The Pokemon Thread

[Byron]

Even amongst the PU Metagame, created exactly for these kind of Pokemon that were simply not used in NU, people look at Delibird and think 'what the hell are you useful for?' I mean the initial Smogon advice starts with;

'Delibird is outclassed by all other leads in the PU Metagame'

Great. Oh by the way guess what I caught on Route 17? Fuck sake.

Okay, let's look for positives, does it have a Timid nature? Does it fuck, lets go with Gentle which reduces the defenses of the Pokemon, which aren't exactly high already due to the fact that it's Delibird and it's an Ice/Flying Type, two types not known for rock solid defenses. Any good attacks? Does it fuck, it has only Present, whch has a 90% hit rate and might even heal the opposing Pokemon in some cases. Does it have Hustle, which means it might have some use with Physical never-miss moves (as Hustle increases power by 50% but reduces accuracy by 20%). Of course not, lets give it Vital Spirit which means on the rare occasions I find a Pokemon with a sleep inducing move it'll resist it.

This game hates me.

[Byron]

AND THE NEXT POKEMON I ENCOUNTER IS SNEASEL.

*sobs*

[Byron]

Although Anistar Gym wasn't too bad. The first fucking trainer there had an Exeggutor that pasted Jynx and Delibird into a fine red mist with Wood Hammer but the recoil damage, combined with Lucario's Shadow Claw put him down and the rest of the gym was a breeze with Vaporeon providing the bulk and Hydro Pump action, while Lucario came in on safe swtich-ins to use a Shadow Claw.

Next, time to wreck Team Flare's shit;

Lvl 49 Vaporeon
Lvl 48 Lucario
Lvl 42 Amoonguss

[Byron]

Well my Nuzlocke has come to an end.

I managed to sweep the two grunts in Lysandre Cafe without much issue but next up was Lysandre. His Mienfoo I figured wasn't much of an issue but a High Jump Kick killed Amoonguss after he hit with Toxic. Mienfoo was obliterated by a Hydro Pump from Vaporeon so next up was his Gyarados, who hit with sucessive Outrages. It didn't kill Vaporeon but put him in a bad spot so when Gyarados was confused, I switched to Lucario, who Mega-Evolved and hit with a fierce Shadow Claw. Unfortunately I didn't expect Gyarados to be packing Earthquake, which killed Lucario and afterwards despite healing Vaporeon, 2 Critical Hit Outrages took care of Vaporeon.

Urgh. Part of me is disappointed but that was a grueling, absolutely brutal run. 19 Pokemon were killed and at the end the longest surviving Pokemon was Vaporeon who I had caught on Route 10.

Not sure what I do now. Part of me is tempted to start again, maybe on Black/White 2 or HG/SS, part of me wants to finish the game with some of the Pokemon that really proved useful during the run. Not sure how far I'd get with a team of Lucario, Vaporeon, Kangaskhan, Drifblim, Dugtrio and Talonflame but there you are.

It is the furthest I've managed to take a Nuzlocke mind you,

[Browning]

Hard luck Byron, but a decent effort there. X and Y are easily the most brutal games to Nuzlocke but also the most enjoyable.

[Browning]

We have a new leader, Weepinbell with a CP of 643.

[Bernanke]

Should I spoiler stuff about Sun/Moon?

Toggle Spoiler

Delta species are real.

[Dan]

Should I spoiler stuff about Sun/Moon?

Toggle Spoiler

Delta species are real.

That reveal was a joke, right? They're announcing the actual stuff later. Right?

It's like they forgot they could say no to ideas. It'll probably end up fine, but I'm really not impressed by any of that.

Toggle Spoiler

Well, Z moves do look pretty cool.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Pokemon Go has actually inspired me to finish off the series.

Realised that I hadn't even finished a game from gen 4 so I started up on Platinum.

Chimchar

[Sam]

Ice/Fairy Ninetales. Amazing.

[Dan]

Spoiler that @Sam, else Browning will actually murder you.

[Byron]

Well I'm not done yet, I'll go for one more attempt at Nuzlocking X.

Simple rules;

Must fight every trainer and Pokemon I come across.

I can not accept any gift Pokemon (so no Luminose City Starter, no Lucario and no Lapras).

I may however take the fossil from Ambrette Town if I want and it counts as the Pokemon from Ambrette Town but I must choose the Sail Fossil.

