally saved my life. Take this small gift as my gratitude."

: "Aww, it was nothing."

Sweet. This will be useful very soon, actually. Just wait and see.

Also while going back, I found these two kids running back and forth through the trees. I don't even know.

Anyway, let's see what that thing at the entrance to Rustboro is.

Oh, it's an evil disembodied head!

WHAT IN THE WORLD DID CUTLERINE DO TO JYNX

I mean hell, Jynx wasn't a favorite of mine in terms of design but this is just hideous. He gave her a chest face. That has eye titties. Grody.

Also rude crude dudes alert as Eye-Eye is actually really goddamn strong for this early in the game. Pound may not be something to write home about, but the Powder Snow she has is dangerous. It can put practically every member to half or below with one use or straight up kill if you're Reggie. (sorry reggie you get all the worst luck

)

: ("That'll teach you to be a creepy eye monster!")

Zagon earns her keep. By the way, Benedict actually fainted offscreen. That's how strong this thing is. Pray for me.

After beating the ~~(outright mutated, good lord)~~ zombie Jynx, Benji just becomes a normal severed head. Joy.

Who is going around decapitating everything?

Anyway, we have a house along with a pen of a zombies. Believe it or not, that's the Pokecenter. Oh, and say hello to Alicia again.

Here we obtain something called the Mush Mask. There is supposed to be a person there but his sprite disappeared for some reason. As for what the Mush Mask does, I have no idea but I guess we're stuck with it now.

"But I think the demons got him. Where'd they take his HMs, I wonder? And what happened to his daughter?"

Believe it or not, this will become relevant in chapter 4. But anyway, let's go bother Alicia!

"Hmph. I'm surprised you got this far. I thought the demons I left behind in the woods would have taken you down."

: "What?! You're working with them?"

Alicia: "Didn't my trainer class give it away? I'm a Deathcaller, a servant of Lord Gravetric."

: "Who's that?"

Alicia: "Why should I tell YOU anything? But since my demons couldn't get rid of you, I guess I'll have to instead!"

Oh no, how can we possibly --

Alicia has some new Pokemon, but they are practically nothing compared to what you had to deal with to get here. Nor are they that big of a threat compared to the person who comes after her. You should be able to get rid of her arrogant ass easily.

Also, don't worry about all that Gravetric business. It won't come into play until much later on.

Future Dan: Do we ever get a proper person to attach this name to?

: ("You're lucky I don't use you as a scratching post, nya!")

[Theme that starts playing after you beat Alicia: May's theme (???)]

: "... Whatever. I've already called up a good number of demons. I'll just file my report back to Verdanturf."

... It just occurred to me that Alicia may have been an optional fight. But I'm pretty sure you were meant to talk to her regardless since she's the first non-zombie person in the area.

Do you want me to rip you apart like the other demons that got in the way?

By the way, I should really put in walk-through-walls to see if he's hiding anything in that house. Anyway, let's go to school!

Doing great. The Demon Horn is just the Quick Claw with a different name. That diary, however...

"We blocked the door today with Derek's corpse but it doesn't seem to do any good. However many times we block it up, the demons always try to eat their way through again... We're running out of food and guns... Elise was taken today. It's just me today. I'm going to do it. With the last bullet..."

... Good lord, Cutlerine. Wish we had more of this tragic writing in the actual game, but that's what you have me for, isn't it?

But now for some more plot!

???: Hm. He's late. This is not acceptable.

[Enter a demon corpse from the right]

Dantalion: "I apologize, master. This body is rather slow. It is a result, I believe, of the legs having been removed."

???: "Make sure you acquire another one soon. I will require you to be at your best when we challenge Them."

???: "DON'T mention their names! Being of such power as They can hear their names whispered over many miles. I don't wish to bring down their wrath upon us before we are ready."

Dantalion: "Yes, master."

???: "Be silent. Although I have cloaked us with a field of invisibility, the demons of this place will hear us if we do not keep our voices down. I have found the vessel that is summoning them, however. It is in a cave to the northeast of here. Together, we will dismantle it."

Dantalion: "Yes, master."

This is foreshadowing and all but trust me we will collectively slap our foreheads when we get there. Still, I do like a little bit of intrigue.

: "What was that? Who were they? Something about them felt familiar - is it possible that I've met them before? And how is it possible that I could see them when plainly nobody else could?.... I guess it doesn't matter. If they're going to stop these horrific demons, then they're my allies. I'd better go help them! I might even get some answers in the bargain!"

Oh Jack, you're so quick to trust a random stranger accompanied by a loyal demon corpse servant. Never change.

