Jyger and N. Harmonik’s Blind Reaction To Pokémon Generations Episodes 7 & 8

It’s that time again! First up, the official release…

And now, here’s our blind reaction. ^_^

Jyger and N. Harmonik’s Blind Reaction To Pokémon Generations Episodes 1 & 2

Well, N. Harmonik and I were having our weekly hang out yesterday, and wouldn’t you know it? Episodes 1 & 2 of Pokémon Generations came out! So, if you haven’t watched them already, do so here…

…and now, our blind reactions to the first two episodes of this show. ^_^

…Say…We’ve now reached 899 blog entries on this site, haven’t we? As such, next time will be our 900th, and… … …Meh, what the hell. Next time, Jyger’s Favourite 5 episodes of my new favourite cartoon, Steven Universe. Ja né!

Pokémon Questionnaire – What Are Your Favourite 6 Pokémon From Each Generation?

So, I’ve been playing Pokkén Tournament with N. Harmonik over at her place, which you can see here…

…and honest to God, Pokémon have never looked this good EVER in any other game. Maybe Smash Bros, but that’s it. But as I watch not only the Pokémon fighting, but the ones in the backgrounds of the arenas, I can’t help but notice how some have left so many great memories and positive thoughts for me. I think what really hit me was just how many from Pokémon Black and White are among some of my all-time favourites. Mind you, that could be because it had the most new Pokémon of any game since the original Red and Blue versions, since they’d decided to only have brand new ones in the main game. Still, it left me wondering, what would I consider to be some of my favourites from every generation?

So, I decided to make this questionnaire, so that everyone can list their six favourite Pokémon from every generation. I went with six because, that way, people can’t simply choose all the starters or all the members of a single family, and so that they can use their old teams to help decide, since some people, like N. Harmonik, choose to only use Pokémon that debuted within said generations for their teams (with the exception of old ones with new evolutions). Also, I’m listing these by Generation instead of Region because otherwise, most people’s Johto lists would be inhabited by evolutions that didn’t come until Generation IV. Lastly, I’m gonna be excluding Mega Evolutions, since they’d probably take up the majority of spots from lists for Kalos, but I will likely bring them up when talking about individuals from past Generations. With that said, let’s start with the original Generation, and my favourite Pokémon among the original 150.

Generation I

My Favourites: Bulbasaur, Charizard, Pikachu, Poliwhirl, Snorlax, Zapdos

Yeah, I know, not exactly blowing anyone’s minds that Poliwhirl’s on here. In fact, likely none of these are big surprises, and I probably don’t have to explain a single one. But looking back, I can’t help but think of how these six, in a lot of ways, helped shape how the Pokémon world would grow from then on. Every new entry in the main series would have an Electric-type rodent of some kind, a trio of Starters to choose from that were Grass, Fire, and Water-types, and at least one trio of Legendary Pokémon (with the exception of Generation VI, which seems to reuse Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres). There would also be mass numbers of Water-type Pokémon with varying shapes, sizes, abilities, secondary types, and even branching evolutions through the generations, many of whom took varying cues from Poliwhirl and its family. And…yeah, I’ve lost count of how many times in the history of these games that we’ve seen Snorlax sleeping around and blocking our path. lol My point is, in many ways, these six are the originators of trends we’ve seen in these games for 20 years now, and in many ways are still able to hang with those that have come since, either through new evolutions, Mega Evolutions, attacks, abilities, stat changes, or just their natural badassery. Oh, and don’t think that just because it isn’t on here that I hate or dislike Squirtle and its family. I love it too, but there just wasn’t room on this list. Call it the unofficial #7 here.

