So, you're new to Wifi General?

---So you're new to Wifi General?---
Let me be the first to say "Hello".

---First things First---
Please read the global rules and any /vp/ rules, we are not exempt.

It's highly recommended that you lurk here for a week or two before posting in Wifi General. It is a great way to learn etiquette and regulars. (if you're simply looking for a trade, and going to leave here forever afterward, you may ignore this.)




Please take note: This has not been updated for X and Y, will hopefully be fixed soon.




---So you've lurked, now what?---
What a great question, thanks for asking.

Get a name. Names make you easier to identify when posting, and helps when you're trying to get a trade going. Remember this name will haunt you forever. It helps build credibility too. As for picking a name, many new people make the mistake of using their in-game name. You do not have to do this, although if you like your in-game you're mostly free to use it. Since you've lurked, you should have seen a plethora of names already. Please try to avoid anything similar or anything that could be confused with another poster. We had 3 Adams at one point, and 2 still come around.

We can give advice on breeding, which is common. For Pokemon sets, people will recommend checking Smogon, but using their cookie-cutter sets isn't always the best. We can give advice on the Pokemon you will be or are breeding. (note: we tell everyone their Pokemon are shit, unless they are perfection incarnate.) Egg moves are up for discussion, along with EV spreads and other things.

As much as we emphasize the importance of breeding something to perfection, very little battling is done here. I still recommend asking for a battle if you want, but don't expect as swift a reply as a trade.

---What do all these terms mean?---
DWF: Dream World Female, a female Pokemon with a special ability granted through the Dream World. DWF Starter Pokemon will have a hacked lineage, as only some males with their abilities were released. There are also still a few pokemon with unreleased DWFs. Females are the only ones who can pass these to their offspring.

EMM: Egg Move Male, a male Pokemon with one or more moves only attainable through breeding. These moves WILL NOT be able to be remembered if deleted. Males are the only ones who can pass moves to their offspring.

Shone: a shiny Pokemon.

WFC: Wifi Club. It's the top middle room in the Pokemon center as of Black, White, Black 2, and White 2.

FC: Friend Code, it's a code found in the Pal Pad item, used to connect to other players by registering them. Some people use multiple games, so make sure you have the right one!

ME Run: A Mystery Egg Run. This will be discussed in greater detail below.

Dead Hours: A time when there is little activity and the thread ends up on page 3.

RNG Debate: The manipulation of the RNG within the game is controversial, as it is deemed cheating by some, while others do not. It has become less of an issue than previously, as it was used to rile up the thread at one point. Everyone has their own stance on it, so please don't try to derail the thread with this. Also, if a Pokemon you are trading was RNG'd, please let them know.

Gen: Generation. Gen 4 includes: Platinum, Diamond, Pearl, Soul Silver, and Heart Gold. Gen 5 includes White, Black, White 2 (W2), and Black 2 (B2). All games within a gen can trade with each other.

Derp: A random Pokemon, nothing special. Usually a breeding leftover or a randomly caught wild Pokemon. Pretty much anything unwanted and on hand.

RNG: Random Number Generator, literally the thing that randomizes everything within the game. Technically pseudo-randomness, but that's irrelevant here. It is possible to manipulate it, and people do, for the sake of getting a Pokemon exactly how they want it, (usually involving shininess,) all within their game.

---Time for Trading---
So, do you know what you want? I'll guess yes.
How do you find out who has it? Lists.
Many regulars have a list, which usually lists what DWFs and EMMs they have, and can also include shones, legendaries, and items, among other things.
Many already have what they want or need, and may breed things for nothing of value in return. There are select instances where even those people will ask for something, simply because what they are getting for you is a pain.
Legendary Pokemon are less valuable than you probably think, although it's usually a person-to person basis. Shiny Pokemon are usually traded for other shiny Pokemon, 1:1. There are a select few who don't care about shiny Pokemon though.
Please, if you're looking for something: link to a list of someone who has it! You're much more likely to get it that way, instead of being ignored over and over.

So, how should you show off what you have for trade?
A list. Most here use MS Paint, Gimp, or Photoshop (a version of which is now free). It's okay to have a small list, we all started from somewhere. Please don't list everything you want, need, or have via a block of list, nobody will look at it and you'll waste posts asking why nobody is trading with you. Visuals are much better for finding trades.

After you find someone to trade with, exchange FCs (make sure they're the right FCs), and make sure you're playing the same generation. Then hop in the WFC, and make sure you press 'X' to turn off voice chat. It's a common courtesy.
If you have trouble connecting, make sure the C-gear is off for gen 5 trades. Sometimes exiting and re-entering is enough to fix the issue. Other times it may be the Pokecheck DNS (discussed below), which will require you to turn on auto-obtain DNS for the trade.

---Hey, you said you'd explain ME Runs---
I did, calm down. I'll do it now, if you'd like.
A Mystery Egg run begins right after the first gym is defeated. Choose whatever starter you want, it won't matter in a little while. Announce that you plan to do one, in order to get your trades set up, and give time to people who need to breed you eggs, before you go fight the gym at the latest. These eggs are donations, so don't feel bad about not giving anything in return. Trading over Wifi is disabled until the first gym is beat, but then you'll be able to either obtain the Pal Pad, or in B2/W2, be allowed to trade. You then catch 6 derps to trade, in exchange for 6 eggs. The mystery now comes into play, because you don't get to know what's in those eggs till they hatch. You may request a team theme though, such as type. You then hatch them, be appreciative you didn't get utter shit, and continue the game with only those Pokemon, and any HM slaves if need be. The idea is you use things you normally wouldn't otherwise.
And remember, enjoy it!

---Pokecheck---
IVs are an important part of breeding, usually the focus after getting a correct nature. I will not explain them here, there is another guide floating about that already does that.
The important thing is checking them, and there is a nice site called Pokecheck.org to find out what your Pokemon's IVs (and EVs, among plenty other things) are. The setup is on the site, we might be able to help if you're having that much trouble. It cannot do event Pokemon with ribbons though, and you can calculate IVs on those using the Battle Subway, or the IV checker in the subway.
Pokecheck can also double as a place to check the legality of your Pokemon, to see if they were hacked. After you get a Pokemon onto the site, click on it to see its details. At the bottom of the page there is a 'Show Legality Analysis' button, and if you click it, more information shows up. Red text denotes things that are definitely wrong, while orange text means you should be wary of it. Many Pokemon we breed have a 'likely edited or RNG'd abused' warning, but this is only triggered by having a certain number of 31 IV stats.
People who are trading shiny Pokemon  will often ask for a Pokecheck, just for safety's sake.

Flashcarts are able to post Pokemon with ribbons to Pokecheck for legality analysis, but for more information ask within the thread.

Links edition!:

Everything you need: http://www.mediafire.com/download/53r9q20hpeuril5/Everything+You+Need.rar
Templates and extras: http://www.mediafire.com/download/wcnyta3r7nr3rh7/Templates+and+Extras.zip

---Links!---
Smogon.com

Pokemon-gl.com (To access the Dream World)

Pokecheck.org

Pokemon Showdown (An online Pokemon battle simulator, abbreviated PS)