ty_taurus

So I've been thinking about the potential to change up a little about how Hidden Power type works and some other ways that it could become more integrated into the games mechanics. It's something that would drastically change up game play, probably larger than any other mechanic ever introduced to Pokemon, so I don't necessarily know if it would be a change for the better or the worse, so I wanted to see what you all think. So let's talk about Hidden Power. It's an interesting move that allows a lot of Pokemon, particularly weaker ones, to obtain type coverage they can't ordinarily access. It's not perfect though. Its power isn't stellar, the game isn't transparent about what type each Pokemon's hidden power is without visiting a specific NPC, and it's exclusive to special attackers. But what if this all changed? Concept: Every Pokemon has a Hidden Type. This hidden type would be an all-new variable detached from IVs that would impact Pokemon in potentially 3 ways... - Hidden Power: A special attack that always has attack power 70. It is available to every Pokemon via TM and functions as the type that match's the user's hidden type. (This is largely unchanged) - Secret Power: Now is the physical attack version of Hidden Power, and also is always attack power 70. It is also available to every Pokemon via TM. *EDIT* Could also be a completely new move* *EDIT*: One potential new addition to the above could be that normal type Pokemon always get STAB on these moves regardless of hidden type to emphasis the theme of normal Pokemon being more versatile than other types. The biggest of the three: - Pokemon with max happiness will resist attacks that match the user's hidden type (applied on top of their current resistances and weaknesses). Examples: - A water Pokemon with the hidden type: ghost will resist ghost attacks - A fairy Pokemon with the hidden type: poison will take neutral damage from poison attacks - A fire/flying Pokemon with the hidden type: rock will take double damage from rock attacks Hidden type can now be seen in combat by the HP bar of all participating Pokemon; however, an opponent's hidden type will remain hidden until: - They are hit with an attack that matches their hidden type (Ex. If a Pokemon with the hidden type: fire is hit with a fire attack). - One or more of the Player's Pokemon has one of these abilities: Analytic, Anticipation, Keen Eye. Pokemon with one of these abilities will ignore an opponent's hidden type when attacking: Infiltrator, Unaware (Ex. Unaware Clefable's Moonblast will still deal 4x damage to a Kommo-o with the hidden type: fairy). Certain new moves could be added to manipulate hidden type, or current moves could gain said ability. Visiting the Pokemon Aura Specialist NPC and paying some form of restrictive currency (similarly to bottle caps in Ultra Smoon) will allow you to alter the hidden type of one of your Pokemon to another type of your choosing. Pros and Cons... Pros: - Hidden type now becomes more transparent, making it easier for hardcore players to pay attention to, and more accessible for young and casual players to learn about. - All Pokemon now benefit from hidden types, not just special attackers. Cons: - It's an all new system to learn and would require time for everyone to get used to the new mechanics. - Maybe Con?: An added resistance that players can choose is a MASSIVE change, and I can't say if it would be for the better or worse. Possible alternatives: In the event the idea seems too extreme, there are ways that it could be mitigated so it's less demanding. Here are some other ideas that could work in place of the added resistance if that seems too much for some people. If you think it's too much, share which of these ideas seems better, or if you have a better idea yourself: - Hidden type resistance reduces damage by 25% instead of 50%, essentially making it a half-resist, thus less impacting but still helpful, like Filter or Solid Rock. - Hidden type resistance overrides a Pokemon's natural resistance if that type would be neutral or super effective (Ex. a fire/flying Pokemon would resist a rock attack instead of take 4x damage); however, this effect only applies once per battle. - Instead of having a hidden type resistance, the move Hidden Aura places a 5-turn barrier on your side of the field (similar to screens) that makes all Pokemon on the user's side of the field resist the user's hidden type unless they would unless they would otherwise be immune or absorb that type (like in the above example). If overriding is too much, then a simple resistance is added to all Pokemon on the user's side of the field instead (Ex. a fire/flying Pokemon would take 2x damage from a rock attack instead of 4x damage). Share what you think of these ideas below along with what kind of changes you might do to it if you think it needs to be changed.

But wait a second, by this logic, that would also mean that abilities like Storm Drain and Lightning Rod are also too broken and cheap ways of improving weaker Pokemon. For lightning rod, you have an immunity + stat boost (which is usually better than a heal) + free Follow Me against every electric type attack. Storm Drain is immunity + heal + Free Follow Me against all water type attacks. Sure, you could argue that the Follow Me benefit is doubles exclusive, but you also would recognize that SR absorption may as well be singles exclusive since SR isn't nearly as oppressive in doubles and often times just isn't used. Also, I have to say that I think "giving up on certain Pokemon is sometimes the only way to deal with the situation" is an awful way to look at game design. Imagine if that's the mentality a construction team had when building a house. Someone does something incorrectly that would compromise the structural integrity of the building, and they're just like "Well, we should just give up on that and carry on." Gamefreak has complete and total power to improve and fix the parts of their product that are old, outdated, and in desperate need of repair, and as game designers, I believe they should.