Generation II

My Favourites: Typhlosion, Crobat, Espeon, Umbreon, Heracross, Donphan

Despite the fact that a lot of Pokémon from Johto wouldn’t become truly great until Generation IV, where they got new evolutions, there are still plenty from those games that I have fond memories of. Typhlosion’s pretty easy to justify: Take Charizard, remove its secondary type, and give it a few tricks the former couldn’t do. The result is Typhlosion, and I think it’s a really solid choice from Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Crobat is basically the secret weapon that isn’t quite so secret, as most in the know are well aware of its incredible Speed, but just how many have overlooked it because of how common its initial form, Zubat, is? The answer is A LOT. Umbreon was always one of my favourite Eeveelutions, although it hasn’t aged well, but it’s hard not to put Espeon right up there with it. Heracross is a beast, always has been, always will be. And then there’s Donphan. I loved Donphan before I even knew its name. Just that first appearance in Pokémon The First Movie had me going “What is THAT?! That’s so awesome! It’s like an elephant that turns into a mad wheel or something!” And I don’t think I saw Pikachu’s Summer Vacation when I first I saw the movie, so that was the first time it really hit me that there was gonna be another Pokémon game. I mean, yeah, we had Togepi show up, but I thought that was just gonna be a special event Pokémon like Mew. Speaking of Mew, though, if I remember Generation II for one thing in particular, it would be how this was the point where the previously untouchable Psychic-types were becoming a little more touchable, and they only became more-so as time went on.

Generation III

My Favourites: Sceptile, Blaziken, Swampert, Breloom, Mawile, Lairon

Yeah, surprisingly, not as many big favourites from this Generation as most others. I say ‘surprisingly’, despite this being the Generation that lost a fair share of long-time players, because I actually was not one of those people. I stuck around, and I really liked Generation III. If I can think of one word to best describe it, it’d be, for a lack of a better term, advancement. We had the introduction of Abilities, Pokémon Contests, the Battle Frontier, and a bunch of other stuff. But anyway, the favourites I have from this Generation list still stand out to me. All three starters were pretty solid in their own ways, and I’d like to point out that I liked Swampert and its family before it was cool. Mind you, poor Sceptile was one of the few Pokémon that would be victimized by the physical/special split next Generation, and Blaziken, while cool, started a trend where, for three Generations, we had Fire/Fighting-type starters, and we got sick of it pretty hard. Mawile and Lairon were pretty much immediate favourites from the moment I saw them, just for how cool they looked, but it admittedly took a bit to realize how awesome Breloom was. When I figured it out, though, I felt like smacking myself. Breloom and Blaziken were also the start of what I consider the second Genesis of Fighting-types, though it wouldn’t be complete until what came next…

Generation IV

My Favourites: Infernape, Roserade, Ambipom, Lucario, Togekiss, Glaceon

If Generation III is the start of the major advancement of Pokémon, then Generation IV was when said advancement was perfected. Lots of older Pokémon got brand new and much needed Evolutions. Stuff like the Contests were expanded upon. WiFi was utilized for trading and battling. But to me, the two biggest advancements can be seen in the favourites I chose here. The first is the physical and special split, where instead of being determined by type, whether an attack was physical or special was determined by the move itself and whether there was physical contact with the opponent. This was something that was needed from the START, from the very first games, and we finally had it here. The other major change was that, partially due to the split, and because of a few new attacks and abilities, and new Pokémon like Infernape and Lucario, Fighting-type Pokémon and attacks suddenly became a LOT more usable. In Gen 1, Fighting-types were not all that useful, especially since Psychic-types were so powerful. Generation II introduced Dark and Steel-types, which were weak to Fighting, and Gen 3 brought Pokémon like Blaziken and Breloom to shake up the Fighting-type. This, however, was the major turning point. And I know I’ve told this story before, but one of my favourite Pokémon from all of my playthroughs of the games is a female Lucario I named Tex, after the character from Red vs Blue, because of just how badass she is. Oh yeah, and Roserade is one of my favourite Grass/Poison-types of all time, and I think it’s only topped by Bulbasaur and its family in my eyes. And when you consider how many of those there are, that says a lot.

