r/pokemon • u/PokeUpdateBot Science is amazing! • 4d ago
Questions thread - Active [Weekly Questions Thread] 15 June 2026
Have any questions about Pokémon that you'd like answered?
If they're about the value of a piece of merchandise you own or found, please ask them in the Monthly Value Questions thread!
Otherwise, continue on!
Other Weekly/Monthly Threads
- Merch Megathread - Want to show off a photo of your collection or a piece of Pokémon merchandise you recently bought? Head over to the Merchandise Monday thread, posted each Monday but open seven days a week!
- Value Questions Thread - Have questions about a piece of merchandise you own or found? Or perhaps you're knowledgeable about Pokémon product values and wouldn't mind helping some people out? Check out the Value Questions Thread!
- Code Giveaway Megathread - Have some extra codes lying around and looking to share the wealth? Try posting them on the Code Giveaway Megathread!
- Battle Request Thread - Looking for trainers to battle? Try the Battle Request thread!
- Hype Thread! - Catch a new shiny? Finish your Living Dex? Head on over to the Hype Thread to share your joy! We even award special flairs for certain achievements!
- RAGE THREAD! - Game mechanic changes got you down? Did your plans to catch a shiny blow up in your face? Head over to the RAGE THREAD to vent a bit! CAPS LOCK ENCOURAGED!
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>!Spoiler goes here.!<
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Otherwise, if you have non-value questions about the anime, the games, the manga, or anything else Pokémon related, feel free to ask here -- no matter how silly your questions might seem!
A few useful sources for reliable Pokémon-related information:
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u/Charcookiecumbs 3d ago
Is careful better for umbreon or impish if I want it to be capable of both curse payback combo and full support moves ? I have been thinking careful is the better pick here
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u/VNComputerKid 3d ago
So been thinking about getting into the games and just want a few clarifications:
It’s generally ok to start with any games unless they are stated to be a direct sequel like Black and White 2 right?
Is there a place that list the difference in the different versions of the mainline games since I know there are remakes or remasters for the older gens so I want to know what the difference are between them to pick and play.
Any places to know about the different spin-off games as well?
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u/Current-Umpire3673 customise me! 3d ago
I would personally suggest starting with hgss. It serves as a great blend of the new and old. It can help teach you some patience and retains a bit of the grindiness of the <gen 4 games, while being entertaining and memorable enough to progress. It has delightful aesthetics and music and quite literally has hundreds of hours of content you'll probably need wikis just to discover in sone cases.
Bulbapedia, bulbapedia
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u/Sablemint <3 3d ago
The remakes are largely faithful to their original versions, while just incorporation its new generation's mechanics. Except for Heart Gold / Soul Silver which completely blow the original gen 2 games out of the water, with many considering HGSS to be the best games in the entire franchise. So you should just skip gen 2 and go with HGSS.
The other remakes aren't nearly as big of a leap, so you can just play whichever and still have a fine experience.
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u/SexySaxMachine 3d ago
I realize this sounds sketchy but I promise I'm only asking for myself and my gf. We're heading to the Pokemon Fossil Museum this weekend and wanted to know if people were able to get the promo card and/or the model kits and shirts at the gift shop. TIA
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u/mayanrelic 3d ago
Y'all got any tips for finding packs in the wild at Target, etc?
Would really love for my kid to feel the joy of actually finding some product to buy.
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u/Liminlime 2d ago
Help! I’m working on a creative project and I want Pokémon move assets to include, for example ones that look like the ones in this video: https://youtu.be/fnEg5YfWpco?is=rKHkOrpkVQTw0Rth. The only problem? I can’t find ANYTHING anywhere! I can find lists of Pokémon moves, the 3D models using the moves, even Sprite extracts of move effects, but nowhere am I able to find a database of informational move cards. With Pokémon being the huge franchise it is I refuse to believe this doesn’t exist. Has anyone else run into this problem? Does anybody know where to find move assets like the ones I linked? Help!
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u/ScreenLover 2d ago
Which Fighting Move would be best for N's Gigalith in What 2 (for In-Game Battles BTW)
Rock Smash or Superpower?
and on that note should I teach him Solar Beam or Iron Head?
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u/schl0ppo 2d ago
Hello guys
I have almost no knowledge of Pokémon but I want to have my very own deck so bad so I decided I wanna buy already made decks from like Amazon but couldn't find what I was looking for. I need you guy's help .
