18 Years of Pokémon

Pokémon recently celebrated its 18th anniversary. Shortly after Red and Green's release in Japan, it became a worldwide phenomenon and the rest is history. I have no idea what my life would be like without Pokémon. I met some of my best friends through it and learned a lot from the series. So of course, it's only appropriate I give 18 cheesy, cliched reflections from the wonderful world of Pokémon.

1. Never give up, no matter how many times you fall

You ever met Ash Ketchum? This kid has the dream to become the very best like no one ever was. Out of the current 721 Pokémon, how many has he obtained? 72. If "to catch them is [his] real test", Ash is about 10% done. He's managed to collect the badges in each region, but falls short of being the League Champion (except in the Orange Islands). And yet, he keeps at it.

We can't all stay 10 forever, but we can learn something from this idealist.

I mean, if you like Muk go right ahead.

2. With over 700 creatures, you got to have a favorite!

Pokémon has variety. Maybe floating magnets or living piles of sludge aren't your forte. But there are so many to choose from, you got to like at least one! As weird as it may sound, Pokémon is kind of like life. Even though there are aspects that are less than favorable, there's so much to enjoy.

 3. We can take a different path to reach the same goal

I start with Bulbasaur, you choose Charmander. We'll catch different Pokémon to complement our team, have a different strategy to defeat each Gym Leader, and maybe even choose a different Eevee evolution (or none at all)! But at the end of it all, we will both collect the 8 gym badges, defeat Team Rocket, and eventually become the champion. It just goes to show that there's no singular way to play the games. Which brings me to my next point.

 4. The world isn't black or white

5th generation will always have the best story in my opinion. It was the first to raise the issue of the ethics behind Pokémon battles, and while N, the leader of Team Plasma, didn't meet a clear resolution, he learned to value others' opinions. When ideals clash, a new truth emerges that we can learn from.

 

 

 

5. The rules change from time to time, but the fundamentals stay the same

With the addition of held items, abilities, new moves, new typings, and new battle formats, Pokémon battles have changed a lot since Red and Green. Regardless, the basic principles behind battles stay the same. Pokémon battles is like rock-paper-scissors with elements of chess. Water beats Fire, Fire beats Grass, and Grass beats Water. But Water can move in a way that let it beat Grass. The rules of life change constantly with new technologies and discoveries, but the fundamentals like honesty and humility remain steadfast.

6. A journey with friends beats a journey alone

If I had to summarize what the overall message of the Pokémon series is, it's friendship. Ash and Pikachu's travels across the land show the deep, emotional bond these two share. What I enjoy most about Pokémon is how a seemingly single-player game can transform into the greatest multiplayer experience thanks to trading and battles. And now with online trading and battles, I feel part of the bigger worldwide community. I can't begin to tell you about the countless hours me and my friends spend talking about Pokémon. It's a powerful tool that breaks down barriers and connects people. What other game could unite an entire community to simultaneously play and beat it?

When thousands of people gather to play Pokémon, Omanyte becomes a God.

7. There are some things you just can't explain

What is underneath Diglett? How does a Wailord and Skitty create an egg? Why was Hulk Hogan chosen to be the spokesperson during Pokémon's 10th anniversary? The world may never know.

I got to keep training brother!

8. Don't be surprised if you run into a surprise

Right before my management class, I pulled out my 3DS thinking I could get some training down before the lecture began. Three battles in, I run into a shiny Eevee! I ran out, hugged a random girl, and apologized saying it was "Pokémon business." Granted, I caught 10 or so shinies before, but it was still exciting! Always have those Pokéballs ready, you never know what you'll run into the wild.  

9. Old Arcanines can learn new tricks

Charizard has always been the laughing stock of competitive battling since Red and Green. Now, he's one of the biggest threats thanks to his Mega Evolutions. It took him 18 years, but by Arceus he did it! Other Pokémon have also broken from obscurity since their debut. Blaziken went from being good, to just average, to being banned TWICE! Wobbuffet? He got a new ability and bam! Straight to Ubers! There are so many Pokémon that got better over time, so never say it's too late to learn something new.

 

10. "It's Super Effective" doesn't necessarily mean it's effective

Just because Blissey is weak against Fighting-type moves doesn't mean Aura Sphere is the best choice. Brute strength alone can only take you so far. Different strategies such as putting your opponent to sleep or slowing them down through paralysis can easily turn the battle in your favor. Analyze the situation and come up with a plan; don't go charging head first.

