Hey all. This group popped up in my feed. I have had a first version Acer Predator x34 for a little while and it’s been good. Last year I started to see the odd flicker and cut out in some games. I thought driver issues and been through it all. Increasingly this year the monitor cuts to black I’m in DP mode and even hdmi. Does it with my Mac and my wife’s Mac connected to it via HDMI along with the lines, flicker and greenish tint now and again. It’s dying and I think everyone would probably tell me it’s going to pack in at some point.
I would like a replacement and not sure what is out there. I’ll use it for gaming as well as web and app development. I am in Australia and 3 kids so I can’t go out and get the best of the best but I don’t want crap either. So I will need something above 120hs and I’d like 1ms response time. The x34 is IPS but for the price range VA seems to be the only option.
This is high in the list:
https://www.mwave.com.au/product/asus-tuf-gaming-vg34vql1b-34-165hz-wqhd-1ms-freesync-va-curved-gaming-monitor-ac43826
My ideal:
https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/monitors/34-inch-and-above/90466-xg349c
Any help or suggestions?

Just rewatched Season 1 and because I don't ever want to go into the unknown not knowing, I learned some shit about dealing with mobsters.

1. Suppose you're the middle man for hitting a mob capo. If your mob contact approaches his car, leans over to speak to a ghost in the backseat, then motions for you to return--please don't. You're not Donnie from Jersey anymore. You're Chip from wherever the fuck.
2. Your friends may not really be your friends. If one of them comes by to take you to a spa or a high-class hooker, and they don't allow you to put anything decent on, it's time to bail and work construction up north. And not sitting around on your ass eating sandwiches breaking balls construction. Using a hammer construction. With a nail on the other end. Not a person's head.
3. Now if you do find yourself up north, be more attentive to Jersey plates at your local gas station. Never know when a mobster's touring the Ivy trail with his ill-gotten gains.
4. Don't order a hit where the assassin can't just boom headshot the vic. There's really no excuse here from Mikey and Junior. They should've, if nothing else, seen Goodfellas and Casino, both of which had been out for years, and have observed how an up-close, casual headshot was the way to go. Otherwise you risk hitting the man's literal juice.
5. Obvious one: if you hijack a prominent mobster's truck, and somehow don't die because of it, don't, and this demands italics, don't hijack another truck from said mobster or the last thing you hear won't be your child's "I love you" on your deathbed, it'll be a bad pun from a half-assed wiseguy suffering from a traumatic case of fuckfaceitis.
6. A man you tried to kill shows up at your boat, he's not merely holding a fish. Similarly, should your assassination attempt fail, don't be all living life as usual, jogging through dense woods which may have poison ivy and irritate one of the men who inevitably is coming to kill you, so any hope of talking your way out of it, infinitesimal as it was already, vanishes to absolute zero.
7. Teach yourself to fly or at a minimum wear a jetpack. Could find yourself being tossed off a bridge by a nice guy who won't shoot you down should you fly away.
8. Don't go into the music business. They be scamming you.
9. When you're a mobster, people only care about you for the fame, because you can tell grisly stories, because you might've ridden with John Gotti in an ice cream truck. They don't know the real you. Your only friends are your mob friends but as noted already they aren't really your friends. It's a lonely life.
10. Cunnilingus and psychiatry can bring about war. Do neither.

Can y'all allay my concerns about my girl going from 1 to 1-1/4 cup at 5am, 11am, 5pm to almost 1/3 of that once a day? The vet isn't overly concerned which I want to trust him, but... you know. I know better than to trust medical advice from the internet, but does anyone have any stories of their GSD's eating habits doing this and hopefully how it was corrected?
First off, I took her to the vet Monday who gave her an antibiotic and antiemetic following a negative parvo/parasite test. Vet checked for solid obstructions in stomach and said he didn't feel anything.
About 1am Monday morning my girl woke me up throwing up food. The vomit appeared to be just a mix of mostly and semi chewed food. She threw up two times within a minute or two. When I got up about 4am she threw up again but this time was just the foamy liquid. Couldn't get her to eat anything in the morning. Didn't eat anything at lunchtime.
Feeding: Brought her to the vet in the afternoon and was able to hand feed her about 1 cup over the course of 30 minutes. Tuesday am she ate about 1/4 cup and another 1/2 cup around 5pm. She would not eat her food this morning. She went nuts when I put on my shorts that had some 4 calorie training treats in the pockets which she did eat. A lot slower than normal, but she did eat them.
Energy: Monday she wasn't quite lethargic, but wouldn't hold her head up when sitting up. After eating a little at 5pm she perked up for a few minutes. Same thing again last night, she perked up for about 10 minutes after eating but them calmed down again.
Bowel Movements: BMs are a mix of solid poo and slight diarrhea (soft serve ice cream consistency.) No blood, foreign objects, or anything else remarkable
Thanks y'all. I haven't worried this much about another living creature since the kids were little. This ain't no different.
​

Faction:
Royal Navy
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Class:
Repeat Valiant/Churchill-class Nuclear-powered Attack Submarine (Submarine in-game)
​
Background:
The third and final ship of the Churchill-class (also known as the Repeat Valiants as it featured many internal improvements, but outwardly looked about the same as the preceding Valiant-class Nuclear-Powered Submarines) HMS Conqueror) was ordered on 9 August 1966 and was laid down at the Cammell Laird Shipyard at Birkenhead, at the time in the County of Cheshire, England, on 5 December 1967. She was launched on 28 August 1969 and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 9 November 1971, the final nuclear-powered submarine to be completed by Cammell Laird. (all future Royal Navy submarines would be exclusively built by Vickers Shipyard)
Conqueror’s career between commissioning in 1971 and the Falklands War in 1982 was largely uneventful, with the only thing of note being the replacement of her Type 2001 sonar array with a Type 2020 version and a Type 2026 towed array that could be let out and retrieved sometime in the late 1970s. It was also around this time that the sub would be captained by Cmdr. Chris Wreford-Brown.
Upon the outbreak of the Falklands War in April 1982, Conqueror would be among many British submarines that were deployed to the South Atlantic (including sister ship HMS Courageous), departing Faslane Naval Base in Scotland on 3 April, and arriving at the Falklands exclusion zone on 24 April, exactly three weeks later. She was tasked with scanning the area for Argentine shipping, in particular, Argentina’s light aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (formerly HMS Venerable). On 30 April, Conqueror spotted the Brooklyn-class Light Cruiser ARA General Belgrano (formerly the USS Phoenix) sailing southwest of the Falklands outside of the exclusion zone. However, with 25 de Mayo approaching the islands from the north, the commander of the HMS Hermes task force, Rear Adm. John “Sandy” Woodward, fearing a pincer attack between the two ships, requested permission from his superiors to sink Belgrano. That permission, after some debate, would be granted by Adm. Sir John Fieldhouse and the order to engage was sent to HMS Conqueror, in the interim, Belgrano would retire from its attack vector and head west, a move that made later events incite controversy, although both Belgrano’s captain and the Argentine government would acknowledge that the attack was a legitimate act of war.
On 2 May, Conqueror would launch three Mark 8 torpedoes ^\1]) at Belgrano, with two of them striking the ship and exploding. Twenty minutes later, the cruiser was rapidly sinking and abandoned by her crew. General Belgrano was unable to send a mayday signal, due to electrical failure and poor visibility, which meant that the two escorting destroyers, ARA Piedra Buena (formerly Sumner-class USS Collett) and ARA Bouchard (formerly Sumner-class USS Borie) would not find out about Belgrano’s sinking until hours after the latter sank, taking 323 men with her. The sinking of the Belgrano was a notable one, as it was the second time since the end of World War II that a submarine sank an enemy warship ^\2]), but it was the first (and at the time of writing only) nuclear-powered attack sub to do the deed. The Bouchard was also believed to be hit by Conqueror’s third torpedo. Though Conqueror would not again fire her torpedoes in anger, having had to evade the efforts of the Argentine Air Force (FAA) to locate and sink the submarine, she would spend the remainder of the war helping the task force by using sophisticated monitoring equipment to track FAA aircraft. Belgrano’s sinking also shocked both the Argentine people and military junta, and contributed to the Argentine Navy’s role being significantly reduced for the remainder of the conflict, and in turn, contributed to Argentina’s defeat in the Falklands War.
After the war, HMS Conqueror would return to Faslane flying a Jolly Roger, a customary act of Royal Navy submarines after achieving a kill. Said Jolly Roger would feature an atom, a cross torpedo pattern, a dagger and the outline of a cruiser, representing Conqueror being an SSN, the weapon used for the sinking, the secretive nature in the operation and the hull type for the kill respectively. This banner can be found at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport in South East England.
Her post war career would also see some notable moments. Later in 1982, Conqueror would take part in Operation Barmaid, an operation to raid and capture a Soviet passive towed scanner array that was towed by a Polish-flagged vessel. Conducted as a joint Anglo-American operation just outside Soviet territorial waters, the sub used cutters affixed to her bow to shear off the 3” (76mm) thick wire before silently returning to base on the Clyde. On 2 July 1988, Conqueror collided with the Dalriada, an Army Sail Training Association yacht. Its four crewmen would be rescued, but the yacht sank.
Conqueror was decommissioned on 2 August 1990, with the submarine’s periscope, captain’s cabin and main control panel joining her Jolly Roger at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum. At the time of writing, she is currently housed at Devonport, County Devon, one of twenty nuclear subs housed there by the Ministry of Defense awaiting final disposal.
^\1]: While HMS Conqueror was equipped with the newer Tigerfish torpedoes, the Mark 8, a venerable design dating back to the interwar era, was far more reliable and used instead.)
^\2]: The first instance would occur during the Third Indo-Pakistani War eleven years prior when PNS Hangor, a Daphné-class Submarine used by the Pakistani Navy, sank INS Khukri, a Blackwood-class Frigate in an instance that also marked the only instance to date of an Indian Navy warship sinking to enemy action since independence in 1947.)
​
Namesake:
A conqueror is a person who conquers.
​
Rarity:
UR
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Stat Spread:
As a nuclear powered submarine, Conqueror sports a superb Torpedo Stat (S), a decent HP stat compared to their WW2 counterparts (B) and a superb speed stat (A). As a Cold War submarine that has no guns, she has no firepower stat.
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Abilities:

• Her Majesty’s Silent Service: If sortied with at least one other Royal Navy Submarine/SSN, increase the critical chance of all Torpedoes this or any Royal Navy SS/SSN launches by 3% (8%) and increase the critical damage dealt by 15% (25%).
• Setting the Sun of May: Increase damage done to Sol de Mayo (ARA) warships by 15% (30%) and increase damage done to Light Cruisers by 25% (45%). For every ship this submarine sinks, increase the damage dealt by 1% (2%) with its cap at 10% (20%) until the submarine withdraws.
• The Empire Strikes Back: When this ship arrives at attack position and again when retreating from battle, launch a unique, defense ignoring torpedo barrage, damage based on skill level.

​
Personality:
Conqueror (S48) could be best described as someone who has a Sugar-and-Ice Personality (or in Anime jargon, a Kuudere). On the outside, she is cold, aloof and professional, dedicated to her missions and largely keeps to herself. Once one gets to know her better, she shows herself to be more optimistic and warm, if a bit socially awkward.
​
Quotes:

• Acquisition: My name is Conqueror. I am the sub that sank the General Belgrano during the war of the South Atlantic. If there is nothing else to add, can I get going now?
• Secretary (Idle) 1: Focus on your work. You wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone, do you?
• Secretary (Idle) 2: I am simply doing my duty, I’m not interested in what other people think or praise about me.
• Secretary (Idle) 3: Always stay on guard, don’t make such careless mistakes.
• Secretary (Touch): What requests do you want of me?
• Secretary (Special Touch): I honestly hope your libido matches your skill in battle.
• Skill Activation: Neutralizing target…
• Affinity (Disappointed): Such a waste of time, you are.
• Affinity (Stranger): If you wish to be useful, then tell me the next objective you wish to see done. I don’t have all day.
• Affinity (Friendly): If you want my honest truth about the war, I spent thirteen years for the opportunity to do what I did. I didn’t want to foul it up.
• Affinity (Like): I’m…not much of a talker. I don’t have anything to talk about here so…what do you like to do in your free time?
• Affinity (Love): Whenever I need to go out to battle, I try to keep my cool, and I’m still good at what I do, but the way you make me feel…hmm…I wonder…
• Oath: This ceremony is just like the one on the return to Faslane. Last time I thought nothing of it, but now…with you here…
• Sortie (Churchill): You’re a good talker when you should be hunting stealthily.
• Sortie (Conqueror (World of Warships)): Heroes aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.
• Sortie (Phoenix and/or General Belgrano): Sunrise, sunset. As all things should be.

​
Design:
Conqueror is depicted as a girl in her mid-teens with golden yellow hair tied in pig-tails that extend down to her elbows, and ruby red eyes. Her attire is largely inspired by the equipment utilized by the Special Boat Squadron (now known as the Special Boat Service) during the early 1980s, and in particular during the Falklands War. She wears a black skin-tight one-piece wetsuit that covers her entire body, with the cut offs being around her hands and halfway down to the calves of her legs. Among her equipment is a snorkel on her right shoulder, though not worn, and comes with a L9A1 Browning Hi-Power pistol in her left hand. In addition, Conqueror wears a red crystal around her neck in the shape and style of Phoenix’s tie at the end of her hair, symbolizing a prize for sinking her in the Falklands War.
Her rigging is largely the same as her submarine model, but functions as a one-man Submarine Delivery Vehicle for which she rides on top, with the control mechanism being on two handles on each side of the sail (akin to how I-56 operates her rigging)
​
A/N:
This sub was suggested to me by u/A444SQ, I hope you enjoyed this rendition of Conqueror as I did making it.
The historical HMS Conqueror (or rather the last iteration of her) is a fascinating ship and one that I figure would be deserving of its UR spot given its single defining achievement. But this would also be my first UR submarine (at least my first not named Alicorn which is OP even by Ace Combat standards) and with nothing to base it on, it's difficult and might actually be a bit underpowered by comparison. It is what it is I suppose.
As always, if you want to suggest a ship or retrofit in the future, please leave it in the comments below, you can also reach me via DM's to make your suggestions as well. We're returning to Operation Weissenburg next time with Tier VIII Battlecruiser, a design dating to March 1918 but was depicted by WeeGee to be developed in 1944, with their take on Schnelle Großekampfschiffe 4531, KMS Zieten.
Link to the list of ships

Once upon a time in a cozy little town, there lived a mischievous boy named Timmy. Timmy loved ice cream more than anything in the world. It didn't matter if it was sunny or snowing; he always craved the cool, creamy treat. His favorite flavor was chocolate chip cookie dough.
One sunny afternoon, Timmy's mother asked him to fetch some ice cream from the freezer. Eagerly, he ran to the kitchen, swinging open the freezer door. But as he reached inside to grab the carton, a strange gust of wind blew, tugging at his clothes and pulling him into the freezer!
Timmy found himself in a frosty wonderland, surrounded by towering mountains of ice cream. The flavors were endless, stretching as far as the eye could see. He couldn't believe his eyes! It was an ice cream lover's dream come true.
Without hesitation, Timmy began to explore. He climbed a mountain of mint chocolate chip, slid down a slippery slope of strawberry swirl, and dove headfirst into a pool of vanilla caramel. Everywhere he turned, there was a new and exciting flavor waiting for him to taste.
As he ventured deeper into the ice cream kingdom, Timmy stumbled upon a village made entirely of waffle cones. The houses were stacked high with scoops of rainbow-colored ice cream, and the streets were paved with sprinkles. The inhabitants, tiny ice cream people, greeted him with cheerful smiles.
"Welcome, Timmy!" they exclaimed. "We've been expecting you. You're the first human to visit our land of frozen delights."
Timmy couldn't contain his excitement. The ice cream people took him on a grand tour, showing him the magic and wonder of their world. They introduced him to the Ice Cream Queen, a majestic figure made of soft-serve swirls, who gave him a golden spoon as a token of friendship.
With his newfound spoon, Timmy ventured even deeper into the land. He encountered ice cream animals, like the fudge-dipped elephants and the strawberry shortcake rabbits. He even had a thrilling ride on an ice cream roller coaster, soaring through the sky on a cloud of whipped cream.
Time flew by as Timmy savored every moment. But as evening fell, he realized that he had to return home. The ice cream people waved goodbye, and the freezer's mysterious force gently whisked Timmy back to his kitchen.
There stood his worried mother, wondering where he had disappeared to. Timmy eagerly told her all about his amazing adventure in the ice cream world, showing her the golden spoon as proof of his extraordinary journey.
His mother listened with a smile, relieved to have her little boy back safe and sound. From that day forward, Timmy's love for ice cream grew even stronger. Every time he opened the freezer, he couldn't help but wonder if another fantastic adventure awaited him on the other side.
And so, in that small town, the tale of Timmy's ice cream escapade became a legendary story passed down from generation to generation, reminding everyone that sometimes, the sweetest adventures are found in the most unexpected places.