No Battle Chateau.

Dupes and Shiny Clauses are active.

Allowed one Mercy Heal.

Allowed held items

BRING IT.

[Dan]

Why specifically the sail fossil?

[Browning]

Presumably because he's used the other one before.

[Byron]

Yeah, I always pick the Jaw fossil, so in the spirit of using Pokemon I haven't used before, the Sail Fossil is the one I'll be picking.

[P_3]

Weather is crap down here so I've made some progress in X. Have added an Inkay (Contrary ability, you may touch me), Onix and Nidorino just before the Reflection Cave. Beat Grant easily enough having evolved Inkay into a Malamar and after spamming Foul Play. I love having unlimited TMs, I've just stuck as many of them on Nidorino as I could.

Lv32 Malamar
Lv30 Litleo
Lv28 Beedrill
Lv23 Nidorino
Lv22 Onix

[Browning]

I need to return to my Platinum Nuzlocke soon. Think I beat 6 gyms or something and now not played it in 2 months. Need to finish that off.

[P_3]

Yeah, I put my Diamond Nuzlocke on hold too for some reason. Might give it another go if I finish X. Then I need to do Heart Gold and Black 2. Hopefully before Sun and Moon are released.

Squeezed in a quick walk earlier. Picked up a pair of Bulbasaurs, a Weepinbell and hatched a hardcore 926 Porygon.

[P_3]

Beat Korrina and Ramos easily enough and am about to head off into the Power Plant with the following team:
Lv38 Nidoking
Lv38 Malamar
Lv37 Exeggutor
Lv36 Pyroar
Lv31 Clauncher
Lv31 Beedrill

[Browning]

Have footprints been totally removed in the GO update?

[Dan]

Yep. Fuck us for actually wanting to have any kind of idea where anything actually is

[Byron]

So Santalune City Gym.

For an accurate representation of this gym, please play Drowning Pool - Bodies.

Seriously, easiest gym ever, but I just used Chespin's Rollout to absolutely wreck house. No deaths yet but I know they're coming. Team so far;

Lvl. 12 Chespin
Lvl. 11 Fletchling
Lvl. 11 Farfetch'd
Lvl. 10 Butterfree
Lvl. 10 Zigzagoon
Lvl. 9 Flabebe

Seriously, why the fuck does Farfetch'd even exist? Such a shit Pokemon.

[Andy]

The update where they removed the three steps has killed this game.

[Browning]

Not really, as the 3 steps have not been working since about day 3.

[Andy]

Not really, as the 3 steps have not been working since about day 3.

I wasn't actually massively bothered by the three steps removal it's all the other undocumented bullshit that's tuined it.

Pokemon run away far more often, low level Pokemon bust out of poke balls far more often, Pokemon head balls back out jump to avoid them loads and then there's the tracking issue. Making Pokevision close down and totally removing any sort of tracking element is shit.

I went out earlier in the week for an hour in Southampton and must have gone past thirty different poke stops and started off with maybe 30-40 poke balls. By half way through I was out of poke balls until I got to the next stop. That's just catching standard crap. There's no way the game is balanced correctly if you need to buy poke balls when you're covering so many stops.

It's utterly retarded that a 10cp Pidgey/Rattata/Caterpie escapes a nice/great/excellent throw when I'm level 22.

[Browning]

Trust The Rock to cash in.

[Pleb]

So I thought it would be fun to try another basic nuzlocke this time on Black 2.

My squad was Oshawott (Starter), Lillipup (Floccesy Ranch), Sewaddle (Route 20) and a Purrloin (Route 19). Now I lost Oshawott and Purrloin to two Patrats in quick succession at Cheran's gym in Aspertia City

[Dan]

I wasn't actually massively bothered by the three steps removal it's all the other undocumented bullshit that's tuined it.

Pokemon run away far more often, low level Pokemon bust out of poke balls far more often, Pokemon head balls back out jump to avoid them loads and then there's the tracking issue. Making Pokevision close down and totally removing any sort of tracking element is shit.

I went out earlier in the week for an hour in Southampton and must have gone past thirty different poke stops and started off with maybe 30-40 poke balls. By half way through I was out of poke balls until I got to the next stop. That's just catching standard crap. There's no way the game is balanced correctly if you need to buy poke balls when you're covering so many stops.

It's utterly retarded that a 10cp Pidgey/Rattata/Caterpie escapes a nice/great/excellent throw when I'm level 22.

