Volume 3 Issue 1
Your source for entertaining and informative articles.*
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Featured Article:
Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 Coverage
Hello fellow Smogoneers! I’m Professor Science, bringing you the latest updates on the newest games for Gen 5, Pokemon Black 2 and White 2. The games have been released in Japan, and there’s loads we know about these games already. For starters, there is one HUGE change from B/W… the pre-national Dex contains over 300 pokemon! That’s right, you can now get a crapload of pokemon from gens 1-4, before even beating the game! I know I’m looking forward to it.*
It also has other cool stuff. There are many ‘hidden hollows’ scattered around Unova. In these places, you can catch a variety of pokemon with their Dream World abilities. This includes stuff like Technician Breloom and Imposter Ditto, to name a few. This will have a huge impact on the metagame. Another thing is they’ve put in a bunch of new tutor moves. These include lots of old TM moves like Roost and Stealth Rock, as well as classic tutor moves like the elemental punches. These tutors will also make big changes. You can now get the dreaded Roost Poison Heal Gliscor, or Ferrothorn with the holy trifecta of Stealth Rock, Spikes and Leech Seed. Conkeldurr gets the much-needed Ice Punch, and Dragonite can now utilise Superpower alongside Multiscale.*
There have also been some new formes introduced. Kyurem now has two additional formes- Kyurem-Black and Kyurem-White. They both have a whopping Base 170 Attack and Special attack respectively, meaning they will hit like a truck. They also have respectable defences and decent speed, as well as getting the Mold Breaker clone that Zekrom and Reshiram have. These things are autobanned to Ubers for sure. Another change is the Therian formes. Thundurus, Tornadus and Landorus each have a new forme, with different base stats and abilities. Thundurus-T has higher Special Attack, but lower speed, with Volt Absorb. Landorus-T is similar, having higher Attack but lower speed and Intimidate. Tornadus-T has higher Defences and Speed, but lower offensive stats and Regenerator. What effect will they have on the metagame? For now, it seems they will all be OU.*
That just about wraps up the BW2 Revelation Station for this issue. We’ve covered all the major changes from B/W to BW2. Next issue, we’ll look at some of the finer details. But for now, adios!
~Professor Science*
Competitive Pokemon
BW2 and It's Impact on the OU Metagame
As you all know, BW2 was recently released, and man did it change the OU metagame. Let's take a look at some of the changes, shall we?
Let's start with the brand new Pokemon. BW2 gave us 4: Keldeo, Tornadus-T, Thundurus-T, and Landorus-T. All four of them are great Pokemon. Keldeo is a great boosting sweeper, with great SpA (129), fairly good Spe (108) , good typing (Water/Fighting), and an excellent movepool, with moves such as Swords Dance, Calm Mind, Work Up, Secret Sword, Close Combat, Hydro Pump, and Aqua Jet. Tornadus-T is a new form of Tornadus with a blistering 121 Spe and an amazing ability in Regenerator, which virtually eliminates its Stealth Rock weakness. It does have mediocre 100/110 offenses, but powerful moves like Hurricane and LO make up for that. Thundurus-T got a whopping 145 SpA at the cost of having 101 Spe. It also got Volt Absorb as an ability, which is useful for electric weak rain teams. Landorus-T sort of got the short end of the stick, however he did get a great ability in Intimidate, which is easy to abuse with U-turn. He also got huge 145 Atk similar to Thundurus-T, however, he also got a lackluster 91 Spe. Let's move on to
BW2 also introduced some move tutors. I'm just going to list out some of the Pokemon who benefit from them since they don't need much explaining.*
-Gliscor can now run SR and Roost with Poison Heal
-Salamence can use DD+Roost+Moxie
-Ferrothorn can run SR, Spikes, and Leech Seed on the same set
-Haxorus got Aqua Tail, turning it into a deadly rain wallbreaker
-Conkeldurr received Ice Punch to smash Gliscor's ugly scorpion face. He can also run a powerful Resttalk set with Guts
-Dragonite can use Superpower with Multiscale
-Hydriegon got Earth Power
-Mamoswine can run SR and Superpower with Thick Fat
-Volcarona now has Roost and Giga Drain, giving it better recovery
-Venusaur can use Giga Drain and Chlorophyll on the same set for recovery
-Ninetales can run Resttalk with Drought, which helps keep it alive longer
To wrap things up, let's look at
