#god i love johto | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys · 2 months

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routine vibe check: what’s the best starter pokemon and why are you right (pictures and long paragraphs of evidence welcomed and appreciated)

Gonna get a good grade in vibe check, normal to want and inevitable to achieve because I have objectively correct Pokemon opinions and will block naysayers

OKAY LET'S GO

I decided to do, like, a top 5 list or something, because I'm bad at picking a single favourite of stuff. And then even that overwhelmed me, so I found one of those tier ranking list sites and produced this:

It was done in less than a minute, so if I wanted to get really picky, I don't know if I would be fully wedded to it (not sure if maybe Sceptile should be one higher) BUT it did help to highlight the important ones.

So!

5. Bulbasaur

It's. Just. So. Nice.

Like you can find cooler, more beautiful, cuter, fancier... there's a whole bunch of ways for a Pokemon to be great. But you will never ever find a nicer Pokemon than Bulbasaur. It's so lovely. Look at it. Look at its face.

I can't put it higher, because the rest of the line is fairly bland in terms of development. It's good and logical and fun, don't get me wrong, but Ivysaur and Venusaur just look like bigger versions with More Flower and Less Cute rather than creatures in their own right. To be honest, if it weren't a starter requiring a three-stage evolution, you could do away with Ivysaur. Something I don't like about a lot of lazy three-step lines is that the middle step just looks like a transitional mid phase rather than a Proper Creacher, like they were artificially inflating the Pokemon number count. Meanwhile it took us until Paldea to get a Girafarig evo that would actually make the giraffe tall. Madness.

However my first ever Pokemon was a Bulbasaur I called Daffodil, and I have traded him forward onto every single successive generation since. He is, quite literally, my First Ever Pokemon. I love him desperately. I still have him. Not many people still have their First Ever Pokemon. But I do and I love him. So, Bulbasaur gets the fifth spot.

4. Snivy

Again, a victim of the Banal Transitional Middle Evo, but both Snivy and Serperior are incredible, and as Meatloaf took such pains to tell us, two out of three ain't bad.

But Snivy! It's so snooty! I was super lucky with mine, too, because I beat the 12.8% odds and got a female, and I loved her. Normally the initial baby starters are designed to be cute but Snivy has SO MUCH PERSONALITY, she's great. And the design of Serperior is utterly gorgeous. She keeps the expression, but rather than the Animal Crossing-style snooty-cute vibe of Snivy you get this thousand yard withering stare of an empress whose servant (you) has just turned up dripping mud in her throne room and asked her for money. Her green and gold colour scheme is exquisite. Her filigree design, including her high collar, give off the air of wealth and sophistication befitting her immaculate pedigree. And all this! In a simple snake. Incredible design work, 10 out of 10, no notes.

Begone, you miserable peasant. Have him boiled.

3. Torchic

Now I'll be real with you, lads, but Pokemon design hit its stride with Hoenn and then got better.

It's partly a fashion thing, of course - you look at some of the Kanto designs and they are remarkably 90s, because that's when the franchise launched. Others are clearly a product of what the 1990's were capable of producing in pixels on an already over-stretched cartridge medium. Like we like to clown on Red and Green/Blue now, but my god, those game designers performed a miracle with Pokemon. Every single square inch of space was used to make that game, and complex designs weren't going to cut it.

(With that said, there is still no excuse for Dragonite.)

And then Johto came about and its Pokedex sucks ass. It's mostly new evolutions for existing Kanto stars, useless babies to inflate the dex number, or poorly thought out single-evos like the inexplicably short Girafarig and the unacceptably dreary Dunsparce (our greatest thanks to Paldea for fixing both of those).

BUT THEN CAME HOENN (trumpets intensify)

And we get habitats! Biomes! A different regional climate, gifting us a brand new area of Pokecology! And therefore a brand new flush of creativity in Pokemon design across the board; less dated, and more inclined to be unique rather than a rehash of Kantonian stuff.

Which brings me nicely to this lad:

Now, I mean. Just look at him. Fucking hell. Cute starter stage, check. LOOK AT HIM FACE

AND THEN he became, at the time, a brand-new unique typing: Fire/Fighting. I realise that is now the norm for like, half of the Fire starters, but that's because of Torchic, actually. He was super popular. In fact if you ever play Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald and you do what my husband and I like to call a Mynci Dave run (use one Pokemon almost exclusively, meaning it gets all the experience points and therefore over-levels to a terrifying degree, allowing you to sweep the game; so named after the noble Primeape we first did this with, Mynci Dave), Torchic is the PERFECT Pokemon to choose, because almost everything is weak to either Fire or Fighting in that region.

Anyway, Combusken is, again, kind of mid (although props for the inverted colour scheme and the fact that it actually does look like a teenager.) But Blaziken, on the other hand... Blaziken is a six foot ninja chicken with wings for hair whose Pokedex entry describes it as able to leap tall peaks in a single bound, a feat it achieves after strengthening its legs by hoofing Geodudes down mountains like they're fucking footballs

Also an impressive bulge.

My first was called Gilgamesh, and he was fucking great. For a long time, this mad lad was my actual favourite Pokemon, not just starter. Brilliant. Love him. Five stars out of three. King.

2. Fuecoco

It would probably surprise you to know I've not actually used one. I chose Sprigatito, and I do really like Meowscarada, actually. But pretty anthro cat boys have been done in Pokemon quite a bit at this point; cats, dogs and rabbits are over-represented in terms of Poke-taxa. Possibly this is another reason for a toad, a snake and a chicken being 5, 4 and 3 so far (ooh, basilisk ingredients, I've just realised.) They're new and unusual! I like an Eeveelution as much as the next person, but they're a whole family of cat-dog-rabbits, like.

However.

