Tag Archives: Tips

Pokémon Types: Easy Ways To Remember Which Types Are Effective Against Others

Every Pokémon is assigned at least one type, which represent the attack moves they can effect against other Pokémon in battle. Each type will have its own strengths and weaknesses, and personally, I’m only able to remember so many of them, especially in time-sensitive situations, like swapping out my Pokémon to have the upper hand mid-battle.

So, I’ve compiled a list of memorization methods that I’ve learned to best keep track of type effectiveness without needing to pull up a chart. This might not cover every single Pokémon type, but it should cover enough ground to make most of your battling knowledge more effective.

Psychics Are Weak Against Common Fears

Correlation is causation. Fear plagues the mind, so for Psychic types, where the mind is central to their abilities, common fears like Bugs, Ghosts, and the Dark will be most effective against them.

Normies Can’t Fight

Think about it this way: if you live a normal, unbothered life, when faced with fight-or-flight, would you be able to fend off against a skilled fighter? Fighting types are most effective against Normal type Pokémon.

Water Breaks Down

The obvious one is Water putting out Fire. Water also erodes Rock, and affects crops by over-saturating the Ground.

Water Gets Controlled

Electric currents amplify using Water as the medium, and plants like Grass absorb water to grow. So, Water types would be weakest against these two types.

You Can’t Fight What You Can’t Touch

Fighting types can’t fly, so their attacks would not reach Flying types. Fighting types have their concentration compromised when it comes to cute and charming Fairy types and mind-puzzling Psychic types.

Fire Gets Smothered

To put out a fire, you need to smother its flame. Effectively, Water, Rocks, and Ground elements like dirt will do the job.

Steel Causes The Most Damage

Literally the hardest. Steel will break Ice, and generally, would break most Rocks.

Steel is also effective against Fairy types, and you’d have to know ancient lore to rationalize this: fairies cannot come in contact with metals like iron, because they will burn.

The Elements Affect Flight

If your plane flight is delayed, it’s usually because there’s a storm. So, Electric and Ice types are particularly effective.

That’s all I’ve got for now! How do you best remember Pokémon type effectiveness?

Read This Before You Purify Your Shadow Pokémon

If you’ve come across Team GO Rocket in-game, you’ll have encountered Shadow Pokémon. If you’ve defeated a Grunt or a Team GO Rocket Leader, you’ve had the opportunity to capture a Shadow Pokémon. Once you’ve captured them, you have the opportunity to purify them—or not.

So should you? Let’s go over your options.

What Are Shadow Pokémon?

Shadow Pokémon visually have a dark aura surrounding them, presented as black and purple flame-like wisps emitting from their bodies. You’ll find them when you encounter Team GO Rocket, and have the opportunity to capture one when they are abandoned by a Team GO Rocket member after you defeat them in battle.

Shadow Pokémon have a charged attack called Frustration, and each of their attacks come with a Shadow Bonus, which deals extra damage, just like the Weather Bonus effect that wild Pokémon captured during specific weather conditions have.

Situations To Consider Purifying Shadow Pokémon

In Pokémon GO, there currently aren’t any big tradeoffs in purifying Shadow Pokémon. However, if you care about the resources you have, here are some of the benefits:

  1. High Potential for Full IV: From personal experience, I only find it effective to purify Shadow Pokémon if their IV (individual values) appraisal is close to 3 stars. IV is important when considering how strong your Pokémon will perform in battle, and purifying a Shadow Pokémon in their near-3 star state has the potential to raise their IV stats.
  2. Ease of Powering Up: When Shadow Pokémon are purified, you spend less Stardust and Candy to increase its Combat Power, making for more effective use of your resources to strengthen that Pokémon.
  3. Unlock Charged Attack Return: Every purified Shadow Pokémon learns the charged attack Return, which charges up very quickly and can be useful to deal more damage quicker in battle.
So…Should I Purify My Shadow Pokémon?

The short answer: it depends on the resources you have available.

If you don’t have a lot of Stardust or Candy for that Pokémon, maybe it’s not worth purifying right at this moment. Additionally, if its IVs aren’t that high, maybe you’re better off transferring it to Professor Willow in exchange for Candy rather than purifying it.

However, if the IVs are decent, and you could see that Pokémon filling in a spot on your battle team, I would consider keeping it. If you purify it, it costs less resources to strengthen it. If you don’t, Shadow Pokémon are still powerful in their own right with the charged attack Frustration—they just cost more to power up.

There are no cons to leaving Shadow Pokémon as they are if you have enough resources, but purifying them gives you a chance to improve the Pokémon’s IVs while reducing the amount of resources you use to strengthen it.

To purify or not—it’s a pretty lukewarm decision to make, in my opinion. You don’t win a lot, but you also aren’t losing either. Hopefully this helps!

