The Pokemon Thread

[DarrylWolf]

Trying to challenge Passerby to fights is turning out to be an exercise in frustration.

FIGHT ME DAMNIT

Same here. Could be that of the hundreds of available fighters, they find other fighters and agree to fight them in the time it takes you to ask them. They're not just available for you to fight but hundreds of people to fight and if others ask them more quickly than you do, you will waste time because the game can't put up an "OCCUPIED" sign for those who have already said 'YES'. Also, it's impossible to know until you battle a passer-by how advanced they are in the game. You could be battling someone just starting out when you've beaten the game, making it impossible to lose- or impossible to win if they're the obsessive type who spends eight hours a day playing the game. I hope in the next game you can target trainers who have the same number of hours logged or if they've beaten the game yet. That would be ideal. I spent some time fighting a charming trainer from Colorado- except he only had two gym badges and had not captured six Pokemon yet. As much as I complained about trainers who were too hard at the start, fighting newbies is also a waste of time.

 

[Icky]

It's Pokemon month on FB. (just change your avatar to a Pokemon for December basically). The only FB trend I actually take part in and find cool. This year is Genesect. My fave of Unova and I think favorite of Pokemon in general.

I changed mine to Murkrow in 2009 and haven't bothered switching. Although I did change it to a Murkrow jack-o-lantern I carved for Halloween this October.

 

[Seekrit]

I changed mine to Murkrow in 2009 and haven't bothered switching. Although I did change it to a Murkrow jack-o-lantern I carved for Halloween this October.

Ha, cool. Pics?

 

[Icky]

Ha, cool. Pics?

Well, I guess it's relevant to the thread anyway.

http://puu.sh/5B0du

 

[Seekrit]

Well, I guess it's relevant to the thread anyway.

http://puu.sh/5B0du

wow
such murkrow
much pumpkin

Srsly though that's pretty cool c:

 

[Teal]

I am sorry, I am one of those people that always says no

I'm trying to hatch an egg, I don't wanna battle people

That's why I always have a battle ready team in the battle box. :3

others ask them more quickly than you do, you will waste time because the game can't put up an "OCCUPIED" sign for those who have already said 'YES'.

Actually their portrait goes dull and a symbol appears by their name.

Also, it's impossible to know until you battle a passer-by how advanced they are in the game. You could be battling someone just starting out when you've beaten the game, making it impossible to lose- or impossible to win if they're the obsessive type who spends eight hours a day playing the game. I hope in the next game you can target trainers who have the same number of hours logged or if they've beaten the game yet. That would be ideal.

BAsed on time played? We'll then I'm gonna get a second game, transfer over some powerful pokemon and destroy the newbies. Transfer them back and repeat.

Well, I guess it's relevant to the thread anyway.

http://puu.sh/5B0du

Awsome.

 

[DarrylWolf]

That's why I always have a battle ready team in the battle box. :3

Actually their portrait goes dull and a symbol appears by their name.
BAsed on time played? We'll then I'm gonna get a second game, transfer over some powerful pokemon and destroy the newbies. Transfer them back and repeat.


Awsome.

I would like in the next game for the random battles to be narrowed down so we don't end up playing trainers far more experienced or far less experienced than we are. Because those kinds of fights- where you are a heavy favorite or a heavy underdog- are wastes of time. It took me over 50 matches until I found people who are roughly speaking, my equals in terms of skill and dedication. I have started to actually pick up steam and beat many of the opponents I've played; this has given me a much more healthy mindset about the game. I've even gone so far as to have a few linked opponents that fight me continually and lose, though the games have been close and exciting, making me feel like I've become their "teacher" in a sense. Having been at the bottom for quite some time, I won't let up to make them feel better, they're going to have to earn victories against me.

Even with all the recent success, I still like to examine the battles I lost more than the ones I won. The game gives you battles that are way too easy and makes a mundane accomplishment- beating the Champion- worthy of a grand parade. You get plenty of hollow praise in the game so the losses you get in linked battles are rather jarring. They should make you stop and think about your team's shortcomings.

 

[Stratelier]

Check it.

[video=youtube;BGpl6RiutS8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGpl6RiutS8[/video]

 

[DrDingo]

Finally, I actually got around to receiving the Exp Point pass power from Mr. Bonding! If I'm ever online the same time as one of you, I'll repeatedly give you Bargain, Prize Money, or Exp Point power. I'm gonna upgrade them as far as I can by using them over and over on PSS friends.

 

[Teal]

I would like in the next game for the random battles to be narrowed down so we don't end up playing trainers far more experienced or far less experienced than we are.

