After contacting mingot, I'll be responsible for doing the Speedrun guides for the Advance games, and will be starting with Emerald. We're still debating on what exactly to put in this guide, so we decided to make a thread and gather ideas.Tangerine said:
Basically, the guides will be short "walkthroughs", where we list the most important points of the game. Keep in mind, though, that everything in this guide will have to be related to the competitive aspect of Pokemon. For example, we won't have a list of how to get all the items in the game, but we will have a list of the locations of the most important TMs in the game, and any other competitive items, such as the Choice Band or the Leftovers items. Keep that in mind when you post any suggestions.
Project Outline
This is an outline of the guide. Once the guide is completed, this will basically become the Table of Contents section.
======
The Adventure Begins
This part will contain a basic introduction to some tips that will help speedrun through Emerald. Things like setting options to the choice of your starter will be here.
The First, Second, and Third Badges
The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Badges
Aqua vs. Magma, and the Final Two Badges
The Pokemon League and the Battle Frontier
The bulk of the guide. How to efficiently walk through the game while getting the most important items, TMs, etc.
Other Stuff You Should Know About
This section will basically contain some tips on things that a player will need to know after beating the game, such as catching Kyogre and Groudon, and getting Lati@s. Lists of some stuff that aren't really necessary for a competitive player, such as Pokemon Contests, the TV news, etc.
======
The Real Deal
This might be a bit messed up at this moment, so don't worry if you find things that don't chronologically fit.
======
Introduction
(pending)
The Adventure Begins
So we start our adventure. Before starting a new game, though, let's go over some stuff that will help you finish the game faster. On the title screen, go to options. The "Text Speed" option should be set to "Fast", the "Battle Style" option should be set to "Set", while the "Battle Scene" option should be turned off. This should turn off the move animations while in battle, speeding things up quite a bit.
That done, let's start our adventure. Begin a new game, then select your gender and name. Get off the truck when it stops moving, and head home with your mom. Head upstairs to your room, and set the time of the clock. There's a potion in the PC, get it. Leave the house then go to your rivals house, listen to her blabbering, then head out and into the wild. Professor Birch asks you for help, so open the bag and choose a starter. For the purpose of the guide, the best starter will be Torchic, so you should go with it. Battle the Zigzagoon, go to the professor's lab and receive your starter. Leave and head out to the wild again. Keep heading up till Oldale Town, then up to Route 103. Battle your rival and beat him, then head back to the lab. Leave after getting the Pokedex and your five PokeBalls. Talk to your mom to get the Running Shoes, and then head to Route 103 one last time. You'll want to look for both a Zigzagoon and a Wingull, as they'll be of use later on in the game. Capture them, then heal your Pokemon at the PokeCenter. Go to the PokeMart, get some Potions and maybe some antidotes, then head out to Route 102 on the West. And so the adventure begins.
The First, Second, and Third Badges
Heading West, you'll find a couple of trainers. Since we just started the game, we will need all the experience we can get, so battle all trainers you see for now. Once you're done your Torchic should be around level 10. Head out of the wild to Petalburg City, and heal your Pokemon as necessary. If you need to stock on any items, do it now. Head up and enter the Gym, speak to your Dad, help Wally catch a Pokemon, then get out of the Gym. Head West to the Route 104. Go down to the beach, and you'll see some kid running like crazy on the sand. Battle him then keep going up. There's a trainer near the entrance of the forest, so battle her and go in. If you can, try avoiding the first trainer you see inside the forest, as his experience isn't worth the time. Going up, pick the PokeBall, then head right. You'll see a helpless man being attacked by some bad guy, so help him out. After that, keep moving, battle the trainer, pick the PokeBall, then leave the forest.
Heading on to Route 104, you will find a couple of trainers that you should battle. After passing the twins, though, there will be a fisherman that should be avoided. Head North and you should be in Rustboro City. Heal up as necessary, then check out the house near the PokeCenter for HM 01, Cut. You can teach that to your Zigzagoon so that we can cut any small trees in the need arises. After that, head all the way up then right till you reach Route 116. You should battle all trainers you find along the way, since they provide valuable experience that will help us defeat the first Gym Leader. Try battling them one by one, though, so that all the experience goes to your starter. When you're done with all the trainers, head back to Rustboro, heal up, and get ready to take on the Gym.
If you followed along and battled all the trainers that we went through, your Torchic should have evolved into a Combusken. You can now easily defeat this Rock-type Gym with Combusken's Double Kick attack. Once defeated, the Gym leader will give you the Stone Badge, so get it and leave.
