New Pokemon Masters Update Out Now, Lets You Hatch A Starter Pokemon

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You Can Now Hatch Eggs & Partner Up In Pokémon Masters

DeNA has revealed a brand new feature for Pokémon Masters today, as you can now hatch eggs and partner up with a Pokémon. The company has released a new update for that game where players now have the ability to obtain Eggs that hatch into one of the three partner Pokémon. You can get either a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle from the Kanto Region. You can then pair your partner Pokémon with the game's protagonist to do battle together against enemies in the wild. Everyone can snag an Egg from Professor Bellis when they log into the game and can choose what creature it hatches into, but you have to complete a certain number of battles to make it happen. Plus, you can choose your own names for these Pokémon to make it customizable, just like the original game. Down the road, they will be adding more creatures as options to choose from in the Eggs. You can read more about other updates coming to the game in the next few weeks below.

DeNA has added a new set of updates to Pokémon Masters.

New Legendary Event Featuring Silver & Ho-Oh: The sync pair of Silver & Ho-Oh star in an in-game event titled "Pure Hearts and Rainbow Wings," which will be available from April 29 at 11:00PM Pacific time until May 13 at 10:59PM Pacific time for those that have completed Chapter 1 of the Main Story. In this event, players will embark on an adventure with Trainers Silver and Ethan of the Johto region to learn more about why Ho-Oh has come to the island of Pasio. Players who complete the Legendary Event will be able to add the sync pair of Silver & Ho-Oh to their teams.

Wallace & Milotic Are Coming to Pasio: The Water-type sync pair of Wallace & Milotic will make their debut in the sync pair Spotlight Scout from April 29 at 11:00PM Pacific time  until May 13 at 10:59PM Pacific time.

Daily Scout Offers One Attempt to Add Sync Pair and Items Per Day: The Daily Scout feature has been added to the game, where once a day, players can attempt to obtain sync pairs and items without the use of gems.

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'Pokémon Masters' Egg Feature: Which Starter Pokémon Should You Choose?

Pokémon Masters pushed out a major update to include Eggs and a new Pokémon for players to collect.

Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, the three Kanto region Starter Pokémon, are available through Eggs in Pokémon Master but players can only select one. While there may be a way to obtain all three Pokémon in the future—DeNA confirmed that more Eggs will be added at another time—your choice can be very important to your roster of Sync Pairs.

All three starter Pokémon have the same final move called "Race You." This status move will increase the speed and critical hit ratio of your Pokémon. Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle also have the same ability in "Power Reserves 2," which increases the attack power of your Pokémon if their HP is below half.

The final evolutions of the starter Pokémon also have the same base stats—351, 224, 97, 224, 97,175—so the only difference between them are the first three moves and the typing.

We break down each Pokémon to help players select which of the three Kanto Starters is best for you.

BULBASAUR

Bulbasaur and its evolutions Ivysaur and Venusaur are Grass and Poison-type Pokémon. However, in Pokémon Masters they are classified as a Grass-type Sync Pair. This starter Pokémon is weak to Fire-type attacks and is the only one of the three that has a physical and special attack.

Razor Leaf, a physical Grass-type attack, can hit all of your opponents and has a higher critical hit ratio than most moves.

It also has Dire Hit, which increases the chances of your moves being a critical hit. Solar Beam is the Bulbasaur line's most powerful attack and is on the special side. However, like the main Pokémon games, Solar Beam needs two turns to use but if the weather is sunny then the move will launch in one turn.

If you're looking for a Grass-type Sync Pair that can break Physical and Special walls and deal damage to more than one opponent at a time this may be the choice for you. The downside is that trainers will need to bring a Pokémon that knows Sunny Day to get the full potential of this Sync Pair.

CHARMANDER

This Fire-type Sync Pair is all about hitting hard and fast on the special side. Charmander and its evolutions learn Flamethrower and Fire Blast as its two attacking moves. Both Fire-type attacks are very powerful and have a small chance of burning. Its status move is X Sp. Atk, which increases this Pokémon's special attack by two stages.

There are a lot of powerful Fire-type Sync Pairs in Pokémon Masters already--including a more powerful pair in Red and Charizard—so if you're not attached to this Pokémon you may want to choose one of the other two.

SQUIRTLE

This Water-type Sync Pair is very similar to the Charmander line. It has two powerful Special Attacks in Bubblebeam and Hydro Pump with the former having a small chance of decreasing the opponent's Speed.

It also has the X Sp. Atk status move to increase its Special Attack just like the Charmander line.

If you're lacking in powerful Water-type Sync Pairs, you can't go wrong with Squirtle as your choice. Like the Charmander line, Squirtle and its evolutions have a straightforward strategy of hitting hard and fast.

Which of the three are you choosing and why? Let us know in the comments section.

Pokemon Masters update introduces Red/Blue starter Eggs

Pick between the three Pokemon Red & Blue starters one more time, as the latest Pokemon Masters update introduces Eggs for Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.

Battling Pokemon and fighting to be the very best like no one ever was has been the primary goal in Pokemon Masters. But there's about to be more to the mobile smash than fighting with powerful Pokemon trainers and their partners. Players are about to get a chance to hatch their own partners with some special Pokemon Eggs.

Those who would like to see their main character pick up a fresh Pokemon Egg simply need to boot up Pokemon Masters and pay Professor Bellis a visit. The Professor will prompt players to select an Egg that will eventually hatch into one of the Red/Blue starters: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. The Eggs will hatch after a certain number of Pokemon battles. Those who are hoping to see Pokemon Eggs for different Pokemon won't have to wait too long. The Pokemon Company and developer DeNA will look to introduce additional Eggs to the game via future updates.

There's more set to hit Pokemon Masters this week on top of Eggs. A special Legendary Event called Pure Hearts and Rainbow Wings is set to kick off this Wednesday, April 29 at 11PM PT. Ho-Oh has come to Pasio and players will journey alongside famous Johto trainers Silver and Ethan to learn the story behind its arrival. Completing this quest will unlock Silver and partner Pokemon Ho-Oh as a playable sync pair.

Players can pick up a second sync pair through a special Spotlight Scout mission. Completing this will unlock Wallace and partner Pokemon Milotic.

Both of the new sync pairs can be found in Pokemon Masters starting this Wednesday. Both events will continue until May 13 at 10:59PM PT. As for the Eggs, those are available today.

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he's also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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'Pokémon Masters' Egg Feature Arrives and Lets Players Select Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle

One of the more surprising announcements during February's Pokémon Day was the reveal that Eggs are coming to the Pokémon Masters mobile game.

Pokémon Masters players now have the ability to obtain Eggs that hatch into one of the three partner Pokémon from the Kanto region: Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle.

Once selected, players can pair one of these three Pokémon with the game's main character. Currently, the main character can team up with Pikachu and Torchic.

Check out the latest Pokémon Masters trailer below.

To obtain an Egg, all Pokémon Masters players have to do is log-in and Professor Bellis will hand it to you. Players will then choose if they want the Egg to hatch to Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle.

Eggs hatch after players complete a certain number of battles, and they will also be able to choose their own names for these Pokémon. In the case of Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, players need to complete five battles to hatch. In addition, more Pokémon hatchable from Eggs will be made available in future updates—all of which can be paired with the game's Main Character to form a sync pair.

Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander start out as a three-star Sync Pair. The Pokémon's potential can be increased with the proper star power-up. Also, the Kanto Starters don't have their own Sync Pair Story to evolve—they'll do so when you reach a certain level and have the proper number of evolution shards.

Along with the Egg announcement, DeNA (who are the developers behind Pokémon Masters) also announced a few updates coming to the mobile game.

The first is a brand new Legendary Event featuring the trainer Silver and the Legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh. The event titled "Pure Hearts and Rainbow Wings" will begin April 30 at 2 a.m. EDT, and end May 14 at 1:59 a.m. EDT. This event will allow players to go on an adventure with Silver and Nathan from the Johto region.