Generation V

My Favourites: Samurott, Excadrill, Sawk, Cottonee, Emolga, Chandelure

Again, like I said before, I was surprised to find just how many Pokémon from this Generation have left such great impressions on me. When I see Generation V Pokémon in Pokkén Tournament, I smile. A lot. Hell, the six Pokémon on this list are the members of my original team in Pokémon Black, and I still have plenty of other favourites beyond them, including Braviary, Haxorus, Volcarona, Pansage, and more. And it didn’t really hit me until Team Four Star mentioned it during their Nuzlocke Playthrough of LeafGreen just how ballsy a move Black and White, and Generation V in general, were. Black and White had all brand new Pokémon for the main story, and you couldn’t get anything else until after beating it for the first time. There was no third version, but two direct sequels, the first since Gold, Silver, and Crystal. And the games weren’t made for a brand new system, as you could get them for the Nintendo DS, but did have advantages presented for those that played them on the DSi. But yeah, Samurott is a great mixed attacker, Excadrill is insanely broken as shit, Sawk is a pretty good physical attacker and inheritor to Hitmonlee’s legacy, Cottonee is stupid good despite the fact that Prankster’s less favourable among Trainers nowadays, Emolga is adorable as shit and the first Electric/Flying-type since Zapdos, and Chandelure? Well, Chandelure has the highest Special Attack of all non-Legendary and non-Mega Evolved Fire-type Pokémon, and is a pretty handy Ghost-type, too. Mine had a Nature that was beneficial to Special Attack. Can you see where this is going? So yeah, having it be playable in Pokkén is kind of a treat for me, even if it is bizarre as shit to see in a major fighting game. ^_^

Generation VI

My Favourites: Chespin, Greninja, Talonflame, Vivillon, Tyrantrum, Sylveon

Despite the fact that X & Y feature the least amount of new Pokémon for any new Generation, there’re still plenty of good ones. And, of course, the thing that most people will ultimately remember Generation VI for is Mega Evolution, but like I said, I’m not including Mega Evolutions in this list, so brand new Pokémon for Generation VI only. That said, plenty here that I like a lot. Chespin is just too fucking adorable, not to mention tough enough to beat the Bug-type Gym Leader 2-on-1 with ease. Greninja seems to be a favourite among many, managing to make it as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Talonflame breaks the tradition of the Pidgeot in that it is the first time we saw the super-common Flying-type evolve into something other than a Normal/Flying-type, and is pretty sweet. Vivillon doesn’t really do much that Butterfree couldn’t, but I like the different designs for it, and it’s still pretty solid despite having a type combination that we’ve seen a lot. Tyrantrum is badass and the first instance of a Fossil Pokémon based on a T-Rex, and I don’t know why it took so long to get it. And Sylveon is, in a lot of ways, outright broken due to the effects Pokémon get for the high levels of Affection that are required to get it, and is a brand new type that massively changes up the competitive battle scene.

So, those are my favourite Pokémon from each Generation. What are yours, though? Feel free to let me know (although you don’t have to go quite as in-depth as I did, lol) in the comments below. Also, lemme know which Pokémon you’d like to see either as DLC for Pokkén Tournament or in a sequel to the game. Ja né!

My Best Team of Six Pokémon, One From Each Region

Y’know, when I write articles, generally speaking, I have no idea what the overall reaction to it will be, or how many views it’ll get. I am currently looking at my overall views on this blog, and at this exact moment, one of the top most viewed articles that I’ve written is Ash’s Best Team of 6 Pokémon, where I had the audacity to exclude Charizard. lol Seriously, to this day, I still get comments telling me that I should’ve added Charizard to the list. Well, if it makes anyone feel any better, the list is now somewhat out of date, because Ash has caught more Pokémon and the ones he already had have learned new moves and techniques. With that said, I really didn’t try to knock Charizard that much, despite how dumbfounded I was and continue to be to this day that he lost to a frigging Dusclops that even Bulbasaur, an unevolved Pokémon, was able to take down. But, for those that are huge fans of Charizard that were a bit miffed at me for excluding him, I apologize for any hurt feelings. It was just me giving my opinion.

But then I noticed some people leaving comments as to what their own teams would be. And then I thought about it and what I would make for my own team, if I had access to every Pokémon I’d ever caught throughout my years of playing Pokémon. And you’ll forgive me if my overall recollection of the various Pokémon I’ve caught throughout my LONG career is a little off, but I’ve been playing since the Red and Blue Versions. Also, I’m gonna try and limit this a bit to keep things interesting…

1. Only one per region. Granted, Pokémon that were introduced in past generations have made returns, but I’m only counting the one where they were first introduced, so this list will consist of one from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos.
2. NO LEGENDARIES. PERIOD.
3. One Starter Pokémon from the main series only.
4. Types can only be repeated on the team once, so, for example, no more than two Grass types.

