Rustboro City – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald

About game/music

This is “Rustboro City” from “Pokémon (Omega)Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald”(2003, 2014), a monster raising RPG created by Game Freak, and released by The Pokémon Company.
This is composed by Go Ichinose.
(I also refferred to the Omega Ruby version, arranged by Shota Kageyama)

This is played in Rustboro City, the city with the first gym.
But it is also played in Mauville City and Mossdeep City, so this song may be remembered by many players.

Analyzing

bar 8, 9

• bVImaj7 and bIIImaj7
  • borrowed chords from the parallel minor.

bar 9

• bIImaj7
  • borrowed chord from Phrygian mode
  • As a substitute for iv, it often proceeds to I

bar 18~19

• iv in major key (other Tabs include this)
  • one of the so-called “subdominant minor chord”, which include b6th in the scale.
  • It’s nostalgic or romantic.
  • Typically used following IV.
  • It’s borrowed mostly from parallel minor, but also from Mixolydian b6 (in this case, ivM7)
  • other examples are the following songs.
    • The King Lost in Time – Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City
    • Lonely Rolling Star – Katamari Damacy
    • Candy Constellation – Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
    • Big-Bean Vine – Kirby’s Epic Yarn
    • Costumes & Colors – Kirby’s Dream Buffet
    • Shopping in Wakeport – Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
    • Badges – Pikmin Bloom
    • Dewford Town – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
    • Rustboro City – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
    • Fortree City – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
    • Abandoned Ship – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
    • Valor Lakefront – Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
    • Hearthome City – Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
    • Canalave City – Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
    • National Park – Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
    • Cianwood City – Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
    • Route 26 – Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver
    • Pewter City – Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
    • Castelia City – Pokémon Black2/White2
    • Marine Tube – Pokémon Black2/White2
    • Iki Town (Day) – Pokémon Sun/Moon
    • Cobalt Coastlands – Pokémon Legends: Arceus
    • Levincia – Pokémon Scarlet/Violet
    • Clear Breeze – Skullgirls
    • Wave Ocean – Sonic the Hedgehog(2006)
    • Magical Snow Day – Sonic Runners
    • Oh! One True Love – Undertale
    • Temmie Village – Undertale

bar 18~21

• IV-V-iii-vi, or variants (other TABs include this)
  • Very popular chord progression in Japan, called “王道進行”. It means “popular” or “typical”.
  • other examples are the following songs.
    • Re-Tail – Animal Crossing: New Leaf
    • Dogcheck – DELTARUNE Chapter 1
    • Melodies Of Life～Final Fantasy – FINAL FANTASY IX
    • Phoenix Highway – Freedom Planet 2
    • Rainbow Resort – Kirby’s Adventure
    • Ripple Field 1 – Kirby’s Dream Land 3
    • Grass Land – Kirby’s Epic Yarn
    • Apt.102 – Kirby’s Epic Yarn
    • Abandoned Beach – Kirby and the Forgotten Land
    • Snowfield – La Tale
    • Pass On – Limbus Company
    • A Home For Flowers (Empty) – OMORI
    • Challenge Go Go! – Pocket Card Jockey
    • Jazz Racing Jam – Pocket Card Jockey
    • Slateport City – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
    • Route 104 – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
    • Rustboro City – Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
    • Hearthome City – Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
    • Route 203 – Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
    • National Park – Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver
    • Cianwood City – Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver
    • Route 26 – Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver
    • Accumula Town – Pokémon Black/White
    • Route 2 – Pokémon Black/White
    • Lacunosa Town – Pokémon Black/White
    • Floccesy Town – Pokémon Black2/White2
    • Castelia City – Pokémon Black2/White2
    • Professor Kukui’s Theme – Pokémon Sun/Moon
    • Thrifty Megamart – Pokémon Sun/Moon
    • Battle! (Island Kahuna) – Pokémon Sun/Moon
    • Route 10 on Ula’ula Island – Pokémon Sun/Moon
    • Battle! (Hop) – Pokémon Sword/Shield
    • Wyndon – Pokémon Sword/Shield
    • Cobalt Coastlands 1 – Pokémon Legends: Arceus
    • Purity of your smile – Ragnarok Online
    • Seaside Hill – Sonic Heroes
    • Dear My Friend – Sonic Unleashed
    • End Of The Summer – Sonic Runners
    • Guest Book – Tomodachi Life
    • Shop – UNDERTALE
    • Oh! One True Love – UNDERTALE
  • other examples in minor key are the following songs. (in this case, bVI-bVII-v-i)
    • Battle! (Rival) – Pokémon Black2/White2
    • The Battle at the Summit! – Pokémon Sun/Moon
    • Battle! (Ultra Necrozma) – Pokémon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon
    • Battle! (Bede) – Pokémon Sword/Shield
    • Battle! (Arven) – Pokémon Scarlet/Violet
    • Battle! (*spoilerAI Professor) – Pokémon Scarlet/Violet
    • Magical Snow Day – Sonic Runners
      • It appears as a modulation from C major to C minor, a parallel key.
    • Desire Drive – 東方神霊廟 ~ Ten Desires.
    • Illusionary White Traveler – 東方天空璋 ~ Hidden Star in Four Seasons.
    • The Great Fantastic Underground Railway Network – 東方虹龍洞 ~ Unconnected Marketeers.