Monday, September 30, 2019

Sirfetch’d is Your Newest Leek-Wielding Pokémon

They've discovered a new Pokémon in the Galar region! The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo just announced a brand new addition to the hotly anticipated Pokémon Sword Pokedex. It's called Sirfetch'd, and is a Galar region variation of the Wild Duck Pokémon, Farfetch'd. If you think this little guy looks like a pissed off duck holding onto a giant onion, you're not far off! Sirfetch'd is known for using a sharp stalk of leek as a lance when in battle, along with some thick leaves as a shield. (If Sirfetch'd is making you think of Game of Thrones "onion knight," Ser Davos, we don't blame you.)

The Sirfetch'd are fighting Pokémon that stand at 2 feet, 7 inches, and weigh in at 257.9 pounds. The Farfetch'd can actually evolve into the Sirfetch'd after they experience many battles. They're said to be "calm and collected," and are known for their very fair battles. That fairness has given them a whiff of nobility among other Pokémon, so much so that they're often used as motifs in paintings seen around the Galar region.

You're probably wondering about that vegetable weapon, right? According to the Pokémon Company International's description of the Sirfetch'd, the leeks are maintained by the creatures over the span of many years and are their most treasured possessions. When the leek withers and dies, that means it's time for the Sirfetch'd to retire from battle altogether. The Sirfetch'd are also the only players in the game able to master a move called "Meteor Assault," where they point their leaks and charge at their opponent at full speed. The incredibly powerful move also comes at a cost–right after using it, the Sirfetch'd are unable to take immediate action.

Pokemon Sirfetch'd

Pokemon Sirfetch'd

The Pokémon Company International

Sirfetch'd joins many other Galar region variations of pre-existing Pokémon, like Wheezing and Zigzagoon.

The internet has already taken to this powerful little duck with a leek weapon. Fan art has popped up and it seems folks are ready and willing to embrace this new member of the Pokémon family.

You'll get your chance to officially meet Sirfetch'd when Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield hit Nintendo Switch on November 15.

Header Image Credit: The Pokémon Company International

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Pokemon Masters: How to Unlock Sync Pairs

Pokemon Masters has over 60 different Sync Pairs for trainers to collect. The new Pokemon mobile game Pokemon Masters focuses on Sync Pairs - sets of one Pokemon and one iconic trainers from the main Pokemon series. Players use these Sync Pairs to form teams of three, which are then put up against other teams. Unlike normal Pokemon games, each Sync Pair typically has a single Type and has only one weakness, so players need to pick and choose their Sync Pairs wisely, especially if you're a free-to-play player with limited resources.

There are two main ways to add Sync Pairs to your collection. Players earn a number of Sync Pairs by completing the main story, as trainers seem to constantly want to ride your coattails to victory after beating them. Players can also add Sync Pairs through the Sync Pair Scout, which costs gems. Players earn a small amount of gems through normal gameplay, but the easiest way to get gems is to spend money.

Here are the Sync Pairs that players obtain over the course of the story:

  • Brock and Onix - Available at Start of Game
  • Misty and Starmie - Available at Start of Game
  • Whitney and Miltank - Complete Scout Tutorial
  • Rosa and Snivy - Complete Chapter 1
  • Barry and Piplup - Complete Chapter 2
  • Flannery and Torkoal - Complete Chapter 3
  • Erika and Vileplume - Complete Chapter 4
  • Skyla and Swanna - Complete Chapter 5
  • Korrina and Lucario - Complete Chapter 6
  • Norman and Slaking - Complete Chapter 7
  • Pryce and Seel - Complete Chapter 8
  • Iris and Haxorus - Complete Chapter 9
  • Hapu and Mudsdale - Complete Chapter 10
  • Brock and Tyranitar - Complete Interlude 1
  • Hau and Alolan Raichu - Complete Chapter 11
  • Flint and Infernape - Complete Chapter 12
  • Camilla and Kingdra - Complete Chapter 13
  • Viola and Surskit - Complete Chapter 14
  • Nanu and Alolan Persian - Complete Chapter 15
  • Koga and Crobat - Complete Chapter 16
  • Acerola and Palosand - Complete Chapter 17
  • Cheren and Stoutland - Complete Chapter 18
  • And here are the Sync Pairs available from the Sync Pair Scout:

  • Kris and Totodile
  • Brendan and Treecko
  • Phoebe and Dusclops
  • Olivia and Lycanroc
  • Karen and Houndoom
  • Lyra and Chikorita
  • Lorelei and Lapras
  • Roxie and Whirlipede
  • Shauntal and Chandelure
  • Whitney and Miltank
  • Gardenia and Roserade
  • Sophocles and Togedemaru
  • Thorton and Bronzong
  • Noland and Pinsir
  • Will and Xatu
  • Grant and Amaura
  • Wikstrom and Aegislash
  • Bruno and Machamp
  • Kahili and Toucannon
  • Blaine and Ponyta
  • Agatha and Gengar
  • Marshal and Conkeldurr
  • Drake and Salamence
  • Siebold and Clawitzer
  • Crasher Wake and Floatzel
  • Wulfric and Avalugg
  • Cheryl and Blissey
  • Candice and Abomasnow
  • Liza and Lunatone
  • Tate and Solrock
  • Clay and Palpitoad
  • Mina and Granbull
  • Lt. Surge and Voltorb
  • Ramos and Weepinbell
  • Roark and Cranidos
  • Brycen and Cryogonal
  • Winona and Pelipper
  • Brawly and Makuhita
  • Roxanne and Nosepass
  • Bugsy and Beedrill
  • Maylene and Meditite
  • Marlon and Carracosta
  • Janine and Ariados
  • Marley and Arcanine
  • Pokemon Masters is available now on iOS and Android devices.

    Fans Are Celebrating Ash Ketchum Becoming a Pokémon Master

    After more than 20 years of futile efforts, Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum can finally clear his animated mantle full of participation trophies to make room for one of the 1st place variety. And while you may be wondering why you should care about a cartoon character's fictitious accomplishment, that's probably just the cynical real-world repressing that bit of childlike wonder you still have somewhere in your overworked and beaten down adult body.

    Anyway, Ash is now able to make the claim of being a Pokémon Master after winning the championship at the Aloha League during the latest episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon. This 'W' now gives the franchise's red-and-white hatted main character what he's always wanted, and is also a long payoff for a guy (kid?) who was able to invest 22 years of his life into fulfilling his dream because he never actually seems to age. CNET points out that Ash did previously win at Orange Islands League and Battle Frontier.

    So far the winning episode has only reached the air in Japan, but that doesn't matter to a number of Twitter users who appear to be too overjoyed by this news/plotline to contain their excitement:

    POST CONTINUES BELOW

    Ash Ketchum has been a part of millions of lives & while many stop watching the Pokémon anime Ash continued to be a role model trainer for new generations. He's lost every Pokémon League to teach children it's ok to lose & today he finally won. What a day to be a Pokémon fan :) pic.twitter.com/Gzbf9j08N9

    — Aero (@ActualAero) September 15, 2019 POST CONTINUES BELOW

    It took Ash Ketchum 20 years and countless series to win the Pokémon league but he finally did it. Never stop chasing your dreams! Never give up! Anything is posssiiiiible!!!! pic.twitter.com/PdKtdvaZ6f

    — Khaled Abdallah (@khaled74) September 15, 2019 POST CONTINUES BELOW

    We'd like to use this intermission to formally congratulate Ash Ketchum on winning his first Pokemon League championship after 22 years 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/lBLQc7wAwI

    — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) September 15, 2019 POST CONTINUES BELOW

    Turns out after 22 years of trying and failing, Ash Ketchum finally actually achieved his life-long dream of becoming the champion of a Pokémon League, so maybe there is hope for the rest of us. pic.twitter.com/uO8gjnD4vO

    — Alanah Pearce (@Charalanahzard) September 15, 2019

    Stan Lee didn't publish his first comic until he was 39.

    Vera Wang didn't enter the fashion industry until she was 40.

    After 22 years, Ash Ketchum finally won the Pokémon League at the age of 32. Congratulations Ash 🎉

    You're never too old to accomplish your dreams 💖 pic.twitter.com/M6CeG6pAE6

    — 🌸 shirley j. 셜리 🌸 화이팅!! ♡ ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✨ (@LionintheTrees) September 15, 2019 POST CONTINUES BELOW

    When you've won every tournament you entered and then Ash Ketchum finally wins one in the space of 22 years and everyone flips out and throws him a party on social media pic.twitter.com/fol2vpg04s

    — LittleKuriboh (@yugiohtas) September 15, 2019

    In addition to that smattering of fairly random accounts and an NHL team(?), Ash's original voice actor, Veronica Taylor, also acknowledged the long overdue accomplishment. 

    Friday, September 27, 2019

    'Pokémon Masters' Update: Lyra and Chikorita Added in New Event

    The number of Sync Pairsin Pokémon Masters is growing as Lyra and Chikorita from the Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver games are ready to be recruited in the new mobile game.

    Similar to the recent and ongoing Olivia and Lycanroc event, Pokémon Masters players will be able to train their Grass-type Pokémon much faster with the Grass-type Training Event. Players will also be able to earn special items by grinding tickets earned through battle.

