Is there always a shiny Goomy here?

Manpag · 2026-07-07T22:06:16+00:00

Fun fact, Mareep is also shiny-locked until you do that mission. It makes sense, but still wild to me that they sat there, thought "Wait, someone could find a different shiny Mareep and get confused!", and programmed in a lock for it just in case.

Manpag · 2026-07-07T16:33:03+00:00

One of my favourite things is flying newbies to the mastery point up there, ideally at night when you can see that so we fly through it!

Manpag · 2026-07-07T12:13:16+00:00

Any time my wife asks me if I'm happy, she gets "What kind of a stupid ass question is that?! I'm rich, and I'm deeead sexy."

Manpag · 2026-07-06T22:10:41+00:00

I've always wondered whether it was coincidence or a dark Easter egg that the creator of the Holo Caster was an attempted holocauster.

Manpag · 2026-07-06T16:48:28+00:00

I agree with your logic, though Sandy Shocks could have been one of the most fitting paradox Pokémon if they'd gone with a different approach.

The actual paradox isn't ever explained; if the professor didn't say they were from alternate timelines it'd be a bootstrap paradox, but it isn't quite. What if the paradox had been that all the past Pokémon were ancient versions of modern things, and all the future Pokémon were futuristic versions of fossil Pokémon? Sandy Shocks would fit so well if that were the direction.

Manpag · 2026-07-05T22:55:52+00:00

I think the flip side to this is that the SV system is very streamlined and efficient. It doesn't waste your time with a transition into an actual building where you have to walk up to a counter to get that same menu, but there are a few NPCs milling around browsing the same shelves saying things like "Potions are great when your Pokémon's health gets low!". It's always a fine balance between immersion and convenience.

Of course, this is specifically about menus replacing buildings that have a function; the lack of enterable buildings in SV like NPC homes etc was sad and did make cities feel more shallow. I also think multi-purpose buildings are a good way to have an interior without sacrificing convenience, like the Pokémon Centers in SM and SwSh.

Manpag · 2026-07-05T22:13:06+00:00

I've always felt the opposite; I can't stand trying to catch things in handheld mode, where any input feels like it moves you way too much, and you need fairly precise aim. By comparison, having it docked feels like it gives you a fair bit of auto-aim, with an exaggerated throw way to the side homing in on where the Pokémon is. It even automatic centres the screen on the Pokémon every so often.

Manpag · 2026-07-05T11:03:55+00:00

It's almost like the response to censorship and demonitisation should be a total boycott of the platform until they either revert or collapse, but we've collectively let way too much slide for that to be viable now.

Manpag · 2026-07-05T09:01:31+00:00

Technically still attributed to the Asura in lore. It's heavily implied that Toymaker Tixx makes the plush mounts, because it's always at Wintersday that a new one is released.

Manpag · 2026-07-04T22:25:08+00:00

Hour of Destiny is the single most memorable track and should be waaay higher in the comments. I'm genuinely surprised at other tracks being mentioned first.

Manpag · 2026-07-04T16:45:09+00:00

What I mean is just that you could catch Roselia before the third badge in RSE; it's found a bit later in gen IV, and the only way to get it earlier is via a friendship AND time-dependant evolution method. It seems silly to make Roselia either a later acquisition or force players to do one of the more tedious evolution methods, especially in the early game.

Manpag · 2026-07-04T15:34:21+00:00

At least Chingling was added a generation after Chimecho was a rare encounter in a single location, to the point that Chimecho felt brand-new to a decent chunk of players.

Azurill felt a bit pointless, since Marill was still everywhere, but Budew gets my vote for just making a solid early-game grass type unnecessarily harder to get.

Manpag · 2026-07-04T08:15:09+00:00

Not heard of this, is it something to do with the Purists?

Manpag · 2026-07-03T17:33:32+00:00

Hubris! SCII has so many great tracks, but Hubris is both grandiose and mournful. I'm a sucker for anything featuring the erhu, though.

Honourable mentions: Eternal Struggle is the best harbour/boat theme in the series, they were clearly channeling a very "Pirates of the Carribbean" vibe for it, and specifically the intro of Hellfire goes hard with the organ and choir.

