Pokemon of the Minute: Kangaskhan

Goodness gracious me, how time does fly. One minute I'm dusting off my old books, looking for an entry about the migration patterns of Swellow in the wintertime, and then WOW four years have passed. Four years, readers is an awfully long time. I never meant to be absent this long, but rest assured I've not spent this time twiddling my thumbs but adventuring in the newly discovered regions, collecting data that will enhance our knowledge of these our beloved monsters.

But before I delve into the many wonderful tidbits on the Kalos region and the beautiful new species found there, I thought I'd get back into the swing of things by doing an all-new Pokemon of the Minute starring an old friend.

Kangaskhan has been with us for years now, being among the first 151 known species. It's always been a curiosity, if nothing else: not particularly powerful except in very specific circumstances, but players and researchers alike have been fascinated by its odd shape, and the little passenger it keeps it its pouch. Bringing a baby into battle is usually frowned upon, but as far as I can tell there have been zero fatalities to date. (Rumors persist that the baby does, in fact become Cubone- a Pokemon essentially created by fatality- as it ages, but don't believe this nonsense. Those who spread these rumors are statistically the most likely to believe in Sasquatch, aliens building the pyramids, and the Loch Ness Monster, which we all know is just an unclassified Pokemon species.)

Sadly, the good ol' Kanga remained as not quite a powerhouse, not quite a weakling for years, that lethal middle ground that causes trainers to overlook a monster, and focus on other better opportunities. This changed with Generation VI, with the introduction of maybe the most game-changing mechanic the series has ever seen: Mega Evolution. With the use of Mega Stone power, Kangaskhan and its little companion finally form the dynamic duo we've always wanted. This is not just an aesthetic difference, no sir. The new ability Parental Bond allows for two attacks per round, which incidentally doubles the effect of stat-increasing moves such as Power-Up Punch. This means that a sturdy-enough Kangaskhan with a healthy amount of speed may attack using Power-Up Punch, get a double increase to its Attack stat, and then switch to another more punishing move, or simply keep on boosting, doing double the damage in half the time.

And so, Kangaskhan you are the Pokemon of the Minute because you've at long last overcome the erroneous perception of weakness surrounding your species, and all it took was a little faith in the next generation.

Here's a sample build for you, readers. I promise it'll pack a punch. I wouldn't khan you. Ha! You see what...yeah...eh-hem...the build:

Khaaaaaaaaan!
Item: Kangaskhanite
Ability: Scrappy (is preferred, to combat Ghost-types, but once Mega Evolution is induced, the ability will automatically change)
EVs: 252 Speed/252 Attack/4 HP
-Power-Up Punch
-Drain Punch
-Sucker Punch
-Body Slam

Pokemon of the Minute: Ursaring

Time for an experiment, readers. Find a small child anywhere in the world, and ask them what they're afraid of. You'll pretty much get the same answers every time: spiders, vampires, and bears. The first two are silly, as we all know. Vampires are, thankfully, fictional. And I may have arachnophobia myself, but really, any problem that be solved with a well placed whack with a shoe isn't really a problem. But bears? Now those you should ALWAYS be afraid of. Sure, they're fluffy creatures who spend most of the day strolling through the woods without a care, but that lack of caring stems from the fact that they're enormous walking tanks that can literally kill you in seconds.

With this in mind, I'd like to introduce a personal favorite Pokemon: Ursaring. Introduced in the days of Gold/Silver, Ursaring has always been something of a powerhouse Pokemon. Its poor Speed and marginal Defense are made up for by its phenomenal Attack stat, and I have happy memories of clearing the Johto Elite Four with only its strength and a plethora of Max Potions.

But as generations III and IV rolled by, something happened to this Pokemon. Something almost bittersweet. With the addition of Abilities into the game mechanics, Ursaring was able to become even more powerful, yet at a cost to its well-being. Both its possible Abilities, Guts, and Quick Feet, give it extra Attack, and Speed respectably, but only when it is affected by a status (i.e. Poison or Burn). Therefore, it is one of the few Pokemon in the game that can make use of the very conditional move Facade, which becomes more powerful if the Pokemon is status'ed. Plus, add in the fact the it can learn Swords Dance, and under the right conditions, this bear can rip entire teams to shreds.

