#shield's non-galar pokemon spotlight

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja

There was some exciting new this week - apparently more Pokemon are going to be allowed in the Galar region later this year! I’m still going to keep doing these spotlights, though, as there are still some Pokemon that even then, will not be allowed in Galar.

Froakie, Frogadier, and Greninja are another line of Pokemon exclusively available domestically, never in the wild. This line is most common in the Kalos region, but fully-evolved Greninja have occasionally been spotted in the Alola region.

Greninja is a very special Pokemon, having two nearly unique Abilities. While most are the same as most Water-type domestic research Pokemon - Torrent, in which Water-type moves increase in power when it is close to fainting - it rarely has the Ability Protean as well. This completely changes the Pokemon’s type to match the move it is using, not only making that move more powerful but also changing which types it’s weak or resistant to. This makes Greninja extremely adaptable against any type of Pokemon, especially with the large variety of move types I can naturally learn.

But that’s not the only special Ability it has. It is the only Pokemon capable of having the Ability Battle Bond, which transforms it into a different form known as Ash-Greninja the first time it faints an opponent. This Ash-Greninja boosts some if its stats in the same way that Mega Evolution does, but it does not require a Mega Stone.

These Pokemon are, in general, skilled at using bubbles and compressed water to their advantage. Not only does it swap from bubbles to water when it goes from Frogadier to Greninja, though, but its natural moveset also is substantially different. Froakie and Frogadier learn Round, Fling, Smack Down, and Bounce, while Greninja trades those for Shadow Sneak, Spikes, Feint Attack, and Extrasensory. Not only that, but Greninja also gains the ability to use Water Shuriken, Night Slash, Haze, Role Play, and Mat Block, all ninja-like moves.

Overall, this Pokemon is very speedy with high attacking power, both in the physical and special portions. It excels at slashing and throwing sharp objects at its opponents, and then hiding in the shadows or behind copies of itself with Double Team.

I can’t seem to get a good idea of what this Pokemon’s personality usually is outside of battle, though. All of its Pokedex entries talk about how fast it is, how it fights, but not how it interacts with its trainers. There’s only one entry, about Froakie, that mentions that “Beneath its happy-go-lucky air, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings,” but that’s it. Its evolutions don’t mention its personality at all so I don’t know if it keeps it’s happy-go-lucky attitude of if it goes full serious upon evolving.

As such, I don’t know whether I’d like using one if I could or not. By battle power, I almost certainly would, especially if I got one with the Protean or Battle Bond Ability, but how would it get along with the rest of the team? I want Pokemon that I can be friends with, and if it’s going to be just a battler, I don’t know if I would be able to train it effectively.

[fantasyresident]

My Review For Pokemon Sword and Shield (Spoiler-Free)

The road to Sword and Shield could be considered interesting to say the least. Shit hit the fan with everyone’s accusations, complaints, and grievances before the game even came out. Death threats, fake leaks, ridiculous critics, you name it. As a dedicated Pokemon fan, I saw huge potential with Sword and Shield, and I have officially completed Shield just a couple days ago. Reviews from official critics like IGN and Gamespot mainly praise the game giving it scores of 9.3 and 9 respectively. But then others off to the side of these major critics are saying the game “isn’t worth the $60″. I can say after playing the game myself to its completion (plus some) that the game is definitely in my view worth the money. I will break down my opinions of these entries by categories of Mechanics (how well the game works, how much gameplay there is, and how valuable the gameplay aspects are) Story (how good and effective the plot of the game is) Characters (how good the characters within the plot are) Dialogue (how good the writing of the game is) and Visuals (how good the game looks from a visual perspective). Here I go.

Mechanics: (9.1/10)

Sword and Shield is jam-packed with excellent features and gameplay elements to endlessly enjoy. The new Pokemon Camp feature is the best, most interactive way of playing and building your friendship with your Pokemon. The curry cooking is very simple, but it is more interactive then just giving a floating PokePuff or Bean to a Pokemon and having them chew it slowly right in front of you only to give it yet another one until they cannot eat anymore. You can throw a ball to have your Pokemon play fetch with you, speak to your Pokemon, and have them play with the little wand toy. While you cannot pet your Pokemon like in the past, the new features feels so fresh and even just watching your favorite Pokemon interact on their own is a worthy replacement for old systems like Amie and Refresh. Aside from Camping, the Gym Challenge was by far one of the best features. Gyms actually for the first time ever felt like full-fledged Gyms. Each Gym has their own special challenge in the beginning, and each one helped diversify the experience rather than tossing you into a room with randomly arranged trainers and the Gym Leader standing at the end waiting for you to get through the maze. I particularly loved Allister’s Gym Challenge, but every one of the challenges was a fun light-hearted experience. Many nuisances from the game that lingered in the past main titles have been removed, like no longer having to farm heart scales just to experiment with different move sets, having a Pokeball throwing shortcut, having a name rater posted in every Pokemon center, and many other quality of life improvements. The only problem I find with the mechanics of the game is the pop-ins. NPCs (ones that move from place to place), wild Pokemon, and berry trees all have their pop-in moments in the game. As you approach them, they come into view normally from a mid-range distance, and fade away again if you get too far away. This isn’t a huge deal when it comes to the experience as a whole, but it did slightly rob from the otherwise fresh Wild Area experience considering the pop-ins are the worst there. Lagging while online in the Wild Area is also a slight problem, but not too persistent of a problem.