    But the biggest prize of this event is the addition of Lyra and Chikorita, a brand new Sync Pair that can actually evolve.

    If you want to take advantage of everything involved with this new event, here's what you need to know about the new Pokémon Masters event featuring Lyra and Chikorita, including when it begins and ends.

    POKEMON MASTERS GRASS-TYPE TRAINING EVENT START TIME

    The new Grass-type training event starts Tuesday, September 17 at 2 a.m. EDT to Monday, September 30 at 2 a.m. EDT.

    HOW TO RECRUIT LYRA AND CHIKORITA

    Like other Sync Pairs, Lyra and Chikorita can be obtained by using the recruiter. Go to the shop and spend anywhere between 300 and 3,000 gems to open up to 10 recruits. However, players will need to make sure they are pulling from under the Lyra Spotlight Scout banner.

    Under this banner, Lyra and Chikorita have a two percent chance of being pulled, which is the highest of any other Sync Pair.

    Like some other Sync Pairs, Chikorita can be evolved into Bayleef and Meganium after the pair reaches a certain level and the player has enough of a special item to perform the evolution. If you want to learn more about evolution in Pokémon Masters, go here.

    Lyra and Chikorita are of the Support Role and do well when there's harsh sunlight on the field. Here are the four attacks, sync move and passive ability this new Sync Pair has:

  • Energy Ball - has low chance to decrease target's special defense
  • Dire hit All - increases critical hit ratio of everyone on your side of the field
  • Sunny Side Up! - Raises the Attack, Special Attack and Speed of all allied Sync Pairs. This increase is doubled in the sunlight
  • Light Screen - Reduces special damage for all allied Sync Pairs
  • Chikorita's passive ability is Solar Shield, which prevents status conditions when it's sunny on the field.

    The pair's Sync Move, when Chikorita full evolves into Meganium, is called Heart of Gold Leaf Storm. This move's damage is increased the move Meganium's stats are raised.

    What do you think of the latest Pokémon Masters event? Who will you pair Lyra and Chikorita up with? Let us know in the comments section.

    The Pokémon replay: why Pokémon Black and White still hold up

    As we continue our playthrough of the mainline entries in the Pokémon RPG franchise, in anticipation of the upcoming Sword and Shield games, we've reached an interesting point in our journey: the release of Pokémon Black and White, in 2010, which now feels like a lifetime ago. Looking back, it's clear that this was something of an in-betweeny point in the franchise's development.

    Diamond and Pearl had already mastered the move to DS, and we were still three years away from X and Y making the next big leap with the transition onto the 3DS. Without new hardware to showcase, this could have easily felt like a lull. Booting up Black in 2019, though, it is clear that this generation still holds up pretty well.

    The big, bold choices from the development team at Game Freak have helped this game retain its fresh feeling. Take the central setting, for instance: the Unova region represents a major departure from all the previous regions. Rather than taking inspiration from a segment of Japan, this new location was based on New York City and positioned a great distance away from the old familiar places of the series. Unova also plays host to a whopping 156 brand new Pokémon, topping the previous record of newcomers that was set by Red and Blue's 151.

    Unova has some awesome locations in a visual sense, too. The massive Skyarrow Bridge area, for instance, where the camera zoomed out to give the  Pokémon world its grandest sense of scale yet. The bridge leads Castelia City, the first locale in the franchise to adopt a three-dimensional circular feeling - a design decision that would later be built upon in X and Y's Paris-inspired Lumiose City. 

    The Unova region also hosts a fairly unique villainous team: Team Plasma, who dress like knights and have an obsession with freeing Pokémon from the oppression of human trainers. A key figure in the team is N, a trainer that is fondly remembered among fans of the franchise, not least because his belief that Pokémon should be used for friendship rather than battling is actually pretty reasonable. There are numerous points in the game where you have to defeat legions of Team Plasma goons in a row, which adds a nice level of difficulty to proceedings. And the final showdown with N, involving the legendary beasties Zekrom and Reshiram, is also pretty epic.

    A lot of things feel fresh and new in Black and White, although there is a stronger sense than usual that you're playing a game that's on rails. After almost every gym battle, for instance, you'll come outside to find a character wanting to speak to you or point you towards your next destination. That being said, though, there are points in the game when finding your way feels like a proper challenge: the mountainous take on Victory Road, for example, requires a fair bit of skill/memory/research to find a way through.

    Black and White also find ways to wrongfoot the player and elongate the experience just when you think you're nearing the end. For instance, when you think you're about to defeat the Champ, you actually end up battling N and having to catch a legendary. You then have to go back and defeat the Elite Four again, before battling Alder and completing the main bit of the game. It's a small thing, but an enjoyable twist on the expected formula.

    The post-game fun in Black and White is also pretty significant. After defeating N and Alder, you get access to a whole new eastern section of Unova that features Pokémon from previous regions and cameos from Sinnoh champion Cynthia and Game Freak's Shigeki Morimoto. There is also an exclusive section of the post-game for each different version: in Black, you get to visit the modern metropolis Black City; and in White, you can head over to the White Forest, where people and Pokémon live in peace.

    This follows on nicely from the duplicity that runs through both games - the themes of the industrial versus the natural, and the idea of friendship as an alternative to battling - and it gives gamers a larger reward than usual for defeating the game.

    All in all, then, Black and White still hold up for so many reasons. Unova feels like a really fresh region, and there are heaps of new creatures to catch and lofty themes to ponder. The difficulty level is also pitched pretty well, and there are plenty of rewards for battling through to the end. There's a reason why so many people hold this generation close to their hearts.

    What's new? Triple Battles and Rotation Battles both make their debuts here, allowing players to pit more Pokémon than ever against each other at the same time. The Unova region also features four distinct seasons, which allows Game Freak to offer up graphics-based alterations (autumnal leaves and so forth) as well as featuring different Pokémon and possibilities at different times of the year.

    Weirdest thing: Another new feature, Pokémon Musicals, comes across as a pretty barmy alternative to Pokémon Contests. With this new minigame, you can dress your critters up in special outfits and have them dance around to pieces of music on a stage. Because who wouldn't want to do that?

    Cutest critter: The Unova region's Pokémon may not be the most beautiful bunch, with Black and White introducing some weird ones like the ice-cream-themed Vanillish and the cog-based Klink. Your cute options include Herdier, Emolga and Oshawott, but the fiery piglet Tepig might just be our favourite. The elemental monkeys are also pretty loveable.

    Poké-Legacy: These games didn't have new hardware to play with, but they still managed to establish a legacy that ranks up there with the most iconic instalments in the Pokémon franchise.

    Great trainers like N have lasted long in the memory, so much so that fans were miffed when he didn't show up in the Pokémon Masters mobile game. Even side characters like Looker have also stood the test of time, with Looker becoming a very handy Trainer card in the Pokémon Trading Card game.

    And speaking of the Pokémon TCG, one of Unova's legendary creatures was recently immortalised in the very-highly-sought-after Reshiram and Charizard Tag-Team card. Unova-originating critters also showed up in Pokémon Go this year, giving fans a new reason to jump back into the massive mobile game.

    Black and White are also the only Pokémon RPG games to date that received numbered sequels: Black 2 and White 2 launched in 2012, allowing fans to return to the Unova region for a new adventure set two years later. These games introduced another new minigame (PokéStar Studios) and brought the total number of creatures in Unova up to over 300. They also added new areas to the western side of Unova and launched a big new contest called the Pokémon World Tournament, which brought together iconic trainers from previous games and served as a precursor of sorts to Pokémon Masters.

    When you put Black and White together with Black 2 and White 2, it's clear that the Unova years of the Pokémon franchise had a massive impact on the overall series and closed out the DS era on a high. Who needs a new console when you have this many new ideas?

    While we wait for Sword and Shield in November, you can check out our previous Pokémon replay articles at this link.

    Wednesday, September 25, 2019

    Pokemon Masters Adds Another Sync Pair

    Pokemon Masters is adding another 5-Star Sync Pair. Earlier this week, Pokemon Masters announced that Hilbert and Oshawott would be added to the game and be featured in an upcoming Spotlight Scout banner. Hilbert was the male player character from Pokemon Black and White and is notably one of the oldest starting trainer in the game along with Hilda, his female counterpart. Both Hilbert and Hilda have only appeared in Pokemon Black and White, and Hilbert has never appeared in the main anime series. Hilbert made a brief appearance in Pokemon Masters as part of Team Unova, which players faced as the last team in the Single Player Story before it ran out of in-game content.

    Hilbert and Oshawott are a Support duo and serve mainly to boost the stats of other team members. Oshawott has the abilities X Speed All, which raises the Speed stat of all Pokemon on Hilbert's team and "In This Together" which boosts the Attack stats of allies. Notably, "In This Together" is even more effective when Oshawott's HP is low. Oshawott also has the awesome passive ability Impervious, which prevents Oshawott's stats from getting lowered.

    As with other recently added Sync Pairs, players can only obtain Hilbert from the Sync Pair Scout, which can be access through the in-game store. Players can use Gems to use the in-game Scout, which they either achieve by complete stages, or by purchasing through the app.

