(Little) Things that annoy you in Pokémon

[Rapti]

Tsareena who one of many inspirations seems to be that of a dominatrix

That seriously has got to be one of the weirdest inspirations for a Pokemon.

For some bizarre reason every queen in japanese media has been presented as a dominatrix in the last 5 years or so
which is just symptomatic of how otaku culture grows more and more perverted every passing year and since otaku culture has become central to pop culture since the economic contraction of japan in the late 90s is only natural that Pokemon follows suit

it's pretty much all Go Nagai's fault

 

[CPU]

*checks*
oh my god

literally for decades I assumed this was the weaker compliment to Razor Leaf and just never thought to double check its description

I mean it only had 10 PP for a long time, so it kinda makes sense to expect it to have some sort of effect (it doesn't)

 

[Sonikku A]

Otaku culture also is the result of anti porn censorship, so it's all layered politically
Whoo, getting too offtopic, let's talk: bubbly fur/feathers
Now I see this in a lot of modern media outside Pokemon do this as well (and well, hair in general post Gen 7 anime also counts), but fur/feathers nowadays for most preevos are drawn....stiff or blobby/round
Like Lillipup here

Vs something like Growlithe

This isn't too consistent mind you, since Deino also was Gen 5

Personally prefer scruffier fur. Especially when drawn with motions

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Otaku culture also is the result of anti porn censorship, so it's all layered politically
Whoo, getting too offtopic, let's talk: bubbly fur/feathers
Now I see this in a lot of modern media outside Pokemon do this as well (and well, hair in general post Gen 7 anime also counts), but fur/feathers nowadays for most preevos are drawn....stiff or blobby/round
Like Lillipup here

Vs something like Growlithe

This isn't too consistent mind you, since Deino also was Gen 5

Personally prefer scruffier fur. Especially when drawn with motions

I'm more of a fan of the round style myself (especially when it's something cute like a pupper) but yeah, the inconsistency is annoying.

 

[R_N]

Here's one for the TCG, something that's bugged me for years

EX/GX/V/whatever pokemon.

not in terms of gameplay (okay well not JUST in terms of gameplay), but very specifically their art. The big fun appeal of the TCG for me, well after I've stopped playing it, is the card art. There's so many different kinds of artists and interpretations of different Pokemon every single set and it's wonderful

So for what are generally the most sought after cards, the most conventional rarest, they of course throw all of that out the window for 3D Garbage!

It's just, like. 3D models haev always been A Thing on cards but it drives me batty how the big centerpiece cards are jsut so dully

Here's Jirachi. A lovely cute card.

Here's Jirachi EX & the full art variant that would go on to be the standard for this card type starting with GXes

The 3D cards are carried entirely by their visual effects shoved all over and I think it's just ugly. It's boring. And even the mroe dynamix posing feels like a step back.

The GXes, to their credit tried. They really did. There's actual backgrounds and they try for more dynamic posing. But it's still just yet another 3D model with a bunch of effects plastered around and a kind of gaudy holofoil treatment.

And this wouldn't bug me nearly as much if they weren't so uniform with it. This card type is ALWAYS 3D, but will never hold a candle to the standard artwork. Somehow it's MORE maddening when they decide to break the type and just knock it out of the park. And if it's a pokemon that gets a lot of these kind of cards, there's no variance at all. 3D Mewtwo from BW is going to look like 3D Mewtwo in the SM sets
Compare Mewtwo GX with its secret rare variant released several sets later

Or the Tag Teams, all of which have 2D Illustrations

& comically their rare variants are just right back to the standard 3D and it is such a downgrade

-------------
B-B-B-BONUS ROUND the god awful decision for Pokemon Break to jsut be 3D models but gold

And while all the Trainers get fantastic full art 2D illustrations as secret rares, the normal item cards (already needlessly boring) get uhhhh

gold coloring or gold backgrounds

 

[Pikachu315111]

So then what is First Impression? Struggle Bug?

