#swsh launch event

[bluerosesburnblue]

I genuinely have such a love/hate relationship with Pokemon Home. On the one hand, I think the concept is brilliant. With a franchise as big as Pokemon, a one-stop app that can connect to all of the different games and trade between them without the need for an extra device or anything is a really great idea! But...

Why the hell is the functionality between the mobile and Switch versions so different? Seriously, both versions should have the same functions as each other. Why does only the mobile version have News? Why can I only trade on the GTS on mobile? Why can’t I view the Research Tasks on mobile, or the game-based Pokedexes on Switch? Do the creators have any idea how fucking tedious it is to constantly have to log out of the Switch version, check the mobile version to see which Pokemon I still need to register for the game-specific Dexes, swap BACK to the Switch to register them, etc. (Because you can’t be logged in on two devices at once). It’s ridiculous

Having to manually register Pokemon to Home to register them in the Dex is obnoxious, too. Home can clearly access the game data, can’t I have a “Sync Pokedexes” option where Home reads my Pokedex completion for the game I’m accessing and register all of it at once? Again, so tedious to have to manually put a Pokemon in the Home box and then take it back out just to register it in the Home Dex when, like, I have a 100% completed SwSh Pokedex, and now I have to go and re-register all 600-or-so Pokemon because they only added the game-specific Dexes in the latest update and don’t count previously registered Pokemon, which they should, because clearly the Switch Research Tasks did! Which just loops back to the disparate functionality!

The stupid GTS restrictions on “Special Pokemon.” Like, I’m sorry, I can’t trade any event Pokemon? Hello? Even if this is to discourage uneven trades, why can’t I trade special Pokemon for special Pokemon? I just need a Darkrai to finish up the Legends Dex, and I have several Meltans, so why can’t I trade one of them for a Darkrai? They’re exactly the same level of “Special” according to the system. But, regardless, how is it any of their business if someone wants to trade a Darkrai for a Bidoof? Don’t just straight up cut off all forms of trade for that Pokemon, there’s other options. Like my “Special for Special” suggestion. Or even just a pop-up saying “you’re about to trade away a limited-edition Pokemon that you may never get another one of, do you still want to trade?”

Less of an actual complaint, more of a wish, but if they’re going to have achievements and stickers, I’d love it if you could connect non-main Pokemon games to Home and get little achievements from it. Like a “Registered a Pokemon Masters EX account” sticker with Sygna Suit Red, or linking a copy of New Pokemon Snap and getting all of the Photodex entries added to the Pokedex. Really make it an app for ALL games, you know?

It’s absolutely ridiculous that Home compatibility has not been available for any game upon launch, especially since Home is now the only place you can make direct trades via the GTS. This is the kind of thing they should be working on behind the scenes throughout development so that it’s ready to go on launch, not “Home compatibility coming this Spring for a game released in November, maybe.” If Home’s not ready to go, delay the games a bit or something. But an entire section of functionality should not be missing at a game’s launch

[rainwolfheart]

small list of things i am manifesting for pokémon scarlet and violet:

more gnc npcs like grusha that make straight men upset and make me gayer <3

being able to choose skin tone and hair colour separately at start. also more than one hair at start, not everyone has straight hair.

there is no way in hell they would but a guy can dream: nonbinary player character option

more realistically: an extremely minor nb npc

new eeveelution. i will take literally any type gamefreak but while we're manifesting, ghost type??

paldean meowth, i want all the meowths

crusty baguette weiner dog evolution for fidough

DON'T STAND UP SPRIGATITO

(unless it's in a goofy meowth/meerkat way)

national dex national dex national dex

an easier way to get shiny antique sinistea cause dear lord i'm not doing it in swsh

bring back the linking cord from legends i don't have friends to trade with :(

make overworld spawns and weather more like legends, less like swsh. i cannot deal with another lake of outrage in a rainstorm situation. those giant araquanid that pop up out of nowhere are the worst and i'm not even arachnophobic.

one of the storylines needs to be being a researcher. pls gamefreak i don't actually really care about being champion i want to hunt for legendaries and solve puzzles and complete the dex

puzzlesssssss

mew event

some extremely basic rpg things like your dialogue choices or the order you do things actually meaning something and changing the way characters talk to you

the ability to change a pokémon's pokéball or bringing back stickers to customize them

actual postgame content at launch

[bills-pokedex]

SWSH Launch event: What is your opinion on the local fossils and their resurrections?

[BEGIN TRANSMISSION]

[Same scene. BILL has his claws crossed in front of him.]

BILL, with a smile: I have ideas.