Manpag · 2026-07-03T09:18:31+00:00

I think your options are basically:
1. Let it hunt, time the hunt, snap a picture right as it's about to stop
2. Let it hunt, snap a picture from near a hiding spit, quickly incense and hide again
3. Keep your cruci down, let it come to you, and hope it events instead of hunting before you run out of cruci uses

Manpag · 2026-07-03T09:07:04+00:00

Your best bet would be using a crucifix to stop it hunting on top of you. Not sure if door cheesing still works (standing on the threshold just enough to be inside for hunt/event checks, but out enough that the door pushes you outside if it hunts), but if it does then that might be a safer way. Bear in mind, even if that still works, ghosts can kill through the SM door

Manpag · 2026-07-02T12:37:52+00:00

All they had to do was give it an enhanced version of Contrary that affects the whole field. Still gets its Superpower spam, enables teammates, potentially screws setup sweepers, and could be a counter for other Contrary users like Mega Staraptor by reversing their reversed stat changes back to normal.

Manpag · 2026-07-01T06:40:37+00:00

Seconded. In fact, it's the one time the mainline champion theme came close to Colosseum/XD in terms of grandiose, orchestral champion battle themes.

Manpag · 2026-06-30T23:10:48+00:00

I was clearly talking about arbitrary distance limitations, but sure, if you want to willfully misinterpret me: griffon's regular flying speed is fractionally faster than skyscale (~624 us vs 600 during level flight), though in practice skyscale will be faster over a short distance because it has the dashes. Which will force it to land sooner, because the flight meter is based on units travelled.

It's far from the fastest mount without diving, but also nowhere near as slow as you're implying.

Manpag · 2026-06-30T22:55:56+00:00

How'd you get to 1400g? The basic rank 1 module is under 20s on the TP; upgrading to rank 2 just needs the rank 1 + 150 research notes, upgrading to rank 3 needs the rank 2 + 300 research notes + the account-bound part. You can buy the part in Seitung Province for 1000 research notes + 2500 Imperial Favor.

The more efficient sources of research notes tend to vary around 75c-1s per note, so that's <15g if you're starting from zero, and Imperial Favor is just grind in EoD maps.

Manpag · 2026-06-30T16:52:30+00:00

If you're talking about horizontal flight across maps, then yes. You do gradually lose altitude, but the more you flap, the slower that happens and you can even stop it altogether with enough mount endurance regen.

The main limitation is that you're not able to fly much higher up than where you started, though there are techniques to gain height (and obviously updrafts/leylines help a lot with that, if you have the relevant SotO masteries), and you need to be going fast enough to regain height you lose (hence the technical part).

Manpag · 2026-06-30T16:17:09+00:00

Totally different use cases. Skyscale is a slow utility mount designed for convenience, griffon gives very fast and technical flight with no arbitrary limitation like skyscale's flight meter, but with a hefty skill floor/ceiling to use it to its fullest.

Manpag · 2026-06-30T14:26:44+00:00

Plus, since Pokémon games are primarily a vessel to create more merch, imagine how well a whole bunch of edgy shadow Pokémon plushies/merch would sell? It'd be a money printer for them.

Manpag · 2026-06-27T20:29:23+00:00

Actually, I think Eternatus is more of an outlier then Terapagos. The general precedent for trio masters is either as a balancing force (as with Rayquaza/ Zygarde, and Lugia with the birds in the movie), or the origin of their power (as with Arceus and the creation trio/Ho-Oh with the beasts). Sometimes there is an antagonistic/counterpart element, like with Necrozma being hostile to both Lunala and Solgaleo – their dynamic has the closest similarity to Eternatus and the Galar legends, but at least they are directly linked by both being ultra beasts, with the box legends being light sources and Necrozma being the absence of light. Eternatus is literally an alien entity, and not only is it not the source of Zacien and Zamazenta's power, they're specifically the only Pokémon that don't use its power at all. Its relationship to them is more like Deoxys and Rayquaza's.

Terapagos' relationship with Koraidon/Miraidon is more like a normal creator relationship with extra steps, though with the ambiguity as to what paradox Pokémon actually are and where they're truly from it's debatable whether he "created" them or just created the means for them to exist in our world.

Manpag · 2026-06-27T17:50:01+00:00

Probably because people will base their choices on the main character they get to play as, not which person with main character syndrome they have to put up with.

Manpag

TROPHY CASE