11. Learn from the stupid mistakes you make at the beginning

I am guilty of only training my Venusaur when I first played Red. He was the backbone of my team at level 97. I prided myself on the fact I didn't use a Rare Candy. My second highest? Pidgeotto at level 32. You can tell I knew what I was doing. But hey, how else can we learn if we don't make our own mistakes? It's always a laugh to look back and see how much of a noob trainer I was.

12. Patience is a virtue

Have you ever hatched eggs in Pokémon? It takes bloody forever! You’re moving back and forth for 30 minutes only to realize the baby has the wrong nature or ability or whatever. Sure, shortcuts like having a Pokémon with Flame Body in your party exist, but I remember going through countless eggs in Firered just to hatch a decent Totodile. If I already hatched over 400 eggs in X alone, I shudder to think how long I spent in Pearl. But if I’m still at it after all these eggs, then I must have learned a thing or two about patience. Which reminds me, I probably need to go back and finish hatching those Machop eggs. That will be fun…

I've listened to the bike theme plenty of times.

13. With teamwork, even Magikarp can sweep a team

The videos are absolutely hilarious, but given the right circumstance, the flopping fish has what it takes to take the world. To pull this off, Magikarp requires teammates to help give it a boost to sweep. It just goes to show that the power of teamwork can overcome all.

 

14. There’s a time and place for everything. But not now!

Yes Professor, I know I can’t ride my bike indoors. Yes, I also know I can’t use the Helix Fossil during battle. Yes, I know I can’t use the Super Rod in the middle of the city. It’s an annoying reminder, but Oak’s got a point.

Riding your bike indoors? He'll know...

15. The world is a big place to explore

From the majestic snow peaks of Mt. Coronet to the glistening shorelines of Cianwood City, the Pokémon world offers breathtaking scenery. There are so many places to see and things to do, so stop being cooped up and get out there! After you finish reading this post of course :)

16. Sometimes, it’s just luck

You might have the winning strategy that can take on the biggest threats, but a stray Ice Beam could freeze your Pokémon and all hope for victory is frozen. It happens. You just got to accept that luck might play a role in determining a battle, so don’t take it personally. It’s not all bad though, sometimes luck might get you out of a bind when you need it most. How else can you explain Ash winning the Boulder Badge?

Thunderbolt sets off the fire sprinklers, soaking Onix. That's dumb luck right there.

17. Follow what you love regardless of what other people think

As my good friend Terral once told me, “middle school is the worst version of yourself.” For a time, I left Pokémon because I didn’t want to seem uncool or nerdy. I remember asking a pair of 8^th graders with their Gameboy Advances out if they were playing Pokémon. “Yeah we’re playing,” they responded. “So what?” They were probably used to people mocking them, but they didn’t care. They had guts and I envied them. It only matters what you think. Nothing else matters.

18. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!

Seriously! I don’t say Pokémon is my favorite video game series for nothing. It’s an expansive game with thousands of hours of replay value. It’s a universal language where everyone from die-hard Pokémaniacs to moms with kids that play have something to say. It’s a strategic game that challenges you to use prediction and smarts to overcome your opponent. It’s a collector’s hobby with an expansive community full of traders. It’s a shared experience which solidified so many of my friendships and helped forge new ones. But most importantly, Pokémon is just plain fun, and I wouldn’t still be playing if it wasn’t.  

The games that started a phenomenon.

Hokus Pinkus: The XY Prerelease

Back when I went to my first trading card prerelease in 2011, I wanted to take my brother to one. I had a blast last time and wanted to share that experience with him. Plus, bringing him along would mean more cards for our collection :P. So yesterday, we attended the Pokémon X and Y prerelease over at Strikezone.

Basically, a prerelease is a tournament where you pay $30 for 6 packs of cards from the upcoming set. From there, you build  a 40-card deck and play 3 matches. Afterwards, you receive 2 more packs and a promo

card. I highly doubt the $5 entrance fee increase from last time was due to inflation, but what can you do.

We arrived at Strikezone around 12:30 and signed in. Mike, the event coordinator, surprisingly recognized us. It took me a second, but I realized he knew us because of my brother's back-to-back VGC regional titles.

When we received our cards, Mike suggested new players to go to the far table if they needed help. I looked over at my brother, and he just gave me a sly smile and stayed seated. A few minutes later, I had to walk over and helped him build his deck. Why is that boy crazy?