Complete the event to obtain the Silver and Ho-Oh sync pair.

The second introduces the Wallace and Milotic sync pair into Pokémon Masters. The Water-type sync pair will make their debut in the sync pair Spotlight Scout at the same time as the Ho-Oh Legendary event.

Try your luck in pulling this brand new sync pair using your gems.

Pokémon Masters is available as a free download for iOS and Android devices.

What do you think of the new Egg mechanic in Pokémon Masters? Which Pokémon are you choosing? Let us know in the comments section.

Catch This ‘Pokémon Journeys: The Series’ Trailer, Promising an American Netflix Debut

"To know Pokémon is to know the world." I'm not gonna lie, dear reader. When the cheerful announcer said this simple truth in the trailer for the upcoming season of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, I got chills. I've been a fan of Pokémon since its beginnings, and still find the world to be a surefire way to instill a sense of joy, nostalgia, and adventure. If you agree — or if you're looking for a handy start into the world — the latest season of Pokémon Journeys is finally coming to American Netflix in June, and you should absolutely check the trailer before.

Ash Ketchum and his beloved Pikachu companion are back, and are recruited by Professor Cerise to find new Pokémon in every region. But they aren't going alone — newcomer Goh is along for the read, an enthusiastic new ally on Ash's journey. Together, the two will discover new creatures, continue their quests to be Pokémon masters, and wouldn't you know it, learn the friggin' power of friendship! It's all cheesy, brightly-colored (I love the new animation look!), and over-the-toply performed, and I am here for every second of it.

Check out the official trailer and synopsis for Pokémon Journeys: The Series below. The first 12 episodes of the new 23rd season comes to Netflix June 12, with more episodes coming quarterly after. For more Poké-news, check out our handy starter back to all things anime.

Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon!

'Pokémon Journeys,' the New Season of the Pokémon Anime, Is Coming to Netflix in June

The next season of the Pokémon anime is coming to the west via Netflix in June.

Pokémon Journeys, the 23rd season of the popular anime, will continue the adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu as they meet new trainers, new Pokémon and explore new regions in the Pokémon world.

"With their tremendous reach and ability for fans to enjoy content anytime and anywhere, Netflix is the ideal partner to premiere new episodes of the beloved animated Pokémon series in the U.S.," said Emily Arons, senior vice president of international business at The Pokémon Company International in a press release. "We can't wait for Pokémon fans of all ages to continue discovering the spirit of adventure and friendship in 'Pokémon Journeys: The Series,' our newest season coming to Netflix this June."

The first 12 episodes of the new Pokémon anime series will premiere June 12 on Netflix, with new episodes premiering every quarter in the U.S.

Check out the first international trailer for Pokémon Journeys below.

The Pokémon Journeys anime began airing in Japan in November 2019, following the release of Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch.

Following his journey to become the champion of the Alola League, Ash is now bound for the various regions of the Pokémon world, including Galar, to continue his quest to become a Pokémon master. However, he'll meet another trainer whose priorities are much different from him.

Here's the official synopsis of Pokémon Journeys:

Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon!

With the Pokémon anime already 20-plus episodes deep in Japan, fans may already know what team Ash is gathering for his next journey. Without going into spoilers for those unaware, let's just say that he's making a powerful team.

What do you think of the upcoming season of the Pokémon anime? What Pokémon do you hope Ash catches? Let us know in the comments section.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series English Debut Set for Netflix in June

Netflix has signed a deal with The Pokémon Company that will see the English version of Pokémon Journeys: The Series streaming exclusively on its platform. Set to premiere on June 12, Pokémon fans will initially be treated to 12 episodes to watch with more rolling out quarterly as the show progresses.

Netflix and The Pokémon Company provided a description for the upcoming season:

Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon! "Pokémon Journeys: The Series" arrives June 12, only on Netflix!

Watch the show's new Netflix trailer.

More Pokémon-related Netflix content shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, a remake of the series's first feature-length film, came to the platform not long ago.

Pokémon Journeys is the Pokémon animated series's 23rd season, marking more than 20 years of episodes. However, Pokémon Journeys' production is currently facing delays in Japan due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. How the delay will affect the show's release in the U.S. is unclear.

Meanwhile, the video game side of Pokémon is still going strong, with its next outing coming in the form of DLC to pair with Pokémon Sword and Shield.

‘Pokémon Journeys’ will be a Netflix exclusive in the US

The Pokémon anime has been running since the late '90s, but Ash Ketchum still isn't a Pokémon Master, and still hasn't caught 'em all. The 23rd season of the iconic anime will come out in the US on June 12th, but unlike previous seasons, this one will be a Netflix Original. This isn't the case for other countries, though. The show will be on Sony's POP channel in the UK, and it already started its run on TV Tokyo in Japan. This could be a good acquisition for Netflix, though. As more tenured media corporations launch their own streaming services like HBO Max and Disney+, the company will likely need more content to stay competitive.

Pokémon Journeys will see Ash travel to previous locales, as well as the new Galar region from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield on Nintendo Switch. The first 12 episodes will be available at launch, and 12 new episodes will be added every three months. The show's production was placed on hold a few days ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only 22 episodes have been aired thus far in Japan, so it's unclear if this could affect future Netflix releases.

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‘Pokémon Journeys: The Series’ Heads To Netflix In The U.S. – Watch Trailer

In a deal with The Pokémon Company International, Netflix is bringing Pokémon Journeys: The Series to the U.S. The first 12 episodes of the new 23rd season of the animated series will premiere exclusively on Netflix on June 12. Additional new episodes will be added quarterly on Netflix for the remainder of the season.

"With their tremendous reach and ability for fans to enjoy content anytime and anywhere, Netflix is the ideal partner to premiere new episodes of the beloved animated Pokémon series in the U.S.," said Emily Arons, senior vice president of international business at The Pokémon Company International. "We can't wait for Pokémon fans of all ages to continue discovering the spirit of adventure and friendship in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, our newest season coming to Netflix this June."Pokémon Journeys: The Series follows Ash and his partner Pikachu as they embark on adventures across multiple regions in the Pokémon world, meeting new characters and discovering more Pokémon along the way.

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The synopsis per Netflix: Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon!

You can watch the first international trailer above. Pokémon Journeys: The Series will also feature a new theme song written and performed by the band Walk off the Earth.Pokémon Journeys: The Series joins existing Pokémon content on Netflix, including the most recent animated Pokémon movie, Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, which debuted globally on the streamer this past February.

Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and remains one of the most popular children's entertainment properties in the world.

Netflix Streams New Pokémon Journeys TV Anime on June 12 (Updated)

Netflix announced on Thursday that it will begin exclusively streaming the new Pocket Monsters television anime under the title Pokémon Journeys: The Series in the United States on June 12. The company began streaming an English-dubbed trailer for the series, which features Walk off the Earth's English theme song.

The first 12 episodes of the anime will debut on Netflix on June 12, and the service will add new episodes quarterly. Netflix describes the anime:

Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region. Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon! "Pokémon Journeys: The Series" arrives June 12, only on Netflix!

The show premiered on TV Tokyo and its affiliates on November 17, two days after the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games shipped worldwide. The series is airing on Sundays at 6:00 p.m., the same timeslot as Pokémon Sun & Moon.

The anime's staff announced on Sunday that they are temporarily suspending part of its production of the series due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation and the state of emergency declared in Japan. As a result, new episodes are delayed, and channels will re-air old episodes starting next week. The staff will reveal at a later date when the anime will return.

The new series features two protagonists: Satoshi (Ash) and the new character Goh. Goh's partner Pokémon is the starter Pokémon Hibunny (Scorbunny) from the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games. Daiki Yamashita voices the character Goh. Goh is 10 years old, and his dream is to capture all Pokémon.

