10/01/06 D/P Developments
The latest developments in Diamond and Pearl info are, to say the least, very interesting.
Serebii.net has put up a Pokétch section. The first thing I think of when I see it is "Wow, Game Freak really understand us fans." Like one clock format better than the other? You can switch. Need to calculate damage, EVs, etc.? Use the calculator. Just bored? Draw on the screen. Hatching an egg? The walking meter counts your steps. Forgotten where you planted your berries? The Berry Map will show you. Don't want to keep checking the Day Care Center? Use the breeder lookup. Need to count the number of Pokémon you've defeated for EVs? The counter will do it for you. Tend to forget which town has the Move Deleter? Mark him on the Shinou Map. Indecisive? Flip a virtual coin. Too lazy to learn the types or look it up? The type chart does it for you. Seriously, that's 90% of the technical problems we've had to solve manually since Pokémon started, all solved cleanly and brilliantly. I will always love them for that.
The second interesting development is the revelation of some evolutionary methods for old Pokémon (that post and some below it), and yet again I can laugh and say "I told you so" - every single one of them evolves or is bred with a method that did not exist in the older games, preserving the continuity. Let's have a quick overview of them:
- The Grass Eevee evolution, Riifia, and the Ice Eevee evolution, Gureishia, both evolve from Eevee by being leveled up at a certain location in Shinou.
- Sneasel evolves into Weavile when levelling up at night and holding a Sharp Claw, a new item. The really funny thing is that I had previously created an item by that name for my guide to making fake Pokémon which would evolve a Pokémon if it held it and grew a level (although admittedly the final condition was being happy enough rather than the time of day, for the obvious reason that there was no day and night in R/S):
I had this funny idea about making Quick Claw-ripoffs which would evolve Malkie based on the stat that each evolution focuses on the most. ... There could maybe be some kind of a "Sharp Claw" or something like that which increases your critical hit ratio with physical attacks.
In my version, as you can see, the Sharp Claw increased the critical hit ratio with physical attacks; I don't know what it does in Diamond and Pearl, but if it raises critical hit ratio or makes physical attacks stronger, I'll laugh. - Gligar evolves into Guraion if levelled up at night while holding a Sharp Fang, which looks like something parallel to Sneasel's evolution. Again, the Sharp Fang is a new item.
- Pinpuku evolves into Chansey by levelling up while holding a Round Stone, yet again a new item.
- Rhydon evolves into Dosaidon by being traded while holding a Protector, which is a new item.
- Mime Jr., Bonsly, Subomi, Pinpuku, Munchlax, Tamanta and Riishan are all bred from their respective evolutions while one of the parents is holding one of seven new incenses.
- Lastly, Erureido, the male Kirlia evolution, and Yukimenoko, the female Snorunt evolution, do in fact not make all male Gardevoir and female Glalie break continuity - they do not only have to be the correct gender, but also need to have an Awaken Stone, which is of course a new item, used on them.
I've always argued that Game Freak do not break continuity no matter how many evolutions and pre-evolutions they add. Some people still seem to argue "Who cares about continuity?", but honestly, if this isn't proof I don't know what is. This is starting to sound like denial.
The third thing is the discovery of Fione, the supposed Manaphy pre-evolution, being the result of breeding Manaphy, but nonetheless not evolving into Manaphy. This is quite a twist, as you can imagine - never before, and very sensibly not, have a Pokémon's offspring all been creatures incapable of evolving into the parent. Fione is just a weaker version of Manaphy. All in all this leads me to believe that Fione is in fact a species, while Manaphy is one special individual of this species - their king or prince, so to speak, hence Manaphy being the 'Prince of the Sea' - who has additional abilities which are not genetic and thus do not appear in Manaphy's offspring.
Of course, that is only my theory. People in Serebii's discovery discussion thread have suggested that Manaphy is the original and Fione is an inferior 'version' of it:
Fione is the most interesting thing I have ever seen... It is bred by Manafi, yet cannot become Manafi.. guess it's gamefreaks way of saying 'You try and breed a legendary, we go deformed on ya *****!'
I remember someone in this thread or in the new pokemon thread that breeding Manaphy with other pokemon resulted in an "impure-blooded" MAnaphy. He was right!
maybe its a deformed version of manafi
It's the poor man's Manaphy, lol.
Fione. A genius Pokemon. Manafi is a one-of-a-kind Pokemon, a pure blood. Now, if you muddle the blood, it will be watered down. Manafi was never ment to be bred. But, if you defy the laws of nature, and do breed one, it creates an anomaly. Something that was never ment to exist.
Definitely very curious. I'll keep you up-to-date.
Comments
(Comments are closed.)
Feralig8tr
The Poketch is awesome, and I find the new breeding mechanics interesting. Do we know if there is a way to breed a Manaphy and obtain another Manaphy, or not?
Butterfree (Website)
Apparently there is no way to do that, which is no wonder since it is a legendary after all...
Zironixx
More reasons supporting Game Freak stalks you.
I'm starting <3 Shinou, even more. Seeing that you get an egg from a guy the contains Rioru, I'm wondering if it evolves or not. If so how you get Lucario. If Lucario will be classified as legendary.
Butterfree (Website)
We already know Lucario isn't a legendary. It's just like the Hitmons in G/S/C; a guy gives you a Tyrogue, and then you must evolve it to get the adult Hitmons.
YamiiDenryuu
Say, maybe if you trade a Manafi from another Shino game and breed it with the Manafi from that game, you'll get a Manafi! See, because it's genes wouldn't be "watered down"! .... Yea right. *shot*
opaltiger
Fione is for people who couldn't get Manaphy, obviously. =P
Oh, and the new Poketch features sound awesome - in particular 24 hour time! Yay! And the step counter, counter, calculator, etc.
Butterfree (Website)
Manaphy is genderless, so it can only breed with Ditto. So much for the "breed Manaphy with Manaphy" theory.
KorwatisRicky (Website)
Pokétch = <3.
Maybe Manaphy isn't a legendary. Just a one-off. P:
Jake Commentor
Okay, the last one got me. Makes me think about deformed cat clones and humans with two faces. ew. but, I guess it does make sense. Breed the unbreedable, and SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES. At least it actually counts a dex 'mon though, but unfortunately I'll need to get it.
Iveechan
I feel really bad for Fione. But I liked this one person's theory on Serebii about Manaphy being the actual prince or ruler of Fions. I guess the only way to get another Manaphy is some kind of royal jelly, hehe.
Butterfree (Website)
o_O That's my theory...
~PinkDeoxys~
I've heard rumours that Hydora can be either male or female. Does that mean you can breed to get a baby Hydora? Then again, it is a legend...
Butterfree (Website)
Um, just testing... o.o
Solarwolf
I cant wait for D/P to come out in english, 'cause it has most of my fave pokemon in it without having to trade, but gamefreak are a harsh master/mistress about most of the events
Red scyther
Maybe all the Manafi's are related(since they turn up on the SAME beach). Well if you breed them that would be inbreeding, right? And inbreeding results in deformed offspring, right? So Fione might be just an inbred Manafi.
Red scyther
Maybe all the Manafi's are related(since they turn up on the SAME beach). Well if you breed them that would be inbreeding, right? And inbreeding results in deformed offspring, right? So Fione might be just an inbred Manafi. QED.