Pokemon Megathread 6.0: You'd have to have mega stones to not play this.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Pokemon Megathread 6.0: You'd have to have mega stones to not play this.

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Hammerite: Mar 9, 2007; And you don't remember what I said here, either, but it was pompous and stupid.; Jade Ear Joe

NEW THREAD: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3787114&pagenumber=1

Introduction

Welcome goon! This is the Pok�mon megathread!

Pok�mon is a JRPG for the Nintendo 3DS. Unlike most RPGs though, in Pok�mon your party members are cute (and sometimes not-so-cute) monsters that you caught, tamed, and trained to battle. Each Pok�mon can learn a variety of skills (called moves) and has a special ability (a special rule or power which allows it to bend or break the normal rules of the game in some way). Different Pok�mon species also have different strengths and weaknesses (some are physically stronger than others, for example, and some are faster or bulkier) and different elemental types (sending out a Fire-type Pok�mon against a Water-type opponent is typically a no-no, for reasons anybody can probably understand).

The objective of the game is to travel from town to town, defeating other trainers in battle, collecting a variety of Pok�mon and earning Gym Badges before eventually defeating the best trainers in the land: the Elite Four and the Champion. But once you've done that, there's so much more you can do! Pok�mon is nothing if not social, and this has become only more true over time as players have gained more ways to connect to one another, world-wide. You can trade with other players and try to put together a complete collection of Pok�mon (sure to take you a while, given that there are more than 700 in existence, many of them with multiple different forms to keep track of). Or you can try to be the very best, like no-one ever was, and destroy all-comers in PvP battles. Or you can just potter around watering berries in your garden. Or you can hang out, chat, and make and/or share artwork. There are many facets to Pok�mon, and each of them has its devotees.

Here in the megathread we like playing Pok�mon and talking about playing Pok�mon. You can also join us in #pokegoons and #smogoff on SynIRC (irc.synirc.net)!

Merci to Stalgren for always posting pictures, so I can be super lazy and just reuse them for the OP.

The next 4 posts are also part of the OP

Things that are new or different in Generation 6
In-depth guides written by other posters (including a helpful guide to getting into the game for newbies)
General FAQ
Breeding/Competitive Battling FAQ

Handy links

Pok�dexes and general reference sites: Bulbapedia, Legendary Pok�mon, Marriland, Psypokes, Serebii, Veekun
Sites focussed on battling discussion: Nugget Bridge, Smogon

New type chart
Map of Lumiose City (PNG image)
The Pok�mon Global Link

Other Pok�mon-related threads on SA

The trading thread
The Goonleague thread (goon tournaments!)
Thread for the Pok�mon Trading Card Game Online
The previous megathread

Hammerite fucked around with this message at 20:50 on Aug 19, 2016

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:25

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# ? Apr 20, 2024 04:34

Hammerite: Mar 9, 2007; And you don't remember what I said here, either, but it was pompous and stupid.; Jade Ear Joe

Things that are new or different in Generation 6

New Pok�mon - This generation has the fewest new Pok�mon out of any generation so far. So far 69* have been officially revealed, but of course there are some secret legendary Pok�mon that haven't been revealed yet. These will no doubt be revealed later and distributed to promote Pok�mon movies.
_{*Not including mega evolutions - see below.}

New features

Pok�mon-Amie - You can now pet your Pok�mon and feed them candies using the 3DS's touchscreen. Playing with your Pok�mon makes them friendlier and may make them perform better in battle (only in normal in-game battles; not in link battles or in the Battle Maison).
Fashions - You can now dress up your avatar in different outfits! You get access to more articles of clothing as you progress in the single-player quest. Pok�mon Centres now have changing rooms where you can change into different outfits. You can save up to 6 outfits as your favourites. You also get to choose your skin and hair colour (well, you get to choose between three shades, anyway).
Super Training - If you know and care what EVs are: These are minigames that allow you to build up and/or reset your Pok�mon's EVs by training with them. If you don't know or care about EVs: These are some fun minigames you can play with your Pok�mon.
New online connectivity features - Friend Safari is a neat new feature where you can go to a little garden and catch Pok�mon based on the Friend Codes of people you have added as friends. Each Friend Code is used by the game to determine 3 Pok�mon which will appear in that person's Friend Safari. These Pok�mon sometimes include the starter Pok�mon from generations 1 and 6. Pok�mon encountered will sometimes have their Hidden Abilities. (Until the person has beaten the game and accessed Friend Safari themselves, and then gone online at the same time as you, you'll only be able to find 2 of their 3 Pok�mon, and Pok�mon in their Friend Safari will never have their Hidden Abilities.)
Battles are in 3D - Well, the whole game has gone 3D in terms of the art direction. No more sprites, except in some menu screens. Only the battle scenes use the 3DS's 3D imaging functionality.

Other main game differences

Longer names - Your trainer name, and your Pok�mon's nicknames, can now be up to 12 characters in length.
Berry farming is back - We can now farm berries on the 3DS again! You get a little garden where you can grow berries. To ensure that you get a good yield, be sure to water them occasionally and protect them from wild Bug-type Pok�mon who want to eat them. (Berry trees are also found in the wild, but they just drop specific berries occasionally, and can't be replaced.)
Experience changes - Experience has been simplified. Instead of the experience points from fainting an opponent being split amongst the Pok�mon that took part, each Pok�mon just gets the full amount of Exp. However, the level scaling from Generation 5 is gone (a level 5 Pok�mon in your party and a level 50 Pok�mon in your party once again get the same amount of experience when the opponent faints). The Exp. Share is now a key item that can be turned on or off. When it is on, even those Pok�mon that did not battle get experience, but only half as much as the Pok�mon that did battle. Finally, your Pok�mon gain experience when you capture a wild Pok�mon, just as though you had fainted it.
Breeding changes - Hidden Abilities can now be passed down from either parent, even when breeding with Ditto. (They are still more likely to be passed down when the mother has her Hidden Ability, however.) Also, both parents can now contribute Egg Moves. An existing item, Destiny Knot, now has a function in breeding; when held by either parent, it increases the number of IVs passed down from 3 to 5. (The IVs do not necessarily come from the parent holding the Destiny Knot. If the other parent holds a power item, then the stat corresponding to the held power item will be one of the 5 IVs passed down; at least one IV is always randomly determined.)
The Pok� Radar is back - The Pok� Radar was a neat device available in the Sinnoh games that allowed you to "chain" wild Pok�mon encounters and eventually find shiny Pok�mon. It's available once again in Kalos. It's been made less effective though, because finding a shiny Pok�mon will end your chain. It's also a bit harder to use than it was in Sinnoh, because the patches of long grass are generally smaller.