Daiki Tomiyasu (Pokémon Sun & Moon) is serving as chief director of the anime at OLM, and Maki Odaira (Pokémon Sun & Moon episode director) is directing the series. Kunihiko Yuyama is the creative supervisor, Shoji Yonemura is in charge of series construction, and Shūhei Yasuda is the character designer. Yuki Hayashi is composing the music, and Masafumi Mima is the sound director. Scriptwriters include: Reiko Yoshida, Shoji Yonemura, Deko Akao, Jun'ichi Fujisaku, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Touko Machida, Yuka Miyata, Aya Matsui, Atsuhiro Tomioka, and Akemi Omode, among others.

The new series features all of the regions covered in the franchise so far, from the Kanto to the Galar region. Machito Gomi is drawing a manga adaptation of the new anime.

Update: The Pokémon Company International also announced that the anime will premiere on the Canadian television channel Teletoon on May 9 at 12:00 p.m., and it will then debut on Télétoon in French later this year. Thanks to jlaking and Jesse Betteridge for the news tips. Source: Press release

Sources: Netflix Futures' YouTube channel, Deadline (Denise Petski)

‘Pokemon Go’: Abra Community Day returns and a Buddy Up event set for April

Community Day is returning to "Pokemon Go" albeit in a different form. Niantic calls it the "Play at Home Edition" and it feature Abra, which was originally scheduled for March.

The new format is meant to be played while socially distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Abra Community Day will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 25. That's a total of six hours of play.

During that time, players can expect the normal Community Day spawns. Abra will likely flood the area. Players will have a chance for a shiny one, which looks like a faded version of the normal one. The lone exception of the evolutionary line is a full-grown Alakazam, which has a pinkish color in places. Those who evolve to that final stage will have the Psi Pokemon learn the exclusive Community Day move Counter.

That fight-type fast move may seem counterintuitive for a psychic Pokemon, but Counter gives the pocket monster an edge in Great League fights fights involving steel types, ice types and dark types. For the best PvP Abra, look for individual values of 0 attack, 15 defense and 14 stamina or something close to that.

To help trainers out, incense will last three hours. That will let players cover the whole event with just two items. Even better than the incense is the bonus, which is a generous triple catch stardust. Remember to break open a star piece during the event. That should give a big boost for players who have burned through the resource during the first season of Go Battle League. In addition, Buddy Pokemon at a Great Buddy level or higher will bring players helpful items such as Poke Balls.

For those who want to spend money, Niantic is offering an optional Special Research story for $1. It's called Investigating Illusions and will give players 13,000 stardust, a Poffin, a Rocket Radar and more. That seems like a great value. If they're running low on items, players can pick up an April Community Day bundled that has an Elite Charged TM, 30 Ultra Balls, 3 incubators and three incense. It will cost 1,280 PokeCoin but could be worth it for the elite Charged TM. That new item gives pocket monsters access to all their charged moves including Community Day Exclusive Moves and legacy ones. Lastly, if players take a snapshot of Pokemon, they will see a surprise.

The Buddy Up event focuses on boosting relationships between trainers and their Pokemon. The goal should be to reach best friends so players get the level bonus. (Niantic) 

The other festivity for April is called the Buddy Up Event. It will run from 8 a.m. April 21 to 10 p.m. April 27 and it features the debut of shiny Volbeat and shiny Illumise. The Volbeat has a color palette that emphasizes blue and purple while Illumise will have gold and orange one. Personally, go after the Illumise. It looks much better. Best of all, both Pokemon will be available worldwide. This is your chance to fill that hole in your Pokedex.

Along with the new shiny Pokemon, trainers will see Woobat in the wild for the first time. The bat Pokemon also appear in 2 km eggs after the event is over. For the Buddy Up event, Alolan Meowth (shiny available), Chansey (shiny available), Feebas (shiny available), Lillipup (shiny available) and Joltik will appear more often as well. Those same Pokemon except Chansey will hatch from 5 km eggs.

The Buddy Up event will also have special Field Research tasks that offer encounters for Alolan Meowth, Volbeat, Illumise and Woobat.

As one would expect from the name, the bonuses for the event will focus on buddy relationships. Expect buddy Pokemon to give players more souvenirs and new kinds of gifts. Perhaps, this could be more wearables for a player avatar. My buddy Pokemon gave me pearl earrings though they don't exactly fit my character. In addition, the distance to earn buddy candy and heart will be halved. It will also be easier to get buddies excited, meaning that it will double the hearts earned. Lastly, trainers earn double experience points for evolving Pokemon and berries and Poffin will keep buddy Pokemon on the map for twice as long.

So how should trainers use this event? I'd prioritize Pokemon that you would use for raids and Go Battle League. If players have a perfect Pokemon, having them as a Best Buddy can boost them above level 40 and it could be a big difference in Master League. For those who raid, having a Best Buddy Pokemon will boost its stats and that can be the difference between beating a boss and failing when you don't have many people in the lobby.

Pokémon Go Battle League rankings are live after swapping to Master League

With today's transition to the Master League, the Pokémon Go Battle League rankings are officially live, displaying the top 500 players in the world from the current league cycle. 

The entire leaderboard is updated daily and will keep track of the best players in the world as everyone tries to climb the ranks and up their battle rating in the Battle League. 

The rankings show the individual rank, battle rating, and total matches for each player, along with their nickname and chosen team (Valor, Mystic, or Instinct). If two players have an identical battle rating it will mark them as tied for the placement, regardless of how many battles the players have been a part of. 

Screengrab via Niantic

In the first official Battle League Season One rankings, Arrogantzor is representing Team Mystic at the top of the list with a 3,169 battle rating in just 427 total battles. The second-ranked player, TheAsianMilkMan, is at a battle rating of 3,156 with 752 battles, showing that the number of battles is not valued at all in the upper rankings. 

Ranks also only matter to a certain point as starting at the 197th spot, DatDogDude is the first Rank Nine player to be higher on the leaderboard than a Rank 10 player. That trend continues throughout the 200s until the end of the listing, so battle rating is really the only stat that matters after a certain point.

It is still unclear just how the battle rating number is tallied after each set of Battle League matches, but as the rankings continue to change, the community will learn more about how the system works. 

Rankings are based on the previous day's game ratings for every trainer that is Rank 7 or up and updates between 3pm and 5pm CT each day. As previously stated, any player who has an active disciplinary action or inappropriate trainer nickname won't be taken into account for the list.

The Marill Battle Day event that coincides with this new launch begins on April 12 as players try to climb into the Top 500.

Pokemon Go Master League best team: These are the meta Pokemon you should be using

At the time of writing, the Battle League currently requires you to put out your best Pokemon Go Master League team. This means there is no CP limit whatsoever; any Pokemon you have in your collection, you can send out to fight against players from all over the world in Pokemon Go and earn those sweet Pokemon Go Battle League rewards. Just picking your highest CP Pokemon isn't the way to go however, because you have to take into account the current Pokemon Go Master League meta and the Pokemon you're likely to come up against. So without further ado, here are our top ten choices for your Pokemon Go Master League best team. 

Dialga

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: Steel/DragonWeakness: Fighting, Ground

Dialga is one of the most common Pokemon you'll come up against in the Pokemon Go Master League, largely due to its typing and moveset. Steel is resistant to a lot of the types you'll encounter, while Dragon is strong against well, other Dragon-types. Dialga is also one of the highest CP Pokemon you can get with a ceiling of 4,038 CP, placing it in the top 10.

When it comes to moves, Dragon Breath should be your top choice for the fast move thanks to dealing four damage per turn (DPT) and generating three energy per turn (EPT), while you have the choice of Iron Head or Draco Meteor when it comes to the charged move. Iron Head requires much less energy to use, whereas Draco Meteor deals 150 damage per use. The only downside is that Draco Meteor debuffs Dialga's attack stat by two stages after each time you use it, so you should only be using Draco Meteor to finish off a battle. 