First Impression: Called "Head-On Collision" in Japan. Since it only works on the first turn the Pokemon is out on the battlefield, it sounds like as soon as it's sent out it just does a mad dash forward before the opponent has time to register their command. As for why it's Bug-type. Maybe an insect's mind is more reactive, the microsecond it hears that final "n" it's tackling the opponent. It was originally Golisopod's Signature Move also so...

Struggle Bug: "Insect Opposition" in Japanese... which honestly sounds more badass. I can only assume it just means the Bug-type lets instincts takeover and it attacks the opponent as a bug would.

"But wait, some non-Bug-types can also learn these moves"

Well whose to say you need an entirely bug mind to use these moves, maybe the Pokemon that learn it have some part of their brain similarly structured to a Bug the let's them use these moves. Or it could also be for some reason when using these moves the Pokemon empowers themselves with some kind of "bug" energy so just takes channeling that energy whatever way that Pokemon can.

It'd probably be easier to explain by someone who actually speaks japanese, I don't remind on top of my head, but I know it's the case for several moves (es: lot of the moves affected by bulletproof that don't make sense are because in japanese they reference cannons or shooting)

Another example is Iron Fist not powering up Sucker Punch ("Surprise Attack" in Japanese) or Poison Jab (because it's "Poison Stab").

Though, it'd have made more sense in the reverse (aka have 170 BP and power halved if you act last)

I'm sure there's a reason the lower number is better (or rather makes sure no trickery makes it busted).

Why does Vine Whip Razor Leaf have a high crit ratio? Really most of the moves that have high crit. Why does Swift never miss? Why does Psywave funciton the way it does?

High Crit Move: From what I can see they usual fall into three categories:

• Velocity Force: Aeroblast, Blaze Kick, Crabhammer, Cross Chop, Karate Chop, Sky Attack
• Deep Cut: Air Cutter, Cross Poison, Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Poison Tail, Psycho Cut, Razor Leaf, Razor Wind, Shadow Claw, Slash, Spacial Rend, Stone Edge
• Piercing: Attack Order, Drill Run, Snipe Shot

Never Missing: So, just went through all the Moves that cannot miss and came up with the following list:

• Patient Strike: These moves have either the user or target get close-up before striking at just the right moment. Aerial Ace, Bide, Vital Throw (notable is a decrease priority to the user is waiting for their chance to grab), & Smart Strike.
• Guided Projectiles: These moves has an additional trait that allows them to hit their attended targets. Aura Sphere (tracks target via their aura), Magical Leaf (it's magic specifically for tracking a target), & Magnet Bomb (hones in on the target's electromagnetic field.
• Weather Powered: In Hail, Blizzard bypasses accuracy check cause, well, you're in a snowstorm already so the Pokemon is just making the snowfall hit harder. In Rain, Hurricane bypasses accuracy checks as strong winds are likely also blowing & Thunder bypasses accuracy checks because everything is wet which make electrical conductivity easier and lighting strike pretty fast.
• Minimized Punishment: Because the target has used Minimize to shrunk themselves these moves where the user just slams the opponent with their body cause it covers the entire space the target is in. Body Slam, Dragon Rush, Flying Press, Heat Crash, Steamroller, & Stomp.
  Rush Of Air: These moves are just a sudden blast of air or gas which spreads out fast. Clear Smog (YES, I know its description mentions its special mud, but that doesn't make sense with the Japanese name AND animation; I think that's a translation error), Defog, & Whirlwind.
• Hearing & Seeing: These moves involve just the target being able to hear or see the user for them to be affected. Confide, Disarming Voice, Mean Look, Noble Roar, Roar, & Yawn.
• Wide Set-Up: Best way I could describe it, these moves are pretty unique in how they work. Electrify & Powder essentially sets up either an electric field or cloud of powder that the target would go through. Then when they use the Move that's when each effect activates. Electrify's electric field would electrically charge the move turning it into an Electric-type move. As for Powder, if the target uses a Fire-type move, it causes a chemical reaction within the dust cloud and explodes. This is also why these moves don't work unless the user moves first.
• Element Of Surprise: These moves rely on either deceit or quickly reacting to the target's action. False Surrender, Feint Attack, Me First, Pursuit & Trump Card.
• Observation: These moves is just the user watch the target for a specified purpose. Foresight, Lock-On, Mimic, Mind Reader, Miracle Eye, Odor Sleuth, & Role Play.
• Supernatural Affliction: These moves can only really be described as the Pokemon essentially casting a curse/hex that can't be dodged as they're affecting reality. Guard Split, Guard Swap, Heart Swap, Memento, Nightmare, Pain Split, Power Split, Power Swap, Skill Swap, Speed Swap, Telekinesis, & Topsy-Turvy.
• Friendliness: Why would you want to even dodge Heal Pulse? The Pokemon's survival instinct would probably kick in and take the Heal Pulse if the trainer even tries to suggest it dodging it. As for Play Nice, the user just walks up to the target and starts playing around with it. No malice, well unless you consider the target letting their guard (and Attack) down as the malicious intent.
• Hyperspace Teleporting: Both of Hoopa's Signature Moves, Hyperspace Fury & Hyperspace Hole, uses its rings to teleport it or its body parts around the field instantaneously.
• From The Shadows: These moves has the Pokemon attack by vanishing into darkness or a place unseen and phase back into existence right next to the target. Phantom Force, Shadow Force, & Shadow Punch.
• Wide Range: These moves just have the way they attack spread out wide its hard to dodge. Shockwave is fairly obvious as it's a literal shockwave of electricity & Spider Web you can just imagine the user sending out sticky silk everywhere to make a giant web that hinders the target's movement.
• Swift: In Japan its called "Speed Star" and I think that's your answer: it's energy stars that are really, really fast.
• Toxic: Now it only never misses if used by a Poison-type. The reason for this I could only think that it probably works like Wide Range, a Poison-type has the extra amount of poison to use that it just sends it out everywhere.

The Pokémon imbue their fangs with psychic power and bite the target just like they embue with eletricity, ice and fire or they create a construct like a Green Lantern with their psychic power to bite their foe.

That or maybe when the user bites down it uses its psychic powers to force it to bite down even harder.

Has any other Pokemon been this overtly sexual and kinky?

Salazzle (also from the same generation)? Heck, oddly sexual/kinky things aren't new to the Pokemon series. Also from the same generation as Tsareena & Salazzle we got some pretty suspect things with a few of the female characters. Olivia needs no introduction (she's so got the anime made her cover-up). Anyone remember Lana thirsting after male swimmers during her Trial in SM? And let's not forget that moment in Mallow's SM trial:

Also both of Lusamine's (well, partially) and Oleana's (except her last/ace Pokemon) team were based on essentially attractive feminine Pokemon.

 

[Sonikku A]

I mean Sun Moon anime had Meowth dream of Fanservice mon once
And XY Bonnie thought of Clemomt being wrapped by an Arbok with a weird expression on his face

Also, sounds odd, but why can't the 1/256th chance miss stay?
Yeah it bites when moves miss, but it creates hype (either good or bad)

 

[earl]

Also, sounds odd, but why can't the 1/256th chance miss stay?
Yeah it bites when moves miss, but it creates hype (either good or bad)

bruh

 

[Sonikku A]

bruh

I'm sorry. I enjoy seeing RGB and Stadium Japan speedrunners (Particularly Werster) suffer due to that chance

 

[CPU]

Bug-type moves didn't just start being esoteric recently; as old as Gen 2 they had their typing shoeMegahorned on for their primary learners.

 

[Sonikku A]

Bug-type moves didn't just start being esoteric recently; as old as Gen 2 they had their typing shoeMegahorned on for their primary learners.

To be fair, Megahorn as a staple for Heracross makes sense
And Bug definitely needed more moves back then

 

[Blue glass]

Struggle Bug: "Insect Opposition" in Japanese... which honestly sounds more badass. I can only assume it just means the Bug-type lets instincts takeover and it attacks the opponent as a bug would.

