Pokémon XII: Truth of the Ideal Thread

[Mando Knight]

I'm doing a HeartGold run, limiting myself to three Pokemon in-party at a time, not including HM slaves (four if three proves impossible). I'm currently at Bugsy's Gym, with a Quilava, a Butterfree, and a Zubat. Any tips on what Pokemon to switch at what points? If any evolutiions should be delayed, I want to know those too (I remember that Torchik learned Flamethrower if you didn't evolve it til level 40 (forgot that it had an Everstone)).

Personally, one move delayed 5 levels isn't worth delaying evolution 24 levels if you're going to use the 'mon. Quilava learns moves at the same level as Typhlosion anyway (and Golbat the same as Crobat).

Now, if it was the case of a move that only the lower stage learns, I would agree with you.

Also, at Bugsy's, the general strategy is:
1.) Lead with Quilava.
2.) Hey, look! Fire! Against a Bug gym!
3.) Do you really need my help for this?
4.) If you can't just Flame Wheel or Ember past the entire gym, annoy with the other two why are you playing Pokémon at all? It's a Scyther, a Metapod, and a Kakuna!

[Qwertystop]

Personally, one move delayed 5 levels isn't worth delaying evolution 24 levels if you're going to use the 'mon. Quilava learns moves at the same level as Typhlosion anyway (and Golbat the same as Crobat).

Now, if it was the case of a move that only the lower stage learns, I would agree with you.

Also, at Bugsy's, the general strategy is:
1.) Lead with Quilava.
2.) Hey, look! Fire! Against a Bug gym!
3.) Do you really need my help for this?
4.) If you can't just Flame Wheel or Ember past the entire gym, annoy with the other two why are you playing Pokémon at all? It's a Scyther, a Metapod, and a Kakuna!

Oh, misunderstanding. I know that Fire is what to do for Bugsy's gym, and all the other basic type-matchups. I'm just not as familiar as some with what pokemon I can find where, and as I have only 3, I can't afford to waste space in my party.

[NineThePuma]

I would consider raising an Adamant Technician Scyther, or picking up a Heracross. Both are really strong, and Hera is rather stupidly powerful.

[Geno9999]

Oh, misunderstanding. I know that Fire is what to do for Bugsy's gym, and all the other basic type-matchups. I'm just not as familiar as some with what pokemon I can find where, and as I have only 3, I can't afford to waste space in my party.

I remember that in Goldenrod City, you can trade a Drowzee (you can find them on Rule ROUTE 34) for a Machop. Get a female Drowzee with a Attack boosting nature. Give that to the trainer, and you'll receive a Female Machop with a good Nature. Use her against Whitney. Even the Arceus-damned Miltank she has will fall to it.
(However, as a backup, I had Nidorino with Double Kick in case Machop fainted.)

[Qwertystop]

I remember that in Goldenrod City, you can trade a Drowzee (you can find them on Rule ROUTE 34) for a Machop. Get a female Drowzee with a Attack boosting nature. Give that to the trainer, and you'll receive a Female Machop with a good Nature. Use her against Whitney. Even the Arceus-damned Miltank she has will fall to it.
(However, as a backup, I had Nidorino with Double Kick in case Machop fainted.)

Who should I switch out for it?

[NineThePuma]

Arguably, Butterfree. At this point in the game, butterfree's usefulness starts to go down significantly. The 4x weakness to Rock means that the one gym where Butterfree would be magnificent (Fighting) is marred. Still has goodish stats, but Whitney will probably be a fair balance and Morty will crush you under the heel of his Gengars.

You need to continue boosting Zubat so he evolves ASAP, because he should then go Crobat pretty quick, and Crobat is, frequently, the only way I can handle Morty's Gengars.

[ScionoftheVoid]

I remember I beat Morty mostly due to having my HM-slave Sentret in my party. It was level ten. I just spammed Odor Sleuth (or Foresight, I can't remember) until they ran out of Sucker Punches and Shadow Balls. Most hilarious victory ever.

