P.G. Brody's Reviews: Pokemon X and Y

   Here we go guys, the review I've been waiting incredibly impatiently to do and the review that some of you really want to see!    Pokemon X and Y!

                       P.G. Brody's Reviews




Graphics



First off, I HAVE to cover the graphics.  For going straight to 3D models from pixels, they weren't lazying about.  This photo was taken with a camera, meaning that the graphics are actually better than in this photo.



Everything about the graphics was done wonderfully.  The battle animations are awesome, the 3D models look as they should, and everything it just grand.  You know how boring the Pokemon Center generally is?  Well, when you talk to the lady who heals your Pokemon, you'll see the scene from one of about 4 or 5 different positions!  That may sound like minor positives, but they're everywhere here, and they just add up and add up and add up.

Music

This might be, in my opinion, the best Pokemon music done yet (bar Youtube).  It's now mostly orchestration with a nice mix of natural game music, and it blends very well.  There's even some metal guitar in certain parts, which is pretty neat if you ask me.

Also, THEMES.  Certain characters have special themes in this game that only play when they are around. There are four I can specifically think of, and there might be more I'm either missing or forgetting.  And not only that, each one is awesome!

Characters

In my opinion, this game has the most well-developed characters yet.  The gym leaders and elite four are still on the low side with a few cool ones, but all the main characters are awesome.



Professor Sycamore is by far the most interesting out of all the Professors.  Granted, in the TV series, I like Oak better, but game-wise, Oak really didn't have much personality.  Sycamore does, and it shows.

In most Pokemon games, the Professor wasn't really that important over all.  He or she was the person you met at the beginning and end of the game, and beyond that they served next to no purpose.  Diamond and Pearl changed that, with having Rowan show up every now and then, but then they went back to boring for Black and White.

Guess what happened this gen?  Professor Sycamore is one of the person you will see the most throughout the entire game.  He shows up to check on you occasionally, gives you helpful items, and even has some important and deep things to say occasionally.   Not to mention that his theme is SO awesome.  This was the first time that I was actually excited when I saw the professor.  Well done, Game Freak.



The rivals are also something they changed in this game.  You technically have four rivals in this game.  From left to right is Shauna, the small, energetic and childish female, Tierno, the fat kid that loves to dance, and Trevor, the short, highly intelligent boy who is focused on filling the Pokedex.



The fourth character is your actual rival, or in other words, the base trainer opposite of the gender you chose.  Hilariously enough, I didn't figure that out until AFTER I beat the game.  She had enough personality that I actually thought she was her own character design.

The main change in this game is that they aren't exactly your rivals.  Bar the fourth member, the others almost never battle you.  They're more "companions", fellow trainers you hang out and meet up with you throughout the story.  They really add a lot to the story, and is in my opinion, the best rival setup ever done in Pokemon.



I would talk about team Flare, but I don't want to give any spoilers, as some of you are probably going to buy the game eventually.  All I will say is that keep your opinions about the team to yourself until AFTER you've beat the main story line.  This may not have been the best team ever, but it's certainly my second or third favorite.




The new Pokemon designs are pretty cool, in my opinion.  These are just a picture of a couple random new Pokemon I chose because I needed a visual, and even these, while not amazing, are pretty good.  They only go up from here.  They're creative, unique, and more fitting to the environment.   Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Kalos



Now for the region itself.  This is, by far, my favorite Pokemon region of all.

This was another minor gripe I had with a few of the other regions.  Most of them, while having minor differences, looked exactly like other regions.  They had their differences, but the land themes were the same, always having a perfect balance between nature and technology, and it really didn't ever seem unique. Black and White actually got a little bit more interesting, as it seemed to have more big cities and buildings, like a more industrial region.

Kalos is exactly what you'd imagine it to be in the Pokemon world: France in the Pokemon World.  The buildings are more elegant, there's a lot more nature, and overall it's much more mystical and beautiful than most of the other regions.

They still kept with the same variations.  Water land, freaky land, ice land, that sort of thing.  But unlike other games, they seem different from their usual selves.  They are nicely blended with the French atmosphere, and while the cities are quite different, they are unified nicely by the elegant and beautiful landscape.  The whole ride through, it feels like you are in the Pokemon version of the country it's based off of, and that is exactly how you should be feeling while playing a Pokemon game.

Fairy Type



Now that I'm done reviewing the basic aspects of the game, it's time to review the special new features the game has, and we'll start with the new type.

