Chase

On the issue of Trump not being "Very presidential" - the Executive branch is made up of the President - the Vice President - and the President's Cabinet. So it doesn't just fall on the highest up's shoulders to run the country alone. This - along with the 5/4 split (in favor of Liberal thinking) in the Supreme Court, and the -currently- conservative legislative branch - SHOULD theoretically indicate that Donald Trump does not have all the - pun not intended - buying power of the country to start with. Taking all of the structure of the American government into account - Trump's personality is a LOT better suited for the job. Trump is completely transparent. He will give you EXACTLY what he wants to do with America and it's on the American people to decide if they like what he is saying -and doing- or not - and it's up to the Legistative and Jurisdiction centers of government to reign him in before he does quite literally build a wall around "New" Mexico through the system of Checks and Balances. --- So, what -WOULD- a Trump nomination manifest into? Before we determine his Democratic Party opponent, let's consider his running partner. Trump hasn't made any decisions YET regarding the other name on the ticket - but appearances of Trump and his camp's operatives discussing with others at the debate suggest that Dr. Carson and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are the leading two options. The Cruz Missile would be an interestingly scary candidate for liberals and would paint Trump as the "Conservative and PROUD of it candidate." -...with Cruz providing the (limited as he's a freshman senator) political experience on the ticket. This works out rather nicely for conservatives who are on Trump's bandwagon because of "Washington" products being disappointments. Dr. Carson on the other hand would ALSO give Trump the continued surge of "outsider" love - and even more so than Cruz. HOWEVER, Dr. Carson is a very soft-spoken individual who provides medical expertise and humanitarianism to Trump's business edge and volume. Where Trump will be effective dealing with the Immigration issue (which he -does- have a six-page policy outline on that says more than "build a wall") - Carson will be able to assist the president by implementing his policy outline on replacing the Affordable Care Act with a better alternative - as well as foreign policy. I'm sure BOTH Trump and Carson have economic plans in mind as well. Neither of those picks are even close to anything other than apparent possibilities, but a Trump/Carson ticket could be seriously compelling. --- What about the Democratic opponent? Let's assume the DNC has done a great job of protecting Hillary Clinton from #FeeltheBern by only scheduling six debates and she is given the nomination. Clinton will do her best to DESTROY Trump on the issue of Women's rights - and won't have to break any sweat in doing so as Trump is liable to offend women himself. She'll also easily appeal to same-sex marriage supporters and peace doves. Trump however is not someone you want to gaffe against in a debate - even if he's not as hot a debater himself. With scandals hurting Planned Parenthood AND Clinton herself from the prior political experience, it's not easy to say she'll beat the Donald by a landslide. If we're looking at a Trump/Clinton race - we have an interestingly similar outlook on both sides. Both have recanted statements about political issues (Hillary was originally Pro-LIfe/Trump Pro-Choice.) and both have gaffes and scandals to cherrypick from. Both SUCK at debating (See: Obama kicking Clinton's tail in '08, recent Republican debate this month.) I would imagine Trump would lose the election due to not winning over delegates, and the popular vote being very, very, very close.

It's Sunday, I'll make sure I'll get some to dish out. It is now officially Week 8. If you haven't gotten your match-ups for this week yet. We'll make sure that happens asap. Here's a story though - It took SEVEN weeks - but there is no longer any undefeated trainers left in the field.

