Ask a simple question, get a simple answer - mark 18 (READ THE OP)

The old thread met the arbitrary threshold size set before me, thus a new one is here.

Rules / Guidelines for asking & answering questions here:

1. Your answers should contain at least a brief explanation, even if it was the simplest of questions.
2. While answering Yes/No question, please quote the question you're referring to. It gets confusing otherwise.
3. At least do a simple google search before asking the question here.
4. We have a lot of excellent resources on our site. Be sure to check our articles, and not just for DP, before asking here. Our item and move descriptions are also a handy resource. You may be able to answer your own question with those resources faster than it would take for someone to respond to your question in this thread.
5. On a related note of #4. If you answer an extremely simple question such as "What does the Yache Berry do?", instead of just answering the question direct them to the appropriate link (in this case http://www.smogon.com/dp/items/yache_berry) so they will know where to find that type of information in the future without coming to this thread.
6. This isn't the thread for "Look At This Pokemon" or "Should I keep it with these IVs" etc., use this thread (forgive me if I forget to update this link if a new thread is created, I'll try to keep up with it).
7. This is already in the Smogon and Stark forum rules, but I will reiterate again do not discuss ROMs or other illegal things. Also, don't ask for AR codes here. Use google for that.

In addition, here is a handy list of some information to avoid certain questions being asked over and over again. I re-read the ENTIRE previous SQ/SA thread so please read my list before asking a question since it took me a lot of time to compile to figure out what questions were being asked frequently. I'll be very sad if you ignore them =(.

Also, if there are any commonly asked questions (use your judgement here guys) that I missed; just send me a PM and I'll add it in after doing a search through the old thread. Thanks.

Edit: Screw this, if I already answered your question in this FAQ and you choose to ask it anyway; I'm just going to delete your question.

• If the metaserver for ShoddyBattle is down (this is where only 1 server, usually Official, will appear on the list) click Advanced and a box should appear prompting you to "manually enter server information". If you wish to get to Smogon Shoddy under Host: type in shoddybattle.smogon.com and under Port: type in 50000. If you wish to access the CAP server under Host: type in cap.servegame.com and under Port: type in 8888.
  
  
• If you are having trouble editing your posts, go to "User CP" as in User Control Panel, "Edit Options", and in the "Miscellaneous Options" section, set Message Editor Interface to "Basic Editor" which will allow you to edit in BBCode, then set back to "Enhanced Interface" when you are finished.
  
  
• Looking for a legal Hidden Power legendary IV spread? Either play around with it (it's not hard to figure out the patterns) or look here or here.
  
  
• NP = Now Playing (yes this was asked with frequency in other threads!)
  
  
• No, you can't have an image in your signature unless you have a badge.
  
  
• No, you can't rate threads unless you have badge either.
  
  
• Migrated Pokemon from previous generations can change their abilities upon evolution when traded to DP.
  
  
• No, we don't know what your SID is. Ask in WiFi forums "Simple Questions / Simple Requests" or something.
  
  
• The Rotom-formes are not currently usable over wifi, only local wireless (link battles). Same goes for Giratina-O & Shaymin-S.
  
  

Is there anyway to download the Pokemon Team Builder at Marriland's site?
Here's the link:
http://pokemon.marriland.com/diamond_pearl/team_builder/

I need an off-line version of it, since my laptop can't get internet.

EDIT: Forgot to mention this: I've tried File->Save As while I'm on the page, but once I try to open it on my laptop, it doesnt work.

vietgoboi said:

Can anyone direct me or explain the chance's of Confuse and sleep rate?

I was wondering if its 50% for confuse like paralyze.

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Yes, you have a 50% chance of hitting yourself in the confusion. For further informations about status conditions, look here.

I have seen this question posted before but I never saw the answer: where do the old "Ask a simple question, get a simple answer" threads go? I googled it and found a link to mark 17 but when I clicked on it it gave me this "Invalid Thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator."

I'm quite sure that they simply delete the old thread when opening a new one.

I'm trying to find a Dragon Scale in Platinum by capturing Horseas. Gamefaqs/Bulbapedia say that Horseas in Diamond and Pearl have a 5% chance of holding a Dragon Scale. There isn't any available information for Platinum. I've now caught 64 Horseas and haven't found a Scale yet (I realize that this is probably just bad luck but I'm getting frustrated).

Does anyone have first hand experience with finding a Dragon Scale equipped to a Wild Horsea?

Tanner said:

I'm trying to find a Dragon Scale in Platinum by capturing Horseas. Gamefaqs/Bulbapedia say that Horseas in Diamond and Pearl have a 5% chance of holding a Dragon Scale. There isn't any available information for Platinum. I've now caught 64 Horseas and haven't found a Scale yet (I realize that this is probably just bad luck but I'm getting frustrated).

Does anyone have first hand experience with finding a Dragon Scale equipped to a Wild Horsea?

Click to expand...

All % chances have an element of luck in them, statistically it is possible but improbable to catch 1,000 Horseas without a scale. To preserve your sanity, teach a higher lvl poke you don't care much about Thief then use it to repeatedly one shot them. Saves you boxes and time.

Tanner said:

I'm trying to find a Dragon Scale in Platinum by capturing Horseas. Gamefaqs/Bulbapedia say that Horseas in Diamond and Pearl have a 5% chance of holding a Dragon Scale. There isn't any available information for Platinum. I've now caught 64 Horseas and haven't found a Scale yet (I realize that this is probably just bad luck but I'm getting frustrated).

Does anyone have first hand experience with finding a Dragon Scale equipped to a Wild Horsea?

Click to expand...

It's only a 5% chance, so just go on. Try to put a pokemon with the ability compoundeyes first in your party because that increases the chances of meeting wild pokemons holding an item.

Toxic Spikes vs Magic Guard.

Greetings. In one of my most recent battles, I came across a slight "contradiction" to how Magic Guard usually operates. For convenience, I will post Smogon's description of Magic Guard here:

Spikes, Stealth Rock, burn, poison, Leech Seed, hail, sandstorm, Nightmare, Bad Dreams, Jaboca Berry recoil, Rowap Berry recoil, Life Orb's 10% recoil damage, and regular recoil do no damage to this Pokémon. Struggle's recoil, however, will still damage a Magic Guard Pokémon. This Pokémon can be poisoned or burned, but it will not take any damage. The physical damage drop associated with being burned still applies. Leech Seed will neither damage a Magic Guard Pokémon nor heal its enemy. Pokemon with Magic Guard cannot activate their target's Jaboca or Rowap Berry. Pain Split works normally on Magic Guard Pokemon.

If a Magic Guard Pokemon is under the effects of Toxic poison, their Toxic counter still increases normally, even though they aren't taking damage. This means that if the Pokemon loses Magic Guard, the Toxic damage it receives is the same as it would be getting on that turn if it hadn't had Magic Guard.

Magic Guard Pokemon still take poison damage out of battle.

This Pokemon can be paralyzed, and its Speed will be reduced in that case, but it cannot be fully paralyzed.

Click to expand...

The bolded part clearly reads that Magic Guard Pokemon can indeed be poisoned, but will take no damage in-battle from being poisoned. And this is, indeed, how Magic Guard usually works. However, I have witnessed somewhat of a contradiction to how Magic Guard works and perhaps other members could help test this contradiction further or perhaps see something that I'm missing or failed to account for. This contradiction involves the move Toxic Spikes. Here is the Smogon description for it:

This move lays down poison-inducing spikes on the opponent's field. If this move is used twice, the Toxic Spikes will cause toxic poison.

If the opponent uses Rapid Spin, the Toxic Spikes are removed. If a player switches in a grounded Poison-type Pokemon while Toxic Spikes are on that player's side of the field, the Toxic Spikes are removed, even if Safeguard is in effect or the Pokemon is Baton Passed a Substitute.

Toxic Spikes do not affect Flying- and Steel-type Pokémon, or Pokémon with the ability Levitate. If Gravity is in effect, Flying and Levitating Pokemon are hit by Toxic Spikes upon switching in. If a Flying or Levitating Pokemon is holding an Iron Ball, it is hit by Toxic Spikes upon switching in. If a Flying or Levitating Pokemon is Baton Passed an Ingrain, it is hit by Toxic Spikes upon switching in.

If a Pokemon is Baton Passed a Substitute, it is not poisoned by Toxic Spikes. If Safeguard is in effect when a Pokemon switches in, it is not poisoned by Toxic Spikes.

Toxic Spikes do not activate the ability Synchronize.

Click to expand...

Judging by the descriptions of the two moves, the conclusion is that Toxic Spikes should poison a Pokemon with Magic Guard. However, I have found exactly the opposite to be true, I have found that Magic Guard perhaps does guard against being poisoned by Toxic Spikes! Now it should be noted that this is actually a disadvantage to Magic Guard Pokemon, since a Pokemon with Magic Guard would, under normal circumstances, love to be poisoned to avoid getting another status put onto it.

My evidence is this Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTGTk97I4uE . It was a battle I had a few days back. In this battle, Toxic Spikes are clearly applied to my field (at 1:44, for convenience). I did not Rapid Spin them away, nor did I send out a Poison-type Pokemon to remove them. However, when my Clefable with the Magic Guard ability (at 4:39, and again at 6:03, 7:58) is sent out, it does not get poisoned by a result of the Toxic Spikes! There are three possibilities that I see:

1) Since under most cases, Pokemon immune to Spikes are also immune to Toxic Spikes, it may be the case that Magic Guard Pokemon are immune to Toxic Spikes as well.

2) It could be perhaps be a glitch that since Stealth Rock was also in effect, Magic Guard is programmed to protect against entry hazards. In that case, perhaps a Pokemon with Magic Guard is only protected from Toxic Spikes when another entry hazard is present.

3) Finally, it could simply have been an unexplained glitch that activated for an unknown reason. It could be the case that a glitch either somehow protected Clefable, or somehow removed the Toxic Spikes before Clefable was sent out (unfortunately, there was not another opportunity for the rest of a video for a Pokemon of mine to be poisoned by the Toxic Spikes).

Any thoughts about this matter would be helpful, thank you.

I think you should bring this up in the research thread? Might get more attention there.

Tytus said:

I think you should bring this up in the research thread? Might get more attention there.

Click to expand...

Okay, sure, thanks for the tip. ^.^

If I put to sleep the rival pokemon, can I use Yawn to do some phazing or does this break the Sleep Clause?

Kaede11 said:

If I put to sleep the rival pokemon, can I use Yawn to do some phazing or does this break the Sleep Clause?

Click to expand...

It breaks Sleep Clause.

Kaede11 said:

If I put to sleep the rival pokemon, can I use Yawn to do some phazing or does this break the Sleep Clause?

Click to expand...

It breaks the sleep clause.

edit: one second of delay.

Giving MixMamo more SpA EVs than the usual 20 give enable it to OHKO Hippowdon and a higher chance of a OHKO on Rhyperior with Blizzard (EQ is a 2HKO onm the latter). I want Blizzard to be as strong as possible. Any suggestions?

How do you rate a thread?

Mister Militia said:

How do you rate a thread?

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Look at Caelum's first post... you need a badge for that.

Sorry, I normally look at "FAQ" type posts before I ask questions, I just wasn't paying attention.

Since my last question got deleted, I guess I'll ask again.

I was looking at the Stat Article to try and find out how moves like swords dance work, and it had a chart where it had the stat modifier level and stat multiplier, so for a +6 level modifier, it said: "Stat * 8/2 (4)", does this mean I multiply 6 times 4? I'm just trying to figure out how much more a Swords Dance adds to attack, that and a Belly Drum.

How do you clone Pokemon in D/P?

Daigo Youngin said:

Since my last question got deleted, I guess I'll ask again.

I was looking at the Stat Article to try and find out how moves like swords dance work, and it had a chart where it had the stat modifier level and stat multiplier, so for a +6 level modifier, it said: "Stat * 8/2 (4)", does this mean I multiply 6 times 4? I'm just trying to figure out how much more a Swords Dance adds to attack, that and a Belly Drum.

Click to expand...

Swords dance is = attack stat*2
Belly drum is = attack stat*4

Just wondering; How, if it ever happens, would the new Giratina, Rotom, and Shaymin forms be allowed on Wi-Fi?

Would Nintendo just release the ban on them, or what?

Speaking of the forms, since they're not allowed on Wi-Fi, why are they allowed to be used on Shoddy?

Andren said:

Just wondering; How, if it ever happens, would the new Giratina, Rotom, and Shaymin forms be allowed on Wi-Fi?

Would Nintendo just release the ban on them, or what?

Click to expand...

It doesn't appear likely at the time because it's not a ban. They just revert when you try to use them, so it's programmed into the game. Unless they release a patch (which Nintendo seldom does), it's not likely they'll be usable.

General_Tso said:

Speaking of the forms, since they're not allowed on Wi-Fi, why are they allowed to be used on Shoddy?

Click to expand...

They can be used perfectly fine in-game.

Scepticallistic said:

They can be used perfectly fine in-game.

Click to expand...

Could you explain this a tad further, because I don't see what this is about either. From what I know, Shoddy Battle seeks to emulate the multi-player aspect of Pokemon. We know this because Shoddy Battle is not a one-player game, but the only option available is player vs player. However, the new Platinum forms cannot be used on the actual cart's multi-player mode. So Shoddy, attempting to emulate the multi-player aspect of Pokemon, should not include those forms.

One possible objection is that the forms can be used on Wifi via Action Replay. However, we also know that obtaining Pokemon with moves that it otherwise could not learn and obtaining Pokemon that exceede the 510 EV limit are also obtainable through Action Replay, so unless we also allow these things on Shoddy, it would seem to me that the new Platinum forms should also not be allowed on Shoddy.

Perhaps I am missing something?