Simple Questions & Simple Answers (Orange Islands Edition)

[Layell]

There are some tips for general tower runs. It helps to know what the opponent uses This list right here is incredibly useful for knowing the exact movesets. As a rule in Battle Tower you need 100% accuracy. In laddering and some tournaments you can afford to miss a rock slide here and there but one loss in the tower and it's back to the bottom.

Look at some of the gen4/5 teams as well (for some reason we never had a gen 3 records thread during that time, or I can't find it). Most strategies intend to exploit an AI pattern so it's impossible to not set up and sweet. Because the AI will get Quick Claw OHKO moves once you get high enough and that is really what you need to prepare for.

[BattleTower]

Originally Posted by Fat Layell

There are some tips for general tower runs. It helps to know what the opponent uses This list right here is incredibly useful for knowing the exact movesets. As a rule in Battle Tower you need 100% accuracy. In laddering and some tournaments you can afford to miss a rock slide here and there but one loss in the tower and it's back to the bottom.

Look at some of the gen4/5 teams as well (for some reason we never had a gen 3 records thread during that time, or I can't find it). Most strategies intend to exploit an AI pattern so it's impossible to not set up and sweet. Because the AI will get Quick Claw OHKO moves once you get high enough and that is really what you need to prepare for.

Damn, a record list for the 3rd Gen would have been awesome :(
Thanks anyway.

[BdB4445]

Recommendations for a Nuzlocke run (my first one)?

The games I have are:

-Pokemon RBY (I'll just find an emulator)
-Pokemon FireRed
-HeartGold
-White 1
-Black2/White2

I managed to lose my Platinum game so I can't try that.

[celever]

Well, HeartGold is difficult early game, but incredibly easy from the 5th to 7th gyms.
The furthest I personally have gotten in a nuzlocke run was actually in white 2, I got all the way to Skyla! So personally it was the easiest for me.

[seasidetrainer]

I'm not sure how simple a question this is, but here goes (sorry if this isn't the right forum):

Last year, I hosted a sort of pokemon tournament for my school's anime/video game club using Pokemon Online (which involved creating 300 pokemon for people to choose from, on two computers OTL). This year, I want to improve upon last year's format. I think it would be more fun for everyone to be able to watch battles as they appear on the DS, with all the animations and everything. So, I'd like to have people playing on two DS's with one DS's image being projected.

My problem is this: I have no idea how to get the image from the DS onto a computer or projector. I've heard about video controller adapters, but they seem hard to find and/or expensive. I'd really like to have a good quality image, so I'm leaving simply pointing a camera at the DS as a last resort. I've spent all evening trying to find answers via google, but nothing seems too promising.

Does anyone know how to accomplish this? I'm also wondering if I can use a similar method to the way some people record wifi battles. For example, how does The PikaWu record his battles (I'd ask him personally, but he ignores all messages pertaining to this kind of thing)?

If anyone has a solution, it would help me out a lot!

[Jean mi]

@BdB4445 :

I recommend 5th gen for your first nuzlocke because you can re-use the TM infinitely whereas in the previous games, if you use a TM on a Pokemon that dies, you lose the TM as well. In 5th gen, there are also more moves so more pokemon are viable.

[PSDuckie]

With X and Y coming out in the fall, is there any good reason to get B2 or W2 now? (I currently have W1.)

[BdB4445]

Originally Posted by Fat PSDuckie

With X and Y coming out in the fall, is there any good reason to get B2 or W2 now? (I currently have W1.)

• 9-10 months til X/Y
• Pre-Gen V pokemon such as Lucario, Starmie, Arcanine, Flygon, Crobat, Magnezone, Electivire, etc.
• Access to the popular TM's pre E4, like Flamethrower, Psychic, Ice Beam, Energy ball, and more. In the story, you access the east side of Unova, so most TM's there can be found now (You miss out on some west side stuff though)

Considering you've played through W1 (I'm assuming), you may not want to spend $35 to get a new B2/W2 game. It's your choice though.


@Jean mi & celever: B2/W2 sounds best as of now. Re-usable TM's would benefit me very much (I'm also considering FireRed because I can buy Flamethrower/IceBeam/Thunderbolt TM's too).


Thanks for the input.

[PSDuckie]

Originally Posted by Fat BdB4445

• 9-10 months til X/Y
• Pre-Gen V pokemon such as Lucario, Starmie, Arcanine, Flygon, Crobat, Magnezone, Electivire, etc.
• Access to the popular TM's pre E4, like Flamethrower, Psychic, Ice Beam, Energy ball, and more. In the story, you access the east side of Unova, so most TM's there can be found now (You miss out on some west side stuff though)

Considering you've played through W1 (I'm assuming), you may not want to spend $35 to get a new B2/W2 game. It's your choice though.

I actually have not beaten W1. Does that make any difference in whether B2/W2 are worth the $30?

[inanimate blob]

Originally Posted by Fat seasidetrainer

I'm not sure how simple a question this is, but here goes (sorry if this isn't the right forum):

Last year, I hosted a sort of pokemon tournament for my school's anime/video game club using Pokemon Online (which involved creating 300 pokemon for people to choose from, on two computers OTL). This year, I want to improve upon last year's format. I think it would be more fun for everyone to be able to watch battles as they appear on the DS, with all the animations and everything. So, I'd like to have people playing on two DS's with one DS's image being projected.

My problem is this: I have no idea how to get the image from the DS onto a computer or projector. I've heard about video controller adapters, but they seem hard to find and/or expensive. I'd really like to have a good quality image, so I'm leaving simply pointing a camera at the DS as a last resort. I've spent all evening trying to find answers via google, but nothing seems too promising.

Does anyone know how to accomplish this? I'm also wondering if I can use a similar method to the way some people record wifi battles. For example, how does The PikaWu record his battles (I'd ask him personally, but he ignores all messages pertaining to this kind of thing)?

If anyone has a solution, it would help me out a lot!

The only way I personally know how is through the little device you see at tournaments and such with the DS Brick. You can get it on eBay, although I'm not entirely sure what to search, honestly. I'm sure another Smogonite has more information, so consider this info as either a lead or a bump.

@BdB4445, I'd pick White 2 for an easy first Nuzlocke. Audino helps make training new recruits easy if you ever wipe out, and there's a much better level grind than in White, where you have issues with the Elite Four, considering the level jump is five to ten levels.

[MB Espeon]

Seasidetrainer, it sounds like you're looking for something like this. Unrelated to the thing mentioned in the previous post, but it does capture to the computer and you can probably figure out what to do from there I guess?

[Jean mi]

2 (very) nooby questions here but I wasn't following Pokemon when 3rd gen and 4th gen were released so I don't know the (obvious) answers.

1) What's the deal with Mudkip ? Where do the famous meme "I heard you like mudkipz" come from ? I chose it at my starter in emerald and I love swampert personally :p but I still don't get what's so special about it to get a meme.

2) Why everyone hates Electivire so much ? It doesn't look terrible, it's not a bad pokemon (for me, a "bad" pokemon is a useless crap like Kricketune or something), I even heard about the GyaraVire combo that people used.

[Cobraroll]

1) It's a meme. They rarely make sense.

2) It's mostly that Electivire is outperformed by so many things. Sure, it can hit 15 types Super-effectively with only four moves, but it turned out that "It's Super-effective!" doesn't always mean "[Pokémon] fainted!". Most of its moves are weak or unreliable, and its primary STAB moves either has a BP of 75 (ThunderPunch) or come with a hefty recoil (Wild Charge). It has no way to boost its offensive stats (bar using Meditate) or speed (bar taking an Electric attack). Electivire has "good" stats, but they're not outstanding. All in all, it (just barely) fails on every account. It's just okay.

Oh, and the GyaraVire strategy was pretty much ruined by Team Preview. If you see a Gyarados on the opponent's side of the field, it's pretty obvious that Electivire will switch in if Thunderbolt appears somewhere in your Pokémon's learnset.

[Jimera0]

Originally Posted by Fat Jean mi

2) Why everyone hates Electivire so much ? It doesn't look terrible, it's not a bad pokemon (for me, a "bad" pokemon is a useless crap like Kricketune or something), I even heard about the GyaraVire combo that people used.

To elaborate on the Electivire thing, it's not that it's a terrible Pokemon persay... it's that it was a grossly overestimated Pokemon through most of Generation IV. It became known as a sort of "noob" Pokemon. General feeling was that if you used Electivire, you were a noob who didn't really know what they were doing. Motor Drive and Expert Belt pushed it into OU, where despite its popularity it really never succeeded because it always came JUST short of accomplishing what it needed to do. It would just BARELY miss out on vital OHKOs and 2HKOs, just BARELY be outsped by prominent threats and just BARELY not be able to survive hits it should. It looked good on paper, but in practice it just didn't work. Despite its failings, it managed to remain OU throughout the entire generation. It was the ultimate troll Pokemon in a way, and so became something of a running joke among the more experienced members of the forums.

Some of this bled over to generation V, though it didn't last very long in OU this time. While the reasons for its ridicule have passed, they have not been forgotten, and Electivire is still the butt of many jokes by veterans of Gen IV.

[Essay]

;tldr; I want to play game only once and I am looking for some partners for my Excadrill. I like offensive gameplay. My starter has become HM slave.

Hello,
I am playing White 2 for the first time. I want to play the game only once, so I'm going to whoop League's asses, explore some areas afterwards and then quit the game. And I am looking for a team to serve this puropse. Right now, I am after fifth badge.

I started with water starter and after catching Drilbur, I made my little watery friend a HM slave. Poor littlee fella. :(

I wanted to make sandbox team and so I cheated Hippopotas to have sand stream (I almost never use cheats, but it was the only way to have Sand Stream poke before beating the League). Then I caught Ferroseed. Thus I have now 3 pokemon in my little team.

However, I found starting with Hippopotas and switching to Excadrill every time insanely awkward. Thus I use only Excadrill all the time, and the only thing that Ferroseed and Hippopotas do is swapping Exp Share between themselves. :/

Right now, Excadrill is lvl 42, Ferroseed 32, Hippopotas 31.
I do not really like defensive gameplay in Pokemon games, because during the adventure gameplay it is annoying to set traps for every little shit-trainers. Even most of gym leaders are OHKOs for my Excadrill.


I would like to diversify my team and have some other pokemon, that I could really use in the game. Right now I am in Mistralton Cave, so I thought about Haxorous.
Sandbox seems really cool for me, but using it would be really awkward till I reach the League and I have no intention to play with those slow pokemon to fight every trainer I encounter.

Any ideas?

[celever]

Well, If you want to keep it sandstorm you could have aggron or/and skarmory, I'm using both in my current run and they work extremely well for offensive pokemon, moreso aggron. You need a fire counter that isn't hippopotas, so you could go catch a marill I suppose. Other than that, I can't really help, sorry.

[Essay]

Originally Posted by Fat celever

Well, If you want to keep it sandstorm you could have aggron or/and skarmory, I'm using both in my current run and they work extremely well for offensive pokemon, moreso aggron. You need a fire counter that isn't hippopotas, so you could go catch a marill I suppose. Other than that, I can't really help, sorry.

Bitch please, a marill? :|

[Manitary]

I tried to reduce at minimum the number of pokémon you have to catch

I don't want spoiler, just tell me what I can use

---

Excadrill: Earthquake/Rock Slide/Swords Dance plus one between X-Scissor (TM), Brick Break (TM), Shadow Claw (TM), Iron Head (Move Tutor)
Ferrothorn: Leech Seed/Power Whip, plus Iron Head/Gyro Ball (really depend on his speed stat, Iron Head seems stupid but he probably hasn't the right nature and EV to go for Gyro Ball), plus one coverage move of your choice
Haxours: Dragon Claw, one between Dragon Dance and Swords Dance, one between Earthquake, Dig, Bulldoze (I don't remember if you've access to EQ TM), one between Brick Break (TM), Superpower (Move Tutor), Low Kick (Move Tutor)
Chandelure: Psychic (TM), Shadow Ball (TM), Dark Pulse (Move Tutor), Flamethrower (TM), you can get the Dusk Stone in the Strange House

contain minor "spoiler" (gym types, E4 types)

---

For the next gym (Skyla) you don't need any other pokémon, the only SE attack you can take is STAB Bubblebeam. Swords Dance and Rock Slide will do the work.
Keep leveling Ferroseed, upon evolving he'll learn Power Whip and you need it for Marlon (Water gym) since he resist all the moves bar Bounce and strikes back really hard.
Haxorus is really strong (even if it shouldn't be a problem, keep in mind that Fraxure evolve at level 48) and will clean the Dragon gym for you.
Since I think you don't want to catch and train many pokémon, I strongly suggest a Chandelure (you'll get one in the Strange House): he can learn Psychic (TM), Dark Pulse (Tutor), Shadow Ball (TM) and 3 of the Elite four are basically covered (Psychic, Fighting and Ghost), plus Flamethrower (TM) for STAB coverage.
I don't remember if you have access to route 15 before E4 to get Earthquake TM, otherwise you're stuck with Bulldoze/Dig...anyway for Haxorus a good set I think can be Earthquake/Dig/Bulldoze, Dragon Dance/Swords Dance, Dragon Claw, Superpower/Low Kick (both Tutor moves).

[celever]

New question: On White 2, I want my Dunsparce to have return over double edge so it doesn't take recoil damage. The keepers in join avenue, when I take Dunsparce to them, says "Dunsparce is already happy", but the first time I tried, it raised it's happiness no problem. I tried another store with happiness raising items as well, and it said the same thing. Does this mean that Dunsparce has full happiness and thus 102 power on return, or can I just raise a certain pokemon's happiness once a day?

[Manitary]

First of all, check Dunsparce's friendship! Call Bianca with the Xtranciever: if she says "What great friends you are! It's so nice how you trust each other! It makes me kinda jealous!" he's at 255 happiness, otherwise no (to see how far you are from 255 you can refer to this list of Bianca's statements.
I never used the Beauty Salon in Join's Avenue so I don't know how it works, but usually the services/item sold in the Avenue are avaible once a day.
You can still raise his happines by giving him a Soothe Bell and using vitamins (if not EV capped and if the selected EV is below 100) and/or EV reducing berries (which are sold by a women over the west exit of Nimbasa City). Walking with Dunsparce in party and leveling up are the longest way to raise his happiness, but they still work.

[Essay]

Originally Posted by Fat Manitary

I tried to reduce at minimum the number of pokémon you have to catch

I don't want spoiler, just tell me what I can use

---

Excadrill: Earthquake/Rock Slide/Swords Dance plus one between X-Scissor (TM), Brick Break (TM), Shadow Claw (TM), Iron Head (Move Tutor)
Ferrothorn: Leech Seed/Power Whip, plus Iron Head/Gyro Ball (really depend on his speed stat, Iron Head seems stupid but he probably hasn't the right nature and EV to go for Gyro Ball), plus one coverage move of your choice
Haxours: Dragon Claw, one between Dragon Dance and Swords Dance, one between Earthquake, Dig, Bulldoze (I don't remember if you've access to EQ TM), one between Brick Break (TM), Superpower (Move Tutor), Low Kick (Move Tutor)
Chandelure: Psychic (TM), Shadow Ball (TM), Dark Pulse (Move Tutor), Flamethrower (TM), you can get the Dusk Stone in the Strange House

contain minor "spoiler" (gym types, E4 types)

---

For the next gym (Skyla) you don't need any other pokémon, the only SE attack you can take is STAB Bubblebeam. Swords Dance and Rock Slide will do the work.
Keep leveling Ferroseed, upon evolving he'll learn Power Whip and you need it for Marlon (Water gym) since he resist all the moves bar Bounce and strikes back really hard.
Haxorus is really strong (even if it shouldn't be a problem, keep in mind that Fraxure evolve at level 48) and will clean the Dragon gym for you.
Since I think you don't want to catch and train many pokémon, I strongly suggest a Chandelure (you'll get one in the Strange House): he can learn Psychic (TM), Dark Pulse (Tutor), Shadow Ball (TM) and 3 of the Elite four are basically covered (Psychic, Fighting and Ghost), plus Flamethrower (TM) for STAB coverage.
I don't remember if you have access to route 15 before E4 to get Earthquake TM, otherwise you're stuck with Bulldoze/Dig...anyway for Haxorus a good set I think can be Earthquake/Dig/Bulldoze, Dragon Dance/Swords Dance, Dragon Claw, Superpower/Low Kick (both Tutor moves).

Great, that's what I wanted. Anyway, do you think I should dump Hippopotas and resign from Sand Stream?
My idea was to keep Excadrill, Hippo, Haxorus (eventhough he won't benefit from sands storm, but he looks kinda cool ) and get Terrakion, who would counter fire types and also get SpDef bonus from sandstorm. And by the way - I am not so sure about Chandelure.
By the way, is it good idea to give every one of my pokemons EQ? :P

[celever]

Thanks Manitary! I completely forgot about Bianca! And I use the cafe to raise happiness (the one that raises it a little, not the one that raises it a lot but gives it 30 less HP points!)
Also I never understood what her statements meant, so thanks for the list!

Edit: Awesome! he's at 255 happiness! Thanks, now I can teach it return with no worries! :D

Edit 2: Lol, my Skarmory and Aggron are maxed out too! I'm just that awesome, they maxed out without any artificial help! ;D

[Manitary]

Terrakion is just a good pokémon, he get Close Combat really late but you can still use Sacred Sword, plus Rock Slide/Stone Edge, X-Scissor for coverage and a boosting move of your choice (you can also use both Rock Polish and Swords Dance since when you set up both you just need your STABs).
If Excadrill has Sand Rush keep Hippo, the sandstorm damage also helps even if some of your pokémon aren't immune to it.
You can replace Chandelure with Volcarona, which also learn those TMs plus Quiver Dance at 59

[PSDuckie]

Is there something similar to Pokemon Stadium (storing Pokemon and battling in 3D) for 5th gen?

[Too Funk to Druck]

Originally Posted by Fat PSDuckie

Is there something similar to Pokemon Stadium (storing Pokemon and battling in 3D) for 5th gen?

Nope. The most recent is Battle Revolution which is really for DP, though it may work with Pt and HGSS, but I don't have it, so I don't know for sure.