By Anonymous
As many long-time Pokemon handheld game players know, Pokemon have been able to affect the world beyond battle in ways beyond just hidden and technical machine moves. Abilities are, as one may have assumed from the title, an often-overlooked method of handling the progression of the game. The effects range from increasing the number of wild Pokemon encounters to making the player a better fisher.
The most commonly known effect of Pokemon abilities outside of battle is the impact on wild Pokemon encounters. However, although many players are aware the abilities exist, not quite so many know what exactly the abilities are. Foremost, abilities that increase the chances of wild Pokemon encounters include Arena Trap, Illuminate, No Guard, and Swarm. While I personally can’t see why a person would want to encounter more wild Pokemon beyond wild Pokemon swarms, there are a number of ways to do so, as one can see. A few Pokemon with these powers include the Diglett family’s Arena Trap, the Machop line’s No Guard, and the Scyther duo”s Swarm. There are, on the flip side, also abilities that decrease wild encounters, which I have to say I far prefer. The abilities Quick Feet, Stench, White Smoke, Sand Veil, and Snow cloak all decrease wild encounters, though note that the latter two only apply in relevant weather conditions. Pokemon who can ward off wild ones include, take notice here, the Teddiursa and Poochyena lines’ Quick Feet, Torkoal’s White Smoke, Sandshrew and Gible families’ Sand Veil, as well as Diglett’s and Dugtrio’s surprisingly, and Swinub, Piloswine, Mamoswine, and Glaceon’s Snow Cloak. The last abilities that will increase wild Pokemon encounters, Sticky Hold and Suction Cups, are a bit more particular in usage than even Sand Veil and Snow Cloak’they will increase your chances of a successful fishing trip. While fishing isn’t exactly my cup of tea, there are surely those out there who would like to remember those two abilities. While I’ve already mentioned a number of abilities and potential Pokemon, this is but the tip of the iceberg for Pokemon’s capabilities when leading the party.
For those of you thinking, “Great, I can encounter more Pokemon this way, but how do I find a specific Pokemon using abilities?” While there is no sure fire way to control what wild Pokemon you will encounter when on the hunt for a certain one, there are methods to increase your chances. For instance, say you’re searching for a Mawile, a rare Pokemon on a good day, if you’re lucky. If the player was to have a Pokemon with the ability Magnet Pull, which draws steel-type Pokemon, such as Magnemite or Probopass, you’re chance of finding a steel-type is one and a half times what it was without. Even if 1.5 times doesn’t seem like much, you can expect to be agreeing with me once you’re wandering Victory Road, encountering a few dozen Sableyes in your furious search for that Mawile, followed by a rage quit when you finally encounter one, only to KO it before throwing your pokeball. Another such ability, though rather than steel-types it draws electric type Pokemon, is Static. For those of you who have had a Pikachu lead your party, no, you’re not crazy; you are indeed encountering more electric-type Pokemon. While all the abilities that affect the number of Pokemon that have appeared, there are other ways to affect what kind of Pokemon appear besides only type.
A bit of a ‘pro-tip’ for those of you who find yourself with five feinted Pokemon and only one with but a little health left on Victory Road’be sure to check your leading Pokemon does not have Intimidate, Hustle, Keen Eye, Pressure, or Vital spirit, for these abilities increase the chances of encountering higher level Pokemon, an unwelcome site for those of us who find ourselves in such a desperate situation. Also, be sure to pick up some hyper potions and an escape rope next time. For the hopeful EV and IV trainers, Espeon, Umbreon, Ralts’s line, and the Abra’s line will come in handy, as their Synchronize ability makes wild Pokemon have a fifty percent chance of having the same nature as the leading party member, just hope you have one of the recommended Pokemon with a good nature! Breeders, and fellow Pichu lovers, should remember the Compoundeyes ability makes wild Pokemon more likely to be holding an item, including those all too necessary light balls and incenses. Furthermore, a Pokemon with Cute Charm will be helpful for breeding, as they draw Pokemon of the opposite gender, should you be without a Ditto on hand. The last breeding ability, make careful note of this, all players, as it will come in handy to know Pokemon with Flame Body or Magma armor half the steps to hatch eggs. Don’t be surprised when that knowledge becomes necessary and you can’t recall what abilities they are!
The final two abilities, I don’t believe, won’t be quite so worth remembering, but for the sake of being thorough, it shouldn’t hurt to mention Pickup and Honey Gather are good ways to collect hidden items otherwise unavailable. The former, pickup, is an ability Eevee’s often possess that allows them to collect items at random. Note the items will be shown as a held item, and your Pokemon won’t be able to collect anything if he or she already has a held item. The latter ability, Honey Gather, is used to’Actually, never mind, I have faith in your conclusion drawing abilities to assume what the ability ‘Honey Gather’ can do. This, now, concludes your in-depth overview of what powers Pokemon secretly possess outside of battle. Now, the true test of skill is to see how well you, the player, can make use of this knowledge. Good luck, now go and catch ’em all!
Tags: Nintendo DS, Pokemon Black & White