Pokemon B/W

[Pikachu]

So I imagine Chip and Jon are getting this at some point.. a few thoughts to get things rolling:

This game has gotten more convenient. It's the right direction to take the series because some of the difficulty was just arbitrary time sinking rather than demonstration of thought process and skill. Some highlights so far:

1. TM's are no longer single use. Thank God. There really was no reason for limiting the possibilities of movesets through scarcity. You still have to find TM's or purchase them, but they are now very accessible and no one has to fret about which Pokemon to use it on. The cost is simply earning access to it, and there is no opportunity cost to say, your Explosion TM, which was a pain in the ass to get. Incidentally, Explosion is now a 48BP item... holy crap!

2. More resting points in the game. There are tons of houses, doctors, and nurses strewn about so when you need to gain some levels in the storyline of the game, it's less of a hassle. Furthermore, vending machines are fairly common too, so you can get your Lemonades in a variety of areas.

3. Better exp in the wild. More evolved Pokemon in the wild to fight, so you're not earning exp in chunks of 200 all the time.

4. More mediocre Pokemon. You might wonder why this is a good thing, but mediocre Pokemon are usable. This means a ton of options for your in-game team to beat the Elite Four, without resorting to top-tier, time proven First Gen Pokemon (which aren't available until endgame anyway).

5. No nonsense, linear game. You can beat Black and White without going through long puzzles. While a part of me likes the thought of making kids suffer a little, I don't want to have extra hindrances to get to the endgame, where the real playing starts. Your mom actually finds you and hands you your running shoes. People hand you HM's, which are more of an option rather than a necessity, removing the need for HM mules. The focus, therefore, is to gather a team you're comfortable with and smash face.

6. New battle formats. These formats focus a little bit on positioning (3v3) and upending the order of conventional switching (rotational battle). Not sure if it's competitive, but it's at least interesting for now.

[Pikachu]

I also forgot to mention that the Poke Mart and Pokemon Center are now combined. Best idea ever.

What is more awesome is that if you check all the Poke Marts, you'll see that they sell TM's. You'd think, based on the past, that they'd sell the crap ones - and this isn't necessarily true. In fact, semi-early in the game, Return is sold for 10000 dollars. What's even more awesome is that Lillipup, a Pokemon you get almost immediately, is a Normal type which packs a decent punch and learns Bite/Crunch, leading to almost complete coverage, barring Steel types. If you have a Fire type, your coverage is basically perfect.

You also get a free Pokemon along the way after your starter, and the type given is a type which your starter beats (i.e. if you pick water, you get fire). The Pokemon is quite usable (I got the water one since I picked grass). It evolves with a stone, which is also given to you at a later time. Yeah, they make it easy on you.

It gets better. You're also handed a TM called Work Up, which boosts Attack and Special Attack. Tons of Pokes can learn it. This basically allows you to set up a lot and just sweep fights. However, it doesn't get good until your Pokemon have some levels to them.

That's basically it for now. The endgame looks pretty packed with content. Depending on your chosen color, you get a different endgame area. Black gets Black City, which might sound like Atlanta or D.C., and White gets White Forest, which sounds like the Carolinas.

[feedback]

Been slowly going through this and all I have to say is wft hax?! I am amazed at the number of crit hits I'm both getting and receiving when I'm not using moves or pokemon that have increased crit chance.

Really enjoying the new unlimited TM policy. Makes move selection a lot easier. Just reached the 3rd city so hopefully I'll be getting a shiny new Return TM to replace take down with.

[Pikachu]

I don't know how to mention this without spoilers, but the end of the game simultaneously rocks and sucks. And this is definitely the easiest Pokemon game of any generation I played.

[Pikachu]

Alright, beat this shit... and my Black City is glitched. Will need to use Entralink with someone to fix this. To further my annoyance, you can't bring items from the previous generation. I expected this for TM/HM's, but all items? WTF? Can't bring in the enhancement berries either, which is aggravating for the Pokes I built which revolve around them.

And now I realize I will have to figure out what to do about finding more Leftovers... AGAIN.

[feedback]

... That sucks dude.

[Pikachu]

A few other thoughts now that I can meaningfully look through movesets. I am typing this as I read the stuff, and I will, of course, tend to look at offense first.