Anyway, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s start off with…

Swampert

Two words: Mega Swampert. Even before I saw what it could do, I knew that Mega Swampert was gonna be amazing. Of course, Swampert on his own without Mega Evolution is still pretty badass. He can tank hits pretty well, he can bring the pain himself, and he’s only got a single weakness that, while common, isn’t 100% certain to come up or bring him down. The only problem is that he’s slow as all heck, so I gotta make sure that anything that can outrun him doesn’t also have the ability to put that much of a dent in him.

Cottonee

This was a tough call, because my favourite Pokémon from the Unova Region is actually Emolga. However, I had to go with Cottonee for overall usefulness and just how much he pisses opponents off. To answer your question, yes, he has Prankster. And yes, I pretty much abused the frak outta that with moves like Leech Seed, Substitute, and Toxic. And yes, I know the SubSeed strategy has limits, but if you’re facing someone that isn’t prepared for that, the sheer anger and frustration that they feel when they see it coming is just worth the risk, because then they start making mistakes. With that said, I really need to move him up to my later games, because I haven’t had a chance to utilize Cottonee since they became part Fairy-type.

Lucario, ‘Tex’

Why’d I name her Tex? Well…

Need I say anything more? 😛 Point being, like her namesake, Tex is a badass. A mixed attacker, she could just as easily take opponents down with pulse moves as she could in close quarters combat. And like my Cottonee, I REALLY need to bring her up to my later games, because if she was that much of an asskicking machine before, I can’t help but wonder what she’d be like after Mega Evolving. ^_^

Talonflame

Of all the basic Flying-type Pokémon to appear early on in a region, I think Kalos has the best one yet, simply by virtue of not being another Normal/Flying-type when she’s fully evolved. Of course, as I brought up in that OTHER article I did, because Talonflame is also a Fire/Flying-type, I need to always make sure to keep her as far away from Rock-types as possible, but if necessary, hit them as hard and as fast as I can with Steel Wing. Luckily, if there’s one thing Talonflame knows how to do exceedingly well, it’s hit hard and fast. Also, just from personal experience, while it’s not the best move out there, Me First is a great way to annoy the crap outta people. Plus, just the name Talonflame sounds so awesome. lol

Gengar

Gengar continues to be one of the coolest and creepiest frakking Pokémon EVER. And for those that are bothered by that, for the love of God, do not Mega Evolve yours like I did mine, she is frigging terrifying. XD Anyway, I tend to wanna open with Toxic while using Gengar, then unloading with either Hex or Venoshock. And just for those pesky Dark-types, Dazzling Gleam makes for a good fourth slot. Also handy in case you’re ever stared down by a pair of Dragons, which admittedly happens a lot less nowadays than it used to.

Politoed

You know me, gotta be representin’ the Poli family. ^_^ And yeah, I know, the overall usefulness of Drizzle isn’t exactly what it used to be, but honestly, that might actually work out for the best here. After all, what if Politoed starts some rain and then Talonflame comes out and gets her Fire-type attacks nerfed as a result? Plus, for that short time that the rain is on, Politoed and Swampert could level the opposition, Politoed with his Special Attacks, Swampert with his Physical Attacks. And granted, Politoed probably wouldn’t last long on the field, but I always know I can trust him to start battles off on my terms.

Anyway, that’s all for my list, but what about yours? Show me your team of six from the different regions in the comments section below. Ja né!

Confirmation of New Megas In Pokémon ORAS And More! It’s Evaluating Time!

So, in addition to some more news we’ve received, there was a trailer confirming all the stuff I talked about this past Friday. Enjoy!

Before we recap some of the info I’ve already discussed, let’s take a look at the new Mega Evolutions, including two that weren’t covered in the trailer, which means…

It’s MEGA EVOLUTION EVALUATING TIME!!!

As covered before, Mega Beedrill remains Bug/Poison-type, it gains the Ability Adaptability, and gets physical Attack and Speed boosts. Mega Pidgeot keeps its Normal/Flying-type, gains a boosted Special Attack, and the Ability No Guard. Mega Steelix and Mega Glalie keep their respective types (Steel/Ground and Ice), while Steelix gets Sand Force and a cool new crystalline appearance, and Glalie gets Refrigerate and becomes the new focus of my nightmares. Seriously, look at that frigging thing…O_O But yeah, no known stat changes yet.

