ASB News [December 2016]

[Chris 2.1]

As you may have seen, TML is leaving ASB and as a result, the forum has been placed in the care of myself and Razor Leaf.

As Head Mods in this forum we will be both working together to make ASB as great as it can be. We are planning some interesting ideas in the ASB forum over the next few weeks, and if anybody has feedback then they are more than welcome to contact either one of us through PM.

This post will be sticked and is basically to alert everyone of what's going on in the forum. It will be updated as regularly as needs be by either me or Razor Leaf.

Our first task is going to be moving all old/DQ-ed battles to the ASB archive. Originally this was for old matches on the old ASB server, but we feel the forum needs a spring clean.

Furthermore, we are going to be launching some more businesses, and if the activity picks up, then a Tournament may or may not begin. Of course, Tournaments will not be too commonplace, but there will be ways for any ASB-ers to voice their ideas and showcase some potential tournament ideas.

Reffing will be monitored closely to ensure that the quality of Reffing is maintained. We are also hoping to include a Loyalty System to battling and reffing, which will be explained as time goes on. This is to reward those who stay with us for long periods of time. Reffing for a certain amount of time will also be rewarded.

As there is just me and Dan, we will of course need a new Mod. Over the course of the next few weeks we will be looking at various potential candidates and deciding who, if anyone, should be modded.

So for now, I hope you all enjoy ASB and the changes we are going to implement in the future. Thanks.

[RaZoR LeAf]

OK, first things first, Chris and I are discussing a lot of things, and soon we'll put up a suggestions topic for people to share ideas. In the meantime, we're going to clean out the Towers and Businesses forum of all the old topics left behind from the old ASB and the revamping period.

Now alot of the topics, especially the businesses were staryed by you guys, like the Egg parks, and Safari Zones, or the Tournements. So We're giving you two weeks to go in and get any information you may want to keep from those topics, before we delete them.

[Chris 2.1]

Just so you know, guys: The next Contest is now up in the Business and Tournaments forum, and they will be posted up there every month. The Contest Hall of Fame, however, will remain in the ASB Towers. Furthermore, the Chunky Clefable Cafe is now open, so if anyone wants to pop in for a chat then feel free .

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE


A new system is being implemented in ASB called the Loyalty Points System. It involves people getting points for their time in ASB. This is to hopefully keep people from simply leaving without a second glance.

If, a month after today, your activity has been moderate to high, you will receve 2 points as part of the Loyalty Points System. A Mod will PM you telling you that you are eligible for the 2 point bonus. Obviously you will need to post in the Bank so it can be updated.

If anybody claims to have recieved points when they have not been PMed, they will be fined double. And yes, you can have a negative Bank Balance.

This also applies for reffings. If you ref frequently over the next month you will recieve the same 2 point prize. This is to help increase reffing activity as referees are scarce these days.


Thanks everyone,
Chris.

[Chris 2.1]

*Appears*

News Update.

-The ASB Towers and Business and Tournaments have been spring cleaned by Razor Leaf. Thanks Dan. Now they are sparkly and less cluttered with old things.

-Incidentally, the ASB Tower forum has a new addition - the ASB Suggestion Topic. We want to make sure you know that we are open for critiscism and if you have problems with the way things are run, or have suggestions, or have queries, they can be posted in there and one of us will get back to you as soon as we can.

-Finally, the ideas for the first ASB Tournament are finally coming together. In fact, as I type this, the golden document full of tidbits of information is being sent to Razor Leaf over MSN. But you can't see! We're going to look at things and finalise things before we start one.

Of course, with a tournament, we will need refs. And since many will want to be battling, there will be an increased rate of pay for refs who ref in the tournament. More on this as it comes.


That's all for now. Keep battling!

[RaZoR LeAf]

NEWS UPDATE

We seem to be updating a lot these days. Anyway, not really much to add.

* The Egg Centre has permanently lowered it's prices to 1 Point per egg. So if you fancy a random pokemon, stop by and grab yourself a shell covered surprise.

* I know the release date in the UK for Emerald is a long way off, but October is a long time to wait anyway. In any case, we're now allowing Emerald Move tutor attacks in ASB. Most up to date Pokedexes should have these listed. They can generally be identified as GSC TM moves.

* To go with the Emerald Moves, we've also added a new one off move to the attack list. It's not an anime move as far as I know, so I guess it's unique for our ASB I guess. It's the atttack Shadow Rush as seen in Colloseum, used by Shadow Pokemon. As per the game it is a typeless attack with recoil damage. Here's the details:

Shadow Rush (---)
The user becomes surrounded in a darkness that is unlike either Ghost or Dark type energy. Fuelled with frustration the pokemon charges forward attacking with all it's strength. Though physical, the attack will damage any pokemon type with a normal amount of damage. Due to the force of the attack, some recoil damage is taken.

Similar to Frustration but a bit more powerful and it works against any pokemon type to deal regular damage. Any pokemon can learn it, not just those who were shadowed in Colloseum. It's not much, but it's another attack you may wish to use for fun.

[Chris 2.1]

Hey everybody.

We still do not have a date for the Tournament but we can tell you it is coming up soon. A big prize, a big chance to battle and a big number of matches will hopefully make it a sure hit.

We have a 'new' member to ASB - Silencer, who has returned back to the ASB community. Good luck in ASB, Silencer!

And finally, we have a Ref of the Month. Since people seem highly unenthusiastic about refs, it will be monitored by me and Razor Leaf unless we get votes. Of course, this month we have to hand it to Chris Watarimono for his superb hand in helping the reffing crisis in ASB. Chris you get 10 points and a free catch/evolution. Remember to link to here or the Reffing Tower when using the 10 points or free catch/evolution.

That's all for now!

[Chris 2.1]

Update.

New Members


We are pleased to announce 3 new members in ASB!

-Pyroking
-Xovad
-Pikachu101

Hope you guys enjoy ASB!


Tournament Info


Yes sir we finally have a Tournament underway! An official ASB Tournament. It will begin on the SIXTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER and will be between 16 competetors. All information will be posted on the 16th. Be sure to get all your Pokemon evolved and toughened up! This tourney will throw them every witch way with an assortment of battle styles to test even the best of us.

So get ready!


Contest news

Congratulations to Wolfsong for winning the August Pokemon Contest. And comiserations to Chris Watarimono, who fell 2nd by a mere 3% fatigue. Tough break . But all is not lost - Chris has recently aquired a Combusken and Haunter to his team, so we can guess he'll be ripping into the Tournament. Watch out!



That's all for now. Peace out.

[Chris 2.1]

Just a small update today.


Tournament Draws near...


