"Meet Sinnoh! :D (Part I)"

#PokemonGO: Heya, TSR!After posting about some of Gen 4's potential "troublemakers" in a thread a few days ago, I received a lot of comments from folks who are unfamiliar with Gen 4 and what's to come in the weeks ahead [as more and more Sinnoh 'Mon make their debut in PoGo].What's more, I've seen many a thread on TSR from people wondering what's worth keeping an eye open for as they continue to roll-out.Given this, I decided to expand upon my last delving by creating a new series covering all of Sinnoh, and making a reference for folks to come back to at their leisure. But because Reddit imposes a size limit on its posts (something I just learned), I've no choice but to release my work in installments.It is fortuitous, then, that Niantic decided to duplicate its Gen 3 launch by releasing them in waves. As such, I intend to post with each wave's release-- highlighting the new faces therein.(There is a lot of new information to absorb when a new generation makes an appearance, so besides helping keep me under the 40k character limit, I figure it's better regardless to break it all down into more-easily-digested chunks.).A note on the content: while I will comment here and there on a given Pokemon's general utility, it is not my intention with this series to add to the veritable mountain of hardcore analyses on what will be "meta-relevant" in the weeks and months to come. Not only has this been done by far more capable Travelers than I, but with the announced shakeup on the horizon, my words would be wind regardless. (And for the curious, my analysis will also be bereft of meaningful insights into the world of Competetive, as I am certainly not one to speak to that.)To expand upon this: posts on TSR--in my experience--tend to lean toward those selfsame hardcore players, who already know what the future of Pokemon holds. As I said in my last post, my wife and I just completed our first playthroughs of Pokemon Platinum to familiarize ourselves with what's to come, and that's as far as I've been; I am clueless from Gen 5 onward..So instead of more FIRE AND BRIMSTONE speculation about what a meta shakeup might mean, it is my chief aim to share the spirit of the Sinnoh 'Mon to those unacquainted with them. :]Onward, then!.--- Meet the Starters ---As with the Starters who preceded them in PoGo, these guys are likely to settle-in to their respective biomes once their introductory flood is through. They will also likely be the stars of future Community Days..#387 Turtwig |Grass|#388 Grotle |Grass|#389 Torterra |Grass/Ground|These guys are the "Bulbasaur" line of Gen 4.I chose Turtwig as my Starter and have no regrets; his second evolution, Grotle, and especially his final evolution, Torterra, shot to my top 10 favorite Pokemon as soon as I saw their design, and settled-in there once I found out just how much face they wrecked while battling.Besides its killer design, Torterra--the "Continent Pokemon"--includes in its lore that other Pokemon build lifelong homes on the forested shells of these gentle, slow-moving giants.Torterra is Grass/Ground type, which makes it deathly afraid of Ice attacks, but super sturdy otherwise..#390 Chimchar |Fire|#391 Monferno |Fire/Fighting|#392 Infernape |Fire/Fighting|These next three are the "Charmander" line of Gen 4.Funny aside-- the Sinnoh region is home to notoriously few Fire type Pokemon (no really, there are only these three, Magmortar, and Heatran-- one of the new legendaries), and so choosing one of the other starter families can put you at a disadvantage for a good chunk of the game since you'll be missing Fire type coverage.Outside of choosing this starter for its utility, a lot of players, it seems, were fairly underwhelmed by this family and its final evolution, Infernape-- calling it a weaker Blaziken clone. But amongst Sinnoh 'Mon, Infernape has pretty well-rounded stats and no glaring weaknesses. (Besides, Fighting types tend to hoard the lion's share of utility in PoGo. haha).#393 Piplup |Water|#394 Prinplup |Water|#395 Empoleon |Water/Steel|Next up are the "Squirtle" line of Gen 4.The "Penguin Pokemon" was my wife's choice for her Starter. She, like me, has no regrets, and took her Empoleon all the way through the game-- smashing in the teeth of the Elite Four with nothing but Surf-spamming. hahaIn addition to being a very snappy dresser, Empoleon is unique in several ways. It is the only Pokemon (so far) to have a Water/Steel typing. This particular hybridization makes Empoleon very sturdy with 10(!) Type resistances-- the most of any Starter. (Separately, he was designed to be roughly the same height as his namesake, Napoleon, which is just outstanding.) :].--- Meet the Trash Commons ---Forgive the tongue-in-cheek, but the next bunch is what most Travelers on the Road would affectionately (or otherwise) refer to as Gen 4's "trash"-- you know, the Pidgey and Rattata of the generation. And if you didn't notice the pattern of Pokemon design in the first three Generations, follow these next entries closely. ;).#396 Starly |Normal/Flying|#397 Staravia |Normal/Flying|#398 Staraptor |Normal/Flying|For those who aren't already-- I would get used to seeing these guys. hahaIndeed, the simplest comparison is the Pidgey family of Gen 1. But whereas Pidgeot was only mostly okay, Staraptor is widely known to be a monster in battle. And with a Speed stat comparable to most of Sinnoh's better Legendaries and an Attack stat to match, it's no wonder. In the Main Series Games (MSG), Staraptor also learns some very powerful moves to go along with that high Attack, including Close Combat, a Fighting Type move which you should be used to seeing on the likes of Machamp. This makes facing him with Rock-Type attackers (not to mention x4 weak-Tyranitar)--normally a Flying Type's worst nightmare--a scary proposition.These attributes, combined with a sleek, aggressive design make Staraptor a fan-favorite in Sinnoh..#399 Bidoof |Normal|#400 Bibarel |Normal/Water|Do you hear that...? That's the sound of thousands of knowing Travels laughing in unison at the mere mention of these two.You see, Bidoof, and its evolution Bibarel (pronounced, BEE-barrel), are famous in Sinnoh.Why, you ask? Well, it's not their prowess in battle or their inspired design, no.No, these two are famous for one reason: they can learn every HM move except Fly (and Defog, which no one bothers with anyway).What does that mean, you ask? Well, in the MSGs, HMs or "Hidden Machines" are used like TMs (Technical Machines) to teach your Pokemon a particular move. HMs, however, are usually distinct in that the moves can be used [and are required] outside of battle in order to traverse the land or move past obstacles. With few exceptions, they are not very useful in battle, and are desirable only insofar as you want members of your traveling party to know them so you can move about the world unhindered.Since you're only allowed six Pokemon in your Party at any given time in the MSGs, players will typically raise what have been ingloriously dubbed "HM Slaves"-- Pokemon capable of learning multiple HMs. This way, they can offload all of the mostly-useless HM moves onto one 'Mon, thereby sacrificing as little party space as possible.It's a safe bet that for most of the Travelers reading this, Bibarel was that Slave. He was mine, and he was my wife's. No regrets. You did well, you simple little beaver thing. /feedpoffinAs far as PoGo is concerned, Bidoof will likely be added to the ranks of Rattata and Sentret. So if you find one of your uninformed friends complaining about seeing another beaver thing, you can tell them just how lucky they are to have such a useful critter in their lives..#401 Kricketot |Bug|#402 Kricketune |Bug|The next members of Sinnoh's ranks come in the form of slightly-worse-Spinarak-and-Ariados the musical Bug Pokemon Kricketot and Kricketune.Okay so their utility is somewhat lacking, but their charm lay not in their fighting abilities, but in their musical ones. When Kricketot falls down, its appendages rattle together and sound like a xylophone. Its evolution, Kricketune, is even more musically-inclined, as it's built like a stringed instrument (combined with a mustachioed maestro) and is capable of producing complex melodies with its bow-like forearms.Though I've personally no particular love for most Bug Pokemon, I have to admit that the design of these guys is pretty clever..#427 Buneary |Normal|#428 Lopunny |Normal|This family is unique in a couple ways. The first is that--in the MSG--they can learn moves by leveling-up that otherwise can only be learned by TM, namely, Frustration and Return-- two Normal-Type moves whose damage varies depending on your Friendship level with the Pokemon using it.Secondly, Buneary is unique in that it can evolve--without the help of an Evolution Stone--at any level (even level 1), as its only requirement to do so is to reach "high" Friendship (≥220 on a scale of 0-255) with it, and then level-up (from battling, Rare Candy, etc).As its redeeming qualities include only its Speed and Special Defense, Lopunny will likely remain in the "Trash" category until it gains its Mega Evolution in later Generations..--- Meet the Cool Kids ---Though their actual usefulness varies, these next entries constitute the more exciting additions this round..#403 Shinx |Electric| +Confirmed Shiny#404 Luxio |Electric|#405 Luxray |Electric|Hooray for Luxray! :DPrior to playing Platinum, I had never heard of this family, but, like Torterra before him, Luxray jumped right into my Top 10 once I saw his design. And I'm not the only one; despite being only pretty good, Luxray is beloved by Gen 4 players worldwide for its stellar design (/pats self on back) and sweet lore.Shinx generates electricity when its muscles contract and glows when it feels threatened; Luxio has enough electricity coursing through its claws that even a light scratch causes fainting; and Luxray is able to see through solid objects with (lu)x-ray vision (#clevergirl) in order to track its prey.Though these guys may be relegated to Mareep(ish) usefulness in PoGo, I will always have a soft spot for the level 90 Luxray my level 3 Shinx grew into.Also, if you haven't seen what Shiny Luxray looks like... you should..#447 Riolu |Fighting|#448 Lucario |Fighting/Steel|Now here's a family that needs little introduction.For the uninitiated, Lucario is something of a poster-boy for the Gen 4 games, and is so popular that he made his way into several venues outside of Pokemon-- notably Smash.He is known at the "Aura Pokemon" because of his ability to see the aura of any given life-form, which is where Lucario's design begins to come together. See, Lucario is based on Anubis-- the Egyptian god of death responsible for scouring the hearts of the deceased and dispensing judgement accordingly. In the ancient Egyptian tradition, Anubis bears the head of an African golden wolf, just as Lucario does.In the MSG, Riolu (and therefore Lucario) can only be obtained via an Egg... wait a minute......... >_>If you didn't already hear: in PoGo, Riolu are--as yet--only obtainable from 10k eggs./sighAs I was saying... Trainers in the MSG only receive Riolu by hatching an egg that is gifted to the player by Riley-- a fellow Trainer making his way through the mines on Iron Island. He asks to tag along as you delve deeper underground and solicits your help in giving the boot to the Team Galactic members causing trouble therein. As thanks for your assistance, he gives you an egg containing Riolu.In a fashion similar to how Buneary evolves, a Trainer must first attain a "high" Friendship level (≥220 on a scale of 0-255) with Riolu and then cause him to level-up during daytime hours.Riolu's evolution, Lucario, is a powerhouse of a Pokemon. What's more, he's not gimmicky like many of his Sinnoh counterparts-- overpowered in one stat and horribly-deficient in everything else. No, Lucario is a well-balanced Physical and Special attacker with good Speed to match. And because of his Steel typing, Lucario boasts a whole host of resistances, which more than make up for his middling defensive stats.All told, Lucario makes for a fine addition to one's MSG lineup. Time will tell whether or not the same can be said in PoGo..--- Meet the Regionals ---"New region-exclusives?? This is so unexpected!1! O_o"-- No one, ever.#417 Pachirisu |Electric|Allow me to introduce Pikachu Pachirisu-- Gen 4's electric squirrel! (If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess..?)In the MSG, many players (including myself) had one of these guys in their traveling party for a good chunk of the early game because of its Ability, Pickup, which allows your Pachirisu to find items (think Pokeballs, berries, etc) as you walk around-- a big help early in the game when money is tight.Pachirisu (pronounced, pah-chee-REE-soo) is a standalone Electric Type in Sinnoh with a surprisingly-diverse movepool, but unfortunately for fans, its utility will probably be limited solely to its cuteness as a buddy as its stats are mostly terrible..#441 Chatot |Normal/Flying|The "Music Note Pokemon" is exactly that-- a Pokemon whose head is an eighth note.But that's not all! It's tail is also a metronome, and can keep perfect time. :]Besides its musical appearance, Chatot's tongue is the same as a human's, allowing it to perfectly mimic human speech. And this, my friends, is where the gimmick (and the controversy) comes in.In the MSG, Chatot had a signature move called Chatter, which allowed players to record their own voice and have [a slightly-altered version of] that recording played-back every time the move was used. As you can probably imagine, folk abused this ability and recorded obscenities for the Pokemon's use in online play. As a result, Chatot was banned from use in online competitive play.Gen 6 put a stop to this by eliminating the recording feature altogether, and with it, the ban on its use.Looking beyond its gimmick, Chatot's signature move not only dealt decent damage with 100% [base] accuracy, but it left its target Confused as well. (We may not yet have Status Conditions in PoGo, but if we ever do, Confusion will be a nasty one to watch out for.)Its gimmicky and mimicky design is where the charm of this particular Pokemon end, I'm afraid; its stats almost assuredly disallow the likes of Chatot to be anything more..#455 Carnivine |Grass|There's not a whole lot to say about Carnivine except that most Travelers reading this more or less expected it to come out as a new Regional simply because it is in many ways similar to those that hold (or have held) that distinction already:It's a standalone addition to the 'Dex; it does not have a baby and it does not evolve. In Pokemon Platinum, Carnivine can only be found/caught in The Great Marsh, a swampy nature preserve in southeastern Sinnohhhh... I get it now.Well played, Niantic. /golfclapIn case the news has thus far eluded you: in PoGo, Carnivine has only been found to spawn in the southeastern U.S.-- home to most of the country's marshland.As far as utility goes, there isn't a whole lot. While Carnivine could be shoehorned into the role of primary Grass-Type attacker by those who really like his design, the bill is better filled by others. As far as PoGo is concerned, this overgrown Flytrap will likely manifest as mere novelty..And that does it for our first round of Sinnoh 'Mon!Did you catch any glaring mistakes? Let me know! I don't want to be a source of misinformation!Also be sure to keep an eye out for future installments, which, as said above, I'll post just as soon as they roll-out to PoGo..Perhaps I will attempt to re-post the compendium proper in an abridged form once everything has been released... but idk... that sounds like a lot more work...Meh-- sounds like a problem for future Gus! :PUntil then, good luck in the hunt; I hope time spent in Sinnoh is as magical for you as it has been for us!.Thanks, all!-TheGodfatherGus via /r/TheSilphRoad https://ift.tt/2yhALRR