#Chip of Arceus

[chipsncookies]

Mochi mayhem pecharunt's pov 🍑

I wanted to sleep but then i remembered you can throw food in legends arceus and as if possessed by pecharunt itself i drew this

[claitea]

idk quick doodles of a time where volo ends up finally giving up his plans and rei gets his friend back. i just really wanted to draw that hug haha

[green-gato]

[beepborpdoodledorp]

lazy ass meme doodles

[franstastic-ideas]

Can I have the entire 50 character ask thing for your favorite sisterhood girl pls I like hearing about them

Ohhhh, don't make me CHOOSE!

I know I've already spoken quite a bit about Akari, but maybe I still haven't enough!

1. Canon I outright reject

Her being fifteen.

Akari's age should be up to interpretation, and I say this is a 21-22 year old woman who happens to be short.

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on

Hikari and Akari are one and the same, not separate people with an uncanny resemblance to one another.

3. Obscure headcanon

She has a deep, lovely, womanly voice...

Akari doesn't quite laugh out loud, so much as give a soft, breathy chuckle or snicker. But, if and whenever she does laugh, it sounds like the crowing of a Murkrow.

4. Favorite line

Not exactly my favorite, but it's the funniest in and out of context:

*said in the calmest of tones and with the most serene of smiles*

"Thorton, would you kindly shut your mouth?"

5. Best personality trait

She's extremely perseverant. She would have to be to have endured as much as she has in Hisui, as well as be perceived as a near unstoppable force by the general public.

6. Worst personality trait

Akari is extremely guarded about her softer emotions and can come off as cold because of that.

Due to her ambivalent sentiments towards the possibility of entering a romantic relationship, she either ignores the affection given to her by an admirer or will play the oblivious game for as long as possible (when she's not, you know, actually being oblivious).

7. Age/height/weight headcanon

As stated above, she is a 21-22 year old woman to me who just happens to be short - perhaps 5 ft. 2 in.

As for her weight... she's lost quite a bit since her arrival in Hisui.

8. Unpopular opinion about them

I'm personally not at all fond of her being characterized as this innocent, naive little creature that Volo takes great and perverse pleasure in manipulating and betraying.

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character

Her mere existence was enough for me to love her.

But Akari possibly being the only protagonist to have embarked on a second adventure depending on personal interpretation definitely caught my interest.

10. Best moment on screen (or in the book)

When she calmly asserts herself against Kamado during the trial that will decide Volo's fate.

No matter how much Kamado raises his voice arguing that he can no longer be trusted to keep his word and needs to be punished severely for his actions, Akari responds to him with a calculating coolness.

11. Faceclaim for the role

Akari has a design already, so I'll share my voice claim for her instead: Kikyo (Willow Johnson) from Inuyasha.

12. Crack headcanon

Akari won't allow herself to show any weakness - but thinking about Wheatley, her Rotom back in Sinnoh, reduces her to such a visibly miserable state, always letting out a deep sigh before saying:

"I miss my Rotom, (name). I miss him so much..."

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done

Actually considering for all of a moment eating the only-Arceus-knows-how-outdated Old Gateau she found in the Old Chateau.

14. Most heroic moment

Ask anyone in Hisui and they'll tell you it's when she survived her banishment and managed to quell Origin Forme Palkia's frenzy, thereby saving the entire world.

And then after that, taking down a deranged Volo on Mount Coronet's peak along with none other than The Renegade, a Legendary Pokémon created by almighty Sinnoh/Arceus with a history so violent that it warranted what was intended to be eternal banishment to The Distortion World.

15. Worst thing they’ve ever done

Akari turning her back on Volo after he lowered himself to his hands and knees begging for her forgiveness.

It's something she almost immediately began to regret. That desperate, tearful expression of his wouldn't leave her mind.

16. Deepest darkest secret they won’t even admit to themselves

She truly does want someone to love her. A man that will love her and only her to the point of obsession.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them

Golden Afternoon by Circus-P.

"I'm invincible To all the rage, the hate, the pain of fate I am vulnerable To all my rage, my hate, the pace at which I change"

18. What they’d go to see a therapist about

Every single hardship she experienced in Hisui honestly warrants therapy, but she has too much pride to ever even momentarily consider attending a session.

19. Vices/bad habits

Akari tends to treat others in a similar manner to how she is treated. She won't stoop to pettiness or cruelty, but she will behave more coldly towards those who have wronged her.

20. Scars

Emotionally, her father abandoning her she was still small. He said being a married man with a child wasn't what he wanted out of life after all, so he left Twinleaf Town and never looked back.

Her mother fiercely believed that he would return, but once the realization he wouldn't finally struck her, Ayako stopped speaking for a while and accidentally neglected Hikari. Jun was Hikari's source of sunshine during this time.

Physically, I sometimes imagine she has a small to medium X-shaped scar on her chest from her battle with Lord Kleavor, and a few burns from the one with Lord Arcanine.

