#I don't actually care much about the tera type

[vivacia-18]

Awww yeah, level 54 electric tera type dragonair came close enough to shore for me to engage AND stayed in the ball on the first go. I'm chuffed :3

[nyaagolor]

Nemona Team Tweaks

So while I may be ride or die for Nemona, she actually has one of my least favorite teams in SV. Figured it would be fun to talk about my thoughts on how her team was constructed, the finale of Victory Road, and my hypothetical tweaks for her team. All under the cut bc these things get long :)

While I love Nemona as a character, I don't feel like her team quite lives up to her personality in a sense. Unlike Arven and Penny, there doesn't seem to be a clear theme to her team-- or maybe there is and i'm missing it? Either way, Penny's team is a complete gimmick so revealing it all at once makes sense, and you get to watch Arven's team build over time and add to the really solid and obvious food motif. Technically you see Nemona build her team too but she adds so many seemingly random pokemon last minute that I'm just ??? ok nemona

The second issue I have with Nemona-- and the end of Victory Road as a whole-- is that they do absolutely nothing interesting with Tera Types. The gyms set you up beautifully to learn all about how fun and interesting tera types can be, but then you get to the Elite Four + champion(s) and suddenly everyone teras into the same type. It feels like a bizarre way to end things

anyway, here's the team and some reasoning behind the picks:

First, I wanted to center her team around the theme of friendship, specifically her friendship with the player. All the pokemon she has on her team are either representative of her friendship with the player as told through dialogue throughout her story OR evolve via friendship / smth similar

Midday Lycanroc -> Dusk Lycanroc: I like Nemona's Lycanroc because dog = man's best friend and Nemona is the player's bestie, but also it serves as a hazard setter. I'm pretty sure she is the only person to use hazards in this entire game, and the stealth rock was such a pain when I battled her that I feel the need to keep it. As for why I'm switching it from midday to dusk, I think the orange color matches her eyes... and her ability would be Own Tempo if she had one! This pokemon appears in the third battle just like in the games

Orthworm -> Paldean Tauros: Adding this here with a minor caveat that it would also require some extra dialogue. We see her using this pokemon in the intro which implies it's on her initial champion team, but I think she should state this outright during her dialogue with the player, explaining how this is her precious partner and one of the strongest pokemon she's ever battled with. This pokemon ONLY appears in the final battle, and because we know this is one of Nemona's previous aces, we can show through her team how she's pulling out all the stops against you and finally bringing her all

Dudunsparce or Cyclizar: Tbh i'm actually not sure about this one, I feel like it could go either way. A three-segment Dudunsparce could symbolize Nemona being able to (seemingly effortlessly) achieve things that others only dream of, but a Cyclizar is a better parallel to the player and symbolizes Nemona's connection with her pokemon and the player. They're both normal types which means there's still a fighting weakness, so honestly either could work. Still on the fence about this one, but either way it first appears in the fifth battle (either weaker or unevolved) and then at full strength in the final.

Goodra -> Palafin: The fact that no one in the game uses a Palafin is a goddamn crime and I intend on correcting it. Plus, it fits with her new friendship theme quite well! I know the AI would butcher the use of this thing but it's the thought that counts. Much like Goomy, Finizen would appear in the fourth battle with her, but doesn't evolve until the final fight. The form change serves as a fun surprise for unsuspecting player!

Pawmot: No changes here-- Pawmot is a perfect pokemon for nemona. It's introduced at a great time in the second battle, fits her theme of friendship and caring for others with Revival Blessing, and even has her hair!

Starter: I wouldn't change anything about this pokemon EXCEPT for the tera type. This time, she teras into the type strong against your starter-- it serves as a bookends from your first battle with her to your last, and shows that she isn't holding back against you anymore. You're TRULY battling her at the peak of her strength and she isn't fucking around this time

aaaaand that's about it! This team wasn't made for balance or to be an especially hard challenge (since Paldea is easy as hell anyway) but just to add a little more oomph to her team in terms of themes. If u have any ideas on how to change her team lmk I like hearing other people's takes on it too :)

[murderbirds]

To claim my rightful place pt. 6

Edward kicked the front door of his apartment open, “OSWALD! HOLY CRAP!”

