What Needs To Be Done If Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Are Remade

So, a ton of hints have been released here and there that Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire may be finally up for remakes in the near future. Personally, I would LOVE this, but at the same time, I also gotta address some of the things they need to change, besides the obvious (Gen III mechanics switched to Gen VI mechanics, 3D graphics, etc.), as well as some stuff they need to add to the Pokémon found in the game. So, let’s take a look…

#1 – New Mega Evolutions

Specifically, Sceptile and Swampert need Mega Evolutions. Why? Because otherwise, Blaziken has an advantage over the two that might lead to too many players choosing it to start off with. Otherwise, the only other two I can think of that really NEEDS one are Sableye, as Mawile has one and it’s its version exclusive counterpart, and Gallade, as Gardevoir has one and it’s its alternate evolution. Speaking of which…

#2 – Additional Pokémon For The Hoenn Dex

Not too many more, mind you. Mostly, just some of the Pokémon that evolve to and from ones already in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald. In other words, Pokémon like Gallade, Probopass, Chingling, Magnezone, etc. Also, thinking maybe Houndour, as it became a version exclusive counterpart to Electrike in X & Y, Eevee, for kinda obvious reasons, and Snubbull, so that there’s some more pure Fairy-types. Otherwise, all of the Fairy-types in Hoenn are dual-types.

#3 – Bring Back The Contest Halls

Much as I like the Battle Tents, I also love the Pokémon Contests, so I think I’d wanna compromise by bringing back the old Contest locations, but have only some of them be in place of the Battle Tents, while the Contests and Tents not in their original locations go to other towns that have neither.

#4 – Incorporate Some Of The Emerald Changes

Since the games would be remakes of the originals, the core story would have to be the same as the original two as opposed to Emerald, but some changes they made in Emerald would be welcome as well. For example, making Juan the Gym Leader, Wallace the Champion, and Steven the final optional boss could work. A few of the aesthetic changes work too, like replacing the Machoke movers at the beginning with Vigoroth (‘cuz I’m sick of the Machoke my chicken joke). Also, some of the new locations like the Battle Frontier, Faraway Island, and Naval Rock could be awesome to see.

#5 – Change Up Some of The Teams/Rival Encounters

I would like it a lot if you had more battles with Brendan/May and Wally throughout the games, as they’re supposed to be your primary rivals and you hardly ever encounter them in battle. Would also be nice to have team-ups with them in Double or even Triple Battles. Would also be nice if they got full teams of six and having May’s starter and Wally’s Gardevoir be able to Mega Evolve. Likewise, the Gym Leaders and Elite Four could use some change-ups to their Emerald version teams. Maybe replace one of Roxanne’s Geodudes with a different Rock-type, Flannery’s Numel could be swapped out for Houndour or Vulpix, Phoebe could have Dusknoir and Shedinja instead of the second Dusclops and Banette, Glacia could have Froslass and Glaceon instead of the second Glalie and Sealeo, and Wallace’s Gyarados could Mega Evolve. The only other major team changes I would make is that I would give Maxie a Mega Houndoom, Archie a Mega Gyarados, and Steven a Mega Aggron.

Anyway, that’s all I got for now. Leave a comment below, lemme know what you think of these changes, add any of your own, and so on, and let’s hope I’m correct and that Ruby and Sapphire will be remade soon. Ja né!

Related articles

• Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions (bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net)
• Pokemon Spotlight: Lanturn (wordpress.com)
• Chuggaaaconroy – Let’s Play #17: Pokémon Emerald (youtube.com)
• MANGA REVIEW: “POKEMON ADVENTURES” VOLUME 20 (lesleysmusings.com)

My Pokémon Team In Pokémon X Upon First Completion (Plus Two Extras I Trained With A LOT)

So, it’s been a while since I talked Pokémon, and I thought that, having JUST finished Pokémon X today (I took a hiatus, leave me alone), I thought I’d talk a little bit about what my team consisted of, some of my favourite moments training with them, and a couple of Pokémon I caught along the way that I also did a lot of work with. So, let’s start with…

Pinhead the Chesnaught

Easily one of my favourite Pokémon of the Kalos Region, Pinhead was Lv. 72 on completion and holding a Miracle Seed, with the moves Wood Hammer, Rollout, Pin Missile, and Hammer Arm. My first Pokémon for this game, its always held its own against a number of tough foes, and thanks to moves like Rollout and Pin Missile, it can use its strength to power through opponents with type advantages. Despite type issues, Pinhead was able to defeat Viola on its own with ease as a Chespin, helped me plough through many a Team Flare member, was instrumental in defeating Elite Four members Wikstrom and Siebold, and toppled AZ’s Golurk. It wasn’t ALWAYS able to overcome its multiple weaknesses, but it always went down swinging with everything it had, proving itself as the muscle of my team.