And so, Ursaring, you're my featured Pokemon because you really care about your work. You're willing to sacrifice your own HP in order to help win battles. This is something that is usually attributed only to superheroes, and you have therefore proven yourself to be a super-bipedal bear. I tip my hat to you. We all do.

Sample Build:

"(Swords) Dancing, Gutsy Bear"

Held Item: Flame/Toxic Orb

Nature: Jolly

Ability: Guts

EV's: 252 Attack/252 Speed/4 HP

Moveset:

-Sword's Dance

-Facade

-Close Combat/Earthquake

-Crunch

Pokemon of the Minute: Jumpluff

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'm a big fan of cute things. An animal could be the most deadly creature ever discovered, and could poison the entirety of my friends and loved ones, and it's likely that I'll still look at it and say "aaaaaaaaaaaw!" And if cuteness could be made into a weapon, Jumpluff, the Cottonweed Pokemon, would have enough to reduce the eastern U.S. to dust.

Honestly, how can you look at a sky blue, spherical, constantly smiling creature and not want to have hundreds of them as friends? Picture it: you're feeling down, having an awful day where nothing's gone right, and all you want to do is give up. Suddenly, a soft breeze picks up all around you, and from the sky a mass of fluffy little sprites rains down upon you, smiling and dancing, speaking sweetly with their adorable high-pitched vocalizations. Don't pretend you didn't smile reading that. Oh, and did I mention that it has seed-heads for hands (and one on it's head)? You remember those plants you used to pick and blow for countless hours as a small child? They're built in to this creature!

But aside from its ridiculous cuteness, Jumpluff has a special place in the games, including my own files, as a fantastic support Pokemon. Sadly, it sadly can't be said that Jumpluff is particularly strong, having rather low Attack and Special Attack stats. Neither is it bulky, possessing mediocre Defense and Special Defense. Despite this, Jumpluff is saved from Poke-Limbo by it's fantastic speed and versatile selection of support moves. It can learn both Sleep Powder, and Stun Spore, and the ever-useful Leech Seed. It also has access to Reflect, which will raise the Defense of the entire team.

But perhaps Jumpluff's most useful role is comes when equipped with Sunny Day. In sunlight, its abilities Chlorophyll (which doubles its speed), and Leaf Guard (which prevents status effects in sun) are active, and the sunlight will power other team members abilities and attacks.

In the end, Jumpluff lacks raw power, but it has its own niche in the game, and a particularly useful one. An did I mention it was cute?

Sample Build:

Held Item: Heat Rock

Nature: Jolly

Ability: Chlorophyll

EVs: 252 HP/252 Speed/4 Attack

Moveset:

-Sunny Day

-Sleep Powder

-U-Turn

-Encore

Progress in the Pokemon World!

Hello, readers! I apologize for my absence of late, but I've been doing some intense research about the new region in order to deliver some top-notch reporting. And what news I've uncovered!

First of all, new Pokemon have been released via CoroCoro, but that will be the subject of a later article. What I wish to report on now is maybe the most important thing yet released about the new Generation. For the first time in the history of the Pokemon world, we have a female Professor!

Called Dr. Araragi in Japanese, she will be joining the ranks of the researchers who send off new trainers on their adventures. Notes on her personality and laboratory location are forthcoming, but here's hoping that she'll be just as animated as the other Profs.

Because animated or not, the fact that she is assigned to this new region is a big step for the World. The Professors are among the most important characters in all the games, and prior to this generation they've been eccentric (Oak), klutzy (Elm), dashing (Birch), and stern (Rowan), but they've also all been men. Now this is in the context of the games, as in the anime, we've had one single female researcher, Professor Ivy of the Orange Islands. She was actually a great character, very intelligent and free-spirited. But as the anime progressed, she became less and less important, being reduced to a joke to make Brock freak out (we never did learn what happened with the two of them...). With this new woman, players have the opportunity to interact with her, get their starter from her, and have a strong female play a major role in their adventure for the first time. It shows that the Pokemon world not only produces amazing creatures, but amazing people, with scholarly knowledge not confined to one gender.

I for one am excited to have her join our ranks! What do you think?

-The Professor

Pokemon of the Minute: Hippowdon

Sorry for the little hiatus I took, folks. I'm back and ready for some serious study!

