Bulbapedia:Spading

Shortcuts
SPADING
BP:SPADING

Spading (from the Bartle Test) is the act of actively trying to learn about all aspects of a game. To that end, this page will contain a list of questions about the games that need to be researched, and will probably contain a list of answers for historical purposes.

Note: Since it doesn't really matter, this talk page can be used as a less formal way of doing spading.

All generations

Confusion

Status: Answered

How is damage from confusion determined? Attack and defense stats both influence it, but is there a base power like normal attacks?

Answer: Smogon says that it's a 40-power move.

Mimic/Sketch

Status: Answered

Can you Mimic Sketch?

Answer: No, you can't. Right since Generation II, it just says that "But it failed!".

Protect

Status: Answered

What is the accuracy of Protect after used once or more times in succession?

Answer: Reduced by 50%. A detailed version available at the Protect/Detect page.

Ghost

Status: Answered

In Generations I, II, and III, is ghost physical or special? The current page says it is physical, but Shadow Ball lowers special defense in previous generations, so why would it be physical?

Answer: This is just the effect of the move. It is programmed that Shadow Ball lowers special defense, and this has nothing to do with the nature of the move. Oh, and it is physical by the way.

Generation III

Fossils

Status: Answered

The Root and Claw Fossils are in the coding for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, while the Old Amber and Dome and Helix Fossils are in the coding for Pokémon Emerald. What happens if they are obtained through hacking and taken to the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island or Devon Corporation in Rustboro City? Can you obtain an Anorith in FireRed and LeafGreen? A Kabuto in Emerald?

Answer: Coding shows that the game does not recognize them as fossils, so they will not be resurrected.

Ok, so what if you trade them over, equipped to a Pokémon, after receiving the National Dex?

Not possible in Generation III. Fossils are key items in that generation, and key items have never been tradable.

Generation IV

Breeding

There's some oddity in the number of steps it takes to hatch an egg. The steps between egg hatches when holding multiple eggs is always divisible by 255 (minimum difference of 510), even if the steps between receiving them are not. It happens consistently when

Magma Armor or Flame Body are on
while holding multiple eggs from the same parents
when some eggs are received while others are being held

There's probably a common counter for all eggs in the party, which, when it rolls over, decrements all egg counters by 1. However, this doesn't explain the "divisible by 255" part.

Turnback Cave

How does the game determine which kind of room comes next for each entrance? Is there any way to determine if the room the player is entering into will be a pillar room before entering it, or is getting through the cave in three rooms just dumb luck? Each room has four exits, the one the player came from warps them back to the entrance room, while the other three may take the player to several types of rooms filled with rocks or a pillar room.

Flash Fire

The current page says that Flash Fire will activate when the user is burned. However, Flash Fire nullifies Fire attacks, and thus the only moves that can possibly burn a Flash Fire user are Will-O-Wisp and Tri Attack. Flame Orb and Flame Body can also cause a burn.

The question: Does a burn really activate Flash Fire, or did the contributor see an interaction between Will-O-Wisp and Flash Fire and interpreted it incorrectly?

Will-O-Wisp is possibly nullified, since it's a Fire move, and Google says that Flame Orb does not get nullified, so the only case is Tri Attack. Does causing a burn with Tri Attack activate Flash Fire?

Iron Fist

Status: Answered

Is the list of moves that count as punches complete? Are there any punches which can't usually be learned by Hitmonchan, yet are boosted by Iron Fist?

The Mystery Dungeon compatible moves are all tested, as shown on talk page. Were any other moves described as a punch missed?
Answer: Testing shows Iron Fist only boosts punches compatible with Hitmonchan at some point.

Shaymin

Some of my friends have told me that Shaymin's Sky Form isn't usable on wi-fi... we need to find out for sure. And to that end, test Rotom's forms. (Would I not be able to use an adorable specimen like him to fight with my friends online? ;_;)

Partial answer: When going to Wi-fi, Giratina's Platinum Orb is taken off and Shaymin reverts to Land Forme. It's part of the games coding based from what I read some time ago. _*tc 26_* 01:34, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

If this applies to the forms of Shaymin and Giratina,it is probably because the forms aren't programmed into the Diamond and Pearl versions.In order to be able to interact with D/P,this has to be done.Therefore I find it safe to assume that Rotom will also reverse into it's normal form. Uxie http://archives.bulbagarden.net/w/upload/f/f8/Ani407MS.gif 15:46, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Shaymin's Sky Forme is allowed on Wi-Fi in some way. On the page for Platinum version, there is an image of a Wi-Fi battle with Shaymin's Sky Forme.

Solid Rock

Different sites give different percentages by which damage is reduced with this ability, and from the talk page, this still isn't resolved. What exactly is the correct factor?

Crush Grip and Combusken

Status: Answered

Throughout places related to Pokémon Battle Revolution, there is talk of a Combusken which knows Crush Grip. Which Colosseum is this Combusken found in, and is it really Crush Grip or Crush Claw?

Answer: It's in the Sunset Colosseum, and it's Crush Claw. ^Chocolate 20:59, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

Fire Fang and Platinum

Can Fire Fang bypass Wonder Guard in Platinum like it can in Diamond and Pearl?

{m|Future Sight} failing

SOmetimes, when Future Sight is used, it goes like "The foe's/wild __________ took the Future Sight Attack! But it failed!" Why does it do this?