[ti]event[/ti] BACK TO SCHOOL: FINALS WEEK!

The Johto Region is a wonderful region located to the west of Kanto, filled with a myriad of unique pokemon species.  Due to it's proximity to Kanto, there is a significant overlap of Kanto pokemon that are also native to the region, but up until recently Johto pokemon were rather scarce in Kanto.  Given that the barriers to western movement are not lesser than any barriers to eastern movement, this phenomenon currently defies many explanations.  

The Geographical features of the region are for the most part rather flat, the eastern edge of the region is filled with mountains that go north and then westward, forming a protective little basin for the res of the region to sit in.  These mountain ranges are filled with two notable mountains, Mt Mortar and Mt Silver.  Mt Mortar is considered to be a good place to train, with many macho fighting type trainers going out of their way to strengthen both their own bodies alongside their Pokémon's physiques.  Mt Silver on the other hand is considered to be incredibly dangerous, only the best of the best are allowed to attempt to summit it's peak, and stories say that some people even find the ghosts of legends on those mountains.  There is also allegedly a shrine to Ho-oh on Mt Silver, the flame enshrined inside is used to light the torch that signals the opening of the Johto Pokemon League Tournement.  

Aside from these mountainous regions, the rest of Johto is relatively flat, filled with lush grassy routes with the occasional rocky face or two to hop over or climb up.  Major highlights would be the burned down tower in Ecruteak city which is believed to have been the roosting spot for the legendary pokemon Ho-oh, though when it was burnt down by a lightning strike.  During this event, three pokemon perished in the flames, but Ho-oh descended and resurected them, imbuing each with one of the powers of the disaster.  Entei was forged in the fire of the burning tower, Raikou was embued with the spark of lightning that started the blaze, and Suicune was embued with the cooling power of the rain that put the fire out.  Now badly damaged, the tower is home to little more than ghost pokemon and local forest life.  

To call something statistically the best is a futile effort, because there are infinitely many possibilities in which one thing may excel and be great at, but infinitely more in which they won't be. However, when most people talk of Pokemon, they simply speak of how strong they are. In regards to that conversation we can look no further than the mighty god of pokemon himself, Arceus. His might forged the concepts of time and space and everything inbetween. The legendaries are simple avatars of power he's shed in order to create wardens of Order over the world. Even with all of this power that he has seemingly given up, modern contemporaries have managed to gauge his power in the form of "Stats," which as a form of measurement of potential for all pokemon.

Not only does Arceus have the highest base stats of any other pokemon, but he also has the ability to change forms (and thus his type) at will allowing him to be whatever you would need in a battle. If we were to be presented with a "primal" form of Arceus with his full might brought to bear, it would be likely that the world itself would shatter from sheer force.

If that isn't the Greatest of all Time, I cannot fathom what else would be.

Pebblosa- The Mole Type Pokemon

Type Normal/Earth
Egg Group: Field and Mineral
Gender Ratio: 50/50
Height: 1”
Weight: 26 lbs
Foot print: Insert crudely drawn clawprint here

Found in Caves and Mountainous regions, the subterranean Pebblosa helps carve out tunnels for both it’s pack and other earth based pokemon with the sharp digging claws on its front legs. Equal parts naturally inquisitive, but shy, it is not uncommon to see Pebblosa’s poking their heads out of holes in cliff faces or fields to observe surface dwellers, only to skitter back into their holes when threatened. They have a love for shiny things, and are often the number one cause of lost items amongst hikers, with signage near their dens warning backpackers not to leave their belongings unattended. Their nests are often littered with cans, watches, crystals, and rare rock formations.

Sarah's grades were a comfortable S in all ranks, but she couldn't help but show off. After all, what was a grade if not proof of skill? And what use was that skill if it wasn't on display.

Battling: (P.E)
Why do gym leaders traditionally use monotype teams?

To evaluate any part of a system, you must first determine the purpose of the system.

In the case of Gym Leaders, and indeed the Elite Four, the Champion, and even random trainers throughout each region, the system here is one that Develops Stronger Trainers, with the ultimate goal being to develop a trainer strong enough to defeat the strongest trainer in the region.

To that end, what part to Gym Leaders play?

Well, they act as checkpoints, both in terms of power and in terms of mechanical knowledge. Random trainers along the road test adaptability, and can usually be avoided or defeated in short order, but Gym Leaders will forever be an unavoidable fixture of the gym challenge.

They force the trainer to answer the question 'Are you strong enough?' but also 'Can you beat x type?'. In a world where type advantage is king, gym leaders demand proof that challengers know how to take advantage of a known weakness.

Take Brock for example. First Gym Leader of Kanto. Rock type trainer with, traditionally, Geodude and Onix.

Is a trainer has chosen Bulbasaur or Squirtle, then he is merely a check on their current strength, as a few grass or water attacks should clear out the battle. But if they picked Charmander? Or even Pikachu? Well that's where things get interesting.

