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 FireRed Text-And-Screencap-Only Nuzlocke Part 6

The team at the beginning of this part.

Last time in the Pokémon FireRed Text-And-Screencap-Only Nuzlocke Challenge, I got the Flash HM, almost had the shit scared outta me by Milo and a Dugtrio, and made my way to Lavender Town, during which, I taught my team some new tricks, and caught a couple of new team members, like this one…

I am SO sorry, Bro-Orb. lol

…This time, having arrived in Lavender Town, I decided to take a quick look around and see what all was available to me in town. Pretty much immediately, I found the Name Rater’s house, which meant it was time to make a correction. 😀

YUP. XD Also, from now on, I’m gonna be waiting until I can get back to the Name Rater’s house before I give a nickname to my Pokémon. Reason being, I want to be able to check their Natures and whatnot before settling on a name. You’ll see why in a bit…

I’ll never get over the irony that I made it here for the first time with no losses to my team.

Oh…So, like, they captured some poor Cubone’s ma?

… … …OH…

Aw man, I LOVE Mr. Fuji! He’s like one of the best managers ev-…OH, right, sorry. Wrong Mr. Fuji.

Anyway, after checking around, I learned that Mr. Fuji went into Pokémon Tower, the grave-site of all Pokémon in Kanto, but that some kind of ghosts are blocking the means to advance. Without an item called the Silph Scope, I decided to head to the location of a prototype of the device, and the site of my next Gym Challenge: Celadon City. However, as per the norm, I found myself facing down…a ROUTE. FULL. OF. TRAINERS.

Okay, why change his line from “rambling, gambling dude”? Is it to avoid issues of gambling? But there’s still a frigging casino in Celadon. o.O

Not gonna lie, I kinda wish there were Vulpix in this version. Mainly because I’ve seen a lot of Growlithe at this point. lol

Okay, I know I’ve been saying there needs to be more Trainers with evolved Pokémon, but I’m honestly shocked to see Muk this early.

So you’ll switch in the middle of the match when the referee isn’t looking to screw with me?…Wow, I’m making a lot of wrestling references today. lol

I know a lot of people aren’t fans of Double Battles, but I really like them. ^_^

Ohh, I know THAT pain…

Just a touch, but think about this: If you all move in one direction like that, it’ll look really badass. lol

I was gonna hit it with Dig, but every time I hit Pikachu like that, Static kicks in, and that’s SO annoying sometimes.

POKÉMON ON MOTORCYCLES!!!

MY BOY! 😀

Anyway, with all that taken care of, and a new member of the team obtained…

Yeah, to complete the pair with Milo. lol

…I made my way through the second underground path to get to Celadon City…although, I have to ask: The staircases going into both underground paths are the same size, which would indicate that they’re both at the same depth underneath Saffron City… … …So how do they not intersect? I mean, I guess one MUST be under the other, but the physical evidence doesn’t back that up. And yeah, I know, top-down 2D RPG, but it didn’t HAVE to be this way, especially since we’ve had FOUR GAMES (not counting separate versions) where we go to Kanto, and not once has there ever been an attempt to fix the problem.

Goddammit, another one?! -_-

Anyway, I got to Celadon City, and pretty much immediately recognized there might be a problem going on in town.

I know I might be reaching, but I’m pretty sure something’s gone wrong in this city.

…Regardless, I did some digging around town, and couldn’t help but find maybe one or two interesting points of interest. 🙂

You don’t say…

FREEDOM!!! XD

Y’know, I don’t think we EVER got an explanation as to why Eevee was just sitting in a Poké Ball on that desk for no reason. And yeah, regarding his name…

…THIS is another part of why I’ll be waiting to decide on nicknames. I decided to wait and see which Nature Eevee had before committing to a specific evolution. And yeah, I know what everyone says about Flareon, but I still like it.

For now, though, keeping Firefox at the Daycare.

If I need to explain this one, clearly nobody saw Batman Beyond. lol

…Isn’t this town supposed to be really big on keeping the environment clean and stuff?

Hel-loooo, second Double Battle! 😀

I actually really like this Double Battle. It’s a great way to train by using the VS Seeker against this duo over and over.

And thus, a 3’11”, 83.8 lbs. bird obtained the ability to ferry my 5’10”, 200+ lbs. fat ass across the region with no difficulty! 😛

Anyway, shortly after I obtained the Fly HM, I realized that my Pokédex now had 29 pages to it, meaning I only needed one more to obtain the Itemfinder. Now, I could’ve simply given Otis a Fire Stone, too, but I chose to let it learn some new attacks before evolving it. Also, I could’ve fished out a Magikarp from…well, ANYWHERE I hadn’t caught anything already that had water present, to make the 30th page, but I didn’t wanna waste a location on that. Luckily, with Magikarp in mind, I recalled a certain someone I met at the Pokémon Center near Mt. Moon who might have a solution to my problem.

Normally, this would be the worst use of 500 bucks ever, but at this point, that’s kinda chump change. lol

On my way! 😀

YOU GOT A THIIIIINNNG!…50 is going to be a bitch and a half. XD

So, after all that, and a bit of grinding that I wisely chose to keep off-article this time, I was ready to take on the Celadon City Gym, when I found myself with a problem. See, I was planning to go in with Otis, Edge, and Damian. However, you need to Cut your way to the Gym, none of them could learn Cut, and as I’ve noted before, I only ever challenge Gym Leaders using the same number of Pokémon as they have, and the Celadon City Gym Leader, Erika, has three. So, I unfortunately had to cancel Damian’s spot to my team for the Gym Battle and sub him out for Milo. Luckily, that doesn’t apply to the other Gym Trainers, so with him still on my team, I stormed the Gym.