Ever since the incident with ogerpon, Oswald had started following Galavan's every move, going so far as to send his togekiss to watch him and create an entire board with threads and photos of all those closer to the man. Edward didn't mind, of course, in fact, he found it to be quite cool. It was almost as if he was an actual detective of the international police. He had also started mending his relationship with Ogerpon by occasionally making some treats that his mother used to make to him when he was younger. They were considerably cheaper than the ones Ed got and Ogerpon seemed to like them, so the scientist was happy. It was good that the most important people in his life were getting along.

What the voice in his head returned to his mind causing his blood to rush to his skin. Maybe he did have a crush on the man, but that didn't mean anything, right? Lots of people had crushes! It just meant that he cared about Oswald.

The taller man realized he had just been standing there trapped in his own mind while the entire room just stared at him and finally coughed slightly before presenting the file he had borrowed from the precinct. “I know exactly where you can get some strong pokemon.”

Oswald frowned as he looked at the images in the file that was dropped on his lap. “Gotham's catacombs? I thought it was just muk and zubats that lived down there.”

“Apparently not. People are being attacked by what they are calling ‘monsters that aren't from this world.’ I did some digging, and I think these are the same pokemon found in the Paldea region known as the Paradox pokemon. You see, several years ago this scientist tried to bring these pokemon from a different timeline to this world using what is known as tera crystals which allow pokemon to access their paradox energy-” Ed realized Oswald looked just as confused as the pokemon in the room. “Right. Uh, you know how your empoleon is a water and steel type pokemon?”

“Yes?”

“Well, this energy allows him to access a timeline where empoleons are fire type pokemon instead for example. Or grass! Or ice! And that allows him to change his type briefly to those types without losing the types he already has!”

“Right, I think I get it, but what does that have to do with the Gotham Catacombs?”

“Well, about 10 years ago, Wayne enterprises tried to replicate the experiment by bringing some of those crystals here. It didn't really work out, hundreds of years died and the project died down, but! I don't think that they got rid of the crystals how they should have. Instead, they just dumped it in the catacombs and called it a day. The crystals must have been connected to the ones in Paldea still so it is bringing those pokemon right here, to Gotham.”

“Ok… so there are these really strong pokemon in the catacombs because billionaires were lazy and thought something wouldn't bite them in the arse, but it did.”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“And these things are killing people… but you still want me to catch them?! People eaters?!”

“Yeah! C'mon, Oz! You are the strongest trainer in Gotham! If someone can catch them, that someone is you!”

“Not with just three pokemon to my name!”

“Not just any pokemon! You have your Blaziken, a pokemon so powerful that it was able to go toe to toe against the lord of time itself, Dialga, when that Team Calendar tried to summon it to Gotham a month ago! Or your togekiss, known for being a pokemon that only shows themselves to few, like your mother! You convinced it to trust you enough to make it fight for you! Or your ace pokemon, empoleon, named after your beloved mother with which you got your title of champion and defeated the whole elite despite having no legendary pokemon! Oswald, you are the coolest person I have ever read about! I know you can do this.”

Oswald rubbed the back of his neck, wincing a little. “Well, when you put it like that, I suppose I am pretty accomplished. I will still need at least one more pokemon, however. Can I borrow Ogerpon at least until I have a full team? You may accompany us to see that no harm comes to her.”

Ed's eyes widened, “y-you want me to join you?! In an adventure?!”

“I wouldn't really call it an adventure, but I can't think of anyone who I would rather go with. Of course, if you can't do it, I understand. You are pretty busy with work after all.”

“I will ask for a week of vacation! We leave tomorrow!” Ed clapped in excitement and ran to his phone. Oswald couldn't help smiling.

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