#Finding evolved Pokemon out in the wild that are lower leveled than when they evolve... uh. in captivity? with trainers?

[eorziapple]

Professor Apple's Pokemon Snap: Florio Nature Park Nighttime First expedition!

After sorting through my notes this afternoon, I wanted to get another walk in to begin recording the nocturnal species of Florio for my Photodex.

First up is no stranger, likely one of the must prolific species of bug pokemon, Caterpie is a frequent guest of many home gardens and nature paths in both urban and rural communities. I kept my distance, not wanting to get tangled up in the sticky webbing it sprays out when feeling threatened.

Much to my surprise, a threat was lurking close by, as a large Pinsir was burrowed nearby. Pinsir tend to be ambush predators, using Dig to wait under the earth, using their horns as feelers for any prey that wanders above their mound. I was surprised to see a Pinsir within the same territory as a Herracross, typically the two species tend to run each other off their territory, perhaps a newcomer, or they're still competing and battling it out? We might capture quite the brawl if we're lucky!

While pidgeys are quite common bird pokemon, their fully evolved form is quite a rarity, only earned through vast experience and aptitude soaring through the skies. They tend to be solitary birds, swooping down to snatch up large prey, typically fish or larger insect species. I was thrilled to capture a photo of one so close!

Next up, a little secret for why I chose this region, my first glimpse of the mysterious Illumina phenomenon! Some creatures and flora were rumored to be spotted with an unusual glow about them. And it was hard to miss this one!

This Swanna was breathtaking in flight, basking in a vibrant blue glow. This is not unlike bioluminescence, several deep sea pokemon exhibit this, but it doesn't seem to originate from a move or some level of genetics. So far the scientific community here is quite perplexed as to the cause. Excited to be part of the team figuring it out!

My hear just about leapt out of my chest at this site. Unsurprisingly this Grooky and Pichu have evaded my notice thusfar, smaller pokemon like this tend to be skittish and unlikely to approach people until they feel comfortable around them. It's fascinating to see them out in the wild like this, I worry a bit that they were released by a person, but it's not unheard of. Clearly though, they felt completely safe in the care of this massive Torterra, as well they should be! Even the Dodrio would think twice about snacking on them with such a fearsome protector! (Also.... cuuuuute!)

That being said, I did get scolded by some Murkrow as I lingered at the scene. These nocturnal birds tend to forage for food at night in large flocks, looking for wurmple and caterpie to eat, no doubt. They are heavily intelligent birds, and likely were catching on that I was scaring off their prey. I took the scolding and moved on, not wanting to mess up their night.

Was happy to hear the call that earned the Hoothoot its name. Brought back good memories of the one that had nested in my backyard as a child, though my parents weren't overly fond of its nighttime serenade. Hoothoot have two legs, despite typically only perching with one most of the time. It's unknown why the exhibit this behavior, possibly the other foot engages in grooming, or perhaps they switch legs from time to time to rest the other.

I honestly thought the magikarp I had spotted early had died,as I found it still, beached on a rock, even more of a dire predicament than earlier, it had only beached itself more! However, it apparently was sleeping, and was startled by my approach, flopping about before drifting back to sleep. Do Magikarp even need to be in water like other fish pokemon? Weird.

As I approached the garden, a buzzing noise caught my attention, and I snapped a picture of these little guys. And I say guys quite literally. Male combee lack the teltale red crest on the lower heads... head. Many trainers find this a disappointing encounter, as male combees do not evolve, content to be workers for their large hive colonies. Unfortunately for trainers, most combee are male. Nice to see these little poillinators getting to work on those flowers!

Another surprise just as I was exiting the park back to the research station. While many partner pokemon like Grooky and Pichu are of the skittish nature, Scorbunny clearly is not. I guess after scoping me out, he leapt up on the signpost and put on a display for me. Scorbunnies use their quick feet to create friction, and produce flame using a method not unlike striking a match. He'd clerly been practicing his Flame Kick move, and wanted to show it off! I gave him an applause, which seemed to please him quite a bit. It's easy to see why some pokemon make natural partners!

[viiviidlights]

It's been at least One Whole Day so. That means it's time for...

TWSTERY DUNGEON AU LORE Part 7 - Team Mirror

Main Parts: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 (You Are Here!!!)

Like always, please lmk if you'd like to be tagged in future posts!

Tags: @nrcsfavoriteshrimps @gremlin-box

Ok so. We're almost done with teams! Five out of seven, baby!

Team Mirror is, according to Guildmaster Corviknight, the second oldest rescue team associated with the Nightwing Guild (since Team Nightwing is, of course, the establishing team). It's full of very particular and proud pokemon who herald themselves as the best of the best (...despite the fact that Team Thorn has been outperforming them for quite some time now). Many of the pokemon in this team are quite prissy and dislike taking on missions that require getting messy, but thankfully not every member is like that! Really, their mission is to become the best of the best, with their leader Milotic seeking to help his team realize their full potential. They'll take on most missions without too much complaint, as long as it doesn't mean getting too dirty... (Which they will then be scolded for by Milotic. After all, you can't be a polished gem without being a little roughed up at one point or another).

There are three main members to take into account when it comes to these stunning scouts and ravishing rescuers.

Milotic - The ever stylish and stunning leader of Team Mirror. Before becoming a rescue team leader, he was already well known amongst the residents of Sage Town as a fashion model and actor hailing from the Chromatic City. Milotic is very strict when it comes to his team members, expecting nothing less than perfection from them (though he's always willing to help them achieve this perfection in his own way). He seems to have a one-sided rivalry with a member of the Dayblade Rescue Guild.

Nature: Bold. Somewhat Vain.

Ability: Competitive - When a stat is lowered for this pokemon, its Special Attack will rise by 2 stages.

Moveset: Alluring Voice, Surf, Dragon Dance, Dragon Pulse.

Special Move: Toxic.

Decidueye - The eccentric co-leader of Team Mirror and one of Milotic's number one fans. He doesn't talk much about himself, but instead prefers to gush over the things he finds "beautiful" (including his own leader). He's also incredibly hyperaware of his surroundings - a result of his upbringing as a skilled hunter and scout. He might seem unnerving at times, but he's a surprisingly genuine individual who wants to help the members of his team realize their true, beautiful potential. Decidueye was once a member of Team Wilds, but was compelled to leave to join Team Mirror when witnessing their beauty firsthand in a dungeon.

Nature: Jolly. Mischievous.

Ability: Long Reach - This pokemon can use its moves without making contact with the target.

Moveset: Spirit Shackle, Air Cutter, Leaf Storm, Feather Dance.

Special Move: Lock-On.

Applin (Later Flapple) - Applin is a rookie member of Team Mirror who, despite looking like he'd fit right in as a darling little apple pokemon, could not feel more out of place. He might not look strong at first, but he packs quite a punch. Applin hates being perceived as a weakling by other guild members and will often do whatever he can to prove himself to others, even if it isn't always the best idea (read: venturing off on high level quests without any sort of support...). He looks up to Pyroar and the other members of Team Wilds. Eventually, during a particularly sticky situation involving an Eternal Pokemon and a frustrating lack of power, Applin evolves into Flapple in order to better support his teammates and accepts his position as a member of Team Mirror.

Nature: Hardy. Likes to Fight.

Ability (Applin): Bulletproof - Ball and Bomb moves (Bullet Seed, Aura Sphere, Energy Ball, etc.) will not hit this pokemon.

Ability (Flapple): Hustle - Raises the users Attack by 50%, but decreases move accuracy.

Moveset (Applin): Astonish, Rollout, Pounce, Sucker Punch.

Moveset (Flapple): Dragon Pulse, Protect, Grav Apple, Endeavor.

Special Move: Draining Kiss

And that's it for the gorgeous gorgeous guys in Pomf! Once again, any interaction is appreciated (including asks, btw [/nf]) and please let me know if you'd like to be tagged in future installments!

[dekupalace]

Tell me about your pokemon OCs please :D?

[took forever to get to this cause I didn't get a notif for it???] I didn't think I'd get this far...

most of the "ocs" are the customizable protags from the newer games BUT...I do have one (1) original with their own little backstory

say hi to auria !! (image made with this picrew)

uh-ohhh arceus fucked up! when sending the legends protag back to hisui, a few others got warped around in time! and auria was no exception!

auria is originally from hisui, but was sent forward in time (a couple years after ethan/lyra would become champion) and now lives in the woods around ecruteak city in johto. she's now found herself with nothing but a book full of pokemon sketches and notes (her pokedex), the clothes on her back, and her first name...

and her team of course!

in order: sage, spark, splash, sprout, sneaks, scout

but who knows how the people of johto would react to seeing such a strange typhlosion...

(more backstory under the cut) [cw for pokemon death and a lil bit of violence]

auria was always very interested in pokemon and loved researching them and studying them before she was ever discovered and brought in by the survey corps (NOT the galaxy team. it's the team rocket equivalent basically). she had run away from home at a very young age in order to join an expedition team cause it was her live-long dream of finding out what these pokemon were all about. at her age, however, pokemon were more feared than anything else, so she was relied on heavily to do most of the research given her bravery around them. she even made pokeballs by herself, though not nearly as stable or useful as they were once she was taught how to make them properly, but it was basically enough to make others trust her to get the job done

auria put ALL of her time and energy into pokemon, up to the point of barely speaking with other humans over the years, only communicating with her team and other wild pokemon. one of the last pokemon she caught for her team was...a shy, terrified teddiursa. auria didn't want to force it to be a part of her team, so she offered it food and let it be afterwards. with this act of kindness, the teddiursa started coming back for more food, and eventually learned to trust auria and stay with her. auria decided to name the little teddiursa "sweetie"

she did everything for her team, though sweetie was basically the runt of the team...it hardly fought due to its fear and anxiety, but that didn't stop auria from loving it as much as the rest of her pokemon. while the others evolved and got stronger...sweetie stayed at a lower level and continued to be small. auria was basically carrying it around like a baby for a majority of their time together, but this wasn't necessarily a bad thing by any means

one day, while auria and her team were sound asleep at their campsite, some researchers from the survey corps had snuck up on them. auria was bonding with these "dangerous beasts" WAY too easily, and it led a lot of the team to not trust her anymore, especially considering her lack of communication once she were given the resources to continue her own catching and research on her own terms. so...they had approached the camp with weapons and some of their own pokemon, and sweetie was the only one awake at the time, and jumped out to protect auria. and in its moment of heroism...it evolved into ursaring, letting out a terrifying roar that scared the researchers and woke up auria, just in time for her to witness her precious sweetie...get killed in front of her very eyes.

the anguish she felt...it sent auria over the edge and she screamed, attacking the researchers with her pokemon. they were begging and attempting to say it was a misunderstanding, or that they were just trying to help save her from the dangers of her team...but she didn't give them a chance. after the survey corps members retreated, auria ran off as well with the rest of her team, leaving herself with only her pokemon for comfort, never to be found by the expedition team again

originally, she had planned on getting revenge. she trained her team until all of them were fully evolved and powerful, she found and caught a very high level garchomp and trained it to attack without mercy...it was going scarily well. but then she suddenly found herself feeling dizzy, light-headed...and she woke up in the middle of some unfamiliar woods. she was not in hisui anymore

now, fearful of the unknown, she survives in the woods with her pokemon, and tries to learn about the modern world without being noticed so she can eventually show herself confidently...or find a way back to hisui so she can finish what she started

whatever comes first...

[kariachi]

Oh look, a fakemon line entirely unrelated to the first one!

~

Pacub

The Wild Cat Pokemon

Ice/Normal

Base Stage

A small, pudgy cat-like pokemon that walks bipedally, eyes are large, round, and yellow, ears are wide and triangular, one ear is folded, long bottlebrush tail, tuft of fur between the ears, main color light brown, has a white-blue stripe down the spine and white-blue underbelly, body is spotted in dark brown, white-blue patch over each eye ringed in dark brown, rings trail into teartrack marks down face, paws and tail tip or dark brown, nose is blue

Ability- Unnerve [Hidden Ability- Healer]

BST- 352 (HP- 58; Atk- 63; Def- 51; SpAtk- 62; SpDef- 53; Spd- 66)

Evolves: Leveling over lvl 35 (Trailinx) OR Losing 20 consecutive battles (Katamount) OR Reaching maximum friendship (Kolkatt)

Moves (nonexhaustive): Slash, Frost Breath, Charm, Haze, Beat Up

"Though common in mountainous areas, Pacub aren't commonly seen by people. This pokemon digs nests in snowbanks from which it ambushes prey such as Skwovet and Vullaby." "Born with a wild temperament, this pokemon is known to lash out at even those helping it. Still some find Pacub cute, and the chill air that emanates from it is useful for soothing burns."

Trailinx

The Wild Cat Pokemon

Ice/Normal

Final Stage

A mid-sized quadrupedal feline pokemon with angular yellow eyes, body is notably long, tail is very short and bristly, pockmarked with jagged dark brown stripes like scars, one stripe goes over an eye, 'mane' of stiff white fur runs down the spine, occasionally broken up where stripes are, ears are triangular and end in dark brown tufts, main body color is light blue, eyes have white rings around them, rings trail off into teartrack marks down the face and into mustache-and-beard-like fur around the jaw and throat, paws are white, nose is dark blue

Ability- Immunity [Hidden Ability- Snow Cloak]

BST- 500 (HP- 93; Atk- 97; Def- 71; SpAtk- 54; SpDef- 75; Spd- 101)

Moves (nonexhaustive): Double Team, Snowscape, Ice Shard, Crunch, Fake Out, Swords Dance, Stone Edge

"When snowstorms rage is when Trailinx can be found on the hunt for it's preferred prey of Lamchen and it's evolutions. Legend says they hunt in groups, but this pokemon actually lives a solitary life." "A favorite of hunters, it's said that no person or pokemon can find a target with the ease of Trailinx. Be warned however, as this pokemon will take more prey than necessary if not well trained. Gardiron is it's mortal enemy."

Katamount

The Wailing Pokemon

Ice/Ghost

Final Stage

A mid-sized quadrupedal feline pokemon with angular red eyes, posses saber teeth in light blue, top half of the head along with chest are also light blue, square light blue spots run down the spine and long tail, main color is dark purple- makes up majority of hind quarters, belly, lower jaw, throat, and broad vertical stripes within the blue of the chest, dark purple patch surrounds each eye, patches trail off into teartrack marks down the face, ears are small round and dark purple, white blaze in the center of the chest, paws and tailtip are white, nose is dark blue

Ability- Unnerve [Hidden Ability- Ice Body]

BST- 500 (HP- 74; Atk- 71; Def- 73; SpAtk- 96; SpDef- 83; Spd- 95)

Moves (nonexhaustive): Shadow Ball, Spite, Mist, Blizzard, Eerie Spell, Mean Look

"Repeated failure has prompted Pacub to evolve into this pokemon and hide itself away in deep mountain and forests. Katamount's cries sound eerily like those of a young woman or child." "Katamount uses it's haunting call to lure prey deep into the woods and mountains at night. Every year people follow it's cries into darkness with the best intentions, only to never return."

Kolkatt

The Hearth Pokemon

Fire/Fairy

Final Stage

A large quadrupedal feline pokemon with semi-circular green eyes, covered in long, thick fur, ears are triangular with one folded, fur is colored in pink and red-orange striping and fades to dark gray and then fire fire at the ends, eyes are ringed with dark gray patches, one of which is heart-shaped, patches trail off into teartracks down the face, is it fat or just fluffy nobody is entirely sure, tail is long, lower jaw and belly are white as are paws and tail tip, large silver bell hangs from somewhere around the neck, nose is bright blue

Ability- Limber [Hidden Ability- Queenly Majesty]

BST- 550 (HP- 97; Atk- 85; Def- 79; SpAtk- 98; SpDef- 81; Spd- 110)

Moves (nonexhaustive): Mystical Fire, Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off, Dazzling Gleam, Heal Bell, Slack Off, Healing Wish, Haze, Lunge

"In ancient times individuals settling new villages made sure to bring a Kolkatt with them. It's believed having one of this pokemon in your home will grant good health." "Happy to lay for hours without moving, this pokemon has long been popular as a makeshift stove and fireplace. Despite this laziness, however, Kolkatt have been known to pull carts and wagons in the past."