"But wait, some non-Bug-types can also learn these moves"

Well whose to say you need an entirely bug mind to use these moves, maybe the Pokemon that learn it have some part of their brain similarly structured to a Bug the let's them use these moves. Or it could also be for some reason when using these moves the Pokemon empowers themselves with some kind of "bug" energy so just takes channeling that energy whatever way that Pokemon can.

Yeah it's just a basic bug-type attack with a somewhat fancy name and all non-bug-types that learn it are Mew (can learn all TMs), the Flygon line (which are based on antlions' larva and dragonflies), Drapion, Gligar and Gliscor (all based on scorpions) so they are all bugs despite not being bug-type.

Bug-type moves didn't just start being esoteric recently; as old as Gen 2 they had their typing shoeMegahorned on for their primary learners.

I was looking at the bug-type move list and most of them have the flimsiest reasons to be the type that they are. What is so essentially bug about leech life, pin missile or lunge? Megahorn at least has a small justification since it was the signature move of Heracross which to go back to the thread's topic it's related to my little annoyance which is offensive non-STAB signature moves like Snap Trap and Barrage.

 

[R_N]

Bug-type moves didn't just start being esoteric recently; as old as Gen 2 they had their typing shoeMegahorned on for their primary learners.

Megahorn makes plenty of sense when beetle horns and beetle fighting with said horns is a common "thing".

Fury Cutter, though, feel like it could have just gone to anything with claws (& uh...kind of does). You could tell me it was a normal move and I'd believe you.

I was looking at the bug-type move list and most of them have the flimsiest reasons to be the type that they are. What is so essentially bug about leech life, pin missile or lunge? Megahorn at least has a small justification since it was the signature move of Heracross which to go back to the thread's topic it's related to my little annoyance which is offensive non-STAB signature moves like Snap Trap and Barrage.

Leech Life ("suck blood") makes perfect sense as a bug move, honestly. While there are obviously assorted non-bug blood suckers, there are a good number of bugs that do, indeed, operate like that. It could have been Normal, I suppose, but I think that one does fit with bugs. The titular leeches, moths, ticks, fleas, some spiders, even butterflies I think. Lots of 'em!

Though it's funny, it's called suck blood in japan but I feel for the past couplke generation pokemon that got it just use the more generic "leech life" moniker. Like Salazzle, Mimikyu, Cursola, Dracovish, Grimmsnarl line all feel like they would just *waves hands* you know, steal away life force (if anything Chanedlure's line should get it)


Lunge is dumb though. Like I think I get it? Bugs do lunge for feeding, a number of spiders do, you see flying bugs dive bomb all the time and so forth . But uhhhh, a lot of things Lunge. You could make the same exact argument for making it a Flying move (I'm thinking diving bomb entire body to catch some stuff), Water move (crocodiles, hippos...), dark (suddenly lunging at you in a surprising fast motion)....instead very few things even learn it. I wonder if it might've been a signature move earlier in development, honestly.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Yeah it's just a basic bug-type attack with a somewhat fancy name and all non-bug-types that learn it are Mew (can learn all TMs), the Flygon line (which are based on antlions' larva and dragonflies), Drapion, Gligar and Gliscor (all based on scorpions) so they are all bugs despite not being bug-type.



I was looking at the bug-type move list and most of them have the flimsiest reasons to be the type that they are. What is so essentially bug about leech life, pin missile or lunge? Megahorn at least has a small justification since it was the signature move of Heracross which to go back to the thread's topic it's related to my little annoyance which is offensive non-STAB signature moves like Snap Trap and Barrage.

Leech Life (and its Japanese name Suck Blood) brings to mind ticks, mosquitoes, and, well, leeches. Three insect-esque things that suck blood. Many creepy crawlies, such as spiders and true bugs, feed by piercing into their food and sucking out their food, be that blood, sap, or whatever arthropods have. It's a behavior that's pretty rare outside of those little critters, at least as far as I can tell. Hell, the vampire bat doesn't even suck. It makes a little bite, then licks the blood that comes out.

