Taking the Black: A Nuzlocke Prologue

Nuzlocke runs are the Pokémon games' version of your local dominatrix. Apart from turning an already fun series into something out of the bowels of Hell, it's a great way to get into the psyche and mindset of the persons involved. It binds you into a routine that has you pulling your hair out of sheer agony, yet at the same time leaves you begging for more pain.

However, there's one glaring difference between a Nuzlocke run and a domme. One has you tied up against your wishes (even though you wanted it to begin with) and proceeds to put you through a session so blisteringly painful you wish you set up a safe word beforehand. The other is a dominatrix.

Lame bait-and-switch joke aside, I've played a few Nuzlockes (my first two are still ongoing as of this day). I've suffered minimal casualties on those runs (so far *crosses fingers*), and it helps that the games I'm running in - X and Omega Ruby - are games I've technically played before (via Y and Ruby respectively). Thing is, I don't think I fully appreciate the serious business that Nuzlockes are supposed to generate. And like a certain father voiced by Mark Hamill once said, "[I] will learn respect, and suffering will be [my] teacher." (Cue scar being made on the wrong side.)

Just hit "A" already...

This is why I'm going to start a blind Nuzlocke run on Pokémon: Black Version 2. Before I begin the prologue though, I think I need to explain a few things. I'm pretty sure I have so, considering that the average stranger probably has no idea what any part of that first sentence even means. So, we'll take a quick musical break and I'll explain both myself and those words above in greater detail in a bit.

More Shining

Another day spent breeding and Wonder Trading Pokémon instead of writing something.

However, I think this was well-spent time.

The New Old Guys

It's no secret that I hold disdain for the Pokémon franchise's fifth generation of games. The overall in-game experience wasn't that exciting and gripping. I didn't really feel as much love for it as I showed the prior generations, and I found playing White Version to be a complete chore (surprising for someone who placed the series in his top three). No wonder it took me three years to take down the Unova region's Elite Four.

Despite the present negativity, I feel like I owe my team in White Version an apology. Yes, the game was boring and dull (of all the times for the story to have a twist, it was at the end - far too late for me to rekindle any genuine interest). Yes, my overall experience was not one I'll cherish for the rest of my days. However, "Team White" stuck with it - even when I didn't - and pushed themselves to their limits from day one all the way to their conquest of the Elite Four. They gave their all so that I could move on and say "goodbye" to Generation V forever.

This is my "Team White."

They don't deserve that kind of treatment. They deserve to be remembered.

Task Completed; NEXT!

Sometimes, things take much longer than you'd want it to. Whether life, the elements, or the ever-in-motion "X factor" get in the way, the task at hand suddenly transforms from a normal task to one of gastronomical heights. No, I didn't mean "astronomical" - said task suddenly becomes a huge knot in your stomach, paralyzing your digestive system (and maybe your psyche) until you can somehow stomach the strength to carry on with yourself.

We've all faced difficult obstacles like that in our life. Anyone with any kind of project currently on the backburner knows this feeling. You want to continue working on it, but every time you do, you get nauseated with how arduous it has suddenly become. You don't even want to deal with it anymore - it's that bad. At that point, going through physical torture sounds more appealing than hitting the "Continue" button.

For those of you just tuning in, I had a task like that a few days ago. It was thrown on the backburner for a little over three years - mostly because I lost interest in it. It wasn't grabbing my attention like I thought it would, and its entertainment value ran itself dry much, much earlier than I expected.

It took a while, but I finally completed it that's made me... well, I wouldn't call it "happy," so let's just go ahead and use the term "relieved."

After three years of self-loathing and dissatisfaction, I finally beat Pokémon White Version. With this done, I can now move on with my life and continue my Pokémon journey the way it was supposed to go: as far away from the Unova region as humanly possible.

Okay; what's next to do...?

A Thorn and Some Tweezers

So in a starting effort to begin typing things on here, I decided to try something new. (Gee, I sure haven't tried doing this before.)

I take that back. I'm not trying anything new. Matter-of-fact, I'm trying to finish something I started a long time ago. In my current pattern of "fail and fail some more," I figured this would be an interesting way to (yet again) attempt to break the cycle and yank this throbbing thorn that's been in my side for ages now. Yesterday's entry was a sign of this, and today you'll see what it was exactly that I rebooted.

Results

Last week I posted a long entry (for once) that showcased my desire to help make Pokémon X and Y's Wonder Trade a better feature. (For those of you unwilling to read through last Sunday's entry again, here's the TL;DR: I'm only Wonder Trading good Pokémon from here on out.)

To recant, I had three full boxes of Pokémon (that's 90 in total) with a mix of excellent stats and hidden abilities that I traded away to strangers across the world. I did the bulk of my trades on Sunday and Tuesday, and now that I'm not distracted by life and Cards Against Humanity (which I should talk about on a later day), I'm posting the results to you.

Before I continue, I have to stress one important fact. I knew going in that I wasn't going to get many quality Pokémon back. While a good portion of the people across the globe could also be improving Wonder Trade in their own way, there's still going to be that jerk who gives nothing of value. Still, I was pretty hopeful that I'd get something that I would find valuable.

Cleansing Wonders and Purged Trades

In a rare form, today's "lesson" shows up before the page break - mostly because it needs to be known (before you keep reading). The message in question: change (for the better) starts with us.

Remember those lectures and assemblies about drugs, recycling, and the like back in elementary school? We'd be reading some (required reading) book or completing the day's worksheets when without warning, the entire X^th grade or school population were called to the cafetorium/auditorium/gymnasium for at least an hour. The topics varied - it could've been one of those D.A.R.E. lectures, a lesson on recycling and protecting the environment, or some superficial "student of the month" presentation.