Our eyebrows are similarly pretty much as significant as our eyes, with regards to magnificence, communicating feeling and human correspondence. Ladies invest a great deal of energy and cash in shaping their eyebrows and shading them; to improve their magnificence. Indeed, numerous ladies have inadequate, unpredictable, frail or lopsided eyebrows. A have diminishing and insufficient eyebrows because of infections like Hypothyroidism or Alopecia Areata.
Long-lasting shaping and planning of eyebrows are conceivable by utilizing a strategy called eyebrow Microblading treatment. Microblading doesn’t include customary inking methods. Cream-based shades are utilized, rather than tattoo ink. Exceptionally planned fine clinical cutting edges called Microblades are utilized, rather than needles. The outcomes, in this way, are more regular and 3-layered.
Over the most recent couple of years, ‘Powder foreheads’ and ‘Ombre temples’ have become progressively well known. Here the shade is saved in the skin utilizing PMU machines. There is no genuine powder that is utilized. The colour is kept utilizing micro pins to give the temples a powdered and concealed look. The outcomes are striking and super-normal. This is likewise the strategy of decision for patients with sleek skin and open pores, where the microblading procedure is probably going to fall flat. What’s the distinction? Powder temples are the selection of women who wish to have the all-time ‘made up’ search for the temples — Rather than making plans for their temples each time. Ombre temples are the selection of women who are looking for a more regular, instead of “made-up” look.
A ton of Dermatologists consolidates eyebrow microblading treatment alongside machine work to create wonderfully, finished and entirely balanced eyebrows which look normal, even on close assessment. These are known as Crossover temples. Nanoblading is the most recent advancement, utilizing better and more adaptable cutting edges to make temples where each stroke of hair is made to mix in with the current hair, along with their regular example of development. These are alluded to as ‘Hair Stroke Foreheads’. The outcome looks fabulous and super normal, in any event, for men and those with wavy eyebrows, who are going for a more loosened-up look.
What does the cycle involve?
Be ready to spend almost 2 hours in the middle of the main visit. This incorporates guiding, pre-treatment pictures, assent structure, and eyebrow planning utilizing exceptionally planned pencils and callipers. The decision of eyebrow shape will rely upon the state of the patient’s face, their age, orientation and individual decision. Desensitizing cream is put over the temples for 60 minutes, to give an agreeable and peaceful experience. The most famous and most generally utilized strategy is the Hydrid Temples. The microblade or nanoblade is utilized to make the hair strokes in the divided region. The strokes are then stroked over and over with the tweaked shades, given the variety generally appropriate for your skin type. At last 2–3 passes of the PMU machine fills in more tone, for the completed look.
The after-care is straightforward. It includes no pain relievers, anti-microbial or costly post-treatment creams.
What might you at any point anticipate that in the days should follow?
You will Adore your foreheads as you leave the middle. In any case, your temples will look very dull throughout the following 3–4 days. Be ready for this, as first-time patients as a rule alarm by this point. Between the fifth and seventh day, your temples will feel somewhat irritated, and the colour will start to scab and strip. By Day 8–10, when the scabs have tumbled off, it will seem to be your foreheads look equivalent to previously! Have confidence. Between 14–28 days post-treatment, the colour will fire appear and you will be enamoured with your new foreheads. They are probably going to be somewhat lopsided and blurred as of now. We bring in the entirety of our patients for a let-loose touch between 45–90 days after the first microblading in Bangalore. The final detail is an easier interaction which doesn’t require some investment.
Annual touch-ups are recommended. This is NOT a tattoo, so the colour will begin to fade in 12–18 months

I (18m) and 3 other friends (c, 18m, d. 18m, and t, 17f) went to a nice ice cream place to give a farewell to one of our friends, as he is leaving this summer. In this ice cream place, I had suggested we sit down under the shade to avoid getting out ice cream melted, we sat a bench behind a family with a child that was severely autistic (I think but im not sure) and bound to a wheelchair. 2 of my friends, T and D started giggling at the boy and saying timmy (the character from south park). I had quietly laughed but had kept silent. My other friend, C had joined in laughing at the boy. I had told them shut up as none of the 3 friends had been doing this quietly. We slowly left the bench area to watch the mini golfers play and i had went to the side and talked to my friend, D. We kinda just bullshitted back and forth and he was telling jokes in which i was laughing at. The family comes over behind me while i am turned around, still laughing and the wife asks "are you laughing at my kid", and I responded with "No ma'am, i was laughing at a joke my friend here told me, I could tell you the joke if you'd like, but i must warn you, it is a joke some would take offense to". She declined and said "well its inappropriate to be making jokes like that while my family passes through" and i had turned to my freind and told him to pay attention to his surroundings, and he laughed it off, not thinking it was serious. After the family left, two of my frieinds, D and T left, leaving me and C. We mini golfed in almost silence until we started talking about that event. But we had then left after we finished the game. I had told my mother when i got home about the story, when she gets a call from my dad, asking if im wearing a tye dyed shirt, in which i was. I had then put 2 and 2 together and looked on our towns public forum, where i found a post about the 4 of us. I read through the post and discovered that of all of us in the group, wearing different colored shirts, i was pointed out as the boy in the tye dye shirt, and singled out as the main perpetrator. The lady had listed us as roudy, unapologetic teens, even though I apologized profusely. I had sent a paragraph long apology to the mother on facebook messanger, but had no response for over 4 hours. I then decided to send the same paragraph to her husband, who found my apology hollow, and hoped that i would sleep well knowing i was part of a terrible and heinous act.
What i would like to know though, is the main question. Do you think im the asshole?

Welcome back, it's Wednesday and I'll just come out and say it - that Seiko is ugly... Change my mind.