#RememberGourdon

Seriously, why does EVERY girl in this game think I’m a pervert? Did someone staple a sign to the back of my jacket or something saying “Sexual Predator, Keep Away!”? o.O

Oh God, setting the smell Gloom makes ON FIRE. THAT’S gonna have some terrible results.

Y’know what else you shouldn’t like in this Gym? 😀

DEATH FROM ABOVE!!!

Anyway, with the other Gym Trainers defeated, I returned Damian and the rest of my team sans Milo, Otis, and Edge to the PC and took on Erika.

DEATH FROM ABOVE PART 2!!!

I REALLY hate to talk smack on Tangela, but…yeah, it really is the easiest of Erika’s team. To be fair, though, the rest of them are all fully evolved. Why she didn’t have an Exeggutor instead, I have no idea.

I had totally forgotten Milo’s Hidden Power was Flying-type. 😛

And that’s half the badges obtained! 😀

And thus, we’re now at four badges, with the other four still to go. Next time, though, I plan to check out exactly what Team Rocket is doing in Celadon City and hopefully locate the Silph Scope. Ja né!

I forgot to take a photo of my team at the end of this part, so I’m just posting this. lol

My Dream Pokémon Yellow Remake Pokédex

So, a couple of days ago, I talked about how I’d do a Pokémon Yellow remake in Gen VI, and I mentioned changing the Kanto Regional Dex for it. For those curious, here is a rough idea of what I’d like it to look like:

1. Bulbasaur
2. Ivysaur
3. Venusaur
4. Charmander
5. Charmeleon
6. Charizard
7. Squirtle
8. Wartortle
9. Blastoise
10. Caterpie
11. Metapod
12. Butterfree
13. Weedle
14. Kakuna
15. Beedrill
16. Pidgey
17. Pidgeotto
18. Pidgeot
19. Rattata
20. Raticate
21. Spearow
22. Fearow
23. Ekans
24. Arbok
25. Pichu
26. Pikachu
27. Raichu
28. Sandshrew
29. Sandslash
30. Nidoran(F)
31. Nidorina
32. Nidoqueen
33. Nidoran(M)
34. Nidorino
35. Nidoking
36. Cleffa
37. Clefairy
38. Clefable
39. Vulpix
40. Ninetales
41. Igglybuff
42. Jigglypuff
43. Wigglytuff
44. Zubat
45. Golbat
46. Crobat
47. Oddish
48. Gloom
49. Vileplume
50. Bellossom
51. Paras
52. Parasect
53. Venonat
54. Venomoth
55. Diglett
56. Dugtrio
57. Meowth
58. Persian
59. Psyduck
60. Golduck
61. Mankey
62. Primeape
63. Growlithe
64. Arcanine
65. Poliwag
66. Poliwhirl
67. Poliwrath
68. Politoed
69. Abra
70. Kadabra
71. Alakazam
72. Machop
73. Machoke
74. Machamp
75. Bellsprout
76. Weepinbell
77. Victreebel
78. Tentacool
79. Tentacruel
80. Geodude
81. Graveler
82. Golem
83. Ponyta
84. Rapidash
85. Slowpoke
86. Slowbro
87. Slowking
88. Magnemite
89. Magneton
90. Magnezone
91. Farfetch’d
92. Doduo
93. Dodrio
94. Murkrow
95. Honchkrow
96. Sneasel
97. Weavile
98. Seel
99. Dewgong
100. Grimer
101. Muk
102. Shellder
103. Cloyster
104. Gligar
105. Gliscor
106. Gastly
107. Haunter
108. Gengar
109. Misdreavus
110. Mismagius
111. Bonsly
112. Sudowoodo
113. Onix
114. Steelix
115. Drowzee
116. Hypno
117. Krabby
118. Kingler
119. Voltorb
120. Electrode
121. Exeggcute
122. Exeggutor
123. Cubone
124. Marowak
125. Tyrogue
126. Hitmonlee
127. Hitmonchan
128. Hitmontop
129. Lickitung
130. Lickilicky
131. Koffing
132. Weezing
133. Rhyhorn
134. Rhydon
135. Rhyperior
136. Happiny
137. Chansey
138. Blissey
139. Tangela
140. Tangrowth
141. Kangaskhan
142. Horsea
143. Seadra
144. Kingdra
145. Goldeen
146. Seaking
147. Staryu
148. Starmie
149. Wooper
150. Quagsire
151. Mime Jr.
152. Mr. Mime
153. Sableye
154. Mawile
155. Scyther
156. Scizor
157. Smoochum
158. Jynx
159. Elekid
160. Electabuzz
161. Electivire
162. Magby
163. Magmar
164. Magmortar
165. Pinsir
166. Tauros
167. Magikarp
168. Gyarados
169. Lapras
170. Togepi
171. Togetic
172. Togekiss
173. Ditto
174. Eevee
175. Vaporeon
176. Jolteon
177. Flareon
178. Espeon
179. Umbreon
180. Leafeon
181. Glaceon
182. Sylveon
183. Porygon
184. Porygon2
185. PorygonZ
186. Omanyte
187. Omastar
188. Kabuto
189. Kabutops
190. Aerodactyl
191. Munchlax
192. Snorlax
193. Druddigon
194. Articuno
195. Zapdos
196. Moltres
197. Dratini
198. Dragonair
199. Dragonite
200. Mewtwo
201. Mew

So yeah, that’s more or less what I had in mind. Lemme know what you think of this list, and depending on what people think and if I come up with any further ideas, I might post them just on the off chance that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company either take my ideas and remake Yellow with them or release a Super Mario Maker-esque Pokémon game in the future. Ja né!