@NickCrash Also a lot to reply to, so bear with me. I don't think the starter criteria have to be overly blatant. Sometimes taking inspiration from a design or a concept is enough. Sure, the water starters don't all necessarily embody the style of the weapon, and maybe it really is just a coincidental thing, but it's also unusual how all of them at least have 1 detail that strikingly resembles a weapon type that otherwise seems unusual, like Primarina's spikes. Also, I don't think the club reference was meant to showcase how Primarina fights, but is more meant to be a joke on clubbing seals. I also didn't specify that they had to be amphibious at all. With the grass starters, prehistoric doesn't necessarily have to mean dinosaur or reptile. That's just the Mesozoic era. You also have the Paleozoic era which is notable for the Cambrian period full of bizarre sea life of which all other life seemingly evolves from, and more recently the Cenozoic era which comes after dinosaurs and has a lot of mammals. Birds are just as old as dinosaurs as well, and Decidueye is also a reference to the extinct Stilt Owls that lived on the Hawaiian Islands. Serperior is based on the Titanoboa, a 2.5 ton boa stretching as far as 42ft long that's also extinct. Sceptile abandons a lot of the gecko visual details and has a much stronger visual appearance to that of raptors. And Torterra's body is very un-turtle like and actually has a lot of visual similarities with the Ankylosaurus: the neck spikes, the raised back armor, and the body structure. You're right in noticing Torterra's connection to the turtle that holds the world on its back, as each generation has its own theme for their starters. Sinnoh's starters are all based on creatures of mythology. Some other examples would be Alola's theme of performers (archery, wrestling, and singing), Kalos' RPG theme (Tank, Caster, Melee), or Unova's theme of leaders of empires. I'd wager this new set will be styled around different positions of a football (soccer) team. Scorbunny becoming the striker, Sobble becoming the goalie, and Grookey becoming the cheerleader/band performer. Also, with the chinese zodiac theme for Fire Starters. I don't see why the Pokemon has to be a directly literal representation of that creature. Charizard, for example, has a much stronger European dragon design than a Chinese dragon. Weasels may not be biologically as close to rodents as you might think, they do share a lot of aesthetics, and people used to believe they were rodents. Meanwhile foxes and dogs are very close biologically. Also I don't see the problem with another Fire-type horse Pokemon and it's crazy to think they couldn't be anything but the same. How many frog Pokemon do we have? How many cat Pokemon do we have? How many mice, rabbits, fish, mushroom, butterfly, moth, and flower Pokemon do we have?

In all honestly, I don't think Molten Rock is really that strong when taking into account Magcargo's speed and typing. A really great way to make poor type combinations more viable is for those Pokemon to have abilities that allow them to counteract some of those weaknesses. Abilities like Volt Absorb and Water Absorb already exist specifically to neutralize a given type, and none of the Pokemon with those abilities are all that ground breaking. Meanwhile Poison types already ignore the Poison condition, and all of them absorb Toxic Spikes on switch in. The thing about Stealth Rocks is that it desperately needs more ways to counter it other than just Rapid Spin and Defog because both of those options still require that someone switch in and take the damage. Spikes has to be layered several times for it to get to that level, not used in one turn. And as I mentioned, Toxic Spikes can be immediately absorbed just by switching in a Poison Pokemon of any kind. Stealth Rocks is still very oppressive. Magcargo's stats and quadruple weakness to Grass and Water are three reasons why players will forever be apprehensive, but having an ability that allows Magcargo to switch in and heal on Stone Edge or Stealth Rocks, as well as removing them if they're already on the field has a trade of that I think warrants some attention without tipping the scale aggressively into always being on an OU team simply for that reason. There will still be much stronger Pokemon who can simply use Rapid Spin at the trade off of needing to switch into them and use a turn.

Chatter is a flying type move though, which was Chatot's signature. And I imagine if GameFreak didn't treat Flying type as an accessory, Chatot could've ended up pure Flying.

Not necessarily true about the Sound thing. Chimecho is Psychic, Primarina is Water, Kricketune is Bug, and Chatot is Flying. All of them are sound-themed. Also Typhlosion is a large weasel or field rodent of some kind, hence the mouse connection, and foxes are different, but close to dogs biologically.

Blastoise: Rocket Launcher - The cannons on his back. Feraligatr: Brass Knuckles - The ridges along his arms. Swampert: Japanese War Fan - His tail. Empoleon: Trident - The trident on his face. Samurott: Katana - Using the sea shells on his arms as swords. Greninja: Shurikens - Water Shuriken. Primarina: Spiked Club - The spikes around his waist where the 'mermaid tail' starts.

Magcargo is one of many interesting Pokemon from Gen 2, and also like many Gen 2 Pokemon, he's fairly underwhelming competitively. As the sole owner of the Fire/Rock typing, he struggles to play the bulky role his stats intend for, not to mention that, despite his high defense, his low HP and middling special defense also limit him pretty heavily. It's a shame, really, so I want to investigate a new way Magcargo could develop an identifiable niche that we could possibly see in Gen 8. Magcargo, the Lava Pokemon Typing: Fire/Rock Abilities: Magma Armor/Flame Body/(Weak Armor) -> Flame Body/(Molten Rock *NEW*) Stats: HP: 60 -> 80 ATK: 50 DEF: 120 -> 130 SPA: 90 SPD: 80 -> 90 SPE: 30 -> 20 Total: 430 -> 460 (Net +30) Molten Rock: A Pokemon with Molten Rock heals 1/4th of its maximum HP when hit with a Rock-Type attack; including Stealth Rocks. NOTE: Stealth Rocks will be absorbed like when Poison Pokemon switch into Toxic Spikes. Concept: Many Johto Pokemon could use a minor stat readjustment so that their average totals aren't as low as they currently are. This small adjustment gives Magcargo a stronger role as a defensive Pokemon with more health to soak up damage, and a bit more defenses. Magcargo's speed is already painfully low, and he is a snail after all, so he should be fairly slow. But the real big deal is Molten Rock. Essentially, this is the water absorb/volt absorb for Rock attacks. Rock is an offensive type that could use a slap on the wrist. It doesn't need to be destroyed, but it could stand to be taken down a notch. With Magcargo absorbing rock attacks, a type he would ordinarily be weak to, suddenly there's a Pokemon who can switch into Stone Edges with complete safety, but the real kicker is being able to absorb Stealth Rocks on switch-in and prevent them from being applied. Stealth Rocks is an extremely powerful tool and one that constantly needs to be taken into account. Rapid Spinners and Defogers can already rid the field of them, but since Magcargo doesn't need to use a move to do that, he would have a slight edge over those Pokemon. Being 4x weak to Water and Ground though will still pose to be an issue, so I don't necessarily believe he would suddenly become an ubers threat, or even OU, but I believe these changes would at least give him a role that would warrant experimentation and use across more than just ZU/PU.

