Yo let's get this Gen VII party started

[Magmar]

So far I'm really loving Pokemon Moon, but I hope the hand holding kind of stops soon--I don't like being led from place to place all the time. Let me explore!

The animation is beautiful and I'm liking the transition into real interactive worlds. Gen VII is really building on the strengths of VI in that regard.

I'm interested in the different story mode... The changes to the existing structure anyway. I haven't finished the first Thing yet. (Again, avoiding being too direct about what that means in case someone doesn't want to know.)

The different Gen 1 Pokemon combined with a good smattering of new ones = LOVE. I like this strategy for a revival of the franchise. It allows the player to maybe choose to play with the old ones they know or branch into the new version.

I don't like Team Skull and their weird b-boy sorta juggalo schtick is weird. Then again their "Wow yo what up G we got issues home skillets" is amusing because they're so obviously poseurs.

I also really don't like how the dialogue decided "Hawaiian + Genki" = YEAH! WOW! YEAH BRO! WOW! YEAH! ALOLA! Press A to choose an attack. YEAH! WOO!

The dialogue among the characters is all ages accessible, but I like that the adult NPCs talk about adult relevant issues. I enjoyed the shotgun wedding Easter Egg and the woman in the cafe who's like "My friends pretend to complain about having children but it's all a subtle brag. I don't care. I'ma eat what I want and have no babies!" Cheers to you, malasada lady.

Minor spoiler: You still get Exp Share early on, but it's not nearly the game breaker that it was in OR/AS where it made me 15-20 levels higher than the other trainers by, like, Gym 3.

I thought malasadas were Portuguese, not Hawaiian...? Idk I always had them at festa in Fall River MA. Maybe there's cultural context I'm lacking there.

Lil' Rotom Dex! D'awwwww! I like this spunky lil guy. I like the new way to locate specific patches of grass for specific Pokemon. I miss PokeRadar though.

The weird NPC Lillie has me genuinely interested in knowing more about Cosmog.

I think the music is the best yet. Subtle and tropical-sounding without being over the top.

So far I'm glad I bought this game.

[Drago]

I won't be playing this game until Christmas, because I'm broke as fuck and that's a damned shame (still have Fire Emblem to keep me company though). I'm looking forward to jumping into this edition, maybe tweaking my main team around a bit and seeing how I go online. I loved Team Skull's theme when I played the demo, it was catchy as hell.

[Fett One]

I got the game yesterday. So far I like it.

I picked Litten as my starter pokemon. I've been taking my time exploring, so I only just made it to the second island.

[Austrian ViceMaster Alex]

Still not out in Europe... =(

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I found an offer from a Finnish anime magazine for the steelbook edition and went for that.

I don't know how soon I'll start the game itself though. As for handheld, I have only been playing my Pokemon Diamond lately because I still haven't finished it.

[Link]

My team so far now as I'm at the E4 and Champion:

Incineroar
Lunala
Araquanid
Wishiwashi
Toucannon
Mudbray (going to evolve it soon)

I agree with all of what the TC said, also!

[ChobiChibi]

STILL not out in Europe ;o;

Not long though. Going to a midnight launch tomorrow. Then working on release day (dressed as Pikachu. I have the best job).

[Magmar]

STILL not out in Europe ;o;

Not long though. Going to a midnight launch tomorrow. Then working on release day (dressed as Pikachu. I have the best job).

Loves it!!! :)

So far my team is Gumshoos, Misdreavus, Brionne's evolution (Whatever it is), Grimer (Alola), Crazy Toucan and Magneton. Ths is what I get for nicknaming my Pokemon. I have no idea who half of them are XD

I also just got to Island #3.

So far, so good. Loving this game. It's kept me engaged.

[Fett One]

So far I'm still on Island #2 but I'm on my way to fight Olivia.

My team at the moment is Incineroar, Toucannon, Charjabug, Mudsdale, Golisopod, and Passimian.

[Magmar]

Ok ok Toucannon is <3

I still think the Team Skull music says "touch butts"

[Link]

I just caught a shiny Minior yesterday!:)

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I got the game on Wednesday and started playing on Thursday. Not sure if all of these are new things, I missed Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

I was surprised that you can opt for not just European languages, but also Japanese and Chinese in the beginning of the game. I chose to play the game in English though.

The new graphical solutions for the menus arouse contradictory emotions. Are those paint dashes meant to be stylish?

And then there's this detail in the battle menu where you can see how effective the attack is, after you have captured the Pokemon in question. Part of the challenge in the earlier games for me was to remember the type advantage system.

I'm not finding more things to complain about. Overall, a good game.

[Fett One]

My final team lineup ended up being Incineroar, Toucannon, Vikavolt, Mudsdale, Araquanid, and Passimian.

I beat the elite four and captured all of the Ultra beats yesterday. While trying to locate the final UB, I came across a shiny Dugtrio, making that my first shiny for this generation.

[Link]

Shinies are cool, congrats on getting that one!

[Pokemaster Ash]

Unfortunately I'm a bit behind the times as far as playing Pokémon games (Life Happens sucks, I wish I had a 3DS to play the Gen 6 and 7 games...), but I've been keeping track and Sun and Moon definitely are unique entries in the series. The Trials and Kahunas are quite a change of pace from facing down Gym Leaders, there's a lot of fun jokes and references in the game if you know what to look for, and some of the Alola forms are quite interesting (though others I wonder just...what was GameFreak on?). On that note, how do they expect you to get normal Raichu in these games (at least, outside of transferring)?