Giratina (Origin preferred, Altered if not) 

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: Ghost/DragonWeakness: Dark, Dragon, Ghost, Ice, Fairy

There's one key reason Giratina (Origin forme) is preferred over the Altered variant, and that's simply because it has a higher max CP. It can go up to 3,683 as opposed to 3,379 for Altered, which can be a crucial difference in a league where there is no CP limits. Just like how Giratina stomps the Ultra League, it is an incredibly powerful force here too, with its main weaknesses being types you'll rarely come up against.

No matter which forme you're using though, the best moveset is very similar. Opt for Shadow Claw as the fast attack because it has 3 DPT and 4 EPT, while Shadow Ball should be one of your two charged attacks if you're using Origin. You can then choose from either Dragon Pulse or Ominous Wind for the second charge move; Ominous Wind would mean you have three Ghost-type moves which you may want to steer away from, but it does have high damage output. Meanwhile, Dragon Pulse is less efficient, but will give you a Dragon-type move to compliment your Ghost-type heavy moveset.

If you've got the Altered form of Giratina, go for Shadow Claw again, then compliment that with Dragon Claw. It costs the least amount of energy so you can use it repeatedly, then for a harder-hitting charged move, grab Shadow Sneak. Ancient Power isn't recommended because it was nerfed recently. 

Togekiss

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: Fairy/FlyingWeakness: Poison, Steel, Electric, Ice, Rock

Another Ultra League competitor that excels in Master League, Togekiss may not have the highest CP potential at 3,332, but it is favoured in a lot of the type matchups you'll face off against. It is excellent against Giratina and Dialga thanks to its double Dragon-type resistance, plus Giratina is weak to Fairy types.

When it comes to moves, Charm is a must-have. It is the second-best fast move in the game in terms of DPT and while it doesn't have great EPT, this shouldn't be a problem since it's mainly used to counter the two legendaries. Despite the nerf to Ancient Power, it's still a great charged move choice for Togekiss, while it should be complimented with Aerial Ace. Flamethrower and Dazzling Gleam are your other two options, but both require too much energy to be viable with Charm as the fast move. 

Kyogre

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: WaterWeakness: Electric, Grass

Another legendary to add to the list but this time, it's one that has been available fairly frequently. Kyogre isn't the best counter to popular choices like Dialga and Giratina, but it can perform spectacularly against some of the other popular Pokemon you'll come up against like Snorlax, Togekiss, and Heatran.

Moveset wise, Waterfall is on everyone's Kyogre because that's the only fast move it can know (Dragon Tail was removed shortly before the Pokemon was released). That's not necessarily a bad thing because it sports 4 DPT, but only 2.66 EPT. When it comes to charged moves, Surf is vital because it has a low energy cost and deals impressive damage. Blizzard can be favoured as an alternative because it's strong against Dragon-types, but it has a high energy cost and is a waste of a move if it hits a shield. Thunder can also be considered because it costs less than Blizzard, but isn't as favourable when it comes to typing. 

Mewtwo

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: PsychicWeakness: Bug, Dark, Ghost

Did you know Mewtwo's highest CP is 4,178? This puts it in the top five highest potential CP Pokemon at the time of writing (there's some debate on its exact placement in the top five) and attack is by far its strongest stat. It also has a significantly varied moveset… when it comes to charged moves anyway.

Psycho Cut needs to be your choice for fast move. It has less damage than Confusion, but has the second highest energy generation in the game with 4.5 EPT. Now when it comes to charged moves, prepare yourself because there's a lot of different options. Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt are all vastly different typed moves that can be useful in a pinch, but you'll want to combine them with one of either Psystrike or Shadow Ball. Psystrike was exclusive to the legendary raid hour back in October 2019, while Shadow Ball is a legacy move and is no longer able to be learned. If you do have one of them though, then you're in luck. If you don't I'd recommend opting for something other than Mewtwo, because Focus Blast is the next best move and isn't particularly great. 

Dragonite

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: Dragon/FlyingWeakness: Ice, Rock, Fairy, Dragon

Thanks to it being around since the very start of the game, every long-term player should have a Dragonite by this point. Its strength against other Dragon-types is killer and it just misses out on the top 10 highest CP with a max of 3,792.

You'll want to go all-in on the Dragon-type moves, so opt for Dragon Breath as the fast one. 4 DPT and 3 EPT make it an excellent choice thanks to Dragonite's attack stats. Dragon Claw should be one of your charged move options too because it has a low energy requirement and you can dish out the damage frequently. For the other charged move (if you have two), you can choose between Outrage and Draco Meteor. The former has 110 power compared to the latter's 150, but is slightly cheaper and doesn't have Draco Meteor's attack debuff after use. Outrage would be my pick, unless you need a definitive closer, which Draco Meteor is best at. 

Garchomp

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: Dragon/GroundWeakness: Ice, Dragon, Fairy

Garchomp is one of the rarest non-legendary Pokemon in the game thanks to the elusive nature of Gible, but if you've got your hands on a decent one, put it to use in the Master League. Dragon-type again makes it strong against all the other Dragon-types in the meta, while the secondary Ground-type makes it strong against multiple, including Poison, Rock, and Electric-types.

Mud Shot has to be your top choice for Garchomp's fast move because it has top tier energy gain at 4.5 EPT. That's vital when you consider how expensive the two options for charged moves are; Earthquake and Outrage. Both are high power, medium cost, so Garchomp is absolutely brutal when closing a match out. If you have two charged move slots but you're missing one of the above, Sand Tomb can also be used. 

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: SteelWeakness: Fighting, Fire, Ground

Getting a Melmetal is no easy task because you need to complete the Let's Go, Meltan special research or obtain one from Pokemon Let's Go (all is explained in our how to get Meltan in Pokemon Go guide). You then need 400 candies to evolve it into Melmetal but when you do, you have a tanky Steel-type Pokemon great for use in the Master League.

Thundershock is the only fast move available and thankfully it's not too bad because it generates energy fairly quickly. Rock Slide is the best charged move because it only costs 45 energy to use, while Superpower is our suggestion for the other charged move. The only problem is that, like Draco Meteor, Superpower gives Melmetal a debuff to both attack and defence after usage, meaning it's better at closing out battles. Thunder Shock is also an option if you want extra Electric-type damage. 

Snorlax

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: NormalWeakness: Fighting

Snorlax is a classic, ain't it? As its… *ahem* size would imply, Snorlax is a defensive beast, helped by the fact it only has one major weakness which isn't particularly popular in the Master League meta. The downside is that as a Normal-type, it's not got any type advantages either.

Lick should always be your choice for Snorlax's fast move; it has 3 DPT and EPT which is solid, plus the other options are not great at all. There's a lot of choice with the charged moves though; Body Slam is the best at shield baiting if you're using Snorlax as an opener, while Earthquake is strong against Steel-type Pokemon. Then there's Superpower which is slightly cheaper than Earthquake but does a similar job. Finally, if you're lacking in Dragon-type moves elsewhere in your team, go for Outrage. 

Darkrai

(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Type: Dark Weakness: Bug, Fairy, Fighting

Another legendary Pokemon to finish things off, Darkrai is absolutely excellent against Giratina. It's resistant to Ghost-type moves while Giratina is weak to Dark-type ones, making it a wonderful counter. Just make sure you don't use Darkrai against Togekiss because it won't go well.

Snarl is the top choice for the fast move since Feint Attack isn't very good at all, then you definitely want Dark Pulse for one of your charged moves. The second charged move is debatable; Shadow Ball can deal with some popular choices in Master League since it is a Ghost-type move, while Focus Blast is an expensive choice but sees off other types like Steel, Normal, and Rock, which Shadow Ball can't do much about.

That's it for our guide to the Pokemon Go Master League meta; if it changes significantly we'll be sure to update this guide with some fresh choices. Good luck in the Battle League, trainer!

