#anyway. pokemon sword and shield my beloved | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

reides · 5 months

Text

leaving alola behind him, reides the kingdra headed for generation 8 of the pokemon games in his quest for more ribbons! gen8 of these games feature the galar region (via pokemon sword and shield) as well as the sinnoh region (via pokemon brilliant diamond and shining pearl)! this leap to gen8 was super alarming, as my beloved kingdra moved from the 3ds to the current nintendo console - namely, the nintendo switch! it's crazy to think about how this whole journey began on my copy of emerald version, slotted into my pleasantly clunky brick of a grey ds.

reides' journey through the generations has been filled with its highs and its lows, but once he arrived safely in pokemon home, it meant that i could be a bit flexible with my approach to the ribbons available in swsh and bdsp! (it also meant bidding farewell to my shoddy photos of my (3)ds screen for these posts... they will be missed...)

anyway, before i get into the story of reides' gen8 journey, i gotta do my customary shoutout to all the other parts of his ribbon master quest. it's really easy this time around, as i finally put together an index for these posts on my personal site! you can find it here! that page also has a lot of information about the challenge itself, along with some helpful resources if you'd like to take it on. as always, you can also peek in my ribbon master tag on this blog, too.

if you're all caught up with the story so far, it's time to get started on a brand new chapter.

transferring reides into my copy of pokemon shield was a really emotional experience. kingdra looks absolutely gorgeous on the switch, and i was blown away by how awesome the shiny form looks, too. this moment on the beach at sunset - with a galarian slowpoke and a kingler lurking close by - felt pretty cinematic. it was also really nice to see my trainer character again! i absolutely love all of the different fashion items available in swsh. immediately, i knew that i had to make my ribbon mastery team a big ol' pot of curry for all of their hard work thus far.

we also played together while we camped out. i was really glad that i was already in shield's post-game, as it saved a whole lot of time on this ribbon master journey AND meant that i'd have tons of toys for my pokemon at my disposal.

after goofing around for hours, i finally decided to take on the first ribbon available in galar. this ribbon was the galar champion ribbon, which your pokemon receive upon entering the galarian hall of fame. i ended up needing to play through the galarian star tournament first, though, as i had procrastinated on doing that for the longest time... so reides ended up taking part in a few more battles than one would think!

it was absolutely awesome to see dynamax in action with reides! it made me wish that kingdra got a gigantamax form, but i guess that would be a bit too amazing for anyone to handle, huh? while taking on this ribbon, i also realized just how much i missed the vibes of the gym challenge in the galar region. the wide stadiums, the cheering crowds, the MUSIC... all of it is so incredibly top-tier and it really got me pumped up! not to mention seeing the absolutely INCREDIBLE cast in action. shoutout to everyone but especially piers. all hail the reigning king of the pokemon punks.

anyway, reides was eventually able to sweep his way to victory in both the galarian star tournament as well as the league battles. he joined the hall of fame and got the galar champion ribbon!

with that handled, it was time to take on galar's battle tower. according to most, this battle tower is an absolute cake-walk, as you can dynamax while most of your opponents (barring leon) can't. it was just a matter of buckling down and spending the time required to amass your wins. as a result, i ended up abandoning the tried and true durant strat and instead took the og trio of albatross, origin and reides, himself, along for the ride.

hilariously enough, i ran into ONE road-block in this tower in the form of a shedinja which i could literally not attack. i had NO moves that could get past its guard... sobs. but another nice thing about the galarian battle tower is that it isn't streak-dependent, instead swapping over to a system relying on ranking up or ranking down. so i brushed off this shedinja encounter without letting it get to me all that much, haha! i also taught albatross shadow ball... just in case.

ribbons also got a bit of an upgrade in the switch games of pokemon. no longer limited to just being pretty graphics on the ribbon screen, you can now equip one ribbon on your pokemon and give it a little title every time you send it out in battle. i equipped the ribbon that reides got for mastering all of the contests in omega ruby, which granted him the title of 'shining star'!

it was so nice to see it every time i sent him out, but i can definitely see myself swapping between all the various titles at reides' disposal!

my climb to the master ball rank was fairy uneventful, though i really understood this child's plight. it's how i felt many times while in various battle towers during this ribbon master journey.

eventually, i made it through the rank itself and got to the final battle against leon. though i had faced him at the end of each rank prior to this moment, it still felt very intense to encounter him knowing that this was my very last battle tower match for the forseeable future. also, his battle tower outfit is SO DRIPPY. love him so much.

not gonna lie, it was pretty funny seeing him say something so inspiring while looking so sad (and the snowscape from one of dynamax-form reides' attacks really added to it). leon is an absolutely amazing character and one of my fav champions ever, though, so i was thrilled that he got to be the final match in my battle tower saga!

even though the swsh battle tower was WAY easier than the others that i faced, i was still so happy to be done with it. my goodness. i really went from ignoring the battle towers in the series to gaining streaks of ~50 in each and every one... it's kind of unreal. reides truly earned the title of 'tower master'!

upon getting the tower master ribbon, we were done with galar. i was sure to make my pokemon team some more curry before they set off for sinnoh! but i honestly wasn't too torn up about leaving galar, as pokemon home lets us shift pokemon between the switch games however we'd like. after so many one-way transfers out of prior generations, it felt kind of surreal - and was also a huge relief.

this cute curry wasn't the only treat that got eaten, either! i made some pokemon cookies in Real Life to celebrate, as well. i used cookie cutters from the official pokemon store to make these pikachu and munchlax cookies!

i then set my sights on the remake of diamond version... pokemon: brilliant diamond!

the last time reides visited sinnoh, he did so via my childhood copy of diamond version. as i wrote in my post about the gen4 part of reides' journey, this copy of the game was already in the post-game, so i didn't have to play through any of diamond's plot whatsoever when he arrived. however... for this sinnoh visit, i actually didn't have a post-game available! despite owning brilliant diamond since the day it released, i had barely played it. (fun fact: in my first run of the game, i ran into a shiny bidoof on my very first night playing it. i ended up transferring all of the pokemon in it - bidoof included - to pokemon home and restarting it, though, as i was toying with the idea of doing a shiny starter hunt... and then i simply never touched it. so i guess restarting it was actually a waste of time. weeps.) i knew that i'd need to play through its plot to get the ribbon that reides needed, so... you know what that meant.

it was time for a whole other adventure to begin.

i decided to keep reides in the pc for the storyline part of this playthrough. i wanted to raise a team of pokemon from the sinnoh region, and i knew that reides' status as a fully ev and iv trained pokemon at level 100 meant that he would absolutely STEAMROLL the plot. we still went on walks together very often though, and he had his pal hammer the garchomp in the pc for company! (i usually raise a garchomp for my sinnoh teams, as it's one of my fav pokemon in the sinnoh region, but i decided to try to resist this time around and limit myself to pokemon that i had never raised before!)