....btw, has anyone else heard the stupid theory going around the internet about the Ultra Beasts and previous Gens (at least, 1-5)? I don't think there's a shred of actual truth to it at all, and people are just making a big deal out of GameFreak's usual habits.

[Link]

Ultra Beasts are pretty much legendary Pokemon.

[Pokemaster Ash]

Yeah, that much is pretty much obvious. I was referring to the fact that some people out there seem to think the Ultra Beasts destroyed the Gen 1-5 world(s) and that Gen 6 and 7 are a separate universe due to Mega Evolution. Pretty dumb, really. If they're basing this on Mega Evolution being in OR/AS, that's GameFreak with their usual retcon-to-suit-the-mechanics tricks (see: Magnemite and Magneton in Gen 2, Double Battles in FR/LG and HG/SS (among probably other things), anything changed to Fairy-Type in Gen 6...), and if they're going by the PokéDex, since when has that thing ever been actually reliable (Slugma being hotter than the sun, anyone?), especially with a trickster like Rotom living in it in Gen 7 (which might explain some of those more out there Dex entries as well).

....although I'm trying to figure out why they apparently made it impossible to get normal Raichu outside of transferring one in (since it seems even transferring in a Pikachu from elsewhere will evolve into Alola Raichu because of the fact there's no Alola Pichu/Pika and it's the same evolution method). At least with the other Alola Forms, even though you have to transfer the originals in, there's nothing funky about evolving them and having them remain in original form.

[Link]

Exactly.

[Fett One]

I just completed the Alolan Pokedex today. I still have a few QR Pokemon to catch and then I'll have all of the catch-able Pokemon in the game.

[CaptainJigglypuff]

....although I'm trying to figure out why they apparently made it impossible to get normal Raichu outside of transferring one in (since it seems even transferring in a Pikachu from elsewhere will evolve into Alola Raichu because of the fact there's no Alola Pichu/Pika and it's the same evolution method). At least with the other Alola Forms, even though you have to transfer the originals in, there's nothing funky about evolving them and having them remain in original form.

You can't get regular Marowak or Exeggcutor either.

[Lady Vulpix]

I started playing Pokemon Sun yesterday! It's looking good so far. I just got my Rotom... I found it weird that it's in the Pokédex yet it is not registered in it, but still, it seems like a nice addition... at least for now. I hope it doesn't become annoying over time. What I like the most is that they're changing some things that has become too repetitive. The formula's still similar, but not identical to that of the previous games, so, unlike the others, I can't predict everything that's going to happen. I like that.

[Link]

These games are very cool like that.

[Knight of Time]

I got both Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon for Christmas, and even though I haven't played either that much (being as I'm still playing the 6th generation games, and as usual, trying to get a completed National Pokedex in all of them before I move on to the next generation's games), I have to say, I'm surprised that you need to use the Circle Pad to move your character. Then again, I guess it makes sense, considering there are many 3D RPG/adventure games where moving around is done exclusively with the circle pad or a similar joystick-type control, depending on the system and game. But there is one thing that has me curious...when the National Pokedex becomes available in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, would we have to get Pokedex data for both the Alolan and regular forms of the Kanto Pokemon that got a new Alolan form (e.g. Raichu, Vulpix, Sandshrew)?

[Pokemaster Ash]

Well my guess is the Alola forms will still count towards the National Dex, getting the original forms would just be a matter of personal completionism. However three in particular (Raichu, Exeggutor, Marowak) seem particularly hard to get the originals for outside of transferring them in fully evolved since their previous forms (Pichu/Pika, Exeggcute, Cubone) don't have Alola forms, so even ones transferred in might evolve into their Alola forms instead of their originals.

Feels like quite an oversight with these three, unless the National Dex somehow fixes this

[CaptainJigglypuff]

I caught a female Shiny Golbat earlier this week and named her Shimmer!

[Link]

Nice, CaptainJigglypuff!:)

[CaptainJigglypuff]

It was an SOS battle and popped up after the second successful cry for help. I wasn't even trying to get a Golbat let alone a Shiny one. I was in Poni Fields and trying to use the Exp. Share to level up and evolve some Pokémon for the Dex. I had to restrain from screaming in excitement because I was in the car driving down to L.A. I needed Golbat anyway because I skipped catching Zubat since getting one is as easy as catching a cold from a preschool classroom.

[Magmar]

Ooh! This reminds me I have to catch up on friend codes!!

I really don't care for Festival Plaza, but fear not, friendless friends and those who can't stand the Plaza, nice folks on the GTS will trade their Electivire/Magmortar for Electabuzz/Magmar with the evolution item attached (this goes for many trade evos). So if you've got a King's Rock and a Slowpoke but nobody seems to be online, throw it in GTS and ask for a Slowking. Someone'll come around and do this for you!

I'm around 260/301 for the Pokedex now. Next trek: Must find a female Selandit. I'll probably breed a ton if I can and release them into Wonder Trade to do a kindness or something. I already have an army of Porygon ready to go--since XY, I do that every game, send out a ton of ridiculously (benign) nicknamed Porygon to the masses at once.