Battle strategy differences

Mega evolutions - A number of Pok�mon from previous generations have gained special battle-only forms known as "mega evolutions". These forms generally have better stats, a better ability, and/or different typing. There are some catches: to "mega evolve", a Pok�mon has to be holding a special item (specific to its species), and only one Pok�mon on your team may mega evolve in a given battle. (Some Pok�mon even have two different mega evolutions, triggered by different items.) Mega evolution occurs at the beginning of a turn when you choose to trigger it, and the Pok�mon still gets to act that turn. If a mega-evolved Pok�mon switches out, it will still be mega-evolved when it switches back in, but it will revert to normal when the battle ends. Mega evolution cannot be undone, save by ending the battle.
The Fairy type - The type chart expands from 17 to 18 types with the addition of Fairy. Some new Pok�mon are Fairy-type, but a bunch of Pok�mon from previous generations have been made Fairy-type as well; the same is true for moves. Fairy-type moves do super-effective damage to Dark-, Dragon- and Fighting-types, and not-very-effective damage to Fire-, Poison- and Steel-types. Fairy-types take super-effective damage from Poison- and Steel-type moves, and not-very-effective damage from Bug-, Dark- and Fighting-type moves. They are immune to Dragon-type moves.
Tweaks to the type chart - Steel has lost its resistances to Dark- and Ghost-type moves.
Typing immunities - Some Pok�mon types can now ignore certain moves and game mechanics. Electric-types cannot be paralysed. Grass-types are unaffected by attacks that involve the use of powders or spores. Ghost-types are unaffected by "trapping" moves (Mean Look, Fire Spin, etc.) and abilities (Arena Trap, Shadow Tag). As before, Poison- and Steel-types cannot be poisoned, and Fire-types cannot be burned.
Changes to critical hits - Critical hits now only boost damage by 50%, rather than doubling it as before. They still ignore defending stat buffs on the defender and attacking stat debuffs on the attacker. Some of the mechanisms that allow you to increase the likelihood of critical hits (for example Focus Energy) have been buffed to increase it more than they did previously.
Changes to weather - Weather conditions induced by Pok�mon abilities now expire after 5 turns, as with the moves that induce weather. This can be extended to 8 turns using the appropriate hold items.
Changes to moves - Defog is good now, because it affects both sides of the battlefield. Hidden Power is now always 60 base power, and only varies in type. It still cannot be Normal-type, and now it cannot be Fairy-type either. Will-O-Wisp has had its accuracy increased to 85%. The elemental Pledge moves (Fire Pledge, Grass Pledge and Water Pledge) have had their base power increased substantially, from 50 to 80, and so they might be usable in Doubles and Triples now.
Tweaks to moves' base power - Several high-power moves (Blizzard, Hurricane, Hydro Pump, Thunder, and others) have been nerfed slightly, having had their base power cut by 10. Some other moves that have historically been staples of competitive battling (Flamethrower, Ice Beam, Surf, Thunderbolt) have been reduced from 95 to 90. Meanwhile, Energy Ball has been adjusted upwards from 80 to 90, to meet these moves.
New Pok�mon, moves, abilities, and hold items - As with any new generation, a bunch of new stuff is available to try out. Interesting new Pok�mon from a strategic point of view include Aegislash (which swaps between a heavily defensive form and an attacking form depending on the moves you use) and Klefki (a new Prankster 'mon). Some older Pok�mon that previously had only one regular ability now have two. Interesting new hold items include the Assault Vest and the Weakness Policy.

Mini-FAQ for the topics in this post

Can the boy player character wear girls' clothes? - No. Different articles of clothing are available to the boy and girl player characters.
Has Stealth Rock been changed? - No (although there are more answers to it now, since Defog has been buffed so as to actually be useful).
Can you auto-level to level 100 in Wi-Fi battles? - No, but you can auto-level to level 50. Even for 6v6 battles! (This was unfortunately missing in Generation 5.)
Is movement still on a grid? - When walking or runnng, movement is still on a grid, although now you can move diagonally. When rollerblading, cycling or surfing, movement is not constrained to the grid. When you go back to walking, you step onto the nearest grid square.
Can I use the Pok� Radar in a Friend Safari? - No.

Hammerite fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Feb 24, 2014

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:26

Hammerite: Mar 9, 2007; And you don't remember what I said here, either, but it was pompous and stupid.; Jade Ear Joe

This post has some in-depth guides written by other posters. They are:

A guide to picking up the game, written for newbies and people who haven't played for a while. (by Bongo Bill)
A guide to the Pok�mon Global Link. (by horriblePencilist)

In addition to the guides presented in this post, helpful goons have written some other guides to specific features. In an effort to make the OP less imposing I've just linked them, instead of reproducing them here:

A guide to Pok�mon-Amie. (by Onean)
A guide to the "time machine method" for breeding. (by ZenMasterBullshit)
A guide to breeding "studs" in every Egg Group. (by Zoran)

-----

I bought (X, Y, Black 2, White 2, ...) but I'm new to the series, and I feel lost. Help? (Newbie guide)

quote:

How to Enjoy Pok�mon Like it's 1998: A Guide for Newcomers and Lapsed Players

So you've heard about this "Pok�mon" thing, and you're thinking of giving it a try, but you don't know where to start. Maybe it sounds intimidatingly complicated because every place that's talking about it is dominated by really obsessive nerds quoting minutiae at each other. The purpose of this guide is to equip you with the few things you need to know in order to get the most out of Pok�mon, whether it's your first time playing ever or just your first time in ten years.

Pok�mon is a very deep but also very forgiving game, intended to be played by the young as well as the young at heart. In the opinion of this writer, therefore, the best way to approach it is as a child would: basically ignorant of its complexity. There's a lot to learn, but the best teacher is experience. That's how we veterans did it, after all. For that reason, this will be a short guide, intended to maximize not your skill, but the thrill of discovery.

As the original social game, Pok�mon places a high premium on the process of shared discovery. If you encounter a difficult spot, rather than consult a guide (most Pok�mon guides are more like reference material than walkthroughs), you should either consult with your courteous and knowledgeable fellow players, or courageously try an alternative strategy based on what you've already learned.

You are encouraged to try anything you're curious about just to see what will happen. In so doing, you will make some bad decisions and pick a few booby prizes, and probably even waste time as a result. But making those mistakes will teach you a lot, because you'll learn why your idea didn't work, and from there learn more about the game than if you had just avoided them. Learning is fun!

That being said, although the game itself contains nearly everything you need to know in order to become a Pok�mon master, there are a few some conspicuously undocumented details you should know about, and some general advice to keep in mind, before we kick you out the door.

Which Version Should I Play?

Pick either of the most recently released games. Right now, that means either X or Y, for the 3DS. Choose the one that fewer of your friends are already playing. Each new Pok�mon game is an improvement over the previous ones in virtually every respect, and is designed to be a good entry point to the series.

What Settings are Recommended?

As soon as you gain control of your character, you can access the settings menu. Apart from a handful of self-explanatory options, there's one in particular that makes a big difference. "Battle Style" can be changed to either "Shift" or "Set," with "Shift" being the default. I recommend switching it to "Set." This setting determines whether the game tells you in advance the next enemy Pok�mon you're going to fight when you're playing against an NPC trainer. In "Set" mode, you don't get that unfair advantage, and as a result, the game is more challenging, but also more interesting. If you find battle overwhelming, it's fine to set it back to "Shift" until you've got a better handle on things, but be warned that all multiplayer battles take place with "Set" rules.

Additionally, there are a few things to note about X and Y specifically. At a certain point early in the game, you will get an item called the Exp. Share, which gives bonus experience points after each battle to Pok�mon that you don't use. You can turn it off. If you do so, it's harder to get new Pok�mon caught up to the rest of your team, but if you leave it turned on, you may find that your team becomes overleveled later in the game. This item, and the battle style option listed above, are the closest things that exist to a difficulty setting, so decide accordingly whether you want to use them, keeping in mind that even at its hardest Pok�mon isn't really hard.

On the bottom screen of X and Y, there are three additional menus. By default it displays the PSS (for Player Search System) screen; all of the game's multiplayer features are accessed through the settings there. There's also "Pok�mon-Amie," which is a minigame where you play with your Pok�mon to make them like you more, and "Super Training," which is a different minigame where you make your Pok�mon battle virtual balloons to make them stronger a bit faster than normal. Whereas elements of the main game are introduced to you gradually, these three are all available from the very beginning, and are substantially more complicated than the start of the game. There is no penalty for leaving them alone if you don't want to deal with them just yet, and, as always, your friendly neighborhood Pok�mon trainers will gladly answer any questions you have about them.