    Tuesday, September 24, 2019

    After 22 years, 10-year-old Ash Ketchum is finally a Pokemon Master

    Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum competed in seven Pokemon League tournaments before finally winning this week. (Pokemon Company International)

    What does Ash Ketchum want?

    The main character of the Pokemon TV series has always made his purpose clear.

    To catch every Pokemon (his last name is Ketchum, after all), and to be "the very best."

    Not only are these goals said in the opening line of the show's iconic theme song, but they also drive the plot in each of the anime's 22 seasons and many of the franchise's 122 games.

    But since the show premiered in 1997, generations of kids have seen Ash make it to the Pokemon League Tournament only to fall short of first place and the title of Pokemon Master.

    Until now.

    Tweet from Kevin M says congratulations Ash and shows his rankings going back to 1999 with 1st place champion in 2019.

    Twenty-two years later, Ash Ketchum (who to the audience's knowledge is still 10) was finally declared a Pokemon Master in the latest episode of the anime, where he won the Alola Region's official Pokemon League tournament.

    Now that's determination.

    And Twitter thinks so, too.

    Since the episode, Ash has basically become a posterboy for following your dreams.

    Understandably, many users are also shocked.

    After so many years, people started to assume that Ash's true destiny was just to be a runner-up.

    And perhaps he did, too.

    As expected, Ash's big moment is the perfect target for meme-ification.

    Many of the memes have been comparing Ash's journey to that of Leonardo DiCaprio, who became famous for losing at the Oscars until finally winning the best actor award in 2016 for his role in The Revenant.

    Tweet from Karolina Vega says Same energy over photo of Ash with trophy next to Leonardo DiCaprio holding an Oscar.

    Tweet from Peashy RedTail says Ash Ketchum is the equivalent of Leonardo DiCaprio over image of Ash's head on DiCaprio's body.

    At this point, Ash probably deserves an Oscar, too. Even if they have nothing to do with Pokemon trainers.

    But until that happens, the internet's massive congratulations is probably good enough for Ash.

    Sunday, September 22, 2019

    Pokemon's Ash finally becomes a master after 22 years

    When Ash Ketchum first hit our screens in 1997 in the global hit Pokemon, he says in the theme song: "I wanna be, the very best, like no one ever was."

    Now the star of the anime franchise that is responsible for films, video games and trading cards has finally lived up to his dream, and become a Pokemon master.

    The show, which is centred on the perpetual 10-year-old Ash Ketchum and his dream of becoming a master, features hundreds of animal-type characters called Pokemon, which can be caught, trained and used in battle against one another.

    Image: Ash has been a fixture on our screens for 22 years. Pic: The Pokemon Company

    In an episode that aired in Japan this weekend, Ash beat Gladion to win the Alola Region league - meaning he claimed his first major trophy in the show and can finally call himself a master after years of defeats and upset.

    The newly-crowned Pokemon master had previously won smaller competitions, but fans argue that victory in these tournaments were not enough to be given the trophy.

    In celebration of their protagonist's win, the official Pokemon Twitter account tweeted: "Anything's possible when you believe in yourself, Trainers."

    The original English-speaking voice of Ash, Veronica Taylor, also offered her congratulations in a nostalgia-filled clip of her speaking as the character on Twitter.

    In a gentle mock to the never-ageing nature of Ash, she says: "Hey Ash, it's your younger, but still the same age, self - congratulations on winning the Pokemon league!"

    In the tweet she says that "hard work, determination, good friends, and a bit of luck" pays off.

    The franchise first became popular in Britain when trading cards were released, giving way to scores of children and like-minded adults exchanging and battling Pokemon in the late 90s.

    After that, dozens of video games followed, as did the long-running TV show, which became a staple on children's television.

    :: Listen to Backstage on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

    Most recently the franchise broke in to the mobile market and developed Pokemon GO, an augmented reality app which enabled users to "catch" the creatures in their homes and on the streets.

    Earlier in the year, live action film Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, starring Ryan Reynolds as the voice of the fluffy yellow creature, became the highest grossing video game film ever, with another movie from the franchise planned for 2020.

    Saturday, September 21, 2019

    Pokemon Masters Announces Next Sync Pair Addition

    Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver fans will be thrilled with the next addition to Pokemon Masters. Earlier today, Pokemon Masters confirmed that Lyra and Chikorita will be the next Sync Pair added to the game. The duo will be added as part of a Grass-type Training event that will help players level up their Grass-type Sync Pairs. Lyra and Chikorita are a 5-Star Sync Pair with a focus on Support. While the duo has only one attack - Energy Ball - they also have the defensive move Light Screen as well as two abilities that can buff an entire party.

    Additionally, Chikorita can also evolve all the way into Meganium. In addition to getting some permanent stat boosts for evolving, Meganium also has the special Sync Move "Heart of Gold Leaf Storm" which gains power based on the number of buffs Meganium has.

    Lyra is the female player character of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver and is best known for her oversized cap with a large red bow. Players can choose Lyra at the start of the Pokemon games, and she makes several minor appearances if players choose Ethan (the male Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver player character) instead. Lyra also made several appearances in the Pokemon anime, appearing in the Sinnoh region but having several Pokemon from the Johto region including Chikorita and Marill.

    Lyra is the second new Sync Pair to appear in Pokemon Masters after Blue. Players will have the ability to obtain Lyra through the Sync Pair Scout feature. While she'd usually have a pretty slim chance of appearing from the Sync Pair Scout, Pokemon Masters will have a banner event that will give players a slightly boosted chance of grabbing the Sync Pair.

    Pokemon Masters has not announced when the duo will appear in the game, but expect an appearance pretty soon.

    Friday, September 20, 2019

    ‘Pokemon Masters’ Is Shaping Up To Be A Hit With $25 Million In Week 1 Revenue

    Sensor Tower

    Sensor Tower

    Nintendo’s mobile offerings have been hit or miss over the past few years with monsters like Pokemon GO and disappointments like Super Mario Run. But Pokemon Masters, the new mobile game which focuses on collecting trainers as well as Pokemon, is shaping up to be a hit possibly on the scale of something like Fire Emblem Heroes. And that’s because it’s monetized almost exactly the same way.

    Sensor Tower is reporting that Pokemon Masters has already made $25 million in its first week of release, which is impressive because it’s nearly half of what mega-hit Pokemon GO made in its first week of release, $56 million. And yet digging a bit deeper it’s a little less impressive when you realize those figures were from GO launching in five markets, while Pokemon Masters launched in over 60.

    Still, it’s clear that this one of Nintendo’s best performing mobile Pokemon titles, dwarfing the likes of Pokemon Quest or Magikarp Jump, and may go on to be one of its best performing mobile titles period, if this keeps up.

    Pokemon Masters

    DeNA

    Why is Pokemon Masters working? Two main reasons.

    First, it’s a game that DeNA has put a lot of effort into development for Nintendo with top notch animations and a fairly robust battle/story system, albeit one obviously stripped down from the handhelds. It’s using the draw of famous faces from the Pokemon franchise to get players to try to hunt down their favorite gym leaders or trainers, a new twist past collecting just Pokemon alone.

    But the reason for the revenue amount is no doubt because of its model, which is very similar to Fire Emblem Heroes. It’s effectively a gacha loot box-based model where players “scout” for new trainers to join their team, and they’ll appear randomly with a certain star rank. So, in other words, you will have to shell out a load of money to hunt down high-star, top-tier trainers in the game, and many players seem content doing just that.

    Pokemon GO produced massive revenue without any gacha elements or loot boxes because of its sheer scale alone. But Nintendo has struggled with other monetization models like trying to get players to pay a one-time fee for a full version of Super Mario Run, something pretty antithetical to the current mobile market. But gacha loot boxes? That’s an old trick and one that already has worked well in Fire Emblem for Nintendo, so it’s no surprise that it’s working twice, particularly in Asia where there is far less pushback about that kind of monetization. It’s simply expected.

    We will see how Pokemon Masters does in the long term, but it’s performing well as GO also continues to do extremely well this late into its lifespan, grossing over $100 million last month as one of its best ever. And with Pokemon Sword and Shield out this fall, the series will continue to print more money for Nintendo than ever between all these different iterations.

    Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Read my new sci-fi thriller novel Herokiller, available now in print and online. I also wrote The Earthborn Trilogy.

    After 20 Years, Ash Earns the Title of Pokémon Master

    It's been two decades of struggle for Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum. Despite his best efforts, the perpetual ten-year-old has never achieved his ultimate dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. But all of that has finally changed. In the most recent episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon, Ash wins the championship competition of the Alola League at long last. This moment finally gives the franchise's main character an official Pokémon League tournament win. "Good things come to those who wait" is an old saying that turned out to be true in this instance. But man… what a wait.

    The episode has thus far only aired in Japan, but news travels fast. And fans all over the world are expressing their excitement and disbelief at Ash's long awaited win all over social media.

    But the most important mention of all came from original Ash voice actor Veronica Taylor, who tweeted out her congratulations to the character from his "younger self." And that's the sound of every '90s kid across the globe as their hearts melt.

