#(well all of them technically. For both ranges. And I’m ignoring Pikachu because that already reran)

[fierykitten2]

I’ve said it before that I’d love it if there was a way to battle yourself from the opposite version (I have both Scarlet and Violet and put a decent amount of emphasis on Rose, my player character in Scarlet, and Lavender, my player character in Violet, being different characters but still alternate universe counterparts to the point where they have the exact same team structure - their starter (Quax the Quaquaval and Spriggie the Meowscarada), their version’s Fire Knight called Char (an Armarouge in Scarlet and a Ceruledge in Violet), their version’s “Paradox Leader” (Luna the Roaring Moon and Knight the Iron Valiant) and then their version’s Paradox Legendary trio in National Dex order (Blueberry the Walking Wake, Apple the Gouging Fire and Lemon the Raging Bolt and Cherry the Iron Leaves, Orange the Iron Boulder and Passionfruit the Iron Crown)) but now I’m thinking of other ideas for stuff it would have been cool for them to do in SV to allow you to hang out with yourself if you have both versions - specifically picnics and Tera Raid Battles

Picnics: literally the same as a normal picnic only you have both player characters and all of their Pokémon on their teams plus Koraidon and Miraidon there. You will probably need to connect a second (set of) joycon(s) in order to do it so that you can control both player characters. Camera probably follows the player from the current version being played (eg if I’m playing Scarlet when I set this up, the camera will follow Rose). Sandwiches probably work in a similar way to how they do in normal multiplayer idk. Koraidon and Miraidon can have a unique interaction with each other because that would be cool

Tera Raid Battles: half dealing with the issue where the Mewtwo raids are unable to be solo’d this is a nice way to fix things if you don’t have NSO assuming of course the Mewtwo raids ever rerun. I think I’m mainly doing this though because it would be a nice quick and easy way of getting the raid boss in both versions at the same time instead of having to swap versions. As an extra bonus, I could have a picnic with both versions at the same time afterwards to celebrate (good luck identifying which raid boss is which if I swap the raid boss into my team though). You control both of your player characters and the two of them are in the middle of the four characters taking on the raid, with the one from the version you’re currently playing being in the normal position (eg if I’m playing Violet when I do this, Lavender goes in the normal middle right position while Rose goes in the middle left position) and the camera stays in its normal position. The player in the normal position is the first of the two to get asked if they want to catch the raid boss (in this example, Lavender gets to choose first and regardless of her decision Rose chooses second. Their catching animations probably play at the same time and both are shown on screen). Obviously if one or both of them is ineligible to catch the raid boss (they’ve already caught it or have no box space) they’re ignored as normal and you’re warned before the battle that they won’t be able to catch it. Not sure if the NPCs should both be from the version you’re playing (Violet in this example) or one from each (if you’re taking up two slots there’s two left for the NPCs), with the one on the outer right being from the version you’re currently playing (Violet in this situation) and the one on the outer left being from the version you’re not currently playing (Scarlet in this situation) but I think it would be funny imagining a situation where Rose and Lavender meet up and Lavender is like “okay I brought some kid named Gianna with me, she has an Umbreon and wants to help us beat the raid boss. Hey, is that Logan, the guy with the Arboliva who always ruins my attempts to use a Future Paradox Pokémon by setting up the wrong terrain on repeat? Why’s he wearing your uniform???” apart from the fact that Rose wears the New Uniforms now so Lavender probably wouldn’t be able to recognise his school’s uniform that easily. Also this means if the best option for a defender for a certain raid is version-exclusive (like Miraidon for the Walking Wake raids) I don’t have to worry too much about struggling to battle because I can bring them alongside a probably more support-based option. Also that reminds me, it would be fun if I could use this to get a Walking Wake in Violet and an Iron Leaves in Scarlet

[sage-nebula]

Top 10 pokeani characters

Alan --- Surprising absolutely no one, especially since he’s my favorite character from anything ever, Alan tops the list. I cry and cry and ride and die for how much I love him. I’ll scream it from the rooftops, I’ll write it with a plane, I will find a way to design it in fireworks and I will love him ten times more fiercely for every ounce of ridiculous hate he gets. Alan is my light, my life, my love, my everything. I adore every part of this boy and probably always will.[deep breath]More specifically, I love so, so, so much of what Alan is. I love how absolutely determined (and he is, he’s a DETERMINATOR and that’s a big part of why Lysandre “liked” him so much!) he is, how his sheer determination to carry on and keep walking the path toward his goals is a big part of his character. I love how brave and courageous he is, how although that can easily slide into recklessness when people (especially those he loves) are in danger, he will still face the destruction of the world head on because it is the Right Thing to do. Alan is a Gryffindor, undoubtedly and absolutely, and his bravery and chivalry (as in knight code---I explain it in the linked essay) absolutely shine. Alan cares not just for his precious people, but for everyone. He cares about and wants to protect the whole damn world if possible, it’s just that sometimes he gets in over his head in his attempts. But oh, does he try. He tries so very, very hard. (To the point where, honestly, this conversation could take place:Person: “Alan, what are you doing?”Alan: “My best.”And tbh it would be 100% believable.)He’s incredibly intelligent, incorporating real-world strategies into his pokémon’s movesets and into his battles, and is shown to be pretty adept at thinking on his feet and coming up with solutions on the fly. He’s compassionate and kind, and just can’t let it go if someone needs assistance. Although he’s very intelligent and very strong, he’s not arrogant, and in fact we see on multiple occasions that pretentious, arrogant behavior actually annoys him and makes him quick to dislike people. And all of these things make him a very relatable character to me, because honestly, same, but I also find him to be extremely relatable because he is a character who has been abused, shows clear symptoms of C-PTSD as a result of that abuse, and who exhibits C-PTSD in very much the same fashion I do. I’ve never related to a fictional character the way I relate to Alan and I’m honestly so, so very grateful that he exists. Light of my life, quite honestly.I could on for like . . . twelve more paragraphs, but I’ll stop there. Alan is my favorite for everything ever, and definitely tops this list. My love for him is ineffable. I’ll leave it at that.

Ash Ketchum --- However, Ashy-boy is still at number two! And while I do love all versions of Ash forever, I think I should probably specify here that the Ash I really mean, the Ash in my heart, will always be the Ash from the OS. See, the thing is . . . as the seasons went on, I feel like they’ve taken the Ash that we had in the OS, and hyper-focused on certain characteristics there for entire sagas, ignoring everything else. In the XY&Z series they focused on his heroism, his idealism, and his bravery; the one time we were allowed to see him feel down and sulky about his recent loss-streak, he was punished for it and readily adopted a smile back in place by the end of the episode. In the SunMoon series, meanwhile, it seems like they’re focusing on his exuberance and his childlike awe and wonder for the world. And those traits, just like his heroism and bravery, are great traits! And he is ten and should be allowed to act like it (he didn’t in the XY&Z series, tbh---he acted more like he was 13/14). But again, there’s more to him than just that. He is, or at least he used to be, more well-rounded than that.People complain about OS!Ash losing battles or flailing his way through life, and let’s be honest: He did a lot of flailing back then. But I also feel that we saw so many more dimensions to Ash’s character back then. I mean, looking at the first episode alone:- He was idealistic and optimistic and excitable and full of awe and wonder when it came to the mere idea of starting his journey, but similarly when he met Pikachu for the first time (“Oh he’s so cute! He’s the best one of them all!”), and when he saw wild pokémon such as pidgey and rattata. - He was heroic and brave when he shielded Pikachu with his own body and faced down each and every spearow without flinching.- He was feisty and ready to fight both when Gary pissed him off, and when the spearow flock attacked once again.- He was aggravated and a snarky little sassmouth right back at Pikachu when Pikachu was, well, being a brat as well. - His eyes shined he was so happy when Pikachu finally licked his chin.And I could go on. Ash---the Ash I know and love---has so many dimensions to him. He can be excitable and cheerful sometimes, petulant and surly at others, righteous and determined at still others, uncertain and afraid at others, optimistic and confident at others, and depressed and broody at others. Part of Ash’s characterization is that his temperament was somewhat mercurial; he could go through a range of emotions throughout an episode depending on the situation. He was compassionate and all-loving toward pokémon from day one, but he also had his moments of screwing up, such as when he insulted practically everyone in Celadon City by insulting perfume and then refused to apologize about it (and then decided to cross-dress to sneak into the Celadon Gym . . . oh Ash). He didn’t flinch once as he led the originals back out to face Mewtwo in the first movie, but when faced with the pressure of being the Chosen One to save the world in the second, he was noticeably afraid. (“Right now I wish my mom had named me Bob.” Oh Ash. That’s a dub only line, I’m sure of it, but so good.) I still think that this Ash is in the Ashes we see nowadays---I still consider this to be his characterization regardless of what the show says, tbh, just more mature as time goes on---but either way, he’ll always be my Ash. The Ash who makes silly puns (“Maybe it’s a cowterpie!”), who can be absolutely savage with his insults (“Aside from you, what are the other two most disgusting things?”), who loves all pokémon but still doesn’t get why Misty thinks tentacool and tentacruel are cute. And by the way, fuck the haters, because he’s an excellent trainer, and I’ll stand by that.Alan may be my favorite, but Ash is still a close second and always will be. I love him. 

Lizardon --- Of course I cannot mention one of my dragon sons without mentioning the other. I love Lizardon (and it should be obvious, but just in case---I’m speaking specifically about Alan’s charizard, here). I love Lizardon for who he is as well as what he has done to reshape the image of charizard that fandom (and Nintendo themselves!) have held onto for so long. Because while Lizardon is proud of his power, while he is just as determined as his platonic soulmate, and while he likes battling just as much as Alan does, he also loves to be petted, loves to be cuddled, gets really happy and croons when he is praised (or outright cheers when he gets his medal at the end of the series). Lizardon is generally very friendly and open. He loves battling and is confident in his abilities, sure, but off the battlefield he’s a complete sweetheart and he’s not afraid to show it. (And I love the heavy implication that he is male, too, due to the language Alan uses to address him, because boys can be sweethearts! Boys can love cuddles! Boys can like snuggling! Just because he’s a big boy dragon doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate these things---look at Toothless from Dreamworks Dragons! Toothless is once called “big baby boo” by Hiccup, and you know that Lizardon can sometimes be a big baby boo sometimes, too. I love it and I love him.) Lizardon is a sweetheart, but he’s also fiercely protective of his boy (don’t even think he isn’t---there’s a reason Alan moves closer to Lizardon when he feels wary or anxious, as seen in XYZ036). He is a dragon, and a fierce one at that. He just also happens to be friendly and nice most of the time, and considering how charizard have been characterized for the bulk of the past twenty years (mostly thanks to Ash’s charizard), I appreciate it.

Pikachu --- And I can’t forget Pikachu, either. Like Ash, most of the Pikachu characterization I love is in the OS (and early OS, at that) thanks to how sassy and bratty he used to be back then, but also like Ash, I love Pikachu throughout the years as well. Pikachu has his moments of being spunky and sassy (especially earlier on, when he would electrocute someone for accidentally insulting him), but he also is protective and sweet to those he loves, has a hilarious fondness for ketchup (which was one of the very, very, very few bits of continuity referenced in XY&Z!), is brave, clever, and his relationship with Ash is one of the most iconic and most precious in animated history. Pikachu has received so much hate over the years, so much of it undeserved. I love him. He’s a Pikapal.

Misty Waterflower --- My girl Misty has to make the list. I already talked a lot about her last night, so I won’t go into it all again, but essentially what I love about Misty is that she was such a well-rounded character---she was allowed to be so much, in that she was a tomboy, sure, but she was also allowed to be feminine at times and this wasn’t disparaged, nor was she ashamed of showing those parts of herself. There were parts surrounding the writing around her that could have been better, but Misty herself was a great character and she, too, doesn’t deserve the hate she gets.

Jessie & James --- This is cheating, technically, but honestly they’re so inseparable in my mind that I can’t have them here any other way. Like, it doesn’t matter how they’re together, they just have to be together. I refuse to consider them separated. Jessie and James are soulmates, absolutely, and what I love most about them (aside from their individual backstories and the like) is the role they fulfill in the show---how they are, despite the times when they actually do terrible things (as they do sometimes) so very much like Ash’s weird big brother and big sister. Like, they’re frienemies, but at this point Jessie and James have been there with him the longest (aside from Pikachu, of course). They’ll continue to be with him the longest. And while I can understand criticisms that some people are tired of them, for me it’s hard to imagine the show without them. I love Jessie and James and, personally, I’m glad they’re here.

Professor Sycamore --- I was honestly surprised with how much I came to absolutely love Professor Sycamore considering the fact that I was not wild about him in the games, but here we are. Sycamore is great for a lot of reasons, but I would be lying if I said that the reason why he makes this list is any reason other than the fact that he is, without doubt, Best Dad™. I absolutely love how perfect of a father he is for Alan, how understanding and compassionate and encouraging he is, how you know that Alan’s life would have been very different without Sycamore’s presence in it, but how Sycamore himself obviously doesn’t feel like Alan owes him anything. (Alan’s feelings on the matter are a different story.) But at the same time, Sycamore’s still great with all the other kids, too. He readily picks Bonnie up so she can pet Gabrielle. He’s protective of all the other kids (Bonnie and Serena in the kidnapping episode, Manon when that Flare grunt tried to start some shit at the start of the Flare crisis), and he’s so openly encouraging of everyone finding their own path and their own thing to do. Sycamore is great. He is Best Dad™, and I’m so happy that he can be right there at the head of this dragon hugging family. (Well, almost everyone in the family has hugged dragons. //pointed look @ Meyer and Clemont)

Tracey Sketchitt --- HATERS WILL HATE, BUT I LOVE TRACEY. Tracey is so passionate and enthusiastic and knowledgeable. He’s Best Navigator™ and it is a crime that he was not brought along for Johto, honestly, I’m going to forever be salty about this. Pretty much all of the Tracey backlash was just because he wasn’t Brock (and I mean, Brock’s great too, but come on), and it was completely undeserved. Tracey is observant, smart, dedicated, and kind, and I love him, and he deserves more appreciation. TRACEY 4 ALOLA 2K17. (This is a joke, but if anyone was going to make a comeback . . .)

Iris --- Iris doesn’t deserve all the hate she gets, either, but like Misty, I talked a bit about Iris yesterday. Iris is adorable, sassy, brave, and smart; she has a well-written and interesting character arc, and to this day I have yet to see one legitimate reason for hating her (since most of it is outright senseless bashing). I’m still salty she never got her cameo in the Kalos series, and istg Serena better stay tf away until Iris gets her proper cameo. Iris 4 Alola 2k17. (Again, a joke, however . . .)

Bonnie --- Finally, I have to mention Bonnie, because I love this little girl. I love how Bonnie was allowed to act her age, how she doesn’t always know how to handle new pokémon, but how she is so enthusiastic about it, so full of excitement and awe and love for the world around her. This is a girl who found a Zygarde core, didn’t know it was a Zygarde core, named it Squishy, made up a song for it, and then used that song to get through to the rampaging dragon. She is the third member of the family to hug a dragon (and so far last---come on, Meyer and Clemont, snap to it!), and my god that was one of the most powerful moments in the series. That scene (in Japanese at least) still makes me tear up. Bonnie is amazing, and I still think she’ll make a fantastic Top Ranger one day, reaching pokémon the world over through the power of her feelings and friendship (rather than monster balls), and being an international superheroine while she’s at it. Rock the fuck on, Bonnie.