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Hidden Power, The Mysterious Pokemon Move

By Matt

Probably one of the most overlooked moves ever, Hidden Power has existed for quite a long time now. One of the first Pokemon to utilize it was Unown, in the Johto region. It is the hieroglyphic Pokemon, and what is strange about it is that Hidden Power is the only move it will use. For reasons that still can’t be explained, Unown has no compatability with other TMs or HMs, making it an enigmatic Pokemon. So, what exactly is Hidden Power?

It is a TM that has been available in many Pokemon games, and just about any Pokemon can learn this move. Hidden Power is described as a move that varies in power and type by the Pokemon who use it. In its original state, it is a Normal-type move, but each Pokemon can change it and mutate it to change into another type. This move is dependent on each Pokemon’s Indiviual Values, meaning that even Pokemon of the same species can have a Hidden Power with a different type. But how do you figure out the type of your Pokemon’s Hidden Power?

The first method is the process of elimination, which is by using type matchups. Type immunities come in handy here, since you can eliminate all the types that do not have immunities. There used to be a way to calculate Hidden Power manually (which still exists today). To save time, though, there is a trainer in a Pokemon center in one of the cities who will tell you your Pokemon’s type of Hidden Power.

For those that want to know the mechanics of this strange move, Individual Values are added up, which can be easily found by using an Individual Values (IV) Calculator. After typing your Pokemon’s stats in, you can find a column that shows its possible IVs, which you can then use for the calculation. Using the stats HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed in that order, the numbers 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 will be variables that can be used. However, if a Pokemon’s IV is an even number in that stat, it will be 0 instead of that number above. Once you have everything ready, multiply the sum of those numbers by 15, and round down. Divide by 63, round down again, and you will get a number between 0 and 15. Starting from 0, Hidden Power’s type is Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, and Dark. Remember that Hidden Power is a Special move, so special sweepers can use it to cover their weaknesses.
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Pokemon Black And White Version Differences

By Matt

Like all Pokemon games, Pokemon Black and White have differences not only in Pokemon, but in other aesthetic features. But since this is a new region, I should probably discuss the Pokemon that can be found in each version. For Pokemon Black, you can find Cottonnee, Gothita, and Vullaby as version-exclusive Pokemon. Pokemon White features its counterparts: Petilil, Solosis, and Rufflet. Also, the legendaries and roaming legendaries of each game are different. The roaming legend in Black is Tornadus, while in White, it is Thundurus. Legendaries are exclusive to one game only, so Black gets Reshiram, and White gets Zekrom, which turns out to be a color inversion.

One major difference is the town to the right of Nimbasa City. This is either Black City or White Forest, depending on your version. Black City is a town where there are Trainers that want to battle and have some wares to sell. On the contrary, White Forest is a very lax place, where no one battles you, but tells you about the peacefulness of country life. Using Entralink between the two games, you can bring people from the other game to be in your area. Another artistic change is in Opelucid City, where each game features a different theme.

Pokemon Black’s Opelucid City is a futuristic town with doors that open automatically, while Pokemon White’s Opelucid City is an old-fashioned place with an old-style décor. In terms of battle, Pokemon Black tends to focus more on Rotation Battles, while White focuses on Triple Battles.

The Opelucid City Battle House has an Ace Trainer who will battle you every day, and his or her theme is based off your version’s preferred form of battle. A small change to the Opelucid Gym is the Gym Leader you will face. Pokemon Black players will face Drayden, while Pokemon White players will face Iris. They don’t have a change in Pokemon, though, so this difference is minor. Misaltron City’s airport surroundings are different in each version too.

Black features futuristic-looking greenhouses, while White has plots of land. I forgot to mention that the species of swarm Pokemon are different in each version. Swarm Pokemon are the wild Pokemon that are not native to Unova. A Pokemon outbreak features Swarm Pokemon, and notices can be seen in gates dividing Routes and towns. Based on the route, you can find Pokemon like Weedle in Black version, and Caterpie in White.
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The Klink Line

By Jo

Generation V introduced the most steel-types out of any generation, the Klink line being three of the twelve released in the Pokemon Black and White games. As of the newest games, the Klink and its evolutionary relatives are the only pure steel types related through evolution (they are also three of the five pure steel types to ever be released) which makes them quite a unique bunch of gears.