Nintendo has tried its hand at Pokecrocodilians three times (Feraligatr, Krookodile, Skeledirge), and they have gotten so much better at design each time that the three of them are basically a scale proxy for ongoing design improvement. Look, I've made a diagram:

EXCEPT

(Strap in)

This one is that rare thing: a three step line that deserves to be a three step line. Let's talk Fuecoco first:

SO CUTE. It's charming, it's charismatic, it's adorable.

It also has hints of its evolutionary end goal, but not like an undeveloped middle evo. It likes singing. The white face hints at the eventual calavera, and it looks a bit like a lil chilli pepper - a ghost pepper, probably in reference to the eventual Fire/Ghost typing. But the colours and shape right now also look a bit reminiscent of a babygro, because this thing is a cute starter. Lookit them teefs. That tuft. Its lovely smile. Beautiful.

And then, at the point you expect it to turn into just the awkward teenage version of the adult, instead we get Crocator:

Oh boy. Oh there's so much to say. Okay okay:

The region it's from is based on Spain, but this thing is incorporating Hispanic elements from across the board. It's a mariachi in a sombrero, except the sombrero also looks kind of like a ring of Mexican marigolds and kind of like a Catalonian Easter cake called Mona de Pascua that has an egg (or egg-shaped confectionary) in the middle. Body shape and markings look kind of like a piñata. The white face is now on its way to a calavera, with the cheek and nostril markings more defined. And it sings, with its open mouth (also how crocodiles release heat, appropriate for a Fire type) and signified by the mariachi theme.

THAT IS A LOT.

And then it becomes Skeledirge. A Fire/Ghost crocodile.

Now the obvious design here is the calavera and the Día de Muertos theming, which is part of it. But there are also many examples of crocodile figures in Spanish folkloric ghost stories: the Catalonian Cocollona, the Lizard of Magdalena from Jaén, or the Drac de Na Coca, or even the Cuca - that one is Portuguese, but turns up in both Brasil and the Iberian Peninsula including in parts of Spain. It's got a Gaudi vibe (like Barcelona). It's got an alebrije vibe (like Mexico).

And the bird! Nile crocs have a cleaning symbiosis with Egyptian plovers; it also sits at the tip of the snout where male gharials have a sort of bulbous bit to help them make sounds (the singing thing).

But this is what the bird does when Skeledirge uses Torch Song:

youtube

It becomes a microphone, then grows in size and attacks the opponent in Phoenix form. Phoenix: Fire/Ghost. Resurrected from the ashes.

Quite simply, your fave could never.

5. Rowlet

My god. (My god)

gasp

Look at this lovely creacher. He is so round and so soft and so lovely. He looks like that baby Yoda meme. He looks like that cat that someone's landlord said they would make an exception for because he looks very polite. Look!!! At his lil bow tie!!! He is a smartly dressed young man and he is kind and he is... well, a bit vacant behind the eyes. A himbo, if you will. But he is all the better for that. What a lovely owl.

He looks a little like a barn owl, perhaps, and those were imported to Hawai'i, where Rowlet is from. But I think he looks a little like a Pueo owl, and given that he will eventually be a Ghost type, that seems right - pueos are one of the physical forms assumed by ʻaumākua in Hawai'ian culture, as I understand it.

And then, hang onto your tits, lads, because this is another banger - THE MIDDLE EVOLUTION IS ITS OWN DESIGN!!! (confetti cannons)

I said earlier that boring middle evos are like just awkward teenagers of the adults. Here, I present to you, a very deliberate Awkward Teenager, in Dartrix:

IT'S A DANDY

I love him I love him I love him

He plays with his fringe and if you touch it without permission he has a tantrum. God, he's so charismatic. Also, that fringe further suggests the pueo - they have pronounced outer rims around their facial disks like that. Look at his bow tie and tail coat. So smart and handsome

This one is so good that it could be the final evo. This is actually my issue with the Delphox line - Braixen is amazing, and then it becomes the bland boredom of Delphox. Braixen should have been the final stop. Here, Dartrix is much the same - good enough to be a high-quality end goal.

Where they differ is that Decidueye is better again.

IT SHOOTS ARROWS MADE OF ITS OWN QUILLS

Also, fun fact - This line is the only starter to change secondary typing. Dartrix is part Flying; but on evolving a second time into Decidueye, it switches to Grass/Ghost. In this evolution, it's definitely mostly a pueo, so the ʻaumākua reference is IN, but actually barn owls also have their associations with the dead in various cultures.

The crown of feathers around its head are also reminiscent of an ayaigasa - a hat worn by Japanese samurai archers. And yet! AND YET!

It still has its lil bow tie look. Bigger now, more of a cravat; but there it is.

A perfect Pokemon, and a perfect evolutionary line. No notes.

Anyway, thank you for this chance to waste three and a half hours writing this essay

#asks #pokemon #long post #gif

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dipplinduo · 20 days

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How would you rank the gens?

Ope I feel like I'm gonna upset some people LOL so disclaimer remember these are just my takes.

But this is how I personally see them (counting remakes as being part of the gen they remaking):

Gen 9 - Paldea Region

I've been thinking about this since the games came out, so I'd like to say recency bias isn't as much of a factor here. Bugs aside, I genuinely, genuinely love the storytelling, characterizations, and open world approach. FRIENDS THAT FEEL LIKE ACTUAL FRIENDS?? HAVING THE LEGENDARY WITH YOU THE WHOLE TIME, AND IT TOO HAS A PERSONALITY & BACKSTORY??? THREE SEPERATE STORYLINES THAT CONNECT TO A CANONICALLY DEAD PROFESSOR AND AN "EVIL AI" FINAL BOSS??? Like omg. I was amazed. I honestly usually dislike the "gimmicks" each generation brings, but terastilization caught my interest and I have a strong feeling nothing will personally top it as a gimmick for me. The DLCs really sent it all home for me for the #1 spot, like oh my god LOL. Past DLCs always just felt like something extra, but I literally cannot see this game as being complete without Kieran, Carmine & the rest of Kitakami/Blueberry peeps & their storylines. My interest in the games only grew because of all of it - and that's a massive compliment given the fact of how hard it is to accomplish such a level of monumental significance with only a few hours of gameplay. I've yet to replay the game with earlier access to The Teal Mask, but I feel like this would make it even more immersive. Just pure chef kisses here.

Gen 2 - Johto Region

A very close second. Heartgold/Soulsilver is the most elite remake in existence and idc if it's old school, I'll die on this hill. Johto is just so full of life - the continuation story is amazing, the immersion into culture and legendary stuff??? Mwah. Silver is an excellent rival, RED being a thing (the ultimate level of iconicism), and the double region will always hit. The soundtracks HIT and my god hearing them remastered iS INCREDIBLE. I even get obsessed with the pokeathlon dome and I'm usually not someone who gets into that kind of stuff. But THEY MADE IT FUN. And I love all the cute activities you can do with your team that can follow you around. So glad they brought this feature back. :')

Gen 5 - Unova Region

Oooooh I loved the reset of Gen 5. It's based on where I'm from and there were so many refreshing aspects of Black & White. From the new pokemon, to the NYC culture, to N & the whole beautiful storytelling there, and a sequel that somehow made everything even MORE polished. I literally remember referring to this region as the "Isshu Region" before the English names dropped becuase of the hype LOL. 10/10, cannot wait for these remakes. Gamefreak don't mess this up.

Gen 4 - Sinnoh Region

Oh, Gen 4. You hit good. The lowkey dreary vibes of Sinnoh is very nostalgic to me, and Piplup is one of my best buddies. Cynthia being the very first female Champion, and being as fearsome as she is, was such a big deal to me. Definetely Barbie'd her a bit in my mind because I look a like her and loved how much of an academic she was (but I def do not have her length in hair, lmao). Soundtracks are fire, of course. The way legendaries were integrated in the story without going too Dragonball Z was IMMACULATE, and the lake trio will always be my fave lil buddies. The only con I'd give this gen is that I disliked the HM reliance & D/P are practically unplayable to me since Platinum exists. I had low bars for the remake once I heard it wasn't Platinum, and ugh, they really dropped the ball. HOWEVER: while it isn't main line, I fucking love Legends: Arceus and would rather have that over an excellent remake, tbh.

Gen 1 - Kanto Region

This is another nostalgia one for me because of the fact that I quite literally was introduced to pokemon since before I can recall most memories (this is what happens when you have an older sibling with a gameboy, lol). It's probably tied with Gen 4, tbh. Firered wasn't my first game, but it hit really good because I "played" so much of R/B/Y. I know Gen 1 has its faults, and it's often seen as being pretty bare bones in comparison to other generations. And while I completely agree, god damn, what a good foundation for a franchise. Every town had a personality to it and is very memorable to me. The soundtracks are FIRE. Smaller pokedex, but damn does team building hit (and the starters are elite). Blue was also consistently my favorite rival until Kieran, lol. #oldrivalshipping/conflictingshipping was the original OTP xD

Gen 7 - Alola Region

So there's a lot of things I liked about Gen 7. It took a really big risk by breaking the formula, and it really immersed me into the Hawaiian culture & seeing your pokemon more as friends. I loved looking at pokemon in a different way and some of the pokemon introduced in this region are among my favorites (e.g. Ribombee, Bewear, Shiinotic, Mimikyu, Rockaruff, to name a few; starters also HIT). NEBBY AND LILLIE ARE ELITE. The professor is so lit, and Team Skull is the funniest team organization alive. AND YES, GET RID OF THE HMS. I honestly think a remake would make this gen jump up a bit more for me - the 3DS could barely handle this game, and it was showing. The facial expressions also need some work LOL, and I honestly dread the tutorial of the game. I like the ultrabeasts conceptually, but the execution of their involvement in the game is very DragonBall Z-ified. Ultra Necrozma lowkey would've been an amazing time for a "light" type even if it didn't make much sense, but hey, it was an awesome nuzlocke-killing moment anyway. xD

Gen 8 - Galar Region

I actually have a lot of play time for this gen. I was very obsessed with it when it came out, and could probably get glued to it all the same nowadays. But in hindsight, I realize a lot of my attachment to it was because of the semi-open worldness & ability to create a lot of different kinds of teams with a lot of new and old pokemon I like (I also liked having access to things earlier, like Ice Types before the end of the game lmfao). I still have a few things I really enjoy outside of it, though, like Hop's storyline & the setup of the gyms being in this stadium, sports-esque setting. But the plot? Eh. I have a lot of constructive criticism on how some shortcuts were made, and especially with the whole darkest day stuff lol. The only thing I liked about that fight was the dogs coming in and being cool; I wasn't impressed by or interest in Eternatus at all. The Leon fight afterward was fun, though! But oof, those weird men with the sword and shield hair afterwards were also just...no. :D DLCs also didn't quite hit that hard - it was more about having more pokemon than anything for me. So overall, it's fun to play, but I'd definitely change up the plot to make it better.

Gen 3 - Hoenn Region

This is where I think some people might wanna fight me, and to that I say you're probably valid. I don't know what it is with the Hoenn region because I actually don't have too many critiques about it (e.g., let's have less water routes); I just have never been able to get into it quite the same as I can others. I should honestly give it another shot, but I think I'd wanna do Emerald over Omega Ruby/Sapphire given the route they took everything with the remake lol. That's about all I have to say on this one since I never really connected with it as much!

