Pokémon Vortex
Pokémon Crater, often subtitled as the Battle Arena, was an unofficial online Pokémon game that was played with just a mouse. Registered players could click on maps to gain Pokémon and battle with a computer-controlled player to raise their Pokémon's levels. The site was created by webmaster Aaron in 1999. It underwent a number if changes and is now at Version 7. Today, players could walk around a map and battle the members around them, though the actual opponent could still be controlled by the computer. Before version 4.0, only one Pokémon would be used by each trainer in all battles. However, as of the latest version the aim was to beat a team of up to six Pokémon, though switches wernt allowed until either one faints.
The site closed on December 1, 2007.
Features
Additional features include battling Gym Leaders to collect badges and battling anime characters. Healing items can be bought, along with Poké Balls. Master Balls are available, a user being able to purchase more than one. Healing items are useless unless they are used during battle because a Pokémon regains all HP after battle. Each member of any species of Pokémon will always have the same four moves, which can be checked using the site Pokédex. The main aim is to get onto the Top Trainer's list and/or complete the Pokédex, though that is a very hard feat to manage. It is even harder than in the games, because the Pokédex counts only the Pokémon currently owned, not ones that have been evolved or traded. Also, all 28 Unown forms are separate Pokémon, the three cloaks for Burmy and Wormadam are counted as separate, the Unique Pokémon (see below), and there are 5 forms of each species: Normal, Shiny, Dark, Metallic, and Ghostly.
In some version of the game players could now change the attack of a Pokémon via the My Pokémon Team Page or View All My Pokémon. This allows users to change a Pokémon's attacks with new ones. With the right amount of money a Pokémon could now have a different attack, but the price varies from Pokémon to Pokémon.
Unique Pokémon
The site has its own unique Pokémon, a Dragon/Ice Pokémon called Dratinice. Dratinice previously evolved at level 100 - a level easier to reach than in the games - into the Dragon/Fire Pokémon Dratinire and an Electric/Dragon Pokémon called Dratilic. However, the three Pokémon, commonly known as the "legendary Dratinis" are now separate creatures that are not related through evolution. Until Shiny Pokémon were added, Shiny Scyther was a novelty, as this was Aaron's favorite Pokémon. Both Dratinice and Shiny Scyther could be found in a house on the maps at a specific time of the day. In Version 4.0, the houses are no longer there. This means that Dratinice can only be found in the wild, though it is rare. Shiny Scyther is found in the same as any other Shiny Pokémon, and so is just as rare. There are also four special classes Pokémon, Dark Pokémon, Metallic Pokémon, Ghostly Pokémon and Shiny Pokémon, each with their own unique attributes besides colour scheme.
Battles
The site has numerous ways of battling. If players enter a specific house they may battle other anime characters like Tracey and Ash. Although wild Pokémon will not be encountered, players can still fight other trainers. If a wild Pokémon is beaten, the Pokémon used in battle will receive experience points and some money depending on the battle. Beating gym leaders (see below) will award players with a badge and twice the money they would normally receive. The same thing happens with other trainers: experience points and money is gained. Players can find wild Pokémon by pressing the direction arrows outside of buildings.
There are two ways of battling another member. Players can battle them computer controlled, in which the member's Pokémon are controlled by the computer, or live battle them, in which that member controls his/her Pokémon. There are two ways to engage in a live battle. Players can look around the map for one or can type their username into the "Battle an Online Member (Live Battle)" page.
Since there is only one stat, HP, there is no way in a battle to tell which Pokémon attacks first. Because of this, both Pokémon attack at the same time. This may cause both Pokémon to faint at the same time. If these two Pokémon are the last in both trainers' team, it counts as a win for both.
Gym Leaders
There are 44 Gym Leaders which players can battle at any time in any order. They award you with a badge and double experience points as well.
Indigo League Gyms
File:SpriteBrock.png Pewter Gym: Brock
File:SpriteMisty.png Cerulean Gym: Misty
File:SpriteSurge.png Vermilion Gym: Lt. Surge
File:SpriteErika.png Celadon Gym: Erika
- Pokémon
Victreebel, level 44
Bellossom, level 46
Gloom, level 40- Victreebel, level 46
File:SpriteSabrina.png Saffron Gym: Sabrina
File:SpriteJanine.gif Fuchsia Gym: Janine
File:SpriteBlaine.png Cinnabar Gym: Blaine
File:PCSprtieGary-1-.png Viridian Gym: Gary
- Pokémon
Johto Gyms
File:SpriteFalkner.gif Violet Gym: Falkner
File:SpriteBugsy.gif Azalea Gym: Bugsy
File:SpriteWhitney.gif Goldenrod Gym: Whitney
File:SpriteMorty.gif Ecruteak Gym: Morty
File:SpriteChuck.gif Cianwood Gym: Chuck
File:SpriteJasmine.gif Olivine Gym: Jasmine
File:SpritePryce.gif Mahogany Gym: Pryce
- Pokémon
File:SpriteClair.gif Blackthorn Gym: Clair
- Pokémon
Hoenn Gym Leaders
File:SpriteRoxanne.png Rustboro Gym: Roxanne
File:SpriteBrawly.png Dewford Gym: Brawly
File:SpriteWattson.png Mauville Gym: Wattson
File:SpriteFlannery.png Lavaridge Gym: Flannery
- Pokémon
Slugma, level 44
Magmar, level 46- Slugma, level 44
Charmeleon, level 47
File:SpriteNorman.png Petalburg Gym: Norman
File:SpriteWinona.png Fortree Gym: Winona
File:SpriteTateandLiza.png Mossdeep Gym: Liza and Tate
File:SpriteWallace.png Sootopolis Gym: Wallace
- Pokémon
Sinnoh Gym Leaders
File:SpriteHyouta.png Oreburgh Gym: Roark
File:SpriteNatane.png Eterna Gym: Gardenia
File:SpriteSumomo.png Veilstone Gym: Maylene
File:SpriteMakishi.png Pastoria Gym: Wake
File:SpriteMerissa.png Hearthome Gym: Fantina
File:SpriteTougan.png Canalave Gym: Byron
File:SpriteSuzuna.png Snowpoint Gym: Candice
File:SpriteDenji.png Sunyshore Gym: Volkner
Indigo/Johto Elite Four
1) Will
- Pokémon
2) Koga
- Pokémon
3) Bruno
- Pokémon
4) Karen
- Pokémon
Hoenn Elite Four
1) Sidney
- Pokémon
2) Phoebe
- Pokémon
3) Glacia
- Pokémon
- Sealeo, level 100
- Feraligatr, level 100
- Blastoise, level 100
- Walrein, level 100
- Feraligatr, level 100
- Glalie, level 100
4) Drake
- Pokémon
Sinnoh Elite Four
1) Aaron
- Pokémon
2) Bertha
- Pokémon
3) Flint
- Pokémon
4) Lucian
Items
Items can be bought at any time using the "Item Inventory/Buy Items" button. Items available include Poké Balls, Healing Items, and evolutionary stones.
Poké Balls
There are 4 types of Poké Balls. During a wild Pokémon battle, a player may at any time throw one at the wild Pokémon. If the wild Pokémon is not captured, you are given a chance to switch Pokémon.
- Poké Ball
- Captures a Wild Pokémon with 15 or less remaining HP.
- Great Ball
- Captures a Wild Pokémon with 30 or less remaining HP.
- Super Ball
- Captures a Wild Pokémon with 45 or less remaining HP.
- Master Ball
- Captures all Pokémon.
- The Master Ball was notorious in earlier versions of the site for not catching every Pokémon, instead simply being a bit more effectve than a Super Ball.
Healing Items
There are 10 healing items. During a wild Pokémon battle or Trainer battle, a player may use one (using an item takes up one turn). Only live opponents can use them.
- Potion
- Restores 50 HP to the active Pokémon.
- Super Potion
- Restores 100 HP to the active Pokémon.
- Ultra Potion
- Restores 200 HP to the active Pokémon.
- Full Heal
- Cures the active Pokémon of the current Status Effect.
- Paralyze Heal
- Cures the active Pokémon of Paralysis.
- Ice Heal
- Cures the active Pokémon of Freezing.
- Awakening
- Cures the Active Pokémon of Sleep.
- Burn Heal
- Cures the Active Pokémon of Burning.
- Antidote
- Cures the Active Pokémon of Poison.
- Berries
- Restores 30 HP to one Pokémon.
Evolution
Not all methods of evolution and evolutional chains are the same as in games.
Methods of Evolution
There are three methods of evolution.
- Experience
- The Pokémon levels up to a certain level to evolve.
- Evolution Stones
- The Pokémon is given a stone (water, thunder, fire, leaf, moon, sun, shiny, dawn, dusk) and evolves. The stone is removed from the user's inventory.
- Automatic
- The trainer chooses when his/her Pokémon evolves. It can evolve at any time.
Message Board
Alongside the game, at one time the site had a fairly busy message board. These were to talk and get help about the game, as well as talking about Pokémon and more general topics. The moderators, who usually worked with little interaction with Aaron, had a hard policy against spam, and were prepared to ban those who did not follow the list of rules. These boards were removed during a big upgrade in August 2004. In the anti-spam climate of the original boards, those who did post properly were noticed, and many were recruited to a private club, named Valthors by its creator, Vandurer. Three of the four forum moderators, including the most prominent, were among the members. However, with the major source of recruitment closed down, the activity level of club dropped significantly and it remained largely inactive until being officially dissolved in June 2007. A new message board was set up in March 2006 but this did not have Valthor influence.
Closure
On November 14, 2007, this message was posted on the site:
- In the ninth grade, I became fascinated with Pokémon. I bought all the games and played them over and over. When a friend who shared my interest moved away, I thought that it would be great to put a similar game on the Internet that he and I could play together. Through the years, he and I and thousands of our site viewers enjoyed my version of Pokémon.
- Soon I will be graduating from college. Life has its demands and responsibilities, life will be changing, and it is not going to be possible to maintain PokemonCrater.com. As a result I have decided to shut down PokemonCrater.com on December 1, 2007.
- Thank You to all the viewers who shared my interest in Pokémon and a special Thank You to those who contributed ideas and challenges through the years. It has been great.