Klink is made up of a couple of gears that are a bit out of sort. They both have right eyes, and crosses for their left ones. They also have teal colored, clown-like noses. The gear part of their bodies is a light grey, while their faces are a darker, graphite color. According to their pokedex entries, the two minigears that mesh together are predetermined. Each will rebound from other minigears without meshing. Interlocking two bodies and spinning around generates the energy they need to live. Klink’s shiny sprite appears to be made of copper and their noses are green, like copper turns when it oxidizes. Klink’s name seems to come from the word ‘clink’, a sound that metal makes. There’s a possibility that the word ‘link’ may also be in its name, which may be a reference to the connection between the two minigears.

Once Klink reaches level 38, it evolves into Klang. While its right minigear appears to be the same, its left has grown an attachment. What was its entire face is now only its nose (which is now the same shade of its former nose), the larger gear being the rest of its face. Its pokedex entries state that by changing the direction in which it rotates, it communicates its feelings to others. When angry, it rotates faster. Spinning minigears are rotated at high speeds and repeatedly fired away. It is dangerous if the gears don’t return. Klang is based off from interlocking gears, in this case the sun and planet gears. Its name comes from the word ‘clang’, a sound that metal makes.
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The Game Corner

By Matt

The Game Corner has been an essential part of all Pokemon games, the exception being with Pokemon Black and White versions, in which it was mysteriously omitted. Normally, the game has tended to stay constant with slots which had designs that would change each game. Starting with HeartGold and SoulSilver, the slots were replaced by a game known as Voltorb Flip. This game was did not replace the slots in Japan, though; I think of it like an exclusive reward or something for living in a place where all Pokemon merchandise comes out the earliest.

For both games, the object of the game is to get as much coins as you can, and trade them in for prizes. Voltorb Flip works in a similar way, except for the fact that you do not need coins to play the game. Let’s explain Voltorb Flip. It is a relatively simple game that involves flipping cards to reveal coin amounts while avoiding the Voltorb cards. To help you flip all these cards over, there are signs on the side with two amounts. The first one, on the top, tells you the value of all the coin cards combined, while the second one on the bottom tells you how many Voltorbs there are in that row. You also have a memo pad to mark what you think are Voltorb or coins. You can stop at any moment and cash in, but if you beat levels by flipping all the non-Voltorb cards over, you can increase the multiplier (level) and play for more coins.

For slots, the game is much easier and requires less thinking. The object of slots is to match three icons, which will award you with coins. This game requires coins to play, which can be bought from the clerks at the counters. A minimum of one coin is required; it is optional to put in up to two more coins in case there are matches diagonally or on other rows. Once you put in the coins, you can press A to stop the slots and try to get a match. The icons that give the most are the 7 or the R/Poke Ball, and its values have changed over the years. After you’ve saved up enough coins in your Coin Case, you can proceed to the Prize Corner, where you can exchange coins for prizes such as TMs (which can’t be used multiple times like Generation V), hold items, or certain Pokemon.
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Larvesta And Volcarona

By Jo

The creators of the fifth generation Pokemon coming from the Unova region seemed to make a point of introducing unique type combinations. Larvesta and its evolution, Volcarona, have the type combination of Bug/Fire that hasn’t ever been matched.

Larvesta is known as the Torch Pokemon and quite large for being the first stage of a bug-type evolutionary line. It has a furry, white head, five reddish orange horns, and a body that appears to be wrapped in some sort to tan colored cocoon. Out of all of the Pokemon that evolve by level, Larvesta evolves later than any other Pokemon that hasn’t yet evolved at least once. In the National Pokedex, Larvesta is the last Pokemon listed that eventually evolves. According to its Pokemon Black and White pokedex entries, Larvesta was believed to have been born from the sun. When it evolves, its entire body is engulfed in flames. It’s said that they make their homes at the base of volcanoes. They apparently shoot fire from their horns to repel attacking enemies. Larvesta may be based off from myths of firefly-like insects that were known to torch whatever they came in contact with and holds similarities to moth larva. Its name may come from the words ‘larva’ (a term for young insects that haven’t fully developed yet) and ‘Vesta’ (the Roman goddess for the hearth and home, who is symbolized by an eternally burning fire that is kept in her temple).