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Pokemon Rumble Rush To Shut Down This Summer, After Just One Year

The smartphone game Pokemon Rumble Rush will shut down this summer, after just one year. In preparation for the impending shutdown, the game is no longer offering in-game purchases of Poke Diamonds.

Serebii reports that the online game will cease activities on July 22, 2020. As of that date, any unused Poke Diamonds will get refunded to players. A few more events are planned for the remaining time, including an update on May 27 that will add more Pokemon. A Greeninja event will be available May 6-27.

Rumble Rush has you battling toy-ified Pokemon, similar to its previous iterations across Nintendo's consoles and handhelds, the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U. Fellow free-to-play Pokemon smartphone games Pokemon Go and Pokemon Masters are still ongoing.

Rumble Rush originally launched for iOS and Android in July 2019, following a soft-launch for Android devices the previous May.

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Halo's Master Chief Weighs in on Pineapple Pizza Debate

Does pineapple belong on pizza? This is one of the most controversial topics in human history. On one side, you have civilized human beings that understand pineapple is delicious, but it does not belong next to a pizza, let alone on it. On the other side you have a barbarous people who put pineapple on everything. Thankfully, Halo's Master Chief has decided to be one the right side of history. Not only is Master Chief against pineapple on pizza, but he calls the immoral act for what it is: an abomination.

As you would expect -- despite the fact that this isn't the canon Master Chief take on the topic -- this take caused a bit of a stir on social media. One one side, many welcomed the Spartan to modern civilization. On the other side, the hero of earth was lambasted right and left.

DIGIORNO IS TAKING THIS ONE HARD HOPING INFINITE BOMBS FOR THIS ONE XBOX SERIES X PRE-ORDER CANCELLED THIS IS WHY MASTER CHIEF IS UNDEFEATED

Did you know ComicBook.com has a Pokemon podcast? That's right folks, A Wild Podcast Has Appeared is available every Thursday bringing you the best breakdowns of the week's biggest news from Jim Viscardi, Megan Peters & Christian Hoffer. Catch the newest episode right here or subscribe on iTunes today!

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

These Pokemon Earbuds Come Complete with a Poke Ball Charger

Pokemon fans know a thing or two about Poke Balls, but you might think they are all the same. Whether you have an Ultra Ball or Master Ball, the item serves the same purpose in the series, but there are Poke Balls out there which flip the script. In fact, Razer has made its own high-tech Poke Ball which charges earbuds, and there's no doubt you'll want this adorable Pokemon merchandise ASAP.

The report comes from China where Razer will be selling this cute pair of cordless earbuds. There are plenty of audio tech on the market similar to these earbuds from Apple's infamous AirPods and beyond. However, these Pokemon-themed earbuds have Pikachu by their side, so there is a clear winner here.

The Pokemon x Razer earbuds are totally cordless and have a yellow coating and Pikachu icon on the side. The buds have a 13mm driver unit that allows the unit to amplify bass music in high quality. Of course, the earbuds have all the latest tech like voice assistance, and they even provide a degree of noise cancellation for when your running through them Safari Zone or downtown.

(Photo: Razer / The Pokemon Company)

The earphones will last three hours on a single charge, and its charging case is the real appeal here. It is shaped like the classic red-and-white Poke Ball, and it can provide five pull charges to the earbuds. This means this Pokemon headset gives fans 15 hours of total listening time, and fans can easily store their buds away in their Poke Ball when all is said and done.

For now, these earbuds are slated for release in China, and there are no plans for a U.S. import. However, you can try to get a pair from overseas after they hit shelves on April 16, 2020.

Would you buy earbuds like these? Or would you rather wait for a different Pokemon to get their own pair? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

HT - Nerdist

Did you know ComicBook.com has a Pokemon podcast? That's right folks, A Wild Podcast Has Appeared is available every Thursday bringing you the best breakdowns of the week's biggest news from Jim Viscardi, Megan Peters & Christian Hoffer. Catch the newest episode right here or subscribe on iTunes today!

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

'Pokémon Go' Battle League Leaderboards Coming; First Go Battle Day Announced

Niantic's journey into competitive Pokémon Go battling is getting its next upgrade in the form of leaderboards and the announcement of a brand new event type for the popular mobile game.

Starting Friday, April 10, the Go Battle League leaderboards will launch on PokemonGOLive.com.

The new leaderboards will launch just after the Go Battle League changes from Ultra League to Master League, which will give player an opportunity to see where they stand when the competition switches to a new format.

Here's what you can expect from the Go Battle League leaderboard, according to the official Niantic blog post:

* It will show the top five hundred Trainers in the world and their Trainer nicknames, teams, ranks, ratings and total matches.

* Rankings are based on the previous day's in-game ratings for Trainers rank 7 and up.

* The leaderboard is scheduled to update between approximately 4 p.m. EDT and 6 p.m. EDT every day. (Note that leaderboard updates may be delayed by things such as maintenance.)

* Trainers with active disciplinary action or inappropriate Trainer nicknames will be excluded without prior notice.

In addition, Niantic is announcing a brand new event type for Pokémon Go called GO Battle Day. Similar to Community Days, GO Battle Day will feature a Pokémon that is popular in one of the three formats of the Go Battle League.

On Sunday, April 12, Marill, the Water- and Fairy-type Pokémon, will be the featured 'Mon. During the event, players can enjoy activities related to the Go Battle League. For instance, the more Go Battle League battles you win from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time during the event, the more chances you'll get to encounter Marill.

Marill will also appear as a guaranteed Basic Reward after your first and third wins of each set of five battles. If you use a Premium Battle Pass, Marill will appear after every win.

Trainers can also enjoy double the catch Stardust for catching Marill during this time period.

Niantic notes that special Pokémon encounters like Pikachu Libre at Rank 10 will stay the same so don't worry about battling too much during this event.

Also, all day Sunday—from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time—you'll be able to complete 20 sets of Go Battle League battles, up from the regular five sets, for a total of up to 100 battles.

What do you think of these new developments in the Pokémon Go Battle League? Let us know in the comments section.

Pokémon Go PvP league gets leaderboards and a special Marill event

The player-vs.-player league for Pokémon Go, known as Go Battle League, will implement a new leaderboard starting Friday, April 10, developer Niantic announced on Thursday. The Go Battle League leaderboards will showcase the top 500 trainers competing in Pokémon Go PvP, just as the league transitions from Ultra League to Master League battles.

According to an announcement from Niantic, rankings on the board will display players on the leaderboard who are rank 7 and higher based on the previous day's in-game ratings. Trainers "with active disciplinary action or inappropriate Trainer nicknames will be excluded" from the leaderboards, Niantic noted.

Niantic is also trying something new for Go Battle League: a limited-time event focusing on the Pokémon Marill. Called Go Battle Day, the event will take place on Sunday, April 12. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, Marill will appear as a basic reward after players' first and third wins in Go Battle League matches. Players who use a Premium Battle Pass will encounter Marill after every win. The event will not prevent special rewards, such as the Pikachu Libre encounter at rank 10, from appearing as encounters.

Go Battle Day: Marill will also let players compete in 20 sets of PvP battles from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time.

Marill is currently spawning in the wild in Pokémon Go, which is in the midst of a special spring event that runs April 9-16.

Is Fighting Foodons the WORST Pokémon Ripoff? (It Has Competition)

If something is a success, rip it off. That's a mantra that has guided many a company to shamelessly copy Pokémon again and again over the years -- even decades after the original series first took the world by storm. This ranged from wholly original anime, created in the wake of Pokémon's success, to shows or franchises that predated the Pocket Monsters fad and were then repackaged or redistributed to take advantage of the trend. One such title, Fighting Foodons, recently found its way onto anime streaming service, RetroCrush. Years later, this bizarre series still has to be seen to be believed.

