#Slakoth's Truant! Slakoth is loafing around!

[front-facing-pokemon]

[duscarasheddinn]

I recently had a dream where I was lucid enough to explain Slow Start in Pokemon.

It causes the Attack and Speed stats of Regigigas, the only Pokemon in the series to have the ability, to be halved unless it stays in battle for five turns. In the dream, I shared the opinion that it’s the worst ability in the series, which is probably a common opinion given how it has negative effects but no positive ones.

I can only think of two other abilities that are purely detrimental. Those are Truant, shared by Slakoth and its fully evolved form Slaking, and Defeatist, exclusive to Archen and Archeops (the latter being the evolved form of the former). Truant makes the Pokemon with it only move every other turn. Between turns where it moves, it says it’s loafing around. Defeatist halves the Pokemon’s Attack and Special Attack stats if they’re at or below half health.

Game Freak wanted Regigigas to be the next Slaking, given how that Pokemon’s first form is available before the first gym and has the same base stat total as GROUDON and KYOGRE when fully evolved (that base stat total being 670; for reference, some Legendary Pokemon have less than 600, pseudo-Legendary Pokemon and several Mythical Pokemon have a base stat total of exactly 600, and Mewtwo, Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza all have a base stat total of 680, though for the former and latter, that’s only the case in their base forms). Both Slaking and Regigigas have a base stat total of 670 and both have a purely detrimental ability meant to balance them out.

[ianmrid]

Pokémon!

I think it is fair to say that there aren't any pokémon in the first three generations that I dislike, but I did find my Hoenn list a little harder to create than either Kanto or Johto. I think this is partly down to there simply being a large amount of new pokémon in Hoenn (135). In addition, there were more Gen 3 games which meant more final teams with which to bond. Still, I managed to narrow it down to my Top Ten. As before, I included both the original Gen3 standard sprite as well as the shiny sprite - not that I caught any shinies, despite over 100 hours of game-play! #notbitter

10. Altaria

Number 10 on this list was a very difficult choice, with Altaria just about edging out some of my other favourites, such as Zigzagoon, Medicham, and Hairyama. I think I like Altaria because it is just such a weird-looking Dragon-type pokémon! It shares a typing - dual Dragon- and Flying-type - with Salamence, which is all cool and tough, whereas Altaria is some sort of cheery-looking cloud duck. It is more of a defensive pokémon - with Defence and Special Defense stats and although it has a quad-weakness to Ice-type attacks, this is offset with a resistance to the core Grass-, Fire-, and Water-types, as well as a very useful immunity to Ground. This came in very handy as my Altaria, Floof, was a part of my XD: Gale of Darkness team. This meant it was primarily fighting in the doubles format where Earthquake is very prevalent!

09. Swellow

The standard Normal- and Flying-type regional bird of Hoenn, I'm a big fan of Swellow. It is a little frail, but it is lightning quick and can hit pretty hard due to it's excellent ability, Guts. Guts increases the Attack stat by 50% whenever the pokémon has a status condition, turning a respectable Attack into a very powerful one. My Swellow, Amazon (because of Swallows and Amaons, geddit?), was on my Ruby team and came in clutch many times with the move Aerial Ace - a move that cannot miss. Swellow was a big part of Ash's team in the animé, another reason I really like it as a pokémon - especially for the battle between Ash and Winona, the Flying-type Gym Leader. This gym battle came down to Ash's Swellow vs. Winona's shiny Swellow and was definitely one of the more memorable clashes. I really like the colours on shiny Swellow and I would love to get my hands on one, one day, although I think I still prefer the classic red and blue plumage of the original.