As I mentioned before, I believed this game was going to fix the Metagame a little bit.  It actually did better than I thought.  Weather was nerfed, so Sandstorm isn't as effective as it used to be, Ghost types got a nice boost, and other things that I mentioned earlier.  Now what about the fairy type?

One of the original thoughts many people had was "is fairy type going to change anything?"  It was a little shaky, as not very powerful Pokemon seemed to be getting it, and people were beginning to wonder if it would become another weak type...they were more wrong about that than anything else.

The fairy type DESTROYED the dragons.  I have fought against many fairy types, and they NEVER were easy.  Pokemon that use to be amazing were single-handedly slaughtered by this new type.  Supereffective against Dark, Fighting and Dragon, and weak to only Steel and Poison, they are something to be feared.

I am very excited to see results of this.  While fairy-type seems to be quite a lot like the original dragon type, they really aren't.  They have few weaknesses and powerful advantages, but the Pokemon themselves are not overpowered in the first place, like many dragons were.  They brought down the dragons while still having average stats, meaning that they took down the almighty dragons without replacing it with a new overpowered type.  YES.

Super Training



I'm sure most of you have heard about EV training by now.  A hidden mechanic that allows you, through a little more effort, to make your Pokemon surpass its normal limits.  Over the years it has become well-known as is considered more than necessary for any Pokemon team.

However, EV training has always been a boring process.  The only way to obtain them was through killing certain Pokemon over and over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER until you couldn't get that Pokemon out of your head for the next ten minutes.  Black/White tried to fix this with simply finding feathers, but it took even LONGER to do that than the original process.

Then, for Pokemon X and Y, Game Freak created Super Training.  Super Training is basically obtaining EVs in the form of a minigame.  Not only is it fun (and sometimes addicting), but you can do it pretty much right from the start of the game, play it ANYWHERE AT ALL, and it's absolutely FREE.  You can eventually be able to earn +12 evs in a stat per minigame (generally taking less than a minute), which would generally take about 5 Pokemon battles or about 2000 Pokedollars.

In short, THIS IS AMAZING.  For the first time ever, it's actually FUN to ev train Pokemon!   I was actually looking for a Pokemon that I didn't even use to ev train it because I wanted to play the games again! Just another new positive to add to everything I've said already.

Pokemon Amie



To the left of the Super Training option on the bottom screen is Pokemon Amie.  Pokemon Amie is essentially another step in the direction of making you feel like you actually own Pokemon.   You can pet your Pokemon, play minigames with your Pokemon, and feed your Pokemon treats (obtained from the minigames).  Not only is this fun for those who want to feel like they own a pet, but there's one more cool effect.

It actually affects battle.  If you've treated your Pokemon well enough, special things can happen.  They might simply take a hit without taking damage, or deal extra damage, or who knows what.  It not only gives those who want the best teams another way to make them stronger, but it gives a reward to those who enjoy using Pokemon Amie.  Another successful feature to add to the list.

Mega Evolutions



Mega Evolutions, another thing I covered in my pre-game review.  I was excited to see what potential it had, and to see what Pokemon got it.  I was already excited about Venasaur, but who knew what else was coming?  There probably were a few more...

I woke up on the day it came up and checked Serebii...and found about 20 MORE MEGA EVOLUTIONS.  Not only wasn't I expecting them, but THEY WERE FREAKING AWESOME.  Certain weaker Pokemon becoming usable, other stronger Pokemon getting cooler (and becoming broken XD), exactly what I was hoping for.

Allow me to explain them a little further.  Mega Evolutions are not permanent evolutions.  First, you need a stone that corresponds to the specific Pokemon in question (a Venasaurite for a Venasaur, etc).  Once you equip it to your Pokemon, anytime you start a battle, an option is added to the battle screen.  If you click on it, you will be brought to the attack screen.  When both of you select your attack, before anything else happens, that Pokemon will evolve into it's Mega Form (with a cool animation to boot), and then battle proceeds as normal.  You can also only use one Mega per fight, which some might consider annoying, but I think it's a good way of balancing things out.   As for the Megas themselves, they return to their original forms once the battle is done.  

So what exactly does becoming a Mega change?  It changes the Pokemon's appearance, stats, and abilities while it is a Mega.  This is what has fixed certain Pokemon.  As I mentioned before, Venasaur obtains Thick Fat, meaning he's somewhat usable.  Mawille went from being unusable to possibly being banned for being over-powered with the addition of it's Mega.  It's really a genius concept, and I'm so happy they created it.