Talonflame

Probably one of the most awesome early-to-find Flying-type Pokémon of recent years, Talonflame was Lv. 70 and holding a King’s Rock, with the moves Brave Bird, Fire Blast, Attract, and Steel Wing. Talonflame is an AMAZING Pokémon, though I wish mine had Gale Wings instead of Flame Body for its ability (though that DID make breeding Pokémon a LOT quicker). Talonflame naturally saw a lot of aerial combat in Sky Battles, as one of the only two Pokémon I used regularly that could enter them (though sadly, that meant it lost more than its fair amount due to being out-numbered and overwhelmed), and played a big part in defeating Korrina, Ramos, Wulfric, and Wikstrom.

Sylveon

A constant bringer of joy and victory, Sylveon was Lv. 74 and holding a Pixie Plate, with the moves Moonblast, Baby-Doll Eyes, Swift, and Calm Mind. I almost feel bad for using Sylveon, because it’s ridiculously cheap. Not because it has amazing stats or attacks, though they are respectable in my opinion, but because the high affection required to evolve it from Eevee makes it able to get critical hits easier, take damage better, even dodge from time to time. And the fact that is has Cute Charm, meaning opponents that attack it physically to get around its high Special Defense might get infatuated, means it has even more going for it. Sylveon has beaten some of my toughest opponents, namely defeating Lysandre’s Mega Gyarados, taking Drasna of the Elite Four’s team single-handed, helping against Diantha, and while it wasn’t the most type effective member of my team against Gym Leaders, it was almost always on my team for back-up against some of the strongest ones.

Raichu

One of my earliest catches, and quite frankly one of the last Pokémon I expected to be using in this game, Raichu was Lv. 69 and holding an Expert Belt, with the moves Thunder, Thunder Wave, Brick Break, and Return. I was insanely lucky when I caught Raichu back when it was a Pikachu, in that it had a Light Ball and was a pretty tough battler. When it had a child Pichu, I was planning to raise said Pichu with Volt Tackle into its parent’s replacement, but I just found that Raichu was still super strong, even with the lack of the power it got from the Light Ball. It was on my team for nearly every major encounter I had, doing extremely well against Grant, Korrina, Olympia, Wulfric, and Siebold with its Electric and Fighting-type attacks.

Michelangelo the Blastoise

The Pokémon I received from Professor Sycamore, Michelangelo was Lv. 70 and holding the Blastoisinite, with the moves Surf, Dig, Ice Beam, and Protect. I chose Michelangelo as my gift Pokémon from the Professor by logic of choosing a Chespin as my starter and receiving a Torchic as a Mystery Gift. Was definitely a worthwhile choice, though I will admit to never really taking advantage of its Mega form’s Mega Launcher. Still, was always a heck of a tank against strong opponents, especially after Mega Evolving, was my Surfer for pretty much the whole game, and pretty much totaled Malva’s whole team by itself.

Gengar

A pretty sneaky yet powerful Pokémon, Gengar was Lv. 71 and holding the Gengarite, with the moves Hex, Venoshock, Dazzling Gleam, and Toxic. Gengar was easily one of the most useful members of my team after being able to Mega Evolve, though its natural Ability, Levitate, made it an awesome Double Battle partner for my Tyrantrum. Gengar pretty much dominated foes like Valerie and Olympia, before defeating the ace of Diantha’s team, Mega Gardevoir, thus earning my position as the Champion.

Tyrantrum

The mother f’ing t-rex, Tyrantrum is Lv. 68 and holding a Rocky Helmet, with the moves Head Smash, Dragon Claw, Crunch, and Earthquake. Despite the new Fairy-types being a major problem for it, Tyrantrum was always a MAJOR powerhouse on my team, wrecking opponents like Clemont and Lysandre. However, because of its typing and lack of speed, it sadly had to sit out of my League Challenge team, though it still remains in rotation on my team for the foreseeable future.

Vivillon

A Pokémon that I’m sure many would recommend against, but I had a lot of luck with, Vivillon is Lv. 55 and holding a Sky Plate, with the moves Bug Buzz, Hurricane, Stun Spore, and Draining Kiss. And yes, as its appearance suggests, it IS a Polar Form Vivillon. It was on my team for a LONG time, helping to bring down opponents like Korrina, Ramos, and Olympia. Sadly, after that, it didn’t spend a lot of time on my team, and by the time I reached the Pokémon League, it was horrible under-leveled, so it sat out the League Challenge. Still, I have every intention to raise Vivillon back up to reach the others.

And that’s my team, all 8 of them. Leave your comments below, what you think of my team, what your own teams were when you first completed the games, and what you thought of Pokémon X & Y overall. Ja né!

Related articles

• Pokémon X Review (wordpress.com)
• POKEMON X SOLD BETTER THAN POKEMON Y IN 2013 (mynintendonews.com)
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My Thoughts On The Wrecking Ball Phenomenon

So, one thing I’ve noticed in regards to popular music of the past year was that Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball was apparently one of the most iconic songs of 2013, if not the single most iconic. Now, I know a lot of people are immediately thinking stuff like “No wonder 2013 sucked”, “Maybe the end of the world SHOULD’VE come at the end of 2012”, etc. However, I’ve done some analysis on the Wrecking Ball phenomenon, as it were, and I’ve come to the inevitable conclusion that may shock and surprise many, but here we go: Wrecking Ball, for what it is, is NOT a bad song.