Now that we have gotten some cash, go to the PokeMart and get some Repels, as they can certainly speed things up by preventing wild Pokemon from appearing. Stock on any other items you need, and then head out back to Route 116. Keep going East until reaching a cave with an old man near the entrance. Go inside, then head East till you find another of those bad guys. Defeat him, listen to the old man's blabbering, then head back to Rustboro. On the way, the guy you saved in the forest will take you to his Boss, were the latter will ask you to do some stuff for him. Accept his offer, and he will give you a Pokenav. Sweet. After you're done, leave the building, and head back to Route 104. You'll be stopped by your Rival, so battle him and head back to the forest. Keep heading all the way down until you're out to Route 104. Next to the beach is a small house. Go in, talk to the old man, then head with him to Dewford Island. You should be ready to take on the Gym now, so go in.
We'll need the experience we get from trainers here, so we'll be battling all of them. Once you enter, move right until you find a path to the south. Battle the girl in there. Now go up, then right for a double battle. Go back down then head to the left until you find a trainer. Beat him, then go right and up for another battle. Finally, head right for a final battle against a female trainer. Beat her, then head left until you find the Gym Leader Brawly. You can easily take on him with your Combusken, so beat him, get your badge, and get about.
Heal up at the PokeCenter then head north. Battle the first Fisherman you see, but avoid the second one. A cave should be to your left, so go in. The man you'll find near the entrance gives you HM 05, Flash, but none of your Pokemon learns it, so it's not really necessary. Anyways, use a repel, then head all the way to the west. Pick up the Escape Rope, then go down the ladders. Head up, then keep going all the way right till you find some ladder. After that, keeping heading west till you find some stairs that direct to the North, then go all the way to the right. Climb up, then move 4 steps to the left, and you should see light again. Head left then down until you reach a small exit. Inside you will find Steven, so talk to him and then leave. Go right, jump on the ledges, then head right till you reach the entrance. Leave the cave, talk to the old man with the boat, and head to Slateport City.
Once you arrive, try avoiding the trainers on the beach. Go up and you'll reach a house that's on your left. Battle the three trainers in there, then talk to the man in the middle of the house and he'll give you six Soda Pops. Leave, then head up to the city and heal your Pokemon if necessary. Leave the PokeCenter, head down until you find a building that has a small boat next to it. Go in, and talk to the man who's sitting near a table. Leave the place, then head to the museum (right to the south of the PokeCenter). Go to the second floor, then talk to the man you find in there. Some bad guys will come in, so defeat them. After they finish their blabbering, leave the museum. Stock up on any items (repels, in particular) you need then head North out of the city. Head up, battle the couple, then go left. Try battling all the trainers you find, as they provide valuable experience. The only trainer you'll need to avoid is the fisherman. Use a repel, then go into the grass, battle the trainer, then head up. You'll find your rival, and you'll have to battle her. Her Marshtomp is kind of tough, but you should be able to defeat it with your Double Kick. Moving on, head up and battle the two seemingly jogging people. As a rule of thumb, a better approach would be to battle two trainers one by one if possible, as this gives all the experience to your starter. After defeating them, head left, beat the two trainers, then head all the way North until you reach Mauville City. Go in the house located to the right of the PokeMart, speak to the guy in there, and get HM 06, Rock Smash. Head to the Gym, and you'll find Wally blocking it. Speak to him and then battle him. After that head to the building beside the PokeCenter. Talk to the man inside, and he'll let you choose between two bikes. Select the Acro Bike, as it is more efficient for traveling the over Hoenn. Go to your Bag, switch to key items, select "Acro Bike", then click "Register". Now you can easily ride on your bike/get off it by pressing the Select Button. Now head West into Route 117; there's something we need to get done before taking on the Gym.
Once in Route 117, head West, while avoiding the double battle and the first trainer after them. Then keep heading West, battling the trainers all the way, until you reach a female trainer that looks around in all directions. Avoid battling her, and keep heading West until you reach Verdanturf Town. Head North-West and go inside the cave, battle the guy in there, move up the stairs, then break the rock to the left. The guy will thank you and give you HM 04, Strength. After that, leave the cave and head back to Mauville City.
Heal up if necessary, then head to the Gym. You can avoid the trainers here if you want, but it's recommend to battle them as they give good Experience. When you're done, save the game then take on the Gym Leader. Although he might be a bit tough, you should be able to beat him. Leave when you're done, then make sure you at least enter the PokeCenter, as this is important later on. Head North to Route 111.
The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Badges
A couple of trainers wait ahead. Battle them one by one, keep heading up, then talk to the man you find near the entrance of the house. Battle all of the four trainers, then head into the house and talk to the lady to get a Macho Brace. Leave, head North, break the rocks, and then battle the trainers along the way, barring the interview couple. Head West when you reach the sandstorm, and battle the two trainers standing there. Go up and then West, battle the hiker, then enter the cave. Use a Repel and move up through the cave until you get to the exit. Go right, battle the two guys, keep heading right, battle the guy and then head North. Head West, battle the girl and keep moving. Use a Repel once you're in Route 113, and keep heading West while avoiding all the trainers in there. When you reach the two running up and down, battle the boy, then keep heading West. Keep heading West (don't go into the PokeCenter), then down until you reach the wild. Head down then left up the stairs, and keep moving on, avoiding the trainers if possible. Eventually, you will reach a cave. Go in, head left and listen to the chit-chat. Leave the cave, open the start menu, go to Abra, then select Teleport. This should bring you back to Mauville City's PokeCenter.
