• Check out the relaunch of our general collection, with classic designs and new ones by our very own Pissog!

Little things you like about Pokémon

ScraftyIsTheBest said:
together embody the five element concept common in many fictional settings and stemming from both Greek philosophy and Japan's Godai philosophy. Those five being Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Aether/Void. Bulbasaur represents Earth, Charmander represents fire, Squirtle represents Water, Pikachu represents Air, and Eevee represents Aether or Void.
Click to expand...

Hm, I find that a bit of a stretch.

Thinking about it, there really hasn't been any Pokemon group which represented the Four Classical Elements. The closest we've gotten has been the Super Ancient Trio: Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza; the only one we're missing here is Fire which eventually Groudon also represents. Honestly I'm surprised an Elite Four has never been made using them, looking through them the closest we got was Kalos if you have Wikstrom represent Earth and Drasna represent Air.

Actually, wait, there was ONE Pokemon game that semi-directly referenced the Four Classical Elements: the first Pokemon Ranger. At one point in the game you enter a location called the Jungle Relic where you complete a set of four challenges which awakens Entei: Challenge of Water, Challenge of Wind, Challenge of Destruction, and a final challenge which never got a name. Each challenge you faced a "dragon" Pokemon: Water is (two) Kindra, Wind is a Flygon, Destruction is a Salamence, and the final challenge is Charizard. While the challenge names don't line up, the Types of the dragons match with the Classical Elements; Kingdra is Water, Flygon is Earth, Salamence is Air, and Charizard is Fire. FUN FACT: Those four Pokemon appear on the box art of the first game:
Pok%C3%A9mon_Ranger_Coverart.png
 
Another element system I've seen around (but don't remember the correct name for) is fire/earth/metal/water/wood, which also includes the three starter type. Though it does also come with its own type asymmetries that don't fully line up with pokemon's: water->wood->fire is more of a creative/transformative process, while water is weak to earth instead of beating Ground/Rock.
 
Ironmage said:
Another element system I've seen around (but don't remember the correct name for) is fire/earth/metal/water/wood, which also includes the three starter type. Though it does also come with its own type asymmetries that don't fully line up with pokemon's: water->wood->fire is more of a creative/transformative process, while water is weak to earth instead of beating Ground/Rock.
Click to expand...

That's the Chinese Wuxing, or Five Phases. And, as the Wikipedia pages shows, there's quite a few cycles you can create from it. I don't think Pokemon Type system can replicate it all at once (at least not without form changing), but by adding secondary Type to one you can create some complete cycles:
  • Inter-promoting (Pokemon Resistance): Wood (Grass) > Fire (Fire) > Earth (Rock/Ground) > Metal (Steel) > Water (Water) > Wood (Grass)
  • Weakenning (Pokemon Weakness): Wood (Grass) > Water (Water) > Metal (Steel/Ground) > Earth (Rock) > Fire (Fire) > Wood (Grass)
  • Inter-regulating (Pokemon Weakness): Wood (Grass) > Earth (Ground/Electric) > Water (Water) > Fire (Fire) > Metal (Steel/Bug) > Wood (Grass)
  • Counteracting (Pokemon Resistance): Wood (Grass) > Metal (Steel) > Fire (Fire) > Water (Water) > Earth (Ground/Dragon)
 
Pikachu315111 said:
Hm, I find that a bit of a stretch.

Thinking about it, there really hasn't been any Pokemon group which represented the Four Classical Elements. The closest we've gotten has been the Super Ancient Trio: Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza; the only one we're missing here is Fire which eventually Groudon also represents.
Click to expand...

Honestly I’d say the Treasures of Ruin do a good job. Obviously though they really have no ingame relevance sadly. Glad Chien-pao is Ice anyway - basically water though.
 
Coronis said:
Honestly I’d say the Treasures of Ruin do a good job. Obviously though they really have no ingame relevance sadly. Glad Chien-pao is Ice anyway - basically water though.
Click to expand...

Which one is Air? Not Wo-Chien, but it's the only one you can't "directly" match to an element.
 
The one nice thing about Picnic is you will see them all the time because it feels like it's all your Pokemon do half the time the millisecond you send them out.

At least we finally get to see the unique sleeping animations they made for every single Pokemon but you could only rarely see in Amie/Refresh/Camp
 
Yung Dramps said:
View attachment 534180
i like it when the pokemon go honk shoo mimimimi
Click to expand...
This reminds me how fun I find Sneasler. After going into a very "this is basically a person" design proportion which tends to be odd for animal-behaving Mons, they just went whole hog and gave it a sassy Ojou/Queen-Bee set of mannerisms (50-50 Gender ratio but I feel like they're designed around the Ride Sneasler who I recall from dialogue is Female).
 
pika pal said:
This reminds me how fun I find Sneasler. After going into a very "this is basically a person" design proportion which tends to be odd for animal-behaving Mons, they just went whole hog and gave it a sassy Ojou/Queen-Bee set of mannerisms (50-50 Gender ratio but I feel like they're designed around the Ride Sneasler who I recall from dialogue is Female).
Click to expand...
Related
https://shinyv.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F709291856925802496
 
I like how regional variants have pretty much run the gamut of things you can do to a Pokemon’s type.

1. Monotype Pokémon keeps its type: Basculin

2. Monotype Pokémon changes to a different monotype: Vulpix, Meowth (Alolan and Galarian), Persian, Ponyta, Tauros (Combat), Darumaka, Darmanitan (Standard)

3. Monotype Pokémon becomes dual-type by gaining a new secondary type: Raichu, Diglett, Dugtrio, Growlithe, Arcanine, Grimer, Muk, Voltorb, Electrode, Weezing, Typhlosion, Samurott, Lilligant, Avalugg

4. Monotype Pokémon becomes dual-type by gaining a new primary type and shifting its previous monotype to secondary: Rattata, Raticate, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Yamask, Sliggoo, Goodra

5. Monotype Pokémon becomes dual-type by gaining two entirely new types: Sandshrew, Sandslash, Ninetales, Rapidash, Marowak, Tauros (Blaze and Aqua), Zorua, Zoroark

6. Dual-type Pokémon becomes monotype by shedding its primary type: Slowpoke

7. Dual-type Pokémon becomes monotype by replacing both of its types with a single new type: Farfetch’d, Corsola,

8. Dual-type Pokémon changes its primary type: Slowbro, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Wooper, Slowking, Qwilfish, Braviary

9. Dual-type Pokémon changes its secondary type: Geodude, Graveler, Golem, Exeggutor, Stunfisk, Decidueye

10. Dual-type Pokémon shifts its primary type to secondary and gains a new primary type: Mr. Mime, Darmanitan (Zen)

11. Dual-type Pokémon replaces both of its types with new types: Sneasel

Unless I’m missing something, I think the only permutations they haven’t used are “Dual-type Pokémon keeps both of its types,” “Dual-type Pokémon becomes monotype by shedding its secondary type,” and “Dual-type Pokémon shifts its secondary type to primary and gains a new secondary type.”

I just like this because, although I know that type order is kind of arbitrary and doesn’t usually make much of a difference, for me it serves as a sort of visual representation of the flexibility of the regional form concept.
 
Last edited:
R_N said:
Related
https://shinyv.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F709291856925802496
Click to expand...

And still in my game I think Sneasler has a higher opinion of my than Wyrdeer cause, at the very least, when I first got Sneasler I didn't first thing jump off a high cliff (after being just told Wrydeer isn't able to take falls from high cliffs)...

Coronis said:
The Paldean Gym Leaders are some of my favourites in the series. Particularly Larry, Grusha, Iono, Kofu and Ryme stand iut from the others imo. Very memorable.
Click to expand...

While I still prefer the Gen V line-up, but I won't lie that since I'd say Gen 7 they've been pretty good with giving the Type Specialists memorable personalities or at least some hidden depths.

New Liked Little Thing: Tera Type Choice of (some) of the Mighty Tera Raids
While I find the Mighty Tera Raids to sometimes be total BS (though that does extend to more with how much I don't like certain aspects of Tera Raids), I do like how some of them show off how tricky it can make certain Pokemon:
  • Dragon Charizard: While not a major one as I think most Dragon-types can learn Fire-type Moves, it's still a case where Ice-types are still in plenty danger since Charizard still gets its Fire STAB.
  • Poison Greninja: A double whammy, Greninja's Water & Dark perfectly covers the weaknesses of Poison.
  • Bug Samurott: Fire & Rock may not be the best pest control here.
  • Ice Inteleon: They really don't like Fire & Rock, huh?
  • Rock Chesnaught: Another double whammy, and this is actually a funny case. The Rock Weaknesses that Chesnaught counters is Water, Steel, and Ground. The two it doesn't? Grass and Fighting!
  • Fairy Delphox: Ugh, the most recent one. Also a double whammy (say, I just realized the three "double whammy" were all the Kalos Starters, huh), Steel and Poison would learn its not this magic user's crutch.
The next one has been revealed and it's an interesting one: Normal Rillaboom. Rillaboom doesn't naturally counter Fighting-types so it's an aesthetic choice like Fighting Cinderace, Water Pikachu, Flying Decidueye, and Ghost Typholosion. These Rillaboom are probably going to have Boomburst, though it is going off their weakest stat so who knows how this will go.
 
The chat about Champions using low-tier species in the "things that annoy you" thread reminded me how much I like Blue's Champion team in Yellow: Sandslash, Exeggutor, Alakazam, two of Ninetales, Magneton, and Cloyster, and one of Vaporeon, Jolteon, or Flareon correspondingly.

So at least three Pokemon generally agreed to be pretty crap, one that's decent, and two that are high-tier. In terms of BST it's definitely a downgrade from his RB team, but ironically because he actually uses semi-competent movesets here pound for pound it's actually... unironically much better? Exeggutor sneaks in because Grass isn't part of the starter trio in this game and Alakazam is the only other species retained... I guess because there's not really anything to replace it with (I mean he could have possibly used Hypno? But the Abra line fits way better, so... no). Only knows Psychic moves but that's all you need when nothing is immune to it and it hits like a truck.

Like Sandslash is pretty unimpressive but Earthquake makes it a genuine threat, and it has Poison Sting for an additional nasty surprise. Should really have had something else instead of Fury Swipes but hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves - two Normal moves is practically restrained by Gen I standards...

1689852569875.png


Meanwhile his elementals all have actually really good movesets! And so do his Eeveelutions!

1689852866607.png
1689852897992.png


1689853015230.png
1689853044194.png
1689853025486.png


Part of me really wants to see someone use Blue's Champion teams against each other because I feel like, as impressive as his RB squads are on paper, his Yellow teams would destroy them every single time.
 
Last edited:
QuentinQuonce said:
Like Sandslash is pretty unimpressive but Earthquake makes it a genuine threat, and it has Poison Sting for an additional nasty surprise. Should really have had something else instead of Fury Swipes but hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves - two Normal moves is practically restrained by Gen I standards...
Click to expand...
People always seem to forget that Sandslash has 100 Attack and 110 Defense. Probably because it has no good (or any in Gen I) Ground moves without TMs so they never use it. Also evolves from Sandshrew at Level 22, which is super early considering those physical stats.

It's no Rhydon, but you could do way worse considering Dig is an early TM and has 100 Base Power in Gen I.
 
Karxrida said:
People always seem to forget that Sandslash has 100 Attack and 110 Defense. Probably because it has no good (or any in Gen I) Ground moves without TMs so they never use it. Also evolves from Sandshrew at Level 22, which is super early considering those physical stats.

It's no Rhydon, but you could do way worse considering Dig is an early TM and has 100 Base Power in Gen I.
Click to expand...

Well exactly, it has a pretty poor movepool. Outside of Earthquake it's basically Submission and Rock Slide and it's outclassed on that front by both Rhydon and Golem which have better movepools and higher stats in addition to STAB on Rock moves.

It's hardly the worst Pokemon but it is a pretty underwhelming choice for a Champion to use, which was my initial point.
 
I think it's the lack of movepool that is precisely WHY Sandslash is allowed to get those stats that (relatively) early game. Stuff like Rhydon and Golem take longer to get access to their power (whether by later evolution, later level up, or the TM access and timing), but they have much higher ceilings given that investment. Sandslash is basically using its stats as a crutch for a less impressive movepool, so its damage is higher in the early game when everything's using the same stuff compared to later when he doesn't get the same.

It reminds me a bit of the progression for something like Red Mages in Final Fantasy, or early route Com-Mons/Bugs within the series to a less intense degree: Sandslash is stronger/low-investment to do things early game, but trails behind late if you want to stick with him rather than switch to something that's stronger for more investment by then. Sandslash is less extreme in that he CAN manage that sufficient performance, he just takes more investment later as a trade off for his low-investment early game.



Also to avoid a double post, something I find fun in Pokemon is just thinking about weird layered/niche jokes that are funny but also only make sense to me from being so entrenched in this franchise. For example: Seeing the phrase "Ting-Boom" in the OU forum making me imagine something like Ting-Lu with Gen 1-4 Explosion (i.e. "If a mon gets this, there WILL be a set using it" powerful)
 
pika pal said:
I think it's the lack of movepool that is precisely WHY Sandslash is allowed to get those stats that (relatively) early game. Stuff like Rhydon and Golem take longer to get access to their power (whether by later evolution, later level up, or the TM access and timing), but they have much higher ceilings given that investment. Sandslash is basically using its stats as a crutch for a less impressive movepool, so its damage is higher in the early game when everything's using the same stuff compared to later when he doesn't get the same.

It reminds me a bit of the progression for something like Red Mages in Final Fantasy, or early route Com-Mons/Bugs within the series to a less intense degree: Sandslash is stronger/low-investment to do things early game, but trails behind late if you want to stick with him rather than switch to something that's stronger for more investment by then. Sandslash is less extreme in that he CAN manage that sufficient performance, he just takes more investment later as a trade off for his low-investment early game.
Click to expand...
I kind of get what you mean but Graveler is available at level 25, 3 levels after Sandslash and has roughly equivalent Attack & Defense. The rest is lower but both of them are still roughly equally bad in those stats anyway.

I'm sure there was some thoughts behind the scenes about why the movepools are like they are to minutae like this but I don't think this is quite it.



actually, backing up to Rhydon a second
I wouldn't even say it has the better movepool. Like Sandslash it's reliant on TMs to get the good things. It gets STAB Rock Slide which is better, of course, but the rest of the pool is...well its bigger but not "better". It's probably never going to use Mega Punch, Mega Kick...it has the special moves but those are. Bad. For it. Like it's nice that the option is there? But not something that has me go "yeah they should have had Rhydon)
It has better relevant stats, though, but Sandslash itself is still fine. Survives the "jsut replace it with this late game option"-itis than some of the bugs or early normal types, at least.
 
Okay so, I’ve been gone from this place for forever, but that doesn’t matter let me get on with the post, this is gonna be really long

I just finished Pokémon Violet a few days ago and my god. Area Zero is the most stunning thing I’ve experienced in a Pokémon game. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not someone’s who only played the likes of Pokémon games or other properties published by Nintendo. This praise comes from the heart.

Violet was ok up until that point; I liked the characters (Nemona was a huge hit for me) and the battles were fun. The caveat was that the world was too empty at times, I was having fun exploring and all and I loved using Miraidon’s various modes to get to various places but overall, there wasn’t too much to do other than take classes at the school.

Then, when Area Zero came around, my opinion on the game completely flipped. First of all, I loved the ragtag party energy that came from Arven, Nemona and Penny, they truly felt like they had a good dynamic with one another, makes me wish more Pokémon games had segments where you travelled with all your friends/rivals. I love the design of Area Zero itself, I’m a sucker for spirals into the abyss, but there’s stuff to find as well, not to mention the run ins with the Paradox Pokemon (awesome concept btw). It made me laugh a little when Penny was happy that there was a Delibird down there, I was a little bit like, 'Does she know?' due to Iron Bundle’s prowess in competitive.

Area Zero also looks great (from an artistic standpoint anyway) the way the sun reaches through the cloudiness that covers the crater revealing such an unimaginable place is so good.
The music was also godlike, really gave this place a great 'this is the endgame' vibe, I guess that’s what you get when Toby Fox composes it.

As for the plot, it was actually really really good. When you go deeper and deeper into the place, obviously there’s exposition but also the way it’s done is really nice, between Arven telling you things, Turo telling you things and the books that the real Turo left behind at the research stations, it allows the player to piece things together in such a nice way. Then the climax comes and to be honest? I don’t know if there’s ever been anything like it in a Pokémon game for me. The truth of the professors, the AI fighting you, the second Miraidon, the Paradise Protection Protocol implying that the dead professors were actually the villains in the long run even if they had good intentions, the first Miraidon finally overcoming its fear of the second, the Professor disappearing into the future…

To me, it’s like if Pokémon took a look at other JRPGs and took a page from their book: Xenoblade, Nier, SMT, etc. That isn’t to say Pokemon didn’t have the JRPG sauce before; I’d argue Gen 4 was pretty high up there, what with deities of time and space and a possibly Satan parallel with Giratina and the Distortion world. But this entire area had me so captivated unlike anything else in Pokémon, I think it’d be fair to call it a 'perfect storm' of sorts.

Really well and truly, I just wanted to gush about this place. Hopefully in the future we’ll see more areas like Area Zero that are the culmination of the entire journey (probably why Gen BW1’s plot is so good as well, the climax is the end of the journey).
I’ve seen a lot of people claim SV was absolutely terrible with little to no redeeming features, so I was pleasantly surprised when this effectively galvanized my energy towards it, they’re solid games, unfortunately plagued by a horrendous release that’s shouldn’t be forgotten lest it happens again.

TL;DR: Area Zero good, music good, plot good, a lot of rambling, made me think higher of Pokémon Violet.

Sorry if this was really long and wordy.
 
So took a quick look at the Pokemon Youtube Channel today and noticed they have a little series of videos called "Pokémon Championships History" about memorable moments in the VGC. It only has 4 episodes, the first two were posted months ago though the recent two are only a few weeks ago so it's on a bit of an erratic schedule (and for all we know the 4th was the last episode, especially since it covered THAT VGC moment). Instead of posting the videos here gonna just link to the Youtube videos:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top