The New Normal - 15-7 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS

The New Normal – 15-7 – INTERLUDE – Pokenet Reactions

[THE FIGHT BETWEEN BRUNO AND STEVEN ENDS UP WITH A HUGE SURPRISE?! THE NEW EVOLUTION OF PRIMEAPE!?] By Battlecast

[Pictures of Annihilape]

Ever since the Hoenn Conference began, the fight between Steven and Bruno have been highly anticipated, with both trainers having been widely considered to the strongest contender to be the ultimate victors.

And while many must have hoped that their battle would come in the finals, it sadly did not. However, the battle we got more than made up for it.

Normally, we would be gushing over the fight itself and the incredible shows of strengths or strategies that each trainer shows off. However, even with Steven’s eventual narrow victory, all of that was overshadowed by the completely surprising and unexpected evolution of Bruno’s Primeape – turning it into an Annihilape.

Its name is literally all that we know about it right now, as despite our best efforts, our analysts have yet to confirm just how Primeape managed to evolve and what the conditions are for said evolution. We have tried to reach out to Bruno, but he has yet to respond to our communications. We do hope he doesn’t keep the evolution method to himself; the public would certainly benefit from the knowledge.

However, this is still a huge deal. Primeape are strong Fighting type Pokémon, but are often overlooked in high-level battling as they do not have the potential of others like Machamp and (apparently) the newly introduced Conkeldurr. But this new evolution, which looks to be like a Ghost/Fighting type, may very well give the Primeape line (or now it’s the Annihilape line) the edge that it needs to overcome that weakness. And with this, it might make Primeape and its new evolution the Fighting type to catch!

What do you all think about this mysterious evolution? Did you like the battle between Steven and Bruno? Steven looks primed to win it all – do you agree? Let us know in the comments!

Comments

SlugmaBalls

Okay, new evolution aside, I fully expected Steven to win here. He’s made it very clear that he intends to go all the way to become Champion, and I’d be very disappointed if he just lost like that.

BUT HOLY ARCEUS! A NEW PRIMEAPE EVOLUTION! IT LOOKS SO POWERFUL! DID YOU SEE HOW FAST IT TOOK DOWN HIS CLAYDOL?! LIKE WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!

PunchingBag

Can’t believe Bruno lost. First he ran off to Hoenn, then went and bowed his head to some spoiled rich boy and became a sellout, and of course because he’s given up on his principles he’s now lost. BRUNO, YOU FUCKING TYPE TRAITOR, YOU DON’T DESERVE ANY OF THE PRAISE YOU RECEIVED FOR THE EVOLUTION – YOU PROBABLY FOUND IT OUT BY ACCIDENT!

And of course the new Fighting type evolution is not a pure Fighting type, and instead is partially Ghost type. Bleh. Leave it to Bruno to mash together the best type with one of the worst types.

FutureAce

Ignoring that guy, Annihilape looks so cool!!! And strong too! It’s basically everything I could want aesthetically for a Fighting type, and it’s so fitting since it looks like it’s a spectre of rage. Also can’t believe we finally got a Ghost/Fighting type, now Psychic types aren’t the hard counter to Fighting types that they used to be.

EDIT: I just remembered the Scrafty line from Unova exists too as a Dark/Fighting type, which also counters Psychic. But another counter for Fighting specialists wouldn’t hurt.

TangelaThoughts

There is so much to talk about with that battle. First of, Steven’s new Goodra really showed itself to be an absolutely incredible defensive behemoth. I don’t think it’s even fully trained up yet, and it’s still able to hold itself so well against such a beating from Bruno’s Pokémon. So even with Goodra’s rarity and high buying price, I’m sure many rich folk are going to be trying to get their hands on one after that showing.

Also, did you see his Metagross and the combo of moves that it was able to pull off? Now that’s a powerful starter – well suited for someone who is aiming to be Champion. I wonder how well it would match up against the other Champions’ starters?

Then there’s the new Annihilape. I actually think part of the reason for Bruno’s silence on the matter might be because he hasn’t found a way to control it yet. I mean, did you see how it went straight for Steven – with murder in its eyes? I think the evolution might have caused it to lose its self-control, and if so, that’s quite dangerous.