LH: You really shouldn’t. [sighs, taps her lips with a fry] Anyway, it’s a little ... weird, if no one minds me saying. I know our original thought was that these were once close approximations of extinct pokémon in this region, but the more we learn about them, the more it’s clear that these are less close approximations of ancient pokémon and more tests to the capabilities of fossil resurrection. [narrows her eyes] If you ask me, it seems a little off to be creating abominations for the sake of testing limits, but then again, these pokémon are somehow viable, healthy, happy creatures with no memory of not being strange combinations of creatures, so at the very least, that isn’t unethical. And I guess it does answer a few questions the other fossil institutes across the globe were asking. I mean, for one, we’re closer to figuring out why so many fossil pokémon are rock-types.

[Long, long pause. LH’s eyes widen as she stares straight ahead.]

LH: Will of the Titans, I’ve been hanging out with Bill too long.

BILL: Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You do have a point about fossil pokémon and the rock type.

[LH doesn’t move or change expression; she just slides her eyes his way.]

[END TRANSMISSION]

[epicspheal]

What are SWSH story beats that would fit better with the royal twins as the main antagonists?

Great Question! There are a few story beats that, in my opinion, would have been better served with the Royal Twins being a part of the main story line and not just the post game. Keep in mind that the points I’m making are assuming more time was dedicated to the plot overall in the main story (and of course some minor plot changes such as Sonia’s book on the history of Galar not being the original motivating factor for the twin’s plot).

For one, the plot point of us slowly uncovering the truth of Galar’s history in the main game would have had a lot more poignancy with the Royal brothers as the main antagonists. Once we get to the Hammerlock vault and see the tapestries, we get hit with the fact that the traditional story told of the Darkest Day (as in what was known throughout Galar prior to Sonia’s discoveries) is not the real story. This is further confirmed by the events of Stow-on-Side. This generates two important questions: what is the real story and why was there a coverup in the first place. We get the first question solved for the most part, but the second part is still unanswered. With the Royal Twins as the main antagonists, there would have been a more ample opportunity to cover both questions in greater detail. This gives the plot point about learning the history of Galar more meaning and feels more integrated into the overall story line. Because the twin’s goal concerns the history of Galar (and not some vague energy crisis) we get a better since of the region’s culture and lore which I think would have helped make the story feel more coherent and give a greater appreciation to the region as a whole.

Secondly the twins were far more aggressive with their actions which would have added a lot to the character development of many characters. I talked about this briefly in an earlier post about this very topic, but Sonia’s arc in the main story would be enhanced. One of the things we’re told about Sonia is that she has a tendency to give up. However, that’s not something that's really shown in game as she’s travelling around uncovering the true history of Galar. Now take the way the twins were constantly up to something in the post game (particularly the traitor lab assistant). In the main game that could’ve really taken a toll on Sonia and maybe caused her to contemplate giving...except she would somehow find the resolve to keep going. Ideally, this would be done when Professor Magnolia was around, since she is Sonia’s biggest critic. This would show Professor Magnolia how much Sonia has grown, and would give the passing on of the white coat an even greater sense of accomplishment. Speaking of Professor Magnolia, this could have possibly given her a more active role in the story. This is the second time we’ve gotten a female professor and once again, they were overshadowed by another character (at least this time it was her granddaughter and not her father as in Professor Juniper’s case). Since quite a bit of the action in the post-game happens around Wedgehurst and the lab, there would have been ample opportunity for her to appear and just be more active. Plus we’d get to see her growing respect for her granddaughter’s perseverance. Hop’s story could have also benefited from the Royal Twin’s plot being part of the main game, specifically his ultimate decision to become a professor. I’ve warmed up to the idea of him becoming a Pokemon Professor, however I do wish they would have taken more care in properly setting up that plot point. With the active search into the truth surrounding the Darkest Day (in order to prevent the twins from doing something monumentally stupid) there could have been more instances of Hop getting involved with Sonia’s research (as he doesn’t really get involved until Circhester, meanwhile the player gets to see Turffield, Hammerlocke, and Stow-on-Side). This could have helped subtly built up his interest in research making the eventual path change seem less out of left field.

One of the main criticisms of the main game is that we aren’t allowed to see much of the plot because Leon takes care of things for us. I’ve talked about how this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it shows Leon as a competent champion, however I do feel they could have balanced it to where Leon does take on the bulk of things, but still allow a few things to slip by which the player could solve (I mean he can’t be everywhere at once). The twins were very successful at launching their schemes in different places simultaneously. This could have been replicated in the main story where Leon goes off (possibly with Sonia) to one spot in Galar to deal with something, only for something to pop up where the player is, forcing them to deal with it (possibly with the help of another NPC). This would give us opportunities to interact with important NPCs, and would allow us to get some better insights into Leon and Sonia’s relationship, and potentially Hop and Leon’s as well. All while still maintaining both Leon and Sonia’s characterization as adults who get involved with the main plot rather than just let some kids deal with it.

Those are just a couple of plot points I think could have been served better with Sordward and Shieldbert driving the antagonist plot. You guys let me know if you agree/disagree or have anything else to add!

