Pokemon Y: A Random Save File

Following the New 2DS XL stealing debacle, I set out to purchase another copy of Pokemon Y. It so happened that my usual game store has a second-hand copy in stock, which I eagerly secured and proceeded to play immediately; but before that, I was treated to that most wondrous experience of discovering the resident save file. You know what I’m talking about, dear fellow gamers: that sneak peek at a stranger’s gaming intimacy, which makes you feel like a voyeur and a detective. It’s exciting, troubling, and even slightly disturbing at times, but it’s always interesting. 

 

 

My freshly bought Y cartridge was not freshly played, that’s for sure. It hosted the save file of a certain ‘Miranda’, who started playing on the 20^th of January 2017. Miranda hadn’t progressed much in the game, as they had barely reached Route 6 and still had to retrieve the Poké Flute from Parfum Palace. Pretty standard fare, shall I say; what was considerably less standard, not to say kinda uncanny, was Miranda’s party.

 

 

See, Miranda’s roster was made of a single Mon; but not just any Mon. We’re talking about a Lv. 23 Wingull called Wendy, which wielded Fly, Water Pulse, Roost and Brine. Such a setup would be impossible at that point in the game, so that bird was obviously traded from another cartridge. Wendy’s data page confirmed that she had hatched on the 27^th of November 2016, i.e. a good two months before Miranda started playing. Also, Wendy was visibly traded as a hatched Wingull: the data page mentioned that her egg was received from a Day-Care Couple, and that she hatched on Route 7 — places Miranda has yet to reach after disposing of Snorlax.

 

 

One can only speculate about Miranda’s goal for creating such a setup — and quitting playing so early on. The most likely explanation is that they attempted a Wingull/Pelipper solo run, and slapped powerful moves on Wendy before trading it just to get an easy ride; alas, her performance was less stellar than expected, and Miranda lost steam and quit. (I should know, because the exact same thing happened to me with Goomy.) Anyway, I spared a though for Miranda and their aborted Y run as I deleted their save file to make room for mine. Runs come and go, and so do games and pieces of kit — but that’s a story for another post, folks!