FearTheRat

Yeah, exciting evolution aside, people need to remember that this fight was not between two regular contenders of the Hoenn Conference. Bruno is an ex-Conference winner and was close to beating John. He easily could be considered at the Elite Four level. The fact that Steven has beaten him speaks well for his chances of actually becoming Champion.

NotTooMuchWater

After what Steven showed off in that battle, I don’t think anyone has a chance of beating him in the Hoenn Conference. There’s no way he’ll lose with Pokémon as strong as that. Unless he slips up, I’m sure he’ll win the whole thing.

So I can’t wait for his first battle against Sidney. I don’t think Sidney’s going to be able to match his strength at all, but it’ll be really interesting to see if Mr. Diamond Spoon has trained his Pokémon to resist against all those crippling Dark type moves.

SeaDrake (Verified POG)

A great fucking fight! Didn’t expect anything less from the two of you. I don’t think anything else needs to be said – I’ll see you when you challenge me. My Salamence eagerly awaits your Metagross.

DarkManager (Verified POG)

You got this, Sidney! Go and show off how frustrating Dark types can be! Or better yet, knock his ambitions right out from under him!

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[An introduction to Unova! Cities, Pokémon, Gyms, and more! The unofficial guide to the region!] By the Indigo Post

[Pictures of the various cities of Unova and the Pokémon that can be found within]

It’s been some time now since our regions have come into contact with Unova, and with our Elite Four all returning from there carrying juicy information about the new region, it’s about time that we compile everything into one big post about the wonders of Unova.

Starting of course, with the many beautiful cities that can be found in Unova. Easily the grandest among them is Castelia City, with an architectural style that is completely different to any of the cities that we have here in Indigo, Hoenn, or Sinnoh. With massive skyscrapers climbing into the sky, this bustling city serves as the commercial centre for Unova, with the modernities and population to boot.

Then there is the famed Nimbasa City, the home of the entertainment districts and cultural centre of Unova. With plenty of leisure and entertainment facilities scattered throughout the city, as well as a robust train system that travels to and from several surrounding small towns, this is easily one of the most important places to visit once Unova does indeed open their borders to the public.

But of course, what are discussions about the cities without going into details about their Gyms? From the first to last, the Gym Leader of Unova are:

[Graphic of the Gym Leaders of Unova. They follow the Gym Leaders present in Black and White, with Iris serving as the Gym Leader of Opelucid]

And yes, you aren’t seeing that last entry incorrectly. Just like how Tate and Lisa are of such exceptional talent that they’re able to run the Mossdeep Gym despite their young age, Gym Leader Iris of Opelucid City is no different. You don’t have to trust our word for it – for Elite John and Elite Karen have both met Iris and have recently spoken about her in a recent interview:

“People need to look past Iris’ age. Having seen her in action and the way she runs the Gym, I can say that she is no less competent or powerful than any other Gym Leader, whether in Unova or at home.” Karen explained, “She may lack a full roster of Pokémon, only having three members thus far, but that by no means suggests that she is weak. Rather, the fact that she is able to be a Gym Leader with ONLY three Pokémon should tell you everything you need to know about how strong she is.”

“Nor is she as arrogant or as childish as you might expect.” John added, “Sure, she still has a lot of youthful enthusiasm, but that is tempered by her maturity and her appreciation of the responsibilities she carries. I am honoured to have been able to speak to her while I was in Unova, and I greatly look forward to seeing her progress into the future.”

Very high praise from our two Elite Four members! And Gym Leader Iris is not the only Gym Leader of note…[Click here to continue reading]

Comments

GeneralistGeneral

Really hoping that Unova opens their borders to us soon. I may be a trainer first, but I doubt anyone could deny the rush of excitement that you feel when you see a new place for the first time. I can’t wait to get to know the people. I hope they’re nice.

TangelaThoughts

Overheard a rumour that installation of the transmission towers are already underway, so it’s only going to be a matter of time before we get access to the Unova Pokénet and vice versa. Thus, talking to their people is going to be something we can do (hopefully) quite soon!