Flying On Mega Latios & Mega Latias

So yeah, we can fly now. 😀 And keep this in mind: When you’re flying, the camera stays behind you. That means they had to remap the ENTIRE OVERWORLD MAP for when you’re airborne. I do wish you could do it with more than just Mega Latios and Mega Latios, but at the same time, I get that it would take time to make a sprite for EVERY Flying-type or Pokémon with Levitate, so I’ll take what I can get. I’m hoping this method of travel eventually replaces the usual function for Fly, though they would either have to make it available later than usual or make a system where you can’t land in certain places until you’ve physically been there on land or water.

The PokéNav Plus

Something I failed to touch base on last time was the new version of the PokéNav, called the PokéNav Plus. It’s pretty much an upgrade of the original in every conceivable way. For full information, click here to check out Serebii.net’s coverage on it. As for basic summaries, the DexNav is used to locate and interact with Pokémon in your area in ways you’ve never been able to before, like being able to register Pokémon you see in the Pokédex without having actually battled them, and finding Pokémon with their Hidden Abilities. The AreaNav is an advanced (no pun intended) map with tons of information on the various Routes and Towns, as well the Secret Bases, Berry Trees, Trainers, and so on found in said locations, and includes the return of the Trainer’s Eye function. The BuzzNav is basically a TV (or YouTube, I guess), with various shows that give info on different Pokémon, locations, and characters. Finally, the PlayNav allows you to access the Player Search System, Pokémon Amie, and Super Training functions from X & Y.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Leave a comment below on what you think of all this news, and we’ll see what else develops between now and next month, when Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire come out. Ja né!

A Look At The New Mega Evolutions In Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire – It’s Evaluating Time!

So, due to the hiatus I took this year, I haven’t really talked at all about the upcoming remakes of the 3rd Generation Pokémon games, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Naturally, because Mega Evolutions have been a big thing in this current generation’s Pokémon games, they are releasing a bunch more with these games, which is what I wanted…although, looking back on things, this makes the timeline of the Pokémon games kinda confusing. Think about it: With these remakes being made in Generation VI, and including the new game mechanics introduced in X & Y, that means that Fairy-type Pokémon and Mega Evolutions have been around since the time of Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, which is stated to take place at roughly the same time as Red/Blue/Yellow/FireRed/LeafGreen. But hey, I suppose it wouldn’t be the first major retcon to the timeline to include newer game mechanics. The Pokémon games have always been a little loose with their history…except that, with some of the more recent games, it felt like they were trying to tell better stories, and part of that means being mindful of the timeline, so-

Alright, alright! Jeez, call the blog ‘Jyger’s Rant’, and they still get pissed when you go off on a tangent. Point is, new Mega Evolutions in the Hoenn games. So, who are these Pokémon? You just sit right there, and I’ll show you, because…

It’s Embarrassingly-Too-Close-To-The-Camera-But-We’re-Just-Gonna-Go-With-It-Because-We’ve-Only-Got-This-One-Take EVALUATING TIME!!!

So, let’s start with…

Mega Sceptile

 

So, right off the bat, we got one of the Pokémon I specifically requested get a Mega Evolution. Why? Because if Blaziken were the only Hoenn Starter Pokémon to Mega Evolve, it would leave the three unbalanced, and too many people might wind up choosing Blaziken. Mega Sceptile is a Grass/Dragon Pokémon, meaning you wanna keep it the hell away from Ice and Fairy-type Pokémon, has changed its Ability to Lightning Rod, and can fire the tree-like tip of its tail as a projectile in battle…DAMN. I can’t wait to see this thing in combat, though I think I’ll be starting Omega Ruby with…

Mega Swampert

Hell yeah, now we’re talking! I was already planning to start the game with Mudkip, and now I KNOW that was a good choice. The already tank-like Swampert has gained extra bulk, which I would imagine probably drops its Speed a bit, but it also gains Swift Swim as its new Ability, meaning that drop in Speed won’t mean a thing in the rain. Of course, since it’s still a Water/Ground-type, that means it has a quadruple weakness to Grass-types, but honestly, you wouldn’t want to send it out to face them anyway, and given that that’s its single weakness, the opposition is gonna have to be super tough or have lightning-quick wits to stop this badass Mud Fish.

Mega Slowbro

…Oooooookayyyy…So, apparently, Mega Evolution causes the Shellder that latched onto Slowpoke’s tail to grow to such a size that it’s almost ready to consume the poor bastard. o.O Anyway, weirdness factor aside, Mega Slowbro naturally gains a boost to its Defense and Special Defense and the new Ability Shell Armour, what with the shell now engulfing most of its body. Sounds awesome, but I hope that this doesn’t mean Slowking is getting left in the dust. Also, tell me you don’t think Beyblade when you see that thing. lol

Mega Sableye

Another Pokémon I was hoping would receive a Mega Evolution, as not only does it manage to keep up with Mawile, but it also has something new to defend itself with: Magic Bounce. After all, part of the allure of Pokémon like Sableye was that they had no exploitable type weakness. With the Fairy-type now present, that advantage has been negated, as they are now vulnerable for the first time. Still, Mega Sableye looks to be a viable option for any team, though I should note that the new Ability and boosted defensive stats come at the cost of some of its Speed.

Mega Sharpedo

Evidently Team Aqua Leader Archie’s Mega Pokémon in Alpha Sapphire, Mega Sharpedo takes the killer shark motif and puts it on frigging steroids. Not much else is known about it, as it was just announced recently, but it IS known to have Strong Jaws as its Ability, and it gains increases to ALL of its stats. I feel bad for the poor bastard that gets Alpha Sapphire and has to tangle with this thing… … …Erm, sorry N. Harmonik.

Mega Camerupt

While it may not look to be on the same threat level as Mega Sharpedo, appearances can be deceiving, and Team Magma Leader Maxie wouldn’t choose a weaker Pokémon to be his Mega. Mega Camerupt comes complete with Sheer Force as its Ability, and an increase to all of its stats, save for a decrease in its Speed, which could prove to be its only real flaw. Still, as anyone who has played the Generation III games knows, Camerupt ain’t no pushover…though they CAN be kinda dumb.

…Anyway, continuing…

Mega Altaria

I didn’t think it was possible for Altaria to have its head any further up in the clouds, but here we are. lol Y’know, going back to Chuggaaconroy for a sec, he must find this hilarious, because now half of his team from his Emerald Let’s Play can Mega Evolve (Moegami the Blaziken, Pandora the Absol, and Altair the Altaria), and his Emerald team (poor Pandora in particular) got a lot of criticism as he was going through the LP, though I think most of them shut up when Pandora made quick work of two members of the Elite Four. But anyway, Mega Altaria is now a Dragon/Fairy-type, gets increased offensive stats, and to compliment this new typing, it gains the Ability Pixilate, which turns Normal-type moves into Fairy-type moves and gives them a 30% boost in power. And if you think a Dragon/Fairy-type spewing Hyper Beams that get same type attack bonus AND a 30% bonus on top of that isn’t frigging terrifying, you either haven’t been playing long or need therapy. STAT.

Mega Salamence

Because what’s better than one terrifyingly powerful Mega Evolved Dragon? TWO! Although at least with Salamence, you kinda expect that, whereas Altaria welcomes you to die while you’re laughing your uneducated ass off. Despite still being a Dragon/Flying-type, and thus vulnerable to Ice and Fairy-types, Mega Salamence gets a big boost to its Defense, and gains the Ability Aerilate, which is the Flying-type equivalent of Pixilate, so basically, Flying-type Hyper Beams and Giga Impacts with STAB and a 30% power increase. All in all, between this and Altaria, I’d say Garchomp’s days as being the #1 Dragon are highly numbered.

Mega Metagross

I don’t know why this thing has a Mega Evolution, other than just because it could, and just so Steven could be even more powerful (like he needed it, since he’s gotta rank in the Top 3 or 5 in terms of champs in the games). Well, that and Mega Metagross is fun to say. lol It has the Ability Tough Claws, gets a big increase to Speed, and the rest of its stats get an increase as well. If I survive the final battle with Steven without mass grinding (stop laughing, you know what I mean, though I would certainly tap Steven if he was real, XD), it’s only because they gave us an Exp. Share or a Lucky Egg or some other item meant to coddle us.

Mega Lopunny

This was one of the Mega Evolutions I was NOT expecting. Not to say I don’t welcome this one or anything, I think it’s cool, it just wasn’t one I was thinking would happen. Anyway, Mega Lopunny is a Normal/Fighting-type, which would normally mean it would suck against Ghost-types, right? WRONG! Mega Lopunny’s Ability is Scrappy, meaning it can hit Ghosts with Normal and Fighting-type attacks. Add in the increases to its Speed and Attack, and this is one funky fresh rabbit you don’t wanna mess with.

