Anonymous asks:

What would happen to the meta Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina get signature Z-moves in a potential DP remake, which activate the Room effects? They fit quite well thematically- especially Inverse or Wonder for Giratina and Trick for either D or P

Well, I’m fairly confident the ubers meta can withstand damn near anything you throw at it, and a Z-move is a fairly costly thing to give a Pokémon, since the Z-crystal expends your item slot – especially considering that Dialga, Palkia and Giratina all have fairly powerful signature items (their respective Orbs) that they might prefer to use (unless they break the rules of Z-moves, the way Rayquaza breaks the rules of mega evolution, which doesn’t seem implausible – if they get signature Z-moves, the Orbs might enable them).  Besides, auto-Magic Room and auto-Wonder Room don’t strike me as particularly game-breaking effects.  Auto-Trick Room, maybe, especially if you give it to Dialga, who’s one of the slower uber-tier Pokémon (not that that’s saying much) – but then, if this hypothetical Z-move also forces Dialga to give up a move slot to Roar of Time, which seems likely, maybe that’s balance enough.

Pokémon Moon, Episode 15: In Which I Awkwardly Attempt To Bond With A Strange Girl Of Dubious Usefulness

Poni Island, which corresponds to the real Hawaiian island of Kauai, turns out to be basically uninhabited.  Gladion’s ship drops us off next to a group of brightly painted houseboats with Pokémon-inspired facades, clustered around a long pier.  This is the Seafolk Village – a community of seafaring nomads and traders who visit Poni Island seasonally to gather berries.  There are no permanent towns or cities – only Pokémon, and the ruins we’ve come here to see.  The Seafolk have a perfectly serviceable Pokémon Centre, though, and Lillie and I are even greeted on our arrival by their chief, who knows a little about the island.  Lillie explains that we need to see the Kahuna, and the Seafolk chief suggests that we visit Hapu, who lives a little way along the coast to the southeast, in the only permanent dwelling left on the island.
“Oh, we know Hapu,” I tell him.  “She’s the Kahuna of Poni Island?  She never mentioned that.”
“…I’m sure she can help you,” the chief replies, apparently hesitant to confirm or deny.  Well, that’s not even slightly suspicious. Continue reading “Pokémon Moon, Episode 15: In Which I Awkwardly Attempt To Bond With A Strange Girl Of Dubious Usefulness” →

Pokémon Moon, Episode 14: In Which Literally All Hell Breaks Loose

The teleport pad leads to what seems to be Lusamine’s private laboratory – a cavernous space at the heart of Aether Paradise.  We’re standing on a massive white platform made of the same synthetic material as the rest of the Paradise’s superstructure, and we must be in some closed-off part of the docking level, since there’s sea water all around the platform’s base – perhaps we’re directly below Lusamine’s mansion.  At the centre of the platform, Lusamine has several consoles displaying similar information on spatial anomalies to the instruments in Professor Burnet’s lab back in Heahea City.  At her side is a black metal box, glowing from within with a strange blue light and floating just off the floor.  And all around her instruments… Continue reading “Pokémon Moon, Episode 14: In Which Literally All Hell Breaks Loose” →

Vikingboybilly asks:

Are you out on a dig again?

Actually, I hit crunch time on submitting a proposal for my PhD thesis topic.  But I survived that, my topic was approved (I’m going to be researching the role of window glass in the evolution and social meaning of Roman architecture), and my students in the Roman Civilisation class mostly did pretty well too.  I’m going back to New Zealand for a bit in late June, then from there to Athens in late August for a year-long intensive study program.  It’s… pretty full-on, from what I’ve heard, but since I’ll be staying at a cushy research institute, my internet access will be much better than when I head out to the middle of nowhere for an archaeological dig, so it’s hard to say how often or how long I’ll vanish.

Anonymous asks:

here’s the big question: do you think phione is a mythical pokemon? on a side note, darkrai is listed as a mythical pokemon wherein cresselia, the other half of the lunar duo, isn’t. which for me is weird as their supposed to be a “set”, right? anyways, what do you think?

Well, as far as I can make out, “Mythical Pokémon” just designates Pokémon that aren’t (or at least, originally weren’t in their own generation) obtainable through normal gameplay – which is why Darkrai is one, but Cresselia isn’t.  Phione is obtainable through normal gameplay, but only if you already have Manaphy, who definitely is “mythical,” and although Game Freak seem to have been a bit confused by this at times, most of the time their party line is that yes, Phione is “mythical,” they just get their wires crossed occasionally.  Honestly I don’t think it’s a particularly interesting question, since the term doesn’t really have any in-universe significance as far as I can tell.

Anonymous asks:

The Pokemon literally called Psyduck isn’t a Psychic type. What?????

In fairness, its Japanese name (Kodakku – probably ko, child + duck) doesn’t have any reference to psychic ability, and nor does Golduck’s name, in any language.  I’d suggest that the reason Psyduck isn’t a Psychic-type is because of his infamous lack of control over his psychic abilities, which only manifest when his headaches send him into a trance that he can’t remember once it’s over – true Psychic Pokémon have much greater focus.  Then again, I’ve actually argued in the past that this was originally supposed to be a character trait of Misty’s Psyduck specifically, not Psyduck in general.  The first Pokédex entry from Red and Blue says of Psyduck: “while lulling its enemies with its vacant look, this wily Pokémon will use psychokinetic powers,” which is a very different perspective than just about every later portrayal.  It’s only in Yellow version, which is based on the anime, that we get “always tormented by headaches. It uses psychic powers, but it is not known if it intends to do so.”  So what I’m saying now is actually contradicted by other things I’ve thought about Psyduck in the past; I’m probably wrong about one of these things, but I’m not sure which I like better.

Anonymous asks:

Why are Alolan Marowack, Sensu Oricorio,and Decidueye ghost types? They’re not dead!

Well, I don’t think being a Ghost-type necessarily means you are a literal ghost.  Maybe half of them, tops, are said to be the spirits of the dead in legend and folklore (my rule here is “read the Pokédex because it’s really important, but for the love of Arceus, don’t trust it”), but most of the others have their type and abilities on the grounds of an affinity for death and the dead, or in some cases power over them.  Pokémon like Dusknoir and Pumpkaboo, for instance, are known for leading spirits and people between the worlds of the living and the dead, while Chandelure and Jellicent are spiritual predators; I don’t think anyone ever claimed that any of them are the ghosts of dead people or Pokémon, but they can all interact with ghosts.  Similarly, Decidueye is a sort of shaman with the ability to interact with souls as though they were physical things, and Alolan Marowak can summon the aid of spiritual powers through their ritual dances.

Anonymous asks:

You seen this? imgur.com/7zvyE0H

I have not…

I like the idea of trying to put all the pieces together, and I’m certainly always impressed by the effort, but to be honest I’m a little iffy about these attempts to create big schematic maps of the whole cosmology because I’m not totally sure it’s all meant to fit together in a consistent way. Continue reading “Anonymous asks:” →

Anonymous asks:

Since the last FMK question was so interesing… Heres another: Blue, Burgh and Volkner??

oh god

Well, let’s see… I mean, you gotta kill Burgh ‘cause he’s incompetent, pretentious and annoying… but then again, Blue is a huge jerk… eh, I suppose he gets better as he matures though.  Volkner has this kinda hot brooding quality to him but seems like he’d be a super high-maintenance partner.  So… let’s go with fuck Volkner, marry Blue, kill Burgh.