[flowerliker]

Hello Bryony. Im currently looking through pokemon options, and I recalled you're quite the expert is grass types. This is all ideas for the future, nothing immediate, but I thought I may as well ask.

Do you know of any lower care needs pokemon? Of course all pokemon require some level of care which I'm able to provide, but I'm rather stressed out at the seemingly never ending high maintenance pokemon... Im not planning on battling in any serious measure, I'm mostly interested in companionship.

Im. Not the best at caring for myself (which I am working on), so I suppose I'm just concerned about having another thing fully rely on me. I'm financially stable and have a home that allows for pokemon, and my work allows people to bring in their pokemon if they're well behaved. And the houseplants I have arent dead, I have a watering schedule for them. I like schedules.

I suppose im just not very familair with pokemon, so any advice or ideas are appreciated. I am located Goldenrod if that helps?

(@alchemy-and-absols )

i do not know if i would consider myself an expert hehe but i like to think i know my stuff!!!! grass-types are a really good place to look for this sort of thing because even though lots of them do require a lot of particular care there are also plenty that make really good beginner pokémon!!! some of the grass-types i might recommend for you are:

chikorita!!! they are docile and sweet and generally do not require much more complicated care than what you might consider an expensive houseplant to need. they do need a little extra sun though!! ☀️ the other thing you have to be careful about is if they evolve they get very big, and also if you are not mindful about their diet, the aroma from bayleef in particular can turn into one that agitates anyone who smells it. care for it well though and it will go from something that keeps you nice and peppy to a calm and relaxing scent if it becomes a meganium!!! 🌸

sunflora!! of course i am biased hehe but sunflora is just the coolest 🌻 whether you want to raise it from a sunkern depends. they do not eat but instead like to drink up morning dew off of plants so even though there are definitely alternatives sunkern will still do best if you already have some kind of garden 🌱🌿🌷 other than that sunkern do not really do much unless you carry them hehe but sunflora are very high energy!!! they are friendly and will love to just do things with you!!! they need a lot of sun and you will be happiest with them if you are a morning person because when night comes they fold up their petals and go straight to bed

turtwig!! 🐢 they become more complicated to care for and also very big if you let them evolve but i think if you get one an everstone you could be very happy with your little turtwig friend hehe. they are very hardy, show obvious signs of not getting enough water with their leaf sprout, and generally are docile and sweet!!! they photosynthesize so you do not need to worry about having to feed them extra (but they will still enjoy treats of course hehe). because they are native to colder climates you will have to be especially on top of their watering regimen but like i said they are tough little fellas so they should do ok even in johto!!!

leafeon! 🌿 leafeon are also surprisingly hardy and also use photosynthesis to take care of most of their dietary needs. the big difficulty will be obtaining one because if you are not careful about getting an eevee from a breeder you may end up with one whose family line is a little spoiled and so they have gotten most of that foresty hardiness bred out of them and they will require more delicate care... but of course wild eevee are hard to come by and it will be harder to tell their temperament. i do not know as much about eevee care so i would suggest finding a local expert on those for better advice about picking one out!!

sprigatito! 🐱 this is another pokémon who i think would be best off in your care alongside an everstone but it behaves similarly to a lot of feline pokémon like skitty so resources on care for them are abundant. they are playful and sweet but will do very well with just a house's worth of space and enough of a yard to get the sun they need ☀️

hoppip!! 🍃 hoppip are hard for me to recommend a lot of the time because they do not do well in all climates but you already live in johto!!! hoppip are extremely docile and mostly just happy to be here hehe, the whole line is like that. just be sure you have measures to keep them from getting blown away in the wind ok? i recommend only going out with them with a nice long string attached to them like a little hoppip balloon hehe 🎈

i think those are probably my best recommendations!!! if you have any more questions about any of them or any others let me know ok? but i did not want to list too many and overwhelm you either!!

[prof-peach]

Hey Prof, I need your advice.

My sister recently decided she didn't wanted her bulbasaur anymore (she got him on a whim about a month ago) and gave him to me, he is quite violent and tends to attack when I try to get close to him.

Now, that wouldn't be a huge problem, but my Purrloin has gotten hurt trying to befriend him, she's quite outgoing and never really liked fighting (we enjoy contests so she knows a few more flashy attacks), so she couldn't even defend herself properly.

I don't want to give up on him and my local rescue center is filled with Bunearies (you know, after Easter kids don't want their Bunny anymore) so they can't take him in right now, any advice in how I can go about this situation?

Sounds to me like you have a tricky little dude on your hands. So you're not battle orientated which will make this harder, Bulbasaur in the wild are actually quite combat minded to defend their families and territory, and a lot of their herds consist of strict hierarchy based on power and skill, often led by older, fully evolved members of their group. 

Before you take any actions to befriend them, its worth noting that any pokemon who comes into your care showing aggression is usually doing so for one or two reasons that are pretty universal for any species. Fear being the main issue with pokemon who have been ditched, if a pokemon is unwell, if it feels exposed, if it is unsure of you or your home, your partners, it may lash out because it is afraid. Even what looks like pure anger can stem from a fear. Of course some individuals are just full of rage, its not unheard of, but for the most part it comes from somewhere else. 

For a moment, take the time to put yourself in this pokemons shoes. It was chosen, with hopes and ambitions of its own, by your sister, a stranger to them, and for whatever reason they were cast aside. This reason may be unclear to the pokemon, it may be unfair, unkind, or even without malice just out of pure indifference. No matter the reason, this pokemon has been left behind by a trainer it at one point probably wanted to try to get along with. I don’t know what your sister may or may not have done, or provided for the bulbasaur, but it will help you understand how its feeling, if you were to ask her about their relationship prior to you receiving the pokemon. If it has always been aggressive and angry, i’d seriously consider talking to it about release, not rehome. 

We humans have a preconceived notion that pokemon are pets and things to keep with us. This may be true for some sure, but not every pokemon wishes to be a captive to a human, they may want more for themselves, and wish for a free life with their own kind. We cannot put our wants and desires above that of the pokemons, so you two need to have a talk, at a respectful distance for safeties sake, to see what the Bulbasaur feels they may want. These are herd pokemon, born and bred to be with their own kind, if not a larger group, if its lonely, if it wants to go home, to start a family, or simply to not be held in a ball as some creature to be owned, then you as its current carer must give it what you can. You can always find another pokemon who wants to be your partner, but you cannot give back lost years to a pokemon who has lived a life its unhappy with. Treat them with respect, and be open and honest. At the end of the day we have a chance to help pokemon, and forcing what we want onto them is a hinderance, and will lead to them feeling unsatisfied and bitter in the long run. 

Some pokemon lash out due to the process of being handed off to someone else, trust is earnt, not always just simply given to whoever holds the pokeball. Remember this as you move forward, and try to keep your other pokemon away from them, Bulbasaur are territorial species, and have to accept pokemon into their families before simply allowing them to come and go freely into their personal space. Despite their grouchy natures at times they usually do have a morally positive compass, and defend with ferocity when they love something. Perhaps in you showing genuine concern for their welfare and future, offering them not what you want, but instead what they want, they may give you a chance to get closer, but take baby steps, and try to be their friend above all else. I bet they're feeling pretty lonely right now. 

Its worth sharing interests with the pokemon, talk about contests, see if they're interested, some pokemon have a predisposition for this, others have no interest and prefer more battle based lives, or even peaceful non-competitive existences. no amount of pressure will change a pokemon’s nature, and some just aren't cut out for the fine art of showmanship that contests require. You can however use powerful attacks in showy ways, so theres always hope that they could enjoy it, if you can work with them to their strengths. 

If possible, work to getting them outdoors, cooping grass types up can lead to stroppy, testing personalities, many thrive in the outdoors, he may need some serious outside time to compensate for the lack of exercise and natural stimulation they may have not been getting prior to your ownership. There are plenty of areas in public that are much like tennis courts, areas of space you can book for a set amount of time too exercise difficult pokemon, these locations are often secure facilities, both outdoors and indoors, to suit a range of species. find one that has outdoor facilities and book a few hours per week to go there, increasing the time whenever possible. This exercise and time with you may help to find common ground, and topics that you and the bulbasaur can bond over. This can be anything from battles, to sun bathing, playing sports, games, swimming, running or digging, and everything in between. Bulbasaur naturally are great foragers and tend to like to snaffle about in long grass and shrubland, hiding treats like berry slices in a secure environment is good enrichment and can tire the pokemon out. a tired pokemon is usually a little less aggressive, having lower energy levels and less want to expend attacks. this process also associated you with something fun, and your scent will be on the treats too, so they'll know you were the one to provide this activity for them.   

I’d also take plenty of time to observe the bulbasaur, as your sister got them on a whim, they probably had no prior knowledge of the species, or how to correctly care for them. In a month, a health complaint could have begun to show, so observe their colouration, feet, walking gait, sleeping patterns, feeding habits, and general behaviour. Excess scratching, heavy breathing, or unusual shaking or moving can suggest a health condition is starting to take form. Most can be helped if caught early, but some illnesses give the pokemon discomfort, and can lead to snappy tempers and irritability. It could be that this individual is in pain, or finding life difficult due to its health, which can cause a lot of hostility as i’m sure anyone would agree. It can suck to be sick!

This species can be won over if you can prove you have a skill of worth to them. This is the case with a lot of pokemon, having respect for something they cannot do, and learning that they need things from you can lead to them at least tolerating us humans. Its a foot in the door. A trick i like t use with particularly difficult bulbasaur is to give them their fav food, whatever it is, then put it in a clear container the pokemon cannot open. They have no thumbs, and their vines though dexterous, aren't able to open every kind of container. The pokemon will want whats inside, and be unable to access it. they will eventually give up out of frustration. this is where you come in. enter the space, don’t let your pokemon approach as this can be threatening, and open the container. leave it on the floor open, making sure they've watched you get the thing open. They can then approach and enjoy their fav food, all thanks to you and those wondrous thumbs you have. repeating this process yields good results, and starts a mutual relationship of tolerance and acceptance between you and a bulbasaur. Most will accept they want the food more than they want you gone, and you provide something they can’t get to. whatever you do, don’t let them see that you were the one to lock the food up in the container. Get a friend to do it, or do it in the room, and leave it in place on the floor, before allowing the bulbasaur to enter and investigate the item. If they see you're the one doing it, the trick is foiled, and your back to square one. Eventually this does tend to lead to the pokemon becoming less stressed with you around them, and eventually it leads to trust, and even friendship. This trick is good to use to get them use to you, once they're ok with you being around them because of your use to them, they may start to take food from you directly, engage in play, or even just sit and tolerate company for short periods of time. Do not expect this to be quick, but it does usually do the trick. 

Regardless, i do have concern that the pokemon may want to be with its own, should you discuss this and find they're not interested in being housebound and a pet, feel free to send them our way, we had exactly this situation in mind when setting up the islands facilities, and have extensive locations designed with grass pokemosn needs at the forefront. Theres a small herd of about 12 bulbasaur evolutions that live north of our labs, no people see them, they are happy as a unit, and are left alone to go about their lives, with the only interactions between humans being us giving them their yearly health check, or should we spot them with an issue, we may intervene. They live away from others and pretty much free, in a poacher safe environment. Its not ideal, we like to keep pokemon in areas they come from, with people who love them, and you show great concern for the pokemon so it would be a shame to have to let them go, BUT sometimes thats just life, and theres nothing to be done about it other than accepting that the pokemons wants come first. They may just be mistrusting so try everything else first, and see how you go. hopefully you’ll yield some results from this all. Good luck out there trainer. 

[galladeblades]

Level 11 Salamence caught! Not level 10, but close enough. Oh my goddd, it took forever to encounter a Bagon. Luckily, it didn’t take as long for this baby dragon to show up. Wasn’t keeping track of how many encounters, but I think we just barely peaked over 30 calls. Didn’t take too long. I was half paying attention while playing Magikarp Jump.

Oh yeah, that Lapras. Not mine. He came from the GTS a long time ago. He was already trained to Level 100 and the person wanted a Cosmog or Milotic or something. Shiny Lapras is purple and it looks so beautiful and I wanted it so here we are. Still wanna breed one of my own.

 Anyway, Lapras is pretty bulky and has Ice Shard, weak priority Ice type move that knocks out the Bagons in one hit. Plus you can use 48 times [when PP ups are used]. Nice not having to worry about a move running out.

Little Dragonair has a buddy now! Caught her when trying to fish up a Dragonite for the Pokedex for a Shiny Charm. 

[turqrambles]

Digimon World - Midgame - Some Assorted Thoughts

At the time of writing this post, I’m sitting at around 31 Prosperity for the first Digimon World game for the PS1, which I could consider pretty mid-game for this type of game, so I just want to write down what I think about this little adventure.

For the record, I am talking about the original Playstation version of the game. The one with the T-rating (which feels way too high for this game since there’s no swear words and the battle damage is fantasy-level at best - is it because of all the poop in this game?) and the one with the CGI Metalgreymon on the cover for the NTSC versions of the game.

I’m playing this game on a physical copy that somehow survived like five moves on my PS3, just for reference. 

(Yes that’s that actual price I paid for it. That was a big price for little kid me.)

The Past Trials of My Schoolchild Self

First thing’s first - as a kid, I actually did not like this game very much!

For starters, I didn’t get very far in the game. My Digimon would keep pooping all over the place for one since I don’t think I fully understood the timing of this mechanic. I stopped playing the game when my Airdramon was one poop away from turning into a Sukamon and I found myself unable to stop it because I saved right before my Airdramon would make the final poop, thus trapping me in an unwinnable game loop. If I turned the game back on, I could only watch as my beautiful flying feathered snake transformed into a poop with eyeballs as I was powerless to stop it.

My Digimon had to suffer for my mistakes.

But besides that, I just found the game far too cryptic to figure out just what was going on, and my Digimon would never turn into anything cool. My Airdramon really was the coolest thing my Digimon ever evolved into, so the yellow turd Digimon really was like salt on a wound.

But, to add insult to injury, one time I hatched a baby Botamon and talked to the old man, only to have this giant dinosaur run up to me and blast the literal infant into smithereens.

Greymon is a dick.

What I remember from kid me’s file of this game - I finished the Drill Tunnel, I got to the dinosaur world one time, and I’m pretty sure I entered Myotismon’s mansion one time because out of sheer luck, my Agumon digivolved into a Bakemon one time.

I know what I didn’t do - I never recruited any of the shopkeeper Digimon so I was doing an itemless run as a kid. A big mistake, considering how important items are in this game!

A Brutal Beginning

Playing this game in 2020 when I’m an adult and have a better concept in how these types of games work is making this playthrough a lot easier for me, but don’t be fooled. This game is still pretty difficult.

I’m going to be real. One of the main turn offs for this game for a lot of players, especially little kids in the year 2000 with dial-up internet and no strategy guide like myself, is that this is one of those games where the beginning starts out slow. Real slow.

Sure, most great RPGs give you a real sense of power and accomplishment once you figure out the mechanics and get stronger as you progress through the game, but in this game, you have less options at the start because, as it turns out, the shopkeepers, the superior meat farmers, the air taxi service, and all those fun little options typically available to you in other RPGs have all turned feral as a result of A Bad Thing That Happened on File Island and it’s up to you and your plucky partner Digimon to explore the wilds and beat them up one by one until they gain a little humanity (...digitanity) and expand the town. 

While it is really cool to see the town expand through the course of the game - buildings are built and lights are gradually installed - but man, the fact that you go for a long time without having a shop if you don’t know what to do kinda sucks. A lot. I kept thinking to myself about how Pokemon is a lot more generous with the item drops and, while the shop inventories at Viridian City and Pewter City aren’t great, they’re there from the beginning.

Note: To get this guy, you have to chase a rumor from a Baby Digimon that there’s a fish that shows up after a certain time on a certain map. Then you have to progress through the jungle enough that you find the one Betamon that isn’t an enemy. There. Now the shop’s open. What, are you saying that’s super convoluted? Why yes it is. Welcome to Digimon World.

Not only that, but this game’s biggest flaw comes from one tiny feature it omits from the game - Digimon World doesn’t have a world map.

See this artwork? This is the most you’re ever going to get.

You know how a lot of RPGs - your Pokemon, your Final Fantasy, etc etc - have a world map that’s easy to access from the start menu? Yeah, this game doesn’t have that. It instead prints a rather rudimentary map in both the instruction manual and on the design of the actual disc. You know what that means? You’re SOL if you ever bought this game used.

I didn’t of course, but physically cracking open my disc case just to be like “ah okay I need to go north” was more annoying than anything. Maybe if the instruction manual came with an actual physical map you can unfold would’ve been better?

The Starter Dilemma

Like most monster collecting games, you have a choice of starters at the beginning of the game. Depending on how you answer the questions at the beginning of the game (all two of them, with only one of them truly mattering), you can start with either an Agumon or a Gabumon. Cool, right?

Well, it starts the fall apart the moment you fight the first boss in the game - a wild Agumon with weaker stats than your partner. And that’s when you realize that one of the starters starts out with a major battle disadvantage at the very start.

Agumon’s starting move is a little ranged attack that it can shoot at enemies. It can hit the enemy from pretty far away so he can evade a lot of close up attacks.

Gabumon’s starting move is an ineffective little flailing of his arms that requires him to get up super close to the other Digimon in order to hit them.

Did I mention this attack is weaker than Agumon’s starting move? This type of starter set-up is utterly baffling to me. Why would you intentionally hobble one of the choices?

So if you were a kid hoping to go on a grand adventure with your happy little dog lizard (instead of doing what a lot of people recommend, which is train your dog lizard for several in-game days until he evolves into something better) expect to see a lot of battles where the enemy Digimon just casually moves out of the way as your dog lizard yells ��PWAH”.

Luckily this problem ceases to exist once you start digivolving and learning new techniques, but it’s still a major bummer to start the game on.

On top of that, unlike Pokemon, your Digimon can die. It can only faint three times in battle before he crumbles into a pile of bits and data in a rather brutal cutscene involving the flesh being ripped off your partner’s wire frame while the old man Digimon just kinda glumly stands off to the side and is like “lol he ded”.

So uh, have fun with that, children who accidentally run into a boss Digimon while trying to figure out where the hell anything is.

Sometimes Being Cryptic Is Good

That being said, in an age where I can just peek at my phone if I’m stuck, this game is kinda refreshing in a “playing your first Pokemon game” kind of way.

With no in-game maps and only vague hints of what to do next purely by talking to the villagers, you’re just kinda...left to your own digivices (see what I did there) as you explore this vast, uncharted world and slowly figure out what you’re supposed to do next and, since the world is arranged in a circle around the town, you can go in multiple directions and progress in any way you want.

There’s no set progression, with the story advancing based on how many Digimon you befriend rather than what places you’ve beaten. There’s no pressing incentive to go beyond the Native Forest if you don’t feel ready for that yet. Sure, the town won’t expand if you don’t, but you can still go at things at your own pace until you get a better feel for the environment. You’re just left to experiment as you gradually figure out how to make your Digimon evolve into cooler things.

And honestly, it’s kinda fun playing a game where I don’t know the exact numbers off the top of my head in terms of how to get a certain Digimon so a lot of times I’m genuinely surprised at the evolutions I get.

You just, you know, need a lot of patience. Especially when this game’s English translation is...not great. (which is common with a lot of PS1 games)

The land changed after the land changes happened.

Current Consensus

You need a bit of patience to play this game, but it’s definitely rewarding if you stick by it. I’m certainly having fun playing this game, but I will say out loud that I’m also playing this game while watching a couple let’s plays and having GameFAQs open.

I will say that, as an adult, I actually find myself appreciate this game more than when I did as a child.  It has its flaws, but after a pretty intense learning curve, it becomes pretty rewarding. You know, when it’s not requiring me to fish The Lake Guardian at 9 am with a piece of meat attached to my fishing rod in order to improve my gym.

I give it a “It’s Fun When It’s Not Being Bullshit” out of 10.

Quick Bullet Points

This game has some bangers in the soundtrack so at least it’s pleasant to listen to.

I do like that you can evade the enemy Digimon on screen so you can reasonably enter some places with a lower leveled Digimon than what that area requires. This is just not advisable since most of the Digimon are befriended with a boss fight. That being said, item management is a big thing in this game so enemy dodging is still a useful trait.

You can buy portapotties to keep your Digimon from shitting on the ground but since your Digimon has only one use animation, it uses it by eating it.

 Cherrymon has a radically different design in this game than any other piece of Digimon media and it’s kinda funny how creepy he looks in this game.

The Monochromon Shop minigame earned the reputation that it has - it truly does suck ass and leave you at the mercy of RNG.

It’s been proven by hacking the game that the Bonus Try in the Gym exercises is rigged so never use it.

I like how this game creates recolors to make sure you can tell the difference between the recruitable Digimon and the Digimon that are just meant to be fought against....only for the series to then make these recolors recruitable, defeating their original purpose. I guess I should be glad they’re all considered proper Digimon now.

Poop is an element. You can have creatures of the Poop type.

No seriously Monochromon’s Shop minigame has given me a hatred for Veggiemon and I don’t think I can ever recover.

[forgxtmxnot]

Study case: iron island

Part 1 of a discord thread with @auraguardians !

Part 2  | Part 3

Description: 20 years prior to Platinum’s events, Rowan still is a lab assistent who comes to Iron island in order to make progress on his research in the local’s species. But he ends up getting a lot more than he anticipated.

Rowan had taken these days off from the laboratory, in order to take a look at Iron Island- the next step into his research.

A place that used to thrive with humans a few years ago, but once the mine ran out of ore- the area had become almost completely devoided of them. It was the perfect place to study, how the wilderness had reclaimed that land. How many species have returned since? Was there any hope for those that went missing to return? Those were some of the questions Rowan asked himself, while he built his camping spot by the mine's entrance.

He just hoped the weather would cooperate with him.

He knows how dangerous this place can become, at this time of the year- if the temperature already didn't speak by itself. Communication with the mainland was nonexistant from his spot. The man's focus would be interrupted, when he heard the noise of footsteps coming towards his direction.

Much to his surprise it was a familiar face.

Rowan stood up, and greeted the man with a wave of his hand- with a stern expression on his face.

"Good evening, I wasn't expecting to run into anyone around here really- I assume you must live here mr. Richard."

It is strange, to see someone making camp here, on this island. Rick would smile as he was addressed and give a nod in response. "That's right - my family owns these islands, and... well, I suppose we still technically own the mines. I hope everything is going well for you so far!"

He would approach until he was standing next to the tent, inspecting the camp setup a little bit. Will this be warm enough...?

"I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed - and knew where to call if there is any trouble. The mainland, of course, is not an option for most devices... especially not in a storm. But I would be able to get a distress signal."

He laughs a bit, hoping to not worry Rowan too much. "Protocol, you know? I'm supposed to make sure you know that. But you should be fine, as long as you bundle up in the night." 

"Considering I had to traverse Mt.Coronet- you could say I'm used to what our region has to offer..."

Rowan stated, as he noticed the way Richard was inspecting his camp. Did he underestimate what these islands truly are capable of?  He thought to himself while nodding in agreement with what had been laid out for him.

"I will be staying here for a few days, studying the wildlife. I have done some research on the island's history, but I would like to hear it from someone who knows this place a lot better than I ever likely could- if you wouldn't mind it of course."

"The history? Of course. The farthest we can trace it back is to the time these lands were owned by a kingdom called Valora. They were the first to use the iron from these islands to forge their weapons... and from those days until very recently, these mines were the main source of the wealth of these lands. And my family - we also trace our lineage back to the lords of Valora, who knew how to make steel better than anyone."

He gave a little sigh. "Of course, more recently... the mines became less lucrative and more dangerous, so we shut them down. As for the wildlife - I, for one, always thought the mines were bad for it. The Pokemon did not like their noise, or the smoke, and the people scared the most skittish wild ones off. In the past few years, I've seen more of them than I ever remember seeing as a boy."

"My younger brother even swears he saw a Lucario last month - which is auspicious if it's true. Our family used to consider sightings of them lucky, in recent years - and he's just started seeing a girl."

Rick would chuckle a bit. "Of course, that's if you believe in that sort of stuff. I like to see evidence first."

Rowan quietly listened to Rick, paying attention to what was being shared. The other's report only confirmed everything he had read at Canalave's library, the iron island was one of the region's environments that suffered the most drastic changes throughout the ages. Although his expectations were low, he still carried the slightest bit of hope in running into at LEAST one specimen of these declared extinctic kinds.

"I don't like getting my hopes up first Mr.Richard."

Rowan silenced himself when his Togekiss, descended from the skies while carrying a camera around its neck. The pokemon greeted both men with a soft cooing and chirp, before standing up so his trainer could get the equipment out of it.

"Speaking of... How's that Piplup doing? Are you two getting along just fine?"

He asked in the same calm tone, now facing the other man.

"I know, I know - but I doubt my brother would lie. I just hope you find some hard facts to back his story up. It would be nice... to know what creatures have decided to make these islands their home. We might even make it a preserve..."

He would smile, a little twinkle in his eyes as he scanned the mountains and sea, then turned back to face Rowan with a grin. "Ah, Piplup? He's doing fine! I'm thinking he may evolve soon, with how enthusiastic and adventurous he's been getting... and the house is always full of so many bubbles." 

"I see, usually after they learn the move bubblebeam it shouldn't really take much longer for the evolution to happen."

Rowan commented, while he retreated his Pokemon back to its pokeball and pocketed it away. With the upper view retrieved, it meant he could start taking his first steps into the mine.

"Is there anything else I should know about this place? Perhaps the most dangerous areas so I can avoid them? How would you describe the wild pokemon's behaviors? Are they friendly? Territorial?"

Many more questions were asked by him, his attention was completely put on what Rick had to share.

"Yes, that was my thought as well. Any day now!"

But the question about the local wildlife had Rick humming slightly in thought. "I'd say... don't go in too deep. The tunnels get harder to navigate deeper underground, and it is harder to find your way out. The wild pokemon vary a bit - they tend to be more skittish than anything, easy to spook. Some, though, can be territorial - though mostly during mating and nesting seasons. It's neither of those right now, so you should be alright if you're cautious."

He had only just finished speaking when he heard the familiar noise of Piplup's pokeball - and the little penguin was suddenly between the two men, preening his little feathers.

"Ah, Piplup - "

"PIIIP!" He squeaked, a few bubbles appearing in the air. But it was a distraction, as the tiny pokemon quickly made a beeline for the nearest cave entrance.

"Whoa! Pip, no!" 

The fact that Piplup managed to break free from its confinement, already was a surprise to him by itself. Rowan instinctively shielded his face using his arm from the bubbles- which led him to not clearly keep track to where the small creature headed to.

"He went into the mines!"

He exclaimed while staring at the entrance, quickly running into it- from there he could hear the pokemon's footsteps as well its movements echoing through the halls.

"He took the route on the left Richard!"

Before Rowan took one more step in- he glanced up and could clearly notice Golbats hanging upside down on the roof, a Piplup would be a perfect sized meal for this kind of pokemon.

Oh dear. Rick ran in right after Rowan, clearly concerned for his slightly too ambitious little Pokemon. "Yes, I see - we must just follow the bubbles."

But Rowan's pause at the entrance to the deeper cave, he followed the researcher's eyes upwards and gave a little intake of breath. "Oh dear," the words slipped out as a whisper. "Just be quiet, and do not spook them."

He would lead the way in, doing a mental check of what other Pokemon he had on hand in case of a situation. But still, it was his little Pip he was worried about.

At least until he saw the little Pokemon up on some machinery making more bubbles and preening himself quite proudly. 

This chase didn't last much- thankfully.

Or at least Rowan thought so, until he noticed what kind of material the pokemon was standing on- it was metal his concern wasn't so much on whether the machine couldbe turned on rather the fact that it could amplify the small creature's noises.

More precisely its footsteps.

The lab assistent was trying to think in an way to get to the creature, however he wasn't fast enough to try and stop Richard on time.

Clearly this- had to be a trap set up by the little guy. 

Richard was already rushing in to help the little Piplup, who just sat and waited for his trainer to get on the machine before it would flap about and dash over to one of the wheels it had presumably used to get up on the machine itself.

However, this time it's dash made the wheel turn and the machine made a hideous screeching noise as it powered on, beginning to move the old ore processor in this particular room.

"Shit!" Rick shouted, though the Golbat had already been startled awake and were making a cacophony of noise. "Pipsqueak, you sly bastard!"

"Piiiiip!"

"Get over here - ah, fuck. Rowan! Help!"

It wasn't just the Golbats that had been startled by the machine.

Gravelers could be seen rolling around the place, trying to escape the chaos- even Onix (which supposedly- would only be found in the lower levels) had been caught up in the whole thing. Rowan's attention however was on Richard and his pokemon, he tried to shout for the other to stop- but the cacophony made it impossible for him to be heard.

He needed to clear this area up.

He reached out for one of his pokeballs- rightaway hurling it up in the air, releasing his Togekiss in the process.

"Togekiss, whirlwind!"

Rowan yelled at the flying type, who flew towards the wild creatures- and started flapping its wings creating a gust of wind so powerful it was dissipating the Golbats as well as other species- in hopes to prevent Richard from running into any wild pokemon. He wasn't sure whether or not the other had any other pokemon with him there.

It seemed to be working- until a Steelix bursted right through a wall, it is evident he had been enraged by the machine's noise. With a single iron tail- it sent Rowan's Togekiss to come crashing down onto the floor.

"Richard! Watch it!"

While Rowan was dealing with the wild Pokemon, Richard had maneuvered around the machinery in an attempt to capture Pip - but the little bird slipped away at the last minute and wound up on the ground again...

...right in the path of the Steelix.

"Pip! Shit - " Rick thought fast, tugging a pokeball out of his shirt to toss out, summoning his Roserade to the field. "Thorn, use magical leaf! Trip it up - then put it to sleep!"

"Ro-se!"

It would do as it was asked, shining leaves quickly coming out to  push the Steelix back, then - just as it began to sprinkle sleep powder, Pip jumped out to blast a stream of water at it as well.

The combination of attacks was just enough to make the Steelix groan and faint, collapsing against the wall of the tunnel.

Richard sighed in relief and climbed down from the machine, scooping up the naughty Pip even as Thorn looked miffed that his finisher was stolen by the proud little penguin.

"Now, Pip, that was - "

It was only now, Rick noticed Pip was starting to glow.

Once things seemed to have settled down, Rowan ran up towards his pokemon first- doing a brief check up on it before retreating it to its pokeball. Thankfully the attack wasn't strong enough to badly hurt the Togekiss- with that out of the way he could make his way towards Richard.

That is- until the Piplup started shining bright, enlightining the cavern they found themselves in. Pipsqueak had successfully evolved into a Prinplup!

"It appeared Pipsqueak knew he was close to evolve after all...Are you two alright?"

He asked walking towards the duo- however, his attention soon went towards the unconscious Steelix- rightaway Rowan could tell something looked off on the pokemon.

This pokemon seemed to carry quite prominent battle scars, over the boulders that composed its body- scars that couldn't have possibly come from Richard's pokemon. They seemed to have come from a prior battle, the marks resembled a pokemon's paws- as though they had pummelled the steel type's body- chipping away shards of it as well. A fighting type attack perhaps?

Obviously the lab assistent didn't point those things out to Richard, instead his gaze quickly returned to him.

"That was quite the scene, impressive I didn't know you had others besides Piplpup- or Prinplup as I should call it now... Shall we go back to the surface? I doubt the pokemon will be coming back here anytime soon."

"Ah... yeah. We should go - just let me turn this monstrosity off."

Richard went over to the wheel Pip had turned, and turned it back the other way - which proved to be surprisingly difficult, due to some parts being a little run-down.

Finally, though, the noise stopped - and Rick rejoined Rowan, running a hand through his hair as he wiped some sweat off his forehead. "There, that's better. C'mon, you."

He plucked Pip up to carry gently, like a baby, and chuckled at the way the Pokemon was acting - all proud of himself. As they made their way back to the surface, though, Rick would continue talking to Rowan.

"I have a few other Pokemon, actually. My first was a Shinx I call Flash - but his other nickname is Sparkles. You may guess why. Then there's Thorn, here - he's a bit of a diva."

Thorn made an indignant noise, which only made Rick laugh aloud and turn to face him, briefly. "I mean it as a compliment, sir! And I also have a Lucario, Luci, but... she was tired so I left her at home today to rest. She's not native to the region, by the way - my father picked her egg up from a breeder in Kalos when I was a boy."

Rowan quietly listened to Richard's words, while still making reminders to himself in regards to what he had just caught a glimpse of.

At the mention of a Lucario however, it made Rowan raise an eyebrow- at least that may assist in either confirming or denying his suppositions. Even if they come from another region.

"I see... If you wouldn't mind mr.Richard, do you think I could take a look at your pokemon? I don't think I will be returning to the mines until tomorrow."

He asked in the same calm demeanor, as his hands rested on his back. His walking pace is slow, but enough to keep up with both Rick and Roserade.

"The machine most likely forced the Pokemon to hide deeper into the caves for the day."

"You're probably right - of course, that's fine!" As they stepped outside again, Rick gave a little concerned hum and nodded.

"It's probably for the best anyway - I think a storm is brewing. It's the wind. It shifts a certain way when there's something coming in from the ocean."

He set Pip down again and stretched, glancing to the little campsite Rowan had set up. "I'd take anything you don't trust not to get damaged with you - and, ah. Well. If we hurry, I can let the cook know to make enough dinner for a guest..."

Rowan took a look at the sky- although the sun was still shining bright, he knows best to not go against locals advices.

"Well, if it won't be a problem to you Mr.Richard... I hope I can stay in until it is safe again."

-------------------------------------------

The winds have definetely shifted- so did the weather and the temperature. Rowan was setting the camera up once more on his Togekiss' neck before sending the creature to take off.

The storm isn't a problem at all to its kind- he knows that very well it should be back in a matter of minutes. Meanwhile his attention returned to his host, as he stood back up.

"As I was saying, Torterra was the first one to be evolved despite being the last one of the bunch that had hatched from its egg."

Said Pokemon had helped carrying all of Rowan's belongings, and remained still until his trainer took the very last remaining object off its back.

"You have already seen Togekiss, I also own an Infernape, a Glaceon, an Ampharos and even a Prinplup."

"Ah... I hope your Prinplup is less of a handful than Pipsqueak!" Rick said, laughing as he watched the Pokemon waddle about the room, still letting out bubbles every so often.

"And hopefully now that he has evolved he will not be taking so many foolish risks, psh. Silly Pip..."

He took a seat on the couch, having already let the staff know Rowan would be staying for the duration of the storm. "Hm... I am still a little concerned about Luci, though. I was training her in prep for an event I'll be going to soon - but I could tell she wasn't feeling up for it. So, she's been resting for about a week now. Poor dear, I hope she isn't falling sick..."

Speaking of, however, a little noise came from the other room and a few moments later the Lucario appeared - looking as though she had just woken up from a nap. Pip squawked and ran over to blow some bubbles at her, but she just looked annoyed. "Caaario."

"Pip, stop that - she's not in the mood."

Rowan noticed the Lucario, and right away noticed something looked off about her. It raised a few red flags in the back of his mind.

Finally he had removed the very last bit of his equipment from Torterra's back, who in response let a drawn out yawn before sitting down on the floor.

"Would it be alright if I brought my other pokemon out? Do you think your Lucario would be annoyed by their presence?"

He asked, now looking at Rick. The truth behind this, was to run a few tests. He has an intuition he might be extremely close to an evidence.

"Mm? I don't know... She's been like this for a week or so, and nothing I've done has been helping. If you think you can get to the bottom of it... By all means, do whatever you must."

Pip, meanwhile, just made a sad chirp and waddled away from Luci to sit by Rick's leg instead - occupying himself by blowing some steam-filled bubbles.

Luci just eyed Rowan suspiciously, before giving her ear a scratch and glancing out the window, presumably at the storm clouds that were now rolling in the sky. "Luu..."

It is unlikely they would show up- after that chaos caused by the machine, as well as the imminent storm.

Rowan nodded- while he brought out his pokemon, everyone was there- except for the Togekiss who was gone for awhile.

"And did your brother tell you when he saw a Lucario in these lands?"

His pokemon slowly started to take in the surrounding they found themselves in, as they tried to act accordingly to their usual- making sure to not come off as intruders to the ones that lived in this place. His Infernape would climb up on Torterra's back hanging upside down on the tree located there. The Ampharos sat down on the floor, and remained there- bobbing its head to the sides, minding its own business.

It didn't take long for Rowan's Prinplup to notice the other of his kind's presence- it is easy to tell how older,and less childish this one was. As all that he did at first was to just stare Pip down from where he stood.

Glaceon on the other hand- picked up on what seemed to be a peculiar scent, emanating from Luci. And she dared to wander towards the Lucario- her movements are slow, while sniffing the air- the floor leading her towards the other pokemon.

"Oh, that was about a month ago... We had a small get together and he introduced his girlfriend to all of us, which... I suppose means he's actually pretty into her."

He shrugged, then leaned back on the sofa as he watched Rowans Pokémon do their antics - though indeed, it was Glaceon that soon caught his attention. How odd.

Especially as Luci was eyeing the others with a bit of disinterest, only reacting when Glaceon got closer to her than she liked - which made her bark a small warning, even as she growled a little bit.

"Whoa, careful! I... guess she doesn't want to play. Yikes. Really, though - this isn't like her! She's usually such a sweet girl, who loves having her fur brushed and fluffed. Hasn't let me do it in a while, though."

The bark startled Glaceon, who reacted to it by running back- towards her trainer.

The scene as well as the information Rick had just provided him with, simply confirmed Rowan's suppositions so far. He proceeded to take a seat at a nearby chair, he kept his gaze fixated on the Lucario.

"She is in her heat."

He stated bluntly- now his gaze rested on Richard, as he started to look for the words on how to formulate his answer.

"Your Luci, ran into a male of her kind- a wild one. Unless there happens to be anyone else in this island, with another Lucario- to which I highly doubt it. She is waiting for him, and he is trainning himself- to show her he is a worthy mate."

"The drastic change in her behavior, this is a prime sign of what she is going through at this moment. It is normal for her kind..."

Rowan interrupted himself- as he took a moment to think a little more, everything is adding up to it- however he still shouldn't jump the gun like this. Even if everything is clearly pointing to it.

"Pardon me, I shouldn't have used the term wild. But know that mr.Richard, your Lucario might have become a shill to males...Her kind doesn't go through heatwaves like most pokemon, instead their needs are related to availability..."

"Somehow, a some point awhile ago- she had the chance to interact with a male... She should be fine within the end of the month- if the male stops showing up."

A wild Lucario. Rick found himself beginning to smirk at the idea, that Luci's behavior was because of such a simple reason.

"Ah, so Luci has a beau? I should have known! My dear, why did you not tell me?" He asked, feigning heartbreak - which did, to his credit, get an amused reaction from the Lucario.

But then Rick was right back to his usual self, grinning at Rowan. "So my brother was probably right, if that's the case. Hm." He stroked his chin thoughtfully and tilted his head, as he glanced to the Pokemon again.

"Would there be any harm in seeing what happens? If the male is good enough for my Luci, he is good enough for me. It might not be so bad to have some Riolu puppies around... they are, after all, the ancient guardians of these lands."

"Then, would you be willing to let go of your Luci?"

Rowan shot back the question- it's easy to tell how Rick didn't have a grasp of the situation's depth. He may have come off a little- too harsh with his words, just like how his mentor had warned him about- but at the same time he needed the other to understand the true meaning behind this.

"Lucarios stay together, and it is usually up for the male to pick the place for their nest, as they are the ones that builds it... And chances are: it will be as far away as possible from us."

He tries to be as clear as he can, before going silent once more. His attention averted from Rick, once he heard his Togekiss' cry as well as its forehead smooshing bumping against the door. She was drenched- completely soaked, a chirp- signalling how cold she felt left her while Rowan looked for a towel to help dry her up in his belongings.

That comment made Rick pause, his brow furrowing as he gave that some thought. Rowan was probably right. And now Rick found himself facing that awkward choice.

"Ah - I don't know. She was my second partner - she's been part of my team so long, I can't imagine not having her with me..."

Luci made a soft noise, actually moving over to Rick and - actually allowed him to scratch behind her ears. The trainer smiled fondly and made a happy hum himself. "Ah, see? She loves me, the dear girl. I'm sorry, Luci... I should have realized what was up with you."

As Togekiss came in, all dripping wet, however - Luci would dash away to the other room again, and Rick got up to fetch an extra towel himself, bringing the big fluffy thing over to offer it to Rowan. "Here, this should help."

The Togekiss chirped in response as the water was rinsed out of her oh so soft coat of feathers, Rowan simply hoped this storm didn't damage the equipment- which he was carefully removing out of her.

"I am sorry if I came off too harsh like that Mr.Richard."

Rowan said, as he looked over at the other man. He can tell how- things have yet to truly sink in for him, a sigh left him once he was done tending to his Pokemon.

"However, your Lucario will be required to find another of her kind..."

His voice trailed off- followed by a pause.

"... Obviously...If you are up for it, you shouldn't feel pressured into... Partaking in any of this."

"No - you're just being realistic. I appreciate that. Not many would be so blunt with me." Richard sighed a bit, running a hand through his hair as he watched Rowan dry off the Togekiss.

"I'll let Luci make the choice. If this wild boy is the one for her, then... I will not come between them. In fact, it would be an honor - to play a small part in bringing them back to the wilds here." Even if it meant he would have to let his girl go free.

"But anyway - this storm is going to put a damper on their courtship as well. It's a bit hard to stoke the fires when it's this cold and damp, eh?"

"And by the looks of it, it will likely extend itself until the next day as well..."

It definetely was being an obstacle to Rowan's plans, he could risk to venture the next day under this rain- it would mean he could make progress on his research. But it would be an immense risk for him and his Pokemon's well being as well.

The image of his daughter made the lab assistant change his mind in regards to the following day.

"I am sorry for asking this once more, but could I possibly extend my stay here until this storm is over? This is definitely something I didn't count on my plans."

"I believe you can take this time, and make up your mind about it..."

"As if I would kick you out into a storm," Rick said, reaching out to pat Rowan's shoulder firmly. "Stay as long as you need to - I'd hate for you to get hurt on my watch. And of course, we will have to make sure you get the data you need before you go as well..."

Richard sighed and gave a quick glance around the room. "Would you like a quick tour? So you know where to find things. Like these towels - they're from the bathroom over there. And there is a guest room near the kitchen."

As he led the way to that room, Rick would pause. "Oh! You may also snack on anything that isn't in that fridge there - that's what the cook uses. Everything else is fair game, so - make yourself at home, please. I don't have company here often, so it's no trouble."

He'd even grin and tug open one cabinet in particular. "Perhaps later, we could even crack one of these open. They do help stave off the bitter chill these winds can carry."

Thanks Due to the storm it means he won't hear anything from wife. He listened closely and paid attention to his surrounding.

"I appreciate your hospitality mr.Richard- although maybe, I shouldn't drink while working..."

Rowan responded in a friendlier manner, while he settled his belongings in the guest room before returning to his host and continuing with his tour. Even though the offer was- quite tempting, he can't deny how alcohol in a time like this- fell like a glove.

"...Maybe a glass won't hurt."

"It is up to you," Richard said, turning away as Rowan left to get settled in. In the meantime, though, he would take out some things they could eat and pour a single glass for himself, at least.

However, the other's statement after returning had Rick flashing a smile as he fetched a second glass and poured a bit of the liquor in, sliding it over to the researcher.

"I don't see how it could - you are not technically working tonight. Not in this weather. Oh! Have you ever tried these chocolates? They are from Kalos. I love them - ah, so sweet."

Rowan quickly reached out for his drink, just the first whiff at the drink- and he could tell how strong it was. A quality above the usual kind of alcohol he consumes, something about it reminded him of his graduation at Kanto. His moment of nostalgia would be interrupted at the mention of chocolate, if the drink spoke for the kind of quality he would be served tonight then he knows he is in for a treat.

He deserves it- after all, he worked so hard today.

"Don't mind me if I do then mr.Richard..."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours had passed, and many- many more shots were taken. So much so- that a new bottle had to be opened for them, their talk was harmless- Rowan shared some of his experiences during his stay in Kanto, some other projects he is working on and even his family subject was brought up.

"Ah yes...My daughter, she is a prodigy- her intuition is as sharp as a knife... Me and her mother are so proud of her."

He said, while taking yet another piece of chocolate into his mouth before taking the child's picture back and tucking it away in his wallet. By now the lab assistent's pokemon found themselves sleeping peacefully in the room they found themselves in- all cuddled up to his Torterra.

"So...You participate in contests? What rank are you on at the moment?"

Despite usually being disinterested in certain topics, like family, the way Rowan talked about his was... actually endearing. He truly loves his child so much. And it was refreshing to have the subject mainly focus on Rowan's child rather than turn (as these things so often did) to Richard's bachelor status.

"Mm... she is lovely, Rowan. And I can tell she is brilliant - she has the same look in her eyes as you."

Once the topic turned to contests, though (all thanks to Rick having mentioned it casually earlier while discussing his Pokemon) Rick would preen just like Pip.

"Ah - well. With Thorn, I am up to the Hyper Rank... we've been trying to qualify for Master, but we keep getting tripped up! I had to take a break, to... ah, ease the bruising of his poor ego. But we have been practicing, and I am sure we'll make it soon. Then, everyone will marvel at our beauty, even... even the likes of Hoenn's Juan! Magnifique! Haha..."

Not that he doesn't already.

"Sparkles does quite well in the cool contests, though, and I was thinking... I might enter Pip in a cute one. But Thorn, he is currently my star."

"What about Luci? Were you planning to use her? Or..."

Rowan's voice trailed off as he chewed on the sweet and sipped away on his glass, emptying it in the process. The man quietly poured more for himself while waiting to hear the other's answer.

His facecheeks had become flustered due to the alcohol cunsumption- but also because for the past few minutes- he was starting to look at Rick under a different color- perspective?

How- when did Richard become so appealing to him?

Clearly, he needs more alcohol.

Despite all that, somehow- Rowan kept the same stern and serious looking expression on him.

"Mmhm... I use her in more typical battles more, but she's my Tough queen. Ha. I suppose the only one I'm missing is a smart guy, but... well, I guess I haven't found the right one yet."

He sighed and downed another shot himself, running his hand through his hair. "If you ever want to watch a show, I go by Dick the Magnificient - all to keep my father from catching on, ha. He thinks they're a waste of time."

If only he knew.

"Ah - but I am sorry for getting on that subject. Let's... move on." But they were running out of topics, what with Rowan having already discussed family.

