Side Series Home | Ranger Home | Guardian Signs Home | Past Missions Home

Mission 12: Save the Frightened Vulpix

Check out WarriorGallade's post on this Mission for more specific tips.

Overview

• Difficulty: 2.5 stars
• Recommended level: 21+
• Time limit: 8:30 min
• Goal: Capture six Vulpix

Rank Rewards

Wild Pokémon

Glaceon is inaccessible when playing solo.

Pokémon		Quantity	Group	Friendship Gauge	Agitated Gauge	AP	Slates
	Glaceon	1 (4+ players)	Ice	7,280	N/A	13	Glaceon (100%)
	Camerupt	2 (Patterns 1 & 4)	Fire	2,210	N/A	6	Camerupt (80%) Numel (20%)
	Vulpix	10	Fire	1,300	N/A	4	N/A
	Mankey	1 (Patterns 2 & 4)	Fighting	988	N/A	4	Mankey (80%) Primeape (20%)
	Primeape	1 (Patterns 2 & 4)	Fighting	1,720	206	7	Primeape (80%) Mankey (20%)
	Kabutops	5 (Pattern 1) 1 (Pattern 2) 4 (Pattern 3) 2 (Pattern 4)	Rock	2,990	N/A	8	Kabutops (95%) Pelipper (5%)
	Wooper	1	Water	1,040	N/A	3	Wooper (95%) Quagsire (5%)
	Quagsire	2	Water	2,028	N/A	6	Wooper (80%) Quagsire (20%)
	Dunsparce	3 (Patterns 1 & 3)	Normal	780	N/A	3	Dunsparce (100%)
	Sneasel	1 (Pattern 2) 4 (Pattern 4)	Dark	1,300	N/A	4	Sneasel (100%)
	Marshtomp	2 (Pattern 1)	Water	1,456	N/A	5	Marshtomp (80%) Mudkip (20%)
	Wingull	2 (Pattern 3)	Flying	1,300	N/A	4	Wingull (80%) Pelipper (20%)
	Spheal	5 (Pattern 2) 2 (Pattern 4)	Ice	1,300	N/A	4	Spheal (80%) Sealeo (20%)
	Floatzel	1 (Patterns 2 & 3)	Water	1,820	N/A	5	Floatzel (70%) Buizel (30%)
	Skuntank	2 (Patterns 2 & 3)	Poison	2,132	N/A	6	Skuntank (80%) Stunky (20%)

Boss

Pokémon		Group	Friendship Gauge	Agitated Gauge	AP
	Feraligatr	Water	7,670	1,134	13

Strategy and Map

Text of this section & map image are taken from WarriorGallade's post on the subject, supplemented with information from the official Prima guide book, and condensed/reorganized slightly. Used with permission.

Map

This Mission contains four different patterns of wild Pokémon that can appear. Click a thumbnail below to view that pattern's map.

Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4

Legend:

• Gray section: This area can only be accessed with two or more players.
• Blue tile: The player's start point.
• Red tile: Takes the player to the boss room, once the condition has been met.
• Green tile: Teleports the player to another specific location on the map.
• Yellow tile: Standing on this tile makes a bridge appear between separate platforms. Tiles that need multiple players are marked with red dots that indicate how many players are needed.
• Orange circle (around a Pokémon): This Pokémon is angry and will chase the player on sight.
• Brown circle (around a Pokémon): This Pokémon is angry and will launch projectiles toward the player on sight.
• Purple circle (around a Pokémon): This Pokémon is scared and will run away from the player on sight.
• Icons like this (darker) give the player extra seconds, determined by the number.
• Icons like this (lighter) restore the player's Styler by the specified number of energy.
• Icons like this (SPE) increase the player's movement speed.

