It shows, "PogueNW wants to join you!" but then I can't click or press anything.

Same here. I don't know what to tell ya.

Hang tight. Lemme just restart the game and see if that does anything at all.

I'm gonna be real pissed if I can't ever use this wifi thing. That's probably me over exaggerating but damn if this isn't frustrating.

Though whoa... we got something here. Is it working!? Is iT!?

Awesomesauce. Thank you so much pogue!

This animation thing is pretty sweet.

DSLeet, I appreciate your attempt earlier. Pogue helped me out! So do not worry about me! :)

I was this close to being like "WHAT IF HE TAKES MY STARMIE?? AM I ABOUT TO GET FINKED??"

@PogueSquadron

God I love being a meme. Haha!

You had such awesome pokemon I couldn't decide at first which to have even for a few seconds. Is that one red guy the final evo of the fire starter? He was pretty badass.

And that did it. With Igneous up to level 28 and with him evolved all the way, he was the great start I needed. Then my Oshawott evolution with Retaliate helped secure a safe trip to the end.

I used to had a female Geodude in Diamond, so I called her Geodudette. When it evolved into Graveler, I renamed it to Graveless, haha. Had to keep the name gender appropriate, haha.

Well, I'm officially the Pokemon Champion in my game. I guess what I have to do now is either...

A.) Try to "see" all of the Pokemon in my Pokedex (I guess I don't get a reward for that?)
B.) Try to raise up a team to take into the Battle Subway

OR

C.) Get a copy of Heart Gold or Soul Silver so I can have more Pokemon to use and play through G/S for the first time.

I also used a handy IV calculator to see what my Starmie looked like. His IVs are apparently about average I suppose (averaging around 16)...only thing that caught me off guard was that his Sp.Atk is dreadful. I'm thinking of taking what I know about IVs and trying to rebreed him, but I feel like it would take forever and a day.

Anywho, I'm now going through and trying to figure out what Pokemon I want to add to my team, so I'm open to suggestions.

Just thought I'd give an update...

I buckled and got a copy of Heart Gold, haha. I actually like the Pokewalker, if only because I've recently started walking/jogging a little more often. It's just kind of a pain to have to put a Pokemon in the PC Box to get them in the Pokewalker. I really hope at some point that they overhaul the whole PC system...Really, there should be one option - "Move Pokemon." All the other options are obsolete because "Move Pokemon" does the same thing.

This is also my first venture through Gen 2. I missed it during the GBC days. So far the game is good. It really is more of the same. It's like Pokemon Red/Blue but with a different map layout and new Pokemon/types, haha. I'm definitely enjoying it though. It does feel like the game kind of expects you to know more about Pokemon than the original did. It's also interesting to go on YouTube to hear the original music tracks and how they compare with the DS version.

Just defeated Whitney, and man...she was quite the pushover. I'm glad to have a Geodudette (my female Geodude) back on my team. It's also a good thing that I found the name changer, because now I can make sure she's a Graveless (as opposed to the male Graveler).

It's nice to have so many more Pokemon to be able to catch now. When I'm done this game, I'll have a pretty good selection of who I want on my team. The game seems surprisingly easy so far, with the exception of one of the rival battles (that Bayleaf really got to me). The music is good, though I still think the music from Ruby/Sapphire is the best in the series.

Definitely enjoying the game so far though. Just got my SquirtBottle (LOL) so I can make my way to the next town.

*bumpety bump*

So just finished the main game. Goddamn Ghestis, what a tosser. Him and his hacked Hydreigon. Was using Dragon Pulse to one-shot all my critters left and right including Zekrom. Luckily, I revived him & was able to *just* sustain yet another Dragon Puls long enough to hit him with Dragonbreath... and paralyse him long enough to finish the bastard off the next turn.

Quickly healed up and tore through the rest of his team. Whee!

Final team (not including Zekrom (Caught with a single ultra ball BTW!)

Samurott Lv 46
Zebstrika Lv 47
Archeops Lv 47
Krookodile Lv 49
Victini Lv 49
Throh Lv 45.

So what should I do in the after game first?

Haven't gotten there, but I have been working up my team for the first confrontation with the Elite 4. I gotta say that the Lucky Egg has been a TREMENDOUS help and so glad you get at least one, because that's all I need. My team as of right now is looking like:

1. Larvesta - Lvl. 55 - Going to get it up to Level 59 when it evolves into Volcarona and learns the godly Quiver Dance, not to mention it will become a Sp. Attack powerhouse, too. Only problem right now is that her limited movepool (lack of TMs and levels where you get the really good stuff) will hurt some, and I have to keep her the hell away from Rock type attacks and watch out for Stealth Rock, too. Though if I can get her to level 60 then she'll get Heat Wave, which will work off her Sp. Attack and give me a strong Fire STAB move.