 

[Blue glass]

You are both right about leech life, I've heavily associated it with zubat line so in my mind it was more like a vampire bite despite gen I animation even showing a insect prosboscis. GF should have made a mosquito or tick Pokémon with this move so their intentions would be clearer.

 

[Codraroll]

GF should have made a mosquito or tick Pokémon with this move so their intentions would be clearer.

Eventually they did:

 

[Sonikku A]

I find being able to capture and use Legendary beasts is dumb. They're canonically not even Pokemon
Non Pokemon bosses actually would be cool. Too bad the closest is BW2 Pokestar shenanigans, and Mystery Dungeon GTi and Super's final boss

 

[Pikachu315111]

Bugged Type: The issue with the Bug-type moves aren't exactly the move themselves but rather with the Type. As in, why is Bug even a Type? Bug isn't an elemental/natural force (Fire, Water, Grass; Flying if you count it as wind/air) or a supernatural/mythical force (Psychic, Ghost, Dragon, Fairy; Fighting to an extent if you count it as Ki energy), it's a classification of animal. There's no Mammal- or Reptile-type; closest is Flying-type being somewhat considered the "bird" Type but even then not all avian Pokemon are Flying-type. So how did Bug exactly crawl its way into being a Type all of its own aside having enough of its own aesthetic (there's a LOT of different kind of bugs in the world) and maybe GF using it to add some balance? Also how come not all arthropods are part Bug-type? Shuckle, Wimpod family, and Anorith family can be Bug-type but not Krabby family, Corphish family, Clauncher family, Kabuto family, Binacle family, and Crabrawler family? And before you say GF has considered crustaceans all non-Bug-type the Dwebble family are crabs but they're allowed to be Bug-type!

So back to Bug-type moves, well, Bug-types need to have some moves yet many things bugs can do other animals can probably do. The justification most of the time is that the move is just learned by many/exclusively/is a Signature of a Bug-type. Take Lunge (which is learned by too few Bug-types), it's concept is probably meant to be the Pokemon is lunging like a praying mantis or ambush spiders does as soon as their prey has come close enough to it. Maybe they should have called it "Mantis Lunge" to get that point across better because there's plenty of martial arts that also teach lunging moves, infact if I hear Lunge I would think Fighting-type before Bug-type (which just so happened to be the secondary Types of the two Pokemon well known for having Lunge: Buzzwole and Pheromosa).

Honestly the "best"/cop out explanation is that there is some kind of energy in the Pokemon world that is attached to the bug species and moves that are Bug-type tap into this "bug force". It's why Bug-types have their own weaknesses, resistances, and Type that are weak to and resist it. Sometimes the answer is "it just is".

I find being able to capture and use Legendary beasts is dumb. They're canonically not even Pokemon

I'm going to assume you mean every Legendary Pokemon and not specifically Entei, Suicune, and Raikou.

Eh, not dumb but once you have them they do feel kind of cheap to use as they're purposely overpowered. Also, aside from maybe the Pokemon League and post game Battle Facility, there's really no place in normal gameplay you can go that'll give you a challenge if you're using a Legendary.

But segueing into your next point, If they gave their battles their own special battling mechanics they could be made into boss battles.

Non Pokemon bosses actually would be cool. Too bad the closest is BW2 Pokestar shenanigans, and Mystery Dungeon GTi and Super's final boss

Yeah, surprised we've hadn't need our Pokemon to fight a machine, nature, or otherwordly monstrosity (that isn't a Pokemon itself). Like I can understand GF not wanting a human opponent for a Pokemon to fight (obviously the human opponents in PokeStar Studios is just for a movie story, during filming we only hit a target prop and editing magic replaces it with a human on film), though even then if the human us wearing power armor (Essentia) or has become a monster (Mother Beast Lusamine) I don't think there's any harm giving them a whack if the purpose is to knock them out/back to their senses.