Hidden Hollows are areas hidden on routes where you can find Pokemon with their hidden ability. Not many are useful in OU, but a few of them are really good. Breloom is probably the best, getting Technician to boost the power of its Mach Punches and Bullet Seeds to frighteningly high levels. There's also Ditto, who received Imposter, allowing him to steel boosts from opposing set up sweepers as well as revenge kill any Pokemon in the game with a Choice Scarf. Finally, Amoonguss got Regenerator, which gives him some much needed recovery. He also makes a nice anti-meta Pokemon to deal with stuff like Thundurus-T and Breloom.*
So there you have it: the biggest changes to OU. So what do you think about them? Leave your thoughts and discuss the changes in the comments below.*
~Pippy
Pokemon Analysis: Breloom
Hello fellow Smogonauts! This is Professor Science, bringing you an in-depth look at some of the top pokemon in OU. In this issue, we will take a look at my favourite battling pokemon- Breloom. Ever since it’s debut in Gen 3, Breloom has been steady in OU. It’s never been the most popular pokemon, but it is nevertheless a good choice for any team in need of a physical sweeper.*
First, let’s have a look at Breloom’s stats. The first thing that pops out is it’s awesome Base 130 Attack. It can deal some serious damage to anything that doesn’t resist it. On the other hand, its base 60 Special Attack is nothing to write home about, and its Speed is fairly mediocre at Base 70. Now for it’s defences. 60/80/60 defences aren’t the best, let’s face it. However, with some investment it has surprisingly decent bulk.*
Now, just looking at these stats might make you wonder what makes Breloom so great. It’s only good stat is it’s Attack, so why wouldn’t you use something else with better speed, defences or typing? Well what makes Breloom really special is it’s movepool. Breloom is one of the few lucky pokemon to get Spore, the only 100% accurate Sleep move in the game. Furthermore, Breloom is by far the most viable one to use it. This is Breloom’s main niche- Spore should be on EVERY Breloom set, without exception. Otherwise, you may as well use another physical sweeper. Once you’ve incapacitated an opponent’s pokemon with sleep, you have at least one free turn to do whatever you want. Naturally, one would want to set up. Breloom’s got a few options here too. The most notable ones are Substitute and Bulk Up. Substitute was more popular in previous generations, when there was no such thing as Poison Heal Gliscor. A SubPunch set can be very effective, and if done right it can leave huge holes in teams. The other option is Bulk Up. This may confuse newer players- why use Bulk Up, when Breloom also has Swords Dance, which gives a higher Attack boost? Well the main reason is that Breloom already has a sky-high Attack stat, and it doesn’t care about the extra Attack boost. Also, Bulk Up boosts Breloom’s Defence, making it much less susceptible to revenge killing. Since a Bulk Up set is more defensively focused, they usually run Drain Punch for some healing, as well as Seed Bomb for a Grass STAB. Other options include a SubSeed set with Focus Punch, but that requires a fair bit of support to stop it being walled by Bulky Grass types and stuff that resists Fighting. It also has a couple of coverage moves like Stone Edge, but it usually doesn’t have room to run it.
Another great thing about Breloom is it’s ability, Poison Heal. Just slap on a Toxic Orb, and Breloom’s healing 1/8 HP each turn as well as an immunity to status. This is what makes these sets so viable- Breloom becomes pretty difficult to kill with +1 Defence or a sub up. Add to that the fact that it can’t be burned like other physical sweepers, and you start to see what makes Breloom so good. Here’s an example set:*
Breloom @ Toxic Orb
236 HP / 212 Atk / 60 SpD
Poison Heal, Careful nature
-Spore
-Bulk Up
-Drain Punch
-Seed Bomb
This set is amazing when is gets rolling. Simply bring Breloom in after a kill against something that doesn’t have a super effective STAB. First, Spore straight away- whatever you hit is basically useless for the rest of the match. From there your opponent has 2 options- either switch out to something else, or stay in and wait for the sleep to wear off. Either way, Breloom has at least one free turn to use Bulk Up. If the opponent brought in something that can’t hurt Breloom or left their sleeping poke in, continue to use Bulk Up. If not, fire off a Drain Punch or a Seed Bomb to deal heavy damage to whatever they brought in. Breloom heals off most of the damage it takes with Drain Punch and Poison Heal, and since it can’t be easily OHKO’d with those defensive EVs, Breloom can stay around for a long time.