Personally, I love the design of Grookey so far. His design reminds me of some of the simpler designs from Gen 1-3, and I personally prefer the slightly muted colors and simplistic shape. He seems to have some kind of musical or dance inspired powers, hence the drumming on the rock and "Groovy" seemingly a source of inspiration for his name. Something else to consider is that Grass Starters are always based on some kind of prehistoric/extinct animal. Grookey definitely has a bit of a lemur-esque appearance. That's not to say his evolutions will, Pikipek evolving into Toucannon being a great example, but if we assume for a second that he will retain that, he'll likely be based off a lemur from the Eocene epoch. As for typing, there's that weird moment in the trailer where these parts of the grass stay compressed until a moment after Grookey runs away that seems very odd. I have no idea if this is meant to imply some kind of secondary typing or what, but I'm getting a Grass/Psychic vibe. Sound, though, isn't a type, so it could really be anything. Scorbunny's design is probably my least favorite, but not by much. I think what I don't like about the design are her body proportions in the body/legs/feet areas. She looks very cartoonish, which isn't to say that Pokemon should be hyper realistic, but it's like the Incineroar problem. Incineroar doesn't really try to have any semblance of realism or organic design, he's just a cartoon character. Meanwhile, compare him to Infernape who's design retains a level of natural, ape-like design while adding in features that allude to Sun Wukong. You get something that looks much better. With Scorbunny, who seems more like a hare than a rabbit for the record, you get this concept of speed and energy. I think she would look a lot better if her body were less round and more ovular, and the legs were thicker with thinner feet to have more emphasis on those long, powerful legs hares have. Something closer to the hind legs of this image: The point is to have a balance between aspects of realism and animation. Maybe to retain the Pokemon aesthetic, the foot pads could be a larger, and the yellow patches could be on the back of the legs under the knee joint. While we're on those yellow patches, I get a strong Fire/Electric vibe, which would not only be fantastic for a type combination that we've oddly never had yet, but I think would develop into a really cool design. I have little faith though, as the Fire Starters seem to get further and further into raw cartoon character designs with every passing generation. $10 says we're getting the Trixx Rabbit on Fire with her final evolution. Sobble is middle ground for me. At the moment, there's nothing particularly unique about his design or his personality in the trailer that stands out to me. He's not that different, visually, than Pokemon like Mudkip or Wooper. Personally, the only thing I'm slightly adverse to are his eyes. I kinda wish they were less cartoonishly ovular and more round like amphibian eyes. His invisibility is something to note, but it's difficult to know what that means in regards to his typing or moveset. Is it Acid Armor? Is it the Color Change ability? Color Change is just a worse Protean, but Greninja already claims Protean among starters, so that seems unlikely. Since Gen 6, ti seems like starters are always getting exclusive hidden abilities, even if those abilities don't necessarily compliment those Pokemon in functionality (Magician, Liquid Voice, etc.). So it's difficult to say. Water starters also are all influenced by some kind of weapon type, but it's basically impossible to get a better grasp on what kind of weapon inspiration they'll go for with Sobble yet. He's not like Grookey where the inspiration is an animal and thus we can narrow down options based on his appearance. That being said, Sobble does appear to have a long coiled tail, so maybe a whip? Though it wouldn't be the first time a water starter began developing a cool feature only for it to be taken away in the final evolution (Wartortle's awesome tail, Froakie/Frogadier's frubbles, etc.) So who knows?

Blue may not be a well-written character, but it wasn't from a lack of trying. Red/Green/Blue/Yellow came from a simpler time where mobile gaming hardware was extremely limited. The game's narrative was never trying to be a complex narrative like in a film or console RPG, it was just trying to create a simulation for kids to role play in this fantasy world with fantastical animals with supernatural powers, and not mercilessly slaughter them like any other RPG. Blue was just created to add in a layer of conflict, as all stories need, so that the player would have some opposing force that wasn't just a crime syndicate.

Ghost-Types aren't literally ghosts, though. They're more or less corporeal beings with a strong affiliation with the dead, who congregate in places affiliated with the dead, and who have one or more of the following: Some power over sleep and dreams (Shared with Psychic types) The ability to see or sense the spirits of the dead (which I believe are confirmed to exist in the Pokemon universe as shown with Lavander Town's dead Marowak, and an episode with a Dusknoir trying to protect some children from an actually malicious spirit). The ability to control, or at least manipulate to some degree, negative emotions/energy. The ability to sense someone's fears. And Possibly some other similar things. We know for a fact they're not actually ghosts because if they were, you wouldn't be able to breed them and hatch them from eggs.

Ivysaur, Wartortle, Quilava, Croconaw, Grovyle, Marshtomp, Monferno, Pignite, Dewott, Chespin, Braixen, Rowlet, Torracat, Brionne... For some reason, many starters seem to have this trend of cool middle evolution/disappointing final evolution. Sometimes its because the design doesn't really change much (Typhlosion), because the design takes a dramatic shift in theme out of nowhere (Blastoise), or goes a little too far and makes the design less of a Pokemon and more of a Digimon in style, if that makes any sense (Delphox/Primarina). No hate on Digimon, but I like for each to maintain their own styles and not bleed into each other. This is, of course, my own opinion, so feel free to disagree. Outside of starters: Gen 4's "Patch-Up Job" evolutions mostly: Weavile, Lickilicky, Rhyperior, Magmortar, Electivire, Ambipom, Yanmega, Gliscor, definitely Probopass, Dusknoir, Tangrowth, and Togekiss especially for me all look worse in a way than their former selves. It's not as much an issue of bad design, but Gen 4 is where the shift in style really started to change for Pokemon, such as much bolder, more heavily saturated colors (Just look at the difference between Rhydon and Rhyperior and you'll see what I mean) and also where the designers started overcomplicating many designs with too many small details. Palkia and Dialga, for example, are extremely busy designs with a lot more details than they needed, and the same is true for many of these designs. Togetic is my favorite NFE Pokemon, and the one I'm most salty about changing from an elegant fae-like design to an airplane. The others I haven't mentioned either benefit from split evolutions, (Gallade, Froslass) where their former selves are still at least somewhat viable, or others that also look good (Honchkrow, Mismagius) but I also like their pre evolutions and kinda wish they were separate. Mamoswine is the only one I think is a legitimate improvement. Dragonair, as others mentioned, should've been a split evolution. I feel the same for Flaaffy, and I also really love Mareep. I wish Mareep was a form-based Pokemon with a full coat, defensive form (Mareep) and a sheared form (Flaaffy). Ampharos could've been his own thing. Same goes for the Vulpixes where I kinda wish they were separate from Ninetales because I like both for different reasons. I also just wish Pokemon Evolution was actually not about a species growing more mature as if they were aging, but was actually all about adapting to different environments with different (but not stronger) stat spreads, typings, abilities, and moves. Like, I wish Evolution was swapping a Pokemon between the base form and their 'regional variant/form' with the capability to evolve back if the situation revolving around that Pokemon's environment changes. Scyther to Scizor, in concept, is more what I wish all Pokemon evolution was like. Scizor doesn't have more points to his stats, he just moved Scyther's points around and developed a new typing, ability, and moveset. Granted it's blatantly better than Scyther's in practice, but if there was a greater attempt at keeping some amount of balance around evolutions, like shifting strengths and weaknesses to better suit the team, you'd probably have a wider array of viable options in Pokemon. I mean, even when you look at Gen 1 by itself, you don't really have 151 different Pokemon to choose from. No one ever said "Hmm, should I take Dragonite on my team or Metapod..?" You don't consider the options between Charmander and Charizard. One is flat out better in every way possible than the other. You actually had only 91 'reasonable' choices for Pokemon, and I say 'reasonable' including options like Beedrill and Fearow. Imagine if those other 60 designs weren't just blatantly worse than one of the other 91, and actually had their own unique styles that, while maybe not being perfectly balance, at least warranted the option for being a choice, even in a lower tier.