Updated Dream Remake For Pokémon Yellow

So, a couple of years ago, I posted an article about how I would personally remake Pokémon Yellow, detailing all the ways it could be done easily using Generation V mechanics… … …and then, the very next day, Pokémon X & Y were revealed. How this happened, I have no idea. My only guess is that Nintendo has a camera set up in my brain to keep a constant track of my thoughts. It would certainly explain how the trailer for Pokémon GO clearly resembled dreams I used to have of how Pokémon would look in real life. But yeah, because next year is the 20th Anniversary of Pokémon, I’ve decided to update how I’d remake Yellow Version, AKA the Special Pikachu Edition, in the current generation. As such, some of these are gonna be repeated from last time, so just bear with me…

#1 – Generation VI Mechanics

Basically, this includes the current type charts, movepools, battle styles and mechanics, and, of course, Mega Evolution. In other words, this version of Pokémon Yellow would take place in the same universe as XYORAS. And speaking of stuff you can do in this generation, especially as it pertains to the mascot of this game…

#2 – Include Cosplay Pikachu

Because why not? Hell, you could even build on the concept by including more costumes it can wear with more moves it can learn, making it so it can be either gender, and having the costumes become available to you in different towns and cities. You could even bring back Surfing Pikachu and Balloon Pikachu by making them costumes. And hey, since we brought up the costumes…

#3 – Include Pokémon Contests

Again, why not? The anime already put Contest Halls in the Kanto Region, so why not include them in this game? After all, we already brought Contests back for ORAS. Might as well take advantage of that.

#4 – Use HGSS’ System For Pokémon Following You

As I stated before, Pikachu being outside the ball for the duration of the journey is a must. As such, what I’d do is tweak the system from HeartGold/SoulSilver so that the one that follows you is always Pikachu… … …unless you box it, of course. I’d also bring back the little pictures from Pokémon Yellow, and include a few more, like maybe it making its elastic faces from the show. Lastly, I’d make a special change to the bicycle in case Pikachu is in the party: A little basket in the front for it to ride in. XD

#5 – Update the Regional Dex

Again, the Pokémon found would obviously include all the original 151, that’s a given. However, rather than force you to gain the National Dex, I think I’d toss in the other Pokémon that evolve to and from the original batch. Speaking of evolving, though…

#6 – New Mega Evolutions

It just seems like the time to make a couple more Gen 1 Pokémon Mega Evolve. Specifically, I’d like to see Butterfree get one so it can keep up with Beedrill. I just find it odd that it didn’t get it in the first place.

#7 – Side-quests Galore, In Particular With Misty and Brock

Seriously, I would include tons of side-quests. Stuff you don’t HAVE to do, but are fun, rewarding, and add to the experience of the game. Stuff like the Contests Halls I mentioned earlier, or perhaps new ways to include Move Tutors, by having the new moves be rewards for helping people out. I also think that some would involve Brock and Misty, since they follow Ash in the original series. Maybe even a series of events where you can actually date Misty or Brock, depending on which gender you play as. And speaking of…

#8 – Remodel Female Protagonist To Look Like Ashley

… … …Because it’d be too damned funny, okay? XD With that said, if you don’t like that idea…

#9 – Bring Back The Clothing Options From X & Y

I don’t understand why this was left out of ORAS. It really makes me worry that it was an XY thing only, and I don’t want it to be. And, of course, since a lot of Yellow is based off the anime, I’m thinking there could be new clothing options based on clothes and costumes worn throughout it.

#10 – Cameos from the Characters Of the Day

I know that a few Trainers you run into have had their dialogue and teams altered in Yellow Version to better resemble the characters of the day from the original series, but making their appearances a bit closer and just including a lot more of them would be sweet. And speaking of trainers from the show…

#11 – Adjusted Teams For Gym Leaders And Other Important Characters

For those that have always wondered about this, allow me to explain: Pokémon Yellow was released before the original run of the series, AKA the Kanto League, was finished. As such, not everyone in the games that were also in the anime have the same teams. In particular, Blaine’s team in the game bears little to no resemblance to his anime team. Granted, I have no idea what Rhydon was doing on the team in the anime anyway, but no reason to leave out Magmar. Also, what is going on with Gary’s team in the game? And yes, I call him Gary in the Yellow Version, since he’s very clearly supposed to be Gary and not Blue. Just saying, a few modifications are probably necessary. Perhaps Gary’s Eevee could become Umbreon, and then he could also catch a Starter Pokémon based on the same pre-requisites as was necessary to determine what Eevee would evolve into (so if you lost/skipped both of the first battles with him, he’d get Squirtle, if you won one and then lost/skipped the other, he’d get Charmander, and if you beat him both times, he’d get Bulbasaur).

#12 – The Sevii Islands & The Orange Crew

Getting back to stuff you don’t have to do but make for neat additions, since the Sevii Islands were already in FRLG, I’d just go with them instead of the Orange Islands from the anime. Still, I would also include the Orange Crew as boss trainers you can battle. Though, I might wanna change Drake’s name since there’s already a Drake in the games. Maybe something like Arthur or Ryu, or his Japanese name, Yuji.

#13 – More Battles With Jessie and James

Seriously, these two appeared in damned near every episode of the original series. You know how many times you battled them in the game? Four. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. lol Also, Meowth could be fully fleshed out as a character, Team Rocket could be battled in Double Battles instead of Single, and a few more of their Pokémon that they caught could be added to their in-game roster.