Story: (8.5/10)

The story of Shield very much reminded me of the Pokemon anime in a sense (Swords being no different other than Pokemon variations). The narrative mainly focuses on the lovable and colorful cast of characters rather than a constantly changing dynamic plot. The plot is pretty big (not a Dynamax pun I swear), but it’s mainly told through your trainer character’s perspective, so the secrets of the unfolding plot occur through the perspectives of the adult figures, which you eventually see around the end. It’s not a complex story, but I found it to be very solid, kind of like a Pokemon movie. The characters carry the story along smoothly, and it’s a nice “save the world” Pokemon plot. There’s not a bunch of lore for the region, but what lore is explained is very suitable for the Galar region and I found it to be pretty interesting. I feel like the ending wraps up a little quicker than in usual Pokemon games, but the post-game story helps to finalize things even if it contains two very weird parodical characters. I think the point of the game’s plot is timely (for a reason I cannot elaborate upon for non-spoiler purposes, but to anyone who finishes it, you may know what I mean). I feel like it really connects with a real-world issue that the world is facing currently. Additionally, the story’s presentation was handled very well in most parts, I really liked the mid-battle cutscenes and the scripted battles that remind me of classic RPGs. While I don’t think the plot of Sword and Shield beats the darker dynamic plot of Sun and Moon, it’s good and solid all the same. 

Characters: (10/10)

As I briefly mentioned in the story segment of this review, the characters are some of the biggest stars of this game. Each Gym leader stands out and have their own little backstory. These backstories aren’t told through cutscenes, but you can read their biographies on the back of their League cards which I thought was a good way of telling us more information about the Gym Leaders than we got with them in the past titles. Gym Leaders are normally just treated like pretty designs and then thrown away by the post game. Sword and Shield however puts each of them in the spotlight more and they all get some time to shine. The designs for the characters themselves I find to be particularly amazing. Personally, Piers, the long awaited Dark-type Gym Leader was my favorite, but every single one of them had something interesting in store. Aside from Gym Leaders, memorable characters like Marnie, Bede, Sonia and Leon really help liven and enrich the experience. I felt really invested in these characters, and when I feel that invested in the characters of a video game, I consider them a smashing success.

***ADDITIONAL NOTE***

I neglected to mention the most important characters to any Pokemon game: the Pokemon themselves! The designs of the Galar Pokemon and Galar forms are breathtaking. I love the vast majority of them and there’s very few that I think little of. The designs are themed and look very creative, I really loved the art direction for this generation’s Pokedex.

Dialogue: (9/10)

With the new Galar region, inspired off of the UK, the dialogue is bound to change. A lot of British slang is slipped in which was enjoyable even if I wasn’t familiar with some of it. Each character seemed to have their own way of speaking and I liked this individuality in dialogue. Nothing any of the main characters say seems off-putting, so I’d say the dialogue is in a very good place for a Pokemon game. It is a game that’s marketed for younger audiences, but it does a good job of not making you feel like a baby (something that prior titles also done a good job with), so the dialogue is consistently good for any audience. Some lines could be improved perhaps or less generic, but nothing stands out to me as an issue with dialogue, so I’d say the writing is pretty on-spot.

Visuals: (9.4/10)

This is perhaps one of the most controversial parts of these games, with many complaining about reused models, trees looking badly textured, and the game looking like just an “upscaled 3DS game”. While I do agree that the Wild Area trees are terrible-looking upon close inspection, I by no means view this game as just an “upscaled 3DS game”. The visuals of Sword and Shield are by far the greatest the series has to offer, with town areas and dungeons looking absolutely superb. Some critics think that the graphics need a dynamic change, but I couldn’t disagree more. Graphics are a subjective thing until you’re delaing with something like the textures of the game (like the trees.) If fans don’t like the Pokemon style, they shouldn’t be playing the games anymore. Sword and Shield mastered the style the franchise should have with the very interesting, beautifully rendered areas like the Glimwood Tangle and Ballonlea. I found these areas and others to be breathtaking upon first seeing them and I just really adored the look of these games. As for the character models, (the people and the Pokemon) they look just fine. They’re not the biggest upgrade, but they fit in well with the rest of the game’s style, so no problems in that department. If you are to find graphical flaws that aren’t only subjective, they can be found in the Wild Area. The trees and some ground textures (near water in particular) are a bit blurred and wonky. But then you gaze upon the surroundings as a whole and it looks quite nice. The lighting looks incredible in many areas, and I just found myself in awe of just about anything I was looking at. As for the animations, there are some new incredible animations (like Cinderace’s Pyro Ball) and many well-polished animations. There are however some of the same-old animations that didn’t work and still don’t work like double kick and tail whip. Overall, the visuals are extremely nice and just what I’d expect from a next-gen Pokemon game.

My Verdict:

Pokemon Sword and Shield was an exciting new adventure that brought me back to the old days of playing Pokemon, only without all the nuisance problems that once plagued the fun of the experience. This game reminded me of what it was like to wholeheartedly enjoy a new adventure with new lovable partners. The graphics and mechanics are beyond refreshing, even if some areas could be better polished. The narrative isn’t as wide as Gen 7′s, but it’s as solid as I’d expect a Pokemon story to get while not straying too far from the roots of what makes them good to begin with. At the end of the day, experiencing Galar was without a doubt worth the $60 price tag, and the memories gained from the experience is even more priceless.

Final Score: 9.2/10 👍

[beardycarrot]

I’m the world’s worst as predicting things or having my hopes come true, but that’s not gonna stop me from weighing in on tomorrow’s Pokemon Direct!

We are, obviously, going to see some new Gen 8 Pokemon. That’s a given. I personally hope we don’t see the evolved forms of the starters, as I like evolutions to be a surprise when I play the games... buuuut, I’m pretty sure it will be impossible for me to use the internet for the next five months without it being spoiled for me, so whatever.

As always, I want... no, I NEED more butterfly and moth Pokemon, and some cute Grass-types. Where my hummingbirds, dolphins, and capybaras at? Evolutions of existing Pokemon please? I’m actually legitimately expecting not one, but TWO new Eeveelutions tomorrow. Ground and Ghost baby, c’mon let’s see ‘em! I also expect there to be some new fairly humanoid Fairy-types, since it’s based on the UK... and by that same token, some kind of big green wyvern. Make it happen, Game Freak!

I legitimately don’t know whether Galar forms will be a thing. I think Alolan forms were an elegant solution to shining a spotlight on older Pokemon, and have with every new game been mad that we’re not getting new Shellos and Gastrodon forms... so yeah, I’m all for it. Gimme a Galarian Zangoose that looks like a badger, a highland Miltank, a Stantler with a face that’s anything but Stantler’s current face. I feel like, if they did a version of variant forms, it wouldn’t be quite how Alolan forms worked... but I would be completely happy if it was.

I’m most curious about this game’s evil team. Aside from Team Magma’s cute costumes, I haven’t really cared for any of the non-Team Rocket bad guys... right up until Team Skull, who were by far my favorite thing about Sun/Moon. The new team could be pretty much anything... if you want to go by British stereotypes, maybe football hooligans or Oliver Twist-style street urchins. Maybe an aristocratic secret society that hunts Pokemon for sport, complete with Slowpoke heads mounted as trophies all over their hideout. An ancient order of knights? The logos for the game also makes it feel like there could be two teams again.

I’m pretty sure we’ll be given a more in-depth look at the stadiums that seem to be replacing the gyms. I expect it to culminate in a Pokemon battle with some kind of leader... but what will lead up to that? Probably not sports-based minigames, probably not just plain battles against other trainers... so what else fits? The soccer uniform your character wears in the stadiums, the stadiums themselves, and the Japanese logos for the games all bear this swirly, spiky red and blue pokeball symbol:

What does it mean? Well... the same spot in the logos for the last two generations bore the symbols for mega evolution and Z crystals, so it’s probably a pretty big deal. As I said back before the Gen 8 reveal in February, the term Alter Genesis had been trademarked in Japan, which I predicted would be either the name of a TCG set or some new gameplay mechanic. As it turns out... yeah, it’s a TCG set. If that symbol is related to the stadium gameplay, then we might not be getting a new let’s put something on kids’ wrists that isn’t a Yokai Watch gameplay gimmick... which is perfectly fine by me.

It kinda reminds me of rotation battles, with the three things swirling inside of it. Maybe the stadiums will feature battles using entire teams of Pokemon? What’s interesting is that they’re swirling freely between the red and blue portions... which in my mind, symbolizes two different teams. Maybe the mechanic will involve the Pokemon you send out switching sides throughout the battle? That would actually be pretty cool... It would prevent either side from being overpowered, since sometimes you would have to use your opponent’s Pokemon while they use yours. The battle would have to be based on points rather than knocking out the other team though, and that’s dangerously close to contest territory for my taste.

It’s also possible that it’s a traditional battle with all the Pokemon involved shuffled between the participants... but that feels like it would really undermine the premise of the series, and isn’t a very interesting gimmick. What could it be, then? For all I know it’s a big game of battle chess and the meaning behind the symbol only makes sense once you’ve seen it in action. Maybe it’s like a canine agility course and the symbol depicts the trainers calling out to their Pokemon with instructions?? Yeah I have no idea what it could be.

They also recently filed a trademark for the term Pokegenic... it’s entirely possible that it related to the new Pokemon apps and games introduced at that event last week and unrelated to the main series. I’m only mentioning it because Pokegenic sounds like photogenic, and could be a photography-centric replacement for the “bonding with your Pokemon” modes that have been in the last two games... though whatever it is, that’s an absolutely terrible name for it. Right up there with Gen 4′s Poketch. People got all excited when Armored Mewtwo was trademarked, since the games are called Sword and Shield, before realizing that it was in relation to the upcoming CG Pokemon movie.

Which brings me to my final point: why Sword and Shield? Ever since Gen 2 the game names have referred to what people call the “box legendaries”, which we’ll probably be seeing tomorrow... but lately, they’ve also tied into the games a bit. Black/White’s plot is squarely focused on morality and extremism, X/Y’s big focus is mega evolution, which is implied to be genetic in nature... I probably don’t have to explain Sun/Moon. So, what about Sword/Shield? Will there be equippable weapons and armor, distinct from held items? Will there be a Fire Emblem-style weapon triangle to deal with in addition to existing type matchups?

Now that I’ve gone on the record with all of that, it’s guaranteed that none of it will be even close to what we’ll see tomorrow, so you can look at all the things I didn’t say for clues as to what the direct will focus on.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Glameow, Purugly

Glameow and Purugly are pure Normal-types that only live in the Sinnoh region. Like, seriously: they’re only found naturally in the wild in Sinnoh, never imported to any Safari Zone or other import location, and there’s only rumors that trainers in Unova and Hoenn were able to find them in non-verifiable methods (Hidden Grottos during a “Funfest Mission”? “Mirage Forest?” I can’t find those on a map).

And even then, they’re only obtainable by certain trainers in Sinnoh. Some others, no matter how hard they search, have never been able to find them. Approximately a third of Sinnoh trainers who have hunted for them reported being able to find them, the other two-thirds needed to obtain them from other people.

Glameow to Purugly is also one of those Pokemon that changes its personality by a lot during evolution. Glameow is dainty and charming, while Purugly is a selfish brute. Its Ability changes from Limber to Thick Fat, or rare variations from Keen Eye to Defiant. Despite this, its battle stats uniformly improve upon evolution, even Speed.

It does change some of the moves it can learn, though, with Glameow learning Sucker Punch and Play Rough while Purugly learns Swagger and Body Slam. For the most part, though, both stages of evolution fight through charming the opponent with moves like Hypnosis and Attract and then striking with their sharp claws.

Through TMs, Tutors and Breeding, this Pokemon can add a wide variety of other moves to their arsenal, from tricky Dark-type moves like Snatch or Throat Chop, other Scratching moves like Aerial Ace and Shadow Claw, to even certain elemental moves such as Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt.

They sound mean by their Pokedex entries. I don’t think I’d like to use one, myself. If I wanted a mean cat, I could use a Liepard, and those are a lot more graceful than Purugly. I want nice Pokemon, though, not ones that might be mean to my other Pokemon.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Chimchar, Monferno, and Infernape

Early peek into Shield’s journal to coincide with Chimchar day in GO:

Entry #1: Chimchar, Monferno, Infernape

Chimchar is an unusual Pokemon, being one that doesn’t survive in the wild under normal circumstances, instead being exclusive to breeders and the professors who study them. The Sinnoh region is where Chimchar bred more often than others, often in a set with Piplup and Turtwig.

Chimchar, like most domestic-exclusive Pokemon, has only one type. In this case, it’s Fire. You can really see that in its flaming tail, but its tail goes out and disappears when it sleeps. So cute!

Its natural fighting style mostly involves jumping around, taunting the opponent, shooting fire from a range, and occasionally moving in close to scratch at the opponent. This tricky Pokemon has balanced natural ability for Physical and Special attacks, and a slightly higher speed than either. Its defenses are equally lower than the rest of the stats. As a first-stage Pokemon, it’s stats are naturally very low, however.

When it evolves into Monferno, it gains the Fighting-type, which is a very helpful type combo for Fire-type Pokemon. It helps them withstand Rock-types, normally a huge weakness for Fire-type Pokemon.

With the new type, Monferno can naturally learn some Fighting-type attacks that Chimchar could not. These allow it to pack more of a punch than it’s pre-evolution, literally! It’s fighting style and stat distribution remain the same, however, just with higher stats.

While Chimchar are never found in the wild, the Johto National Dex implies that Monferno are sometimes found in packs. The entry is as follows: “A bigger fire on its tail and a brighter blue pattern on its face means its rank in its pack is higher. “ While the fire part makes sense, I do wonder how the face marking thing changes. If a Monferno evolves with a very bright blue face marking, is it automatically the leader? Maybe how confident it is as a Chimchar affects this?

Monferno actually has been seen in the wild in the Alola region! They aren’t numerous enough to be plentiful, but trainers with enhanced Pokedexes have noted that if you search hard enough, you can find one sometimes in the nature trail between the Johto-themed Malie City and a rocky route. Due to how rare they are, it’s pretty much guaranteed that it’s a small population from released or escaped Pokemon.

Monferno’s tail tip doesn’t seem to go out like Chimchar’s does.

Infernape is the final evolution. No major moveset changes, aside from trading the ability to sleep with Slack Off for the ability to meditate with Calm Mind.

Infernape’s fire is now on its head rather than its tail, and one of Sinnoh’s Pokedex entries mention that the fire never goes out. Most of the Pokedexes mention its unique fighting style, using its agility, all four limbs, and fire to beat down on opponents. While the move Close Combat has never been exclusive to Infernape, it’s clear that it’s Infernape’s signature move from that description. Especially because it uses Infernape’s attacking power and speed to its fullest, while weakening its defenses that were never all that high to begin with.

Infernape can learn a lot of different moves by TM, mostly involving physically punching, scratching, or running into opponents. It can also learn ranged Fire-type moves, Solar Beam, and moves involving making a lot of noise or being agile. From breeding, it can learn a similar grouping of moves, alongside Assist, making it so it can use any move another Pokemon on the team has!

Chimchar, Monferno, and Infernape seem like very fun Pokemon to be around. I imagine they’d love running free and challenging Pokemon in the Wild Area. So much open space for those guys! They might also get along with Grookey and its evolutions. It’s sad that they’re not allowed in, I wish I could meet one.

If I could, I think I would use a Chimchar on my team. They’re easy to raise and I love their energy, plus they grow into a very strong Pokemon. Perhaps I could use it alongside a Grookey, and have an energetic duo of monkeys!

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Tirtouga, Carracosta

Is my RNG broken, or are there just that many unusual Pokemon outside the Galar region? Well, my next spotlight is a fossil Pokemon found in Unova’s Relic Castle, Tirtouga and Carracosta. This Water-and-Rock-type’s current form starts aquatic, but evolves to be able to walk on land. Sounds familiar, right?