What's new

1/
Seiko Adds Four Completely New Chronographs To The Prospex Collection And Four Limited Editions To The Presage Craftsmanship Series
In 1999 Seiko launched a limited edition they called the Sportura Kinetic Chronograph. It was a funky watch that used four subdials to display the time and chronograph functions. Just looking at it and you feel the angst of the end of the millennium and the cheesy futurism (not to be confused with neo futurism in architecture led by Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava) that permeated industrial design of the time - from Oakley glasses to Jnco jeans. There’s no easy way to say this, but it’s an ugly watch. I can appreciate the experiment. But come on.
However, Seiko believes that the four dial layout of the Kinetic was pleasing to the eye. That’s why they decided to recreate it in four new solar chronographs that they are adding to the Prospex collection, marking the company’s association with the World Athletics Championships to be held in Budapest, Hungary, in August. Officially called the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph, all four watches sport a new movement with the Seiko Caliber 8A50, a 1/100-second chronograph with a +/- 15-seconds per month precision rating.
The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph watch is 42mm-wide, 12.9mm-thick, and its lug-to-lug distance is 48.3mm. All four watches have the same case and bracelet design but in different executions and ever-so-slightly different prices and naming schemes. I could go on into detail about the dials and colors, but it’s all just a bit confusing. You can hop on over here if you would like to know more.
Two of the models will be limited edition of 4,000 each and two will be regular production models. The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph watch prices range from 890 Euros to 970 Euros, and all four versions will be available from July 2023. Regular readers of the newsletter will know I keep things very chipper here and don’t pass judgement. But these new Seiko’s are just baffling to me. They look like those Diesel watches you buy at the mall. Am I wrong?
Thankfully, Seiko has another announcement for today. While they have shown these watches previously, they are now starting to sell these stunning Presage Craftsmanship Series watches. Marking the 110th anniversary of its first wristwatch, the Laurel, Seiko is putting out two pairs of these limited edition pieces, with each featuring a dial made by a dedicated artisan or craft workshop through a traditional Japanese decorative technique — enamel, urushi lacquer, Arita porcelain, and shippō enamel. All four models boast a new case shape, a fresh dial aesthetic, and an in-house automatic movement. And they are now hitting the market.
And despite Seiko’s price increases for recent releases, these new editions seem to align with their predecessors. The white enamel SPB393 retails for €1,650, the brown urushi SPB395 for €2,000, the ivory Arita porcelain SPB397 for €2,000, and the blue shippō enamel SPB399 for €2,250.
2/
Breguet Gives Us Two Redesigned Variations Of The Classic Chronograph With The Type XX And Type 20
Just the other day I linked to a great article on Type 20, the references issued by the French military in the 1950s. There were many brands who stepped up to produce these Type 20 watches, but the reference has stuck around to be synonymous with one brand in particular - Breguet. They have been making the Type 20 for years now, with occasional updates, but now Breguet is unveiling the new Type XX and Type 20 – a civilian and military-inspired take on the classic design - which is the biggest change to the line.
Despite at first glance looking like it’s two of the same watches with different dials, the Type 20 and Type XX are actually different watches. Both watches come in the same steel case that measures 42mm wide and 14.1mm thick with bidirectional steel bezels and matching lume pips. But this is pretty much where the similarities stop. The Type 20 has a military inspired dial with mint green lume and syringe hands, while the Type XX is a civilian version with a creamy yellow lume and alpha hands.
The Type 20 and Type XX both have a new self-winding movement, the Calibre 728 for the civilian version and Calibre 7281 for the military version. Each movement has a column wheel, vertical clutch, 5Hz frequency, and flyback functionality with 60 hours of power reserve, plus an inverted in-line lever escapement with a flat silicon balance spring for increased durability, longevity, and magnetic resistance.
Why two different calibers? The difference lies in dial layout and how useful it would be in military or civilian applications. On the military version, you only have two registers, with a 30-minute totalizer at three o'clock, now larger than the 60-second totalizer at nine o'clock. Meanwhile, the civilian version has a 15-minute totalizer at three o'clock, a 12-hour totalizer at six o'clock, and running seconds at nine o'clock.
This is not a cheap watch. It will run you $18,000. But it might just be one of the best vintage revivals we have seen in a year full of vintage revivals.
3/
French Watchmaker Yema Teams Up With Alpine French Racing Team To Mark The Most French Race With Five New Watches
One of the most legendary races in the world starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday. Yes, it’s the 24 hours of Le Mans. The race is, of course, one of the most recognisable french things, alongside the croissant and hating tourists. You know what else is very french? Alpine, the legendary car manufacturer that gained it’s fame with the quirky A110 and is currently doing really well (under Renault ownership) with its successor, also called the A110. Alpine will be present at the 24h of Le Mans With their Endurance Team. If only there was a watchmaker that could join in, making it a French hat trick. There is. It’s Yema. Yema has made five new watches to mark Alpine’s stint at Le Mans - the Yema Rallygraf A470 Limited Edition and four Rallygraf Alpine Endurance Team Automatic models of which one is mechanical while the other three are powered by the Seiko VK64 meca-quartz movement.
The Yema Rallygraf A470 Limited Edition takes all the right cues from 70s racing chronographs. The stainless steel case is 39mm wide and 12mm thick without the double-domed sapphire crystal. The solid caseback shows the Alpine Endurance Team logo and the limitation of the watch. The dial is finished in a gradient-blue colour, Alpine’s signature color, with a vintage dashboard-inspired bicompax layout and Alpine’s logo on the chronograph seconds hand. Inside the watch is the Valjoux 7753 and the watch comes on an appropriate black leather rally strap with a steel pin buckle. This watch will be limited to 470 pieces and can be pre-ordered for a price of USD 2,190 with delivery expected in September 2023.
This runs at a frequency of 28,800vph and delivers 48 hours of power reserve. The watch comes on a black leather rally strap with a steel pin buckle. Limited to 470 pieces, tying in with the car, it can be pre-ordered for a price of EUR 2,190 with delivery expected in September 2023.
Then there’s the meca-quartz variants. They take the same case as the Rallygraf and give it three variations - white dial with a blue outside minute track, a cream dial with a black outside minute track or a black dial with a cream outside minute track. All of these are also available for preorder now for EUR 399 and will be delivered in September 2023.
Yema also announced a second mechanical watch made in collaboration with Alpine, the Rallygraf Alpine Endurance Team Automatic. This will officially be unveiled this coming Saturday at the Circuit de la Sarthe, during the racing weekend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although we don’t know all the details at this moment, we can see it’s made of stainless steel, comes on a multi-link bracelet or black leather strap and has a black dial. The bidirectional rotating bezel can be used to calculate speeds, in combination with the inner ‘Temps Ecoule’ flange in white and blue. It is powered by the in-house Calibre YEMA2000 and will cost USD 990.
4/
The Dan Henry 1970 44mm is back with new colours and the same, affordable price
You might know Dan Hendy as the microbrand that has been pumping out vintage inspired watches since 2016. What you might not know is that they made their name with the Dan Henry 1970 44mm Automatic Diver, the first of their watches to feature an automatic movement. While it might not seem like a big deal, it was for Dan Hanry and the shoppers in the sub $500 range. While Dan Henry serviced it’s customers by providing good value for money with quartz movements, the 1970 44mm Automatic Diver was the first time they offered a mechanical movement at such an affordable price. It sold out instantly and now, four years later, they are back with a limited edition of 1970 pieces.
It’s a very big watch. Very big. The heavy stainless steel super compressor style case measures 44mm in diameter and is 14.8mm thick with a 50.5mm lug-to-lug length. Despite these large dimensions, and with all other manufacturers fighting to go smaller, people still love this watch. They love it enough for it to go for over retail on the secondary market, which is not common for a watch in this pricepoint. Both of the crowns, one for rotating the inner-bezel and one for adjusting the time, screw into the case, giving it 200m water resistance.
The dials get a contrasting pop of color on the outskirts. There’s the black and orange, as well as the black and off-white with a black case and blue with white color combinations. Each version comes with its own colour-matching FKM rubber tropic strap. To keep the price low, the watches are powered by the Seiko NH35. Not the best movement in the world, but it gets the job done for an exceptionally low price.
The new Dan Henry 1970 44mm Automatic Diver is limited to 1,970 pieces, available from Dan Henry and costs $310.
5/
Bamford Teams Up With Land Rover For The LR002 Limited Edition
Somehere near the end of last year, Land Rover designed their first watch. They called it the LR001 and they turned to Bamford to put the watch into production. It was a great looking field watch made of titanium and all in shades of grey, with a decent price and limited to 100 pieces so they all sold out very fast. Now, Bamford London and Land Rover are bringing it back with an updated, equally limited, version in all black called the LR002.
The LR002 is pretty much the same watch as the LR001, except for the color. While not a fan of black watches, this isn’t a bad thing, as it gives you a chance to buy the sold out Land Rover watch. What is bad is the price, but more on that later. The case measures 40mm wide and 13.25mm thick, and is made out of DLC coated titanium. It has a shape that resembles a field watch but much more modern and has fixed bars. From photos, due to the thick case and fixed bars, this watch looks to wear much larger than it actually is.
The dial seems to be much more interesting than the case. It has a sandwich construction with the top part having a matte black surface and the underside being filled with white lume. And by alternating circular and oblong cutouts, there’s a dynamic look to the dial. Inside the watch is the same movement as in the LR001, the Selita SW200-1B, and it’s delivered on a leather NATO-style bracelet.
The LR002 will have a run of just 100 pieces that are exclusively sold through Hodinkee. At the time of writing there are still pieces available for sale at a price of $1,700. And that’s the biggest issue. The LR001 sold for about $1,300 and the only difference between the two watches is the DLC coating. Is it worth the price difference?
6/
The Casio A120 Is The Best Pairing For Stranger Things, But Do We Need It?
The immense popularity of Stranger Thing undoubtedly lies in it’s 80s nostalgia that reminded us all of our childhoods. While playing to our good memories, it also roped in new generations by picking the best the decade had to offer and presenting it as something cool. That’s why you have a bunch of kids out there listening to Kate Bush and Metallica, while wearing Casio watches and buying VHS tapes. So it only makes perfect sense that Casio would team up with Stranger Things for a limited edition watch, and what better reference to do it with then the A120. This is the Casio x Stranger Things A120WEST-1A.
The watch is a classic Casio A120, with a 33.5mm x 40.7mm rectangle case and since it’s plastic it weighs only 25 grams. It’s not filled with a bunch of functions, but it does have a chronograph, alarm and calendar and you get three years of battery life. There’s a number of Stranger Things references on the watch - there’s a silhouette of the series’ demogorgon monster beneath the digital display and the LED backlight flickers and rapidly blinks just like the surfacing of a demogorgon in the show. Once lit, you can see the watermark of an upside down Stranger Things logo.
Casio has not announced when the watch will be available or how much it will cost, but you can keep an eye out on it here. Is this a nice homage to a good TV show, or just another example of over-consumerism and corporate media properties slapping their name everywhere, without actually making a meaningfully authentic version of the watch?
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On hand - a selection of reviews

1/
A review of Monta’s current flagship dress watch, the Noble
2/
Hands on with the 39mm and 42mm versions of the Hanhart 414 ES Flyback
3/
A week with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore limited edition in pink gold and titanium
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like

Dryden is a go-everywhere-do-anything watch with plenty of options
Great dials are always appreciated, but no matter how good the dial is, it doesn’t matter if the watch isn’t wearable. The excellent design choices found on the dial of the Heartlander follow through to the case. Crafted from stainless steel the 38mm-wide case has a lovely 46mm lug-to-lug distance and is only 11.2mm-thick from solid steel caseback to domed sapphire crystal. These dimensions are in the Goldilocks region for an everyday watch for me and my ~6.5-inch wrist. The cases are predominantly brushed except for a thin highly polished bevel that flanks each side of the lugs.
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People loved the Seiko Alpinist giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away four Hamilton Khaki Field Automatics in a color of your choice. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.