He managed to get good pulls, including a Venusaur-EX and Xerneas. While Venusaur is one of my favorite Pokémon, that card looks U-G-L-Y! His girth can't be contained in such a small card border. The trading card artwork never can capture Venusaur's grace. Regardless, it's a good card and helped my brother win 2 out of 3 matches.

I was equally lucky in my pulls. The first card I got was an Yveltal-EX. I then got Shadow Circle, a stadium card that takes away weakness if your Pokémon has Dark energy. Like my brother, I won the majority of my matches, but I never once pulled out Yveltal or Shadow Circle. So how did I win?

WIGGLYTUFF!

Wigglytuff has an interesting move called "Hocus Pinkus." For 3 energies, Hokus Pinkus inflicts 60 damage and prevents the opposing Pokémon from attacking next turn. 60 damage is good enough to knock out Basic Pokémon and is a great way to stun your opponent. Originally, Wigglytuff was meant to stall until I set up Yveltal, but she managed to win on her own. The only match I didn't get Wigglytuff was the time I lost. What can I say, you can't handle the power of Hocus Pinkus!

Afterwards, my brother and I traded some cards to help complete our collection. My personal favorite was Wobuffet. He looks just like an action figure! We then had a quick battle with some folks on the 3DS, traded some more, and left. It was great to bond with fellow Pokémon trainers and expand our collection, but I had the most fun because of my brother. Afterall, Pokémon is a shared experience. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better prerelease. Well...maybe if I got a Slurpuff card, that would have been sweet.     

A Run on the Pokébank

Back before X and Y hit stores, Game Freak gave details about Pokémon Bank, an application on the 3DS that allows trainers to store over 1,000 creatures in online boxes. In addition, Pokémon Bank comes with PokéTransporter, which allows trainers to transfer Pokémon from 5th generation up. The original release date was December 27th. It is now January 17th, and Pokémon Bank still isn't available.

So what happened? Initially, the original release date was postponed due to server crashes the Nintendo eShop suffered with so many new users logging in with their 3DS's and Wii U's they got for Christmas. Those lucky enough in Japan could download Pokémon Bank, but it was quickly taken down before the rest of the world had access. Since then, the eShop has been fixed but Pokémon Bank still remains unreleased, without even a new release date given at the time of writing. I usually wouldn't complain about a delayed launch; it's natural in the video game industry. But the Pokémon Company has put itself at odds with its fanbase for a lack of clear communication.

Does that mean no Pokémon Bank?

 Much of Pokémon's communication through Facebook and Twitter is about anything but Pokémon Bank. There are updates on the released Heart Gold/Soul Silver soundtrack, the Mewtwo special airing on Cartoon Network, and even fun caption contests, but nothing about Pokémon Bank. The most information we've received is a cryptic tweet stating "more information will be announced in the future." I understand that the people managing the social media accounts might have just as much information as we do, but couldn't someone higher up cue them in so they can stop giving vague answers?

A tweet sent out by Nintendo on January 10th. There hasn't been an update since then (at the time of writing).

The greatest cause of frustration is the fact that those who already downloaded Pokémon Bank can still use its services. It's an obvious unfair advantage when some trainers can bring Pokémon unavailable in X and Y. Sure, you might get lucky and trade for a Totodile you can breed, but good luck facing Arceus and Lugia when you don't have your own. The video below shows exactly how Pokémon Bank works. Props to SqishyRina for the video.

The fact that Pokémon Bank still works for those who download it means there's not a functionality issue. At the moment, it takes some time to connect to servers, so I'll give Pokémon the benefit of the doubt and assume that's what they're working on. But if that's what they are doing, why don't they just say it?! My biggest fear is that the delay of Pokémon Bank's launch is meant to wait out the free initial trial period originally promised and start charging the annual $5 fee. Of course, that would be one of the most notorious moves in the video game industry, so it's highly doubtful. But fans are getting impatient, and rightfully so.

Whenever Pokémon posts anything on social media, they're met with angry fans clamoring for news on Pokémon Bank. Who can blame them? Nintendo and the Pokémon company have fell silent about addressing this issue and further alienates its fans with vague responses. Meanwhile, Pokémon still promotes everything else under the sun and trainers are receiving an unfair advantage online. It's understandable that Pokémon Bank is delayed, but fans are hanging on empty promises when a company fails to address issues head on.

