Wednesday
May302012
Monday
May282012
Shattered Gemstones chapter 15: Fighting Fears, Fighting Fate
Monday, May 28, 2012 at 2:25PM 
Well guys, the first season of Shattered Gemstones had a good, long run. And here we are, at the finale. Before the adventure can truly begin, the players must resolve the fears that have followed them here, and face the paths to their eventual fate. Secrets will be revealed, and demons will be faced. All that's past is prologue. What the future holds is uncertain. What lies ahead is a fertile graveyard, a vast land reclaimed by nature. The battle to take it back may be even more fierce than the destruction that drove its people away. And what lies at the core of that destruction? Find out, next season in Shattered Gemstones!
Monday
May282012
Youngster Vinnie Uses Enrage
Monday, May 28, 2012 at 11:20AM Vinnie uses Enrage. It’s Super Effective! Please take a second and strap into your chair. I am disappointed by success of the mono build deck. It’s silly and I feel really works against the spirit of the game. There are so many brilliantly built functions in the Pokemon TCG that reflect the VGC. Some examples, you’re ability to have one active Pokemon and five benched Pokemon, just like the game. The loss of a status conditions when retreating, not exactly the same but very close. The number of prizes you take when knocking out a Pokemon reflects your opponent’s Pokemon. A mono-build, a deck with only four of the same pokemon, works against this.
There are definitely two sides to the mono-build argument. Yes it is successful and I agree it takes skill to pilot any deck. If you’re playing the Pokemon TCG as game where you want to win then perfect, read no further and build decks with only four of the same Pokemon. But if you have a love of Pokemon in you, if you play the card game not to be successful in any game but because you, pardon the cheesiness, want to be the very best then ignore the mono build deck list. Just as you wouldn’t build a VGC team of only four Terrakion or Groudon use some brain power and build a list that is not only successful but uses a variety of different Pokemon and strategy.
We’re in the middle of the battle roads season and straight Groudon EX has made quite the splash. There are other successful options out there. Darkrai powerful and I had a senior at my league take first with an Accelgor build.
Good luck in your Battleroads, I will be playing next weekend so stay tuned. Let me know in the comments what you’re playing or what you think might be the deck to knock out mono-build Groudon.
Sunday
May272012
PKMN of the Week: Regigigas
Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 6:22PM 
It's Memorial day weekend and, before we get into Pokémon of the week, let's take a moment to reflect on those who have served and sacrificed to protect us and our country. I have many friends who are currently active in the military and know that there are numerous Pokéfans in the armed forces. I hope you all know that Pokémon of the Week respects and values the work that you do.
Now that you've done that, I'll ask for a favor. In either Pokémon Black or White, walk, run, bike, or fly to Celestial Tower. Make your way to the top and ring the bell for all of the Pokémon who have been sacrificed in pursuit of truth . . . or ideals. This goes double for all you Nuzlockers out there.
OK, let's get into the real deal. Which Pokémon has been discussed on the podcast and never had a write up on the site? Which Pokémon may actually be the most difficult for SBJ to pronounce? Which is the only Pokémon in the 600 club that I haven't written up? Which is the one Pokémon to rule them all?
Saturday
May262012
Friday
May252012
Rare Article: 3 Fun Pokémon Things to Do With Pokéfriends!
Friday, May 25, 2012 at 1:15PM 
There are times when you don't want to battle. You and your friend Stan have battled so much that it isn't fun anymore, because you know exactly what will happen. The same thing happens every. Single. Time. But you like Stan! Stan's a cool dude! You can't give up on Stan just because the battles have become a little stale! Here are some things you and Stan can do to shake things up a bit.
Thursday
May242012
I See Mew Redux
Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 1:02PM A while back, we shared a video from GameTrailers.com showing how to trick your Red Version or Blue Version cartridge into giving you a battle with a wild Mew, without the aid of a cheating device. Well, new information has come to light about exactly how and why it works. Check out the re-edited episode of GT's Pop-Fiction below!