    This win isn't without controversy however; the Sun and Moon series (along with their respective games) haven't been as well received by some longtime fans of the franchise due to the massive breaks in tradition that have formed the foundation of the series for the past 20 years. But nevertheless, Ash has, for the most part, been the underdog. Or at the very least drawn that way. He's someone that can be rooted for universally because he's simply a kid with a dream and he works towards accomplishing it with the help of his Pokemon and the friends he makes along the way.

    Here's hoping it's not 2040 before Ash wins his next championship. Maybe by that time he'll have hit puberty?

    Images: The Pokémon Company

    Wednesday, September 18, 2019

    Sensor Tower: Pokémon Masters makes $26 million in first week

    The new mobile game Pokémon Masters made $26 million in its first seven days, according to mobile market analyst Sensor Tower. That estimate does not include China.

    Pokémon Masters came out on August 29. While many Pokémon experiences center around capturing and collecting pocket monsters, Masters focuses on the franchise's trainers and gym leaders. You use them to compete in 3-vs.-3 battles against computer opponents.

    Masters is off to a better start than most other Pokémon mobile games, although it is still far from a Pokémon Go-sized mega hit, as you can see in the Sensor Tower chart below.

    Pokémon Masters compared to other Pokémon mobile games.

    Above: Pokémon Masters compared to other Pokémon mobile games.

    Image Credit: Sensor Tower

    Japan lead in player spending, contributing $16 million (62%) of the $26 million total. The Japanese company DeNA developed and published Pokémon Masters.

    After more than 1,000 episodes and 22 films, Ash Ketchum is finally a Pokémon Master

    Ash Ketchum, the hero of the "Pokémon" animated series, has finally become a Pokémon Master after more than 20 years of adventures.

    Joined by his iconic partner Pikachu, Ash left home in the first episode of "Pokémon" with the dream of becoming a master Pokémon trainer. The series debuted in Japan in 1997 and arrived in the United States a year later. For more than 1,000 episodes and 22 feature films, the "Pokémon" animated series has followed Ash's travels around the fictional world as he encounters hundreds of Pokémon and battles his fellow trainers.

    To become a Pokémon Master, trainers must win a tournament against the toughest competition in their region, called the Pokémon League. After coming up short in six Pokémon League tournaments, Ash captured his first championship in the Alola region against a rival trainer named Gladion.

    Surprisingly, it wasn't Ash's Pikachu who won the final battle. He used Lycanroc, a wolf Pokémon, to defeat Gladion's Lycanroc in a fight that came down to the last hit. The episode aired in Japan on Sunday but hasn't officially been translated to English.

    Read more: A rare Pokémon card worth $60,000 got lost in the mail, and the seller is offering a $1,000 bounty for its return

    "Pokémon" has only continued to grow in popularity in the past two decades, and Ash's journey has touched millions of people around the world. While his failure to win the Pokémon League had become a running joke among fans through the years, Ash's victory sparked celebration around social media.

    The "Pokémon" director and composer Junichi Masuda retweeted messages of support from countries including Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Australia. Fans said Ash's persistence through the years should serve as a reminder that success could be a long journey.

    Despite being on the air for more than two decades, Ash hasn't really aged since the start of the series â€" he's been 10 years old since 1997.

    It's unclear whether the next season of the "Pokémon" anime will replace Ash with a different protagonist, but the Pokémon champion will still have plenty to do on his own adventures â€" after all, he's still gotta catch 'em all.

    Tuesday, September 17, 2019

    Pokémon: Ash Ketchum finally becomes a Pokémon Master

    Ash Ketchum, hero of Pokémon anime, has been working hard for over TWENTY years and it's finally paid off! He's now a Pokemon Master.

    Since 1997, Pokémon superstar Ash Ketchum has been travelling far and wide in an attempt to catch 'em all.

    Yet, in all 22 years of training and battling to be the best, Ash has always fallen short and been defeated by stronger trainers in Pokémon League tournaments.

    But his fortune has suddenly changed and his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master has finally come true!

    In the latest episode of "Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon," Ash wins the championship competition of the Alola Leag ue.

    This epic moment is the first time the main character has won an official Pokémon League tournament.

    Fans have taken to social media to congratulate Ash on this huge achievement!

    One said "History moment right there" and another couldn't hide their excitement with "ASH FINALLY DID IT GUYS!"

    Veronica Taylor voiced the original English version of Ash and sent her congrats to him

    Veronica Taylor, the actress who voiced the original English version of Ash in the first eight seasons, also sent her congratulations. "Congratulations to Ash Ketchum on winning the Pokémon League from Ash's 'younger' self, circa 1998...yup, hard work, determina tion, good friends, and a bit of luck pay off!" she tweeted Sunday.

    Monday, September 16, 2019

    Ash Ketchum finally becomes a Pokémon master after 22 years!

    For 22 years, Ash Ketchum has had one thing on his mind: to become a Pokemon master, along with his trusty Pikachu by his side.

    As the iconic title song goes, he has "wanted to be the very best, like no one ever was". And now it's finally happened!

    In the latest episode of Pokemon: Sun & Moon, the Pokemon trainer wins the championship competition of the Alola League, making it the first ever time Ash has won an official Pokémon League tournament, making him a Pokemon Master.

    The Pokemon anime premiered first in Japan in 1997 and became a global phenomenon. It was inspired by the video games of the same name, that were first released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy. Since then, movies such as Pokemon Detective Pikachu and the augmented reality game Pokemon Go have aided to the popularity of the franchise among kids and adults alike, across the world.

    For those who came in late: Pokemon is centered on fictional creatures that human trainers catch , befriend and then train for sport in an alternate universe. The tagline for the English version 'Gotta Catch 'Em All' is one of the most famous in video-game and anime folklore.

    Now, Ash Ketchum's achievement at becoming a Pokemon master is celebrated by fans all over on social media, including celebrities. Even Even director and composer Junichi Masuda tweeted on the same, congratulating the character. Ash has been journeying for two decades (in his perpetual 10-year-old avatar) with this elusive goal in sight, battling several enemies, Pokemon, and other Masters along the way that has made for epic viewing.

     

    The official Pokemon Twitter account tweeted: "Anything's possible when you believe in yourself, Trainers."

    Veronica Taylor, who originally voiced Ash in the English anime, also offered her congratulations with a post on Twitter.

     

    Pokemon the series: Sun and Moon has not aired its 139th episode in English yet, in which Ash becomes a Pokemon Master, as fans outside Japan wait to celebrate.

    Ash Ketchum finally becomes a Pokémon Master and fans have different #feels

    Every 90s kid knows that Ash Ketchum—the main character of the ever-popular Pokémon anime—had always wanted to be the very best like no one ever was. But to become a Pokémon Master, the 10-year-old trainer from Pallet Town had to catch all the pocket monsters and win against a number of Pokémon League tournaments. 

    via comicbook online

    For 22 years, we have become witnesses to Ash's ups and downs. He lost a lot of times to more "experienced" Pokemon trainers and even got Pikachu injured during the first few battles. After all, the story of the Japanese series has pretty much always been the same—but recently, this changed when Ash finally became a Pokemon Master!

    via GIPHY

    In the most recent episode of "Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon", Ash finally reached his dreams after winning the Alola League championship competition. 

    Because of that major achievement, Twitter users immediately and enthusiastically jumped on it: 

    Even the long-time director of the show congratulated the protagonist's achievement

    Apparently, not everyone seems too ecstatic about it

    So does Ash's victory signify the show's nearing end? Although we can't really tell what's next for him, one thing is for sure: It doesn't matter how slow the journey is, as long as you never give up like Ash! 

    ____

    Read more from InqPOP!: 

    A parked driver was caught playing Pokemon Go on 8 phones

    To all aspiring trainers: Are you ready for your next Pokémon quest?

    LOOK: Pokémon bubble tea craze all set to hit Japan

    Sunday, September 15, 2019

    Use these Pokémon Master tips and become the best there ever was

    Pokémon Masters is the latest game in the series to hit mobile phones, and it's quite different from some of the other Pokémon games we've played thus far. Rather than focus solely on developing and evolving your monsters, you also collect a roster of famous trainers that increase in power alongside their partner Pokémon. For combat, that means battles with several trainers controlling their own Pokémon at once, and keeping track of everything can be difficult for newcomers. We've collected our best Pokémon Masters tips and tricks so that you can get the hang of the game and become "the best there ever was" in no time.

    Pokémon Master tips and tricks Do your story quests before visiting the store Pokémon Masters Store

    Pokémon Masters is a free-to-play game, and with that model comes microtransactions at the in-game store. This is where you can acquire new trainers through the Sync Pair Scout system, and it costs gems in order to do this. This can be a good way to bolster your party down the line, but completing story quests will give you all the trainers you need early on. The prices for getting additional gems is also not cheap, and you don't want to waste them all at the beginning of the game.

    It's okay if your team is not balanced

    You'll notice almost immediately that your team composition in Pokémon Masters looks unbalanced. This might be one reason why you check the store so early. However, this is by design. The chapters you start to complete in the story each have enemies with the same general weaknesses and strengths.