Pretty much how I feel right now

Should Pokémon Actually Exist? Get Real!

Far too often, my friends and I get into a conversation about what it would be like if Pokémon actually exist. Sure, you might think that would be the coolest thing ever. You get to fly your Pidgeot to school, make your Scyther mow the lawn, and have your Charmander roast marshmallows in the middle of July. But trust me, it's better that Pokémon stay in your DS.  

1. It's like training a pet, except your house can catch on fire.
You've probably heard the old "a pet's a big responsibility" lecture from your parents one time or another.   You have to train it to not bite the mailman, not bark at strangers, and not treat the living room floor like a toilet. Training a normal animal is tough enough, but imagine if your puppy was a Growlithe. Instead of biting the mailman, it'd roast the unfortunate postage worker with Ember! It's Roar would easily intimidate any bystander that crossed it. And if it could expel high amounts of heat from its mouth...I shudder to think what would come out of its rear end.  

So maybe you're not a dog person. Meowth? You better hide your wallet. Pikachu? Stray Thundershocks will short circuit your light bulbs. Ekans? Better have that antidote ready. Jigglypuff? Don't let it near markers. Pokémon make terrible pets.

This is why you can't have nice things!

2. 10-year-olds can summon titans, gods and great beings of destruction.
10-year-olds aren't old enough to drink, join the military or even get a part-time job. But they can go out in the wild and catch Pokémon? It's a severe lack of judgement, especially since 10-year-olds aren't the most mature humans.

Imagine shopping at the grocery store with your kid when he spots candy at the checkout line. Normally, you'd say no and he'd throw a temper tantrum, crying and rolling all over the floor. But now with Pokémon, he can send out his Reshiram and use Fusion Flare on you. Temper tantrums have reached a whole new level.

3.You'll be out some serious cash.
Playing Pokémon in-game for many years gives trainers the illusion that they're the very best like no one ever was. Half the time you're fighting Youngsters with Zubats and Rattatas! The Pokémon games rarely present a challenge, so it's easy to see why you think you're the best when you become champion.

But that's the thing, you're not. It's a harsh reality, but you can't win every battle. That's not necessarily a problem until you realize how Pokémon battles work.

Whenever two trainers meet eyes, they must battle each other. No exceptions. You can't run away from the
fight or say that you left your good Pokémon back in the PC, doesn't matter. You have to battle with what you got. The worst part is, the loser has to pay the winner.

Hand over your money, noob!

Let's say there's a pretty tough trainer with a level 100 Gyarados who just chills at the corner. Usually, you can avoid him by sneaking past him, but today you're running late for class. You mindlessly walk in front of him, your eyes meet, and uh oh! Looks like you have yourself a battle. You try to reason with him that you're late for class, but it doesn't matter. No running away from a trainer battle, no exception. So you send out your Geodude, watch it get pulverized by Mewtwo, and shell out some cash. Now you're not only late for class, you got no money for lunch. Great.

4. I wouldn't eat that ice cream...
Most Pokémon are based on animals and other living organisms. But if you're not used to walking candles and cotton candy, some of these creatures can catch you by surprise.

It's a Saturday night and you invite a couple of your friends over for a sleepover. You get a case of the midnight munchies and go to the fridge for a quick snack. Nice, there's a box of Casteliacones! You bring it upstairs and everyone enjoys their frozen treats. Until...one girl starts screaming. Blood is dripping down her mouth. That was no ice cream cone...she bit into a Vanillite!

Rule of thumb: if it says its name, don't eat it!

The horror doesn't stop there. You best not pick up any Pokéballs from the floor; Voltorb could use Explosion and blow off your arm! That purple balloon...yeah that's a Drifloon. It'll take children away if they tug at its strings. Late for an appointment? Don't rush out the door with Klefki instead of your keys. You wouldn't want to jam a fairy into your car's ignition. You get the idea; you better think twice before picking up a seemingly everyday object. The way Pokémon is going, I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into floating pencils that shot out Pin Missiles.

5. Having a non-Pokémon job in a Pokémon world
Despite the many problems Pokémon would bring, it would still be pretty cool if Pokémon existed. You get to travel across the land, searching far and wide to train these fantastic creatures. But being a Pokémon Trainer isn't the only job. You could study the mysteries behind evolution and become a Pokémon Professor (just don't forget anyone's gender). Or maybe you see yourself as a mentor for up-and-coming trainers as the local Gym Leader. If the life of a law-abiding citizen bores you, you can even join up with Team Rocket or Team Flare and lead a life of thievery and misdeeds. But what if you had a job that has nothing to do with
Pokémon?