 

[Ironmage]

Bugged Type: The issue with the Bug-type moves aren't exactly the move themselves but rather with the Type. As in, why is Bug even a Type? Bug isn't an elemental/natural force (Fire, Water, Grass; Flying if you count it as wind/air) or a supernatural/mythical force (Psychic, Ghost, Dragon, Fairy; Fighting to an extent if you count it as Ki energy), it's a classification of animal. There's no Mammal- or Reptile-type; closest is Flying-type being somewhat considered the "bird" Type but even then not all avian Pokemon are Flying-type. So how did Bug exactly crawl its way into being a Type all of its own aside having enough of its own aesthetic (there's a LOT of different kind of bugs in the world) and maybe GF using it to add some balance? Also how come not all arthropods are part Bug-type? Shuckle, Wimpod family, and Anorith family can be Bug-type but not Krabby family, Corphish family, Clauncher family, Kabuto family, Binacle family, and Crabrawler family? And before you say GF has considered crustaceans all non-Bug-type the Dwebble family are crabs but they're allowed to be Bug-type!

So back to Bug-type moves, well, Bug-types need to have some moves yet many things bugs can do other animals can probably do. The justification most of the time is that the move is just learned by many/exclusively/is a Signature of a Bug-type. Take Lunge (which is learned by too few Bug-types), it's concept is probably meant to be the Pokemon is lunging like a praying mantis or ambush spiders does as soon as their prey has come close enough to it. Maybe they should have called it "Mantis Lunge" to get that point across better because there's plenty of martial arts that also teach lunging moves, infact if I hear Lunge I would think Fighting-type before Bug-type (which just so happened to be the secondary Types of the two Pokemon well known for having Lunge: Buzzwole and Pheromosa).

Honestly the "best"/cop out explanation is that there is some kind of energy in the Pokemon world that is attached to the bug species and moves that are Bug-type tap into this "bug force". It's why Bug-types have their own weaknesses, resistances, and Type that are weak to and resist it. Sometimes the answer is "it just is".

Anorith and Wimpod are also crustaceans, while kabuto (assuming it's based on a horseshoe 'crab') is not.

Anyway, it's reasonable to assume that Bug was originally a holdover from when Types were more based on physical appearence (since gen 1 included an almost-functional Brid type). As for whether there is some kind of 'bug energy,' I would say there is based on the fact that an energy source/transfer method exists that only applied to Bug moves. Interestingly, silk shows up a decent number of times as an indicator of generic 'bugness.' It's used for the Z-move, the type indicator in Mystery Dungeon, and is a notable feature in every Bug gym except BW1 Burgh. It's also used in Pokken for about half of Scizor's generic ranged attacks (the other half manifesting as sawblades, and thus being Steel-type) despite your average mantis not being known for it's silk glands.

 

[Codraroll]

I find being able to capture and use Legendary beasts is dumb. They're canonically not even Pokemon
Non Pokemon bosses actually would be cool. Too bad the closest is BW2 Pokestar shenanigans, and Mystery Dungeon GTi and Super's final boss

On the contrary, I find this one of Pokémon's strongest suits. Anything you encounter, you can use yourself. Everything plays by the same rules. No opponent will have access to super abilities, stats or properties you can't obtain yourself - bar the occasional evolution level/movepool hiccup, of course. I felt the Totems were a bit of a stretch with their boosts (why not just scale their levels?) but it was an okay way to provide the necessary spectacle. Raids and the boss Eternatus, on the other hand, break with the principle in a major way. You're not playing on a level field anymore. The opponent gets access to mechanics you can never use. I think this takes some of the feeling of fairness away. You can never train a Pokémon to be as strong as a raid boss, because you'll never be able to use the screens mechanic. You can never catch an Eternatus of your own. And when you can't ever hope to match the foes you encounter, what is there to aspire towards?