The only way for that to be determined would be matching opponents based on their win/lose ratio.

Because those kinds of fights- where you are a heavy favorite or a heavy underdog- are wastes of time. It took me over 50 matches until I found people who are roughly speaking, my equals in terms of skill and dedication. I have started to actually pick up steam and beat many of the opponents I've played; this has given me a much more healthy mindset about the game. I've even gone so far as to have a few linked opponents that fight me continually and lose, though the games have been close and exciting, making me feel like I've become their "teacher" in a sense. Having been at the bottom for quite some time, I won't let up to make them feel better, they're going to have to earn victories against me.

So you can only have fun if you're winning.
Must be thrilling to play any sort of game with you.

Even with all the recent success, I still like to examine the battles I lost more than the ones I won. The game gives you battles that are way too easy and makes a mundane accomplishment- beating the Champion- worthy of a grand parade. You get plenty of hollow praise in the game so the losses you get in linked battles are rather jarring. They should make you stop and think about your team's shortcomings.

The games are. for. children. And a lot never play wifi (at least until they're older) and it does. not. matter. to. them.
And the parade was because you saved Kalos from Team Flare, not becoming champion.

 

[DarrylWolf]

The only way for that to be determined would be matching opponents based on their win/lose ratio.

So you can only have fun if you're winning.
Must be thrilling to play any sort of game with you.

The games are. for. children. And a lot never play wifi (at least until they're older) and it does. not. matter. to. them.


And the parade was because you saved Kalos from Team Flare, not becoming champion.

No, I don't mind losing so much anymore. It's being stuck in waste-of-time foregone conclusion battles that irritate me more than anything, stuck in battles too hard or the other extreme, just way too easy. Now, it feels nice to fight in close battles to blow up an opponent's strategy every once in a while rather than be victimized by it for the umpteenth time. Even when I'm only playing for pride with just one Pokemon left, there is a moral victory in seeing how many Pokemon I can beat before the inevitable disappointment.

Each loss against an equal opponent tells me what I should do to become stronger- to wit, go and do likewise. While there are limitless possibilities for how one could build a good team, some of the "memes" I have found while battling (Blaziken, Sleep, Garchomp) tell me that these overexposed Pokemon and strategies really are fixtures of any tournament battler's team. And, of course, it goes without saying that once a strategy becomes that overly popular, you would see it repeated ad nauseum in almost every duel, especially at the higher levels. While I certainly don't have the time to invest in it, those who enter the professional circuit tend to "go with what works" rather than trying to innovate at their own peril. One of the more infuriating combinations I have found is Hypnosis/ Mean Look/ Perish Song which leaves you with a Pokemon that is as good as dead- I would most certainly try that strategy to win a few games. We've gone over how this is an "arms race" so winning BAMN is absolutely necessary, even if it enrages your opponents.

And yes, while the parade is held because you defeated Team Flare, you still must beat the Elite Four to trigger it happening. You stop Team Flare before you face the Elite Four. You obviously can't see the credits and hear the really good finale music until you beat the game's bosses.

 

[Stratelier]

One of the more infuriating combinations I have found is Hypnosis/ Mean Look/ Perish Song which leaves you with a Pokemon that is as good as dead.

Wow, that IS totally evil. Even if they switch out on turn 3 of Perish Song (and thus Mean Look is logically no longer in effect) you're still blocked from it simply because the game won't let you issue a Switch command at all. You can still U-Turn or Volt Switch or Baton Pass out of it, but....

 

[DarrylWolf]

Wow, that IS totally evil. Even if they switch out on turn 3 of Perish Song (and thus Mean Look is logically no longer in effect) you're still blocked from it simply because the game won't let you issue a Switch command at all. You can still U-Turn or Volt Switch or Baton Pass out of it, but....

Yes, the way I see it, being good at Pokemon is like being the card shark in one of those Western films. Dirty, underhanded, and utterly cheap moves are just par for the course and you can whine about losing but Nintendo won't hear it. To beat dirty, you have to be dirty yourself. However, this means tournaments at the professional level would be extremely homogenous with however many people playing (and it can reach into the hundreds) using essentially one of a limited number of strategies to win. Give me a chess tournament over that any day of the week!

And I just think that use of the so-called "Sleep Trap" is a sign that you are no longer just playing casually for fun but have turned cutthroat to win prizes. And Game Freak's response is "More power to you"

 

[Rilvor]

Wow, that IS totally evil. Even if they switch out on turn 3 of Perish Song (and thus Mean Look is logically no longer in effect) you're still blocked from it simply because the game won't let you issue a Switch command at all. You can still U-Turn or Volt Switch or Baton Pass out of it, but....