All good things must come to an end. 🥲
As you surely know by now, this will be the very last Cup in The Silph Arena's long and glorious history. And so even though I slowly faded away from my monthy meta writeups for Silph some time ago (I think it's been over a year now! 🥹), I HAD to come back for one last ride together, my friends. Like many of you, I only ever got into PvP because of The Arena, and was a PvP veteran when GBL was still but a twinkle in John Hanke's eye. Many wonderful memories of tournaments and communities, local and remote, that I will cherish always.
And of course: YOU, my dear readers. I am sorry I stepped back, but you all surpassed beyond me and my relatively simple meta overviews. After a while, budget picks became less and less necessary to study as you had more and more tools already at your disposal, built up from the metas of the past.
In short, to paraphrase the great Yoda himself: I am what you grew beyond. That is the true burden of all teachers.
And perhaps, here at the end, you still don't need my simple budget heroes, my rather basic overview of the meta and, of course, off-meta potential wonders. You know, the thrifty AND the nifty stuff. 😉
But I can think of no better way to say a proper goodbye to the good folks at The Silph Arena AND you, my dear friends, than to give this one last go. Together.
One last..."Nifty Or Thrifty"! For old times' sake.
So here we go!
For those who don't remember, this article series serves a few functions. First, it gives a first blush, comprehensive look at the meta for the upcoming Innocent Cup, particularly from the perspective of which Pokémon are likely worth the cost of leveling up and adding a second charge move (nifty) and which ones would probably work out fine without heavy investment (thrifty), including some alternatives to the more expensive options. For those on a stardust budget — and/or folks trying to save up some dust for the future — it can be daunting trying to figure out where to spend or not spend it. We all want to field competitive teams of six, but where can we get the best bang for our buck and where should we perhaps instead channel our inner scrooge?
And as always, while I have tried to whittle somewhat, this is likely to be a long read, just to warn you up front! But always as per normal, I'll try to keep it entertaining as well. 😃
Before we dive in, make sure to familiarize yourself with what makes up Innocent Cup. It's Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Psychic, and Water type Pokémon, with with Arbok, Dragalge, Garbodor, and Swalot specifically whitelisted in as well. Excluded are Ice, Fire, Poison and Steel types, plus Altaria, Galarian Zapdos, Galarian Moltres, Galarian Articuno, Cresselia, Hawlucha, Lanturn, Mandibuzz, Mantine, Mew, Alolan Ninetales, Noctowl, Pelipper, Pidgeot, and Trevenant are all specifically banned. The full list and rules are over here, so check that out before reading on.
Now it's time to dive in, but only after one final, unapologetic musical intro. Hit it!
🎼 Oops, let's do this again
🎶 Silph played with our hearts
♫ We got lost in the game
♩ Oh baby, baby
♫ Oops, I think I'm in love
♬ Silph was sent from aboooooove
♪ I'm not that Innocent....
Okay, maybe not one of my greatest ever, but it was either this or a mushy goodbye song like "My Way" or something.
Anyway, in retro style, let's go through this final meta in order of cheapest second move cost all the way to the Legendaries. Here we go!

10,000 Dust/25 Candy

ALOLAN RAICHU
Volt Switch Thunder Punch & Wild Charge/Psychic
There is a LOT in AhChu's favor here. It resists Flying, Psychic, Electric, and Fighting damage — all very relevant in this format — and wails on all the Waters and Flyers around. As tempting as Grass Knot is for its ability to blow away the Mud Boys (and other Ground types), I think that if you choose NOT to use Wild Charge, it is Psychic (the move, to keep the old inside joke going!) that you want more, as it can at least slap around the important Poison types in the meta (beating ALL of them, whereas Dragalge and Swalot can escape otherwise). That said, the overall more threatening move remains Wild Charge, which obviously has its drawbacks, but is pretty widely unresisted and alone has the power to blow away things like Hypno, Azumarill, and Araquanid.
EMOLGA
Thunder Shock Discharge & Acrobatics
When I began this article (WAY too long ago now! ), Emolga was a mere footnote here. But that was then, and this is now with the addition of Acrobatics. I still don't know how high Emolga may soar now in PvP, but I know that with THIS meta, it should be off to an impressive start!
SWELLOW
Wing Attack Sky Attack & Brave Bird
Wait wait wait... Wing Attack and Sky Attack and Brave Bird? Why have you hardly seen any of these used? Well, it's much less tanky than Pidgeot and especially Noctowl, which is why they generally get all the press and poor Swellow usually languishes. But one thing that has always separated Silph from GBL are the spot bans, and in this Cup, it is Noctowl and Pidgeot that are on the outside looking in, allowing Swellow to soar high. And beyond the obvious Electrics and a few Fairies, there really isn't too much that it has to fear. Go fly past the competition!
DARTRIX
Leafage Brave Bird & Seed Bomb
Poor Decidueye may remain unexciting in PvP, but at least Dartrix now gets its moment in the spotlight as a budget (and with the addition of Leafage, perhaps even better?) Tropius here. I say "perhaps better" despite the fact that Razor Leaf Trop has a better record because of between the two, only Dartrix manages to overcome Dragalge and Clefable (and spicy Togetic). Trop instead shreds things like Hypno, Gliscor, Wobbuffet, Alolan Raichu, and Seaking, so there's certainly room for both, but Dartrix is absolutely the better fit on some teams.
WHIMSICOTT
Fairy Wind Moonblast & Seed Bomb/Grass Knot
I'm listing Charm and/or Hurricane as options here, but other than the latter sometimes winning the mirror, there's really nothing major they can do that Fairy Wind and Moonblast (along with one of the now-two Grass moves) can't. Only with the speedy charging of Fairy Wind can Whimsie outrace stuff like Azumarill, Tapu Fini, and Whiscash, and Moonblast is more reliable than Hurricane at taking out things like Wobbuffet, Zapdos, and importantly, have the advantage versus Dragalge. As for Grass Knot vs the new Seed Bomb, the former has the power to take down Wobb and Whiscash, while the latter instead now outraces (Fairy Wind) Slurpuff, (Ice Beam) Jellicent, and (Sludge Wave) Swampert. Go with Fairy Wind. You have plenty of other Charm options anyway. For example....
WIGGLYTUFF
Charm Ice Beam & Disarming Voice
Yes, you definitely want both Ice Beam and the new Disarming Voice for Wiggly to be well-rounded, but as is often the case with Charmers, it can often be best to go for the Charm-down, allowing additional wins against stuff like Dedenne, Tapu Fini, Florges. and several fellow Charmers (assuming they are not also trying to just Charm-down). Wiggly remains among the best, if not THE best, pure Charmer in yet another format.
CLEFABLE
Fairy Wind Meteor Mash & Moonblast
Fairy Wind is now the way to go here (and likely in many metas yet to come), as Meteor Mash can do some serious work, especially in whalloping the other Faires! You can run Psychic as well to also shock Poisons (Swalot and Dragalge in particular), but it's overall a bit weaker than Moonblast, which is needed for wins like Azu, Hypno, Wobbuffet, and most of the Electrics in the meta (Dedenne, Zapdos, and Emolga, specifically).
SWALOT
Infestation Sludge Bomb & Ice Beam/Gunk Shot
I've written about Swalot before, but only as an often-desperate attempt to show it as a decent thrifty Poison with upside. But never has it really SHOWN that upside like it does here in Innocent Cup. It can swallow all Grasses and Fairies whole, and can also topple things like DDeoxys, Alolan Raichu, Dedenne, Wobbuffet, Seaking, and fellow Poison Garbodor. Give it Ice Beam for coverage instead of big closer Gunk Shot, and while it gives up a couple Fairies (Azumarill, Tapu Fini) and Araquanid, it gains Ice-weak Zapdos and Zweilous instead. Swalot is not only finally a breakout star here at the end of Arena play, but you have legit options with it! You love to see it.
SWAMPERT
Mud Shot Hydro Cannonᴸ & Earthquake/Sludge Wave
It would be easy to assume that Sludge Wave is clearly THE way to go in this meta filled with Fairies and key Grass types. And there is wisdom in that, as Sludge does indeed conquer every Fairy here except the new Fairy Wind Togetic. But there remains just a strong a case for good old Earthquake instead, as it instead knocks out all the Poisons, plus Zweilous, Jellicent, and enemy Swamperts. The choice is even more in Quake's favor for Shadow Swampert, as it beats all the major Fairies besides Togekiss, Togetic, Azu, and Whimsie, still uniquely takes down Dragalge, Jellicent, and Swampert, and adds to that Whiscash and Rainy Castform as well. I understand the attention being given to Sludge Wave... Innocent Cup IS one of the better fits for it. Just don't put those blinders on too tightly. Earthquake still bears consideration too, depending on the rest of your team. And of course, there is also Shadow Swampert, which I think also prefers Earthquake, beating everything Quake non-Shadow Swampie can, PLUS Clefable, Tapu Fini, and Slurpuff as non-Shadow can only if it has Sludge Wave, AND completely unique wins versus Gliscor, Zapdos, and Rainy Castform too!
WHISCASH
Mud Shot Mud Bomb & Blizzard
Aside from the just-buffed Mud Bomb making Whiscash a bit better anyway, it has one other big thing going for it in this meta that separates it from Swampert: Blizzard, which simply destroys Flyers (Drifblim, Emolga, Jumpluff, Togekiss, Togetic) that Swampert can't touch, as well as Whimsicott for good measure. Sure, Whiscash can't match Swampert's wins versus things like Hypno, Florges, Tapu Fini, or Florges, and usually will lose to Swampert in the head to head, but at least it stands on pretty equal footing in this meta. Some teams will want one, some will want the other. Which do YOU prefer, my friend?
BLASTOISE
Water Gun Hydro Cannonᴸ & Ice Beam
As always, Blastoise is not exactly exciting, but it can get the job done in a pinch. Its excellent bulk allows it to hang in and beat every meta Fairy that isn't part Water or Grass, and also handles things like Drifblim, Swampert and Whiscash, Swalot and Garbodor, and thanks to Ice Beam, Dragalge, Jumpluff, and (Air Slash) Tropius as well. Nothing flashy, but solid as always. I do not particularly recommend Shadow Blastie.
GOLISOPOD
Shadow Claw X-Scissor & Liquidation
Golisopod is suddenly interesting now that it has all-new move Liquidation, which brings in new wins like Whiscash (it already beat Swampert), Swalot, Drifblim, and Gliscor. Add to this some surprising wins like Azumarill, Rainy Castform, and Alolan Raichu, and Golisopod may be more spicy than meta itself, but it's certainly on the upswing.
GYARADOS
Dragon Breath Aqua Tailᴸ & Crunch
Gyarados does just enough to be interesting, including taking out all the Poisons and Dragons in the meta, all Grounds but Quagsire, and stuff like Hypno, Wobbuffet, Jellicent, Rainy Castform, Drifblim, Araquanid. Slurpuff, and even Jumpluff. Not bad, right? Just don't get too cute with Shadow Gary.
SWOOBAT
Confusion Psychic Fangs & Aerial Ace
Hey, leave it to me for the oddball picks, especially among the "thrifty" 10ks. Swoobat is NOT a good PvP Pokémon, but it DOES come with Confusion to blow away the scary Poisons, and being a Flyer means it performs well against things like Swampert, Medicham, and the Grasses as well. It also manages to several of the big name Fairies and even Gliscor and Rainy Castform too. Not fantastic, but a lot of potential fun in this final Silph Cup.