PR Videos

This is what I assume is one of the special places like the Pokemon Contests from the 3rd and 4th gen.  However, I actually know nothing about this XD.  I've been so obsessed on going through the game and enjoying myself that I completely bypassed it.  If you wanna know what it is, look on Serebii.

Final Score: 10/10


Yup, you're seeing it right.  I'm giving this game a straight 10/10.  This game is quite good among Pokemon standards, incredible among normal game standards.  There are next to no faults with it, and those that are there are minor gripes that I don't really care about whatsoever.  I bought my 3DS because I heard this game was going to be on it, and I don't regret it one bit.  This might become my favorite Pokemon game of all time.

Just a few more days!

Wow, Pokemon X and Y is almost here guys!  In case you couldn't figure it out, I am really excited for this release.  In today's post, I am going to explain what all exactly I am looking forward to.

3D

I'm not talking about the 3D capability, I'm talking about 3D models.  Until now, every main Pokemon game has consisted of sprites, even when they had the capabilities to do otherwise.  Now, it's finally going into the third dimension, and I am really excited for that.

The Kalos Region



This is actually the first time I've ever been excited to see the next region itself.  This time, instead of just making another region like the others, this one is based off of France.  Not only am I interested because I've never been to France, but I'm interested to see the differences between this region and all the others.  All of the other regions before have always seemed kinda similar, so I'm interested to see if this changes anything.

Mega Evolutions(VENASAURVENASAURVEN)


The concept of Mega Evolutions is very intriguing to me, and I am incredibly excited.   To explain it simply, allow me to give you a list of Pokemon that are getting Mega Evolutions: Venasaur, Charizard, Mawille, Ampharos...notice a pattern?  THEY ALL SUCK.

 I'm excited for this, because most of the Pokemon that used to stink horribly finally have a chance to redeem themselves.  Charizard lost his massive Stealth Rock weakness, Amparos has a furry coat, AND VENASAUR CAN SMILE AGAIN.
VENASAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR

...ahem.  Anyways, I'm excited.  And yeah, some stronger Pokemon also got Mega forms too, but Pokemon actually made up for that.  From what I've heard, the Lucario and Blaziken Mega stones are unique and hard to obtain.  Granted, the Pokemon is still OP, but it's nice to see that a little more effort is involved.

Mega Venasaur


Wait...I covered this already...

Customization

This was a bone I had to pick with all the other games.  In the older games, while you could choose to be a certain type of trainer, you only got a certain sprite for that kind of trainer.  To me, that's like the kind of chat in certain online games where you can only pick from a list of words.  It's pointless and irritating.  Yeah, I could understand why they didn't in the oldest games, but by Black and White they CERTAINLY had the capabilities of doing that with little trouble.

But now, it's finally here.  Your can change your clothes, your hat, and I think you can even choose your hair style.  Neat!

Story 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, no, not really.


Fairy Type

 

 Yet another thing they haven't done in awhile...a new Pokemon type!  Supereffective against dragons, and gives poison another reason to exist!  Pretty cool, if you ask me.  There's not any specific new fairy types that have caught my eye yet, but that could change.

Breaking the Metagame

This is something that I was honestly hoping for, and something that I didn't think they'd actually do.  While they haven't fixed it completely, they certainly have shown efforts of doing so.  The new fairy type balancing certain types out more, mega evolutions empowering certain pathetic Pokemon, and some interesting new additions to the whole set.

This is one of my greatest pet peeves in the Pokemon series: lack of balance.  In Digimon, for example, almost all of the Digimon are balanced.  No Rookie is naturally stronger than another rookie, it completely depends on how well you trained them.  Even the claimed "more powerful" Digimon still aren't much more powerful than others.   You could use the lowest evolution level possible for a Digimon, and still have 999 in all stats.  It takes work, but is possible, and it makes you feel welcome to choose any Digimon you like.

This is where Pokemon fails.  Over 3/4 of fully-grown Pokemon suck.  Either they have terrible movesets, terrible typing, terrible stats, or just terrible all together.  I understand why: they're trying to promote certain Pokemon above others.  The problem that arises is that there are so many Pokemon I'd want to use, but can't if I want to have any chance at all in serious battles.  Venasaur, for example.  I've always loved his design, and he was my first Pokemon as a kid.  So when I got into the meta game, and found out he was weak to more than 4 different types...it was frustrating.