Thursday
May242012
AOTW: Solar Power
Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 8:00AM 
One thing is for sure, Abiliteers. At 88° in the shade in suburban Chicago in May, it’s officially an early summer. Time to haul my pasty white butt out into the sun for a change, I think. …Why do I suddenly hear raucous laughter echoing across Lake Michigan? Travis, is that you!? Shut up, I go outside sometimes! That one time. For five minutes. Okay, three minutes. Travis, shut up! Okay, fine, so I, like my nerd forefathers before me have only a passing awareness of the glowy yellow thing in the sky, or the fact that interacting with it occasionally might be good for me. But that’s not gonna stop me from positing a presentation of pyretic propaganda! Break out the SPF 50, kids, because this is Ability of the Week: Solar Power!
Tuesday
May222012
079 Are We Not Drawn Onward To New Era
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 11:00PM 
[iTunes Link] [Zune Link] [Stitcher Radio]
This week SBJ grabs Travis from Michigan… then we run over to Australia to meet our newest guest, Adrienne. We cover some Australian facts, as well as Pokémon news. We cover Featured Team 60 and some talk on Kyurem. Enjoy!
Host: SBJ | Guests: Travis and Adrienne
Tuesday
May222012
Tuesday
May222012
MOTW: Dark Void
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 7:00AM Woo-hoo, it's time for another MOTW! Sorry about last week, but I'm totally back and ready to talk about a move that is a bit ridiculous due to how good it is: Dark Void! Dark Void is a Status-Category Dark-Type move with 10 PP (16 max) and an accuracy of 80%. This move is also the signature move of none other than the Pokémon that is currently being distributed (that event's still active, right?): Darkrai! Now, I know some of you may be saying "80% isn't that great, Kenny. Why are you saying it's so good?" Well, let's take a closer look.
Although this move doesn't have the accuracy that moves like Spore and Yawn do, it can hit both opponents (unless, of course, the Sleep Clause is active). Imagine winning a Double Battle and then - BAM - both of your Pokémon are put to sleep in the same turn. That's enough to make anyone mad. On top of that, most of you might remember that Darkrai has an Ability called Bad Dreams, which reduces the HP of any sleeping opponent by 1/8th. This Ability can also be paired with the move Nightmare, which reduces the HP of a sleeping opponent by 1/4th! Seriously, anyone in that situation is pretty much a gonner. Even if you take away both Bad Dreams and/or Nightmare, Dark Void is seriously a crippling move (It may be Darkrai's signature move but remember, Smeargle can learn it too via Sketch!). So crippling in fact, that it's been banned from officially sanctioned tournaments. I personally feel that if they took the accuracy down a bit then it might be a fair move. The 80% it's at now however, makes it way too good.
Well, that's it for this edition of Move of the Week. Stay strong, Trainers!
Sunday
May202012
PKMN of the Week: Strawberry Shortcake
Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 12:01AM 
As May carries on and we approach Memorial Day, I am always drawn back to memories of my home town, Port Chester, NY. Around this time of year days were getting warmer, school was coming to an end, and the various summer festivals were starting to be planned. Lyon Park always had something going on.
One of my favorite festivals, one that my grandmother participated in, was the DAR Strawberry festival. It wasn't that much, it wasn't that big, but all of the older ladies from the DAR would dress up in white bonnets and set up tables by the Bush-Lyon Homestead (George Washington slept there!). The ladies would serve various strawberry themed dishes, including horrible strawberry-rhubarb pie.
The best dish of them all, though, was Strawberry Shortcake.
Saturday
May192012
Thursday
May172012
Rare Article: 3 Things Pokémon Online Can't Prepare You For in Real Tournaments
Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 6:13PM 
The "Pokémon Online" is a great tool to practice for Pokémon tournaments. I use it all of the time to prepare for nationals this year. However, it isn't a perfect replica of what you are going to see when the VGCs, or any other tournament, rolls around. Here are three things that Pokémon Online can't quite prepare you for.
Thursday
May172012
AOTW: Speed Boost
Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 8:01AM 
Pokémaniacs, assemble! It’s time for us to discuss another passive pokémon power! And this week, I feel like floating some facts about fleet-feeted fighting figments of pixelized monsters your way. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to keep the Sonic the Hedgehog puns to a minimum. Grab your track shoes, people. This is Ability of the Week: Speed Boost!