    Having all grass and electric Pokémon isn't an ideal strategy in the other games, but it will work here. As you push forward in the story, you will meet trainers that balance your party out, and you can then get more creative with battles.

    Always use the best Pokemon for the job Pokémon Masters Battle

    Three trainers and their Pokémon are deployed at once during battles, which might suggest to you that you need to be using all characters equally in order to win. This is not true. It is a completely valid strategy to have your strongest character attack exclusively, as the recharging move bar at the bottom of the screen is tied to your entire team rather than an individual Pokémon.

    If your Pikachu just attacked three times and can't move, neither can your other two Pokémon. Certain Pokémon can also damage multiple enemies with one attack, and if the enemies are weak against it, attacking repeatedly can end a battle quickly.

    Double-tap the enemy you want to attack

    Pokémon Masters generally does a good job of relaying information, but it is very easy to accidentally attack the wrong enemy, wasting your powerful abilities. Before you choose your move, double-tap on the targeted enemy to ensure the attack goes to the right target. This is particularly important if a separate enemy just fainted, as the game can auto-select an enemy that doesn't make sense to attack with your current Pokémon.

    Skipping conversations won't affect rewards Pokémon Masters Sync Pair Stories

    Alongside story quests, you'll also see something called "Sync Pair Stories" on the "Explore" section of the game. These are conversations you can optionally complete that give you more information about the newest members of your team, with later ones also giving you access to things like evolutions.

    There is a lot of chatting during them, however, you don't actually have to do the conversation if you don't want to. Select the right arrow in the corner of the screen when dialogue begins, and you will instantly skip it without affecting your gem haul.

    Sync Moves can change the course of a battle

    If a battle isn't going your way, you can always pull out your secret weapon: the Sync Move. Unlike standard attacks, you can't simply wait in order to use Sync Moves. Instead, they become available after you've done a certain number of attacks in a battle already.

    If you attack a Pokémon's weakness with a Sync Move, it will decimate their health. Should your other attacks not be doing much damage, focus on those that only use one bar of your move gauge so that you can get the Sync Move ticker down to zero as quickly as possible.

    Complete Training missions Pokémon Masters Training Area

    A few chapters into Pokémon Masters, you'll unlock the Training category on the "Explore" page. As with the Sync Pair Stories, these are optional objectives, but they give you the chance to unlock power-up items and increase your trainers' levels before attempting harder story content. Some of them will be too difficult you to beat right off the bat, but check back to Training periodically to see what you're able to complete. There's no drawback to trying, and the levels you gain just might put you over the edge in the next story chapter.

    Don't worry about over-leveling one character

    After you've completed several missions in a row with a particular trainer in your lineup, they can start to dwarf the rest of your roster in terms of level. This is generally a bad thing in the main role-playing Pokémon games, but it doesn't matter all that much in Masters because it's quite easy to get everyone else up to the same level.

    As you progress and make your way through battles, you'll earn "Level-up Manuals" that can be applied to individual trainers to level them up in between story chapters. Just a few of them will usually be enough to make your weakest Pokémon more formidable.

    Claim your mission rewards Pokémon Masters Mission Rewards

    It can be easy to forget if you are barreling through story quests, but head back to the main screen and check your missions on your Poryphone in the right corner of the screen. These missions don't need to be accepted ahead of time, and give you rewards for doing things like obtaining a certain type of item, competing battles, or evolving a Pokémon. There are "general" missions as well as "daily" missions that you can complete every day. Your reward is often gems and Level-up Manuals, both of which you will often be short on otherwise.

    Editors' Recommendations

    Pokémon Masters is no Pokémon Go, but it’s good enough for $26M in first week

    Pokémon Masters, the latest mobile game in the franchise by The Pokémon Company and DeNA, hit the ground running on its first week, but still not enough to match the overwhelming popularity of Pokémon Go.

    According to estimates by Sensor Tower, the free-to-play Pokémon Masters earned about $26 million in its first week after launching in more than 60 countries, which is good enough for the second-best mobile launch for a Pokémon game. The title surpassed Pokémon Quest, Pokémon Magikarp Jump, and Pokémon Rumble Rush, which had first-week revenues of only $3 million, $1 million, and $300,000, respectively.

    Unsurprisingly, the majority of the game's revenue was generated in Nintendo's home country of Japan, where it earned $16 million, or about 62% of the total, followed by almost $4.5 million, or about 17%, from the United States. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and France rounded out the top five markets. Sensor Tower added that 72% of the revenue came from iOS devices, with Android devices making up the remaining 28%.

    Pokémon Masters, however, did not even come close to the revenue of Pokémon Go during its first seven days. The game earned $56 million even though it initially launched in only Australia, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, and the United States.

    There are two main reasons for the initial success of Pokémon Masters, according to Forbes' Paul Tassi. The first is the effort that DeNA put into the game's development, which can be seen in the animations, story, and battle system. The second and more important factor is the title's monetization model, which works very similar to Fire Emblem Heroes in that it offers players the option to spend money to recruit powerful trainers. At $26 million in its first week, it looks like a significant number of players made the choice of spending real-world cash on microtransactions to power up their teams.

    Pokémon Go remains popular to this day, and with Pokémon Masters joining the fray, fans of the series have a multitude of video game options for their daily commute. Nintendo is also set to release Pokémon Sword and Shield on November 15 alongside a special edition of the Nintendo Switch Lite, for a more complete collecting and battling experience.

    Editors' Recommendations

    Saturday, September 14, 2019

    'Pokémon Masters' Rock-Type Training Event: Start Time and Everything You Need to Know

    The next event for Pokémon Masters has been announced and will focus on Rock-type Pokémon and feature the trainer, Olivia and her Midnight Form Lycanroc.

    Similar to the Blue and Pidgeot event that is currently in Pokémon Masters, this Rock-Type Training Event will allow for players to fight and level-up their rocky Pokémon as fast as possible while also receiving an increased chance at pulling one of the most powerful Sync Pairs in the game.

    If you're looking for all the information regarding the Rock-type Training Event in Pokémon Masters, here's everything you need to know including when it begins and ends.

    POKEMON MASTERS ROCK-TYPE TRAINING EVENT START TIME

    The Rock-type Training Event in Pokémon Masters will begin Tuesday, September 10 at 2 a.m. EDT and end Tuesday, September 24 at 1:59 a.m. EDT.

    IN-GAME PERKS

    The official Pokémon Masters social media account announced that this event will help level up your Rock-type Pokémon while posting an image of Blaine and his Rapidash. The Fire-type Pokémon is weak to Rock-type attacks in Pokémon Masters so players can expect more opponents like Blaine who can be taken down by Rock-type attacks.

    To help you in this event, players will likely be teamed with Olivia and her Lycanroc similar to how Blue and his Pidgeot were a part of your team. This is the perfect chance to battle and see how Olivia fares in Pokémon Masters if you haven't scouted her already.

    Check out Olivia and Lycanroc's Sync Move below.

    Players will need to have completed Chapter 5 of the main story to participate in this event.

    Also, players will have an increased chance to appear through scouting during the event. Be sure to use your gems on the scouting with Olivia's banner above it.

    WHICH POKEMON TO USE DURING THE EVENT

    There are currently only a handful of Rock-type Pokémon in Pokémon Masters. Both of Brock's Sync Pairs are obtained through the main story while the others are randomly dropped in Scouts. However, if you're looking to level up some of these Pokémon this is the perfect time to do so.

    Here is a list of Rock-type Pokémon found in Pokémon Masters:

    5-Star Scout

  • Olivia and Lycanroc (Midnight)
  • 4-Star Scout

    3-Star Scout

  • Roark and Cranidos
  • Roxanne and Nosepass
  • Brock and Onix
  • Brock and Tyranitar
  • What do you think of the upcoming event in Pokémon Masters? Let us know your favorite Rock-type Sync Pair in the comments section.

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    Thursday, September 12, 2019

    Pokemon Masters: a way to evolve and mega-evolve Pokemon

    a close up of a sign: Pokemon Masters: How to evolve © provided via Future Publishing Ltd. Pokemon Masters: the way to evolve

    The newest pocket monster game has individuals immensely puzzled about how to evolve in Pokemon Masters, since it's now not made instantly clear. To clear it up, we've got got this Pokemon Masters evolution e book which includes everything on  a way to evolve Pokemon in Pokemon Masters, together with which Pokemon can be advanced, and even the way to mega evolve. read up for everything you need to find out about the way to evolve Pokemon in Pokemon Masters.

    a close up of a sign: Pokemon Masters evolution shard © offered by means of Future Publishing Ltd. Pokemon Masters evolution shard Pokemon Masters: a way to evolve Pokemon a screenshot of a computer: Pokemon Masters: How to evolve © supplied by means of Future Publishing Ltd. Pokemon Masters: the way to evolve

    Evolution in Pokemon Masters works otherwise to another Pokemon video game. gone are the days of accomplishing a specific level for definite Pokemon and having them instantly evolve, because now, you deserve to use two specific sorts of item to adapt Pokemon, and only after they reach a specific degree, which is an identical across the board for all Pokemon eligible to conform.

