Pokémon General Thread

When you combine the ridiculous amount of Kanto pandering in XY (about a third of megas are Kanto Pokemon [15 out of 48], but almost half the megas introduced in XY are Kanto Pokemon [12 of 28]) and the fact they didn't get a third version means that Kalos really doesn't have as much of an identity of its own as other regions do.

Which is really a shame, because Kalos has a lot of potential that was just overshadowed and unexplored.

Kalos's problems with personality also involve it's big gimmick not using any new pokemon, having basically no mythology for it's legendaries, and generally being poorly written. I think there was supposed to be a history theme, but setting the relevant events so far back didn't help, nor did making the region's centerpiece a modern city

Kalos was set up for a third version that never came, but we discused that not long ago and it pretty much resulted in a certain troper making an example of what denial is.

That might've been me if I was an actual kid playing Pokemon for the first time... except 17-year-old me, playing Pokemon for the first time, loved her Fennekin too much to use a Kanto starter.

Also, there's room in the party for 2 starters, who's to say they can't use both?

Edited by AmethystLeslie on Feb 21st 2019 at 12:24:06 PM

I think the forest is a homage, it's fine. It's just that Kalos is so underdeveloped.

I used both. My Kalos team was Greninja, Aegislash, Venusaur, Aurorus, Florges (replaced by Xerneas), and Lucario (with Lapras on the side for HMs).

Lucario made for kind of an odd (plot-relevant) exception, but my teams tend to be 5 Pokemon introduced in that Generation, and one Pokemon from a previous Generation that I never really used.

Some examples: my ORAS team was Sceptile, the event Metagross, Manectric, Exploud, Armaldo, and Machamp. My SM team was Decidueye, Palossand, Oricorio (to be replaced with Lunala), Ribombee, and Zygarde. My USUM team was Incineroar, Alolan Muk (which I counted as a new Pokemon), Shiinotic, Dusk Lycanroc, Toucannon, and Gastrodon.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Feb 21st 2019 at 9:38:59 AM

For me, the Kanto starter in X/Y really didn't matter since I had all my old Pokemon to transfer up. So I just picked Bulbasaur. I had never picked Bulbasaur before that.

My teams tend to just be what I think are the best of the new mons, even if its just by looks (having a Krookadile and Bisharp is just bad type distribution. Black/White should've had fewer cool dark types). With the exception of MewTwo. It usually makes it onto my team eventually.

Edited by Zeromaeus on Feb 21st 2019 at 11:42:25 AM

I literally use whatever I happen to like. I might pull out my copy of Platinum and see if my team is still intact to find out what it was, but I know I used a Toxicroak for a good portion of that game because I happened to fall in love with it while I was levelling it up as a Croagunk to evolve.

Croagunk was post-game for me, so I never formed any attachment. For Diamond, It was Infernape, Weavile, Lucario and my HM Pokemon. Most people I know hated Weavile. I thought it was the best of the new evolutions added to older Pokemon. Its like the only one aside from Gallade that wasn't "the previous evolution, but fat." Gallade just looked stupid on its own.

Edited by Zeromaeus on Feb 21st 2019 at 11:55:10 AM

I had an Infernape, and a Bibarel for HMs. Don’t remember the other three off the top of my head.

I had a Crobat in SoulSilver, and it was great, and for some reason I’ve never used one again. Think I had a Gyarados in that one too. And Meganium as a starter. Again, no idea what else I was using.

The only reason I brought up the Kanto starter thing was because when I was a kid I did have an attachment to Pokemon like Charizard. And if I had the chance I would use those Pokemon without question boxing the other ones because I just wasn't interested in them and formed no attachment to them yet.

Years later I do like the newer Pokemon introduced but younger kids who already have their favorites won't get the ability to experience that if as soon they receive their starter they get a more popular one. The Kanto Starters are pretty popular so I'm not surprised if that was heavy-handed in to bank on nostalgia.

All it does is really take away more of the identity of the region from feeling like Kalos and more of Kanto v. 2.0 3d edition.

Which is a shame because Kalos has interesting things in it but it's constantly bogged down by a lackluster story and bizarre game design choices.

... I just realized I did my math wrong and that I was 17 in 2013, and that was the age I started playing Pokemon.

Okay, continue.

As of the Alola games, I set in place a new rule that I was to only use Pokemon that were new to the generation in my first playthrough, in order to familiarize myself with them a bit better. I intend to continue that in Gen 8.

Edited by Anura on Feb 21st 2019 at 6:56:42 PM

I never finished X, barely played Sun, and skipped Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon altogether, so I am absurdly excited for Pokémon on Switch. It’s a fresh start for me and the franchise.

Looks like we're getting them all. "Gen 8 region on Pokemon Day" is looking more likely.

Funny thing is, in Pokemon Black and White 1, that rule is enforced on the player because non-Unova Pokemon only appear after the main story is cleared.

Edited by CybranGeneralSturm on Feb 21st 2019 at 3:09:34 AM

I usually go with whatever looks coolest the first time around, and then plan the heck out of re-runs. Paralysis by Analysis ensues.

I blindrunned Gen 7 and everything caught me by surprise it's frustrating. Doesn't help that everything I want to use usually share 1 or 2 of the same weaknesses.

Edited by MayIncon on Feb 21st 2019 at 6:47:19 AM

So, Kanto is the Kanto region of Japan, Johto is the Kansai region of Japan, Hoenn is the Kyushu region of Japan, Sinnoh is based on Hokkaido, the northern island region of Japan, Unova is based on New York City, Kalos is based on the northern half of France, and Alola is based on the Hawaiian islands.

What do you think Gen 8 will be based on? Back to Japan, Europe, or the USA? Maybe an entirely new local, like a country in South America or Africa? Maybe somewhere in the rest of Asia, like India?

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Feb 21st 2019 at 7:51:27 AM

New Zealand.

My money is on a Shiny New Australia.

But that's already a fantasy location.

I was thinking maybe somewhere northern, since we just had a tropical region?

Please be Canada. Please be Canada.

Russia would be interesting.

A Legendary Bear pokemon would be cool.