Yes, it is only 5 days until we begin the ASB Tournament! Excited? I hope so. I know I am. It is really time for everyone to make last-minute preparations and evolutions and whatnot. But until the 16th, details are hush-hush and kept closely guarded by me and Dan. I think everyone will really enjoy the set-ups and situations you'll be thrown into. And the prize is quite good, too....


Term starts


Well for many of us, school has started and I have just finished my first week of college. It may be a more strained time for all of us, but everyone please try to remember reffings and battles if you're busy. Post in the absence tower if you're going to be away for more than 3 days.



September Contest

6 Hopefulls have signed up for the September Pokemon Contest. Anyone wanting to apply to be a Contest Judge (and ref the October Contest) see the Reffing Tower, ASB Basics, or simply PM me and I'll explain everything. This month, the contest is slightly smaller, and this month I have also custom-made the ribbon instead of recolouring and editing the Battle Tower one from Ru/Sa ^^.


Blatant Advertising


Yes, it is shameful, but I am blatantly advertising my new fic. The Pokemon Masters League (A Tribute to ASB) is a fic based on the expiriences and wonderment of lovely old ASB itself! When I started here, I thought the goings on here would be perfect for a fic and have put pen to paper. A number of members have already been written into chapters and many more are going to do so.

The fanfic takes place in a large village where The Pokemon Masters League takes place. All the characters, Towers and events are here. I'd love feedback from ASB members, so check out the link below to have a read! Ch1 is up now.

The Pokemon Masters League (A Tribute to ASB)

*phew* Blatancy out the way. Thanks!

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE

The Tournament

As I write this, we need 5 more competetors for the Tournement. Don't be shy, come on! If you're recently approved then don't worry. People are paired up so that you won't face foes too strong. It also counts for EXP for your Pokemon, so it's essentially having a 4th battle slot. It should be great fun!

The Tournament is taking place in the Official TML Stadium, to show Becca that she won't be forgotten too easily! (If you're reading this Becca, erm...hi!)


Contest News

Hmm the Contest is moving slowly. Andrew's busy so he hasn't much time on here. So not much happening in Contest Land.

*Hangs head* I'm sorry...

CH2 of The Pokemon Masters League is up. Link in my sig. Sorry for the blatancy.


That's all, folks!

[RaZoR LeAf]

TOURNAMENT BEGINS

Yep, the Tournament has now started, and all 16 battlers will soon get a chance to battle it out for the grand prize of.. some stuff I've forgotten right now. Chris will smack me for forgetting. Anyway, positions in it are now closed, so for any newcomers, you'll just have more time to prepare until the next one is held.

ASB CHRISTMAS TREE

Members of ASB who have been here long enough to recall the Christmas Tree will be glad to hear it will be here in December. For those who don't know, it's basically a place where you can indulge in the 'Give and Receive'ness of the Holiday Season. If you want to share out some points with your friends, or buy them an egg, you can do it here without any regards for general rules.

ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE

It can't all be fun and games, have to be a mod sometime or another. Harassing a referee or battler in any way, be it through Private Message, Instant Messenger or in the topic directly will face being DQ'd from their battle, and their opponent receiving full points no matter what stage the battle is at. Harassment of the banker will result in Points being deducted from accounts (including going into Negative numbers). Obviously further harassment will go further than ASb and will be taken up with the entire forum mods.

THE SEPTEMBER POKEMON CONTEST
By Chris 2.0

Unfortunately this months contest was cut short - Tourney information and a busy time for all meant the final match was cut short. Normally I would have panned it out but I know both Darkfire and Chris W are busy so we may have taken some time.

The winner is Darkfire and her Bulbasaur, Ambrosia. They are now up in the Hall of Fame.

The October Contest is going to be posted and judged by my lovely assistant Vermillion. As usual it will have 8 competetors. Old and new may join, so don't be shy!

NO BLATENT ADVERTISING

I'm not advertising anything. Yay me!

[Chris 2.1]

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS!


Tournament Info:
With R1 so far getting round about halfway through, the Tournament is so far a sucess. As of now Charles Legend is the only one who has made it to the second round, but there will be many more to come. Good luck to all competing.

Contests...?
I must stress the time factor in contests makes it much more demanding than normal battles. We are still slugging behind this month and I would hate to hand the Tournament to someone when it is half-finished, like last month. So please remember, amid the battles and tournaments, that the October Contest is nestled in the B&T forum. Those competing check to see when you are to post your appeals.

Egg Center
A couple of things. Since we are fast approaching Halloween we will be running a special themed offer at the Egg center!

Buy a Mystery Egg, and the chances of getting a Dark or Ghost Pokemon will be significantly higher leading up to October 31st. Furthermore, the shiny rate for Mystery Eggs will also be much higher! Get down there now to take advantage of this fabulous offer. Offer ends November 1st.

Look out for other holiday-related bargains too.

Furthermore, with the Christmas Tree coming soon (end of November/early December - date to be confirmed) there can be some slight tweaks to the egg process.

If you want an egg for a friend, and you want them to recieve it in egg-form, you can pay 2 points and have the Egg placed in a special incubator until you want to give the egg to a friend. This offer opens now. So you come in, pay us and your egg will be safe until you wish to give it to someone. Once you take it out it will take 3 days to hatch.

Alternatively you can buy an egg, let it hatch and give the baby to a friend. Or you could get a Pokemon from the Approval Tower if you know exactly what they want. Points can also be given. All gifts will be posted in the Christmas Tree topic, coming soon.


*Sigh*....Not again....

Ch3 of the ASB fic is up. Go see! Go read! Go reply! Please?

S.I.R!

With the Tournament we have 6 designed referees. However many of them are IN battles themselves and some are just way too busy. If you perhaps want to help with the reffing situation, or else missed the chance to post to be a Tourney Ref, then you can be a S.I.R! A S.I.R is a standing-in ref.

Just post in a Tourney match (without a ref of course) and volunteer to ref. S.I.R's will recieve slightly less points than standard refs, which will change from Round to Round. For example, reffing Round 1 matches earns you 3 points, but a S.I.R will recieve 2 points.



Th-Th-That's all, folks!

Toodles.

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE

Tournament News

In a spectacular match, Andrew defeated Darkfire and is now on his way into the second round of the ASB Tournament. Well done, Andrew! Many matches are underway and I think we have only two which have not yet begun. Good luck everyone!

Furthermore I have to stress I am not really happy with the activeness of refs. I know everyone has a life, and prioirities, and I am not trying to eradicate them. However so many of the matches are deteriorating and I have felt the need to take over the reffing for one match to keep it consistent. Remember this kind of thing loses the flow if we wait three weeks for someone to post. Please try and keep on top of things everyone.


