Just recently, in March 2016, I completed a game's regional Pokédex for the first time. It was using one of the latest editions of the game, Pokémon X. Having played Pokémon since Generation One, way back in the early 90's, this is really saying something.
Why haven't I completed a Dex before? I guess lack of interest played a part, not to mention that it's hard, and only getting harder. I believe there are 720 pokémon now? Something like that.
But this March, I started a mission to complete the Kalos Dex in Pokémon X, because doing so grants you the Oval Charm, which make eggs appear faster. I was interested in getting that Charm because I wanted to breed competitive pokémon. I've done so before, without an Oval Charm, and WOW does it take forever. So, I got to work on what seemed like an insurmountable task to make another task less insurmountable. It made... perfect sense.
There are around 350 pokémon in the Kalos Dex. To "complete" the Dex, all you have to do is see the pokémon in question — encounter it in the wild, battle one, or have one in your possession, however briefly.
Sounds simple enough, right? Only kind of.
It turns out, because the franchise has been going on for so long, the game has gotten incredibly complex. For instance, before breeding or leveling up any pokémon, it was absolutely necessary to look up that monster on the online encyclopedias.
Because you might think you just need to level up an Inkay to get it to evolve... WRONG. You need to level up the Inkay while holding your game system upside down. Think you need to send your Sudowoodo to Daycare to get a bouncing baby Bonsly? No, no, no. You need to make sure your Sudowoodo is holding the right kind of (very expensive) incense, first.
It might make sense that with the GTS (Global Trading System) and fan-run trading boards on Reddit, you can just trade your way to a completed Dex.
Not so fast. This can work with some pokes, but not everyone is generous enough to spend their time in poké-philanthropy. Nor do most people want to part with their rare mon. On the GTS, you will only be able to trade comparable pokémon.
Each way you try to come at it, completing the Dex takes a fair amount of work.
So when I completed my Kalos Dex, I was utterly ecstatic. I'd done it, dammit! Every last pokémon on my print-out was crossed off. What a great feeling!
Immediately, I got to work breeding pokémon with my new Oval Charm, but weirdly, I found that I was a little... bored.
It turned out that I wanted to start in on the National Dex next — seeing all 720 pokémon. I confided this wish to my gamer brother, but he scoffed. He used to be a fan of the game, but clearly he thought I needed to move on to something more challenging. "Have you ever played Fire Emblem?" he asked.
Fire Emblem is, in fact, an awesome game, but I found that you need to be in a really alert and stable mood to play it. Pokémon, however... you can play it half asleep, with tears running down your face, whacked out on (legal) pharmaceuticals, etc. Which is to say, Pokémon is my jam of the year.
But then as I was scanning online boards, trying to get advice for completing the National Dex, a term kept popping up.
Living Dex.
I knew right away what it meant. I'd been trying, more or less, to do it while completing the Kalos. It means having each type of pokémon in your PC system. To literally, "Catch 'em All!" I was nowhere close to having a Living Kalos Dex at the end of March, but my poké-collection was decent.
So having a copy of each and every pokémon...
Mind. Boggling.
But it's possible! Plenty of people have done it!
And I've made it my new mission.
QUESTION FOR YOU: Have you heard of a Living Dex? Have you completed one?
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