FlyingHigh

Not to be a pessimist, but though the picture that’s been painted of Unova is quite beautiful and idyllic, don’t forget that the image of Unova that we have is only at the surface level. I’m sure the people of Unova right now are probably seeing a carefully curated image of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh too.

Not saying that the beauty of Unova is a façade; just remember that things might not live up to your expectations. We all know very well how it was only until recently that our regions were actually as prosperous as we looked.

TangelaThoughts

Very true! Make sure to take everything with a grain of salt. Who knows what kinds of underlying problems in Unova are lurking beneath the surface? I can only hope that whatever it may be isn’t as bad or as dangerous as when we had Team Galactic still roaming around.

But I’m probably just being paranoid. I doubt anyone could be as bad as their leader was.

FutureAce

Enough about the cities and stuff. I just want to talk about the Gym Leaders! Look at them! So many of them have professions outside of their usual Gym Leader duties! I mean, Elesa is a model, Burgh an artist, and Lenora an archaeologist etc. That’s pretty sick.

Most of our Gym Leaders are only Gym Leaders. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I just found that pretty interesting.

NotTooMuchWater

I wonder if that’s a cultural thing. Maybe Gym Leaders are expected to have a secondary occupation to make them more a part of their community? That could be an explanation.

But more importantly, I wonder how well their Gym Leaders will match up against ours? I mean Iris was hyped up in the article, but can she really be that strong with only three Pokémon? Even if they are Dragons? Surely it’d be too easy to work around such a limited team. Giovanni/Clair/Juan/Volkner should be able to beat her.

ANormalFan

Hey, if John says she’s strong then she’s strong. Why are you doubting him?

GodBidoof

Yeah! Maybe in the future we should host another Tri-Regional (or should it be quad-regional now?) Tournament to see how our Gym Leaders and Elite Four match up against each other! Would be really interesting to see!

And my money is still on Volkner as the strongest Gym Leader. I don’t think we’re going to get a Gym Leader stronger than him (excluding retired ex-Champions/Elite Four).

FearTheRat

True! John might have defeated Alder’s starter, but that’s just one Pokémon. I want to see their Elite Four and Gym Leaders’ full roster! Since they’d all have Unovan Pokémon, it’d be the best way to see them in action!

I’m especially hyped to see someone make use of Hydreigon and Volcarona (though against an opponent that isn’t Tyrant) in a real battle. They look super strong from the pictures! Especially the former – maybe it would be a match for even the likes of Emperor!

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[CHAMPION ALDER SAFELY RETURNS FROM THE NEW REGIONS! ELITE GRIMSLEY OPENLY PROPOSING FOR CLOSER RELATIONS?!] by Unova Today

[Picture of Alder and Drayden alighting from the ship, waving to the crowd. To the side, the rest of the Unova Elite Four stand there stoically]

The public of Unova have all been waiting with tense anticipation after our Champion Alder set off all those weeks ago to the new regions of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh (now unofficially known as the ‘New Regions’) to establish diplomatic relations with them. No one really knew what to expect from our foreign counterparts, but with Alder’s return, we can all breathe a sigh of relief as the worst has not come to pass, as the New Regions seem to be both friendly and welcoming.

Upon his return, we were fortunate enough to get both Champion Alder and Elite Drayden for an interview discussing the New Regions:

“We’ve been blessed with a tide of good fortune. Our first foray into foreign diplomacy has been with regions that could not be any more welcoming and hospitable to us. The New Regions are all a staunch proponent of internationalism, and they have done everything they could to extend a friendly hand to us in hopes that we can share in the prosperity that they’ve nurtured back home.” Champion Alder was quoted to have said.

“However, underneath the velvet glove is the iron fist. While I have not encountered anything that would suggest that their friendliness towards us is a façade – and indeed it seems genuine – let us not forget the sheer firepower that they are able to bring to bear against us should we unfortunately fall onto hostile terms. Their leaders are friendly, but they back up their friendliness with an overwhelming amount of strength that I do not believe we could match.” Drayden stated.

Despite his words, this was not a surprising statement for the Elite Four member to make, especially after the events that took place here in Unova. With the visiting Elite Four members having defeated our own in a showmatch between them, it’s pretty clear that the calibre of the New Regions’ Elite Four members are not to be trifled with.

And after a brief discussion with the returning members, Elite Grimsley made his own declaration. “I can understand the innate distrust that one might feel when encountering a stranger. I can understand that it might not seem wise to so eagerly grab onto a stranger’s hand, even if they are greeting you with friendly intentions. Yet I have also come to realise that we cannot afford to not be friends with the New Regions. Their economic resources, political power, and military power, are all very good reasons why we should move closer to them, not further away.”

As of the date of this article, open borders are still being discussed between our regions. However, there have been rumours circulating in the Unova League that suggests that this process might be accelerated. What do you all think? Should we be establishing closer ties with the New Regions? Or do you think we shouldn’t be rushing into this? Or even keeping away from the New Regions entirely? Let us know!

Comments

UnovaNo1

Absolutely not. Why should we have to bow to these foreigners anyways? I don’t know what our Elite Four are thinking – they’ve clearly grown too soft. There’s no reason we should be making friends with people we can’t even trust, especially since they seem so ‘eager’ to be our ‘friends’. What a load of nonsense. They’ll stab us in the back the moment we let them.

Unova must carve our own place in the world. We will be the strongest region in the world, and we will never be able to do that by relying on the ‘friendship’ from others.

Amoogus

I don’t see what’s wrong with giving them a chance. The trade opportunities alone would make establishing closer ties worth it. Don’t you remember all the Pokémon that they showed off to us from the New Regions? The Pokémon we can find in Unova are a fraction compared to the sheer amount available in the New Regions. Look at all those Dragons! And the Fairy type too! Who knew that there’d be a completely new Type that we all missed?

And that’s not even mentioning their technologies. The PSS system alone would completely transform the way we handle Pokémon. We can’t afford to isolate ourselves away from all this new stuff, and allowing our paranoia to rule us would be a grave mistake.

Iris4Champion

Man, this whole incident has really shown that Alder has let himself go, hasn’t he? Did you see all those rumours about him losing to a foreign Elite Four member in a 1v1? I can’t believe his starter Volcarona (a really powerful Pokémon btw) would lose to some foreign Pokémon – whatever a Slaking is.

Besides, I did a little research, and isn’t Slaking not that great of a Pokémon anyways? It’s not like a Dragonite or something, and it doesn’t seem to be a common sight amongst the higher level battlers – probably meaning that it isn’t all that strong. So is it not embarrassing that Alder lost against that?

ElesaFan

Agreed. How powerful could a Normal type trainer be anyways? I mean, I thought it was really odd that Indigo somehow has an Normal type Elite Four trainer. Don’t get me wrong, Lenora’s a good Gym Leader, but I couldn’t really imagine her being in the Elite Four. Normal types just aren’t that strong.

I guess maybe it could be different in the New Regions since they have access to more Pokémon than us? But even then it feels weird. So yeah, Alder must have really been slipping if he lost against that.

Amoogus

?????!?! I think you guys are all fucking blind. Did you not watch that showmatch between our own Elite Four and theirs? Did you see that Slaking in action?! What the fuck do you mean it’s not that strong?! Are you fucking serious?! He buried Grimsley’s Krookodile like it was nothing.

I don’t know what they’re feeding those Normal types over there, but clearly they’re built different.

ElesaFan

…Okay, true. I didn’t see that battle at first, but now I’ve looked into it, and yeah I see what you mean. That thing is a monster. I can see why Alder lost now.

No wonder it’s said that John managed to defeat his own Champion in a 1v1. Shit.

Amoogus

It’s not just John too. I mean, the other Elite Four looked really impressive as well. Maybe because they’re all new and shiny, but wow, they looked strong. Slaking aside, that ‘Salamence’ that the old guy had was powerful. I wonder if Drayden would be able to match it in strength? Dragon vs Dragon?

I can’t wait for us to have access to their Pokénet. There’s so much I want to see!

UnovaNo1

Hmph. I do not know why you are all putting so much emphasis on a mere showmatch. Our Elite Four are second to none. They were merely testing the waters here. In a true battle, they would not have lost. Mark my words.

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[“THE MESSAGE MUST SPREAD!” THE LEADER OF PLASMA MAKES A STATEMENT!] By Unova Today

[A picture of Ghetsis, backed up by a few of the Sages, making a speech]

PLASMA, an organisation dedicated to improving the livelihood of Pokémon, recently made a statement today about the change in goals for their organisation as a result of the discovery of the New Regions. The leader of PLASMA, Ghetsis, had this to say:

“The message of PLASMA has always been that the current treatment of Pokémon as nothing more than tools and slaves is abhorrent and evil. However, we had initially thought that this disgusting practice had been relegated to the region of Unova alone, and it seems that we were mistaken. The discovery of the New Regions, and their similar practices of Pokémon abuse, have been a shocking eye-opener for the members of PLASMA – and a realisation that the wider world was far worse than we had expected.”

“As a result, after some serious discussion, we here at PLASMA hope to spread our message worldwide, to ensure that the abuse of Pokémon perpetrated by the ignorant masses will be abolished once in for all. So please, now that the New Regions have expanded our goal, PLASMA is welcoming all volunteers to achieve our grand vision! We need all hands on deck if we want to purge this disgusting practice from the world, and grant Pokémon the true happiness that they deserve!”

PLASMA has always been a small, but fiery group that have recently picked up in popularity. Some of you may have seen or heard about their speeches that they host from time to time around the various cities of Unova. Although they have not been a major political influence in our region’s politics, this might be a step towards changing that. Perhaps the introduction of these New Regions may allow PLASMA to find like-minded individuals for them to grow their influence.

What do you all think of the organisation and its goals? Do you think that PLASMA is right about their stance about how we use Pokémon in our society? Or do you think that their approach is complete nonsense? Let us know in the comments!

Comments

Iris4Champion

PLASMA, as ever, have no idea what they’re prattling on about. Pokémon are meant to fight alongside trainers. It’s how they’re able to unlock their true potential! Everyone knows this, so I don’t know why PLASMA are so preachy about it.

Not only that, but if there was something wrong with the way that we treat Pokémon, don’t you think that the New Regions would fight with their Pokémon differently?? Except they fight in the same way as we do. That tells you the current relationship between Pokémon and trainer is natural and desired.

ElesaFan

I dunno. Sometimes I see how brutal some matches can get and I can understand why PLASMA has come to the conclusion that they’ve come to. I mean, we’re basically cheering for two Pokémon to beat each other up until one of them gets knocked out. Putting it like that, doesn’t it sound a little barbaric??

Amoogus

But Pokémon do that in the wild all the time. Fighting to defend yourself is practically an instinctual part about being a Pokémon. And in trainer battles, they do so to become stronger – to hone their skills and gain the strength that Pokémon all desire. Saying that we’re intentionally mistreating our Pokémon is just wrong.

UnovaNo1

No. The thoughts of PLASMA are dangerous and should NEVER be listened to. What happens when we release all of our Pokémon back into the wild like they suggest we do? How would we defend ourselves once a foreign nation comes and attacks us because we’ve just released all of our military strength out of our control?!

Impossible. Moral implications aside, PLASMA’s plan will doom us all. We cannot be deprived of our Pokémon at such a crucial time like this. They must remain firmly in our control, to be used as needed.

Iris4Champion

…Sigh, it’s people like you that make people start supporting PLASMA in first place. Pokémon aren’t tools. They’re akin to friends and family. And they should be referred to as such.

UnovaNo1

Spare me your naivety. If you want to think that way, then go pray and hope that PLASMA can spread their message to the New Regions and get THEM to release all of their Pokémon. Now that’s a message I can approve of.

A.N. Now that John’s returned from Unova, I felt that a Pokénet chapter would be nice to have, since it also doubles as a small timeskip. And here you might have noticed that I’ve introduced a few new ‘characters’ from Unova, which you will be seeing quite often once the Unova Pokénet gets connected to the rest of the world’s. I felt it would be good to show off the difference between Unova’s and the New Regions’ initial thoughts towards each other were.

Nevertheless, next chapter will be focusing on the development that have occurred at home while John was overseas. Hope you enjoyed!