I love your breakdown of each character. It really showcases the difference between each and how they're both not actual rehashes of the same archetype, nor were they designed to be. I get that Pokemon isn't exactly the shining definition of complex narratives, but it does get under my skin a little how people feel the need to trivialize character development for this concept of having an asshole rival, even when that says almost nothing about who that rival is as a person. Good character development isn't created by trying to fill a specific niche, but by creating a character with a personality, backstory, and goal, and actually letting them take control of their own story.

Hmm... you have a point. I was thinking pretty one dimentionally and looked at U-turn more, but you really don't need to hit hard for U-turn to be useful. Swapping physical for special means heatwave, and heatwave is even better for doubles, which this concept supports more than singles. So I would all be down for that as well.

Currently, Unfezant is a fairly unremarkable early bird Pokemon unique only for its cosmetic sexual dimorphism. The impressive 115 attack stat is nice, but their speed is just shy of being competitive enough to make up for their mediocre defenses. Pair that with some fairly generic abilities and a moveset that doesn't include anything to help them stand out against their much more reliable competitive of Normal/Flying birds, Staraptor, and you've got a Pokemon that fails to stand out as much as their designs would lead you to believe. So what if each gender received their own unique ability--Something to help showcase their sexual dimorphism in a unique way? So here's what I have: Unfezant (Male) Ability: Courting - Pokemon of the same type as the ability-bearer are infatuated with them regardless of gender. Unfezant (Female) Ability: Enamored - When infatuated, the ability-bearer ignores the normal conditions and instead increases all damage dealt by 50%. On top of these abilities, I would also change female Unfezant's stats slightly. Currently, both look like this: HP - 80 Atk - 115 Def - 80 SpA - 65 SpD - 55 Spe - 93 Female Unfezant's would look like this: HP - 80 Atk - 115 Def - 70 SpA - 65 SpD - 45 Spe - 113 In this change, Male Unfezant becomes a bit more support-y, being able to switch into Normal and Flying Pokemon and instantly crippling their combat performance regardless of their gender. Mechanically I did this because infatuation relying on gender is so unreliable that any attempts to utilize it are nothing more than gimmicky; however, many birds also display homosexual interactions, so there's some real-world counterparts there. As for doubting GameFreak's openness to including that aspect, I also see infatuation not necessarily as sexual attraction, but rather the opponent becoming blinded by cuteness or beauty, and I believe reinforcing that visually could allow them to scrape by without having to deal with any backlash. In Singles, I doubt this would save Unfezant, but the unique ability to cripple certain Pokemon could make M Unfezant an interesting niche pick in some tiers, similarly to how Quagsire has been used in all tiers in places despite being considered very low tier. After all, you could switch into a Chansey, force a switch out, and guarantee yourself a tailwind, then U-turn into whatever you wanted to raise the speed of. As for Female Unfezant, the shear lack of infatuation mechanics means that she largely would not be seen anywhere in singles for that purpose; however, the increase in speed in place of defenses could have her perform as a decent sweeper in lower tiers. Probably not a top pick by any means, but certainly a little better than she is now. The real specialty is using her in doubles. Virtually everything can use Attract, meaning any Male Support Pokemon could be used to help set up an extremely potent sweeper with the 50% damage boost on top of the 115 base attack. Female Unfezant would hit like a truck so long as the support Pokemon stayed on the field. You could also run the male and female together, for instant power increase and the opportunity to cripple threats like Landorus T. There's gimmick here, but it's not outlandishly gimmicky. Again, I don't see it being any top tier strategy, since it's something that can be disrupted without too much trouble, but there's something there that isn't there currently.

I wouldn't think having legends around Shaymin and the Gracidea flowers would make it Legendary status since many Pokemon have legends and myths about them in the Pokedex. Most Ghost Pokemon are a great example, like the idea that Yamasks were once human and the masks were their faces. We know that's not true because you can hatch a Yamask from an egg. It can't be the spirit of a dead person if it was birthed into existence. I can understand the lack of breeding Shaymins to be a contributing factor, but like Lugia, or arguably even Nidorinas and Nidoqueens, I'd argue that's more contributed by them being poorly bred in captivity, like real-world pandas. Since their sensitive to pollution, that would make a lot of sense. And Manaphy, being much more rare than Shaymin, can actually be bred in captivity, so I can't imagine that's a defining characteristic of legendary Pokemon. As for seed flare opening a portal in dimensions, I'm on the fence. Yeah, that makes some sense, but I believe that only happened in the reverse world, so I'm curious whether or not it could be done the other way around. It also wouldn't necessarily change how common and easy-to-find they are in comparison to other legendaries.

