By Matt
Which Pokemon should I talk about today? I’ll discuss Ampharos, the friendly-looking Pokemon sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Of course, it wasn’t likely for me to meet an Ampharos; usually, it would be Flaaffy, or Mareep, its sheep pre-evolutions. In Pokemon Coliseum, where I get many of my favorites, there was a Shadow Flaaffy that I had to catch and then purify by battling with it. When I went to a certain place in the game to purify it, it regained its EXP (for EXP was not gained when it was in its Shadow form) and turned into an Ampharos.
You can always rely on Ampharos for its powerful Electric-type special attacks, but you would need to wait, since Ampharos is a very slow-moving Pokemon, with a base stat of 55 in Speed. Therefore, picking the right moves is crucial, because Ampharos is almost guaranteed to move last in battle. Unfortunately, there are no moves it will or can learn that is guaranteed to go last; one could take advantage by teaching it a powerful move such as Revenge, or a strategic one, like Trick Room.
In battle, it is best to keep Ampharos with special attacks, since its base stat in Special Attack is 115, and by far, its best. Plus, the last physical move it will learn is Thunderpunch at level 30. When I played Pokemon Soul Silver, I caught a Mareep, and kept training it, since, at the time, I did not know what level it would evolve, and then evolve again. There was also a part in the storyline where you also had to climb a lighthouse to aid a sick Ampharos, which provided the light for the ships. (That was also the only way you could get to fight the Gym Leader of that town, too.) In just about every game I’ve had (except Leaf Green version), I’ve came across an Ampharos, usually in battle. Of course, I wouldn’t mind taking my time trying to EV train it and maximize its potential.
I remember in elementary school when Pokemon was fresh in everyone’s mind. I would sometimes bring pictures of Ampharos to draw on free days, and everyone would keep asking me to borrow some. These were the good old days, when I had Pokemon Coliseum to play, and it never failed to satisfy. Looking at the many kinds of moves it can learn, Ampharos can be destructive and resilient at the same time. Its only weakness is Ground, and seeing how moves can go either way (physical or special), Ampharos is prepared for it by having a 75 in Defense, and a 90 in Special Defense. I’ll be sure to capture a Mareep or Flaaffy when it comes out in the Dream World, because its ability is Plus, which will increase Special Attack by 50% if its partner’s ability is Plus or Minus as well.
I’m debating whether this ability is better than Static (which has a chance of giving paralysis when hit by a physical attack), and I’m still wondering if I should import my Ampharos (from my game-winning team) in Soul Silver. Nonetheless, Ampharos, like many of my favorites, is a sight to behold, and would be fun to hug in person (it’s 4’ 7”!).
Tags: Ampharos, Nintendo DS, Soul Silver