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Fighting Foodons: The Strangest Pokemon Rip-Off

Fighting Foodons, conceptually, is a very weird anime. The series focuses on a world where food is given sentient life and power thanks to magic cards, making the resulting Foodons a race of magical, combative culinary fiends. (The king, many argue, was high on nutmeg at the time...) The series primarily focussed on Zen/Chase (depending on whether you watched the original series or the 4Kids dub), a ten-year-old chef-in-training trying to be a Pokémon Master... er, Master Chef, we mean. He believes he has what it takes to beat King Gorgeous Gorge and his top-ranking evil chefs. But to do this, he needs to challenge the many chefs under Gorge (Glutton Gormandizers), his Elite Four (King Gorge's Big 4), an evil cat chef, and finally the King himself.

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This series is based on a two-volume manga published in 1998, which is the same year the Pokémon anime hit it big. The series also owes an enormous debt to Pokémon for doing the groundwork as a primer: not only does it have a card-centric, monster-collecting story, but the conflict with the Glutton Gormandizers and Big 4 sounds remarkably similar to how trainers challenge Gym Leaders before fighting the Elite Four in Pokémon.

While Pokémon can be strange at times, Fighting Foodons is just absurd. It is telling that 4Kids, the same dubbing studio behind Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, tried to pitch it to audiences as its next big hit. However, the show proved too weird to draw in the same crowd. For many, it became the epitome of something trying too hard to copy Pokémon. Still, with such a memorable angle, can it truly be considered the absolute worst Pokémon rip-off? These other, lesser-remembered titles beg to differ.

Shadow Star: The Most Depraved Rip-Off

In Shadow Star (Narutaru, in Japan) 12-year-old Shiina acquires an adorable monster known as a dragonet, which draws the attention of other select individuals who have dragonets of their own -- and not all of them are what you'd call "good" people. Things fall apart very quickly, going from cute to nightmarish.

RELATED: Pokemon's Coolest Underused Final Forms, Ranked

Shadow Star is to Pokémon as Neon Genesis Evangelion is to Mazinger Z. Like Evangelion, this dark deconstruction of the monster-collecting genre infamously contained some profoundly disturbing visuals. Many pages of the manga were heavily censored when first released in America, like Aki's assault on Hiro with the test tube and, later, her karmic death.

However, while the series is certainly memorable for its violence, is there anything else to it? The anime is based on the manga by Mohiro Kitoh (Bokurano) while the anime was written by Chiaki Konaka (Serial Experiments Lain and Digimon Tamers) and Shadow Star is both of their weakest work. Take away all the gore and violence, and you're left with remarkably little content or storytelling value.

Dinosaur King: The Late-Comer Rip-Off

A meteor crashes down, scattering magic cards that summon dinosaurs for fighting. A group of preteens encounters a group of evil, time-traveling bad guys... so they fight! This is the gist of the plot of Dinosaur King, one of the weaker, less memorable rip-offs of Pokémon.

There are plenty of Pokémon-inspired games and anime that gained some degree of popularity due to arriving at the right time, despite being fairly unremarkable mimics. Monster Rancher and Duel Masters, for all their problems, gained a degree of success because they arrived at the right time. Dinosaur King, on the other hand, is an example of a series that arrived too late and, as a result, feels incredibly tired and generic.

Dinosaur King, based on a SEGA game of the same name, hit the airwaves in 2008 -- about a decade after the Pokémon craze really kicked off. By that point, monster-collecting and monster-battling already felt stale -- made worse by the fact that there was precious little this series added to this niche. Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon and many others also already had dinosaur-like monsters in their roster of creatures. Dinosaur King just felt like a downgrade from the usual, made worse by the weak antagonists and little drive to the plot.

Spider Riders: The Most Pure Rip-Off

Spider Riders is led by the protagonist, Hunter Steel, an 11-year-old boy who has descended into the deep dungeons of the Earth to find monsters. He ends up bonded to a gigantic spider and delves further into the regions of the Hollow Earth, fighting to liberate the subterranean country of Arachna from a race of insect people. This involves, as the title suggests, pitting their eight-legged crawlies in combat.

RELATED: Pokémon May Have New Competition, and That's a Good Thing

The series is unique in that it was actually based on a series of Canadian sci-fi novels for children, rather than manga, which was then turned into an anime and then adapted into English and distributed by Funimation. Over the course of the adaptation phase, Spider Riders became more and more like Pokémon and Digimon whereas before it was a more distinctive epic, adventure story.

Despite this, it is also reminiscent of the original concept behind Pokémon: creator Satoshi Tajiri's desire to share his childhood love of bug collecting. However, in the midst of all the changing hands -- from novel series to anime to Funimation localization -- Spider Riders lost its spark, becoming a dull copy of what came before.

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About The Author

Earned my MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Written for The Mary Sue, ScreenRant, The Anime Feminist, The Gamer, and Vocal. Lifelong lover of comics, anime, and weird films. Loves different varieties of coffee.

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Pokémon GO Will Launch Leaderboards For GO Battle League

In case you're wondering who in Pokémon GO is on top of the Go Battle League, Niantic will be launching a leaderboard system for you to check out. According to Niantic today, the leaderboard is launching just after the GO Battle League changes from Ultra League to Master League. Which will present an opportunity for everyone to see where you and others might stand right after the GO Battle League switches to a new format. We have the full details of what the leaderboard system will entail for you below from the devs, with additional info here. Meanwhile, all day on GO Battle Day: Marill, which will run from 12am-11:59pm local time, will give you the chance to complete in 20 sets of GO Battle League battles.

Now you can see all the top players in the leaderboards, courtesy of Niantic.

It will show the top five hundred Trainers in the world and their Trainer nicknames, teams, ranks, ratings, and total matches.

Rankings are based on the previous day's in-game ratings for Trainers rank 7 and up. The leaderboard is scheduled to update between approximately 8:00 p.m. UTC and 10:00 p.m. UTC every day. (Note that leaderboard updates may be delayed by things such as maintenance.)

Trainers with active disciplinary action or inappropriate Trainer nicknames will be excluded without prior notice.

Celebrate the launch of the GO Battle League leaderboards with GO Battle Day: Marill on Sunday, April 12, 2020! This brand-new event will feature Marill, the Aqua Mouse Pokémon, and activities related to the GO Battle League. This Water- and Fairy-type Pokémon evolves into Azumarill—a popular Pokémon in the Great League. The more GO Battle League battles you win from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time during the event, the more chances you'll have to encounter Marill! During this time frame, Marill will appear as a guaranteed Basic Reward after your first and third wins. Use a Premium Battle Pass, and Marill will appear after every win as a guaranteed Premium Reward! Trainers will also receive 2× Catch Stardust for catching Marill during this time period. Please note that the encounters that serve as rewards for ranking up, such as the Pikachu Libre encounter at rank 10, will stay the same.

About Gavin Sheehan

Gavin has been a lifelong geek who can chat with you about comics, television, video games, and even pro wrestling. He can also teach you how to play Star Trek chess, be your Mercy on Overwatch, recommend random cool music, and goes rogue in D&D. He also enjoys hundreds of other geeky things that can't be covered in a single paragraph. Follow @TheGavinSheehan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vero, for random pictures and musings.

       

Pokémon: Pikachu and Ash Died WAY Earlier Than You Realized

In the world of Pokémon, main protagonists, Ash Ketchum and his partner Pikachu are far from immortal. Though they appear to be ageless and time seems irrelevant, the two have died more than once. Ash's most famous death came when he ran between the crossfire of Mew and Mewtwo in the Pokémon: The First Movie, which turned the trainer to literal stone -- only for him to be restored by the tears of Pokémon and clones alike.

However, that wasn't the first time Ash perished. He also died in the Pokémon anime near the start of his Indigo Adventures. In the Lavender Town, Ash and Pikachu were murdered in a series of ghostly events that culminated on Ash and Pikachu becoming spirits and pulling spirited pranks on Misty that, from her perspective, came straight out of a horror movie.