Over the years, most of us didn't take that lesson to heart. We instead looked forward to assemblies because they were a way out doing worthless busywork. They served as an excuse for us to talk with our friends or to check out whatever girl(s)/guy(s) caught our fancy. We listened less on whatever lesson was being served and focused more on other things - the female presenter's casually-provocative attire; a chance to finish up sixth period's written report that was due that day; catching up on our local gossip about so-and-so being a slut, and other things like that.

Because of this, we as Americans a species have become shallow and uncaring while simultaneously looking out for what benefits us the most. (Maybe this is why the human racial ability in World of Warcraft is called "Every Man For Himself"...?) We enjoy what makes us content and comfortable and expunge anything undesired or even remotely "questionable." Needless gluttony is worshipped while living without anything but the best is abhorred. While it can be argued that this kind of mindset looks akin to misguided ambition, it's clear that this kind of behavior is more of a curse than a boon. It was up to us to make sure we didn't let it hex us.

Wait, why am I blathering when I should be focused on a fun topic today? Whoops...

"But Josh," I hear some of you cry. "What does all this have to do with Pokémon?"

"Wonder Trade," I reply. Read on to see what I mean.

Sidetracked Training and Emblems

Remember yesterday how I said the Internet claims my project time? Well, it did it again. As I loaded up Blogger and got myself in the mindset to type out an entry, I got sidetracked yet again. Through a combination of various activities such as:

• Imgur links found on Facebook
• an hour's worth of ambient music playing while I mindlessly surfed TV Tropes and Wikipedia
• some insight into myself
• and the dawning realization that today is in fact Sunday*

I was able to come up with an entry for y'all to read... despite the fact that it was far from the original idea I had when I first logged on. Sometimes my inability to stay focused on things ends up paving the road better than the best-laid plans I could ever conceive.

* = I could've sworn that yesterday was somehow this Wednesday, which caused great confusion last night when I attempted to refresh some of my favorite webcomics and was left wondering why they weren't updating. Of course, I was all the more sad when I found out it wasn't Wednesday - I want my Oracle of Ages / Seasons on the 3DS eShop already! =O

I feel like this sometimes when I'm attempting to focus on work. Sometimes it works out... sometimes it doesn't.

Anyway, enough bantering. Let's read before I get distracted by somethi- oh, hey, Blackadder is on!

The Top Twenty: Favorite Video Games

After talking about reviving my writing (as well as this blog) almost two weeks, I told myself that I'd get working on a brand-new Top Ten list and have it up here within the following two weeks. It's just about now officially that deadline, so I figured I'd get to work on it. And after two six day's two weeks' worth of typing, searching the web for good photos to use for this entry, and getting distracted by clicking fifteen thousand too many links on Wikipedia and TV Tropes, it's finally here! (Seriously this time.)

The last time I threw a Top Ten List on here was back in May of last year - roughly ten months ago. After noting that rather large gap, I told myself that needs to be patched up now. So, what to talk about? While there's plenty of subjects and plenty of lists I have compiled for just the occasion, I decided to go with a rather unique challenge: my favorite video games. I say "challenge" because this was honestly one of the more difficult ones to rate. There were so many games that made some kind of impact on my life, many more that gave me joy in my younger days, and still many that I have played altogether. So what to choose...?

Initially, my plan was to write a list of every game I remember playing to date that I love(d), narrow the selection down to ten games, and introduce a new "honorary mention" section alongside the list. Seemed really simple and easy on paper. When it came down to performing the task, however, I couldn't bring myself to thin the ranks. Many of the games I wrote down were games that I carry soft spots for, because they were the games I played as a child, a teenager, an adult. They brought joy, sadness, fury, understanding, clarity - and to deny the most influential games the right to have their name be heard? I couldn't.

So I decided to try two new tactics:

1. Narrow any video game series present down to ONE game.
2. Expand the buffer to twenty slots.

The end result is today's entry and the very first Top Twenty list featured on this blog. Now, I could pay my respects to all of the important games I've played and love(d).

Of course, one question remains to be asked: What twenty games made their way onto my favorites list? You'll have to read on below if you've any interest in finding out!

Conquer the Day

Afternoon, everybody. It's a Friday, and you know what that means? Absolutely nothing because I work in retail! *cries*

Despite that, I have a feeling today's going to be good. Don't know how, but I think it will be.

The Top Ten: Pokémon

Time for me to introduce something new for this blog: a random list of random things that you (may not) care for! I decided to make this list the ever-clichéd "Top Ten" - a list of favorites (for the most part) and an explanation on why they're my favorites. You may choose to (dis)agree at any time with this list because it's a personal one - meaning that your Top Ten can (and probably will) differ.

Blame it on random topic generation or a lack of creativity on my part, but hey - you still get your (entertaining) blog entry for today; I get my word quota matched as well; there's a new tag for you to look at in bewilderment!

Right-o! Let's get a move on this blog!





CURRENT MUSIC:
Soichi Terada - "Crumbling Castle"
Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks

Ape Escape was influential in the PlayStation years - notably because it was one of the first games (if not the first) that required the DualShock analog controller. Plus, it was a great game, to boot - it's one of my favorite games from that console.

Anyway, I love the soundtrack to this game - partially because it differed from level to level (little to no recycling was used for stage music - which impressed me off the bat), and mostly because the tracks are specially designed so that when using a simple audio editor, you can loop them as much as you want without having to cut anything from the data streams.