08. Vigaroth

Something a little unusual in my eighth slot: a middle-stage evolution. Usually the middle-stages of any pokémon line get a little overlooked. The first stage is usually extremely cute and the final stage is super-powerful and cool, leaving the middle-stage as a weird htbrid of the two that never quite works. However, Hoenn seems to manage pretty well with the middle-stages - the starters have Combusken and Grovyle who are both excellent, although the less said about Marshtomp the better. The Slakoth line is another three-stage evolution line, and I used my Slaking, Naps, on my final Emerald team. Although Slaking is extremely powerful, it is let down by the awful ability, Truant, that is shares with Slakoth - causing it to skip every other turn due to 'loafing around'. Vigaroth on the otherhand, represents relentless energy with it's ability, Vital Spirit, preventing it from ever being put to sleep. Much more fun! Also I prefer it's design to Slaking's creepy old man in rcline pose.

07. Cradily

I didn't really realise until looking at my Gen3 graphs, that I hadn't used either the Rock- or Grass-types at all in Gen2. Well, with that exact dual typing they are back in Gen3 and into a spot on my favourites list. Like Altaria, Cradily is another weird-looking pokémon that at first glance looks rather derpy, until you realise the eye-like spots on it's head are just markings and it's actual eyes peer out from the dark inside it's head. Way more sinister, although that is offset a little by the dildo-like tendrills waving about everywhere - although they did earn my Emerald team member the nickname Craydildo (ther shouldn't be a 'y' in the name - I just always spell Cradily's name incorrectly). Cradily isn't the most useful pokémon as it is built to be defensive but without many resistances, however mine still worked well as a primarily special wall, although it has a good defense as well. It was my first go at using substitute as a way to defend while using stat raising moves like Amnesia and Ancient Power to boost both the mergre damage it could do and it's already solid defences. Cradily's pink shiny is also very nice - many of my favs this generation has fair better in shiny design that last time out!

06. Grumpig

Being a big fan of pigs, Spoink or Grumpig were always going tot get onto this list. I like Spoink, but it has some weird in-game lore about the fact it can never stop bouncing or it's heart will stop, which is a bit creepy and doesn't make sense, even in the pokémon world. I definitely prefer Grumpig, and I'm a huge fan of both the normal purple and shiny yellow - it's definitely another pokémon that I would love to shiny hunt one day. On top of all that, my Grumpig, WYSIPIG, saved me from a humilating defeat against Wally late in the game. I was under-prepared and his Gardevoir would have destroyed me if I hadn't had also had Calm Mind and a super-effective Shadow Ball on Grumpig. That alone would have been worth a place on this list!

05. Kyogre

Another unusual sight on one of my lists: a Legendary Pokémon! Although I didn't actually use Kyogre on any of my teams, it is still one of my favourite pokémon in Gen3. It is a massive blue Orca whale with weather summoning abilities - what is not to like? I think it's design is very cool indeed, and it's shiny is also OK - although I am a bit bored of blue pokémon that turn a hot pink for their shiny colouration. I would love to have Kyogre on a team one day - although it is way too over-powered for a standrd play-through since it has phenomenal stats and wuld absolutely destroy most opposition. However is I one day put together a team just for battling then it would bee an ideal fit!

04. Wingull

Wingull is probably a bit of an usual choice for this list a I think most people just consider it pretty unremarkable early-game pokémon, and they wouldn't really be wrong. However I am a big fan of this evolution line as I really like Pelipper also. Their designs are kinda basic, but still appealing and theh dual Water- and Flying type is not bad if you can play around the quad weakness to Electric. The shinies are also decent - the blue parts on both Wingull and Pelipper trning a nice green instead. But I think the real reason I like them both so much, is that I associate them with travelling somewhere new. When I travel in real life, I love seeing the new wildlife in an area that really underlines that you are somewhere else in the world - and birds are often the first things that I notice in this regard. In the animé, when Ash travels to Hoenn, the boat is surrouned by Wingull and Peiipper which did a really good job of capturing that same feeling which means I will always love this pokémon family!