Contests

The October Contest is still chugging away. Everyone is so busy it's really ground down. Of course we will persevere, and make sure it IS completed. After all it was started in October, so it's the October Contest. However, the November Contest WILL have to start some time in November.

The November Contest has some nice twists in it, TBA tells me. Sounds like a good idea. Everyone in the Oct Contest, keep it regular and try not to forget.


The Battle Frontier

In the Towers is a Battle Frontier feedback thread. A discussion on the direction we want to go in terms of introducing the Battle Frontier into 2006. Check there for the facts, and please everyone give your thoughts. A link is below. Thanks.

Battle Frontier: Thoughts?

Egg Center

The Hallowe'en Promotion has now ended. Look out for Christmas promotions.


My Fic....Yay

Ch5 is up. Andrew guest stars as himself! Link in my sig.


That's all, folks!

Thanks for your time, guys!

[RaZoR LeAf]

December 1st - The Countdown to Christmas/Hanukkah Begins
Because we're multi cultural.

ASB Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree makes it's appearance today letting you indulge in your good natures and share with your fellow battlers. Be sure to check it often, as you never know if someone is going to give you anything.

Battle Frontier

This is just an idea, but it's not getting as many opinions as we thought it would. Even if you reply to say you don't like it, we'd still like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

October / November Contest

Alas there was no November Contest, but the end of the October contest saw myself, narrowly missing out on winning. The winner was of course Chris Watarimono (whose name I can now spell without having the double check) and his Elekid. Well done Chris.

Good Luck to everyone taking part in the December Contest.

Reffing Tower

There are both new Mock Battles and Mock Contests up should anyone want to try out for reffing, or to increase their rank.

Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness Moves

Since it's worldwide release, any new moves that are learnt by pokemon in Gale of Darkness are now legal tender. If you don't know what they are you can find them here

Egg Centre Promotion

The ASB Egg Centre is having a Promotion. Up until December 25th, there are increased chances of getting an Ice Type from a Hydro Egg, as well as increased chances of getting a shiny.




Edit: Changed my mind about the promotion date: Chris

[Chris 2.1]

Update: December 17th


ASB Christmas Tree

Well we have a mere 8 days left until Christmas, so if you haven't already given out some festive cheer, then visit the Christmas Tree! Make sure to visit regularly, as you never know who might be giving you a gift!


Smeargle

Now I know a few people have the sketching Smeargle on their team, and there has been debate on how exactly this will work out. We have decided on how Sketch will work:


Sketch:
Sketch is used by a Smeargle immediately after an opponent uses another move. The move in question is immediately added to the Smeargle’s moveset until the end of the battle. The Smeargle’s art can provide whatever focus (club for Bone Club, for instance) or body shape (wing for Wing Attack, for instance) is necessary to perform the move, and ALL moves are susceptible to being Sketched. Period. Excellent accuracy.


If a Smeargle is used in battle, it can use sketch up to 25 times. The referee will have to keep a log (in each round) of what moves Smeargle has learned. When Smeargle is KO'ed, it loses those moves and starts fresh in its next match.


If you know people who this should apply to, PM them the information. A similar post will be made in the Attack List Beta.



Battle Frontier

This will be launched in 2006, but a date is not set. For those unaware of what the Battle Frontier is, then I have written below a short summary of it.

In Pokemon Emerald, upon defeating the Elite 4, you are able to catch a boat to the Battle Frontier. It is an exclusive area of battling for only the strongest trainers. There are seven facilities to test your ability , each run by a trainer, called a Frontier Brain. They are stronger than other Gym Leaders.


Obviously details on the various facilities are going to be kept closely secret until the Frontier Opens, but check the thread out in ASB Towers and you can see suggestions on how we might execute the Battle Frontier. The Frontier Brains all have tweaks to the battles, and theyre sure to add a twist to ordinary Battles. Check it out!


Egg Center

A new type of egg has been discovered at the Egg Center!

The Wonder Egg
[i]This egg is golden in colour with a perpetual glow and a gentle ringing eminating from it. It has the chance of any species of Pokemon (excluding legendaries) hatching from it.

So try it out guys!


That's all, folks

Keep it cool, and have a good ASB!

[RaZoR LeAf]

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Lets hope this year is good for ASB!


Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree is now over of course, but you can find it in the Archive if you need it for anything: ASB Christmas Tree 05


December Contest

Well done to all that participated - the final between Chris 2.0 and Vermillion is underway for the coveted December Ribbon.

The Contest trend is ongoing in 2006, with Andrew hosting our January one. The signup sheet is here, good luck to all participants! Contest Procedures have been tweaked slightly, and the new information is here.


ASB Fic

New Chapter: Chapter Eight


Tournament: Round Two!

Pairings are being decided for Round 2. The last match of the tournament has almost finished. Well done to all competetors, and comiserations to all who did not make it into the second round. The details on Round 2 can be seen in the Info Center


The Egg Center

The Christmas Promotion has now ended. However, expect a special promotion to occur around about Easter.


The Battle Frontier

Now this subject has recieved very little attention, but it is a possible excting factor we may impliment during 06. No date is set as of yet, but you in ASB will be given the chance to battle the Brains of the Battle Frontier to test your ability. We have got all the details ready, but are keeping tight lipped on the surprises waiting in store for any keen battlers.

What will most likely happen is we will hold off the Battle Frontier until the Tournament has ended, that way we're not overwhelmed by various activities.



Have a Happy New Year!

[Chris 2.1]

Update: January 29th


A month into 2006 already? Wow. Time for an update methinks.


Contests

Chris 2.0 (me!) won the December Contest with Jynx and Magmar. Well done me! Meanwhile, the January Contest is coming to a close, with Me, The Blue Avenger and Asayake in a 3-way battle for that damn ribbon. In related news, the February Contest is open! 8 participants are needed, so give it a shot!

December Contest
January Contest
February Contest


Tournament

Congratulations to all who managed to make it into Round 2. Round 2 has officially begun, and we already have one semi-finalist for Round 3 - The Blue Avenger! Congratulations. Good luck to everyone else.

ASB Tournament: Information Center



Hmm. I think that's it.

Have a good ASB

[Chris 2.1]

VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE - PLEASE READ


We are going to be making some changes in ASB after careful consideration. These will most likely be trial changes, and their implementation in the future will depend on how they work over the next month.