"..... Authorized Personnel only."

: "Whew. That was close. I almost went in somewhere where I wasn't meant to!"

Jack, you're a bit too law-abiding for your own good.

Go into the gym and you can get Rock Tomb. That's neat, I guess. Let's go into the house right next to the gym.

"This Hiker is dead. Someone has hollowed him out with their teeth from behind, so if you wanted to, you could get inside of him and wear him like a suit."

He contains a Zombie Liver, too. Which is just major

"Those zombies in the pen down there? They're food for us, dear. By the way, that's a lovely body you managed to get yourself. Not a scratch on it!"

: "Uh... yeah. Heheh."

So the demons eat the zombies and this guy thinks I'm a demon corpse too. Yeah sure ok, I'm just rollin' with it.

Also, I think this is a good time for a new grinding session. Cause trust me, we will need it.

This guy has a Dirtkrow. Which is not that much of a problem anymore considering Ambes is properly leveled up.

Ahem.

Orobas (and Dantalion, considering we passed him up when he appeared) are both up next. Orobas is a Great Prince of Hell that essentially serves as an oracle as he knows all the answers and never decieves anyone. He is depicted as a horse that changes into a man at the conjurer's request. (he lost because he was a sissy)

Dantalion, on the other hand, is a Great Duke of Hell that teaches all arts and sciences and comes in many shapes and sizes. Which honestly I can buy because when we see Dantalion next time, he's not in a rotting old person body like the other dumb demons here.

However his companion, Kent the severed head, is much more of a pain in the ass. For you see, he has TWO EYE-EYES. And they both use Powder Snow 100% of the time. Wonderful.

Anyway, I decided to do a bit more talent searching and I came back with a very promising result.

: ("Ready for action, boss!")

His name is Ace, by the way. I took the screen capture before I put in the name. Sorry about that.

Alice, I'm afraid you're going to be benched.

: ("Wh-but why, nya! I thought I was doing such a good job!")

: "We need to switch the team around once in a while. It's nothing personal."

: ("Oh sure, that's what they always say...")

Sorry babe. You were a true credit to the team when you were around, but now it's Ace's time to shine. Speaking of him -

: ("I haven't even broken a sweat. Mind giving me a real challenge?")

He joined us at level five not even 10 minutes ago. THIS IS HOW QUICKLY HE DESTROYED EVERYTHING WHILE TRAINING. (admittedly speed-up helped too)

Such a promising start.

Go up to Route 115 aaand it's blocked off by a tree. That's how you know plot is in that direction. Let's not go there.

Let's instead meet up with the man with the red-colored text.

[He turns around]

: "Wha--?"

???: "Don't pretend to be confused. You can't fool me, even disguised as you are."

: "Who - Who are you? I've lost my memory. And you look familiar......"

???: "Very well. You may call me Gleis. It seems I have mistaken you for someone else. You must possess an uncommonly strong Second Sight in order to be able to see me - and I know only one other human that has that power. That is where my confusion arose from."

: "I overheard you earlier saying you were going to destroy that thing that was making the demons appear. And... I want to help. I came to look for my brother and his girlfriend, but an old woman tole me to drive the demons away. So I said I would and I'm going to. So let me help."

Gleis: "But I am not sure you are quite up to the task. If you please, may I test you first, to see if you may be of any aid?"

: "Of course!"

Gleis: "Then let us begin!"

Well, here we go. Gleis here is a Taoist. His trainer class is actually relevant in more than just face value and honestly I kind of like his sprite. Do not let your guard down as he could potentially be the absolute worst opponent so far, hands down.

: ("What the bloody hell is that thing!?")

PANIC ALARM

Faceleech, oh my god. This thing is outright evil. See, it may be a one trick pony, but it's a nasty one trick.

See, Faceleech's main gimmick is that it's the purest definition of a glass cannon. This thing outspeeds Ambes, who is already pretty damn fast as he is. It could potentially sweep the entire team with a few Poison Fangs.

How are you supposed to beat it if it's so overpowered? See, Faceleech has excellent attack and speed growth (along with Speed Boost of all abilities) but its defenses and health are literally 1. Not even joking.

It is also ??? and Poison type.

: ("Try and get me with your facehole now, you overgrown slug!")

Ace used Quick Attack and it took down Faceleech almost instantly. Funny thing, I used Quick Attack with Ambes earlier but it wound up leaving Faceleech with just enough health to murder everybody. So as far as I'm concerned, this bird came right out of nowhere and saved the entire team.

Get Ace some Kamina Shades and a beer. He deserves it.