50,000 Dust/50 Candy

SEAKING
Poison Jabᴸ Icy Windᴸ & Drill Runᴸ
One thing that doesn't change, despite all the new Fairy Wind around, is that Seaking still wipes away ALL the Fairies here, even really scary ones like Dedenne and Aromatisse/Slurpuff, even with fast-charging Fairy Wind and their scary Electric and Grass charge moves. With its adaptive moveset, it also handles big Poisons Dragalge and Garbodor, Flyers like Gliscor, Tropius, Emolga, and Jumpluff (and most non-Razor Leaf Grasses in this meta in general), and Dragons like Zweilous. Versatile and a LOT of fun, Seaking earns every bit of its current Top 3 Ranking in Innocent Cup!
JUMPLUFF
Fairy Wind Energy Ball & Acrobaticsᴸ
So here's one that DOES take a little hit with the redistribution of Fairy Wind (but Jumpie is still pretty good!). Jumpluff beats all the major Fairies except Florges... unless they're running Fairy Wind. But now it loses to FW Clefable, who is likely to suddenly be quite popular, and FW Togetic, who I feel like folks are going to bring as long-desired spice. It also has not a prayer against most Poisons (though it can handle Dragalge thanks to resisting Aqua Tail) but beats most Waters, Wobb, Medicham, Hypno, Zweilous, and even Tropius.
DEDENNE
Thunder Shock Discharge & Play Rough
When and I other analysts starting looking over this meta, we got very excited about Deedee. Upon further review, I personally like Alolan Raichu better overall, as it knocks out things Dedenne cannot like Hypno, Florges, Drifblim, Jumpluff, Seaking (Deedee does NOT like Poison damage!), Fini, Castform, and Clefable. Dedenne IS still quite good, with its better bulk and Fairy subtyping allowing it unique wins like Wobbuffet, Slurpluff, and Zweilous. And of course, you can always put Deedee AND AhChu on the same team of six....
FLORGES
Fairy Wind Disarming Voice & Moonblast
So Florges doesn't do anything particularly unique, as it is arguably best running with all Fairy moves. It CAN do some neat things with Vine Whip, like beating Jellicent and winning the mirror, but Fairy Wind is just better, instead taking out Jumpluff, Hypno, Wobbuffet, Whimsicott, Tropius and more.
As for other 50k Fairies:

• AROMATISSE is just kind of there. Thunderbolt is nice coverage in this meta in theory, but of course Charm makes it more of a Hail Mary than something to truly threaten all the Waters and Flyers with.
  
• SLURPUFF can operate with Fairy Wind, though it does so much less successfully than others. It's actually probably also best as a Charmer, just, again, a rather unexciting one. At least Flamethrower and Energy Ball are fantastic coverage options if you ever get to throw them!
  
• GRANBULL and TOGEKISS are even less exciting. Pass.
  