Now, here me out here. When I say that Wrecking Ball isn’t a bad song, I am NOT saying it doesn’t have problems. In fact, having listened to the song a number of times, both by Miss Cyrus and in various covers, parodies, mash-ups, and remixes, I’ve come to the conclusion that the biggest problem the song has is Miley Cyrus herself. I’ve made it clear that I’m not fond of listening to covers, remixes, and even downright stolen lyrics on the radio when they come in massive clusterings, but I DO enjoy cover bands on YouTube. As such, I HAVE heard a number of covers of Wrecking Ball, and I can say as clear as day that this never should’ve been a Miley Cyrus song. The song should be a ballad, that simple. Can there be different takes on the song in different styles? Sure, but the primary version of the song that everyone should know should be a ballad. And I know I’m probably not surprising many when I say this, but Miley Cyrus, in the image and direction that she is taking herself these days, cannot deliver on the type of song Wrecking Ball should have been. On top of that, the infamous music video did not help matters.

So, if I was asked to summarize: Because the version of Wrecking Ball most well-known to the public is tainted by Miley’s vocals and the bizarre imagery of the music video, the song is believed to be poor. The reality is, when presented appropriately, the song can be anywhere from good to great. So, if you ever find yourself humming the song, don’t feel embarrassed. You are simply enjoying the song as it should be, rather than how it wound up being presented to the public.

And if I still haven’t convinced you, I suggest you listen to the covers by chestersee, Madilyn Bailey, Justin Ward, the trio of Andy Lange, Andrew Garcia, & Josh Golden, the ‘YouTube Orchestra’ version (which NEEDS to be a thing) made by Raheem D, and a few others. Just give them a chance, and see if you like it any different when done by different people in different styles. Ja né!

Related articles

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• Àsgeir ‘Wrecking Ball’ and ‘The Toe Rag Acoustic Sessions’ (thatswhatsheheard.com)
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Nightwing Cancelled – What’s Next For Dick Grayson?

Okay, I know I’m kinda late to the party, but I thought I’d give my thoughts on a controversial announcement coming outta DC: Nightwing is cancelled. Given what’s been going on in Forever Evil, with Nightwing’s unmasking by the Crime Syndicate, his identity being made public knowledge, Chicago apparently being attacked by the Secret Society, and constant hints and teases that he’s going to be killed by the end of the series, that doesn’t exactly bode well for Dick Grayson. In addition, the fact remains that Dan Didio, arch nemesis of comic fans ’round the world, has wanted to kill the character at least once before. And since then, Dick has become Batman for a short time, and we know how Mr. Didio feels about characters that replace other characters in their aliases. So, with all of that said, there’s two possibilities as far as what’s going to happen.

1. Dick Grayson is going to die. In my opinion, the wrong choice to make. Even ignoring the simple fact that his book is getting cancelled (and for the record, I really liked the current arc where he was stationed in Chicago), there’s still more that can be done with the character. Also, it would mean that the only canon Robin of this Earth to never die is Tim Drake, and you KNOW someone would see that and go “Whoops! Gotta kill Timmy now!”.
2. Dick Grayson will live, and this will turn out to be a massive swerve. It’s even possible he’ll fake his death or die and be brought back to life right away. For me, the better option of the two. Evidence suggesting this is that, while Didio has wanted to kill him before, he’s apparently been “proven wrong” on that call. Also, while it isn’t exactly concrete, the blond fellow in the Thanksgiving pic is wearing a mask that greatly resemble’s Dick’s, meaning he could be assuming a new identity to keep villains off his back.

Also, girl in the purple hoodie is most likely Steph.

Regardless, I get the feeling Nightwing won’t remained cancelled for very long. A year, tops. For, even if Dick Grayson dies, there’s been some artwork making the rounds as of late…

Not too keen on the gun, although I suppose it might not fire bullets. Love that she’s bringing the blue back, though.

What does it mean? Well, the most popular rumour is that this is Harper Row, assuming the mantle of Nightwing due to the character’s death/faked death/retirement/whatever. Either way, the next issue of Batman is apparently a preview of what’s to come in the upcoming Batman Eternal weekly series (which also features the return of Stephanie Brown), and in a preview for said issue, Harper is shown prominently. If it IS her, we’ll probably get a hint of that then. My theory is that, either during Batman Eternal or following it, Nightwing will be given a new Issue #1 and will star this new Nightwing, presumably Harper.

Nightwing #30’s cover DEFINITELY doesn’t help quell the belief that he’s gonna die.

Either way, I hope this turns out to be a massive swerve, and it would actually be a pretty good one when you consider just how much evidence suggests that Dick will die. I will keep everyone posted if anything new comes up, though, so leave your comments below, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

Related articles

• Dick Grayson (Character) (comicvine.com)
• Batman: Eternal (wikipedia.org)
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• Off THEIR Minds: What can a Hero do if their Secret Identity is Revealed? (comicvine.com)
• Why I Don’t Think Nightwing is Going to Die (henchman4hire.com)
• So, that’s definitely Harper Row, right? (gothamspoilers.com)