[Meta thread] Iron's PokeRole Adventure: The Skull Ruins

[Dragonstrike]

Of course, this is all a moot point if the creature slips away. While Togekiss seems to have an idea of how to find it, this is a creature that practically lives in the night and the shadows, from what we've seen of it so far. It would likely know how to hide and lose any pursuers.

[Lord Windos]

Of course, this is all a moot point if the creature slips away.  While Togekiss seems to have an idea of how to find it, this is a creature that practically lives in the night and the shadows, from what we've seen of it so far.  It would likely know how to hide and lose any pursuers.

That is most likely going to happen....if it dodges a Yawn + Sweet Kiss. Otherwise, it's getting hit by a Sky Attack the moment it snoozes!

[Lord Windos]

So, now that I have Larry's Shiny Nincada, how exactly should Ventus integrate it into his party? I don't think it ever resented him for any reason, but one has to be careful with trade mons! Also, when and if it evolves and also leaves a Shedninja, what should be done with the Ninjack?

[Dragonstrike]

So, now that I have Larry's Shiny Nincada, how exactly should Ventus integrate it into his party? I don't think it ever resented him for any reason, but one has to be careful with trade mons! Also, when and if it evolves and also leaves a Shedninja, what should be done with the Ninjack?

Well, first of all, let's consider when it might evolve.  The book says it evolves during the summer, and the current in-game month is April.  Unless we have some DM intervention there, that's going to take a looonnnngggg time.

Until it evolves, it's strongest moves are Leech Life, Dig, Mud Slap, and Fury Swipes, with Metal Claw as coverage (and it gets a Compound Eyes boost too while it's still a Nincada).  And that's pretty much all of its attacking moves too.  False Swipe is also nice utility.  Of those moves, Leech Life is the only one its evolutions can also learn. 

As far as team synergy goes, there's not a whole lot it adds to Ventus's team other than the ground coverage.  Flying coverage is covered by Togekiss, and Bug really only helps with those Psychic types in the long run (Though it does help a little with Dark, Togekiss also resists Dark and has Aura Sphere).

The most Ventus could probably get out of Ninjask is taking advantage of its amazing speed somehow.  Though the sparkles might ruin any chance it has at stealth...

Now, as far as Shedinja goes...Ghost coverage is fairly unique among the party members so far, though Valder has Theo's dark type to cover that front for the most part.  And Absol is on the horizon now as well.  And while not as prominent a problem as in the games, Shedinja is still rather frail since its base HP is 1.  It also doesn't help that it can't learn X-Scissor via level up/exp, unlike Ninjask.  

Both evolutions are also rather disobedient, with Ninjask having 4 and Shedinja having 3...

That's a lot of negatives.  Positives?  You get awesome looking, really metallic colored bugs that sparkle.  And taking advantage of the gimmicks of Ninjask's massive speed and Shedinja's invulnerability to everything that doesn't outright melt it or cripple it indirectly could prove to be interesting positives.

[Lord Windos]

I kinda want to pick up Metal Claw so that Shedninja has coverage against Rock, and having Dig would be an excellent way to search for underground goodies/sudden escape tool. Problem is that XP cost on both those moves are High, so it will take awhile to get them. Those glass shards exist, though, so that would make my life easier on that front!

My original plan was to get Shedninja with the moves it learned on Nincada, then take that Ninjack and either give it to Valdez as a gift, or sell it for valuable TM/Items. Shedninja provides blanket coverage to ALL of my team's weaknesses, and its own weakness are covered by my team rather well.Vit can be taken care of by either getting it a Surprise that raises its base HP, or just leveling up my own. Disobedience is also likely not to be a problem, due to how long it will take to evolve them, so I'll have plenty of time to raise it Loyalty.

It will take awhile to get, but it would be quite worth it!

[Dragonstrike]

Just checked to see how many pokemon can learn Inferno. As I expected, the pool was rather small:

Charmander line
Vulpix (not the alolan one, obviously)
Ponyta line
Cyndaquil line
Houndour line
Torkoal
Victini
Litwick and Lampent
Heatmor
Slugma (egg move)

And with one very special exception thanks to the Dream World while it was running:
Misdreavus, the only non-fire type that can use the move without Sketch, Metronome, etc.

Thanks to Inferno, they can be called some of the game's most dangerous pokemon. 4 Power, guaranteed Burn 3 (with that nasty 5 or 6 lethal damage that can't be avoided), the strength stat added on, STAB for all of these pokemon minus Misdreavus...ick.