"Crumbling Castle" is played in one of the later stages of the game, taking place in a crumbling castle (gee, I couldn't tell) that Specter, the primary antagonist, has set up as one of his bases in his attempt to alter history so that monkeys are the dominant primate. Between how precarious the stage was set up (traps and holes everywhere) and the tone the music sets up for you (a sort of "cautious blitz," if you'll pardon the oxymoron), it fits the situation quite well.


Hans Zimmer - "Show Me Your Firetruck"
Backdraft: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Not many people have seen Backdraft (I'm amongst those people), but from what I've heard from the soundtrack, it's gotta be pretty good. I mean, it has to be - everyone who's seen Iron Chef (the original one) knows the music from this movie. The opening title sequence for the Japanese cooking show? "Show Me Your Firetruck."

Non Sequitur 6: All For a Monday

Afternoon. In this last day of work for a while, it's surprisingly difficult to come up with something for me to type up on here for you to read. On any other month I'd say that and call it a day, but this is September - the month where I said I'd give you 1,000+ words an entry. Ultimately I have to drive myself to perfection and achieve this (lest I be unable to achieve anything else), so as you can tell, this entry seems... almost forced. I'll do what I can to make this entry entertaining, though. I think.

Well, here goes, everyone.





Monday, MONDAY, MONDAY!!!
(Josh Blanco presents: "WORK" - Live, at the local Target store!)

...yeaaah, I got carried away with the sub-title there. Tried going for a cheesy monster truck rally announcer thing, but it's just so hard to convey tone with text. *shrugs*

Moving on.

Usually I view Mondays as a Friday. I know, I know - Like Garfield, I hate the day in question, but at the same time I kind of look forward to it. Monday generally means the weekend rush is over and store workers can relax a bit. Strangely enough, I'm happy for that. Generally a Monday spent at work is more than likely to be followed by a day off on Tuesday to recuperate from working the weekend, so it gives me a little something to look forward to when the weekend begins to feel like utter crap.

I don't know why, but for some odd reason I feel almost at peace knowing that Tuesday is coming. (And to those who are going to ask me: yes, I did bring my coat.) I can't really describe it - it's one of those feelings you can't really describe because you lose all sense of reality and discomfort and find yourself just... well, I don't want to say "floating" because then it sounds like an awesome acid trip... so let's just go with that feeling you get when you lie back on a grassy hill on a nice, sunny day, close your eyes, inhale deeply and a brief smile etches itself on your face. Something like that, I guess.





Time-Traveling With a Razor
(Going back, like, six years... in a matter of minutes.)

There's nothing in the world like a fresh shave. For a brief period of time you look a year younger (maybe more if you're Asian) and there's a soft innocence to your look. Okay, maybe I'm just being all wishy-washy or what not - but anyone who grows facial hair and shaves regularly can probably agree with me on what I said.

Obviously I've taken the time today and shaved - and maaaaaan, it feels good. I feel like I'm younger (some people have joked that - if my hair was the right length at the time I shaved - I'd look like a sixteen-year-old... and that's both cool and disturbing at once.) and have a bit more of a desire to take on the world. Muahahahaha.

To my readers out there who can't grow facial hair: I feel both envious and pitiful at the same time. While we shavers have to maintain a look and be careful not to nick ourselves, we get to be awesome with things like handlebar 'staches, fu manchus and not appearing like a six-foot-tall child.





A Numbered Challenge
(Proving how smart dorky I am... 151 species at a time.)

For lack of anything better to put on here so I get my 1,000 words, I decided that I'd announce a mini-challenge I'm casting upon myself.

While I'm at work today, I'm going to attempt to write down the original 151 Pokémon down by order of their PokéDex number. WITHOUT looking up any of the information.

Like I said, I have nothing better to put on here today, so... yeah.

Why am I doing this, you ask? Well, I can tell you right now that it wasn't because I was challenged or anything like that - I'm the go-to guy for anything related to Pokémon. It's also not because a new challenger came to town and is "threatening" me. It's also not because I'm trying to save face on today's entry (honest!).

It's because I want to better myself. Rather, I want to better my geekness. Yeah, Josh, I hear some of you saying. So how exactly is doing this and making yourself seem more like a (pompous) nerd going to help you land a girlfriend? Uhm, I'm not quite sure if any of this qualifies as attempts to "land a girlfriend." Hell, that's not even my intention.

I just wanna be the very best. Y'know... like no one ever was. *snerk*

*grabs a piece of paper* Bulbasaur... Ivysaur... Venusaur...





The Totally Not-Random Part To (Not) Save My Hide
(What's that on the ground over there? Is that the script?)

Sometimes I wonder aloud at night whether or not I'll make it out there. I lie on my bed, wondering if I'm doing anything with myself that'll benefit me in the long run. I've always been more of a fan of the short-term - mostly due to the fact that I have control over the short-term. The long-term is like the future - hard to see.

Sometimes I want pizza rolls. Granted, I won't accept them if I were to get any in the mail, but generally speaking, I'll eat 'em.

Sometimes I just want to debate important things. You know the things - what kind of pizza is the greatest (some kind of supreme with a stuffed crust, by the way); why guns are awesome; why I collect odd trinkets; why Hot Fuzz is epic - those kinds of things.

Sometimes I wonder what my top favorite Pokémon are. I've been fond of Psychic- and Dark-types, but I do have my favorites. Who are they? Why do I like them? Are they actually powerful in-game?

Sometimes I tell myself that I think too much. My friends say this to me quite often, and I believe them. I've got a feeling that if I think too much, they'll find a way to temporarily make me not think too much. Alcohol or codeine or mindless first-person shooter game sprees or something.

Sometimes I wonder if I procrastinate because I want to.