There is ONE other Fairy well worth mentioning here, though....
AZUMARILL
Bubble Ice Beam & Hydro Pump/Play Rough
If there's one lesson we learned early on in The Arena, it's that if you allow Azumarill into a meta, it will find a way to become relevant. And lo and behold, here is yet another example. Not even Swalot, Emolga, or Zapdos can safely overcome Azu! And that's on top of all the Fighters, Psychics, Flyers, Mud Boys and fellow Fairies that Azu can strike down. Azumarill is a strong contender here, as it has basically always been in these metas.
JELLICENT
Hex Surf &/or Shadow Ball &/or Ice Beam
I think I can pretty definitively recommend Hex as the fast move, but after that? Time for a classic side-by-side. My default recommendation is Surf/Shadow Ball, which can get to meaningful wins like Whiscash, Drifblim, and the mirror, but also valid are Surf/Ice Beam and even Beam/Ball work. Ice Beam is basically required to beat Whimsicott, Tropius, Jumpluff, and Dragalge, but can usually do it alongside Ball or Surf. Beam/Ball can beat most of what Surf/Ball and Surf/Beam can except Clefable, Florges, and Slurpuff. I think the basic question is thus: do you need extra coverage versus Grasses and Dragons? If so: Ice Beam. If not? Probably just stick with Surf/Shadow Ball. But there's no "wrong" answer, really. Good luck!
ARAQUANID
Bug Bite Bubble Beam & Mirror Coat/Bug Buzz
Gotta be that Bug Buzz is the closer to go with, right? Well, yes... but also perhaps no. It's true that only the raw power of Bug Buzz can overcome things like Seaking, Fairy Wind Whimsicott, and Clefable, but as bad a move as Mirror Coat is, it's ALSO true that 'Nid can overcome all the format's Poison types (and win the mirror match) only with Mirror Coat, not Buzz. Do with that information what you will, but I like when I get to highlight secret tech like that.
QUAGSIRE
Mud Shot Stone Edge & Mud Bomb/Earthquake
I still don't think it's quite right to call new Quag toy Mud Bomb a straight upgrade, as there are good things like Earthquake can still do that Bomb can't, like overpowering Azumarill and Swampert. But yes, Mud Bomb is probably the de facto standard now, getting its own nice wins versus things like Seaking, Rainy Castform, Tapu Fini, and Wigglytuff. Lord Quag is certainly more interesting than it was in May, particularly Shadow Quag which can do all of that PLUS also beat all versions of Jellicent, Hypno, and Togekiss, and Azumarill slides back into the win column too!
DRAGALGE
Dragon Tail Aqua Tail & Gunk Shot/Outrage
Good enough place as any to slide over to the relevant Poison types, since Dragalge masquerades as a Water type with Aqua Tail. But which way to go for the closer? Well, I'll start by saying that either one nets wins versus Araquanid (without Mirror Coat!), Tropius, and Jumpluff. After that, the slightly better record lies with Outrage that can beat Jellicent and Castform with high neutral damage, but I think I STILL lean towards Gunk Shot for its own unique win versus Azumarill and its high pressure versus enemy Fairies, Grasses, and others in the meta. In this case, I'd just keep it simple.
GARBODOR
Infestation Gunk Shot & Body Slam/Seed Bomb
With a face only a mother could love, here comes the only meta that can also tolerate Garbo. It's still not quite on the same tier as Dragalge and Swalot, but yes, Garbo is legit viable in Innocent Cup. Body Slam is my recommendation for spam alongside the required Gunk Shot, as Slam overwhelms stuff like Wobbuffet and Araquanid. But there is some potential spice here as well if you instead run with Seed Bomb, as you can then beat (Sludge Wave) Swampert and surprise the heck out of Ground and Water types in general.
ARBOK
Acid Dark Pulse & Acid Spray
And even a small step below Garbodor (there is a sentence is never thought I would write!), we have Arbok withAcid, and NOT the Dragon Tail you might expect instead. While it's true that Tail can beat other Dragons and/or Poisons (Dragalge, Zweilous, and Swalot specifically), it's very poor otherwise. Acid is a bad move, but it does manage to dissolve (see what I did there? I so funny hee hee haha) every non-Psychic Fairy and Grass type in the meta besides Tapu Fini, which is obviously a big deal in this meta.
HYPNO
Confusion Shadow Ball & Thunder Punch/Ice Punch
Usually an analysis on Hypno means a long debate between competing (and all viable) movesets. Now there ARE several that work outside of my recommendation of Shadow Ball/Thunder Punch, but I am ready to label that the odds on favorite. It just brings the most overall pressure in this meta, especially to the many Water and Flying types (beating Azumarill as one specific example), at the very small cost of being non-ideal versus Grasses... though Hypno doesn't beat Jumpluff or Tropius with Fire OR Ice anyway, so in my mind, no harm, no foul. At least, that's the way I'd go for non-Shadow. For Shadow Hypno, Ice Punch now comes with the power to freeze and shatter Jumpluff and Tropius, as well as Gliscor and Swampert, and still manages to knock out Azumarill too. Best of all worlds!
FARIGAMARIF
Confusion/Tackle Psychic Fangs & Thunderbolt
Bittersweet moment here, as it's my last time getting to talk about ol' Geeriffa— um, Giffimar— uh, Jeffomafig? Oh, fine... Girafarig. Yes, I HAVE known how to spell it all these years. 😅 My boy has only gotten better since recieving Psychic Fangs, to the point that it's viable in TWO configurations in this meta: [Tackle]() to overcome fellow Psychics (the type, NOT the move... two long-running jokes in one section! 💪) like Hypno, or Confusion which overpowers Whimsicott, Drifblim, Castform, and Clefable and is, honestly, just the better fast move in general. And don't forget Shadow Farigamiraf, which does give up Swampert, Jumpluff, Gliscor, and Charm Whimsie, but gains Surf/Shadow Ball Jellicent (already beats other Jelli variants), Seaking, Tapu Fini, Whiscash, and Togetic... and now beats Hypno without needing Tackle! One last toast to everyone's favorite funky Girafamathingy! It's been real, buddy. Glad you get to go out in style. 🦒
SLOWBRO/SLOWKING
Confusion/Water Gun Surfᴸ & Ice Beam/Psychic
Slowbro gets the slight nod because I like Confusion/Surf/Ice Beam the best personally (with standout wins versus Jumpluff, Tropius, and Florges), but if you want to instead run Water Gun/Surf/Psychic (the move!), then Slowking or Slowbro work equally well. The unique wins there are basically other Psychic types like DDeoxys and Wobbuffet. Either way, the Super Slow Bros are pretty nifty here! Similar BRUXISH not quite so much though.
CLAYDOL
Confusion Rock Tomb & Ice Beam/Shadow Ball
Not a strong recommendation, but Claydol does just enough here to be interesting (and that should make the Niantic employee that keeps adding moves to it every couple seasons very happy). With Ice Beam it beats Jumpluff, but beyond that you really want Shadow Ball, I think, which can instead beat Seaking and gives Claydol unique coverage versus Psychics, Flyers, AND Poisons, among others.
MEDICHAM
Counter Ice Punch & Psychic
Speaking of doing just enough to be interesting, this is one of those rare-ish metas where Medicham is merely okay. It does manage to hold down the Poisons as a good Psychic type should, but beyond that it doesn't really know what it wants to be in this meta, settling for picking off some big names but whiffing on plenty of others. I don't feel great about it myself, but be ready for it to show up in your opponent's six at some point, especially after it absolutely rocked the first Play Pokémon tournaments of the new GBL season.
HONCHKROW
Snarl Sky Attack & Brave Bird
One final chance to put in a good word for Honch (and end a 50k section with some spice... sniff 😢), one of the ultimate boom or bust options in PvP. Really not much to say than that... just reminding you that it and its Shadow version remain out there, lurking, daring you to take a shot with it. High risk, but potentially sky high reward in this final Silph month, folks!

75,000 Dust/75 Candy

TROPIUS
Razor Leaf Aerial Ace & Leaf Blade
I feel I am contractually obligated to start this section with ol' Banana Chin, specifically to point out a rare disagreement with my good friend Mr. PvPoke, who lists Air Slash as the fast move of choice. Respectfully, I disagree... it is Razor Leaf you want here. Not only does it still manage to beat everything Air Slash can that you most care about, and not only does it shred even scary Water types like Seaking and Jellicent, but it's also THE way for Trop to beat Florges and Electric types like Alolan Raichu and Dedenne. If you want more charge move pressure and such, go with Jumpluff. If you want to just beat stuff down almost regardless of remaining shields, Razor Leaf Tropius is your friend.
GLISCOR
Wing Attack Night Slash & Earthquake
Regular and Shadow both have plenty of merit. Non-Shadow has the bulk to outlast Clefable, Florges, Whimsicott, Zweilous, Medicham, Emolga, and Swampert, while Shadow instead has the raw power to overcome Jellicent, Tropius, Zapdos, Whiscash (before it can get to Blizzard), and non-Ice Punch Hypno.
GLIGAR
Wing Attack Night Slash & Returnᴾ
Honestly, though... purified Gligar is just better than Gliscor. Return is a big equalizing beatstick that allows Gligar to beat everything Gliscor can (regular and Shadow Gliscor combined, that is) except Jellicent, Whiscash, and Swalot, and further add on wins against Dragalge, Togekiss, and Gliscor itself! I think Gligar is a big time sleeper in Innocent Cup.
DRIFBLIM
Hex Icy Wind & Shadow Ball
It just got Mystical Fire, but at least in this meta, I think Blim wants to stick with Icy Wind, which does everything Fire can do plus can beat Flyers like Gliscor and Togetic. And just this once, I even give Shadow Blim a thumbs up. It drops Dedenne, but gains Tapu Fini, Rainy Castform, and stuff like Slurpuff too. Nice!
RAINY CASTFORM
Water Gun Weather Ball (Water) & Thunder
No Lanturn, no problem? Lanturn would indeed be perhaps a bit OP here, but Rainy is juuuuuuust right. Washes away Swalot and Garbo and even resists-all-its-moves Dragalge, Clefable and Togetic and Wigglytuff, and of course a ton of Waters (Jelli, Azu, Fini, Seaking) thanks to Thunder (and Swampert thanks to Weather Ball spam). Someone is definitely going to do well with it this month.
SYLVEON
Qucik Attack Psyshockᴸ & Moonblast
I mean, you CAN run Sylvie with Charm, but what makes it unique is Quick Attack. That plus Psyshock makes it the Fairy that handles the Poisons, while still doing most of the standard Fairy job (handling Dragons and Fighters and Bugs) and beating most of its fellow Fairies (and Jumpluff!) as well. It is very quietly a great Fairy in this meta.
ZWEILOUS
Dragon Breath Body Slam & Dark Pulse
Yes yes, it MUST avoid double super effective Fairy damage. And that leaves it with a less than inspiring record against the core meta. But take those away, and it has little to worry about beyond the few Bugs and Fighters in the meta. It beats the other Dragons you're going to see, and obviously dominates Psychic and Ghost types. And being a Dragon means resisting Water and Electric and Grass damage and beating many of those types too. It's far better (and sure to be far more popular) than the simple numbers would indicate.
DRAGONAIR
Dragon Breath Body Slam & Aqua Tail
Similar story here. The numbers are so-so, for similar reasons as Zweilous, but Dragonair puts out a lot of very spammy neutral damage. And unlike Zweilous, it can handle Seaking, Whiscash, DDeoxys and others.
I'll point out that Shadow DRAGONITE is pretty spicy too, though far less safe. It's more of a blunt object to the scalpel of Dragonair and Zweilous.