Mega Gengar
Shadow Tag ability is the default

Perish Song
Disable
Confuse Ray
Hypnosis

Welcome to misery.

 

[DarrylWolf]

Mega Gengar
Shadow Tag ability is the default

Perish Song
Disable
Confuse Ray
Hypnosis

Welcome to misery.

You know the solution is in Game Freak's hands. Next generation, give sleeping Pokemon a 50% chance of waking up each turn, like they do in the card game. How could a strategy so useless in the TCG be so effective in the video games?

Let's hope that Game Freak changes things so that someday the Sleep Trappers will be in for a very rude awakening, in more ways than one.

 

[Toshabi]

Mega Gengar
Shadow Tag ability is the default

Perish Song
Disable
Confuse Ray
Hypnosis

Welcome to misery.

Taunt :3

 

[DarrylWolf]

Taunt :3

How clever! Not one of Gengar's moves actually does any damage so he'd be completely disabled and would be completely useless. He may abstain from the action and just do nothing. Though if you get rid of Disable and choose an offensive move, Gengar would not be incapable of moving in that situation.

 

[Teal]

Mega Gengar
Shadow Tag ability is the default

Perish Song
Disable
Confuse Ray
Hypnosis

Welcome to misery.

Taunt :3

MAGIC BOUNCE.

 

[Stratelier]

MAGIC BOUNCE.

Mega Absol / Espeon

 

[Teal]

Mega Absol / Espeon

And Xatu.

And if you can use it fast enough (or are lucky) Magic Coat.

 

[DrDingo]

The Friend Safari intrigues me. But I have no friiiiiiiiends in Pokemon

Add me pls: 1821-9780-3172

Haha, well I only have a Grass safari, but I've just added you anyway.

 

[Rilvor]

Taunt :3

Assuming you could out-speed M. Gengar with a Taunt user that you happen to have on hand.

In instances that you don't...

/Switch to Wobuffett/Gothitelle/Dugtrio(Arena Trap)/Magnezone(Magnet Pull) depending on the situation.

":3"

That being said, I think Perish Song Gengar is a wasted one. Not to mention unsporting.

P.S.: I added your Friend Code.

 

[Misomie]

Assuming you could out-speed M. Gengar with a Taunt user that you happen to have on hand.In instances that you don't.../Switch to Wobuffett/Gothitelle/Dugtrio(Arena Trap)/Magnezone(Magnet Pull) depending on the situation. ":3"That being said, I think Perish Song Gengar is a wasted one. Not to mention unsporting.P.S.: I added your Friend Code.

A prankster taunter would be best. However, ghost types can't be trapped in this generation. Mega Absol, Klefki, Lipard, or Zoroark would probably be best to counter Mega Gengar. Or a mon that can outspeed and OHKO it. Equiping bright powder would crush hypnosis's accuracy or having sandveil activated (Sandveil Helioisk would be great because STAB ghost moves won't touch it just in case it had shadow ball).

 

[Rilvor]

If there's anything I've learned so far, it's that there's too many pokemon to worry overmuch about counters. Probably why I just use the ones I like with whatever move combo sounds fun/good.

 

[DarrylWolf]

A prankster taunter would be best. However, ghost types can't be trapped in this generation. Mega Absol, Klefki, Lipard, or Zoroark would probably be best to counter Mega Gengar. Or a mon that can outspeed and OHKO it. Equiping bright powder would crush hypnosis's accuracy or having sandveil activated (Sandveil Helioisk would be great because STAB ghost moves won't touch it just in case it had shadow ball).

Every single one of the anti-Sleep Trap strategies you mentioned requires foreknowledge that you are fighting a Sleep Trapper. Of course, it goes without saying that the roster you bring out is a form of bluffing, as well. Nobody wants to be the first person to announce their roster, and this makes a huge difference at the second round of a tourney. Tournaments would naturally favor the heaviest gamers, because only a fool would wing it with just six Pokemon. A winner would need to after winning his first match, change up to get ready for his next opponent. If you go from a Grass-type specialist to a Sleep Trapper, the optimal Pokemon would not be the same through both matches. Of course, this means you need more than six Pokemon to switch out, and that means having more Pokemon in the PC and training those Pokemon rather than letting them languish on the bench. All this is a test of who has been playing the game the most. A tournament might be a test of who has the most Pokemon, and thus, the most free time to play the game.