What Won't the Game Tell Me?

There's one important piece of information that is nowhere to be found in the game or the manual. The original games had a page in the manual dedicated to this, and I don't know why they stopped including it, because it's the most useful reference in the game. That would be the type chart which describes the Rock-Paper-Scissors-esque interactions between each of Pok�mon's eighteen elemental types. Keep a copy close at hand, because understanding that chart is important.

On the opposite end of strategy, many advanced players will talk about things like "EVs" and "IVs." I mention these terms only so that when you see people discussing about them, you will know that you probably don't need to pay attention. Those terms refer to ways to optimize Pok�mon for high-end competitive multiplayer. If you're curious, you have only but to ask, but in general, new players should not spare a moment's thought to them until they have mastered the basics (and at any rate they exceed the scope of this guide).

What Should I Pay Attention To?

Pok�mon is a numbers game. It is essential to pay attention to the stats of your Pok�mon. A Pok�mon's stats determine their effectiveness in battle, and every move they learn has a detailed description of what it does. You should pay particular attention to the Pok�mon's type, and the type, power, and category of the moves it knows. Look at your list of Pok�mon to view a summary of it at any time, even in battle (additionally, you can hold L when selecting a move to view a summary of that move in battle). Don't ignore this information! It's there for a reason.

The number one rule of RPGs is "Talk to everybody." This is an excellent habit. NPCs in Pok�mon will tell you valuable information about game mechanics, give you rare gifts, remind you of where to go next, and even drop oblique hints about obscurities and rumors. Near the beginning of the game, there will be a "Pok�mon school," containing basic information that will serve you well for your entire Pok�-career.

When a Pok�mon uses a move whose type matches its own, it'll be 50% more powerful. Someone in the game will tell you about that, but I'm giving it to you now for free. Treasure this knowledge!

Any General Advice?

It's a good idea for your team to contain a diverse selection of types, so that if you run up against a powerful enemy, your guys aren't all weak to it. On the other hand, some players prefer steamrolling the entire game with just one powerful Pok�mon, which is equally possible. I never found this way very fun, but some do.

If a Pok�mon isn't working out for you, don't be afraid to replace it. It might be an incurable weakling (there are a few of those), it might be redundant given the rest of your team, it might not yet have attained its full power, or maybe you just don't like the way it looks. A tremendous variety of Pok�mon are available, so benching one and replacing it with a newcomer is easy and can be done at any time.

There are some features that aren't available until after you've beaten the final boss, the Champion of the Pok�mon League. Pok�mon's multiplayer modes are very deep, but it's difficult to engage fully with it before you have access to these post-game options. So even if you're in it for the multiplayer, you should still focus on finishing the campaign first.

Finally, and most of all, remember that there are many different ways to enjoy Pok�mon, any one of which might prove your favorite. Try everything and keep trying them as your understanding improves, or just stick with your first decision and learn how to make it work, or anything in between. The only wrong way to play is to stick with something you don't like.

horriblePencilist's guide to the Pok�mon Global Link

quote:

What is the Global Link?
The Pokemon Global Link is a feature to connect your Pokemon games starting with X/Y to a unified account. You can use it to keep track of your progress, check out your photos, spend PokeMiles, find battles and more.

How do I set it up?
First, visit the Pokemon Global Link Site and set up a new account. Once you got that, in the game, go to the Player Search System, press the grey circle at the top, then select Game Sync. You'll be prompted to register your copy and will receive a unique ID. Go back to your Global Link Profile and register your copy with the ID. You can do this with as many copies as you want.

How do I use it?
You can sync your progress with your PGL account manually in the Game Sync screen, but you can also choose to sync with every save.

What will get synced?
There's a couple things the PGL can keep track of. GTS info, friends, photos, some events in the game and badges are one thing, but there's some cool stuff proprietary to the PGL.
One thing is Medals, which basically are Acheivement. They don't really do anything, but gotta catch em all, right? Another cool thing are your PokeMiles, which you can spend on items and attractions. You can collect PokeMiles by doing online activities from multiple games, pool them all together and cash in your rewards however you see fit.

What are Rating Battles?
Rating Battles holds a table of ranked players. To join a ranked fight, pick Battle Spot in the PSS. The rankings are split into seasons spanning across 3 months, so that's nice too.

Hammerite fucked around with this message at 11:49 on Feb 19, 2014

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:26

Hammerite: Mar 9, 2007; And you don't remember what I said here, either, but it was pompous and stupid.; Jade Ear Joe

General FAQ

This is the FAQ that deals with questions not related to breeding or competitive battling. See the next post for the FAQ that deals with those topics.

-----

I'd like to get into the games, but I haven't played a Pok�mon game since <title> / for <number> years. Which is the best game for me to buy?

In general, if you're looking to get back into the games (or get into them for the first time), it's always a good idea to go for the latest release. At the moment that means buying X or Y. The latest games generally are more polished, they have more Pok�mon, and you'll be able to find more people playing them than you will the older games. As well as this, special events and distributions of special Pok�mon are most likely to target the newest games.

If you play X or Y and find that it still leaves you wanting more, you can always buy one of the Generation 5 games for another fix. (Start with Black or White if the story is particularly important to you, otherwise just go straight to Black 2 or White 2 as they have more features.)

Would you like to read a short guide to playing Pok�mon games, written for newcomers to the series? Go read this post.

What differences are there between Pok�mon X and Pok�mon Y, and which should I buy?

There are some Pok�mon that are exclusive to Pok�mon X and some that are exclusive to Pok�mon Y (Serebii has a list), but since Internet trading is a thing, only the opposite version's mascot will be much of a challenge to get hold of. There are also some differences in the storyline, but they are trifling.

I am thinking of playing through the game with this team: <list of 6 Pok�mon>. Will that be viable?

Short of playing with a team of 6 Magikarp, there is virtually no way to contrive a team that can't be used fairly easily to beat the single-player game. Use whatever you like the look of and have fun.

Can I trade with goons? Can I battle with goons?

We have a trading thread in Private Game Servers. You don't have to rigorously keep all trading-related discussion in there - if you end up arranging to trade in this thread that's all good - but if you're going to be coordinating many trades or offering/asking for lots of stuff, please do it in the dedicated thread; it's what it's there for. The trading thread also has a list of goon Friend Codes.

We occasionally have goon tournaments, which are co-ordinated through the Goonleague thread. Usually these will be played using the games themselves over Wi-Fi, but occasionally they may be played using online simulators. Sometimes there may even be prizes. Generally a notification will get posted in this thread when sign-ups are open for an upcoming tournament. They will also be listed in the "current events" section in the first post.

Of course, you can have one-off battles too. Just ask in that thread or in this one, or on the IRC, and I'm sure you'll get some interest. Oh yes, IRC. You can coordinate trades and battles in real-time through #pokegoons and #smogoff on SynIRC (irc.synirc.net). Of these, #pokegoons is the more "chatty" and social channel, and #smogoff is generally a bit more earnest and on-topic (but quieter).

What other Pok�mon games can I play if I've had my fill of the main series games?

Pok�mon Conquest is a strategy game which many goons have said they enjoyed. It is a crossover between Pok�mon and a series of strategy games called Nobunaga's Ambition. There's also the Pok�mon Mystery Dungeon series. The most recent title in the series is Pok�mon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity. Beside these, there are a bunch of other spin-off games for various Nintendo systems, going back many years.

I want to talk about the anime/the trading card game/my favourite Pok�mon merchandise. Do we talk about that stuff here?