There are a number of things that make Breloom a better choice than other physical sweepers. Firstly, it has Spore. ‘Nuff said. Secondly, Grass/Fighting is actually a pretty cool defensive typing. It resists QuakEdge, and takes on Rain teams well with a resistance to both Water and Electric. Thirdly, it can afford to run defensive EVs and is kinda bulky, getting 1/8 recovery each turn. Fourthly, it is immune to status, especially Burn. Finally, it is one of the few set-up sweepers which can easily beat Unaware Quagsire, thanks to its Grass STAB.*
Unfortunately, there are quite a few counters and checks to Breloom. Far and away the best counter is Gliscor- it can nullify Spore with its own Poison Heal, and with it’s supreme bulk it can take anything Breloom throws at it while whittling away with Ice Fang. There are other good checks, but they all need to sacrifice something to Spore for them to work. Skarmory is good if Breloom doesn’t have many boosts- it can tank most of its attacks, Whirlwind it away or take it down with Brave Bird. Tornadus in the rain works great against any set, since a Hurricane will OHKO Breloom easily and it resists Grass and Fighting.*
To take on these counters, a fast and strong Special Attacker is recommended. A good choice is Starmie- It outspeeds all three, and with Life Orb can OHKO all of them- Ice Beam destroys Gliscor, while Hydro Pump in the rain takes care of Tornadus and Skarmory (although it has a chance to avoid the OHKO if running a Specially Defensive set). Another good choice is a strong special-attacking scarfer like Hydreigon or Latios.
Although Breloom needs some team support to be effective, it really shines when it gets rolling. I strongly recommend Breloom for consideration on any team than needs a Physical boosting sweeper. Give it a try today!
Monotype Analysis: Ice
THE MONOTYPE METAGAME
Introduction
The monotype metagame is one of the least played and most funny tier Smogon and PO have, There's only one rule on this metagame: All your Pokemon must share at least one type in common. The teams are named mono-Name of the type (ex.: Mono-Ice, Mono-Water). This series of articles will encourage you to play in this marvelous metagame.
FEATURED TYPE OF THE MONTH: ICE
Ice-type is mixed bag in the Monotype metagame. It's super-effective against Dragon, Ground (two common monotypes), Flying (a type in ascension), and Grass. Almost all monotypes carry at least one Pokemon whose type makes it either weak or neutral to Ice, making it a formidable STAB to have. On the other hand, it's weak to Steel (the most common monotype tied with water), Fighting, Rock and Fire (very common types). Also, Ice only resists itself, while the two more common types (Water and Steel) resist it. Ice may sound a bad type at first, but when you give it a shot.
*VIABLE POKEMON*
*
Hail, the main reason to use a mono-Ice anyway, and Abomasnow brings eternal cold. It has nice resistances to Water and Grass, as well as 100% accurate Blizzard.
Powerful Dragon STAB with 130 in BOTH offenses, can go all special for sheer power of mixed for wallbreaking. It also has nice coverage moves like Earth Power and Focus Blast.
Grants a precious immunity to Fighting, and Snow Cloak in Hail is an annoyance. Can set up Spikes, Taunt, paralyze with Thunder Wave and when it's about to die it can use Destiny Bond.
Can set up Stealth Rock, helping with some kills. It's also neutral to Rock and to Fire (with Thick Fat). Its 130 base ATK and STAB EQ and Ice Shard are also great reasons to use it.
The best Ice sweeper in the game. Shell Smash + Multi-hit moves = 90% of winning all the times. It also can Rapid Spin and set up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes to help the team.*
130 Special Attack is nothing to laugh about, especially if it's a STAB Blizzard. Glaceon also has Wish, but its HP isn't too good for it.
A nice immunity to ground and STAB BoltBeam are the main reasons to use the refrigerator. It also can Dual Screen and Volt Switch to a sweeper.
Cryogonal is one of only two viable Ice spinners, and it has a great 135 Special Defense. It can also use Reflect and Light Screen with Recover.
Walrein sucks for offensive players, but for Stall players, it is brilliant. A great HP with good defenses and Ice Body is perfect for Hail Stalling. It also has nice offenses and a Super Fang + Brine combo.
STAB Pursuit from 125 ATK makes quite a hole. It also has access to Swords Dance and priority in Ice Shard. Also, a gimmicky Fake Out + Pickpocket can be used.
Jynx has Water immunity with Dry Skin and a reliable sleep-inducing move in Lovely Kiss. She can sweep with Nasty Plot or Calm Mind and can Perish Trap.
Just a number: 200, its base Special Defense. 100 Defense also helps.
Beartic is at first glance odd, but it has a good attacking stat backed with powerful moves like Aqua Jet and Focus Punch. It has Swift Swim to counter rain teams.
Articuno's massive weakness to Stealth Rock and lacking movepool is the main reason people don't use it, but it's a fantastic Pokemon in hail stall teams. SubRoost is its best set.
Example of Ice team.
Vote on the next type you want an analysis!!!
