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Little things you like about Pokémon
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QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
The games push the ideal "you need a balanced team to succeed" very hard so it's not really surprising, but I'm always tickled to meet those occasional NPCs whose crippling overspecialisation is holding them back to an unhealthy degree.
- There's a Black Belt in Mossdeep City in Emerald who complains that he can't win against Tate and Liza even after multiple attempts.
- There's a Lass in Goldenrod Gym who (despite presumably being the top-ranked gym trainer as she's the last one before Whitney) tells the player that no matter what she tries, she still can't beat Whitney. Maybe it's in her employment contract that she's not allowed to catch a Machop. She at least keeps a cheerful outlook, though, and resolves to keep at it.
- There's another Black Belt in Indigo Plateau who talks about how Agatha beat him multiple times (interesting, so did he manage to beat Sabrina...?)
- There's a girl in Rustboro who sadly reflects that she's raising an unspecified Fire-type so won't have an easy time winning against Roxanne.
- There's yet another Black Belt in Hearthome City (man, these guys really are the butt monkeys of the Pokemon world, aren't they?) who is shocked to have been refused entry to Amity Square because his team members are Gyarados and Steelix.
- There's a Bug Catcher in the Battle Tower in Crystal who says that their plan is to only use Bugs... and is already nervous at the prospect of meeting a Fire-type.
Some Scarlet & Violet stuff:
- I like how, of all things, Headbutting trees actually sort of came back as a mechanic.
- You can actually go and battle the two Squawkabilly that perched on your house’s roof in the cinematic intro. I don’t think there’s anything special about them, but it’s an amusing bit of continuity.
- Wild Bramblin and Brambleghast use their run cycle when it’s windy or stormy out, to simulate the effect of them getting pushed by stronger winds.
Maybe he got in under the wire by earning a badge from the Fighting Dojo before they lost their official Gym status.
I definitely like how going to class is a really good way to learn Paldean lore and game mechanics - also, by going to classes and talking to the teachers outside of them, you can unlock sidequests.
QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
Ooh, good catch. Or he did what that Kimono Girl in the anime did and collected badges from Johto too.
- I like how, of all things, Headbutting trees actually sort of came back as a mechanic.
Wait, it did? I have genuinely not heard anything about this.
Several pokemon hang from trees and you have to slam your dragonbike on it while rushing to make them fall.
Applin for example can only be found like this (Applins on the ground are always Zoruas)
nah there's Applins in one specific part of the map that are just on the ground. Its the grafitti forest where this is true, though.
Slakoth & Bounsweet are good examples though. I dont think I've ever once seen a Slakoth lmao.
Garganacl is awesome. The Rock-type has been traditionally seen as one of, if not the weakest-type in the game due to a multitude of issues like common weaknesses and bad accuracy moves, on top of other Pokemon specific problems like lack of recovery and lopsided defenses. Sure, they have the SpDef boost in Sandstorm, and Tyranitar is an OK Pokemon, but it feels like Tyranitar is good in spite of its many shortcomings as a Rock-Type like its high number of weaknesses, lack of reliable recovery, etc due to its Groudon / Kyogre tier stats under Sandstorm. However, against all odds, Garganacl is the first new Rock-type in a good while to be a top tier mon on its own merits. Its got amazing mixed bulk, w/ a 100 / 130 / 90 distribution and Recover, a move that most of its competition would kill for. Its signature ability, Purifying Salt, is a top tier ability, giving it immunity to status moves (very crucial for a defensive Pokemon) on top of a Ghost Resistance, which is amazing considering how common & difficult Ghost Coverage is to switch into normally. Salt Cure is also quite an OP move. Initially, I didn't think it was too much better than something like Toxic, but the difference between Toxic and Salt Cure is that Steel- and Poison-types can switch into Toxic. However, absolutely nothing can switch into Salt Cure + it deals insane chip damage to Steels and Waters. There are ways to counter-play this move, like Covert Cloak, but the fast that you have to dedicate an item slot just for this one move on this one Pokemon is quite telling of how strong this move is (though Covert Cloak does have other upsides like preventing Mystical Fire drops).
Now granted, part of the reason Garganacl is so good is unfortunately because it can Tera into a different-type and remove all of its weaknesses, but even without Tera it is still leagues above most of its competition.
Now granted, part of the reason Garganacl is so good is unfortunately because it can Tera into a different-type and remove all of its weaknesses, but even without Tera it is still leagues above most of its competition.
So what you're saying is, Tyranitar is finally outclassed?
Only until more sand rushers come back. Currently there's only two, one sucks and the other is banned.
Tyranitar and Garganacl roles are extremely different after all, but what Tyranitar excelled at (being a sand enabler that isn't passive) is not necessary in the current OU or VGC metas (and being 4x weak to a very common typing isn't helping it).
1. I don't mind Cinderace, I know people have problem with the Pokemon who look like they're wearing clothing, but at the same time I'm also looking at an anthropomorphic rabbit with fiery hair; I can overlook the shorts (it's not like Lucario wearing shorts seem to bother many). But I actually like Indeedee's design. Yes, in shape it is similar to Audino, but I feel the color scheme and horns are enough to separate it (also they're both "Assistant" Pokemon, the anime having them serve alongside Nurse Joy in Galar, so they're going to have some things similar). Hm, not sure what Pokemon Paldean Nurse Joys will have, especially since they're not really in a building but an open kiosk. Maybe Dolliv/Arboliva? Though I would be surprised if Officer Jenny aren't given Cyclizar with harnesses that have a police siren.
2. Galar has the recipe for a great dish, but to get it out "in time" they took shortcuts. And instead of a great dish they wound up with a meal that leaves much to be desired. The individual ingredients are good, but they just don't mix together in a satisfying way.
3. I think Pokemon's main problem is that it's trying to use somewhat realistic graphics when they should just go full out stylistic. Think about it, no Pokemon uses realistic textures, yet they're living in an environment which does which creates a visual dichotomy. What they need to do is make simple textures based off Pokemon supposedly made of or mimicking said textures and use those for the trees, rocks, ground, cliffsides, etc..
4. Terastal to be honest is meh. I got more fun in defeating my opponents without using Terastal just because they make a big show out of it. Then again, it didn't help ALL the NPCs which Terastallize did so with the same Type of their active Pokemon, which meant you likely had out a Pokemon which was Super Effective or at least Resistant to their Type, which meant despite Terastallizing they probably didn't use any Move which would benefit from the Terastal as they would also go with the backup neutral coverage. GF, what were you THINKING would happen? The only clever one was Iono because Electric is only weak to Ground and she used a Pokemon with Levitate!
Honestly if any game showed how to do a super mechanic I'd argue it be Pokken. When a Pokemon did a Synergy Burst, if they had a Mega Evo they would Mega Evolve, but if they didn't they still got a special effect of some kind added to them to show they were still powered-up. They didn't need to grow big, most of the time they either got a power aura or parts of them began glowing. Heck, if even that is too much, just give them a batch of stat increases and maybe Ability change so they have a similar power of a Mega without being one (with the only advantage a Mega getting is that their stats won't decrease from anything which clear stat changes like Haze).
5. Some bad news here. I feel they botched Terastal Raids. In trying to make them "quicker" they just make them feel chaotic without feeling anymore faster as now the Raid Pokemon had done 3 other Moves you didn't see some of which could have been a buffing Move. Also, while the higher level Dynamax Raids still felt possible even if you didn't have a Dynamax Pokemon of your own, higher level Terastal are just the WORST! Because of the Type change, in order to do Super Effective damage it may put you in a disadvantage against their normal STAB moves (also, unless they're normally the same Type as the Tera Type, they may not have a Move of the Tera Type). This is especially bad because when they put up their shield not only do you need the power boost from Terastal but if its not Super Effective you might as well just be throwing foam balls at it. This is because, unlike Dynamax where the shielded Pokemon's shield took a certain number of hits to break, Tera Pokemon still use their HP but now just have a major defensive boost. Also, when you broke a Dynamax Pokemon's shield their defensive stats lowered, but Tera Pokemon don't look to have any negative side effects for breaking their shield aside losing the added defensive boost. Also the Tera Timer is EASILY worst than the Dynamax 4 Knockouts/10 Turns. Hey, GF, unless you were hoping players gaming the 7 Star Event Raids by coming up with niche strategies, you FAILED to make a Raid system better than Dynamax.
So they did more work to make the Signature Moves feel less special then had they recycled the old animations.
Certainty genre savvy, but I don't think in that way. If anything it more feels like a commentary on Cancel Culture, especially when the target is an egotist. Cancel culture ("the internet is mad") targets the egotist, they start trending, and that just makes the egotist happy as that means people are thinking about them and possibly listening to what they're saying. Yeah, sure, Iono is losing, but because she's battling the new Champion, its getting her thousands of views so why should she care? Which isn't a good attitude for a Gym Leader to take, which is why when Geeta asked me who was the "Easiest" Gym Leader I said Iono cause I don't think she's Gym Leader quality (also she had a chance to knock out my Garganacl who was sweeping her entire team when up against her Tera Mismagius, she just needed to do Charge Beam again but for some reason did Shadow Ball. Even if the game was pretending not to know my Garganacl had Purifying Salt until she used a Ghost-type move on me, Charge Beam would have knocked out no matter what so what's the logic here game?).
And yes, I gave Larry a glowing report, cause the man deserves it.
By now you know that isn't true... BUT that's definitely something someone should consider doing in the future. Pokemon, Temtem, whoever, just have a way for the game to track which boss you had the hardest time with and then have them face you again in the final gauntlet, lol!
Look, she saw a hot guy (or gal, I don't judge), she just can't help herself.
OH, it was sideways! I thought it was odd they didn't try to make the bases form the constellation.
But, wait... no, that's still not right. Infact, if we go by the base names, it's impossible to make the constellation. According to that image, Giacomo is Segin (correct), Mela is Ruchbah, Atticus is Navi (correct), Eri is Schedar, and Ortega is Caph. And flipping it doesn't work as, while Mela would be right, Segin would then be wrong (not to mention Eri and Ortega). GF, why do that? Did they take the names/traits of the star into consideration when assigning names? Well, if so, why didn't you then place the Star Bases in the proper places and adjusted the difficulty using that? Eri could have still been the toughest and last one you were supposed to battle, though she's the only member I can see which you'd want to be in a specific place as she's supposed to be the "muscle" of the group (or appear to be). And it's not like the bases HAD to be where they were place, they're just a batch of tents grouped together.
Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the Salty Herba Mystica is called in Japan?
Not Pin Missile, but Pokemon Adventures showed Janine's Forretress using Spikes just like that:
The anime also had Brock's Forretress use Spikes but it was more ambiguous as they had Forretress also spinning around when launching the spikes (though the tubes were out, which is notable as whenever Forretress attacked while spinning it recalled the tubes so it could fully close its shell).
Corviknight evolves at Level 38 and Raichu via a Thunder Stone, not really red flags.
NOW the Volcarona on the other hand, well, that gets the feeling across we've entered into end game territory.
I wouldn't fault Arven on that. If anything, since he based his other 5 Pokemon on the flavors, that means he only had those 5 to work with and so just chose the best one for the job. Sometimes he came in with an advantage, sometimes he just came in neutral.
We had a discussion about this in the Mystery/Conspiracy thread: Are we absolutely sure these Pokemon are from the past & future?
That's because it is from a tabloid/paranormal magazine, the Occulture.
Especially since, if the Pokemon World formed like the real world, a billion years ago the Earth was "stuck" in a 1 billion time period famously called the Boring Billion. Now scientists are fighting back against that term as more evidence shows there were changes going on during this time, but the gist of it was that on a grander scale for about a billion years nothing really changed on Earth which included life. It existed, its believed some was multicell, but because how stagnant things were life wasn't able to advance much further until enough pressure finally built up to force the plates and landmasses to move thus causing massive changes in the environment.
In other words, no, Scream Tail likely is not from a Billon Years ago. Even if we were to exaggerate a billion year old Pokemon's size (that was a Legendary god), I imagine it would more look like a Grimer or Ditto, just a pile of slime. Honestly, that "billion year" thing alone makes me wonder if originally they were planning on using Grimer or Ditto cause why would you even think of that for Jigglypuff? Like, with it giving it long hair, I would think the clickbait title for Wild Scream would be writing how it was like Tarzan, swinging from tree to tree in the ancient past letting out loud screams.
And the opponent only faints.
If we use my PokeMatter theory, the light particles could be made from PokeMatter thus have no mass to be stopped by the seawater thus the "light" can reach the surface from miles underneath the water.
When something in Pokemon sounds impossible, just apply PokeMatter. It's like magic, but with Pokemon-flavored pseudo science!
Or be like "Hey, this jet bird wants to join your party, choose which Pokemon you want to be sent back to the PC so we have a reason to give you the ability to Soar".
Yesterday spent some time headbutting trees looking for a Pineco to fill my dex. I have to wonder what Miraidon was thinking the entire time I kept boosting it over and over again into the same batch of trees...
This might be a stretch and this post is pretty scattered, but I want to say it anyway.
I like how in recent times, the Pokemon franchise has established itself as being for everyone. Let me explain. Before Black and White (and especially X and Y and onward) or so, while the games never excluded adults (heck, the developers of Black and White have expressed displeasure of people "growing out" of the series), you couldn't really make the argument that they were trying to be much more than the introductory RPGs with the excuse plot the first four generations largely had. Emerald and Platinum can definitely be difficult, but I think with enough patience and strategy even younger gamers could beat them. But difficulty isn't really the point of this post.
Notice how ever since Black and White, Game Freak has tried to age up their games. While this can be divisive (you'll find plenty of people who don't like the story-driven focus of the more recent titles, or all the Kanto pandering), it means the series is shooting for multiple demographics. Kids obviously love the cute monsters, and adults can appreciate the stories of Gens V, VII, and IX (again, if that's their preference) in addition to how accessible competitive play has become. With features made to ease the competitive side, it's very easy to get into multiplayer on cartridge, to the point a casual friend of mine is doing it in Scarlet. There's something there for everyone.
This became more obvious with Gen VI. Even the official website got overhauled around this time to look more professional. Multiple Kanto Pokemon receiving Mega Evolutions, as if to say "we haven't forgotten where we came from, and the fans that made us what we are now." Yes, the Kanto spotlight has been seen as a bit of a crutch, and they can lean too hard on it at times, but so many franchises can lose sight of their roots. Look at DMC: Devil May Cry or Paper Mario: Sticker Star (I haven't played the former, but the fact they called the installment afterward Devil May Cry 5 despite DMC being the fifth game is very telling). Even after all this time, the main series is still turn-based RPGs and selling like hotcakes. It hasn't gone blatantly adult with themes like mass murder or sex or anything, and I am so glad it hasn't become adults-only, even though it could very easily do so with how profitable it is. I like the fact the games' aren't dark for the sake of being dark and still aim at kids, not just adults too.
Pokemon Go really brought the periphery demographic into the mainstream and solidified the fact it's cool for grown adults to like Pokemon again. You won't be judged if you say you play it, and considering how easy it is for petty middle and high schoolers to tease people for enjoying the franchise, it's magnificent that's not really a concern anymore. And yeah, you'll still find those vocal minorities who insist the series has been ruined and we are mindless sheep and blah blah blah, you've probably seen this from Twitter at this point.
The point of this post was to show my appreciation for the franchise that introduced me to so many wonderful people that do and help me learn to respect other peoples' opinions. I'm so glad I can have rational discussion on this website while partaking in something I love. Even when I disagree with people, more often than not I'll find someone who is totally cool when our opinions differ. And I know I'm not perfect and I have said some stuff I regret when I get to into my love for the series sometimes. But that's why I'm glad I've engaged in this website. It's helped me better myself as a person and meet so many awesome people that make my days a little brighter.
Thanks for reading.
I like how in recent times, the Pokemon franchise has established itself as being for everyone. Let me explain. Before Black and White (and especially X and Y and onward) or so, while the games never excluded adults (heck, the developers of Black and White have expressed displeasure of people "growing out" of the series), you couldn't really make the argument that they were trying to be much more than the introductory RPGs with the excuse plot the first four generations largely had. Emerald and Platinum can definitely be difficult, but I think with enough patience and strategy even younger gamers could beat them. But difficulty isn't really the point of this post.
Notice how ever since Black and White, Game Freak has tried to age up their games. While this can be divisive (you'll find plenty of people who don't like the story-driven focus of the more recent titles, or all the Kanto pandering), it means the series is shooting for multiple demographics. Kids obviously love the cute monsters, and adults can appreciate the stories of Gens V, VII, and IX (again, if that's their preference) in addition to how accessible competitive play has become. With features made to ease the competitive side, it's very easy to get into multiplayer on cartridge, to the point a casual friend of mine is doing it in Scarlet. There's something there for everyone.
This became more obvious with Gen VI. Even the official website got overhauled around this time to look more professional. Multiple Kanto Pokemon receiving Mega Evolutions, as if to say "we haven't forgotten where we came from, and the fans that made us what we are now." Yes, the Kanto spotlight has been seen as a bit of a crutch, and they can lean too hard on it at times, but so many franchises can lose sight of their roots. Look at DMC: Devil May Cry or Paper Mario: Sticker Star (I haven't played the former, but the fact they called the installment afterward Devil May Cry 5 despite DMC being the fifth game is very telling). Even after all this time, the main series is still turn-based RPGs and selling like hotcakes. It hasn't gone blatantly adult with themes like mass murder or sex or anything, and I am so glad it hasn't become adults-only, even though it could very easily do so with how profitable it is. I like the fact the games' aren't dark for the sake of being dark and still aim at kids, not just adults too.
Pokemon Go really brought the periphery demographic into the mainstream and solidified the fact it's cool for grown adults to like Pokemon again. You won't be judged if you say you play it, and considering how easy it is for petty middle and high schoolers to tease people for enjoying the franchise, it's magnificent that's not really a concern anymore. And yeah, you'll still find those vocal minorities who insist the series has been ruined and we are mindless sheep and blah blah blah, you've probably seen this from Twitter at this point.
The point of this post was to show my appreciation for the franchise that introduced me to so many wonderful people that do and help me learn to respect other peoples' opinions. I'm so glad I can have rational discussion on this website while partaking in something I love. Even when I disagree with people, more often than not I'll find someone who is totally cool when our opinions differ. And I know I'm not perfect and I have said some stuff I regret when I get to into my love for the series sometimes. But that's why I'm glad I've engaged in this website. It's helped me better myself as a person and meet so many awesome people that make my days a little brighter.
Thanks for reading.
Unfortunately, I can't agree that they're making the games for everyone. I feel left behind and forgotten as the main parts I enjoyed get cut to make room for big fields or whatever. Even I can tell how much of BDSP was the result of not being bothered to look at old systems and is still a step back from Platinum, but I can't help but rank it as a better mainline pokemon game than anything else on the Switch because I don't need any extra adjustments to categorize it as a mainline pokemon game. I have reached the point where it feels all progress takes the series farther away from me and my only chance is if/when they stop caring about making that progress.
Though I suppose it could be that they are in fact trying to make the game for effectively everyone. After all, get enough data points and the autistic kid who needed gaming to make friends can be just an outlier to ignore.
Apparently the guy who composed the Team Star music also composed for Game Freak's non-Pokemon game Giga Wrecker.
I'm surprised I didn't notice it until it was pointed out to me, they definitely sound similar. And also slap.
I'm surprised I didn't notice it until it was pointed out to me, they definitely sound similar. And also slap.
I am kinda obsessed with the stats of the Pokémon and testing out tons of possible combinations of abilities, items and moves. I really like discovering new potential combinations that can catch the opponent off guard.
So, I'm just posting to be a source of information, but regarding DMC: Devil May Cry, it was an alternate continuity by a different studio that was something akin to a reboot, but was so horrible it just fell flat. Devil May Cry 5 is a continuation of the DMC1-4 continuity made directly by Capcom, so being called 5 works fine.
More on the post matter, there's an import store in a mall near where I live that featured tons of Pokémon merchandise in addition to fancy imported Asian products, 3D puzzles, stuff like that. They even had a radio playing largely game music, like a cover of the first English OP for the anime and some kind of dance remix of Viridian Forest. Coolest part were these things that look like mats you place on the floor, but can hang on a wall too. One in particular featured a scenic creation myth of Arceus surrounded by every 1st-5th gen legendary Pokémon in a cloudy background, really nifty. That kind of merchandise, I don't think it was aimed for children. Moreso teenagers or adults to decorate with. Think it's a good example of how the merchandising also targets demographics beyond just children.
My man, what did they remove from the recent games that make you call BDSP the best "mainline" game on the Switch (since I wouldn't even call it that with its abysmal connectivity and the fact that it wasn't even developed by Game Freak)? I got the game and I couldn't even finish it because of how awful it feels to control, how poorly the permanent Exp. Share works for raising Pokémon (oh, you got a Clefairy? It's going to overlevel your entire team despite you never actually battling with it. Not really sure why it stood out most here, though I definitely noticed this problem in Shield as well), and how awkward (and frankly pointlessly) the HMs are implemented. Not to mention the extremely haphazard way movesets were pasted from recent iterations with no thought or consideration to older games, which led to various moves being accidentally excised from learnsets.
The only things I can think of that it has that the other recent games are missing are a structured battle facility (not totally familiar with the BDSP Tower but I've heard it's perhaps too structured?) and more challenging boss fights (though really, Pokémon's boss battles have never exactly been paragons of difficulty). There are aspects of the game I do like (an attempt to include some of Platinum's dex via the Underground) and the in-battle trainer animations (probably the most striking part of the game for me).
I will say that the other Switch Pokémon games are all either experimental (Let's Go, Legends, SV to an extent) or lacking in exploration (Sword and Shield), but with the exception of Legends, they all have kept the traditional battle system, the aspect that really defines the series for me (Let's Go didn't have held items I suppose). Even though I haven't really touched the series' Tower versions since Gen 4, and I feel it's a loss that Game Freak doesn't feel a need to include that sort of aspect anymore, it would also be much more accessible to challenge and beat with all of the QoL improvements that Gens 8 and 9 have brought to readying competitive teams (not wanting to breed out perfect pokes is the main reason I haven't bothered with the Towers).
I don't really know how to address your last little comment about the games because I was also an autistic kid who needed gaming to make friends, and I have personally enjoyed the recent entries in the series a tremendous amount.
Don't get me wrong, I like the grid map as well because it means that I can use the D-pad to move, but the Battle Tower and the boss fights are absolutely the main points.
The Battle Tower is the core of the experience for me. It's where 90% of my time with a game comes from. It's where my favourite pokemon became my favourite. It's where I discovered the depth in the battle system and where I experiment with that depth. It is probably not an exaggeration to say that if a game came out with a well-made Frontier as the only content, I would consider it top 3 in the series. So yes, the presence of a standard Battle Tower, even if it is likely clunkier than the Tree in gen 7, puts BDSP above the rest.
More than the specific difficulty, I value that all boss fights are against trainers. Firstly, it means that any cool mechanics that were developed for a boss fight can be used and experimented with by the players. This feels particularly important in the age of limited dexes where you can't just expect the 700+ previous-gen mons to pick up the slack. Secondly, I usually prefer more status and passive damage oriented playstyles, and I find those produce more satisfying battles in 6v6 compared to 6v1. This means that I'm just not interested in SV's titans, autobattle bases or unobtainable Speed Boost Revavroom but I can absolutely enjoy having an actual hazard game against Cyrus.
For me, Let's Go fails in a different manner than SwSh, Legends, and SV, (though the latter might be debatable with the box legend) in addition to the lack of a good Battle Facility. I frequently consider non-starter mons my partners and aces for various playthroughs, so being forced to associate with a mon that I didn't freely choose significantly detracts from the experience. More references to the standard anime, which I don't like, also aren't helping Let's Go's case.
The last point is just me being cynical. I remember a lot more examples of "appeal to a wider audience" being bad for my personal enjoyment, and I have little faith for society as a whole to double-check what they mean by "everyone." My specific path with Pokemon is not currently availible because it relies too much on the Battle Tower (and to an extent on full transfers from gens 3-5), so I'm concerned for others like me in addition to lamenting its loss.
QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
So remember this curiosity I mentioned the other day?
Apparently someone was playing around with it and wound up discovering a glitch wherein you can teach Dragon Ascent to any Pokemon you choose.
Wasn't there a game that limited the number of PC pages you could access, then unlocked a new one when it wanted you to make a mandatory catch? That feels like an easier solution to this.
QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
I'm pretty sure that ORAS does actually do this. I'd be interested to test this glitch for myself (I found Alpha Sapphire painfully slow to replay, so I don't believe I ever did complete the Delta Episode) but iirc the 31st box is reserved for Rayquaza, unlocking only when you catch it. The snaffle here seems to be that the game seems to assume that Rayquaza will always be in the first position in the party when Zinnia teaches Dragon Ascent.
Seems to me that a simpler approach would have been to have her say "I'll teach your Rayquaza Dragon Ascent!" but then have the player have to actually approach her to do so rather than making it part of a cutscene. All you need is a flag to say "no Pokemon except Rayquaza can be taught this move" much like any other tutor would have. To avoid any trickery, the player could have been prevented from leaving the Sky Pillar until she does, but have the option of switching Rayquaza into the party from the PC if there isn't one in the party (and even if you had a situation like this, where Rayquaza apparently doesn't go into the PC, Pokemon Bank would allow you to sub in another one if needed to prevent a softlock).
Chilly Reception is already a really funny move, but the devs added an extra detail that makes it perfect. Before Slowking uses the move, there's a completely unnecessary message that reads "Slowking is preparing to tell a chillingly bad joke!". As an avid lover and maker of terrible puns, I know exactly how it feels when you think of a joke and start giggling to yourself before you get the chance to tell it, and everyone knows something is coming.