2. Krookodile - Lvl. 57 - This thing's "Moxie" ability has turned it into a sweeper in-game, and I love its type combo of Dark/Ground. Plus, he just got Earthquake and it works well off his strong Attack stat. His speed helps, too, as well as the fact that he can learn a good variety of TM moves and his Attack power can easily support non-STAB'd moves like Rock Slide and Dragon Claw, which allows him to work against other Pokemon types and adds variety.

3. Haxorus - Lvl. 53 - Not as sturdy as some of the other Dragons out there, but with one Dragon Dance he's hell on wheels, and his Jolly Nature means his Speed gets a nice boost so he can attack quickly. Currently have him equipped with False Swipe for catching the Legendary "Musketeer Trio" (which I did) and will probably give him Rock Slide once I am going against the E4 proper. Can't get him Outrage until level 66, but until then his Dragon Claw will work nicely...might give him Bulldoze for some Ground goodness or even Brick Break and surprise a few Steel and Dark types later on. Oh yes, and his "Mold Breaker" ability is so nice, too...UP YOURS "STURDY"!

4. Serperior - Lvl. 53 - Looks so cool, but she is probably the weakest link on my team. All she can really do is Giga Drain and Leaf Blade at the moment. Wring Out is there as well, but it doesn't help too much. Her movepool choices aren't that great...I may end up making her into a Dual-Screener since her speed is fast and Giga Drain can let her heal a bit. Plus, giving her a Light Clay and those protective barriers will get an extra 3 or so turns to stay up and benefit everyone.

5. Galvantula - Lvl. 53. - I'll admit it, when I first saw his unevolved form Joltik, I thought he'd be crap, but I liked the Bug/Electric typing since it was so unique. When he evolved and started to pick up, I saw that he was a very, very good choice indeed, and much better than my more fragile Zebstrika. Not only that, his "Compoundeyes" ability gives him a multiplicative 30% accuracy boost to any move he uses, and that allows him to use Thunder with 91% accuracy and thus no need for a Rain Dancer. He also has plenty of Sp. Attack to support his Electric moves and I think I'll be having him setup so he has Volt Switch so he can switch out quickly and still do damage on his turn. Of course, he also gets some good Bug type moves as well, which is nice against pesky Psychic and Dark types.

6. Archeops - Lvl. 48 - I might end up replacing him later due to his Defeatist ability (which sucks) but I needed a good flyer and his Attack stat is insanely high. I can see some potential for having him hold one of those gems that increases Flying type move damage and is consumed upon use. That can make his Acrobatics attack even more powerful than it is since it will get the power boost from the gem, and because it's used up, he is not holding an item, so the move doubles in power, PLUS his STAB...oh yeah...that's going to sting. Surprisingly enough, his Sp. Attack isn't that bad either, though he definitely should be used as a physical attacker, and I plan on doing just that. Definitely giving him Rock Slide and I'll teach him Dragon Claw so he learns it faster and thus have another Pokemon that can deal with Dragon types, or just have a move that hits hard and has very few types that resist it.

@CB200

Dude you won't have a problem with the Elite 4!

Look at my stuff, and those are levels *after* beating the E4. I abused type advantages to the hilt sure (I always do), but I was still OK to get through without too much trouble. You'll be more than fine ;).

Oh, I didn't think I would...I am a compulsive, COMPULSIVE over-leveler in any RPG I play. I have the patience of a stone when it comes to grinding levels, and while some may say that I take the challenge out of it, it doesn't bother me. I love grinding and leveling to become he most OP SOB in the game that I can, and to me that is definitely worth it. :D

Though as to your question, Shadow...perhaps go after all of the TMs you didn't get, or go after some of the Legendary Pokemon? I got a few already as stated, though can never have too many...and I need to get my other DS Lite again and transfer my Shiny Legendary Beasts I got from Gamestop distribution a while back.

@CB200

That reminds me, Fink promised he'd be really really awesome and trade me a spare shiny he had. Must chase him up. I think I was missing Raikou? Stupid Nintendo didn't email anyone about the event here until it was half over & we'd already missed our chance at the first legendary. Bah.

I went exploring in Victory Road, I know there's something in there. I assume its behind in cave with the small rock thingy in front of it. Anyone know how to get rid of it?

Just thought I'd say that I just beat the E4 in Heart Gold, and am going through Kanto at the moment. I think I'd like to take some time to regroup my team though...I'd like to get a Dugtrio on there and mix an an electric or grass type.

I think I might go with Bulbasaur when I can get him...I have Emboar in Black and Feraligator in Heart Gold. I have no grass type at all right now. I have a Growlithe that I'm going to evolve to an Arcanine (at some point...still debating if I'm going to wait to give him moves he gets later). As much as I love Charizard, I might not get him this time.

