Pokemon Shuffle and New Themes!

   Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in awhile AGAIN. I've had the worst flu in the history of all cases of it. But I'm finally feeling better so I thought I'd post about my newest obsession: Pokemon Shuffle. It's fun, addicting, cute, and also the bane of my existence. It's like a mix of Pokemon, Bejeweled or Candy Crush, and a really, really frustrating Facebook game. 
            
   So basically what you do is you match little chibi-esque Pokemon heads until you make the Pokemon on the upper screen faint. I still can't get over how cute the little heads are. They're pretty much just the same ones from Pokemon Battle Trozei though, but nonetheless still completely adorable.
                                               
   But the reason I say it's like a Facebook game and the bane of my existence is because of the hearts. THE HEARTS ARE EVIL. So let me explain how the hearts work. To play a puzzle (like the one in the picture) you use 1 heart. You can collect up to 5 hearts at a time. It takes an entire 30 minutes to get just one heart! I know that doesn't sound too crazy, but considering a puzzle only takes about a minute to complete, it can be SO annoying. It takes forever just to do a few puzzles. 
   Another thing that annoys me in this game is how hard it is to catch Pokemon. So even if you complete the puzzle, that's not a guaranteed catch. Depending on how many moves you have left and the Pokemon's catch rate (In Shuffle catch rates are different than other canon games), you have a chance to catch the Pokemon on the upper screen.  Pokemon as basic as Riolu only have a base 7% catch rate! That's ridiculous! 
   Besides those two things, the game is really fun and really, really addicting. You should definately download it from the eShop when you get the chance to. Oh, and did I mention it's FREE?
   In other news, today new Pokemon Home Screen themes are available! They are Mega Rayquaza, Pokemon Friends, and Pokemon Hanafuda.
                         
   I totally need the Pokemon Friends one! (I love Generation 5, yes, I'm one of the few.) They're all $1.99 each. Get them while they last!
   And for those of you who are into the TCG, I'm getting into it, the new theme Double Crisis is coming out March 25th! It will have a Team Magma/Aqua theme to it. I love the design of the cards!
                                                       
    Ok, that's all the news for now. Don't forget about to look for tomorrow's Pokemon of the Week! Also feel free to comment about how I can incorporate ThePokeNews' mascot, Goomy, into the blog. I want to use him more, but can't think of any ways to use him!
 

Pokemon of the Week: Electivire!

   The new Pokemon of the Week is...Electivire! Electivire is an Electric Type with the Ability Motor Drive and the Hidden Ability Vital Spirit. You can't catch it, but you can catch it's previous forms.
   Elekid cannot be caught in X and Y, but it can be caught on Mirage Mountain (South of Route 129) in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. To get Electabuzz, you have to get him from a Friend Safari in X and Y, or evolve Elekid to level 30. Then you trade him holding an Electirizer to turn him into Electivire.
                     Elekid                                   Electabuzz                                     Electivire

   The best Ability for Electivire in my opinion is Vital Spirit. I know it is hard to get since it is a Hidden Ability, but it has more use than Motor Drive. What Motor Drive does is when he is hit by an Electric Type move, his speed goes up by one stage. That's not too bad of an Ability, but nobody would really use an Electric Type attack on Electivire. Vital Spirit keeps him from falling asleep, which is considerably more useful.
  A good moveset for it in my opinion is Electric Terrain, Thunder Punch, Wild Charge, and Thunder. Electric Terrain because it will make Electric Type moves 50% more effective for 5 turns. Thunder Punch because he has a high Attack stat and he'll get a STAB from this move. Wild Charge for the same reasons as Thunder Punch. Finally, Thunder is on the list because it is just so powerful (when it hits).
   One of the best items for it to hold is the Wide Lens. I know this is a weird choice, but with a move like Thunder (which almost never hits because of the terrible accuracy) the Wide Lens helps by boosting accuracy by 10%.
   So that's how I'd use Electivire! Be sure to leave alternate ways to use Electivire or a suggestion for next week's Pokemon of the Week in the comments!

Pokemon of the Week: Blissey!

     The new Pokemon of the Week is...Blissey! Blissey is a Normal Type with the Abilities Serene Grace and Natural Cure, and the Hidden Ability Healer. You can't catch it, but you can catch its previous forms. 

   You can't catch Happiny in X and Y. You can in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire though. You can catch it in Mirage Forest (West of Route 105) or Mirage Mountain (North of Route 125). If you don't have Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire, or you just don't want to go to a Mirage Spot, there is another way to obtain it. 

   In  X and Y you can catch Chansey in a Normal Type Friend Safari. You can't catch it in Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire.

                   Happiny                                                             Chansey                                                                  Blissey

             

   To turn Happiny into Chansey you need to make it level up during the day while holding an Oval Stone. To turn Chansey into Blissey, you have to obtain a high friendship with it, as you would with Pichu or Riolu. 

   All of the Abilities that Blissey benefit her, but it's up to you to choose which one suits you better. The best Nature for Blissey is Calm. A Calm Nature increases Special Defense and lower Attack. So after you get a Calm Happiny/Chansey/Blissey max out their HP and Special Defense stats with Super Training. 

   The suggested moveset I've made is good for keeping Blissey around for awhile in battle. The four moves are Soft Boiled, Psychic, Dazzling Gleam, and Substitute. Soft Boiled restores half of Blissey's max HP. Psychic is used so it can get rid of Fighting Type Pokemon, as they can damage Blissey quite a bit. Dazzling Gleam is just in case you are having Dragon/Dark Type problems in a battle. Finally, Substitute helps keep her around for awhile. While the substitute is deployed, use Soft Boiled until Blissey has full HP.

   A good Item for Blissey is Leftovers. It gradually restores a little HP after all Pokemon have made their move. Another not as good Item but still useful is the Shell Bell. The Shell Bell restores HP if you inflict damage on an opposing Pokemon.

   So that's how I'd use Blissey! It might not be the best way to use it, but I think it'll suffice. Like always, you can leave a suggestion for next week's Pokemon of the Week or you can suggest other ways of using Blissey!

UK Darkrai Event!

   Sadly, I don't live in the UK. But here's some exciting news for those that do! GAME is having an event where they're distributing Darkrai via codes. You will be able to use the code on Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby, or Alpha Sapphire. The event starts on February 13th, 2015.
                                 

Download Shell Armor Samurott Today!

 An event is going on right now where you can get a Samurott with its Hidden Ability Shell Armor! Shell Armor prevents the Pokemon from super-effective moves. It comes at level 50 and knows the moves Razor Shell, Hold Back, Confide, and Hydro Pump . All you have to do is enter the code POKEMON503 to get your Shell Armor Samurott! This event will last until November 30th, 2015.
                                   

Pokemon of the Week: Goodra!

      The Pokemon of the Week is...Goodra! Goodra is a Dragon Type Pokemon with the Abilities Sap Sipper and Hydration, and has the Hidden Ability Gooey. You can't catch it, although you can catch its previous forms.
      In X and Y you can catch Goomy in Route 14. You can also catch Sliggoo either on Route 19 or a Dragon Type Friend Safari. You can't catch any Pokemon in the Goodra line in Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire. So if you have ORAS and want Goodra, you'll have to trade, transfer, or get on the GTS.
                Goomy                                               Sliggoo                                       Goodra


      To turn Goomy in Sliggoo, just level up Goomy to level 40. To turn Sliggoo into Goodra, level it up to level 50 while it's raining. 
       The best Ability for Goodra is Hydration. It cures all non-volatile stat conditions if it is raining. The best Nature for Goodra is Gentle. It increases Special Defense and lowers Defense. After you obtain a Gentle Goomy/Sliggoo/Goodra Super Train it so its Special Defense and Special Attack stats are maxed out. 
      Here's the best moveset I could come up with: Rain Dance, Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse, and Muddy Water. Rain Dance is for the Hydration Ability. Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse are Special Attacks that Goodra will get a STAB from. And Muddy Water is so it can have a move that hits multiple Pokemon at once.
      A good Item for Goodra are the Wise Glasses. The Wise Glasses boost the power of Special Moves by 10%. Another good Item is the Assault Vest. It boosts the holder's Special Defense stat, but won't let you use Status Moves. So if you let your Goodra hold the Assault Vest, you can't use Rain Dance, which makes the Hydration Ability useless.
      So that's how I'd use Goodra! Be sure to leave a comment on what next week's Pokemon of the Week should be or other ways to use Goodra!