Rare Article: 3 Fun Pokémon Things to Do With Pokéfriends!

There are times when you don't want to battle. You and your friend Stan have battled so much that it isn't fun anymore, because you know exactly what will happen. The same thing happens every. Single. Time. But you like Stan! Stan's a cool dude! You can't give up on Stan just because the battles have become a little stale! Here are some things you and Stan can do to shake things up a bit.

Chapter 1: Fresh Team Battles, Or: Dave's 'Mons

Fellow PKMNcastmember David told me about this idea he had with a friend. First, grab a friend. Preferably Stan. Then, set a timer for some amount of time, maybe 15 minutes. In those 15 minutes, you catch as many Pokémon as you can. Then, you and Stan battle with only those Pokémon you caught, at level 50 with that infrared function. You can play in a variety of different ways, i.e., allowing or disallowing held items or bringing TMs into the mix, but it has to be those Pokémon you caught, without adding EVs or any of that nonsense. Get ready for a Golbat sweep.

Chapter 2: Gen IV Underground, Or: That Thing You Never Bothered With Except For Getting Spiritomb

In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, there was something titled "The Underground." It was essentially the successor to Gen III's secret bases, except loads more fun. Show Stan around your base, dig for fossils and other items together, or set up a few traps for a game of capture the flag! The Underground is gigantic, and there are plenty of things to do while you and Stan chat idly about Skrilstep or Dubmau5 or whatever it is the kids are into these days. The best part is that you aren't limited to two players! Alejandro can join in on the fun too!

Chapter 3: Four Player Battles, Or: But Let's Not Kid Ourselves, You Don't Have That Many Friends.

A casual battle between four friends, with two on each side for a double battle, can be loads of fun. Because you are playing alongside someone else and their Pokémon, there isn't pressure to do well. After all, you didn't make your team so that it would work with Stan's. So what if you lose to Alejandro and Amir? The best part is that after a match, you can rotate seats and play with a different partner! That means you get multiple games in, with each one being different than the last! And you know what they say, variety is the spice of your friendship with Stan.

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That'll be the end for this week, Pokéfolk. See you in a week! Also I'm on Fridays now. So there's that.