 

[R_N]

It would be beyond lame if you couldn't capture the Ultra Beasts. They may not be Pokemon but they're totally Pokemon. And I just love the idea of something like a Bidoof winding up in Ultra Megalopolis and being treated as a legendary pokemon

 

[Sonikku A]

Speaking of, the anime ironically has a high ratio of Pokemon vs nonPokemon fights thanks to Team Rocket due to their mechs
...from their seemingly small budget

 

[Pikachu315111]

Anorith and Wimpod are also crustaceans, while kabuto (assuming it's based on a horseshoe 'crab') is not.

Sorry, must of had a brain lapse. I mentioned Anorith and Wimpod because I knew they were crustaceans and listed the other crustaceans that weren't Bug-type to relate them. Then I checked the move Crabhammer to make sure I didn't miss any and remembered Dwebble and somehow completely forgot I had mentioned Anorith and Wimpod.

Huh, horseshoe crabs aren't crustaceans, you learn something everyday.

Raids and the boss Eternatus, on the other hand, break with the principle in a major way. You're not playing on a level field anymore. The opponent gets access to mechanics you can never use. I think this takes some of the feeling of fairness away. You can never train a Pokémon to be as strong as a raid boss, because you'll never be able to use the screens mechanic. You can never catch an Eternatus of your own. And when you can't ever hope to match the foes you encounter, what is there to aspire towards?

As a counterpoint, maybe at least having a WILD Legendary exhibiting "power" (aka mechanics) beyond what it's capable of when in a trainer's ownership could address the issue they've had with the mascot Legendaries: that in a normal battle they don't seem as godly as they're supposed to be. Kyogre causes massive storms to raise sea levels, Rayquaza can cease weather, Groudon causes droughts to dry out the sea, Dialga & Palkia cause time & space to move, Giratina is a ruler of an entire dimension, Xerneas & Yveltal are the incarnations of life and death destruction, Solgaleo & Lunala can summon celestial bodies... and yet a teenager who just began their Pokemon journey can take it down with relative ease if they have a Pokemon that knows a super effective move. And being you usually catch the Legendary before the Pokemon League, it makes it feel like it was more your character was in the right place & the right time and not that they were the only ones who could calm the Legendary. And then when you catch the Legendary the excuse a Poke Ball acts as a power limiter makes sense as it now battles like normal except its super powerful.

What is there to aspire to? Creating a team that, no matter what special battle mechanics are thrown at you, you and your Pokemon will have the skills and team synergy to defeat it. Sure your Pokemon can't create barriers, but they also aren't using moves or targeting randomly. The additional mechanics are actually a crutch as the Legendary is on its lonesome acting out of instinct while you can make a plan or two to still take it down (granted with maybe help from a McGuffin, but that's besides the point).

And I just love the idea of something like a Bidoof winding up in Ultra Megalopolis and being treated as a legendary pokemon

Wait... you mean it isnt?

 

[Sonikku A]

Bugged Type: The issue with the Bug-type moves aren't exactly the move themselves but rather with the Type. As in, why is Bug even a Type? Bug isn't an elemental/natural force (Fire, Water, Grass; Flying if you count it as wind/air) or a supernatural/mythical force (Psychic, Ghost, Dragon, Fairy; Fighting to an extent if you count it as Ki energy), it's a classification of animal. There's no Mammal- or Reptile-type; closest is Flying-type being somewhat considered the "bird" Type but even then not all avian Pokemon are Flying-type. So how did Bug exactly crawl its way into being a Type all of its own aside having enough of its own aesthetic (there's a LOT of different kind of bugs in the world) and maybe GF using it to add some balance? Also how come not all arthropods are part Bug-type? Shuckle, Wimpod family, and Anorith family can be Bug-type but not Krabby family, Corphish family, Clauncher family, Kabuto family, Binacle family, and Crabrawler family? And before you say GF has considered crustaceans all non-Bug-type the Dwebble family are crabs but they're allowed to be Bug-type!

So back to Bug-type moves, well, Bug-types need to have some moves yet many things bugs can do other animals can probably do. The justification most of the time is that the move is just learned by many/exclusively/is a Signature of a Bug-type. Take Lunge (which is learned by too few Bug-types), it's concept is probably meant to be the Pokemon is lunging like a praying mantis or ambush spiders does as soon as their prey has come close enough to it. Maybe they should have called it "Mantis Lunge" to get that point across better because there's plenty of martial arts that also teach lunging moves, infact if I hear Lunge I would think Fighting-type before Bug-type (which just so happened to be the secondary Types of the two Pokemon well known for having Lunge: Buzzwole and Pheromosa).

Honestly the "best"/cop out explanation is that there is some kind of energy in the Pokemon world that is attached to the bug species and moves that are Bug-type tap into this "bug force". It's why Bug-types have their own weaknesses, resistances, and Type that are weak to and resist it. Sometimes the answer is "it just is".



I'm going to assume you mean every Legendary Pokemon and not specifically Entei, Suicune, and Raikou.

Eh, not dumb but once you have them they do feel kind of cheap to use as they're purposely overpowered. Also, aside from maybe the Pokemon League and post game Battle Facility, there's really no place in normal gameplay you can go that'll give you a challenge if you're using a Legendary.

But segueing into your next point, If they gave their battles their own special battling mechanics they could be made into boss battles.



Yeah, surprised we've hadn't need our Pokemon to fight a machine, nature, or otherwordly monstrosity (that isn't a Pokemon itself). Like I can understand GF not wanting a human opponent for a Pokemon to fight (obviously the human opponents in PokeStar Studios is just for a movie story, during filming we only hit a target prop and editing magic replaces it with a human on film), though even then if the human us wearing power armor (Essentia) or has become a monster (Mother Beast Lusamine) I don't think there's any harm giving them a whack if the purpose is to knock them out/back to their senses.

Meant more Buzzwole and others from other dimensions, not legendaries in general
Deoxys has leeway since it mutated with Poke DNA, Raikou and co were created by a Pokemon so they're still mons

 

[greentyphlosion]

Honestly the "best"/cop out explanation is that there is some kind of energy in the Pokemon world that is attached to the bug species and moves that are Bug-type tap into this "bug force". It's why Bug-types have their own weaknesses, resistances, and Type that are weak to and resist it. Sometimes the answer is "it just is".

Is this not essentially (inferred) canon, though?

Your point about water, electric and so on being elemental types is valid, but I've always thought that every type has an "energy" or a "force" it's tapping into that's essentially magic and undefinable, and that's what makes Pokemon and moves the types they are.

This is backed up in-game based on how items work and are described. Take the different Gems as an example; the Fairy Gem has "an essence of the fey", the Dark Gem has "an essence of darkness", the Dragon Gem has a "draconic essence". What the hell does any of that actually mean? The other type-boosting items are even odder: how does a blue-coloured pendant (perhaps it has some water inside it, but still) boost the power of Water-type moves? How does a thick, tough scale that presumably fell off a Dragon Pokemon boost the power of Dragon-type moves? And so on.

Presumably it's that energy that gives moves a certain technique or style that makes them the types they are. It's easy to see why Thunderbolt is an Electric-type move but what differentiates X-Scissor from Cut? Why is Lick specifically a Ghost-type move when numerous Pokemon have tongues (you could argue it's because it was created with Gengar in mind, but Lickitung is just as associated with licking as Gengar even if it didn't get Lick until Gen II). What makes Mega Kick a Normal-type move while Rolling Kick, Hi Jump Kick, and Double Kick are all Fighting?

And what even makes a Normal-type a Normal-type? Sure, you can say it's just that they're unspecialised and unremarkable Pokemon but then you're stuck explaining why some Pokemon are part-Normal, part-something else if that's the case - there must some sort of energy that makes them specifically a Normal-type. When a Grass Pokemon uses a Bug-type move presumably it's tapping into a little of that "Bug force", or at least mimicking the style of that energy.