Is there any way to get the rest of the Kanto starters without restarting my game (aside from trading of course).

@PogueSquadron

Don't think so. I'm fairly certain trading is your only option.

Beat the Elite 4 a while ago and have been doing some extra TM hunting an cleaning up. Haven't gotten into the other new areas yet, though I have to say the huge level jump in trainer Pokemon was a bit unexpected, with them starting off in the 60's. Glad I had leveled up some to soften the blow and now it's much easier on my team. Not really a whole lot else for me to do at the moment, but I'll be doing some more exploring and trying stuff out in the new areas before going back and challenging the proper Elite 4. Still REALLY loving that TMs are now infinite use as it makes customization and switching out for different moves much easier.

I've been doing a lot of exploring in the post-game stuff, and I'm very happy to report that I'm filling up my Pokédex quite nicely. I even got some creatures from Generation 2 - I'm quite thrilled to have Heracross on my team!

Oh, I also finally caught Thundurus. My Watchog's combo of Mean Look and Hypnotize really helped. Well, that, and about 30 or so Ultra Balls, lol.

You know, I'm playing Heart Gold right now, and I guess it's hard for me to a.) See why this game is THAT beloved) and b.) See why people dog Gen 3 so much in comparison (Didn't they just change the clock?).

I mean, it's fun. It's your basic Pokemon game, with the interesting hook that you can go to Kanto after beating the Elite 4. Up until that point though? It just felt like a major retread. I even feel like the implementation of Kanto is kind of phoned in in a way. It feels like Kanto but it feels...I don't know, emptier? Like an afterthought of sorts? It's cool to see the old places like Cerulean City and all that, but I still liked Gen 5 a lot better. I'm not even finding myself using that many Gen 2 Pokemon, with the exception of my Umbreon who I'm really liking.

After playing Black, Heart Gold feels a little underwhelming, even despite the fact that it does have more content. The progression of the game feels a little odd at times, and I have to admit I was a little impatient and had to look up where to go next in a couple spots. It's very formulaic and predictable. I'm not that pleased with some of the rearrangements of the songs, but overall they sound good. I find myself missing the battle animations of the Pokemon and the speedier text and pace of the game. I know it's a remake of a Game Boy game, but I still think the remake shows its age a bit, especially after Black and White started to change things around a little. The environments in Black and White are fun and varied, playing with camera angles, weather conditions, etc.

I'm liking HG a lot, but I think people can be affected a little by some rose-colored glasses action. I actually liked Gen 3 a lot, due to the improved visuals over the Gameboy and IMO the best music the series has ever had (before or since).

If I had to rank the games in terms of which I thought were best in all areas, I'd go...

Gen 5
Gen 4
Gen 3
Gen 2
Gen 1

I just feel like for the most part, even if elements are added/removed from certain games, I think they've generally just gotten better as time goes on. The games have certainly become more streamlined with each generation. The games also have a more logical way of categorizing special/physical attacks now, which I think was sorely missing from the first two games. I think the games in general are much better balanced now.

@PogueSquadron

I actually have some of the same feelings as you concerning Heart Gild/Soul Silver and the 2nd Generation in general. Especially with how Kanto was brought back, and even Victory Road, or other cave areas. Maybe I am mistaking Victory Road from G/S/C, but I remember it being so much shorter than R/B/Y and not nearly as challenging. In fact, I think all of Johto wasn't as hard as Kanto and seemed smaller overall. I especially didn't like how some of the routes were closed off in Kanto when you got to visit it, or the fact that Cinnabar Island was gone due to a volcanic eruption. When I saw that for the first time in G/S/C my heart sank with disappointment...that was my favorite area from the older games and seeing it reduced to pretty much nothing...it really took something away from the game.

The gyms also weren't as good, IMHO. I chose Cyndaquil as my starter (going in totally blind, but I had chosen Bulbasaur from R/B/Y and wanted to try the Fire Type) and he completely dominated most of them just by himself as I leveled up and explored. Sure, Bulbasaur had a good advantage at the first three gyms in R/B/Y, but after that he wasn't nearly as good, while Cyndaquil/Quilava/Typhlosion...they shredded everything in their path, even Whitney's Miltank and only Clair's dragon gym slowed him down. The level range also didn't feel quite as good either, especially the Elite 4, though I suppose since Johto wasn't as big as Kanto and you were able to go back to Kanto after beating them that that was the reason, but even so...it cheapened the E4 in my eyes.

Now don't get me wrong, I still like G/S/C and HG/SS, but even with all the new content and some things that ended up getting corrected and improved a bit in the remakes...it wasn't enough to make up for the flaws that I was reminded of when I played.