Congrats, Pokémon fans. You’ve made it to the middle of the week, which means there’s only a few days left before you can forget about work and immerse yourself in the world of Pokémon!
Here’s a wrap of the latest Pokémon news to keep you chugging along. It’ll go perfectly with a cup of coffee.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet might be the fastest-selling titles in the franchise, but their performance issues have also seen them receive the lowest collective score among critics in its 26-year history.
If you’re still enjoying them despite the criticism, you might want to take advantage of a savage but effective EXP farming trick that turns an innocent pool of water into a trench from hell.
In other news, Pokémon Go players are up in arms over the cost of Keldeo Special Research tickets, and they’re threatening to boycott similar pay-to-play events in the future.
And finally, the first English card from the Pokémon OCG Crown Zenith set has been revealed, and it’s none other than Altaria, the charming Dragon and Flying-type Pokémon introduced in Generation III.
Buckle up, and let’s dive into it!
With the good comes the bad
If you’ve been following the news closely, you’ve probably heard Scarlet and Violet have performed well in the sales department despite all their frustrating performance issues. Being a commercial success is one thing, but being a critical one is different—and it turns out, they scored the lowest among critics in the entire history of Pokémon.
On Metacritic, Pokémon Scarlet is sitting at 73 while Pokémon Violet (the more popular title) is sitting at 72.
It’s lower than Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which is sitting on a score of 73, and all other titles, which range from Pokémon Emerald’s 76 to Pokemon X and Y’s 87 and 88.
The user score is also 3 and 3.5, respectively—rounding them off to be a disaster on the critique side of things.
Farm me up, buttercup
A TikToker and long-term Pokémon fan named NerdyNinetales (the name is a dead giveaway) has discovered what he claims is the best passive way to farm experience in Scarlet and Violet.
The trick revolves around making your way to a pool of water inside a pit southwest of the Fighting Crew Starfall Street base and letting your lead Pokémon turn it into a death cauldron by farming them non-stop as you watch it do its thing while being perched atop the cliff.
Follow the video below to find the location and method.
The cost of tickets is too damn high!
Pokémon Go Keldeo Special Research tickets cost $7.99 in the United States, or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency—according to an official blog post from Niantic.
But after discovering it actually costs more in other currencies, such as Euros, when it should be cheaper based on conversion rates, Pokémon Go players were left absolutely furious at Niantic and their “money-grubbing” ways.
So much so, in fact, they’re threatening to boycott all future ticketed pay-to-play events until Niantic lowers the prices, claiming that they’re getting way out of hand.
Altaria used Dazzling Gleam. It was super effective!
Don’t worry, Pokémon OCG fans. There’s some exciting news for you today, too. It comes in the form of the first English card from the Crown Zenith being revealed. It’s Altaria, and, you guessed it—it looks absolutely stunning. The artwork is gorgeous, and it’s rich in color.
The Crown Zenith set will have a rolling start, beginning on Friday, Jan. 20 and releasing cards and sets in different stages all the way until May.
Another day bites the dust, trainers.
There was a lot to take in. Some of it was positive, and some of it was negative. But no matter how you feel about any and all of the news that spilled out, it certainly makes for an interesting read!