This is a notoriously difficult mission. It is your first exposure to one-way teleporters. The way they are arranged in this mission, backtracking is always possible, but it costs time. AP yields are generous and useful for practicing harder capture patterns (e.g., Vulpix gives 4 AP despite an easy ~20-25s capture). The mission goal requires saving specifically frightened Vulpix: agitated/normal Vulpix don't count (and won't drop Slates). Several obstacle-course-style rooms require navigating past high-value but time-costly Pokémon (Kabutops: 8 AP, Quagsire: 7 AP) to reach roaming Vulpix, which move at a speed close to the player's and require corner-cutting (much easier with a speed powerup: roughly 8 seconds with one vs. up to 45 without one).

The optimal route requires the player to get the Speed powerup first, since catching fleeing Vulpix is difficult or impossible without it. From the 3-route branch, go right, then up (ignoring Vulpix and Kabutops), into the left teleporter (left is always forward and right is always backward in these branch rooms). In the 5-teleporter room, go up along the left side to a chest for a speed powerup, then return to capture Vulpix from the three bottom chambers: right chamber first (easiest, since Vulpix's path is now known), then central (watch for two time-consuming Quagsire), then left (approach the scared Vulpix from the top-right only). Return to the 5-teleporter room and take the top-left teleporter into a huge room. Head left past Camerupt/Skuntank to catc a Vulpix (though watch for Pokémon that might interrupt the chase), then back and right to grab another via a careful diagonal approach (avoiding a chase). Continue north, dodge more obstacle Pokémon, and reach the boss room.

Some Pokémon are only found in certain patterns, so grinding for their Slates is dependent on getting the correct pattern.

• In the first room, the player first sees Dunsparce: Pattern 1 or 3.
• In the first room, the player first sees Spheal: Pattern 2.
• In the first room, the player first sees Sneasel: Pattern 4.
• On a Dunsparce pattern, the non-Vulpix Pokémon in the room accessible by going left at the 3-route branch is Marshtomp: Pattern 1.
• On a Dunsparce pattern, the non-Vulpix Pokémon in the room accessible by going left at the 3-route branch is Wingull: Pattern 3.

Boss

Unlike other bosses, Feraligatr doesn't agitate at 50% Friendship Gauge, but rather around 90% gauge. It recovers gauge energy extremely fast if left alone. While agitated, its attacks will target your Pokémon sent out for Assists, so be careful where you place your Pokémon.

• Spray water (!): A large bullet of water in the direction it's facing. 8 damage per hit. Impossible to loop around. However, it often uses the attack in succession, and fast loops can be performed been attacks.
• Water sphere (!!): Charges for a half second, then launches a ball of water that turns into a stage hazard puddle. Only used after Feraligatr is above around 50% gauge. 5 damage per hit. Very difficult to loop around.
• Rush attack (!!!): Charges for a half second, then charges forward in the direction it's facing 4 damage per hit. Difficult to loop around.
• Shock wave: This is not telegraphed, and only used when Feraligatr is agitated. Feraligatr makes hops around the screen, doing a shock wave where it lands. 6 damage per hit. Risky to loop around, since it does several in quick succession.

S-Rank Tips

Expect to struggle and fail repeatedly. This is likely your first real roadblock. Multiplayer unlocks a 4-person door with useful powerups and early Glaceon access, making this much easier to complete if playing co-op. If playing alone, don't miss the 90-second time extension - its location varies depending on pattern, so pay attention! With good Vulpix routing, S-rank starts to become realistic around level 40-45.

Partner Choice

The game itself suggests inflicting Tired status to stop Feraligatr's fast regeneration. Drapion can do this, but its long recharge time means the status often wears off before you can reapply it if Feraligatr lands a hit. Electric and Grass options generally lack the range, power, or AP-efficiency to be practical here; the exceptions are Sceptile, Carnivine, and Tangrowth, but these require a heavy AP investment. Ultimately, despite its bad type matchup, Piplup remains the best pick. Its quick recharge lets you reapply Tired frequently, preventing Feraligatr's regeneration, and its speed boost helps with Vulpix captures too. Chingling - which requires low AP investment and has a low recharge time - is a flexible, if weak, alternative worth considering.