Little things you like about Pokémon

Foxxeyy said:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaa, I've been replaying Ultra Moon and I've been catching every legendary possible through the ultra wormholes (only rayquaza to go), and I noticed something when I caught Zapdos. Normally I play with the music off, but occasionally I turn it on for no reason and then it gets stuck in my head for a year. But, here's the thing I've figured out. When you encounter a legendary from a previous region, it plays the encounter music from that region.

This is hands-down my favourite little detail about Pokemon, ever.
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Articuno/Zapdos/Moltres: Random Encounter theme from RGBY
Mewtwo: Kanto Legendary theme from XY
Raikou/Entei/Suicune: Legendary Beast theme from Crystal
Lugia: Lugia theme from HGSS
Ho-oh: Ho-oh theme from HGSS
Regirock/Regice/Regitsteel: Regi theme from RSE
Latias/Latios: Random Encounter theme from RSE
Kyogre/Groudon/Rayquaza: Weather trio theme from RSE
Uxie/Mesprit/Azelf: Pixie Trio theme from DPPt
Dialga/Palkia: Dialga/Palkia theme from DPPt
Heatran/Regigigas: Rotom/Legendary theme from DPPt
Giratina: Giratina theme from Platinum
Cresselia: Random Encounter theme from DPPt
Cobalion/Terrakion/Virizion/Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus: Legendary theme from BW/B2W2
Reshiram/Zekrom/Kyurem: Tao Trio theme from BW/B2W2(one version instead of subtle differences like the originals)
Xerneas/Yvetal: Kalos Legendary theme from XY (Zygarde uses this theme too but it's found outside of Ultra Space)
 
While we're all going crazy over Hisuian Growlithe (and rightfully so, it's a good boi), I just want to say I'm glad it finally did get a regional form, not just because it's neat, but it also means it also gets to have the same treatment of having a regional form just like Vulpix did. I was always a bit sad that Vulpix and Ninetales got a regional form to start back in SM while Growlithe and Arcanine didn't, but now Growlithe finally has one to claim its own.

It's probably very nitpicky but something I'm happy about all the same.
 
ScraftyIsTheBest said:
While we're all going crazy over Hisuian Growlithe (and rightfully so, it's a good boi), I just want to say I'm glad it finally did get a regional form, not just because it's neat, but it also means it also gets to have the same treatment of having a regional form just like Vulpix did. I was always a bit sad that Vulpix and Ninetales got a regional form to start back in SM while Growlithe and Arcanine didn't, but now Growlithe finally has one to claim its own.

It's probably very nitpicky but something I'm happy about all the same.
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Because while Kantonian Growlithe and Kantonian Vuplix(and Kantonian Sandshrew and Ekans) are counterparts, Alolan Vulpix and Alolan Sandshrew are counterparts. Nothing says that a regional variant HAS to have the same counterpart as its original form.
 
Nokocchi said:
Because while Kantonian Growlithe and Kantonian Vuplix(and Kantonian Sandshrew and Ekans) are counterparts, Alolan Vulpix and Alolan Sandshrew are counterparts. Nothing says that a regional variant HAS to have the same counterpart as its original form.
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Kind of like what happened with Galarian Farfetch'd and Galarian Corsola but Vulpix and Sandshrew had counterparts before and those didn't.
 
Been replaying Gates to Infinity and while it's easily the weakest of the (internationally released) Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, it's got some redeeming qualities.

One of such is fourth wall breaking Hydreigon:
fourth wall breaking hydreigon.PNG

Yeah, an NPC breaks the fourth wall in a Pokemon game... but it has nothing to do with game mechanics and controls. It actually has to do with the plot. I just find it hilarious in this case.

The fourth wall breaks later in this game don't feel too jarring and honestly feel decently integrated into the plot and how the player plays the game.
 
Very easy to miss thing from X and Y, a generally boring game: Remember how the gate to Victory Road was near Santalune City? That's exactly how it was in Generation 1 with Viridian City and its respective gate to Victory Road.

It's the kind of continuity nod / call back I actually like - don't do this sort of thing every game of course, but it's better than say, using Charizard for marketing reasons again.
 
This may be unpopular, but the Regigigas sounds from Hoopa and the Clash of Ages live rent-free in my mind.

All the Regi's generally have good and unique cries in the games and other media. A few times they're just general grunts, but they usually sound somewhat mechanical - which is the case for it's cry in the games. Regigias had an appearance in Giratina and the Sky Warrior and its awakening cry was pretty good, but that was mostly just beacuse they nailed the tone rather than it being very nuanced. Regigias also had a dedicated episode in the Gen 4 anime, though it's cry is a bit mixed there - too many things going on to make it sound good tbh.