Next week in central Texas, school kicks off....and we're still looking at 17 candidates vying for the Republican nomination. This was supposed to be the year the Republicans had a bench of stellar, well made politicians in SPADES ready to challenge and attack what is looking like a vulnerable Hillary Clinton by the day, and then you have three candidates from outside of the political arena altogether. Suddenly, instead of having a well lined army to march into the election cycle, the car became cramped, and the biggest names today are the three names that you don't see on C-SPAN before this year. Carly Fiorina is a former CEO of computer giant Hewlett Packard - and a woman. Ben Carson is a retired pediatric neurosurgeon - laden with accolades including the Medal of Freedom - which is the highest civilian award in the US. He's also an African American, providing another face and avenue to segment typically liberal leaning voter groups. and finally, casino mogul and TV-star Donald Trump, who is VASTLY ahead of the entire pack. This was supposed to be an epic battle of GOP heavyweight names. Instead, this summer brought about a new headline. The Republican base is tired of politicians, being lied to, and being labelled as antique, bigoted, and various other monikers involving race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. So tired in fact - that several voters LIKE that there's a candidate throwing the mud back. In an election where Trump - with the help of "deez nuts" - can lead Clinton in North Carolina, there may be a lot to see in the coming months. --- Who has the best chance of beating Trump in the primary? It's hard to say at this point with 17 options total - but my guess at this point would be Dr. Carson - a name I'd personally GLADLY get behind. --- What's Dr. Carson's biggest challenge? Honestly? Black Liberals. The issue black people will raise today is that their cause is worth being vocal about. In many ways, you will have many blacks who share Malcolm-X ideologies as opposed to Martin Luther King ones. Carson's bits about race indicate that Carson is more like MLK in approach, proporting "colorblindness". Those remarks have earned him praise among the general Republican base - but the left has taken the opportunity to label Carson an "Uncle Tom" - or a black who is subserviant/partial to white people or who adds to the "black struggle." - In my opinion, America has a Tri-fold racism issue when it comes to African Americans. There are those who regrettably still regard African Americans as less than human. Some like Dr. Carson who see them as human, and some who see blacks - by being pariahs about the struggle African Americans have faced and events like the Ferguson, MO riots still going on today - that see them inadvertantly as MORE than human. That's where the Liberals will attack Dr. Carson even more should he continue to rise in the polls. --- Can Fiorina become even more competitive? Absolutely. Fiorina, like Carson and Trump, is riding the wave of non-politicians right now and is the GOP answer for women in America. She'll also have more opportunities to debate - even on the main stage this time - than Clinton would. She's very much still in the race. --- Is Donald Trump for REAL? Today, I've found out that Donald Trump is 1) actively seeking policy advisory and 2) considering running partners in the back of his mind. If those two points were not enough to believe Trump might be the nominee, consider the fact that Republican voters are casting aside political correctness in favor for a hard response. I think we should start to see Trump form some coherent policy arguments the next time he sees the stage. What remains to be seen is if America is still going to buy his volcanic rhetoric going into the winter.

England. A lot of American missionaries don't understand that England - despite being an English speaking country - is a country that is very much in a state of religious collapse. That in itself is not a bad thing from the secular point of view - but I'm no secularist. Aside from missionary intents, England is home to Jagex Games Studios- home to a LOT of my money that I've earned throughout my life and the MMORPG known as RuneScape. It's also a very good place if your aesthetic is dated metropolis like mine is.

Thanks Jelly! That looks pretty promising and I'll keep that one in mind. For now, I actually really like offensive lead 'Chomp just fine in that role.

"Mama Mia" indeed.

Gen 5 prevails starkly in the overworld, but the sprites look choppier in the battle screen due to animation purposes. Gen 5 here.

...oh boy, the heresy suggestions.

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-261639040 Low-ladder shenanigans. Celebi would NOT be denied.

Asthma. Recently however, and like Jericho alluded to, I'm not going to admit to it or treat it because it's something is not diagnosed and I don't like crutches, I've seen docs... and a "possible" future diagnosis is Recurrent Brief Depression. God, that sounds weak for an official diagnosis. RBD is a mental disorder that is essentially an episodal version of major depression in which depression episodes last shorter than 14 days and are -not- related to a woman's menstrual cycle. Symptoms include hypersomnia (which is extremely easy to find in a case like mine where I'm normally a chronic insomniac), heightened anxiety, and extreme irritability For NOW though, the "diagnosis" if you will, is Adjustment Disorder - or "situational depression."

