iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The Nintendo Power and Japanese Guidebooks. Prima guidebooks don't even try

000

The guidebooks also don't even give you like *a* sample team. They just suggest picking one and then picking the other two to cover for type weaknesses. They don't say "try Latios, Swampert and Metagross with this moveset!" Even the people who wrote the guides didn't actually earn the symbols.

4601

It just became another thing on the long list of things in Gen 3 you couldn't do. Can't complete the National Dex, can't use the abundant multiplayer features, can't earn the symbols in the Frontier. Gen 3 is like the "here's all this content you can't complete" generation.

5462

Having only experience in Gen 2 and 3 to go off of and no additional info, not even having it explained that the stats were totally overhauled in every way since Gen 2, and all official guides only suggesting relying on type advantage, it seems like people would get nowhere. I certainly got nowhere.

1420

I can't accept that they didn't want us to optimize at all in the Frontier Gen 3 and just go in with a good moveset and high base stats and hope for the best. I understand that it is doable, but I've only seen it done by people who already understand how to optimize and with considerable experience.

2620

I try really hard to pick up on what games are putting down and learn from resources within the games themselves but I did not intuit it even looking for that information 😭

130

I think they wanted us to be GameFreaks like them and start our own fan zines and teach eachother. Which is what happened. But I assumed they planted the info in a guidebook or something. NO. They thought we would figure it out without data mining somehow.

3560

So really, I am back to square one. I have no idea how GameFreak expected anyone to earn the Gold Symbols in Gen 3.

3480

This means that EV training was not explained in any official guidebooks until Gen 4, in English or Japanese.

The EV training page in the Prima Diamond & Pearl Postgame guidebook, which was a localized version of the Japanese Media Factory Diamond and Pearl guidebook.

1330

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I admit that my Japanese is not amazing, but as far as I can tell the Japanese Pokemon Emerald Guidebook (Media Factory Complete Clear) also did not explain EV training nor IV breeding, nor do they provide information like speed tiers or threats in the Emerald Frontier.

Media Factory Pokemon Emerald Complete Clear guidebook

61095

I did mix records with somebody :)

110

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

If you are going to be at PRGE this weekend and track me down, I am bringing my Gen 2 & 3 games for mixing records and mystery gifting. If you are coming and you wanna do that bring your games :) I have a link cable

1380

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I think when I was 13, what I did on YouTube was the side of me I desperately needed people to see. The creative, passionate nerdy me that my family either ignored or told me I shouldn't be whenever they noticed. I wanted to be seen for who I am and accepted. And I found that in my audience.

21936

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

This is a good question for PRGE! I am only privy to my own panel organization. I plan to bring my own games for mixing records and mystery gifting with people :)

000

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Here are some of my treasured moments throughout the years.

61894

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

20 years ago today, I made a YouTube channel. 0 thoughts of going pro. Motivated by my love of Pokemon and my desire to connect with other fans. Today, content creation is an industry, and we wouldn't be here without pioneers making things out of passion. I am the internet's cockroach. 🪳

Tama Hero aka Tamashii Hiroka wearing her Pikachu Hoodie

2552327

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I'll take it if it means getting Mother 3 in English

280

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Ohh you meant in Yellow version? You said Tamagotchi and I thought it was the Pocket Pikachu

120

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

but... the Pokewalker was the same gen. No bucket, but following arguably was more meaningful than ever before. Mechanically you were rewarded with levels and items and it told a little story every time you returned. Way deeper than the Pocket Pikachu

150

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

We had to watch Pokemon the Movie 2000 for this month's Patreon/Members video and now every time something happens like I say "I forgot something!" Chaz puts on a James voice and says "That's bad!"

2910

I try to believe that we will weather this backlash and get back on the other side & things start to move forward again. That we won't unravel all of the progress we made. 3 steps forward 2 back. The steps back are painful and we don't know the future so it's tempting to negatively generalize.

1131

It's a tough world out there right now so we have to stick together and care about each other, even strangers. I don't know you but you make beautiful art and I care about your suffering and hope life gets better for you.

150

Sometimes just taking that pressure off makes it easier to be creative too. Like yeah I don't get to make every single decision about the final product, but that also means I don't have to be perfectionist about it.

110

I had a big gap in my upload schedule because I literally had to hire someone to help me finish my scripts because its so hard to make stuff while working full time. Its not an easy problem to solve. I only have the resources to hire help because of Patreon

110

I dont know my younger brother walked me through reaching the secret room in Deltarune Chapter 1.

180

Hey, I don't know you or what you're going through. But I've felt bad like that too. I actually went into an outpatient program last year to try to build some internal self worth and self esteem and cope with a depressive episode. It helped me a lot. I hope that you can get the support you need too.

030

I have basically been creatively constipated for the last two years but I am on my fiber now and it's all going to come out finally

51291

upload schedule is currently looking like: 1. Visiting Themed Cafes in Japan! - Just went up 2. 1 hour HGSS review - Currently with the video editor 3. Pokemon Health Incidents essay - currently with script editor 4. Visiting Saffron City in real life! 5. 1 hour rant about Gen 3 - currently writing

1720

Tama Hero @tamahero.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Yes one day I will upload a video about visiting themed attractions in Japan, and the next I will write 13 pages about minutia about the Pokemon Emerald Battle Frontier. I truly am just going to make whatever I want.

3961

Fewer people should be content creators so people will be forced to watch me, the last content creator standing

1311

Yes. I had an online friend who wasn't allowed to use the computer on weekdays. He used Internet Channel to sign into MSN messenger from the browser to keep chatting.

122209

Even if I am the only person on planet earth who cares I will keep screeching about Pokemon Gen 3

1518911

I actually literally just bought the Media Factory Emerald Guidebook so if it has a sticker sheet mention I'll let you know 😂

080

Oh my reading comprehensions you are already checking them

000