    First up, the required stage: in order to evolve a simple Pokemon – a Pokemon earlier than it has advanced in any respect, like Totodile or Surskit – the sync pair must be at degree 30. this is a flat standards for every simple Pokemon. in case you wish to evolve a stage one Pokemon (after or not it's developed once) right into a stage two Pokemon, the sync pair has to be degree 45. not all Pokemon can evolve youngsters; greater on that almost immediately.

    Even when a sync pair reaches degree 30, the Pokemon might not evolve instantly. If or not it's one of the Pokemon eligible to conform you then need to do a number of things, starting with buying five Evolution Shards from the store. These charge 1,000 coins to begin with, but afterwards they turn into tremendously more costly.

    Use the 5 Evolution Shards on the new storyline as a way to have appeared for your sync pair about evolution. i would suggest ready unless you are a fair larger level before tackling it notwithstanding, because these battles are challenging and eat 5 Evolution Shards each and every time.

    to evolve a Pokemon for the 2nd time, comparable to Servine into Serperior (after evolving Snivy), the sync pair has to be at the least level 45 and it'll cost three Evolution Stones at 5,000 coins. Afterwards, they ramp up to a whopping 300,000 cash. once again, wait until you may have levelled up even additional because these are complicated battles.

    Pokemon Masters: Which Pokemon can evolve?

    there's tons of of Pokemon that can evolve on this planet of Pokemon, but the suggestions are diverse right here in Pokemon Masters. most effective certain sync pairs can evolve, and lamentably, your starting Pikachu is never certainly one of them. unfortunate, Raichu enthusiasts. here's the complete list of sync pairs that may evolve in Pokemon Masters, that we know about at the time of writing:

  • Barry and Piplup (evolves into Prinplup, Empoleon)
  • Kris and Totodile (evolves into Croconaw, Feraligatr)
  • Lyra and Chikorita (evolves into Bayleef, Meganium)
  • Pryce and Seel (evolves into Dewgong)
  • Rosa and Snivy (evolves into Servine, Serperior)
  • Viola and Surskit (evolves into Masquerain)
  • These are all of the ones we've got discovered thus far, so we will make certain to update this checklist if there is any longer.

    Pokemon Masters: how to Mega Evolve

    Mega Evolutions additionally feature in Pokemon Masters, as transient boosts for particular person Pokemon for a single battle. These can be found by way of Sync moves for certain Pokemon, and best get triggered in the event you use a Sync circulation however will dwell Mega developed for the leisure of the combat. here are the entire Sync Pairs that may Mega Evolve in Pokemon Masters:

  • Agatha and Mega Gengar
  • Blue and Mega Pidgeot
  • Bugsy and Mega Beedrill
  • Karen and Mega Houndoom
  • Korrina and Mega Lucario
  • Noland and Mega Pinsir
  • once again, if we find any more, we will update this record and allow you to recognize.

    it really is all we learn about how to evolve in Pokemon Masters, so confidently you've gotten discovered it valuable. when you are bored of Pokemon Masters, why no longer take a glance at our ideal iPhone video games or most appropriate Android video games lists to discover whatever thing else to play?

    Wednesday, September 11, 2019

    ‘Pokemon Masters’ Is Shaping up to Be a hit With $25 Million In Week 1 income

    Sensor Tower

    Sensor Tower

    Nintendo's mobile choices were hit and miss over the past few years with monsters like Pokemon GO and disappointments like tremendous Mario Run. but Pokemon Masters, the brand new cell online game which makes a speciality of collecting trainers in addition to Pokemon, is shaping up to be a success maybe on the size of whatever like hearth brand Heroes. And that's because it's monetized well-nigh the exact same way.

    Sensor Tower is reporting that Pokemon Masters has already made $25 million in its first week of unlock, which is extraordinary since it's well-nigh half of what mega-hit Pokemon GO made in its first week of unlock, $fifty six million. And yet digging a bit of deeper it's a little less spectacular in case you recognize those figures had been from GO launching in five markets, whereas Pokemon Masters launched in over 60.

    nonetheless, it's clear that this considered one of Nintendo's foremost performing cell Pokemon titles, dwarfing the likes of Pokemon Quest or Magikarp bounce, and may go on to be considered one of its most reliable performing mobile titles length, if this maintains up.

    Pokemon Masters

    DeNA

    Why is Pokemon Masters working? Two main factors.

    First, it's a online game that DeNA has put lots of effort into building for Nintendo with incredible animations and a fairly powerful combat/story gadget, albeit one obviously stripped down from the handhelds. It's using the draw of famous faces from the Pokemon franchise to get gamers to try to hunt down their favorite health club leaders or trainers, a new twist past amassing simply Pokemon by myself.

    but the cause of the earnings amount is no doubt on account of its model, which is very similar to fireplace brand Heroes. It's without problems a gacha loot field-based mostly mannequin where gamers "scout" for new trainers to join their crew, and they'll seem randomly with a certain big name rank. So, in different words, you are going to should shell out a load of cash to seek out high-celebrity, desirable-tier trainers in the video game, and a lot of gamers look content doing just that.

    Pokemon GO produced large revenue with none gacha aspects or loot bins on account of its sheer scale by myself. however Nintendo has struggled with other monetization models like attempting to get avid gamers to pay a one-time charge for a full edition of tremendous Mario Run, something relatively antithetical to the existing cell market. but gacha loot containers? That's an historical trick and one which already has worked well in fireplace brand for Nintendo, so it's no shock that it's working twice, principally in Asia the place there is far less pushback about that kind of monetization. It's with no trouble anticipated.

    we can see how Pokemon Masters does in the future, however's performing well as GO also continues to do extraordinarily smartly this late into its lifespan, grossing over $a hundred million ultimate month as one among its greatest ever. And with Pokemon Sword and protect out q4, the series will proceed to print more funds for Nintendo than ever between all these different iterations.

    follow me on Twitter, fb and Instagram. study my new sci-fi thriller novel Herokiller, accessible now in print and on-line. I additionally wrote The Earthborn Trilogy.

    'Pokémon Masters' Rock-classification training event: start Time and every thing You should know

    The next event for Pokémon Masters has been announced and may focus on Rock-classification Pokémon and have the trainer, Olivia and her midnight form Lycanroc.

    corresponding to the Blue and Pidgeot adventure that's currently in Pokémon Masters, this Rock-class practicing event will enable for gamers to combat and stage-up their rocky Pokémon as quickly as possible while additionally receiving an multiplied probability at pulling one of the crucial strongest Sync Pairs in the video game.

    if you are hunting for the entire information related to the Rock-class practicing experience in Pokémon Masters, here's every thing you need to be aware of including when it begins and ends.

    POKEMON MASTERS ROCK-classification working towards adventure start TIME

    The Rock-category working towards adventure in Pokémon Masters will begin Tuesday, September 10 at 2 a.m. EDT and conclusion Tuesday, September 24 at 1:fifty nine a.m. EDT.

    IN-online game PERKS

    The respectable Pokémon Masters social media account introduced that this event will support level up your Rock-classification Pokémon whereas posting a picture of Blaine and his Rapidash. The hearth-type Pokémon is vulnerable to Rock-category assaults in Pokémon Masters so avid gamers can are expecting extra opponents like Blaine who can also be taken down by Rock-category assaults.

    To aid you in this adventure, gamers is usually teamed with Olivia and her Lycanroc akin to how Blue and his Pidgeot were a part of your group. this is the perfect chance to combat and spot how Olivia fares in Pokémon Masters if you have not scouted her already.

    check out Olivia and Lycanroc's Sync stream under.

    players will need to have accomplished Chapter 5 of the main story to take part in this adventure.

    additionally, avid gamers will have an accelerated chance to seem through scouting all the way through the experience. be sure to make use of your gem stones on the scouting with Olivia's banner above it.

    WHICH POKEMON to make use of during THE experience

    There are at the moment most effective a handful of Rock-classification Pokémon in Pokémon Masters. both of Brock's Sync Pairs are acquired during the main story whereas the others are randomly dropped in Scouts. however, when you are seeking to level up some of these Pokémon here is the excellent time to do so.

    here is a list of Rock-category Pokémon found in Pokémon Masters:

    5-famous person Scout

  • Olivia and Lycanroc (midnight)
  • 4-star Scout

    three-famous person Scout

  • Roark and Cranidos
  • Roxanne and Nosepass
  • Brock and Onix
  • Brock and Tyranitar
  • What do you believe of the upcoming adventure in Pokémon Masters? tell us your favorite Rock-classification Sync Pair in the feedback area.

    Tuesday, September 10, 2019

    Pokemon Masters to cling Rock-category event With Olivia Scout Banner

    The subsequent Pokemon Masters event could be concentrated on Rock-type Pokemon, and should include extended chances to gain the strongest Rock-class Sync Pair in the game. Over the weekend, Pokemon Masters introduced that it will be internet hosting a Rock-class working towards adventure, which is designed to make it easier to level up Rock-classification Sync Pairs. although full particulars are not obtainable in regards to the adventure, it will likely take place in October after the conclusion of the current Story event focusing on Blue. moreover, Pokemon Masters will cling a Banner adventure involving Olivia, the strongest Rock-class coach within the online game. right through the banner adventure, avid gamers can have a better chance of pulling Olivia when they use the Sync Pair Scout.