Post changes and after a small sample size of tests we can safely say the team has a solid enough chance against the following threats: Landorus-T. - The major concern with Landorus T before even asking for the rate was as Ody mentioned above - the scarf variant. As long as Weavile is made available, Scarf-Lando falls to priority Ice Shard after Stealth Rock damage. Heatran - Celebi with Earth Power does enough if Heatran comes in on the switch - and it would seem in many cases it's a little bulkier than it's given credit for. Onionhead is a baller. Outside of that, again, the only issue with Heatran is those that are scarfed. Good recommendation Ody. Talonflame - SmogonBird has a very solid chance to steal wins from this team if it outlasts the duration of my Garchomp's ability to battle. However, Garchomp provides the Rocks -and- the chip damage necessary to incite playing Talon poorly. It's not exactly fixing the hole so much as it is filling it with bubble gum here, but it's sufficient at least for now. There are some pokemon I'm still trying to get the dish on, such as MegaLop and Breloom - and I think Celebi sort of niche checks 'loomer. Biggest Threat: Keldeo - as only Starmie and the Choice Specs it's carrying stands between it and swamping me.

Changes made: Magnezone went back to the hipster store to trade in his glasses for rather dashing neckwear. Celebi gave up it's status as the team's Mother Hen, handing off the lead Rocks role to a teammate and acquiring the power of the Earth to further pressure Fire types - namely Heatran (I HATE that thing.) Garchomp took some of the load off of Celebi's shoulders, swapping out Fire Blast for Stealth Rock - and going Lum Berry over Scarf and going a tiny bit conservative - opting for Dragon Claw over Outrage. Weavile picked up Low Kick and lost Pursuit. For those of you interested - here is the first battle with the team. Fair warning, I'm not sure our replays are back and running yet, and I just copy pasted the log. Happy Reading. So, as of right now - My team is batting 1.000, and it's always nice to see success. This was a battle I didn't really need Gardevoir or Celebi for, as Garchomp w/ Lum Berry seemed to do enough to cripple his obvious Mega Sableye lead and send him completely into disarray. I -do- tend to lean toward offense, but I would like to improve with Bulky Offense teams where I can. When I was looking at the team after I built it, I realized it was still pretty glass-cannon and decided that I liked where my process had taken me. I knew that Fighting type Pokemon - particularly the quicker ones like Breloom and Keldeo - were going to be huge problems. What I wasn't anticipating hearing about so damn much was Mega Metagross. I haven't seen that thing used since it was on the hot seat often. Does anyone know if Weavile gets Sucker Punch? To me, MegaGross/MegaPunny are 'mons that don't have a lot of answers out there. They're both extremely fast and both of them are powerhouses - as a good Mega aught to be.