Team Rocket is now hiring! *Must bring your own Zubats

You're an accountant for a faceless corporation. Day in and out, you're punching numbers as your higher-ups continue to berate you. Life's a drag. And yet, right outside your window, 10-year-olds are living it up. You watch in awe as one kid orders his Charizard to use Flamethrower. Charizard swoops down and lets out a stream of flames, only for the opposing Blastoise to swiftly dodge and retaliate with a well-aimed Hydro Pump. Charizard comes tumbling down and your heart stops. You press your face against the window as Charizard struggles to get up. Will he make it? Just then, the blinds fall down and your boss glares right at you. A stack of papers falls on your desk and you're back to work. In a world where people can train Pokémon, you're stuck in an office building unable to break the monotony of the 9-5 workday. What a life.

If only you arrived at  Professor Oak's lab a little earlier...

Even after all this, you probably still think it's a cool idea to have Pokémon in real life. Who could blame you? There are endless possibilities in a world of electric rodents and fiery chickens. But with great power comes great responsibility, and an even greater headache. Sure, it might seem cool if Pokémon existed, but I for one am glad they just stay in the games.

Imagine dealing with this guy's calls in REAL LIFE!

Why I (Eventually) Decided to Buy X and Y

After a lot of thought, I decided to advance to the 6th generation and buy X and Y. This decision definitely took a long time, but why? In case you couldn't tell, I'm kind of obsessed with Pokémon. Then why would this be a hard decision to make?

From the beginning of this year, Pokémon revealed quite a bit of information leading up to the release. Most of X and Y's content was either a hit or miss for me. While I wasn't initially a fan of the legendary mascots, that didn't bother me. Besides, there are plenty of other Pokémon to catch. As more Pokémon were revealed, I started to get worried.

As the first Steel/Ghost type, Honedge was a huge disappointment for me. Its design lacked creativity. It's a floating sword that can unsheathe itself. Really? That's what qualifies as a Pokémon!? The worst part was that Game Freak thought the design was so good, Honedge deserved to be revealed before the game's launch. That's like using Muk to promote Red and Blue. You think anyone would have bought Red and Blue if their first impression was Muk? Many of the designs like Clauncher and Skrelp fell flat for me. I wasn't inspired by a good portion of the revealed Pokémon, which hasn't happened for me before.

From the people that brought you living sludge and floating ice cream cones...

They're changes in the battle system that I at first viewed as unwelcome. Horde battle is just outright stupid! Why would Game Freak even care about trainers who catch strong Pokémon to quickly advance through the game? So yeah, fighting five weak Pokémon instead of one strong one will force you to grind more. Talk about frustrating. Black and White reduced the amount of grind time you needed. Way to go backwards! I pretty much ran from any horde battle I encountered. And then there's Sky Battles where only Flying Pokémon can participate. What's the big deal? Is this mode so ground-breaking that you had to reveal it during E3? Granted, I haven't gotten this far in game, but the concept seems frivolous.

Great Psyduck, now you're giving ME a headache!

What have they done to you!?

Probably the would-be final straw was Mega Evolution. If you thought I was angry when I made my Mega Evolution post back in August, then you best prepare yourself for Primeape rage! Seriously, a part of me dies every time I find out about a new Mega Evolution. Half of them look like they went through the same horrific genetic splicing as Mewtwo. Apparently, Alakazam can heighten his skills with 5 spoons and Santa Claus' beard. Gardevoir can stand to lose a few pounds. And 10 points to anyone who can explain what the heck is going on with Heracross. The recent announcement that only one Mega Evolution is allowed on a team is a relief, but I still stand by that it's still as a gimmicky mechanic that makes the game needlessly complicated.

Obviously, I had a fair share of good reasons to buy these games. For one thing, while there are only 70 new Pokémon, some of the designs were spot on. I don't know why, but something about a cotton candy Pokémon seems so cool. Maybe it's the way Swirlix sticks his tongue out that makes it cute. I honestly can't wait to evolve it to Slurpuff. Maybe when they give it a Mega Evolution, it'll turn into the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Trevenant, Goomy and Pyroar are pretty cool to name a few. While I wish there were more, there were definitely some well designed Pokémon in the bunch. Just like any generation, it takes time to get used to the new Pokémon. 

It's so fluffy!...and quite possibly sticky.

When I first watched the opening cutscene, I knew that no previous Pokémon game could compare in respect to presentation. The 3D battles and animations puts X and Y ahead of even Colosseum and XD. My heart melted when I first encountered a 3D Pidgey in the wild. The towns are bustling with life and traveling from route to route is a seamless transition. X and Y overhauled the Pokémon battle cries. Pikachu literally says its name when it jumps out of the Pokéball! And of course, the music is amazing. Within the first few minutes, I was humming to Santalune City's tune! But I wouldn't expect anything less from Mr. Masuda, his work is phenomenal. Take a listen: 

The biggest push for me was that a good number of my friends planned on playing.  I apologize to those who had to listen to my endless complaints these past couple of months. It's been a humbling experience to listen to reasons why other trainers decided to buy the next installments, and I thank you for dealing with my stubbornness. I got caught up in all the battle mechanics and game changes that I lost sight of what Pokémon truly is. Pokémon is a shared experience with friends. No matter how competitive or casual you are, Pokémon is about connecting with people and having fun. So far, X and Y continues that shared experience the franchise is known for, and as long as it stays that way, it's worth the investment. Well done Game Freak. You got me in for another generation. 

Welcome back to the world of Pokémon!

Bringing New Variables in Battles with X and Y

With the introduction of Fairy-type Pokémon, the type-chart saw its first overhaul since Gold and Silver. But how will this affect Pokémon battles in the futures? Not much about this new type was known until the type-chart's official confirmation through Coro Coro Magazine.

New type-chart for X and Y. Props to Pokémon XY News for the chart.

Here's a summary of the changes. Fairy is super effective against Fighting, Dark and Dragon Pokémon. Fairy is not very effective against Fire, Poison and Steel Pokémon. Fairy is weak to Poison and Steel-type moves. Fairy is resistant against Fighting, Bug and Dark-type moves. And Fairy is IMMUNE to Dragon-type moves. Talk about a hard counter! Game Freak also sneaked in a slight nerf for Steel-types. Steel Pokémon no longer resist Dark and Ghost-type attacks.

It's obvious that Fairy-type Pokémon will play a key role in shaping the metagame. Sylveon's ribbons slaps Dragonite right in the face. And to think, I made that prediction about Xerneas being one of the best competitive Pokémon in jest. Fairy-type's lucky immunity to Dragon-type moves prevent Draco Meteor and Outrage spam.

I'd hate to see Iris encounter a Flabébé

Imagine Gardevoir switching in on Salamence's Outrage. Your Trace activates, throwing his Intimidate right back at him. Salamence will probably switch out, giving you ample time to set up a Calm Mind and possibly sweep.

Besides their ruthless thirst for dragon blood, Fairy-types also have it in for Dark and Fighting-types. Their resistance allows them to switch in on powerful moves and immediately threaten tough Pokémon out. Hydreigon and Scrafty now sport a nasty 4x weakness after a generation of favorable typing. STAB options for strong Pokémon like Scrafty and Heracross are severely limited.

It's hard out here for a pimp

Fairy's only weakness to Poison and Steel-type moves makes it a strong defensive type, especially since Poison and Steel moves are quite uncommon. While people might predict that Poison-type moves would be on the rise, I will have to disagree on this. Besides Fairy, Poison only hits Grass-types for super effective coverage. But why would you use a Poison move to knock out a Grass-type? You have Ice, Fire, Flying, Bug...you get the point! There are better options. Furthermore, many types resist Poison, including Steel which is actually immune to it. Defensively, Poison gets a boost which is great for Pokémon like Weezing.

Now only if it could do something about that horrendous cough...

Steel's loss of resistance might not seem like much, but it does cause problems for some Pokémon. The haunted sword Honedge now has to contend with two weaknesses in Ghost and Dark-type moves. Being as smart as a supercomputer gives Metagross a hard time. Everyone's coming up to it asking for help with taxes, quantum physics and damage calculations. Now it has to worry about things that go bump in the night. Metagross's Steel/Psychic type now becomes a hinderence. Tyranitar, Absol and Pangoro now can rely on their STAB moves to take on the four-brained behemoth.

It's not all bad for Steel-types though. The resistance to Fairy-type attacks and their super effective coverage against them will be what shapes the metagame. In 4th gen, a concept called "4 Drag, 2 Mag" was introduced. Basically, the only thing that stood in a Dragon's way were Steel-types. So Magneton and Magnezone were used to trap and knock them out. This concept can easily make a comeback to counter Fairy-types as well, but with a few modifications. Heatran's Steel/Fire type gives him a 4x resistance to Fairy. Plus, he can finally find a use for Flash Cannon to immediately threaten any Fairy-types out. Heatran's Fire-type moves can burn up most Steels and either Hidden Power Ice or Dragon Pulse can take on opposing Dragons. I wouldn't be surprised if Heatran's usage skyrocketed. Scizor also finds itself in a similar situation. Bullet Punch from Scizor is already a strong move, but the additional super effective coverage is icing on the cake. If you feel the opponent will switch out, simply use U-turn to maintain momentum.

The updated type chart for X and Y creates an interesting shift in the game. This post barely scratches the surface of what to expect in future battles, and rightfully so. What happens if Fairy moves have wide distribution like Flamethrower and Thunderbolt? What new tools can Dragons use to help outmaneuver these pixies of doom? Will the recent setback for Dark and Fighting-types lead to a reemergence of Psychic and Normal-types? Will Dunsparce get an evolution (or God forbid mega evolution) so grand that not even Arceus can stand up to it? Only the future will tell...or you can have Xatu use Future Sight. Whatever.

These trainers are way ahead of their time

A Mega Mistake

Yesterday, a new type of "evolution" was revealed.

Is that Blaziken?

Now you might be thinking "is Blaziken evolving? It's already part of a three-stage evolution!" Indeed you're right, but this isn't an ordinary evolution. This is called a Mega Evolution, a transformation that happens only with a specific item. When I first heard about it, I was confused myself. I thought it was an entire new evolution.

To make things clear, here's how it works. During battle, when a Pokémon is holding a specific Mega Stone, the Pokémon will Mega Evolve. So when Blaziken holds a Blazikenite, it'll Mega Evolve into Mega Blaziken. The transformation ends when the battle's over. So it's not an evolution per say, it's more of a form change.

Before this, we were already introduced to a Mega Pokémon. The new form of Mewtwo is actually a Mega Evolution.

This is Mega Mewtwo. I still call it Majin Mewtwo.

From the title, you probably guessed that I have a problem with this new battle mechanic. You bet I do! First off, quit calling it an evolution! It's a form change! Even if a Pokémon's stats get better, it doesn't make it an evolution. Black and White Kyurem have a higher base stat total than Kyurem, but that doesn't make it an evolution. Evolutions are permanent, form changes are temporary and reversible.

Form changes in the middle of battle aren't "new and revolutionary", it's been done before. Remember Darmanitan's Zen Mode? Or Meloetta's Pirouette Form? Those are triggered through an ability and move respectively. Sure this is a first time a held item is the trigger, but that doesn't make this mechanic ground-breaking.

Changing forms in the middle of battle before it was cool.

Speaking of held items, that's another issue I have with Mega Evolution. I can see the game play balance of giving up your Leftovers or Choice Scarf to get a Mega Evolution, but thanks to the Mega Stones being species specific, Item Clause won't limit how many Pokémon on your team can turn Mega. It doesn't seem like Mega Pokémon are addressing a balance issue. At least Fairy-type was created to address how powerful Dragon-types have become. 


The initial release of Mega Pokémon obviously shows this mechanic isn't supposed to bring balance to the game play. Blaziken, Lucario and Mewtwo have all been dominating forces in Pokémon battles. In fact, Blaziken was banned from standard play thanks to his newly acquired Dream World ability, Speed Boost. Lucario remains a relevant threat in standard play and is quite the Pokémon to deal with. And you're an idiot if you think Mewtwo is "weak" and needs any buffs. Mewtwo single-handily won a good portion of my battles in Global Showdown. Sure, Ampharos and Mawile appreciate the boost to their strength, but they could have been buffed through new abilities and moves instead of a haphazard form change.

Instead of buffing old Pokémon through new abilities and moves, Game Freak has opted to throw in a frivolous game play mechanic. Form changing in the middle of battle, regardless of stat redistribution, has proved not very effective in the past. Mega Evolution is a poor solution to the evident power creep in past generations. I fear that Mega Evolution is just the beginning of potential gimmicky battle mechanics that will make the game needlessly complicated.