Sometimes I ask myself whether or not it's a good idea to listen to adrenaline-pumping music while driving down an isolated road or a long stretch of freeway. The music just makes me want to speed up and rocket down the asphalt at a gazillion miles an hour (or, according to my car, 125). I can't help it - it's awesome music that I listen to.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm long overdue for a vacation. When I ask myself this, I always say "YES."

Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm being watched. *looks around nervously* ...aaaand now I'm going to leave.





Alright. I'm done. I gotta go to work, so I'll see y'all tomorrow!

...Charmander... Charmeleon... Charizard...

World Warrior Gym League Profile: Josh Blanco

Inspired by a post my friend Matt made on his blog, I figured I'd make my own Pokémon-themed "gym leader profile" of sorts.

Confused? You probably are. A little backstory for y'all before I continue:

Now, obviously I haven't been as active with the Pokémon world in ages - the last entry with a "Pokémon" tag is dated all the way back in April 13. While I've been a dedicated fan and veteran trainer-slash-breeder since the release of Red and Blue, I haven't fiddled around with the world of Black and White as crazily as I did before - on my copy of White Vesrion I've only clocked in at 49:59, which is nothing compared to my infamous copy of Diamond Version which has... oh, about 1600+ hours on it (the gameplay timer stops at 999:59).

There have been a plethora of theories on why I haven't done anything (gamer burnout, too many things on my plate, life, etc.), but I figure one of these days - like, when I finally request a much-needed vacation from work or something - I'll put some time into White and finally defeat the Elite Four. (Yes, I said "finally." I'm outside the eighth gym and I've yet to start it - all because I'm too lazy to train my newly-hatched Axew.)

Anyway, during the heyday of HeartGold and SoulSilver last year, my friend Matt proposed an interesting idea for us dedicated Pokémon trainers: a "World Warrior Gym League." He proposed that eight of us would raise a custom team of Pokémon with a common type, design our own badges and pseudo-themes, and challenge any random person who played into defeating our league.

This was 2010, and naturally, I was more... well, let's just say "negative" about life and disillusioned to all things related to it back then. (Obviously this is all but extinct right now. Yay, me.) I was also considering retirement from the Pokémon world, which - to all my gamer friends - was a big shock. However, Matt kept a reserve slot aside for me and asked for my element should I decide to join the World Warrior ring. I don't remember what types I asked to keep in case, but I know Dark was one of them. (Very fitting for someone like me back then - very emo depressed emo. *shrugs*)

Of course, knowing how life operates, the World Warrior ring never came to officially be (although some of our friends raised a customized team regardless). However, the idea still sounds interesting, and so I decided to figure out what I would do. It'd be an interesting dive into theorycraft (something I do way too much sometimes), and at the same time I get to associate video games into the equation.





Before we get to the gym and how it'd be, let me introduce the idea for the team I'd breed and train if I were to join the World Warrior Gym League now (listed by order of National Dex Number)...


#196: Umbreon (Dark)
NICKNAME:
Chariselle (female)
NICKNAME ORIGIN:
Chariselle, my Blood Elf Paladin in World of Warcraft (US-Ravenholdt - RP-PvP). As I designed her RP backstory to be darker than most generic Blood Elf RPers, it'd make sense to use her name to name one of my Pokémon. That, and since Chari's specced as Protection, it matches Umbreon even more - it is the defensive-statted Eeveelution, after all.
WHY I CHOSE THIS POKÉMON:
I figured I could use practice using a defensive-oriented Pokémon. My usual lineup consists of sweepers and blitzers, so a change-up would be fun indeed.


#229: Houndoom (Dark/Fire)
NICKNAME:
Marine (any gender)
NICKNAME ORIGIN:
Members of the United States Marine Corps are sometimes referred to as "devil dogs." Look at Houndoom and I think you'll see how obvious it is from there.
WHY I CHOSE THIS POKÉMON:
Dark-types usually don't have the Special Attack to be a contender. Houndoom are one of the few Dark Pokémon whose Special Attack and Speed make it a viable fighter in an arena.


#359: Absol (Dark)
NICKNAME:
Scout (any gender)
NICKNAME ORIGIN:
"You're a scout, too, are you not? Then let us duel with blades."
- Vamp
(Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots)
WHY I CHOSE THIS POKÉMON:
Absol's always been one of my favorite Dark-types. It looks badass, hits like a badass, and has a movepool... of awesome.


#442: Spiritomb (Dark/Ghost)
NICKNAME:
108 (male)
NICKNAME ORIGIN:
According to the PokéDex, Spiritomb are formed from the remnants of 108 malevolent spirits. Why not make it sound all creepy and code-like?
WHY I CHOSE THIS POKÉMON:
A general all-around Pokémon with decent stat coverage... but the fact that it possesses no weaknesses makes it a nice contender.


#461: Weavile (Dark/Ice)
NICKNAME:
Banzai (any gender)
NICKNAME ORIGIN:
I picture Weavile attacks to look like sword strikes from a Japanese anime - the quick, flashy motions (or rather, the black screen with visible slashes). And it's been been somewhat proven that morale's increased in a charge when yelling a battle cry. What better way to improve morale in Japanese?
WHY I CHOSE THIS POKÉMON:
SPEED. 'Nuff said.


#635: Hydreigon (Dark/Dragon)
NICKNAME:
Steve (male)
NICKNAME ORIGIN:
With those two fake-head arm-things, I instantly thought of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series and this quote from an "unknown" Rare Hunter:
"We are the elite group known as the Rare Hunters. My name is Steve. These are my associates. They are also called Steve."
WHY I CHOSE THIS POKÉMON:
Dragon-type. Because everybody's gotta have dragons. (Though it's no Dragonite...)





And now... what I'd think my gym would be like!





