Anonymous asks:

Could you kiiiiindly use the Alolan forms as an excuse to write your usual reviews for some of the older Pokémon? So, like, you could write about Rattata/Raticate or Cubone/Marowak and use that to talk about both the Kantonian and Alolan forms! It would give you a great excuse to wildly speculate about Pokémon ecology and evolution (in the real-life sense) 😉

Without getting too much into future plans – I am going to be doing something with older Pokémon after I finish talking about generation VII, but it’s not going to be in the same style as my usual reviews.  There will probably also be a general article about the Alolan forms as a group, sort of like what I did for mega evolution in generation VI, and I’ll do my best to talk about the most interesting ones there.

Anonymous asks:

Because Pokemon fans love their patterns, there’s obviously a lot of talk about potential Generation 4 remakes on the horizon. I reckon I could guess you opinions on that, but imagine if they did and replaced the Gyms with Totem Pokemon, what Gen IV pokemon do you think would make cool “boss” encounters for each type?

Well, I don’t think they would, though.  I actually am coming around to the idea that there might be a fourth generation remake on the horizon as I move through Moon – there seem to be more than a few references to Sinnoh buried in the game, and I’m struck by how few Sinnoh Pokémon there are to be caught in Alola.  But it doesn’t make any sense to force the Alolan system of trials and Totem Pokémon on Sinnoh; the whole point of that system is to be a cultural feature that’s specific to Alola.  My bet is that Gym Leaders would be back for a Diamond/Pearl remake (I also, incidentally, doubt that generation VIII will feature trials and Totem Pokémon – I think it’s more likely that this is the beginning of a series of regions that all have their own culturally specific approaches).  In any case, I think for the most part you’d simply be looking at the Pokémon that are already the partner Pokémon of each Gym Leader: Cranidos, Roserade, Lucario, etc.

Anonymous asks:

Who are your favourite starters of each type of each evolutionary stage? Like, who’s your favourite Grass unevolved starter? Who’s your favourite Fire middle stage starter? Who’s your favourite Water fully evolved starter? Etc.

Hmm… let’s see…

Grass: Bulbasaur; Grovyle; Torterra

Fire: Charmander; Braixen; Infernape

Water: Froakie; Wartortle; Empoleon

The fourth generation’s fully evolved forms have been my favourites since they were released; the younger forms of the first generation starters will always have a special place in my heart though.

Pokémon Moon, Episode 11: In Which I Perform an Exorcism

With no other clear direction obvious to me, I leave Malie City and wander south.  The southeast coast of Ula’ula Island is dominated by extremely rough, rocky, arid scrubland.  Although the Z-Crystal that I earned in Sophocles’ trial gets me through the Island Challenge barricades on the southeast road, it doesn’t take long before the rocks become totally impassable.  Fortunately, Hapu (who is almost certainly very important, though I’m still not sure why) is on hand to offer me the solution: she allows me to freely summon her Mudsdale as a riding Pokémon.  Mudsdale is slow compared to the other Tauros and Stoutland, but can move effortlessly over rough terrain that would reduce them to uncoordinated stumbling.  Hapu points me in the direction of Tapu Village, at the base of Mount Lanakila, for my next trial, then bids me good luck and farewell.

Continue reading “Pokémon Moon, Episode 11: In Which I Perform an Exorcism” →

Pokémon Moon, Episode 10: In Which I Am Recruited To A Cultural Revolution

Among the major selling points of Malie City is its library, the best in Alola.  I mean, not that that’s saying much.  The Alolans still worship a cabal of fickle and wrathful Pokémon as deities, and their leading Pokémon researcher is secretly a part-time luchador; believe it or not, they aren’t exactly a global centre of knowledge and literature.  They are, however, the world’s leading experts on one field in particular: their own traditions and mythology; Alolan myth basically isn’t taught or studied at any university I’ve ever heard of outside the region itself.  Lillie, who arrived in Malie City ahead of me and Hau after coming directly from Heahea City, claims to have need of this esoteric knowledge in order to help Nebby.  She asks me to come to the library with her to check it out – so of course I brusquely refuse, send her scurrying away in terror, and then follow her anyway at an inconspicuous distance.  Gotta stay one step ahead of this crafty b!tch and her freaky living nebula-bomb, or the whole island chain could be a smoking ruin by Tuesday afternoon.  The moment I manage to get into a proper stalking rhythm, though, I run straight into… Professor Oak?

Continue reading “Pokémon Moon, Episode 10: In Which I Am Recruited To A Cultural Revolution” →

Anonymous asks:

Any idea why Bug Bite doesn’t get a boost from Strong Jaw? Considering the multitude of real life bugs with devastating bites, it seems only natural that there should be Bug-types with Strong Jaw that uses Bug Bite as its primary attack… How cool would a Bug/Fire ant Pokémon with Strong Jaw-boosted Bug Bite and Fire Fang be?!

Well, I expect it’s for much the same reason as Sucker Punch isn’t boosted by Iron Fist – in Japanese the move’s name doesn’t literally refer to a bite.  Bulbapedia translates the move’s name – むしくい – as “Bug Bite,” but when I plug those characters into Google Translate it offers me either “Furious” or “Moth” so who knows.  What we call a bug “bite” in English is very often not a literal bite but more of a stinging or piercing action so I could very easily see this being one that doesn’t apply across languages (in French the move is called Piqûre – “Sting”).

EDIT: Of course it is true that the move’s effect (consuming an opponent’s berry) points to a literal “bite” of some description, but it would also be fair to note that a lot of insects don’t really have “jaws” in the vertebrate sense.

Ty asks:

Greetings fellow Pokémaniac. First of all id like to say i love the blog, your thoughts, ideas and stories can keep me reading and thinking for days on end. Keep up the good work. So I’ve played every Pokémon gen, unfortunately haven’t got round to playing black/white 2 yet, and im only part way through Moon as it hasn’t grabbed me like i thought it would. In my opinion though, X and Y have been the best games to come so far (I’dtellyouwhybutI’mrunningoutofcharacters) Your thoughts on this? Ty.

Glad you’re enjoying it!

So obviously I’m still not done with Moon, because my writing process makes me play so slowly, and not ready to offer a final assessment or ranking.  I really like everything I’ve seen so far though – the worldbuilding is excellent, the story is shaping up to be quite interesting, there are some cool characters, and although I still like generation VI’s Pokémon designs better, VII’s seem like they’re fine.  My official position – subject to change in weeks to come – is that V has the best story, but VI was better overall.  VII still has a shot at overthrowing either or both.