i absolutely loved my brilliant diamond playthrough. the art direction is a point of contention in the pokemon fandom, but i'm a big fan of it! it seems like people either love it or hate it, and, thankfully, i'm definitely in the 'love' camp! the chibi style is endlessly charming, and the environments were just gorgeous. something about the lighting in brilliant diamond is just SUPER pleasing to me, and re-visiting sinnoh like this allowed me to really appreciate it. since my diamond file was in the post-game, i guess needing to play through this one in its entirety actually kinda worked out in my favour, huh?

i was super delighted to see that the ribbons screen is absolutely gorgeous in this game, too! i really like the status screen featured in bdsp. it's so nice and colourful.

this simple little screenshot is also really important to me. you see, when i was a kid, i got diamond version as a gift from a family friend. he'd gone abroad and generously brought back it back as a present for me. back then, the country that i live in didn't get pokemon games in a timely manner at all (we'd get them in video game stores months after they released in the u.s.), and i actually had no idea that diamond version even existed. (not knowing that a new pkmn generation dropped was a recurring experience in my childhood, LOL.) so playing this game for the first time made for a really magical experience. i have a very, very clear memory of playing it for hours and hours on the night that i started it up... until i could barely keep my eyes open. i trained my team a whole lot and was exploring this route right outside of jubilife, and i thought that the small island on the water was very pretty. i saved there for the night, imagining my trainer setting up a little camp for herself and her pokemon... and now, every time i'm on that route, i can't help but smile at the memory. so you can imagine just how happy i was to take a photo with reides there, with the updated graphics and everything!

furthermore, on the course of my sinnoh journey, i ran into lots of old friends... including none other than riley!

thanks to the way he helped me out in the gen4 battle tower, riley is a really special character to me now. so i was really happy to see him and play through iron island with him! after thwarting team galactic, he surprised me with a little gift.

i actually wasn't planning on raising a riolu - much less a lucario - on my main team AT ALL... but, upon receiving this egg from riley, i knew i had to. as silly as it may sound, i thought it would be a great nod to our time in the battle tower all those generations ago! and so, on that note, here is the storyline team that i journeyed through sinnoh with, and who helped reides get to where he needed to be:

as you can see, there's a bit of a theme going on with their nicknames! i decided to name each member of my brilliant diamond team after in-universe berries. i thought it'd be cute!

anyway, the berry bunch and i had a fantastic time exploring sinnoh. days passed, and, eventually, we faced what i believe to be the most difficult league in any of the pokemon games... including the most daunting champion battle ever.

cynthia lived up to her status as the most skilled champion in the pkmn franchise thus far. we had a battle for the ages, knocking 5 of each other's pokemon out. i actually almost lost to her - she had me completely backed into a corner. but my team pulled through, as kelpsy the glaceon MIRACULOUSLY toughed out an attack that should have knocked him out (via the affection system - namely, if your pokemon really loves you, they can occasionally 'survive' attacks that'd knock them out with 1hp instead) and managed to land a single ice beam on her garchomp. this clutched out the win, and my team was added to the sinnoh hall of fame.

now that i had access to the post-game, i could focus on reides once more. to get his ribbon in brilliant diamond, we'd have to foray into the brilliant contest scene.

brilliant contests are a calibre above the typical condition contests and are linked to all of your contest stats rather than just one. you actually don't gain access to this category unless you've achieved a master rank win in all of the solo-stat categories. luckily, ribbons from oras are recognized in bdsp, so reides didn't have to prove his worth to the judges and could instead get right to competing in the brilliant contests.

in addition to this category, bdsp also introduced some new contest mechanics, too. your final contest score can be split into three parts: 'visual', 'dance', and 'move'. these all seem pretty self-explanatory; the visual part is linked to your pokemon's contest condition/sheen, the dance part is linked to how well you perform in the rhythm game, and the move is linked to your timing in executing the one contest move that you're allowed to take in with you during the contests. but the visual part actually has an element of added complexity in bdsp, as it also involves a new mechanic of placing stickers on your pokemon's pokeball so that cool effects play when you send them out. (this feature was also in the gen4 sinnoh games, albeit not incorporated into those games' contests.)

the effects which these stickers play have a direct impact on your pokemon's visual score. however, for brilliant contests, normal stickers don't really cut it. instead, people recommend grinding out champion stickers (from taking on cynthia's rematch team post-heatran plotline) and showstopper stickers (from beating the other master rank contests) in order to get a decent appeal score. since reides didn't need to take on the master rank contests, i didn't have any of those - and i wasn't all too interested in grinding for more. i figured that grinding out champion stickers would work out better, since they give more points in the visual portion of the contest, anyway.

before starting that grind, i decided to give the brilliant master contest a try with nothing but the base-game stickers. given reides' perfect contest stats from omega ruby, i wondered if his contest skills would be enough to scrape through and secure a win.

as it turned out...

...they were not. people are NOT exaggerating when they talk about the difficulty of the brilliant master rank contest!! i was pretty shocked that my lovely kingdra was getting absolutely terrible visual ratings. (LIKE, LOOK AT HIM!! LOOK AT HIM!!!!!!! HE'S SO CUTE!!!!!!! AND PERFECT!!! AND SWEET, TOO!!!!!!!!) anyway, my outrage aside, it turns out that using those two types of stickers to boost your pokemon's visual rating is pretty much a necessity. the rhythm game portion of it is also not to be underestimated and typically requires a bit of practice. luckily, i'm fairly decent at rhythm games, but i knew that i would have to get those stickers from cynthia after all. i played through the pre-requisite bit of the post-game - catching heatran in a premier ball! - and made my way back to the league. with my storyline team vibing in the pc and my ribbon mastery team ready to FIGHT, i got settled and began grinding out the battles.

initially, i intended to get 20 champion stickers on the ball so as to fill it up entirely with them. after getting 8 stickers in one night, though, i was kind of worn down and decided to give the contest another try. i also taught giga impact to reides, as it's SUPER good in the bdsp contests (your pokemon gains a big boost to its score when you use it while you have a positive 'jam' score in the dance game) and can be easily bought in the veilstone department store. i was delighted to see that my protag's mother - johanna - was there for this contest, as well as gym leader fantina. both johanna and fantina are great at contests in-universe, so i was excited at the prospect of at least succeeding on this contest round, even if reides didn't manage to clutch out the win.

...however, by some miracle, reides managed to do just that!! not only did i finally manage to succeed in the brilliant master rank contest, but reides also secured the win. at this point, it was, like, 4 in the morning for me. i was absolutely astounded; i actually wondered if i was somehow hallucinating. the twinkling star ribbon was the one and only ribbon that i needed in brilliant diamond, and after so much work to get to this point...