[askmerriauthor]

Hearing people getting all butthurt at Nintendo and talking about boycotting the new Pokemon Sword/Shield game because of the Pokedex has got me rolling my eyes like mad.  Talk below, for spoiler’s sake:

Right off the bat, I should make it clear that anyone is fully entitled to decry a product or a company for their own reasons.  If not having the full National Dex available is a lynch pin issue for you then go right ahead and vote with your wallet.  More power to you.  That being said: I get the distinct feeling y’all are being really damn hasty.  Is 50% of the Pokemon in the National Dex not being available in the game a big deal?  Sure, but I don’t think for a moment that’s the end of it right there.

New Region, Who Dis? To begin with, this is a brand new game on a new system in a brand new region with brand new Pokemon, for a brand new audience.  This game is being hyped directly at the “Pokemon Go/Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu!/Eevee!” fans picked up in these recent years.  Younger or just inexperienced fans who didn’t necessarily play all the older games and thus have no strong attachments to the older generations of Pokemon the rest of us grew up with, at least not in the same manner.  “Pokemon Go” is only up to, what, Gen 4 at the latest?  “Pokemon Sword/Shield”’s new cast of critters would end up completely overshadowed by the vast crowd of older generation Pokemon and not even be able to star in their own debut title if everyone was there.  Why would the designers want to cut the legs out from underneath themselves in that way?

Online Distribution “Pokemon Sword/Shield” is going to make pretty heavy use of the Switch’s online functionality and Nintendo’s subscription service access.  Sure, Grandpa Nintendo is slow on figuring out how all this newfangled internet stuff works, but it’s not like Pokemon has been offline in ages now.  Pokemon has been using online connectivity to enhance and improve the games for a long time now.  X/Y/ORAS had Poke Miles and the Global Link system where you could sync your game, hop online to the official website, and use your accrued Poke Miles (gained by walking in-game or trading Pokemon from other global regions) to get useful items for your inventory.  Not to mention all the Online Events Pokemon have been running for ages now.  There was an entire year where they distributed a Legendary (or potentially several) each month.   Check Serebii’s event section - it’s loaded with huge list of all sorts of distribution events that occurred all the damn time all over the world; online events, local download events, special locations, themed downloads, and so forth.  Do y’all really think Nintendo isn’t going to make use of their well-established history of offering Pokemon for download or the Switch’s capacity for patching in large amounts of game content after launch?

Who’s There and Who’s Not Taking the prior two points into consideration, look at the supposed leaked PokeDex and check which Pokemon are present and which didn’t make the cut.  Pokemon highlighted in green are present in SwSH, while the ones highlighted in white are not.  Does anything seem odd about the ratio to you?

It is quite safe to note that the Starters, the Legendaries, and the Mythics of each generation are not Pokemon that Nintendo would ignore.  Yet all of them, with the specific exceptions of the Charmander line and Mew, somehow didn’t make the cut?  A lot of the Pokemon who did make the cut are popular enough and well-liked by the fans, plus there’s a handful of really iconic critters.  Though there’s some questionable choices to get priority.  Fan-favorite Lucario is there, of course, but Zoroark isn’t?  I love Maractus, but I’m genuinely surprised to see it on the roster over Metagross, Lopunny, Scyther, Absol, or Dragonite?  Baby Pokemon like Mime Jr. and Pichu are present, but Elekid isn’t?  The entire iconic Nido line is out?  The Charmander line gets to be in the game because of the Galarian Champion but no other starter is allowed?  Mew is the one-and-only Legendary/Mythical Pokemon present of the entire PokeDex just for funsies?

I mean, come on.  To me, the ratio absolutely reeks of Nintendo holding certain really popular or thematically redundant Pokemon off to the side for later addition to the game.  Remember the poster for the upcoming season of the anime that coincides with and promotes the SwSh games?  Why would it highlight a bunch of Pokemon that weren’t going to be included in the games?  I bet dollars to donuts Nintendo is going to add all these Pokemon into SwSh over time in coordination with their relevancy in the anime.  Ash appears to be starting all over back in his hometown and will be traveling with new companions to all of the previously covered regions again.  I mean, for goodness’ sake, we see both main characters RIDING ON LUGIA’S BACK in the trailer and y’all think because Lugia isn’t currently in SwSh means it won’t ever be there?  Why would Nintendo pass on the chance to capitalize on a built-in marketing campaign that would let them hype both the game and anime, and thus all associated merchandise, off one another?

Yeah, we’re not getting the National Dex in SwSH right off the bat.  But between the Switch’s ability to patch in larger content updates after launch, the “Pokemon Home” service being opened to allow for all Pokemon to be gathered there, and the upcoming anime?  It sure looks to me like we’re going to get the National Dex sooner or later and people shouting from the rooftops that we don’t have it right out the gate need to chill out.

[legitimateluffy]

i am an avid pokemon fan but i dont know anything thats happening so whats happened? is this about the launch event being cancelled? or anything else?

ah so swsh has been leaked and people have data mined them and found at that the wireframes are all the same as that of the 3ds, and this has started a whole hashtag because Gamefreak decided to cut like 400 pokemon because they stated they were remaking new models which turned out to be false.

I personally don’t really care (I’ve also heard that they apparently stuffed up the importer and they couldn’t like, fix it for this gen but that’s just a rumour) but I understand a lot of people are upset and that’s perfectly fine. It’s just how people go about displaying their disappointment, it’s so childish and so many people have resorted to bullying when they can just.....not buy the game like it’s really that simple...

[doubleddenden]

Apparently there's going to be a 20 minute Pokemon direct on the 9th. I swear whenever I get into something, something relevant to that interest is touched upon soon after.

But I'm not expecting much other than Home. I'm definitely not expecting a new game announcement. My predictions

Some bullshit designed to activate nostalgia boners, because that's what they've been riding since 2013.

A trailer for SwSh even though the game is already out

Home will be made available either soon or that day. Any additional features like fees or side content will be touched upon. Most likely will drop catastrophically and require immediate updates because that's just how Apps do these days, especially anything Pokemon related

More info on Sleep. May launch later or that day including the Go ++

Some bullshit PR about how they're "dedicated to the enjoyment of their fans" or whatever. Obviously it's just time filler.

Possibly an update for SwSh but don't expect anything big. SwSh is made by Game Freak and they'd sooner release Ultra versions with additional content for full price than actually fix their game. That being said, I expect a patch to fix some glaring issues (mainly the Roku tv stuff) and a patch to make SwSh compatible with Home.

New content for Go because people still play it I guess? Idk I live in the middle of nowhere and the game doesn't work here, but I never see anyone in town playing it either so shrug, it makes TPC most of their money so they'll have Niantic talk about it. Probably just info pertinent to that trailer that just dropped.

Something about Masters that we're already aware of

Something about their news app

New mobile app

New merch

Now, some maybe likely stuff that's like maybe a 55% chance of happening

New side game Announcement. Detective Pikachu 2? Possibly, they expressed interest in it at one point. Mystery Dungeon? I'd love it but I doubt they care about it enough to do anything with it.

Ports. Nothing big like the 3ds or DS games, because honestly that's too much work than they're willing to bother with and it'd be more profitable to remake them. But I could see the the game boy and gb color games ported again to Switch, maybe gen 3 made available through the same method with all events made available. Hell I wouldn't put it past them to somehow make official ports available for mobile so they have an excuse to hunt down ROM sites. Dragon Quest has basically a ton of their titles available for mobile, same with Chrono Trigger, even if it doesn't play as well.

That rumored Jigglypuff movie is confirmed

They'll maybe hint at some future stuff but very vaguely. Nothing as confirmed as "we are making a game for the Switch" like 2018 E3.

Now, hardly likely but still possible. 35% chance

Diamond and Pearl remakes are confirmed. Not a big trailer but its existence is made known.

ULTRA SWORD AND SHIELD WHOAAAAA FEATURING NEW FORMES AND LIKE 50 NEW POKEMON WHOAAAAAAAAAAA

Actual SwSh DLC. Again, I don't see it happening because they'd rather get their money, but Nintendo could make em provide more content. Who knows. It would maybe add a specific NPC or some small DLC area

Let's Go Johto. I'd wager like. 75% of the work is already done since Let's Pikachu and Eevee remade Kanto and the models and moves are already a thing. There's already hints in the original to support it but you never know. Since it's aimed at Go players and kids in general, a summer release might do well since most people will have more free time and it won't be a busy time for games to release, and BoTW2 won't take their Christmas money.

Pokemon Quest is updated

Now, not likely at all. Maybe 10% chance. Maybe less.

New Coke maneuver. "We heard your complaints. We're patching in all the pokemon. See? We do care!!!!" Its a dammed if they do dammed if they don't scenario, and I honestly doubt it'll happen, but given the VERY vocal backlash, I can't say the possibility is zero. I would welcome it, of course, but if it does happen they'll lose money on Home soooo probably not.

Temporal Diamond and Galactic Pearl, brand spanking new teasers and trailers. For me, the announcement is slightly more likely, but business wise it makes more sense to wait until May or July to reveal a huge trailer like this so they can get more people to buy SwSh.

And now the "not going to happen so shut up" category. 1% or less.

Pokemon Adventures anime (at least part 1)

Ports of Stadium, Stadium 2, Colosseum, or XD Gale of Darkness with compatibility to Home or appropriate titles

New RPG project akin to Colosseum

Again, I'm not expecting anything ground breaking just yet. Maybe May when anything big is announced.

I'm guessing I get 3 things right and it's nothing big.

