I woke up with an eye infection (which makes it hard to look at the computer screen), so I will probably not update again until Monday night or Tuesday. I can look at the screen for short periods of time with minor pain, but then the major pain comes back and lasts for hours at a time, so unless something major occurs in the Pokemon world, I will not be updating.

Darkrai.com Updated - Darkrai.com officially opened yesterday, although nothing was shown other than a "come back tomorrow" message. Now, however, the site has updated with new content, and below, I have split up all of its information into three sections.

Video Games - On the main page, the website says "check back often to find out how you can get it [Darkrai]," meaning Darkrai should be available for download soon. The "video game" section briefly describes Darkrai's attacks, Dark Void and Dark Pulse, as well as its ability, Bad Dreams (which zaps HP between turns when your opponent is asleep). The first screenshot below is of the main page, while the second is of the video game section of the website. Click the thumbnails for larger images.

Movie - Details on "The Rise of Darkrai" were also revealed. Alice and Baron Alberto will keep their original Japanese names for the dub (I suppose this means the pun for "Baron Alberto" and "Beroberto" will not be translatable). The Time-Space Tower and Alamos Town keep their names as well, though it was originally "Space-Time" tower. There is also a teaser trailer under the "anime" section that shows an abridged beginning of the movie where Dialga and Palkia fight (with a scene of Darkrai from the end of the movie edited in), in addition to a section showing around a dozen movie shots of Darkrai. The movie's logo is also displayed on the pages. The first screenshot below is of the movie's synopsis and the second is of the Darkrai movie shot section.

TCG - Nothing new is revealed about "Great Encounters," though the website promises to reveal new cards from the set every month. Of course, you don't need to, since we will have early scans of the set next week! :D The screenshot below shows the TCG page.

The Rise of Darkrai - My youngest brother was watching Cartoon Network today, and during a "Fried Dynamite" segment, he said the host announced the 10th Pokemon movie's English title: The Rise of Darkrai (Japanese: Dialga vs. Palkia vs. Darkrai). It will be airing on Cartoon Network in March, around one month after the release of Great Encounters. Will Darkrai be available for download to our games soon?

(SPOILERS) I don't understand how the title is relevant to the movie. Darkrai physically rises from the ground out of the shadows, but I doubt the title is referring to this. Perhaps they mean it "rising" in its "goodness?" When it first appeared in Alamos Town and attacked several Pokemon, it seemed to be evil, but years later, as the story shows, it ends up sacrificing itself for the town even though it is hated and abused by everyone. Who knows, though? (/END SPOILERS)

Today's update involves a lot of partial information regarding both the "Great Encounters" and "DP5: Temple of Anger, Cry from the Mysterious" sets!

Partial Great Encounters List, Partial Info - We now have our first Great Encounters prerelease information!

The card sleeves that players will receive at the prereleases will feature Darkrai, and will be on a black background like with the Weavile sleeves for Secret Wonders. The sleeve design is almost exactly the same - the only difference is the set logo and the Pokemon silhouette.

We also have a "partial" set list. Unfortunately, as many people deduced from the information we already knew about the English set, Phione, Mewtwo, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Eevee, the Eeveelutions, and fossil Pokemon did not make it into the set. Claydol's status is not known yet, but we should find out soon! As we predicted here, there will be a Diamond and Pearl filler set to fill the gap created by the Japanese DP5 delay, so the aforementioned cards will most likely be in the next American set (it will probably be named "Great Filler" or "Unseen Wonders").

Holos (11)
1 - Blaziken
2 - Cresselia
3 - Darkrai (DP4)
4 - Darkrai (DP3)
5 - Pachirisu
6 - Porygon-Z
7 - Rotom
8 - Sceptile
9 - Swampert
10 - Tangrowth
11 - Togekiss

Rares (?)
12 - Altaria
16 - Dialga
26 - Palkia

Uncommons (?)
49 - Porygon2

Trainers (6)
97 - Amulet Coin
98 - Felicity's Drawing
99 - Leftovers
100 - Moonlight Stadium
101 - Premier Ball
102 - Rare Candy

Lv.X's (4)
103 - Cresselia Lv.X
104 - Darkrai Lv.X
105 - Dialga Lv.X
106 - Palkia Lv.X

Other cards that will be in the English set are DP4's Latios, Latias, and Lapras. We don't know their cards numbers at this time.

You can check out translations of the above cards by clicking these links: [DP3: Shining Darkness translations], [DP4: Moon Hunting / Night Dashing translations].