    Pokemon Masters is the free-to-play Pokemon cellular video game that facilities on 3-on-three battles. players build teams using "Sync Pairs" of 1 Pokemon and one trainer and then fight them in entertaining realtime competitions. Olivia and her Lycanroc are extraordinarily effective because of their Stone facet attack, a 3-bar actual attack that deals big hurt to a single Pokemon. Olivia can also boost her Lycanroc's attack stat using her X attack buff, and he or she can use the "challenging As Diamonds!" capacity to increase her accuracy and critical-hit rate. Lycanroc's passive ability also increases its velocity when it lands a critical Hit.

    Olivia is presently purchasable in Pokemon Masters, but the banner experience will possible raise her look rate to 2.0%. we'll see if the Rock-type adventure features any other surprises, corresponding to a new Sync Pair or a new Sygma swimsuit, which gives a coach another Pokemon.

    Pokemon Masters is off to a sizzling delivery, drawing in over $10 million in sales over the first week of the video game. gamers have loved the interesting take on Pokemon battles, however have criticized the online game for its grindy nature and its high charge of paid materials. The video game is presently accessible on both iOS and Android contraptions.

    Monday, September 9, 2019

    Pokémon Masters: 5 information for freshmen to get started

    so that you wish to be the champion of the Pokémon Masters League, do you? like all hopefuls, you must birth on the backside and work your means up. in case you're struggling to get started, although, I have some Pokémon Masters tips that i am hoping will support offer you a beginning raise. 

    1. remember of combat situations.

    It can also be easy to focal point only for your existing battle, but if you wish to be a hit, you'll ought to take note of the combat scene you're in. For starters, while battles are three-on-three, this most effective applies to the fight within the second. Some fits actually have backup trainers waiting in the wings. These trainers will pop in to substitute a specific trainer once you've knocked them out. happily, this tips will be made available to you in advance of a specific fight, so that you can select the choicest strategic moment to knock the corresponding trainer out.

    Pokémon Masters

    Pokémon Masters

    an extra big component to bear in mind of is that the majority situations in the story have you take part in dissimilar battles. Pokémon Masters tells you what number of battles you'll face as you select the stage. cautious alternative of your team is basic since you won't be able to swap them out mid-situation. 

    ultimately, Pokémon that live on the primary fight will fill up health between each of those skirmishes; any fainted Pokémon stay unusable. Your gadgets and non-attacking moves will not refresh their utilization. if you expend your whole potions within the first in shape, you won't have any for the 2nd. since you only get battle rewards and journey once you complete a whole situation, you wish to make sure no longer handiest that you simply survive the first combat, but that you simply go away yourself in a favorable position for the others.

    2. Don't be afraid to lose.

    always, in cellular video games, dropping a stage potential the lack of precious stamina, which means you'll both should watch for it to fill up or pay for more to be able to are attempting once again. Pokémon Masters has no such device notwithstanding. This potential that you just shouldn't be afraid to lose! aside from kicking you again to the lobby and dropping your growth within a stage, there's no draw back to getting crushed. There are some above all difficult battles in the video game, and often it takes a bit of of trial and blunder to discover a great method. with the aid of losing a suit, you beginning to remember what you did that didn't work, and as a result what you can do to repair it.

    3. check category effectiveness.

    Like in all Pokémon video games, taking skills of classification effectiveness can do an international of first rate. if you're regularly occurring with the classification effectiveness equipment from the mainline games, although, you'll need to modify to Pokémon Masters' simplified version.

    each Pokémon in Masters has a single weak point, and best assaults of that type can be tremendous beneficial. for example, take Ponyta. As a fire category, you'd are expecting it to be vulnerable against water-, floor-, and rock-classification strikes. although, in Pokémon Masters, Ponyta is simply weak against rock. whereas this appears counterintuitive, notably to these usual with the lengthy-based gadget, the simplified approach it's dealt with here makes it effortless for freshmen to the franchise.

    earlier than you arise in palms complaining about how gamers are speculated to determine this out, Pokémon Masters has you lined. each opposing Pokémon has a hallmark above it noting its weakness! Even ahead of getting into the situation, when you're deciding on your team, the online game tells you which of them kinds will be positive right through. The chapters to date seem to be exceedingly typing-themed, so if a stage recommends you employ fire and grass types, chances are high those can be respectable throughout the total chapter. You don't need to agonize about masking a wide array of forms for a given stage, permitting you to greater comfortably opt for a focused team. 

    four. level your Sync Pairs, and use stage-Up path to support.

    additionally identical to in any Pokémon online game, it's extraordinarily vital to degree your team. There are two leading easy methods to do this in Pokémon Masters: battles and gadgets. in case you want the extra fun approach to stage, fighting is a way to go. which you could try this within the story, however there's additionally a working towards mode that seems to work fairly well. 

    sync pairs

    sync pairs

    these reward objects form the wrong way to level your Sync Pairs. specifically, you'll be trying to find stage-Up Manuals. These gadgets act in a similar way to a infrequent candy, however instead of a degree, you gain XP. the use of these objects in tandem with each and every different can actually speed up the leveling procedure. notwithstanding they're single-use objects, you find reasonably a few throughout your battles. This appears to be the fastest option to stage up. 

    in case you're definitely in a hurry, my suggestion would be to take a look at the "level-Up direction" in the practising mode. not only will you nonetheless profit some adventure from the combat, however the expense at which you get stage-Up Manuals is drastically expanded. for example, in a single story battle, I obtained just one guide; youngsters, in the simplest degree-Up direction, I bought approximately eight each time I complete, six of that have been conveniently for beating the fight. though these are the bottom-tier stage up merchandise, the volume during which you acquire them makes them specially effective for leveling up your weaker Sync Pairs.

    5. conserve power and queue up assaults strategically.

    You could believe that there's no precise strategy in Pokémon Masters, but you'd be wrong. Time is your most beneficial aid, and the use of it the inaccurate method can and should effect in defeat. every assault requires so much energy, but considering the fact that your bar is shared amongst all individuals of your crew, the usage of a excessive-energy flow with one Pokémon means that all your Pokémon must wait until you get enough power lower back to attack. I've found that it's a good deal easier to use energy than it is to gain power, so useful use of this resource is simple.

    Pokémon Masters

    Pokémon Masters

    each Pokémon can also simplest have one circulation queued at a time, so you can't unsolicited mail attacks from a single teammate. youngsters, supplied you've got the energy, that you would be able to queue up attacks from the different Pokémon whereas ready in your strikes to move through. as an example, i will be able to have Pikachu queue up a Thundershock while my Onix makes use of Rock Tomb. The equal applies to items and non-attacking moves.

    are attempting to be mindful of which of your opponents' Pokémon you're attacking. which you can actively swap aims, enabling you to direct attacks at certain enemies. Whichever Pokémon is being focused when the attack command is given could be the one to get hold of the assault. combined with the potential to queue attacks out of your group, here's chiefly valuable. Going back to the above illustration, I could have Onix attack Slugma with Rock Tomb to take knowledge of its weak spot in opposition t rock-class moves, then change to Bibarel and have Pikachu attack with Thundershock, once again to take talents of typing.

    lastly, be aware of your Sync strikes. These charged strikes are extremely effective however take a long time to can charge, so you are looking to make certain to profit from them. that you would be able to cost your Sync moves by using nine moves or objects in the regular course of a combat. again, this cost is shared between your total team, so as soon as one Pokémon can use it, all of them can. Likewise, once it gets used, the other Pokémon can't use it. also, as soon as the circulate is attainable, your charge doesn't carry over, so carrying on with to assault continuously won't make a contribution to a 2d Sync flow except the primary is used.

    hopefully, these suggestions have helped put you closer toward your aim of conquering the Pokémon Masters League. be certain to let us know in the event that they were constructive or not, and you probably have any tips of your own, feel free to share them as neatly!

    Pokemon Masters Has Already Hit a major Milestone

    Pokemon Masters, the new Pokemon cellular online game from DeNA, officially arrived on iOS and Android final week, but the title is already off to a powerful start. Following its launch, mobile analytics business Sensor Tower reported Masters become the No. 1 free App save online game in 27 international locations, and now The Pokemon enterprise has confirmed the title has hit an striking milestone.

    The respectable Pokemon Masters Twitter account printed that the video game has reached 10 million downloads international in precisely four days. For assessment, Niantic's hit Pokemon Go reached that milestone in per week, despite the fact that game was at first most effective obtainable in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, so Masters has the improvement of being accessible to a an awful lot wider audience from the outset.

    In different Pokemon Masters news, the online game's first story adventure is now underway. These activities will turn up periodically and focus on certain Sync Pairs. the primary story event is dubbed reach for the proper, and it teams you up with Blue and his Pidgeot as they take on other trainers from the Kanto vicinity. To coincide with the event, Blue and Pidgeot are also featured in the Sync Pair Scout. The attain for the properly adventure will run via September 29.