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Terror Before the Tower

In Pokémon Season 1 Episode 22, "The Tower of Terror," Ash travels to Lavender Town to capture a ghost Pokémon. It truly is a matter of life and death for Ash already, since, as of the episode before, Ash had been almost imprisoned forever in a doll house by the psychic gym leader Sabrina of Saffron City. Sabrina's almost insurmountable power led to Ash losing brutally to her Kadabra, and, as punishment, the gym leader and her sentient doll -- representative of the "innocent" part of her mind -- used their powers to shrink Ash and company to play as dolls.

Ash needs to beat Sabrina to accomplish his dreams, but he'll never be able to challenge the Pokémon League if he doesn't get Sabrina's Marsh Badge. However, an old man with psychic powers -- Sabrina's father -- gives Ash some advice: go to Lavender Town and capture a ghost Pokémon. While Misty and Brock are too scared of ghosts to travel to the Pokémon Tower, where most of the ghost Pokémon hang out, Ash fearlessly walks in, dragging Pikachu along with him.

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Drop a Chandelier On Him

Ash almost immediately encounters a trio of ghosts: Gastly, Haunter and Gengar. Despite Ash's best efforts, he can't hurt any of the ghosts. But his efforts to capture one of them are halted abruptly when a chandelier falls on both him and Pikachu, crushing them. While it first appears as though they've been knocked out, Haunter extracts their souls from their bodies and leaves their lifeless bodies behind.

However, after a moment of existential panic about dying, Ash and Pikachu really start to enjoy being weightless poltergeists who can soar through the sky and haunt the living. This is most notable when Ash picks Misty up into the air only to drop her into Brock's arms. This immediately alerts Misty to the fact something is wrong with Ash -- she seems to be aware it's Ash lifting her up on some level -- which leads to the two rushing to Ash and Pikachu and pulling them out from under the wreckage.

At the same time, Ash and Pikachu are brought to the ghost Pokémon's room, where they learn the ghosts just enjoy fun games and playing pranks. While they want Ash and Pikachu to goof off with them for the rest of eternity, Ash explains to them his dreams of being a Pokémon Master, and they help them return to their bodies, despite their disappointment. When traveling back to Saffron City to re-challenge Sabrina later on, Ash finds that Haunter has followed him back. Eventually, Haunter's pranks prove essential to him earning a Marsh Badge.

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Morbid Reality

While the two of them are only dead for a few moments, it's clear that Ash and Pikachu did in fact die, and that Pokémon were responsible for it. While very few characters actually stay dead in Pokémon -- though Latios from Pokémon Heroes and Hunter J very well are dead for good -- it's clear that Ash and Pikachu have died way more times than anyone would like to admit.

And if Ash and Pikachu had stayed dead, they may very well have turned into ghost Pokémon themselves. Many Pokémon that would be introduced in later generations are actually the spirits of the departed, such as Phantump and Yamask. Phantump's Pokédex entry from Pokémon Sword reads "After a lost child perished in the forest, their spirit possessed a tree stump, causing the spirit's rebirth as this Pokémon." Yamask's Pokédex entry from Pokémon Black says "Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry." It's highly possible that, should Ash have remained a floating spirit, he might have become one of these Pokémon. This would have given his quest to become a Pokémon Master a grim irony, as he would become a Pokémon himself, albeit a sad, lonely one.

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One-Punch Man Reveals the TRUE Mastermind Behind the Monster Association

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Earned my MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Written for The Mary Sue, ScreenRant, The Anime Feminist, The Gamer, and Vocal. Lifelong lover of comics, anime, and weird films. Loves different varieties of coffee.

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Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour and Mystery Bonus Hour April 2020 SCHEDULE

Until recently, the different hours took place at different times, but Niantic has now combined them.

During April, Niantic has set both bonuses and Pokemon to spawn from 6pm for an hour.

The rules are the same for each country, which will see the bonuses at the same time locally.

Each weekly hour will bring a new bonus and Pokemon.

Pokemon Go's "Tricky Pokemon" April Fools' Event Now Live

April has arrived, and Niantic is kicking off the month with a new event in Pokemon Go. The Tricky Pokemon event is underway for a limited time, and it introduces a new Gen 5 Pokemon to the game, as well as a couple of new Shiny forms.

Until 10 PM local time on April 7, Pokemon that specialize in mimicry--such as Voltorb, Ditto, Sudowoodo, and Foongus--will appear in the wild more often than normal. You'll also have a chance of finding Shiny versions of Sudowoodo and Croagunk during the event.

On top of that, a new Gen 5 Pokemon, Stunfisk, has made its debut in the game; you can encounter one in the wild, as a Field Research task reward, or hatch one through 5 km eggs. Once the Tricky Pokemon event ends, Stunfisk will no longer hatch from 5 km eggs, although you'll still have a chance of finding one in the wild or through Field Research tasks.

Finally, Niantic is offering a special set of Field Research tasks during the event, which can lead to encounters with the aforementioned Stunfisk, Sudowoodo, or Croagunk. The developer also teases that a special Pokemon may appear when you take Go Snapshots. You can read more about the event on the official Pokemon Go website.

In addition to the Tricky Pokemon event, April's new Field Research tasks are now live in Pokemon Go. Each time you achieve a Research Breakthrough this month, you'll earn an encounter with Alolan Exeggutor. Niantic is also extending last month's Team Rocket Special Research quest, so you now have until the end of April to rescue Shadow Entei.

The Legendary Pokemon Landorus has also made its debut; you can encounter it in Raids or as a Go Battle League reward until April 21. To make it easier to participate in Raids during the COVID-19 pandemic, Niantic has temporarily doubled the distance from which you can interact with Gyms, and it will soon give you the option to do Raid Battles from home.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Pokemon Go: "Tricky Pokemon" April Fools' Event Now Live

April has arrived, and Niantic is kicking off the month with a new event in Pokemon Go. The Tricky Pokemon event is underway for a limited time, and it introduces a new Gen 5 Pokemon to the game, as well as a couple of new Shiny forms.

Until 10 PM local time on April 7, Pokemon that specialize in mimicry--such as Voltorb, Ditto, Sudowoodo, and Foongus--will appear in the wild more often than normal. You'll also have a chance of finding Shiny versions of Sudowoodo and Croagunk during the event.

On top of that, a new Gen 5 Pokemon, Stunfisk, has made its debut in the game; you can encounter one in the wild, as a Field Research task reward, or hatch one through 5 km eggs. Once the Tricky Pokemon event ends, Stunfisk will no longer hatch from 5 km eggs, although you'll still have a chance of finding one in the wild or through Field Research tasks.

Finally, Niantic is offering a special set of Field Research tasks during the event, which can lead to encounters with the aforementioned Stunfisk, Sudowoodo, or Croagunk. The developer also teases that a special Pokemon may appear when you take Go Snapshots. You can read more about the event on the official Pokemon Go website.

In addition to the Tricky Pokemon event, April's new Field Research tasks are now live in Pokemon Go. Each time you achieve a Research Breakthrough this month, you'll earn an encounter with Alolan Exeggutor. Niantic is also extending last month's Team Rocket Special Research quest, so you now have until the end of April to rescue Shadow Entei.

The Legendary Pokemon Landorus has also made its debut; you can encounter it in Raids or as a Go Battle League reward until April 21. To make it easier to participate in Raids during the COVID-19 pandemic, Niantic has temporarily doubled the distance from which you can interact with Gyms, and it will soon give you the option to do Raid Battles from home.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Pokémon Go Landorus counters, weaknesses and moveset explained

Meet the Abundance Pokémon in Pokémon Go!

Landorus, the final member of the legendary Forces of Nature trio from Gen 5, can now be found in Pokémon Go.

Like Thundurus and Tornadus before it, Landorus has two formes - Incarnate Forme and Therian Forme. This page focuses on how to capture the Incarnate Forme of Landorus in Pokémon Go.

Like other legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go, Landorus will be in five-star raids. There's also a chance that you'll encounter Landorus as a reward for battling in the Go Battle League.