[1-800-divorce]

Apparently there was a launch event for SwSh in Japan that’s now been cancelled because of all the drama? Yikes. People who harass game devs for trivial things like this don’t deserve nice things. People are the worst. Those are real people too behind the social media accounts.

[bainhardt]

I recently decided to tackle the long-overdue challenge of completing my HOME national dex to finally claim a sought-after original color Magearna for my own. Filling the gaps in my dex has been no easy feat, and one requiring I do far stranger things than I ever expected. Catching ‘em all isn’t quite so simple as it seems at first glance, lemme tell you...

Catching various Pokemon was the easy part. Between having three complete living dexes on Sword alone and the complete living Alola dex on my Ultra Sun, a significant portion was already filled in. But that piqued my curiosity about something I first noticed about a year ago when HOME first launched: why did my HOME dex have Pokemon registered that I’d never moved off of gen 7? Well, the good news is that Bank has its own Pokedex, composited from all the dexes of all the game cards you connect to it, and this data is sent to HOME every time you move even one Pokemon. You don’t have to send anything important up to gen 8 if you don’t want to! What a relief.

Still, SWSH infamously don’t offer everything, and so most of my work involved trawling through older gen games and picking up the odd forgotten straggler. A couple of them really surprised me, like how I apparently had Sunflora but no Sunkern, or Ducklett but no Swanna. Regardless, this kind of thing is the fun part of Pokemon, tracking stuff down and catching it, and before too long, I was already finished. Easy enough.

The difficulty ramped up when I reached the point of no return, the point where nothing remains but those dreaded mythicals... the only Pokemon out of ‘em all you can’t just go and catch. Who came up with that idea? I’d like to have a stern word with them (that word is fuck). I left concerns of legitimacy behind me and pressed dauntlessly on. Whatever it took, I was getting this done.

Thankfully, even here I wasn’t starting from square 1. I have a modest collection of mythicals of my own; Meloetta, Celebi, Phione, assorted random pickups from my obsessive play beginning in gen 6. This narrowed it down to thirteen elusive targets. And then I remembered I’d neglected to catch Keldeo in the Crown Tundra, narrowing it down to twelve elusive targets:

Mew - Manaphy - Darkrai - Shaymin - Arceus - Victini - Genesect - Hoopa - Volcanion - Zarude - Meltan - Melmetal

My first stop was the era of the original DS, with my friend Elliot pointing me towards the Nintendo Wi-Fi DNS Exploit in order to access long-passed events. Limited by the language of games I owned as well as hardware (I never managed to get this exploit working on gen 4 because of that goddamned WEP requirement), I managed to download Darkrai, Victini, and Genesect.

Mew - Manaphy - Shaymin - Arceus - Hoopa - Volcanion - Zarude - Meltan - Melmetal

Up next was the HOME mobile app, where I got by with a little help from my friends - well, friend, namely Nia, who had four more to trade me. Also worth mentioning is how HOME’s friend trading system is normally supposed to be restricted to local-only, a restriction that was supposedly lifted due to the pandemic. I guess I chose the right time to get this underway, at least.

Shaymin - Arceus - Volcanion - Zarude - Melmetal

What followed is probably the strangest step of my journey, and if I’m being honest, one of the most surprising and impressive. Around this time I’d begun poking my nose various places online looking for where I might get in contact with somebody to spot me the last handful of Pokemon I needed. I saw a post on one subreddit offering “ANY POKEMON YOU WANT” and figured I was about to message some hacker. Instead, all it took was connecting to a discord channel and messaging a bot, and I was in touch with an automated hacking robot capable of trading any Pokemon legally obtainable in SWSH! I was blown away. I felt like the NPC from the beginning of each game who’s impressed by how incredible technology is. And I had three more mythicals registered in my dex (then promptly released).

Shaymin - Arceus

Bringing this quest nearly to its close is the final adventure I’ve had recently, and one of the more exciting things I’ve done in my time playing Pokemon. Coincidentally, I recently ordered a Japanese copy of Pearl, which happens to be one of the only two games fit to serve as the stage for this endeavor: I was going to attempt the “tweaking” glitch.

As I understand it, this glitch fucks with the loading triggers in the game, and enables you to venture out of bounds in real time using nothing more than your DS and the cartridge. Through careful exploration and the execution of some game events, you can encounter Darkrai, Shaymin, and even Arceus. You can technically fuck up your game file if you go astray, but with very little to lose on my new JP Pearl to begin with, I set to it in earnest. Following video tutorials as my guide, I was biking my way through darkness in no time flat, sights set on the Alpha Pokemon Arceus.

I had no Master Ball available on any of my gen 4 games, so capturing this thing came down to three P’s: Patience, Poke Balls, and Parasect. I didn’t have Parasect ready for my first attempt, which ended in failure, and although this tweaking encounter can be repeated an infinite number of times, I wanted this over with as soon as possible. After a day spent grinding Parasect until it was ready to stand toe-to-toe with a god, I dove into the void again and caught myself my first ever Arceus. Thanks to Sakura Miko, of course.