Once it reaches level 59, Larvesta finally evolves into Volcarona. Volcarona is known as the Sun Pokemon, and its wings do look very similar to depictions of the sun’s rays. Volcarona has a white and silver, furry body of a moth and vibrant orange wings that are speckled with black. It has the highest Special Attack of any bug-type Pokemon, and the highest base stat total of any non-legendary bug-type.
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Pokemon Sprites Through Time

By Matt

Pokemon, from the very beginning, had no way to represent Pokemon, so the programmers used sprites. A sprite is a soda, but it’s also a term for a bunch of pixels formed to make a certain character, object, background, etc. For example, the trainer character that you control throughout the game is a sprite. They have changed throughout the years, and programmers for online Pokemon games use them for customization of your character when you play their games. The most notable sprites throughout the games are of Pokemon, whose appearances also change significantly throughout the games. Remember all of the Pokemon games when all you saw were static sprites, incapable of motion? This was changed throughout the games, going from static to a brief animation, then a full animation with the Pokemon Black and White versions.

The Pokedex also has different versions of the sprites. These sprites are kept by online databases dedicated to Pokemon, and also display a shiny sprite of the Pokemon, possible or not. Sprites for all characters exist, like Team Rocket, or Gym Leaders. If you’ve tried to play FireRed, LeafGreen, or any other GBA version with Team Rocket, you would have noticed their appearance changed significantly when you got to HeartGold or SoulSilver. That is because with time, comes change and improvement to the Pokemon series.

Gym Leaders that have looked pixely in the beginning now have been suited to a more pixel-friendly environment, where you can still see them and know that they are head of the gym. The people you may meet on your journey also change, like Hikers or Pokemon Breeders.
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All About Pokemon Timburr, Gurdurr, And Conkeldurr

By Emily

With impressive strength and attacks to back up such power, the Timburr evolutionary line is not one to be taken lightly. These Pokemon are formidable with many strong attacks that can take down many opponents. Allowing one of these characters to get their foot in the door can lead to disastrous consequences. The only real way of preventing them from wiping out any team is to hit hard and fast so they faint before they can even land an attack.

With an impressive base 80 Attack, Timburr’s future lies exclusively with physical attacks. Conkeldurr doesn’t disappoint, ending with a whopping 140 base attack. Not to mention a sturdy base HP and Defense helps defend against many physical attacks. Their weakness lies in their last two stats; low Special Defense and Speed lead to being outgunned and vulnerable to many other Pokemon. They cover up their weaknesses with a variety of strategic attacks. For example, the egg move Mach Punch always allows the user to hit first, and with these Pokemon that move can inflict some serious damage. Defensive attacks like Protect and Detect will help whittle down the PP of the opponent’s moves and Wide Guard can protect against attacks such as Surf and Earthquake in Triple Battles.

Strong attacks are a given for these Pokemon, and the variety available allows for decent type coverage. With the ever-popular Earthquake at their disposal, they only need one turn to change the tide of a battle. Other attacks like Hammer Arm and Stone Edge are good options, but they have their unique drawbacks. Grass Knot may seem like an unusual attack, but it gives added coverage and is the one Grass attack these three characters can learn. Poison Jab may seem like an inferior attack since it is Poison type, but it has a good chance of poisoning an enemy. As a last-resort attack, Superpower can demolish an enemy in a pinch at the cost of lowering the user’s Attack and Defense. Even though it may seem illogical to use such an attack, it can prove helpful if there is only one or two opponent Pokemon left.
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Pokemon Advanced Breeding Mechanics

By Matt

For those that want to breed especially powerful Pokemon, the Day-Care is an especially important place to utilize. The Day-Care has a couple of hidden mechanics that have been revealed through some players. I felt strange when hearing a couple of breeding secrets from my friend, but after I tried it, I was sorry that I doubted. Breeding is a relatively simple concept that most people do every day. They could breed Pokemon to trade in the GTS, or have a collection of their favorites. But, breeding for competitions is one of the most important reasons. Players can have boxes full of Pokemon that didn’t make the cut, which will soon have to be released in order to obtain newer, original Pokemon. What the Day-Care Man tells you is a very important message. The message you want to see is that your Pokemon get along, or they get along very well. This means that your Pokemon will have the highest probability of making Eggs. The higher the probability, the more often the Day-Care Man will give you Eggs.