"Is there anything else? I'm afraid my life is rather boring by comparison to yours - it is just me and the pokemon, after all. Not that I'm lonely - I don't mind. Really."

God this was not really a safe subject, either.

Upon hearing Rick's stage name, Rowan couldn't hold back a snort- as he held back his urge to spit out and likely choke on his drink. Talk about subtlety, he recomposed himself by gently patting against his chest.

"Pardon me..."

He spoke faintly, as a silence between would settle in- allowing the sound of the storm from the outside to find its way in. The older man gave it a moment, as his gaze never left Rick. He looked nervous, a thin layer of tension could be picked up.

Again those thoughts didn't dissipate from his mind- if anything it seemed like they have only grown within him.

Maybe consuming almost the equivalent of a bottle and a half wasn't a good idea after all.

Regardless of it, the older man simply takes another sip out of his glass.

"This silence is quite strong, isn't it mr.Richard? Are you alright?"

His words carried a slurred tone to them- giving out how intoxicated, he could possibly be in that moment.

A bit of a chuckle left Richard as Rowan choked a bit at the reveal of his name - ah, so the man did have a sense of humor! - but the silence did stretch out uncomfortably.

He really should not be on this topic, especially not when he is more than a little tipsy.

"It's nothing - just... gah. I feel like the pressure of my family keeps me from enjoying my life - the latest thing they are poking and prodding about is marriage and - fuck that. I don't even like kids. Or..."

Or women.

"I mean... it's not that I hate them. I meant what I said - your child, she looks brilliant. Smart ones are easier to... be around. Women, too. But I... just have no interest in them."

Perhaps Rowan is so drunk he won't remember this.

He glanced to the researcher again, and felt his cheeks get a little hot - from embarrassment at how much he'd just said, but also at realizing his gaze was truly quite intense.

"Please, forget it. I am... quite content, Rowan. I am not lonely... especially not right this moment."

He could feel his cheeks burning- please let it be because of the alcohol.

Rowan went into a quiet state- it may seem like he was giving Rick some kind of judgemental stare, but the truth was far from it. The alcohol has finally caught up to him, making his ability to talk coherently extremely limited- his tongue felt lazy and heavy, there is no way he will be able to properly give Richard any kind of comforting or helpful words.

Instead he puts aside his glass, and let out a drained sigh followed by a hiccup.

Richard was still looking extremely appealing to his eyes- why won't this sensation go away?

"...Par-don me...Mr... Richard- I will retire myself for the night."

Rowan said as he tried to stand up- his cheeks had a deep shade of red to them, it is impossible to cover it up.

He'd said too much. Rowan's glare was different, now, and Rick had the sinking feeling it was because the researcher had figured him out and didn't want to be near Rick any longer.

When he spoke again he was careful to keep his voice cool and neutral, but it still shook a bit. "Of course. I... would offer to assist you, but - I will respect your desire. Good night, Rowan."

And yet, the researcher was clearly having trouble even getting up, and despite the pit in his stomach Richard would not let him stumble without reaching out to catch him.

Another hiccup- and his hand went straight to his face in order to cover his eyes up. Everything was spinning, he definetely had way too much this time around.

Due to their proximity- Rowan was able to take a whiff out of Rick, there was his breath's smell but it also had the faintest scent of- a cologne? A scented shampoo? It smelled nicely- so much so that he actually wanted to get more out of it.

He really shouldn't be placing his head- so close to the other's collarbone like that, to a point where his moustache was gently brushing against that smooth skin. It was a shampoo- it came from his hair! The hair was so smooth as well...

His hazy drunk mind already wanted so much more than just that- but his body clearly just wanted to crash down onto something and stay there.

This was a mistake. Rowan, in his drunk state, was actually nuzzling Richard's neck and taking deep breaths of his hair. A flash of heat went through Rick at that - and suddenly, he found himself wondering if part of Rowan's disdain was caused by a feeling of attraction.

But that is a dangerous thought to dwell on.

Rick pulled away a little, grunting as he held the other up and started to guide him toward the guest room.

"Rowan, I think... you are less used to this drink than I am, and... you are not thinking clearly. At all. You should... sleep it off."

The lab assistent nodded his head at Rick's words- but that only made his facial hair brush even more against the other's neck. There was nothing in his mind- besides a drunk lust.

"Yes..."

And when he spoke- he basically breathed onto that smooth and soft skin, it is warm- his voice came out in a deep low tone as well. 

Oh fuck, not the neck.

Richard suddered a little, perhaps shoving Rowan away a little too quickly onto the bed - his eyes taking in that sight for a moment before he slowly backed away.

"Rowan... we can talk tomorrow, okay?" He kept his voice smooth and quiet. "Get some sleep." 

There was some drunk slurred nonsense that came from Rowan, as he tried to pull himself up on the bed.

[1wngdngl]

Pokemon Shield playthrough - Part 2

In this post, I get set loose in the Wild Area for the first time, and explore some more of the game’s mechanics.

First, though, I have to ride the train to get there.

The Wild Area. It feels like something that, in any other Pokemon journey, would be reserved for post-game, not something you encounter before the first Gym. There’s a lot of options for how players explore it - you can rush to the next city, or spend days hunting for every Pokemon, challenging all the raid battles, and cooking up different curries.

People seem to have mixed feelings about whether being able to access your PC boxes in the field is a good thing. I’m not sure myself - I’ll probably end up forgetting about it >.>

Here I enter the Wild Area, and test out the movable camera. It seems to be snowing here.

Snowing and dark with clouds, actually. Motostoke is visible in the distance, along with a couple Raid locations.

This area of the game has an interesting mix of Pokemon at different strengths and levels. Wandering Pokemon like this Onix are much stronger than other ones in the area. I wonder if the whole Wild Area will scale with the player? Once I’m past Lvl 30, guys like this Onix aren’t going to be a challenge anymore.

You have no idea how badly I wanted to catch this Lapras :) I think I have to wait until I get that floating bike to go out onto the lake.

In the berry system in this game, you can find trees that strangely grow multiple types of berries. The more you shake the tree, the more berries you get, but if you push your luck too far there’s a chance a Pokemon will tumble out and battle you! So far I’ve only seen this happen with Skwovet, the squirrel Pokemon, but maybe others can show up too.

Unlike the previous routes in this game, which focused on brand-new Pokemon, the Wild Area seems to consist entirely of old Pokemon, like this strangely-tough Roselia that I failed to capture. Having to deal with the constant Hail each battle was an added challenge.

My first evolution! I’m not sure what the inspiration for this Pokemon is - maybe it will be more obvious by its final form. It also gained the Psychic type.

I decide to take a break and test out the Camping mechanism. Using the berries I gathered, I whip up a pot of curry.

Apparently, it was horrible, but they ate it anyways ;)

It gives you a warm feeling to see how happy your Pokemon are when you play with them. (I do wish you had more than two toys though.)

I continue around the western (left) side of the Wild Area into the Dappled Grove. It’s also snowing here.

There were hoards of Delibird in this area. I’m surprised this Pokemon made it into the Galar dex. At one point, a couple of them were flying after me!

Delibird must have a lower catch-rate than I remember, because I wasted about 20 Pokeballs on one.

Speaking of catching Pokemon, one thing I noticed is how the Pokedex is laid out. Both old and new Pokemon are mixed together, without being separated into different sections. Also, based on the dex, Chewtle and Yamper should each have one evolution.

By searching near trees and bushes in the Wild Area, you can find some free curry ingredients.

There are also people hanging around that you can by ingredients and battle items from. Some of them want regular money, while others use “Watts” as a currency. Was it the Pokewalker, or the really old Pikachu tomogatchi game that also let you build up watts by walking around?

If you think being chased by Delibird is bad enough, how about a huge Bewear that just wants to give you a “hug”?

Now that I have better ingredients, I was able to make a better curry.

In fact, the medal I got for the curry actually reveals a new Pokemon. It looks like a blob. Maybe it’s a ghost? Does the “Mil” mean it’s made of milk? Is it the pre-evolution of Polteageist?

I decide to take on a few of the Dynamax Raid spots around the area. I was afraid I wouldn’t be strong enough - it’s hard to tell how hard the enemy Pokemon will be based on the preview screen, but I gave it a go anyway. Having no Switch friends, I fight with the NPC companions.

Here I am fighting a giant Ralts.

It has a super-cool attack.

I’m not going to actually /use/ the Ralts, but fortunately I get other rewards. Odd that they give out TM’s for this - is there a set number of TM’s that are exclusive to Raid battles?

I also caught a Bounsweet, showing that Galar has a truly varied set of Pokemon. Shouldn’t this be something you can only find in tropical regions?

You know, when I look at the other trainer classes, it gets me thinking - what if in a future game, you could pick your own trainer class, which would affect your player model, including height and build? Plenty of adults play Pokemon too! We need more variety in the player characters.

As I continue exploring and enter the area near the ruined watchtower, the weather changes to a thunderstorm.

All the ghost Pokemon around here were very strong. Maybe I’m supposed to come back and fight them later?

This is how the game handles the “thunderstorm” weather effect - by combining the Rain effect with Electric Terrain.

I thought the watchtower would have a secret surrounding it, but nope. You can’t even go in. Wonder what it used to be used for?

Past the ghosts, there’s a few water and electric type Pokemon hanging out. Guess they enjoy the storm.

As I finally get near Motostoke, the weather clears to reveal a beautiful starry night.

Finally, just as I’m about the leave the Wild Area, my Sobble evolved! That makes me happy, but also a little sad because Sobble was so cute. They grow up fast, huh?

I know I could have explored much more of the Wild Area, like the entire east side, but I decided to save some of it for later. On to Motostoke - at least, in the next post :)

[gaijinhunter]

Getting back into Pokémon Go after 2 years

If you are like me, then you are—or are planning to—get back into Pokémon Go but you haven’t played the game since a few months after the launched back in 2016. The game is significantly better than it was 2 years ago and I highly recommend giving it a second shot. For this post, I just want to cover some of the major changes so that you can find your footing faster. I will just surface surf here, all the depth you can go and find countless resources for online.

Catching Wild Pokémon

By tapping the icon on the lower right you’ll get a list of Pokémon relatively near you. You’ll notice they are now anchored to Pokestop. By tapping the track marks, you can have it lock onto its location on your map and you can go hunt it down. While it doesn’t tell you how long they will remain at that spot, it’s an absolute game changer to actual know where to go to snatch a Pokémon that is near you.

You will also notice on the upper right corner is the Weather icon. The game now updates to the weather in your area and different conditions will change which Pokémon spawn in the area as well as buffs the attack power of certain moves. This means that you’ll be able to find different Pokémon in your area at different times of the day which is great.

Raid Battles

You’ll notice that certain gyms will turn into a raid battle every now and then. These are basically boss battles and if you win, you get a chance to catch the Pokémon. To participate, just go near the raid battle and tap it. You’ll get 1 free raid pass a day when you go to a gym, but you cannot hold more than one free pass at a time. If you want to do more raid battles in a day, you’ll have to purchase them in the shop.

Raid battles are deep but basically there are 5 tiers. You know a raid boss is going to spawn if you see an egg above a gym with a countdown telling you when the raid will start. Level 1 and 2 are pink eggs and you can solo these in general. Level 3 and 4 are yellow eggs and while the Pokémon that appear in these might also be normal ones that appear on the map as wild Pokémon, they are quite buffed, so you’ll generally want to have a friend or two help if your player level is low. Level 4 is where the fun begins, you can get some really amazing Pokémon, but you’ll need to have 4 or more other players to help out. Level 5 is a Legendary Pokémon and they will shuffle this on a schedule. Currently it’s Giratina and it’s only available until Nov 20 then they will change to a different legendary. These you want around 10 players or so in order to take down.

Again, raid battles itself is a whole video and you can find resources online about them, but I treat them like a daily quest. I do my one raid a day and it’s a blast.

Field Research

Tap the binocular icon at the bottom right to pull up the research task menu, there are Field Research and Special Research. Field research is basically your daily missions. When you spin a Pokestop you’ll get a random research task, like catch 10 Pokémon, catch 5 Pokémon using berries, evolve a Pokémon, hatch an egg, and so forth. If you complete the task, you’ll earn items like stardust, poke balls, or even an encounter with a Pokémon. If you don’t like one of your field research tasks, just delete it and spin another Pokestop to get a new one; there is no limit to how many you can complete in a day. When you complete your first one for the day, you’ll earn a stamp for the day and by filling up a week’s worth, you’ll encounter a special Pokémon. They change them up on a scheduled basis, but this is a way to earn some rare and exclusive Pokémon so doing one research quest a day is something you want to do.

Next up is Special Research which are long-term missions that might even take you several months to complete. Over to the right is special research. On a scheduled basis they will release a story quest, and these are meant to take a long time to complete. After a cut scene with Professor willow you are given 3 objectives to clear. Once you do it’ll trigger the next cut scene and next set of 3 objectives. Currently there are 2 or so different special research quests (Cerebi and Mew) and once you get one you’ll keep it forever so don’t feel bad if it takes you a few months or even longer to complete.

So Much More

There are tons of other changes like a robust friend system with close distance trading and gifting, new shiny and Lucky Pokémon, 99 gen 2 and over 120 gen 3 Pokémon being added to the game, so there is a ton to catch and do. They even have Community Event days once a month or so where they release a special Pokemon for everyone to collect (higher shiny rates and even an exclusive skill if you evolve it during the event). So even if you’re not into gym battles like myself, collecting and powering up a team of Pokémon to take down raid bosses is a blast to do and purely cooperative multiplayer. If you spend any money, I think maybe increasing your Pokémon or item bag capacity is going To be your best purchase for long term value.

Anyway, the game is really fun and they added a ton so I hope this helps!

[pokemoneverlastingorchard]

The Safari Zone: Map, Pokemon, and some Minor Changes

  I decided to add the Safari Zone. I actually wanted to add this in this build anyway but I didn’t really think about where I would put this so the entrance is kind of at an awkward location right now. I’ll probably move the entrance once the second build is... built.

I had to zoom out as far as far as I could so it’s a bit blurry, but this is it. I tried recreating the Safari Zone that was cut out of the second gen games without separating the trees (there’s no lonely sprite of that particular tree and I don’t care enough to do so myself) and without the trash can. (Though if I for whatever reason decide to have a trashcan in the outdoor tileset, I’ll be sure to add it here.)

Basically the story from what I can tell is that the second gen games were supposed to get a Safari Zone. They got as far as having an area shaped by trees and having Pokemon that you can fish out appear when they heard about how badly the Safari Zone can fuck up the first gen games and they decided not to use this map. It’s still in the games though so you can explore it with a cheat device.

Oh and the music is the Safari Zone music used in Heart Gold and Soul Silver. I don’t really like it that much but it seems fitting.

I did have to redo the counter guy since the Maker will crash if I even try to open an event with a gold conditional branch, so I asked for somebody to get me the script that starts the Safari Zone but that’s apparently too hard for people to understand.

The Pokemon

Because there’s only one Zone, I decided to make the Pokemon different depending on the time of day. I lowered the price of entry to 300 before realizing that you could just stand there for a few minutes for the time to change (since every three seconds is one in game minute) so I put it back up to 500.

Most of the Pokemon you can encounter relates to a certain time of day, or there’s something else special or new about them.

The Day Time Pokemon

There’s a 1% chance of... Chansey, but a 5% chance of finding a Happiny. A 4% chance of getting a Chikorita, (not Happa) a 5% chance of getting a Cubone (may just be a placeholder for something else if I decide to do that something else.) A 5% chance of finding a Ponyta. 10% chance of finding a Minccino, Ralts, Growlithe, and Budew. And a 20% chance of finding a Pansear and Meowth. (To be fair, you can get a Meowth normally in a route close to where the Safari Zone is, so I’m making it common but also a slightly higher level than everything else.)