You can talk about that stuff if you like. You probably won't get as much discussion as you will by talking about the games, but we are in the Games forum so there you are. I think there's a thread about the anime in ADTRW. There's a dedicated thread about the Trading Card Online game here.

Where is the Daycare Centre?

It's on Route 7, which is to the west of Camphrier Town, the town after Lumiose City (the Paris stand-in). It's on the other side of a sleeping Snorlax; you have to go fetch an item to wake Snorlax up before you can reach Route 7 proper.

What is the best place to get money in the game?

First off, when battling NPCs to get money, always equip one of your battling Pok�mon with the Amulet Coin (obtained from a room upstairs in the Parfum Palace - that's the big fancy palace you had to go visit to get the Pok� Flute and wake up Snorlax). Second, always make use of the Prize Money O-Power, if you have it; this is given to you by Mr. Bonding when you speak to him in one of the hotels.

There are two battling venues in the game that are particularly good for getting money. The better of the two is Restaurant Le Wow, the three-star restaurant on Hibernal Avenue in Lumiose City. You can access this part of the city after arriving back in Lumiose from the north, having beaten the first 4 Gyms. You may need to build up your "stylishness" by doing various activities around Lumiose before you will be allowed to dine at Le Wow. You can battle at Le Wow (or indeed any of the restaurants in Lumiose) as often as you wish.

There are two downsides to eating at Le Wow:

It takes a while to do, and is a little inflexible: you have to take part in 5 battles in sequence, and you don't get to vary your team in between battles - although this has the corollary that O-Powers you activate before you start will last until all of the battles are complete.
It costs 100,000 money just to get in (90,000 when you are at maximum stylishness). You get much more than this back if you use your Amulet Coin and the level 3 Prize Money O-Power, however. You are also given Balm Mushrooms at the end of the meal, which you can sell for lots of cash.

The alternative to eating at Le Wow is to visit the Battle Chateau on Route 7. This is a bit more flexible, since you don't have to pay to get in and you can battle as many or as few of the trainers who show up as you please (if you battle them all, you will have to wait for a while before more show up; trainers come and go every so often in real time). Initially, the trainers who show up here won't have very high-level Pok�mon and won't give much prize money. As you advance in the game and improve your rank in the "nobility", better trainers will show up, allowing you to get more experience and earn more money. The richest trainers, in descending order (along with their payouts if you use your Amulet Coin and the level 3 Prize Money O-Power) are:

The Champion (86,400)
Elite Four members (66,000)
Some "generic" NPCs may rarely give out more money than the Gym Leaders, but these NPCs can't be told apart from others by sight.
Gym Leaders (48,000).

Other NPCs vary in how much money they give out and can't be reliably told apart by sight, but the older ones with grey hair tend to be a good bet (the men wearing light grey suits and the women wearing light purple).

What is the best place to get experience / the best way to level up my Pok�mon in the game?

As with battling for money, when you are battling NPC trainers for experience, there are some steps you should take as a matter of course. Firstly, you should always give one of the Pok�mon you want to train your Lucky Egg (given to you by an NPC in the Coumarine City hotel). Secondly, you should always activate the Exp Points O-Power if you have it; this is given to you by Mr. Bonding when you speak to him in the Pok�mon Centre in Anistar City. And of course, make sure the Exp. Share is turned on.

Restaurant Le Wow and Sushi High Roller (both in Lumiose City) are good places to go for experience, but as remarked above you need money to get in and you have to sit through a sequence of battles rather than being able to choose exactly how long to carry on battling. The two are similar in terms of how much experience you get, but Restaurant Le Wow is much easier on the wallet. The main alternative (as with battling for money) is the Battle Chateau. The young ladies wearing kimono-like garments are the best trainers to battle for experience; they have teams of Audino (either two at level 35 or three at level 45), which give lots and lots of exp.

Can I transfer Pok�mon from Generation 5 to my new Generation 6 game?

Yes, but not from within the game. A separate 3DS app called Pok�mon Box offers you storage for up to 3,000 Pok�mon (100 boxes' worth) on Nintendo's servers. A sister app called Pok� Transporter allows you to take Pok�mon from your Generation 5 games and import them into Pok�mon Box. (As with previous cross-generation transfers, this is one-way only; Pok�mon can't be returned to a Generation 5 game once they have left.) Pok�mon Bank also allows you to rapidly shuffle whole boxes of Pok�mon between Generation 6 games that you own, if you want; the store of Pok�mon is tied to your 3DS system rather than to your game. You have to be connected to the Internet to use it, though.

Use of Pok�mon Bank costs $5 a year. You can get a free Celebi for using the app (this is available until the end of September).

$5? What?! That's outrageous! How can they justify making us pay for this functionality?

Firstly, the fee is to allow Game Freak to maintain and improve the service over time (possibly over multiple generations of Pok�mon games), without having to justify operating the service indefinitely at a loss. Secondly, $5 a year is a lot less (over, for example, the probable lifespan of the Generation 6 games) than the cost of a second (3)DS system on which to run the Generation 5 game from which you want to transfer Pok�mon (even if DS and 3DS software could communicate easily, which they can't). Thirdly, with the money you spent on your Something Awful forums account you could have purchased two years' subscription to Pok�mon Bank. If these points aren't enough to persuade you to chill out, then fine, but please don't post in the thread to whine about it, because we aren't interested in your tightfisted angst.

Pok� Transporter will only show me the Pok�mon in my Box 1. Can't I transfer other boxes, or individual Pok�mon from a box?

Unfortunately, no. Pok� Transporter will only allow you to transfer from Box 1, and it is all-or-nothing, so put any Pok�mon you want to keep on your Generation 5 game in another box.

On BW2 you can move multiple Pok�mon at a time, which makes it less of a chore to move things to Box 1. On BW1 you don't have this convenience. You can however make things slightly faster by pressing select to toggle the mode that shows the box list to the right and suppresses the appearance of context menus; this lets you drag and drop Pok�mon into Box 1 more quickly than you otherwise would be able to.

Pok�mon Bank is so slow! Can I really only move one Pok�mon at a time?

Press Start to cycle through three different selection modes. The available selection modes are essentially the same three as in BW2 and XY.

How do I get my Celebi?

You have to receive it using the "Pok�mon Link" option on the main menu in Pok�mon XY. The game may award you Pok� Miles and/or Battle Points to be received in this way before it gives you your Celebi, however. You can only have one thing queued up to be received through Pok�mon Link at once, so you'll need to go into the game and receive your Miles or BP before Pok�mon Bank will give you your Celebi.

Can I influence the Nature and/or IVs that my Celebi has?

No.

Is it possible to transfer Pok�mon from a Generation 5 game to a Generation 6 game without using Pok�mon Bank as an intermediary?

No.

Is it possible to transfer Pok�mon from a Generation 4 game to a Generation 6 game without using a Generation 5 game as an intermediary?

No.

Will Pok�mon transferred from Generation 5 using Pok� Transporter be able to take items with them?

No. If they are holding items, the items will be placed back in the player's bag (or lost, if the player already has 999 of that item in their bag).

I have some Pok�mon on my Generation 5 game that I suspect might be... umm... modified. Will I be able to transfer these to Generation 6 using Pok� Transporter?

Pok� Transporter does perform hack checks, although they are not especially sophisticated. If your Pok�mon was created or modified by means other than those available just using a DS, it might turn out that Pok� Transporter will reject it. RNG'd and cloned Pok�mon do not appear to be blocked.

What will happen if I try to transfer Pok�mon that are hacked or otherwise untrasferrable? Will Pok� Transporter delete them?

No. Pok� Transporter will notify you that one or more of the Pok�mon in the box cannot be transferred, and when it shows you the Pok�mon to be transferred on the top screen it will omit the ones that won't be transferred. Those Pok�mon will be left behind in Box 1.