#14 – Include The Pokémon World Tournament

Because this mode was FREAKING AWESOME. Being able to battle against other Gym Leaders and Champions from other games is a sweet idea. Plus, you could include other characters that have appeared in the anime since the original series, like Paul, Tyson, Tobias, Virgil, Harrison, and more. Also, just to be cute (and to troll people), I’d replace Red with Ritchie. XD

Remember me, assholes? >:)

And that’s all I have in mind for now. Leave your comments and any ideas of what you’d do with the game or any other Pokémon games you’d remake. 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…

The Final Roster For Super Smash Bros. For The 3DS

So, because a few people in Japan have gotten the game a couple of days early and streamed footage on Twitch, we now have visual confirmation on the full roster for Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS. Now, keep in mind that they’ve allegedly already gone through and unlocked everyone, but that there’s always the possibility that Nintendo might decide to release additional fighters later on via downloadable content, so if your favourite fighter isn’t present, don’t freak out just yet, they may get added later. With that said, here are your Smash Bros. for Super Smash Bros for the-…Y’know what, I still hate that name, so I’m just gonna call it Super Smash Bros. 4.

Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, Rosalina & Luma, Bowser Jr., Wario, Mr. Game & Watch, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf, Toon Link, Samus, Zero Suit Samus, Pit, Palutena, Marth, Ike, Robin, Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, Little Mac, Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Charizard, Lucario, Jigglypuff, Greninja, Duck Hunt Dog, R.O.B., Ness, Captain Falcon, Villager, Olimar, Wii Fit Trainer, Dr. Mario, Dark Pit, Lucina, Shulk, Pac-Man, Mega Man, Sonic, and Mii Fighter.

What do you think of the roster? Are there any fighters you’d like for Nintendo to add later? Comment below, and we’ll see how things turn out with Super Smash Bros. 4 comes out. Ja né!

My Pokémon X Journey: Day 1 (WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD)

Okay, so I thought about how best to do this, so I’m gonna type it up as sort of a journal, like I’m actually the person in the game, so bare with me as I do this. lol

Calem, the male protagonist

I began my journey after having just moved in to Vaniville Town. I awoke to the sensation of my mother’s Fletchling using its patented Peck on my ass. Not cool. After getting up and changing after my pyjamas (after my mother nagged me into going back up to my room and doing so, that is), I went outside to check on Mom’s Rhyhorn, the lazy bum, when I was confronted by my new neighbours, a pair of girls. They told me the Professor of this region, Augustine Sycamore, had a job for me. He wanted me to complete the Kalos PokéDex by registering every known Pokémon in the Kalos Region in it, which meant capturing every last one. A difficult task, but not impossible, as a pair of boys travelling with them had in their possession a trio of Pokémon for beginning Trainers like myself and the two girls. I chose the Chespin, feeling a connection to the Bashful little guy. I named him Pinhead, as he’s also somewhat of a clown.

Your new friends/rivals, Serena and Shauna

After defeating one of the girls, the peppy one named Shauna, in a Pokémon battle, I told my mother what was going on, and was somewhat disturbed when she thought the letter from Professor Sycamore explaining the matter was some sort of love letter…Ew, what would Dad think? o.O At any rate, she saw me off on my journey with some extra gear, and even Rhyhorn managed to take some time out of his busy schedule of sleeping to see off the boy he watched be born in front of his eyes. I joke, but I know how old he is and how much it must have meant to him to see me leave on a journey.

Before I met up with my other newfound ‘friends’ in Santalune Forest, I decided to try to catch as many Pokémon as I could find on Route 2, AKA the Avance Trail. While I didn’t find them all, I did manage to catch enough to fill my team, with Scatterbug, Fletchling, Pidgey, Weedle, and Bunnelby joining Pinhead, who only grew stronger with each battle. Content with that, and defeating a Trainer who owned a Zigzagoon, I entered the forest. Shauna decided to accompany me along the way…I think she MAY be smitten with me, but I’m not sure. It’s either that or she’s just INCREDIBLY friendly. Either way, I battled many more Trainers and captured three more Pokémon: Caterpie, Pansage, and Pikachu. Pikachu was the most trouble, but that mainly due to my own mistake, as I had foolishly tried to paralyse it with Scatterbug’s Stun Spore, having forgotten that recent studies showed that Electric-type Pokémon were becoming immune to paralysis. This single mistake nearly cost me greatly, but I pulled through.

Serena, Shauna, Calem, Tierno, and Trevor in Santalune Forest

By the end, our group of five started to split a bit. Shauna and the boys, Trevor and Tierno, remained behind to catch the remaining Pokémon in the area. The other girl, Serena, ran ahead to challenge the Gym Leader in Santalune City. After a little deliberation, I decided to follow after her, all the while battling Trainers along Route 3, AKA the Ouvert Way. By the time I reached Santalune City, however, I’d long since lost sight of her. Still, my Pokémon were becoming stronger, and challenging a Gym didn’t seem like a bad idea. Still, I needed a bit more training, so I battled more while trying to fill the PokéDex. After a while, my Scatterbug evolved into Spewpa, and I found a trainer in Santalune City willing to trade their Farfetch’d for my Bunnelby. Thankfully, we hadn’t really had much chance to connect, so he was fine with it.

While in Santalune City, I ran into Tierno, who showed me the Pokémon Centre and explaining the updates to the facility. I logged onto the PC to check on my Pokémon in storage, and discovered that the Pikachu I had captured was holding a Light Ball. Knowing this meant it had power beyond that of the average Pikachu, I decided to make it part of my team, while also depositing Pidgey and Weedle. After that, I noticed a special offer being held over Mystery Gift. Interested, I signed in, and within minutes, I found myself the proud owner of a Torchic, all the way from Hoenn. Of course, since it wasn’t native to Kalos, there was no page for it in the PokéDex, but I was alright with that. Also, it was holding a strange stone. I wasn’t sure what it did, but it seemed like it belonged with the little guy, so I let him keep it. After that, I went next door to the Boutique to get a change of clothes, battled a Trainer for a free pair of roller blades (that I’m STILL having trouble controlling), and headed out to Route 22, AKA Détournet Way.