However, now Mega Venasaur has "Thick Fat".  As silly as that ability sounds, it basically removes two of his weaknesses: Fire and Ice.  The fact that two weaknesses were vanquished alone is pretty sweet, but those two happen to be two of most commonly used move types.  Coincidence?

Point being, they are showing effort in balancing things out, and that makes me really happy.



That's pretty much it, and in my opinion, more than enough reason to be really excited.  I'll make sure to post a review of the actual game after having gone through it.  Seeya guys later!

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Turnabout Destiny: Court Phase 1

    Destiny: one of the greatest mysteries known to man.  The idea that our fates are scripted, that every decision we make is along this straight path with no exits or entrances.  That no matter what we think, everything we do and what we will become could be told to us through dreams and magicians, and no matter we think, we can't change our future.

   I personally don't believe in destiny, or at least as it's considered.  I believe that our God gave us free will, thus our futures are up to us.  There are billions of different possible futures for each person, only one of which will happen, depending on the choices we make in our lives.  Therefore, we can't simply expect to do nothing and become rich, despite some fortune teller saying otherwise.

  However, that doesn't mean you can completely change who you are either.  You are who you are, and you decisions will reflect that to some degree.  It takes more than just effort to revert who you are, which is why temptation is often hard to overcome, due to involving our personal desires.

  That's where I found myself in the morning.  Despite telling myself I'd never go back, that I'd never take up the badge again, that I'd never be able to save anyone, I found myself looking over my notes, grabbing my briefcase, and determined to save the life of a dead friend.  A week ago, if you had asked me if I would ever become a defense attorney again, I would've simply laughed.  Impossible, ludicrous, silly.  And yet here I was, doing just that.

  I tried to get mad at myself, tried to feel doubt, tried to tell myself to turn around.  And for awhile, I did. Even while talking to Brea, telling her I'd stop this, I still felt a small bit of doubt inside.  But in the morning, it was all gone.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself.  I was not going to lose this case, I simply could not.

  The sound of the gavel echoed through the courtroom   Time to begin.

  "The trial for former prosecutor Brea Firehawk shall begin!" the judge proclaimed.

  He looked confused at me for a second, and then pleasantly surprised.

  "Hey, it's the laughing guy!"

  I face-desked accordingly.  The prosecutor snickered quietly.  Stuck-up little brat.

 "It's Andrew Dalmin," I said, slightly annoyed.

 "Oh, I'm sorry," the judge said, surprised.  "I'm not very good with names.  Last week I visited my nephew, and I couldn't seem to-"

 "Can we please begin the proceedings?"

 "Oh!  Of course.  May the prosecution make their opening statement?"

 "Absolutely, your honor," he replied.  "I would say my name, but, heh, there's not much point, as everyone obviously knows it."

 "Uh...yes!  Absolutely!" the judge said, obviously having no idea what his name was.

  "Anyways, I am here to provide the court with fabulous evidence that absolutely proves just how guilty the lowly defendant is.  That is all."  He did a small hand motion, and all the females in the jury cheered.  I wonder how many punches it would take to break that pretty face?

  "I shall present to you, my one and only amazing witness," he said, bowing as if he had just finished an amazing performance.

  The judge blinked.  "Only one witness?  I'm not sure how I feel about that...are you sure that's enough to make the defendant guilty?"

  "Of course!  The wonderful Adrian only needs one witness, as he is, after all, the wonderful Adrian."  He gave another hand gesture, and thus, more screams.

  "Very well then," the judge said, nodding.  "Please bring in the witness."

  As I had expected, the witness was Jenna, and she had her old, boring jacket on.

  "Please give your fabulous name to this wonderful audience!" said Adrian, gesturing to the crowd.

  "My name is Jenna Wolf, and I'm the tv reporter for the local tv station," she said in a very normal tone of voice.  Guess she really was back inside her shell.

  "Ah, yes!  I remember seeing you." the judge said.  "Please give us your testimony."

  My grip on the table tightened.  In my previous conversation with her, she had made it very clear that Brea couldn't have done it.  I had hit her hard enough that she would probably lean more towards my side of the argument, a very advantageous standpoint.  Time to see what she's got.

TESTIMONY 1 - Jenna Wolf

I was walking by the alleyway on my way back from work a few days ago.
Right when I passed it, I heard a small noise coming from the alleyway.
Originally, I figured it was just a small animal, but then I heard a loud scream.
Worried, I peeked in, and I couldn't believe what I saw.
It was a dead man...and Brea Firehawk, holding a gun right next to him.

  "You were right," said the judge, nodding.  "That certainly was an 'amazing' testimony."

   "Of course!" said Adrian, bowing.  "The lousy defense attorney seems to think so as well."

   "Hmm?" the judge said, looking my direction.

   At the moment, the bottom of my jaw was pretty much hitting the booth.  It certainly had to do with the testimony, but not because it was "amazing".   Jenna's testimony wasn't helping Brea...in fact, it was hurting her further than her original lies had!  What the heck had happened to her!?

   I slammed my fist down on the table.  It rang so loud that everyone in the Courtroom jumped, even Mr. Pretty boy.  Everyone turned and looked at me strangely.

  "Uh..." I said, embarrassed.   "Sorry, I'm having minor digestion issues."  I decided to get back on task.  "May I begin my cross examination?" I said, pulling out my cards.
 
  "Umm...sure, go ahead," the judge said, collecting himself.  "Please begin."

CROSS EXAMINATION 1 - Jenna Wolf

Testimony: It was a dead man...and Brea Firehawk, holding a gun right next to him.

 HOLD IT!

 "Can you please give us some more details?" I asked.

  "Sure," she nodded, "What do you wish to know?"

  "Are you sure it was the defendant?"

  "I'm positive.  She was wearing her usual outfit, all black with red fur."

  I swore under my breath.  She really had thought this testimony through, she even mentioned her precise outfit she was in at the scene.  Time to change tactics.

  "So tell me, are you sure she was holding a gun?"

  "Yes," she nodded again.  "I have it right here."  She pulled out a shotgun out of her purse.

  The judge almost jumped.  "Whoah, that's a pretty large gun?  Are you sure that's one that was used on the victim?"

  Adrian nodded.  "We checked the markings on the bullet that was found at the scene.  It matched the markings on the gun, and was tested, fabulously of course.  The test confirmed that it was the victims blood, and further tests on the gun showed that the defendant's pathetic fingerprints were on the gun!"

  Lots of commotion came from the crowd.  Adrian bowed once more.

  "That, my judge, is my amazing evidence."

  "That is pretty decisive," said the judge, nodding.  "Does the defense has any objections?"

  "Uh.." I blurted.  I had walked right into the prosecution's stupid trap.  I felt like continually hitting my head on a wall.  But now was not the time to admit defeat, now was the time for contradictions.  I looked through my cards, looking for anything useful.  On my second round through the cards, I noticed something a little odd.  Curious, I decided to check something.

Testimony:  Right when I passed it, I heard a small noise coming from the alleyway.

   "Are you SURE it was a small noise?" I asked, looking at her right in the eyes.

   "Y-yes," she said, sounding a little uncertain.  That was exactly what I was looking for.

 

   Adrain laughed.  "Really, Mr. Dullmin, you're objecting to a small noise?"

   "Actually, I am," I nodded.  I looked towards the judge.  "Your honor, have you seen how powerful a shotgun is?"

   "Why yes, I have," he said, nodding.  Then he suddenly looked worried.  "N-not that I have ever used one before.  Honest!"

   I grinned.  "No worries, your honor, I expected no such thing.  Now, what noise did the shotgun make?"

  "It was very loud...OH!" the judge almost jumped out of his seat.  The prosecution did too, surprisingly.

  "That's right your honor," I said, slamming the card with the picture of the gun on the booth. "If Brea really fired this shotgun as the witness claims, then it couldn't have been the one she heard, as it was a quiet noise!"



  Adrian chuckled.  "Well, maybe it was silenced!"

  I nearly face-desked again.  "Silenced?  A shotgun!?  Are you kidding me!?"

  The judge shook his head.  "Even if that somehow were possible, this gun shows no signs of being silenced."

  Adrian nearly screamed.  I couldn't believe it.  He really missed that?  Brandon would have had some reasonable excuse for why she heard a small noise, he actually didn't have a backup plan?   A loud commotion came from the jury, and the judge had to quiet them down.   Finally, we're heading in a right direction.




 This time it was from Jenna.   "Your honor," she said, back to her usual self, "Can I change my testimony?  There's something I forgot to clarify."

  "Uh...sure!"  The judge said, a little surprised.



  "What kind of excuse could she possibly have!?" I said, a little stupified.



   "Mr. Dullmin," Adrian said mockingly, "Did I not say her testimony was 'amazing'?  Of course she has a reason for the small noise!  That's why it's 'amazing'!"

  If only throwing bricks at prosecutors was legal...

