This is a bit of a deviation from the competitive-battling focus of this blog, but I feel like this might be brought to me as a question at some point, so I might as well address it now rather than later: "Why do you nickname all of your Pokémon?"
I understand that not everyone does this, either due to not being to come up with names or simply because they want to be able to remember the name of the species their Pokémon is. I've never had either of these problems, since I seemed to subconsciously remember the name of a Pokémon species...and, even if I forgot it, I could simply peer at my Pokémon's summary. I really nickname all of my Pokémon for the same reason that I don't practice true Pokémon eugenics: I'm just a bit of a sentimental fool.
To me, not naming a Pokémon is like having a cat and deciding to name it "Cat." It doesn't make sense to me. I understand that some people call their cats "kitty" because they don't believe that cats can be name-trained (if you start when they're young and always, always use the name, they can be name-trained quite easily; they will come when called as long as you've taught them to trust you and be social, even if only with you). I used to not name legendaries, just because I thought that whatever name I came up with couldn't be as interesting as their own name. I broke this tradition only a couple of years ago, and I've never looked back. Why did I not stop doing it? Naming the legendary helped strengthen my attachment to him/her/them, even more so than if I had kept them in my party for ages after catching them.
Just like with naming animals, I usually give Pokémon human or human-like names. This wasn't always the case in the early days of my playing Pokémon, though that had more to do with my age than anything else. (My first starter, which I had when I was eight years old, was named Leafer; my second, which I gained [and still have] when I was nine, was named Flaren, which helped boost the idea of giving Pokémon more human-like names.) I always named Pokémon; I tended to name everything, mostly due to the fact that my imagination was always supported by my parents. Naturally, my naming Pokémon has grown more sophisticated over the years. I suppose I could list off all of my starter Pokémon's names...I remember them all, and while it's a bit embarrassing for me, it might be interesting to someone out there. I'm going to estimate my age on all of these, though it should be fairly accurate.
- Age 8: Leafer, Torterra (deleted; the one time I deleted a starter)
- Age 9: Flaren, Infernape
- Age 12: Slash, Typhlosion
- Age 13: Lucian, Serperior
- Age 14: Aeron, Emboar
- Age 15: Benvolio, Greninja
- Age 15: Serren, Venusaur
The one major exception to the naming rule was my Typhlosion, and though I initially regretted the name, it grew on me enough that I had no desire to change it.
What makes a name? Well, when I think about the trends in how I name all of my Pokémon-- not just my starters-- these patterns tend to emerge:
- The names are typically two to three syllables long.
- The names tend to be vowel-heavy.
- In the case of some legendaries (notably, my Zekrom from Black 2 and my Yveltal), "y" replaces a vowel or further elongates an existing vowel; "Fayte" being my Zekrom, and "Rebyrth" my Yveltal.
- Pokémon can be named after fictional characters (Benvolio, Atticus, Clavicus, Sortiara, Eddard, Jon, and Morpheus are examples of this).
- Pokémon can have "human" names that are not commonly used.
- Pokémon can be named after historical figures.
- Pokémon can, in rare cases, be named after acquaintances or family members. This has happened only in Pokémon Y: Nico, my Gliscor, named after the first person I battled offline at a small tournament, and Su, my shiny Goodra, partially named after my grandmother (who was in the hospital at the time).
Hopefully, someone out there has enjoyed this; it's more than a bit of a tangent, but hopefully the question won't be posed to me too often, as this post exists.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
A Mini-Lesson On: Predicting Your Opponent's Moves
If you're familiar with type matchups, this should be a relatively straightforward process. If not, I'd highly recommend memorizing-- or at least becoming familiar with-- how moves affect each other, and affect Pokémon of certain types.
Pokémon battling is essentially a complicated version of rock-paper-scissors, with far more than three options. However, Pokémon battling isn't just a game of chance: it's something that is far more predictable, because of how types work in the Pokémon universe. Let's use Benvolio (my Greninja) as an example. Benny, as I often call him, is a Water/Dark-type Pokémon. He doesn't have Protean as his Ability (which allows a Pokémon to change type depending on which moves he/she uses), as he was/is my starter for Pokémon Y.
If my opponent sends out a Pokémon like Breloom, which is Grass/Fighting-type, I know that Benvolio could easily be one-hit-KO'd. As such, I'd want to switch into something like my Gardevoir, which has Psychic as one of her moves. However, Benvolio does have Extrasensory, meaning that he may be able to one-hit-KO the Breloom, provided that he has move priority in that turn. Should I take that risk and try to use Extrasensory, knowing that my Pokémon could be very easily knocked out if I don't move first? If it's the first turn of a battle and I still have all three of my Pokémon, I wouldn't want to unless I have nothing else that could easily defeat the Breloom.
So, how do you predict those "surprise moves" that don't fit with a Pokémon's typing? You can't reliably do so. Knowledge of the most common move-sets for a certain commonly-used Pokémon species is always handy...and "surprise moves" aren't always a part of them. I haven't encountered another Gardevoir that commonly uses Thunderbolt, just as I haven't found a Rhyperior that uses Ice Beam-- but, come to think of it, I haven't encountered any Rhyperior beyond Tybalt in the Battle Spot.
What if you aren't sure about a Pokémon's type? Make an educated guess. What does the Pokémon look like? While Carbink doesn't look like a typical Fairy-type, it certainly looks mineral-like. Perhaps you could try to use a Steel-type move against it (which it is super-effectively damaged by due to being a Fairy). Worst come to worst, you'll just not damage the Pokémon very much, or not at all. If the second case happens, at least you know that the Pokémon is immune to that type, which can help you in your future battles.
Pokémon battling is essentially a complicated version of rock-paper-scissors, with far more than three options. However, Pokémon battling isn't just a game of chance: it's something that is far more predictable, because of how types work in the Pokémon universe. Let's use Benvolio (my Greninja) as an example. Benny, as I often call him, is a Water/Dark-type Pokémon. He doesn't have Protean as his Ability (which allows a Pokémon to change type depending on which moves he/she uses), as he was/is my starter for Pokémon Y.
 |
| (Via Bulbapedia.net.) |
If my opponent sends out a Pokémon like Breloom, which is Grass/Fighting-type, I know that Benvolio could easily be one-hit-KO'd. As such, I'd want to switch into something like my Gardevoir, which has Psychic as one of her moves. However, Benvolio does have Extrasensory, meaning that he may be able to one-hit-KO the Breloom, provided that he has move priority in that turn. Should I take that risk and try to use Extrasensory, knowing that my Pokémon could be very easily knocked out if I don't move first? If it's the first turn of a battle and I still have all three of my Pokémon, I wouldn't want to unless I have nothing else that could easily defeat the Breloom.
So, how do you predict those "surprise moves" that don't fit with a Pokémon's typing? You can't reliably do so. Knowledge of the most common move-sets for a certain commonly-used Pokémon species is always handy...and "surprise moves" aren't always a part of them. I haven't encountered another Gardevoir that commonly uses Thunderbolt, just as I haven't found a Rhyperior that uses Ice Beam-- but, come to think of it, I haven't encountered any Rhyperior beyond Tybalt in the Battle Spot.
What if you aren't sure about a Pokémon's type? Make an educated guess. What does the Pokémon look like? While Carbink doesn't look like a typical Fairy-type, it certainly looks mineral-like. Perhaps you could try to use a Steel-type move against it (which it is super-effectively damaged by due to being a Fairy). Worst come to worst, you'll just not damage the Pokémon very much, or not at all. If the second case happens, at least you know that the Pokémon is immune to that type, which can help you in your future battles.
Friday, June 27, 2014
For Parents: The Benefit of Pokémon for Your Child
This is a very specific post, aimed directly at parents of the younger demographic of Pokémon players. It doesn't relate to anything in the competitive Pokémon world, so if that is your main priority, I would recommend skipping over this post in favor of most everything else on this blog.
I'm not a parent, and I don't plan to ever be a parent. I'm writing this from the point of view of someone who can understand, and arguably sympathize, with your systems of belief about video-games/Pokémon/etc. I'm also a longtime veteran of the franchise, and-- though not affiliated with Nintendo/Game Freak in any way-- I might be a bit biased by that fact. I will, as always, remain as objective as possible in this post. So, without further ado, let's get into it.
Why should I let my child play Pokémon?
That's a very important question to ask. Those unfamiliar with the franchise might not understand its draw, or even see the entire thing as a marketing scheme in order to get children to buy more cards/game/merchandise in general. I'll be talking specifically about the video games in this post, though these points certainly can and do apply to other parts of the franchise.
- It teaches good sportspersonship. Whether they're playing the video-games or the card came, Pokémon stresses the importance of sportspersonship. Being respectful to your opponent is key, whether it's someone you're battling overseas through the Internet or a person across the table from you.
- The games are entirely text-based, and, as a result, can help improve a younger child's reading ability. As a youngster, I didn't have access to traditional video games until about the age of eight. By then, I was already addicted to reading. I know that, if I had the opportunity to play games before that age, I still would have become addicted to reading. However, I understand that not all children like to read, or want to do so. Giving them a Pokémon game allows them to better their reading skills-- provided that they already know how to read-- because of the fact that the game has no spoken words.
- It gives them an interest that they have in common with thousands of people around the world, of all different ages. Pokémon is not just an interest for the young. A fair portion of the demographic is made up of older children and adults, who can help mentor the newer members of the Pokémon "family" in all sorts of areas. That's part of the reason why I started this blog.
- It helps reinforce the ideas of care, friendship, and love for other beings/animals/people/etc. Yes, it's true: you're capturing creatures and using them in battle against other creatures. This, on its own, can seem very dark and arguably unethical, except when considering the overarching theme of the series, which is to love and care for other beings. Pokémon are not tools of war. They are much like pets to their Trainers, to be raised with love and compassion. They just also happen to have the ability to participate in friendly sparring with other beings. It's worth noting that nothing in the Pokémon universe dies. When a Pokémon is defeated, it simply faints. It will be able to continue about its day as soon as it awakens from its short "nap" of sorts.
Will video-games/Pokémon make my child antisocial?
Hardly. If a child enjoys spending time around others, they will continue to do so; if these companions also like Pokémon, then your child and their friends will have a new topic of conversation and discussion. Video games alone do not make a person antisocial; it depends on their personality and social environment. If they become overwhelmed by social interaction, it is logical that they would find an outlet to recharge, such as reading, writing, drawing, or playing video-games.
How safe are the online components of Pokémon? After all, you've talked about a fairly large demographic.
It's very safe, because Nintendo has already thought about those things. Pokémon's online features do involve interaction with strangers, but it is worth noting that there is absolutely no way to communicate with these people. You can trade Pokémon with them, you can battle against their Pokémon, but you cannot communicate with them over the Internet. Additionally, player interactions are designed to benefit other players, through granting them the Pokémon they desire through trading or improving their battling skills. As of Generation 6, there is also another feature-- called O-Powers-- that allows players to benefit the game-play experiences of others, by increasing the prize-money earned from battling, improving egg hatching time, and more.
What about Pokémon breeding?
Pokémon is very good about not being specific in the slightest as to what Pokémon breeding entails. Pokémon reproduction may very well be identical to the reproduction of normal animals, but the games make no mention of this or any implication of anything more than simply leaving two Pokémon in a day-care and finding an egg, without knowledge of how said egg appeared.
Is Pokémon just a massive marketing scheme?
In terms of the video-games, I would have to give a firm "no" as my personal answer. You can obtain all of the Pokémon in existence with one game; you would just have to do a lot of trading. There are certain benefits to each installment of the Pokémon franchise, with new features and adventures, but a person could very well pour hours into one Pokémon game and still remain interested in that game. Years after a game is released, Nintendo may close the online connectivity of a game, but the core game-play and all of the player's Pokémon and progress will still remain perfectly intact.
I've done my best to cover what I could see as the major sticking points for a parent...all that I hope for is that someone has found this helpful at some point.
I'm not a parent, and I don't plan to ever be a parent. I'm writing this from the point of view of someone who can understand, and arguably sympathize, with your systems of belief about video-games/Pokémon/etc. I'm also a longtime veteran of the franchise, and-- though not affiliated with Nintendo/Game Freak in any way-- I might be a bit biased by that fact. I will, as always, remain as objective as possible in this post. So, without further ado, let's get into it.
Why should I let my child play Pokémon?
That's a very important question to ask. Those unfamiliar with the franchise might not understand its draw, or even see the entire thing as a marketing scheme in order to get children to buy more cards/game/merchandise in general. I'll be talking specifically about the video games in this post, though these points certainly can and do apply to other parts of the franchise.
- It teaches good sportspersonship. Whether they're playing the video-games or the card came, Pokémon stresses the importance of sportspersonship. Being respectful to your opponent is key, whether it's someone you're battling overseas through the Internet or a person across the table from you.
- The games are entirely text-based, and, as a result, can help improve a younger child's reading ability. As a youngster, I didn't have access to traditional video games until about the age of eight. By then, I was already addicted to reading. I know that, if I had the opportunity to play games before that age, I still would have become addicted to reading. However, I understand that not all children like to read, or want to do so. Giving them a Pokémon game allows them to better their reading skills-- provided that they already know how to read-- because of the fact that the game has no spoken words.
- It gives them an interest that they have in common with thousands of people around the world, of all different ages. Pokémon is not just an interest for the young. A fair portion of the demographic is made up of older children and adults, who can help mentor the newer members of the Pokémon "family" in all sorts of areas. That's part of the reason why I started this blog.
- It helps reinforce the ideas of care, friendship, and love for other beings/animals/people/etc. Yes, it's true: you're capturing creatures and using them in battle against other creatures. This, on its own, can seem very dark and arguably unethical, except when considering the overarching theme of the series, which is to love and care for other beings. Pokémon are not tools of war. They are much like pets to their Trainers, to be raised with love and compassion. They just also happen to have the ability to participate in friendly sparring with other beings. It's worth noting that nothing in the Pokémon universe dies. When a Pokémon is defeated, it simply faints. It will be able to continue about its day as soon as it awakens from its short "nap" of sorts.
Will video-games/Pokémon make my child antisocial?
Hardly. If a child enjoys spending time around others, they will continue to do so; if these companions also like Pokémon, then your child and their friends will have a new topic of conversation and discussion. Video games alone do not make a person antisocial; it depends on their personality and social environment. If they become overwhelmed by social interaction, it is logical that they would find an outlet to recharge, such as reading, writing, drawing, or playing video-games.
How safe are the online components of Pokémon? After all, you've talked about a fairly large demographic.
It's very safe, because Nintendo has already thought about those things. Pokémon's online features do involve interaction with strangers, but it is worth noting that there is absolutely no way to communicate with these people. You can trade Pokémon with them, you can battle against their Pokémon, but you cannot communicate with them over the Internet. Additionally, player interactions are designed to benefit other players, through granting them the Pokémon they desire through trading or improving their battling skills. As of Generation 6, there is also another feature-- called O-Powers-- that allows players to benefit the game-play experiences of others, by increasing the prize-money earned from battling, improving egg hatching time, and more.
What about Pokémon breeding?
Pokémon is very good about not being specific in the slightest as to what Pokémon breeding entails. Pokémon reproduction may very well be identical to the reproduction of normal animals, but the games make no mention of this or any implication of anything more than simply leaving two Pokémon in a day-care and finding an egg, without knowledge of how said egg appeared.
Is Pokémon just a massive marketing scheme?
In terms of the video-games, I would have to give a firm "no" as my personal answer. You can obtain all of the Pokémon in existence with one game; you would just have to do a lot of trading. There are certain benefits to each installment of the Pokémon franchise, with new features and adventures, but a person could very well pour hours into one Pokémon game and still remain interested in that game. Years after a game is released, Nintendo may close the online connectivity of a game, but the core game-play and all of the player's Pokémon and progress will still remain perfectly intact.
I've done my best to cover what I could see as the major sticking points for a parent...all that I hope for is that someone has found this helpful at some point.
Competitive Pokémon of the Week - Gardevoir
I haven't disappeared; I've just been a bit busy this week with my summer class and other things. So, let's get back to the Pokémon, shall we? This week, we'll be talking about a Pokémon that was saved by the Fairy type: Gardevoir.
Gardevoir, up until Generation 6, was a pure Psychic-type Pokémon. While it was still very beautiful, it was easily countered by anything with a Dark-, Bug-, or Ghost-type move. When Gardevoir was given the Fairy type as its secondary type, and given the ability to Mega Evolve, its competitive use became more common and far more viable in the typical metagame.
So, why should you consider a Gardevoir for your team in Generation 6?
- It may be somewhat fragile, but unless people are aware of exactly how to counter its typing, it has enough time to Mega Evolve and inflict some serious damage with Moonblast and/or Psychic.
- People try to use Dark-type moves against it surprisingly often. Nowadays, Gardevoir is only damaged normally by them due to them being super-effective against Psychic and not effective against Fairy...meaning that it can take ~2-3 hits from even the nastiest of Dark-type moves.
- It's not affected by Dragon-type moves, including Outrage. If you have a Dragon-versus-Dragon matchup in Double Battle, have the dragon use Protect during the turn it will be hit, and have Gardevoir or another Fairy in the other slot, and chuckle as the raging beast can't do anything.
- Its Special Attack is 125 normally, which shoots up to 165 when in Mega form. While Alakazam and its Mega form have 10 points of Special Attack more than Gardevoir, Alakazam's other stats are not as balanced...and, it's still a pure Psychic-type.
Should you take Gardevoir or Gallade?
It's your choice. The two work very differently from each other; Gallade is a Psychic/Fighting type, meaning that it's not effectively damaged by Psychic- or Dark-type moves. Gardevoir has Fairy coverage, making it more viable to use against dragons. You could very well have both a Gardevoir and a Gallade on hand and use one or the other depending on the situation. At this point, both can counter Dark-types with ease, between Gallade's Fighting-type specialization and Gardevoir's Fairy-type specialization.
Gardevoir is now becoming more common in Generation 6's competitive world, though it is still not the most prevalent of Pokémon. Whether you catch a Ralts in the wild and raise it into adulthood, or obtain a Gardevoir from a country far away through the GTS (like I did with my Irish Gardevoir), he or she will be a more than welcome addition on your team.
Gardevoir, up until Generation 6, was a pure Psychic-type Pokémon. While it was still very beautiful, it was easily countered by anything with a Dark-, Bug-, or Ghost-type move. When Gardevoir was given the Fairy type as its secondary type, and given the ability to Mega Evolve, its competitive use became more common and far more viable in the typical metagame.
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| (Lunasnightmare's [DeviantArt] interpretation of Gallade and Gardevoir.) |
- It may be somewhat fragile, but unless people are aware of exactly how to counter its typing, it has enough time to Mega Evolve and inflict some serious damage with Moonblast and/or Psychic.
- People try to use Dark-type moves against it surprisingly often. Nowadays, Gardevoir is only damaged normally by them due to them being super-effective against Psychic and not effective against Fairy...meaning that it can take ~2-3 hits from even the nastiest of Dark-type moves.
- It's not affected by Dragon-type moves, including Outrage. If you have a Dragon-versus-Dragon matchup in Double Battle, have the dragon use Protect during the turn it will be hit, and have Gardevoir or another Fairy in the other slot, and chuckle as the raging beast can't do anything.
- Its Special Attack is 125 normally, which shoots up to 165 when in Mega form. While Alakazam and its Mega form have 10 points of Special Attack more than Gardevoir, Alakazam's other stats are not as balanced...and, it's still a pure Psychic-type.
Should you take Gardevoir or Gallade?
It's your choice. The two work very differently from each other; Gallade is a Psychic/Fighting type, meaning that it's not effectively damaged by Psychic- or Dark-type moves. Gardevoir has Fairy coverage, making it more viable to use against dragons. You could very well have both a Gardevoir and a Gallade on hand and use one or the other depending on the situation. At this point, both can counter Dark-types with ease, between Gallade's Fighting-type specialization and Gardevoir's Fairy-type specialization.
Gardevoir is now becoming more common in Generation 6's competitive world, though it is still not the most prevalent of Pokémon. Whether you catch a Ralts in the wild and raise it into adulthood, or obtain a Gardevoir from a country far away through the GTS (like I did with my Irish Gardevoir), he or she will be a more than welcome addition on your team.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Surprising Competitive Pokémon - Qwilfish and Tentacruel in Uber tier
Starting off the blog's "Surprising Competitive Pokémon" section is Qwilfish, an odd-looking, almost mace-like, fish. Despite Qwilfish's typically average stats, it can function well in a variety of tiers, including Ubers, because of Swift Swim. Qwilfish, like all Pokémon with Swift Swim, have their speed doubled in the rain (which is why having Drizzle and Swift Swim on the same team is banned). If its Speed is EV trained and then put into the rain, the once-slow bizarre fish can outspeed most of the Pokémon in today's metagame. It acts as a great support Pokémon, as it can both take and set up Toxic Spikes, and can also work as an offensive sweeper in the rain. Even still, Qwilfish is as fragile as ever, and must be handled gently before it goes down. Though Qwilfish is indeed a "glass cannon," it can still act as a rather surprising offensive Pokémon.
Our second and last "weird" competitive Pokémon for this installment is Tentacruel. While I was initially hesitant about putting two aquatic Pokémon for the first installment of this section, I decided to include Tentacruel because of the fact that it can also function in the Uber tier. Tentacruel has remained in OU for most of its competitive life (with the exception of Generation 3, when it slipped into UU), and it can function arguably just as well in Uber tier. Provided that Tentacruel is armed with Rain Dish, its longevity is dramatically increased, though it cannot function as well in Uber tier as some more common defensive Uber-dwellers (like Ferrothorn). Still, Tentacruel's HP recovery, use of Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes, and capability to utilize Black Sludge make it a viable member of the Uber tier.
*Tentacruel is considered a competitive Pokémon in my mind, and in others', this may also be the case. It has made this list because it is commonly thought of as a "weak" Pokémon simply because it is readily available.*
Our second and last "weird" competitive Pokémon for this installment is Tentacruel. While I was initially hesitant about putting two aquatic Pokémon for the first installment of this section, I decided to include Tentacruel because of the fact that it can also function in the Uber tier. Tentacruel has remained in OU for most of its competitive life (with the exception of Generation 3, when it slipped into UU), and it can function arguably just as well in Uber tier. Provided that Tentacruel is armed with Rain Dish, its longevity is dramatically increased, though it cannot function as well in Uber tier as some more common defensive Uber-dwellers (like Ferrothorn). Still, Tentacruel's HP recovery, use of Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes, and capability to utilize Black Sludge make it a viable member of the Uber tier.
*Tentacruel is considered a competitive Pokémon in my mind, and in others', this may also be the case. It has made this list because it is commonly thought of as a "weak" Pokémon simply because it is readily available.*
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Whether to Weather the Weather - Weather Teams
Regardless of whether you were disoriented by the title or not, there's no doubt that weather teams certainly exist in Pokémon's competitive world. Summoning a sandstorm, rain, hail, or fierce sunlight can be a serious perk to your team. Why? Well, let's take a look.
First, it's worth noting that weather boosts certain types of moves and grants other beneficial or non-beneficial effects:
- Intense sunlight boosts Fire-type moves by 50%, allows Solar Beam to go off in one turn instead of two, changes Weather Ball's type to Fire and doubles its power, makes Cherrim change form, makes it impossible for a Pokémon to be frozen, and makes Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight recover more HP.
- Rain boosts Water-type moves by 50%, grants Thunder and Hurricane the ability to bypass their accuracy checks (they will always hit unless blocked by Protect/Detect/etc), activates Dry Skin, Swift Swim, Forecast, Hydration, and Rain Dish, changes Weather Ball to Water-type and doubles its power. It also weakens Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight, as they recover only 25% of HP in rain, and also decreases Solar Beam and all Fire-type moves' strength by 50%.
- Hail activates Forecast, Ice Body, and Snow Cloak, allows Blizzard to bypass accuracy checking, and changes Weather Ball to an Ice-type move and doubles its power. It damages all Pokémon that are not Ice-type (or have an Ability that allows them to bypass that damage), reduces the effect of Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight to the same percentage (25% recovery) as in rain, and weakens Solar Beam to 50% power.
- Sandstorm activates the Abilities Sand Rush, Sand Force, and Sand Veil. It raises the Special Defense of all Rock-type Pokémon by 50%, and changes Weather Ball to a Rock-type moves and doubles its power. Sandstorms damage all Pokémon that are not Rock, Ground, or Steel type, do not have an Ability that allows them to avoid the damage, and that do not hold Safety Goggles. Solar Beam will deal 50% of its normal damage in a sandstorm, and Moonlight, Synthesis, and Morning Sun only heal 25% of a Pokémon's health.
If your team is specialized to work well in a certain type of weather due to their types and/or Abilities, or is designed to play directly off of weather to boost/diminish moves' power to their advantage, the team can be considered a "weather team." The most common weather teams tend to be rain and sandstorm teams, though with the Drought Ability, sun-based teams are beginning to become more prevalent in Generation 6.
How Can Weather Be Summoned?
For the sake of simplicity and relevance, I'll only be talking about the means by which weather can be summoned in battle. Weather can be summoned by a specific move or Ability, which differs from weather type to weather type.
Moves that summon weather are:
- Sunny Day
- Sandstorm
- Hail
- Rain Dance
I'm sure that you can figure out which move corresponds with which weather type.
Abilities that summon weather, and the Pokémon that possess said Abilities, are:
- Sand Stream (sandstorm, five turns; Tyranitar [and Mega], Hippopotas, Hippowdon)
- Drought (intense sunlight, permanent; Ninetails H, Vulpix H, Mega Charizard Y, Groudon)
- Drizzle (rain, permanent; Kyogre, Politoed)
- Snow Warning (hail, permanent; Snover, Abomasnow [and Mega], Amaura H, Aurorus H)
It's worth noting that these "permanent" weather conditions actually aren't permanent; they just last until they're replaced by something else. It's also worth noting that, if a Pokémon has an H next to its name, the ability in question (Snow Warning/Drought) is its Hidden Ability, obtainable through the Dream World/Friend Safari/Horde battle.
So, there you have it. Whether you're developing your own weather team, or a team that can just weather the weather, you might have a better picture as to what type of weather best suits you. (OK, I'll stop with the weather puns now.)
(As a final note, it's worth mentioning that, if you're sort of patient, you can get Politoed in Pokémon Y & X by fishing on Route 19 with the Super Rod. The normal method of evolving Poliwhirl into Politoed involves trading it whilst it holds a King's Rock; if you really want the adorable little beast that is Politoed, go fishing! (Bring plenty of Ultra Balls, particularly if your Pokémon are over-leveled.)
First, it's worth noting that weather boosts certain types of moves and grants other beneficial or non-beneficial effects:
- Intense sunlight boosts Fire-type moves by 50%, allows Solar Beam to go off in one turn instead of two, changes Weather Ball's type to Fire and doubles its power, makes Cherrim change form, makes it impossible for a Pokémon to be frozen, and makes Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight recover more HP.
- Rain boosts Water-type moves by 50%, grants Thunder and Hurricane the ability to bypass their accuracy checks (they will always hit unless blocked by Protect/Detect/etc), activates Dry Skin, Swift Swim, Forecast, Hydration, and Rain Dish, changes Weather Ball to Water-type and doubles its power. It also weakens Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight, as they recover only 25% of HP in rain, and also decreases Solar Beam and all Fire-type moves' strength by 50%.
- Hail activates Forecast, Ice Body, and Snow Cloak, allows Blizzard to bypass accuracy checking, and changes Weather Ball to an Ice-type move and doubles its power. It damages all Pokémon that are not Ice-type (or have an Ability that allows them to bypass that damage), reduces the effect of Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight to the same percentage (25% recovery) as in rain, and weakens Solar Beam to 50% power.
- Sandstorm activates the Abilities Sand Rush, Sand Force, and Sand Veil. It raises the Special Defense of all Rock-type Pokémon by 50%, and changes Weather Ball to a Rock-type moves and doubles its power. Sandstorms damage all Pokémon that are not Rock, Ground, or Steel type, do not have an Ability that allows them to avoid the damage, and that do not hold Safety Goggles. Solar Beam will deal 50% of its normal damage in a sandstorm, and Moonlight, Synthesis, and Morning Sun only heal 25% of a Pokémon's health.
If your team is specialized to work well in a certain type of weather due to their types and/or Abilities, or is designed to play directly off of weather to boost/diminish moves' power to their advantage, the team can be considered a "weather team." The most common weather teams tend to be rain and sandstorm teams, though with the Drought Ability, sun-based teams are beginning to become more prevalent in Generation 6.
How Can Weather Be Summoned?
For the sake of simplicity and relevance, I'll only be talking about the means by which weather can be summoned in battle. Weather can be summoned by a specific move or Ability, which differs from weather type to weather type.
Moves that summon weather are:
- Sunny Day
- Sandstorm
- Hail
- Rain Dance
I'm sure that you can figure out which move corresponds with which weather type.
Abilities that summon weather, and the Pokémon that possess said Abilities, are:
- Sand Stream (sandstorm, five turns; Tyranitar [and Mega], Hippopotas, Hippowdon)
- Drought (intense sunlight, permanent; Ninetails H, Vulpix H, Mega Charizard Y, Groudon)
- Drizzle (rain, permanent; Kyogre, Politoed)
- Snow Warning (hail, permanent; Snover, Abomasnow [and Mega], Amaura H, Aurorus H)
It's worth noting that these "permanent" weather conditions actually aren't permanent; they just last until they're replaced by something else. It's also worth noting that, if a Pokémon has an H next to its name, the ability in question (Snow Warning/Drought) is its Hidden Ability, obtainable through the Dream World/Friend Safari/Horde battle.
So, there you have it. Whether you're developing your own weather team, or a team that can just weather the weather, you might have a better picture as to what type of weather best suits you. (OK, I'll stop with the weather puns now.)
(As a final note, it's worth mentioning that, if you're sort of patient, you can get Politoed in Pokémon Y & X by fishing on Route 19 with the Super Rod. The normal method of evolving Poliwhirl into Politoed involves trading it whilst it holds a King's Rock; if you really want the adorable little beast that is Politoed, go fishing! (Bring plenty of Ultra Balls, particularly if your Pokémon are over-leveled.)
 |
| (Via Bulbapedia.net) |
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Frequently Asked Questions About Shiny Pokémon
Shiny Pokémon aren't necessarily an integral part of competitive battling, but they're still a part of it...and, please remember, this is My Pokémon Mentor, not "My Pokémon Mentor That Only Works for Competitive Battling." That's the blog primary purpose-- to educate about competitive battling-- but to say that it can't go explore other parts of the Pokémon world is a bit silly. So, let's dive in.
Do shiny Pokémon have better combat stats?
Nope! Shinies aren't superior to regular Pokémon in any way when you look at stats. You can have a shiny that has really high stat values or really low ones; it's not affected by the shininess in the slightest.
Do all shiny Pokémon look really different from how they do normally?
Not necessarily. The most famous shinies tend to look very different, such as in the case of Gyarados:
However, not all shiny Pokémon differ so drastically from their regularly-colored counterparts. For example, shiny Garchomp is simply a few shades darker, and if not for the animation, would be easy to mistake for a normal Garchomp.
How can I get a shiny?
This is an important, yet very short question...with a long answer. There are a few different ways to get a shiny. I'll cover all of the methods applicable in Generation 6:
1. The Masuda Method. Named after Junichi Masuda, the game director for the Pokémon games (and also their composer), who created it, the Masuda method works as such: get two Pokémon from different language versions tied to the region the language is associated with. Say you have an English-region Ditto and a Japanese-region Goomy. Breeding these two heightens the chance of hatching a shiny. It's a bit unclear as to exactly what this raised to considering that the rate of shiny encounters was increased, but in Generation 5 you had a 1/1024 chance. It involves a lot of breeding, and may or may not fall into Pokémon eugenics territory.
2. Wild encounter. Just like any other wild Pokémon, shinies are out there, roaming the tall grass/water/caves/you get the picture. In Generation 6, finding a shiny in the wild is easier than ever before; you have a 1/4096 chance of running into one. (I know that sounds a bit funny, since the odds are still insane, but, keep in mind, it used to be 1/8192...twice as difficult.)
3. Chain fishing. Another interesting way to get your hands on a shiny is by chain fishing. It's
considerably easier to find a shiny through consecutive fishing, though there’s no determined value as to how much easier it is. Chain fishing (AKA consecutive fishing) is easy enough. First, you need to find a spot where only one square is open for fishing. Land, rocks, and your surfing Pokémon all count as barriers, but there needs to be no gap…I like to think that, if you block the other squares, it makes it more difficult for Pokémon to escape. Having a Pokémon with Suction Cups or Sticky Hold helps, as well, since it increases the chance of a fish biting. That’s the other thing; a fish always has to bite! For each time you get a bite, your chain goes up by 1; even if you immediately flee. If you reel a line in too quickly, slowly, or you don’t get a bite, your chain is reset to zero. Even if you don’t find a shiny (I have yet to find one through chain fishing), it’s a good way to find rare Pokémon like Lanturn, Gorebyss/Huntail, etc.
4. Poké-Radar. The Pokéradar was originally introduced in Generation 4. It disappeared during Gen 5, but now it's back with a vengeance in Gen 6! The Pokéradar has its own set of slightly-complicated rules and tricks which I'm not going to go into. I'll just give the basic overview:
- Use the radar.
- Grass rustles. Do not encounter any Pokémon beyond the rustling grass.
- Encounter a Pokémon in rustling grass.
- KO or catch said Pokémon. Your chain goes up by one.
- Grass rustles again. (Same rule as before.)
- If it's the same Pokémon, KO or catch it and your chain increases. If not, your chain is broken.
- Once your chain is ~40, there will be shimmering patches of grass. Those grass patches contain shiny Pokémon.
Like chain fishing, I've never found a shiny through the Pokéradar...but, unlike chain fishing, there's an actual reason for that other than bad luck. It drives me mad, to hear the same call of that poor Pokémon that gets one-hit-KO'd by Benvolio (my Greninja) over and over again. Also, I'm a bit impatient with the radar. I'm much better with chain fishing.
5. Pokémon Hordes. I didn't exactly believe this one until it happened to me. With a Pokémon horde battle, you get five Pokémon to go up against. I went outside Cyllage City to look for a Taillow. (I never actually caught one; that's still on my "to do" list.) I had my Sweet-Scent-using male Combee, and I just got horde after horde of Seviper and Zangoose. I ended up finding a shiny Seviper. How? Pure dumb luck. In a horde, with 5 Pokémon, you've got a 1/819 chance of finding a shiny Pokémon (4-96/5).
6. The Shiny Charm. If, for some reason, you end up completing the entire National Pokédex (save event Pokémon), Professor Sycamore will give you the Shiny Charm. This makes the rate of finding shinies in the wild 2/4096, or 1/2048. In the case of Hordes, this makes it ~1/410. (I can't say for chain fishing, because there aren't solid statistics there.)
What's the fastest way to get a shiny?
There's no remarkably fast way to...you just have to be very lucky, put in a lot of work, or both. I would say that the only fast way to would be to trade with someone.
If you breed shiny Pokémon will their child be shiny?
No. The children of shiny Pokémon have the same chance as any Pokémon to be shiny; the fact that the parents are shiny does not matter. I have three Goomy bred from Vincere (my shiny Garchomp from Gen 5) and Su (my shiny Goodra). None of them are shiny. If any of them were, I would be amazed.
Will people look down on me if I don't have a shiny?
Having shiny Pokémon doesn't matter. What matters is that you like to raise Pokémon. No one will say that you're less of a trainer because you just didn't happen to hit the sweet spot of chance that gives people shiny Pokémon.
Well, there you go. Some basic questions about shiny Pokémon are answered, and I can now rest my hands after that long bout of typing.
Do shiny Pokémon have better combat stats?
Nope! Shinies aren't superior to regular Pokémon in any way when you look at stats. You can have a shiny that has really high stat values or really low ones; it's not affected by the shininess in the slightest.
Do all shiny Pokémon look really different from how they do normally?
Not necessarily. The most famous shinies tend to look very different, such as in the case of Gyarados:
 |
| (Via IGN.com) |
How can I get a shiny?
This is an important, yet very short question...with a long answer. There are a few different ways to get a shiny. I'll cover all of the methods applicable in Generation 6:
1. The Masuda Method. Named after Junichi Masuda, the game director for the Pokémon games (and also their composer), who created it, the Masuda method works as such: get two Pokémon from different language versions tied to the region the language is associated with. Say you have an English-region Ditto and a Japanese-region Goomy. Breeding these two heightens the chance of hatching a shiny. It's a bit unclear as to exactly what this raised to considering that the rate of shiny encounters was increased, but in Generation 5 you had a 1/1024 chance. It involves a lot of breeding, and may or may not fall into Pokémon eugenics territory.
2. Wild encounter. Just like any other wild Pokémon, shinies are out there, roaming the tall grass/water/caves/you get the picture. In Generation 6, finding a shiny in the wild is easier than ever before; you have a 1/4096 chance of running into one. (I know that sounds a bit funny, since the odds are still insane, but, keep in mind, it used to be 1/8192...twice as difficult.)
3. Chain fishing. Another interesting way to get your hands on a shiny is by chain fishing. It's
considerably easier to find a shiny through consecutive fishing, though there’s no determined value as to how much easier it is. Chain fishing (AKA consecutive fishing) is easy enough. First, you need to find a spot where only one square is open for fishing. Land, rocks, and your surfing Pokémon all count as barriers, but there needs to be no gap…I like to think that, if you block the other squares, it makes it more difficult for Pokémon to escape. Having a Pokémon with Suction Cups or Sticky Hold helps, as well, since it increases the chance of a fish biting. That’s the other thing; a fish always has to bite! For each time you get a bite, your chain goes up by 1; even if you immediately flee. If you reel a line in too quickly, slowly, or you don’t get a bite, your chain is reset to zero. Even if you don’t find a shiny (I have yet to find one through chain fishing), it’s a good way to find rare Pokémon like Lanturn, Gorebyss/Huntail, etc.
4. Poké-Radar. The Pokéradar was originally introduced in Generation 4. It disappeared during Gen 5, but now it's back with a vengeance in Gen 6! The Pokéradar has its own set of slightly-complicated rules and tricks which I'm not going to go into. I'll just give the basic overview:
- Use the radar.
- Grass rustles. Do not encounter any Pokémon beyond the rustling grass.
- Encounter a Pokémon in rustling grass.
- KO or catch said Pokémon. Your chain goes up by one.
- Grass rustles again. (Same rule as before.)
- If it's the same Pokémon, KO or catch it and your chain increases. If not, your chain is broken.
- Once your chain is ~40, there will be shimmering patches of grass. Those grass patches contain shiny Pokémon.
Like chain fishing, I've never found a shiny through the Pokéradar...but, unlike chain fishing, there's an actual reason for that other than bad luck. It drives me mad, to hear the same call of that poor Pokémon that gets one-hit-KO'd by Benvolio (my Greninja) over and over again. Also, I'm a bit impatient with the radar. I'm much better with chain fishing.
5. Pokémon Hordes. I didn't exactly believe this one until it happened to me. With a Pokémon horde battle, you get five Pokémon to go up against. I went outside Cyllage City to look for a Taillow. (I never actually caught one; that's still on my "to do" list.) I had my Sweet-Scent-using male Combee, and I just got horde after horde of Seviper and Zangoose. I ended up finding a shiny Seviper. How? Pure dumb luck. In a horde, with 5 Pokémon, you've got a 1/819 chance of finding a shiny Pokémon (4-96/5).
6. The Shiny Charm. If, for some reason, you end up completing the entire National Pokédex (save event Pokémon), Professor Sycamore will give you the Shiny Charm. This makes the rate of finding shinies in the wild 2/4096, or 1/2048. In the case of Hordes, this makes it ~1/410. (I can't say for chain fishing, because there aren't solid statistics there.)
What's the fastest way to get a shiny?
There's no remarkably fast way to...you just have to be very lucky, put in a lot of work, or both. I would say that the only fast way to would be to trade with someone.
If you breed shiny Pokémon will their child be shiny?
No. The children of shiny Pokémon have the same chance as any Pokémon to be shiny; the fact that the parents are shiny does not matter. I have three Goomy bred from Vincere (my shiny Garchomp from Gen 5) and Su (my shiny Goodra). None of them are shiny. If any of them were, I would be amazed.
Will people look down on me if I don't have a shiny?
Having shiny Pokémon doesn't matter. What matters is that you like to raise Pokémon. No one will say that you're less of a trainer because you just didn't happen to hit the sweet spot of chance that gives people shiny Pokémon.
Well, there you go. Some basic questions about shiny Pokémon are answered, and I can now rest my hands after that long bout of typing.
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