Nintedo Coverage
Future Games for the WiiU and 3DS
Last week at E3, Nintendo revealed many new and exciting games, and today I'm going to cover some of them. Let's start with the WiiU. First off, they revealed Nintendo Land, the game their entire E3 booth was based on. Nintendo Land is a game that takes place in a Nintendo "Theme Park", with several mini games designed to show off the new features of the WiiU. It includes games like Luigi's Ghost Mansion and Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, which show what can be done with Asymmetric Gameplay, and The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest and Takamaru's Ninja Castle, both of which show off the dual screen gameplay. They all showed the sequel to the Wii classic New Super Mario Bros. Wii: New Super Mario Bros. U. This game is similar to the original and contains new power-ups, like the Flying Squirrel Suit, and new Yoshis, like Tiny Balloon Yoshi. Another unique feature is the new Boost mode. This is where one player uses the Wii U Gamepad to place platforms on the stage, allowing players to reach hard to places and beat difficult levels. It also allows for unique cooperative speed runs. Finally, they revealed the next installment in the Pikmin series: Pikmin 3. This new Pikmin game takes advantage of the Gamepad and uses it as a sort of radar. It allows you to quickly track your Pikmin and makes it easier to command multiple groups of Pikmin. Also, thanks to the increased graphic capabilities of WiiU, it features better, more detailed words than its successors.*
Let's move on to the 3DS. First up is another installment in the New Super Mario Bros. series: New Super Mario Bros. 2. This game has a unique focus not seen in any other Mario games: coins! The levels in this game are littered with gold as well as new ways to get it, such as gold rings that turn your enemies to gold, and the new Gild Flower, which lets you turn almost anything in your path into coins. It also has the new Coin Rush mode, where you play 3 random levels of similar difficulty in order to get the most coins. Another Mario game: Paper Mario: Sticker Star. This game introduces something new to the series: stickers. Stickers are everywhere in this game, and you use them for a variety of things, such as attacking and changing your environment. Now, with all this attention Mario is getting, Nintendo thought his green brother needed some love. So, they revealed a new game in the Luigi's Mansion series: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. This game features a multitude of mansions to explore as you go on your ghost catching adventure. It also features new puzzles and new types of ghosts.*
Well, we've covered a lot here, but this merely scratches the surface. To find out more about these games and a plethora of others, visit Nintendo's official E3 site at *
http://e3.nintendo.com/*
Hope you enjoyed this!
~Pippy
Pokemon for the WiiU?
We all know that if there was one thing that would move Wii U units (Wii U-nits?) it would be a new Pokemon RPG. No silly battling software and no silly Pokepark, just an honest to goodness RPG.
Unfortunately, prospects for Pokemon Wii U are quite dark. The chances of a Pokemon RPG being released at all anymore are too low to expect one in the near future, or at least this generation. With the focus on 3DS-Wii U compatibility and cross play, it is unlikely that a Pokemon RPG will be released before a 3DS exclusive Generation 6 unique set of titles: and that could take us into 2016 before the Wii U sees any good pokemon action. Regardless, the dream lives on. We can all imagine the stunning HD graphics coupled with the added gameplay features of the Wii U’s tablet screen coupled with the Nintendo Network and Miiverse that would create a stunning pokemon title.
This is probably not only mine, but many people’s dream. So, if Pokemon ever came to the Wii U, here are some ideas of what we would like to see:
• The tablet screen could display the local and regional map in detail, and allow it to be always on hand. Picture a few tabs on the top left hand corner of the Wii U Gamepad. Now imagine two of these tabs being labeled for map functions, one for the large regional map and one for the in depth local map, even the map of the city. I always found it a bit of a pain to have to go into my bag every time I wanted to see the map, and the Gamepad could change all that. Why not make us able to mark up the map as well?
• Open world: give us a whole world to explore, larger than the Gamecube worlds and larger than the DS.*
• The Poketech: this was a useful tool! Assuming there will be Gen 4 remakes in Gen 6, this would be appropriate.
• In battle, let us select moves on the gamepad.
• Organizing items on the gamepad.
• Interactive pokedex with 3D models of the pokemon
• Augmented reality, like Pokedex 3D and Dream Radar
• Using NFC to scan in Pokemon from TCG packets, or from figurines that we collect
• Minigames like the Pokeathalon! Make them multiplayer online and locally!*
• Scanning things with the controller? Aiming at pokemon and scanning them into your pokedex?
Once again, this is a long time away, if at all. Please leave your suggestions or ideas for Pokemon Wii U below!!
~OVERGRO
Pokemon Adventures
AxMaster's Scramble Challenge: Ch. 6
It's time Chuck! Prepare to go down, ginganinja style!!