From here, I’m so close to Magearna I can practically taste it, yet I’m still one Pokemon short - Shaymin. Even though I could catch one through tweaking, it’s reportedly the only tweaking capture incapable of being transferred up to newer games, which leaves me back at the drawing board for one final Pokemon. One final step, and at this point, I can’t imagine what it’ll entail.

[archivalderic]

During our Pokémon SWSH launch event! #pokemontcg #playgroundhobbycafe (at PlayGround Hobby Cafe) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5EiIRhH1lN/?igshid=arwhdn8xxe5c

[wvinterisms]

well holy shit my local gamestop just called me and let me know that they’re doing an event to coincide with the worldwide launch of Pokemon SwSh so I can get my copies tomorrow NIGHT 

well my day is made

[hollowsart]

I’m listening to a video rn regarding the new Pokemon games and..

[this isn’t a rant or a complaint, this is actual concern]:

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

Even if you don’t think it’s the best or think that it’ll be the worst game because it’s lacking in things... I think if we all just go for buying it and putting more money into the sales of that game Nintendo would see that and realize “hey, people do still really care about these games.. it’s made more than GO and people are still talking about them... even if they are complaining.”

I think that would be a boost of “hey, you need to work on this! make it better! improve and keep getting better! People are still very much interested and we want to see what new and wild advancements you can get with this! Yes we have phones, but not everyone is in a good place to use GO for anything. We want our thorough stories and explorable environments back.. We want Pokemon back. not Pokemon GO.”

since tbh that where the shift has come from; Pokemon GO. GO really isn’t even that great of an app or game. (no this isn’t just cuz I’m bitter and can’t play it). it’s laggy and glitchy and getting certain Pokemon is difficult to impossible and not all phones are capable of holding all that data. Not to mention not everyone plays or knows Pokemon or Pokemon GO.

by the statistics the video gave... this seems to be a good option rather than constantly complaining. push out the money into these new games and make them the absolutely best selling games they’ve had in a long time. make their interest pique in that direction again.

Pokemon GO sucks and no one wants it in their main games anymore, people want the main series games back with the incredible graphics and stories and all the other stuff people are complaining about. We want our games back.

we DO still have an interest in Pokemon. Pokemon IS still relevant. Mobile games are just not that great. No one likes having “Pay to play” options in their games. It sucks and it’s the worst thing you can do. Pokemon is just as long lasting as LoZ and Mario and it’s just as relevant today as Mario and LoZ are.

no one is asking for mobile games. GO has literally gone down from the hype that it had upon launch. they can keep updating with the next few gens of Pokemon but people are still losing interest in the game. Heck, because GO is so difficult to get certain Pokemon in it just from your own location people have been hacking the game to get the Pokemon and items they want. yeah some people hack in the main series games, but they’re not hacking it to be able to PLAY it and GET the Pokemon they normally CAN’T that AREN’T Legendaries or mythicals or event only legends & myths!!

I’m gonna end this saying that: Just buy the games and try to get Nintendo’s attention back to those games and away from the mobile stuff. It’s honestly worth a try at least. It’s def an option.

regardless i’m still gonna buy and play SwSh cuz I just love Pokemon and still greatly enjoy the games. I loved and enjoyed XY when they came out even when people complained and bashed the games. I just want to keep playing.

[bills-pokedex]

SWSH LAUNCH - Has anyone tried giving Bill ear scritches (or the Flygon equivalent)? Or has his dignity and/or general awkwardness held up too much for that?

[BEGIN TRANSMISSION]

[LH, BILL, and LH’S POKEMON are wandering through a field of grass. EVENING, THE CLEFAIRY, and LACROIX are wandering in separate directions several feet from LH; BILL is sticking by her side. LH is the one holding the camera this time.]

BILL, muttering: Depending on whom you ask, I never had any dignity to begin with…

[LH snorts with laughter, then reaches up and touches the side of BILL’s head lightly with her palm.]

LH: Sadly, flygon don’t have ears, which makes ear scratching rather difficult. However, if you scratch them just under the chin…

[She moves her fingers to scratch the lower side of BILL’s cheek and just under his chin. He stops and closes his eyes, lifting his head a little while emitting a trilling purr.]

LH: …then most flygon will basically turn into putty in your hands. Some will even flip over to give their trainers easier access to key parts for belly rubs and more petting.

[BILL flops backwards, onto his back. One of his feet can still be seen in the shot, kicking in response to LH’s scratchings, until it finally stops, half a minute after she’s stopped scratching him. LH motions to the downed flygon with her free hand.]

LH: Like so.

BILL: What just happened?

