Ah. I was too young at the time. My cause is theirs now.

"Competition is always best when it's done on a level playing field. Then it comes down to the worth of the player and the luck of the draw."

I know we're going to part ways here, but to me that aims to make Pokemon the kind of pure strategy game it doesn't perform optimally as. I think there's just a fundamental…

Is it really BETTER THAN

I can't agree with that last point, because it does add something: a barrier. You're not meant to be able to switch teams super quickly, etc. If something takes a long time to get something (presumably because it's better), fewer people will have it. In theory anyway. And I'd say in practice too.

You can argue…

Yes, this is all true. And I have no problem with trading around for 5IV parents in various egg groups or getting them yourself (I've gotten a ton just trading breeding leftovers with others). In fact the first thing I do before I start breeding is try to see if I can score a 4 or 5IV starting parent. Trading's…

To this day, I always thought 1) This actually worked, and 2) It was because it got dust and other crap off the connectors.

This sure shut me up.

Fire your arrows at me, but I'm really glad they removed this in Brawl. How does it make Melee more fun that you have to do things like this?

No, I know about the Friend Safari guarantee. It's more probable than it used to be, but still something so extravagantly rare most players wouldn't have one.

I don't think we really disagree then. Pokemon is a lacklustre strategy game. That's why I think actually having to commit to the time-sink and luck of putting together a team is important and something that gives this experience an edge over, or at least a niche next to, playing any more finely tuned pure strategy…

No, I'm saying it is tedious, but that's part of the game — sinking time into building a team you hope will perform well.

But it's also a crappy version of poker then, because it was way more elements of inequality and preparation than the (on a high-enough level) pure game of reading and predictions that is (which are a huge part of Pokemon too, don't get me wrong, and what makes battles exciting). My favorite format of all is…

To respond to this: "what is ultimately a strategy RPG ... just busywork."

I just don't agree with this, and think this is a ruinous attitude in competitive Pokemon (and it's obviously tied inexorably with the role simulators had in popularizing battles before Wi-Fi came around). As a strategy game on its own, Pokemon…

Obviously it's not a huge travesty. We're talking about a video game featuring cartoon monsters. But if you're going to play the game, you know ... it's okay to care about the spirit and work that goes into it. Right? If you didn't care about it, you wouldn't be playing it.

Destiny Knot certainly makes breeding…

You can't breed Dittos and Ditto doesn't pass down its ball during breeding.

Agreed. The reason this got any attention was because it meant something down the line was hacked, but it didn't make any difference as he ended up with a Pokemon that, save for its ball, would easily have been obtainable by any means, and he (or someone) did apparently put in the time to breeding and training this…

Real talk? I'm not a tournament-level competitive battler, but I do a lot of Ranked Battle Spot, mostly Rotation (the gentleman's format), and do test Singles and Doubles teams on Pokemon Showdown.

The whole, "Breeding is taking too long! Give me an (obviously cloned or hacked) 6 IV Ditto to make everything easier!"…

Ditto doesn't pass its balls.

Try breeding Togepi sometime. They can only produce eggs once they've evolved by loving you enough. I'm a heartbreaker.

Wonder Trade makes me feel really good about breeding too. I had a box full of 4 and 5 IV Charmanders (just like this comic!) and took one that had been in the Daycare for a while and let it evolve into a Charizard. Then I sent it off into the world. It ended up at Level 42 with some kid who had only been playing…

Surf, yes, if Onix doesn't have Sturdy.

Iron Tail? Pffaw. Even with insanely high Attack holding a Light Ball, Onix's Defense is higher, and Iron Tail only hits it for neutral damage (strong against Rock, resisted by Ground). It just has to take one hit and then Pikachu's going down to anything that even sneezes…