Here on the north side of Cianwood City, the competitors approach, locked in a tough glare, one enough to force sparks flying into the air. As the pair of us near our stands, we each prepare a battle strategy. As I approach my platform on the south side of the gym, I bring out my first red and white pokeball, ready to begin the battle. I throw my pokeball onto the field as I enter the platform's comfortable place, while Chuck does the same. Jimer appears in a flash of glowing light, and I trust my Scyther to defeat the opposing Primape as the now empty pokeball returns to my hands. I have Jimer launch a powerful Technician-boosted Wing Attack, which collides with the opposing Primeape at colassal speeds, throwing it across the gym and into the wall, knocking it out instantly. Chuck reluctantly returned his Primeape to its pokeball, knocked out in one hit by my Jimer, and tossed out his second and final pokemon, a Poliwrath. Jimer launched another Wing Attack at it, dealing massive damage, but not enough to knock it out. Poliwrath retaliated with a Hypnosis, putting my friend to sleep. I pulled out an Awakening from my healing kit and used on Jimer, just in time to be ready for the oncoming Body Slam."Jimer, couterattack with a Wing Attack!" I shout to my trusted friend, and as the two attacks collide in an amazing flash of white light, both dropping to the ground, obviously hurting, but which one would drop first? The awnser was Poliwrath. Jimer had did it! He beat Chuck alone! STORM BADGE GET!
And TM 01 Focus Punch to boot!
*a few short steps later*
Oooh, HM 03(or whatever it is) Fly!
Now then, let's get over to Olivine again!
*Teaches Fly to Pidgey caught earlier for HM slaving*
*Flys to Olivine*
Now to walk up these stairs to the Lighthouse!
*does so*
Don't forget the hike up the lighthouse!
*uses the elevator*
Or not. Anyways, I walked over to Jasmine, gave her the SecretPotion, she gave it to Amphy, and then left for the gym again.*
Sweet, I can finally go to the Safari Zone now!
Hopefully I can get in lots of trainer grinding there!
*Cannot because there are all of 3-ish trainers there*
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME >_>
Wow Gamefreak. Sad. Just plain sad.
U MAD GAMEFREAK?
"Mad" as in crazy, which yes, yes they are sometimes.
At least I can claim my Safari Zone now, and DJ soloed another hiker!
*cannot claim Safari Zone*
DARN IT!!!
Now I'm forced to catch a random Geodude.
ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS!?!?
To add insult to injury, I can't even get the Safari Zone yet.
What a troll. >_>
Now to go test against Jasmine!
*A few close test battles later*
CRAP IT!! I CAN'T EVEN BEAT JASMINE RIGHT NOW!!
I really thought I mentioned type differential when I asked for pokemon for this challange. Well, I guess not. It could be worse. I could be severely underleveled instead of just underleveled. Grinding time!
*Insert theme music here*
*many, MANY inexplicable hours of grinding later*
Man, this sucks. Note to self: Never use more than 6 main pokemon ever again. Let's see what kind of grinding I can get in Cliff Cave.
*one short walk later*
OMG!!! A MACHOP! THANK GOODNESS SOMETHING GOOD AGAINST STEEL!!!
Welcome to the team Maxieman, an addition that was well deserved and well needed. The only downside is that he's level 19. Well, grinding time!
*Que theme music*
Let's go, Maxieman!
*A few quite annoying hours later*
Finally! Maxieman is up to level 28, and evolved into Machoke!(I had forgotten originally, but all he needed to do was faint to evolve.)
Now then, with almost all of my team up to speed(coughcoughIH8IARcoughcough), let's take on Jasmine!
*one short flight to Olivine on a level 3 Pidgey later*
AND A PIDGEY-Y IN A PEAR TREE-E-E!!
*Ahem*, let's go Jasmine! Enjoy the second gym leader battle this chapter!
Here the competitors are, in northern Olivine City, with a gym battle looming. Stratigies are being formulated as each approach their respective platforms. I reach for my first pokeball, as she does the same. We release our pokemon in a pair of flashes of bright white light, encompassing the first pair of competitors. Magnimite was her chosen lead, as Beastly was mine. We began the battle with our strongest pair of attacks. Beastly fired off a Crunch, lowering Magnimite's Defense at the same time, but before he had time to dodge he was hit by a powerful Thunder Wave, crippling him so that he couldn't move first anymore. He was hit with a strong and super effective Thunderbolt, leaving Beastly with about one-third of his HP left. Beastly was able to launch off another Crunch, leaving Magnimite with about the same amount of HP left as Beastly. The Crunch hit in such a way that activated a Defense drop hax activated against Magnimite once again. Magnimite was healed with a Super Potion, as Beastly hit it with a third Crunch, getting a third Defense drop. The paralysis caused Beastly not be able to attack before Magnimite, and he knew his fate in this battle was sealed. Magnimite hit him with a Thunderbolt, knocking Beastly out, and sending him flying into the floor, almost into me. I told Beastly that he had done good work, and deserved a good, long rest as I sent out Twiggy. Twiggy used Vine Whip, knowing that with all the defense drops Beastly had gotten that he would likely knock out the Magnimite. This he did, knocking out the Magnimite before it had time to fully prepare a Thunderbolt. We both drew our pokemon back, me knowing that Twiggy had done his job for now, and that he may be needed later. She sent out Steelix, as I brought out Whut?errrr, in a second pair of bright white light flashes.I decide to have Whut?errrr use Water Pulse, while Steelix sets up Sandstorm for Jasmine's team. Anticipating the obvious powerful attack coming, I have Whut?errrr prepare to use a Disable attack, after being hit with a tough Iron Tail. The Disable hits, crippling the Steelix for quite a while. With Iron Tail Disabled, Steelix launches a Rock Throw at Whut?errrr, and Whut?errrr retailiates with a Water Pulse. This turn was repeated by the two of us trainers twice more, both of us realizing that this was our best move at this point. The next Rock Throw left Whut?errrr with only 6 HP left, and like a boss the next Water Pulse from Whut?errrr KOed. 2 down, 1 to go! Unfortunatly, Whut?errrr gets KOed right away by her final pokemon, a Magnimite. Luckily, I had my secret weapon left; Maxieman. Welcome to the stage, my good friend! Maxieman was able to take her next move, a Supersonic, and shakily OHKO with Revenge. And with that, the stage was offically taken with a new team star. MINERAL BADGE GET!!*
The Iron Tail TM doesn't hurt, too. Even so, why does Jasmine talk about how you were so helpful and nice in healing Amphy and then force you into a battle?*
WHY ARE YOU SO FREAKING CRAZY GAMEFREAK?
U MAD??
*facepalm*
*Plays song* "But in the end, it doesn't even ma-atter."(Linkin Park, 'In The End')
"And that's the truth." (sorry, but I forgot the artist of this song)
*AND A FARFETCH'D IN A PEAR TREE!!*
*Ahem* Anyways, time to head over to Mahogony Town.
*another short flight on a level 3 Pidgey later*
Seriously, why do they give Pidgey Fly? ITS. FREAKING. TINY.
HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK I AM GAMEFREAK?
Of course, I wasn't going to Mahogony Town, I was off to Ecratuk City. Now it's time to head to Mahogony. Of course, I want to save Mt. Mortar for later, so surfing it is. Oooh, Suicune. Good grief, WHEN WILL YOU LET ME CATCH YOU??
To add insult to injury, all the trainers are severly underleveled.
WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS EARLIER YOU FREAKING IDIOTS!?!
Ugh. There is something majorly wrong with Gamefreak these days. Hey, at least Beastly can gain a few levels.
*quite a few annoyingly boring trainer battles later*
*Pants* FINALLY! *breathes* I'm here.
And of course, the gym is blocked >_>.
I guess I have to go defeat team Rocket up by the Lake Of Rage, so let's kick some butt guys!
STUPID MONEY STEALING ********es!!! YOU STOLE ALL OF 1,000 DOLLARS!! (not like it matters or anything)
Now, time to get some XP before I go catch me a shiny Gyarados!
*does so SUPER easily*
Well, I hoped it would be harder than that.
"You make me wanna shout! You make me wanna shout!!"*
*AHEM* Anyways, now we have even MORE grunts to whoop.
Umm.... do you really think that it's not SO FREAKING OBVIOUS that there is a POLE IN THE FREAKING CHRISTMAS TREE???
*sigh* no wonder Team Rocket is so dumb. Anyways, why would you EVER entrust it to one of these IDIOTS??? Now you're discovered and I get to kick your fat butts!!
*gets stuck battling a bunch of grunts*
WHY?? WHY YOU IDIOTS?? WHY SO DUMB ALL THE TIME??
*puts Ipod in*
"I Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
I Bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away
Just to THROW IT AWAY
Just to THROW IT AWAY
I Bleed it out!!"
*Ahem* Now then, with that done, and these stupid traps averted, we have a base to shut down!
Oh, HAI random Champion that does absolutly nothing to help me EVAR.
Now then, let's see if anyone has to solo this next admin! Nope, doesn't look like it. Well then, let's go!
*Wins easily*
DERP!! I'M A PIECE OF DERP!!!
Says the idiot who thinks he's Giovanni. Anyways, now for a double battle with Lance! Just for props, I'll let him do all the work, and take all the free EXP.
What. A. Troll :P
Anyways, with that done, I get to defeat three Electrode! Yay!! *MAJOR sarcasm*
*does so SUPER DUPER easily*
Okay, now I get to leave. WO-HO!! FINALLY! I'M DONE! YEAH!
*crickets*
*crickets*
*Ahem!* Anyways, with that done, we have a gym to beat!
Hmm.... what an intricate gym puzzle.