On this page:

Here are the counters and weaknesses for Landorus, which will help you add it to your Pokédex in Pokémon Go:

Landorus type: Flying and ground-type

Landorus is weak against: Ice and water-type

Landorus counters: Gyarados, Lapras, Swampert, Kyogre, Mamoswine, Weavile and Glaceon

Other Landorus notes: It's best to begin the battle with a strong ice-type Pokémon as they will cause more damage and use strong water-type Pokémon as backups.

When battling, and attempting to catch, Landorus in raids, you can expect the following CP levels:

Raid Boss CP - 46,044

Normal CP for catching Landorus - 1911

Weather Boost CP (Clear) for catching Landorus - 2389

Therian Forme Landorus

Landorus can use a variety of charged and fast moves in Pokémon Go, including:

Possible Fast Moves:

Mud Shot (Ground)

Rock Throw (Rock)

Possible Charged Moves:

Earth Power (Ground)

Focus Blast (Fighting)

Outrage (Dragon)

Rock Slide (Rock)

Pokémon Go in 2020 continues to add new features, such the arrival of the Go Battle League - which is currently highlighting the Ultra League - and soon, Clone Pokémon. We've also recently had the Buddy Adventure feature, which introduces a variety of perks - including finding Souvenirs - as well as a new trade evolution feature. 2019 saw the release of the first Gen 5 Pokémon, along with new regional exclusive Pokémon, Egg charts, and the introduction of the Unova Stone. Pokemon Go also sees regular events - including weekly Spotlight Hour evenings, monthly Field Research rewards and Pokémon Go Community Day, plus a new Giovanni counters quest - the latest being The Shadowy Threat Grows. There is also the gradual arrival of new Promo Codes to redeem, too.

Landorus acts as the trio master for the Forces of Nature, which also includes Tornadus and Thundurus.

Tornadus and Thundurus are the other members of the Forces of Nature trio.

As the trio master, its Landorus' duty to ensure that Tornadus and Thundurus don't wreak havoc on the Unova region. This led the humans of this land to construct a shrine for Landorus in thanks for its protection.

Like Tornadus and Thundurus, Landorus represents a different physical domain of the world. Landorus, unsurprisingly, represents the land we walk upon, which is why it's the one who protects it from the other members of the trio.

Landorus also takes inspiration from the kami, a holy being from Shinto mythology, Inari ÅŒkami, who was the kami of foxes, agriculture, rice and fertility just to name a few.

The Therian Forme for Landorus was released alongside Pokémon Dream Radar, which was an app for the Nintendo 3DS.

Coming back to Pokémon Go in 2020: What's new, different, and improved

With many of us at home and looking for ways to pass the time, there's an understandable desire to return to the familiar. When it comes to Pokémon Go, the smash hit of the summer of 2016, a lot should feel familiar coming back to the game four years later. But a lot has changed, too: tons more Pokémon, a completely revamped gym system, and even plans for remote raids are in the works. Here's what returning Pokémon Go players can expect in 2020.

Catching and evolving pokemon

Pokémon Go launched in 2016 with the original 151 mons, but not all of those were even available at first. Now, there are hundreds of Pokémon from the first five generations in the game, although the core games are now up to generation eight with Sword and Shield. Still, you can catch fan favorites like Chimchar, Lucario, and Snivy in Pokémon Go now. Even if all you want to do is catch 'em all, there's plenty more content to enjoy.

Some of the most sought after Pokémon will be tough to find in the game as it currently exists. Niantic added special evolution items several years ago, which you can get from Poké Stops and completing quests (more on that later). For some evolutions, you need to collect enough candy and an item like a sun stone or metal coat. You'll also come across more types of berries in your loot these days. A Golden Razz Berry, for example, will make it much easier to catch a Pokémon compared to regular Razz Berries. The Silver Pinap Berry makes Pokémon a bit easier to catch and boosts your candy reward for doing so.

You probably won't be able to catch everything on your own, but your friends can help fill out your Dex. Yes, you can have friends in the game, and your in-game friendship level will increase the more you interact. You can trade special gift boxes with friends (usually a few berries or Poké Balls), and if they're nearby, you can trade Pokémon. It costs stardust and candy to trade, but a high friendship level lowers that cost and improves the stats of the traded Pokémon.

There's also more emphasis on the stats of your Pokémon. You can have your Team leader evaluate each of your monsters, which tells you if they have the potential to be a champion (a Pokémon's IV). This feature used to give you vague verbal hints about the stats, but now you get a little three-bar meter that lays it all out.

Battles and gyms

Gyms were available in Pokémon Go at launch, but the way you interact with them has changed a great deal. One of the things that made the game feel like a dead end in the early days was that heavy players would level up heir mons and stick them in gyms, leaving casual players with no hope of unseating them. Now, Pokémon in gyms slowly lose power over time, but you can boost them back up by feeding them berries. Regardless, it gives less experienced players a chance to take over gyms.

The first major addition to Pokémon Go after launch was the raid system. These special battles take place at gyms, giving you a chance to defeat and capture powerful Pokémon. Raids take place at various times throughout the day—the map shows an egg atop gyms with a countdown when raids are about to happen. When raids are active, the giant Pokémon will appear at the top of the gym, suspending all the regular gym battles. You can battle in raids alone or with other players in the same area. The battles are still very, very simple with only minor changes since launch. You tap and you swipe. That's it.

Battles with other players are slightly different than raids and gym battles. You can challenge your friends to battles, but there's also an online battle league now. In these battles, you get a team of three Pokémon and two single-use shields to block charged attacks. Attacking builds up your charge attack, but to use that attack, you need to swipe across a series of icons that fly around the screen. The more you hit, the stronger your attack will be. This adds just a hint of skill to the battles in Pokémon Go. Working your way up the battle league ranks is also a good way to unlock special Pokémon encounters and items.

Community, exploration, and coronavirus changes

Niantic has added several big features over the years to make the game a bit more engaging. One of the earliest was quests. These usually consist of using a certain number of berries when capturing Pokémon or catching specific types of Pokémon. When you complete quests, you'll usually get rare items or Pokémon encounters. There are also field research tasks available from Poké Stops. These simpler to-dos can unlock a "breakthrough" after you've completed tasks on seven different days. Again, you get rare items and a cool Pokémon encounter. Some of those Poké Stops will also be under the control of Team Rocket, allowing you to battle them and capture their Pokémon.

Walking was a way to hatch eggs even in the early days of Pokémon Go, but now you can walk with a Pokémon buddy. Your buddy finds candy as you walk, and the game plugs into fitness tracking platforms like Google Fit to track steps even when the app isn't open. This is a great way to get candy to power-up rare Pokémon. You can even bond with your buddy to unlock special abilities like higher catch rates and a combat boost. You have to earn hearts by interacting with your buddy, so this is a take on the friendship system in the core games.

For the last several years, Niantic has also run a monthly "Community Day" event. During these limited-time events, a specific Pokémon appears more frequently. If you evolve the Pokémon to its final form during the event, you get a special move, too. Unfortunately, Niantic has suspended Community Day events for the duration of the quarantine. Likewise, similar special ticket events have been paused for the time being.

Pokémon Go has always been a social game that encourages you to get out of the house. Of course, that's not the best idea right now. So, Niantic has started making some changes that help you play the game even in quarantine. For one, you can spend a single Poké Coin to get bundles of Poké Balls and Great Balls. That should help you keep catching even without walking around to Poké Stops. You can also pay a single coin for 30 incenses, which will lure in pokemon for an hour instead of 30 minutes. Niantic says Pokémon spawns are higher in general now, which should help you hunt for mons from your couch. Raids are currently impossible to play from the safety of home, but Niantic says it's planning to roll out a way to play them remotely. Details on that should be available in the coming weeks.

Pokémon Go is available in the Play Store below, but we also have it on APK Mirror.