To me there are definitely some balance issues with the game, specifically with catch rates & gym rewards. Catch rates should be set in three tiers (red, yellow & green circle, set depending on their CP) for each pokemon & shouldn't be affected by your level, especially not to make it harder the stronger you get like it is now. So for instance Magikarp has a 100% catch rate at yellow & green, and a 95% at red, and trash like Pidgey, Rattata & the bugs are 95/85/70. Balls then affect that so a Great Ball is something like a +20% chance and an Ultra Ball is a +40% chance.

Gym rewards are also unfair as you're pretty much instantly fucked if you pick a team that isn't strong in your area. For instance I picked Instinct & they never have any gyms up because there are two or three really strong, dedicated trainers on Mystic that hold 70% of the gyms in the city at any one time, and the rest are usually Valor unless an Instinct trainer sneaks in overnight & takes one for a few hours. I'd adjust the rewards so you get 5 coins for taking over a gym, plus 1 coin per gym, per hour held, rather than 10 coins for holding a gym at one specific point in time, which rewards people for well timed poaching rather than for actually holding a gym for a long time.

I have too much time on my hands

[Dan]

Catch rate was changed in the last update. Should be fixed soon.

Niantic are a shambles.

[Sam]

Decided to try and get them all on my Omegs Ruby save (451 and counting, woo). Went to Jagged Pass to try find a Mankey, first encounter? A Shiny Numel . Need to get it up to 100 to replace the Camerupt in my squad.

Any trade bish out there to evolve a few things (or does Pokebank work for this)?

How does friend safari work?

[Dan]

Friend safari is only in X&Y, right? Everyone you're friends with has their own 'safari' area (it's basically a lawn) which contains three pokemon of one specific type. It's okay, as you can get some pokemon with their hidden abilities in them, but you have to find the right people to befriend as most people just have shit.

And Pokebank doesn't work for trade evolutions, sadly.

[Browning]

Taking away battery saver is the death of Pokemon go for me. They need to get that back now.

[Byron]

You're shitting me. That was the only thing that made the game playable frankly, as fuck taking a battery pack wherever I go.

[Browning]

Went out earlier and got a Kingler (781 CP, new best) and an Eevee (427 CP). Then sat at home transferring some shit and what pops up.... fucking Bulbasaur.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

You're shitting me. That was the only thing that made the game playable frankly, as fuck taking a battery pack wherever I go.

They pulled it from iOS because of bugs, it's coming back though.

[P_3]

212 Magikarp candy. Another two weeks or so before I can get my hands on a Gyarados.

[Sam]

Friend safari is only in X&Y, right? Everyone you're friends with has their own 'safari' area (it's basically a lawn) which contains three pokemon of one specific type. It's okay, as you can get some pokemon with their hidden abilities in them, but you have to find the right people to befriend as most people just have shit.

And Pokebank doesn't work for trade evolutions, sadly.

Damnit, I have a shiny Boldore and I don't trust any individuals to send it back . Any of you lads around?

Can j just grab any randomers friend code and use their safari?

[Samadini]

I've just started playing Alpha Sapphire. What do you need me to do?

[Sam]

I've just started playing Alpha Sapphire. What do you need me to do?

Trade back and forth, albeit I'm not around now for a good few hours.

To be fair, what people's Friend Codes?

[Browning]

Damnit, I have a shiny Boldore and I don't trust any individuals to send it back . Any of you lads around?

Can j just grab any randomers friend code and use their safari?

I'll do it. Let me know when you're on.

[Baz]

I put Pokemon Go in the iPad I keep in the car. Definitely gonna crash while collecting from Pokestops.

[Pleb]

I've just caught a fucking lv13 Pidove only to get a critical hit from a fucking Patrat again

Herdier is on the brink here.

[Browning]

Nice one. I got a Shiny Ekans within about half an hour of buying Soul Silver, and had a few on Pokemon Silver back in the day, but can't remember finding any others. I'm shocked I've not found even one on all these Nuzlockes especially with all the grinding I've done.

Speaking of which... the Iron Islands are fucking brilliant for levelling up. My Gastrodon is going to be a beast by the time I get to the Steel gym.

As predicted, the Steel Gym was a piece of piss as Gastrodon was over levelled like hell from the Iron Islands. Rapidash was allowed to beat us the lesser trainers to catch up and did so with ease. Gastrodon then one shotted every gym leader Pokemon, 2 with Earthquake and 1 with Surf.

