PKMN of the Week: Eelektross

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One of my favorite grocery stores to visit is the Great Wall grocery in Falls Church, Virginia.  Not only do they have great prices on all of the fresh produce, plus produce you won't find in your usual grocery (dragon fruit, mangosteen, bok choy), you can get any of the Asian specialties you like.  They carry all the ramen - every brand, every flavor.  Any kind of green tea you could imagine.  Teriyaki flavored nori strips.  If you've never been to a mega Asian grocery before it is an experience not to be missed.

At the back of the store is a butcher's counter that runs the length of the store.  Towards the right side - fresh shellfish.  Towards the left - red meat.  Around the middle, tanks and tanks of fish swimming around.  That's right - you pick the fish in the tank you want, they plop it out, gut it, and kill it.  I've seen more than one Feebas meet its end that way.

They used to have, but got in trouble for, a tank with eels.  Those things are so grody.  When I was growing up in Hawaii I was always told to have a healthy respect for the Moray Eels.  Those monsters have two sets of jaws, literally in the same manner as the monster from the Alien movies.  Let's be clear, here, eels are not my friends.  They are not cool, they are not chill.

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Rare Article: How to Improve a Pokémon Team

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You've got a decent team. It wins you a few of your matches, so there isn't much to complain about. But, it isn't working quite like it should. Something is missing. I'm here to help you find out whatever that is. Making a team is hard, but sometimes revising a team is even harder. Here are three tips for improving on an already finished team. Buckle your idiomatic seat belts, folks.
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Using Revive on Base Set Feelings

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So normally I rant on and on about some silly strategy or what cards you should be keeping an eye on but this week I want to get emotional. On Christmas Eve my mother was explaining to my aunts the kind of turnout my game store has for Pokemon events, “Over 90 kids! All older than 16!”. My aunt replied with a statement like “Over cards? Pokamons are still popular?!”.  I stepped in and explained to her my draw to the game. I tried to explain what a meta-game was and how the fun of playing competitively and matching wits is challenge. The more I think about it, it is only a small draw that comes from that competitive high. The bigger draw for me is the nostalgia. There is an eight year old Vinnie inside me that still jumps around when I now pull a full art card. He still gets nervous in the thrill of the heat of a Pokemon battle. He still would trade any non-holo for a holo because shiny cards are better. At the end I’m going to post a link to an article by Steve Bogda where he talks about pulling his first Charizard and completing his Pokemon set, its amusing and comforting to know I’m not the only one hanging onto this kind of nostalgia.

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PotW: Galvantula

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Hey there everyone! Ever since the early days of the podcast, the guys at PKMNcast have always been 100%-accuracy-or-nothing kind of people. Whenever Hydro Pump, Fire Blast, or Thunder make an appearance in the Featured Team segment, it's always been very common for the hosts to suggest one of the 90 damage 100 accuracy moves as a replacement. As unfortunate as it is, the big-hitting, low accuracy moves are just too risky to be dependable in competitive battles.  But what if I told you that there was a Pokemon that, through use of its ability, was able to bump one of those mega-powerful moves up to 100% accuracy? Well, this week's Pokemon of the Week, Galvantula, can do just that!

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Welcome Our Gym Leaders

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Welcome to the Grey League!

We are still prepping our teams for the best challenge of your life. With that being said, it'll be the most fun yo should have!

Our Gym Leaders are hand-picked from over 40 people who battled. Just because you see tiers, does not mean that it ranges from Easy to Hard. These Leaders all have unique strategies to put you to the test. 

While more info develops, like the state of the badges, we advise you to continue training your team, as Trainers will have to submit their team of 6 they plan to use through the League. 

Also, badges are in the works now that the new store items have launched. Stay tuned for the names and what the badges look like in days to come. 

The League should being late June / early July for everyone to participate. 

Again, any questions, please ASK!

PKMN of the Week: Blitzle

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Blitzle is a white-on-black zebra Pokémon, with thick, pointed white stripes on its neck, chest, back and hind legs. It has a large, rounded dark nose, and oval eyes with blue irises and yellow scleras. Blitzle possesses a spiked white mane, culminating at the front in a lightning-bolt-esque pointed extension; Blitzle also sports stubby, triangular dark ears with blue skin on the insides. Its hoofed legs are tipped with white, and its tail is stubby, white-colored and pointed.

Its mane can catch lightning and store the electricity from it. The mane lights up when Blitzle discharges electricity.

Blitzle will gather where thunderstorms are taking place in order to catch lightning and store the electricity in their manes. They communicate with each other by making their manes light up.

SOURCE: BULBAPEDIA

PKMN of the Week: Shinx

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It is based on a lion cub or kitten. Its fur is mostly blue, yet there is a Pichu-like arrangement of black fur under its neck, and black fur under its torso. It has a long black tail with a gold four-pointed star on the end. Its forelegs each have a gold ring around them; these are electricity glands, similar to Pikachu's cheeks. It has large, oval ears with gold, star-like "fleur de lis" symbols on them. It has gold-pupiled eyes, and a pink-red nose. It has tufts of hair which will eventually grow into a mane; these can be seen on top and on the rear sides of its head. Whenever its mouth is shown open, small fangs can be seen developing.

Fun Facts:

  • Shinx's English name was originally thought to be "Spinx" because of a low quality photo with its name on it.
  • Shinx is the only Pokémon with a base stat total of 263.

Source: BULBAPEDIA

PKMN of the Week: Zapdos

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Another legendary this week: Zapdos!

Zapdos is one of the legendary birds of Kanto. It is a poorly understood species, believed by many to be pure myth. It is always seen in conjunction with thunderstorms, leading many to believe that it gathers energy from the electricity in the atmosphere. It is also reported to cause massive crackling and snapping sounds when it flies; these are attributed to the lightning bolts it is said to shed when airborne.

Zapdos has the second highest Special Attack of all Electric-types with 125. Magnezone ranks first in this regard.

Zapdos is the only one of the legendary birds to not have a double weakness to Rock (or for that matter, any double weakness).

Zapdos's name is a combination of the word zap and the Spanish word for two, dos, indicating that it is the second in the series of Kanto legendary birds. Its Japanese name is simply Thunder.

Source: Bulbapeida