I heard that Nintendo are ending internet support for DS titles! Does that mean I won't be able to transport Pok�mon from my Generation 5 games any more?

No, it doesn't mean that. Nintendo is shutting down "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection", the service used by DS and DSi software when it connects to the internet. Pok� Transporter is 3DS software that happens to read and write data on DSi carts. Pok� Transporter will continue to work. But internet functionality programmed into the Generation 4 and 5 games themselves (the GTS, for example) will stop working.

How do I evolve Eevee into Sylveon?

Eevee evolves into Sylveon upon levelling up provided two conditions are met: 1) it knows at least one Fairy-type move, 2) its Pok�mon-Amie attributes have been raised beyond some threshold.

Do I get anything for completing the Pok�dex?

Once you earn the "seen" status for all 450 Pok�mon in the Kalos Pok�dex*, you can get the Oval Charm from Prof. Sycamore at his laboratory in Lumiose City. This is a key item that slightly increases the rate at which Pok�mon deposited in the Daycare Centre produce eggs. Once you earn the "owned" status for all non-event Pok�mon in the game**, you can get the Shiny Charm, which is a key item that makes Pok�mon you encounter a little bit more likely to be shiny.

* You do not need to "see" Pok�mon that are numbered 151 or higher in the Kalos Pok�dex in which they appear. This means that you do not need to "see" Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, or Mewtwo.

** This means that you do not need to have "owned" Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Manaphy, Phione, Darkrai, Shaymin, Arceus, Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta, or Genesect, nor any Pok�mon with a National Pok�dex Number above 718; but you do need to have "owned" all other species of Pok�mon.

What berries can currently be obtained in the Generation 6 games?

The following 48 varieties of berry can be obtained in-game at present:

Status-healing berries: Aspear, Cheri, Chesto, Lum, Pecha, Persim, Rawst
HP- and PP-healing berries: Leppa, Oran, Sitrus
Rubbish berries that restore HP but may cause confusion: Aguav, Figy, Iapapa, Mago, Wiki
Type-damage-reducing berries: Babiri, Charti, Chilan, Chople, Coba, Colbur, Haban, Kasib, Kebia, Occa, Passho, Payapa, Rindo, Roseli, Shuca, Tanga, Wacan, Yache
EV-reducing berries: Grepa, Hondew, Kelpsy, Pomeg, Qualot, Tamato
In-battle effect berries obtained through berry mutation: Apicot, Ganlon, Leichi, Petaya, Salac, Kee, Maranga
Special in-battle effect berries from the Battle Maison: Lansat, Starf

See here and here for more information on obtaining berries, and here (PNG image) for a comprehensive guide on berry planting and what you can use berries for.

Lansat and Starf berries may be obtained by attaining long winning streaks in the Battle Maison... or you can just trade for them (of course, this applies for all currently available berries). Try asking in the IRC channel and someone may trade them to you.

Hammerite fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Mar 23, 2014

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:27

Hammerite: Mar 9, 2007; And you don't remember what I said here, either, but it was pompous and stupid.; Jade Ear Joe

Breeding/Competitive Battling FAQ

This is the FAQ that deals with questions related to breeding or competitive battling. See the previous post for the FAQ that deals with other topics.

NB. Some breeding-related topics are the subject of guides linked from the second post.

-----

What is the "Masuda Method" and how does it work?

The Masuda Method is a game mechanic that can be used to make it easier to get shiny Pok�mon when breeding. It works like this: if the two Pok�mon in the Daycare Centre are from savegames that are/were being played in different languages, then each egg produced will be significantly more likely to be shiny. That's it, there's nothing more to it than that.

In Generation 5, Masuda Method Pok�mon were six times more likely to be shiny than others. Some aspects to obtaining shiny Pok�mon seem to have changed in Generation 6, but there is no particular reason at present to suppose that this figure has changed.

Please note carefully the following points:

It does not matter what part of the world the person who traded you a Pok�mon lives in. It only matters what language they are playing the game in. For example, if you are from America and you breed one of your Pok�mon with a Pok�mon you obtained from someone in Australia, and both of you are playing in English, then you are not using the Masuda Method and you will not benefit from an increased probability of hatching shiny Pok�mon.
The language of the savegame in which breeding is taking place does not matter. For example, the Masuda Method will work if you breed a Pok�mon from a Japanese-language savegame and a Pok�mon from a French-language savegame in an English-language savegame, but it will work just as well if the same two Pok�mon are breeding in a French-language savegame. All that matters is whether the two breeding Pok�mon are from the same or different-language savegames.
You can tell whether a Pok�mon is from a savegame being played in a different language to your own, because a notification will be displayed at the top of its status screen, and on the PC's summary screen. For example, if you are playing in English, then Pok�mon traded from a Japanese-language savegame will have a box containing the letters "JPN" on display in each of these two locations. (You may also be able to tell a foreign Pok�mon by its name, but this is not foolproof. For example, an unnicknamed English Voltorb traded to a Japanese game and evolved there will have its name changed to マルマイン, and it will keep this name even if traded back, but it will still count as English for all purposes even though it has a name in Japanese.)
Even with the increased probability of hatched Pok�mon being shiny, it is still not very likely that a given egg will hatch as a shiny (the probability is on the order of 1 in 1000). If you choose to hatch eggs in the hope of obtaining a shiny Pok�mon, it may still take you a long time.

What is a "hidden ability"? What is a "Dream World Pok�mon", and how are they different to normal Pok�mon? How do I get one?

Every Pok�mon posses an "ability", a special rule that allows them to break the normal rules of the game in some way during battle. (Some abilities have effects outside of battle too.) Some Pok�mon have just one possible ability; others can have either of two different abilities. Most Pok�mon also have a "hidden ability" (or "Dream World ability"), which is a semi-secret ability different to its ordinary ability or abilities. Pok�mon with their hidden abilities are harder to find then Pok�mon with their ordinary abilities.

Hidden abilities were introduced in Generation 5, where they could for the most part only be obtained through playing in the Pok�mon Dream World (hence "Dream World ability"). In Generation 5 it was possible to use a Pok�mon with its hidden ability to breed more individuals with the hidden ability, but only if the original Pok�mon was female. In Generation 6 this restriction has been relaxed, so male and genderless Pok�mon can also pass down their hidden abilities (although they are less likely to do so than female Pok�mon), which makes things a little bit easier.

Pok�mon with their hidden abilities can be obtained using Friend Safari after you have beaten the game. It is also possible that you will find them in the wild when you encounter a horde.

When I breed using a Pok�mon with its hidden ability, what is the probability that the ability will be passed down?

If one of the parents is a female with its hidden ability, then it's 60%. Otherwise it is lower than that (20% I think).

Can I breed hidden ability Pok�mon using a Ditto with its hidden ability?

No. Impostor Ditto are the same as any other Ditto for breeding purposes.

What are some good places to EV train?

Nugget Bridge has an article on the subject of EV training in XY. (If you do not know what EVs are, please see the question below.)

_{FIG. 1: The process of breeding.}

What does "STAB" mean?

STAB stands for "same type attack bonus". It is a 50% boost to move power enjoyed by a Pok�mon using an attacking move when the Pok�mon's type (or one of its types) is the same as the move's type. For example, suppose a Water/Fire Pok�mon were to use a Fire-type attacking move with a power of 100; then the effective base power would be 150. A pure Water-type Pok�mon using the same move would get just the standard power of 100, on account of not being Fire-type. When talking about a Pok�mon, the types on which it gets STAB are sometimes referred to as "its STABs", attacking moves of those types are sometimes referred to as "STAB moves", etc.