And what better way to get back into things than gushing over a great Poke? This minute: Hippowdon!

My relationship with this particular Poke has, regrettably, been a turbulent one. When I first encountered it at the start of Generation IV, I didn't quite know what to think of it. There I was, facing down a ground type that looked like a hippopotamus, and had an eruption of sand coming out of it. A hippo? And a ground type hippo? What a ridiculous idea! So, I wrote off Hippowdon as a miss and moved on.

Then two things happened. The first, I watched a special on Animal Planet on hippos. Did you know they can bite a crocodile in half? Just bite right through without a second thought. Needless to say, there were lots of these little bits of information and I became fascinated by these lumbering water dwellers. The second thing that happened was that I faced a Hippowdon in a battle. I was amazed by the staggering array of moves it could learn, from fire/ice/thunder fang to Sunny Day and back again. Also, unlike many others within it's type, it has the ability to become both a sweeper and a wall through the use of varying move sets.

So, Hippowdon is Pokemon of the minute because it won me over. Unlike other Pokes that I find and simply fall in love with immediately, this one was the victim of unfair scorn and had to work extra hard because of it. But now that that nonsense is all in the past, I'm free to admire this creature for what it is: a tough-as-nails beast truly worthy of the powerful creature on which it is based. Fear it in battle, trainers. Don't make the same mistake I did.

-The Professor

Pokemon of the Minute: Volbeat

"Professor!" I can hear some of you saying, "You've made a mistake! Volbeat? What's so special about this silly thing?"

It's just that: it's underestimated. Volbeat, the Firefly Pokemon, may not look like much, and its stats may not be the best in the game, but this little bug can become quite a nuisance if you're not careful.

Released in Generation III, this Pokemon was often overlooked for the simple reason that it didn't look as beefy and impressive as some of its peers. And let's face it; we've all done this to a Bug-type Pokemon at least once. Blow for blow, they usually fair very poorly in battles. But for those who stuck with this little bug, the game gifted them with a nice little prize: Volbeat's signature move, Tail Glow. Until Manaphy stole it in Generation IV, Tail Glow was exclusive to Volbeat. In fact, it's still the only other Pokemon that can learn it. What does it do? Well, it boosts special attack by two stages with every use, raising Volbeat's generally low power in that area to very respectable levels. Two uses, and you can have yourself a Bug-type sweeper!

So, Volbeat get's the honor of Pokemon of the Minute for proving conclusively that first impressions are almost never correct when it comes to Pokemon. And if you still require proof, here's some video evidence:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRd-xqRWc_o&feature=related

A warning: the images you are about to see are AWESOME.

-The Professor

The Age of the Protagonist, and whether or not it matters

Greetings!

One of the other things that has risen from the ashes of Gen V speculation is an interesting little tidbit about the age of the perennially silent protagonist we all play in these games. According to the folks at Bulbapedia (who site CoroCoro), the player characters for this new generation will be "more grown up," as opposed to the normal circumstances where we play the role of the young child (who's usually assumed to be about ten).

Now, Trainers out there may be asking themselves what this means for the actual gameplay. Well, in general terms, probably nothing. The game will still be about a young person leaving behind normal life to journey with these amazing creatures, along the way being presented with several drawbacks but rising above to become a master. What it means, reader, is what the change in setting means: a change in aesthetic.

With an older protagonist, several things may change, chief among them being the possibility that we may get a character that doesn't live their mother. Can you imagine that? Personally, I find it difficult. Being able to visit and constantly being called by your mother was a strange thing to be in a game, but it's become so ingrained into my Poke-Psyche that not having it would be the stranger thing at this point. Still, the idea does have its merits. Who among us hasn't dreamed of dropping all real world responsibilities in favor of a Pokemon journey? Well, with an older protagonist, you could live that fantasy vicariously through the sprite. It's not exactly the same, but tantalizing nonetheless!

There will be those who don't like the change, sure. As a colleague of mine stated, "there's nothing I enjoy more than playing a young child." And why not? Playing a child in Pokemon games adds the overall feeling of adventure that makes the games so fun. But consider: an older protagonist clearly demonstrates that Pokemon are not just a childhood fancy in the games' world, but an all-encompassing love that has changed the world for the better!

Those are my thoughts on the situation, anyway. What do you think?

-The Porfessor