[Geno9999]

For Morty, I used a Scrappy Kangaskhan I got from the Pokewalker. I may have also used a Haunter or a Gengar I evolved from a Gastly from Belltower, but I think that one got fainted quickly. Ghost vs. Ghost is a risky option, so you're probably better off with a Crobat with Bite.

[tgva8889]

Heracross is a beast. It learns Brick Break at level 17. You can get it before you fight Whitney. Having a guy with Brick Break turns that fight from "enormously challenging" into "maybe I might need one Super Potion to win this with Brick Break spam." Fighting is also a great way to beat Pryce, as I'm pretty sure all his Pokemon are weak to it. Fighting is also useful against Jasmine. Overall, Fighting-type. Use it. Heracross just happens to be the best, especially if you can't get Machamp.

It would help if I remembered what my team was to beat SoulSilver, as I remember Morty not being as difficult as the comments are making him sound. I only remember that I had a Typhlosion. It's hard to remember because I keep mixing it up with the Gold run I did right before I played SoulSilver.

[Qwertystop]

Heracross is a beast. It learns Brick Break at level 17. You can get it before you fight Whitney. Having a guy with Brick Break turns that fight from "enormously challenging" into "maybe I might need one Super Potion to win this with Brick Break spam." Fighting is also a great way to beat Pryce, as I'm pretty sure all his Pokemon are weak to it. Fighting is also useful against Jasmine. Overall, Fighting-type. Use it. Heracross just happens to be the best, especially if you can't get Machamp.

It would help if I remembered what my team was to beat SoulSilver, as I remember Morty not being as difficult as the comments are making him sound. I only remember that I had a Typhlosion. It's hard to remember because I keep mixing it up with the Gold run I did right before I played SoulSilver.

Well, I can't get Machamp. Do I get the Machop and go for Machoke, or do I get Heracross?

Any other notables to go for at any particular point in the game?

[NineThePuma]

Heracross!

HERACROSS!

Heracross is also somewhat useful against Chuck (resists STAB), and can be a strong contender in the Elite Four battles.

[tgva8889]

If your choices are Machoke and Heracross, Heracross is far better. Machamp is plausible competition for Heracross, but Machoke is definitely not. Being Bug-type is useful, and Heracross is so powerful.

I feel like it's possible I used a Crobat but I don't remember. I wish I did. I believe I also had a Magnemite for Morty. I wish I remembered my whole team up to that point.

[Qwertystop]

What about the split-path point in the game? Which way provides something more useful?

As of now, my team is:
Zubat, level 12
Butterfree, level 11
Quilava, level... 1 after he evolves into Quilava.

Beat Bugsy's Scyther with Quilava (Smokescreen is great). Beat the cocoons with Zubat (one Supersonic, then Astonish, occasionally healing the scratch damage with Leech Life. Poison immunity is great). Could have used Quilava, but Zubat needed the XP.

the rest of my party is:
Bellsprout, Cut and Flash slave
Togepi (from the Egg), to remind me to go to Elm once I get rid of the Sudowoodo tree and have a bike.

[flabort]

I have no idea what the current conversation is, I'm just putting this out there:

Is Pokemon running out of colors to use?

For example, WHAT will they possibly have to name their Gen 6 games? Cyan and Magenta? Perhaps Orange and Purple?
What about Gen 7 (This is a long way off, don't worry )? Will they have to use Plaid and Argyle?

[Talvereaux]

I have no idea what the current conversation is, I'm just putting this out there:

Is Pokemon running out of colors to use?

For example, WHAT will they possibly have to name their Gen 6 games? Cyan and Magenta? Perhaps Orange and Purple?
What about Gen 7 (This is a long way off, don't worry )? Will they have to use Plaid and Argyle?

They use minerals, too. Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.

[Turalisj]

Level 100 Zekrom, got. Now I need 40 more trades for a master ball, to get Kyurem.

[Mando Knight]

Level 100 Zekrom, got. Now I need 40 more trades for a master ball, to get Kyurem.

...You don't need a Master Ball for Kyurem. Just play after 8PM and use Dusk Balls, and bring a Steel type to absolutely wall the guy.

[NineThePuma]

Kyurem is in a cave anyway.

[Turalisj]

...You don't need a Master Ball for Kyurem. Just play after 8PM and use Dusk Balls, and bring a Steel type to absolutely wall the guy.

Oooh, I forgot about the Dusk Balls. I'll need to get someone up to a high enough level to wall him though.

For the most part, I've been focusing on filling up my dex as much as I can, mostly by leveling up the 'mons I already have. I don't have much of an interest in the PvP aspect in BW.

[Aerodynamik]

Oooh, I forgot about the Dusk Balls. I'll need to get someone up to a high enough level to wall him though.

For the most part, I've been focusing on filling up my dex as much as I can, mostly by leveling up the 'mons I already have. I don't have much of an interest in the PvP aspect in BW.

I am three 'mons away from filling up my dex, and my best friend throughout the whole thing has been a bisharp with false swipe and thunder wave. She makes it REALLY easy to catch stuff.

[Turalisj]

I'm using a Weavil to do my catching. Right now I'm trying to focus on evolving everyone already have, then I'm going to look at trading people for what I can't catch (like the two other starters)

[NineThePuma]

Unova Dex, or National?

*has a similar project*

*is short a very small number of pokemon*

[Turalisj]

I'm focusing on Unova right now T_T

I have less than 400 seen and less than 200 actually in the dex. I've been veeeerry lazy.

[NineThePuma]

I'm at... 617? 619? Something like that. (That's 'in dex' FYI)

[OracleofWuffing]

Lessee, 629 seen, 606 obtained. Including a full collection of Unown from Diamond. I think my catch buddy was supposed to be Smeargle with Spore, Mean Look, and Baton Pass, but then I found out Mean Look no longer passes, so I think I just used level 92 Scizor with Swords Dance and False Swipe, then some other random pokemon with Flash/Sand-Attack and Double Team/Minimize. Most everything's just breed and level now, so not a lotta catching going on.

[NineThePuma]

Oracle, you keep your 'full' dex sections at all?

We might not have overlap in "needed" pokemon.

[Aotrs Commander]

Is it me, or are they doing a boat-load of legendary wi-fi give aways at the moment? Zekrom and Reshiram make, what the forth one (Arceus/Mewtwo/Victini2...) At this rate, I'll be able to make a team of legendaries in both Black and White, without ever having to catch a Pokemon...

I mean, it's not like I mind or anything, of course, just an observation, but... I got the impression it wasn't anything like this intense in Gen IV, was it? Is it just that in Gen V, there's so much more reliance on the web and wi-fi or something...?

[Talvereaux]

Is it me, or are they doing a boat-load of legendary wi-fi give aways at the moment? Zekrom and Reshiram make, what the forth one (Arceus/Mewtwo/Victini2...) At this rate, I'll be able to make a team of legendaries in both Black and White, without ever having to catch a Pokemon...

I mean, it's not like I mind or anything, of course, just an observation, but... I got the impression it wasn't anything like this intense in Gen IV, was it? Is it just that in Gen V, there's so much more reliance on the web and wi-fi or something...?

Gen IV was pretty generous on wi-fi events, too. In the span of HGSS alone, there was a Celebi event, shiny legendary beasts, a Jirachi event, a Mew event, and whichever member of the Lati@s duo your game was missing. There were also promotional legendaries like Manaphy and Eruption Heatran that you got for buying some spinoff titles that came out at the time, though those aren't exactly 'give aways'.

It's one thing I love about the new wi-fi capabilities. It's way easier getting event legendaries now. You usually had to live in New York or something to take part in the first three generations' giveaways.

[Augmental]

Has anyone else ever gotten a "critical capture" in Gen 5, where the poke ball only has to shake once before it catches the pokemon? If so, which one was your first?

I just had my first critical capture - on a friggin' Stunfisk. That would've been really nice to have when I was wasting an hour trying to catch Virizion.

[Mando Knight]

I've had a couple dozen Crit Captures. I think my first was fairly early on, since I quickly realized that they had a more... metallic? swoosh to them when you throw them.

I wouldn't be surprised, though, if there was something hidden in the capture code that limits your chances of getting one against legends...