100,000 Dust/75 Candy

Running out of space (and already WAY out of time), so gonna blow through these briefly....

• ZAPDOS is the most interesting Legendary here, even with Emolga now really nipping at its heels. Emolga can overcome Whimsicott, Medicham, and Swalot, but it's still advantage Zapdos with wins versus Seaking, Jelli, Swampert, Gliscor, and Emolga itself. Zappie is still worth it, folks.
  
• It's no Azumarill, but yes, TAPU FINI still puts in some work. While Azu can outlast things like Emolga, Zapdos, Swampert, Gliscor, Florges, Wobb, and DDeoxys, it is Fini that alone can beat Jellicent, Dragalge, Araquanid, and Dedenne. There really IS a good case for both. If you're feeling particularly frisky, maybe literally both on the same team?
  
• Honorable mentions for GUZZLORD (which, unlike Zweilous, at least carries Sludge Bomb to somewhat threaten Fairies), LATIOS (just a Dragon that can wallop Poisons and other things with Luster Purge), DEFENSE DEOXYS (not particularly awesome here, but always a decent filler), and strangely-popular-so-far (according to Cup stats to date) CELEBI.
  

FEELIN' LUCKY?

For those unfamilar, this final section wraps up with stuff that needs to be pushed far into XL Candy territory. It CAN be great, but we're way past any semblance of "thrifty" at this point. Let's bring this one home!

• Staraptor isn't so hot here (partly because there's just not much for Close Combat to do), but STARAVIA has got the sauce, right up there with the surprising Swellow. The downside, of course, is having to max out Staravia just to get to 1468 CP. Worth it? Well that's YOUR call, my friend!
  
• So this one is cheating a bit, because RUFFLET is actually more than viable JUST beyond Level 40, if you max out a hundo at Level 40.5, hitting 1500 CP right on the nose. And it actually performs better in ways than the recommended heavy XL investment variety, having a better shot at beating Hypno and Swalot (while #1 IVs instead takes down only Dragalge and Togekiss instead). Wing Attack/Brave Bird** can't even be held down by the mediocre Aerial Ace. Rufflet is yet another strong bird candidate. If it didn't make sense why Noctowl and Pidgeot were banned yet, this should finally make that case.
  
• VULLABY kinda works too (and is one I KNOW folks have already invested in), obviously with distinct advantages versus Psychics and Ghosts in particular, and it beats plenty else besides. The big risk, of course, is a weakness to Fairy that other birds in this meta don't really have to worry about (at least not in terms of taking super effective damage). While the Flying Normals are more all-arounders, Vullaby is more of a specialist here.
  
• One of my favorite memories from early in my PvP analysis "career" was basically being bullied into writing an expansive analysis on LEDIAN by some Pokémon GO friends on Discord, and then being teased by many members of the early PvP community about it. This was in the days before XL Candy, so Ledian topped out at like 1350 CP then, making it a particuarly nutty venture. But hey, it CAN get to 1500 CP these days, though it's still mere spice and nowhere near meta. But if you took the plunge way back when... hey, this is the last month, right? YOLO!
  
• Mentioned a few times throughout this article, WOBBUFFET is honestly just alright, suffering from some of the same issues as DDeoxys... bulk and Counter alone don't get you so far in this particular meta. Not like they usually do! Wobb works, but this is not the time to build on from scratch, IMO. Smoke 'em if you already got 'em, sure.
  

And before I ramble on any further... that’s a wrap! Thanks for hanging with me to the end... of this article, of course, but also for the many of you that have followed and supported me for four and a half years now. I appreciate and love you all. 💙
Before I go, one final extension of my thanks to my PvP friends, local and around the world, who have lent their own ideas and suggestions over the years and helped teach me to be a better player and student of the game. There are too many to list them all, but a few specific shout-outs to PvPoke, GO Battle Log, PvPIVs.com, PokeMiners, my old friends at GO Stadium for mutally getting each other off the ground in the pre-GBL days, and of course, one final time, to the good folks at The Silph Arena and The Silph Road. Krydos, Drock, Zooeys, the old Meta Team, Steeeeeeeeeeve, Myugenlol, and Dronpes for really launching this multi-year adventure by reaching out to me in the first place, back in simpler times. And to those I ran out of time/brain capacity to mention... you know who you are. Thank you for being here along that journey and walking parts of that (Silph) road with me. And once more, my thanks to all of you, dear readers, for your own encouragement, support, and patience with me over the years.
Okay, I said I wouldn't get sappy again, and specifically that I would NOT use this song, but I think I kind of have to as a musical outro. So with apologies to Ol' Blue Eyes... well, I always HAVE done these reviews... my way.
🎼 And now, the end is near
♫ And so we face the final curtain.
♪ My friends, I'll say it clear:
♬ I stated my case, of which I'm certain!
♫ And more, much more than this
♩ I wrote it myyyyyyy way!
I hope you've enjoyed these analysis articles over the years as much as I've enjoyed preparing and sharing them with you!
All the best, my friends. I hope you have as many happy Silph Arena memories to hold on to as I do. To whatever comes next! Take care, Pokéfriends.
Don't cry because it's over. Smile, because it happened.
— Dr. Seuss

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Okay so, I was born in Canada in 1994. Ive always had memories of my past life basically my whole life, I always remembered distinctly being a gay jewish man from Chicago, I was born sometime in the 60s or possibly late 50s, I have a few vague memories of being a small child, Random stuff like going to the bakery with who I remembered as my "mom", standing in the hallway of a house with her, getting ice cream from a vendor with some other kids.
I remember meeting A man in a bar when I was In my early 20s and leaving with him, unfortunately I can't really remember what he looked like, just that he was white and wasn't old but wasnt particularly young either and he was taller than me. I'm pretty sure I was murdered, I don't know if it was him or someone else or how or where I was murdered, but I'm pretty sure it involved my skull and sulfuric acid and I'm pretty sure I drove somewhere shortly before.
Unrelated to my death things I can remember: There was something about a coffee shop, I can't remember what I did for work but i remember that I liked my job and was friends with everyone there, and getting stuck mopping the floor was my least favourite part, I remember having a little fluffy white dog at some point, liked to draw and liked sports, particularly baseball and bowling. I can't remember what my face looked like but I can remember my torso a little bit, skinny and somewhat fit and I had light brown skin. I think I had a sister or a bestfriend that was a girl, young with dark shoulder length hair, I remember standing on a balcony with her, with a super crappy view that just faced another building lol. And I can remember the inside of a friend's apartment from the front door, there were 3 other men there, one of them was angry and yelling because one of the other men didn't want to sleep with him.
I'm probably leaving out a bunch of stuff, but those are the main things I guess. I've tried to look it up a few times but haven't really been able to find anything that matches up, would love to know what you guys think and if you have any ideas! -also I was trying my best to sum this up and keep it relatively short, if you'd like further details or elaboration about anything please let me know.

My partner loves orange sherbet and chocolate sprinkles but I'm having the hardest time finding any available in town. Anyone know where you can reliable find orange sherbet? Anniversary coming up and want to make a surprise of it. Is Halifax a sorbet and ice cream only zone? Where's the sherbet at in NS?

(Status: Closed)
Hello, Pokemon trading subredditors! This time I would like to trade my HA Moon Shiny Frigibax with the following details for 1 Moon Ball or 1 Dream Ball via link trading in SV. This thread will be closed within 2 hours since this post is created, regardless of the fact that I could or could not eventually find a fellow trader. Many thanks!

• Original trainer: Benjamin (me)
• ID no.: 703842
• How I obtain the Shiny Frigidaire: I bred it by myself in SV
• Ball type: Moon Ball
• Gender: female
• Level: 1 (no experience points gained at all)
• IV distribution: Best in Special attack, Special defence, Speed and Defence
• Nature: Jolly
• Tera type: Ice
• Ability: Ice body (Hidden ability)
• Egg moves: Aqua tail, Dragon rush, Freeze dry, Icicle spear

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