Hello folks. Today, I'm going to take you through -my- team building process and probably look -really- dumb. At the end hopefully there will be a solid amount of information that would allow you to rate accordingly. Step 1: The Lead Role In this current meta you have to decide what your mega evolution slot is going to be filled by first and foremost (or if you're going to use one). The mega Pokemon on your team -normally- will have a significant role and often will be the play-maker in the match. Pixilate + Hyper Voice + Mega Gardevoir's very high Sp. Attack stat makes it a very fearsome wallbreaker - and my favorite megas tend to be heavy hitters right from the get go. Hyper Voice has the ability to be raised with STAB and the 30 percent increase in damage from Pixilate to a whopping 170 base power. Psyshock will cover the other STAB and handle Fighting and slower Poison type Pokemon. Focus Blast gives Gardevoir a fighting chance against steel type Pokemon and will be the attack that will not ignite Heatran's Flash Fire. From there, there's a lot of other options including other coverage moves like Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Thunderbolt - and then utility moves like Taunt, Calm Mind to boost that Special Attack and Defense, and Will-O-Wisp to hit slower physical Pokemon. Step 2: The Royal Guard When considering the next Pokemon on my team, it became very apparent that Mega Gardevoir's weaknesses needed to be accounted for by the next pick. Any steel type Pokemon can rinse away any Poison type attack aimed the Feeling Pokemon - but Magnezone has an explicit purpose for cleaning the opponent of steel types, and it's Steel/Electric typing paired with it's own massive special Attack and Hidden Power Fire allows it to get rid of some very noteworthy challenges to MegaVoir - such as any Scizor. Magnezone's ability allows for it to clear the way for MegaVoir to finish the match - but it also is compensated very nicely in return. A Fighting type attack aimed at Magnezone will do very little to MegaVoir. Step 3: The Inner-Circle With all of the other steel type Pokemon out of the way - the one thing that remains to threaten MegaVoir is a Heatran that will be faster than it. Magnezone can't do much other than hit it with Volt Switch/Thunderbolt if it's switching in - because Flash Cannon is not very effective and HP Fire will activate Flash Fire - resulting in the concerted effort backfiring in the Magnet Pokemon's face. Enter Garchomp, the x4 Fire resist Pokemon that not only threatens Heatran for good, but forms the very sexy DFS (Dragon Fairy Steel) core with the other two Pokemon on the team at this point. For this team, I intend to use Scarf Garchomp so as to use it to further pave the way for MegaVoir - who takes on the other Dragons looking to ruin it's rampage, as Magnezone deals with opposing Fairy types. Step 4: The Huntsman This fourth slot could be very difficult to determine - but then I looked at what I thought were two major remaining concerns. Magnezone is a decent niche trapper - but it doesn't have what arguably may make a Pokemon like Bisharp outclass it in this case - Priority. Not only does it not have priority, it is weak to Ground, a type the core has no definitive answer for at this point in time. This is where the offensive -and- ever pursuing Weavile steps in. Weavile still brings to the table that x4 Fighting type that Bisharp would - but provides some good offensive utility to the team to further pave the way. It helps Magnezone do it's job by removing a type that threatens it, as well as adds to the immense amount of pressure placed on the opponents' Dragon types. The Ice typing allows for for some extra respite against Mega Altaria as well. All in all, Weavile is one of those Pokemon that makes a great supporting role given who the lead is. Step 5: The Saboteur Alright, four pokemon in, and we still don't have a hazard setter, we have now accentuated the fact that we have a Fighting type disparagement to deal with, and we need to step up and say "You know what Hilda, 100 Base Speed (for MegaVoir) isn't exactly "godly" and you don't plan on using Sticky Web this time because you don't want opposing Bisharp to get excited - how about you look for a Thunder Wave user that isn't week to fighting?" - Meet Celebi - the thing that can do everything Ferrothorn does (barring Iron Barbs), without further adding on to the Fighting Type conundrum (and instead resisting it.) Celebi works well in tandem with Weavile to threaten ground types for Magnezone - and Water types for Garchomp as well as the rare Empoleon for Gardevoir. The only thing this selection will cause a noteworthy concern about is Fire types. Step 6: The Estate Maid With three 'mons weak to Fire type attacks, that was something we needed to shore up - as well as getting some hazard removal of our own. We were given the option to use several ground type spinners, like Donphan (who could also take the Stealth Rock job and control the field) - but instead of just fighting off the Fire type weakness, we trade it for an Ice weakness in that regard unless we worked backwards (and that's you guys' job here.) - Starmie was the next best candidate and I like what it brings to the table - warding off the fire types and rapid spinning the rocks away while keeping our hazards intact. With Ice Beam, it once again contributes to the team goal of putting Dragons on the hot seat. This last pick easily could go to the likes of a Lati-twin - but I wanted to go for Rapid Spin over Defog for this team. The goal of this team is to put an immense amount of pressure on Dragon type Pokemon and successfully set up Mega Gardevoir to finish the game. Weavile and Magnezone will work as trappers and clear the way. Garchomp and Starmie will effectively act as nuke buttons in times of need, and Celebi is the initial part of the set-up process, with it's goal being to paralyze anything the other Pokemon can't handle in order to safely give MegaVoir the green light to scream away. Sorry about the lack of images at this time! Major issues that I (and you) have identified: Fire types

Congratulations - This thread (at least in my opinion) is worthy of the pin. VGC is one of those things I have always shied away from - because it seems dominated by the things like Prankster and I always watched people do the same thing - but I do like how it makes some Pokemon more viable than they would be in smogon's singles tiers. It's a neat format no doubt.