[END TRANSMISSION]

[bills-pokedex]

BILL!!! LANETTE!!! NOW'S THE PERFECT TIME... To go to a bar and have Lanette bet with people that Bill can't speak! He can answer things with "fly" for a few questions and then just break out in all his human-talk glory! Make bank!

[BEGIN TRANSMISSION]

[LH and BILL are sitting in a tavern. LH is enjoying a cider while BILL sits next to her, resting his head on his claws. After a few moments, a young man—only slightly older than her, by the looks of it—sits next to her with a pint of beer.]

MAN: Lovely flygon you got there, lass. Haven’t seen it or you around before, though. You from here?

LH, smiling: No. Just a visitor. But thank you. [cocks her head at him] My partner is a very talented flygon. He’s been with me for a long while now. But you know what his best trick is?

[The MAN smirks and reaches into a pocket, presumably to grab for a poké ball.]

MAN: Battlin’?

LH: Better. He talks.

[BILL opens one of his eyes. The MAN stares at LH, his smile faltering.]

MAN: A-aye?

LH: Mm-hmm. But I can tell you don’t believe me.

MAN: Yes, well—

LH: So let’s make a wager. [places money on the table in front of her] This much if I’m telling the truth. This much to you if I’m lying.

[She removes her hand to let the MAN see. He glances down, and his eyes grow wide.]

MAN: All right, lass. It’s a deal.

[He places an equal amount of money on the table and reaches his hand out, which LH takes. They shake, and as soon as they let go, LH bucks her head towards BILL.]

LH: Flygon, what do you call it when someone is no longer here?

BILL: Gon!

LH: And what’s a small, annoying insect that eats fruit?

BILL: Fly!

MAN: Oi, lass—

LH: And who is the greatest trainer of all time?

[The MAN looks at BILL, who shrugs noncommittally.]

BILL: Well, that’s a matter of opinion, isn’t it?

[The MAN’s jaw drops. LH finishes off her cider, takes the money off the table, and with a smile and a small bow, she starts to walk out of the tavern with BILL, holding the camera, behind her.]

LH: So ... that’s what your dad used to do?

BILL: All the time, but with an eevee with a small voice recorder hidden under his neck ruff. That was great, if you don’t mind me saying.

LH: I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d want to do something your father would do.

BILL: Call it scientific curiosity—largely to see if it would work.

[END TRANSMISSION]

[bills-pokedex]

SWSH Launch Event #3

{Suuuuuper long post means readmore cut!}

[BEGIN TRANSMISSION]

[Same scene as earlier. BILL’s private video finishes playing on LH’s phone. BILL is staring into the distance, facing away from the camera.]

LH:  So. What does this mean?

BILL:  It’s nothing to worry about.

LH:  Nothing to—Bill. You need to tell me right now. What is this really doing to you?

BILL:  Nothing. I’m fine.

LH:  But you said so yourself. [motions to her phone] You said you think what you’re experiencing are a flygon’s instincts. 

[BILL sighs.]

BILL:  Sometimes, I get carried away. My mind adapts, and I start—it happens when I wear costumes too. It’s nothing to worry about.

LH:  No. No, what did you mean just now? What do you start to do?

[Pause. LH grasps BILL’s arm with both hands.]

LH:  Bill. Please. This is important.

[BILL bows his head.]

BILL:  I start to act like a pokémon.

[Another pause. BILL looks back at LH, then turns and takes one of her wrists in both of his hands.]

BILL:  Listen. I know what you’re thinking, but you won’t lose me, okay? I still have my memories, and I still know who I am. Nothing will change that.

LH:  But ... you’re changing. The-the protectiveness. You said that in the video.

BILL:  That...

[BILL’s eyes shift to look at the ground.]

BILL:  That’s not what that means.

LH:  Then what does it mean?

BILL:  It means... [exhales] It means I don’t know what that is.

[LH opens her mouth.]

BILL:  Wait. Let me explain. Lanette ... I’ll give you this. It’s true that losing myself is a possibility, but it’s a distant one. I’m confident that no matter what happens, no matter how long I’m like this, nothing will change me completely. I won’t ever hurt you, and there won’t be a day when I’ll wake up and be, inside and out, a flygon. But there are other possibilities I’m concerned about.

[He rests one of his hands on top of hers.]

BILL:  The first is a sort of halfway point. Some elements of a flygon’s personality may be seeping into my own, so although overall, I don’t think I’ll change all that drastically, I may be more ... pokémon-like than you’re used to.

LH:  And ... the other possibility?

BILL:  Well... [looks into LH’s eyes] Promise me that if I tell you, you won’t think any different of me.

LH:  What?

BILL:  Please.

LH:  Bill ... okay. I promise. Just tell me what’s going on.

[BILL takes a deep breath. He sits up straight, his entire body stiffening—as if to brace himself for whatever happens next.]