If you’ve read my retrospective on Anorith and Armaldo, you know how little stock I give speculation about what fossil Pokemon originally were like. All we have is the current form to go by, and we have no idea how much of that is influenced by the revival process.

And this Pokemon’s Pokedex entries aren’t all that helpful. “About 100 million years ago” I’m already not paying attention. “Based on studies of its skeletal structure” now, maybe. All you had was a shell before this.

Like, some entries claim that it can “dive to depths beyond half a mile” but others say that information is speculation of what it used to be able to do. Has anyone observed one? Have any trainers tried to dive with it?

Its evolved form slaps, apparently. Literally. Nearly every entry talks about how powerful its slaps are and that it can eat solid rock without caring.

Anyway, on to stats and moves. In battle, these Pokemon specialize on the Physical side of things, have very powerful physical Defenses and the physical Attack to give a powerful blow. Special offenses are still rather decent, defenses not that great, and speed is awful. It’s a turtle, though, so what do you expect?

Despite the physical lean of its stats, this Pokemon naturally learns several Special attacks as well as Physical ones. Its natural moveset involves various shell-based moves (Withdraw, Shell Smash), certain rock manipulation attacks (Ancient Power, Rock Slide), basic water-manipulation attacks, and biting attacks. So it’s basically what it looks like: a Water/Rock-type with a powerful bite. Its learned moves are similarly unsurprising, learning the Ice-type moves most Water-types can learn and the Ground-type moves most Rock-types can learn, along with moves that focus on the same things that it learns normally.

There’s really not much to say about these guys. They’re turtles. There’s not much these guys can do that Drednaw can’t. I wouldn’t go out of my way to obtain one, but if I did get one handed to me, I suppose I would use it on my team. If only to have the foreign Pokemon vibe.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Sunkern, Sunflora

Sunkern and Sunflora are adorable pure-Grass-type Pokemon found natively only in the Johto region. And no wonder—Sunkern is one of the weakest Pokemon in existence, matched only by Blipbug and beaten only by a solo Wishiwashi, and at least Wishiwashi has a neat ability and Blipbug evolves early!

Sunkern evolves into Sunflora by Sun Stone, and increases its stats to a much more respectable level. Unlike many stone-based evolutions, Sunflora has a larger movepool than its pre-evolution. That doesn’t mean that it’s 100% an upgrade, though! Sunkern can learn Endeavor, Synthesis, and Seed Bomb, which Sunflora would otherwise need to be tutored to learn. In addition, in the Johto-based Pokeathelon, Sunkern has the potential to excel at all of the five categories, whereas Sunflora has a more mixed potential. I guess seeds are more athletic than sunflowers!

Sunkern is native to the National Park, and is also present in other well-curated grassy fields. A population was able to take root in Unova as well, being part of the invasive species boom that came over due to the PokeTransfer Lab, originally settling in the open field that is the route between Lacunosa and the Village Bridge and later settling on the route connecting Floccessy, Floccessy Ranch, and Vibank. Here, its population spikes during the Summer, when the Pidove population goes elsewhere, and in Johto, it’s only out during the day. It also found a home in the Kanto region by the Nugget Bridge. Here, it has few predators, as birds do not tend to flock there.

Sunkern and Sunflora’s fighting styles are very stationary. The one stat that Sunflora does not improve on is speed! Their natural abilities focus on rooting themselves into place with moves like Ingrain, draining the opponents’ strength through moves such as Mega Drain, summoning sunlight with Sunny Day, and blasting with Solar Beam. Nearly all of Sunkern’s and Sunflora’s moves are Grass-type, but there are a few physical Normal-type moves for when the going gets tough.

Sunflora’s special strength is its highest, followed by its special defense. Its HP and physical attack are respectable, but its physical defense and speed are low. Combining these with its Grass-type, it has a lot of weaknesses, so it needs a lot of strategy and care on the account of its trainer to survive battle.

Given how delicate and sun-obsessed these Pokemon are, I’m not surprised they don’t thrive in the Galar region. Our weather is way too unstable for them! While Sunflora is absolutely adorable, I’m not sure I’d want to train one if I could. You’d need to dedicate a lot of time and energy into raising it and treating it right, and I’m not sure I could give it the care it needs.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Igglybuff, Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff

Every time Pokemon TV comes out with a themed channel, I check if the spotlighted Pokemon is in Galar. Cleffa and Togepi were, but not Igglybuff!

Igglybuff, Jigglypuff, and Wigglytuff are Normal/Fairy types that I can’t decide whether I find them cute or creepy. On one hand, they’re soft and round, but on the other hand, their eyes stare into your soul.

Jigglypuff are populous in more regions than they aren’t, and are usually found in fields near “mysterious” places, such as Mt. Moon in Kanto and the Pokemon Village in Kalos. Even then, though, there isn’t much pattern to their nests, as populations are very mobile.

I guess they don’t like the cold too much, though, as the only regions populations haven’t thrived in is Sinnoh and my region of Galar. I understand Sinnoh’s pretty cold, too.

The evolution of these Pokemon may not be unique, but it’s certainly nonstandard: Igglybuff evolves into Jigglypuff through friendship with others, and Jigglypuff evolves into Wigglytuff with a Moon Stone. When I told my friends about this, and showed them a picture of Wigglytuff, they reacted with “Are you sure that isn’t a regional variant of Clefable?” Indeed, these Pokemon are very similar to one another, but they can’t be regional variants, as they appear in the same regions a lot of the time.