TESTIMONY 2 - Jenna Wolf

  Forgive me...I just remembered something else.
  When I peeked in, the gun she was holding wasn't the shotgun...it was a small pistol.
  She probably fired it before I showed up, and the victim must have taken it from her.
  Then, using her last resort, she pulled out a small silenced handgun, and bang!
  That's why it was a quiet noise.  The rest of my testimony from before stands.

  The judge nodded.  "That sounds reasonable...was a silence handgun found on the scenes?"

  "Absolutely!" Adrian answered.  "With Brea's fingerprints, nontheless.  A small bullet was also found that shared ballistic markings similar to the small handgun."

  Commotion came from the crowd again.  To them, it apparently seemed sound.

  "Wow, you're not doing so well, are you?" said the incredibly uplifting Aaron.  "Sorry I'm late, I decided to sleep in this morning."   He looked at me, and then suddenly looked concerned.

   "Andrew...you alright?"

   "Huh?" I said, confused.

   "Your fists were clenched real tight, and you were grimacing...are you okay?"

   "Uh...yeah, just small digestion issues.." I said, in a not-so-convincing way.  To be honest, I didn't know how I was feeling.  Something about me just didn't feel right...was I feeling anger???

  CROSS EXAMINATION 2 - Jenna Wolf

   That's why it was a quiet noise.  The rest of my testimony from before stands.

   HOLD IT!!!

   "You're certain she fired the handgun?" I asked, curiously.

   "Yes, I am," she nodded.  "It was that exactly model."

   "Mr. Dalmin, is there something wrong with the witness's testimony?" the judged asked curiously.

    TAKE THAT!!!

   "Actually, there is," I said, laying a card on the table.  It was one of the few pieces of evidence I obtained from Aaron.

   "This is a picture of the wound in the victim's head.   Notice anything strange about it?"

   "No," the judge said, still not getting the picture, "It's just a normal bullet hole."

   "Exactly!" I said, slamming my hands down on the booth.  "Jenna claims that her old testimony stands, and yet this information clearly contradicts her old testimony!"



   "You must be joking," Adrian said, laughing.  "What about her old testimony doesn't make sense?"

   

    "Remember?  She clearly stated that the defendant was standing right next to the victim.  If she really fired the bullet that close, it would've left a burn mark!"

   The judge looked shocked.  "B...but there's no burn mark there!"

   The crowd began to roar again, and the judge slammed his gavel to quiet them down.

    

  Adrian laughed, but this time nervously. "So-so what?  She probably just messed up that part of her old testimony too!"

 

  "Not this time Adrian," I said, looking very serious.

  "W-what?"

  "I have definite proof that the shotgun was the murder weapon!"

  "That's not possible!"

  Aaron grinned.  "Hey, that's the piece I gave to you!"
 
  I returned the smile.  "Yes, it is.  I'll make sure to treat you to lunch sometime."

  I pulled out a piece of paper.  "I have here a unique piece of evidence.  Curious about the murder weapon, I asked my companion to obtain the size of the bullet hole."  I held it out for everyone to see.  "The black dot on this paper is the exact size of the bullet hole."

 

   "What does the size of the bullet hole have to do with anything?" Adrian said, sweating bullets.
 
   "It has everything to do with this case!  May I please have the bullet shot from the pistol?"

   The bailiff gave it to me, and it placed it directly on top of the circle.

   "See?  The bullet is a little smaller than this hole.  Now, Adrian?"

   "Y-y-yes?" he said, knowing what I was going to ask.

   "May I please have the bullet shot from the shotgun?"

   Quivering, he gave it to the bailiff, who gave it to me.  The results were exactly as I expected.  The bullet fit perfectly over the circle.

   "As you can see, the shotgun was obviously used to commit the murder!'



  "So what?  What does that change?" Adrian said, calming himself.



  "It means that Jenna's testimony is bogus!  Even if we still consider her old testimony, not only was the sound quieter than it should have been, but there wasn't a burn mark either, so Brea did not shoot him at close range, like Jenna claims!"

  The judge had to quiet the crowd again.  Man, the crowd is jumpy today.

  "I hate to be critical, Ms. Wolf, but your testimony is beginning to sound very suspicious," the judge said.  "Can you explain yourself?"

  Really?  As if she could actually...

   "I can explain myself."

   "...Andrew?" Aaron said, looking very worried.   I was literally shaking with frustration.  My whole mind felt like a burning hell.  Never before had I felt so enraged at someone.  What was happening to me?

TESTIMONY 3 - Jenna Wolf

  Forgive me...once more I have forgotten something.
  When I first saw them, she wasn't holding a gun...it was a knife.
  She had just finished stabbing him.  She hadn't noticed me, and decided to do a little cover-up.
  She walked away a few steps, then fired the shotgun.
  She then dropped the shotgun, grabbed the pistol, and then shot the wall, as to confuse things even more.
  That's when I called the police.

  No one said a word.  Even Adrian knew that testimony sucked.  She was trying to vindicate both of her previous testimonies, both of which had obvious faults, as did this one.  Heck, even the autopsy report contradicted this.  It clearly stated it was death by gunshot.  But no matter what excuse I may have pulled up, no matter how many objections I made...nothing could vindicate me from what happened.

  Both of my hands pounded the desk, so loud it echoed throughout the courtroom.

  "JENNA, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

  Jenna jumped up, as did everyone else in the courtroom.

  "THAT WAS THE WORST TESTIMONY I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE!!!!"

   "A...Andrew?" Aaron said, trying to comprehend what had just been said.

   "HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY LIVE AS A HUMAN BEING WHEN YOU'RE ACTING LIKE THIS!!!???"
 
    Jenna broke into tears.  Adrian looked disgusted.

   "How dare you insult my amazing witness?"

   "SHUT UP PRETTY BOY!!!!" I yelled, whirling around.  He then managed to jump ten feet in the air, and then hid under his booth.

   The judge didn't approve.  "Mr. Dalmin, that is badgering the wi-"

   "YOU WANNA FIGHT, OLD MAN!!!!????"

   "AAHHH!!!" The judge screamed as he too hid under his booth.  I whirled back around towards Jenna.

   "I WANT ANSWERS, NOW!!!!!"

   "W-w-wh-" Jenna stuttered, full of tears.

   "TELL THIS COURT WHAT YOU REALLY SAW RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL-"

   That did it.  Jenna snapped.  She went from weeping to pouring.

   "B-b-b-b-bwea d-d-didn't k-k-kill him, I s-s-saw a s-s-small m-man s-s-shoot the v-v-victim!"

   Now the whole court snapped.  Everything became chaos.  This sudden burst of information mixed with the various emotions filling the room was too much.  No one knew what to think anymore.  People were yelling at each other, the judge was continually pounding his gavel, and Adrain appeared to be crying and sucking his thumb in the corner.  Aaron looked around, trying to find me, but he couldn't.  I had ran out of the room.



 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 

Pokemon XY

   Hey everybody, long time no see, huh?

   Alright, Pokemon X and Y are coming out this weekend, and I've decided to do something to celebrate.  As you all know, I've been coming up with a story concept for the new game, just like I have for every Pokemon game.  Today, I'm going to reveal the new story, which may surprise you a little bit.

Kalos, Land of Chaos

Our story takes place 20 years after the Black/White incident, where former Pokemon Champion Brennan faced the threat known as Dark Arceus, during the tournament in which Clayton became the next Champion. It is unknown exactly what happened after the tournament, but former Champion Brennan was shot and killed by one of his companions, who has remained unknown to this day.

Kalos was a peaceful country in the world of Pokemon, known for its unique species of Pokemon and famous city in the middle of the country.  For years it remained isolated from other countries, avoiding interactions with all other governments.  Now, however, Kalos has finally began opening up to the world, and trainers from all around the globe have begun to explore this new land...though now it might have been better if Kalos forever remained unknown to the world.

The world's largest terrorist organization, known as "Death Toll", has been found to exist in Kalos.  Now, the once peaceful cities are in absolute chaos.  Trust has all but ceased to exists, and everyone is frightened.  The crime rate has almost tripled, and it seems like war has broken out between the law enforcement and criminals everywhere.

Amidst the chaos, there are four young children who have begun their journey through Kalos, and now their destinies shall shape the future of Kalos forever.

The Characters

 Arin

Age: 17
Gender: Male
Assist: Sing it Now and Sing it Loud!
Aaron turns the amp on full, and gives it his hall, either putting the opposing Pokemon to sleep, confusing them, poisoning them, burning them, or paralyzing them.

  Arin, arin, there are few just like him.  Full with fire and determination, and always charging forward without looking back.  He is full of dreams and ideas...though often, his clumsiness and lack of thought cause problems.  His dream is to not only become a Pokemon Master, but to become a famous singer, despite the fact that he has no singing talent whatsoever.  Hearing that a new Pokemon master is needed in the newfound Kalso region, he leaves his peaceful hometown in Hoenn with the hopes of becoming the next Pokemon Champion...while hopefully getting some voice training along the way.

Brendan

Age: 16
Gender: Male
Assist: Savage Beatdown
Brendan goes full gangster, and deals massive damage to a single Pokemon using a baseball bat, a steel pipe, or whatever blunt object he has available to a beatbox beat.

  Brendan is not the kind of person you would expect to see in a fancy hotel.  He lives in a dark alleyway, with no parents and no rules.  He's always calm and cool, and rarely looses his temper...to a disturbing degree.  He doesn't care for rules, and feels no guilt from stealing or beating the crap out of someone.  It's survival of the fittest in the largest city of Kalos now, and he doesn't plan on being the lowest on the the food chain.

  However, things have taken a strange turn, as a strange female (who could probably wear more clothing) gives him a special job: stealing something from the largest company there.  The reward?  An unimaginable amount of cash.  Brendan and his Pokemon happily accept the job, though he starts to feel like there's more behind the scenes than meets the eye...


Rin

Age: 14
Gender: Female
Assist: Claw Dance
Rin goes from a tame fox to a feral fox, and does multiple quick scratches randomly among the opponent's Pokemon.

  If you wondered what a Pokemon hippie would look like, Rin would more than meet the definition.  You would wonder if she was actually human at all.  She lives among the wild Pokemon, eating nothing but fruits and leaves, sleeping in trees and bushes, and calls nature her home.  Very energetic and very quick, she fits in perfectly with the other Pokemon, and doesn't own a single Pokeball on her.

  After spending years in the same forest, Rin begins to wonder what the cities look like.  What kind of things do humans normally do?  What do they normally eat?  Where do they sleep?  Deciding to find out for herself, she and her closest Pokemon friends go on an adventure to explore the land of Kalos.

Michaela

Age: 16
Gender: Female
Assist: Tactical Advantage
Michaela uses her high-tech gear and finds out what the opponent Pokemon's weakness is, and tell it to her Pokemon through her headset, increasing their Critical Hit and Dodge Rate immensely against one Pokemon.

  Stubbornness, thy name is Michaela.   Unlike most teenagers, Michaela has been frustrated for years by the existence of Death Toll, she has kept tabs on them for years.  She has a desire for justice like few others, and desires for nothing but the demise of evil.  She has lots of different spy, detective, and police gear, and knows how to use them.

  Hearing of the rumor that Death Toll's main base lies somewhere in the Kalos region and the hesitation of the law enforcement, Michaela ignores the warnings of all her peers and takes matters into her own hands.  She grabs her equipment, her special team of Pokemon, and leaves the Sinnoh region to finally take down the terrorist organization.

Conclusion

This is the baseline I have set for you guys.  That's right, YOU guys.  This is unlike any Pokemon adventure that's ever existed on tv.

These four are not one traveling unit but separate entities with different dreams.  While they will collide with each other occasionally and go on some adventures together, this story is not one, but four different stories.  For example, since Michaela is specifically going after Death Toll, she will have many dealings with them.   However, Rin, who is simply exploring, will have very few encounters with the terrorists.  Arin will have multiple dealing with the Pokemon Gyms, desiring to be a Pokemon Master, but Brendan will have very few encounters, since he cares little for such titles.  Their stories are meant to be very different from each other, as four different takes on the same world and situation.

This is where each of you who I based characters off of come in.  While I have created the characters and the setting in which they are in, the rest is up to you.  What happens to your characters, the experiences they have, and where they end up is entirely up to you.  You can roleplay, you can write about it, you can draw it, however you want to display your story is your choice.

My hope is that I haven't restricted you, but have given you a chance to use what I've given as creatively as possible.  Since a baseline has been created, roleplay will be much easier for you, as well as creating the story.  You don't have to use these characters, but I think it would be really cool if us four used this and created four absolutely epic adventures.

Finally, I will explain a new tactic I have added to the series.  To involve the characters more in the actual Pokemon battles, I have created "Assists"  Every 10 moves that have been spent (the number of moves may change), your character can use an assist, in which the trainer helps with the fight directly.  Each character has a different assist with a different affect, that are useful in different ways.  Hopefully, this allows you to make your character more involved in the actual battles themselves.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and like my ideas for your characters.  Have a good day, and look forward to the upcoming game!