...it was finally granted to reides!!!

upon recieving this ribbon, reides acquired all of the ribbons that he needs in order to be a ribbon master... save for ONE. one (1) single ribbon stands in his way... and that ribbon is the one that's granted to a pokemon for emerging victorious in a master ball ranked online battle. now, i can technically get this ribbon by putting reides back in pokemon shield and trying to climb the ladder in gen8... but, as you likely know, the current gen (as of me writing this post) is gen9. that means that the gen8 battle servers are... well...

empty.

okay, no. they're not entirely empty. but people have stories of waiting for hours to get into one single match, and i'm not sure if i want to put myself through that unless i absolutely must. and i might just have to, as kingdra hasn't been officially announced as part of the generation 9 pokedex... however, with indigo disk on the horizon (3 more days!!!), i figured i'd wait to see if kingdra would be included in its national dex before subjecting myself to gen8's very delayed match-making times. if it isn't, i'll just devote another post to my competitive climb in lieu of a gen9 one. (tbh, i'm considering making a totally seperate blog post for my very first foray in the vgc realm regardless - but we'll see how it goes!)

either way, i really, really enjoyed my time with reides in gen8. it has been so awesome to see him in games that i can play with the most up-to-date nintendo console, and kingdra's models across the switch games have just been so incredibly snazzy. i said this at the start of the post, but it truly is crazy to see just how far my little shiny horsea from emerald version has journeyed. i love reides so very much and i couldn't possibly be more proud of him!!!

so let's keep our fingers crossed that reides will be allowed into gen9 so that he can explore the paldea, kitakami, and unova regions! thanks again for cheering him on, and i'm looking forward to writing another update soon!!! that update may very well include reides finally achieving full ribbon master status at long last, so i'm already excited for it! :D

#jamietxt #ribbon master #pokemon #reides the kingdra

23 notes · View notes

heckyeahponyscans · 2 years

Note

As a pokemon fan, pokemon fans complain about everything to a degree. at the time, a lot of people who started with gen 1/2, were aging out of pokemon by gen 3. So it was often the case of 'look how adult I am by not playing something aimed at younger people'. However now a days its still considered a very solid game, and people enjoy it. Gen 5 had so many complaints on release despite the fact that its legitimately one of the best pokemon games that was ever made.

sword/shield are the recent ones everyone seams to 'despise' at first because they decided not to continue on with adding every single pokemon in the pokemon games. And the tree textures were bad. (Understandable complaints as the game could use more polish, but I really thought it was fun.)

Anyway I loved beast wars as a kid. I don't remember much about it, but it was so good! I mostly remember a character not surviving, (Which i'm being vague about for sake of spoilers as I know its still possible to watch the show.) and the Wasp character. Waspinator is still just so good. Think his story was that his speech pattern took a long time so they just kept having him be attacked/injured so he couldn't talk much. Which ended up making him so beloved by fan and creator that they didn't die when they were planned too.

Oh yeah, that character death . . . I know the one you speak of and watching that episode still makes me cry. So good.

On Pokemon, I'm not part of the Pokemon fandom (like part of the community) but I'm a Pokemon fan in the sense that I watch the anime sometimes (loved the Sun / Moon season) and play all the games.

IMO Sun / Moon was the best game, which as I understand it isn't something a lot of Pokemon fans would agree with me on, lol. But it was the only one that really made me love a region instead of going "well, that was pretty cool."

I'm not picky when it comes to playing Pokemon games, it's mostly about building and bonding with my team. And I like doing nuzlockes, so my perception of games is also influenced by, like, how many Pokemon are available on each route.

I disagree on Black / White being great, it was the third weakest game in terms of story IMO. But I will save that for another post because I have A LOT to say on it. (I did enjoy playing it, like I said I'm not picky and also I loved the Water starter, but wow after all the online hype I was expecting something better. For context, I played it for the first time last year.)

Pokemon Sword / Shield is just genuinely bad. The story is incomplete and just so sloppily laid out. But the biggest technical flaw is that Exp Share was permanently on. It was so frustrating trying to keep my team at a level that would make the game challenging. Plus I like switch training. It gives me the illusion that I'm actually "training" my Pokemon. I know that's not everyone's preference, but that's what the toggle was for. #bringbackthetoggle

#Pokemon #Pokemon Sun and Moon #Pokemon Sword and Shield #Pokemon Black and White #Pokemon X / Y had the second worst story in case anyone is wondering #but it's also one of my favorite games to play because it has a great variety of Pokemon #but yeah the story was pretty stupid

13 notes · View notes

stormcloudsandshadows · 2 years

Note

WHATS YOUR FAV POKEMON OVERALL? MAYBE ONE FROM EACH GEN? TIER LIST?? -CAPS (FORGOT TO SIGN OFF EARLIER BUT YOU'LL KNOW ITS ME ANYWAY HAHA)

My favorite is a tie, Oshawott and Torchic, my two main starters! Torchic was my very first, and Oshawott was so cute and so I had to choose him in pla, and just,,, little otter baby!!! Oh also, shiny suicune for nostalgia, I had a shiny suicune in my second ever Pokémon game- the first I ever actually owned. My first game was Ruby that I borrowed from my moms coworker that had a crush on her.

Gen 1- mewtwo, for the lore and the fact that my first ever oc was part mewtwo- long story.

Gen 2- chicorita! My baby my sweetie! And also shiny suicune

Gen 3- Torchic and zigzagoon

Gen 4- shinx and primal Dialga. Yes primal Dialga is spin-off only. Yes I still count it.

Gen 5- Oshawott and meloetta! My babies!

Gen 6- sylveon! The closest I got a non legendary to lvl 100, he was 80 something!

Gen 7- primarina or sylvally. Pip and Syl my beloveds! Oc for gen 7 my beloved. Her name was Hikari, she went by Bright, and she was a junior international police member

Gen 8- hisuian sneasel. Hisuian Samurott. I am not super attached to sword and shield Pokémon. I’d rather talk about Pokémon legends Arceus. Pla is such a good game!

Gen 9- so far, sprigatito and lechonk.

#pogeyman

0 notes

poke-poke-poke · 2 years

Photo

I wonder how many different fashion styles Nessa has modelled,,

(I wanted to draw clothes, sue me www

also other versions, kinda, under the read more? i got indecisive on this one--)

i’m personally fond of this one--- ww,,, but it’s probably crowded to everyone else huh-

‘tis a WIP! also original picture i used as reference for clothes is there and below :]

i can put the source of the picture down if anyone wants to know?

anyways,,, nessa pretty send tweet

#pokemon swsh #pkmn swsh #pokemon sword and shield #pkmn sword and shield #gym leader nessa #art #poke's doodles #th--#the colours look fine on my laptop PLEAS E look good on everyone elses stuff #the amount of times i upload a pic and go :] then look at it on another device and go :[ a h #anyways enough worrying--#this post is very much catered to me and probably me only-#sometimes you want to draw nessa real pretty www #also this fashion is super interesting.. i love drawing it--#there was going to be more pics but i felt like working on something else after-- ww #this was supposed to be a warmup sketch i dont know why i decided to colour it-- but she's pretty so------#i think about her modelling a lot - like.. there's got to be regional clothing differences in pkmn world..#so in theory there could be model photoshoots showcasing that right?#im rambling oops desole etc #nessa my beloved.. wish i could have done better on your hair - it's what you deserve---

26 notes · View notes

powdermelonkeg · 2 years

Text

You know what’s underrated in video games?