But daaaaaang does Regigias sound fantastic in H&CA. They somehow managed to squeeze in a sense of mechanical alienness, powerful gravitas, sadness, and comedy within its very short appearance. I love every second of it, though I've heard in the past some people don't care for it. If there was something that should absolutely be ported from the anime to the games this would be it: battling with or against a Regigias making these sounds would make my day instantly.

If you've never heard it before or want to hear it again:
 
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I like the location previews in FRLG and HGSS. They started off kind of rudimentary in FRLG though were pretty cool for its time. But in HGSS they became gorgeous. HGSS really is the most visually pleasing Pokémon game in my opinion. Sprout Tower, Bell Tower, and Ice Path are my favorites. I especially like how in certain locations the Pokémon make appearances to add a bit of character. Which Pokémon appearing in the shot varying by time of day was pretty cool too.

HGSS_Sprout_Tower-Morning.png


HGSS_Bell_Tower-Morning.png


HGSS_Ice_Cave-Day.png
 
So, me and some lads were discussing earlier in a discord about the deep and emotionally investing lore that Basculin totally has and I've come to a realisation about and ability that I previously never really understood what the big thought process behind it was


:ss/crawdaunt::ss/basculin:Adaptability:ss/basculin-blue-striped::ss/gumshoos:

​
Now, some cases like :eevee: Eevee being literally the most adaptable mon, capable of evolving into 8 different species; or :porygon-z: Porygon-Z being based on an evolutionary line that adapts with technology over time, those I could understand why they had the ability, but most other Adaptability mons confused me a little as to why they have the ability. Today, when looking at Basculin's dex entries is when I realised

Adaptability is often tied to Invasive Species. (For those who are unfamiliar with the term, they're species that inhabit an ecosystem they're not usually native to, and cause a general imbalance in said ecosystem. Think of it how some Hippos escaped from captivity into the Amazon and nothing there can take down a Hippo)

Out of the 10 Evolutionary Lines that get Adaptability (2 of which I've mentioned already and 2 of which are Megas), the following are Invasive/implied to be Invasive by the following Dex Entries:


:feebas: They look ragged, so no one catches them. They look like they'd taste bad, so predators won't eat them. And their numbers continue to grow.

:corphish: It came from overseas. It is a very hardy creature that will quickly proliferate, even in polluted streams. No matter how dirty the water in the river, it will adapt and thrive. It has a strong will to survive. | Individuals that have been set free by Trainers who could no longer raise them have become common, and they can now be found in Alola.
:crawdaunt: Crawdaunt has an extremely violent nature that compels it to challenge other living things to battle. Other life-forms refuse to live in ponds inhabited by this Pokémon, making them desolate places.

:basculin::basculin-blue-striped: Anglers love the fight this Pokémon puts up on the hook. And there are always more to catch— many people release them into lakes illicitly. When a school of Basculin appears in a lake, everything else disappears, except for Corphish and Crawdaunt. That's how violent Basculin are.

:yungoos: :gumshoos:While not a direct dex entry, its entire lore is based on being brought to hunt Rattata but then failing at that and becoming found all of the region themselves instead, which in on itself is a reference to irl invasive mongoose species in Hawaii




This relationship between Ability and Ecological Niche is genuinely one of my favourites things to have learned from these Pokémon, and it leaves me wondering is there's any more abilities out there based on ecology such as this. Still no idea why Skrelp, Dragalge, Mega Luke and Mega Bee have it though
 
Skrelp and Dragalge have a similar enough rough aesthetic to Feebas, Crawdaunt, and Basculin that it doesn't really feel too out of place (even if their real-life counterparts are definitely not invasive), though the megas are indeed bizarre. Especially Mega Lucario. I'm pretty sure there are some real-life invasive bee and wasp species.

The connection to invasive species also explains a seeming disparity between Adaptability's name and effect. Usually when you think of something being adaptable, it means they can easily change their strategy, so you'd think Adaptability would do something like Protean or Download where it would be flexible in its application and encourage the user to mix things up. But no, it actually encourages the user to spam STAB moves, the kind of thing they're already good at. But with invasive species in mind, this makes sense. Invasive species become problematic because the thing they're good at isn't something anything else in the ecosystem can deal with.
 