How to Stop Procrastireading (when you really have stuff to do)

With the last week of the semester comes a dreaded enemy… procrastination. (Well it’s been here all semester, but for some reason feels the hardest to shake now. The end feels so close, and yet so far). For myself, this often seems to develop in the form of being a procrastireader. I have found it especially hard during these past semesters while doing work entirely at home. If you have also struggled with procrastireading, here are some tips for getting back on track. (So you can finish with school and get back to your reading of course!)

graphic of person reading in a bathtub

Take breaks

You do need breaks. One of the things I struggle with the most with school and personal life is having a balance. I tend to just get ideas and want to do whatever I have in my mind at that moment. This is especially tricky with online school when I don’t have something scheduled that I need to attend. However, I can’t tell you to completely stop reading when you have a busy week. Why? Because you need a break! You deserve to rest and take a bit of time for yourself every day. When I am tempted to procrastiread, I remind myself of how good it feels to sit down with a book after a productive day and relax. 

graphic of man drinking tea with a laptop and book on the counter

Set time limits

It can be really hard in the moment to stop, and I often start feeling guilty for not doing my work. If you are really into your book and it’s hard to put down, remembering that it will still be there for you later to continue is a promising thought. You can also use this as motivation. “If I work on this assignment for this amount of time, I can read for an hour before bed.”

graphic of a girl in yellow sitting in butterfly pose on a yoga mat with 2 plants and a window behind her

Move 

After putting down your book, I find it helpful to do another activity to get my mind off of it. It can be really hard to stop thinking about a book I love, even long after I have closed the pages! You could do a physical activity like yoga or going on a walk, or make yourself a meal. These actions all force you to focus and can ground you back to reality and your tasks. 

graphic of girl reading in front of window showing clouds

Be kind

After your mind is off of it, sitting down and getting some of your work done will be a great feeling. Even if it isn’t everything you would’ve liked to do that day, getting any work done is an accomplishment. Plus, future you— who is now rewarded with reading before bed— will feel a lot better. 

graphic of person on laptop sitting crosslegged with a dog and plant on either side of them

Ambiance

The hardest part is getting started. Set the study mood: get tea, a candle, and turn on a study playlist. Make yourself feel like the main character. I usually put instrumental music and keep it interesting by adding new songs that Spotify recommends me. Oftentimes, I worry that I won’t know what to write which is why I don’t start and begin to feel stuck. I realized that I don’t actually know that unless I start working. Then if I do get stuck, I can take the action to reach out to a friend, teacher, or ta, and ask for help.

I feel like I’m sounding a little bit dramatic, but this is really often my experience with procrastireading. I will read a book I like so much that I want to marathon it. Unfortunately, I often don’t have the time in my schedule to do so! However, during the summer I may attempt a 24-hour readathon, which will not be hard to do in this mood! This usually just happens with books I am loving, but I often still find other ways to procrastinate. I will go on TikTok/Instagram/Twitter, or basically, do anything not related to what I need to get done. So, this post is focused on procrastireading, I hope these tips are able to help you if you struggle with procrastination in general! *graphics are from Canva, cover photo is my own*

The post How to Stop Procrastireading (when you really have stuff to do) appeared first on Procrastireader.

HOW I DEAL WITH HOMESICKNESS

Moving to Vancouver nearly 2 years ago was the first time being away from the nest. It honestly still feels like a dream to be living here. Nearly every kids dream is to live alone and feel as independent as possible, or at least mine was. Don’t get me wrong I do get rushes of intense homesickness. Some days I just crave to be home with the comfort of my family, especially when times get tough. The saying is true, “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Being away from home has made myself so grateful to have grown up there and appreciate all the beautiful moments with family and friends. The feeling of missing someone, something or a memory can feel so overwhelming and even heartbreaking. It can spiral into the trap of overthinking about other things like “will I ever go home, or is this my new home?”.

The confusion of where you truly belong kicks in, but just take a deep breath and realize where you are now and how much you appreciate your home that will forever be there to visit. Home really isn’t only the place you grew up but where you feel most comfortable! For me, it isn’t so much homesickness for Bali but homesickness for my family. It is possible to feel homesick for people rather than the actual place. It definitely gets hard without any family to fall to here, but I’ve managed to create my own sense of family and warmth living here!


Things I do and things you can do:

  • Call, send a message, or video-call! Honestly, I’ve never been closer to my mom since I’ve moved. We talk as if we’re best friends now. Scheduled calls help especially with time difference. Sometimes we all get too busy but in the end calling always cheers me up when I’m feeling low.
  • Keep in contact with your old friends! My childhood best friend who is still my other half to this day, is someone that will be in my life forever. I stay in contact with her as much as I can and even during our busy times of not talking for a month, we catch up and it’s as if we never stopped talking.
  • Keep an active family chat. This keeps everyone in the loop and up to date with the tea.
  • Send pics! Ask for pics! This makes me feel more present as I can actually visualize home. I always ask for pictures of my pets and my family. I even send pictures of my dinner. I can’t even count how many times I’ve sent food pictures to the chat.
  • Plan a future visit to look forward to. When I planned my Bali trip I was at my happiest state as I knew I’d be seeing my mom and sister. Lately it has been hard with the Pandemic but we are all on the same boat and we all need to support each other.
  • Remember your roots! Cooking Indonesian food, my dad’s recipes, and my favourite childhood meals always reminds me of home. I play the music my dad would blast at home to create a familiar atmosphere. 
  • Make your space as cozy as possible. To me, a home must be a space where I can feel myself, safe and fully comfortable. So decorate, rearrange, clean, do whatever it takes to make your home as cozy as possible!
  • Build a new home. Like myself, you may be planning to start new or to be away from home for a while. Start to build your own life and space of happiness. Accept that this is your new adventure and surround yourself with positive people and energy.

Navigating the November Blues

I think we can all agree November is the worst. All the fun fall festivities have ended, the pretty leaves have fallen and coated the side walk with some sort of mush. The cold weather is setting in, it’s dark, it’s foggy. It’s still too early to go full on Christmas mode so we are all stuck waiting. But we aren’t really waiting because the stress of school, or work, or life has set in and all of a sudden you have a million things on your to-do list this month. I’m honestly just trying to make it winter break… and this is how I’m gonna do it:

Spend time outside: I know I just complained about the weather but its not always awful, my advice is check the weather and plan outdoor activities when its sunny. My favourite outdoor November activity is hiking, but even if you don’t want to hike just make sure to get out and get some fresh air everyday or else its going to be a very long month trapped inside

Friends!: It’s pretty easy to become a recluse in November, everyone is busy, swamped with a million and one things. But it doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Make sure to schedule time to recharge with loved ones, invite them to hike! or to study or to even run errands with you. Everyones is feeling the same pressure this month so make sure to spread the love

Christmas?: So the beginning of November is too early for Christmas in my opinion but the end of November… well thats another story. If the only thing that is gonna get you through this month is the Christmas lights at the end of the tunnel who am I to stop you. I know that at that half-way mark of November my Christmas tree will be going up, I really need that extra joy to make it to finals not to mention the extra sugar of starting in on the Christmas treats. I highly recommend starting your celebration a little early, just don’t go overboard, you still have alot of work to do this November.

Spoooooky Self Care

Halloween is just around the corner and so is the start of a new month. Honestly the scariest thing that someone could tell me is that they are going to start the new month off with the same old thoughts. Take this Halloween as a fresh start, let go of the things that you have been holding on to this month and start again.

Dawn

5 Reasons to wake up early – Travel Edition

Rise and Shine

*The above footage was taken by Sage Watson in Kathmandu, Nepal, and used in the introduction of his documentary The Beginning of a Journey.

5 Reasons Why

Early mornings have always been difficult for me. Difficult might be an understatement; rather, I resist early mornings with every fibre of my being. I either sleep through my alarm or have to set my first one 45 minutes before I actually need to start my day, with 5 subsequent alarms, each boasting a different ringtone. I say this because I know how difficult it is to get out of a warm bed at the crack of dawn, so believe me when I say that it should become a top priority when you’re travelling.

1. Catching the sunrise

There’s something special about waking up at the crack of dawn and watching the sun rise over a new city. Simple mornings have become under appreciated, as the hustle and bustle of city life and daily responsibilities have taken precedence.

Colorado, USA

2. Getting a head start on the day

Personally, allowing time not only for coffee and breakfast, but also time for me to wake up boosts my productivity and alertness throughout the day. When I run out the door in a hurry, the rest of my day feels rushed, groggy, and usually fairly unproductive. This is especially important when traveling, as I find myself trying to cover a lot of ground, or trying to fit in sightseeing in a tight schedule. For my most recent trip, this meant getting a head-start on our whole adventure: we departed Vancouver, BC bright and early, and were able to make it to California by the afternoon!

California, USA

3. Skipping the lines

The early bird gets the worm! Whether it be the Louvre in Paris, or the Taj Mahal in Agra, or the Grand Canyon in Arizona, escape the crowds by setting an early alarm. In addition to faster and shorter admission lines, the fewer crowds allow for better photo opportunities, especially if you’re one to visit popular sights.

Agra, India

4. Taking in the new city

Every country, every city, every town has its own routines and customs. Wake up with the city, observe and take part in the morning rituals, people watch, ask a local for directions, and enjoy a cup of your preferred morning brew.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

5. Mid-day naps.

While this isn’t a morning activity per se, it is the result of waking up early – especially if you’re anything like me, and you aren’t a morning person Naps are definitely underrated, and necessity when navigating a busy schedule. While travelling can be busy, fast, and sometimes hectic, it’s important to pause and take in your surroundings. Listen to the sounds of a foreign park, breath in the different smells, and let yourself recharge. I would be cautious of napping in public places when traveling alone just for your own safety and the safety of your belongings; however if you’re traveling with friends, family, or a significant other, this is definitely recommended.

Alex, taking a moment to relax in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, California, USA