Hello! First of all, you are my hero, I feel the need to tell you that I am in love with all the effort you have put into balancing the entire Pokedex. I can not be more grateful with your work, I love the idea of having a complicated Island Challenge and being able to use my favorites as badass options.
Believe me, I've thought a lot about how to write this message. I apologize if you think I am pedantic or excessively demanding with your wonderful hackrom. .
I divided these suggestions in two parts, I will write first the changes that I needed you to take into account, those that I would expect you to answer if they seem like it or not. Again, forgive me if I come to seem arrogant with this message, English is not my mother lenguage and I feel I can not express all my gratitude and feelings.
Thanks for the kind words! Your English seems pretty good to me, don't worry about it.
- I will begin with the suggestion to change the Defiant ability of Empoleon by Adaptibility. I think it fits better with its icebreaker penguin nature, for which it developed a steel type, a perfect sample of natural adaptation. I also think that giving Head Smash and the ability of Rock Head to Torterra could ensure better coverage and performance of its remarkable resistance.
I really like both of these suggestions, they make sense and definitely improve both Pokemon.
Meganium on the other hand, it would be very interesting to add the Triage ability, giving it a powerful healing value. To put an end to the starters, I understand that Zhu Bajie is usually related to the wood element in the novel "Journey to the west". It seems like a good reason for Emboar to have access to Wood Hammer.
These are both reasonable too, and Reckless-boosted Wood Hammer would be interesting!
- Acording to the Fire Red Dex description, Kabutops would have the ability to drain the victim's fluids... So Leech Life can be feasible.
I didn't realise it couldn't learn Leech Life already; seems Game Freak was feeling lazy when they decided what was compatible with the TM for it.
Also, Drapion could receive a posion themed ability: Merciless or Posion Touch, even both.
Those are certainly fitting abilities, I'll consider replacing Keen Eye with one of them.
Strong Jaw-Psychic Fangs to Granbull and Reckless for Zebstricka and Rapidash, Liquidation for Armaldo (it's a aquatic fossil), Bug type for Kingler (X-Scizor STAB), like Paras or Crustle, are usefull combinations, too.
Reckless Rapidash is one of the changes in the hack already, and Liquidation Armaldo is actually available in the official games, so no need to add those!
And I almost fogot this: Ampharos with Tail Glow and Parabolic Beam, and Unburden perhaps, ---- (It have already occurred to me that Ampharos could have the Fairy type before use his mega evolution, it's just a quick idea. In any case, Mega-Ampharos can have a better movepool I think, Flash Cannon for example)
I'll definitely add Tail Glow and Parabolc Charge to Ampharos; Tail Glow seems to be a popular addition for it and Parabolic Charge would be interesting. I'd prefer to make Ampharos part dragon type instead though (thought I'd already done that but it seems I forgot).
- Maybe the following suggestions are somewhat extreme (cof cof... maybe not as much as giving Nasty Plot to a Mega Sceptile ... cof cof).
I was going to go with Growth + Chlorophyll Mega Sceptile, but that was even more ridiculous :laugh-squinted:.
I see totally sustainable that the embodiment of the sun, Volcarona, has the right to a climatic ability.
This one makes sense, but I've seen it done in one of Drayano's games and it was insane. Probably best not to buff it.
Another adjustment that excites me, is to give Shell Smash to an ironclad and heavy Scizor, for our last confrontation against Guzma.
- I researched suggestions on forums that could help Kricketune in some way and I found the Simple-Tail Glow combination just wonderful.
That's certainly an interesting combination. Kricketune definitely needs something done to it, making it a special attacker might not be a bad idea.
- Other mons that I think need a quick review are Pachirisu, Persian and Alolan Raticate. Persian from Kanto does not promise any powerful strategy, so much so that Giovanni justifiably does not use it in his final showdown; Pachirisu is a similar story. And on the other hand, Alolan Raticate is not up to his counterpart, hits less strong and his stats on defense do not make much difference, worse added to his x4 weakness. My question is, does Alolan Raticate also have Strong Jaw? That Crunch could match things a little bit.
I agree that all of those Pokemon need another look, I'll see what I can do. Alolan Raticate doesn't have Strong Jaw but I could definitely add that.
- Black Kyurem with a fight-type physical coverage and access to Icicle Scrash to match his counterpart.
I've already given it Ice Hammer as a special move from the Ultra Wormhole, but forgot to list it in the documents. It does need some more physical moves though, Icicle Crash would be a good addition.
- A Mutatype Mew It'd be fun, but it'd also be very broken (I assume Mutatype is Protean in English?). I might just add it anyway though, as the whole point of mythical Pokemon in this hack is breaking the game.
- Made Sucker Punch a punch move. Do something similar with Megalauncher: Flash Cannon, Zap Cannon, Octazooka, Energy Ball, Shadow Ball, Ice Ball, etc. And give it to Octilllery, with an Octazooka that has a greater chance of lowering accuracy and some way of replacing the coverage that physical Gunk Shot gave him (Megalauncher-Sludge Bomb perhaps).
I can't do these ones on a 3DS unfortunately. If I recall correctly, moves that are classified as aura and punch moves are listed in tables somewhere that I don't think I'd be able to expand.
These last suggestions are much more debatable, because I am convinced that they do not finish pleasing you or that they are questionable ideas.
- For example and to start: the fairy type for Celebi, since I see this type much more related to the mystic, magical and sweet, unlike what the psychic represents (science, intelligence and metaphysics), at least in my opinion.
I always assumed it was psychic type due its time travelling powers, but it does look like it should be a fairy type.
- Something funny I can think of with Sandslash (even for its Alolan form), since in its description it can be seen as a pokemon with lethal contact damage, but it would be confusing to give Tough Claws because of how easy it changes them (its claws). In any case, it occurred to me that you could increase two levels with Defense Scurl and be able to use a combination of Rollout-Tough Claws in a more protected way.
The Defense Curl change is a good idea, but it'd be a lot of work modifying level up moves to make sure it doesn't show up too early. I'll think about it.
- I also came up with Illusion as a secondary ability of Infernape, as easter egg referenced to the Monkey King, of course thanks to your pills, people could change it to their liking. A Dark tipe for Girafarig (its second head Dex descriptions it seems to me sinister); Shell Smash for Kabutops; some kind of water resistance for Armaldo (it's a bug water); a Ground type plus Drought for Typhlosion: a unimaginable Eruption and x4 water weakness at the same time; Dragon type to Feraligatr (same number of weakness, 2, and a x4 weakness to Freeze Dry trainers in the adventure perhaps); Wood Hammer for Sceptile (you know, Mega Sceptile has a tree in his tail), Earthquake for a Serperior which use Coil.
Of these I like Shell Smash Kabutops, ground type Typhlosion and Earthquake for Serperior (and all the other starters from gen 5 onward that don't get it), and I'll consider the other changes too. I also like Illusion Infernape, but even though fits Infernape's inspiration, I'm not sure if it fits Infernape itself.
- Finally, I really missed the second type (Dark) in Luxray. I know you probably have some reason to have not added it, I really love the idea of that STAB in a powerful Strong Jaw - Crunch.
I do get asked for this one to be added fairly often, I suppose I'll cave and add it in.
Once again, forgive me for the excessive amount of text. You have already done a great job and I could not be more grateful to the Hackrom. I would love to be able to read any comment or criticism about any of these ideas, I sincerely hope your answer.
P.D: Just like a curious commentary: my favourite starter its Serperior, and a Simple is a very contradictory ability for him. But a Simple with Coil and Calm Mind is a hell combination, isn't? xD Simple + Coil would be a pretty fun combo. Might even be balanced on something like Dunsparce?