Reffing Rewards

Normally a free catch or evolution is rewarded to a ref who completes the following number of finished battles:

Rookie: 5 battles
Intermediate: 4 battles
Experienced: 4 battles
Master: 3 battles

This will be changed in the future because we feel that it is too easy to be deemed a 'reward'. They seem to lose their initial charm if it is easier to accomplish. Therefore for each reffing status, you will need to ref one more completed match:

Rookie: 6 battles
Intermediate: 5 battles
Experienced: 5 battles
Master: 4 battles
Head Refs: 3 battles

This post will also be made in the reffing tower. MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS. Not knowing these is not an excuse.


Battle Capacity

Normally you are able to compete in 3 battles at once. We have decided that, on trial, this will be extended to 4 battles at any one time. We feel that some matches can take a long time, and having four will not do any initial harm. Obviously after a month we will review this, and if it is sucessful it will keep going. If not, it will be scrapped.


X-Round Matches

Recently, following the tournament, matches have been established which last for 5 or 6 rounds in length. These have now been banned as they are unfair to use as battle EXP or a finished reffing. The minimum amount of rounds will now be 10.

Thank you

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE


Contest Info

-Well done Asayake for winning the January Ribbon! It was very close indeed. Similarly, TheBlueAvenger has won the February Ribbon. Congratulations both of you - we'll hopefully see more of your fantastic appeals in the Grand Festival, coming Summer 2006.

-The March Contest is about to begin, with a host of new and old faces battling for the coveted ribbon and entry into the prestigous Grand Festival. Good luck everyone!

-In related news, the Grand Festival has been shifted back a month, to take place around June/July time. During the months of the Grand Festival (for it might take some time) there will not be any Contests.

-Also check the sticky in B&T for a list of who is judging which contests in future.


Tournament

-Our final match of the second round is underway: Razor Leaf VS Wolfsong. Good luck to both of you, and look out for details of Round Three in the coming weeks.


ASB Fic

-Check it out! Ch11 up [/blatancy]


Welcome back!

-The Missing Link is back with Dan and me running ASB. Her priorities are sorted and Becca is going to be much more active, so welcome back, Becca!


Egg Center

Hmm it's a bit quiet. Someone buy an egg :-/



That's all folks

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE


Contest Corner

The March Contest is winding down now! 'Drew and Andrew, Golduck and Jynx, battling for the March Ribbon and entrance into The Grand Festival this summer! Go and wish them luck here!


The April Contest is full! All 8 spots were taken in an hour! Contests really are very popular now, which is very good. Cheer them on here


Tournament Info
General Tourney info can be found here


Round 3, aka the semi-finals, is underway! We have two matches, each a 2-2. Check them out below:
RaZoR LeAf VS TheBlueAvenger
Andrew VS Weasel Overlord


There will probably/hopefully be another Tournament at the end of Summer, around the same time as this current one. So everybody who didn't have a chance, train up your team and get ready!


Rant 2.0

Ok there has been a few times where people have posted an evolution for a team member while the Pokemon is still in a battle.

YOU CANNOT EVOLVE A POKEMON IF IT IS CURRENTLY BATTLING.

I've stressed this but it still slips through the net. I would love to have the time to check through each persons 4 matches and determine if the evolving Pokemon is battling, but I have a pretty busy life on the other side of this computer.

IF you evolve a Pokemon, MAKE SURE IT IS NOT BATTLING. If we find you have evolved a Pokemon while it has been in battle, we will fine you by 2 points. And yes, you can have a negative balance.


Rules are Rules

The Rules Tower is being moved to the main forum. Just thought you should know.


But before I go

Despite this being a ranty post, I would just like to say I am very proud of the way ASB is going. Generally speaking, refs are efficient, people are all very courteous and the battles move in a very good pace. It makes me very happy to see my forum working like clockwork and I hope you all pat yourselves on the back.

[Chris 2.1]

More news


April 17th Update


Egg-stra big dissapointment

Originally I had an egg-related bonus for easter, but what do you know? I forgot all about it. Oh well. In recent news the Egg Center has hit the 50-egg mark! We've sold a whopping 50something eggs since the egg center opened, and we've got a variety of Pokemon out of them including Tangela, Castform, Misdreavus, Bulbasaur, Plusle, Spheal and much, much more!


Contests and The Grand Festival

The April Contest, hosted by Karin, is running smoothly and I believe it's down to Tsuki and her Venomoth versus Dark Dragonite and Chansey! Check out the Business and Tournaments forum to see how they're doing.

The final contest of this season, the May Contest, is being judged by Ace64.

The Grand Festival will begin on July 1st, 2006. It is open to 10 Contest Winners. For a full list of Contest Winners, check out The Hall of Fame in the Towers subforum. If you are a contest winner, then you're eligible for competition.

It will work like the tournament did. I'll post the Grand Festival Info topic like I did with the tournament, and in there, you post if you want to compete. By then we will have 11 people eligible for the Grand Festival and I hope that you all compete for a placement. Only 10 can be accepted.

We will also need three people to judge the contest. By the time July rolls around, I would ask that any judge who has not gained entry into The Grand Festival do offer their services. If you are interested in posting, do so in the main topic when it is posted.

In a similar fashion to the Tournament, there are different ‘rounds’: 5 in total. The main topic will be updated each time when a new round begins.

There will be three appeal stages and two battle stages. Judges will all give a score out of 10.0 for each appeal in the appeal stage, giving the coordinator a score out of 30.0 altogether.

I will ask that, for each of the three appeal stages, a different judge posts the appeals up. Prior to this, they will have shown the other two judges the contest reffing and they will reply with their score for each appeal, so that when the judge posts, they have all three judges appeals there.

For the battling stages I may ask current ASB Refs to ref for us as they are simply battles.

The prize for winning the Grand Festival will be 8 points, entry into the Hall of Fame and The Ribbon Cup.

More details will follow shortly.


Member of the Month?

As opposed to the Ref of the Month, which we never really do much anyway (whoops), me and Dan have contemplated doing a Member of the Month, similar to the ROTM but including every ASB Member.

Politeness, punctuality, etc etc will all be taken into account.

If you have any thoughts on this PM us.



Tiny-Tourney

Also starting on July 1st is The Tiny-Tourney – a small scale Tournament to coincide with the Grand Festival.

This tournament is aimed more for the newer members of ASB. It is open only to single-stage and non-evolving Pokemon only!

There will be 8 positions and it will simply be a chance for some people who failed to compete last time to give the tournament another shot. More info in the next few weeks. DON’T PM ME ASKING ME FOR A PLACE! I’ll shoot you.


See ya, folks!

That’s all. Have a good one!

[RaZoR LeAf]

I hate to reply to this topic with so little news, but I can't stay online all day (I'm really hungry right now, I need dinner), but just so people know:

hero86 is NOT approved. If he replies to your battles offering to battle you, or posts a topic for a battle of his own, please IGNORE him.

I'm also closing the topic to make sure he doesn't try to reply to it.

[Chris 2.1]

IMPORTANT UPDATE


Contests

The finalists for the May Contest are Elec Man and Andrew! Anybody keen to enter a contest? The June Contest is your last chance before the Grand Festival in July!

Check out the final match in the B&T Forum.


The Tiny-Tourney


Is also starting in July alongside the Grand Festival. The sign-up sheet will be up a few days prior to the start-date. Please be considerate and give others a chance, as it is for BASIC STAGE AND NON-EVOLVING POKEMON ONLY!

It is also a chance for newer members to ASB to participate in a tournament without the stress of facing my Charizard or Claydol!


Ties


No, not the snazzy garment to wear with shirts. The issue of a tie in a atch has been brought up recently and thanks to The Missing Link we have drafted the point system for a tie:

- 1 on 1: Ref (2 pts.); Tie (2 pts.)
- 2 on 2: Ref (4 pts.); Tie (3 pts.)
- 3 on 3: Ref (6 pts.); Tie (4 pts.)
- 4 on 4: Ref (8 pts.); Tie (5 pts.)
- 5 on 5: Ref (10 pts.); Tie (6 pts.)
- 6 on 6: Ref (12 pts.); Tie (7 pts.)


MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THIS. It is not acceptable to not know the rules.


Bumping

This is happening more recently. If a ref/battler hasnt responded, you can bump the topic up as a last resort. It's far better to send a polite PM to the person and remind them. And don't bump after a few days. Chances are they do remember the match, but are simply too busy.


Banned Moves

This is an issue in most battles: Banned Moves. It is perfectly legitimate to ban any move you like, but you MUST specify exactly which moves you do not want to use.

Saying 'cheap' moves is NOT specific enough. Some would say attract is cheap, some would not. Likewise for toxic, substitute or rest.

Saying 'status moves' is NOT specific enough. You need to address whether you mean simple status-inflictors (toxic, thunderwave) or moves which induce a status effects too (poison sting, spark).

Similarly, recovery moves is NOT specific enough. Simple health restoration like recover, moonlight or morning sun? What about moves that deal damage and recover, like Mega Drain?


Think about this and be specific every time.



Thanks guys.

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE
Grand Festival


The Grand Festival is near!

May's contest was won by Elec Man EXE and he is one of many contestants to be entering the Grand Festival - a league set-up of contests which should prove to be very rewarding. More details will come over the coming month since it is getting so near!


Now then, Grey was the winner of the February Contest but has decided to leave following the June Contest. That means there are exactly 10 contest winners thus far and 10 entrants. So, in short, it would be extremely helpful if everybody entered.


If not, it is understandable.


A topic will be opened called "Grand Festival Information Center". This will be where a) the entrants register for the Festival and b) where information on the 5 rounds that take place. These consist of three initial appeal rounds and a further 2 battle rounds.


The Judging system has already been stated (IIRC) but here it is again:


We have THREE judges for the appeal rounds. Karin (04621), OzAndrew and a third vacant spot. PM me if any current judges want the third post. The judges are only active for the Appeal Stages. For the Battle Rounds we will need Refs.

Anyone who is an official ASB ref, you can sign up for the Reffing battles of the Grand Festival during the appeal stages when the Information Center topic is posted.

The exact point prizes etc will be decided by July 1st.




The Tiny Tourney


Intended to run alongside the Grand Festival is a small-scale tournement for smaller Pokemon and some of the rookies among us. The main Tournament at current is quite big scale with Poliwraths, Weezing, Arcanine's running wild. This will be different.

The sign-up sheet will be up shortly for both Refs AND Battlers. You can sign up for both.




Anything else?


Dan anything else you wanna say, just edit this. My minds blank :-/

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE - JULY 26TH

A lot of news folks!


Wild Moderator Appears!

We are delighted to welcome TheBlueAvenger as a moderator of ASB. Dan, Becca and I felt that given the increase in activity, a new mod would be welcome arms. Jeff will be officially modded very soon and we look forward to having him on the team!


Xmas Tree loses its needles

Alas, our summer Xmas is drawing to a close. Only 5 days left of sunshine-filled presents so if you've any to give, do it soon! After that expect a Tree when Christmas actually comes around. It has so far recieved an overwhelming response and everybody has got slightly bigger teams because of it!

The Xmas Tree is here


The Tiny Tourney
Information Center

From the first round we have two sucessful entrants into Round 2 - Dark Dragonite and Crystal Tears. Well done guys! We're nearly finshed the first round, and check the Information topic for any updates to the Tournament. The battles are below:
Hyperness Is a Good Thing VS DarkTyranitar
Dragonis VS SaffirePersian
Dark Dragonite VS Charles Legend - Finished
Crystal Tears VS Mega Horny - Finished



The Not-So-Tiny Tourney
Information Center

The First ASB Tournament is into the final round! A big 3-3 with arena changes that's already proving difficult for our finalists TheBlueAvenger and Andrew! This showdown has some pretty cool Pokemon duking out so check it out and root for who you want to win!

After the match a ceremony will be held in the Information Center which is where the trophies and prizes will be given out.


The Grand Festival
Information Center

Due to the nature of summer, it has barely lived up to its "Grand" namesake due to numerous absences and delays. However I am told the First Appeal Stage will be up very soon. Vermillion also tells me he is unable to judge for Round 3, so I will be selecting ajudge for that part.

The First Appeal Stage is here


Arivadechi CCC!

The Chunky Clefable Cafe is shutting down on August 1st, to be replaced by an entirely new diner-based hangout. From what I've gathered, a bunch of the ditto hanging around will be transforming the new Chat thread into various different resturaunts and, as a result, it will undergo a new name on the first of every month.

Look out for Hoothooters on August 1st!


Gym Leaders

Back by popular demand, 6 Gym Leaders will soon be arriving at ASB. The discussion thread is here and I am glad to say we are close to revealling them! (Although, on MSN I've been as tight-lipped as an Imaginary Wide-Lipped Eel) We're awaiting confirmation from all 6.


The Fourth Battle Slot
Results

The results were:
17 Votes: Yes
2 Votes: No

So the Fourth Slot shall stay. Hurrah.




Thats all for now!

[Chris 2.1]

News Update

Just a quick one; there isn't really much news to report.



The ASB Tournament

The finals are winding down and both Hypotenuse Man and Andrew are duking it out for first prize! As mentioned in July, the Information Topic will house the prize handouts. First, Second and Third will recieve points and a trophy.

View the Finals!


Contest Corner

The Grand Festival is moving along to the semi-finals. Links to the matches are found in the Information Topic. Cheer for me. Go on!

The September Contest is in its final stages (albeit slightly late): Ace VS Andrew.

Meanwhile, in The October Contest we have Saffire Persian facing off against Elec Man EXE for the October Ribbon!

If anybody can/will judge the November Contest please let me know, a break would be nice! Any suggestions for ways to do the contest also please PM me. The request sheet is here


The Tiny What?

It’s still around. Things are going slow though…

Information Thread


Safari Zone

Expect it very soon!

[Chris 2.1]

Update


So the forum has been revamped and as a result some more recent posts of your matches may have gone. Refs if you have backups please post them; otherwise we'll simply be treading old water.

Check your battles and see what or how much has been deleted; of course now you may be the one whose turn it is to post and you may not realize so please check.

We're sorting everything out (including randomly reposting towers -_-) and we'll keep you posted.


Thanks.

[Chris 2.1]

So most people are aware now that a lot of posts have gone. Refs - your work may have been deleted and I know you put a lot of thought and consideration into your reffings. Battlers, those last few rounds wherein victory was in your grasp have gone and you are hurtled back to a slightly earlier part of your match. And, for some of us lucky ones, those really unlucky rounds have left us forever and we might get lucky next time.

But I have to stress the fact that unless we try to work back to where we were, this forum is going to wheeze and clatter its way to some sort of forum cemetary.

I know its frustrating but we need to sort it out. I myself have been seen posting with things like "We've lost 4 rounds!" and "oh god the match has dissapeared!" but we should try and get things back to normal.

Otherwise, people are too pissed off because their matches have regressed, people won't reply and all threads will drift back into the pages of our forums history.

So if you're a ref - please try and get back on track; please don't be put off by the fact some of your work is lost.

Battlers, the same applies. If you're strategy paid off, or the dice worked in your favour, please try and put that behind you and make sure the match can progress. Check your matches to see if it's your turn to attack.

Thanks guys!

[Chris 2.1]

Ok so Razor Leaf is leaving us. That means that a lot will change around here. Dan has been a great mod - I doubt anyone [sans Rapamon2, Her089 and Rapamon3] could disagree.

Before we begin the next tournament, we are holding an auction during the next week or so for his Pokemon. He has agreed to put them up for bid, and the proceeds will be a presumably large prize for the Tourney.

At the moment it looks like we're doing the Random Tourney. Look for signups in about a fortnight.

Furthermore we have the Safari Zone being launched. Look out for rare artefacts or hidden items to redeem for points or other things!


This is a very brief news post, I am sorry.

We will not be looking to replace Dan as a Moderator.

[Chris 2.1]

ASB NEWS

He’s Gone, He’s Gone Oh My…

Moderator Razor Leaf has hung up his moderating boots in ASB. He will be missed! His team was auctioned off in Business & Tournaments and raised a hellofalot of points! The Auction is still going on now, but it is winding down. If there is anything you want to put up do it now so we can start the Random Tourney!

The raised money from the Auction will go to the Prize Money of the Tournament.

So Dan, good luck in everything and thanks for all you did in ASB! We’ll miss you!



BT STREET
Contests, Tourneys and other related news


The Random Tourney

Will kick off shortly. Rules, regulations etc all will soon be put up once we finish the Auction, which is a few short days away!

The 1ST ASB Tourney

Finally finished. Phew.

The Grand Festival

Finals are now up: Elec Man VS Chris 2.0! It’s going to be a great match. The Grand Festival has been a big success so we will hopefully host the second Grand Festival this summer!

The Tiny Tourney

Finals are up too. Yay.

Contests

We have had a string of successful contests in ASB. Andrew is still yet to win one! River became the first Coordinator to win two contests (well done you). The February Contest is being held at the moment and is looking good!

Look out for a very unique contest in March hosted by yours truly! We’re going to do some never-before-seen elements which should be quite fun!


Attack List Better?

Hopefully in ASB we are going to be ‘revamping’ the Attack List Beta to make it…well, Better. As all of you will have no doubt experienced there is some confusion over attacks as the RSE attacks were done before sufficient information on those attacks was available.

So ALL attacks will be given a polish over. There will be nothing drastic, but any fog shall be cleared and every tweak shall be tweaked. This will probably also be incorporated into the Diamond and Pearl attacks when they are released.



The Safari Zone

We may have been promising it for too long now but I kid you not when I tell you the Safari Zone is in its final stages of completion and should be introduced in March. Becca, TBA and I are just finalizing all the little things.

It is set around some fictional locations some of you may recognize and there are some sneaky secrets you might stumble across if you know where to look! Keep your eyes open for some very rare and very strong Pokemon lurking in the depths of the Safari Zone!



See you next time!

[Chris 2.1]

ASB NEWS

Welcome to the March/April edition of ASB News. We've got all the information on the Safari Zone (with some nice little secrets inside) and we'll also be giving you the latest updates on whats happening in ASB!

From now on we are allowing replies to news so, please leave feedback and comments!



The Safari Zone

It has launched and to great sucess! Thank you refs for doing a fantastic job so far! I have recieved overwhelmingly posetive feedback from members and I am very happy with the way things are going!

If you're ever visiting Trolgar Mountain, see what awaits you up at the very top of the mountain! I guarentee secrets and surprises sit atop the mysterious climbing space. Lots of wild Pokemon of all species!

Or if you take an electric or steel type to Tranquil Shores you might have a better chance of finding treasure buried deep in the sand!

Furthermore in relation to the opening of the Safari Zone a number of people have unearthed Diamonds. We ask that you keep hold of them for now, and assure you all will be explained soon!




Gym 'Leaders'

We are currently looking to replace 2 of our Gym Leaders with new ones, namely Razor Leaf and Aragornbird. We have people in mind but we as mods are going to just weigh up pros and cons of the candidates before we make a final decision.

New rules may also be in place on Gym Battles to help them move along quicker. At present the minimum Pokemon used is 3 for a Gym Match. This may change.




BT Street
Contests, Tourneys and other related news


The Random Tourney
It has begun! At present we have 5 matches up and it looks set to be a successful tourney! Refs please try and be prompt and, if you can, prioritise these matches since the tournament needs to run smoothly!

The other matches will be put up soon as well.


Legendary Tournament?

In the summer we may be implementing a Legendary Tournament! A simple set-up involving the legendary Pokemon of the world would surely be an exciting idea. Obviously species, rules and regulations would need to be sorted but we can expect them to crop up during discussions!


Contests etc all

February is drawing to a close. Thanks River!

March is also drawing to a close, with Andrew VS Weasel Overlord. For March we had a different setup: the Round 2 entrants were paired up and had to work together to make a double appeal! The best pair faced each other for the finals.

Did you like the setup? Should we use it again sometime?

As for April Andrew is hosting it again so expect 100% honesty! Unlimited signups were implemented which turned out to be quite a useful idea that we will definitely consider for all future contests.

Expect the Grand Festival to launch on July 1st like last year! (I hope we can finish this years one before then!!)




D/P Attacks

I am almost done on working the D/P attacks into our Attack List Beta. These attacks will be quite straightforward, but as part of the Attack List Better scheme we are introducing, all RBY, GSC and RSE attacks will be revamped. We will be using this as a chance to change the way some attacks work, the way you can manipulate attacks (ie: Rock Slide but instead of rocks use chairs).

We are going to be much more in-depth with the attacks, helping you as a battler and ref understand to what extent they can be used so there are as few questions as possible. However due to the ambiguity of D/P, the attack descriptions will be as basic as the current ones. This will change over time.

I also suggest you start looking at Pokedexes (I reccomend Serebii's) to help you learn the new attacks.





Thank you!


Thanks for reading this. Do leave any comments below and let us know if there is anything else we can do!

[Chris 2.1]

UPDATE


NEW GYM LEADERS


Razor Leaf is no longer an official Gym Leader. We have an additional four new Gym Leaders in ASB:


MeLoveGhosts

River

Elec Man EXE

Saffire Persian


These four will be adding their arenas and badges to the Gym Leader tower. Once ALL FOUR are up you may challange a particular Gym Leader.

[Chris 2.1]

New Gym Leaders

Ok! All Leaders are present and correct, the current lineup being:

Chris 2.0
The Missing Link
The Blue Avenger
OzAndrew
MeLoveGhosts
SaffirePersian
River
Elec Man EXE
- - - - - - - -
Aragornbird (On Hiatus)



AB's position is still under consideration. He has not been removed as it is not clear if he has left. If he does return he will be allowed to stay on but he is not available for challanges.


All of these leaders are able to be challanged. Check the Gym Leader Tower to see who is free for a match!



Diamond and Pearl

As mentioned Diamond and Pearl is being released well...today. However it will not be implemented into ASB until May 1st. This gives those of you lucky enough to have a copy a chance to get familliar with the attacks, Pokemon and new concepts.

On May 1st ASB will have a new look, including:
-New Egg Groups at the Egg Center (as well as new Pokemon obtained from current Eggs)
-New Safari Zone areas (as well as new Pokemon found in current areas)
-The Attack List V2, which will have EVERY attack in alphabetical order. It will also explain to you the damage, fatigue, accuracy and any other aspects of every Pokemon Attack.
-There will be the ASB giveaway, with more details below.


There are also talks of a DP tournament.....although this will not happen for a while.



The Diamond and Pearl Giveaway

On May 1st for one week only there will be a free giveaway in the main ASB. Every member is entitled to a free single-stage or non-evolving Pokemon from Generation 4.

In the topic all you need to do is post and say you would like a Pokemon. Request the species, gender and any other physical features (specific colour, spots, patterns etc). You will then be replied to (by a mod)and the request will be confirmed and you will recieve your Pokemon.

All details will follow and will be fully explained on May 1st. Holders of Diamonds or Pearls (from the Safari Zone) might find themselves in for a surprise!

[The_Missing_Link]

This is just a mini announcement from me


I have included a new rule in the Bank which some people have not taken notice of. If you think your bank post is not adhering to Rule 4, please edit it and make the necessary corrections. I do not want to fine people left and right but if you continue to ignore me, I will not hesitate in fining you

[Chris 2.1]

Update


About time I think! Just a few things really, making sure you guys are all in the loop.


Contests

May and June are winding down. The Grand Festival will only start when the contests are all finished. April's future is being discussed.

The Grand Festival is going to be similar to last years. The 3 behind it have NOT been confirmed yet but I am sending PMs to people. I will more than likely be judging but I am not 100% sure.

It will feature 3 appeal stages and 2 battle stages, but will have a different format than last years.


ANYBODY with a ribbon is eligible to sign up. I anticipate we will have 12-14 places. Signups will be up when the contest season has ended.



Tournaments

The Tiny Tourney has almost finished.

The Random Tourney is moving slowly. Refs and battlers keep checking to make sure your not slowing it down.



The Safari Zone

I will be sending Ref packs out to those who requested them. We do not need any Safari Refs at the moment. But for current refs please make sure you keep a record of when you ref matches and once you post 5, claim your points ASAP to avoid backlogging

I must say I'm pleased with the success of the Safari Zone. Thanks to all refs and entrants for their hard work and commitment.



The Giveaway

It's still around, popular as ever! Also there is a BRAND NEW PROMOTION on eggs: if you buy two you get a third absolutely free! 3 eggs for 2 points? I think that would be a perfect incentive to give away some new gifts!

Or if you want to keep them for yourself, good idea!

This lasts only until July 10th though so do make the most of it!



Reffing

As mentioned int he Reffing Tower we're keeping a closer eye on Refs. If you are displaying a more complex approach to reffing and can handle difficult situations, we may promote you without you having to take the mock battle.

However we will never demote someone without first warning them. This is unlikely to happen very often.

Mock Reffings will also be up more frequently; we are also going to make sure that they are more demanding of you as a referee.





Thats all folks.

[Chris 2.1]

Barely.

I joke, but seriously I've been away the last 5 days after SEVERE login problems. So if you feel ASB has been slow, laboured and generally poorly maintained, its probably because I wasn't here.

Although in retrospect I see TBA and Becca around. So you've probably not noticed.

Anyway....I'll...be around if you need me.

[The Blue Avenger]

State of the ASB Address

So hey guys! It's been a while since we last had a news update, and there's a lot to say. So let's get going!

It's a Moderator Shakeup!
You've probably noticed by now, but Chris 2.0 is stepping down from position of moderator. We'll all miss you, Chris; in your long tenure here, you've accomplished quite a lot, and you helped keep ASB running smoothly. Feel free to come back at any time, you hear?

In his place, we are promoting River to moderator position. We feel that her experience here, especially in contests, will be invaluable. So, let's all congratulate her! Cheers, River, it'll be good to work with you.

It's a Gym Leader Shakeup!
As Chris is stepping down, he is also forfeiting his position as a Gym Leader. In order to keep the number of Leaders consistent, we are promoting Weasel Overlord to Gym Leader. Good luck!

Additionally, guys, there are a lot of Leaders who are available for battle now. Don't be shy about challenging them! The worst that can happen is that you would lose, and it's not the end of the world.

Businesses and Tournament News
Well, not much to report here. The Safari Zone is still plugging along, although we could use more (active) refs (Yes, yes, I'm a hypocrite, deal with it). If you want to apply, either post in the Safari Zone topic or message one of the moderators and we'll get you sorted out.

The Random Tournament is also still going... slowly. Just a reminder, guys, if it's your turn to attack, try not to drag your feet on it.

The Grand Festival is in its second round and going strong. The illustrious Chris 2.0 is still reffing that for us in what will probably end up being his last reffing job here, so let's hope it goes well.

Other Odds and Ends

There's not much else to say! So, let's go out and have some good battles, huh?

Cheers!

[The Blue Avenger]

State of the ASB Address

Hey guys! It's been a while. Big things to report here. *nods* I know it's been quiet around here recently, but hopefully we can get things going again.

The big news this time:

It's a Moderator Shakeup!
Yes, as you've probably heard, River is stepping down from her position as moderator. Additionally, The_Missing_Link has stepped down as well; the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that she hasn't exactly been in ASB for a while, heh. As a result, we... actually, I suppose I can use the singular here. I am promoting DarkestLight up to modship.

DL and I will split the duties as evenly as we can; expect to see me in charge of the bank in TML's stead, while DL and I will tentatively split responsibility for the contests.

So, cheers, guys! Make DL feel welcome in his new position, eh?

[DarkestLight]

State of the ASB Address

Hi everyone! It's me DL. I'm finally taking enough initiative to post news up so it does not look like I'm coming up with all of these ideas and changes so hectically. I'm going to cover quite a bit so bear with me.

Reffing

I understand that as a community, we've all seem to know what roles we are good and not good at. That's fine, a place like this takes all types. I do however, urge anyone that wants to become a Ref, to try their hand at the Mock Battle and see how they fair. I'll be changing it up in the next couple of weeks, and it will be as challenging as others beforehand.

In the interim, I would like to thank Crazy Elf Boy and Meloveghosts for stepping up and taking quite the commendable number of reffing slots. ASB has been moving at a consistent pace thanks to your help.


Contests

As you can see, I've thrown up two Contests thus far this year, after a largely stagnant period. I hope to be able to consistently provide that service, and I do implore anyone that think they might want to be Contest Judge to try out the Contest Mock Reffings. It's not hard as it looks, and it'll give you a (controlled) creative outlet.

TBH, they're also mush less critical than battle reffings :p


Tournaments

ASB is still pumping out Tournaments, and I'm quite pleased with the results so far. We're still in the First Round of the Legendary Tournament, but Ultimate Charizard and Dragonis have defeated their opponents and are awaiting their next challenges. Everyone's doing a swell job of keeping up, and I'm quite happy about that!

After this Tournament is over, there will be another one. As to what kind of Tournament...well you'll just have to wait and see, but be sure that it will be unique and accessible to everyone. As always, if you have any ideas, shoot me a PM or post it up in the Suggestion topic!!


Move lists

As of now, I've been reffing long enough to know that there are varying degrees of difference between ASB-defined moves and in-game definitions of moves. That's to ensure a better level of balance. Now, I've been forewarned many a time about this, but I feel confident in stating it now.

There will be a complete update to the Move lists-so that they will be combined into one massive Move List. This way you won't need so many links-nor will you need to remember what generation a move came out in. I'm tentatively giving a Fall release for this list, but it may be sooner.

Also, with Platinum on the way, All Platinum move Tutor Moves are accessible on March 22, 2009. There you go.


Moderation

As you've all noticed, Hypotenuse Man has been captured by the Tree Elves of the land of Keebler and won't release him until someone pays their ransom. He did scream "Forget about me! Save yourself" and so...I kinda did. 'Sides, I not givin' no Keebler elf any of MY money... In any event, I am only ONE (hyperactive) man, and so it will take me a little longer to get around to everything. Be sure that I won't tire easily though.

As for a second Moderator, well one is in the wings. After some things are straightened out, I will gladly reveal their identity to you all.


Misc.

Umm unlike Chris, I don't have a Fic to blatantly plug.
Unlike Becca, I don't have a indestructible Mod Hammer of Doom (I got a Squeaky one. Hurts, but not as hard...)
Unlike Jeff, I definitely don't have a pointy head.

But unlike all of them. I can dance *Wiggles and jiggles*

Ok no seriously. Safari Zone will be up and running soon. Ya'll remember that right? Well, it'll be reinstated, and so we'll pick it up right when it left off-same rules same agenda, all that great stuff. May even add a new area in it....that'll be quite stranger than what you've been used to

Gym Leaders! Haven't forgot about that either. Once the Second Round of the Tourney is underway-I'll start the Gym Leader hiring process. so don't fret. There'll be plenty to do in ASB in the coming months, and new activities will start to sprout-not only from me, but from you as well.

Thanks everyone, and I'll see you on the battlefield! Tally Ho!

*Step to the left
Step to the right.
Steal a lil' child,
Take them home tonight*

[DarkestLight]

State of the ASB Address

It's Newsletter day. Actually been kinda anxious to get this started! There's a fair bit to cover, so let's get into it.

Reffing

Mock Reffing will be up later today. Aside from that, there have been very few issues with Ref's lately, as everyone is giving our new Ref's enough time to adjust to our ASB. I understand the necessity for the new Move Lists to come out so we can have a solidified base to work from, but please bear with me on that. I'll be done soon.

As always, talk to yoru ref's if there's a problem, and you'll be able to come to a solution that benefits all parties involved.

Contests

You guys are dong swell in Contests, and in turn, yer helping me judge better. I kinda actually like them now, so I applaud you for making them as fun for me as they are for you.

Don't be scared to sign up to start one now, May's almost here!

Tournaments

Our Legendary Tournament is still going-albiet slowly. But there are only two matches left in the first round-meaning the Second tier is only days from being released. You all should get ready to rumble-cause the next match is going to be intense.

Gym Leader Acquisition

So, I've been thinking long and hard on how to select our new Gym Leaders, as well as to see how many we are going to have. I decided that we will return to the full 8 Gym Leaders. Once the Tournament reaches Round 2, we'll begin the selection process.

However. I will tell you there are 4 Gym Slots open.

Moderation

I'm ok . Sorry if I seem a little rushed these past few weeks, real life trying to steal me away and all.

Misc.

Uhh...Safari Zone OH!

For the time being Saf Refs, do not have eggs in the Safari Zone. I know it seems logical-but please give me some time. I'm working on something for the zone-and eggs are a part of it.

Besides, stealing an egg is just underhanded. If a parent gives you an egg, they're unfit parents and that' s unacepptable in Pokemon XD. You never see a Pokemon give up an egg. LOL

alright. That's about it. I'lll see ya on the battle field!