"...but LOOK AT THOSE HANDS...of COURSE you're going to give it something to hold....how 'bout a Life Orb? how about a CHOICE BAND? HOW ABOUT A F*CKING CHAINSAW???" -Dookieshed, from his YouTube video entitled "Mega Rayquaza Will F*ck You Up" Hello, Ladies, Gents, and dignified others. Today, we're going to take a look at often disregarded game-changers of the Pokemon universe. It's common knowledge that -most- pokemon are not up to their full potential unless holding an item that aids them in battle. Sometimes, these items are consumed. Sometimes these items will wreak havoc until knocked off, stolen, or the wielder faints. So, which of these various weapons strikes your fancy? Here's 10 of mine. Tell me what yours are too rather than complaining at me, okay? --- Number 10: The Lucky Egg The Lucky Egg boosts the holder's experience point gain in battle. This item makes the list because it's one of those items that if you have a lot of them, make experience grinding a lot more efficient than using the "new" experience share in my opinion. Boosted XP > Shared XP. You can obtain several of these nifty training items by chaining Pelipper in ORAS. Number 9: the Liechi Berry This berry boosts a Pokemon's Attack upon consumption - and is also a really good berry to use in conjunction with physical sweepers using 'Unburden.' - although also in conjunction with the move 'Substitute.' The cool thing about berries is the ability 'Harvest' - which allows for berries to return to the Pokemon and be consumed every other turn - allowing for the Liechi Berry here to boost a Pokemon to +6 under the right conditions. No need to waste a move slot for Belly Drum! Number 8: the Smoke Ball Ain't nobody got time for wild Pokemon sometimes. This is a good item to have on Pokemon who are going to have difficulty fleeing from most wild Pokemon encounters as it essentially gives ANY Pokemon you want the effects of the ability "Run Away" - meaning fleeing wild Pokemon is a cinch. I enjoy using THIS item instead of Repels personally, in case I missed a rare encounter when spraying up. These can be found on Wild Koffing using your DexNav in ORAS (and is also somewhat common in Reborn) Number 7: the Quick Claw The Quick Claw is often one of the earliest items you can pick up in a story run of any main series game - and early on, particularly if you like using slower Pokemon - it's effect of occasionally letting slower 'mons move first is much appreciated. I've found that this does a good job in training fossil Pokemon - which I do like to use from time to time. Number 6: the Amulet Coin Hey you....do you wanna be RICH? HELL YEAH you do. The amulet coin, when given to a battle participant, will cause the opposing NPCs you defeat in battle to pay out more cash. This is a particularly useful item for rematches and works insanely well in one of my favorite distractions in Pokemon - Kalos' Battle Chateau...or....um....whichever one isn't the one that rewards you battle points and is filled with nooby trainers where you get ranks after battling enough of them. That thing, is a very fun money making method and the only place to Audino train in Kalos.....anyway, the Amulet Coin is an item you will probably have used at some point during your journey. Number 5: the Eviolite The greatest thing to ever happen to Little Cup and the savior for Not-Fully-Evolved Pokemon in competitive play. Also that thing that somehow makes Chansey better than Blissey. That sin is forgivable. Maybe. This item boosts both Defense and Special Defense when the Pokemon is not fully evolved. Number 4: the Choice Scarf AKA Jericho's crutch item to beating me. (Just kidding Mike, you're better than I am, as is a whole lot of people.) The Choice Scarf boosts the speed of the wielder with the trade-off that the wielder be locked into using one move. That's a pretty fair trade off for things with Moxie, such as Krookodile (which is why the scarf is so high on MY list.) and more memorably regular Salamence. Number 3: the Choice Specs What's better than mo' speed. MO' DAMMMAGE......sorry....not sorry......I'll try to behave next time. Number 2: the Life Orb I've really fallen in love with the Life Orb. It is slightly less effective than the Choice Band and Choice Specs with regards to damage increase, but allows Pokemon to run utility moves and doesn't lock anybody into one move at a time. If you want to pick yourselves up several of these - don't worry about getting battle points, just start chaining Absol using your DexNav (in ORAS only.) Number 1: the Petaya Berry This is the Special Attack version of the Liechi Berry. It holds a whole lot of sentimental value - turning Exeggutor into one of the most fearsome sweepers I've ever used due to 'Harvest' - and it was FAN-TASTIC. That sentiment carries it over the Life Orb for the number one spot. --- The Honorable Mentions for this list are similar. The Black Sludge is an item that gradually heals poison type Pokemon and hurts other types. The Leftovers is an item that gradually heals any Pokemon.