What are "IVs", "EVs", and "Natures"?

These are variables attached to your Pok�mon that vary between individuals and affect their stats. The idea behind them is that they serve to make Pok�mon different from one another, even when they are of the same species and at the same level. For example, one Pok�mon might have higher Defense while another has higher Speed. You do not need to worry about these things in order to play and enjoy the single-player campaign. If you decide to get into competitive battling, on the other hand, you will probably benefit from an understanding of them. If this does not apply to you, then stop reading now.

Out of IVs, EVs, and Natures, Natures have the greatest effect on a Pok�mon's stats (usually), followed by EVs, with IVs being the least significant. However every little helps, so having a Pok�mon with good IVs is better than having a Pok�mon with bad IVs, provided it has the right Nature. A Pok�mon's Nature and IVs cannot be changed, while its EVs may be changed at will.

Here is a visual aid to help you understand the contributions to a Pok�mon's stats made by base stats, Nature, EVs and IVs.

Natures: There are 25 different Natures. 20 of these cause one stat (but not HP; so one of Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed) to be increased by 10% and another to be decreased by 10%; the other 5 are "neutral" and leave the Pok�mon's stats alone. A Pok�mon's Nature may be viewed on its status screen. There is also an indication of the effects of its Nature on the out-of-battle stats screen; the name of the boosted stat (if any) will be tinted red, and the name of the reduced stat (if any) will be tinted blue.

IVs and EVs: A Pok�mon has an IV value (or just "an IV") and an EV value (or just "EVs") in each of the 6 stats (HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed). Each of the Pok�mon's IVs is a number between 0 and 31 (inclusive), and each of its EVs is a number between 0 and 255 (inclusive). However, a Pok�mon's EVs may not add up to more than 510, which means that competitive players must carefully consider which stats to boost and by how much. The effects of IVs and EVs scale with a Pok�mon's level, so that the effects are greatest once the Pok�mon has reached level 100.

Every Pok�mon starts with all of its EVs set to zero. A Pok�mon that you catch in the wild (or that is given to you by an NPC) will have a random Nature and random IVs; a Pok�mon that you get from the Daycare Centre as an Egg will inherit some of its IVs from one or both parents, and may inherit its Nature from one of the parents as well. If you spend a considerable amount of time breeding (or if you cheat) then it is possible to obtain Pok�mon with perfect IVs across the board, but it does not take all that much breeding to obtain Pok�mon that are "good enough". Spending a lot of time breeding may yield better Pok�mon, but is generally subject to rapidly diminishing returns. Influencing breeding is beyond the scope of this post; you will find extensive information elsewhere on the internet. (Some information that you find may be outdated, since various aspects of breeding have changed in the Generation 6 games. Look for guides that indicate that they have taken the Generation 6 changes into account.)

The game does not explicitly tell you your Pok�mon's precise EVs, but they may be viewed approximately through the Super Training interface; the Super Training screen will also expressly tell you if you have maxed out a Pok�mon's EVs in a particular stat. The game tells you about your Pok�mon's IVs only in very vague terms - a man in the Pok�mon Centre in Kiloude City will tell you whether your Pok�mon's IVs are generally low, middling or high, and which of its IVs is the highest (or all of the ones that are highest, if two or more are tied). He will also tell you if one of your Pok�mon's IVs is particularly low.

You will find extensive information on these mechanics elsewhere on the internet. It would be duplication of effort for me to explain more about them here. For more information than you wanted on stat calculations, you can see Bulbapedia's page on stats.

Which hold items affect breeding, and how?

First things first: when you breed two Pok�mon together and neither is holding an item, the game decides the Nature and IVs of each egg as follows. The Nature is chosen randomly from among the 25 different possible Natures. Three of the six stats (HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed) are chosen at random, and the egg's IV in each of those three stats will be inherited from the parents. Each one may be inherited from either parent; the game could take them all from one parent, or it could take two from one parent and one from the other. Each of the remaining three IVs is randomly generated, as though by rolling a 32-sided die.

Not counting Incense, there are 8 hold items that have an effect on Pok�mon breeding. They are:

Everstone
Destiny Knot
the 6 "power items" (Power Weight, Power Bracer, Power Belt, Power Lens, Power Band and Power Anklet).

You can get an Everstone and a Destiny Knot from NPCs somewhere in Kalos (just talk to everybody); if you lose the one you were given, however, you can get more. Everstones are occasionally held by wild Roggenrola and Boldore; Destiny Knot is sometimes given to you by Beauties that hang out in Lumiose City's side streets, after you defeat them in battle. (There are two or three different Beauties that may appear; the one who gives out Destiny Knots is the one who talks about her partner vanishing.) The power items are not given to you during the game; you can buy them from the Battle Maison for 16 BP each.

Everstone causes the parent to pass its Nature down to the egg. That is, instead of having a randomly generated Nature, the egg will be guaranteed to have the same Nature as the parent holding the Everstone. (If each parent is holding an Everstone, then only one of them will work.)

Destiny Knot causes five IVs to be passed down from the parents, instead of the usual three. Each of the five IVs to be passed down may come from either parent; they do not necessarily come from the parent holding the Destiny Knot. The sixth IV is randomly generated in the usual way. (If each parent is holding a Destiny Knot, then the second Destiny Knot has no effect.)

A power item ensures that the parent holding it will pass down to the egg its IV in the corresponding stat. That is, the 3 (or 5, if the other parent is holding a Destiny Knot) stats passed down will always include the stat corresponding to the power item in use, and that stat will always come from the parent holding the power item. The other 2 (or 4) passed-down stats may come from either parent, and the remaining stats will still be randomly determined in the usual way.

Important: If each parent is holding a power item, then only one of the two power items will work. This holds whether the parents are holding two of the same power item, or two different power items. Every time an egg is generated, the game will choose one of the two parents at random, and that parent's power item will work; the other parent will be treated as though it were not holding an item. (Its IV in the stat corresponding to the held power item may still be passed down by chance, assuming of course that the parents are not holding two of the same power item.)

Each of these 8 items also has a use outside of breeding. The power items may be used for EV training Pok�mon in the corresponding stat. The Everstone stops a Pok�mon from trying to evolve. The Destiny Knot has an in-battle effect, but it's not a very good one and can safely be ignored in favour of virtually any other item with an in-battle effect. (It causes an opposing Pok�mon that infatuates your Pok�mon to likewise become infatuated.)

I see people using terms like "Ubers", "OU", etc. as categories for Pok�mon. What do these terms mean?

These terms refer to competitive tiers defined by Smogon, a website and community focussed on competitive Pok�mon battling.

The idea of using tiers is that if Pok�mon battling were a free-for-all where anybody could bring whatever they liked, there would be some Pok�mon that would be used by virtually everybody (powerful legendary Pok�mon like Mewtwo, for example), and some that would never be used by anybody (for example Butterfree) because in comparison they are so weak. Organising Pok�mon into tiers of similar strength allows people to agree to a match in which they are restricted to choosing only Pok�mon from a certain tier (or from a weaker one), therefore creating an environment in which players have the opportunity to enjoy using Pok�mon that would almost certainly doom them to losing against players just using the "big boys".

The Smogon tiers are widely used even outside the Smogon community because they are a known standard and generally well-regarded as giving rise to balanced metagames. Of course, anybody can come up with their own scheme for organising Pok�mon into tiers; Smogon's are just very widely recognised and seen as "the standard". In order from lowest to highest, Smogon's standard tiers are NU ("never used"), RU ("rarely used"), UU ("underused"), OU ("overused"), and Ubers. A Pok�mon may be used in the tier in which it is categorised, or in any higher tier. So a Pok�mon that is categorised in NU may be used in any Pok�mon battle (that uses Smogon tiers as an organising principle), while a Pok�mon that is categorised in Ubers may be used only in Ubers battles. Relatively few Pok�mon are categorised as Uber; these Pok�mon are sometimes referred to as "banned" (because they are banned from OU battles).

Note that although Smogon's metagames are widely considered to be standard amongst battling enthusiasts, they are not recognised in any way by Nintendo/Game Freak, who have their own ideas about how to balance the tournaments they run. Note also that Smogon's community focusses almost exclusively on the 6v6 singles format (battles in which each player brings six level 100 Pok�mon and fields one of them at a time), and their tiers reflect this. (Official Nintendo tournaments are generally doubles format, in which each player brings six Pok�mon and then chooses four of them to battle with after seeing the other player's six; two Pok�mon at a time are fielded by each player.)

What is "Stealth Rock", and why do people talk about it so much?

Stealth Rock (SR) is a Rock-type move that was introduced in Generation 4. It sets up an entry hazard, Stealth Rocks, on the opponent's side of the battlefield. An entry hazard is a battlefield condition that results in Pok�mon switching in losing HP or being afflicted with a status condition. In the case of Stealth Rocks, a Pok�mon takes Rock-typed damage equal to 1/8 of its max HP every time it switches in. In the context of competitive singles battles, where a great deal of switching occurs, this makes Stealth Rock a very strong move. Moreover, a lot of people resent SR because with the damage being Rock-typed, Pok�mon that are weak to Rock take a large chunk of damage upon switching in. For example, Charizard (which suffers a 4� multiplier to Rock-type damage because its two types, Fire and Flying, are both weak against Rock) takes 1/2 of its max HP in damage every time it switches in.

Because SR seriously dents the competitiveness of some Pok�mon in competitive singles battling, it prompts a lot of discussion. Some people don't like the effect it has on the metagame, others reckon it's all right because it checks some Pok�mon that would otherwise be overpowered, and still others think it's OK but could stand to be nerfed somewhat. Because Nintendo/Game Freak see doubles as the main format for competitive battling, and SR isn't nearly as prominent in doubles, it's sometimes speculated that they don't care too much about the effect that SR has on competitive singles battling.

So there you go. This is the kind of esoteric poo poo that real-life Pok�mon Masters� talk about.

NB. Some additional background and terminology: Stealth Rocks can be removed from the battlefield in a number of ways. The most common way to do it is through use of the move Rapid Spin, which is an attacking move that removes all entry hazards on the user's side of the field if it hits. Pok�mon that make use of Rapid Spin are sometimes referred to as spinners. Because Rapid Spin is a Normal-type move and therefore doesn't hit Ghost-type Pok�mon, a spinner may be thwarted by switching in a Ghost-type. This is referred to as spin-blocking.

Hammerite fucked around with this message at 11:44 on Feb 19, 2014

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:27

Nahxela: Oct 11, 2008; Execution

Nerds here for posting about pokemon.

Those mega mons are crazy~

And, drat, that OP.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:30

mandatory lesbian: Dec 18, 2012

Ground Floor of new thread :woop:

Here's hoping that Gen 6 rocks (it will)!

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:35

Blaze Dragon: Aug 28, 2013; LOWTAX'S SPINE FUND

Livingtrope posted:

Ground Floor of new thread Here's hoping that Gen 6 rocks (it will)!

It has Goomy. It just can't not rock.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:36

DrManiac: Feb 29, 2012

I wasn't going to buy this one. I was ignoring it just fine, I mean I didn't even finish black/white 2!

Then I looked at all the stuff they changed :negative:

[e] It's weird that there's only 69 new pokemon but I'm all for it if it means they can mix in the older gens better throughout the game.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:36

A 50S RAYGUN: Aug 22, 2011

A bunch of my friends still play this and my mind is blown at how complex it is now (the last game I played in English was yellow), but the links in your OP are broken.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:37

Zoran: Aug 19, 2008; I lost to you once, monster. I shall not lose again! Die now, that our future can live!

So excited. :allears:

So if you're using Mega Charizard X, you sort of need to Mega-evolve it early in a battle, right? Otherwise you might switch normal Charizard into Stealth Rocks.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:40

Desperate Character: Apr 13, 2009

Pokemon X/Y are gonna rock-type so hard :haw:

Manipulating Hordes to your advantage! :siren:

Horde battles are a new feature in Pokemon X/Y where a single one of your pokemon is forced to fight against five other under-leveled pokemon. These hordes can be found randomly in tall grass/caves; they can also be summoned by using honey or the move Sweet Scent. The composition of these hordes can consist of either five of the same pokemon, or four of the same pokemon and another unique pokemon. Hordes are an excellent source of EVs (as listed here) and when used in conjunction with Pokerus and Power items can aid in maxing out EV values quickly. Within hordes you have the chance of finding pokemon with hidden abilities; however, unless the effect is apparent (or easily discovered) it can be impossible to determine which pokemon carries it.

One of the most frustrating aspects of horde battles is the difficulty when attempting to catch a member of the group. First, the four other pokemon must be knocked out, which cannot be done by multi-hit moves (as they will faint the entire horde), forcing you to knock out each pokemon indivdually. Additionally, the last pokemon standing must have its health whittled down just enough to be captured. Since they tend to be under-leveled even the weakest of moves used has a chance of killing them. I�ve figured out a method which will make capturing the pokemon you want much easier.

:wooper:

Pokemon to use :wooper:

You�re going to want a team consisting of the following:

:spooky:

Gourgeist knowing Trick-or-treat (size shouldn�t matter but speed is important)
:sax:

Noivern (with the ability Frisk) or Exploud (with the ability Soundproof) that know Boom Burst
:chillpill:

Any pokemon with status moves (sleep, paralysis, endeavor, etc)
:2bong:

Any pokemon which has the move Sweet Scent (Combee, Carnivine, Oddish, etc)

These last two are optional if you were just looking to capture a pokemon but essential if you were trying to find hidden abilities and a specific nature

:eng101:

Solosis knowing Skill Swap (it�s learned naturally at level 40)
:spidey:

Ralts with Synchronize (and whatever nature you wanted). Faint this one and place it in the leading slot of your party. There will be a 50% chance you get the nature you want.

Seven quick steps to an easy capture

1a. Before starting, place Gourgeist as your leading pokemon (or following the leading spot if you're looking for a specific nature).
1b. If you're looking for a hidden ability, have Solosis as your lead pokemon instead.
2. Stand within a patch of grass (note that the area of grass may determine the composition of the horde; for example the Mareep horde is more likely to be found on the right side of Route 12, near the Baa de Mer Ranch).
3. Tap the pokeball option and then tap the CD icon of the pokemon which knows Sweet Scent. Select it and a short animation will play.
4a. With Gourgeist, cast Trick-or-Treat on the pokemon you want in the horde. This move adds Ghost-typing or replaces the secondary typing of any pokemon.
4b. With Solosis, Skill Swap each member of the horde to find the one(s) carrying a hidden ability.
5. Switch in Noivern (or Exploud). A Noivern with Frisk will determine if any of them have any held items which can be stolen with Thief (make sure it isn't holding anything).
6. Use Boom Burst. It will knock out every pokemon except for the one with Trick-or-Treat cast on it (as it's immune to normal moves).
7. Now just throw a few ultra, timer, or dusk balls and congrats! If you're having trouble cast sleep or paralysis on them beforehand.
Edit: Also the OP isn't Amphabulous enough :colbert:

Desperate Character fucked around with this message at 23:18 on Oct 21, 2013

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:41

John Carstairs: Nov 18, 2007; Space Detective

DrManiac posted:

It's weird that there's only 69 new pokemon but I'm all for it if it means they can mix in the older gens better throughout the game.