Gastrodon- 48
Rapidash- 46
Alakazam- 44
Scizor- 40
Staraptor- 39
Golem- 39

Ice next isn't it? Rapidash.

Picked this up again last night and almost lost Scizor within minutes as I was battling with him on about 25% HP (but knowing I could one shot everything) and I clicked the wrong move without paying attention and let a Graveller hit Self Destruct on me. Luckily Scizor took it like a champ and survived. No idea what I'm doing story wise at this point but looking to get those stragglers up to level 42-43 before I continue.

[Pleb]

My luck with Nuzlockes is utter shite, I come across three Growlithes in Virbank Complex only for the third one to fucking burn Herdier, use ember and miss a takedown move while taking Herdier out in one full swoop

[Browning]

I've just bagged myself a female Snorunt which I'm tempted to bring in. Is there a consensus on whether Glalie or Frosslass is better?

[P_3]

I've just bagged myself a female Snorunt which I'm tempted to bring in. Is there a consensus on whether Glalie or Frosslass is better?

Glalie is a bit dull. Froslass has a unique type and does a good job of attacking things.

[Browning]

Yea, that and nullifying the Fighting weakness has me leaning that way. It means losing about 10 levels, but it's got to be a better Pokemon than Golem.

[Browning]

So Gym 7 has fallen with no casualties.... just.

Rapidash obviously lead the charge but almost died against one of the little trainers when a Piloswine pulled out Earthquake, but he took it. We got into the Gym fight where Rapidash took out the first 3 Pokemon in one shot each, risking Fire Blast against Piloswine which luckily hit but Flame Wheel was enough to take out the other 2. Then came Frosslass and straight away we started missing thanks to it's ability. It then used Double Team about 6 turns running and we just couldn't hit it no matter what. When we eventually hit a Flame Wheel she survived on red health and was healed somewhat by a berry which was probably lucky as if she'd used a Full Restore we'd be fucked. Rapidash continued to miss and his Sp Defense was lowered a few times by Shadow Ball so we switched to Gastrodon who couldn't hit it either. Scizor had the same problem and even bringing in a healed up Rapidash couldn't land the hit. We had no more healing items and 3 of our 6 were on low health. I couldn't switch to any of them and given it had Shadow Ball I couldn't switch to Alakazam. The choice was Staraptor or my own Frosslass who was weak. In the end I changed Staraptor, hoping he was out of PP for Blizzard, and came into a Shadow Ball which didn't effect. She then nailed a critical hit Psychic to leave me on 17HP and Aerial Ace did the business. Thank fuck.

Rapidash- 50
Gastrodon- 49
Scizor- 46
Alakazam- 45
Staraptor- 44
Frosslass 36/Golem 43

Still undecided on that last spot as I've already used my Shadow Ball TM and thus I can't teach Frosslass any useful Ghost moves. That and it's a Special Attacker with all physical moves. Tempted to return to boring old Golem.

[Dan]

Something isn't working properly for me with Go. On a few occasions I've been places that are meant to be rammed with pokemon & found nothing - just been to the beach with six friends & they were all catching loads of pokemon at a triple lure stop, while I saw three pokemon in an hour sitting between them.

I've tried changing GPS settings, clearing the cache, clearing data, uninstalling, disabling mock locations (although they were already disabled for me), and pretty much every other thing that anyone has ever suggested to fix GPS issues, which seem to be part of the problem, and nothing works.

I'm pretty fucking pissed off

EDIT: Turns out it might be because I didn't have my clock set to automatically detect the network time. How utterly fucking stupid. I've changed it now though, so hopefully that fixes it.

[7om]

Go is just pissing me off now. Getting real tired of CP10 Magikarp breaking out of great balls over and over again. It seems like the game is punishing you for leveling up by making the game impossible and downright annoying.

After trying an emulator a few years back and it getting deleted, I got myself a DS and downloaded Red from the virtual shop. First ever play through so I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. So far I've done three gyms and just been visiting the Pokemon Tower in Lavender City with the following:

Level 36 Charizard
Level 33 Clefable
Level 25 Eevee
Level 21 Gyarados
Level 18 Mankey
Level 18 Drowzee

No idea if this is any good or not but its just trial and error at this point.