What you don’t want to hear if you’re breeding is that they prefer to play with others. This means that you’ve made a small error when picking breeding partners. Keep in mind that they have to be in the same Egg group (some Pokemon have several), and must be of opposite gender. Remember, breeding legendaries with no genders will not work. However, some legendaries, like Manaphy, can breed. However, it can breed only with Ditto, since only one exists in the whole game.
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The Pokemon Day Care

By Matt

The Pokemon Day-Care has, for generations, entertained us by offering to take care of our Pokemon. Believe it or not, this was the pioneering of breeding Pokemon. The Day-Care is run by a nameless elderly couple, known as the Day-Care Lady and Day-Care Man. Usually, Day-Care centers are found on Routes, but are close to cities. The Day-Care in Pokemon Black and White version are on Route 3, which is right next to Striaton City.

In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Day-Care is located right before Goldenrod City. But location doesn’t matter, as long as the Day-Care can do what it does: provide you with Pokemon Eggs that turn into first-stage Pokemon. But besides breeding, Pokemon can also level up over time. The cost for keeping them in the Day-Care is relatively easy to figure out: it is 100 Poke Dollars, plus 100 for every level it gains. Of course, keeping your Pokemon in the Day-Care for a set amount of time will not level it up.

To prevent abuse of the game for players who will keep the game on, experience is gained by simply going about with other business. In other words, you have to take steps if you want results, like receiving Eggs.

In Black and White, the Day-Care man will notify you if your party has room when he has an Egg. HeartGold and SoulSilver have the calling feature, which allows the Day-Care Man to call you when he has an Egg ready for pickup. The Day-Care Lady runs the main office, which allows you to check on your Pokemon’s progress in leveling up. The Day-Care Man is located outside, and will tell you when he has an Egg ready.

In older games, there was no way of instant notifications of Eggs. This was remedied by having the Day-Care Man change his usual position. Instead of facing straight, he would either be found out one step, or change the direction he was facing. Of course, if you could anticipate when the Day-Care Man had the Egg ready, you could talk to him. The Day-Care Man also tells you how compatible the two Pokemon are.
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The Mystery Of Karrablast And Shelmet

By Matt

Generation V features two new Pokemon to be obtained through trading: Accelgor and Escavalier. These Pokemon are the evolution of Shelmet and Karrablast, respectively. Let’s cover the basics: both are Bug-type, and apparently spit poison, according to the Pokedex. Karrablast are said to attack Shelmet, according to Pokemon Black. Both Pokedex say in a different way that Karrablast and Shelmet have some sort of reaction when exposed to an electrical energy. Indirectly, it states that something unusual but extraordinary happens when they trade. Remember that when trading, either through Wi-Fi or InfraRed, Pokemon are transported through a Poke Ball in an electric circuit connected to the Pokemon Global Trade Station (Wi-Fi) or the electric energy of the InfraRed connection. This is enough to trigger the evolution of both when the other player receives it. But instead of evolving to something that suits their outer appearance, something else happens. Karrablast, which has no outer handicaps, evolves into Escavalier, which is bound with armor.

Shelmet, which takes the form of a snail, evolves into Accelgor, which looks like it has no shell at all. This phenomenon is still unknown, but it provides more ways to stun the audience with a mystery such as this. Escavalier’s description is that it is a Cavalry Pokemon, and that it flies around charging at its enemies. In White Version, it says that it evolves wearing the shell of a Shelmet. This is true, since Escavalier’s outer appearance has taken that of a Shelmet. Plus, its base Speed has decreased to a pitiful 20. So even though it flies around, it is quite slow, but makes up for it with good defensive capabilities.
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