WELL FINALLY THEY COME UP WITH SOMETHING GOOD!!!!
Or at least, for a little while. Or not. *Sigh....,* at least I defeated the lackies. Hmm... now to formulate a strategy to beat Pryce.... I don't have any pokemon that have good typing against all his pokemon, but I guess I'll just wing it!!
What pokemon will Chris obtain after Pryce?
How will he defeat the elder GL?
Which HM will he obtain next?*
What awaits him in Blackthorn City?
Tune in next time to find out!!
END OF CHAPTER SUMMARY(new this Chapter!!)
Badges: 6
Pokemon: 6
Blackouts: 0 (though many test battles)
Pokemon(In no particular order):
King S. @ Nothing
Level: 35
Moves:
-Psybeam
-Confusion
-Recover
-Reflect
Thoughts:
King S has been a powerhouse since evolution, soloing Morty with ease. His frailty throughout has really been hurting him, though. If he had a bit more bulk, he would definately be my MVP, but right now he's roughly 3rd place. He does have 99 Special Attack at level 35, which is AMAZING.
Whut?errrr@ Nothing
Level: 34 (yes my team is off level a bit)
Moves:
-Zen Headbutt
-Disable
-Water Pulse
-Headbutt
Whut?errrr is really starting to grow on me. At first, it took forever to grind with a bunch of Tentacool. Once that was completed, though, he really started to shine a bit. His power isn't that good, but his bulk is great when I need to take many-a-hit. Overall, she(yes, Whut?errrr is a she) is in the middle currently.
Sage Twig @ Miracle Seed
Level: 33
Moves:
-Acid
-Vine Whip
-Wrap
-Sleep Powder
Thoughts: Twiggy is really starting to decrease a bit. His power isn't as good as many of my team, and his bulk is quite lacking at some times. If only he had fewer weaknesses. I really wish he would do better, as I really enjoy the challange Sage Chow gave to me, and all the time that was evidently put into it. Overall, Twiggy is near the middle too.
Jimer@ Nothing
Level: 33
Moves:
-Leer
-Wing Attack
-Pursuit
-Slash
Thoughts: First of all, have you seen this sprite? I love it!! Anyways, Jimer continues to be a huge powerhouse, and I may evolve him next chapter, or before the E4. His speed and attack power are good, while his bulk allows him to take a few hits. Jimer definatly is near the top of my current team.
Beastly@ Nothing
Level:37(yes, I KNOW he's overleveled)
Moves:
-Slash
-Bite
-Ice Fang
-Crunch
Thoughts: WHAT. A. BEAST. Seriously, this guy is amazing. The lack of STAB currently sucks, but against anything not of the Steel type, this guy kicks some fat *****. Definatly my 1st or 2nd place MVP.
Maxieman@ Nothing
Level: 30(trust me, he doesn't even need the extra levels right now)
Moves:
-Focus Energy
-Vital Throw
-Revenge
-Seismic Toss
Thoughts: OH MY GOSH THE MOST USEFUL POKEMON EVER AGAINST STEEL TYPES JUST CAME AND SHOWED UP RANDOMLY WHILE I WAS TRAINING FOR JASMINE (and kicked her butt while he was at it). Seriously, without him I have no clue how I would have ever beaten that Steelix (not anywhere NEAR the crap I got with Whitney, though). Still, he could really use some further coverage.
Anyways, onward, to Chapter 7!
Fun Stuff
Interview with Top Ranger TheChortler
Hello everyone, welcome to another AT interview. Today we're interviewing Top Ranger TheChortler. I'm in blue and he's in red. Let's get started!
So Chortler, are you ready for the interview?
That I am.
Alright then, tell us a little about yourself.
I'm an ambidextrous knife throwing musician that settles disputes with Brawl and Pokemon battles (occasionally).
Knife throwing...? *takes a few steps away from Chortler*
So tell me, how did you get into Pokemon?
I received Yellow version for Christmas when I was 7, then got Red version shortly after (although I don't remember how or when). My cousins on both sides of my family were very much into it, and as a result, it was quite competetive (although no one knew anything about EVs and IVs yet). Eventually, people from one side of my family started dropping off, but everyone on the other side remained true, and they remain constant even today. Had there not been that competetive nature, I'm unsure as to whether I'd be here now or not.
Interesting. I'm sure it's nice to have family members to play with.*
So how did you find Smogon and the groups?
