The world of Pokemon speedrunning and challenge runs is a relentless pursuit of perfection, where every frame, every button press, and now, every single step, is meticulously analyzed. A dedicated player and content creator, known as Rylockes, recently completed a staggering feat: beating Pokemon Emerald by taking the “fewest steps possible.” In a video documenting his journey, which he claims involved “every trick to save steps,” Rylockes achieved a final step count of 7,058. It was a monumental achievement born from months of dedication, but in the merciless world of the internet, his moment of triumph was immediately met with a new challenge: he could have done even better.

The “fewest steps” challenge is a unique and punishing one. Unlike a traditional speedrun, which prioritizes a fast time, this run focuses on a different metric. Every step in the game is a commitment, and Rylockes had to plan a precise route that minimized all unnecessary movement. This required a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics, including how to manipulate the overworld, use specific items, and even strategically “black out” to warp back to a Pokémon Center to save steps. He utilized every possible trick, from a single-tile movement to take a shortcut to using a Pokémon with the ability “Pickup” to generate crucial items like Escape Ropes, all to avoid walking into a Poké Mart.

The Meticulous Process: The Final Step Count

Rylockes’s run was a masterclass in optimization. He meticulously planned every single tile of his journey, avoiding optional trainers, and using the game’s mechanics to his advantage. He used a Zigzagoon with the “Pickup” ability to acquire items like Escape Ropes, which are essential for teleporting out of caves and other areas, saving hundreds of steps. He also relied on the overworld poison effect, which allows a poisoned Pokémon’s health to deplete with every step until it faints, causing the player to warp back to the last Pokémon Center they visited. This a crucial trick that allows players to “rewind” their position to an earlier point on the map, effectively erasing steps they would have had to take to get back to a certain area.

After a run that he described as taking “months” of planning and practice, he finished with a step count of 7,058. At the end of his video, he proudly displayed the final tally, with a humble challenge to the community: “I would not be surprised if there was something I forgot that would save a few steps. If there is anything that you think I missed, I encourage you to let me know in the comments.” What followed was an immediate and overwhelming response from fellow players, who, in a testament to the community’s encyclopedic knowledge of the game, provided him with even more ways to reduce his step count.

The Internet’s Response: New Tricks and a New Goal

Within hours of the video’s upload, the comments section was filled with suggestions for even further step reduction. One user pointed out that instead of catching a Poochyena to get a Pokémon with Rock Smash, he could have caught a Zigzagoon with the “Pickup” ability, which could have then generated healing items and Escape Ropes, eliminating the need to enter a Poké Mart at all. This simple change alone, they claimed, would have saved 14 tiles and brought his total step count down to 7,044. Another player offered an even more granular piece of advice, suggesting that he could have taken a different route to the Cycling Road, a suggestion that Rylockes personally tested and found to save an additional three steps.

This is the nature of the speedrunning and challenge-running community. A world-class achievement is not the end, but the beginning of a new conversation, a new challenge to push the game and its mechanics to their absolute limits. While Rylockes’s run was a near-perfect display of skill and strategy, it serves as a reminder that in a game as complex as Pokemon Emerald, there is always another trick, another glitch, or another route that can be optimized. For now, the hunt for the “theoretically lowest number of steps” continues, and Rylockes’s video stands as a testament to the enduring love for this classic game and the community’s relentless pursuit of perfection.