This is the first time I've gone for 'em all in the Pokedex since RBY!! I need some of the Sun exclusive ultra beasts, but they might be in GTS for fair trade.

I'm not loving how hard it is to fish in this game. I still need Alomomola and Relicanth.

I also still have to catch the last two Tapu and the one Mega Beast or whatever, but it's giving me something to look forward to...

Vullaby takes a frustrating amount of time to evolve. I'm running out of other Pokemon to raise while trying to level up this little toolshed.

PRO TIP: Give your lead Pokemon two Rainbow Beans and pet it like twice in the Refresh and it'll maximize friendless and gain 1.5x experience. Then give it the Lucky Egg to hold. It makes leveling them up until they evolve so much easier.

ALSO for those friendliness-contingent evolutions, use the PokePelago to plant only those Beans that lower a stat's EVs but raise Happiness. Then feed a Pokemon at any level like 50 of them and it'll happy-evolve at the next level gained :) plus if they're freshly hatched or caught, they've got 0 EVs anyway so they just raise Happiness!

[Lady Vulpix]

I was planning to get an Espeon but my Eevee evolved into Sylveon instead. (Sorry, couldn't help petting him). I think I'll see how that works out.

And I absolutely cannot train only 6 Pokemon.

Also, why does the sun go down so early? Is that how it works near the Equator?

[Magmar]

I finished the Pokedex! Yay!!

As for sunrise/sunset, for some reason, in my game, the sun sets during 10-11 p.m. I'm in Central Standard Time. If it happens simultaneously globally, that would be between 1-2 a.m. in Buenos Aires... But if you have Moon (I do too but used Lunala to change the sunrise/sunsets), I'd guess it sets around 2 p.m.? At the equator, the sun usually rises between 5-6:45 a.m. and sets between 5-6:45 p.m. I'm not sure where they're basing this off of, unless it's utc??

Edit: And this is me with the wrong time set in my 3DS. Whoops!!!!! It definitely made the game easier to have the time change before bed, though!

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

In my game, there is night when it's daytime. Could it be because it's winter here in Finland and the sun is barely seen. Now that I look at it, for some reason, it's daytime in the game though it's 5:53 AM here in Finland. Impossible!

[Lady Vulpix]

I finished the Pokedex! Yay!!

As for sunrise/sunset, for some reason, in my game, the sun sets during 10-11 p.m. I'm in Central Standard Time. If it happens simultaneously globally, that would be between 1-2 a.m. in Buenos Aires... But if you have Moon (I do too but used Lunala to change the sunrise/sunsets), I'd guess it sets around 2 p.m.? At the equator, the sun usually rises between 5-6:45 a.m. and sets between 5-6:45 p.m. I'm not sure where they're basing this off of, unless it's utc??

Edit: And this is me with the wrong time set in my 3DS. Whoops!!!!! It definitely made the game easier to have the time change before bed, though!
Yes, I think in Pokémon Sun the sun rises at 5:45 AM and sets at 5:45 PM.

Anyway, congratulations on filling your pokedex!

I need some help evolving my Haunter and Boldore. Could anyone please help me? Thanks in advance.

[DarkestLight]

Waiting for pokemon Box compatibility so I can finish my dex in one swoop.

Then I'll get down to breeding/training the Alolan forms and my core set of fighters for this gen. Got a shiny mimikyu.

Need a shiny minior. It's the only color I don't have.
Also have the correct ability mareanie and I'm gonna ultra breed the ever living daylights out of it x.x

[CaptainJigglypuff]

I have most of the new Pokemon barring Sun exclusive UB and Bruxish and the Tapu on my Moon version.

[Link]

You have to trade those Pokémon over to the other version to have them evolve, Lady Vulpix.:)

[Shadow Wolf]

Waiting for pokemon Box compatibility so I can finish my dex in one swoop.

Then I'll get down to breeding/training the Alolan forms and my core set of fighters for this gen. Got a shiny mimikyu.

Need a shiny minior. It's the only color I don't have.
Also have the correct ability mareanie and I'm gonna ultra breed the ever living daylights out of it x.x

Minior does not call allies, but you can breed for one. And it is so worth it. The shiny form makes a lot of sense and I'd argue that it is one of the most creative shinies to date.

Anyway, I already have the Alolan Dex completed, so of anyone needs assistance completing their own, let me know so that I can help. I have Pokemon Moon but I also have some Sun exclusive Pokemon around too.

[Lady Vulpix]

What's the advantage of Pokémon calling for allies? Other than extra EXP, that is.

I had a problem with the game today. I tried to do a Wonder Trade and got the following error message: "In order to use online services, a newer version of the software is needed." It said to download a new version from the eShop, but I checked and there is no such new version. I also tried a System Update, and it said my system was up to date. What could the problem be?

[Shadow Wolf]

What's the advantage of Pokémon calling for allies? Other than extra EXP, that is.

I had a problem with the game today. I tried to do a Wonder Trade and got the following error message: "In order to use online services, a newer version of the software is needed." It said to download a new version from the eShop, but I checked and there is no such new version. I also tried a System Update, and it said my system was up to date. What could the problem be?

Apologies for breaking the "wait for 2 people" rule, but I wish to help with these questions:

1-SOS chaining (calling for allies) advantages:

A-The bigger the chain goes: the better the IV's will be for the following pokemon (I have caught pokemon with up to 5 perfect IV's).

B-The possibilities of encountering shiny pokemon also increase (as far as my experience goes, I feel like it is about 1/1024 after at least a chain of 70. With the shiny charm, I believe it goes down to about 1/512 considering I have caught shinies in chains of 200 or less. I even got a shiny Pichu after a chain of only 20 with the shiny charm).

2-Update issues: That, although I do not have a clear answer, I can let you know this: make sure that the game is updated to the latest version (you can see it on the title screen). If the latest version is not installed, then you may have to browse manually through the eshop for it.

[Fett One]

What's the advantage of Pokémon calling for allies? Other than extra EXP, that is.

I had a problem with the game today. I tried to do a Wonder Trade and got the following error message: "In order to use online services, a newer version of the software is needed." It said to download a new version from the eShop, but I checked and there is no such new version. I also tried a System Update, and it said my system was up to date. What could the problem be?

They updated the game a couple of days ago. In order to get the update when you first turn on your 3DS, turn on the wireless connection and then click on the game to open it. You should get a message about downloading the update.

[Lady Vulpix]

Oh... I couldn't find a new version in the marketplace and I got no notifications when I played the game, but... maybe if I switch my regional settings to Canada and then play the game I'll get it? It's worth a shot.

[Edit: nope. It didn't work. Still no notification. How can I get my 3DS to realize there's a new version?]

[Knight of Time]

By chance are you visiting Canada at the moment, Gabi? That might be the solution (though it's been years since I was outside of Canada, so I can't be sure if my hunch is right).

[Lady Vulpix]

No, but fortunately, you don't have to actually be in a country in order to set your regional settings to pretend you're in it. I will stop at the Toronto airport for a couple of hours in late June, but my visa does not allow me to leave the airport.

Anyway, I have to set my region to Canada in order to download games because the eShop for Argentina doesn't have any games worth downloading.

But no, that still didn't work. Does anyone know how to let my 3DS 'know' there's a new update?

[BTPoke]

what does the date say on your 3DS' clock? If it's wrong that might have something to do with it.

[Lady Vulpix]

The clock? It's set to my current time. I don't think they'd check that, would they? Has a 3DS ever ignored an update because the time did not match its current region?

[Edit: it's updating now! I just had to turn my 3DS off and back on while the region was set to Canada.]

[Link]

Congratulations, Lady Vulpix, for making it work!!:)

[Lady Vulpix]

Thanks! :)

Do you know if there's a way to feed Pokemon rainbow beans? Because I try to slide the bean tape and it doesn't work, it just picks whatever bean is nearest my (substitute) stylus.

[Fett One]

Thanks! :)

Do you know if there's a way to feed Pokemon rainbow beans? Because I try to slide the bean tape and it doesn't work, it just picks whatever bean is nearest my (substitute) stylus.

I just keep quickly swiping left on it until the tape finally moves.

[Shadow Wolf]

Thanks! :)

Do you know if there's a way to feed Pokemon rainbow beans? Because I try to slide the bean tape and it doesn't work, it just picks whatever bean is nearest my (substitute) stylus.

Try to slide the belt from the upper-most part of it. That works for me most of the time

[Lady Vulpix]

Try to slide the belt from the upper-most part of it. That works for me most of the time

I was able to doit, but only once. It never worked before, nor again.

[Magmar]

It's ridiculously sensitive! I find that hardly any pressure and a VERY quick swipe will pull up the rainbow beans.

[Shadow Wolf]

Yeah, I have to swipe pretty mich at the top border of the bottom screen in order to make it work.

On a side note: if anybody needs help with ahiny hunting or with pokedex completion (the reward is the shiny charm), let me know. Just add the FC and which Pokemon you need and I'll see if I have them.

[Lady Vulpix]

I don't even bother with Pokedex completion. I never have. But if you want to trade, you're always welcome to do so. I have a female Boldore who could make a good addition to someone's team (and would evolve upon trading, and I already have a Gigalith).

I was positively surprised by the story this time, it's like at least one member of the writing team actually knew what they were doing! But Nebby was the biggest guilt trip in my whole Pokemon history. (I just can't fulfill its wish, sorry.)

The game has had 2 scary moments for me so far: the totem Wishiwashi and the Lusamine/Nihilego fusion. It took me half an hour to beat the latter, by the way. Good thing their Pokemon weren't too aggressive, just awfully resilient (and my team was level 38 at that time).

Oh, and I loved Acerola's challenge even though I find Acerola herself rather creepy.

And Alolan Ninetales is great, but I really miss having a good Special-Attacking Fire type. I keep running into situations that would be easily resolved with a good Flamethrower or Heat Wave, but uh-oh... I don't have that now.

My current status: I finally have all 18 type-based Z-Crystals (plus 3 more) and have made it to the League, but I have a team of 14 level 40 Pokemon... Which means I have reached the most annoying part of the game: grinding in order to become strong enough to face the Elite Four. What levels should my Pokemon be in order to stand a decent chance?

[Fett One]

My current status: I finally have all 18 type-based Z-Crystals (plus 3 more) and have made it to the League, but I have a team of 14 level 40 Pokemon... Which means I have reached the most annoying part of the game: grinding in order to become strong enough to face the Elite Four. What levels should my Pokemon be in order to stand a decent chance?

The elite four pokemon are between level 54-58.

[Lady Vulpix]

Thanks, but that's not exactly what I asked. Anyway, I'll try to reach level 45 and see what happens.

[Link]

Your Pokémon should at most be between levels 50-60.

[Fett One]

My team was low/mid fifties and I struggled a little. Level 45 might be too low to beat them.

[Lady Vulpix]

My team was low/mid fifties and I struggled a little. Level 45 might be too low to beat them.
Ah... but levelling up with wild Pokemon battles is so tedious! Especially when I have a job and other things to do.

I currently have a level 42 Snorlax and 13 level 41 Pokemon. I raise their stats at Poke Pelago while I work or sleep, so that might give me an edge? Hau was not hard to beat in spite of the level difference, but then again... he's not Elite 4 material. I could try using the higher-level Pokemon I just caught, but they have no EVs or affection, so that may not work either.

[Shadow Wolf]

If you're busy, then I recommend upgrading Poke-Pelago and training them there (they also have a level-up juice there and the higher the level of Poke Pelago, the more points Pokemon gain towards levelling up) Be advised, I don't know if their moves could change, so getting a few Heart Scales could work.

My level-up training was mostly SOS with Elekid, since they call for Chanseys from time to time which give plenty of XP despite their level.

By the way Didn't the Mimikyu trial scare you?

[Lady Vulpix]

No, it didn't. It was fun! I really like taking photos, and I think I have a thing for ghost types, because their shenanigans amuse me rather than scare me. Now that Totem Wishiwashi, on the other hand... :rolleyes:

My Isle Evelup is already maxed, but I'm using it to raise EVs rather than levels, because it's more useful in the long run (experience is gained with every battle, but EVs can get messed up if you battle the wrong Pokemon).

My main 14 have reached level 44 now... I will list them (plus 3 other promising Pokemon I've started training) and use that least to decide who to take with me to face the E4 (suggestions are welcome).

1. Decidueye
Pros: good offensive moves, 2 type immunities.
Cons: stats could be better (and Attack EV is already maxed out, so it's not getting any better). Perhaps I should have gone for Special Attack instead, but it may be too late for that now, and besides his signature move is physical.
Conclusion: unsure.

2. Toucannon
Pros: good moves, may inflict a burn, 1 type immunity, good Attack.
Cons: not very good at taking hits.
Conclusion: unsure, leaning towards no.

3. Vikavolt
Pros: amazing Special Attack, Thunder Wave, his Z-Move can deal serious damage to any opponent as long as it's not a Ground type.
Cons: not good at taking hits, not good against opponents who resist Electric-type attacks.
Conclusion: unsure.

4. Vaporeon
Pros: pretty good at everything.
Cons: not the best at anything, I have 2 other Water types.
Conclusion: probably yes.

5. Alolan Ninetales
Pros: great offensive moves, great Special Defense.
Cons: Special Attack could be better (but won't be because it's maxed), weak against many E4 Pokemon.
Conclusion: perhaps I should have trained another Vulpix instead, but his moves are so good I'll probably take him anyway.

6. Gyarados
Pros: Intimidate, Thunder Wave, 1 type immunity.
Cons: offensive moves aren't great, and it wouldn't be a good idea to take 2 Water types.
Conclusion: probably not? Even though he helped me a lot against Lusamine, so I'm not sure.

7. Arcanine
Pros: Intimidate, Extremespeed.
Cons: stats are not the best.
Conclusion: unsure.

8. Snorlax
Pros: good stats overall (except Speed, but the level difference will make the E4's Pokemon faster anyway), 1 type immunity, Yawn, can definitely take hits.
Cons: his only move that can deal massive damage is Pulverizing Pancake and that is a Normal-type Z-Move, no good against Ghost types.
Conclusion: unsure.

9. Miltank
Pros: so good at taking hits that she can bring down stronger opponents by using Bide alone.
Cons: can't deal much damage without taking much damage herself, so it's always a bet on who will fall first.
Conclusion: probably not.

10. Starmie
Pros: good moves.
Cons: yet another Water type, and it can't take a hit as well as Vaporeon can.
Conclusion: probably not.

11. Sylveon
Pros: good moves, decent stats.
Cons: not the best at anything.
Conclusion: probably yes.

12. Gigalith
Pros: Sturdy, great Attack and Defense, Stealth Rock ensures all the opponents take at least some damage.
Cons: no good non-Rock-type moves.
Conclusion: probably yes, even if he'll be of little use against Hala.

13. Crobat
Pros: decent array of moves, Speed so high that she may actually be faster than some E4 Pokemon.
Cons: stats other than Speed leave a lot to be desired, and Attack is already maxed out.
Conclusion: probably not.

14. Gengar
Pros: 2 type immunities, good moves, good Special Attack.
Cons: not very good at taking hits.
Conclusion: unsure.

~~~~~~~~~

And the extras (still at low levels, just started training them:

15. Quilava (should become Typhlosion)
Pros: finally a Pokemon who can deal good Fire-type damage! Also has a good nature and can inflict burns. And somehow reached maximum affection in a single Pokemon Refresh session! Love at first sight? O_o
Cons: needs time to catch up with the rest of the team.

16. Espeon
Pros: great Special Attack
Cons: Espeon's moveset is rather tricky to play right, plus it will take a long time to level up.

17. Porygon (should become Porygon 2)
Pros: good stats once it evolves, good moves.
Cons: needs help to evolve and time to level up, has a Japanese name but that's probably just Porygon.

So... any thoughts? And also, really, how did my Quilava reach maximum affection so quickly?

[Shadow Wolf]

Hmm... Let's see... For the Quilava question, if you fed it Rainbow beans, the affection goes automatically up. Besides that, maxing affection in Sun/Moon is way easier than in the previous gen.

Now, as for a decent team...

Decidueye is actually pretty good. It never really disappoonted me throughout the course of the game since its dual type covers a lot of opponents. He will probably help you through the League for sure.

I haven't tried Toucannon since I usually leave the flying coverage to either a Dragonite or a Salamence, but if you feel like it could help, then go for it.

i could advise getting a Steel type. I feel like they are good for catching those surprise picks which can appear. I believe you can get a Beldum, though, of course, training is needed. Togedamaru could also be good thanks to its Thunder/Steel dual typing, but again, its your choice

Will edit later since I have to take care of an urgent matter

EDIT: OK, so back to the topic...

-If either Espeon or Sylveon have HA, then take either to the League. Magic Bounce is great for status coverage and Pixilate makes Sylveon hit hard. Out of the two I prefer Espeon due to the great use of Magic Bounce. If none have HA then maybe Espeon if the best choice.

Vikavolt will also be useful, but I lean more towards Electivire, Raichu or another electric type pokemon since Bug is weak to a lot of types.


I have not advised for water typing, so out of the three, either Gyarados or Vaporeon are fine I believe. I didn't really need a water type pokemon, but if memory serves, Lapras could be a stronger choice (and I believe someone gives yoy a Lapras in this game, right?).

And finally, if at the end you do not wish to catch any other pokemon, then I think Quilava/Typhlosion is the best choice due to overall stats. Bad news is that there ia no shortcut to training except Poke Pelago. Plus if the EVs are maxed out, then level up boost is the next best use for Poke Pelago.

Your final choice could be to trade the team to someone to train them for you and then return them back so that you don't have to wait so long, but again, that's your choice.

[Lady Vulpix]

My main 14 are now level 45!

I realized today that Vikavolt could learn Energy Ball (how come I didn't notice sooner?), so I've taught it to him and he can now beat Ground types and not be completely defenseless against Rock types, so he's in. His Special Attack is so good that, as long as he can take one hit, he'll defeat his opponent.

None of my Pokemon have Hidden Abilities.

My Decidueye has never been great in battle, his Attack IV is too low. I have maxed his Attack EV and he still doesn't match some of my other Pokemon, so I'm having doubts about taking him with me. Especially now that he's not the only one who can use Grass type attacks.

Apparently Lapras can be found very rarely by surfing at the Poni Wilds, and they do usually have better stats than Vaporeon, but I'd have to catch one and train it from scratch, and my Vaporeon has not disappointed me so far, so I think I'm still going with Vaporeon.

My Espeon is currently level 18... It would take a long time to train him, but I'll keep him in mind. My Quilava is now level 30, and I'm seriously thinking of training him so he can join the others. He has good stats and good Fire-type moves, the only problem being he can't learn any decent offensive moves which are not Fire type (he does have a Dragon type Hidden Power, for what it's worth, but no one in the E4 uses Dragon types; isn't it curious how Dragon isn't strong against anything other than itself?).

So I'm currently thinking of Vikavolt, Gigalith, Sylveon, Vaporeon, either Arcanine or Typhlosion and Ninetales.

For a moment I thought of going with Gengar instead of Sylveon because she can use so many TMs that I can customize her moveset before each battle, and I might if it were a different League. But I'd have to be extra careful with opponents who use Ghost and Dark-type attacks (which is almost everyone?), so Sylveon is probably a safer bet.

[Shadow Wolf]

Yeah, I got confused with X/Y, so I apologize for that. You can get an Aerodactyl and Type: Null (both lv40) at Seafolk Village and Aether Paradise respectively, so either could maybe help. Hmm... What else... My best advice is to choose half of the 14 pokemon and train them to at least lv55+. Training 14 Pokemon takes a while after all.

[Lady Vulpix]

I currently have 13 level 46 Pokemon, a level 47 Ninetales and a level 40 Typhlosion. Their EVs are either maxed or nearly maxed, so right now I'm aiming at giving EVs the final touchesand maybe reaching level 50? I think that should be enough, but it could take a few days. Perhaps I can tackle the League on Saturday or something.

I already have that Aerodactyl, but I think Gigalith is better. As for Type:Null... I've never been fond of training legendaries.

[Shadow Wolf]

I see, though personally, I don't feel like Type: Null is a legendary. Then again, it has big stats and seems to have the same pokedex background as the UBs, so you're definitely right. Well in the end, it is your team so I know you know it better than I do, hehehe. :)

[Lady Vulpix]

Thanks. Actually, there may be something you can do to help.

Do you happen to have a Hondew Berry? I've had no luck finding one on Route 10 yet.

[Shadow Wolf]

Thanks. Actually, there may be something you can do to help.

Do you happen to have a Hondew Berry? I've had no luck finding one on Route 10 yet.

Yeah, I have a few of those. I can do the trade tomorrow since I have to sleep today, but I am available on weekdays afternoon.

[Lady Vulpix]

Thanks. What time will you be on today (with timezone, please)? And how shall I contact you so we can talk while we trade?

[Shadow Wolf]

I believe my timezone is EST (Eastern US, Canada, -5). My current time (as of this post) is arounfld 8:30am. I can be online anytime after 3pm EST.

[Lady Vulpix]

OK, that's 5 PM for me. Since classes haven't started yet, I'll be free at that time. :)

So, how shall we communicate? Facebook?

[Edit: ¡gracias!]

[Shadow Wolf]

OK, that's 5 PM for me. Since classes haven't started yet, I'll be free at that time. :)

So, how shall we communicate? Facebook?

[Edit: I waited for over half an hour, but I suppose something unexpected came up and you couldn't get online. Maybe some other day, or maybe I'll get the berry soon.]

Apologies for lateness. Hope the wait was worth it.

On a side note: Missions are kinda fun, but I must admit that I was really turning the gears on my brain on the type matchup test, hahahahaha

[Lady Vulpix]

That was great, thanks!

But how did you get a level 39 Dragonite?

I went to Aether Paradise to see if I could find Gladion for the sake of progressing the story, but they said he was busy tending to his mother.

My main 14 are level 49 now, and Typhlosion is level 42. Snorlax has learnt Crunch and is starting to look like he could be useful against the E4, but... I can't take so many Pokemon with me.

[Lady Vulpix]

Sorry for the double-post, but this is a new update and no one else has posted since yesterday.

I finally did it. I got my team to level 50, all with effort ribbons, and became the champion. It was a bit anti-climactic... Turns out I had overprepared and the Elite 4 ended up being quite easy (especially Acerola, she was unable to make any of my Pokemon faint). Most of them didn't even use their Z-Powers. I only used mine (Hydro Vortex, glad I took Vaporeon with me) against Olivia (and then Kukui, but that's another story). I laughed when Olivia said I was one of those people who liked to save the tastiest bite for last.And also when Acerola quoted Nanu.

I finally took Gigalith, Vaporeon, Sylveon, Arcanine, Vikavolt and Ninetales. My Ninetales did a great job, toughing it up 3 times (2 of them consecutive) and it turned out having a Bug type was a good thing when I battled Hala, and Vikavolt's high Special Attack was really helpful (for instance, he took down Olivia's Relicanth in one hit).

Then Kukui was more like the kind of challenge I had expected. I enjoyed that battle.

What I really didn't expect was having to watch an hour-long movie before I could save! That's really poor design in my opinion. The party was nice, but the non-playable scenes took a bit too long, it would have been nice to save at some point between them. And what bothered me the most was being challenged by Tapu Koko without having had the chance to switch Pokemon or save first! I wasted a lot of Pokeballs before I decided to run away, because I didn't want to faint it nor use my Master Ball. Good think Lillie said I could challenge it another day, but then she left, so if I do challenge Tapu Koko again, she won't be there to see it. And what do I get out of challenging it anyway? I don't want to leave the island without its guardian! Also, if Lillie has finally decided to become a trainer, why doesn't she take Nebby with her? Her only reason for leaving it with me no longer holds!

So... some things are just wrong, I think. But the rest was fun! I liked the party, and the photo of Gladion half-smiling while Silvally was practically eating his face (not using spoiler tags because it's not much of a spoiler).

[Shadow Wolf]

But how did you get a level 39 Dragonite?

Post-game, one of the new areas is Poni Grove. You can fish for Dratini there (5-10% chance in bubbling spots, not sure of the exact odds) and only in this area SOS calling will have a 5% chance of summoning a Dragonite (the levels also vary). Multiscale was also a nice bonus so I hope it comes in handy. :)

Congrats on beating the game. Now its time for the post-game content. :D

On my part, I'm taking a break from Moon to play Y. The last thing I did was get a shiny Dragonair, though. Will hunt for shiny female Salandit after that since I love challenges.

[Lady Vulpix]

Oh, I've been doing the post-game content for a while now. Already caught all the UBs, defeated Morimoto twice, explored all regions, entered the Battle Tree, had a big meal at the Battle Buffet, dined with Hapu and Olivia, and now I'm sending Togepis around the world (took me a while to get one with Serene Grace rather than Hustle, so I'm giving away the Hustle ones).

I currently have 15 level 58 Pokemon, and my Espeon is level 32 and has a good moveset. I traded the Porygon I got at Aether House, and I have a new one who's my Japanese Porygon's child. My new Porygon's stats seem to be similar to their parent's, so I'm still trying to decide which one I want to evolve.

[CaptainJigglypuff]