Gen 6 - Kalos Region

This one feels like an especially hot take to have atm given where the pokemon community is in general LOL. Critical opinions ahead......Listen...no offense, but Gen 6 just ain't it for me at all. xD It's probably the one gen I actively dislike. The games felt way too easy with too much hand-holding/handouts, Team Flare & Diantha were a joke (and I'm not even a competitive player), and the whole group of friends felt more like an annoyance to me more than anything. They just weren't flushed out right. Neither was the plot. Like what was that plot. Outside of that, a lot of things just felt like "Look! Pokemon is in 3D now!!" over and over again because of how rushed the game was. So other than introducing fairy types & having pretty protagonists with some new clothing options, this gen is pretty forgettable to me. And that's a shame, because I like pokemon! I was one of those people who were curious on if we were gonna connect to Kalos for Gen 9, but I'd geniunely pick the DLCs we got any day of the week. I don't think Legends ZA will change much of my opinion on the mainline game, but given how much I loved Legends Arceus, I'm hoping it can be used to retcon & generate more interest/connection to the Kalos region in general.

Again, these are all just my personal opinions. I hope you all can enjoy pokemon in any way that feels good for you :) <3

#asks #pokemon

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torchickentacos · 11 days

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your blogs mere existence on my dash convinced me to download the whole hoenn and sinnoh arcs of pokeani to watch after i finish johto :salute:

BEST OF LUCK! I hope you enjoy it also I feel like I should apologize for convincing you to go through that!

Important notes:

Dp is so long. Oh my god. Good luck.

I promise Drew’s jackassery subsides. He doesn’t stay that annoying, I swear mostly kind of :) <3

harley

feel free to come back to my inbox and drop your thoughts!!! i love hearing from people even if 56% of my asks get lost in tumblr drafts purgatory!

Finally @salon-maiden-anabel made this for you

#taylor's tag #pokeani #but seriously anon thank you!!!! i do feel honored #i'm always very happy to hear that people enjoy my presence online #because it's FUN and I'm glad others are having fun too

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cyberdragoninfinity · 3 months

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Could I mayhaps ask for your thoughts on each of the Box Legendary Pokemon?

*cracks knuckles* SURE! let's do this

Gold and Silver: I actually don't feel suuuuper too strongly about Ho-oh and Lugia, tbh--though i will say they both have more solid designs than. A Lot of other johto Pokemon imo LMAO. I liked Lugia a lot when I was a kid and that affection has waned a bit as I got older but I do still think it's cool. They both have pretty solid lore as far as Legendaries go, I'm just not particularly attached to 'em...something like a Legends Johto game really has the potential to do something cool with 'em (I feel like with Ho-oh especially) and I do kinda hope we eventually get to see that.

Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald: MY HOMEEEEE Hoenn box Legendary trio sooo near and dear to me...Ruby was my first game Groudon was my first Legendary but I think he's kind of just ok. I like Kyogre a lot more and I Love Rayquaza, definitely a long time favorite Legendary...they're really just a solid trio of Pokemon with some really cool designs and concepts at play, and I like the new lore and forms ORAS gave 'em. Kyogre's Pokemon Pinball boss fight kicks ass to this day and im not kidding.

Diamond, Pearl, Platinum: MY DEAR LATE MIDDLE SCHOOL/EARLY HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS I thinkkkk as a trio I think I might like Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina the best...Legendaries I never tire of seeing. Palkia is one of my all time favs, gazing so lovingly at my giant Palkia plush ive had for some 15 odd years...Giratina is too, honestly, Giratina fucking Rules (though I actually don't like its Origin form very much and never had...I'm an Altered Form Giratina girlie.) They're just all super solid designs and for Dialga and Palkia especially they really feel like perfect embodiments of The Game Theyre the Cover Of. Also I love Origin Form Dialga and Palkia sorry. Theyre my precious ugly as fuck horses.

Black, White, BW2: WELL. THESE MIGHT TRULY BE THE BEST ONES. Zekrom/Reshiram/Kyurem are not my favorite Trio, but together just everything they represent is so cool. One day we WILL see that Original Dragon so HELP ME GOD. I'm more impartial to Zekrom (i played Black and White 2) but it still has such a striking design, I have to say. Reshiram is an especially beautiful Pokemon and definitely one of my favorites. I have. So Many Reshiram cards and plushes HJFDJGDF And well some people don't like Black and White Kyurem for whatever reason, but well i simply have to say they have been making me crazy since high school and the concept of Pokemon Fusion Really in The Game will never not be fucking bonkers slash POS. i LOVE White Kyurem (go figure.) THATS MY FUCKIN FREEEAK

X & Y: i don't. like X & Y very much 🥴 I wish I liked Xerneas more but something about its design is just kind of lacking some 'oomph' ro me. It doesn't feel like a strong poster child for the Fairy type's debut. Despite everything Yveltal does go hard as fucking hell though I still like it a lot. I named the one I caught in Y HELLRAISER back in college and I was shocked they let me name it that.

Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun/Moon: ok nevermind scratch what I said about DPP Sun and Moon have my favorite Legendary Trio for absolute certain. GOD I WISH SUMO/USUM WERE BETTER GAMES!!!!! SOLGALEO LUNALA AND NECROZMA ARE ALL SO FUCKING COOOOL!!!!! DUSK MANE NECROZMA AND DAWN WINGS NECROZMA ARE SO FUCKING COOOL!!!!!!!!! NECROZMA FUCKING EATS THEM FOR POWER. Just in general fantastic designs all around, and it's so cool that Solgaleo and Lunala are Legendaries That Evolve.also i played Moon/UM but I have grown deeply fond of Solgaleo over the last year or so. As if it's my fault he looks like...no, I shant say.

Sword and Shield: I don't like SWSH very much either 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴which is a shame because Zacien and Zamazenta have really cool concepts and designs!! I love their old tattered beat up forms, I love that theyre siblings 🥺I love that the one that isnt Your box legendary goes with Hop, that's so so sweet and so so cool. I just wish SWSH had more of a..........yknow. story. to do anything else of any substance with them. Cool Legendaries in bad games...sad!

Scarlet and Violet: WELL. THESE MAY ALSO BE THE BEST ONES AND I'LL SAY IT WITH MY WHOLE CHEST. god, just. WOW. I like them both a lot but I'm especially fond of Miraidon, to absolute bits. This really feels like the most realized version of a box art Legendary that really truly is a Character in its own right, you get to spend that whole game with your dragon, it well and truly Is Your Friend and it's just fantastic. Theyre endlessly charming and silly and conceptually just so fucking cool. They killed someone. My motorcycle that eats sandwiches. My BUDDY!!! I named my Miraidon Delta Accel :^)

#OK I THINK THATS ALL OF THEM FORGIVE ME FOR MISSING ANY #pokemon chattering #asks #anonymous #im a simple pokemon fan sometimes i see a cool beast on the box art and well I Just Like Them

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kafus · 2 months

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okay well i guess i didn’t need my alarms cause i can’t seem to sleep more lmao. it’s 5 am

soooo pokemon presents in a little less than 4 hrs huh? realistically i’m expecting something either johto or unova related and since they’re apparently lighting up NYC today, which is not usual for pokemon day, i’m kind of leaning unova. i have mixed feelings about this since as much as i actually did enjoy my time with BDSP, i was dually disappointed by them and i’m still sad that sinnoh isn’t going to get the HGSS or ORAS treatment ever - if unova remakes were to be of a similar caliber of bdsp, i’d rather them just not exist at all frankly. nostalgia bias and my immense love for sinnoh aside, i think the unova games, especially bw2, are some of the best games in the entire franchise, and if they are remade, or get bw3 sequels, or whatever, i want them to be GOOD. lets not spit on the legacy of gen 5 now!! but. i remain cautiously optimistic. i’m not a super cynical pokemon fan and like i said i did enjoy bdsp despite everything. also a legends kyurem or whatever would be awesome btw i wanna see the og dragon lol. johto would also be cool but i’m having a lot less thoughts on it for some reason. i’m sure if they announce anything johto ayano will have incredibly passionate thoughts about it

now i’m not really one for predictions, the above talk is maybe the most obvious outcome since they usually do remakes mid-gen. instead i’ll just talk about some things i would WANT even if they’re a pipe dream and i don’t necessarily expect them:

a new PMD. not an explorers remake, a new PMD with a fresh story and everything. we haven’t had a proper new PMD story since 2015 and i MISS IT. i’d also enjoy explorers remakes but frankly i want a new game the most and i wanna play as sprigatito SOBS THE PALDEA STARTERS WOULD BE SO GOOD FOR PMD

gen 3 on NSO with full online capabilities and also connectivity to NSO ports of colosseum and gale of darkness. i 100% do not think this is happening but it would blow me away if it did. the amount of gen 3 that so many people were never able to experience as children, especially me… could finally be done online!!! it’d be cool if they removed all the dumb trading restrictions too but unlikely. (as an aside if they released gen 1/2 VC again with stadium compatibility that’d be epic but i somehow expect that even less)

some sort of new stadium-type game with home compatibility that provides single player trials similar to that of the old gen battle frontiers. i just REALLY really miss old singleplayer battle challenges. i want a new one to spend a bazillion years on making wacky teams and winning w them. i enjoy VGC but sometimes that singleplayer experience hits different

i really am a spinoff enjoyer. surprise me with something new! that isn’t a mobile game with gacha elements! just a whole new standalone pokemon idea. no idea what genre just excite me

MAKE A COMFY FRIENDS SPRIGATITO PLUSH OR SO HELP ME GOD (this is barely related to the presents im just thinking about it i want one soo bad 😭)

and those r all my thoughts i think. these presentations r always a treat because i wake up early and watch them with my friends. i probably won’t be liveposting it on tumblr bc i will be lost in the sauce of discord w the besties. i’ll provide my thoughts later though!

#kiki was here #kiki.txt

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average-bb-poke-whisperer · 1 month

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At the bottom of the hierarchy??? But haven't you 1V4 4 legendaries (or 3 very overpowered pokemon, made stronger by something. I dunno, they seems to had the same chain/scarf????), each having a HEAVY advantage against you? The legends of Ogerpon seems to make you NOT weak at all! (ooc: I really think that ogerpon is a powerful legendary, in the middle maybe?)

Well yeah I did, but its not JUST power, its status too. Take Dialga and Palkia for instance, they are gods of space and time, preeeety improtant and powerful stuff right there. Celibi? A time traveler, preeety high up there too. The swords of justice? Folk heroes who are known all across Unova as heroes. And then there is ogerpon...didnt have a name in its own story, was the villain for a small legend in a tiny little region just outside Johto. Yeah i struck down 4 legendaries....who were also unknowns and really just had their strength...plus ya know rage is one HELL if a modifyer heh

// Nah, in my version ogerpon is near the bottom of the ladder along side pokemon like Shaymin, phione, the kanto birds, and even the loyal 3 themselves. As kieran said, its not just the strength, its how well known are they, and Ogerpon, as much as we love her, isnt well known.

#rp blog #ask blog #pokemon irl #rotumblr #pokemon rp #pkmn rp #pokeblr #pkmn au #pkmn irl #res-pon-se

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exmorphic · 1 month

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Let me reciprocate a bit, an ask for an ask if you will.

What are your top 5 games of all time?

Oh god that would have to be:

1. Nier (hot 2b and the music of the game is top tier)

2. Crash Bandicoot (I grew up playing it)

3. Pokemon Silver or Gold (Johto is the best region can't tell me twice)

4. Overwatch (atm it is what I'm playing a lot lately)

5. Assassin Creed Odyssey (I love the graphics of this game and appreciate the work that made me really feel like I was in olden Greece and the Roman empire)

#asks #kintsugi-dream #mutuals #thank you for sending one #you didn't have to but i appreciate it 😭❤️

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epicspheal · 1 year

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Vee-Vee Power! A Penny Analysis

Just a heads up I'll probably be revisiting this analysis once we get the Scarlet/Violet DLC because likely there will be more insights to Penny's character.

Alright so Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has probably introduced the most beloved friend group series that the franchise by the fandom standards in Penny, Arven, and Nemona. Both Arven and Nemona have had analysis on them but there's not that much going around for Penny who is my personal favorite of the three.

Let's start with Penny's name. Or names I should say since she ends up going by two different monikers. There's her given name Penny and her pseudonym Cassiopeia when she was the mysterious shadow head for Team Star. Penny comes from Peony and she's funnily the third character in the franchise to have her name based on this flower. Peonies symbolize many things such as shame, bashfulness, honor, and bravery. All of these apply to Penny to at some point during her story. One of the first things we realize about her is that she's quite bashful and quiet as a person. She even mentions at one point that's she's not used to speaking so much and that her throat hurts. While Team Star is huge source of pride for her, it also brings a bit of her shame as she feels that the group has gotten out of control and she feels bad that her friends may get expelled. She's also rather honorable in trying to take the fall for her friends once the initial fallout with the confrontation of the bullies takes place. And she's even willing to admit to hacking the LP system (which in and of itself isn't honorable but owning up to it is). And she demonstrates an immense amount of bravery in taking the fall for her friends, learning to come out of her shell and face the player to dissolve Team Star and then going down into Area Zero.

But then she has another name she goes by…Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is the name of a major constellation named after a prominent figure in Greek Mythology. Cassiopeia was a nymph who boasted too much about her and her daughter's beauty which invoked the wrath of Poseidon who threatened to destroy the kingdom of Ethiopia (accounts vary as to whether he vowed to flood it or use the monster Cetus to destroy it). Cassiopeia, realizing that she messed up, consults the oracle who tells her she needs to sacrifice her daughter. Andromeda was chained to a rock but ultimately saved by Perseus. The gods, still not satisfied decide to put Cassiopeia into the heavens as the constellation as further punishment (and the names of 5 major stars that make up the constellation Cassiopeia are the same names of the Team Star bases)

Now what does ANY of that have to do with our resident Eeveelution enthusiast? Well if you strip both the Cassiopeia Myth and Penny's story down to the bare essentials, they're both about women who have to sacrifice something they love in order to save a greater population of people and end up getting punished harsher. Penny attempts to disband (therefore sacrifice) Team Star in order to protect all of the other Team star members (both admins and grunts). And out of all of those involved she had to be sent away to Galar, and then had some extra community service for her hacking of the league.

Alright now let's get down to her team makeup. She's notable in being the only single trainer in the canon to use all Eeveelutions (the Kimono sisters of Johto and the Eevee trainers of Alola are a collection of trainers who use one Eeveelution a piece but not a whole set). This certainly shows that she really likes the Eevee Line, but there's more to it. The eeveelution family is at this point synonymous to the idea of having multiple paths ahead of you (as we've seen in the anime with Chloe). So that implies Penny has a lot of paths still open for her and that's she changing. Indeed she does a change quite a bit through the story, albeit subtly.

One thing that stood out to me was that three out of her six Pokemon actually correspond to three of the types of the Team Star bases: fire, dark, and fairy. What's more when you look at who runs those bases (Mela, Giacomo and Ortega) you realize that Penny actually calls those three by nicknames (Mellie, Momo, and Ortie) suggesting potential closeness to those three in particular.

It's also notable that her first and last Pokemon, Umbreon and Sylveon evolve by friendship (at night) and high affection (with a fairy type move). It shows that's she's a very caring trainer and most likely a night owl who also likes cute things (which is very confirmed with an entire team off eeveelutions who all happen to know Baby-Doll eyes and Quick attack). She also clearly values friendship which explains how 1/3 of her team is comprised of Pokemon who happen to evolve by actually liking their trainer.

Now onto Penny in the story. We first meet her, ironically being harassed by her own grunts with them none the wiser that the girl they were pushing to join Team Star was their enigmatic leader. This is a major scene as it establishes Penny as a shy girl who struggles to stand up for herself. But also this proves to be a major catalyst for her wanting to disband Team Star. After all, Team Star was meant to protect kids from bullies, but now they were acting like the very people they despised. Now granted as we know in flashbacks from later on in the game there was already heat on Team Star from the school admin so the idea of trying to save her friends by disbanding the team was already on her mind. But feeling the effects of Team Star firsthand (seeing how at least the grunt level, they had lost their way) and seeing the player defeat them gives her the idea of how to dissolve the team.

We learn later that Team Star had created a code that prevented anyone from ordering each other around. Which makes a lot a sense given that Giacomo (the one who helped to create the code) had experienced the negative affects of having the power to order others around. But also it reflects the reality of how in grade school, certain cliques tend to have one person order others around which can be a perfect breeding ground for bullying to start. Since Team Star was founded on the concept of anti-bullying it makes sense that the members would try to avoid any situation where bullying could take place. The fact that Penny respects this code and seeks to use that to get Team Star to disband rather than just outright ordering them or some other method of forcing them shows how much they mean to her and how honorable she is deep down

"Team Star is a group of troublemakers formed by some academy students a while back… They cause headaches for the school and try to bring other students down to their level. And I refuse to sit idly by and let them get away with it!"

This is an interesting line when you look back the Starfall Street Story-line because it initially makes you think that the rumors are right about Team Star, especially after you see them harassing Penny earlier. That they are a bunch of bullies. Perhaps at that moment Penny was feeling a bit (rightfully) upset at how her group had changed since she was gone for those eighteen months. Or perhaps she was really just trying to play up the rumor side in order to get the player to agree. Either way when you see how she talks about Team Star later on it's actually a bit jarring to think about this line early on in the game where she seems to hold the same opinions of Team Star that the rest of the student body and administration do.

One thing to note when we're introduced to Penny as Cassiopeia we noticed a slight change in her dialogue. She sounds far more confident, she's able to talk for longer times than she does when we meet her as the supply rep. It makes sense as a lot of people who are quiet in real life tend to be better able to communicate behind the screen (or in Penny's case, hack your Rotom Phone).

Also, both Cassiopeia's first entrance and "supply rep" Penny both mention hacking upon introducing themselves which is nice foreshadowing to the fact that they are indeed the same person.

When you meet Penny as the supply rep for the first time she thanks you for helping her out back at the stairs to which you can reply that you remember or that you don't. And she says a really sad line if you mention that you don't

"That figures. I never leave an impression on people…"

That really broke my heart. It's unfortunately a common feeling for people who have been bullied. Yeah they're targets they're often made to feel invisible when they are not being made fun of.

As we meet up with Clive we start to see Penny's suspicion of this "student" that wants to join. I know there are people who don't care for Penny and cite that she is a little mean, her early treatment of Clive being one example people point out. To be honest, I personally do not see this as her being mean. Rather's she being rightly cautious about who she let's on. Yes, she wants to bring down Team Star, but she still cares for them and she knows how much of the school dislikes them. She couldn't ascertain if Clive had been one of the bullies' friends who just wanted to seek revenge. This is different from the player who doesn't have the same long term knowledge of them team therefore a little bit more trustworthy. And over time she does truly begin to trust Clive and apologizes for the early wariness

As we go through Operation Starfall, we get some really nice insight into Penny's character both as herself and as Cassiopeia. As we approach each base we get really detailed info on the boss from Cassiopeia which at first with just the knowledge of her hacking skills you could assume this just her getting information from social media. That is until you beat the boss and she sounds like she's mourning their defeat to which she always mentions she's caught up in her thoughts. This shows that there's far more to this story than meets the eye which should be raising your suspicion of Cassiopeia. Indeed Clive even asks the player how much you trust them.

Things really come to ahead by the fourth base the player defeats where we learn this

"…As you know, Team Star was formed by a group of students who were being bullied at school. Shortly after forming the team, these students—none other than the squad bosses themselves—confronted their bullies head on. The outcome was a resounding victory for Team Star… Though you could hardly call it a contest. The bullies didn't even put up a fight. They all bolted from battle the first chance they got. Scared spitless of Team Star, the bullies then dropped out of school, one after another… And Team Star ended up the villains of the story. …But that's neither here nor there. Forget I mentioned it."

This quote not only sheds light on what really happened with Team Star (which was being confirmed anyways by the bosses that have been defeated) but it's also meant to bring into question why is Cassiopeia so determined to bring them down knowing that Team Star weren't the ones in the wrong.

Meanwhile as we continue to meet Penny as the supply rep we notice that Koraidon/Miraidon continues to pop out of it's ball to greet her with an affectionate lick. Something we don't see the dragon do with either Arven or Nemona. Given the suspicion that should be surrounding her by the time we get to the big reveal it makes sense why we see this take place. To let us know that deep down Penny is still a good person based on the dragon showing instant affection to her. That and perhaps the dragon sees itself in Penny as we learn in the Area Zero content that Koraidon/Miraidon itself are also struggling to stand up much like Penny is struggling to stand up to be her authentic self.

When we get to the final reveal in the schoolyard we're treated to this quote

""Heh. This must be quite a shock for you. The big boss… Cassiopeia… They were both me all along. When I saw you make quick work of those Team Star lackeys outside school that time, the idea for Operation Starfall suddenly came to me. My skills let me get hold of as much LP as I want, so I decided to use that to tempt you to helping me out. After the operation started, I kept an eye on you as a member of the "supply unit"… And I had you battle the bosses on my behalf. All for the goal of defeating me and putting an end to Team Star once and for all. But still…there's a part of me that wants Team Star to live on! I can't just roll over and let you win without putting up a fight! This is the final showdown. Are you ready?"

This is another point where people bring up Penny being a bad person because she was manipulative in her own goal. And yes to be fair she was underhanded but it's understandable given her backstory as to why she goes for more indirect confrontation methods. Like this is someone who doesn't like the spotlight and has struggled with confrontation. Plus she's really torn about this whole plot because the Team Star admins are her friends. She even says she doesn't really want to disband them. But she feels she has to in order to save her friends

After all, we see in the flashback once the Operation Star was a success that she tried to get them to disband to avoid further punishment. To which the others decided not to. At that point we see that she ends up taking the blame onto herself to protect her friends. This is why I don't necessarily get why people call her selfish. That's pretty unselfish to take on the blame and be willing to be sent of for a whole 18 months.

"I'm the big boss of Team Star. The name's Cassiopeia—No…Penny!"

This is another major quote that I think is underrated. You can see that she's now fighting between the two identities she holds. Cassiopeia, the enigmatic leader of Team Star and Penny her true self she's not been able to show authentically

"Time to Terastallize! Shine bright like the starry sky and become who you really want to be!"

Again this further supports the idea that after Operation Starfall, she's really wanting to be her most authentic self

The reunion (and truly first meeting) between her and the Team Star Admin is really touching to see. Her finally meeting them face to face, and them forgiving her after what she did. They realized that despite the underhanded method, she was really just trying to look out for them.

After the final showdown we see Penny own up to more of her crimes. Which she didn't have to do, but it shows that deep down she's an honorable person whose done some questionable things. And again this directly contrasts the idea that she's selfish as she could've just not owned up to hacking the LP system. Some people dislike the fact that she seems to get off easy but to be fair she already had been sent away for 18 months previously. And as much as Operation Starfall street was a lesson for Penny, it was also a lesson for Clive/Clavell who was about to straight up expel everyone involve with him learning to be more observant before taking drastic measures.

We meet Penny again in Area Zero and this is where a lot of people kind of find her interactions with Nemona and Arven to be mean-spirited. Now true she is snarky here but you can see it as a way of keeping her guard up which is something many people who have been bullied may do. Not to mention both Nemona and Arven come off strong with Nemona being a little too extroverted and not reading the room and Arven actually starts in on her first by calling her pipsqueak which would actually send her onto the defensive. I think people forget that there are three socially awkward kids meeting for the first time going into an incredibly dangerous and off-limits area. That wasn't going to be just a smooth nice interaction and again Nemona and Arven had some not-so-great moments down there as well.

To her credit Penny actually does apologize to Arven (and Arven does the same) and she has a bit more situation awareness of what was going on with Koraidon/Miraidon when they meet their very aggressive counterpart. She even actually tries to give Arven some words of sympathy once we know the true fate of the professor.

People also give her flak for her calling her father annoying for checking in on her and giving her an embarassing nickname (Pen-Pen). Yes she doesn't have it nearly as bad as Nemona or Arven, but she is a teenager. Most teenagers tend to find their parents annoying. So it's a very realistic remark from her even if she doesn't familial problems on the scale of others.

In the post-game we see her checking up on the former Team Star admins as they work to reintegrate themselves back into academy which acts as one final bit of growth for Penny. She's concerned given the reputation of Team Star and the fact that the admins are like her rather awkward. However her worries a little misplaced as despite their awkwardness, the admins are able to make a name for themselves outside of Team Star. She recognizes this herself and she ultimately stops tailing her friends knowing they'll be alright

Penny isn't perfect, but she's trying her best to change for the better. The narrative acknowledges this and that's why I really appreciate her as a character.

#penny pokemon #cassiopeia pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #character analysis

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ridedatbull · 5 months

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Research into those statues I’ve been finding is slow. Mostly because making sure Major(Tauros) is comfortable and taken care of while he heals is my biggest priority right now, but at the very least I have been able to locate that old picture book of the Old Gods of Johto. It’s just a thing for kids, but it’s real history and part of our heritage that usually gets brushed off because Ho-oh, Lugia and Celebi have been much more present much more recently

The gist of it is that, every species of Pokémon has their own deity that represents certain aspects of the world. Yes I do mean one for every Pokémon, so there are literally hundreds of them. Some with some pretty hyper specific domains, and several of which blend together sometimes. While all of these guys are powerful in their way, Ho-oh and Lugia still reign supreme over all of them as Lord and Lady (though the genderedness of those titles is a matter of hot debate these days) and Celebi is pretty much a free agent that does what they like

Of those hundreds of sub deities, twelve (or thirteen depending on who you ask) are the most important of all, and were given special honors by mankind. Shrines, holidays, their own hymns, the whole package. Over time, every single one of these gods just sort of faded away into obscurity. Some due to time, some due to shifting values, but most gods and their shrines were lost and destroyed due to constant war with our neighbors in Kanto. Nowadays, they’re only remembered as children’s fairy tales.

But the staues I’ve been seeing are more than that. And I’ve found more information on those three.

The Arcanine was the first I saw, and was actually being dug up by an archaeology team near the Ruins of Alph. This picture is from my book and I’ll put the passage about it here too:

“Of the old gods of Johto, Arcanine was loved and respected to level that almost rivaled Ho-oh and Lugia. The Arcanine god was very fond of humanity, adoring their works of art, their creative foods, their beautiful music and resilient hearts. Every chance they got, the Arcanine deity, and their child Growlithe would give aid to the growing people of Johto. The love of these gods was so great, that all mortal Growlithe and Arcanine share that same love for humans naturally, even to this day. It is still unknown why these powerful and majestic gods have not been seen in so long, but surely parting from the humans they so loved was deeply painful for Arcanine.”

It’s a bit of a sad story, but seeing the love I get every day from both of my own Growlithe does make me believe that something in the heavens loves us too. Why else would we get to be with these amazing creatures we call Pokémon?

The second statue was in the Ilex Forest all alone. Somehow though, it was perfectly clean, and I can only guess as to why. The god it belongs to is much more unassuming at first.

“Rattata may seem like an odd choice for a high pantheon of gods, but the ancient Johtoans held the humble creature on a surprisingly high pedestal. Small and humble they are, but they are mighty in their way. Just as Johto is in times of hardship and war. Unlike their neighbors, Johto has few natural deposits of iron, at least ones that are not habitats for territorial, burrowing Steel types. Therefore, many weapons of ancient Johto were forged with Rattata teeth to bolster the strength of what little iron they had. This served two purposes: genuinely strengthening forged blades as a primitive form of steel, and to channel the spirits of the persistent and underestimated power of the humble and the common. For this reason, the Rattata god is often portrayed wielding a sword many times its size.”

Maybe because they were more popular during times of war, Rattata’s shrines were targeted much more fiercely. It does explain why traditional smiths here sometimes keep Rattata teeth somewhere on display.

Now the third statue… if you know me even a little bit, you’ll understand why this one is important.

“When one imagines strength, it is difficult not to picture a Tauros. They are famed for it with good reason. Likewise, the Tauros god is one that is turned to when great strength is needed for some task or feat. Unrestrained, determined, and a champion among the Gods of Johto, Tauros represents the celebration of strength and survival. In the dead of winter, they send their blessings to those struggling to make it through the season, promising that if they are steadfast, they will live to see the next spring. Strangely, every depiction of this deity is different from both Kanto and Paldean varieties of Tauros, with longer horns and tails, brighter forehead studs and thicker manes. Some theorize that these depictions are all that drama in of a now extinct breed of Tauros.”

Well we were definitely struggling in the blinding snow trying to get home for the holidays, and Major responded to something about the statue of this god in a hidden cave that inspired him to lead us there to safety. That can’t just be a coincidence. I’m going to try to learn more when I can.

#pokemon #unreality #pokeblogging #oc lore #lore dump #okami

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