21. Drink of choice (not just alcoholic)

Berry Juice, or Razz Berry Tea

22. Best physical feature

Her long, flowing, slate-colored hair has caught the eye of several.

23. If they were a scented candle, what would they smell like?

Lemon and Lavender~

24. Most annoying habit

She tends to intimidate others with her silvery gaze, something that more often than not isn't intentional.

25. 3 things they’d want to take with them if they were dropped off in the middle of nowhere

Considering Akari did get dropped in the middle of nowhere, nowhere being Hisui, there are a few things she would have liked to have brought with her: her previous team members, but there are six of them rather than three.

26. What they would do if stuck in an elevator with [insert character of your choice from the same fandom]

If she and Volo were trapped in an elevator, there are two drastically different outcomes that may occur:

Volo will try to take this opportunity, since it seems they're going to be in here for a little while, to get some smooching done - since people keep giving them less than appreciative stares when they do so in public.

Or, in the event that Volo doesn't know how elevators really work, despite his best efforts, he almost immediately spirals into a panic and begins blaming himself for this event - because surely this is Arceus punishing him for his past sins and she just happened to get caught in the crossfire.

27. Their guilty pleasure

Volo's obsession with her.

It's secretly everything she's ever wanted, and once Akari has confirmed it's entirely sincere and unwavering, she becomes just as obsessive over him.

28. How they feel about [insert character of your choice from the same fandom]

She holds a deep admiration and respect for Touko, due to her complete lack of hesitance in expressing her thoughts and feelings.

29. Eating habits

Prefers and has a high tolerance for spicier flavors.

She even crafts a new type of Lure Cake made specifically for attracting Fire-types (not that people are supposed to eat those).

30. Sleeping habits

Akari believes that her day begins whenever she wakes up, so she can be an absolute beast when forced to leave the comfort of her bed or futon.

31. If they had a Tumblr Tacklr what would it look like?

Her account is one the Sinnoh League required her to make in order to answer questions for interviews, and that would be the only thing she ever uses it for.

32. Something guaranteed to make them smile/laugh

Whenever Sariel, her Alpha Togekiss, slurps someone (gives them a big, slobbery lick).

It takes every last ounce of her willpower to keep her composure sometimes, depending on how extreme the reaction is of the person slurped.

33. Something guaranteed to make them cry

Her wedding day and the morning after.

Akari doesn't quite understand why she would be crying when she's never felt happier before.

34. How they react when they are feeling X emotion (sad, angry, excited, scared, etc.—can specify as many as you like)

Sometimes Akari smiles or chuckles when she isn't necessarily happy.

35. Their idea of a perfect day

An afternoon spent in the arms of her beloved as their Pokémon play together outside - with no annoying calls from the League demanding her presence.

36. Their favorite season

Hisui/Sinnoh doesn't experience any seasons due to having a cool climate year-round, but Akari does prefer cooler temperatures over warmer ones.

37. What they really think about themselves

A strong trainer and someone worthy of respect, but otherwise no one particularly extraordinary.

This is reflected in the first act of 'What Once We Were', Akari is described in a decidedly neutral manner, but come the second act when the story shifts to Volo's perspective, his adoration towards her is so powerful it affects the narration.

38. Favorite holiday

January 12th, the day diamond dust always falls on Snowpoint City.

39. Favorite game

I feel as though Yume Nikki and all its various fangames are something she would enjoy.

40. Favorite book

The Curse of Mankey Island (half-joking)

41. If they could have lunch with anyone in the world (living or dead, from any fictional universe or the real world), who would it be?

Her beloved~

But, if her lover isn't an option, her dear friend and fellow sister Touko.

42. 3 comfort items

Her Buneary Poké Doll, Old Gateau, and apparently Wheatley.

43. 3 favorite foods and 3 they despise

Her favorites are Tamato Berries, Jubilife Muffins, and as previously mentioned Old Gateau.

She dislikes extremely bitter berries, Coconut Curry, and anything Irida cooks.

44. Their happiest memory

Akari doesn't have one in particular that she would place above the others: choosing her starter ad setting out on her journey with Jun and Kouki, becoming the new Champion of Sinnoh, meeting other girls like her at the World Tournament...

Receiving her starter in Hisui from Professor Laventon and finally feeling some sense of normalcy return, followed by her first encountering Volo, who was one of the few to show her kindness and respect without having to prove herself beforehand.

45. Their favorite celebrity

Haruka, current Champion of Hoenn and fellow Contest Star!

46. The person they most admire

Touko, as mentioned above, but she also holds a great deal of respect towards Kotone for her persistent warmth and kindness.

47. Their dream job

She's content with her position as Champion of Sinnoh and one of the strongest trainers in the world.

48. Scariest moment of their life

Volo's betrayal.

That moment was her worst nightmare brought to life.