As far as the way the games are handled, the way Shaymin is distributed, as well as Shaymin's stats and access to the signature Seed Flare, Shaymin is treated as a legendary Pokemon, but when it comes to the Pokemon world's lore, does Shaymin really deserve to be considered Legendary by itself? Pokemon in the Mythical category, like Mew and Jirachi, are notable for being extremely rare and very difficult to track. Jirachi for example, being awake for a short period of time once in a thousand years. Meanwhile, Shaymin are somewhat uncommon due to their need to be in clean environments, but are not difficult to track, nor are that all that exclusive. The people of the Pokemon world seem pretty aware of where Shaymins are and what their migration period is like. Now, not all legendaries are treated equally, like some of them being the only of their kind and wielding extrodenary powers like Dialga and Palkia, but you also have Pokemon like the bird trio, or Latias and Latios who aren't that exclusive, just a step above pseudo-legendaries in rarity. It seems like Shaymins are even more common than those. It's true that it could be difficult to train Shaymin's because of how sensitive they are to pollution, but many common Pokemon seem like they'd be even harder to train for other reasons, such as Bewear's uncontrolled strength, Magcargo being untouchable and probably a nightmare for any Nurse Joy to care for, or just Wailord's sheer size. Yes, the movie featuring Shaymin gave that one telepathy, but the Pokemon movies throw around talking Pokemon like they're gift baskets being handed out to the entire audience of an episode of Oprah (I'm looking at you, Pikachu). So is Shaymin really legendary in lore?

Ledian is a Pokemon I called a favorite for a while and continues to be, design-wise, a Pokemon I like. Created to be a ladybug Pokemon with an aesthetic similarity to the Power Rangers, Ledian embraces the spirit of the Bug-Type more than any other Bug-Type Pokemon. This is why Bug attacks are super effective against Dark-Type Pokemon after all: because culturally, bugs are symbolically linked with super heroes in Japan. Currently, Ledian's crippled by a poor typing, mediocre abilities, and atrocious stats. There is a stark disconnect between Ledian's design implying fist-based combat skills and a measly base attack stat of 35. This isn't the only instance of disconnections within Ledian's overall design. This Pokemon was also given Swarm in Generation 3 during a time where Ledian could only learn a single, unreliable Bug-Type attack, and only through breeding. Despite the fact that Ledyba and Ledian have commonly been associated with the morning to contrast with Spinarak and Ariados, Ledian's Pokedex entries imply that the Pokemon is more nocturnal, being active at night and receiving power from the stars. All of these contradictions make me question just how it is that Pokemon come to be. How could a Pokemon exist with all these blatant disconnections? Well, I'm here now to attempt a correction for Ledian to give this Pokemon a cohesive theme and style. Ledian doesn't need to be an Uber's threat, but it should at least have a style that makes some amount of sense. Because the Pokedex focuses on Ledian's connection to the stars, how starlight interacts with Leidan's black dots, and how Ledian is referred to as the five star Pokemon, I want to make this the theme that threads Ledian's design together. With that in mind, here's what I have to suggest: Ledian: The Five Star Pokemon Bug/Flying -> Normal Form (Bug/Flying) | Starlight Form (Bug/Fairy) Swarm / Early Bird / (Iron Fist) -> Five Stars *NEW* Normal Form Starlight Form HP: 55 -> 65 65 Atk: 35 -> 70 100 Def: 50 -> 60 70 SpA: 55 -> 35 25 SpD: 110 -> 110 120 Spe: 85 -> 85 115 Total: 390 -> 425 495 Moves: Level Up: TM: Egg: Tutor: *New Ability* Five Stars (Ledian Exclusive) In Game Text: Changes the Pokemon's form when moon or star moves are used. Details: Changes Ledian to Starlight Form after any participating Pokemon use moon or star moves. Affected Moves: Moonlight, Moonblast, Moongeist Beam, Startdust Fists *New Move* Stardust Fists Fairy-Type / Physical Power: 90 / Acc: 100 Effect: 30% chance to raise Special Defense 1 stage. Learned By: Explanation: I used Darmanitan's Zen Mode as an example of how you can create an ability to change the form of a Pokemon. Zen Mode Darmanitan has a noticeably higher stat total than normal Darmanitan but is offset by the requirement that Darmanitan's HP be low. For Ledian, the offset here is that you need to get a fragile and barely quick Bug/Flying Type Pokemon on the field and use either Moonlight for recovery or attack with Startdust Fists. That's actually a tall glass to fill, and what you get is a decent sweeper, but not necessarily a great one. You'll also need to change into Starlight form whenever you swap into battle. On the positive side, this means you have safe switch-ins to Earthquake every time, but this also means you're basic Ledian until you use starlight fists. In this form, Ledian's dots change into stars and glow while stardust glitters in a cape-like shape under Ledian's wings. This is meant to represent the "powered" super hero. When the stars are out, i.e. a star or moon move has been used, Ledian powers up and prepares to fight. It gets faster, stronger, and slightly bulkier. Like a mini-Mega Evolution, Ledian's able to go from zero to hero, or almost at least. I chose the fairy typing because it aligned with Ledian's theme of being powered by the stars in order to be a proper super hero. As for Stardust Fists, Play Rough doesn't quite fit Ledian's style. And we really do need to see some more Physical Fairy-Moves in future generations anyway. I wanted to create something that made more sense for Ledian, but could also be spread around some other Pokemon as well. I'd like to think that the SpD boost chance is due to the user coating themselves in excess stardust which protects them. The added buff to a lot of other Pokemon receiving this move might also help some of them gain some power too. As for sets, there are a number of ways to go, but here's a sample set: Ledian @Life Orb Five Stars Jolly 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe - Stardust Fists - Lunge - Drain Punch / Thunder Punch / Moonlight - Swords Dance This is a pretty straightforward setup sweeper set. Drain Punch is nice because of the added recovery to offset Life Orb damage, but Thunder Punch has better coverage. Moonlight could be chosen if you anticipate getting out-sped by something you can take a hit from, or possibly after switching into something. If you anticipate having to switch in and out a lot, then Moonlight can help keep you alive and change your form every time you need to swap in. If your opponent has a fairy-type likely to carry Moonblast, you can switch in and tank the attack beautifully with Ledian's high special defense.