AquaticPanic said:
So, me and some lads were discussing earlier in a discord about the deep and emotionally investing lore that Basculin totally has and I've come to a realisation about and ability that I previously never really understood what the big thought process behind it was


:ss/crawdaunt::ss/basculin:Adaptability:ss/basculin-blue-striped::ss/gumshoos:

​
Now, some cases like :eevee: Eevee being literally the most adaptable mon, capable of evolving into 8 different species; or :porygon-z: Porygon-Z being based on an evolutionary line that adapts with technology over time, those I could understand why they had the ability, but most other Adaptability mons confused me a little as to why they have the ability. Today, when looking at Basculin's dex entries is when I realised

Adaptability is often tied to Invasive Species. (For those who are unfamiliar with the term, they're species that inhabit an ecosystem they're not usually native to, and cause a general imbalance in said ecosystem. Think of it how some Hippos escaped from captivity into the Amazon and nothing there can take down a Hippo)

Out of the 10 Evolutionary Lines that get Adaptability (2 of which I've mentioned already and 2 of which are Megas), the following are Invasive/implied to be Invasive by the following Dex Entries:


:feebas: They look ragged, so no one catches them. They look like they'd taste bad, so predators won't eat them. And their numbers continue to grow.

:corphish: It came from overseas. It is a very hardy creature that will quickly proliferate, even in polluted streams. No matter how dirty the water in the river, it will adapt and thrive. It has a strong will to survive. | Individuals that have been set free by Trainers who could no longer raise them have become common, and they can now be found in Alola.
:crawdaunt: Crawdaunt has an extremely violent nature that compels it to challenge other living things to battle. Other life-forms refuse to live in ponds inhabited by this Pokémon, making them desolate places.

:basculin::basculin-blue-striped: Anglers love the fight this Pokémon puts up on the hook. And there are always more to catch— many people release them into lakes illicitly. When a school of Basculin appears in a lake, everything else disappears, except for Corphish and Crawdaunt. That's how violent Basculin are.

:yungoos: :gumshoos:While not a direct dex entry, its entire lore is based on being brought to hunt Rattata but then failing at that and becoming found all of the region themselves instead, which in on itself is a reference to irl invasive mongoose species in Hawaii




This relationship between Ability and Ecological Niche is genuinely one of my favourites things to have learned from these Pokémon, and it leaves me wondering is there's any more abilities out there based on ecology such as this. Still no idea why Skrelp, Dragalge, Mega Luke and Mega Bee have it though
Click to expand...

Very cool observation. It does however make complete sense why Skrelp and by extension Dragalge have Adaptability. From Bulbapedia, "Skrelp is a poor swimmer, so it camouflages itself as seaweed to hide from enemies while storing power for evolution." This is the literal definition of adaptability. It basically seems like Skrelp is an aquatic creature that feels out of place and is forced to adapt to survive in what feels like an uncomfortable situation for it.

Also from Bulbapedia, "Dragalge is a territorial Pokémon that will spit poison at whatever trespasses on its territory." So it still feels out of place but now has tools to ward off others in a much more threatening manner. And by your definition of an invasive species, Dragalge definitely causes an imbalance in an aquatic biome with this abnormally defensive nature.

I think both Skrelp and Dragalge are as fitting of Adaptability as their abilities as any other Pokémon on your list.
 
AquaticPanic said:
So, me and some lads were discussing earlier in a discord about the deep and emotionally investing lore that Basculin totally has and I've come to a realisation about and ability that I previously never really understood what the big thought process behind it was


:ss/crawdaunt::ss/basculin:Adaptability:ss/basculin-blue-striped::ss/gumshoos:

​
Now, some cases like :eevee: Eevee being literally the most adaptable mon, capable of evolving into 8 different species; or :porygon-z: Porygon-Z being based on an evolutionary line that adapts with technology over time, those I could understand why they had the ability, but most other Adaptability mons confused me a little as to why they have the ability. Today, when looking at Basculin's dex entries is when I realised

Adaptability is often tied to Invasive Species. (For those who are unfamiliar with the term, they're species that inhabit an ecosystem they're not usually native to, and cause a general imbalance in said ecosystem. Think of it how some Hippos escaped from captivity into the Amazon and nothing there can take down a Hippo)

Out of the 10 Evolutionary Lines that get Adaptability (2 of which I've mentioned already and 2 of which are Megas), the following are Invasive/implied to be Invasive by the following Dex Entries:


:feebas: They look ragged, so no one catches them. They look like they'd taste bad, so predators won't eat them. And their numbers continue to grow.