Calem in Santalune City

On Route 22, I once again found many Trainers to battle. One of them had a Flabébé, one of the new Fairy-type Pokémon. I learned the hard way in that battle not to underestimate Faeries. Not that they’re insanely powerful, just strong enough that they will defeat you with ease if you take them lightly. I also managed to catch my first Fairy-type, an Azurill, as well as a Psyduck, before I took notice of the entrance to Victory Road, the last obstacle before the Pokémon League. However, to enter, one needs to defeat 8 Gym Leaders and win their badges as proof, so no entry for me. With no other path available to me for the moment, I decided to enter the Santalune City Gym, defeating the Gym Leader’s lieutenants along the way, until my Spewpa at least evolved into a Vivillon of the Polar Form.

Viola, the Santalune City Gym Leader

To complete my day, I confronted the Gym Leader: A young photographer by the name of Viola. She had two Pokémon: A Surskit and a Vivillon. Before challenging her, however, I decided to go back to the Pokémon Centre, depositing all but two of my Pokémon, since I feel it’s cheap to earn a badge with a high numbers advantage. I went in with just Fletchling and Pinhead. Despite being a Chespin and thus vulnerable to Bug-types, I sent Pinhead out first, as he had learned a move through his training that was super effective against her team: Rollout, a Rock-type move that became stronger the more he rolled with it. Naturally, starting the battle and using it right away was the best use of it possible, which in turn won me the battle, the Bug Badge, and a TM to boot. Overall, a great way to cap off my first day on my Pokémon journey.

Current PokéDex Completion
30 Pokémon seen, 14 Pokémon obtained

…So, hope you enjoyed that, ‘cuz I’m gonna be doing it every day from now until I beat the Pokémon League. lol Ja né!

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Mega Evolution In Pokémon & Who I Think Should Get Them

So, the biggest piece of news regarding Pokémon X & Y as of late HAS to be the reveal of Mega Evolution. If you haven’t been paying attention as of late…well, remember that image we saw of Mewtwo‘s new form? Yeah. Apparently Mewtwo and several other Pokémon have the ability to use what are referred to as Mega Stones to Mega Evolve in battle. This new form of evolution is only temporary (I believe it wears off right after the battle, not sure) and grants new abilities, stats, and types to the Pokémon. Besides Mewtwo, the others that have been confirmed to have a Mega Evolution form are Blaziken, Lucario, Ampharos, Mawile (THANK GOD, and both its normal form and Mega form are now Steel/Fairy), Absol, and Kangaskhan (well actually, it’s more like the kid grows enough to get out of the pouch and help Mommy fight, effectively giving Kangaskhan two attacks). I’ve noticed that a pattern exists with these Pokémon, in that they’re all unable to evolve otherwise since they were either fully evolved or could never evolve in the first place, and all of them were introduced in Generation III or lower, with the exception of Lucario who was announced long before Pokémon Diamond and Pearl came out.

All of these Mega Evolutions look and sound great, and even people who don’t like the idea of Mega Evolution are glad that they’re implementing something new to the mechanics of Pokémon. So I was thinking, who else should get Mega Evolutions? Because they’ve already hinted that there are still a bunch more to come. So, here’s what I got for my list of Pokémon I’d like to see get Mega Evolutions.

Quagsire

Man, the original Water/Ground-type kinda got left in the dust a bit, huh? Other than having Water Absorb, it doesn’t really have much going for it that you can’t get out of the others, best examples probably being Swampert or Seismitoad *ducks Ice Punch from Poliwhirl*. So here’s what I had in mind: What if, upon Mega Evolving, it got Sap Sipper? Seriously, all of a sudden, Quagsire would be able to absorb attacks from the one thing that would normally have 4x advantage over it, the one thing that actually is super effective against it, and actually increase its Physical Attack from said attacks. You’d be horrified of what was unleashed upon you.

Slaking

Because we’ve already made Chuggaaconroy happy by making to out of six of his Emerald team Mega, why not shoot for three? XD Okay, seriously, here’s why: As I’ve made mention to before, while Slaking has Legendary level stats, it only attacks once, then loafs around for a turn before it can attack again. By Mega Evolving, it could shake free of that ability, or maybe gain a new Ability that lets it attack two turns in a row before loafing for a turn. Because two is fine with those kind of stats, honestly.

Plusle and Minun

…No, seriously. Imagine if these two had the ability to Mega Evolve together and become a badass while keeping their cuteness? Think about it, they’re basically designed to work as a team in the first place. With their powers combined into one Pokémon, Plusle and Minun could be near unstoppable. And yeah, I know this is basically DNA Digivolving, but let’s be honest, Mega Evolution is already Digivolving, we might as well go the whole ten miles with this. lol Other duos could get ’em too, like Illumise/Volbeat, Seviper/Zangoose, Electivire/Magmortar, and so on, but I’d hold back a generation before going all out with the various Jogress Evolutions.

Farfetch’d

Yeah, if you’ll recall, I mentioned before how this poor bird drew the short end of the leak with Game Freak. I don’t know what Farfetch’d did to deserve being left behind, while the other four must-trade-for Pokémon from the original games (Mr. Mime, Jynx, and Lickitung) all got new forms and ways to be useful in the new generations, but I think six generations is long enough to get left out of all the fun. Besides, two other Pokémon on my 10 Pokémon That Got The Shaft list are getting evolutions.

Charizard

I honestly cannot imagine them doing Mega Evolution and not giving one to Charizard. It’ll be either X & Y or whatever the heck Generation VII is, but it WILL happen. And of course, it would have to become Fire/Dragon upon Mega Evolving. There’s just no way to avoid it. To be honest, I think all three Kanto Starters should get one, but of all three, I think Charizard is the most likely to actually happen. And speaking of Pokémon that could become Dragon-type after Mega Evolving…

Gyarados

Little known fact, Gyarados was originally supposed to be Water/Dragon in the old games. The reason they didn’t do it is because the only Dragon-type attack then was Dragon Rage, which did a set amount of damage, and the Water-type would make the Ice-type damage Gyarados would receive be just neutral damage. That means it wouldn’t have any exploitable weakness, and in the old games, that would make Gyarados far too big a destructive force. But we’ve gone beyond that, and there really is no reason to deny Gyarados any longer.

Pikachu

…Hear me out, people. While I personally feel that the other Mega Evolutions should follow the pattern it has been on thus far, I think giving one to Pikachu would be a good idea. Why? Well, for starters, it hasn’t had much new to work with since Volt Tackle, and it shows when the newest move Ash’s Pikachu learned is Electro Ball. Speaking of which, you know how Ash’s Pikachu refuses to evolve because he wants to stay as he is? Well, Mega Evolution is only temporary. That’s the loophole. That’s how you finally get something new and AWESOME outta Pikachu.

So, there’s some Pokémon I’d like to see get Mega Evolutions in the future. What would you like to see get a Mega Evolution? Leave a comment below, and we’ll see who gets their wish in X & Y. Ja né!

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Jyger’s Rant – Mystery at the Lighthouse Review

Well, welcome to the first of my text-only reviews! I’m basically gonna follow the same pattern as before, doing animation and tokusatsu, but since these aren’t videos, I guess I don’t need to worry about cut-off dates anymore. However, I do feel the need to get caught up on my Pokémon anime reviews, so let’s start off with Mystery at the Lighthouse.

Okay, really quick thing I need to get outta the way first, this episode is kind of a classic, what with this being the thirteenth episode and all. And God forbid I should be allowed to talk crap about one of the classic episodes, right? WRONG. If an episode of a show has legitimate problems with it, I’m gonna bring it up. I don’t care if it’s a classic or not. You can still like it, that’s not the problem at all. I’m just saying there are some things that require a closer look at. So for today, what I’m gonna do is give a quick run-through of the plot first, then present my points about what I didn’t like about it afterwards. Feel free to agree or disagree, it’s just my opinion, and all I ask is that you honestly think about it.

So the episode starts with Ash, Misty, and Brock traversing a Route on their way to Vermillion City, and we get a brief recap of how Ash now has two badges and a full team of six Pokémon: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. And let’s be honest folks, when you got Pokémon Yellow, you tried playing it with that exact same team, right? Misty argues that Ash didn’t earn his badges in that they were given to him by people who felt sorry for him, and that he didn’t catch his Pokémon, they followed him. Ash decides to prove he can catch a Pokémon, and so he runs off looking for new Pokémon, eventually finding a Krabby at the beach. He catches it, but the Poké Ball disappears. Misty and Brock explain that when a Trainer catches more than 6 Pokémon, the additional Pokémon is sent to the person who gave that Trainer his first Pokémon, AKA Professor Oak. He can do a swap using a function on the Pokédex, but doesn’t want to and would rather find a phone to call and make sure Krabby’s okay. Fortunately, as is often the case with these guys, there just happens to be a lighthouse nearby. The owner of the lighthouse is a man named Bill, who allows them to call Professor Oak, confirming that Ash’s Krabby is doing just fine and that Gary has also caught a Krabby. Much to Ash’s amazement/annoyance, it’s frigging gigantic. Professor Oak asks Bill to give the group a few lessons on Pokémon, since apparently Bill knows even more about Pokémon than Oak himself.

After a brief situation where they have to help Bill get out of a Kabuto costume that he got himself stuck in, Bill tells them all about Pokémon and humans and how there’s a meaning for us all and how we should all get along, yada yada yada, when he brings up that there’s one Pokémon he’s searching for, supposedly the biggest Pokémon known to man. Once again, wonder of wonders, the Pokémon just happens to show up that night, but Team Rocket learn of it and try to capture it, attacking it with bazookas. The Pokémon smashes up the upper part of the lighthouse and wipes the floor with Team Rocket, leaving the lighthouse and going back out to sea despite Bill’s pleas. By the next morning though, Bill is happy to have seen it at all and is hopeful it may come back one day as Ash and Co. leave.

Now that general plot on its own works alright, but there’re a few things that REALLY bother me. To start, let’s look at the very first and quite possibly the biggest thing about this episode that kinda hits my berserk button.

#1 – Misty Is Kind Of A Bitch In This Episode

So according to Misty, Ash didn’t earn either of his badges and all of his Pokémon just kinda followed him around, basically calling him the very crappiest like no one ever was. You know, I remember back in the day thinking about how funny it was when Misty would slap the idiot Ash down, but nowadays I can actually look at her standpoint and realise how full of crap she is. First off, regarding the badges, Ash would’ve beaten Brock but chose not to finish the battle since Brock’s Onix getting weakened by the sprinklers going off was just an accident, and he would’ve beaten YOU, Misty, if Pikachu had been the one to battle to begin with and MAY have beaten you anyway if Team Rocket hadn’t intervened. Now about his Pokémon, Pikachu was given to him as his starter, but he did legit catch Pidgeotto and Butterfree, who was a Caterpie at the time, in the wild. Bulbasaur chose to follow him, but only AFTER Ash proved himself by defeating and catching him, and Charmander and Squirtle chose to follow him after Ash proved his good character to them and that he would be a kind and worthy trainer to them. Oh, and it’s made SO much better in the dub where she has the major base in her voice that makes her sound REALLY condescending. And yeah, I called Misty a bitch. Let’s face it, in the early episodes of the show, she was a bitch! As much as people complain about Togepi on the show sometimes, some of Misty’s best character development came as a result of taking care of Togepi. At this point, her gimmick was that she loved Water Pokémon and bringing Ash down whether he deserved it or not, I.E. being a bitch. I’ve got more I could say, but I’m saving that for a later episode.

#2 – The Pokédex’s Teleportation Function

I should probably take this moment to note that at no time is this function EVER used, rather that Ash makes switches using a transporter at the various Pokémon Centres, not unlike the PC Storage System from the games. It’s also worth noting that Best Wishes changed it so that the Poké Balls weren’t teleported away after they were caught past the 6 Pokémon limit, they instead were locked down until enough Pokémon were teleported to whomever was storing them for the Trainer to leave them with 6. And as much as I’d love to bitch and moan about Best Wishes again…I actually like that idea. Makes more sense than them immediately teleporting ON THEIR OWN. Granted, it goes against how the game works, but I think if we’ve established ANYTHING above all else regarding the anime, the anime and the game are not the same thing.

#3 – The Doors To Bill’s Lighthouse

This is more of a technical problem than anything, and one that people have pointed out before, but I felt the need to add my two cents as well. First off, I’ll point out that in the next full shot of the doors we see…

…that the arrangement of some the Pokémon carved on them is different. But that’s not the big issue I have, it’s one of the Pokémon found on the door: Mewtwo. What is Mew-frakking-two doing on there? If my understanding of the anime’s timeline is correct, Mewtwo should’ve been, at best, a foetus growing in a test tube in the labs on New Island. There is no way that Bill would know of its existence unless he was in on that little deal, which would kinda paint everything that happens in this episode in a new, more horrifying light.

#4 – All The Dub Changes

Okay, I kind of alluded to this earlier with Misty, but in the original, she just asked if Ash getting his full team of six should really count as him catching them or not, to which he says it was close enough. Meanwhile in the dub, she outright tells him he’s wrong and that they all followed him, which I already explained is bullcrap. Then there’s this stupid running gag they added involving Oak and Bill having cooks who went on vacation that left them having to make tofu meals. Umm, what? Why is that funny? Is it because tofu sounds weird? I’m gonna guess that was their reasoning since all other Japanese food names were replaced in the dub, as a part of the dub’s writers’ constant need to remove all trace elements of Japan from the show…and failing miserably.

#5 – The Changes To Bill From The Games To The Anime

Okay, I know that characters who were in the game and were brought over to the show have been changed up. Still, they had SOME aspect of their video game counterparts in them. This version of Bill is NOTHING like his video game counterpart. He lives in a lighthouse instead of a cottage, he has green hair instead of brown, and he’s some kind of Pokémon expert and philosopher instead of the inventor of the PC system. In fact, I don’t get why they don’t use that, considering what happened in the opening act of the episode with Ash catching his seventh Pokémon. And that kind of leads me into the big one…

#6 – Bill Is A Frakking MORON!

And I’d like to break down exactly what I mean in this very simple list.

1. Why does Bill not know what Pokémon the giant is? He’s supposed to be an expert, he has holographic images of every one of the original 150 he can put up around his room, and yet he doesn’t know that’s a Dragonite. Hell, the Pokédex fricking makes mention of Dragonite in the very next episode! Speaking of which, I call foul on that Dragonite being the biggest Pokémon ever known, I’m certain we’ve seen bigger in the show.
2. He says that the Pokémon is the last of its kind, even though we know that’s bunk. Now, I’ve heard people suggest that he simply meant the last of its kind of that size, but considering he never refers to it by species, I’m going to assume the more likely answer is that Bill is an idiot.
3. He gets into a Kabuto costume where the only method of getting out of it is a button on the outside that he cannot reach while in the costume…I don’t even need to say anything else!

I mean, we’re supposed to believe that he’s smarter than Professor Oak? He comes across as a twit most of the time, and when he’s philosophising, it comes across as pretentious bunk. And don’t tell me “Well, c’mon Jyger. Should you really be so critical of a kids show?” Well first off, you can call me Jeff, we’re all friends here. Second, yes, it’s a kids show, but that doesn’t excuse stupidity. Kids shows can be kids shows and still be smartly written…And speaking of this being a kids show, I’d just like to say that I WOULD mention the bazookas in a kids show, but that seems more like something I should bring up looking at the series in general.

Final Thoughts

So yeah, how does this episode hold up? Well, as you can tell, there’s plenty wrong with it. Still, there are some genuinely cool moments, as well as some plain insane moments that Season 1 was known for. If you like it, fine, but I personally do not.

And that’s my thoughts on Mystery At The Lighthouse. Lemme know what you think of this text review, as next time I’m gonna be looking at a little something that was requested a while back: A two-parter from the Justice League cartoon called Hereafter. Ja né!

Ash’s Best Team of 6 Pokémon

So Ash has been the main protagonist of the Pokémon anime for a LONG time. Personally, I feel he’s been around for TOO long, but that’s my own opinion. Nonetheless, Ash has gathered quite the assortment of Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. But a question that a lot of people have asked is “Which ones are his best?” Well, I don’t claim to know the answer to that. There’s just too many variables to consider, not to mention a large contingent of pissed off fans who would yell at me if I didn’t include certain old-school Pokémon of his. However, one question I have considered a lot is “If Ash were to assemble a team of six Pokémon for a full battle, which should he choose?” This I DO feel comfortable in answering, as these aren’t necessarily his strongest single battlers, but rather the ones that would have the best coverage in speed, strength, longevity, and type coverage. So here it is, my own personal opinion on Ash’s Best Team of 6 Pokémon  I’ll make my own cases for them and, as always, you’re free to make your own call on the matter at the end.

