What's The Difference Between Ground and Rock?

Started by Thorns October 15th, 2010 11:23 PM
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Age 28
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Posted January 18th, 2011
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I've always wondered since I first started playing Pokemon, what was the exact difference between the Ground-Type and the Rock-Type?

I mean literally, each type is supposed to represent a certain element or species.

But isn't the ground made up of rocks? And both don't have an exact difference.

Could someone tell me if there is a difference?

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Posted December 3rd, 2010
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The wear and tear of Rock results in the formation of soil, or ground. And ground type moves are also super effective against Rock type Pokemon, the reason I see is that several agents like wind can erode rocks. But Flying type moves aren't very effective against Rock types. Darn, I'm so confused. >_>

Amore

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Yeah, but unless it's soft rock like sandstone...(which might aswell be "ground"), you need the wind to carry smaller rocks to damage it. Hence how Rock affects itself normally.

Also, steel hits rock super-effectively, while ground hits steel super-effectively. The opposite is true for Ice.
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To me, Ground represents the earth itself (soil, dirt, etc.). Rock represents the solid boulders/rocks/pebbles themselves.
I agree, Ground is dirt and undeground whereas Rock is pebbles, Boulders and other Rocky items.
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I always thought the two should have just been one type, called "Earth".

But honestly, this is like asking what the difference between Water and Ice is.
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Hmm, it seems rock types tend to be bulky (by sight), slow, and have a high defense. On the other hand ground types are just a bit faster, defense is still usually the highest overall stat, but the attack seems like ground's main basis.

Ground also seems to be more related to dirt or even the crust of the earth. That being demonstrated by it's immunity to electricity. Rock seems to be more cave like or mountainous. Rock attacks also seem to be based on weight. For example Rock moves are super effective against fire, ice, flying, and bug types. To me it seems like it gains an advantage over ice, flying, and bugs because in a sense rocks when thrown could shatter ice, hit a bird down from flying, or squish a bug. These are just my own thoughts though.
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Hmm, it seems rock types tend to be bulky (by sight), slow, and have a high defense. On the other hand ground types are just a bit faster, defense is still usually the highest overall stat, but the attack seems like ground's main basis.

Ground also seems to be more related to dirt or even the crust of the earth. That being demonstrated by it's immunity to electricity. Rock seems to be more cave like or mountainous. Rock attacks also seem to be based on weight. For example Rock moves are super effective against fire, ice, flying, and bug types. To me it seems like it gains an advantage over ice, flying, and bugs because in a sense rocks when thrown could shatter ice, hit a bird down from flying, or squish a bug. These are just my own thoughts though.

Perfect definition.

And, ground type moves just hit "the ground". Earthquake, Magnitude and all that, they are just seismic movements. Rock type moves can include stones flying and stuff. Don't know if I explained myself xD
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Yeah, but unless it's soft rock like sandstone...(which might aswell be "ground"), you need the wind to carry smaller rocks to damage it. Hence how Rock affects itself normally.

Also, steel hits rock super-effectively, while ground hits steel super-effectively. The opposite is true for Ice.
I know... I guess because swords and axes can chop through rocks. As for Ground>Steel, maybe it's because Steel/Metal is originally mined from the ground, or something...

I always thought the two should have just been one type, called "Earth".

But honestly, this is like asking what the difference between Water and Ice is.
Well....Ice is colder....and solid. And you can get a greater mass of Ice per cubic metre than you can water.

Water is all liquidy...
I agree; considering the classical elements, I'd lump Ground and Rock under 'earth'. I'd also lump in the Steel-type to an extent, but that seems to be differentiated from "earth" more, as it gains vulnerabilities to Fire and Electricity, along with additional properties. The Water-Ice difference seems to be greater. Solid dirt and rocks are still just solid pieces of earth mixed together. A change in state seems like a more prominent difference to warrant 2 different types.

Hmm, it seems rock types tend to be bulky (by sight), slow, and have a high defense. On the other hand ground types are just a bit faster, defense is still usually the highest overall stat, but the attack seems like ground's main basis.

Ground also seems to be more related to dirt or even the crust of the earth. That being demonstrated by it's immunity to electricity. Rock seems to be more cave like or mountainous. Rock attacks also seem to be based on weight. For example Rock moves are super effective against fire, ice, flying, and bug types. To me it seems like it gains an advantage over ice, flying, and bugs because in a sense rocks when thrown could shatter ice, hit a bird down from flying, or squish a bug. These are just my own thoughts though.
Perfect definition.

And, ground type moves just hit "the ground". Earthquake, Magnitude and all that, they are just seismic movements. Rock type moves can include stones flying and stuff. Don't know if I explained myself xD
But with Ground-type, you also have moves like Mud Shot, Mud-Slap, and Mud Bomb, which are more projectile-based rather than strictly being movement-based. Then again, those moves necessitate the addition of Water to create mud.

Anyway, I guess the main difference is Ground being firm and "on the ground" (in reference to lightning and an object's height relative to the ground), while Rock is loose Ground/Earth [but Rocks feel more firm/solid than crumbly dirt! Huh?]. Plus, rocks feel more rigid, smoother, in a sense, than a huge old clump of dirt. Moreover, Ground-type can also reference underground-dwelling Pokemon who aren't made of minerals... But personally, I'd just lump the two types together.

But I get confused because I don't know if the "Earth" element would lose its immunity to the Electric-type/Electricity. In the Naruto Episode 067 (original series), the lightning-based attack Chidori is used by Sasuke Uchiha, where he scrapes off a huge chunk of a seemingly rock wall, and proceeds to thrust his electrical concoction straight into a freaking Ground Sand Shield. SO much of my Pokemon logic with type match-ups got screwed with that one scene... :cer_cry: :\)
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But I get confused because I don't know if the "Earth" element would lose its immunity to the Electric-type/Electricity. In the Naruto Episode 067 (original series), the lightning-based attack Chidori is used by Sasuke Uchiha, where he scrapes off a huge chunk of a seemingly rock wall, and proceeds to thrust his electrical concoction straight into a freaking Ground Sand Shield. SO much of my Pokemon logic with type match-ups got screwed with that one scene... :cer_cry: :\)
Naruto fails at so many things. One of them is that xD

Earth is one of the best aislants to electricity. Prove of it are Lighting-rods. I think Kishimoto just changed the basic Thunder < Earth/Rock thing to make his scheme difererent.
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Rock: Represents boulders, pebbles ect.
Ground: soil, earth, mud.

For that matter, whats the difference between Dark and Ghost? xD

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Umm, Dark Pokémon are just mean fighters. Notice that a lot of Dark moves have unique effects, like Taunt, Fling, Embargo, Sucker Punch... Whereas Ghost Pokémon are more 'shadowy'. Note attacks like Shadow Claw, Ball, Force, Punch and Sneak.

Fighting hits Dark super effectively because honor goes above cheating.

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Ah! Sandstone can be very hard, but it can be very soft as well. Some can be broken between your fingers, and for some you need a Geological Hammer. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about. Did you know that white sand exist mainly of Quartz and is the considered to be the final product of erosion? But that aside. *cough*

As sad earlier Rock Pokémon are usually those made of the material itself. They have thick armour that protects them from harm just like Rocks. But if you put enough strenght in beating a rock (e.g. a geological hammer) with something, it will break. Which explains why a fighting type is strong against it.
It's fire and ice resistance is easily explained while looking at Vulcanoes and Glaciers. While Fire And Ice slowly erode the rockes (melting and polishing it) the rock is resistant. The Magma and the Ice will much faster dissappear than the rock itself.
Steel? *looks at hammer than points at fighting type*
Grass, Water and Ground are easily explained as the Eroding forces. Tree's roots can crack a rock, water makes caves in lime stone, and ground... sand erosion is not uncommon in the dessert.

As for Ground. I've always seen it as those who seek refugee in the sand (Sandshrew, Diglett) or Ground in general as in "made of non-lithyfied erosion materials".
It's no use beating the sand with a hammer or a rock (you need a shovel) because you'll be left with the exactly same thing... a pile of sand, just a little bit rearanged. Whereas you hit a rock, the rock changes.
Ice and Water cause huge changes into non-lythified materials. Rivers carve immense delta's, moving tons of materials from their source area to the open sea.
Grass... Plants live in it, and do with it what they want. Moving it as they see fit.


But all the geological talk aside... Rock: Solid mass, Ground: Less Solid mass and those who live in it. That's how I see it. Excuse me my little rant up there.

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Dark exists xD

My theory is that darks are a solid, whereas you would go right through a ghost....they're gases/illusions. Hence how fighting and normal can't hit ghost, but hit super-effectively and normally respectively on dark.
When the GSC games came out, they said that there was no type representing evil, and that's why they created Dark-Type.
-Leader of the Cumulonimbus
-Founder of the Iron Cast

Will I EVER get a pair?

I don't calculate stat values, I don't breed my way to perfection, and I don't care about natures. I catch my Pokemon the way they are, and treat them like individuals instead of brainless drones.