This makes three Pokemon that had a baby Pokemon before they were dropped when they decided that Gen 2 isn’t going to be the last gen. A Chikorita we all know and love. A Cubone that could be replaced someday. Pokemon that can evolve with either by leveling up by day, or by a Dawn, Shiny or a Sun Stone. A fire monkey. And Chansey, because of course.

The Afternoon Pokemon

There’s a 1% chance Espeon, but a 5% chance of finding an Eevee. (And a .76% chance of finding one a Shiny on top of that. AND YET I STILL FOUND ONE IN MY OWN GAME THAT I’M MAKING!) A 4% chance of getting a Cyndaquil. A 5% chance of getting a Riolu, A 5% chance of finding a Farfetch’d. 10% chance of finding a Cottonee, Fairy Type Stantler, Vulpix, and Tangela. And a 20% chance of finding a Pansage and Kotora.

That makes two Pokemon that had a baby form before they were dropped and one that had an evolution that was dropped. (Though rumors are that it’s coming back.) A Pokemon that was dropped altogether. The Pokemon that replaced Honoguma in the end. An alternative typing of a Pokemon. More Pokemon that can evolve in the day time or with Dawn, Shiny or a Sun Stone. A grass Monkey. And Espeon, because they evolve during the day.

The Night Pokemon

There’s a 1% chance Umbreon, but a 5% chance of finding an Eevee. (...) A 4% chance of getting a Totodile. A 5% chance of getting a Gligar and a Grimer. A 10% chance of finding a Misdreavus, Clefairy, Dark/Normal type Snubbull, and Murkrow. And a 20% chance of finding a Panpour and Rinrin.

I think you get the pattern by now. Just replace the Sun/Shiny/Dawn Stones with Dusk and Moon Stones, and “evolve during day” to “evolve during night.”

Fishing

So like I said above, the Safari Zone in gen 2 does have some Pokemon that you can catch via fishing, (Krabby, Kingler, Staryu, and Corsola) so I of course had to do shove those Pokemon in somewhere, and then some.

I just need to make sure that I made all three rods available. I‘m pretty sure I did. Oh god I hope I did.

Old Rod

70% chance of Manboo and 30% chance of Corsola

Good Rod

60% chance of Corsola, and 20% chance of Krabby and Staryu

Super Rod

40% chance of Corsola. 55% chance of Krabby. 4% chance of Kingler. And 1% chance of Dratini.

Surfing

60% chance of Manboo. 30% chance of Goldeen (since it had a baby Pokemon.) 5% chance of Qwilfish (since it had an evolution before.) 4% chance of water type Shuckle. And a 1% chance of Bomushika.

Flowers

I decided to have Flabebe and a small chance of Floette appear on the flowers. I can’t exactly tell you the percentage of them since I had to come up with an RNG event since I don’t know how to make flowers act like grass or water the correct way. But you wouldn’t know that if I didn’t say it.

The minor changes I made. (And one I couldn’t change, but oh well. Exploit!)

Besides the thing where different Pokemon appears during different times of day. (Which I’m pretty sure was a thing since gen four anyway. I dunno for sure but it sounds about right.) I made the Safari Ball catch rate from 1.5% to 2%. The same as an Ultra Ball. (It still didn’t help though! Oh well. I can have a team of Shiny Eevees! All with Frenzy Plant, and Spacial Rend!)

There’s a chance that a wild Double Battle will happen. Since there’s no Safari Double Battle, the game will automatically think of it as a regular battle. I don’t know how to change this but I don’t really care. It’s an exploit that you can use to catch Pokemon that are exclusive to the area without having them run!

I hid a bunch of items! I made sure to add them AFTER I took that screen cap of the map, since it would’ve shown where they are if I didn’t. But I of course had the Item Finder available pretty close by.

Um... I think that’s it. I’ll edit this if I can think of anything else, but at the moment I cannot.

[keahifctf2-blog]

Love Live! Pokemon AU

Welcome to the World of Pokemon!

However, this isn’t your regular Pokemon World. No, this is a World where the Muse girls of Love Live! are the Gym Leaders (sans one special girl). I tried my best to figure out the best puzzle and type that relates to each girl as possible.

So, without further questions, choose your starter and enter this AU World of Pokemon and begin your journey to be a Pokemon Master!

Nico: Fairy Type Gym Leader and the #1 PokeIdol in the Universe. The first Gym you go up against. Her Gym puzzle is rather simple and resembles very much like Roxie’s Gym in Pokemon Black and White 2, but you instead beat the two Lasses who are in charge of the Audio System. Nico will then fight you, enraged that you ruined her show. Uses a Cleffa and a Jigglypuff as her two pokemon. Psst, you could catch a Aron in the next route if you are having trouble.

Nozomi: Ghost Type Gym Leader and Fortune telling sensation. Second Gym you arrive at. Her Gym involves fortune telling and your knowledge of the Major Arcana (both the upright and reversed positions!), meaning that you may have to google what the hell she wants you to do. Hex Maniacs wander throughout and give hints when defeated. You fight Nozomi when you reach the end of her Gym. Uses a Drifloon, a Misdreavus, and finally a Hauntar. Beware as Nozomi may always get Critical Hits due to her insane luck!

Hanayo: Grass Type specialist and proud Berry/Rice Farm owner. Puzzle involves navigating between the Rice and Berry fields and increasing/lowering the water levels. A bit similar to Crasher Wake’s Gym Puzzle in DPP. Hanayo uses a Tangela, a Cherrim, and a Roserade, making Hanayo the first Gym Leader in this AU to use at least one fully evolved Pokemon. Her Roserade can be a pain to deal with if you are not careful. Otherwise, pretty easy Gym.

Maki: Normal Gym and the point where things are slowly getting more difficult. Her Gym involves a scavenger hunt where you need to battle Doctors (who, unlike Doctors you find in Routes, will not heal you after you fight them) to get items for other Doctors. Once you satisfy the demands of the Hospital, Maki will allow you to fight her. She uses a Lopunny, Persian, and, most annoying of all, Blissey. They all have Attract as well and love to use Status conditions. Be cautious!!!

Eli: Ice Pokemon fits the Icy Russian well. Eli’s Gym actually deviates from the normal Ice Sliding puzzle. Instead we get something akin to Kiawe’s Trial in the Sun and Moon games where you need to spot the differences in the dances the Ballet Dance girls would do. Each one you get correct allows you to battle one of the Dancers and get one step closer to Eli. Solve three of these Dances will allow you to battle the Gym herself. She uses Vanillish, Cryogonal, a Glaceon, and a Frolass who loves to spam Destiny Bond. Eli is the first Gym Leader that uses four Pokemon.

Kotori: She is obviously a Birb so she uses the fast Flying types. Her gym is relatively similar to the one Skyla uses in the original Black and White (not counting B2W2). Instead of cannons, however, you use wings to fly across the Gym Room. Kotori’s room is unique in that it is the only Gym where you could encounter Wild Pokemon as she loves to let the Birbs run loose. When you get to her, Kotori uses a Togekiss, an Oricorio (Sensu style), a Swanna, and a MEGA PIDGEOT. All Gyms after this point are capable of Mega Evolutions. Keep that in mind!

Rin Rin Ring a Bell: A certain starter made me convinced to let Rin be the Fire Gym! Her Gym involves... Cat Trivia. How Rin-like. However, it also includes navigating around elevating platforms while trying to find books about Cat facts. Basically a more difficult version of Lenora’s Gym. Not helping matters is that the Gym Trainers use Cat Pokemon, most of which are not Fire Type. Rin is the most diverse of the Gym Leaders, starting off with an Alolan Persian (a Dark Type) before going with Ninetails, Mega Camerupt, and finally Incineroar. Oddly enough, Incineroar is Rin’s signature Pokemon.

Umi: The Final Gym Leader and a Water Specialist with a “Special Connection with the Champion”. Her Gym is the most simple yet most difficult one of them all: beat all trainers to face the Leader. All of the Ace Trainers and Veterans here use high level Pokemon and they are smart trainers to boot. Umi is also no slouch and is the first and only Gym Leader in this AU to use five Pokemon. She uses Milotic, Kingdra, Jellicent, Samurott (Male), and ASH-FUCKING-GRENINJA. She is the most difficult Gym to face and is also as smart as a competitive Pokemon Battler.

So that’s the Gym Muse out of the way. However, you are nowhere CLOSE to beating the game (or rather the AU), as you now have to face off against the Love Live Region’s Pokemon League!

And now you stand face to face with the LL League’s Elite Four! You can fight them in any order.

Mrs. Minami: Principal of Otonokizaka and an esteemed Dragon user. Starts off with Altaria that is more than happy to counter your own Dragons with Moonblast. Her biggest curveball is her Charizard, which she doesn’t even Mega Evolve! Charizard’s main Dragon Move is Dragon Claw but is there to melt any of your Ice Types into a puddle. The Principal is the sole LL girl to have an Ultra Beast in her Party, a Naganadel, which is part Poison. Naganadel can severely hurt your Fairy Types quickly and leave you stranded without a reliable Dragon killer since her next two are hard hitters. One of these is the ever-famous Dragonite, the first Psuedo-Legendary. It packs Flamethrower and Draco Meteor and it holds a White Herb to heal itself from the effects of the White Herb. Finally is her Mega Garchomp, which sacrifices its speed so that it may proceed to murder you six ways til Sunday. It has Fire Fang to eat your Ice Cream in one gulp and Iron Tail to send your Fairy Types up in the air a la Team Rocket. It also has Outrage whenever this thing decides it wants your Pokemon and you dead.

Mrs. Nishikino: Psychic Type specialist and an expert in Human and Pokemon Psychology. Beginning with the Mind Screw is her Slowking, which will start things off with Trick Room if you keep it alive. This move can either help you or hurt you depending on which Pokemon you use. She then uses the obligatory Alakazam which has high Special Attack and Speed to boot and, of course, has Shadow Ball and Psychic. Delphox can burn you with Flamethrower and has Shockwave for coverage against Water Types. Oranguru loves to annoy you and tries to badly poison your Pokemon using Toxic and is also a wall of its own. Her final Pokemon is Gardevoir, which she evolves into Mega Gardevoir. Like the rest of her Pokemon, Gardevoir also packs Psychic and Shadown Ball while also packing Moonblast. Her glaring weakness is that all of her Pokemon are Special based attackers.

Mrs. Yazawa: Dark Type user. She kicks things off with a... HYDREIGON?! Wait.. Hold on! That’s not a Hydreigon! That’s a Zoroark! Didn’t see that one coming, did ya now? However, Zoroark is no slouch either thanks to its high Speed and Special Attack. Honchkrow and Weavile are also devestating sweepers in their own right as well, though they are more physical based compared to the special using Zoroark. Her Malamar is fairly average but will tend to use Status moves to throw you and your team off. Her Hydreigon (the REAL Hydreigon this time!) is her most frightening Pokemon with how diverse its moveset can be. Think twice when wanting to use a pure Fairy Pokemon when Hydreigon comes out as it can OHKO it using Flash Cannon!

Kousaka Yukiho: In order to make up for the lack of an Electric Gym, Yukiho is the Electric Specialist of the E4! She starts off with Jolteon and loves to use its insane speed to try and paralyze you (unless you have a Ground Type on you). She also has a Fan Rotom, which makes Ground Types useless and can cut up your Grass Types with Air Slash. Her Luxray has Fire and Ice Fangs for coverage as well. Alolan Raichu can run circles around your team as well though a Krookodile can deal with that Raichu easily. Her Mega Ampharos is something else, however, due to it being part Dragon. It can clean sweep any unsuspecting Pokemon that have no way of dealing with Dragon moves. Needless to say she can be pretty easy but also very hard.

And now you have done it.

You have defeated the Elite Four of the Love Live Pokemon League.

There, behind those grand doors as you reach the top of the endless stairs, is the League Champion.

Are you ready?

Healed up?

Psychologically sane for one last fight?

Then head through and face...

Kousaka Honoka: The Pokemon League Champion of the Love Live! Series and she is a TOUGH MANJUU. Honoka, despite struggling in School, is as smart as the Recent Pokemon World Champions in the Real World! She has the following Pokemon: Eelektross, Volcarona, Samurott (Female), Mega Metagross, Snorlax (with LEFTOVERS), and, worst of all, Complete Form ZYGARDE. Her team is very diverse and her Eelektross, which has no weaknesses thanks to its Levitate Ability, sends this point home. Eelektross is Honoka’s mixed attacker and has Giga Drain to deal with any pesky Ground Types, not to mention that it’s pretty tanky. Volcarona is a Pokemon that loves to spam Quiver Dance and can sweep your team if you are not careful enough and take it out quickly and even packs Psychic for Rock Types. Honoka has her own Samurott that she got from Umi and, unlike Umi’s Samurott, her Samurott also packs Ice Beam and Megahorn, providing decent coverage but not too much. Snorlax is an annoying Pokemon with a ton of Health and Attack, decent Special Defense, and the potential to knock out your Tanky or Wall Pokemon. Her Mega Evolution Pokemon is Metagross and it is a member of the Psuedo-Legendaries for a reason, packing Zen Headbutt and the mighty Earthquake to dish out unbelievable damage even if the move is not super effective and Metagross can also wall Physical Attacks like it’s nobody’s business.

Her final Pokemon, however, is what takes the cake. Honoka’s Complete Form Zygarde. This is a Legendary Pokemon so the last stretch will be super far from being a walk in the park. It makes up for its somewhat mediocre attacking stats in exchange for HUGE HEALTH. It could even survive a hit from an Ice Type despite being a quad weakness. It also has moves that punish Ice and Fairy Types like Iron Tail and Earthquake. It also packs Stone Edge as well as a Crit chance up move. However, your biggest worry is Zygarde’s Outrage, which can - and will - HURT. Your best bet is to wail on it as much as possible until it is finally down. You also cannot count on confusion if it uses Outrage the first time around due to it holding the Persim Berry, which snaps Pokemon out of confusion. Patience is a virtue when taking this thing down!

However, when all is said and done, you have defeated Honoka, the Champion.

Or... Should I say former Champion?

That’s right. With Honoka’s defeat by your hands, you are now the new Champion of the Love Live! Pokemon AU! What will you do now? Hold a Parade going back to your Hometown? Or maybe complete the whole Pokedex? Who knows!

The fate is in your hands, Trainer! Or should I say... Pokemon Master!

Note: Jeez this was long to write... But hopefully you have enjoyed how I see a LL Pokemon AU play out! Obviously it’s not as good as, say, how some others written any Pokemon AU, but it’s the best I could do... ^^;;;

But thanks for reading this.

Also to answer a rhetorical question: the relationship between the girls are Platonic in nature! So no Romance here just like in the original Pokemon games whenever shipping is brought up!

[cuteelectron-blog]

Pokémon Go tips, tricks and cheats guide to help you catch 'em all

on this web page are a series of recommendations and hints for Pokémon move that can help you make the most out of locating and catching Pokémon, hatching eggs, leveling up creatures and extra.

Age Of Empires 3 Cheats.

Gen three has arrived!

In December 2017, an update providing the second wave of Heonn region creatures went underway. As with the Gen 2 update in advance inside the 12 months, it also gives a few major new capabilities - along with climate results that trade the manner Pokemon seem and behave.

Gyms have visible a big revamp

As of summer season 2017, a massive multiplayer replace has taken vicinity, changing the manner Gyms paintings and introduce the concept of Raids.

The gym transform has dropped stages and prestige, and now facilities round Motivation. Gyms now also act as PokeStops, which additionally deliver out collectable and upgradable gymnasium Badges. The way you earn and accumulate PokeCoins has modified. Raid battles allow you to take on more-effective creatures for unique rewards, which include rare candy and Golden Razz Berries. Play enough Raids, and you will finally be capable of catch Legendaries. There are numerous new fitness center-associated Medals to liberate. New Pokémon are right here!

As of the February 2017 update, Pokémon from Gen 2's Johto place - otherwise known as the Pokémon from Gold, Silver and Crystal - are available.

alongside new creatures, there are also new features - which includes extra Berries - and lots of minor tweaks and additions to the sport's numerous structures. This includes:

80+ new creatures from the Johto place The addition of Shinies, specifically shiny Pokémon like Magikarp and red Gyarados numerous new Pokémon move Berries - Nanab Berry, Pinap Berry and Razz Berry Tweaks to the distances to hatch Pokémon move toddler Pokémon Togepi, Pichu, Magby, Elekid, Igglybuff, Smoochum and Cleffa, as well as the addition of Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan and Hitmontop's Tyrogue new Eevee evolutions Umbreon, Espeon New creatures manner a new list of first-rate Pokémon and new Egg distances 2d and 1/3 tier evolutions within the wild give out greater sweet and Stardust new Medals for darkish kind creatures and Johto vicinity Pokémon a further XP bonus for catching Pokémon on the first try Ditto will now remodel from numerous common Gen 2 creatures two new area distinctive Pokémon - Heracross and Corsola you may get Unown - but it is quite uncommon submit-Gen 2 replace, we've got also seen the advent of promo codes, no longer not like Niantic's different recreation, Ingress.

if you want to play nicely, then be prepared to journey around

instead of exploring at random, there are ways to track precise creatures in Pokémon go along with close by and Sighting radars thanks to an in-game radar in the bottom proper nook of the display, which allows you to hone in on what creatures are close by and with the aid of PokeStops. you can additionally track creatures via their kind in real-lifestyles locations - such as water Pokémon being close to rivers, canals and lakes - as nicely worrying gamers tour to totally distinctive continents to get location-different creatures.

Pokémon pass - discover Pokémon the use of new close by and Sighting trackersLearn the great approaches to discover creatures close by.

Pokémon pass nests - wherein to discover nests in London, the UK and different areasFind clusters of precise Pokémon fast with those maps and lists, up to date till past due August.

check in frequently to get the most from your each day bonuses

each day Bonuses are actually to be had, and provide you with a few first rate sized rewards virtually for checking in once a day to play the sport, and finishing a couple of minor responsibilities. check out our manual to the each day bonuses under for a few more details on how the work:

Pokémon pass every day Bonus - Rewards for streaks and first catch and Pokestop of every dayHere's how lots XP and Stardust you get for gambling Pokémon pass each day.

growth your egg hatching productiveness by means of playing smart

eggs1 as soon as you have got gathered an egg, go to your Pokémon then swipe proper to get right of entry to them.

For hatching eggs, you start the sport with an incubator that you may use as normally as you like, and also discover or purchase additional one-time-use incubators so you could have a couple of eggs brewing right now.

if you have a couple of to be had, it will pay to be smart about in which you positioned your eggs; placing longer-lasting 10km eggs inside the finite supply will make them last longer, considering that they're based totally at the wide variety of makes use of, not distance used.

Pokémon move - Egg chart and hatching 2km, 5km and 10km EggsWhat to expect to hatch after putting in those miles.

increase your egg hatching productiveness with the aid of no longer shifting at all

every other trick that players have determined that in case you go away the game open whilst you're no longer moving - such as in your desk at paintings - your teacher can from time to time step barely from aspect-to-aspect because the phone maintains to narrow down your GPS role. these little actions count as taking walks closer to hatching, so it is probably really worth maintaining the app open to slowly chip away when you may - assuming you may accept as true with co-people not to mess along with your phone far from your table, of course!

but you can not hatch eggs faster by the usage of public delivery

The Witcher sport that never was Made in Poland but not via CD Projekt pink. The Witcher game that in no way was due to the fact the game uses the quantity of distance you have travelled to hatch eggs and unencumber positive medals, you would possibly assume that catching a bus or train is a brief manner of travelling huge distances. but, the sport will understand that you are visiting too fast, and might not sign in the motion in any respect - or even offers you a warning whilst it occurs. as if things have been that smooth!

That said, if you're no longer needing to music specific Pokémon, then using public transport is a first rate way to boom your chances of encountering them out inside the wild, specifically in busier city areas.don't forget you can entire a seize without having to live in a fixed function, so do not worry if the bus or train speeds away.

while public delivery also isn't always a notable manner to interact with Gyms, considering they require you to be of their radius for the duration of their use, can 'queue up' a Pokéforestall interaction up beforehand before you bypass through it, and then spin the screen on the proper time.

Pokémon go capture Bonus explained - a way to increase your probabilities of catching elemental Pokémon with MedalsEvery Medal indexed in order to increase your seize quotes.

there's a way to see which Pokémon you stuck these days

whilst surfing your Pokémon, you would possibly have observed some have a blue glow to them - this means they were stuck inside the past 24 hours.

whilst you can already clear out your roster by way of current, it permits you to distinguish at a look if you are browsing by way of Pokédex variety, CP and call, too.

Out of Revives? Then have sweet on the equipped...

this is a short however candy tip; in case you're out of Revives and need to resurrect a creature, then spend sweet thru a power Up or Evolve and it's going to come lower back to life with HP. on hand if you're in a pinch!

Pokémon go sweet - the way to get candy, how uncommon candy worksHow to get candy as without problems as feasible, and how much you'll want to spend.

Pokémon go friend machine - Distances for while each pal Pokémon drop rewardsWhich buddy Pokémon are faster to supply sweet than others in Pokémon go?

Pokémon go is simply as complex as the main games, way to a hidden layer of stats

CP is one of the maximum essential values for a Pokémon, but it hides a number of hidden stats that determine how effective a Pokémon can truly be. much like the primary video games, fans have observed there are a series of individual Stats - or IVs - that act as an individual Pokémon's genes, dictating whether and what kind of a selected Pokémon's stats deviate from the norm of their Base values.

A mixture of a Pokémon's hidden Base Stats, IVs, and stage (the white bar above the Pokémon) are what dictate its CP. whilst the higher the better, keep in mind that your to begin with extremely good Vaporeon would possibly simplest be robust as it's a high degree, and could get swept apart through extra certainly robust, excessive-IV alternatives later on.

Our devoted web page explains more on how this works in extra element, and a way to discover and exploit these hidden values:

Pokémon go moves - movesets, pass listing, and maximum DPS attacks.how to find out the pleasant, most effective moveset to your Pokémon.

Pokémon move CP that means defined: a way to get the very best CP values and create the most powerful teamHow to reveal hidden stats to make Pokémon as powerful as they can be.

Pokémon pass - the way to get Stardust easily to strengthen your PokémonThe first-class approaches to collect Stardust, from Eggs to Gyms.

You don't should faucet each item at a Pokéstop

A rather useful time saver is understanding that you don't need to tap every unmarried object that floats up the display screen when you spin a Pokéstop. if you tap the pass at the lowest of the display screen, you'll be given each object mechanically, that is specially useful in case you need to get again to the map to show your attention to any other Poképrevent or Pokémon out within the global.

Use the 'L Throw' approach for perfect Curveballs

in addition to throwing balls inside a shrinking circle to get excellent, incredible and awesome catches - increasing your possibilities of fulfillment - you could also get a bit rapid XP on top with Curveballs, a form of trick shot that sees balls curl towards their target.

To throw a Curveball, start through keeping the Pokéball and rotating it round. when you throw, it's going to then curve within the rotation you spun the ball - if it's clockwise, then it's going to go to the proper, and if anti-clockwise, to the left.

they're tough to tug off, but luckily players recently discovered a method that lets in you to without difficulty throw them with splendid achievement. After a spin, flow the ball up the left-most aspect of the display screen, and launch at the equal top because the Pokémon. Assuming the Pokéemon didn't move or attack, it have to land and start the capture procedure. you can study more on the technique and see it in action inside the following guide:

Pokémon go Curveballs - Throw ideal curveballs and get quality, fantastic, awesome bonusesHow to entice Pokémon correctly internal those treasured Pokéballs.

There are extra Easter eggs and secrets and techniques to find in Pokémon move

in addition to masses of shortcuts, guidelines and tricks that the sport doesn't let you know about, there may be additionally a few secrets hidden away by using the developers for gamers to find, from finding a fourth starter Pokémon at the begin of the sport to the use of guidelines from the television display to conform Eevee the manner you want - hyperlinks to those articles beneath!

And seemingly there is greater - at Pokémon pass's San Diego comic Con panel, developer Niantic revealed that there are numerous Easter Eggs in the game that fans had not discovered but, so expect extra secrets to emerge in the coming weeks and months as gamers pick out the sport apart.

Pokémon move secrets and Easter EggsLooks like the developers are huge fans of Pikachu...

Pokémon move Ditto - where to locate and how to catch Ditto in the wild and the whole thing else you need to knowThe elusive Pokémon finally indicates up - but it's not so smooth to catch.

Pokémon move Pikachu: the way to get Pikachu as your starter and out within the wildHow first of all Ash's preferred Pokémon over Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle.

Pokémon cross Eevee evolution: a way to evolve Eevee into Vaporeon, Jolteon and Flareon with new nameA hidden connection with the tv show permits you select the manner Eevee evolves.

you can forestall yourself from by chance shifting Pokémon

Niantic have added a function which prevents you from by chance moving those treasured Pokémon to the professor, way to a post-release transforming of the sport's Favouriting device.

In brief, Pokémon favourited via the participant - which can be achieved by using tapping the megastar inside the pinnacle-proper of the Pokémon's screen - are now not able to be transferred in any respect, till you unfavourite them again. As part of the July 31 update, the switch button has now also been moved to a sub-menu on the Pokémon's display, under a button with three horizontal bars within the bottom-proper, rather than certainly being left on its personal down the lowest of the page.

it is a short, simple approach of stopping yourself from doing something particularly frustrating with the aid of twist of fate, while additionally making the on the spot transferring of a Pokémon a long way less difficult. you can now mulch down the ones pesky Zubats into sweet as fast as your heart dreams, without the threat of chucking an accidental Dragonite into the mixture. now not that we've got ever performed that, of course...

there is a battery saver mode which could help keep you gambling for longer

each game coming to Nintendo switch From the next Mario to fan-favored indies, a listing of every confirmed sport and launch date. each recreation coming to Nintendo switch Pokémon go has validated to drain smartphone batteries rather quickly, but fortuitously there is an in-recreation choice to help combat this hassle.

To get right of entry to the Battery Saver, tap the Pokéball at the bottom of the display at some point of map view to deliver up a menu of alternatives, then faucet the cog inside the top proper corner. after you allow it, the phone's screen will routinely dim whilst it's down by means of your aspect in a horizontal position, but still maintains running, notifying you of any nearby Pokémon, PokéStops and counting steps toward hatching eggs.

there's a few different ways to store battery that the game would not let you know approximately:

Pokémon cross - Battery saver mode explained, other methods to keep batteryThere's various ways to help your Poké adventure ultimate longer to your cellphone.

digital Foundry's first-rate reasonably-priced cellphone for Pokémon cross in 2016Meet the £60/$ninety nine cellphone that truely performs the game rather well.

access the game's many sub-menus quicker

as opposed to tapping the Pokéball at the bottom of the display screen to convey up every menu object, you could swipe it in one of a kind directions to take you to corresponding sub-menus alternatively:

Swipe Left for Pokémon and Eggs Swipe proper for items Swipe Up briefly for store Swipe Up greater for Pokédex excessive HP Pokémon make for better fitness center defenders

when it comes to finding out which Pokémon to leave at a health club for fighting in Pokémon cross, at the same time as you may mechanically suppose offense is the high-quality defence, Pokémon who're protecting a health club get a double HP bonus. It way that creatures with the highest HP (or Stamina) in the sport - along with Lapras and Snorlax - are then lots tougher to take down, and make for the correct defenders.

gamers have found out which those Pokémon are - in addition to people with the best attack, Defence and normal stats:

Pokémon go first-rate Pokémon tier listing - excellent Attackers, exceptional Defenders and maximum HP, Stamina and ordinary stats rankedWhere does Charizard stack up in opposition to Dragonite, Lapras and the Legendaries?

Pokémon move - how to evolve, use special items, when to evolve or energy Up your PokémonEvolution and strength Up mechanics defined with a flowchart.

The higher your instructor level, the better (and rarer) Pokémon can be

trainer degree is probable the single maximum critical stat in the game; the higher it is, the stronger CP the Pokémon you stumble upon could have, and the higher your chances might be for discovering rare Pokémon. each new stage additionally gives you items, including extra effective Pokéballs and Potions, so it is worth seeking to advantage XP whenever you may.

Pokémon pass: stage rewards list, degree up objects and max level cap in fullHere's what you items and rewards you unlock as you acquire XP, and while.

find out whether you genuinely stuck that Pokémon earlier than the sport crashed

because of its huge reputation and a rollout that has seen new areas introduce waves of gamers each few days, Pokémon go has had an unsteady release, with regular bouts of downtime and connection issues. one of the extra frustrating incidents is while the sport stops responding as you capture a Pokémon.

If this takes place, deliver it a moment to respond, then close and re-open the app and check your journal (you can try this by tapping the lower right menu bottom for your instructor display) to show a listing of recent sports. arms crossed your prize seize made it to the servers in any case!

there is different server-associated problems to be aware of too, which we give an explanation for in this page:

Pokémon go server status - check Pokémon go servers are down in uk, US, Europe and morePokémon go isn't the maximum dependable recreation proper now, so right here's now to navigate its various mistakes.

there may be a easy method to get a whopping 60,000 XP in 30 minutes

gamers have worked out a way to get big XP profits in a short space of time, and interestingly, it includes the usage of the sport's weakest and most Pokémon - Pidgey, Weedle and Caterpie - with masses and masses of candy, netting you tens of hundreds of revel in in a single sitting:

Pokémon pass XP - sources listing and the way to get XP rapid with Pidgey farmingA easy way to earn a whopping 60,000 XP in 30 minutes.

Pokémon cross - the way to evolve, while to evolve or electricity Up your PokémonEvolution and strength Up mechanics explained with a flowchart.

Pokémon go is getting seasonal updates

Like most 'live' video games, Pokémon move will get hold of everyday seasonal updates. beginning in October, the sport received per week-long Pokémon go's Halloween event that expanded the advent charge of pick out 'spooky' creatures and additionally accelerated candy drop charges.

It become then followed via a Double XP and Stardust Thanksgiving event in November, with more over Christmas and Easter.

You handiest have one shot at deciding on a fitness center group, so select wisely

the person with 1200 Platinum trophies Hakooma matata. the person with 1200 Platinum trophies once you hit degree 5, you're invited to enroll in considered one of 3 groups - team intuition, team Mystic, or group Valor. The point of teams is to divide the users into competing camps that manipulate gyms, with the concept for players to are seeking out gyms owned by way of rival businesses, take manipulate of them, and hold to guard them through the years, with the game rewarding players for doing so.

even as the differences among them are minimal, because you can't exchange your group once they've been selected, it is a selection that truely matters, specifically due to the fact that there are so many rivalries rising among players around the world. make certain you are taking your time and select wisely!

Pokemon cross crew - Valor Mystic and instinct, which crew is the quality and which group to sign up for?Is there a advantage to deciding on one crew over the others?

Pokémon go username: how to exchange username, exchange appearanceHow you may swap the look and nickname of your trainer.

[redsdesktop]

Nameless Week: Sharing Beds.

Pairings: Red x Green/Blue Oak ( I use Green. )

Warnings: None.

AU: Omegaverse. If you're not familiar with this 'verse, I suggest looking it up. Though the 'verse varies from writer to writer.

Two young boys sat on the floor in a bedroom, reading a magazine together, they were fascinated by this week's issue. It had every gym leader and their description inside it, listing everything about them, including their secondary genders. It was growing apparent that most of the gym leaders were Alphas with only a couple of Betas mixed in, which only the silent boy seemed to notice. Being an omega, it was a little disheartening to have no idol that was the same dynamic as him. He looked over at his best friend Green, who was an alpha himself, signing him a question. Green was smart, knew a lot about the world beyond their little town, so maybe he had the answer to the question that had been bothering him.

'Why are there no omega leaders, Green?'

Green laughed and patted Red's shoulder, making Red frown, to the mute, this was a serious question. "Omegas are too weak to be a gym leader, duh! They need an alpha to keep them safe and protected. Don't worry about it, I can be your alpha!" Green said confidently, proudly, puffing his chest out a little as if that would impress and sooth Red's worries. Instead, it only annoyed the silent boy as he turned his head an looked away. While he liked the fact Green cared about him, but he wasn't weak, he could keep Green safe too. Friendship was a two way street and he would prove to Green that just because he was an omega, didn't mean he was weak.

That was the start of their downfall in friendship and the rise of their rivalry that would burn the both of them into ashes.

Ten years later, Red stood in front of a door with a tough decision in front of him. He'd escaped the world after winning the championship. People had began to protest that an omega couldn't be a champion and the gym leaders and elite four's strength were called in to question. If an omega could become Pokemon league champion then it was obvious that the system was too weak because people refused to believe a ten year old omega could not only stop Team Rocket, but become champion as well. He was labelled a liar and had been harassed until finally, he broke. He ran away into hiding where no one would find him. Mount Silver had been the place, no one would suspect him to be living in such a dangerous environment. He had, he thrived their in the silence and the wild, where Pokemon didn't judge him based on what he was and rather who he was.

So why was he here? Green had been the first one to not believe in him, had constantly bullied him and told him to just give up and go home.It wasn't entirely Green's fault though, Red had a lot of time to think and mull things over. Green had only wanted to protect him, his friend had cared about him, but Rd just couldn't let his only friend think of him as weak or a liability. In the end, he'd embarrassed Green, an Alpha champion for five minutes only to be taken down by an omega. Red had left him with the fallout of what he'd done and the guilt ate at him for years. He didn't regret beating Green, but he did regret not staying, not trying to mend things with Green. In the end, Green had been the strong one and had stayed despite everything. Red had ran, too weak to face the ridicule.

Now he stood in front of Green's door, having retrieved Green's new house location from his sister, Daisy, who had promised to keep it a surprise. Though Red still wasn't certain if he should be here or not as the cold nightly wind brushed up against him, tussling his dark brown hair that poked out the sides of his worn out baseball cap. Would Green even remember him? If he did, would he hate him? Red had grown up, filled out his body and had built up muscle from the harsh living on top of the mountain. To anyone who didn't catch a whiff of his gentle and sweet omega scent, they'd label him as an Alpha from body shape alone. Red lifted up a shaking hand, nervous about this, he feared the worst, expected it even. Still though, he needed to see Green again, so he knocked gently on the door, the sound was too soft, too hesitant. Red stood there, wondering if Green had even heard it, he had to be home since it was two in the morning on a weekday.

Then he heard scratching from the inside of the door, lowering his gaze in question since the scratching was coming from low to the ground, then he heard the excited trill of an eevee. The sound made his bored pikachu on his shoulders perk up and clamber down to the ground. He began scratching at the door as well, eager to see his own long lost friend. The scratching from inside stopped, wondering if eevee had given up, though likely not if he remembered the little brown fox Pokemon correctly. Eevee always got what she wanted, her determination despite being unevolved and refusing Green's insistence to evolve at every turn made Red admire her. He supposed that's why his pikachu was friends with her as well, sharing the same desire to not evolve and his pikachu's desire to thwart Green every step of the way.

"Eevee, what is it, its two in the damn morning." Red heard a muffled grumble coming from inside the house, making his heart begin to pick up speed. He would've ran, but his feet were stubbornly glued to the doorstep, too panicked to work properly. As he watched the doorknob turn, his stress grew, unintentionally making his scent give off a bitter scent, revealing his anxiety without words. He'd been so calm and collected up on the mountain, but down here, facing Green for the first time in a decade, he felt nervous for the first time. The door opened finally, revealing a sight that Red was unprepared for. Red had stupidly thought Green would look the same as he did when they were kids, he couldn't get the image out of his head even though rationally he knew Green had grown up just like he had.

Not only that, but his friend was wearing only a pair of green boxers, it shouldn't mean anything to him, he'd seen Green as a kid wearing only boxers or shorts. But Green wasn't a kid anymore, that much was obvious. Red's eyes widened as he looked from head to toe and back again, unaware that the speechless Green was just as shocked and doing the same with him. Something about seeing Green's lean muscled swimmer's body made Red's cheeks flush red and turn his head, ducking it as he raised his hand to nervously adjust his hat by the brim, conveniently hiding his face. They stood their awkwardly for a moment, silence making Red uncomfortable since he waited for Green to say something, anything.

"Arceus, you stink."

Well, that wasn't exactly what he hoped for.Afraid he was being rejected, he stepped back, or tried to, but a hand shot out to grab a hold of his arm firmly. Startled, not used to human contact after so long, Red froze, his entire body tense as an Alpha had grabbed him. Every omega instinct told him to either run or try to make himself smaller. He refused to do either, if he'd did that, he'd just be proving everyone right that he was weak.

"Whoa, hey wait, don't go. I just meant that your stinkin' up the place with your stress. Chill out, I'm not going to bite." Green spoke, his sleepy voice gentle, trying to soothe over Red's fear. It had been so long since he interacted with someone, he'd forgotten how stressful it was. Not only that, but this was Green, his closest friend that he'd let down, that he ruined on accident. He needed to stay. Needed to apologize to get this guilt off his chest before it completely crushed him, maybe then the both of them could live in some sort of peace. Green lightly tugged on Red's arm, trying to indicate that he should come in. "Get inside, you oaf. You're letting all the cold air in." Well, it seemed Green hadn't changed in calling him names, but that fact was comforting. Calling him these light insults was familiar and Red knew the true meaning behind it.

Green had his own way of showing care, most thought it was just bullying, but Red had stuck around Green long enough to see beneath that defensive barrier and had grew to understand his childhood friend. If he was lightly insulting him, that meant they were still friends, right? Slowly he moved into the house, pikachu had no reserves and darted in between Green's legs, nearly tripping the man over in his rush to play with eevee.As the door closed behind him, he took a deep inhale and there was a faint upturn in one corner of his lips as the scent of the house reminded him of their childhood. He always teased Green about his scent, the warm, strong smell of freshly cut oakwood after Green's surname. It filled the place with Green's personalized scent, it was slowly putting Red's nerves at ease, but not completely. Now he was inside Green's house, his personal space, his den. Red wasn't certain what to do with himself, not knowing his boundaries.

"Can we talk later? I stayed up all night getting the gym's paperwork done." Green said before yawning, reaching up to comb his fingers through his hair, he had terrible bedhead just like he had when he was a kid. Red nodded a little, glancing over at the couch in the living room, Green caught his look and tightened his grip on Red's arm a little. "Oh no no no, I'm not letting you sleep alone so you can sneak out on me again while I'm asleep. You're staying in my bed so you can't escape." Green leveled him with a glare, but Red didn't seem to notice as he met those hazel eyes, they looked even better than he remembered, even if he didn't particularly like the tired look in them. Red sighed out and gave a nod, giving in to Green's demands before his childhood friend began to drag him down the hall to his bedroom.

The bedroom had even a stronger scent, making Red feel a little nervous, this place was private, for Green. No one came into an Alpha's room unless they were bonded, but it seemed Green was too tired to care about protocol.So tired that he shoved Red back, causing Red to let out a huff of surprise at such a demand, especially when he hadn't even taken off his shoes yet. Green climbed into bed on the other side while Red toed off his worn out sneakers, not confident enough to strip down to his boxers like Green. He rolled onto his side, his back facing Green to give the other male privacy as he pulled the blankets up. He couldn't sleep, his mind was whirling through all his thoughts on what was happening. Green wasn't mad, at least not yet since his friend was likely more tired than angry. However, Green hadn't shut the door in his face and now... He could feel Green scooting up behind him. Too close.

And yet, the feel of Green's arm curling about his waist and the soft and slow warm breaths that brushed over the back of his neck were comforting. This. This was home.

[nuzblog]

November 20th, 2017

I didn't recieve much feedback, but I got enough to make my decisions.

My first stop was the Power Plant. I activated my repels before entering, and started my way through. Thankfully, Mick is still holding onto Flash in my PC, so the Voltorbs and Electrodes encountered as false items in the Power Plant pose no threat to my Nuzlocke. This dungeon is short but has a few nice items in it, including the TM for Thunder, which would be useful if the electric type I'm about to acquire didn't learn it naturally and also if anyone on my team could learn it other than, strangely enough, Nessie. Although I actually haven't checked since the changes to the party that happen here... it might be more useful than anticipated, if my other new party member can learn it. I'll be checking that when I next play, I suppose.

Anyway. Zapdos, right? I don't typically use legendaries, and I'll go into a bit of detail on my feelings towards legendaries in a general sense towards the end of this same entry, so stay tuned. Suffice to say, I think there's something relatively unengaging about playing through a large chunk of the game with a party of creatures that you've raised from tiny small forms to become big awesome badasses and become close to emotionally and learned the subtle intricacies of their capabilities... only to suddenly have access to creatures that not only are just plain more powerful in terms of how strong they CAN get, but also typically more powerful than your Pokemon when you get them. However, Zapdos fills both the niche of my team's flying type, something pretty much necessary to be able to navigate the environment stress free, and of my team's electric type, something that will make battling the Elite Four a more plausible proposition, given the high number of flying types (that would otherwise be relying on Moschops's rock throw, and Moschops is WEAK to flying attacks) and also Lorelei's high ratio of Water Pokemon despite her supposed focus on the Ice type. Of course, Zapdos is also weak to ice moves, so it's a bit of a tradeoff, but nonetheless, I will gladly accept that tradeoff for the high stats. (Although the other thing about getting a Pokemon at such a high level is that its EVs will be lagging pretty far behind, but come to think of it, I'm not even sure EVs work the same in this gen and quite frankly, I'm not arsed to check too closely.)

Now, if I wanted to be more traditional about it, I could definitely use Penthes' Sleep Powder while risking him to a Drill Peck, lower Zapdos' HP and hope for the best when chucking an inventory full of Ultra Balls. Maybe it would be more in the spirit of a challenge run to do this, but using a legendary isn't as much in the spirit of a challenge run either. I'm too far in to recover from a setback like potentially failing to catch Zapdos or worse, losing a team member to it, and quite frankly, I'm way not enthused about the idea of starting over from the beginning at this point. So instead, since it's a tool the game gives me that I have no other purpose for (since there are only a tiny handful of places left in the game where I even could catch a Pokemon anyway), I just chucked my Master Ball at it turn one.

Zapdos' name is Wakinyan. I like to spread out XP to those that need it, and since Zapdos is level 50 and at this point, the rest of my team was a solid 7 levels below that, I'll only be using it when it is really needed. Speaking of really needing XP...

The coast of Cinnabar Island has a weird property. Actually, it has a few weird properties. Firstly, since both routes leading to Cinnabar Island (and actually, basically all the ocean routes at the south of Kanto) have identical encounter rates while surfing (with a handful of different levels at which Tentacool can be encountered), the developers essentially told the game to use the same encounter rate as the last visited route for Cinnabar Island. During typical gameplay, if you surf around Cinnabar Island, you should be able to encounter the same set of Tentacools. However, the route has a second, weirder property. You see, when checking to see whether or not it needs to roll up a random number to see if you're able to encounter something, the game looks at the tile you're standing on. Each tile you can stand on is actually quadranted into four subtiles. For whatever reason, when determining IF you encounter something, it checks the tile to the lower right, to see if it is grass, water, or cavefloor. However, when checking to see WHAT you encounter, it looks at the tile to the lower LEFT - if it is the same dark color as the water then it uses the surfing table, but if it isn't, it uses the grass/cave table. Surfing on the right coast of Cinnabar Island will have your left side overlapping the coast, and your right side in the water. What this essentially means is that, while surfing along Cinnabar Island's coast, the game will use the same rate of getting an encounter as you would have anywhere else in the ocean... but it will use the list of Pokemon that can be found in the grass or the cavefloor of the last visited location. Sea Routes 20 and 21 don't have grass encounter rates, so typically this would mean you don't encounter anything. However, you can get to Cinnabar Island other ways, such as using Fly, or healing at the Pokemon Center there and then using Dig inside a dungeon or Teleport basically anywhere.

What this means is essentially that you can turn the encounter rate of the tiles on the eastern coast of Cinnabar Island into whatever other location's encounter rate you want. If you want to catch a ghost at sea, simply heal on Cinnabar, enter the Pokemon Tower, and then use Dig to instantly return to Cinnabar. This is most famously used in one of two ways - if you use this method inside of the Safari Zone, you can encounter rare Pokemon such as Tauros, Pinsir/Scyther, Chansey, Exeggcute, and Kangaskhan in a place that lets you normally weaken and capture them rather than relying on the heavily RNG-based and incredibly finicky Safari Zone capture system. (Of course, you do still have to wade through what is now a literal rather than figurative ocean of Nidoran family members, but at least when you find the super rare thing you can actually capture it.)

The other way it is typically used is in conjunction with the Old Man in Viridian City who teaches you how to catch Pokemon. When you watch his tutorial, which can be repeated at will, your name is temporarily stored in the wild encounter rate data, allowing the game to display the name "Old Man". Normally it is returned where it belongs when you enter a new route with encounter data, but since Cinnabar Island functions as just described, flying right from Viridian to Cinnabar maintains your name's location in the encounter data. Since both the encounter rate and your name are represented using the same language, the game reads your name as if it was a list of different Pokemon's levels and ID numbers that can be seen, and it uses that for its random generation. Since there are 256 different options for character or encounter hex codes, and only 151 Pokemon and 100 levels Pokemon can normally be, this results in Pokemon that can be far higher level than could otherwise be attained, and a large number of erroneous attachments of hex codes to nonexistent, glitch Pokemon, the most famous of which is Missingno. I could write a lengthy expose on all of the different things Missingno does, but suffice to say, it looks like a Tetris block made of what computers throw up when they get sick, encountering it turns one item from your inventory into as close to infinite of that item as it can go, and catching it has a chance to corrupt your game data permanently. It's really a whole lot of oddly specific stuff that is a lot of fun, especially since none of it is at all intentional.

Now, given that my name is ARTHUR, I had the option of using the Old Man Glitch to summon a Missingno to multiply my items, an Abra whose level is in the 130s somewhere (and therefore can't actually learn moves if it evolves into Kadabra), or a Haunter at level 145. But none of that is particularly useful.

I could also have given the Safari Zone another go, but the most useful thing I could find there would be Exeggcute, and I already HAVE a good Grass type.

No, no. Instead, I'm doing something WAY more mundane. I'm flying to Vermillion City, and going East to Route 11, where the only Pokemon I might encounter are Spearow, which I already have the evolved form of; Sandshrew, which I already have the evolved form of; and a tapir wading through feces. I mean, Drowzee. I then fly to Cinnabar Island, surf along the coast, and sure enough, after a few of those duplicate claused Pokemon, I find my Drowzee. I put it to sleep, chuck a couple of Ultra Balls its way, and capture it. At Level 11. Huzzah!

I boxed Sciari, who was useful for Koga and will always be worth remembering for that, and start training up my Elite Four ready Psychic type in the Pokemon Mansion. Its name is Baku. At level 26 it evolves into Drowzee, and at level 37 it learns Psychic, so just to be extra safe I train it up to level 40...

And then I go to work. I do continue playing afterwards and into the next day, so the next update will be up sooner rather than later. It does mean the sidebar won't be updated until then. I also have to go to work literally right now as I'm publishing this so that's fine anyway.