For booster pack and theme deck images of the set, check out [this news story]. For card images, read yesterday's update and view [this news story] (as well as the story below it, which contains the bulk of card images we have).

Remember, we will have early scans of Great Encounters as early as Monday (not likely) and at the latest on Friday (either way, before the prereleases)! We should also have more information about the set between now and then!

Partial Mewtwo Lv.X and Gliscor Lv.X Translations - Following our exclusive coverage of [DP5: Temple of Anger, Cry from the Mysterious], we now have partial translations of Mewtwo Lv.X and Gliscor Lv.X! Thanks go to Bangiras for translating the text! From what we can tell, Gliscor Lv.X will have one additional attack, and the same may apply to Mewtwo Lv.X.

Mewtwo Lv.X - Psychic - HP 120
Level Up

Poke-Body: Psychic Shield - As long as this Pokemon is on your Bench, prevent all effects of attacks, including damage, done to this Pokemon.

[P][P] Giga Burn: 100 damage. Discard all Energy attached to Mewtwo.

Weakness: ?
Resistance: ?
Retreat: 2

---

Gliscor Lv.X - Fighting - HP 110
Level Up

Poke-Power: Speed Poison - You can use this Poke-Power once when you play this card to Level-Up a Pokemon. The Defending Pokemon is (are?) now Poisoned and Paralyzed.

[F][C] Night Slash: 70 damage. Switch the Defending Pokemon with 1 of your opponent's Benched Pokemon.

Weakness: ?
Resistance: ?
Retreat: 0

Yesterday (Tuesday) I made a second update, so be sure to read it if you have not been here since last night!

Darkrai from Great Encounters - The card image for Darkrai from Great Encounters has been revealed! Click the thumbnail to the right for a larger picture. The card originates from DP3: Shining Darkness, and will be holographic when released, as it is #4 in the set.

I suppose now is a good time to remind everyone that we will post scans of Great Encounters as early as next Monday (not likely) or as late as next Friday (either way, they will be posted before the prereleases). I have four midterms next week, with one each day from Monday to Thursday, so having the time to edit and post them will depend on my study schedule. Be sure to check back every day next week - we could post them at any point in time!

Nationals FAQ Up - In addition to the Regionals locations posted yesterday, POP has also now posted their Nationals FAQ. The FAQ details all the information you need to know about the event! Some important notes to mention are that there is a max cap of 1,024 players (with only 256 Junior Division players, 256 Senior Division players, and 512 Masters Division players allowed to register), and all players who will be competing in the tournament MUST register for an event ticket in their age division through the Origins Game Fair website or on site at Origins to be eligible to play (the FAQ states that players without an event ticket will not be admitted into the event).

PokemonCenter.com Closing - On January 31st, PokemonCenter.com will be shutting down for good. The website first launched around the beginning of 2002, and has since provided fans with a large selection of official Pokemon merchandise to order.

The store cites as its reason for shutting down, "Pokémon USA, Inc. has decided to sell Pokémon merchandise exclusively through its retail partners." For the future, this will mean products will only be sold through Pokemon USA partners like Jakks Pacific, who both manufacture and sell Pokemon merchandise in the United States (most of which you can find at Target and other stores).

In theory, this could lead to a new direction for Pokemon merchandise - we could be seeing a wide variety of new Pokemon memorabilia that have not been in stores before, especially since according to recent product reports, Pokemon items are selling quite well. It is probably much easier for Pokemon USA to work with their partners, create and manufacture new ideas, and send their merchandise to stores than it is to maintain an online store and its orders, so for fans in the end, this decision may benefit us all. This may even be the reason for the website's removal, since the retail stores are selling the products so well that there is no longer any need for it (speculation, of course). With the removal of the website comes the removal of all of its unique merchandise, and thus as stated before, new Pokemon merchandise could be released at retailers to fill its absence.

Regional Championship Locations Up - The official TCG website has just updated with the locations and times for the April 2008 Regional Championships. Check out the page if you plan to attend one (and only one, since all of them take place on the same day - April 12th)!

Manaphy a Poke Ball Pokemon in SSBB - The official Super Smash Bros. website has revealed Manaphy as a Poke Ball item Pokemon, using its special attack, Heart Swap. When released, it switches two characters' bodies with each other, spare their status, health, and lives, of course (so you can't jump off the stage and make your opponent lose a life). Manaphy seems to be one of the more unique Pokemon in this game, considering the effect of its attack lasts for some time, and its power is quite memorable (and funny, to a degree). Click the thumbnails below for larger images - they show Manaphy coming out of its Poke Ball and switching Zelda and Donkey Kong's bodies.

Pokemon Manga Coming to America - Viz Media has had the right to publish Pokemon manga (Japanese "comic books") for several years now, but has chosen not to do so since the first generation... until now! According to this Amazon.com listing for "Diamond and Pearl Adventure!, Vol. 1," the first Diamond and Pearl manga volume will be coming to America on April 1st, with the second volume coming July 1st. There are several Pokemon mangas in existence, and for those of you who read them, the one coming to America is the "Pokemon DP" manga illustrated by Ihara Shigekatsu. The product description for the first volume is as follows:

Set in the country Sinnoh, the story follows the adventures of Hareta, a young boy raised in the wild with Pokémon. Recruited by Prof. Rowan, he decides to become a Pokémon trainer after catching his first tame one, Piplup. He and the Professor's assistant, Mitsumi, set off on a quest to find Dialga, one of the three "Legendary" Pokémon, which is rumored to be able to control time. But Team Galactic, lead by villainous Cyrus, is hunting for Dialga too.

Personally, I just started reading a Ruby and Sapphire generation manga last week, and I found it very surprising that just as I started getting into it and talking to people about how great it is, Viz decides to release a Pokemon manga in America! I suppose fans who have wanted a Pokemon manga to come over here for quite some time will now be extremely excited and happy, since many have had to rely on Japanese versions for several years now (although several volumes of a first generation manga were translated and released many years ago by Viz, like "The Electric Tale of Pikachu" in 1999). In my opinion, the different Pokemon manga are much better than the animé, and the storylines are extremely unique, detailed, and enjoyable, so this is something to definitely look forward to if you watch the show and want to go beyond the television!

*Updating this website in 50 degree weather during the night in the middle of a driveway from a random Wi-Fi signal at my grandma's internetless house in shorts and while wearing sandals* - that's a long prepositional phrase for you. :p

EDIT #2 @ 11:30 PM: Nintendo has realized its goof-up - the entire video has been replaced with an earlier one, since it revealed that Ness was a playable character as well. Looks like we saw the original right in time!

EDIT @ 11:00 PM: Breaking news concerning Lucario and Jigglypuff in SSBB! Read the first news story directly below.

Lucario and Jigglypuff Playable Characters in SSBB - A brand new trailer for Super Smash Brothers Brawl that was just posted on the official Japanese Wii website has inadvertently revealed that Lucario and Jigglypuff will be playable characters in the game. In the video, there is a brief scene where stickers are shown, and which playable characters are compatible with them. Stickers are awarded to players as they proceed through the game, and can be adhered to characters to give them a power boost in the Subspace Emissary. Shown below is a screenshot of a sticker selection screen, with Groudon being highlighted by the player (the Groudon sticker increases its user's fire resistance by 8 points, as shown in the box on the lower left). The box on the lower right shows the characters that can use the Groudon sticker: Pikachu, Pokemon Trainer, and, surprise - Lucario, and Jigglypuff! Lucario and Jigglypuff have yet to be officially revealed as characters in Smash Bros. Brawl, but this screenshot seems to confirm their existence and playability in the game.

Click the screenshot below for a larger image. The box that shows which characters can use the Groudon sticker has been enlarged - undoubtedly, one can see that the two Pokemon after Pokemon Trainer are Lucario and Jigglypuff. Where are Mewtwo and Pichu - could this mean both will not be returning?

More SSBB Pokemon News - Brawl Central, one of the leading websites covering Super Smash Brothers Brawl news, has posted more SSBB developments from the Whobby World 2008 Expo in Japan. The news covers a variety of details concerning Pokemon Trainer, including impressions on how good his Charizard, Ivysaur, and Squirtle are. The update also confirms that Darkrai, Eevee (apparently evolving into one of its evolutions randomly and attacking), Chansey, and Cherim will be Poke Ball item Pokemon in the game (gee, how many Pokemon are they going to include in this game?). Check out their update for all the info!

Remember, Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Nintendo Wii will be released on Sunday, March 9th, in America! If you are going to get up extra early in the morning on March 9th to buy the game, you better start training in the cold to be prepared for it!

School is extremely busy this week, as is life!

February 2008 Tins - Three new Diamond and Pearl tins will be released on February 25th, each featuring Dialga, Palkia, or Darkrai. Every tin will come with four booster packs and a special promo card, and will cost around $13.00. Click the thumbnail below to view a larger version of the Dialga and Palkia tins. Anyone want to bet we will get Dialga, Palkia, and Darkrai cards in these tins?

As for alternate-artwork reprint cards, which are usually included in these types of tins, there is no alternate Darkrai Lv.X yet, so including the alternate Dialga Lv.X and Palkia Lv.X promo cards that were released in Japan a while ago probably will not happen. There are, however, reprints of regular Dialga, Palkia, and Darkrai cards that have not been released in America yet, so those have a possibility of being included. Of course, PUSA could always include new promos and break their trend of releasing reprints!

Great Encounters Blister Packs - When "Great Encounters" is released, a three-pack blister package will become available, containing three booster packs of the set, a Dialga or Palkia coin, and a select promo. (Perhaps like with the "Secret Wonders" blister packs, the promos included will be reverse holos of cards not available in the set's booster packs. This is only speculation, though.) Each blister pack will probably cost around $12.00.

DP5 Release Date - Forgot to update yesterday's DP5 news story with this information, but "DP5: Temple of Anger, Cry from the Mysterious" will be released in Japan on March 14th. Yep!

EDIT: Added new news story about Masuda below DP5 story.

First DP5 Info - Turns out that the "DP5 on Hold?" news story was completely correct, as we now know that Japan's DP5 set will be released in March and that it will contain Pokemon from the 11th movie, "Giratina and the Bouquet from the Icy Sky" (which is probably why the set was delayed by three months in the first place). The name of the set will be DP5: Temple of Anger, Cry from the Mysterious, and like [DP4: Moon Hunting / Night Dashing], two sets of booster packs will split the set up (hence the compound name). Regigigas will represent "Temple of Anger," while Heatran will represent "Cry from the Mysterious."

"Temple of Anger" will feature Regigigas, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Metagross (and its pre-evolutions), Jirachi, and Deoxys. "Cry from the Mysterious" will feature Heatran, Giratina, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, and Spritomb. The Pokemon previously listed will only be available in their respective booster packs in Japan, and not in the counterpart pack.

In total, there will be eight Lv.X's in the set. So far, we know of two - Gliscor Lv.X and Mewtwo Lv.X (click the thumbnail at the top right of this news story for a larger picture of the two cards). Of course, a Mewtwo, Gliscor, and Gligar card should be in the set so that Mewtwo Lv.X and Gliscor Lv.X can be played (well, Mewtwo was in DP4, but they can always release another one for DP5).

Remember, this is the last Diamond and Pearl set for Japan before they move on to a new set block, like when Japan moved from e-Card to ADV, ADV to EX, and EX to DP (ADV was the first EX sets, for those of you who do not know, and then they changed the card template when they transitioned to the EX block). America, however, will probably have one filler set to fill the three-month gap caused by DP5's delay, giving us six Diamond and Pearl sets.

If you want to download the wallpaper for DP5, select your screen resolution below the wallpaper's thumbnail, save the image to your computer, and set it as your desktop's background.

[1024x768] / [1280x768]

Masuda Follow-Up - Junichi Masuda has finally commented about the January 12th "surprise," and we know now for sure that the surprise was simply diamond dust and nothing else. Not that there was any doubt about that...

BTW, have you played Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
on this January 12th? Did you find snow was falling bit different? Snowpoint City was just beautiful!

This means, on January 12th, ï½”he weather all over the world were same. (I've always want to do that!)

EDIT: Added new SSBB news story below. It's not good news!

Darkrai Coming Sooooon? - Pokemon.com has changed the Darkrai silhouette that has been floating around the website for exactly one month, in addition to updating the main video panel to feature a larger Darkrai silhouette with text that asks, "Who is this Pokemon?" Could the updated website mean Darkrai will officially be revealed soon, perhaps within the next week or so (hopefully not in one month, since they seem to be revealing things in one-month intervals)? The next TCG set (Great Encounters) features Darkrai, Dialga, and Palkia and comes out in February, so the movie and the Darkrai downloads should begin around that time (if PUSA has decided to have these events around the same time, that is). Darkrai should thus be revealed before February at the very latest, and since it's January right now, the time could come sooner than most people think. Click the screenshots below for larger images - the first picture shows the new floating silhouette, the second one shows the updated video panel.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Delayed! - Rumors were floating around that SSBB would be delayed again due to retailers listing the sales date for March, and now we have confirmation from the official website that this is now true:

Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we've had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th.

I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience.