Gonna spoil myself like crazy and emerge myself in the news.
And then don't buy the games without careful consideration of critical reception.
I was thoroughly disappointed with both X/Y and ORAS to the point where I didn't finish them (OR I haven't even got a gym badge; I stopped after 4 badges in X). I'm not going to be spending $50 on a game to be disappointed with them again.
I absolutely love the news portion of the games though and fan speculation is especially enjoyable for me, as is reception.
Items
Some of the most important factors of a game lie in the items and abilities of a Pokemon. This can be tricky for newer players, as items and abilities are not available on Team Preview, and can be game-breaking if a player is not aware of them. Items can also be game-breaking. Playing around Choice Items, Life Orb, and Status Orbs can give you an un-rivaled advantage over the lesser-experienced player. The following is a collection of all of the most common and threatening Items and Abilities that every player should be aware of.
Every Pokemon can hold an item when entering a battle. You want the items you give your Pokemon to enhance their performance. Different Pokemon have different roles, and they need to be equipped accordingly. If you have a defensive wall, a good choice for it would be Leftovers. Leftovers recover 6.5% of the users HP at the end of each turn, effectively letting the Pokemon wall longer. A poor choice for a defensive wall, would be a Choice Item or Life Orb. Choice Items increase attack, or speed, while also limiting you to one move. This is very hindering to a wall, as it's soul purpose is to use a variety of moves to stall the opponent, not try to attack it. Life Orb increases the power of a Pokemon's Attacks, at the cost of 10% of the Pokemon's max HP in Recoil.
Roles, Movesets, Typing, and Team Type are the main things you need to keep in mind when determining the items you put on your own Pokemon, and when anticipating the item on your opponent's Pokemon.
Air Balloon
When held by a Pokémon, the Pokémon will float into the air. When the holder is attacked, this item will burst.
Competitive Use: Many Pokémon suffer from a Ground-Type weakness. This often prevents them from Walling, or Sweeping to their maximum potential. Air Balloon eliminates the holder's Ground-Type weakness until they are hit by another attack, efficiently saving them from potential harm.
Common Holders:
Assault Vest
An item to be held by a Pokémon. This offensive vest raises Sp. Def but prevents the use of status moves.
Competitive Use: This item is useful for several Pokémon, but must be used properly. The best users of Assault Vest are bulky Pokémon already, and the item helps them take more hits. They also have enough offensive power that the loss of a boosting item isn't frequently felt. Optionally, Assault Vest Pokémon have other ways to restore HP beyond recovery moves, such as Regenerator.
Common Holders:
Black Sludge
A held item that gradually restores the HP of Poison-type Pokémon by 6.5% at the end of each turn. It inflicts damage on all other types.
Competitive Use: This is basically a Leftovers for Poison-Types. The only true benefit of using Black Sludge over Leftovers is that on any Pokemon that isn't a Poison-Type, Black Sludge hurts them. At the chance that your item gets swapped my Trick, or otherwise given to the opponent, you end up gaining somewhat of an advantage.
Common Holders:
Chesto Berry
A Poffin ingredient. It may be used or held by a Pokémon to recover from sleep.
Competitive Use: Many sweepers suffer from fragility, and lack a reliable recovery move. Some of them will use Rest, which gives them full HP and Status recovery. Chesto Berry then removes the Sleep Status, then allowing them to continue fully refreshed.
Common Holders:
Choice Band
An item to be held by a Pokémon. This headband ups Attack by 50%, but allows the use of only one of its moves.
Competitive Use: Many Pokemon are blessed with sky-high Attack stats. While limiting them to only one move, the Choice Band complements this strength.
Common Holders:
Choice Scarf
An item to be held by a Pokémon. This scarf boosts Speed by 50%, but allows the use of only one of its moves.
Competitive Use: Some Pokemon duffer from low, or mediocre speed. Choice Scarf allows them overcome this. In other cases, faster Pokemon are also given Choice Scarf. This is sometimes used to outspeed other fast opponents, or sometimes for Tricking the Scarf to the opponent, crippling them.
Common Holders:
Choice Specs
An item to be held by a Pokémon. These distinctive glasses boost Sp. Atk by 50% but allow the use of only one of its moves.
Competitive Use: Many Pokemon are blessed with sky-high Special Attack stats. While limiting them to only one move, the Choice Specs complements this strength.
Common Holders:
Damp Rock
An item to be held by a Pokémon. It extends the duration of the move Rain Dance when used by the holder.
Competitive Use: While all four weather conditions have their own weather rock, only Damp Rock sees any competitive usage due to the many benefits that rain provides when compared to other weathers. The items also lengthen the duration of the Drizzle (and equivalent) ability.
Common Holders:
Eviolite
A mysterious evolutionary lump. When held, it raises the Defense and Sp. Def of a Pokémon that can still evolve by 50%.
Competitive Use: Many Pokemon used to be Basic or Stage 1, and later were given a new evolution. These Pokemon often still have viable defensive qualities, in which Eviolite enhances, sometimes putting them above their evolved counterparts.
Common Holders:
Expert Belt
An item to be held by a Pokémon. It is a well-worn belt that slightly boosts the power of supereffective moves by 20%.
Competitive Use: Sweepers often carry a wide variety of moves. Expert belt compliments this diversity, as the sweepers main goals is to exploit the weaknesses of its enemies.
Common Holders:
Flame Orb
An item to be held by a Pokémon. It is a bizarre orb that inflicts a burn on the holder in battle.
Competitive Use: Some Physical Sweepers have the Ability Guts. This gives a 50% Attack boost when affected by a Status Condition. The Flame Orb gives it this boost, and prevents the Holder from obtaining other crippling Conditions. On the defensive side, some Pokemon with Magic Guard hold it. Magic Guard prevents the Burn damage, and some Pokemon Trick or Psycho Shift the Status onto the opponent.
Common Holders:
Focus Sash
An item to be held by a Pokémon. If it has full HP, the holder will endure one potential KO attack, leaving 1 HP.
Competitive Use: Many Pokemon suffer from fragility, but still have legitimate competitive use. Focus Sash buys them an extra turn, leaving them with one HP when an attack would normally Knock Out the Pokémon.
Common Holders:
Leftovers
An item to be held by a Pokémon. The holder's HP is gradually restored during battle. 6.5% of the Holder's HP is restored at the end of each turn.
Competitive Use: Leftovers is probably the most common item you'll see in a battle. Just about every single team carries it. Leftovers provides un-rivaled recovery that neutralizes Sandstorm damage, and is generally helpful in keeping your Pokemon alive.
Common Holders:
Life Orb
An item to be held by a Pokémon. It boosts the power of moves by 30%, but at the cost of 10% of the Holder's max HP on each hit.
Competitive Use: Life Orb is another very common item. It gives sweepers a nice 30% boost, which is often the difference between K.O.ing the opponent, and leaving them with HP left to attack you.
Common Holders:
Light Clay
An item to be held by a Pokémon. Protective moves like Light Screen and Reflect will be effective longer.
Competitive Use: Light Clay is common on Hyper Offense teams, as they use the screen moves to create more set up opportunities for their otherwise frail Pokémon. The move also extends the duration of Aurora Veil. The protection moves will last for eight turns.
Common Holders:
Lum Berry
A Poffin ingredient. It may be used or held by a Pokémon to recover from any status problem.
Competitive Use: Primarily used on set up Pokémon that need a turn to start a sweep. Status conditions on these Pokémon can wreck a potential sweep and can be the difference between winning and losing a game.
Common Holders:
Power Herb
A single-use item to be held by a Pokémon. It allows the holder to immediately use a move that normally requires a turn to charge.
Competitive Use: This item has niche use, as the moves it boosts are seldom used to begin with. The introduction of Z-moves also limit the viability of these moves as their high power can be used without the charge turn. That said, there is some niche use in this item, especially with Geomancy.
Common Holders:
Rocky Helmet
If the holder of this item takes damage, the attacker will also be damaged 6.5% of their Maximum HP upon contact.
Competitive Use: Rocky Helmet is used to hurt the opponent upon contact. It is often used on Walls who switch in, take little damage, and end up hurting the foe in doing so.
Common Holders:
Shed Shell
An item to be held by a Pokémon. This discarded carapace enables the holder to switch out of battle without fail.
Competitive Use: This item is useful for invalidating the use of common trapping abilities like Magnet Pull and Arena Trap, as well as trapping moves like Thousand Waves. Pokémon with these moves are often useless without their abilities and so these items are very effective in thwarting the opponent's strategy.
Common Holders:
Sitrus Berry
A Poffin ingredient. It may be used or held by a Pokémon to heal the user’s HP by 25% of the User's maximum.
Competitive Use: Belly Drummers, and other Pokemon that commonly lose HP quickly may use a Sitrus Berry to heal them back to a healthy HP level after damage is inflicted. The Sitrus Berry restores 25% HP when the holder is at 50% HP. Belly Drummers may also like the other pinch berries, such as the Wiki Berry, which heal 50% HP when the holder is at 25% HP.
Common Holders:
White Herb
An item to be held by a Pokémon. It will restore any lowered stat in battle. It can only be used once.
Competitive Use: Most common on Shell Smash users, as the item restores the defense reductions. There is also niche use on Pokémon that use moves like Draco Meteor, but the stat drops in this situation can be removed by switching out.
Common Holders:
