Lore Episode 2 - PULSE

[MadHappy]

(Regarding my last lore post, I was pretty tired and IDK why I said it was a theory)

 

Yesterday we discussed about the enigmatic ZEl, a being which was created by fusing together three living beings, in an accident involving a machine designed to amplify the healing powers of a Pokemon. Instead, it was used for destruction, by Team Meteor, a crime organisation unlike any other we see in the Pokemon series.

 

The PULSE Device/Machine uses a Pokemon strapped into it. By means unknown to us yet, it infuses the Pokemon with power, amplifying it's abilities. This, however, comes at a cost. We learn that using a PULSE causes great strain on a Pokemon's body. The exact amount is again, unknown, but we can assume it's not enough to make a Pokemon faint or die, as we see some still working after a lot of time. 

 

To our knowledge, we learn of eleven ( correct me if I'm wrong ) working PULSE devices throughout the game:

 

 

 

The first is the Tangrowth-PULSE we meet twice, in Onyx and Lapis Wards. It causes Tangrowth to summon vines from the ground, causing destruction around them. We see Tangrowth still able to control the vines, as we see it strangling Amaria and Florina in Onyx Park.

 

Second is the Muk-PULSE, which we meet in the Blackmoss Factory in Jasper. It was used by Meteor to poison Azurine Lake and stop sea work, in an attempt to make people leave the city. With Amaria's help, we succeed in stopping the PULSE and heal the lake, only for a little.

 

The third one is the Camerupt-PULSE atop Pyrous Mountain. It was to be used to destroy Apophyll Academy, and thus Reborn. Cal was helping Team Meteor install it, but sabotaged the device to save the Academy. However, without knowledge, Kiki tried to destroy it with her Medichamp, only for her Pokemon to be thrown into the volcano's lava by Cal's Magmortar by Solaris's orders, and Kiki meeting her end sooner, by Solaris's Garchomp. This made Cal renounce his ties with Meteor, destroying the device.

 

The fourth one we meet is the Abra-PULSE, in the Tanzan Mountain Meteor Base. While not under control, the device enhanced Abra's teleport power, making people and objects in the near Spinel Town teleport in random locations, such as the train at the entrance of the town, or the PokeMart teleporting near the Tanzan's entrance. After dealing with Abra, we learn that the machine enhanced objects with Abra's power prior its destruction, which means they will keep teleporting.

 

For the fifth, we learn about the Jigglypuff-PULSE. It's purpose it to make everyone in Agate City to fall asleep, leaving only Agate Circus to tend to the refugees, or survivors in Terra's victims case. We don't see it, we only learn from it throught dialogue.

 

The sixth is the Avalugg-PULSE in Ametrine Mountain. It's role is to block off access Ametrine City, as the mountain route is the only way to reach it by foot, by creating a big sturdy dome, whose walls can't be destroyed or melted, as we see in Hardy's Gigalith's case. This way, the city would've starved, if not for Heather and her Salamance. We destroy it after we use Dive to reach underneath the walls and resurface inside the dome.

 

The seventh PULSE is the Clawitzer-PULSE, used as a cannon from Labradorra City. It is used to fire blasts at Saphira and her Dragonite.  We first learn about it on Route 3 where  we see Cain nearly killed by a blast as attempting to reach Calcenon's entrance. Again, we only learn about it, we don't see it. But we do deactivate it from underneath Labradorra, after we fight Aster and Eclipse. 

 

The eighth PULSE we learn about it Mr.Mime-PULSE. It is used to block off access to Labradorra by using Barrier. While being able to see through it, you can't get pass it. We don't see it in-game yet, but we do see it's effects. 

 

The PULSE number nine the Swallot-PULSE we see in the Water Treatment Center ( WTC for short ). After getting Waterfall, following Titania down the cascade and teaming up with her, while watching her murder Meteor Grunts, we reach the Main Room. There, we have the option to fight or not Taka, a choice which will affect the game's story.

As we drain the water and leave the room, we stumble upon a Swallot rigged to a PULSE, to keep the WTC from cleaning the Lake. After taking it down, we see that Azurine Lake is restored, with sailors eager to restart working on ships, and finally being able to Surf and catch new Pokemons.

 

The tenth PULSE is a secret one. While exploring Byxbysion Wasteland, we have a chance to reach Byxbysion Grotto. Without Flash, it is tricky, but manageable. However, when we enter a room, without flash we only hear someone called Mr. Bigglesworth, before being attacked. With Flash, we can quickly learn it is in fact a Garbodor. After taking it down, we can see a destroyed PULSE in the corner reading PULSE-01. We can assume this is the source of the waste and the main reason of Byxbysion being a toxic wasteland. The first cleanup attempt worked, only for Garbodor-PULSE to poison the land a second time overnight. Reborn decided to build walls around it to stop the waste from spreading, deeming Byxbysion a lost cause. Only the waste dug pass the walls, or went right through them, due to the multitude of objects we find, as well as the tombstones of Corey, his wife and Kiki.

 

The eleventh and final pulse in the Magnezone-PULSE. As I talked about it in my last lore post, it was used as an energy source by Meteor in their Hideout, and it is the main cause of creating ZEL. After we defeat it in a battle against ZEL, the shockwave destroys the base and separates ZEL into Zero, Eve and Lumi. Zero is the only one left, while we don't know what happened to Eve and Lumi, and we're left to assume they were erased after the separation.

 

 

While Meteor Members are indoctrinated in their ideal of a new world, there are a few who oppose this. Some were forced to join, others volunteered. Some members secretly fight against it, acting as double agents. A few people are worth mentioning. 

 

 

But that, is a story for another day. 

Edited March 24, 2018 by MadHappy

[M4RC]

You did actually mention eleven, as you used "The third PULSE" twice.

So it's eleven PULSE Pokemon I believe (I'm writing PULSE-Pokemon since I believe that Tangrowth was used in three different PULSE machines)

[Egzample]

And we know we will meet a human connected to a PULSE device. My bet is, it is going to be someone who seeks to seize Arceus - I'd say Lin, since there is a high probability she is some kind of robotic impostor, she can sacrifice this vessel. And after we destroy PULSE, she explodes, as seen in Shade's Power Plant. On the other hand, they just may want to torture somebody or experiment on someone.

[The Protagonist]

Was it actually confirmed in game that the sleep spell in Agate City is caused by a PULSE Jigglypuff? Because I don't seem to recall the dialogue.

[Goblinpat]

There were actually 3 PULSE Tangrowths, and they were in the Obsidia, Jasper, and Beryl Wards. The factory where you fight the PULSE Muk is also located in the north Peridot Ward.

[Q-Jei]

Knowing that a fight against a Jigglypuff might be quite easy at high level, maybe this won't happen, even if it was stipulated somewhere before. But as I tinkered with the data files by using Pokemon Essentials, I found something about an unused PULSE Hypno. According to Ame, there was a possibility for living humans to be used with the PULSE machine. Who knows? Maybe the actual PULSE will drain all the vital force of Jigglypuff, if this one exists, and Team Meteor will have to find an alternate way to keep Agate asleep. If such a thing would have to happen, I would think about New World Orderly John as a potential target, to assist his dear Solaris 'til the end... even if the Hypno owned by Dr. Sigmund would fit the bill better. Also, because Hypno is a human-like Pokemon, it could make sense. But nothing is sure with everything we got from the previous episodes.

Edited March 27, 2018 by Q-Jei