Mega Gallade

This is one I DID hope would happen. Really, it’s because Gardevoir got a Mega Evolution, so it felt like Gallade needed this to stay relevant. Don’t know much about Mega Gallade, though, since it was just revealed, but we know that its new Ability is Inner Focus, and it is apparently used by Wally, meaning that in the remakes, he no longer has a Gardevoir, but a Gallade. But that’s okay, because Gardevoir still remains a well-known Pokémon for being the ace on Diantha’s team.

Mega Audino

The first Pokémon native to the Unova Region to gain access to Mega Evolution, Audino keeps Healer as its Ability, and gains additional defensive strength. Not a heck of a lot else known about it, but it looks neat, and it’s nice to see Audino being used as something other than quick and easily earned Experience Points… … …Oh, don’t look at me like that! You know you exploited the hell outta the extra Exp. that Audino gave out when you encountered them in the wild in Black and White. lol

Mega Diancie

Lastly, we have Mega Diancie, who is a Legendary Pokémon from the Kalos Region that wasn’t even available normally in the game, and whose Mega Stone is in Hoenn. Confused? Join the club, we’ve got jackets. Anyway, if you aren’t all that familiar with Diancie, it’s a Rock/Fairy-type, and usually has the Ability Clear Body. When it Mega Evolves, it gains Magic Bounce as its Ability, and gains a big boost in Speed, while its defensive stats are lowered in favour of improving its offensive stats.

So, that’s all the Mega Evolutions confirmed for now…but it’s not all of the Pokémon in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire to change form. Presenting, PRIMAL REVERSION!

Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre

Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre are the new, more powerful forms for the Hoenn games’ version mascots. The method by which they transform to these states is unknown, but I have a theory: Look at the lines on Groudon and Kyogre in their normal states. Groudon’s are blue, and Kyogre’s are red. This is apparently because, when awakened by Maxie and Archie, the wrong orbs were used to awaken them. However, in these forms, they have yellow lines, not unlike Rayquaza. This seems to suggest that their Primal forms are their true forms, or perhaps advanced forms that make them even more powerful than Rayquaza. Whether or not Rayquaza gains a new form of its own is unknown, but it seems to be heavily implied that it does.

So far, all that’s known about these two are that Groudon becomes Ground/Fire-type, and they each gain a different stat boost, a new Attack, and Ability. Primal Groudon gets additional Attack, knows a new move called Precipice Blade, and gains the Ability Desolate Land, while Primal Kyogre gets a Special Attack boost, learns a new attack called Origin Pulse, and gains a new Ability called Primordial Sea. All I know about the new attacks are that they hit multiple targets. The Abilities, however, create harsh sunlight/rainfall, negate all other weather conditions from being triggered, and stop Water-type/Fire-type moves from working until the user of the Ability leaves the field. And no, I don’t know what happens if both Primal Pokémon are on the field at the same time, but if I had to guess, either the first to get out on the field has their Ability triggered only, or their Trainers inadvertently trigger the apocalypse. lol

So, that’s all of ’em, right? WRONG! Introducing, COSPLAY PIKACHU!

Cosplay Pikachu

…Okay, for those that don’t know, I’m gonna make this clear: I am not kidding. This is a thing now. LOL Cosplay Pikachu is a special Pikachu, apparently female, that can change form to gain different attacks and specialize in different Contest stats. Not sure how it does this, where you get it, or if it keeps these moves upon changing again, but whatev. Going from left to right, Pikachu Ph. D. specializes in Smart moves and learns Electric Terrain, Pikachu Belle specializes in Beautiful moves and learns Icicle Crash, Pikachu Rock Star specializes in Coolness moves and learns Meteor Mash, Pikachu Pop Star specializes in Cuteness moves and learns Draining Kiss, and my personal favourite, Pikachu Libre, specializes in Toughness moves and learns the 619. I-I mean, the Flying Press. lol

So, that’s all of ’em, FINALLY! Lemme know what you think of them, what your planned teams for Pokémon ORAS are, and I’ll see you back here when more news comes out. Ja né!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

………’ORAS’……..Hmmm…

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)