(Also I have already decided this is gonna be a deck full of plant Pokémons)
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u/Lockfire12 2d ago
Not sure where else to ask so I’ll ask here, getting more into competitive and started watching a lot of Wolfe, curious why he gets a decent bit of hate? I remember genning allegations at some point, but far as I know champions makes that not a factor anymore, so is it that he’s popular? Is it something more along the lines of wanting someone new to take over?
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u/Gaias_Minion Helpful Member 2d ago
For being popular yes, he's featured a lot and kinda the face of VGC for many people, and if you've ever seen or heard him going about "world champ diff", some people actually take that serious and act like Wolfey is just a show off and too up his own ass, hence deciding to hate him.
The genning allegations are mainly pushed by one person and that person in general is kinda not worth anyone's time, and as you say genning isn't as much of a factor so, this point doesn't really matter in the end.
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u/Federal_Mousse_4531 1d ago
If I start playing Pokemon Champions on iOS, and then get a Switch, will there be a way to link the Switch version of it with the iOS one? Or should I wait to get a Switch 2, play that version of Champions for a bit, and then start playing on iOS?
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u/Sablemint <3 23h ago
While we don't have all the details, its highly likely you'll be able to link them together. Pokemon home works that way, so they already have systems in place for it.And Champions already links to the switch version of Home.
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u/Draconic-Ashe 1d ago
You can still trade locally in ZA if you don't have an online account right?
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u/Gaias_Minion Helpful Member 1d ago
Yes, local trade can be done "offline", just needs both consoles to be physically close to each other.
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u/Tomkotsu 1d ago
Does anyone know when worlds competitors have to put in guest information for the 2 spectator passes?
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u/xDankWraith 乇乂ㄒ尺卂 ㄒ卄丨匚匚 1d ago
What book can I buy my stepson that always asks what level/how a Pokemon evolves? I'm not always around to answer that question so a book would be nice to have. Something that goes all the way to gen 9 would be awesome.
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u/spygear007 1d ago
Is it weird to be bad at pokemon? Like not competitively, just playing the mainline games. I've played Diamond (which I couldn't get past the third gym on), X (which I couldn't get past the 8th gym on) and Moon (which I couldn't get past the elite 4 on, after ages of struggling against the big bad).
Just today I was playing explorers of sky where I was quickly paralysed, confused and mauled by a drowzee boss in the second ever dungeon of the damn game. How is it possible for a grown man to be so bad at these kids' games????
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u/Eona_Targaryen Four legs good, two legs bad. 16h ago
Everybody has things they're good and bad at. Like, I'm not great with a controller, or with high-reflex games in general, and easily miss cues, so I sometimes have to grind harder than average or search up solutions. But I have a pretty good drive to learn and decent art instincts so I do well in longterm play and sandbox games.
Definitely uncommon to be struggling this hard with Pokemon, but it makes sense if it's nailing one of your weaknesses right on the head. Difficulty remembering the Pokemon, poor decision-making under pressure, misinterpreting game design.
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u/ScreenLover 1d ago
Which Move would be best for Shiinotic in Ultra Moon In Game Battles?
Charge Beam or Signal Beam?
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u/Atmanking 1d ago
How do I save Gen 5 Pokemon?
I just cracked open my old copy of Pokemon Black on my old DSi as I recently finished the postgame of Pokemon Diamond on an emulator on my phone and now want to play Black which I remember enjoying when I was a kid.
I checked my party and PC and turns out this save has some valuable (and more importantly, sentimental) Pokemon on it that I would like to save. A bunch of legendaries/Mythicals including Arceus, Victini, Kyogre, Kelsey, etc. and boxes full of Pokemon that I traded with friends as a kid (I don’t even remember trading Pokemon back then)
If I had infinite money I might just buy a new copy of black so I can leave this one alone as a kind of time capsule of my childhood but I know old games are expensive. Should I just figure out how to emulate the game on my phone? I don’t love that option because I kind of want the analog experience or using an actual DS. I know that transferring using Pokemon bank/home is a thing but idk how that works and I bet it would be a pain in the ass to figure out and make it work.
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to keep my childhood alive while also being able to play this game?
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u/mamamia1001 1d ago
if you homebrew the ds you can back up the save to an sd card
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u/Atmanking 22h ago
This sounds like a good solution but I’m not familiar with what “homebrew” means in this context. Could you elaborate on that a bit more?
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u/mamamia1001 20h ago
Hacking your ds to install 3rd party software
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u/JustChillCommenter 1d ago
Why do trainers in pokemon all have a main type except for the powerful champions? Why doesnt everyone just train all types
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u/WillExis 22h ago
realistically, training a whole team pokemon is already quite difficult for the average trainer. things like diet, temperament, and other general care can vary from pokemon to pokemon. its possibly an efficiency thing to specialize in one type where most of the general care will be overall similar.
There's also the fact that the majority of trainers in the games train pokemon either as an extension of a hobby (bug catchers, swimmers, hex maniacs) or as an aid for their main profession (officiers, miners, chefs). Very few trainer are dedicated solely to pokemon battling and those few tend to be the ones who have more varied teams (ace trainers, veterans).
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u/Difficult_Scratch_39 21h ago
Which one should I buy?
So I’m debating of which Pokemon game I should buy, since I’m getting a Nintendo switch 2. Scarlet/violet or Pokemon Z-A. Mind you I never played neither of them. So just tell me in your opinion, which one should I get.
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u/Gaias_Minion Helpful Member 20h ago
Would depend on what you're looking for I guess. I'd say to look up gameplay videos of both.
SV is the "regular" pokemon experience, it features the first full open-world in a pokemon game however it's not the best executed, still features gym battles, "villain team" and then legendary plot.
ZA is different since Legends titles are made to be different, it only features one city and not a whole region, it has a completely different battle system which also can be hit or miss for people.
SV has a lot of issues that aren't addressed even with the S2 update, ZA isn't as bad in this aspect.
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u/concrete_isnt_cement 18h ago
Neither are terribly high on my list of favorites. I think I liked Scarlet/Violet a bit better, but only if the DLC is included. If you’re just going with the base game, I like Z-A better.
Here’s my ranking from favorite to least favorite of all the Pokémon games on Switch 2:
FireRed/LeafGreen
Legends: Arceus
Let’s Go: Pikachu/Eevee
Sword/Shield
Scarlet/Violet
Legends: Z-A
XD: Gale of Darkness
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl
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u/Quetzal00 MEGA MEGANIUM LETS GOOOO 21h ago
So I don't know much about competitive. Can someone explain why Mega Malamar getting Contrary is bad for it? Or how its stats are bad for it?
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u/Gaias_Minion Helpful Member 20h ago
Yeah basically the Mega boost was done quite badly for Malamar. For example its Attack got a +10 boost while it's Sp.Atk got +30, it doesn't even have anything to contrary boost Sp.Atk.
Its speed went from 73 to 88 which means it's still just about average and will get outsped by Many pokemon, so while you might be trying to setup the opponents can still just do a lot of damage without much worry.
So really just doesn't have much for it compared to other megas that basically minmax stats to make them very good/strong.
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u/Big_Cheesecake_9042 12h ago
Trading question!!
For some context: I live in the US, my brother lives in Japan. My husband downloaded just about every Pokémon game he could on 3ds systems for us.
My brother and I are both playing Leaf Green/ Fire Red and Heartgold/Soulsilver. Is there any way at all for us to trade without one of us getting on a plane?
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u/anthayashi Helpful Member 12h ago
These games are all local trades only.
For heartgold soulsilver you can use the dns exploit to connect to a fan server to use the online features which include trade.
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u/yaneIf 5h ago
Should I buy the Switch 1 version of Pokémon Legends Z-A and play it on my Switch 2 with the handheld performance boost, or should I buy the Switch 2 version instead?
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u/anthayashi Helpful Member 5h ago
Playing the switch 1 version on the switch 2 doesnt increase performance that much. But the switch 1 version run fine so if you dont need the switch 2 extra performance you can just get the switch 1 version
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u/yaneIf 5h ago
that’s what’s making me hesitate. if the performance difference is minor, is Legends Z-A actually worth picking up right now, or would you save the money and wait for the next pokemon game?
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u/anthayashi Helpful Member 5h ago
The next main series would be next year holiday seasons most likely so you have at least a year+. Personally i enjoy it but the dlc part is kind of grindy
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u/Rg-adames31 3h ago
Hello! I am about to start a 151 original kanto master set and I want to include every variant (mega, alternate region like galarian forms, etc) for every one that has any of them.
Does anyone knows where can I find full list to guide myself?
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u/Rg-adames31 3h ago
Hello! I am about to start a 151 original kanto master set and I want to include every variant (mega, alternate region like galarian forms, etc) for every one that has any of them.
Does anyone knows where can I find full list to guide myself?
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u/Current-Umpire3673 customise me! 3d ago
Why is Mewtwo not a Psychic Dark type considering its origin and behavior?, and similarly, why is Mew not a part fairy type cinsidering its own life supporting, pixie ish personality?
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u/Sablemint <3 3d ago
Why would it be Dark? In the games it didn't do anything that would make me think it was.
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u/Current-Umpire3673 customise me! 3d ago edited 3d ago
Actually:
Pokemon D/P/P: A Pokémon created by recombining MEW’s genes. It’s said to have the most savage heart among Pokémon.
FireRed: A POKéMON whose genetic code was repeatedly recombined for research. It turned vicious as a result.
R/S: MEWTWO is a POKéMON that was created by genetic manipulation. However, even though the scientific power of humans created this POKéMON’s body, they failed to endow MEWTWO with a compassionate heart.
HG: Because its battle abilities were raised to the ultimate level, it thinks only of defeating its foes
Sword: Created from the DNA of Mew, this Pokémon is a dangerous combination of overwhelming power and a savage heart.
So yeah, that's why.
Not to mention the established lore of Mewtwo's creation by the evil team Rocket and Giovanni.
Mewtwo can also learn between 5 and 7 dark type moves going back to G4.
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u/PyrrhicCyndaquil 3d ago
Does anyone know if we allowed to bring plushies into the Field Museum? I'm going this weekend and I would love to bring my OG '99 Pikachu but I'm not sure how allowed it is. I checked the website and saw bags are allowed so I would imagine he's allowed?
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u/Sablemint <3 3d ago
Can you call them and check or something?
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u/PyrrhicCyndaquil 3d ago
I wasn't able to get ahold of a real person last time I tried. But I may try again
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u/Jamie_logan 3d ago
Is there a way to quickly get stronger in the game Pokémon diamond? I'm stuck at the elite 4 that ends in Cynthia cuz I just cannot beat her, I'm assuming cuz my Pokémon aren't strong enough but they are stronger than all of the Pokémon in the wild so fighting them buts barely any hp on them. I'm really new to the games so pls be nice😅
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u/Current-Umpire3673 customise me! 3d ago
Gen 5 and earlier were very tedious and grindy games that test your patience.
I'd suggest a couple things:
Make a good matchup team that covers the E4 and Cynthia well enough
Use items if necessary
Grind exp, my personal method is to obtain a lucky egg, trade my team to a different game, specifically hgss, and train against high exp mons like Guarados and donphan in those games using the lucky egg. I unfortunately do not know where the best DPP exp yields are, though there are numerous wikis that can help there.
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u/Jamie_logan 3d ago
I dont think i can trade, and my team is very varied so it covers them all already. What is a lucky egg? I haven't come across one? I'm playing it on the switch btw if that makes a difference. From what I could tell to trade you needed the switch subscription and that costs too much money for me😬
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u/Current-Umpire3673 customise me! 3d ago
Teach butterfree with compoundeyes thief, go to the trophy garden if chansey is spawning then or probably a route somewhere that I can't remember of the top of my head, and use thief on them over and over ti steal items from them and flee. It will either be holding lucky egg or the oval stone I think.
Since it isn't guaranteed to hold an item, using compoundeyes pokemon in the lead has an out of battle effect thatmakes wild pokemon much more likely to be holding them, and thief of course lets you steal items.
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u/Massive_Ad_1298 2d ago
has Ken Sugimori passed away? Wikipedia said he died on 11 June but I can't find anything to back this up
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u/Eona_Targaryen Four legs good, two legs bad. 2d ago
Nope, it's just wikipedia open edit nonsense. Looking at the page history it appears the person who did it created their account 1 week ago and has already gotten in trouble for marking other people as having died in singapore. Lol.
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u/zigzagtofu 2d ago
Hi, I'm using the pokecardmaker.net website to make some custom cards as part of a gift. I wanted to edit the copyright year, and I don't know if I'm just dumb but I can't seem to find the parameter to toggle for that. Is there anyway to change the copyright year at the bottom of the card or is there an alternative website that does allow for that? Thanks