Jigglypuff is famous for its ability to sing and cause other Pokemon, and even people, to fall asleep. While the move Sing isn’t unique to this line of Pokemon, its effectiveness on humans is. As an Igglybuff, it’s always practicing for when it becomes a Jigglypuff. For some reason, though, Wigglytuff isn’t quite as effective. Instead, the final form adjusts the size of its body by inflating it and deflating it. These Pokemon have some powerful lungs!

And it can Dynamax without actually Dynamaxing. I don’t think it affects its Hit Points, but it can inflate itself to be huge!

As far as moves and power goes, this line, even Wigglytuff, aren’t the most powerful Pokemon out there. They’re slow, have low defenses, and okay offenses. The only stat worth anything is its Hit Points, but without much of anything else to back it up, it deflates quickly.

This line naturally learns moves involving singing, physically hitting (slapping or tackling), charming the opponent, and altering its own shape and size. Through TM or Tutoring, it can learn a wide variety of elemental moves, from punches to energy attacks. It’s pretty versatile!

It’s also one of those evolutionary lines that loses the ability to naturally learn new moves upon evolving fully. There’s something in those evolutionary stones that makes them stop trying.

If I had the chance to train a Wigglytuff, I’m not sure whether I would. Clefable is a lot cuter, in my opinion, as its eyes don’t give me the creeps. If it was here instead of Clefable, though, maybe. They’re a very sociable species and can learn a variety of moves, making them a good choice for nearly any team. I’d definitely consider it, if I could get past the eye thing. Who knows, though, maybe the eyes are a lot cuter in real life verses those horrifying images I see on the Pokewebs.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon

Sorry for the delay! The Twilight Wings last week and then the notes I took during the VGC stream took my Pokemon time.

Here’s the Pokemon to go with last weekend’s Community Day: Piplup, Prinplup, and Empoleon.

Here we have another of the rare captivity-only Pokemon more common in the Sinnoh region, the Water-type Pokemon, Piplup!

Like other Pokemon not regularly found in the wild, there’s not much that can be said about its native habitat. Despite that, certain Pokedexes do provide some information about how they act in the wild:

“[Piplup] lives along shores in northern countries.” “[Prinplup] lives alone, away from others.” “[Prinplup] searches for prey in icy seas.” “The leader [Empoleon] has the biggest horns.”

From these, we can deduce that there are certain icy waters that these Pokemon do naturally live in, but I have not seen these places on a map.

Some trainers have seen individual Prinplup in the Alola Region’s Route 16, a plain route below a meadow on Ula’ula Island. As it’s not very cold, I assume this is just the result of a trainer releasing their Pokemon, however.

Personality-wise, the Pokedex talks a lot about how these Pokemon are very picky, solitary, proud, and standoffish. They would be difficult Pokemon to raise.

In battle, they have relatively balanced abilities. Their moves focus on powerful water attacks and slicing opponents with their metallic wings. Upon evolution, Prinplup gains Metal Claw, and evolving into Empoleon exchanges Bide for Swagger, and Water Sport for Swords Dance.

Through breeding, tutoring, and TM, Empoleon can learn a large variety of moves, many involving slashing (such as Night Slash), some involving mud (such as Mud Slap), some general strong Pokemon moves (such as Earthquake), and some other interesting abilities (such as Grass Knot). Interestingly, despite Empoleon’s strength being Special Attacks, it learns more Physical Attacks when looking at its movepool as a whole.

As for me, while Piplup is cute and Empoleon seems strong, I’m not sure I’d like raising a Pokemon that is so haughty. I want my Pokemon to get along with one another, and this evolutionary line is very selfish and solitary naturally.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Anorith, Armaldo

I’m honestly not sure what to make of fossil Pokemon. How they used to live in the wild is guesswork at best, and there’s no way to be sure if the forms given to them by revival machines match their original forms in the slightest.

Perhaps it’s just because fossils discovered in Galar are very clearly not what they used to be, but I’m naturally skeptical of anything that isn’t readily apparent. Like, I’ll accept “It was resurrected from a fossil using the power of science. It swims by undulating the eight wings at its sides.” You can see that. But, you don’t know “[its wings] were feet adapted to life in the sea.” Unless you’re a time traveller, you can’t know. Even if you can tell that the wings have foot joints, how do you know it’s not introduced in revival? The only thing you have is a claw.

Anyway, Anorith and Armaldo are Rock/Bug types that are revived from a Claw Fossil. The Claw Fossil is found uniquely in Hoenn’s desert, and is also found in other ways people often find fossils. You know: underground, breaking rocks, jewelry shops, and such.

These Pokemon do have some affinity for water, despite not being Water-type themselves. They naturally learn Water Gun, and can, through breeding, learn Aqua Jet and Water Pulse. Anorith also moves better in water than on land, but doesn’t thrive if you set it free in the wild.

Oh, and you know that whole wings-used-to-be-feet thing? Armaldo still has those wings, AND it has feet. And the wings are nowhere near the ground. I’m not buying that the wings used to be feet at any point.

Okay, back to battle stats. Anorith and Armaldo are actually different types of battlers. Anorith is an ambusher: it speeds over to opponents and strikes them hard with physical attacks. Armaldo loses speed on evolution, and it waits for the opponent to attack before hitting it hard back with physical moves. So: they’re both physical, but Anorith is speedier than Armaldo, while Armaldo can take hits much better than Anorith. They both mainly use their claws in battle, but can also throw rocks or water at the opponent in a pinch. This applies to its TM and tutor moveset as well, as they mostly learn claw-based attacks with the occasional Rock-, Ground- or Steel-type move.

For me, I think Anorith is pretty cute. Armaldo looks neat, as well. If I came across a Claw Fossil in Galar . . . well, I don’t know if I’d be able to revive it properly, but if I could, I’d totally raise an Anorith. It would be a unique Pokemon to add to my team, and it would be fun to show such an ancient Pokemon all the sights of Galar.

Or even if it was an Arctaldo instead. Armavish? I’m not sure if the claw is considered the front end or the back one.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Kangaskahn

Kangaskhan is a pure-Normal-type Pokemon without any evolutions or pre-evolutions. Well, it has a Mega Evolution, but I don’t even know how those happen.

Despite not having any pre-evolutions, Kangaskhan always has a baby in its pouch, even fresh out of the egg. When it Mega-evolves, the adult Kangaskhan isn’t what evolves, it’s actually the baby! Official Pokemon battles consider these two Pokemon to be one, even though they both attack together. It seems kinda unfair to me.

Kangaskhan can be found naturally in the Kanto, Kalos, and Alola regions in mountainous caves. It seems that it wasn’t originally from the Kanto region, though, as it started out only found in their zoo-like Safari Zone. It has also been imported into the Sinnoh and Unova Regions, being present in the former’s Great Marsh and near the latter’s Poketransfer Lab. Kangaskhan seems to not have found a good enough niche in Unova, though, as their populations disappeared soon after introduction.

Kangaskhan’s attacking style naturally focuses on punching and biting, but it has the capability to be taught a huge number of elemental moves through TMs. Still, it’s natural inclination is to attack physically rather than specially. Most of Kangaskhan’s stats are pretty even, and while they’re decent, they aren’t exceptional. That might be why the Pokemon League allows the baby to fight as well, as by pure power Kangaskhan is a little underwhelming compared to some other Pokemon. On the other hand, the power increase by Mega Evolving brings it up to comparable level to some of the best Pokemon, so it’s probably pretty overpowered with its baby fighting, too.

I think if I saw a Kangaskhan, I’d be pretty intimidated. They’re pretty big and bulky and the other region’s databases talk about how protective it is of its baby. I imagine they’re pretty difficult to tame since they’re more worried about their baby than fighting on behalf of a trainer. A well-trained one, though, would be a force to be reckoned with. I bet if you can train a Kangaskhan, you can beat any Gym Leader. Perhaps even rank high in the Pokemon League!

As for me, I’m more of a cute Pokemon person myself. Kangaskhan’s a bit scary. I don’t think I’d train one even if they were in Galar.

[ladala99]

Pokemon Journeys Dexited: Enter Pikachu

So, the “Shield’s non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight” was a bit difficult to keep up with, but I’m still interested in pointing out Pokemon still used in advertising the games that aren’t in the games themselves.

So, now that Pokemon.com have uploaded the first episode of Pokemon Journeys, I’ll be pointing out all of the Pokemon kids can see in the latest anime but not obtain in the latest games!

Just further proof that there was no reason GameFreak couldn’t have delayed the game. The anime has nothing to do with Sword and Shield.

(The unobtainable Pokemon list I’m using is current up to the Isle of Armor DLC)

- Dodrio

- Kakuna

- Beedrill

- Pidgey

- Spearow

- Doduo

- Poliwag

- Poliwhirl

- Bellsprout

(Half of the Pokemon in this picture!)

- Ekans

-  Mankey

- Nidoran (Male)

- Nidoran (Female)

- Nidoking

- Magmar

- Rattata

And that’s not including ones that weren’t available when the episode originally aired in Japan. I might also have missed some, this episode had a lot of background Pokemon.

Bulbapedia lists 40 species in this episode, and I found 16 currently unavailable in the latest games. 2/5ths or 40% of the species in this episode are unavailable. That is just ridiculous.

[ladala99]

Before’s Galar Pokedex: Corviknight

While there are other characters that appeared in Twilight Wings, I don’t think their names were spoken. So here’s the first Pokedex entry! (Of note: it’s the only Galar Pokemon in the first episode of Twilight Wings.)

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight will be resuming next week.

I’ve actually used one of these briefly, when I played the demo at PAX. Honestly, this Pokemon looks cool.

I remember it being Steel-type. Probably Steel-Flying. I really looks like a Dark-type, though.

The Corviknight in Twilight Wings had a bit of a temper with Mr. Rose, but was very kind to John. Can they see the true intentions of a person? Or maybe it just doesn’t like adults but has a soft spot for kids. Or maybe John’s special.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Fomantis, Lurantis

Fomantis and Lurantis are pure-Grass-types that have only been discovered in the Alola region. Unlike the previous Pokemon from Alola I’ve reviewed, these Pokemon aren’t terrifying killers, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak and harmless.

Fomantis are found naturally in Alola’s Lush Jungle and the route just outside of it. This Pokemon is also one capable of growing to Totem-Size, and the trainer Mallow once trained one to use in battles for trainers going on the Island Challenge.