I have only 38 more Pokémon to go to complete the Dex in Moon. Most of them I can get through Pokémon Bank except Kartana which I haven't caught yet in Sun. And others I can get by breeding with Ditto or evolving.

[Lady Vulpix]

I have 4 Kartanas. Would you like to trade?

[Shadow Wolf]

If you can, post a list of Pokemon you may want to find in trades and I'll see if I have them stored in PC to trade.

[CaptainJigglypuff]

I have 4 Kartanas. Would you like to trade?

Sure. I can give you a Cleffa with Aromatherapy and Metronome.

[Lady Vulpix]

Sure. I can give you a Cleffa with Aromatherapy and Metronome.
OK. :)

What day/time (and timezone) will you be on, and how can I contact you to talk in real time?

[CaptainJigglypuff]

I'm in the EST and I can use Facebook

[Lady Vulpix]

OK, we're just missing the 'when' part. Would tomorrow afternoon be OK? If so, what time?

On other notes, for the first time in all my games, I have a female Eevee! I named her Hope after the Eevee from my AC/CC story where Caledor was on the Moon.

[Link]

OK, we're just missing the 'when' part. Would tomorrow afternoon be OK? If so, what time?

On other notes, for the first time in all my games, I have a female Eevee! I named her Hope after the Eevee from my AC/CC story where Caledor was on the Moon.

That's cool. Congrats on getting a female Eevee!:)

[CaptainJigglypuff]

OK, we're just missing the 'when' part. Would tomorrow afternoon be OK? If so, what time?

On other notes, for the first time in all my games, I have a female Eevee! I named her Hope after the Eevee from my AC/CC story where Caledor was on the Moon.

How about around noon EST?

[Lady Vulpix]

Oops! I didn't see a reply yesterday so I assumed we weren't doing it today and did the things I had to do, sorry. Let's try again tomorrow at noon EST. (Please confirm).

Oh, and I beat the Elite 4 again and defended my title against Hau. My Pokemon were at level 60, now they're level 61 but the others are still at 60. They were all easy except for the "tastiest bite" who was hard as rock. But I beat her anyway.

[Link]

Oops! I didn't see a reply yesterday so I assumed we weren't doing it today and did the things I had to do, sorry. Let's try again tomorrow at noon EST. (Please confirm).

Oh, and I beat the Elite 4 again and defended my title against Hau. My Pokemon were at level 60, now they're level 61 but the others are still at 60. They were all easy except for the "tastiest bite" who was hard as rock. But I beat her anyway.

Hau is cool to go up against, and so are the other trainers you get to battle after the E4. His team is very good, though he's not that hard of a trainer to counter, anyway.

[CaptainJigglypuff]

Oops! I didn't see a reply yesterday so I assumed we weren't doing it today and did the things I had to do, sorry. Let's try again tomorrow at noon EST. (Please confirm).

Oh, and I beat the Elite 4 again and defended my title against Hau. My Pokemon were at level 60, now they're level 61 but the others are still at 60. They were all easy except for the "tastiest bite" who was hard as rock. But I beat her anyway.

It'll have to be next Sat. I'm busy tomorrow.

[Lady Vulpix]

OK, but then it'll have to be later because I get home at around 3PM my time on Saturdays (GMT -3). Can you make it at some point after 5 PM your time?

[CaptainJigglypuff]

OK, but then it'll have to be later because I get home at around 3PM my time on Saturdays (GMT -3). Can you make it at some point after 5 PM your time?

Yes

[Lady Vulpix]

OK, I'll be on Facebook, then. Please send me a message when you're ready.

So... I checked the IVs of a Mimikyu I got in a trade and, surprisingly, she has 6 max IVs! I am definitely going to train her someday.

I've also checked the IVs of my current team and realized why my Decidueye wasn't doing so well. He has a low Attack IV, and a perfect Special Attack IV. I definitely went the wrong way when I trained him. I suppose I can still reverse that and give him SA EVs and special attacks, even though that would mean losing his signature move... But who wants a signature move which doesn't do much damage anyway? He could do much more damage with a special Bloom Doom. Also, my Ninetales has better IVs than I expected (and he loves me so much he keeps dodging attacks, toughing it out and expelling poison) so I'll keep training him no matter what. And my Sylveon and Vikavolt have some really good IVs.

I have also decided to train my own Porygon rather than the Japanese one, so if anyone wants to help me evolve them, I will appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

[Edit: Mikachu has helped me evolve my Porygon into Porygon 2! Thank you! And I am now training my Decidueye's Special Attack, having already changed his moveset. Let's see how much damage he can do when he's done. :)]

[Edit 2: I have become Buffet Queen and Bloom Doom is now devastating! :D]

[Edit 3: sorry, that took longer than I had expected. I'm online now if you want to trade.]

[Lady Vulpix]

UPDATE: I have 9 level 100 Pokemon, and it'll be 14 by the end of the day.

Why 14 and not 15? I realized my Gyarados's stats were too low and started training a new one, who's currently level 93. My 2nd batch of Pokemon will be joining the others within the next few days. These are: Gyarados, Mimikyu, Togekiss (low IVs but still good, saving a Gold Bottle Cap for when he reaches level 100), Dragonite (the one Louis gave me), Porygon 2 (who already has a Battle Tree Great Ribbon like my Snorlax and Sylveon), Espeon and Goodra.

In case you're interested, the first Pokemon in my team to reach level 100 was my Starmie.

I have also completed the Akala Pokédex, and I have not captured any Tapus (I got Tapu Lele in exchange for a Kartana on a trade). This is the first Pokédex I have ever completed.