PKMN of the Week: Heracross

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My friend Andrew found a dead beetle under his bed recently.

If you know him, you can look up the picture on Twitter.  The poor thing is lying on its side, just . . . dead.

There are so many different types of beetles in the world.  In Asia, beetles are sometimes used for insect fighting - much like other types of animal fighting it is kind of gross.  One of the most popular battlers, though, is the Rhinoceros Beetle.  They can get pretty big - up to six inches - among the largest beetles in the world.  They use the horn on top of their head to chase off potential rivals.  Having recently learned this fact, I am going to start bringing a Rhinoceros Beetle with me when I go out on Saturday nights!

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Rare Article: 3 (Spoiler-Free) Things to Know Before Choosing Black 2 or White 2

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First and foremost, I define "spoiler-free" as not pertaining to the plot of Black 2 or White 2. If you don't want to know gameplay-oriented spoilers, such as which Pokémon are version exclusives, then this article is probably not for you. This article is here to make the decision for those of you who, like myself, tend to only purchase one of the two versions of any given Pokémon game. I'll run down things like version exclusive Pokémon as well as version exclusive tidbits you might not know about. Disclaimers out of the way, let's get started!
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AOTW: Defeatist

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We think of Abilities as a perk-system. They’re an added benefit that helps to differentiate one pokémon from the other. They’re why you choose to use Gyarados over Lapras, or Cofagrigus over Gengar. Without Abilities to set them apart, the massive library of going on 700 pokemon wouldn’t be nearly as appealing and potentially addicting to immerse yourself into, and that’s what makes them great! So when you find yourself staring down the proverbial barrel of an Ability that just doesn’t measure up, it’s a very strange scenario to find yourself in. Such is the case with our Ability of the Week: Defeatist!
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Looking Past the Fundamentals

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Recently I’ve convinced my roommate to start playing the Pokemon TCG. He’s an avid Magic the Gathering player and plays rather seriously and competitively. He attended a couple of Battle Roads with the members of our Pokemon Podcast TCG group, Team Bouffie (formally Team Whimsy Tackle). Being new to the game we’ve had a lot of in-depth discussion about what the Pokemon TCG looks like as a whole. Last night we discussed information poisoning.

Information poisoning dictates a trend. For example, a lot of the decks we play in the US are influenced by what places well in Japan. Dragons Deck for example ranked fairly high Japan but here in the states hasn’t really shown much face. I have no doubt that the deck would have existed without Japan building it but would serious players have played it had it not done well in Japan?

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PKMN of the Week: Shelgon

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Ugh.

I hate teenagers.

Actually, let me be more specific:  I hate teenage boys.

The Pokémon League I attend on Sundays tends to have more teenage boys than anything else.  How to describe them?

They say stupid things.  They don't think before they speak.  They ask if you are related to Steve Jobs because you are wearing a long sleeve black top.  They talk about "ubers" like it is a real thing that means anything (FYI - it doesn't).

Teenage boys smell.  Either no one has told them yet that they need to wear deodorant, wash their clothes, wash themselves, etc. or they wear too much cologne or body spray so you have an allergy attack the minute they walk into the room.

They are surly.  They travel in packs.  They mock people and things outside of their own.

I know all of this especially well because, I, to was once a teenage boy.  Absolutely of the worst variety.

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Shattered Gemstones Chapter 16: The Wise Girl and the Forest

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I sit up, surveying my surroundings. I’ve been sleeping in one of the many big tents they have set up in town, to act as a home base. This morning, we get our first assignments. Last night, when signing in, I had asked to be sent as an explorer. The sooner I get out of here, the better.

Falling asleep last night was hell. The longer I laid there, the more I thought about Damian, and what we had said to each other. Damian was forced to see the harsh reality, that the person he thought I was never really existed at all. And he reacted by abandoning me. I can honestly say I didn’t see that coming, but I should have. I should have known this new information would be too much on him.

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Rare Article: Why You Should be Afraid, Very Afraid of Keldeo

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I'm Keldeo, and I'm here to destroy you.Let's get it out of the way right here. We all know that Keldeo looks like a My Little Pony. Under that cutesy guise, however, is an extremely formidable Pokémon that can rip right through you if you're not careful. Let's take a closer look at Keldeo.

Just looking at base stats, Keldeo doesn't look that spectacular. Sure, it's Sp. Attack is quite high, but it's frail as well. But hold your effeminate horse warriors, folks.
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AOTW: Water Absorb and Volt Absorb

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Sometimes, guys, you just need to stop and soak everything in. Just take it easy and let the waves go by. Watch out the window while a thunderstorm rumbles by. It can be healthy for you! Unless you, you know, let the waves go by so much you get caught in the tide. Or watch that storm so closely you catch a lightning bolt with your face. That wouldn’t help you out much, unless you enjoy hospitals. I suppose that’s a fundamental difference between human beings and digital representations of imaginary monsters that do battle with each other, because for a select few pokémon, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. This is Ability of the Week: Volt Absorb AND Water Absorb!

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PKMN of the Week: Stunfisk

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I may or may not have mentioned this before, but I spent the majority of my youth split between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  I went to elementary school in Kaneohe, Hawaii and then finished my pre-college education in Port Chester, New York.  My father was obsessed with sailing and we spent every weekend on the boat.  While I have now lived in Washington, DC for over 20 years I miss the influence of the ocean on my daily life every day.

Although I have a great affinity for the ocean, I am not the biggest fan of its myriad creatures.  Let's be frank, fish are gross.  It took me about 33 years before I learned to enjoy sushi and I still have difficulty with cooked fish.  Living fish skeeve me out.  I have a tale about why I am such an ichthyophobe but that is for another day.

 

One thing I don't have very much experience with is lakes and lake fish.  I've never been to Minnesota or visited the Great Salt Lake so I am not sure how lake fish are different from ocean fish.  I do know one thing though:

 

Flounder are not a lake fish.
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