World Warrior Gym League Profile

Gym Name:
Blackheart Gym - "A Congregation of Shadows"

Leader Name:
Josh Blanco - "The White Knight of Darkness"

Gym Theme - Main Lobby:
*jazzy motifs of video game music*

Actual Gym Theme:
Jason Hayes - "The Undercity (City Theme)"
World of Warcraft Soundtrack

Gym Badge:
Void Badge

Badge Description:
Picture a blue-hued solar eclipse. Simple design, yet effective if made right.

Number of Subordinates:
Four subordinate Gym Trainers, with up to three Dark-type Pokémon.



Gym Layout Notes:
As the Trainer enters, there will be a small entry plaza in which cool refreshments will be given to those who ask. Tables and chairs are placed so that challengers and spectators alike can relax before and after the battle, seating 20 maximum. On the left side is a door that leads to a room in which a large window allows spectators to view the fights (however many there will be) in style and comfort. Plush seats and air conditioning will maintain a happy atmosphere barring the sting of defeat. A door on the right of the front courtyard leads to an area without the confines of walls. No walls and no windows offer the ultimate experience in watching Blackheart Gym battles.

(Author's Note: Sorry, Matt - I had to use this. I agree wholeheartedly - spectators should have a blast... though I'm not sure if they'll be able to see anything... lol)

Trainers wishing to challenge the gym go directly to the back and take a double-door elevator that takes them below ground. At this point the fanfare portion of "The Undercity" will play (0:00-0:28), fading out once the elevator comes to a stop. As the elevator's rear doors open, all the Trainer can see is a dimly-lit room with a faint cool blue hue. As the Trainer walks around and attempts to navigate through the room, they'll eventually bump into a Gym Trainer, armed with up to three Dark-type Pokémon.

Should the Trainer prove to be victorious, a faint trail of blue lights will suddenly appear at their feet, pointing their way to a door which leads to another dimly-lit room with a faint cool blue hue and repeat the process. The Trainer will go through a total of four rooms before finding an elevator at the end of the fourth room, which leads to the Grand Chamber.

As the Trainer enters each room, an announcement is made through the PA system by the Gym Leader (me), with somewhat-cryptic messages for the trainer.

Room #1: "Those wishing to attain victory from the Blackheart Gym must first overcome the darkness within."

Room #2: "Throughout history darkness has been a constant. Much like gravity, it is a law that exists - even though we cannot see it."

Room #3: "Darkness exists all around us. It's not just a mere Pokémon type - it's an element of everyday life that most people attempt to hide from.

Room #4: "Accept the existence of darkness. Accept your darkness. This is a fate that you can never defy..."



Final Room Layout:
The elevator's second door will open, revealing to the Trainer a dimly-lit room - what appears to be a massive arena. They will walk around and eventually realize that nobody is present. As they head back to the elevator by which they came in, the door will be sealed shut and two spotlights will flash on without warning. The first will be aimed at the Trainer, while the second shines on a raised platform across from the entrance, where the Gym Leader (me) will be standing...

Gym Leader Introductory Theme:
Koutarou Nakagawa - "The Master"
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Original Soundtrack Volume 1

Gym Leader Introduction:
"Citizen of the world, welcome to the Blackheart Gym arena! It's been a while since I've seen a fresh face in this part - many people have come before you and succumbed to the shadows. So far it appears to be that the darkness failed to consume you, Trainer - but don't you dare think this trial is over yet. I am Josh Blanco, the White Knight, and as you've probably guessed I am the one in charge of Blackheart Gym. I know - ironic for me, a self-purported warrior of light to run something so dark - but you'll soon learn that even masters of justice have a hidden darkness within their souls. Only those with a pure heart can learn how to purify themselves from it, but only the strongest of them can manipulate this endless void to their will. The question is, Trainer: do you know how to control the darkness inside yourself?"

Battle Theme:
Shouji Meguro - "I'll Face Myself (Battle)"
Persona 4 Original Soundtrack

First Pokémon KO'ed:
"Well... certainly wasn't expecting that."

Third Pokémon KO'ed:
"This is certainly getting interesting."

One Pokémon Left:
"End it."

Gym Leader Defeated:
"...well, I think you answered my question quite well. Nicely done."

Trainer Defeated:
"Well, that answers my question. Come back when you're done lying about yourself."

Trainer Victory Theme:
Keiki Kobayashi - "New Emblem"
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Original Soundtrack

Post-Trainer Victory Speech:
"You... you are no ordinary Trainer. I can sense that about you. They say that darkness always gives way to the light, and you, (sir/ma'am)... you're a vassal of light. I therefore congratulate you and offer you this Void Badge. It shows that you and your Pokémon have overcome whatever darkness that has been plaguing your hearts. Now go, and conquer the void wherever it may challenge you!"





Well, that's it for today. I'll catch y'all tomorrow!

Written Order: Pokémon Ramen in a Designer Bowl!

My old-school blog-readers will probably have a bit of nostalgia by now - the title emulates how I often titled my blogs in a weirdly linked manner.

In this case, I'll primarily be talking about the following today in no particular order:

• my writing
• my Pokémon: White Version team
• ramen (and possibly the spiel behind yestersay's entry)
• this blog's design and the changes I've (yet to get) done

So, let's get this entry started!

CURRENT MUSIC:

Alizée - "J'en ai marre! (Live)"

Alizée En Concert

I wasn't kidding when I said I was hooked on Alizée.

It's not just because she's pretty, and it's not just because she's part of the "exceptions" for The Hate List.

I guess I like the sound of her music - and that's that.

