Monday, June 14th, 2010 @ 11 AM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

The official Japanese Pokemon website has updated with clearer screenshots and artwork of the Black and White content from the leaked CoroCoro magazine scans. You can click all of the images below to enlarge them, excluding the last few screenshots. The Pokemon art below is transparent.

The major piece of information revealed on the website is the purpose of uploading your Black and White save file to the Internet, which CoroCoro mentioned but did not elaborate on. Once the games are released, there will be a special website that will allow you to upload your save file so that you can play Black and White on the Internet. Once you're done, you can send the save file back to your DS to continue playing. Whether this will allow you to play the games in full, whether there will be limitations, or if it's just for extended content remains to be seen. We'll bring you more as soon as we find out!

Chiraamii Gear Hihidaruma Mamepato Meguroko Munna Shimama Professor Araragi Isshu's Pokedex Isshu Region
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Saturday, June 12th, 2010 @ 4 PM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

Update: Now this is nasty. The Zorua and Zoroark you will eventually obtain in Black and White are supposed to be the mother Zoroark and her baby boy Zorua from the 13th movie. But once son evolves into a male Zoroark, and you want more Zorua... ew...

Thirteen more days until I leave for Japan for five weeks! Can't wait!

Pokemon Sunday June 12 Silhouettes

Pokemon Sunday just finished airing - they did not reveal anything we do not already know, as expected after the CoroCoro leak yesterday. They merely showed silhouettes of a few of the Pokemon, which they will reveal in full next week. This probably means next week's episode won't have anything new either.

Also, we revisted the CoroCoro scans and need to make a few corrections as well as add some info we overlooked:

  • Zorua and Zoroark are event-exclusive Pokemon. They do not appear during normal gameplay, at least in Black and White. Therefore, you can only get the two if you preorder a ticket to The Ruler of Illusions: Zoroark and trade over one of the shiny Legendary Beasts (to encounter Zoroark) and if you download the movie Celebi from the theaters and trade it over (to get Zorua).
  • Zoroark can learn a new attack called "Night Burst," which lowers the opponent's accuracy. It learns the attack at a high level.
  • The event Zoroark you can obtain will know Fury Swipes, Faint Attack, Scary Face, and Taunt.
  • Zorua has Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, and Fake Tears.
  • The new ability of Meguroko, the Desert Crocodile Pokemon, should be translated as "Overconfidence" rather than "Earthquake Spiral." The ability increases its Attack stat when it Knocks Out a Pokemon.
  • Zekrom's ability is named "Teravoltage," not "Terra Voltage." "Tera" is a prefix that means one trillion. Does this mean it can generate a trillion volts of electricity with its tail generator?
  • There is a new indicator that shows you the status of the weather, such as if it's raining.
  • The gold building in the Reshiram scan (that looks honey-covered) is described as being shaped like a bee's nest.
  • The chinchilla is spelled "Chiraamii," not Chiramii.
  • The pink blob with floral patterns is spelled "Munna."
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Friday, June 11th, 2010 @ 8 PM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

Update (12:30 PM, Saturday) - We have reason to believe this may be fake. While the source continues to wholeheartedly maintain it's real, saying "I hope you can understand that I would not purposely come up with a prank like that after working in the video game community for years," he posted obvious "fanart" of Minotauros on our forums claiming it to be beta artwork (though later he said it was just to give us an idea of what the real Pokemon would look like). This isn't what convinced me of his legitimacy earlier, but nonetheless, his present actions just seem too fishy - perhaps his source fooled him, since we know he is an incredibly reliable news reporter for the gaming community. Like we said earlier, this may all be fake, and for now we're going to classify it as such even though it could still be real. If something proves the legitimacy of this news, we'll revisit this story and the other stuff he showed us. But for now, my sincerest apologies everyone. (Ongoing discussion about all of this here.)

This afternoon we were contacted by a man named Martijn Müller, the webmaster of an old and famous Zelda website. He claimed to have insider information on Black and White, and after spending a few hours verifying he was who he claimed to be, we decided to indulge and see what he had to say. Granted, we often get a lot of people claiming to know insider information on Pokemon games, with some going to extreme lengths to fool us. However, he has revealed insider information to gaming communities before, which leads us to believe he is telling the truth. He also personally showed me some developer material from Black and White, which further cemented to me that he was telling the truth. Nevertheless, this information could be one highly elaborate scheme (it wouldn't be the first time), so for now, please just take all of it with a grain of salt - it's not confirmed and could be fake. As a fan site it is our duty to post rumors when we have gone to reasonable lengths to verify the sources, which is why we decided to post this. Remember, grain of salt!

  • There will be 157 new Pokemon, bringing the total amount to 650.
  • Like how Giratina compliments Dialga and Palkia, a large, green cobra will accompany Reshiram and Zekrom.
  • Tauros will have an evolution: Minotauros. It stands on two legs.
  • In previous games, either through moves or through abilities, players were able to alter the weather conditions of the battle field to boost certain types. For example, Groudon's Drought summons sunlight, which boosts Fire-type moves by 50%. In Black and White, players will be able to collect certain items that alter the weather conditions of the battle field. Approximately twenty of these items will affect the weather conditions so that they will boost certain types (kind of like Stadium cards in the TCG?), with some types getting added bonuses depending on the item. As a side note, in today's CoroCoro scans, there was a screenshot showing a new weather indicator (we overlooked it), which could give credence to this claim.
  • One example will be setting up a Poison Field, which causes all Poison-type attacks to gain 30% accuracy, Sludge Bomb to have a 100% poison rate, and the effects of Toxic Spikes' poison to have an immediate effect.
  • Black and white, good versus evil, and yin and yang are going to play a major part in the plot. However, unlike previous Pokemon games, the decisions and choices you make will "influence" the plot of the game. If you make "good" choices, you might get certain help or items, whereas "bad" choices could have negative effects. The point is that the plot will not be as cut-and-dry as previous games, changing depending on the player's actions.
  • Tsutaaja, Pokabu, and Mijumaru had rough designs over this past year or so, but in the last few months received major overhauls, becoming the final designs we see today.
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Friday, June 11th, 2010 @ 5 PM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

Tomorrow afternoon Pokemon Sunday airs in U.S. time. They'll probably just preview the content from CoroCoro, but we'll post anything new they reveal.

Now this is quite interesting. Was Munma referenced in the first generation games? After you defeat a Lass outside of Rock Tunnel in Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and their remakes, she tells you...

"The POKEMON here are so chunky! There should be a pink one with a floral pattern!"

Quite the random description, with no Pokemon since now ever fitting it. There has been a rumor circulating on the Internet for years and years that Gamefreak originally created more than 1,000 Pokemon designs, and while we know that some Pokemon were delayed a generation (like Shellos and Gastrodon, originally for Ruby and Sapphire), who would think that after almost 15 years they would actually use a concept from that far back? Was Mun'ma a rough idea that long ago or even a near-complete design? Seems like Gamefreak is really scraping the barrel if that's the case. Regardless, it's astounding that Red and Green from 1996 now reference a Pokemon from 2010. Thanks go to Zierant from our forums for notifying us of this.

Mun'ma Referenced in 1st Generation Games
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Friday, June 11th, 2010 @ 2 AM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

Update #12 (11:00 AM): Reshiram is the White Yang Pokemon and has "Turbo Blaze" as its ability while Zekrom is the Black Yin Pokemon and has "Terra Voltage" for its ability. Yep, looks like they're going for the whole yin-yang thing. Light-type theory FTW! (Especially if that rumor that they change types in battle turns out to be true.) | Update #11 (10:30 AM): Added the remaining pages as well as information on Reshiram and Zekrom's types and how to obtain Zorua. Check the last three bullet points and the scans below. They show what Isshu looks like.

The June CoroCoro images have been leaking for several hours now. Seven new Pokemon have been revealed so far. All of the information we know is below. Keep checking back here for more updates! Click the images below to enlarge them.

  • The white Pokemon is named Chiramii (チラーミィ). It is the Chinchilla Pokemon, a Normal-type. Its abilities are Cute Charm and Technician and it knows a new movie called "Sweep Slap," which hits the opponent multiple times. It is 0.4m tall and 5.8kg in weight.
  • The pink Pokemon is named Mun'na (ムンナ). It is the Dream Eater Pokemon, a Psychic-type, and has Forewarn and Synchronize as its abilities. A new attack it knows is "Telekinesis," which makes the opponent float in the air. It is 0.6m tall and 23.3kg in weight.
  • The mechanical Pokemon below is Gear (ギアル), appropriately titled the Gear Pokemon. It is a Steel-type and its ability is either "Plus" or "Minus." It has a new attack called "Gear Saucer," which you can see it using below - it attacks the opponent multiple times with both of its gears. It is 0.3m tall and weighs 21.0kg.
  • Mamepato (マメパト) is the Baby Pidgeon Pokemon and is a Normal / Flying type. Its abilities are either "Pidgeon Breast" or "Super Luck." In a screenshot below, Mijumaru tries to lower its Defense, but it doesn't work because one of Mamepato's abilities prevents it. It is 0.3m tall and weighs 2.1kg.
  • Hihidaruma (ヒヒダルマ) is the Flaming Pokemon, a Fire-type. Its ability is "Encourage." It is 1.3m tall and weighs 92.9kg.
  • Shimama (シママ) is the Charged Pokemon, an Electric-type, and has Lightningrod or Motor Drive as its abilities. It has a new attack called "Wild Volt," which does a lot of damage but also hurts the user. It is 0.8m tall and 29.8kg.
  • Meguroko (メグロコ) is the Desert Crocodile Pokemon, a Ground / Dark type. Its abilities are Intimidate and "Earthquake Spiral," the latter of which raises its Attack stat when it Knocks Out a Pokemon. It is 0.7m tall and weighs 15.2kg.
  • The professor of Isshu is female and named Professor Araragi, as you can see below. She presents a Chiramii to the player in the "World of Pokemon" intro at the start of the game. The rumors we posted yesterday may also be true too, since Professor Araragi's name was among them (some of the rumors have actually been circulating since April, including her name).
  • There is some sort of new in-game connection device called the C Gear. It has "various connection capabilities," though we do not know what that means at this time. To the left of its screenshot below, the magazine says, "What's this screen!?... It looks like a new wireless feature was added!"
  • There is a new wireless feature called Random Match, which you can access from the Global Terminal inside Pokemon Centers. It will allow players to randomly battle other players around the country over Wi-Fi. It then says "You can upload your Black and White save file to the Internet," though for what purposes we do not know at this time.
  • As predicted, Reshiram is Dragon / Fire, standing 3.2m high and weighing 330kg, while Zekrom is Dragon / Electric, standing 2.9m tall and weighing 345kg. It looks like Shokotan really did spill the beans early.
  • Reshiram is the White Yang Pokemon and has "Turbo Blaze" as its ability while Zekrom is the Black Yin Pokemon and has "Terra Voltage" for its ability.
  • To obtain Zorua in the games, you have to transfer the Celebi from the movie download. You can obtain Zorua at Level 10.
  • On the Celebi and Zorua page, one of the screenshots shows your Celebi next to you and Zorua next to another Trainer. This probably confirms that you can have your Pokemon walk behind you again, like in HeartGold and SoulSilver.
CoroCoro Scans - Black and White CoroCoro Scans - Black and White CoroCoro Scans - New Pokemon! CoroCoro Scans - New Pokemon! CoroCoro Scans - Black and White CoroCoro Scans - Black and White
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Thursday, June 10th, 2010 @ 7 PM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

According to the E3 convention floor plan, Nintendo will have something related to Pokemon Black on display at their booth. Whether this is a game demo, videos, or simply posters remains to be seen. The video game convention starts on Monday, so we'll find out then!

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Thursday, June 10th, 2010 @ 7 PM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

Finals... week... almost... over... just... Espanol... left...

TV Tokyo just updated the summary for this week's Pokemon Sunday episode, adding, "More new Pokemon!?" They usually post a generic summary of Pokemon Sunday episodes a week in advance, then update it the week leading up to the episode's premiere. The show airs Saturday afternoon in U.S. time, so be sure to check back here for whatever new Pokemon they reveal! It'll probably just be silhouettes, like all fifth generation Pokemon that have been revealed on the show thus far. Thanks go to Yaminokame for the translation.

In related news, rumors have been circulating on Japanese forum 2ch concerning the contents of this month's CoroCoro magazine. Last month, rumors of the magazine's contents also circulated a few days before the scans were leaked, and many of them turned out to be true. Current rumors hold that Black and White's professor is female and named Araragi, that the evil team is named Team Plasma, that there will be triple battles, that there are around 150 new Pokemon, and that the silhouettes of the region's legendary trio look like cotton, a dog, and a bipedal animal. Remember how we posted the three starter Pokemon's names before they were ever officially confirmed? The source we used also has this information, so it may turn out to be true. Other completely unconfirmed rumors floating around are that the plot doesn't involve collecting eight badges, that the main character knows how to excavate ruins, and that the protagonist's father is an explorer. And according to the interwebz, Reshiram is Ice / Dragon and Zekrom is Electric / Dragon, and the two can change types during battle. Remember, these are obviously just rumors for now, but they are interesting nevertheless! Thanks go to DorianBlack for these translations. We'll find out the truth within the next few days when scans of the magazine leak, possibly even as early as tomorrow morning.

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Monday, June 7th, 2010 @ 11 AM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

We have been sent an updated press release for HS - Undaunted, which you can read below. It confirms that the LEGEND cards in the set will originate from Clash at the Summit, being Kyogre and Groudon LEGEND and Rayquaza and Deoxys LEGEND. Since Houndoom is on one of the booster packs, our Primes will undoubtedly be Espeon, Houndoom, Raichu, Scizor, Slowking, and Umbreon. The press release also reveals that the set's two theme decks, Daybreak featuring Espeon and Nightfall featuring Umbreon, will include a deck box and a booster pack of the set. These additional goodies will add an extra dollar to the cost of a theme deck, which will now rise to $12.99; this will likely be the trend from now on.

HS - Undaunted

No Challenge Too Great, No Battle Too Fierce: HS - Undaunted

The greatest Trainers are those who are fearless in the face of battle. And that’s you! In the Pokémon TCG: HS - Undaunted expansion, you’ll discover battle-ready Pokémon just waiting to be summoned by the fearless Trainer in you! The powerful Rayquaza and Deoxys become a Pokémon LEGEND to be reckoned with... six Pokémon - from Raichu to Umbreon to Slowking - join the ranks of Pokémon Prime... and Stadium cards like the Ruins of Alph and Trainer cards like Legend Box change every player’s strategy. Are you ready to be Undaunted? HS - Undaunted features 90 new cards and remains compatible with previous releases.

  • Exciting new Pokémon LEGENDs - Kyogre and Groudon LEGEND and Rayquaza and Deoxys LEGEND!
  • Six Pokémon Prime, including Raichu, Slowking, and Umbreon.
  • Brand-new Trainer, Supporter, and Stadium cards with new gameplay strategies!
  • Features two theme decks built around the Sun Pokémon Espeon (Daybreak) and the Moonlight Pokémon Umbreon (Nightfall).
  • Each theme deck now contains a BONUS booster pack and a deck box for storing the deck!
  • Holographic parallel set for players and collectors alike.
  • 90 cards in all!
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Saturday, June 5th, 2010 @ 11 AM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

The Rise of Darkrai, Giratina and the Sky Warrior, and Arceus and the Jewel of Life are airing on Cartoon Network right now as a Pokemon movie marathon.

The next English set will be named HS - Undaunted and is set for release on August 18th; you can view its press release below. There will be six Pokemon Prime, with Raichu, Umbreon, and Slowking named - all three were originally Japanese promos. Legend Box and Ruins of Alph are also mentioned from Revived Legends, so we'll most likely be getting the majority of that set, which would be obvious anyways. Espeon Prime will most likely be included too, as it was paired with Umbreon originally and there are both an Espeon and Umbreon in Revived Legends. In total, our English set will have 90 cards. Since Rayquaza & Deoxys LEGEND is in the set, we know it will contain cards from the upcoming Japanese Clash at the Summit set, which has yet to be announced by the official Japanese TCG website. However, it will probably just be those two cards (and maybe a couple of others), since Revived Legends has more than enough cards to satisfy the 90 cards in our English set. Prereleases will take place on the weekends of the 7th and 14th (the 14th is Worlds, so there could be an additional prerelease on July 31st's weekend, which has happened before).

As for the other two Pokemon Prime we could get, the only ones that have not been printed here yet are Houndoom and Scizor from Revived Legends; Magnezone, Gengar, Mew, and Absol from Lost Link; and of course Machamp, Celebi, Electrode, and Yanmega from Clash at the Summit. We're obviously getting the rest of Revived Legends, so it will probably be Houndoom and Scizor. Then TPCi will probably use Lost Link for our November set (fitting, since it has ghosts that would go along with Halloween's prereleases). For February's set, they'll most likely use the movie-related cards in Clash at the Summit and whatever scraps are left over from the LEGEND era to advertise the dub of The Ruler of Illusions: Zoroark. The next Japanese set in September or November will undoubtedly be the first Black and White set, which will then released here as May's set. And there you have the English sets up until next May - yes, we can extrapolate all that based on the history of how TPCi has built our sets. :)

No challenge too great, no battle too fierce: HS - Undaunted.

The greatest Trainers are those who are fearless in the face of battle. And that's you! In the Pokemon TCG: HS - Undaunted expansion, you’ll discover battle-ready Pokemon just waiting to be summoned by the fearless Trainer in you! The powerful Rayquaza and Deoxys become a Pokemon LEGEND to be reckoned with... six Pokemon from Raichu to Umbreon to Slowking join the ranks of Pokemon Prime... and Stadium cards like the Ruins of Alph and Trainer cards like Legend Box change every player's strategy. Are you ready to be Undaunted? Pokemon HS Undaunted features 90 new Pokemon cards and remains compatible with previous releases.

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Friday, June 4th, 2010 @ 7 PM, PDT -  By: Water Pokémon Master

As usual, thanks go to Xous for drawing the Pokemon in the new banner!

Pokemon.com has announced that this upcoming season's Modified format will consist of cards from Majestic Dawn and on. This means only four sets will kick the bucket this year. The format rotation goes into effect on September 1st. You can read the announcement below.

New changes have been made to the Modified format for Organized Play tournaments.

In the interest of maintaining a healthy tournament environment, Pokémon Organized Play removes older sets from the Modified format at the beginning of each new tournament season. Each rotation challenges existing players to create new strategies while enabling new players to get into Organized Play with a minimal investment.

Last year we announced that our goal was to have a Modified format that starts with 9 regular sets at the beginning of the season and ends the season with about 13 regular sets. Now that we have achieved that goal, we will continue to rotate sets each year to ensure that our Organized Play environment remains healthy and vital moving forward.

The Modified format for the 2010-2011 season will consist of the following sets. In addition, future Pokémon TCG sets will become legal as they are released, per the Pokémon Organized Play Tournament Rules.

  • Majestic Dawn
  • Legends Awakened
  • Stormfront
  • Platinum
  • Rising Rivals
  • Supreme Victors
  • Arceus
  • HeartGold & SoulSilver
  • HS - Unleashed
  • Pokemon Rumble
  • HS Trainer Kit
  • Promos DP22 and higher
  • Promos HGSS01 and higher
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Houndoom (Prime) from Undaunted (#82)

In terms of early Pokemon designs, which of the following was originally a single Pokemon but was later split into the Pokemon they are today?



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