A wild Zubat disappeared! (Oh, and some other leaks)

Update on The List: NBA Jam is now in "Buy at $20" mode, since EA decided to release the game on PS3 or 360 as a download once the exclusivity on NBA Unrivaled expires next April. As it is, they're making it the bonus for buying NBA Elite. Since they apparently decided they don't like money, I can pick it up for $20 or perhaps used.

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Perhaps the biggest story of the week was the announcement made by Masuda on his blog stating that Black and White are only going to feature new Pokemon until after the Elite 4 and the National Pokedex is inevitably obtained.

Praise be to Goddish.

It's awfully hard to believe you're in this "brand new world" every gen when you keep running into Zubat, Magikarp, Tentacool, Zubat, Geodude, Zubat, Machop, Abra, Zubat, and of course, Zubat in every single cave/route/whathaveyou.


There will inevitably be expies of these guys - Koromori is clearly filling the role of the bat, and something leaked (more on that below) that will probably play the Geodude part. Still, it'll be DIFFERENT. And when you're 5 generations into a game, that's what you look for.


And now, for something completely new... the leaks.


Emonga: Electric/Flying, squirrel, sorta looks like Pachirisu but isn't, has Static. I'm not just asking for someone to dub Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons with this thing and Stantler, I'm DEMANDING it.
"Hey Emonga, watch me pull a Buneary out of my hat!"
"Again?"
"Nothing up my sleeve... Presto!"
(Arcanine uses Roar)
"Whoa... don't know my own Strength."

 Victini: Fire/Psychic, "Incinerate" (jacked up Fire-type Bug Bite), requires event download. I am LOVING the power the Fire type is getting this gen - mono-Fire may actually be viable as a team now. I'll probably use it on my first White playthrough (Black's dance card is already full with Hihidaruma and Pokabu).


Swana: Water/Flying, Swan, Keen Eye/Pigeonheart, "Windstorm" (accuracy changes depending on weather). OK, probably going to be the Pokemon on the (hopefully) limited Surfing routes.


Gigaisu: Rock type, Sturdy, High Pressure Pokemon. I smell this thing's prior form being the Geodude of this gen, and that's cool...


Sturdy now a permanent Focus Sash:...

...

... wut.


OK, seriously, this is competitively awesome but is going to piss me off to no end ingame. I hope something new has Trace so I can walk through a cave with it and determine if it has Sturdy or not. Otherwise, I'm going to have to use Smugleaf's grass move 2x to get rid of the inevitable Rocks, and that's if they don't Explode in my face first.


Still, competitively, this is really going to make suicide leads fun. Forretress, for example, Stealth Rocks/Toxic Spikes, survives the inevitable Fire move, goes first with the Custap Berry and Explodes the crap out of it. It's all good from there.


Kurumiru: Bug/Grass, Swarm/Chlorophyll, "Bug Resistance" (hits 2 Pokemon at once). Early game bug, shame it can't get CompoundEyes in an evolution. Or... can it?

Moguryuu: Ground, mole-like (Hi Diglett!), "Sand Throw" or "Sand Power", learns "Drill Liner". Needs more information, but I'm probably sticking with Meguruko for now.


Mamambou: Water, the Nursing Pokemon, Hydration or "Healing Heart" which is a multi-target Hydration. I was hoping it was an ability involving Heart Scales in a Honey Gather-like fashion, but I'll take what I can get. $20 says it's somehow connected to the worst Pokemon ever (probably an incense or some other item).


Miruhoggu: Precaution Pokemon, Keen Eye/Illuminate, Minezumi evolution, probably doomed to life as an HM whore. Unless Illuminate/Keen Eye get a Sturdy-like rub...


Shikijika: Normal/Grass, appearance changes based on seasons, Chlorophyll/"Herbivore" (Motor Drive, but for Grass moves and the Attack stat). Probably not a final form so it could get some fun evos based on the season stuff.


Seasons: Changes every 30 days, certain areas accessible or not depending on the season. At least they kept it to a month instead of the Safari Zone time limits for this content...


TMs do not expire.
Oh.
My.
FUCKING.
God.


The only way this isn't completely awesome is if there's 142 TMs and 71 of them are exclusive to each version. Actually, that wouldn't surprise me in the least given the extent they've tried to differentiate the games. Or, they have to change the TMs for compatibility and the new ones are original-GSC level bad.


How much hell are we going to have to go through to get Earthquake, though?


Rotational Battles: It won't replace the 6v6 singles, no items, Final Destination among the North American community, but it'll do better than probably even UU. There's a lot of added strategy in trying to determine the optimal point to attack and being able to outpredict when there's 3 options. Basically, if the regular game is Hold 'Em, this is Omaha Hi-Lo.


Miracle Shooter: Points are earned in wireless battles to allow the use of items from the Bag. This includes Potions, X items... and Revives. The battles where this will be enabled will be rare as hell, though - especially if you can Revive a sweeper late game. Real men use items, but a lot of people I know won't.


Battle Subway: Battle Tower ON A TRAIN. 'nuff said.


Deru Power: Using the High Link/Dream World functions, you can unlock special abilities such as bonus EXP or Pokemart discounts. This can also be given in local (or wi-fi?) with the C-Gear. If one of these is reduced EV training time, hatching or (god forbid) IV luck the gap will definitely be closing.


Dream World Pokemon have different abilities, Vaporeon gets Hydration: OK, I'm going to be spending 150+ hours in the Dream World for sure. Especially if these bonus abilities for the other evos give Flareon a reason to live. (Hah!)


September 18 (or more realistically March 2011) can't come soon enough.