Some Pokemon players aren't content with simply catching 'em all normally.  Thankfully, Game Freak created shiny Pokemon a long time ago to give players a new quest; they can now catch super rare versions of each Pokemon with an alternate color scheme.  With the graphical advances to all video games, including Pokemon, these shinies are better and more popular than ever. So popular, in fact, that a slew of shiny hunters have sworn against the easiest way of catching these 'mons: the Quick Ball. (Behold, the ire of half of the Pokemon fanbase.) A Quick Ball is simple: It has a higher catch rate, but only on the first turn of a wild encounter.  For many Pokemon, especially those that could flee or know dangerous self-destructive moves like Explosion or Final Gambit, it would seem like a good thing to be able to catch a Pokemon more easily at the start of a battle.  But if you've been on Twitter lately, you might know where I'm going with this.  Quick Balls have...

Mega Evolution was a beloved mechanic by many Pokemon players from the day it was announced (or more likely, the day it was leaked.)  Even from just bare details of the mechanic, Nintendo Life's Thomas Whitehead made it clear that " it's all shaping up nicely. "  The phenomenal reception Megas had eventually led to similar mechanics in every later generation thus far.  Gen 7 had Z-Moves, gen 8 introduced Gigantamax transformations, and Gen 9 brings with it the Terastal mechanic. Needless to say, Mega Evolution is a very important part of modern Pokemon's history.  In fact, it's so important, that in a game with endgame themes of past and future, it makes sense to return to this masterwork of Pokemon design.  Beyond that, it likely will, thanks to the likely upcoming DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The Mega Evolution mechanic was introduc...

Just a few months ago, I overheard a dormmate playing Pokemon Unite. He lamented the lack of skill his teammates displayed as if he just got paired up with the Three Stooges and Patrick Star. These teammates, to him, were unacceptably stupid.  I interjected to his unanswered curses with this: "you're acting like it's rude to be bad at a game." The only reply I got was "it is!" Surely, if his team could hear him, they'd get just as much of a rude vibe from these claims.  But therein lies the problem. Pokemon Unite, to Nintendo, was a moderate success. With one game, they've marketed to many demographics of both Pokemon fans and MOBA players.  But with that massive pool of opinions on how both types of game should be, you get a massively splintered community. You get people who think it's rude to be bad at a game. You get people who are rightfully a little miffed at those people. You get people who start drama on those people's behalf (or ...

 The Kanto region's Pokemon and mechanics garner a lot of nostalgia, even for people who weren't alive when the original Pokemon games released.  It's no surprise, then, that RBY Smogon battles are quite popular on Pokemon Showdown.  The tiers found in this generation have been set in stone for a long time. Those tiers, however, are for a 6v6 Singles battle.  What happens to the ranking a Pokemon accrues if it is the only Pokemon you can use? What happens if we pit every Gen 1 Pokemon against every other in a mano a mano fight to the fainting? Welcome to the Kanto 1v1 Round Robin. (This series assumes all Pokemon have their best 4 attacking moves, all multi-hits hit the maximum damage, and no moves crit. Chance effects that decide a battle round to the nearest whole number, meaning an over 50 percent chance indicates a success.) Mewtwo Mewtwo, needless to say, is easily the best Pokemon in the game for 6v6. For this experiment, Mewtwo will have Psychic, Thunderbolt, ...

By all metrics, Pikachu... kinda sucks.  Its abysmal stats, mediocre movepool and 'meh'-inducing evolution would in any other case, make it a pick in very few teams, from casual playthroughs to hardcore competitors. But when you take into account all the things in the message of Pokemon, Pikachu goes from terrible to one of the very best. This all starts with Trainer that made Pikachu the franchise's face: Ash Ketchum.  From the first episodes of Indigo League to the final battles of his share of the anime, Ash is inherently an underdog.  In fact, he's one of the few anime underdogs who loses fairly often, adding to the realism of his story. And what happens an underdog Trainer with the Pokemon that he got because he showed up late to get a Pokemon at all? You get one of the most well-known protagonist duos of all time. Despite the losses Ash and Pikachu face together, neither gives up on their goal or each other.  And eventually, no matter how long it took, the...

Playing a stall team on Showdown is a great way to earn the respect (read: hatred) of your opponents!  No gamer is patient enough to withstand the slow-play antics of a stall team - except the ones playing them!  Ready to get stally and make your opponents salty?  Let's find out how!  This guide is completely format-agnostic.  Try it anywhere you can play competitive Pokemon! Step 1:  Know the format. In order to stall the best attackers in your tier, it might be wise to know *what* those attackers are. For example, in a stall team, you're likely to have a physical wall and a special wall. You should aim to ensure those walls can handle common attackers of that type. Step 2:  Have a win condition (besides rage-quitting!) Yes, yes, I know, many stall games end in a rage-quit.  But for the players that stick it out, you'll need a way to win in-game.  Commonly, this means status conditions and chip damage.  Even in a stall team with big ...

  Weather in Pokemon is much like real life weather. It's often volatile, but it can also be vital to certain plans. The question is, can weather be competitive with this touch-and-go nature?  What is weather? What does it do? Weather is a temporary condition that affects mainly the power of certain types. Weather can be set by an ability or move and only one weather effect can be active at a time. If a Pokémon uses a damaging move of a type the active weather benefits, they will deal increased damage from the move. Fire types get boosts from Sun, Ground types are buffed by Sand, Hail and Snow both help Ice types thrive, and Rain works with Water types. Doubles vs. Singles. Weather has a different metagame effect in doubles than in singles. In double battles, only 4 pokemon are sent out in a given game. Beyond that, they come in pairs. This means games last fewer turns, which is crucial for weather teams, as each effect only lasts so long. However, on Smogon's singles ladde...

It's the first season of gen 9 VGC! This season is going to be filled with action, excitement and most importantly: new Pokemon to build around! So which ones work well? What old favorites can we dig up? Let's take a look at some of the most popular options so far: 1. Murkrow Murkrow is the most used Pokemon in the VGC metagame, and for good reason. This bird Pokémon can set up Tailwind thanks to Prankster, which gives its status moves priority. This allows it to speed up its teammate and itself for later turns. It also packs Haze, which is very useful for countering the very common Tatsugiri and Dodonzo combo. Murkrow is a top-notch support. If you're playing in competitive doubles in any capacity, you should definitely be considering this Pokémon on your team. 2. Tatsugiri and Dondozo Tatsugiri and Dondozo are a great offensive combination. They have the same typing and when they're on the field together, they become nearly unstoppable. The main reason this works is b...