Players have two main options in the case of a poor matchup. They can add new Pokemon to their team that fare better in the matchup, or they can train their starter until it can overcome the unfavorable battle. Many trainers opt to catch a Nidoran and train it until it has Double Kick, thereby showing their knowledge of the type matchup when they don't have an immediate, easy answer.

As the challenge progresses, Gym Leaders continue to provide a level appropriate challenge for the burgeoning trainers, therefore not only acting as continue power checks, but also forcing players to diversify their teams. They simultaneously act as an example of what NOT to do, and also shape the trainer's team into one that can take on any Pokemon type it comes up against.

But what is to stop the trainer just making a team that is good against that particular gym and then switching?

The Elite Four.

The final challenge on the journey of most trainers is a gauntlet of four powerful monotype trainers. There is no switching between them, which necessitates both an incredibly powerful team AND one that can adapt to a known challenge. Are they an ice trainer? I'll lead with Charizard. Are they a fighting trainer? Time for my Pidgeot.

This acts as the next step up in the challenge. Do you have a single Pokemon strong enough to take on an entire Gym Leader by itself? Do you have four? And if not, is your team well-rounded enough so that you have multiple checks for whichever type your opponent is using? And that's before we factor in how some Elite Four users run moves or type-combinations to cover for their own weakness.

Now the question becomes one of defense as well as offence. Can YOU take a hit? How do YOU deal with a Pokemon that uses your weaknesses against you?

Each step along the way the trainer is forced to learn, adapt, and grow stronger, using each challenge to become a better and better Pokemon trainer until: The Champion.

Finally you're faced with the Champion, who does NOT have a monotype team. And why not? Because this is the final challenge. Can you adapt on the fly? Can you switch in to a powerful move? Can you face threats, not preemptively but as they happen? The prime example is Cynthia, who not only uses a mixed team with NINE different types on it, but has competitive movesets, deep strategy, and has optimized her Pokemon through breeding and training to ensure she is the ultimate challenge for any would-be champion.

Champions are the final test, but to pass that test trainers must first train.

They must hone their fundamentals, building a balanced team with the experience, moves, and challenges along the way. So if the champion is the final test, then gym leaders are like pop-quizzes, ensuring that the trainer has mastered one subject before they move on to the next.

Gym Leaders are perhaps one of the most famous forms of Trainers. Their role is known throughout the entire Pokemon world, even in regions where their role typically does not exist, such as the Alolan region. They are still widely known and held in reverence regardless.

Said to be masters of Pokemon battling, powerful trainers in their own right. So why is it that they focus solely on a single typing of Pokemon? Focusing on monotype teams might seem flawed at first, with obvious weakpoints to exploit, but in this essay, we will explore the reasons for such a truth.

The simple matter that needs addressed, is that Gym Leaders are not trying to win every single fight. They are not the Elite 4, who's entire job is to fight the best of the best trainers and ensure they are worthy of even attempting to become a Champion. No, Gym Leaders fight trainers with a much simpler reason in mind.

They are teachers, first and foremost. Their goal and mission is to help teach and train the new generation of trainers. While some Gym Leaders admittedly struggle at this task, it is their job's statement to help people learn.

If a Gym Leader had a perfectly balanced team made from all types, it would be very easy to make a super strong team that could win fights against any new trainer. Instead, Gym Leaders typically have teams all consisting of one type to teach trainers how to deal with their respective element. A gym battle should be just as much a lesson, as it is an actual battle.

Just as a Poison gym leader prepares a trainer for how to handle powerful damaging status effects, Electric gym's often teach about paralyzed effects or electric terrain. Each type has it's own strengths and weaknesses, and trainers learning them, memorizing them, is an essential part of everyone's journey.

Why the Elite Four dedicate themselves solely to monotype teams, however, is less easily explained.

Pokemon are by themselves mysterious and powerful creatures with abilities not even fully understood by humans. Even the greatest researcher has yet to unlock some seemingly simple truths of Pokemon. One of the biggest and most hotly debated questions of our time, is which came first?

In the beginning, it was said that there was absolutely nothing but Arceus. It seems almost too simple, but according to Sinnoh belief, Arceus himself was the first Pokemon born from an egg that appeared from nothing, one who created all Pokemon and potentially even all of creation itself. Considering the Ransei region looks startlingly like Arceus itself, it is entirely plausible.

And yet, Mew is the genetic ancestor of all Pokemon. Or at least, was believed to be the case before Arceus turned out to be more than myth and legend. Whether the Arceus that has been acting within the Sinnoh regions and beyond is the one and true creator of the universe is still an unknown fact, it has apparently been known to outright create eggs of legendary pokemon themselves for trainers who have been deemed worthy.

And yet, note the specific wording. Mew is the genetic ancestor, and yet Arceus created all of existence. It is equally possible that while Arceus created the universe, they used Mew's DNA to create the pokemon that lived within it. While it is also equally possible that Arceus created Mew itself, who then went on to be the genetic ancestor of them all.

Whatever the case may be, so long as Arceus exists and is proven to be as powerful as it appears to be, then it's undeniable that it was the first Pokemon.