Pikachu

Yeah, this one IS kind of obvious. While Pikachu‘s overall staying power isn’t exactly the best, his ability to get in, hit hard, and get out has been a centrepiece of Ash’s battle strategy for years now. Plus, Pikachu has learned a number of tricks to make up for his shortcomings, like the mid-air spin dodge and counter-shield, as well as a number of combination and improvised attacks, like the Volt Tail and Electro Iron Tail, both moves taking his massive electrical power and using them to boost the already substantial power of his Iron Tail. His most notable accomplishments are his wins over Lt. Surge’s Raichu, Roxie’s Garbodor, Wattson’s whole team, Drake’s Dragonite, and Brendan’s Regice, and his tie against Tobias’ Latios.

Infernape

And I can already hear the fan boys weep that Infernape is on here instead of Charizard. I’m sorry, but Charizard’s x4 weakness to Rock type moves, his lack of team-work skills, and his last appearance featuring him losing to a Dusclops that frigging Bulbasaur was able to take down later makes him unreliable in a full battle. But, I suppose I should give Charizard honourable mention as one of Ash’s top Pokémon. And it’s also worth noting that in a 1-on-1 battle between Infernape and Charizard, Charizard would likely win since he’s immune to Dig, has resistance to Fire and Fighting type moves, and his Flying type moves are supper-effective on Fighting-types. I just feel that, in a 6-on-6 environment, Ash would have better choices for both Fire and Flying. As for Infernape, it’s a strong, fast, and evasive fighter that, like Pikachu, can get in and do some major damage before going down. It’s also mastered the counter-shield, and possesses a variation of Blaze unique to itself that sends its power through the roof. This used to make it unreliable as it also pushed it into a berserker-type rage, but it’s since overcome that. Its most notable accomplishments are its victories over Roark’s Onix, Fantina’s Drifblim, Candice’s Abomasnow, Volkner’s Luxray, and Paul’s Electivire.

Palpitoad
SON OF A BITCH!!!

This pick might seem odd, given my previously stated issues with Palpitoad, but I had to be fair here. Also, I will admit this was probably one of the tougher decisions, given Ash’s roster of Water-types. Now I eliminated most by their biggest flaws: Squirtle is too slow and doesn’t have much staying power, Totodile’s too much of a goof off, Corphish hasn’t evolved and thus hasn’t grown enough to make his more defensive strategy work, Buizel’s best assets are already covered in my picks thus far, and Oshawott is kind of clumsy. This left me down to two choices: Palpitoad and Kingler. What ultimately made me decide to go with Palpitoad is that he possesses something none of Ash’s other Water-types have: Immunity to electricity. Plus, he has more bulk to him than Corphish and can hit just as hard as any of the other Water-types. In addition to all of that, Palpitoad is a single evolution away from being fully evolved. If he becomes a Seismitoad, he would be one of Ash’s best, hands down. Palpitoad unfortunately doesn’t have very many notable victories as of yet, other than defeating Burgundy and Virgil in the Club Battle tournament, but he was a key player in Ash’s battles against Elesa, Roxie, and Stephan.

Sceptile

Yeah I know, Sceptile is another fully evolved Pokémon that focuses on speed and power, but I felt the need to pick a Grass type, and I ultimately found that Sceptile was the best, though I will say that all of Ash’s Grass-types are pretty awesome in their own ways. His moves are sort of straightforward and predictable, but his never-say-die attitude pushes him past such short-comings. His most notable achievements are his victories over Brawly’s Hariyama, Norman’s Slaking, Winona’s Altaria, Katie’s Walrein, Spencer’s Claydol, and possibly greatest of all, Tobias’ Darkrai.

Gliscor

Again, Ash has a lot of Flying types, all of which are fully evolved and are among his fastest and strongest Pokémon of all. The reason why I chose Gliscor, despite the fact that I try not to double up on types and I already have a Ground-type on here, PLUS Gliscor has a x4 weakness to Ice, is actually kind of simple: Most of Ash’s other Flying-types have pretty straightforward and easy to predict move-sets. The only ones that don’t are Charizard, which I already said I’m not picking, Noctowl, who admittedly is pretty awesome and can use Psychic-type attacks, and Gliscor. Ultimately, I went with Gliscor because it’s immune to electricity, has a VERY varied move-pool, and has the best physical defence of my picks thus far. It also knows how to use Giga Impact and NOT be stuck frozen for a turn by using its tail to bounce upon impact and get some distance, thus eliminating the move’s fatal flaw. Its most notable accomplishments are its victories over Byron’s Bastiodon and Paul’s Drapion, AKA Paul’s motha frakkin’ mower.

So that leaves us with one final Pokémon. Now while all of these are good options, I chose not to go with Krookodile, Donphan, or Gible because I didn’t want three Ground-types on the team. I didn’t want to double up on any other types either, so that left me with some of the more unique of Ash’s roster. Having looked over them, their abilities, move-pools, statistics, achievements, what they can do that their team-mates cannot, and then using Marriland’s Team Builder to double-check most of these facts, I’ve ultimately decided that the 6th member of the best team Ash could put together at this time is…

Snorlax

Easily the biggest, bulkiest, and admittedly slowest of Ash’s Pokémon, he’s in many ways the opposite of most of Ash’s roster. Immune to Ghost-type moves, possessing massive health, physical attack, and special defence, he can and has blocked against most opponents. He’s SO blubbery, in fact, that most attacks actually deflect right off of him. He’s mastered the art of Pokémon Sumo, and Ash has even figured out how to use his rotund body to use an impressive rolling dodge, thus potentially eliminating his biggest weakness: His lack of speed. His most notable accomplishments are winning the Sumo Conference, defeating Clair’s Kingdra, Gary’s Arcanine and Nidoqueen, Harrison’s Hypno and Steelix, and Greta’s entire Fighting-type team.

So those are my choices for Ash’s Best Team of 6 Pokémon. Leave your comments below to let me know what you would choose as a team, and I will see y’all later. Ja né!