BILL:  I’ve noticed that whenever I’d wear a costume, I wouldn’t just get into a pokémon’s head. I’d also relax my normal inhibitions. It’s possible that something similar is not only happening right now, but it’s exacerbated by the fact that I’m biologically part pokémon right now—yours technically, at that. In other words, what I’m feeling is a little bit a pokémon’s loyalty to its trainer, but it’s also, quite possibly, mingling with preexisting feelings I’ve had as a human.

[Long pause. LH slowly pulls her hands away from BILL’s. BILL freezes, then holds one of his hands out to LH.]

BILL:  Lanette—oh no. Oh no, please don’t take that the wrong way! I shouldn’t have said anything; that was over the line. Just—just forget I said that, okay?

LH:  Bill. We don’t know for sure if that’s the—you’ve figured that is the most likely possibility, didn’t you?

[BILL flinches, folding in on himself a little.]

LH:  I see. So ... why wouldn’t you tell me this?

[BILL exhales, shakes his head, and slouches in his seat.]

BILL:  I ... I wanted to, but the exact circumstances ... how do I put this? [grips his head with a set of claws] Lanette, the last thing I want to do is make any of this uncomfortable for you. I know you well enough to understand that just being my trainer is a bit stranger than what you’re used to, and even then, I... [a little quieter] I never wanted my feelings to disrupt what we had. You’re my closest friend, and I ... well, I don’t entirely know what I’m feeling or whether or not it’s the same feeling I had as a human.

[He removes his hand and looks at her.]

BILL:  But I want to tell you. Being with you right now has made this the greatest experiment I’ve ever conducted. Using my abilities to help you... [takes a breath, bows his head a little] I don’t know how to describe it, but I do know that doing that makes me feel complete somehow.

[Pause. BILL looks at her.]

BILL:  Please say something.

LH:  When you said you didn’t want to disrupt what we had, what did you mean?

BILL:  I... [bows his head again] Lanette, I don’t want to lose you as a friend. I don’t know what these feelings are or why I’m feeling them now. But I do know that whatever they are, I don’t want to lose you because of them.

LH:  You know ... out of everything I’ve ever heard you say, that is simultaneously the most human and the stupidest thing that’s come out of your mouth.

[BILL looks up at her, startled.]

LH, gently:  Bill, I’ve known you for years. And in that time, you have done some pretty weird things. That time you got possessed. That other time you got into a fist fight with Volkner. All of the times you’ve turned into a pokémon. Half of these incidents, I was right there with you, watching you, sighing in exasperation because of you, trying to keep you and sometimes the others from killing yourselves. Did you really think that after all that, this would scare me away?

BILL:  I...

LH:  If anything ... I’m flattered. And glad too. [grasps his hand again] I hope you do figure out what it is you’re feeling. When you do, I’ll be there.

BILL:  Lanette...

LH:  In the meantime, it’s a little cute that you’re protective of me right now. I feel a little like the female lead of those comic books you like. What’s the one in Spinarakman? Maria Jean?

[BILL shoots back up to sit rod-straight. The green of his face takes on a darker hue, as if he’s blushing.]

BILL:  Lanette!

LH:  Although honestly? I think I’d prefer to be Steelman’s Prue Potter. Steelman’s trusted right-hand girl and a headstrong, independent businesswoman who’s saving his company? I’d be okay with that.

[BILL scrambles for the camera, but before he can get a good grip on it, LH wraps her arms around his chest and holds him back.]

LH, gently again:  Wait. One more thing.

[BILL hesitates, then sits up, pulling away from LH just a bit—but holding onto her arms as he does so.]

LH:  Seriously, though. I want to make a promise to you right now. No matter what happens—whether part of you changes because of this body or whether separating the flygon out of you fails or whatever happens—I promise I’m going to help you through it. Then ... whatever happens after—if you want space to figure things out or if you want me to stay ... we can talk about it then. Because the truth is, Bill? There’s a reason why I haven’t left you over weirder stuff than this. And ... I’d like to figure out what that is right along with you. Does that sound like a deal?

BILL:  Lan—yes. Yes, of course. [pulls himself closer to her] Thank you.

[LH reaches for the camera, but before she turns it off, there’s one last glimpse of her leaning up, a little closer to the crest on BILL’s forehead.]

[END TRANSMISSION]

[bills-pokedex]

Have you met a Galarian Ponyta yet? They're GORGEOUS!!

[BEGIN TRANSMISSION]

[Same scene but this time with a close-up of BILL’s face as he’s holding the camera.]

BILL: Oh, we didn’t just meet a Galarian ponyta.

[He turns the camera around to reveal one standing in a clearing. LH’s arms are wrapped around its neck, and she’s staring at it with reverence.] 

BILL: Lanette made me help her catch one.

LH, whispering loudly: I’m naming her Evening Glimmer.

BILL: That’s too long for a nickname! Also, she threw me into a tree, Lanette.

[The ponyta neighs and bucks her head happily.]

[END TRANSMISSION]