1. Who the fuck decided that it's okay for Lucario to get Nasty Plot? I realize that Swords Dance is probably a little more threatening still because of Extremespeed, but this blue bastard did not need the help.
2. I want to try a Moxie Heracross with Choice Scarf and attempt a Close Combat sweep.
3. Flareon still does not have Flare Blitz. Lucario got Nasty Plot. Where's the justice?
4. WHY THE FUCK DOES SALAMENCE HAVE MOXIE!?!?!?! He does NOT need to get rewarded with ANOTHER attack boost after slapping his dragon wang into your face.
5. Technician Breloom with Mach Punch. Hella creative.
6. Okay, why does Gyarados get Moxie as well?
7. Mienshao looks like a very interesting Pokemon. With the new Hi Jump Kick buff and its ability to enhance its recoil moves by 1.2x, plus its 105 base speed, I think it has potential... just very one dimensional potential. It's almost like a stable Medicham. The alternative would be to breed one with Regenerator to allow for heals when you switch if you run a Choice set.
8. Chandelure has so much potential with Shadow Tag. Even without, it's hella bulky with meh speed and a sky high Sp. Atk. I think its moveset is strong - with stuff like Calm Mind and a good attack combination with Ghost/Fire, and pseudo heal with Pain Split, and utility like Will-o-Wisp, there are just so many options to choose from. Lastly, bravo to Game Freak for creating Clear Smog on bulky Pokemon like Chandelure as a means to stop sweeps.
9. Volcarona is very WTF. 130 Sp. Atk, 100 Speed, and an attack with 100 base power that has a 50% chance to increase its Sp. Atk by one stage. On the other hand, this thing is walled off by Rock types, but Rock types aren't known for Sp. Def (at least not the good ones).
10. Am looking at the move Venoshock, which doubles its power when hitting something that's Poisoned (coming to a whopping 130 BP). Can set this up with Toxic Spikes. And then I realize that I'm trying to make use of a Poison type move. Trololol.
11. Noticed from Roselia that Petal Dance is now on par with Outrage in terms of power, but using the special stat. I approve of this change.
12. I really don't know what to think of Hydreigon. Its stats are so almost-good. Its moveset is fine, although Dark/Dragon is just a type combination that sounds cooler than it actually is. That said, I have to ponder whether it's suited to Ubers more than OU, actually, where its speed is more at home but its typing carries more value.
13. Am I reading things right when I see that Hypnosis is back at 70%?
14. We need to collaborate on capturing Tornadus/Thundarus on Black and White so we get our Landorus(es?). This Pokemon screams potential.
15. I think Milotic has a second chance at being good with the new move Dragon Tail. Now that Hypnosis is a threat again, you can also get some free hits in with Dragon Tail and messing with their team order, maybe even scoring free damage with Stealth Rocks and Spikes.
16. I want to like Durant. Good typing, but it's moveset doesn't compel me.
17. Heard some people are disappointed in Haxorus. About the only strong moveset I can think of that covers his 97 base speed is: Taunt, Dragon Dance, Earthquake, Dragon Claw/Outrage. Mold Breaker for ability with this set, and play it like a Gyarados.
18. I am definitely breeding a Ferrothorn. Incredible tank.
19. Gliscor getting Poison Heal is incredible.
20. Need to test and see if Shell Smash Crustle is a viable Pokemon or just trolling.
21. OMFG Shell Smash Shellder... ahahahahhaa.
22. Rofl, Jolteon DOES have Volt Switch.

K, getting tired for now. More bad ideas later.

[Pikachu]

Ohhhkay. Just transferred a few Pokemon over so I can at least get a headstart on the Battle Subway. Here's how it works:

You need two DS's, and you need to start the Black/White version first. Then you go over to the Poke Transfer Lab and start up the DS with the older version. Do NOT start the game. Rather, from the DS start screen, select DS Download Play, and download the game it detects. You select six (and it must be six) Pokemon to transfer over.

However, before the transfer occurs, there's a minigame you must play where your selected Pokemon will hide in bushes and hop around. You have to use a slingshot found on your touchscreen and fling Pokeballs to capture them as they jump from bush to bush before they are transferred. This is annoyingly done under a time limit - any Pokemon not captured are not transferred and remain on the older game. Therefore, if there's a particular Pokemon you want to transfer over, make sure you target that one first. I'm all for mini games, but really, when it's integrated with a step that's a part of a long, long laundry list to get myself settled into a new generation, it's just not necessary.