@ MMM that middle picture where I assume Saki is blushing reminds me of a picture Ame made of the two of us....and it's cute.

Ah, internet warriors.... There's a few things all parties involved need to understand. 1. The YouTuber is the one who is freely allowed to speak frankly about the game they are showcasing - the adage goes "All publicity is good publicity." As easy as it may seem to attack Shofu for playing the game badly. (guilty by the way, am I) Shofu is already doing Reborn, and Rejuvenation, a great service by playing the game in the first place. It's really -not- on the youtuber to adapt to the game so much as it is on the game developer to have thicker skin. Even if the games are not marketed, we have to remember that Ame, Jan, Suzerain(probably spelled that wrong) and everyone else are the producers, and people like Shofu, Nickaboo92, etc are the bridge between they the producers and we as consumers. It's these folks that truly get the word out to the masses and if it's NOT a good product, or NOT finished, or NOT enjoyable, then the developers know changes need to be made due to feedback from the videos, as well as the comment sections and the game's forums. We have to remember that these games are for the PUBLIC to enjoy, not just fans of the games to enjoy. 2. It falls on the Game Developers to decide what they will for the game, for better or for worse. The responsibility for how the game plays and what features are and are not there falls on the developers. If they receive feedback - they have the right to ignore or implement changes based off of it. 3. Reborn and Rejuvenation don't need verbal defenses - If you are in this community, you know very well the games are popular. 4. The Game Devs -again- need to be prepared for criticism like that. and finally 5. The gamers need to provide constructive criticism -only- if they truly care about the game. Otherwise, they are entitled to having groundless negative opinions.

If we're looking at straight BST, yeah, Sunkern's nothing to write home about - but what it lacks in stats it has in.....well...-somewhat- has in potential. Sunflora makes the 'Kern slightly better than Unown in that the ceiling is higher for the little guy, it gets access to a full moveset, and often disregarded is that Sunkern itself has the ability to make some noise in Little Cup given the right conditions. Choice Specs Sunkern in the sun is actually somewhat effective. Unown is relagated to seeing NO viability in competitive play at all.

I heard you liked presents, so I brought you Cowtao. (Jk Moomoo. Happy birthday, Kaito!)

As much as I would list a few other 'mons ahead of this thing just because I don't like 'em - we have to look at this objectively.

As much as I would love to participate, I'll be busy at the time of the draft. I guess I'll have to see how you folks do.

Okay Commish, Is the Draft date the join deadline for the league?

This can be used in pretty much every fan game that attempts to re-enforce difficulty ever. It seems like it's a common challenge with game design and not so much that the game developer wants you to suffer. In almost every case.

May need a crop. May need to be resized/cropped what.