I think I posted this in the last thread, but it doesn't matter how few new Pokemon Gen 6 has, because it has the only one that matters:

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:41

THE AWESOME GHOST: Oct 21, 2005

I'm about 12 hours in, got this game several hours early. Extensive FAQ:

Should I buy this game?

Buy this game.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:42

my new dog: May 7, 2007; by Nyc_Tattoo

I can't believe I'm gonna buy another pok�mon game. I'm supposed to be an adult, but I'm just so nostalgic for this series. I have to continue my tradition of getting the red versions of these games! I'm probably just gonna rush through till I beat the elite four and then completely lose interest.

And I also kinda want to upgrade to an XL..

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:42

KungFu Grip: Jun 18, 2008

You're missing Abomasnow and Medicham in the MegaPokemon list.

Edit: and Gardevoir

KungFu Grip fucked around with this message at 14:45 on Oct 11, 2013

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:43

McDragon: Sep 11, 2007

Lots of Goomy in the OP. I approve.

fake edit: holy poo poo, Pinsir gets a Mega-evo? When did that get discovered? What does he look like? And Heracross too! Nice to see Tyranitar got confirmed as well.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:43

Crosscontaminant: Jan 18, 2007

Mega Blaziken's stats look to be 80/160/80/130/80/100, based on what was posted at the tail-end of the previous thread.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:44

El_Funko: May 25, 2003; Where did she go?

Anyone know what time X/Y is available on the eShop?

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:44

Zoran: Aug 19, 2008; I lost to you once, monster. I shall not lose again! Die now, that our future can live!

Crosscontaminant posted:

Mega Blaziken's stats look to be 80/160/80/130/80/100, based on what was posted at the tail-end of the previous thread.

Ahahahahaha that's so stupid.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:44

Rogue Lemon: Nov 15, 2012

This is just disturbingly thorough. Good job!

There are so many good exclusives in each game, I can't decide which to get...

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:44

Crawfish: Dec 11, 2012

Man. That download.

About 40 minutes in and am nearly halfway downloaded.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:46

Blaze Dragon: Aug 28, 2013; LOWTAX'S SPINE FUND

McDragon posted:

Lots of Goomy in the OP. I approve.

fake edit: holy poo poo, Pinsir gets a Mega-evo? When did that get discovered? What does he look like? And Heracross too! Nice to see Tyranitar got confirmed as well.

Both were shown by Serebii today, I believe.

Mega Pinsir is awesome, Mega Heracross looks really silly.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:46

McDragon: Sep 11, 2007

KungFu Grip posted:

You're missing Abomasnow and Medicham in the MegaPokemon list.

Missing what? Gosh, how many more Megas have I missed?

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:46

Mango Polo: Aug 4, 2007

So beyond the Battle Maison, what's the end game content like?

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:46

John Carstairs: Nov 18, 2007; Space Detective

I know you're missing Gardevoir, at least.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:47

McDragon: Sep 11, 2007

Argh, those MegaBugs rule!

_{sorry for posting so much on this page, I'm getting a bit overexcited}

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:48

THE AWESOME GHOST: Oct 21, 2005

Oh if you grew up playing Red and Blue this game is a total nostalgia boner. My party involves a Mega venusaur, a Snorlax I had to wake up with a pokeflute, and I caught a wild eevee. A WILD EEVEE

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:49

Regy Rusty: Apr 26, 2010

I never thought I'd be interested in a Pokemon game again but here I am and I'm actually pretty excited. Here's hoping I still remember how to throw pokeballs.

Do we know anything about how far in this game's Safari Zone is (assuming it has one)? That was always my favorite thing in the older ones.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:50

notthegoatseguy: Sep 6, 2005

my new dog posted:

I can't believe I'm gonna buy another pok�mon game. I'm supposed to be an adult, but I'm just so nostalgic for this series. I have to continue my tradition of getting the red versions of these games! I'm probably just gonna rush through till I beat the elite four and then completely lose interest.

And I also kinda want to upgrade to an XL..

Yes, get an XL. Much better battery life, a bit more sturdy. The only downside to it is the sound quality, but that's fixed by using headphones.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:50

Blaze Dragon: Aug 28, 2013; LOWTAX'S SPINE FUND

Regy Rusty posted:

I never thought I'd be interested in a Pokemon game again but here I am and I'm actually pretty excited. Here's hoping I still remember how to throw pokeballs.

Do we know anything about how far in this game's Safari Zone is (assuming it has one)? That was always my favorite thing in the older ones.

The Safari Zone stopped being a thing since Gen V. The closest now is the Friend Safari, and that works entirely differently and isn't until the postgame.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:51

MrFlibble: Nov 28, 2007; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS; Fallen Rib

THE AWESOME GHOST posted:

and I caught a wild eevee. A WILD EEVEE

Pffffft someone didn't unlock BILLS garden in Red by [redacted] with a starmie.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:51

Regy Rusty: Apr 26, 2010

Blaze Dragon posted:

The Safari Zone stopped being a thing since Gen V. The closest now is the Friend Safari, and that works entirely differently and isn't until the postgame.

Aw, that's too bad. Oh well.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:52

LightningKimba: Nov 5, 2010; Unleashing my best...

LUMINARY UPPERCUT!!

This thread is already Good 'n Goomy and that is grand. Always Goomy responsibly.

The wait for XY for me is killer since it comes out in just one day, and hearing UK dudes talking about the game (One of my best pals has it and she's havin' a ball) is just making me feel a tinge jealous 'cause I really wanna catch some monsters.

The only thing I feel I might miss out on was that I absolutely fell in love with the gym leaders and E4 members of Unova, but Kalos just from appearance isn't giving me any good vibes... I might change my mind when I actually have the game and playing around, but it's weird how Unova did so many things that just felt RIGHT to me in my mind, with both its paired games.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:52

KungFu Grip: Jun 18, 2008

McDragon posted:

Argh, those MegaBugs rule!

_{sorry for posting so much on this page, I'm getting a bit overexcited}

I'm sure someone has Mega Banette saved too.

vvv This is not a Piplup

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:52

notthegoatseguy: Sep 6, 2005

THE AWESOME GHOST posted:

Oh if you grew up playing Red and Blue this game is a total nostalgia boner. My party involves a Mega venusaur, a Snorlax I had to wake up with a pokeflute, and I caught a wild eevee. A WILD EEVEE

Hahahaha I spent like 50 loving minutes looking for one in that drat sewer place in B2.

Also, what does the thread title translate to?

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:52

ZenMasterBullshit: Nov 2, 2011; Restaurant de Nouvelles "À Table" Proudly Presents:
A Climactic Encounter Ending on 1 Negate and a Dream

KungFu Grip posted:

I'm sure someone has Mega Banette saved too.

vvv This is not a Piplup

http://serebii.net/megabanette.jpg

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:54

I said come in!: Jun 22, 2004

El_Funko posted:

Anyone know what time X/Y is available on the eShop?

Midnight eastern time, so 9pm pacific.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:55

Harlock: Jan 15, 2006; Tap "A" to drink!!!

Qu'est-ce que c'est?

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:57

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 20, 2024 04:34

alg: Mar 14, 2007; A wolf was no less a wolf because a whim of chance caused him to run with the watch-dogs.

Going to the midnight release tonight with a buddy, we're gonna own shitlords at doubles.

# ? Oct 11, 2013 14:57

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Pokemon Megathread 6.0: You'd have to have mega stones to not play this.

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