Pokemon Crystal - BABIEZ!

Hi, guys! Today I'm going to talk about Pokemon....specifically.
I'll be honest, I was kinda hesitant to do so for Pokemon Crystal, mainly because I'm very disappointed in how few new species were introduced in the second generation. As a child, it really didn't bother me, because I was used to seeing Gen. 1 Pokemon running around, and seeing them, along with others was just icing on the cake for me. Now I come back a few years later to play the game and think "I'm going to self-consciously make an effort to put together a team that is strictly made from Pokemon of the second generation."
I'm not saying such a feat is impossible, but it's difficult, mainly because of how spread out the good species are throughout your gameplay, and how...weak - frankly - some of your choices are. You've got great ones like the Bug/Fighting type Heracross and the Flying/Steel Skarmory, but you can't find them toward the beginning of the game, where I normally like to put my team together. Not only that, but they don't evolve. I like Pokemon that evolve, I'm just prejudice like that.
Also, if you want to play the second generation games, Crystal has a better story line, but it features less actual Pokemon, or at least, you can't get them earlier in the game like you can in Gold in Silver (i.e. - my favorite Pokemon, Dragonair, cannot be caught until nearly the end of the game in Crystal, unlike G/S.)
ANYWAY, enough about me complaining; there are still good advances in Pokemon that are featured here!

Say Hi!:
Clipper (Croconaw) ♂ - L21
Venus (Weepinbell) ♂ - L22
Trunks (Phanpy) ♀ - L21
Buss (Magnemite) - L22
Aurora (Growlithe) ♀ - L22
Cora (Golbat) ♀ - L23

Firstly, you'll notice that I now add a gender symbol to the end of my party's names. Back in the first generation, Pokemon didn't have genders. They were just creatures. Like I've mentioned before, the game was simple. As the new generation was introduced, however, the ability to breed your Pokemon came to be. That's right - your Pokemon can be placed in the Pokemon Daycare Center and have BABIES, if they're compatible.
...-chuckles-
In fact, as time went by, the third generation was introduced, and different variations of breeding came about, a sort of cult idea spread for awhile between these two later-named Pokemon:

     

Wailord and Skitty

What I personally find both hilarious and disturbing about this is that these two are compatible for breeding.
Skitty is a normal type, and one of the smallest Pokemon, being a mere 2 feet tall.
Wailord...is obviously water type, and is currently the largest recorded Pokemon there is, ranging at 47 feet.
And these two can make babies...let that sink in for a moment.

Another new aspect that began in the second generation was species variations. What I mean is the introduction of shiny Pokemon and Pokemon infected with 'Pokerus.'
Shiny Pokemon are simply extremely rare Pokemon that you can find in the wild and catch, just like any other Pokemon, only they look slightly different, and sparkle when seen in the wild or cast into battle.
For a visual example, let's take Gyarados, a first generation Water/Flying Pokemon:

This is a Gyarados

This is a shiny Gyarados

This species is actually the only Pokemon that you can catch as a shiny in the wild without looking for it - it is required to either catch or defeat it in order to progress in the Gold/Silver/Crystal game. Otherwise, you go hunting in the wild for it, and pray to God you happen to find one.

The other variation is what's called 'Pokerus,' which basically describes a Pokemon that you find in the wild that is infected with a virus. It even indicates it clearly when you encounter the Pokemon. In fact, it just looks like a status ailment:

This virus is actually quite helpful, though, as it does no harm to your Pokemon. It spread to your party when you catch the wild Pokemon, and allows your party to grow better. The virus does, however, fade with time. It is less popular in the Pokemon world than shiny Pokemon, possibly due to it being even more rare to find in the wild than a shiny Pokemon. (Which is odd, as I've only once encountered an infected Pokemon, but other than Gyarados, I haven't ever seen a shiny Pokemon in the wild.)

Regardless, I think I'm progressing much more quickly in this game, and I hope to be able to talk about what I originally wanted to ages ago. I'm not sure, though, I'll have to find out.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

- Cheryl-Buddy