Oh, also, Ponyta and Rapidash learn the move the earliest, at 33. Next is Litwick and Lampent, at 38. All the others are at 48 or more (minus Slugma and Misdreavus)

Also interesting is that 0 pokemon introduced in gens 4, 6, and 7 can learn the move (disregarding Mismagius since Misdreavus is a really special case). Weird.

[Dragonstrike]

I kinda want to pick up Metal Claw so that Shedninja has coverage against Rock, and having Dig would be an excellent way to search for underground goodies/sudden escape tool. Problem is that XP cost on both those moves are High, so it will take awhile to get them. Those glass shards exist, though, so that would make my life easier on that front!

I'm not sure if any of those shards would be able to help with steel and ground moves, though, seeing as they're all shards of existing evolutionary stones.

[Lord Windos]

Just checked to see how many pokemon can learn Inferno.  As I expected, the pool was rather small:

Charmander line
Vulpix (not the alolan one, obviously)
Ponyta line
Cyndaquil line
Houndour line
Torkoal
Victini
Litwick and Lampent
Heatmor
Slugma (egg move)

And with one very special exception thanks to the Dream World while it was running:
Misdreavus, the only non-fire type that can use the move without Sketch, Metronome, etc.

Thanks to Inferno, they can be called some of the game's most dangerous pokemon.  4 Power, guaranteed Burn 3 (with that nasty 5 or 6 lethal damage that can't be avoided), the strength stat added on, STAB for all of these pokemon minus Misdreavus...ick.

Oh, also, Ponyta and Rapidash learn the move the earliest, at 33.  Next is Litwick and Lampent, at 38.  All the others are at 48 or more (minus Slugma and Misdreavus)

Also interesting is that 0 pokemon introduced in gens 4, 6, and 7 can learn the move.  Weird.

Hmm, that is weird. Has zgamefreak forgotten to give any Pokémon from those game? Well, if it keeps that move from being too powerful, then that is a ok in my book. Better keep a watch on those mons, just in case we come upon one of them...

Though, Inferno also brings to mind Zap Cannon. I wonder just how diversely spread that move is, and how powerful it may be within the confines of this game.

[Dragonstrike]

Hmm, that is weird. Has zgamefreak forgotten to give any Pokémon from those game? Well, if it keeps that move from being too powerful, then that is a ok in my book. Better keep a watch on those mons, just in case we come upon one of them...

Though, Inferno also brings to mind Zap Cannon. I wonder just how diversely spread that move is, and how powerful it may be within the confines of this game.

Zap Cannon's actually a LOT more common.

Magnemite line
Porygon line
Zapdos
Ampharos
Forretress
Nosepass line
The Regi Trio
Deoxys-A
Klink line
Tynamo line (minus Tynamo itself)
Genesect
Vikavolt
Xurkitree

0 pokemon learn it via egg move, but there's some odd cases of other pokemon being able to learn it.  For example, these pokemon could learn it only via TM in the original gen 2:
Pikachu line
Clefairy line
Jigglypuff line
Meowth line
Abra line
Slowpoke line
Grimer line
Gastly line
Drowzee line
Voltorb line
Koffing line
Rhyhorn line
Chansey line
Kangaskhan
Staryu line
Mr. Mime
Electabuzz
Tauros
Gyarados
Lapras
Jolteon
Flareon
Snorlax
Zapdos (didn't learn it via leveling until Black and White 2)
Dratini line
Mewtwo
Mew
Chinchou line
Togepi line
Mareep line (again, didn't learn it via level until later, this time starting in gen 6, and only for Ampharos)
Aipom
Espeon and Umbreon (Anabel's Espeon used Zap Cannon in the gen 3 anime, lol)
Misdreavus
Girafarig
Dunsparce
Snubbul line
Teddiursa line
Miltank
Raikou
Lugia and Ho-oh

And if that wasn't enough, there was also an event Squirtle with Zap Cannon in Gen 2 (all sorts of weird moves came from gen 2's New York Pokemon Center events.  Like Lovely Kiss Nidoran, for example).  And Mew could also learn Zap Cannon in gen 3 via XD's Mew only Move Tutor.

Oh, and the Shiny Raikou event from the end of gen 4/start of gen 5 also packs Zap Cannon.

[Dragonstrike]

And as for Dynamic Punch...

Poliwrath
Machop line
Breloom
Timburr line
Golett line
Crabrawler line
Buzzwole


As an egg move:
Magby
Elekid
Makuhita
Meditite
Cacnea
Croagunk


And then there's a whole load more from ANOTHER gen 2 only TM.  And then even MORE from when it was brought back as a move tutor move in Emerald. It's easily the most common of the bunch with that factored in. Which is good, because it's the least dangerous (exempting the times it can be spammed cuz of No Guard Machamp and Golurk).