George Martin - "I Am the Walrus (f. Jim Carrey) (The Beatles Cover)"
In My Life


Yes, people; you're reading that correctly.

Short musical history lesson:
In 1997, music producer and "Fifth Beatle" George Martin collaborated with a bunch of people in the entertainment industry and produced a tribute album for The Beatles called In My Life.
Released in 1998, the album was a wonderful homage to one of the most famed bands in existence.

Anyway, comedian Jim Carrey was selected to sing as lead vocals for one of the most surreal songs in existence, "I Am the Walrus" - and he pulled it off waaaaaaaay too well.

Fun fact: when I play this song, people like it, regardless of if they're a fan of The Beatles or not.
And then they're in shock and amazement when they find out who is singing.

Jason Paige - "Pokémon Theme"

Pokémon 2BA MASTER

"I wanna be the very best / like no one ever was..."
Oh, maaaaaaan. This song brings back sooooo many memories of my childhood.

To anyone my age: I know most of you want to sing along when you hear it, regardless of how much of a Pokémon fan you were/are.

Just think: I could blare the infamous "PokéRap" instead...

"Pokémon! (Gotta catch 'em all~!)"

Today's entry is sponsored by... nothing. I'm not that famous, yet.

I'm going to be honest: I had to struggle with myself to actually type something out.

Sure, I allow myself to post short entries when I'm feeling particularly uninspired, strained with time* or (heaven forbid,) out of commission due to sickness.

But today... I don't know. I just wasn't feeling the urge to write anything.

I guess I'll just talk about some of the things on my mind at the moment. (Holy crap; that counts as a blog, doesn't it?)

* = Most situations that leave me wishing I had more time were caused by me in the first place. Hey, don't give me that look - I get distracted easily!

Design Fiddling

As most of you have probably noticed by now, I've been fiddling with the look of my blog here.
So far, it's interesting. At least I think it is.

Green's always been one of my favorite colors, but so has black*.

When it comes to text, I find a "black-on-white" format much easier on the eyes than "white on black."
Sure, the latter doesn't burn your monitor so much, but the former doesn't burn your eyes, does it?
I might experiment with "black-on-light" and throw in some background (either one pre-provided by Blogger or a submission of my own), but for now this simplistic look will have to do.

(Author's Note: Seeing as how some of you might be reading this a long time from now, I'm just putting this note here for posterity purposes. Simple template; black background and white insert background.)


I'm sure a select few of my friends reading this either operate a Blogger/BlogSpot website for some sort of business as promotional material or have their own blog of some kind (whether they'll admit it is another thing), so to those who do:

• What do you use? What template(s), color schemes, font(s) do you find work for your site (or just work overall)?
• How long have you had your site up?
• Has it been working out for you?
• Mind if I take a look at your site (in case I haven't heard of it before)?

I just ask because (a.) I know people read this (those statistics I'm tracking have been set so that my pageviews don't count - and there's still a positive number that's greater than zero...), and (b.) it would be nice to see others' sites.

It's a little-known fact that nothing is truly "original" - it's just something derived from some other "original" work.

Not to say that everyone is a blatant copycat - we all are in a sense, but with each (actual) original altercation we make we slowly turn something into our own work.

I just want to see if anyone has any interesting ideas I could look at. (And yes, this applies to everything and everyone.)

* = Yes, liberal arts majors, I know black is technically "the lack of all colors" (when applied to the visual light spectrum) and "the presence of all colors" (when applied to visual arts and printing), but I'm going with the colloquial definition: "black."

Pokémon: White Version - Who's That Sixth?

Despite my training and meticulously slow progress in White (just past the seventh gym last night despite it being a cakewalk), I have yet to find that mystical sixth Pokémon to round off my team.


(Author's Note: I'm delving into Pokémon theorycraft again. Brace yourselves. =P)


Before I continue, allow me to explain the "tier" factor of competitive Pokémon battling.
(I'm fully aware that some of you who, despite your (supposed) lack of geekery, are reading this anyway, so I'll summarize the rest of this part using the traditional 151 you're all familiar with.)

All 649 Pokémon can be sorted into "tiers" depending on their strength and versatility.
From highest to lowest, the tiers are: Uber, Overused/Standard (OU), Borderline (BL), Underused (UU), and Never-Used (NU).

Uber pretty much speaks for itself - most legendaries (and one non-legendary) have found their way on this list due to their sheer strength, consistently high stats, and/or extreme versatility.
Mewtwo and Mew make this list - the former due to its power (think back to the days of Red and Blue and remember your frustration when you tried catching it without a Master Ball - I know some of you did) and the latter due to its ability to use any Technical Machine.

Overused/Standard Pokémon will be the ones you're bound to see in tournament play. Assuming they're an offensive Pokémon, they possess nearly-unbridled power and speed, have an excellent move pool and will usually be those "powerhouse" Pokémon used to sweep the Elite Four.
However, a few defensive Pokémon have made it on here due to their uncanny abilities that make you scream "Why won't they die?"
Famed destroyers like Alakazam, Gengar, Aerodactyl, and Dragonite - as well as "weaker" legendaries such as Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres - round this list off.

Borderline refers to those who possess power, but due to some sort of hindrance they aren't seen as much in standard tournament play. They may not have a highly versatile move pool or the defensive stats their friends in the OU tier have, but the potential to go toe-to-to with just about anyone is still there.
More often than not at least one of these Pokémon will be in someone's Elite Four-stomping team, and more often than not they look  badass.
The starters' final forms (Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise), Nidoking, Chansey, and Scyther are a few BL contenders.