49. Favorite toy as a child

Her Buneary Poké Doll, Alice, that Jun bought her with his own allowance for her seventh birthday.

50. A memory they’ve blocked out

Akari has forgotten everything about her father to the point that she can't recall his face or even his name.

She's fine with this.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Origins of legendary Pokemon: gen IV

It's been a long time since I wrote one of these posts, but I'm back now to examine the real-life inspirations of legendary and mythical Pokemon. for previous generations see gen I, gen II, and gen III. For previous series I did like this see all fish Pokemon, all non-fish aquatics, and all starters.

The lake trio kind of fit as the Mew clones of gen IV, at least in them being small, floating psychic-types that look a lot like Mew. The three are based on and named after fairies from European legend: Uxie the pixie, Mespirit the sprite, and Azelf the elf or Agnome the gnome. The three may also be based on the three highest ranks of angels from the traditional Christian hierarchy invented by the writer Pseudo-Dionysus. Like angels, the lake trio were created by and presumably work for Arceus, the Pokemon god. Uxie most likely lines up with the Cherubim, angels that are associated with knowledge and wisdom. Mesprite could be associated with Seraphim, who are associated with love. Azelf would be associated with Thrones/Ophanim, who are sometimes called 'valiant ones'. In addition, the lake trio draw from the three sacred treasures or imperial regalia of Japan, three artifacts ascribed with mythical origins that are each associated with a a particular virtue. They are the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi (associated with valor and with Azelf, who brings willpower and lives in Lake Valor), the mirror Yata no Kagami (associated with wisdom and Uxie, who created knowledge and lives in Lake Aquity) and the bead Yasakani no Magatama (associated with benevolence and Mesprit, who created emotion and will punish those who disrespect it). Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf's names also abbreviate to UMA, which in Japanese means 'unidentified mysterious animal', another term for cryptid, animals that are believed to exist by some people but are not recognized by science. The lake trio being mythical beings who live in lakes fits with famous cryptids like the Loch Ness monster.

(image: an artists impression of the three sacred treasures. The actual treasures are kept from the public by the Japanese royal family and some historians doubt whether they actually exist. The mirror is a bronze disc decorated with intricate designs and covered in rust. The sword is a double-edged straight sword with intricate points on the blade, which is chipped and rusty. The bead is a curved magatama bead made from jade with a hole bored in it. End ID. Source).

The creation trio or Pokemon of myth may also be based on angels as they serve the Pokemon god lust like the lake trio. In that case, Giratina would be a fallen angel or even Satan as it was banished to the distortion world by Arceus for it's dangerous behavior like how fallen angels rebelled with Satan and were banished to hell. Dialga and Palkia are physically based on dinosaurs, Dialga being one of the quadrupedal, long-necked sauropods and Palkia being one of the bipedal theropods, though it's upright, tail-dragging pose comes from outdated and inaccurate theropod reconstructions. The Japanese word for dinosaur, kyoryu, contains 'ryu', which means 'dragon", so there is a heavy association of dragons and dinosaurs in Japanese media.

(Image id: left: art of a theropod dinosaur. It is a bird-like reptilethat stands on two legs and has small arms. Its body is covered in feathers and it has a long tail. right: art of a group of sauropods. They are very large quadrupedal reptiles with long necks and tails. End Id. Source 1, Source 2)

The origin forms for Dialga and Palkia make them look more like Arceus and therefore make them based on the qilin or longma. I will go over those origins when I discuss Arceus. Palkia's origin form also looks like an armless centaur. Giratina looks more like a centipede or insect in its altered form and a serpent or serpentine dragon in its origin form. Since Dialga and Palkia are dragons, Giratina may be based on an omukade, a gigantic centipede in Japanese folklore that devoured dragons. Centipedes are often associated with impurity in Shinto, which goes with Giratina being a fallen member of the creation trio. The typings of the trio could come from states of matter. The steel-type Dialga is based on solids, the water-type Palkia is based on liquids, and the ghost-type Giratina represents gasses. The story of Dialga and Palkia likely comes from the Shinto creation myth. In said myth, the gods Izanagi and Izanami used a spear to create one island, placed a pillar on that island, and created the rest of the islands from it. Dialga and Palkia are credited with creating Sinnoh from Spear Pillar.

Like the other Regis, Regigigas is based on a golem. Golems are being of semitic legend that are made of inanimate matter and animated via magic. The most famous golem legend is the golem of Prague, which was made of clay and was animated with a word either etched on its forehead or on a tablet that was placed in its mouth. The dots on Regigigas's head represent the writing on the golem's forehead. Regigigas being involved with the creation of the world before being sealed in Snowpoint Temple could come from the Greek legend of the titans, the generation of gods before the Olympians who were defeated and sealed away in a war. Specifically, Regigigas draws from the titan Prometheus, who created humanity at Zeus's request and ended up siding with humans against the other gods. For stealing fire from the gods to give to humans, Zeus imprisoned Prometheus. In LA, the flame plate description mentions a punishment for defeated giants, which likely references the fate of the titans. Slow Start may be part of Regigigas's punishment for whatever it did. Regigigas also draws from the Daidarabotchi, a Japanese giant so big it could be mistaken for a mountain while sleeping. In one legend, a demigod named Omizunu was said to be as big as a Daidarabotchi. He wanted to expand his domain, so he chopped off pieces of a nearby island and used ropes to drag them over to his domain. This is the origin of Regigigas dragging the continents into their current configuration with ropes.

(Image: traditional Japanese art depicting Omizunu visiting a hot spring and meeting another character. He is depicted as a giant wearing robes and beads ans is much larger than the other character. Original artist unknown. End ID)

Heatran seems to be based on myths from around the word that explain volcanoes by claiming a monster or deity lived in them. Many cultures would attempt to appease this monster through rituals to keep the volcano from erupting. Heatrean's fire-steel typing comes from the intense heat within the planet and it's iron core. Not a lot more here.

Darkrai and Cresselia are based on phases of the moon and dreams. Cresselia's name and design identifies it as being based on the crescent moon while Darkrai is based on the new moon, when the night is darkest. Cresselia has a lot going on for a minor legendary. It looks like a swan to reference the constellation Cygnus ad the rings around it look like planetary rings as wells as auroras and hagoromo, garments worn by the Tennin, divine beings in Japanese Buddhism who have the power to bring good luck like how Cresselia can bring good dreams. The hagoromo grant the Tennin the power of flight, something Cresselia is shown to have. One play called Hagoromo depicts a man stealing a female Tennin's robe to prevent her from returning to the heavens and force her to marry him. Scholars have pointed out a similarity between this play and western swan legend stories. Cresselia's color scheme comes from the robes of the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e. LA adds mention that Cresselia resembles a heavenly maiden who created the milky way. This could reference the Estonian goddess Lindu or Greed titaness Rhea, both of which are credited with creating the milky way and are associated with birds. Finnish mythology also stated that the milky way was a patch that birds would follow to reach Linutoko, the home of birds.

(Image: art of a Tennyo (female Tennin) by Matthew Meyer. She looks like a human woman flying in the sky wearing a long skirt and flowing pink hagoromo robes that flow around her body. She also wears jewelry and white makeup and carries a pair of cymbals. End ID).

Darkrai being a bringer of nightmares draws from mythical creatures from cultures around the world that would bring nightmares and often sit on people's chests while they did so. Examples of these creatures include the German Alp, Thai Phi Am, Turkic Basty, Philippine Batibat or Bangungot, Catalan Pesanta, and Germanic and Slavic Mara or Mara or Zmara. The prevalence of these beings in so many separate cultures is believed to be the result of sleep paralysis. This is a medical condition where the body partially wakes up, leaving them conscious but paralyzed. Hallucinations are common during sleep paralysis and common hallucinations include an intruder or monster sitting on or standing above the person being paralyzed. A specific nightmare monster Darkrai may draw from is the Slavic Notsnitsa, which could be warded off by placing a knife or adder stone under the pillow. This is likely the origin for Cresselia's lunar wing protecting against Darkrai's nightmares. Sleep paralysis may also be part of the inspiration for boogeymen or other monsters that lurk in children's bedrooms, which are likely another inspiration for Darkrai. For more modern folklore, Darkrai may draw from stories of shadow people, ghost-like beings of shadow that are also likely partially inspired by sleep paralysis. Physically, Darkrai being a humanoid to becomes an indistinct cloud at the waist draws from popular depiction of genies.

(Image: The Nightmare, a painting by Henry Fuseli, 1781. It depicts a sleeping woman in a white nightgown hanging off of a bed. A goblin or imp-like creature is sitting on her chest and a black horse looks in from behind a curtain. This represents folklore that says mares would steal and ride people's horses and sit on people's chests to cause nightmares. End ID)

Shaymin has one of the most simple and yet genius design inspirations for any Pokemon. It's a literal hedgehog. It likely also draw from chis pets, sculptures which plants grow from. It being the gratitude Pokemon and having flowers and buds growing on it makes it a living bouquet. Sky form Shaymon looking somewhat like an ungulate may reference Santa's reindeer. The red petals on its neck could draw from an aviator's scarf or the scarves worn by many heroes in sentai stories. Shaymon purifying the air references environmentalism and cleaning up pollution, as well as plants use in filtering harmful chemicals from water, soil and air.

(Image: a hedgehog standing in grass. It is a small, brown, round mammal with a pointy snout, and short spines covering its back. End ID)

The lake trio may be Mew clones in looks and typing, but Manaphy takes the role in stats and being a mythical. Manaphy and Phione are weird Pokemon. Manaphy can only breed with Ditto, and can produce only Phione as an offspring. Phione can also breed with Ditto and only makes more Phione. Manaphy only producing Phhione could be a reference to eusocial animals. These animals live in colonies which usually only have one breeding female, a queen, who produces non-breeding drones to act as workers and guards. Manaphy could be the queen bee with Phione as the drones. Manaphy's role as a sea guardian could come from sea deities line Greek Nereids. In that case, Phione could be a demigod a half-god who is still more powerful than a mortal but less than a full deity. Physically, Manaphy and Phione are based on sea slugs of the genus Clione, commonly known as sea angels. These are free-swimming, translucent sea slugs that are popular in Japan, especiall in Hokkaido, the island Sinnoh is based on.

(Image: Clione limacina, a sea angel. It is a long, slender sea slug with a distinct head and two wing-like fins. Most of its body is translucent, except for its digestive organs, which are bright orange. End ID)

We have reached the original one itself, Arceus. Arceus is based on creator deities, gods from cultures worldwide who are responsible fro creating the world. Given that Dialga and Palkia represent Izanami and Izanagi as the creators of Japan in Shintoism, Arceus could represent Ame-no-Minakanushi or Kuni-no-Tokotachi, both of whom are identified in different Shinto sources at the first god who sent Izanami and Izanagi to create the world but did not otherwise take part in creation. Prior to LA, Arceus was described as slumbering after creating the other legendary Pokemon and not interfering with the universe. This could draw from deism, a form of religions belief in a god who is responsible for creating the world or universe, but does not interact with it at all. LA reveals that Arceus does occasionally intervene, but prefers to act through human agents rather than directly interfere. This references many myths in which a god tasks a mortal to do something for them. LA also revels that the Arceus we see in the games is only a creation of the true Arceus that it makes in order to interact with the universe. The true Arceus is unseen and unknowable. Many myths say that gods make avatars to interact with humans as we are not capable of seeing their true forms and surviving. For example, in Greek myth, the human mother of Dionysus was tricked into requesting to see Zeus's true form. Zues showed her only a small amount of his true self and even still, she was burned to ash. A similar story in Islam has Moses request to see God's true from. God says he will show himself to a mountain first and then ask Moses again. The mountain is obliterated and Moses quickly changes his mind. The game Arceus being a lesser creation of the true Arceus likely acts as an explanationg for how god has been power-crept since gen IV. It's kind of silly to have the supreme being be straight-up weaker than a dog with a knife. Arceus is said to have hatched from an egg before there was anything. This is a straightforward to the cosmic egg, a story in many cultures from around the world in which the universe or the creator god is born from an egg prior to creation.

(Image: a white llama. It is a hoofed quadruped mammal with long legs and a long, upright neck. Its body is covered in fluffy, white fur. End ID)

Arceus's physical appearance looks like an ungulate mammal, with traits of Equidae (horses), Camelidae (camels and llamas), and Giraffidae (giraffes and okapi). It is most likely based on the Qilin, a mythical creature from China that combines the traits of a dragon with a horse or ox. Qilin are often used as symbols of power and benevolence and are associated with the Yellow Emperor, the mythologized founder of Chinese culture. The appearance of a Qilin is said to foreshadow the birth or death of a great sage or emperor, much like how the physical form of Arceus is the emissary of the true Arceus. Another inspiration could be the Longma, a Chinese legendary creature similar to the Qilin. It is a winged horse with the scales and head of a dragon.

(Image: a statue of a qilin in Beijing's Summer Palace. It is a quadruped with cloven hooves and dragon scales. The head looks lion-like, with a beard, long whiskers, and deer-like antlers. End ID)

The ring around Arcues could come from a halo, a symbol of divinity in many cultures. It may also come from the Buddhist symbols of the Dharmachakra and Bhavachakra, wheels used to symbolize the endless and beginningless cycle of death and rebirth called Samsara. The end goal of Buddhism is to escape from Samsara by reaching enlightenment. Arceus is also said o have 1000 arms, but only has 4 legs in the game. This may be another Buddhism reference. Avalokiteśvara (or Kannon in Japan) is a boddhisatva (person on the path to enlightenment who has obtained godlike powers) often depicted as the cosmic man (a depiction of Buddhist and Hindu cosmology in the form of a person) who is said to have a thousand arms but often manifests in a form with white skin and four arms. Presumably Arceus's true form has the thousand arms, making the white quadruped we see its avatar.

(image: a Tibetan depiction of Avalokiteśvara. He looks like a human with pale, white skin and four arms. He sits cross-legged and is adorned with colorful robes, jewelry, and flowers. End ID. Image from Wikipedia, I couldn't find the original source.)

[fujii-draws]

arceus put bibbons, aimilly, chip and apollo on two separate continents respectively because she knew they'd be so powerful as a team

Their emotional intelligence input regarding their dad(s) if they met beforehand would’ve increased by like 18% 😭

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

Pokemon Card of the Day #3244: Incineroar (Unbroken Bonds)

Incineroar really came down to one thing. They put a full team damage boost on a Stage 2. It was something that couldn't stack with multiple in play, but 30 extra damage could still be useful. Considering the game actually provided a few versions of that sort of boost to various Pokemon, Incineroar was interesting as a Pokemon that just sat on the Bench to do it and worked for any type. Building around getting it out there when the other ways were generally easier to use was the major thing in the way, which was a typical Stage 2 at the time.

160 HP was a good number for a Stage 2, being at the point where even a good number of Tag Teams had to find their own damage boosts to KO this in a single hit. The Water Weakness could occasionally matter, mostly for Keldeo-GX, though the type was one of the weaker ones at the time. The Retreat Cost here was 2, so there was some risk of it being stuck up front.

Strong Cheer was an Ability that made your Pokemon's attacks do 30 more damage to the opponent's Active Pokemon. This notably let Pokemon that even did just 110 damage into range to take down a Tag Team in 2 hits, and there were certainly times where you could piece together a KO on something that had some chip damage. You couldn't apply multiple of these at once, so a second Incineroar in play wasn't useful. This was kind of like an Electropower that couldn't stack but worked for any type, which considering the various scenarios with damage could be quite useful.

Flamethrower was a bit weak, at 90 for 2 Energy along with the discard of an attached Energy to use it, but Strong Cheer did raise that to a respectable 120. If using Fire-types you could make this a back-up attacker if you wanted, though that type probably had better options in almost every situation.

Incineroar was in a weird spot where it did something pretty cool but didn't really tip enough matches to be worth it. Lightning decks already had their version as a stackable Item, and Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX eventually came along and gave a Basic that could use an attack to apply an even better version of this for the entire match. Incineroar, being a Stage 2 that had the competition like this, didn't get used much. It was also one of those Pokemon that you could probably fit into a deck with some off-beat choice that was just a little weaker than you'd want to give a nice boost. If that extra 30 damage was really needed and you could afford the Stage 2 line, you had a pretty good reason to go for this. The best decks, however, didn't fit this description.

[spar-kie]

I was thinking about Melia stuff, and I just had a thought that I wanted to share here. Specifically about her origins and how they're mysterious.

So like, do you guys ever think about how we still don't know where the fuck Melia came from? Or how she came to be? Like for Alice and Allen we know that they were trapped in the Unown dimension until the Puppet Master freed them, and for Erin we know that she was also trapped in there, until she escaped, and taken care of first in the past and then by Souta (apologies if I messed up the specifics of that, but I think I got the gist of it right). Not to mention this leaves Maria as the only child unaccounted for, but Melia has said that she feels deep down that she is not Maria (which I'll take as confirmation that she isn't because why would you include that line just to lie?).

But Melia, the farthest back we know is that she was handed off to Jenner by Team Xen long enough ago that she'd assumed that Professor Jenner was just her biological dad. Nothing more than that, not how Team Xen came to have her to hand off to Jenner. But we know one thing, that she probably came about after Zetta, a failed attempt to clone her, because why would you try to clone what you already have? If they had Melia, who was instrumental to their plans, they wouldn't need Zetta. And they'd have to have Melia's DNA to clone her, so if they have that why not just go with the real deal?

So I thought what if Zetta wasn't necessarily a failed clone of Melia, but rather he and Melia are both clones of the same person? (Probably Maria, if I had to guess), Zetta and Melia were attempts at both recreating someone who held the power of the archetype, Zetta failed because he doesn't manifest those powers, but since Melia does she's considered a success. But she's still imperfect, for one it would explain why she has genesis syndrome while Erin, Allen, and Alice don't, because those three are born of the archetype they can handle its power, but since Melia isn't and was an imperfect replication, her body can't handle it as well. It also explains why she has a harder time harnessing it compared to the others. My friend @pryr also pointed out something related to Melia's archetype form.

That is it would explain why some of her like bits of Arceus' halo, for lack of a better term, are glitchy, because though she's a better clone than Zetta, she's still imperfect, she still isn't the original person who presumably could wield the archetype's power flawlessly, that data loss has caused some corruption.

Anyways tl;dr I'm putting my chips on Melia being a clone of Maria, just based on what little we know of her origins.

P.S. do you ever think about how Zetta has a Type:Null/Silvally, which is arguably an attempt by man to re-create Arceus' power with the type switching, while being an imperfect clone of Melia (or someone else as we've discussed here) who can wield the power of Arceus via the archetype?

[sincerely-sofie]

I can imagine that the other legendaries may have some amount of fun at the Hero’s expense sometimes. They are legendaries after all… why not mess around with their ‘speedruns’ (after sufficiently punishing Darkari for the first bit of chaos anywho before letting them go back to their duties).

Kyogre and Groudon settling beef by making half the planet more monsoonal while the other gets more hot and desert like.