03. Ludicolo

Much like Miltank in Gen2 - and indeed at the same spot in it's respective list - Ludicolo is one of those pokémon that I wanted to own because I hated playing against it. The Water- and Grass-typing is so useful as it's weaknesses - Flying, Poison, and Bug - are not that commonly encountered. They can also keep themselves healthy by carrying leftovers and using the Rain Dish ability which restores health in the rain. On top of this, Ludicolo is nicely balanced with good SpDef and SpAtt so if you aren't prepared with a strategy to take them out they can really hurt. One of my favourite opponents in Colosseum and XD, a disco-themed guy called Miror B who has a giant afro coloured like a pokéball - uses entire teams of Ludicolo which gave me a lot of trouble. Design-wise, it is yet another weird looking pokémon that is a kinda cross between a duck and a pinapple with a few Mexican stereotypes thrown in for good(?) measure. It's shiny is also great with the sight colour changes giving it a more tropical look - ideal for the Hoenn region. I just love it!

02. Sableye

This entry is proof that using a pokémon can really change your opinion of it. Before plaing Pokémon XD, I would never have expected Sableye to get anywhere near my top ten, let alone the number two slot! I only chose it because I wanted a Ghost-type for my double battles since it would be immune to Explosion either from my side or the opponents, and this was incredibly useful. This alone improved my Sableye views, along with the fact that it has no weaknesses with the unique Ghost- and Dark-typing. I always liked the design well enough, but seeing it in XD - a game which has 3D models rather than the basic 2D sprites of the main series - really sealed the deal. I loved how tiny it was, and how it moved so creepily! If it han't been quite so frail, there would have been a good chance of it making the top spot!

01. Mudkip

This is the first time a starter pokémon has made number one in one of these lists - although Bulbsaaur and Cyndaquil came close. Mudkip is adorably derpy and is the face that launched a thousand pokémon memes, plus it is a line that eventually evolves into Water- and Ground-type, which I've often said before, is one of my favourite combinations. However, unlike the Cyndaquil and Bulbasaur lines - where I like Quilava, Typholsion, Ivysaur, and Venusaur a lot as well - my Mudkip love is mostly focused on the first stage evolution. The middle-stage Marshtomp is very odd-looking, but not in an appealing way, and the final-stage Swampert is pretty cool, but for some reason just doesn't quite click with me. It's definitely Mudkip all the way here - although I definitely prefer the original blue as it is yet another Water-type that turns a pinky-purple - boring! To summarise; you herd I liek Mudkipz.

And that is that! Generation 3 was an absolute epic to complete; more than doubling my time spent, the total cost, and the number of games played once all of the side games and remakes were accounted for. It also meant way more blogs were needed to document everything and even the animé felt very extended! On top of all that, with so many more final teams, there was a lot more art to commission to celebrate each group. I'll be posting these in one big go once they are all completed, but for now, with Hoenn, the Kanto re-makes, and Orre all finally in the books, I can look ahead to Generation 4: Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum!

[pyrodragon3993-blog]

Hoenn Saga Team Maqubi's Journal Day 25: Father and Daughter spat! The ultimate Death Match!

Hello everyone, Ivan Ooze aka Melivn Tooz here to continue recording. Maqubi's adventure. Today, Maqubi is going to return to Petalburg to challenge her Father who is the gym leader. This will be a battle to remember, but until then, Maqubi returned to Rustboro to revive the Pokemon within the Claw Fossil. Maqubi gave the fossil to the Devon Researcher, but it would take a while for the fossil to be revived, so Maqubi went to the PokeCenter to temporarily put Gurds in the PC. 

Maqubi returned to the Devon Researcher and he presented our new comrade. An Anorith who Maqubi named Kenorith. He stared at us in confusion. I can't blame him, a Pokemon who lived in prehistoric times knew it died, but came back to life in the future surrounded by unfamiliar land and Pokemon. I wonder what it was like to be brought back to life that way? A remaining strand of DNA from the fossil was given the jolt it needed to replicate again. Creating RNA and continuing the cell cycle. The reformation of bones and muscles. The remaking of chitin to create the exoskeleton, and finally the tissues needed to recreate the internal organs... meh seems too complicated, I'm fine with just magically returning from the afterlife. 