@Amphibi I wouldn't have examples like Noble Roar be the standard, just a special case for Pyroar since Noble Roar isn't worth a move slot. It's meant to be an exclusive move to help Pyroar stand out, but nothing about Pyroar is notable. Having that as a Support Move would be intended as something notably different and not the standard. As for what moves would be in Support as well as some examples of who gets it... Aqua Ring - Restores 1/16th Max HP every turn (Dewgong, Lumineon, Phione) Assist - Changes to a random Standard Move known by a party member every turn (Delcatty, Liepard) Camouflage - Changes User's type based on environment; toggle-able (Starmie, Latias, Latios) Captivate - Lowers opponent's Special Attack 1 stage on switch-in if the opponent is of the opposite gender; genderless Pokemon are immune (Alomomola, Luvdisc) Conversion - Changes User's type to that of the Standard Move in the first slot of their move pool; toggle-able (Porygon Family) Conversion2 - Changes User's type to that of the Standard Move in the first slot of the opponent's move pool; toggle-able (Porygon Family) Copycat - Becomes the opponent's Support Move on Switch In (Mr. Mime, Wigglytuff, Mimikyu) Cotton Spore - 50% chance to lower opponent's Speed 1 stage when contact is made (Whimsicott, Ampharos, Jumpluff) Crafty Shield - User and Allies are protected from the first status condition that they would receive by the opponent; refreshes on switch-out (Klefki, Magearna) Dream Eater - Drains 1/16th Max HP from Sleeping opponents every turn (Hypno, Noctowl, Musharna) Electrify - Changes the type of the Standard Move in the first slot of the opponent's move pool to Electric-Type (Helioptile Family) Embargo - Opponents holding the same item as the User cannot use those items or receive their effects (Ignores Mega stones/ Z Crystals) (Houndoom, Weavile, Krookodile) Fairy Lock - Opponent cannot switch-out during the first turn of when the User switches in (Klefki) Feint - Attacking moves deal 30% damage instead of failing against protected opponents (Pikachu, Infernape, Lucario) Flower Shield - Raises Defense of all Grass-Type Pokemon on the field 1 stage every turn (Sunflora, Florges, Comfey, Cherrim) Focus Energy - Passively Boosts Critical Hit rate (Farfetch'd, Raticate, Fearow) Foresight - Ignore evasion modifiers and Normal-Type moves deal neutral damage to Ghost-Type Pokemon (Noctowl, Furret, Regigigas) Forest's Curse - Adds Grass-Type to all Pokemon on the field on switch-in; User's Grass-Type Moves Ignore Grass-Type Immunities like Leech Seed (Trevenant) Gastro Acid - Neutralizes opponent's Support Move while the User is on the field (Arbok, Victreebel, Gastrodon) Gear Up - Raises Attack or Special Attack 1 stage of all Electric-Type Pokemon on the field every turn (Klinklang, Magearna) Glaciate - All Ice-Type damaging Moves cause targets Speed to drop 1 stage (Kyurem) Gravity - Grounds Flying-Type Pokemon and Levitating Pokemon on the field (Clefable, Probopass, Dusknoir) Grudge - Depletes the PP of the Move that KOs the User (Ninetales, Shedinja, Mismagius) Guard Swap - All Pokemon on the field swap their own Defense Stat with their own Special Defense Stat when the User switches in (Mr. Mime, Xatu, Umbreon) Heal Block - Pokemon on the field cannot restore HP (Celebi, Shedinja, Claydol) Howl - Raises User's Attack 1 Stage on switch-in (Mightyena, Manectric, Exploud) Imprison - Opponents Pokemon cannot use Standard Moves known by the user (Ninetales, Stantler, Bronzong) Ingrain - Restores 1/16th Max HP every turn; User cannot dodge oncoming attacks (Roserade, Cacturne, Shiinotic) Ion Deluge - Normal-Type Moves become Electric-Type (Lanturn, Electivire, Zebstrika) Kinesis - Confused Opponents are more likely to miss Attacks (Alakazam) Lucky Chant - Opponents cannot land Critical Hits (Clefable, Vileplume, Bellossom, Delphox) Magic Room - Held Items on all Pokemon have no effect (Lunatone, Gothitelle, Delphox) Magnet Rise - User Levitates for their first turn on switch-in (Magnezone, Forretress, Electrode) Magnetic Flux - Raises Defense or Special Defense of all Electric-Type Pokemon on the field 1 stage every turn (Probopass) Me First - User has +1 Priority on all moves during the first turn they're on the field on switch-in (Furret, Stantler, Meowstic) Miracle Eye - Ignore enemy evasion modifiers and makes Psychic-Type attacks deal neutral damage to Dark-Type Pokemon (Xatu, Sigilyph, Beyeehem) Mud Sport - Weakens Electric-Type attacks by 50% for 3 turns on switch-in (Kingler, Relicanth, Pyukumuku) Nightmare - Sleeping opponents lose 1/8th max HP every turn (Gengar, Hypno, Darkrai) Noble Roar - Lowers opponents Attack and Special Attack 1 stage on switch-in (Pyroar) Odor Sleuth - Ignore evasion modifiers and Normal-Type moves deal neutral damage to Ghost-Type Pokemon (Arcanine, Linoone, Gumshoos) Powder - Causes Fire-Type attacks to backfire, damaging the opponent by 25% max HP (Vivillon, Ribombee) Psych Up - User receives any stat modifiers the opponent receives (Medicham, Spinda, Oranguru) Quash - Opponents who haven't attacked yet, and are stuck with damaging moves will be forced to act last that turn (Alola-Persian, Honchkrow, Incineroar) Reflect Type - User's type becomes the same as the opponent's; toggle-able (Tentacruel, Starmie, Latias) Rototiller - Raises Attack or Special Attack of all Grass-Type Pokemon 1 stage every turn (Dugtrio, Parasect, Mudsdale) Scary Face - Lowers opponent's Speed 1 stage on switch-in (Arbok, Ariados, Masquerain) Smokescreen - User ignores Trapping effects (Weezing, Kingdra, Dragalgae) Speed Swap - User swaps their Speed stat with the opponent's (Alola-Raichu) Spite - 30% chance of lowering the PP of an opponent's most recently used move by 2-5 at the end of each turn (Dunsparce, Banette, Spiritomb) Sweet Scent - Lowers Evasion by 1 stage of all opponent's Pokemon each turn (Vileplume, Aromatisse, Tsareena) Tearful Look - 30% chance of lowering Attack or Special Attack by 1 stage after receiving damage; lowered stat is determined by damage category (Sudowoodo, Wishiwashi, Dedenne) Torment - Opponents cannot use the same move twice in a row (Shiftry, Krookodile, Bisharp) Trick-or-Treat - Adds Ghost-Type to all Pokemon on the field on switch-in (Gourgeist) Water Sport - Weakens Fire-Type attacks by 50% for 3 turns on switch-in (Masquerain, Ludicolo, Floatzel) Some of these would definitely have reduced accessibility, and there'd be room to add new ones too.

@GS BALL I actually brought that up the Reborn City page. @Wolfox Hmm, I wouldn't say it's from a competitive standpoint exclusively. From the designer side of things, once the new systems are in place, it actually makes it easier to continue making new Pokemon. Something the designers have to constantly keep in mind is that they need to avoid being overly repetitive with Pokemon designs. That's actually why so many Gen VII Pokemon had exclusive abilities and moves, to ensure they were at least somewhat unique over previous designs. A new system like this would add a chunk more wiggle room to Pokemon design, and could allow for a healthier design Process. In regards to the idea attracting experienced players while detracting newcomers, I don't completely agree. I do think you're right in that it does cater more to experienced players (who I would argue are the ones who've already been supporting the product for however many years), I don't think it would necessarily turn away newcomers. I can't think of any reason why new players could look at current Pokemon and want to join, but see a new support move slot and basic move slot and suddenly turn away at the game. In fact, usually players like feeling strong and powerful, and unique effects like that would probably feel satisfying control. It's also a reason to make Gen 1 Stand out more with some cool new toys, and GameFreak does love milking Gen 1's nostalgia factor.

The list of moves in Pokemon is vast and gets bigger with every generation. Some have become reliable stables in the ever-growing competitive community. Others are too weak, too situational, or just don't have the payoff to warrant taking up one of your Pokemon's four slots for moves, but what if in a future generation, more slots were added to the game for specific kinds of moves with all new effects? I want to share with everyone an idea I think would breath new life into the future of Pokemon games, refreshing the battling experience and adding an exciting new dynamic that could not only make battles more fun, but also give weaker Pokemon new chances at having their own identities. These come in the form of two brand new move slots, bringing a Pokemon's move total from 4 to 6, but you can't just put any move in these two slots. Moves would be separated into 3 major categories: Standard Moves, Basic Moves, and Support Moves Standard Moves are the four slots of moves that we are currently familiar with. Pokemon learn these moves via levels and other methods. This list is populated by most of the moves we're already familiar with, and the way these are handle would hardly change at all. Many moves in the game have low power levels and are seen as transitional moves, such as Tackle, Pound, Confusion, Water Gun, and other such moves. Generally Speaking, moves with base power of 50 or lower would be regrouped and categorized as Basic Moves. Each Pokemon has 1 Basic Move in its own special slot and does not take up any of the four slots for Standard Moves. Each Pokemon only learns 1 Basic Move and does not learn any others via level up, breeding, tutors, or anything else. Each Pokemon's Basic Move is learned at Level 1. This means that every Pokemon in the game would have an offensive tool at an early level, so you don't get awkward situations where a low level Ralts can't do anything but Growl. There's not that much interesting here, but I will say that some of these may be physical, some may be special, and some may have secondary effects. Pokemon like Arbok, Chimecho, and Steelix would have Wrap/Bind as a Basic Move, giving them permanent access to a trapping move that they otherwise might not have room for on their movesets. Rapidash may have Flame Charge as a Basic Move, giving her access to easier speed boosts when defeating a weakened opponent. While stronger Pokemon may have simple, raw damage Basic Moves, weaker ones could be given Basic Moves with effects that could give them a slight advantage to compensate for their weaker stats, shallower move pools, or less effective abilities. Additionally, Mimic would function as a Basic Move that transforms into your opponent's current Basic Move on switch-in. Lastly is the Support Move, a move that can't be selected and used. Support Moves act like second abilities, and can activate based on a number of criteria. Moves that are interesting, but currently aren't useful enough to either warrant a slot on a Pokemon's move pool, or the turn necessary to use them could find its way into the list of Support Moves. Some moves that have interesting potentials may also find their way here. Unlike Basic Moves, Pokemon may learn a handful of Support Moves via level or other means, but only 1 can be in your Support Move slot at a time. Pokemon like Lumineon and Dewgong would have Aqua Ring as an option, immediately activating when those Pokemon switch in like built-in leftovers. Assist could be promoted to a Support Move as well, transforming into a Standard Move known by one of your other Pokemon at random every turn, constantly giving your Delcatty or Liepard a 5th Standard Move to choose from that constantly changes (or not if you use any of the current Assist gimmick teams). Copycat, like Mimic, would transform into your opponent's Support Move on Switch-in. Pyroar's unique Noble Roar would become a Support Move that activates on switch-in, giving Pyroar an intimidate-like effect. Rototiller could be buffed as a Support Move to boost the Attack and Special Attack of grounded Grass-Types every turn the user is on the field. Its accessibility to only weaker Pokemon would help balance the combo potential. What do you all think about this idea? Do you think it would be new, exciting, and enhance the Pokemon experience?

More eviolite-like items that have different effects so that basic and middle stage Pokemon aren't just imcomplete versions of their fully evolved forms. Yeah, I get that we don't want to just make the unevolved, or partially evolved versions just blatantly better, (Hi, Chansey), but It would be nice if you like Flaaffy's design more than Ampharos' to be able to use Flaaffy and not feel like you're playing with a handicap. I'd actually like to see you be able to take your Pokemon somewhere, trade in an everstone, and permanently lose that Pokemon's ability to evolve in exchange for some kind of buff.