I’ve never looked much into Totem Pokemon before. At first I thought they were Dynamaxed, but they’re actually not that big and in fact are just large individuals of that species. They don’t have more powerful stats naturally, but, during Trials, are given extra energy to boost their stats at the start of battle. I’ve heard of trainers procuring Totem Pokemon for normal use, but they’re just taller and heavier versions of the same species.

In battle, Fomantis and Lurantis are relatively balanced with a slight preference to physical attacks. Their defenses are moderately strong and their special attacks are solid as well. Despite Lurantis’ long legs, though, it doesn’t move very fast.

These Pokemon normally attack by rooting themselves in place and striking with slashing attacks. Lurantis especially learns a physical Solarbeam-like attack: Solar Blade. It’s the only Pokemon to naturally learn this attack, and the only Pokemon in Alola that has any way to learn it. In Galar, you can see this attack in action if you use a TM, but since Lurantis doesn’t appear in Galar, you’ll never see a master at it.

If Fomantis and Lurantis were in Galar, there’d be a good chance that I’d train one. They’re really pretty, have a small baby form, and once they evolve they’re pretty tough in battle. But I don’t think this Pokemon can thrive in Galar. The Pokedex says it requires a lot of work to keep its vivid coloring, and since it’s native to a tropical jungle, I don’t know if it would be able to keep its coloring at all in the colder and more unpredictable atmosphere of the Galar region.

[ladala99]

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight: Sandygast, Palossand

((Chose this line because I had a dream in which I was playing a mix of Pokemon Masters and Pokemon Stadium—had the triple battles of Masters, was on an N64, and had main-series battle mechanics—and an opposing Palossand Gigantamaxed. Its G-Max move’s special ability was to turn the battle into a Rotation Battle. Looked it up the next day to find Palossand was not available in Galar.))

These guys are creepy. Sandygast and Palossand are Ghost/Ground-types native only to the Alola region as of current research. And a good thing, too, because I’d hate to encounter one of these normally!

Okay, maybe that’s not fair because we have plenty of ghost-types in Galar, too, but, like, I’d expect ghosts to be in creepy graveyards and haunted forests, but the beach? Where you go on vacation? And these specifically live on the beach of the Hano Grand Resort? That’s just terrifying!

Alola’s Pokedex entries for Sandygast talk about how it just springs to life from the mounds children make when playing in the sand. That it controls people who put their hands in its mouth and then I guess it swallows them and gets bigger. How is this thing allowed so close to tourists?

Palossand is even worse. All of its entries talk about how it’s made of people and Pokemon that it has taken control of and sucked away “their vitality.” It looks so playful and welcoming but it’s literally deadly. To people, not just Pokemon.

Anyways, battle info. As you might expect from a giant sand castle, Palossand’s battle strategy is to stay in place, take physical hits, send out energy attacks, manipulate sand, and absorb the opponents life force. It even takes Special hits pretty well. It does everything fairly well except move quickly.

Through TM, inheriting from other Pokemon, and tutoring, it can learn to manipulate rocks, some other types of energy attacks, and how to curse more effectively.

It also has en exclusive move: Shore Up. It lets it heal itself by absorbing sand from around it. So if you encounter one on a beach, you’d just better run. That’s the only thing it can’t do.

I’m glad this Pokemon isn’t in Galar. I can’t imagine training one, and I’d be afraid to battle one. Sure, maybe they’re tamer under the guidance of a trainer, but even then.

[ladala99]

Upcoming Post Series

With Sword and Shield coming out soon (and me not getting them, at least right away), I’m in a Pokemon-writing mood right now. (It feels like I want to passive-aggressively enjoy Pokemon in the meantime.)

As such, I’ll be introducing some new post series to the blog. What they’ll be about is below the cut.

Shield’s Non-Galar Pokemon Spotlight

This will be an in-character, in-depth look at Pokemon that are not in the Galar Pokedex and are thus unable to be transferred to Galar. It will be from the perspective of Shield (as, if Dexit hadn’t happened, that would be my game choice), a girl from the Galar region whose parents aren’t letting her go on her journey right away. Instead, she’s looking elsewhere, and writing about foreign Pokemon.

These articles will feature anything I find interesting and relevant about the Pokemon, as well as in-character perspectives from Shield about her opinions about using it in battle, and whether she would use it or not if she had the chance.

Plans are for this to be weekly, but I’m starting writing them this week even though Serebii (my source on what’s in the Galar Dex) isn’t complete right now. As such, once the games are out and the article is complete, I’ll start posting the ones I was right about and they might come more quickly before trickling back to once-a-week depending on how long it is before the article is updated.

Before’s Galar Dexes

This, in contrast, will be from my perspective, and be me piecing together the games from non-main-series sources.

I will watch the anime, play on the Pokemon Trading Card Game Online app, play Pokemon GO, Pokemon Masters, and Pokemon Rumble Rush. Plus any other spinoffs that come out as well. (Note that I will not be 100% active in any of these as I change the games I play often)

These Dexes will be a look at what I can figure out about new Pokemon, Moves, Abilities, Items, Locations, and Characters based on these non-main-series sources. I know that I will probably be incorrect about many things, but that’s all part of the fun. I will ask not to be corrected, because at some point in the future I will play a Galar game, it just might be the third version(s).

These entries will be at-will. New entries found in the anime must be discussed by the characters (either from Pokedex or someone doing the Brock talking about the specific effects), new entries from the TCG must have been pulled from a pack/Theme Deck by me, and other spinoff entries must be interacted with by me or possibly obtained depending on the spinoff.