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Hell yeah, I love Ball Capsules! This and special entry animations are awesome ways to make a caught Pokémon a little bit more special, like Marks or Ribbons.
The way we do this is to split each Pokemon's model in to regions and then apply a color mask to that region. This is derived from another game; Ark: Survival Evolved.
I literally don't care lol my opinion on shinies is that they are overrated. They're kinda cool but personally I don't care for shiny hunting or see any value in shiny pokemon. I have never gone shiny hunting but I have caught some shinies even in older games before shinies started becoming more common. I just think they are neat and also that some people seem to get way too invested in them and I think it's a bit strange. No judgment though, just my opinion lol
I think Shinies are something that really just needed a couple of revisions to get right, but GF wasn't able to do that with wanting to maintain series continuity. Picture a world where there's a bunch of Stadium-style minor recolors generally available, similar to how different-sized mons are now, with a few additional recolors that are fairly uncommon(Melanistic, Albino, "naturally lime green"), and then an ultra-rare custom recolor done by the GF artists and designed to be worth searching for. It could be a really interesting collection system, where while you're looking for that shiny, you're at least occasionally finding something else that people might find cool.
But actually implementing that system when people already have a bunch of shinies they did 3,000 resets for would screw up something, so they've just made shiny hunting easier and easier while also spending less and less time designing the shinies.
I think the ship has sailed on "Region Exclusive Shinies", the closest you'll get being a Shiny for newly introduced forms or a Regional Variant.
As my post quickly went over, I feel what we have for Shiny Pokemon is mostly what we'll ever need. I have a lot of thoughts so I'll try to go over them quickly and neatly as possible:
1. Pokemon Having More Shiny: Originally I was a hard no. But, after some thought, maybe it wouldn't hurt to give some Pokemon, especially those with a Shiny that's only a hue lighter/darker, a second Shiny at the very least a different color. Keep them at the same odds, it would just be a coin flip when you get the Shiny whether it'll be the new or old one (maybe they could make it so that, if you have the Shiny Charm and one of the Shiny colors, the next time you get a Shiny roll it's guaranteed to be the other Shiny). Even if it's not all Pokemon I could still make a big list of alt Shiny ideas that would satisfy the Shiny Hunter community.
2. New Challenges For Shiny Hunters: Speaking of whom, I get there's some channels whose thing is they Shiny Hunt. They're a very small majority, but they're a group of Pokemon fans nonetheless. While this post will have suggestions which would expand upon the alt Shiny possibilities, at the same time I feel they themselves should also be figuring out some alternative content. Like the one that immediately comes to mind would be Ribbon collecting (Contests, Battle Facilities, and all the other side features like Pokestar Studios). Another idea for a "quick" challenge comes from popular Youtuber Alpharad: To do a playthrough but only using Shiny Pokemon. That means soft-resetting the Starter until one comes out Shiny and if you need an HM user hope the first Shiny you get after running in circles for hours can learn it. That at the very least should be a few days of content; bonus points if its a Nuzlocke.
3. Alt Color Feature: If there were going to introduce more alt colors, I would want it to be a feature that you just need basic money for. No RNG, no needing to find a certain item; you just go up to the NPC, pick one of your Pokemon, pick an alternate color scheme, and hand over money to get your alt colored Pokemon. No muss, no fuss.
For anyone who 's thinking "But they wouldn't feel special", that's a "you" problem. For most everyone else they'd just be happy they could change the color of the Pokemon they want to use on their team to a color that's more appealing to them.
BTW, I'm NOT suggesting that all Pokemon should be available in every color under the rainbow. No, that would really make things pointless. This would be for any "logical" or "would be cool/cute/funny/neat" alt colors; like it having the color scheme or a prevo/evo/different form (for example, imagine the Mareep family swapping colors) or if its a Pokemon with two main colors and swapping them (popular example would be Absol).
And, to throw another bone to Shiny enthusiast, have Shiny Pokemon have their own alt colors (maybe ones mirroring the base color options; what's cooler than a Black Absol: a Red Absol, Shiny exclusive). That way, even if they caught a Shiny Pokemon, well they're going to need to keep hunting for multiples if they want to have one in each alt color variant; that should keep them busy.
Continuing my dive into older posts:
STARMOBILE DISCUSSION:
If they want to have Starmobile Revavroom, I think the easiest way to do it would move Filter to being a normal Ability and give it a new Signature Hidden Ability, for now we'll call it "Starmobile". A Revaroom with Starmobile will have a different model, one which has hubcaps covering its wheel with the Team Star logo. When it knows no Torque Moves, nothing about it changes the hubcaps are colored light gray like the metallic parts of it. If you check it's Movepool, you'll see that all five Torque Moves have been added to it (they'll disappear if you change Revaroom's Ability, a Revaroom with a Torque Move can't have its Ability changed, and finally Revaroom can only ever know one Torque Move at any time). When you teach it a Torque Move, it's Form will change along with it hubcap color, Type, and Ability:
TORQUE MOVE
FORM NAME
HUBCAP COLOR
TYPE
ABILITY
Wicked Torque
Segin
Black
Dark
Intimidate
Blazing Torque
Schedar
Orange
Fire
Speed Boost
Noxious Torque
Navi
Purple
Poison
Toxic Debris
Magical Torque
Ruchbah
Pink
Fairy
Misty Surge
Combat Torque
Caph
Dark Red
Fighting
Stamina
I wouldn't change any Stats, these changes are more than enough. At MOST maybe I'd add in a 6th form, one that's pure Steel-type, as it just feels odd to have one Form which is one of its Type but none for the other.
ETERNAMAX ETERNATUS:
As for that one, I'm fine leaving it as a Move Animation, mainly because we've moved on from Dynamax. Maybe if they ever have another Super Form mechanic which allows for reuse of the Gigantamax forms (though probably VERY shrunk down), maybe they can then have a weaker Eternamax Eternatus. Either you get the full size one for a single move, or a smaller version for the entire battle.
Hm, challenge accepted. You know, with Dustox having a counterpart in Beautifly, I wonder what they would look like if we swapped their colors:
Yeah, I don't think these look that bad. I would have been a bit more fancier, but I figured at a proof-of-concept to just stick to simple palette swaps.
i know this, but that's exactly my point - it doesn't add anything to the in-game, and the lore is...? there isn't really an actual built lore about this (Nidorina & Nidoqueen being unable to breed) other than word of god, so it could be retconned.
then again i acknowledge it's a minor detail that most people don't remember one way or the other, axing incenses was an actual mechanic retcon
Just to note, the factoid that Nidorina and Nidoqueen can't breed was purposely done comes from a Japanese exclusive booklet that came out just before the Gen I games. Otherwise it's never mentioned in the games or any other official media. Is it silly? Yes. Should they just retcon it that Nidorina and Nidoqueen can breed? Yes. There's no reason not to, it only makes breeding them annoying.
I did not realize they axed Incenses, something which I'm in total agreement with.
Here's my unpopular opinion of the day: the Berry Pots are a really awesome Key Item that should have appeared in more games and have zero business being only in HGSS, and the removal of the mechanic of growing Berries is one of GF's dumbest decisions ever.
Wouldn't mind just having a greenhouse or field location like in XY. Out of the way, can fly to it whenever I want, sure having to go back to knock out some Bug Pokemon was annoying but nothing too bothersome. Plus the idea of Berry Mutation was a fun mechanic as it meant you could get some later game Berries early on.
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We need this death battle matchup, it would be sick, give me your thoughts on it, and who you think wins. I believe it would be Koraidon, ynow, the one who can split continental crust with a punch
Which franchise makes the most money (or which franchise do you like the best):
(After a lengthy battle of back-to-back blows)
Rathalos attempts to dive down on Koraidon but it nimbly dodges out of the way. Before Rathalos could fly back up Koraidon jumps on its back, climbs up to its neck, and puts it in a headlock. Koraidon then makes a summersaulting backflip taking Rathalos with it... DINOBIKER JUST SUPLEXED A RATHALOS! There's no getting up from that. Rathalos is down! Koraidon stands tall, shaking is arm in the air in celebration, before powering down to its Sprinting Build to look for its preferred prey: Sandwiches.
(After a lengthy battle of back-to-back blows)
Rathalos attempts to dive down on Koraidon but it nimbly dodges out of the way. Before Koraidon can get its bearings, Rathalos smacks Koraidon with its tail knocking it back. Rathalos gives out a deafening roar, further stunning the prone Koraidon. Koraidon opens its eyes only to see Rathalos's open jaws coming down onto its neck, a bone-breaking snap is heard as it crunches down. Koraidon closes its eyes for the last time as Rathalos enjoys a nice meal of a worthy foe.
2. We know that Poipole is a native species which Ultra Megalopians use as a Starter.
4. Seems to be when they made contact with the Aether Foundation a short time before USUM.
6. It's implied humanoids are a common species throughout the Pokemon multiverse. Ultra Megalopians bluish skin, glowing yellow eyes, & neon-colored hair is likely an evolution adaptation to living in a world without light for what has to be at least a few hundred years, maybe a thousand or so. While I wouldn't say they have evolved enough to be a different species from Homo Sapien, they likely have changed enough to slip into a sub species, we'll call them "Homo Sapien Megalopoli". In theory they should have no issue interbreeding with humans from the "Main Pokemon World" (and any offspring should also in theory still be able to have children), but there's no guarantee (but I'm sure plenty of guys would be willing to volunteer with Soliera).
No, seriously
the fact that you can get them only through random chance it's the appeal for many people
is the reason why people shiny hunt
like opening random packs but not as ridiculously expensive
it's why people like random encounters
People want more RNG in their pokemon hunting 315111 not less! they want rares and secret rares
none of your mindless earning stuff, but true honest well deserved luck
the statmobiles could simply work as rotom appliance forms do, couldn't they? take your revavroom to ortega, pick a form and it learns the torque move. when you change it back, it unlearns the move and learns lick if the torque was its only move. done and done.
I realized that Baby Pokémon, while for marketing first and foremost, didn’t do a lasting impression that cross-gen evolutions do, with only the occasional Riolu and Toxel for non-cross-gen Babies and Gen 3 also only gave two cross-gen Babies. This makes Gen 4 the only generation since Gen 2 where there are more than two cross-gen Baby Pokémon alongside a non-cross-gen Baby on Riolu. Only Pichu, Togepi, Riolu and Toxel are breakouts while most other ends up being overshadowed except those of already strong Pokémon.
After that, there were no more cross-gen babies (at least, for now), and that is despite the fact cross-gen evolutions as a concept makes a full return after disappearing in Gen 5, nearly replaced by Mega Evolution in Gen 6 and eventually complemented by Regional Forms in Gen 7 and 8 to allow a full return starting with Legends: Arceus. How could Baby Pokémon didn’t make a full return despite the potentials for cross-gen babies? A comment for this YouTube video helped me realize something;
“Personally my main complaint about baby Pokemon is that aside from the Hitmons and Elemental Punch Trio, they were a pretty bad choice of lineup to babify. Vulpix had explicit Pokedex entries about how the newborn has a single tail that gradually splits, Kangaskhan has a baby in its pouch from birth, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Jigglypuff were already sufficiently cutesy and I see the likes of Pichu, Igglybuff, and Azurill more as grotesque than adorable. Just give Mikon/Trifox the base stats Vulpix normally has and buff Vulpix and Ninetales appropriately and they'd actually be relevant without needing to steal Groudon's Ability.”
In other words, while Baby Pokémon is a neat concept, the likes of Pikachu, Clefairy, Jigglypuff and Marill already makes a great job for being small, somewhat weak critter that we would love to take care off, so an even weaker form is not only redundant, but also caused raising our companion more of a pain than it should. There’s also missed opportunities as far as the second Generation such as a Kangaskhan baby as it’s own, indepedant Pokémon that GF have yet to fix this issue.
Overall, I feel like it’s an unfocused concept that only solidifies at the fourth Generation before being dropped nearly altogether, only reappearing as Toxel in the eight Generation. While Baby Pokémon as a whole can still sell well for merchandising, I wonder how much more well received they would be if they focused on making already Pokémon available earlier by making Baby form for them in the first place.
While Baby Pokémon as a whole can still sell well for merchandising, I wonder how much more well received they would be if they focused on making already Pokémon available earlier by making Baby form for them in the first place.
I think that doing this would also require reexamining the evolution requirements for baby mons. The gen 4 baby mons were the closest to this concept, but it was still significantly more straightforward to drop Budew for a freshly-caught Roselia during my playthrough of BD.
I realized that Baby Pokémon, while for marketing first and foremost, didn’t do a lasting impression that cross-gen evolutions do, with only the occasional Riolu and Toxel for non-cross-gen Babies and Gen 3 also only gave two cross-gen Babies. This makes Gen 4 the only generation since Gen 2 where there are more than two cross-gen Baby Pokémon alongside a non-cross-gen Baby on Riolu. Only Pichu, Togepi, Riolu and Toxel are breakouts while most other ends up being overshadowed except those of already strong Pokémon.
After that, there were no more cross-gen babies (at least, for now), and that is despite the fact cross-gen evolutions as a concept makes a full return after disappearing in Gen 5, nearly replaced by Mega Evolution in Gen 6 and eventually complemented by Regional Forms in Gen 7 and 8 to allow a full return starting with Legends: Arceus. How could Baby Pokémon didn’t make a full return despite the potentials for cross-gen babies? A comment for this YouTube video helped me realize something;
“Personally my main complaint about baby Pokemon is that aside from the Hitmons and Elemental Punch Trio, they were a pretty bad choice of lineup to babify. Vulpix had explicit Pokedex entries about how the newborn has a single tail that gradually splits, Kangaskhan has a baby in its pouch from birth, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Jigglypuff were already sufficiently cutesy and I see the likes of Pichu, Igglybuff, and Azurill more as grotesque than adorable. Just give Mikon/Trifox the base stats Vulpix normally has and buff Vulpix and Ninetales appropriately and they'd actually be relevant without needing to steal Groudon's Ability.”
In other words, while Baby Pokémon is a neat concept, the likes of Pikachu, Clefairy, Jigglypuff and Marill already makes a great job for being small, somewhat weak critter that we would love to take care off, so an even weaker form is not only redundant, but also caused raising our companion more of a pain than it should. There’s also missed opportunities as far as the second Generation such as a Kangaskhan baby as it’s own, indepedant Pokémon that GF have yet to fix this issue.
Overall, I feel like it’s an unfocused concept that only solidifies at the fourth Generation before being dropped nearly altogether, only reappearing as Toxel in the eight Generation. While Baby Pokémon as a whole can still sell well for merchandising, I wonder how much more well received they would be if they focused on making already Pokémon available earlier by making Baby form for them in the first place.
To add onto this, I also think Baby Pokemon are just poorly used as a Gameplay mechanic. Theoretically the benefit of a Baby Pokemon being introduced later is that it gives a way to make a Line available earlier in the game: a good example of this is Budew in Gen 4 allowing the Roselia and Roserade endgoal without giving the strong-for-first-3-gyms Roselia too early, or it's a sort of Magikarp situation where they're weaker but reward you something strong if you raise them up (Riolu to Lucario in mid game). The problem there is most of the Baby Pokemon are for species that either don't take that long to be available anyway, or simply aren't that strong to be worth the babying (the latter especially with a lot of Gen 2's). Some get it like Smoochum, Elekid, and Magby, but others like Tyrogue are late comers anyway.
Also this is me being a stickler, but Toxel being a Baby Pokemon is dumb. It only fits the definition because it can't breed but nothing about its availability or strictly-Level-1 movepool feels like it fits the design purpose of a Baby Pokemon. It just seems like a basic stage weak Pokemon that they took the Egg Group off of because they took the "Baby" idea to a literal extreme.
Friendship evolution for baby Pokemon works thematically, but it punishes younger/less knowledgeable/more casual players who don't know the details of every evolution method. The reward for raising a baby Pokemon is maximised if you make sure to never let it faint and take advantage of friendship-boosting mechanics, but if you don't know about any of that then your baby Pokemon can easily fall behind the power curve and become even harder to level up without it fainting. In my first playthrough of Diamond at age 10, my Budew didn't evolve until Level 28 lmao.
It also creates a slightly awkward tension when the baby Pokemon has exclusive level-up moves. Friendship evolutions are generally framed as something you should try to achieve as quickly as possible (especially when the alternative is continuing to send out a baby to fight for you against increasingly powerful opponents) and the other mechanics of baby Pokemon feel like they're designed to make them seem 'incomplete' in a way that other pre-evolutions aren't, so delaying the evolution for a Pokemon like Riolu to get an exclusive high-level move feels a little weird. On the other hand, when 10yo me was still lugging a Budew around 12 levels after it learned its last move, it's hard not to feel like the game was telling me I was failing as a trainer.
To add onto this, I also think Baby Pokemon are just poorly used as a Gameplay mechanic. Theoretically the benefit of a Baby Pokemon being introduced later is that it gives a way to make a Line available earlier in the game: a good example of this is Budew in Gen 4 allowing the Roselia and Roserade endgoal without giving the strong-for-first-3-gyms Roselia too early, or it's a sort of Magikarp situation where they're weaker but reward you something strong if you raise them up (Riolu to Lucario in mid game). The problem there is most of the Baby Pokemon are for species that either don't take that long to be available anyway, or simply aren't that strong to be worth the babying (the latter especially with a lot of Gen 2's). Some get it like Smoochum, Elekid, and Magby, but others like Tyrogue are late comers anyway.
Also this is me being a stickler, but Toxel being a Baby Pokemon is dumb. It only fits the definition because it can't breed but nothing about its availability or strictly-Level-1 movepool feels like it fits the design purpose of a Baby Pokemon. It just seems like a basic stage weak Pokemon that they took the Egg Group off of because they took the "Baby" idea to a literal extreme.
That would be because in the only official context where the term "Baby Pokémon" is used (the TCG) it isn't. Togepi and Riolu aren't either.
The fan usage of the term doesn't actually match up with the official usage. The fan usage is used to denote first stage Pokémon that can't breed, the official usage only applies it to first stage Pokémon that can't breed and were introduced after the Pokémon they evolve into.
That would be because in the only official context where the term "Baby Pokémon" is used (the TCG) it isn't. Togepi and Riolu aren't either.
The fan usage of the term doesn't actually match up with the official usage. The fan usage is used to denote first stage Pokémon that can't breed, the official usage only applies it to first stage Pokémon that can't breed and were introduced after the Pokémon they evolve into.
There have been multiple times where Togepi, Riolu, and Toxel were catagorized officially with the cross-gen pre-evolutions, most recently in the 1008 Encounters video where all three were shown alongside all of the cross-gen ones during the montage
The fan usage of the term doesn't actually match up with the official usage. The fan usage is used to denote first stage Pokémon that can't breed, the official usage only applies it to first stage Pokémon that can't breed and were introduced after the Pokémon they evolve into.
The “fan usage” of the term is just putting a name to an observable set of objective characteristics (a Pokémon that can 1) be produced through breeding, that 2) cannot itself breed, but 3) can evolve) that are set by the developers. In light of that, transplanting the term that the TCG used to refer to the exact same set of Pokémon when they were introduced in that medium is just the most sensible option.
If you introduce the further criterion of “4) must have been introduced in a generation after its root species,” you’re left to wonder why Togepi, Riolu, and Toxel are conspicuously the only remaining first-stage Pokémon that can’t breed.
To add onto this, I also think Baby Pokemon are just poorly used as a Gameplay mechanic. Theoretically the benefit of a Baby Pokemon being introduced later is that it gives a way to make a Line available earlier in the game: a good example of this is Budew in Gen 4 allowing the Roselia and Roserade endgoal without giving the strong-for-first-3-gyms Roselia too early, or it's a sort of Magikarp situation where they're weaker but reward you something strong if you raise them up (Riolu to Lucario in mid game). The problem there is most of the Baby Pokemon are for species that either don't take that long to be available anyway, or simply aren't that strong to be worth the babying (the latter especially with a lot of Gen 2's). Some get it like Smoochum, Elekid, and Magby, but others like Tyrogue are late comers anyway.
Also this is me being a stickler, but Toxel being a Baby Pokemon is dumb. It only fits the definition because it can't breed but nothing about its availability or strictly-Level-1 movepool feels like it fits the design purpose of a Baby Pokemon. It just seems like a basic stage weak Pokemon that they took the Egg Group off of because they took the "Baby" idea to a literal extreme.
I've said this before but the way X and Y handled baby Pokemon was a really good tweak to the format that shouldn't have been reverted. Because all Pokemon in the Undiscovered egg group have 3 perfect IVs when encountered*, it adds an element of strategy onto the decision to catch one vs catching an evolved form. In Reflection Cave you can catch both Mr Mime and Mime Jr: catching the former gives you a strong Pokemon right away while catching the latter means that there's more of a grind involved to raise it but it's highly likely to have much better stats in the end, making it a better long-term investment. It added an extra incentive to use babies when - outside of the instances where they have a special/desirable move you wouldn't get otherwise - it's typically not worth the effort raising one entails in a regular playthrough.
*yes I know this probably wasn't intentional, hence it being changed back in ORAS
Idk if this is an unpopular or common opinion but I don't like Close Combat being distributed as a coverage move or widely distributed at all. CC just has the most minimal downside we've ever seen in-game, it's completely reliable with 100 accuracy, it doesn't lower your attack so its super spammable, and it has no recoil so there's no risk of KOing yourself mid-sweep. This is an incredible move but it isn't treated like one, nowadays it's treated as the primary Fighting STAB in the game with almost every Fighting type getting it and a bunch of other mons like Scizor and Cerluledge getting it as a coverage move. I think it should be treated more like Moonblast, which is a paticularly powerful move in its own right, but not every Fairy gets Moonblast and even fewer non-Fairies get it either, instead Dazzling Gleam is the most common coverage move. There are so many weaker moves that can fulfill the role of primary Fighting STAB like Brick Break, Cross Chop, or even Superpower, which is able to be just as strong as CC but with an actual downside to balance out the power. With how important a move's BP is in the damage calculation, a 120 BP should either have a real downside or limited distribution, yet CC has neither. Every other type's primary STAB moves are between 70-100 BP but the already good Fighting type gets 120, just weird to me.
Idk if this is an unpopular or common opinion but I don't like Close Combat being distributed as a coverage move or widely distributed at all. CC just has the most minimal downside we've ever seen in-game, it's completely reliable with 100 accuracy, it doesn't lower your attack so its super spammable, and it has no recoil so there's no risk of KOing yourself mid-sweep. This is an incredible move but it isn't treated like one, nowadays it's treated as the primary Fighting STAB in the game with almost every Fighting type getting it and a bunch of other mons like Scizor and Cerluledge getting it as a coverage move. I think it should be treated more like Moonblast, which is a paticularly powerful move in its own right, but not every Fairy gets Moonblast and even fewer non-Fairies get it either, instead Dazzling Gleam is the most common coverage move. There are so many weaker moves that can fulfill the role of primary Fighting STAB like Brick Break, Cross Chop, or even Superpower, which is able to be just as strong as CC but with an actual downside to balance out the power. With how important a move's BP is in the damage calculation, a 120 BP should either have a real downside or limited distribution, yet CC has neither. Every other type's primary STAB moves are between 70-100 BP but the already good Fighting type gets 120, just weird to me.
This posts makes me wander why the Fighting-type Stone Edge (Cross Chop) has so few distribution around actual Fighting mons, like only the Machop, Mankey, Makuhita, Croagunk and Riolu lines get the move and are Fighting, the rest are stuff like Obstagoon and Incineroar, like, they could have gave the move more variety
I looked up the list of Fighting-type moves, and man, I wish more mid-power moves other than Drain Punch and Brick Break got any spotlight. Hammer Arm, Low Sweep, Circle Throw, Final Gambit, Revenge, Storm Throw, Sky Uppercut, Rolling Kick, Wake-Up Slap... That's a lot of forgotten techniques for some reason. Even Cross Chop and Focus Punch are given less and less attention as time goes by.
I have to get this out of my chest: Sky Uppercut and Rolling Kick are pretty cool moves that I want to see more of. Flawed moves, sure, but Sky Uppercut has an uncommon side effect of hitting flying Pokémon and given to some Fighting-type Pokémon and the Gligar line (!) while Rolling Kick is a very rare move with a 30% chance of flinching, for some reason I thought it fits Marshadow well.
I looked up the list of Fighting-type moves, and man, I wish more mid-power moves other than Drain Punch and Brick Break got any spotlight. Hammer Arm, Low Sweep, Circle Throw, Final Gambit, Revenge, Storm Throw, Sky Uppercut, Rolling Kick, Wake-Up Slap... That's a lot of forgotten techniques for some reason. Even Cross Chop and Focus Punch are given less and less attention as time goes by.
I have to get this out of my chest: Sky Uppercut and Rolling Kick are pretty cool moves that I want to see more of. Flawed moves, sure, but Sky Uppercut has an uncommon side effect of hitting flying Pokémon and given to some Fighting-type Pokémon and the Gligar line (!) while Rolling Kick is a very rare move with a 30% chance of flinching, for some reason I thought it fits Marshadow well.
Sky Uppercut and Rolling Kick don't exist anymore and Rolling Kick was trash anyway.
Close Combat gets such wide distribution because of its lack of downside, the next strongest (physical) Fighting moves down without a drawback are Brick Break and Drain Punch at power 75. It's so widely distributed because Fighting doesn't have anything else above 80 bp without horrible drawbacks other than (High) Jump Kick. Asking why it's so widely distributed is like asking why Earthquake is so widely distributed.
Close Combat is also vague enough in its description that it can be applied to many different Pokemon. The common denominator, besides being a Fighting type, seems to be just fighting aggressively and fast.
Close Combat gets such wide distribution because of its lack of downside, the next strongest (physical) Fighting moves down without a drawback are Brick Break and Drain Punch at power 75. It's so widely distributed because Fighting doesn't have anything else above 80 bp without horrible drawbacks other than (High) Jump Kick. Asking why it's so widely distributed is like asking why Earthquake is so widely distributed.
I don't like this as an explanation for why everything gets CC now, because it implies that each type is somehow owed a generically strong, widely available move with minimal downside. Its distribution was decent without being excessive for the first few gens it existed, so it's not like its current ubiquity was baked into its original design.
Bringing up HJK is interesting, because everything that gets both prefers to use CC anyway; it's completely eclipsed every other physical Fighting move outside of incredibly niche combos like Contrary+Superpower. Earthquake is also too accessible imo, but I think the difference between 100 BP and 120 BP is pretty massive in practice, so it doesn't feel as overbearing.
Close Combat is also vague enough in its description that it can be applied to many different Pokemon. The common denominator, besides being a Fighting type, seems to be just fighting aggressively and fast.
I think the phrase "without guarding itself" is important in Close Combat's description (and should exclude some of the Pokemon that learn it now imo), but regardless, this is exactly why the distribution of moves needs to be about more than physical capability, even if some of the Pokemon who aren't given a move like Close Combat end up feeling like arbitrary exclusions. Since moves in Pokemon have the same stats no matter which species uses them, limiting their accessibility is one of the only tools available to make movesets feel unique.
close combat being the default fighting-type physical move ever since it was introduced never sat well with me - maybe because its drawback of lowering defenses was supposed to matter, maybe because it's too strong for it to be so reliable, maybe because on top of this gen 8 also distributed it too widely... i don't feel like any type should have a One Move That Matters, even competitively (and, yes, this includes earthquake)
for other high BP fighting type moves to matter, close combat would need to be nerfed in some capacity (power, accuracy, both, or an actual drawback - could become fighting-type double edge and stay in-flavor for example) and also the widely distributed Strong Fighting Move would have to be a move with a riskier or more important drawback, such as superpower again, and/or cross chop.
Why would they nerf it. Despite what some people think, Close Combat is not a spammable move in VGC.
With the VGC meta generally being faster and much more position based than the singles one, with how much more punishing a wrong switch can become, clicking Close Combat will often turn 2-3hkos into 1-2hkos (expecially as EVing to live specific hits is a relatively common strategy and dropping your defenses carelessly can be very detrimental).
Differently from singles, the risk/reward of the defense dropping vs high BP is a important part of CC in the context where it matters. To the point certain mons like Iron Hands much rather just run Drain Punch than risk hitting a CC into a Landorus or Tornadus switch in and get 1hkod the turn after.
i might need to create a don't make me tap the sign meme and the sign says "we know vgc is the official competitive format and we know how double battles work, and that still doesn't defeat the point of balancing moves around single battles, which also have their competitive format and also are the format of the actual game"
i might need to create a don't make me tap the sign meme and the sign says "we know vgc is the official competitive format and we know how double battles work, and that still doesn't defeat the point of balancing moves around single battles, which also have their competitive format and also are the format of the actual game"
the Berry Pots are a really awesome Key Item that should have appeared in more games and have zero business being only in HGSS, and the removal of the mechanic of growing Berries is one of GF's dumbest decisions ever.