Even his text in battle is red. (i don't know what else to add, i'm still in shock)

: " I shall now heal your Pokemon."

[fade-to-black transition with healing sound effect]

Hey, he's honorable at the very least.

: "My servant, Dantalion, is waiting at the cave mouth to the east. I'll go and join him. When you have prepared yourself, please join us and I will explain what must be done."

And with that, I think that's a good spot to end off this update. Route 116 is up next and it shouldn't be that bad... right? See you then.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current Team:

(Reggie,

, Level 12,

/

) - "I'm feeling it my brothers, we're shaping up to be a pretty good team!"

(Bellamine,

, Level 12,

) - "I don't like the look of that Gleis. He's not even trying to be trustworthy..."

(Ace, Level 15,

,

/

) - "If you wanted anything less than the best, you should have picked another Taillow."

(Zagon, Level 13,

,

) - [Shaking the blood from the various Eye-Eyes off of her fur]

(Ambes, Level 14,

,

) - "Oh god, please let my family be safe..."

(Benedict, Level 9,

/

) - [shake, shake]

Post Edit Dan: If I'm not mistaken, this was the first time the team set-up was properly introduced.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portrait Credits:

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 4, 2023

This chapter title is more than just a reference.

Future Dan: Unintentional foreshadowing for later in the game? Would be my kind of luck, too.

Chapter 4 - Pride and Pestilence

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 4, 2023

Oh snap, a double update. One of these being a fun little side chapter and the other is actual advancement.

Chapter 3.5 - Unwelcome (Gameshark Fun)

Spoiler:

Chapter 5 - The Dragon King

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 6, 2023

A fair amount of the new updates from now on will be bulk uploads. Spoiler tags are incredibly useful for this.

Chapter 6 - Seaside Trouble

Spoiler:

Chapter 7 - Nobody Expects the Hoenn Inquisition

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 7, 2023

Murder mystery time!

Chapter 8 - A Traitor Among Our Ranks

Spoiler:

Chapter 9 - Tomorrow is Mine

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 7, 2023

Oh boy. Are you ready to get crazy, cause I sure am! (~~not~~)

Chapter 10 - The Art of Lunacy

Spoiler:

Chapter 11 - Into the Rabbit Hole

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 9, 2023

We've got a three parter on our hands! Consider this the climax of the first part of the game.

(Portrait credits will be stored in chapter 14 since it's the bottom of the page.)

Chapter 12 - Famine's Desert

Spoiler:

Chapter 13 - His Worthiness

Spoiler:

Chapter 14 - The Horseman of War

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 10, 2023

One is an actual continuation of the story and the other is a non-canon episode that I originally made as a Halloween special back where this let's play was originally put up. I guess the next time Halloween rolls around it'll be relevant again, but whatever.

Chapter ?? - Season of the Jack

Spoiler:

Chapter 15 - Psychic Dragon Egg?

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 10, 2023

I have a love it or hate it relationship with Snakewood if I'm going to be real with you. Sometimes I really like the edits and the humor that Cutlerine puts in, but other times it's a pain in my ass. It strikes a very strange balance between good and annoying that I can't really pin down.

Chapter 16 - Nonstop Battle Drama

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 10, 2023

Ooh, Past!Dan got really angry at Cutlerine in this part. Just warning you now.

Chapter 17 - Rage Awakened
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 15, 2023

Wow, um. This is where the game starts getting serious. I'm warning you now.

Chapter 18 - Witch Hunt

Spoiler:

Chapter 19 - Like a Roaring Flame

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 19, 2023

We're nearing the end of the Snakewood. I can feel it.

Chapter 20 - Madness Unleashed

Spoiler:

Chapter 21 - Dragon King's Blessing

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 20, 2023

We're jumping into the endgame, so get pumped.

Chapter 22 - The Dark One

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 20, 2023

This is it! The beginning of the end.

Chapter 23 - On Top Of The World

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 22, 2023

I put this one up at Christmas originally, so I count this as a belated Christmas present to all of you.

Chapter 24 - Sewer of my Dreams

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 23, 2023

This was the final update of 2015 at the time I put it up, so wow I feel old.

Chapter 25 - Jack and the Mirror of Fate

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 26, 2023

It rained like hell when I put the chapter up this time. An omen?

Chapter 26 - Forget, Let Them Forget

Spoiler:

Rainbow Chara X · May 26, 2023

We're almost at the end of this crazy ride. So let's kick this off with...

Chapter 27 - The Mine of Madness

Spoiler:

[COMPLETE] Let's Play Pokemon Snakewood! (HD Remix)

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!

Impossible to gauge!