Well... I'm don't quite remember how I found smogon, but here's my best guess. Originally, when I was anticipating getting Diamond version (long after it had already been released), I wanted to get an amazing team ready that had no weaknesses, but I had one problem: I didn't know what any of the fourth gen. pokemon were. So I googled "Sinnoh Pokedex Complete" and found pokemon.marriland.com, and I used that for a long period of time. After Platinum came out, I was curious as to what the world record was for the streaks in the battle facilities.I was then brought to the smogon battle frontier record page that I believe Peterko is/was in charge of. Through that, I discovered EVs, IVs, and how to build a decent team (originally, I thought that you had to level up to get the EVs against the pokemon, and was quite confused when I wasn't having very much success, and didn't quite figure this out until B/W had been out for a couple months). I then began using Smogon analysises to construct teams, and acted merely as a guest to the website. After a while, they began making it so that you had to be a member to view these analysises. Eventually, I got fed up with not being able to look at the DW Lapras analysis and joined Smogon. I had no idea how to navigate through the pages and got stuck in the Social Group section, and that's where I've primarily remained today.
Alright. So, speaking of BW, what do you think about BW2?
From the little I've seen (and hopefully it'll stay that way until the U.S. release), it looks like it'll be great as far as battling goes. I hope they don't botch the continuation of the storyline though, they had a pretty good plot with its predecessor. The thing I'm hoping for the most, though, is a Battle Frontier. I'm very much looking forward to its release!
It's good to know I'm not the only one who's trying not to be spoiled. And I agree, I hope we have a Battle Frontier. The Subway wasn't nearly as cool.
So Chortler, what do you think about BW2's impact on the metagame? We got a lot of new toys to play with, have you gotten a chance to try some of them out?
I haven't actually tried any of them out. The only one's I am currently aware of are the new Kami trio formes as well as the stats of the new Kyurems. The Kyurem's, I think, are going to vastly change the Ubers metagame just because of their massive offenses.
Alright. So what do you think of the groups right now? Are they enjoyable? Are there says we could improve?
I think that the groups are doing fairly decent at the moment. A lot of the earlier contention seems to be dying down and people seem quite a bit less spiteful. The groups are quite fun right now, but I've noticed that the most active group by far is Team Neutral at the moment, and I think that's because it has the most active leader by far. When a group leader doesn't post for a while, I've noticed that the groups tend to die a bit (which is why Aero, ASI, Magma, BABA, TRC, and TPR are the most active groups, and possibly the Hell Razors, although I haven't had much time to examine them yet) and I wish that some of the old groups that were created, like Pokepeculiarities and a few other groups had more active leaders, which would definitely be the start of a revival. Other than that, though, everything's peachy.
Why do you keep saying everything is peechy...
Anywho, let's wrap up with something I know everyone is dying to know. Why do you love Fawful so much, and why are you named "TheChortler"?
Throughout the games I've played, few characters have made me laugh, and the ones that did haven't done so at a very high magnitude. However, the villain Fawful from the Mario and Luigi series has achieved making me laugh, and quite hard at times, especially in the last installment of the series so far. The exclamation "I have chortles!" was brought up a number of times, which I found odd, but it seemed to fit his character more than any of the other exclamations he used, so combining the fact that Fawful made me laugh quite a bit and the fact that "chortle" is just an amazing word, I decided to take the non-plagiaristic path and name myself "TheChortler". I was quite disappointed to find out that Fawful died at the end of Bowser's Inside Story, but hopefully he'll make his return in the next game as a ghost or something of the like (seeing as how he's been the only continuous non-main character in all three of the games)
Interesting. So, anything else you'd like to say to the world?
Hmmm, how about "Look out world, here I come!"
Lol. Alright Chortler, thanks for your time. Have a nice day!
Same to you brah!
~Pippy & TheChortler
SUSE Update
Hello everyone! The Smogon University Stock Exchange was recently restarted. Today was the first change in the market, so let's see what happened.*
Legend: ↨ = Neutral (no change), ↑ = Increase in worth,↓ = Decrease in worth.
TSA: ↑ +62.38/+0.75
Current Value of Stocks:
Cost/Group/Change from previous price*
↑ +13.00 Smogon Secret Intelligence Service (SSIS) +2.00
↑ +120.00 Team Rocket Corporation (TRC) +5.00
↓ -22.00 Team Aero (TAO) -3.00
↑ +188.00 Team Neutral (TNL) +3.00
↓ -55.00 Team Magma (TMG) -5.00
↓ -71.00 The Pokemon Rangers (TPR) -4.00
↓ -1.00 Team Keyblade (KYB) -1.00
↑ +29.00 New Team Plasma (NTP) +4.00
Almost every group had a big change. TRC went up 5, TN 3, and NTP 4. Other groups took a big hit, like TA, which lost 3, TPR, which lost 4 [:(], and TMG, which lost 5! The. Biggest change though is that Moniz is using a new system to determine the changes. We don't know what the system is yet however. It will be interesting to see what this change means for the market.*
Until next time, happy investing!
~Pippy