On the subject of the Battle Subway, I'm pretty pleased that stuff like the Life Orb can now be bought, whereas before I had to collect them over a few expansions. There are some other interesting items I might want to try out as well. I really need to figure out where I can find Leftovers, though. I'm going from having 4 or 5 to having none, and it's driving me insane.

I don't even want to think about where I'll get rare berries and a Light Ball either. Thank God the Shadow Triad appears out of nowhere and gives you the three dragon orbs, or I'd be even more irritated.

[Duragar]

BERRIES!!!! (T-T)m

Registered on the pokemon global link: www.pokemon-gl.com

PGL Nickname: DysonPGL72

Looks like it's a Web-based huge-ass minigame-fest with elements from the Underground from D/P/P and the Pokewalker from HG/SS. You get a little dreamhouse (lololol) where you can grow berries, decorate your home, and go to the Dream Tree and potentially catch random pokemon. While you wander the area around the dream tree you can potentially find more berries (as well as other random items), run into pokemon (and play minigames to befriend them) and then spend a berry to transfer a pokemon from the dreamworld to the Entralink. Need to figure out how finding pokemon in the dream world works... I'd be nice to get some of the hidden abilities that are out there.

PS - I got a dirt-cheap WEP-enabled wireless router that I'm bridging to the main router (and disconnect when I'm not using). If you're having issues with getting online (assuming you WANT to go online), we can LAN or something at some point.

[Duragar]

By the way, Josh. Been looking up how to get more leftovers, since I want them as well...

First off, the easy one to get is in a trashcan under the village bridge. you use the dowsing machine to find it normally. If you haven't already done that, then go get that one at least.

Other than that... the only remotely helpful answer I've seen so far is to have level 81+ pokemon with the Pickup ability...

They really need to come up with a way to transfer items from previous games (not that I had all that many items back then, but still).

[Pikachu]

If it isn't in the initial transfer, then it's not gonna happen. I guess if Berries are growable in the Dream World, then I'll have to wait for a source to provide the pinch berries (Petaya, Liechi, Salac are the ones that matter) and regrow them.

Soft resetted for a Volcarona. Hella good IV's on it, except for the 0-1 IV in my defense stat. Not that you use him for defense at all, and he's a Bug/Fire. Btw, Quiver Dance (Calm Mind with a speed boost!) is a really hard move to deal with when you have to sit around and occasionally let him boost. Add to the fact that he is a level 70... well, I was glad I brought along some guaranteed sleep moves and some tanks.

If anyone decides to soft reset for Volcarona, my advice is to get to the "end" of the Relic Castle path, where you find the Earthquake TM, then backtrack to Volcarona's room, and then save in front of Volcarona. This way, you don't feel like you have to walk to the Earthquake TM each time before returning to the Pokemon center to check for IV's. Bring your Escape Ropes, Max Repels, and hella Dusk Balls. Volcarona isn't the easiest catch, though not nearly as bad as first gen catch rates... which is good because if Volcarona gets a lot of Quiver Dance boosts, not even level 100's withstand the onslaught.

Terrakion is the next SR I'm going to attempt... although I still have to go back to 4th gen to EV up a Lugia, Suicune, Yanma, Mesprit and SR for Moltres. I think I'm actually just gonna ignore Articuno and the other two dogs... although I might wanna find a Palkia in my Platinum. Grr... too much shit to deal with.

[Pikachu]

If you want some quick BP, you can hit up Wifi on the first few ranks. Each set of 7 wins nets 10BP, so if you are confident enough to at least take down a few ranks, it could be an extra item or two.

[Duragar]

By the way, Josh... Volcarona is breedable, to the best of my knowledge. I got a Larvesta egg from some Pokemon Ranger on the island west of the starter town, and I think that evolves into Volcarona. Not that you really need to breed it, since you went to the trouble of getting good IV's on the wild one in the ruins.

And yes... I took advantage of quiver dance playing through the story on my Lilligant (Quiver Dance + Petal Dance = lolol)

Right now I'm getting the rest of the Power items so I can make some tanks. Got Attack, Sp.Atk and Speed bracers first.

[Pikachu]

There is no Light Ball right now. What the fuck.