Cooking mechanics.

Not like “Let’s play Cooking Mama 2,” where the whole game is about cooking. I mean when you’re on your adventure, and you stop and set up a warm campfire and prep provisions for your journey.

Ranked from least engaging to most, I think Skyrim and Stardew have the bare minimum (no cooking animation/sparkles when you make a dish), then Breath of the Wild (just toss ingredients in a pan), then Genshin Impact (pick the ingredients, set the right temperature, you have to have a recipe first), then at the very top is Pokemon Sword and Shield (CURRYDEX MY BELOVED; you get to pick what goes in, stir it up, add love, there’s skill, you get to benefit from it, you get to see how enjoyable it is, there’s SO MANY different kinds—delightful)

Anyways more games should have cooking mechanics in them, it’s amazing

#AND FORAGING MECHANICS #forage for stuff on your own then make tasty dishes out of it #yes pls #personal #text #botw #pokemon #skyrim #sdv #genshin impact

421 notes · View notes

insanityconflict · 3 years

Note

OKAY!! WHAT DO YOU LIKE/LOVE ABOUT BLACK/WHITE???

KAHSBDKJBG HI SO MANY PEOPLE (there are two (2))

i grew up with black version. it was my first pokemon game, found it at a 2nd hand game shop out of pure luck for like. ten bucks. i was a stupid 10 year old when i first played it so i didnt understand most of it and was just thinking "oh pretty critters :]" and also a mixture of "this is so hard wtf"

funny thing is that the last person who had the game didnt reset the file and turns out they were a hacker JHBKSJG they had every mythical known to man at that time, 800 masterballs, and their last save was on liberty isle WHICH BTW was a limited event location for victini!!! kinda wish i could have transferred over the mythicals to bank but again i was ten and was stupid

nowadays i look at black and white as the peak of pokemon's golden age. the story was miraculous, the visuals outstanding, the characters so goddamn interesting. i STILL cry over the ending

yeah, i have my struggles. pokemon bw was a generally difficult game when it came to normal pokemon standards. if you compare it to like. sword and shield you can probably see where i'm coming from. god save whoever nuzlockes this game i lost my entire team to the second gym AND i was overlevelled. stupid fucking leonora with her stupid fucking watchog i hate that stupid fucking gym ANYWAYS. most of my troubles come form the endgame. the elite 4 is hard as fuck, legitimately ran out of cash for healing items in one of my playthroughs so much that i had to start over my file. my problems from THAT were caitlyn and her reuniclus. fuck you. ghetsis was also a huge issue. not because of the hydreigon, actually, it was because of the goddamn cofigragus.

n my absolute beloved. unova had so many simpable characters like girl you cant do this to me hello?? jokes aside n is an amazingly written character. not only is he likeable overall, his backstory isnt shallow like with some other characters. it's honestly really deep, kinda fucked up. fuck you ghetsis!! i hope kyurem freezes you in an iceberg for ten thousand years.

unova had the most pokemon added in the pokedex out of the other games. 154 i believe?? which puts it above even kanto's base 151. the pokemon themselves were AMAZING. i think they did great with all their dragon-types, which was what the region itself was mostly known for. the legendaries are still some of my favorites; the concept of truths/ideals, yin/yang personified as pokemon is really unique and inspiring. i hope to god that kyurem gets his own legends game someday. that is if arceus' game goes well.

IM SO IN LOVE WITH GEN 5 and i havent even touched base with the gen's mystery dungeon game hi gates to infinity i love you <3

#sjdcbvmdvhbdfjkfgbjgf/pos #asks #pokemon

4 notes · View notes

hayleyb100 · 4 years

Text

Shattered, Part 7

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Midquel - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9- Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 the end

⚠️WARNING!⚠️

*A twisted story of Pokemon Sword and Shield, with Leon as main character. *Lots of fanons. *Everything is headcanon. *It isn’t spoiler free. *It includes death of a character. *SUPER ANGSTY.

"Bleh, it's yucky. You should cook something more greasy and unhealthy for us, old man."

"Then why don't you bring some food once in a while? If not, zip it. Beside, it isn't even for you, Raihan. Why are you eating and judging it anyway?"

Raihan and Kabu were complaining to each other in front of Leon, with a lighter atmosphere in the room. It became a regular thing now that three gather in Leon's place, Kabu brings packed meal and they all share the food as well as stories. Kabu would tell fascinating stories of faraway Hoenn Region, with so many unknown pokemons. Raihan would tell Leon about the fun they had together in pokemon camp and in daily life. Of course, they would listen and sympathize when Leon was low. With time, a smile bloomed in Leon's face more often and things seemed to have taken a turn for better.

____________________________________

One day, Leon quietly suggested something that neither Kabu nor Raihan expected.

"Maybe... we should gather somewhere else next time."

Kabu and Raihan stared at Leon with shock.

"Are you sure?" Kabu asked worriedly.

"I mean, you really shouldn't go outside when you are not ready. If it is pushing you, I suggest we do it later."

"Yeah, the old man got a point."

"I'm fine, really. You did so much to me, and I should make some progress by now."

Leon calmly grinned.

To be honest, Leon was still afraid of outside. Anywhere he goes, the place would have at least a hint of recollections on Hop. That's how close Leon was to his brother, and it would surely break Leon. But with all the help, he just couldn't stay the same forever.

"Well, if you say so... Then we should start with the closest town." Raihan suggested but Leon had another idea.

"Actually, I would like to go to Motostoke City. Mr. Kabu came all the way to my home all the time, so I think it is better to meet there to make things easier for him."

"Young man, do not worry about me. Do not push yourself."

"I'm fine, really." Leon chuckled again.

Raihan sighed.

"You're not gonna back down, eh? Fine. Just promise that you will make a beeline home as soon as you think it is too much for you."

"I promise."

____________________________________

A few days later, Leon wore the most comfortable clothes possible to loosen up before a big day in 8 months. He took a deep breath and lightly slapped his face twice with his hands as if he was going into the battle with a challenger. His mom was anxious to let him out of the house, but Leon insisted and persuaded her.

Leon took another deep breath and opened the door. The sunlight was blinding. It sure has been ages since he greeted the sun.

Everything around him, from the garden to surrounding town seemed so unfamiliar. It was just proving how long Leon was staying as a shut-in. As he opened the door, Raihan was waiting for him. Leon took a very timid step outside. The feeling of stepping on dirt just felt awfully bizarre. He shivered in intimidation. Raihan took his hand for him, helping and leading him outside where Flying Taxi was waiting to take them to Motostoke City.

"Take it easy. One step at a time."

Raihan encouraged Leon. With his friend's help, Leon was able to take the taxi and fly to the destination. And during their travel, Leon shut his eyes tight, to make sure he doesn't see the place he wants to avoid with all his life.

____________________________________

Motostoke City was brimming with people. They were scattered everywhere in small groups, shopping or chatting in the cafe. It was nerve-wracking for Leon to be exposed to so many people in a long while. It reminded him of that day of Champions Tournament, where he lost to Victor. Soon, Raihan and Leon arrived at the Motostoke Stadium.

"Stay here, okay? I'll get the old man. Will you be alright?"

Raihan sat Leon on one of the benches and asked. Leon smiled and replied.

"Of course."

"I'll be right it."

After Raihan left, Leon sat quietly alone. He was nervous as hell but was trying to keep calm. He fiddled with his fingers to see if it helps, but it didn't do much.

But after a short while, some people behind Leon's back started to exchange whispers.

"Hey, isn't that...?"

"Yeah, he is. The former Champion."

Leon could feel the chill going through his back.

"Did you see that? He smiled. He actually smiled."

"He's insane. How dare he smile when his own brother committed suicide?"

"Exactly! Has he no conscience? A family should have protected that poor boy. Yet he didn't do his RESPONSIBILITY and smiling like an ass! How dare he even feel happy? He is ought to be ashamed."

Leon's mind went blank again. Familiar despair twinged from within. Every sound around him started to blare. Leon blocked his ears and tried to breathe but he started to lose his breath again. It was as if he was having a panic attack.

They're right.

Who am I kidding?

How dare I feel happy after not protecting my beloved brother?

The blaring around him and the sense of being watched became unbearable. Leon forgot all about Raihan and Kabu and ran out of the Motostoke Stadium.

But being on the street crowded with people just made everything worse. All the eyes felt like sizing up on Leon and all their conversations felt like backbiting. The noise of people started to blare again and the whole world seems like spinning, making Leon dizzy and feel nausea. Leon just ran off to shake it off. But the more he tried to run away from the crazy hell of noises, the louder the noises got. Leon was losing his breath again. His mind became crashed so far off that he couldn't come up with a simple plan of going back into the Stadium and ask for help from his pal and a good uncle. He dashed madly, not knowing where he was going. He was desperate to get away from the sight of the people.

____________________________________

After running for a while, the noises died down. Leon took some deep breath and looked up.

But...

Things go from bad to worse so quickly.

For not seeing where he was running to, he ended up in a place that is like a hell to him...

The WILD AREA.

The cruel memories that he was pushing to the corner came rushing back in. The coldness, wetness, and stiffness in his hands, and the feeling of his world caving in.

"No... No... No!!!"

Leon started to sprint again in panic. The terror devoured him and stopped all his thinking processes. Only one thought possessed Leon.

Get out of here.

Escape.

So he kept hustling to the place he doesn't even know, and the result was expected. The more he ran, the more he got lost in his own hell. Since it was winter, Wild Area was freezing cold and it was snowing everywhere. Every time Leon breathed to run, the icy air filled up his lungs, causing intensive pain. But he still couldn't stop, because his hell continued like an endless loop. All the places seemed similar and the lake was everywhere. The fear choked Leon. It was as if he was tortured in hell for not protecting his brother.

After roaming around the Wild Area for hours, Leon collapsed on the ground. He could barely breathe, due to all the icy air he inhaled and the terror. The air froze his lungs. His consciousness started to fade away. The snow began to pile up on the collapsed young man, dropping his body temperature sharply.

'Oh. Is this the end?' Leon thought.

'Thank goodness... At least I got to die in the same place as Hop... Does that mean... I get to go to wherever he is...?'

He tried to move his body, but the frozen lungs screamed out intense pain and the body was so fatigued to move a finger. He could feel his body going stiff.

So this was how it was.

This is how he died.

Suffocating in fear.

As Leon thought all these, his eyes closed gently. His breathing became weaker, as he blacked out slowly.

"...Lee."

An incredibly familiar voice that cuts right into the bones woke Leon up. He couldn't move, but he could feel a person hugging him from behind.

"I'm sorry..."

The owner of the voice apologized, as he sobbed.

"I thought I was lifting the burden from you by doing this, but instead, I hurt you so much..."

Then why! Why did you leave me like that!!

As soon as Leon knew who that voice belongs to, he tried to quibble that person, but his voice didn't work.

"I cannot apologize enough, Lee. I shouldn't have done such a thing to you. I did it to make you comfortable but I made everything worse. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."

Come on, voice, work!!

Leon was desperate to ask him tons of long-overdue questions and hold him in his arms once more, but he couldn't move. Leon just slowly faded away,

as something warm covered him.

#pokemon leon #leon #hop #pokemon hop #rival hop #pokemon kabu #kabu #pokemon raihan #raihan #pokemon gen 8 #pokemon generation 8 #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon swsh #gym leader kabu #gym leader raihan #champion leon

232 notes · View notes

therealeagal · 3 years

Text

Game of the Year

Preliminary warning. I don’t have very nice things to say about certain popular games, so if you’re thinking about whinging at me about not considering said games to be the definition of artistic perfection I want you to very strongly consider not doing that and also find a bridge to jump off of. Preferably a very low bridge so you don’t get seriously injured when you reach the bottom.

We gucci? We gucci. Let’s begin.

Right off the bat I can tell what’s not game of the bloody year and it rhymes with The Blast of Shucks.

I was told The Last of Us. The Shit of Us. The Last of Shit. The Shit of Shit. Was a life-changing experience. Instead all I got was a bog-standard zombie dreck with a boring story and uninteresting protagonists.

Oh, but they’re not REALLY zombies, you guys. Zombies are dumb and boring and we’re edgy and original. They’re actually ”The Infected".

Did I ever make a post about how much I hate the zombie genre? I know I planned to at one point, but I can’t recall if I ever got around to it.

Literally all of the genre’s creativity is dedicated to thinking of something to call the zombies other than zombies. Freakers, Geeks, Walkers, The Infected (eye roll) and the ever popular, if mundane, “things”, e.g. “What are those things?!?!?!?” They are zombies, you dumb son of a bastard.

Cue the angry flood of comments denouncing me as the worst person who has ever lived for not considering Annie to be God’s gift to video gaming.

Anyway, I can’t imagine Part 2 would prove better, regardless of how much everyone wants to fellate Neil Druckmann (supposing anyone can ever catch him at a time when he isn’t doing it to himself).

Add in Cyberpunk 2077 and Hades. Why Hades? I LOOOATHE rogue-likes. Not as much as I hate zombies. But still quite a lot. Except for Diablo. Diablo is the only rogue-like I’ve ever played that I didn’t hate, being that it’s barely a rogue-like to begin with.

Ok, because I’m nice, Hades can stay off the shit list. In fact, I will go an extra step and magnanimously grant it all the awards that The Last of Shit Part 2 didn’t deserve (all of them).

What did I play this year?

Immortals Fenyx Rising, which is literally just a better version of Breath of the Wild. Cue the flood of angry comments from people who are still horny for Link’s blue tush.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions Encore, which isn’t technically a new game, rather a remake of a game from a different console with a few extra bells and whistles.

Ghost of Tsushima

Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake, insofar as it is an actual game instead of like a third of a game.

I played Danganronpa 1&2 for the first time this year, although they weren’t released this year. The particular edition I played was made in 2015.

I started to play Danganronpa V3 but stopped because THE ENTIRE FUCKING GAME BLOCKED ME FROM TAKING SCREENSHOTS BECAUSE OF GODDAMN SPOILERS.

Was Persona 5 Royal this year? It was for us Americans. Another game that can eat all of the dicks for precisely the same reason.

Everyone who believes in spoilers, you should apologize to me for being terrible people. Literally Hitler was a better person than you.

Was Pokemon this year? I initially refused to purchase Pokemon Sword and/or Shield, owing to the lack of Aron. But they did an expansion thing that included my beloved Aron, so like a week ago or some shit I broke down and purchased a copy since it had the expansion included. I’m weak! Forgive me, my children! I know Nintendo is a soulless mega-corporation that is one the roots of all evil, but it’s Pokemon. How could I possibly resist?

Although I am still angry that Froakie isn’t in the game. I can’t reunite Sanchez and the boys without Odysseus the Greninja! He was a cornerstone of the group! Always cracking wise. What a kidder that Odysseus.

Oh well. So it goes.

Obviously my game of the year has to be Pokemon Sword + expansions. Sanchez the Aggron has no equal. Anyone who disagrees is wrong.

Stay tuned for a review and an updated Best of Type list. Whenever I get around to writing them.

#game of the year #the last of us #the last of us part 2 #zombies #cyberpunk 2077 #hades #immortals fenyx rising #tokyo mirage sessions fe #tokyo mirage sessions encore #ghost of tsushima #yakuza like a dragon #final fantasy 7 remake #danganronpa #pokemon sword and shield

8 notes · View notes

pebblemacaroon · 3 years

Text

Saw some of the new stuff in the Pokemon present. I don’t really care all too much about it, but I still do hope the Sinnoh remakes turn out good. Glad they went with a 2D style for the overworld. The Pokemon looked scaled at least now. Still a little pissed at how they STILL release two versions. I get why they did it with the older games, it was supposed to be a way to get communites together to trade their prized Pokemon. Now that we have online, it still feels like an attempt for some extra cash. I really do feel Pokemon should starting releasing their games in one package.

Anyway, Legends of Arcus looks pretty good. I’m actually kind of surprised it’s being developed by Gamefreak rather than a third party. Makes me think that they’re toying around with the possibilities of how to change the Pokemon formula, but we’ll see.

I’m not going to buy either of these games, but I do hope the both of them are good and not a lazy byproduct of a rushed development (Sword and Shield, which also happened to be my first game. Thank god for Gen 5 so the series didn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth). Gen 4 seems to be one of the most beloved generations in the series, and seeing how Gamefreak has been doing in terms of business practices and games honestly doesn’t make me the most hopeful to see Gen 4 done justice (haven't actually played it yet, but I’m sure the many Sinnoh fans will want it done justice). Still, I hope Gamefreak learns its lesson from Sword and Shield to really take the time and effort to make these games a masterpiece.

Best of luck to Sinnoh fans and new fans alike.

#Pokemon #Gen 4 #Sinnoh remake #shining pearl #Brillant diamond #Pokemon Platium #And now it’s time to wait for the FE4 remake...or whatever FE game

3 notes · View notes

anime-grimmy · 4 years

Text

Favourite Gaming Soundtracks of the 2010s

It’s the end of another decade and what a decade it’s been. So much has changed in “just” 10 years, so many cool things have happened, so many amazing games have been released. Since it’s the end of the year I thought I could talk about some things that are dear to my heart. I love music and with so many dope games came just as amazing soundtracks. So, I just wanna let out my thoughts for my favourites. This is not really ranked, but I’ll tell you which my favs are from my favs.

But first, some “honorable mentions” for soundtracks I really enjoy, even though I’ve never played these games.

- Dark Souls / Bloodborne Mystic and gritty, but strangely calming from time to time

- Hollow Knight It came coming on with YT Autoplay and to be honest, I can’t complain. All in all a great soundtrack

- Persona 5 Dude, talk about style. It’s not quite my type of game, but holy fuck, the music is my JAM

- God of War (2018) I DID play this game and I loved it, but the soundtrack didn’t really stick out to me THAT much. Some tracks are downright bone-chilling and epic, but it didn’t have such a big impact on me all in all.

Anyways, on with my list.

Pokemon Sword and Shield

I’m gonna start with a recent one since it’s still fresh in my mind.

I always liked the Pokemon Soundtracks. Though most of the time simplistic, some tracks just have such iconic melodies. However, from Sinnoh onwards, I started liking single tracks more than the soundtrack as a whole. For example. even though most people say Cynthia has the best Champion theme, I can agree an the melody being amazing, but for me, the theme is so loaded, I don’t like it (best Champion theme is still Lance). Alola, for me, started having an upcurve on the soundtrack. I liked it as a whole, though I can’t really remember what exactly stood out to me.

Now Sword and Shield. Dudes, keep going on that route, your OST is amazing. I’ll be honest, the BEST thing of this game is the soundtrack. All have this kinda sporty/cheery sound and even though, let’s say, the normal battle theme isn’t that of a banger, the number of amazing single themes is just so high. Bede’s theme is basically the only thing I like about him, Marnie’s has such a cool tune (and all the metal covers on YT, BRO) and even if many people don’t like Hop’s theme, I really dig it. Some parts remind me of Mirror B.s theme, I dunno why.

And then you have my fav tracks, Rose’s Final Fantasy theme, Toby’s amazing Battle Tower theme AND THE GYM BATTLE MUSIC. I really didn’t like the gym leader theme at first but while playing the game, after each gym leader, it got me more and more stoked when the battle began.

All in all, Pokemon Sword and Shield has an overall enjoyable soundtrack. Filled with bangers, for me it made the game itself so much better.

Animal Crossing

Though I haven’t played the game in a long time, I still listen to the music.

Animal Crossing is just laid out to be this chill and calming ensemble of melodies. And it works. When I’m stressed or have to work on stuff I don’t want to, I usually just put on Animal Crossing music. It calms me and just gives me this warm and fuzzy feeling. It also helps when I have problems sleeping.

A soundtrack to just lie back, close your eyes and just enjoy life.

Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild

Continuing with calm music, let’s talk about my favourite Switch title.

This game often gets flag for “having no music” or too little of it. I know where you’re coming from, but I just think the limited use of the soundtrack makes you appreciate it even more. The moments when the music is used is carefully chosen and that makes it special. Be it the few piano notes that play while the day goes on, the little notification that you’ve entered a new area, the unexpected high energy when you’re fighting (most of all bosses) or the indescribable fear you feel when a Guardian spots you.

There are a few favourite moments I have of the game.

First is the start, when you first leave the cave, run out and this vast landscape opens before you. Just those few piano notes made me all excited for this new adventure. Like dawn is breaking.

The first time I rode on a horse over this wide field and suddenly, the music starts swelling. It was almost magical, the music rising just like my excitement.

The last thing I love is the difference between being in villages and outside. When I noticed that you always have some kind of melody playing when you’re in a settlement it dawned on me how quiet it was outside of them. I love this contrast between being alone in the wilderness with all the quiet and the sudden swell in music when you’re with other people.

This OST amazes me with how much emotion it can convey with often just the smallest amount of notes. An amazing soundtrack for just as an amazing game.

Super Mario Odyssey

So, last Nintendo game on this list, I swear.

This one is a small surprise, but at the same time, it really isn’t. I’ve never really been a fan of the main Mario games, they just aren’t really my thing. (the spin-offs are my jam). However, I’ve always enjoyed Mario’s music. The upbeat tunes really get stuck in your head and the melodies are always so recognizable. Heck, my favourite OST was from Super Mario Sunshine back in the day!

With Odyssey, I really enjoyed both the game and the soundtrack aspect. The worlds are colourful and the gameplay is super fun. Combine that with the stellar soundtrack and the game was such a fun experience, it’s definitely in my top 10. But what I really enjoyed is the diversity of the track. When you listen to the soundtrack on Youtube and you just click on two different parts of the video, I can guarantee that they’ll probably sound completely different but at the same time somehow coherent. The best tracks, in my opinion, are the upbeat ones for sure. The feeling of excitement and adventure just swells so much it’s amazing.

Then you’ve got “Jump up Superstar”. I fucking love this song. It’s so much fun, has such a great tune which gets stuck in your head and the lyrics are so easy to sing along. All things I love in a song. I actually listened to the song on repeat before I even got the game and I couldn’t wait to get to New Donk City to LIVE the song. And I wasn’t disappointed, it was one if not the best moments in the game.

Great game, great soundtrack, 100% fun.

Bravely Default / Bravely Second

(technically on a Nintendo Console, but whatev) I’m just gonna lump this two together, since BS’s the sequel.

Now, JRPGs aren’t really my thing. They often take too long for my tastes, I can’t for the life of me concentrate on the story and characters and after some time they just get stale for me. But now and then, I pick up a series I actually finish and that was Bravely Default and Second. I think I just have such a huge soft spot for the series cause of the art style/atmosphere and the fact that I played 8 hours straight of BD on a flight from Canada home.

I haven’t played the games in forever but when I think about what I like about them, there are 3 things I always think about: characters, art style and soundtrack. The songs might sound generic to most, but to me, with my little knowledge of JRPGs, find them quiet unique. It does at some points remind me of Final Fantasy but I think something just makes the tracks just sound like Bravely, though I can’t put my finger on it.

I don’t know the names of the themes, but even now there are just certain tracks which I link to a certain reaction. Like “oh no, not them again” or “Now shit is getting down”. Or every time the main theme plays, I get absolutely pumped.

Haven’t played the games in forever, but the soundtrack’s still in my mind.

Kingdom Hearts

From one RPG to the next, here’s a very special soundtrack. Kingdom Hearts is a franchise near and dear to my heart. It’s one of the first, if not THE first, RPG I ever played. I just get so nostalgic with this game. I can just remember watching my brother playing KH2, seeing two characters from my favourite franchise run around with this spiky haired boy with this stupidly big key. So much stuff happened I didn’t even understand back then, but just seeing these animated characters laugh and cry and go on this grand adventure, little me was mesmerized.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too happy with KH3. I’ve waited so long for it, just like hundreds of other people, but the end product just, I dunno, lacked the heart it used to. One thing however didn’t, the soundtrack. As sad I was to not enjoy the game as a whole as much as I wanted to, the soundtrack became one of my instant favourites. It sounds grandiose and has so much emotion. Each track sounds amazing but the OST really shines in its more calm and beautiful themes and its epic ones.

My favourite songs are the serene ones, however. “Sincerely Beloved” and the other Utada songs are some of my favourite songs ever and I can’t tell you how close I came to crying with the Sea Salt Icecream Trios themes. Heck, I played Xion’s theme back in the day on the piano and I still can play it now.

As much as KH has gone down in heart, the soundtrack stands up there as one of the best, much thanks to Utada Hikaru as well. It will always be important to me and just reminds me of my childhood. Some very fond memories.

Undertale

Well, let’s get outta the nostalgia feel and turn it up a bit!

Ah, Toby Fox, you madlad. Creating such a great game and subverting so many expectations. Undertale really had a big impact on the gaming scene but for me, the soundtrack really lasted. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the characters and story very much, but I still listen to the soundtrack regularly.

Undertale’s OST is comprised of sad, melancholic, upbeat and downright hype tunes. It has a wide spectrum but Toby Fox really does know how to push Leitmotif. All themes kind of flow great into each other but still manage to stand out and are recognizable. Each character theme fits the character perfectly and I love how their themes usually have some melodies/instruments from the area they’re in. And speaking of areas, as much as I love the character themes I just might prefer the atmosphere tracks even more. I mean, “Snowdin” just sounds like this super laid back, cute little town, “Home” is such a calming song and “It’s raining somewhere else” has such mystique. And, of course, the fact that the tracks have character/plot relevance is just amazing.

Not to mention, Toby Fox created one of the best Meme songs in existence.

Love the game, love the soundtrack even more and I’ll listen to “Death by Glamour” til I die.

Horizon Zero Dawn

I’m so happy I picked up this game. I never bought it cos A, I feel overwhelmed by open world games, and B, it COSTS SO MUCH. But I found it for half the prise and I bought it right before exam week. I know, smart move.

But anyways, the soundtrack. There aren’t any tracks that really stand out to me but I just like it as a whole. It’s such an atmospheric OST and when listening to it as BG music you just HEAR where you are, which tribe you’re in, what you probably did in the game when it played.

And that’s actually a big factor. All in all, I don’t think it’s such a special OST. It sounds great, most tracks are solid, but what really makes it shine is how much it enhances the experience of the game. The gameplay and story are great, but the OST just makes everything so much better, with setting the tone and atmosphere and all that.

I could go on and on about this game, but the soundtrack can be shaved down to a few words. Solid, great and atmospheric.

Monster Hunter World / Iceborne

So, I’ll drop this to second to last because I already made a super long analysis of the soundtrack. I’ll link it here.

https://anime-grimmy.tumblr.com/post/188601659768/some-monster-hunter-ramblings-possible-spoilers

But to put it simply, this is probably my favourite soundtrack at the moment. I just haven’t experienced so many emotions while listening to an OST since a certain game that’s next on the list. I still can’t listen to “Succession of Light” without almost crying (who am I kidding, I cry every time). I dunno why, but so many tracks make me feel such a barrage of emotions, be it excitement for adventure, hype for the hunt or just simply a childlike wonder.

Simply a great soundtrack that will be on top for a long time.

Okami

Technically a game from 2006, but the PS4 version came out like 2017 and I REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS GAME.

This is my absolute favourite game of all time. Since I played it first when I was about 9 years old, I just really loved this game. I replayed it more times than I can count and dude, I speedrun this game in record time.

For people who don’t know this game, you play as the Sun God Amaterasu, who has been summoned in the body of a white wolf. You job is to banish the evil from Nippon. To say this game awakened my fondness of Japanese culture is, well, spot on. I’ve played this game before I even knew what anime was. The atmosphere, style, themes and mostly the music mesmerized me. It was all so, well, foreign. Even nowadays it stands out from anything else I’ve played.

But on to the OST. Next to it being just amazing in general, it just is so Japanese and that’s what has always stuck out to me. I grew up with very traditional and classical music, back then I didn’t even listen to English/American music. So to hear these melodies and instruments that just sound so unfamiliar was very intriguing. And that just topped of the already amazing tracks. Okami does a great job of having super epic, exciting but also sombre and atmospheric music. It’s also very animated and comedic with it’s use of music. So, the mix of foreign sounds and great timing of amazing tracks just makes the experience all so much more memorable.

Even after 10+ years, Okami never gets boring and no matter how much I play it, the moment I face a boss and the epic music swells, or the moment a calm scene passes and the melody slows, my heart fills with emotion and I’m so glad I played it again.

Well, that’s that! I know it probably often sounds kind of sappy, but music is very special and important to me. If music doesn’t evoke emotions in me, I don’t care about it, even if it sounds great. For me it’s important that, when I listen to a soundtrack, I can remember the game or the scene it played in and the emotions I felt in that moment.

Soundtracks are supposed to make a emotional connection between you and the game and that’s why they are essential. At least that’s how I see it.

Anyways, if you made it this far, I bow my head to you. Thanks for reading and I hope you could somehow share my perspective of these games’ soundtrack. Feel free to tell me about your fav tracks!

It’s been a nice decade, enjoy the rest of 2019!

#favourite gaming soundtracks #2010s #pokemon #pokemon sword and shield #animal crossing #legend of zelda #mario oddesy #bravely default #undertale #kingdom hearts #monster hunter world #monster hunter iceborne #okami #horizon zero dawn #rambling

2 notes · View notes

mrnerdteacher · 5 years

Text

Welcome, Grookey, to the Honorable Fraternity of Under-Appreciated Starters

As Gita Jackson so aptly said on Kotaku, upon the reveal of the “Sword” and “Shield” starting Pokemon:

“People are already picking favorites. I love Scorbunny, though I also have a soft spot for Sobble. Grookey is also present.” Yes, if memes are indeed an expression of fan-love, it would seem that people are not overly “fauna” of the newest addition to the “grass type” family. But fear not, little guy; you are at least in good company. Here, submitted for your collective disapproval, are the most overlooked/undervalued starter Pokemon from each generation.

Gen 1: Bulbasaur

Having two brothers when the o.g. Pokemon released, we each, through no prior agreement or instruction, picked a different starter. The oldest picked Charmander, the youngest Squirtle. I, also the under-loved middle child, chose Bulbasaur. No regrets, but it always kinda bothered me that this meant I didn’t get to have my final evolution on the face of the game box. I knew that in Japan it was Blastoise who got the cold shoulder, but that did little to appease 12 year old Jeremy. Maybe the recent trend of pro-Bulbasaur Propaganda would have helped, although it’s a few decades late imho.

Gen 2: Cyndaquil

At first glance there are no clear losers, which might be part of the reason why this set is widely regarded as the best of all time. However, as teenagers, my brothers and I were always disappointed in final stage of the fire starter, Cyndaquil. For comparison, Croconaw becomes a bad-ass alligator, and Bayleef a flower-maned brontosaurus. But the forgettable Quilava just kinda stands up. If you think I’m exaggerating, imagine having clay sculptures of the middle evolutions, and realize how much less work it would take to reform it into Typhlosion. Kinda too easy, right?

Gen 3: Mudkip

There’s a reason only one of these evolution lines got snubbed by the Pokken Tournament organizers. You’ve got a gecko, a chicken, and a… what even is that, anyway? Turn out he’s based on an Axolotl, which is at the top of zero “favorite animal” checklists. No wonder, Urban Dictionary lists the phrase “So I Herd you Leik Mudkipz” as an insult.

Gen 4: Chimchar

My first instinct was to go with Turtwig, as I feel his evolution line is the hardest for people to remember, but then I realized that Gen 4 was the origin of Fire/Fighting Fatigue. It’s now a running joke in the Pokemmunity that every fire starter will end as a yawn-inducing Fire/Fighting anime cliche, and it wasn’t until Infernape pulled off the hat trick in this generation that people really caught on/got salty. Thanks a lot, guys.

Gen 5: Oshawott/Tepig Can I be honest for a second? This is the only Gen in the series I never played, so I’m a little torn on this one and would love some feedback. Tepig definitely seemed to be the most boring design of the three (his name is one letter away from Tepid, for Christ’s sake), but I think Oshawott’s final evolution is kinda lost in the sands of time. I’m just ruling out Snivy because he was so beloved at his reveal that some, like Kotaku’s Brian Ashcraft, still prefer his fan-given pseudonym, Smugleaf. I happen to agree.

Gen 6: Chespin Another tough call, but here’s my logic: Greninja is such a beloved ‘Mon that he plays major roles in both Smash Bros and the upcoming Detective Pikachu movie. I also eliminated Fennekin because of Japan’s endless love for foxes and Braixen’s endlessly adorable inclusion in Pokken Tournament. Chespin, as much as I thought his design was a breath of fresh air after way too many “flower dinosaurs,” just doesn’t have the clout. Plus, Louise Belcher wears it better.

Gen 7: Popplio

When Pokemon Sun and Moon were revealed, the disdain for this clown-seal was immediate and intense. People thought he looked too silly, too cute, too ugly; you name it. Furthermore, the devs faced actual backlash from the fandom, and responded to multiple interviews in which they were asked, “How does it feel to know people hate Popplio so much?”, making him the ultimate underdog/puppy-thing. At least his evolution line gets the last laugh by turning into a magical underwater opera singer. Litten’s final stage is so predictable and Bro-y it actually made my wife NOT pick the cat starter, which says a lot (trust me).

Gen 8: Grookey

Which of course, brings us to today, where this “curious, tricky bastard” rates a solid Shrug-and-a-half on the MEH scale. But don’t worry, little guy. You’ll always have a place on my team. My older brothers already picked the cooler ones anyway. :-P

#pokemon #Pokemon Detective Pikachu #Detective Pikachu #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon sword #pokemon shield #nintendo #nintendo swtich #switch #video games #gamer #gaming #meme

10 notes · View notes