Underused Pokémon will probably possess the power to face the Elite Four if trained properly. They might even make up a third of a beginning trainer's team. However, when facing OU or even BL Pokémon, they usually pale in comparison.
Oftentimes they'll excel in a supporting role of some kind or be some kind of glass cannon with one obscenely powerful stat and crap everywhere else.
Pidgeot, Golbat, and Dugtrio are on here - the first for its decent stats, the second for its stat-resetting Haze, and the third for unbridled speed (Dugtrio are often used for blitzing out an Earthquake).

Neverused refers to just about everyone else that doesn't fit in an above tier.
Nevertheless they're trained by some for various reasons - a "cute" factor, their type, shock-and-awe, and various others.
Butterfree, Beedril, and Seaking are what I'd consider NU, but care must be taken - if trained properly, those sitting in the NU tier might even take out a BL.


Now, while my competitive teams consist of anyone (barring the internationally-accepted Uber-tier), my journey teams will always have stricter requirements.
I know for a fact that my requirements aren't a factor - mainly because they make it quite easy to filter a team:

• The Pokémon CANNOT be considered a "legendary" in the game.
• The Pokémon CANNOT be someone considered NU.

So far, I'll list the team. If you've been reading already, you've already met three of them...

Samurott (Aquos)

TYPE: Water

ABILITY: Torrent (powers up Water attacks when HP falls below 33%)

NAME ORIGIN: I wanted something that sounded aquatic that wasn't a mythical deity.

Water-types tend to be "bulky" in the sense that they have a high amount of HP and possess sufficient defensive stats.

Aquos does that for me, and despite its somewhat-shallow move pool, it's doing its job of sweeping my competition.

Zebstrika (Volgin)

TYPE: Electric

ABILITY: Lightning Rod (absorbs all Electric attacks and powers up Special Attack)

NAME ORIGIN: named after Colonel Volgin from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Zebstrika have pretty decent speed and attack, and to top it off, they're probably the first pure-Electric Pokémon that learn a Fire move.

These traits are what won me over to train one of my own, and Volgin's speed hasn't let me down yet when I needed to outrun someone.

Nellington (Lilligant)

TYPE: Grass

ABILITY: Own Tempo (cannot be confused)

NAME ORIGIN: wanted a pretty-sounding name

Lilligant having Own Tempo makes for a very interesting strategy.

While being a pure-Grass type hinders its move pool to Grass moves only, it does have the advantage of spamming Petal Dance, a Grass move that delivers extremely high damage for two to three turns before leaving the user in a state of fatigue and confusion.

Archeops (Oaxaca)

TYPE: Rock / Flying

ABILITY: Defeatist (Attack & Special Attack are cut in half when HP falls below 50%)

NAME ORIGIN: Mexican state

Oaxaca has become a surprising sweeper for my team.

Originally revived from a fossil so I could get a flyer that could fight the Elite Four, I soon came to realize how insanely powerful an Archeops can be.

Possessing a nasty attack stat and a lot of speed to back it, I forsee Archeops entering OU circles and sweeping some of the competition.

Chandelure (Fianima)

TYPE: Ghost / Fire

ABILITY: Flash Fire (immunity to Fire attacks; Fire moves boosted 50% when hit with a Fire attack)

NAME ORIGIN: from the Italian name Fianna ("fire") and Italian word anima ("ghost")

I needed a Pokémon that could learn Psychic, but Unova didn't really offer me any good Psychic-types.

I settled with having a Ghost-type instead, and I think it was a good decision when I got mine.

Fire and Ghost make for a rather interesting combination, being able to take down a myriad of types.

However, the lack of Levitate (probably for balancing reasons) does leave me a bit open to counter-attack... but Fianima will probably have destroyed them by that time.

So my dilemma is... who will be the sixth? Any ideas? I was thinking of getting a Dragon-type, but nothing I want shows up until the very end...

What My (Lack of) Writing Tells Me

If my writing muse were an actual human woman, she'd be singing to me that "[I've] lost that lovin' feeling."

And while I'd jokingly chastise her for her choice of words (hey, I have to give respect to that Righteous Brothers song despite its clichéd usage), I'd tell her she's right.

I've lost the edge. My dreams are writing checks my mind can't cash. (Okay; enough Top Gun references.) I'm sure this echoes off of what I was talking about numerous times before, but at the same time, I keep ending up in this part of the circle.

Why is that? Is there another message I'm not seeing here? Another idea that has yet to present itself?

Or am I just at a lull?





RAMEN
Well, gee; I wonder what I'll be talking about here. Yesterday, I had some amazing ramen. Curry ramen.
The kind that makes me go "WOW." And I'm serious.
Good ramen's just one of those guilty pleasures of mine when it it comes to foodstuffs.

Anyway, if you don't believe me, call me up and I'll take you down to get some. YOU WILL LOVE IT OR I WILL EAT YOUR HEART.

(What, were you expecting some crazy, detailed spiel about what happened yesterday? Pfft - you already know what happened!)





Well, that about wraps up my entry for today. I'll be seeing everyone later.

Gettin' Schooled in His Own Game

Afternoon, everyone. I know, I know - what the heck was up with yesterday's entry?
I still don't know, but unfortunately, I'm not disclosing any information - that's not what I feel like raving about today.

*shoves Poké Balls in everyone's faces*

Right now on Pokémon: White, I just defeated the fourth gym in the game, and as an expert of the series, I have to say... I'm getting my butt handed to me.

(Author's Note: This blog delves deeply into Pokémon theorycraft and what not, so non-Trainers are advised to stay away... or keep reading if you want to see my expertise/nerdism. =P)

 

Around this point on each of my Pokémon journeys, I tend to have a well-rounded team of four or five Pokémon whose varied types allowed me to battle all kinds of opponents.
However, this time, my team seems shoddy compared to what I would have had.
Now, I'm not saying my Pokémon suck (heavens, no! I can't say that about my teammates!), but strategically, they're not faring so well.



As of today, here's what my team looks like:


Dewott (Aquos) Lv.28
TYPE: Water
ABILITY: Torrent (powers up Water moves whenever HP falls below 33%)

Zebstrika (Volgin) Lv.28
TYPE: Electric
ABILITY: Lightning Rod (absorbs Electric attacks and powers up Special Attack)

Petilil (Nellington) Lv.28
TYPE: Grass
ABILITY: Own Tempo (cannot be confused)



Now, the fourth gym in Black and White's Unova region is an Electric-type gym, which gave me problems when I first encountered the trainers inside a few days ago.
Trainers can easily see why I'd be having difficulty, but to the non-Trainers or the beginners out there who're still reading, I'll explain what difficulties my team had:

Dewott:
Aquos' problem is glaringly obvious, even to non-Trainers.
Water's a big no-no when it comes to electricity - both in real life and in the world of Pokémon.
The irony here is that Aquos had the only move I could've used to sweep the floor - Dig (a Ground-based move, which are strong against Electric-types) - and yet he was too slow to outrun the faster, more nimbler Electric guys.

Zebstrika:
Volgin's concern was that he himself is also Electric-type - which can pose to be a bit of a problem.
While he'd be completely immune to everyone thanks to Lightning Rod, his move pool wouldn't be of much help, either.
Thing is, he does have a Fire-type move in his arsenal (Flame Charge), but that alone wouldn't have done much - especially if half the Pokémon in the gym have Static (may paralyze Pokémon that come into contact with you) as their ability...

Petilil:
Trainers might be questioning why Nellington also was a challenge to use here as well.
As she's a Grass-type, she's naturally resistant to Electric attacks.
However, she did have two shortcomings when this gym became my goal:

1. Being a pure Grass-type means a more limited move pool.
   Unfortunately, all Petilil (and in turn, their evolved form Liligant) can only learn Grass-type attacks... and while that may be good, it also means I can't do well against the new Electric/Flying Pokémon Emolga... and the gym packed those flying squirrels in spades.
2. Grass-types tend to suffer from poor defensive and speed stats - especially if they're not evolved.
   As such, Nellington was usually the first one to get smacked - and it only got worse when I found out the gym leader had her own Zebstrika that also knew Flame Charge...

But, by sheer luck and amazing persistence, I was able to down the gym with the three I had.
Thank goodness.



Okay, well... I think I've done enough Pokémon training (and in turn, ranting) for today.
Time to get lunch and prepare for work!

Until the 'morrow, everyone!

Brought Out of a White Retirement

So as most of you know, I got a copy of Pokémon: White Version yesterday.
I haven't even received my first gym badge and I'm surprised at how I'm already hooked on it.

Sure, this might be attributed to my addictive personality, but, I think there's more to that, personally.



Among my friends, I was always considered the Pokémon expert and an excellent PokéBreeder.
No matter the question, no matter the problem, I was always able to help people out with their Pokémon-related problems.
Of course, my work would have to end sometime, and I slowly began playing my Pokémon games less and less (it was around the time I picked up World of Warcraft).
And sure enough, sometime during the autumn of 2010, I announced to my friends that I retired from the Pokémon scene and pretty much stopped playing.

I'm going to be honest - when I first heard of White and Black, I was a tad concerned with the then-upcoming fifth generation of games.
I mean, when I retired, there were officially 493 Pokémon in the world, and the fifth generation games planned on extending that number to 649.
Not only that, but from the images I saw, it looked as though the concept developers were beginning to run out of Pokémon design ideas.
I put in a pre-order anyway (because let's face it: I'm a die-hard Pokémon fan, retired or not) and began thinking, "Sure, this could help with a new mass of people being introduced to Pokémon, but... will it work? Will it be critically successful (because we all know it'll be commercially successful) and be able to keep the attention of both amateur trainers and Pokémon veterans alike?"

Sunday, March 6, 2011 would prove to answer my questions.
Not only did it sell well (my friends at my local GameStop told me it was packed almost all day, and the sales figures I've seen were pretty damn high), but from the reviews I read, it was also successful.
What's more, some of my friends from work and elsewhere who I'd never picture playing a Pokémon game right now picked up a copy and told me they liked it.

So yesterday, I decided to do good on my pre-order (until release day, I was considering shifting my pre-order to some other game) and picked up my copy of White.
I like it so far.
True, my fears about the developers starting to lose Pokémon design ideas were true, but apart from that (and a few personal in-game option gripes - why did they remove the "'L Button' can be used as 'A'" option? LOVED that...) it seems to work rather well.



I guess today's entry has one message I'd really like to get across:

Pokémon: White Version has officially brought me out of retirement.

What this means for the players out there varies, but here's what I see:

• an interesting choice of Pokémon amongst the new ones (from what I scanned of the PokéDex, there's a few I'm definitely interested in - shame they're showing up mid-game)
• people will probably be hitting me up for Pokémon-related questions again really soon (already getting them at work)
• I need to do my research on which Pokémon will actually be capable of true combat (like the old 151, some look badass, but compared to others, they're lackluster in stats)
• I need to research names (I'm a fan of giving my Pokémon awesome names)

Fufufufufufu... now, I have a lot of catching up to do, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be playing White and fetching some foodstuffs before I clock in at work.



Oh, and in case you're wondering, I chose Oshawott (Water-type) as my starter. Always been a fan of the Water-type starters (although Torchic and Cyndaquil were pretty awesome, too).



Pokémon-training... awaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy!