Still better than that legendary move Baddy Bad, tho.
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
(Little) Things that annoy you in Pokémon
- Thread starter BriarRose
- Start date
Sort of like how the two Nidorans are still two seperate evolutionary lines, 5 generations after genders became a baseline thing, despite them explicitly being the same species in-universe (and treated as such mechanically, as far as breeding goes). Also Nidorina and Nidoqueen still can't breed, as far as I know, for... reasons?
Honestly, the Pokedex order needs a serious going-over, to at the very least put all the evolutionary families together.
Movepools are another big one. There's a lot of Pokemon whose movepools need a serious going over, so they have actual non-STAB options worth using (*coughLilligantcough*). There's also a lot of moves that are way more common than they should be given how good they are (Earthquake, being a 100 power move with no drawbacks other than type-related ones, which damn near everything learns, is a huge offender here), and a lot of rarer moves that should be more widespread.
For some reason, quite a lot of Gen V Pokémon struggle with bad movepools. Klinklang is another offender; it's a physical-based Pokémon whose only non-Normal physical moves are Gear Grind, Rock Smash and Wild Charge. In BW it didn't even have the latter, and as Rock Smash is no longer a TM that move has fallen out of its current-gen movepool too. Klinklang is a Pokémon that reaches its final form at level 49, but it doesn't learn any usable STAB moves after level 16.
And that's the thing that leads me into the thing that annoys me in this post: Gen V has been kind of neglected since it came out. BW and BW2 were neat games, and the Unova dex is one of the best standalone rosters Pokémon has ever seen, but they never got the kind of attention other generations got in their preceding generations. Neither Megas in Gen VI (except Audino, probably the Mega Evolution fewest fans wanted) nor regional forms in Gen VII. Movepools are mostly unchanged for most of them, even the starters' movepools are nearly identical in Gen VII to what they were in Gen V. It's neat that Heatmor, of all Pokémon, got a signature move, but it was far from the only Gen V 'mon that needed a buff.
Part of what makes Pokémon so great to follow over time is the various changes and buffs older Pokémon get in new games. Jokémon such as Sneasel, Politoed or Mawile have received upgrades that really allowed them to shine, totally changing how they work in battle and how they are viewed by fans. Gen V came after many of these upgrades, such as cross-gen evolutions, the rapid expansion of available moves or the addition of another ability slot, so naturally its Pokémon haven't had the same opportunity for growth as, say, the Gen II Pokémon. But the last two generations have come with many such upgrades as well, i.e. Mega Evolution, regional forms, stat tweaks, signature Z-moves, and general movepool expansion, and Gen V hasn't got to take part in very much of it. Game Freak pushes more upgrades for earlier generations, but post Gen IV it appears that generations are created "readily upgraded", and continue to be seen as such even as several generations pass and the ever-upgraded early-gen Pokémon keep getting new revisions.
To be fair, it does make sense that earlier gen pokemon get more attention than gen 5 pokemon, simply because the old pokemon.... are older. Many older pokemon need buffs to make up for the increasing powercreep, while many gen 5 pokemon are the powercreep. As you said, gen 5 has one of the best standalone rosters in the franchise. Almost every single pokemon is perfectly usable in-game already, which is a sign to me that most gen 5 pokemon are already well-designed for what they are.
The movepool issue in particular is not as big as it seems, in my opinion anyway. There are of course a handful of examples of pokemon with bad movepools, such as the aforementioned Klingklang. From the top of my head, Purrloin, Petilil and Pidove can be added to the list as well. But other than those few examples, gen 5 mons' movepools are actually very decent. Sawsbuck, Cinccino, the monkeys, like all of the dragon types, and many more. I don't think gen 5 has more pokemon with bad movepools than any other gen if you really bothered to check.
I also actually prefer movepools to be a bit restricted in general. I'd rather have sensible, specific movepools than everything getting the same common moves, just like Hyper Cutter described. Looking at a clear example, such as earthquake, the point becomes clear. In gen 5, earthquake is mostly just distributed to ground and rock types, which makes sense. The exceptions that also learn earthquake, are very powerful, bulky looking pokemon like Emboar, Conckeldurr or Darmanitan, which also makes sense. Meanhile in the earlier gens, pokemon like Chansey, Girafarig and Seviper can learn earthquake.
So basically, my point is that I don't want the gen 5 pokemon to be buffed by just overloading them with moves. I just want the pokemon that actually do have movepool issues to get fixed, but not all of the other pokemon that are fine already. I wouldn't be opposed to some stat buffs here and there though.
I think the actual reason gen 5 seems to be ignored is because they all evolve so late, so they are not distributed in the newer games as commonly as the older pokemon. Gen 6 has this problem as well, and it shows considering Alola had very few pokemon from gen 5 or 6. If Gamefreak really wanted us to care about gen 5 and 6, they should just make gen 5 and 6 mons available in the main storyline, preferably in the early-mid game. But if they want to do that, they first have to lower evolution levels.
I'd disagree on wanting gen 5 to be a bigger part in the selection of mega's and signiture Z-moves too, simply because I don't really like mega's and I just hate Z moves. Regional forms is not the greatest argument for claiming gen 5 is ignored because you could make the same argument for any other gen except gen 1. That said, I would like to see some gen 5 regionals if they return for the Galar region. Galar Lilipup seems to be a popular one that fans want.
I also agree that the Gen V Pokémon are, overall, pretty well designed ...for Gen V. Pokémon tend to be designed to reflect the state of the art, so to say, and every generation older Pokémon receive buffs so they can keep up with the times. Movepools are expanded, new abilities handed out, Pokémon receive new forms. This content progression is one of the major draws of the Pokémon series if you follow the games over time. The buffs given to older Pokémon not only helps them keep up with the power creep, but it's also really fun to see a Pokémon you've never cared for before suddenly spring into the limelight.
But the times do move forward. As the generations go on, more and more options become available. Mega Evolutions, signature Z-moves, movepool overhauls, and so on. New Pokémon are designed to incorporate these options from the beginning. And while Game Freak keeps buffing older (mostly Gen I) Pokémon to keep up with the times, it seems as if the recent generations are still kept as they were designed. The Gen V Pokémon were designed to use the tools available in Gen V, and now that there are two more generations of tools available, and several Gen I-IV Pokémon are buffed up to use that entire toolbox, the Gen V Pokémon are still designed only to use the tools available in Gen V.
It's not a matter of buffs and power creep, it's about content progression. The discovery of new content for old Pokémon has always been one of the best parts of the series. "Sweet, Onix got an evolution!" "Whoa, Wobbuffet is suddenly dangerous!" "Oh, new evolution for Roselia!" "Great, Politoed is actually useful now!" "Huh, Mawile is a threat in this generation?". But the addition of cool new content for old generations seems to stop at Gen IV. From Gen V onwards (and most notably with Gen V since it's the oldest, but I have no doubts Gens VI and VII will be just as affected) the Pokémon seem to stagnate at the level of content they were designed with. That's a little sad to see.
Alright, here I am nitpicking again. Alola Photoclub!
So, they say they have special Backgrounds for Pokemon originated from other regions. What I at first failed to note is that, those special Backgrounds are locked only for them. So no photos of Primarina under Houen's deep seas for you.
Why do they even need to lock those things?
(That, and I tried other BGs, but the beach's clouds are pixelated it looks like so much SFX failure. Sighs....)
So, they say they have special Backgrounds for Pokemon originated from other regions. What I at first failed to note is that, those special Backgrounds are locked only for them. So no photos of Primarina under Houen's deep seas for you.
Why do they even need to lock those things?(That, and I tried other BGs, but the beach's clouds are pixelated it looks like so much SFX failure. Sighs....)
rotomdex never shutting up
Agreed. It is very annoying for it to keep talking like no tomorrow!
Because GF is under the impression that options, customization, and aesthetics should be rarities you’re rewarded with, not basic elements of the game. See also the entire clothing issue, the fact that you have to buy a haircut to know what it looks like, etc. “Let people do what they want” seems to be a foreign concept.Alright, here I am nitpicking again. Alola Photoclub!
So, they say they have special Backgrounds for Pokemon originated from other regions. What I at first failed to note is that, those special Backgrounds are locked only for them. So no photos of Primarina under Houen's deep seas for you.
(That, and I tried other BGs, but the beach's clouds are pixelated it looks like so much SFX failure. Sighs....)
I'm hoping that's either a misinterpretation (like only if they appear in the Galar Pokedex until you get the national Pokedex) or it's fixed some time later. What's even the point of sending Pokemon from Bank to Home (which can't be sent back to Bank) if you can't then send them to Sword and Shield? There's no way Galar's Pokedex includes all 809 previous Pokemon.
Oh, but Mew is a possible exception if you connect the Poke ball Plus to the games... but only a new one that hasn't already sent a Mew to Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee.
It isn't just about Shiny hunters/ribbon collectors/Living Dexes or any of that, it reflects a series of unethical business practices by GameFreak over the course of the series: the removal of key features to either be resold in a second set of games (Move Tutors) or forgotten (Megas, Z-Moves, following Pokemon, DexNav, Secret Bases...you name it). This is no mere annoyance. This is exposing what GF and TPC have been doing for years that we the fans have turned a blind eye to.
Because GF and TPC are part of the games industry, and the games industry is trash.
They're super frustrating and detrimental game design decisions, but I really wouldn't go so far as to call them unethical. Unless removing Croconaw and Mesprit from the game is somehow tied into a string of harassment and crunch in Game Freak's workplace, I find that an odd choice of words.
Here's another nitpicking.
Master Ball (and Cherish Ball) can never be passed down to childrens. This means Master Ball can never be used with Egg moves.
Out of things I was thinking, I was hoping for fanciful thing like say... Destiny Bond Malamar.
(I was going to hunt for an Inkay, but then I see it can have Destiny Bond, and surprise Custap can be funny tactic, while Malamar just looks like the things evil faction boss would have, which as of RR Episode carries everything in Master Balls, nevermind I don't like other ball options for predominantly dark purple Malamar....)
Well, I suppose it boils down to a more specific problem to ball legality (*cough*DreamballAegislash*cough*), but this still annoys me so much....
Master Ball (and Cherish Ball) can never be passed down to childrens. This means Master Ball can never be used with Egg moves.
Out of things I was thinking, I was hoping for fanciful thing like say... Destiny Bond Malamar.
(I was going to hunt for an Inkay, but then I see it can have Destiny Bond, and surprise Custap can be funny tactic, while Malamar just looks like the things evil faction boss would have, which as of RR Episode carries everything in Master Balls, nevermind I don't like other ball options for predominantly dark purple Malamar....)
Well, I suppose it boils down to a more specific problem to ball legality (*cough*DreamballAegislash*cough*), but this still annoys me so much....
Last edited:
Can we talk about how Tyranitar, one of my favorite Pokemon of all time, has been getting shafted in the anime, as of late?
A wild Tyranitar recently lost to a bunch of Alolan Sandshrew with the aid of Lillie's Alolan Vulpix, which I guess is understandable considering it was a team effort + the type advantage with Steel > Rock. Even then, Stone Edge is a very powerful attack from Tyranitar, which has neutral effectiveness.
However, the biggest offender was during the end of XY with Alain's Tyranitar vs Ash's Pikachu. This Pokemon representation of the King of the Monsters lost to Pikachu in less than two minutes. Unacceptable.
Let's also talk about the newer voice direction that they've decided to use for Tyranitar. In the Johto/Advanced arcs, it used your typical booming monster roars. Nowadays, he sounds like an overgrown weasel.
I don't watch the anime, so I looked up those two battles and reminded myself why I don't watch the anime
I wish they kept the "but there was no target" message for when you use a move on a pokemon that comes in and dies to stealth rocks, etc. rather than replacing it with the "but it failed!" message. It's just less accurate because it describes the move as failing to occur rather than just not hitting anything. There are times when the "but it failed" message is necessary (like when a protect fails), but in terms of attacking moves that have no reason to "fail" other than not hitting anything, the old message seemed much more appropriate.
When I was playing Pokémon Go and catching Entei for Entei day, one man called Entei a “dog”. This what has always bothered me about the legendary Beasts: They have a lot more in common with Big Cats than Dogs when you get down with It.
Raikou: Has the teeth of a Saber Cat alongside the stripes of a tiger.
Entei: Has a Lion’s mane.
Suicune: Alright, this I will admit Suicune’s muzzle kind a looks like a dog. But if you look at its body, it resembles that of a cheetah and leopard.
Raikou: Has the teeth of a Saber Cat alongside the stripes of a tiger.
Entei: Has a Lion’s mane.
Suicune: Alright, this I will admit Suicune’s muzzle kind a looks like a dog. But if you look at its body, it resembles that of a cheetah and leopard.
They're a combination of a dog, cat, and Legendary creature with each having a different lean towards one:
Raikou: Body of a sabertooth tiger, head of a pug (minus the sabertooth teeth), based on the Raiju. Raikou is definitely more cat-like.
Entei: Body of a big dog (a mastiff or St. Bernard), face of a lion, based on a Chinese Guardian Lion. Entei I would say is more of an even balance between canine and lion, probably thanks to a heavier influence from the legendary creature its based on having a well known appearance.
Suicune: Shape of a wolf, pattern of a cheetah, based on a Qilin. Suicune I think has the stronger canine influence.
Japan calls them the three dogs. I assume they know best.
As far as I know GF and the Pokemon Company has never came out with an official name for the group. All terms used for them as a collective group has been fanmade.
Infact, if GF did give them names, they would completely ignore this entire discussion. Why? Because when they did give the Legendary Birds an official name it was Winged Mirages (Phantom Wings in Japan). Now the birds didn't have any controversy with what they were, but GF still felt to give them a more unique name that shows off their mysticism and symbolism. You can see the same with the Lake Guardians & Swords of Justice.
If I were to make any official name suggestions I'd say something like "Rainbow Envoys", as they are the messengers of Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokemon.
I honestly like how Game Freak went all original and decided to leave the fans to discover what they are.
That's a thing? I have never heard them called this before.
It's from a Bird Keeper named Donald on Route 14:
Battle Intro: Have you heard the legend of the winged mirages?
Lose Quote: Why? Why'd I lose?
After Battle Quote: Well, the winged mirages are the legendary bird Pokemon. There are three of them: ARTICUNO, ZAPDOS, and MOLTRES.
Now yes, you could say the Bird Keeper was just talking poetically by referring to them as winged mirages (or "phantom wings" in Japan), he does also call them "legendary bird" Pokemon (though also in lowercase), however it is something that's officially said in the game. And even if he was talking poetically it is a much nicer group name then "Legendary Birds" and has caught on in the fan community.