:corphish: It came from overseas. It is a very hardy creature that will quickly proliferate, even in polluted streams. No matter how dirty the water in the river, it will adapt and thrive. It has a strong will to survive. | Individuals that have been set free by Trainers who could no longer raise them have become common, and they can now be found in Alola.
:crawdaunt: Crawdaunt has an extremely violent nature that compels it to challenge other living things to battle. Other life-forms refuse to live in ponds inhabited by this Pokémon, making them desolate places.

:basculin::basculin-blue-striped: Anglers love the fight this Pokémon puts up on the hook. And there are always more to catch— many people release them into lakes illicitly. When a school of Basculin appears in a lake, everything else disappears, except for Corphish and Crawdaunt. That's how violent Basculin are.

:yungoos: :gumshoos:While not a direct dex entry, its entire lore is based on being brought to hunt Rattata but then failing at that and becoming found all of the region themselves instead, which in on itself is a reference to irl invasive mongoose species in Hawaii




This relationship between Ability and Ecological Niche is genuinely one of my favourites things to have learned from these Pokémon, and it leaves me wondering is there's any more abilities out there based on ecology such as this. Still no idea why Skrelp, Dragalge, Mega Luke and Mega Bee have it though
Click to expand...
Come to think of it, why the Zubat line, Tentacool line, several early rodent Pokémon and a few Bug-type Pokémon did not have Adaptability considering that you found them everywhere in regions they are found and can be caught in base game? Those are dangerously close to being invasive if not outright invasive to the region in question.

Aside of balancing issues Adaptability it will cause if given to already strong Pokémon, as proven by Mega Lucario.
 
"There’s a Galarian fairy tale that describes a beautiful Sylveon vanquishing a dreadful dragon Pokémon."

Haven't played SS yet but today I discovered this Pokedex description for Sylveon. What a great subtle reference to St. George (Galar's inspiration England's patron saint and mine as well) but at the same time with a little twist referencing the princess of the tale.

Dragonslayers come in all varieties.
 
On today's edition of little things I enjoyed while playing Omega Ruby, we're going to the Weather Institute when Team Magma breaks in and steals some research. While Team Magma is in the building, the receptionist will still greet you as if nothing is wrong, and then say that she's a professional who won't panic just because some people broke into the building. I really enjoy the idea that she's dedicated years of her life to mastering the art of greeting visitors at the Weather Institute.
 
The Mind Electric said:
On today's edition of little things I enjoyed while playing Omega Ruby, we're going to the Weather Institute when Team Magma breaks in and steals some research. While Team Magma is in the building, the receptionist will still greet you as if nothing is wrong, and then say that she's a professional who won't panic just because some people broke into the building. I really enjoy the idea that she's dedicated years of her life to mastering the art of greeting visitors at the Weather Institute.
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There's a funny counterpart with the receptionist in the Canalave Library in DPP. She reminds the player to be quiet, but if they speak to her immediately after the explosion at Valor Lakefront shakes the building, she will say something to the effect of "I still expect you to be quiet. It certainly wasn't me who screamed 'GYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA' or 'HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!' just now. Absolutely not."

I'm not exaggerating with that quote, the text is literally written that way and it's fantastic. I make a point of talking to her every time I play one of the Sinnoh games, hope BDSP keeps it.
 
A similar NPC moment in Crystal is when Team Rocket takes over the tower and you talk to Buena. Instead of the show, she says "Today's password? HELP, of course!". It's a small joke, but it stuck with me since it wasn't what I was expecting (either normal or more serious dialogue) at the time.

In general, I liked Buena's Password as an extra something to do and a goal to work towards every day. It wasn't a challenge, but it was interesting to check out/use the radio every night and was less out of the way compared to harvesting berries or apricorns.
 
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It would be absolutely hilarious if they actually bring back the Game Corner's theme to use in the Style Shop itself. Like yeah it's not a casino anymore, but if they still kept the original music even though it's a totally different place that would be fun.


Like imagine THIS playing in a clothing shop all the while you're looking for outfits and going in there changing hairstyles, clothing, etc. That would be fun imo.
 
ScraftyIsTheBest said:
It would be absolutely hilarious if they actually bring back the Game Corner's theme to use in the Style Shop itself. Like yeah it's not a casino anymore, but if they still kept the original music even though it's a totally different place that would be fun.


Like imagine THIS playing in a clothing shop all the while you're looking for outfits and going in there changing hairstyles, clothing, etc. That would be fun imo.
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I think it's more likely for the Style Shop to have a slower version/remix of the Game Corner theme than a completely new song, but I don't think a completely new song is super unlikely.
 
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