    Pokemon Masters is determined in an island location known as Pasio, the place famous Pokemon trainers and their partner Pokemon have gathered for a Pokemon Masters League match. in contrast to most usual Pokemon video games, you don't seem to be in a position to seize your own Pokemon in Masters; quite, you recruit different Sync Pairs and kind groups with them to take part in three-on-three true-time battles.

    when you are simply environment off in your Pasio event, make certain try our roundup of everything you deserve to find out about Pokemon Masters. we have now additionally damaged down what Scout elements are and how to get them, in addition to how to evolve and Mega Evolve Pokemon in the video game.

    Sunday, September 8, 2019

    Pokémon Masters: all the Pokémon & Trainers you can compile | Sync Pairs list

    Sync Pairs are the Pokémon / trainer combos you'll recruit as you play through Pokémon Masters, the new iOS and Android incarnation of the lengthy-running franchise. as an alternative of catching certain Pokémon, you'll group up with trainers from the collection heritage, and each one is synced with their favorite, most iconic Pokémon friends.

    in case you're curious to look which Pokémon trainers can be found to crew up with, right here's the comprehensive list in order of star ranking. which you could get Pokémon Sync Pairs rated with the aid of rarity — three stars, 4 stars, or 5 stars. There are two easy methods to recruit Sync Pairs; taking part in through the story will release some, whereas others are exclusive to the Sync Pair Scout gadget. To scout, you'll need to spend gemstones for random rolls, hoping to get the pairs you need to see essentially the most.

    extra Pokémon Masters guides:

    all the Pokémon & Trainers you can collect | Sync Pairs checklist

    Sync Pairs are Pokémon / trainer combos that you can free up within the story mode or via spending gems in the Sync Pair Scout feature. Sync Pairs come in three rarities — three superstar, four famous person, or five big name. Fiver big name Sync Pairs are the highest quality, so you'll are looking to pass your fingers and hope success is in your facet to get these incredible trainers.

    assess the hyperlinks below for a more in-depth analyze every coach. The Sync Pair list become compiled by Android primary.

    Sync Pairs – five big name

    Sync Pairs – four superstar

    Sync Pairs – Three superstar

    That's the entire Sync Pairs within the video game (to this point)! because of the game's dazzling recognition, I think about we'll be seeing many, many greater Sync Pairs in the future.

    ‘Pokemon Masters’ Is Shaping up to Be successful With $25 Million In Week 1 profits

    Nintendo's mobile choices had been hit or miss over the last few years with monsters like Pokemon GO and disappointments like tremendous Mario Run. but Pokemon Masters, the brand new cellular online game which specializes in gathering trainers as well as Pokemon, is shaping as much as be successful perhaps on the scale of something like fireplace brand Heroes. And that's since it's monetized well-nigh exactly the same method.

    Sensor Tower is reporting that Pokemon Masters has already made $25 million in its first week of free up, which is stunning since it's essentially half of what mega-hit Pokemon GO made in its first week of unencumber, $fifty six million. And yet digging just a little deeper it's a little less stunning when you understand these figures had been from GO launching in five markets, whereas Pokemon Masters launched in over 60.

    nevertheless, it's clear that this considered one of Nintendo's choicest performing cellular Pokemon titles, dwarfing the likes of Pokemon Quest or Magikarp start, and might go on to be one in every of its most fulfilling performing mobile titles duration, if this maintains up.

    Why is Pokemon Masters working? Two leading explanations.

    First, it's a game that DeNA has put loads of effort into construction for Nintendo with extremely good animations and a reasonably effective battle/story system, albeit one most likely stripped down from the handhelds. It's the usage of the draw of noted faces from the Pokemon franchise to get avid gamers to are attempting to hunt down their favorite health club leaders or trainers, a new twist past amassing simply Pokemon by myself.

    however the reason behind the earnings volume is no doubt because of its model, which is terribly comparable to fire logo Heroes. It's without problems a gacha loot box-based mostly mannequin the place players "scout" for brand spanking new trainers to be a part of their crew, and that they'll seem randomly with a definite superstar rank. So, in different phrases, you'll need to shell out a load of money to seek out excessive-celebrity, correct-tier trainers within the video game, and many gamers seem to be content material doing just that.

    Pokemon GO produced massive revenue with none gacha aspects or loot packing containers on account of its sheer scale on my own. however Nintendo has struggled with other monetization models like trying to get avid gamers to pay a one-time price for a full edition of tremendous Mario Run, whatever relatively antithetical to the current cellular market. but gacha loot boxes? That's an old trick and one that already has labored neatly in fire brand for Nintendo, so it's no surprise that it's working twice, certainly in Asia the place there is way less pushback about that sort of monetization. It's effortlessly anticipated.

    we are able to see how Pokemon Masters does in the long term, however it's performing neatly as GO also continues to do extraordinarily well this late into its lifespan, grossing over $100 million ultimate month as one among its best ever. And with Pokemon Sword and preserve out this fall, the sequence will continue to print extra funds for Nintendo than ever between all these distinctive iterations.

    comply with me on Twitter, facebook and Instagram. examine my new sci-fi thriller novel Herokiller, purchasable now in print and on-line. I additionally wrote The Earthborn Trilogy.

    Saturday, September 7, 2019

    Your biggest Pokémon Masters questions, answered

    Pokémon Masters launched and even though the game seemed relatively simple and straight-forward from the trailers, it truly includes a lot of grinding and min-maxing so as to be the strongest master around.

    We've answered one of the most biggest questions involving the game beneath.

    How do you play?

    avid gamers duke it out in three-on-three Pokémon battles using trainers from previous Pokémon games. every trainer has a group Pokémon and might be trained as much as four other strikes. no longer the entire moves are typical moves from mainline video games — some of them are encouraging actions from the trainers to raise the stats of their Pokémon. After you do seven moves, you'll be capable of do a Sync attack with one of your pairs.

    strikes can charge bars of the motion gauge, a blue bar on the bottom of the reveal that goes up over time.

    How do I get extra characters?

    The persona and Pokémon duos are called Sync Pairs. You get greater Sync Pairs from completing the story as well as during the gacha scouting system. Scouting, in this and a lot of other gatcha games, refers back to the random pull you do, granting you a random character (or during this case, Sync Pair). each scout for a Sync Pair expenses 300 jewels, and whereas you could roll 10 without delay, there's no economic improvement for doing this. The Sync Pair you get is random.

    There's additionally an everyday scout for one hundred jewels, but which you could handiest do this with jewels you purchase with actual money.

    How do I vigour up my Sync Pairs?

    which you can degree them up the usage of books. you could additionally carry their stage cap by using cans and bottles of juice. that you can additionally use megaphones to release extra abilities for them, as they simplest come with two. if you're fortunate enough to get any power-up cards, that you may use these to increase your Sync Pairs' star rating.

    How do I get the substances to upgrade my Sync Pairs?

    Books and juice may also be obtained from certain training levels. just unsolicited mail these unless you get what you want.

    power-up playing cards are rewarded in the event you get 5 or more duplicates of the identical card from the Sync Pair scout. you can get five-famous person energy-up cards from activities.

    What are the several types of Sync Pairs?

    Sync Pairs are classified into three different types: strike, tech, and assist. Strike Sync Pairs are offensive, tech are supporters that use fame outcomes, and supports focus on stat-boosting expertise.

    Which Sync Pairs should still I improve?

    center of attention on any 5-star Sync Pairs you've got or any four-megastar strike duos. The video game is pretty convenient in case you center of attention on having one attacker and two helps. provided that your main attacker is beefy, it is going to be a clean sweep. certain types will inevitably be greater helpful than others during upcoming movements, so it's important to have a powered-up strike Sync Pair of each and every class.

    Is there no stamina in this online game?

    Nope. which you could play as a lot as you desire!

    What's with the typing in this online game?

    All Pokémon are vulnerable towards one class, as a substitute of the regular handful from the historic video games. Toss your old Pokémon expertise aside and make sure to examine what specific suit-usaare weak towards.

    How do I evolve my Pokémon?

    no longer each Sync Pair has a Pokémon that evolves, but if you have got one, then that you can entry their evolution story in Sync Pair Story area. You'll need Evolution Shards or Crystals to conform your 'mon, and they will also be bought from the in-game shop with cash. Pokémon should be able to evolve once at stage 30, and yet again stage forty five if they have a 2nd evolution.

    How do I get extra jewels?

    Jewels are rewarded for finishing quests for the first time. quite a few missions also reward jewels, in addition to login bonuses. routine give a good way to bring together some jewels, as they supply extra quests and missions to complete.

    What are the strongest gadgets i will get for gratis?

    Rosa and Snivy are unlocked in chapter one, and that they continue to be the most reliable devices within the game, as of writing this. They provide a distinct attack raise to the complete team, and even have an capability where they can immediately replenish your action gauge.

    Skyla and Swanna are unlocked in chapter 5 and one of their moves raise defense and speed, which raises how fast your action gauge goes up.

    Hau and Alolan Raichu unlock in chapter eleven and that they have an assault that hits all three enemy devices.

    Powering up these three can make it so you can breeze in the course of the story.

    I'm stuck and i can't beat this part of the story! What do I do?

    degree up your squad greater and make the effort to grind out the working towards rooms to get substances you want. be sure you additionally take expertise of the devices above, when you have them unlocked.