To be completely honest, I've never understood the charm of the starter Pokemon. It's kinda hard to explain... There are starters that I like, but I hate that they're starters, if that makes any sense. Like I don't want the games to force the same Grass, Fire, Water trio option on me every game, and for the games to act as if that is my spirit animal that will be my partner for the rest of my life. What if I want my special partner to be a Primeape? or a Donphan? or a Chimecho? Maybe I want to be an Ice-type trainer and have a Snover as my first partner. Most of my playthroughs in Pokemon, I drop my starter the second I catch something I like, and for the rest of the game, I pretend that was the Pokemon I received at the start of my journey. For a long time, I thought everyone else was the same--only keeping the starters if they liked those Pokemon more than the other hundreds of options. But time and time again, I see a lot of people referring to "that special Pokemon you began your journey with" and naturally that means it was a starter Pokemon. That being said... My Gen 1 Favorite is Wartortle. Wartortle is one of the Water-types I actually do like and wouldn't mind training if he wasn't a middle-stage Pokemon and thus "incomplete." I've never really liked Blastoise and am quite salty that the designers intentionally chose for squirtle to get this long, cloudy tail and ears, only to rip them off 16 levels later and shove two cannons that have no place being there into his shell. I wish the designers continued that design trend and Wartortle would've evolved into something with an even longer tail. Gen 2 is Meganium. Because Meganium is my favorite fully evolved starter, he is the worst starter in the entire game. Fate wouldn't have seen it happen any other way. I just like the simplicity of the design, and I really enjoy seeing various art of different Meganium forms. Seriously, looking up "Meganium Pokemon Variants" and you'll see a lot of cool ideas. Gen 3 is Marshtomp. Swampert's design got too grizzly for my liking, and I always found Marshtomp to be a great happy medium between Midkip's cuteness and Swampert's power. Again, Marshtomp is just an incomplete Swampert, though, because that's just how Pokemon was designed. I'm not as in love with Marshtomp, though, as I am with Wartortle. Gen 4 is Torterra. The other fully evolved starter I like, but less than Meganium. I love the bonsai design for Torterra and think it makes for such an interesting Pokemon design. Also like Meganium, there are a ton of cool concepts for Torterra variants with other trees and seasonal designs. Naturally, Torterra is also very low tier, but not as bad as Meganium. Be thankful I didn't like you more then Meganium, Torterra, or you'd be an even worse Pokemon. Gen 5 is Dewott. Like the other Water-type middle stages, Dewott has a great improvement from Oshawott, but then drives off left field to be what Samurott is. I guess I'm just a fan of happy mediums. Too bad they weren't designed to have anything advantages that their evolved forms don't have. Gen 6 is Braixen. I liked Braixen before Pokken was a thing. It would've been nice to see Fenniken's evolutionary family stay in the quadruped world like most of the fan art tried to predict, but GameFreak seems to have a vendetta against them, so I'm not sure we'll ever get a quadruped Fire starter. Even when we go to the horse or ram chinese zodiac inspirations in the future, I'm sure GameFreak will find a way to turn them into a cereal box mascot. Yeah, that's more about Incineroar, but Torracat isn't my favorite Gen 7 starter so this was really the only time to bring that up. Anyway, Braixen... I guess I just like that Braixen goes for the spell caster aesthetic in a way that doesn't take a shovel and bash you in the face with it like Delphox does. Gen 7 is Brionne. A lot of people were skeptical of Popplio, and while I wasn't in love, I liked the circus feel. Again, happy medium Brionne is able to pull of the circus performer aesthetic in a way that feels natural and simplistic. It's not like someone's screaming in your ear "LOOK AT ME, I'M AN OPERA SEAL-SIREN WITH A GENDER RATIO THAT WILL DEFY YOUR EXPECTATIONS!" like a certain seal Pokemon I could choose to name, but won't. (Hint: It's Walrein). Also, why did we get Sparkling Aria instead of a water balloon attack like Popplio and Brionne are supposed to use?

So I was thinking a little about the moves that Pokemon could learn in past generations, whether via TM, tutor, or what-have-you, and was wondering if there's any plans to include those moves somewhere in Reborn? In the official games, you have to import those Pokemon from the older games which can be a fairly arduous task if you don't already have those games. Since Reborn isn't an official game, it's not like you can access the Pokemon Bank or anything. Maybe there could be a late-post game Move "Relearner" type character that can teach Pokemon previous generation moves for shards/scales? Maybe a Pokemon Psychic that can 'see into other worlds' and teach your Pokemon forbidden techniques? I could also think of some more interesting ways of including them like an NPC using Ultra Space, or some other shenanigans, to send your Pokemon into another history and come back with one of those moves. Although, this is very asset intensive and completely unnecessary, so I imagine this would not be the optimal solution. If there already is a way to do this, and I'm a completely oblivious fool, then disregard this .

I actually like the idea of an ice elemental that people shaped a frozen treat around. It reminds me of animal crackers or other snacks shaped like animals. It's really just Vanilluxe that's the problem. First of all, there's 0 reason for that straw to be there. It's just so blatantly meant to be ice cream that it just feels like a lazy design, not to mention that there's really no interesting change between Vanillish and Vanilluxe. It's just a second head and a straw. Maybe, when Vanillish evolve into Vanilluxe, the top half (the ice cream part) of their body becomes more translucent--more frozen but still cloudy-looking. They can emit a faint colorful glow which changes the color of their top half (as if changing flavors) to signal other Vanillite, Vanillish, and Vanilluxe for different reasons. Maybe red (strawberry) means danger, blue (blue raspberry) means there's food, or something like that? Would be a good enough reason to learn Signal Beam via Level instead of tutor. Edit: Also, I don't think all the Unova Pokemon are bad, hence why I used Scraggy and Scrafty as good examples. I do believe Unova suffers from being too big, and thus some designers were struggling to make some Pokemon that thematically and mechanically felt unique, especially for less common types like Ghost and Ice. Personally, I find Sinnoh to be the worst offender Pokedex-wise. That's mostly because I think it's a bad idea to just give an evolution to a Pokemon that's weak. If a Pokemon is weak, and you want to fix that, then change their stats, abilities, typing, or whatever. I'm glad they've abandoned that mentality after Sinnoh, though. There's a reason why we don't see them throwing in new Pokemon just to fix older ones.