Eturnatus, Xerneus and Necrozma turn on Dynamax, Z-Moves and Mega Evolution for a few runs

Hoopa and a few other mythical taking bets on the Hero’s successes or failures

—-

With the only one trying to actually assist the hero now being Dialga when they aren’t being forced to go crazy for the sake of time being messed up.

Like, imagine the potential of Dialga knowing the Hero when they first meet… trying to actively help them, tell them Arceus and the other legendaries are messing around and how to stop this Dugtrio Day scenario but is forced into their Primal state as the time gears keep on being moved out of the tower every loop.

Maybe Giratina is a sort of ‘mysterious benefactor’ of sorts and helping the Hero and Partner slowly piece together what’s going on.

Buuuuuut that’s just my own take away into this AU. Caio

(Referring to this post)

Sorely tempted to write up a Dugtrio Day oneshot or maybe outline an AU myself if the lovely anon who started this awesome chain of ideas is chill with it. Giratina as a mysterious benefactor is brilliant, and I love the idea of Palkia also chipping in after Dialga is forced into Primal-ness. Those three don’t like each other, but they are ultimately loyal to one another. Like— Everybody stop picking on the mortal, that’s Dialga’s mortal, stop being mean to the poor thing! Don’t make me come over there! HOOPA STOP TELEPORTING THEM TO RANDOM LOCATIONS EVERY TIME THEY BLINK IT’S NOT FUNNY

I wonder if Celebi would have memories completely unaffected by the loop like the hero’s are, or at least partially. It would be interesting for her to do research on how to break the cycle but lose crucial memories with each run, almost to the point of feeling like it’s one step forward and two steps back.

Oh man, imagine being the partner in this story. Like, your best friend eventually tells you that they’ve lived through the last year / whatever length of time hundreds of times, and with every restart, you forget who they are, and they have to go through everything all over again. You hear that and you instantly decide that this run— whatever number it is— is going to be the last.

You start doing everything you can to prevent your friend from restarting the loop, try begging and bargaining and everything you can think of, but they’re so worn down and resigned that the only joy they can find in things is seeing how fast they can can get them done. They continue on their mission. You drag your feet, and eventually, you stop entirely. You decide that if your friend has lost hope, you have to find a way to give it to them, and you set off to find a way to break the loop yourself. You miss them so much, and it’s a race against the clock, but you finally figure out the solution, and you’re just about to activate it when—

…

Hey, what’s that? Someone’s collapsed on the sand! You should go help them!

[applesjuice]

I decided to just base Juliana's team off of my own for the Legends Arceus AU (because it's easier to write what I have in front of of me and can theory test without spending 400 years minmaxing movesets). She has a few flexmon that she switches out to do raid dens but generally her team consists of:

Meowscarda (starter)

Tinkaton

Azumarill

Clodsire

Ogerpon

and she swaps between a Blissey and Annihilape depending on what she's doing. She also has a basic-ass Magikarp that only knows splash that she pulls out in Ditto dens lol.

Only other pokemon she always has on her is Miraidon, and the battle mode Miraidon who they all refer to as the Evil Twin. There's a bit of a Lilo and Stitch situation going on with it where rather than using it to battle she's working on training and domesticating it so it stops attacking people. Truly it is the shadow the hedgehog of this universe.

When it comes to the BB League, thanks to Drayton's trial she actually had to put time and effort into training another team. This one is not as established and trained up as her Paladean team and it is a lot of work having two whole functioning competitive teams. I feel like people don't just leave their pokemon in boxes forever, it's not healthy for them since the pokemon are turned into data. It's kind of like being stuck in limbo of star trek teleportation. After so long that energy has to go somewhere. So box storage has a time limit. A lot of trainers with more than a standard team of 6 either have all the pokemon live with them, or there's a bit of an outdoor cat thing going on with them where there's a clear distinction that they are captured and they just do their own thing living their best lives and reaping the benefits of frolicking around in the wilderness and going to a nice warm house with a guaranteed meal when they feel like it. They're pretty much chipped lol and the trainer can locate them with their phone.

But anyway her BB team is:

Primarina

Lapras

Whimsicott

Farigiraf

Galarian Slowbro

and she hasn't really figured out the sixth yet. She's still working on this team comp since doubles doesn't really come naturally to her. And maybe she is me because how dare this game make me replace my whole team with Terrarium mon ONLY, how dare they.

[chipsncookies]

Some shitpost

Based on this template

[kemonododo]

Sometimes I remember how ridiculously hard Legends Arceus went with the story. Like, that part where the sky goes red and everyone panics and instantly regresses into their old superstitious and terrified ways that you've been working to dispell the whole game, except now YOU, the player, are the scapegoat. The whole town turns on you, the place you've defended and used as your home base the whole game, you brought into the chief's room and he explains to you in the kindest way he can that you are no longer welcome here. That he's thankful for all you've done but it doesn't actually matter, the chips are down and he didn't stand up for you, and you are slowly escorted out in a walk of shame as the whole village watches. Dumped in the woods with nowhere to go, but then your friends come to help and you quickly realize that you did make a change, that your work did amount to something and there are people that will stand by you while the whole world collapses. Like, damn dude, the fuckin DRAMA. This is a Pokemon game! The series that's laughed at for having the same basic "evil guy wants to destroy the world cuz reasons" plot for every game. I love it, that whole game just occupies my brain like a tumor.

[sam-from-solitude]

I return with big Pokémon art!! This is all of my favourite team members throughout my entire time playing the series, from Diamond in 2007 to Scarlet in 2022. In the middle there's me surrounded by my Starters, and around them are the rest, with Legendaries and Mythicals occupying the top. The Pachirisu wearing Volo's clothes is my Shiny Alpha from Legends Arceus, Chip. He singlehandedly took down GOD!!!!! Also this took an obscene amount of time to make, easily my longest single drawing...

[ztorm-of-goats]

When All is Said and Done

Cinnamon was running through Apple Woods. She could feel the wind rushing through her fur and the terror in her veins as she ran. She wasn’t sure why she was running - maybe someone was chasing her? Maybe she had to get somewhere extremely quickly and that’s why she was running? Who knew - certainly not Cinnamon.

Chip, Ace and Flame were nowhere to be found either. In fact, the entirety of Apple Woods was just… empty, which was incredibly weird. Cinnamon couldn’t stop to think about it, though. She needed to keep running.

All of a sudden, Dusknior’s voice was super close. She couldn’t make out the words, nor the emotion behind them, but her fear spiked higher and she realized that she was no longer in Apple Woods, but instead on a cliff. She skidded to a stop and whipped around, fur standing on end as she faced the looming shadow that she used to see as her dad.

She started to cry as Dusknior came ever closer, reaching out to grab her, eye into a slit and emotionless like how it was when he was trying to kill Chip and her. She was shaking, not sure what to do. On both paths lie certain death.

Finally, she sent a prayer up to Arceus for safety and jumped off the cliff, unable to face Dusknior - the Pokemon she trusted and wanted to live with, happily ever after - as he would most likely kill her. As she was going to hit the ground…

… she woke up, safe in her nest, shaking, terrified, sobbing. The first face she saw was Dusknior’s as he shook her awake, and instinctively she flinched and sobbed harder. As she registered her surroundings, though, she remembered that the betrayal had been years ago, and she was actually adopted by Dusknior to help him forgive himself for what he had done to her all those years ago.

When she finally remembered, she lept into Dusknior’s arms, burying her face into his chest as she sobbed. Dusknior didn’t ask her to explain - he could see it for himself when she was still stuck in the dreamscape mindset. Instead, he held her and rocked her slightly from side to side, whispering a lullaby that Celebi taught him.

Soon, he could feel Cinnamon’s breath steady, then slow, as she drifted off to sleep once more.

[coramatus]

A Unovan in NYC rough draft snippet

In which Emmet sees his first Pokémon game and Jamal gets embarrassed about his OC self-insert.

“Jamal? Do you know where Ingo is?”

“I… Yeah. He’s in Hisui.”

“Is there a game for that?”

“Um, yeah. Pokémon Legends Arceus. It’s still pretty new.”

“Show me.”

“…Now?”

“Please. I want to see how he’s doing.”

Jamal hesitates, uncertain if indulging Emmet this way is what’s best for him.

But considering everything the guy just went through?

He rummages through a drawer, and pulls out a red and blue device with a wide screen in the center. A Nintendo Switch, Jamal calls it. He loads in a little chip and powers up the device.

Emmet leans in with bated breath as Jamal navigates the starting menu and jumps into a save file. The screen lights up and the landscape of Hisui is rendered in all its glory. In the center of it all is an unfamiliar dark-skinned boy with a curious white Zoroark mask.

“Who’s that?”

Jamal stiffens and looks a little embarrassed, “Th-That’s… uh… it’s me. Kinda. Sorta. Y’know, roleplaying. I might’ve gone a bit overboard with customization there.”

“It looks neat,” Emmet says earnestly, now vaguely wondering how much of himself he could customize into the character model.

A small smile lights up Jamal’s face before he quickly clears his throat and returns to the game to guide his character around.

“Alright, gimme a sec to get to Jubilife. I was in the middle of shiny hunting so it might take a minute. This is post-game by the way, so Ingo hangs out around there.”

Half of Jamal’s words barely make sense but they’re not what’s important here.

“What is Ingo doing there?” Emmet asks

“Battle stuff,” Jamal says, busy guiding a weird Braviary’s flight, “He’s the guy you challenge if you want to get your ass beat.”

Emmet finds himself sputtering out a laugh, “I have never heard him described that way before.”