Heal up if necessary, then head up back to Route 112. Once there, instead of going to the cave you went to earlier, move right, and go into the Cable Car place. Ride it, then leave to Mt. Chimney. In here, you will find team Aqua and Magma fighting. Head up the stairs, then go left and separately battle the two Magma guys. Go up, battle the guy, beat him, then take on their boss. After the battle, your Combusken should have evolved to Blaziken. Otherwise, it'll evolve at level 36. Anyway, head down all the way down to the Jagged Pass, avoiding as much trainers as possible. Keep heading down, and eventually you'll reach Lavaridge Town. Heal up if necessary at the PokeCenter, stock up on any needed items (especially Super Repels and Revives), and then head to this town's Gym. Reaching the Gym Leader might be a bit tricky, so carefully follow the instructions here.
Go into the Gym. In here, you will find little holes in the ground. Move left, leave the first hole, then go up. If you stand between the two holes, you'll get a double battle. Once you're done with the two trainers, head left into the whole. Move one step up, one left, then all the way up into the hole. Keep heading up into the hole, move one step right, then three up. Move five steps right, and then one up into the hole. Now move three steps right and all the down into the hole. Move two steps to the right, then move down, jump over the ledge, and go into the hole. Now you have reached the Gym leader, so beat her, take the TM, and go down the ledge to exit the Gym. Outside, your rival will talk to you a bit and give you the Go-Googles. Now heal up, and head all the way back to Petalburg City (you should know the way by now).
Head to the Gym. Make your way through the Gym and then defeat the Gym Leader (your father). Double Kick should be enough to OHKO most of the Pokemon used in the Gym. Once you're done, grab the TM and head out with Wally's father. He'll give you HM 03, Surf. Heal as necessary, and get ready for the next badge.
Teach your Zigzagoon Surf, then head towards route 103. Stand next to the water and then use Surf. Keep heading right until you reach land. Continue right and then head towards Mauville city. Once there, head right towards route 118, sweep through the trainers, then surf on the water. Once on land, move right and then head up. You should find Steven, and after listening to his little chit-chat move a few steps to the right and then up. Beat the bird keeper trainer then keep heading up. Keep heading up towards the thick grass (preferably using some repels). Keep going, battling trainers along the way, until you reach a bridge. Move left along it and then up, and you should enter thick grass again. Keep going northeast through the bushes. Eventually you'll reach a bridge blocked by team Aqua. Go into the building. Head up and then a bit to the left. Heal yourself in the bed then head right. Battle both trainers there and then head up the stairs. Sweep through the three trainers and then battle there pseudo-boss. After easily beating her, the professor will give a Castform. Take it, heal again, then leave the building.
Head east along the bridge. After a few steps up you'll be stopped by your rival. Beat him in a battle and he'll give you the best HM in the game, Fly. Keep heading north, battling the trainers along the way, and you'll eventually reach Fortree city. Stock up on what's necessary, then head right. Before taking on the gym, we'll have to take care of something. Keep heading right until you're out of the city. Battle the trainers along the way, and eventually you'll reach a bridge. You'll find Steven there, so talk to him and he'll give you the Devon Scope. Now head back to the city, and go to the gym. Move to the left, and after battling the trainer, head up. Battle the two trainers. Keep heading up to another double battle, then go left and battle the trainer. If necessary, head back to the PokeCenter and heal your Pokemon. Once ready, battle the Gym Leader. The only Pokemon you might find problematic should be Altaria, but it should fall after some repeated hits. You can now use Fly outside battles, so teach it to your Wingull, heal your Pokemon, and get ready for the seventh badge.
Aqua vs. Magma, and the Final Two Badges
Head back to route 120. Keep going past the bridge, battling any trainers along the way. Keep going past the thick grass and past the bridge. Keep heading down then right, until you reach route 121. Keep heading right, battling the trainers along the way. Along the way, you should find Team Aqua heading somewhere. Keep going right until you reach Lilycove City. Heal your Pokemon at the PokeCenter, then go up and you should find the Department Store, with its entrance blocked by your rival. Talk him into a battle, stock up on items from inside if necessary, then head right to the beach. Use Surf and head up into Team Aqua's Hideout. You'll find the way blocked by two members. Speak to them, then head to route 122. Once there, keep heading down until you reach what seems to be a cave. Go left until you reach a door out, then head east. Keep heading north until you find some team Aqua members. Fight them and keep heading up. Speak to Aqua's boss, Archie, listen to the old couple, then fly all way to Lavaridge town.
======
If you have any suggestions, please post them in here.