Maqubi decided to let Kenorith adapt to his new time period, so she put him in the PC and brought back Gurds. I think she was hoping that all the Pokemon in the PC will help Kenorith be more used to his new home and family. Maqubi did a little shopping in Rustboro and then ran all the way back to Petalburg. Maqubi took a deep breath and put Gurds in front. I can't blame her for being nervous, she is fighting her father after all. The gym had a unique choosing mechanic. The first choice was between Speed and Accuracy. Maqubi picked Speed first and the trainer in that room had a Swellow... uh oh. MyEX took the stage instead, and with some difficulty, won. Maqubi then went to eh Accuracy room where she fought a trainer with a Delcatty. I've never seen a Pokemon like it! It must be one of those "legendary" Pokemon, because I've clearly never seen that Pokemon before in my life. Regardless, Gurds took it down. 

The next choice Maqubi had to make was either the Defense or Recovery room. The Recovery room had a trainer with a Slakoth, and the Defense room had a trainer with a Wigglytuff. Gurds took them both down. Maqubi then went into the Confusion room. There the trainer had a Spinda which was taken down easily. The Strength room was next where the trainer had a Zangoose. Gurds beat it without any difficulty. The One-Hit KO room was next... I don't like the sound of this. I didn't need to worry because Gurds took down the trainer's Vigoroth easily. The last room was the gym leader's, but Maqubi went to PokeCenter to prepare for the family feud. 

Maqubi met with her father, Norman, who said, "Maqubi I am your father...." Maqubi responded with, "No... that can't be!" Norman then said, "You'll find it in your heart to be true...." That exchange lasted for a while... the battle then finally started. Norman's first Pokemon was Spinda. Gurds started with Fake Out to do little damage, but Spinda used Encore, forcing Gurds to use Fake Out each turn. The Game was swapped in, but Spinda Teeter Dance, confusing the game. The Game hurt herself in her confusion and was hit with a Psybeam. Things were looking bad, so Gurds came back out. Afterwards was just an infinite cycle of Teeter Dances. Eventually, Gurds was finally able to defeat Spinda with a bunch of Bulk Ups and a single Arm Thrust. 

The battle was pretty much downhill from that point on. All the Bulk Ups Gurds successfully used raised her Attack and Defense up a lot. Just one or two Arm Thrust were enough to take down Norman's Vigoroth and Linoone. Norman's final Pokemon was Slaking, a really strong Pokemon, but Maqubi had a plan. Maqubi healed Gurds the same turn Slaking used Counter. Counter failed, and because Slaking had the Truant ability, it was loafing around the next turn. Gurds grabbed the Slaking and used Vital Throw, which looked a lot like a German suplex (what's Germany?). Maqubi had won the battle against her father and had her revenge of being stuffed in the back of a Truck. 

Norman was surprised, but at the same time, proud of losing to Maqubi. He presented her the Balance Badge and TM42 Facade. All of the sudden, Wally's dad came in out of nowhere and asked for Maqubi. Maqubi followed him to his house where he let her know of Wally's condition. He's a little healthier, just coughing up half as much blood. He also gave Maqubi HM03 Surf. The battle is over, and Maqubi retrieved her goods. Gurds was very tired, can't blame her. This was her toughest battle ever. Maqubi went to the PokeCenter where she could let Gurds retire. Gurds happily returned to the box with a satisfied sigh. In Gurds' place, Maqubi retrieved the Egg. 

Maqubi has made a lot of progress today and deserves a good rest. I'm proud of her, and I hope to continue adding more entries like this to the  journal in the future.

[snoaz]

Idols as Pokemon -> Suga (BTS) as Slakoth

Type: normal

Ability: Truant

“Slakoth's heart beats just once a minute. Whatever happens, it is content to loaf around motionless. It is rare to see this Pokémon in motion.”