#Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution

[cosmermaid]

I was so blown away by this stunning manga page that I had to color it. Bonus abalone-only version.

[jadeazora]

So, a whole bunch of movie/anime art leaks: Armored Mewtwo and Dada Zarude!

The Rotom Dex (could have probably gone in the Alola pile, but Ash and the other XY kids were there 😅

Concept art for MSBE, going by the 3D look for James/Misty/Ash.

Hoopa's bottle and Unbound form.

A bunch of Zygarde sheets. Special mention to Zygarde dragging people around by putting a leash on them.

Sir Aaron and the soldiers from the Lucario movie!

The princess from the Volcanion movie. Always liked her outfit, so cool to get a better look at it.

Carlita from the Victini movie (she had the Hydreigon.)

Pokemon The Power of Us concept art! Gorgeous!

[katlimeart]

If you’ve seen this anywhere else, I posted it back on my deviantArt when it was made.

Peach cosplaying as female characters from the Pokemon anime

1 - 8. Nurse Joy

9. Pokecenter Nurse (Origins)

[fuckyeahpokemonmovies]

[theacstories]

It is the third anniversary of Alcohol & Anime and the thirtieth anniversary of my life! Time to celebrate with the remake of the first anime film I watched with a jar of birthday cake Sippin' Cream. Honestly what a wild fun time!

[freshthoughts2020]

The Legendary Alien

By

WELÇOME: hand drawn graphics

-

Purchase via cornerarchives.com

[bens-things]

Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution (2019) dir. Motonori Sakakibara

[kuromyou]

I prefer the OG armor.

On Mewtwo’s Armor...

In Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998), Giovanni has Mewtwo wear a suit of power-suppressing armor under the front that it’s focusing his abilities (English language version). Mewtwo sits in a cell when not battling or undergoing Team Rocket operations so that his armor can charge via an excess of wires and cables. Here’s what the original MSB armor looks like:

(via Dogasu’s Backpack)

Rad af. Here’s the first glimpse of Mewtwo’s redesigned armor in Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution (2019):

Pretty intense! …but what’s all that other stuff going on around him? Is that part of the suit of armor? Or is it part of the charging station he has to sit in?

Having Mewtwo’s armor tethered by a myriad of charging cables and chains made sense back in the ‘90s. Everything was wired. Super analog time, A+, would recommend. They also gave off the look of a puppet being pulled by strings, which is a great visual metaphor for Mewtwo’s relationship with Giovanni. Additionally, the T-helmet with the blacked out visor was a huge indicator of badassery back then – it was a big staple of insanely proficient assassin-type characters who were Bad but not necessarily the Big Bad. (Looking at you, Boba Fett, Vile, Predator, etc.)

However, it seems they’ve done away with the old look…which isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. With today’s wireless tech, perhaps OLM Digital felt they needed to update the armor’s look to match the times. And the new armor’s sheer bulk looks pretty darn restrictive in and of itself. (Seriously, how would you move in that thing?). Plus, the new details on the helmet give off big Man in the Iron Mask vibes, which is also a pretty great metaphor for Mewtwo’s thralldom to Team Rocket.

Of course, perhaps the only reason it’s been redesigned is to simply sell more merchandise. Or some kind of tie-in for the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield games. Or all of the above. I DUNNO.

Obviously in time we’ll get a better look at Mewtwo’s new TR duds, but what do you think so far? What are your thoughts and opinions on Mewtwo’s original and redesigned armor? 

[marywoodartdept]

Designing a Pokemon

Stepping outside her comfort zone, Nicola tried her hand at drawing creatures for a project that called for illustrating a three part Pokémon evolutionary line. This learning process included watching movies and lots of sketching #MarywoodArt #Animation

For my Animation for the Illustrator class, we were tasked with designing a three part Pokémon evolutionary line. To prepare, we watched the first Pokémon movie, Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back. Technically, there are three segments to this movie: Pikachu’s Vacation (which was added later and appears unrelated to the main plot), Origin of Mewtwo (which was also added later), and…

[cosmermaid]

Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution was an unnecessary cash grab to you. I however appreciate every opportunity to obsess over Mewtwo's aesthetic tastes and design choices inside his castle.

[jadeazora]

And to make us all feel old, Pokémon Black and White came out 14yrs ago in Japan today. What the fuck.

The art is by Machito Gomi, who did the Journeys and Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution manga!

[mewtwoandme]

Have you seen the movie sequel to Pokémon The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, called “Mewtwo Returns”?? If yes what do you think of the fact that there’s nidoqueen babies, instead of nidoran(girl) babies?? I always thought that was interesting, since as far as I can recall, final evolutions that can have eggs, always produce the first in the evolutionary line?? And I just looked it up to confirm but nidoqueen and nidorina can’t produce eggs?? So it’s doubly interesting!! XD lol!!! Growing up, I honestly always thought it was because nidoqueen was a clone and could only produce baby nidoqueen. If you haven’t seen it yet, do you have any desire to??

I've seen it several times. Honestly, I've always thought it was because the parents were clones and that caused biological changes which made them able to reproduce.

Real talk though, this was before breeding mechanics were introduced in Gen 2 and before Pokemon actually had any real direction on the matter. Even baby pikachus were a thing in the early anime. So Nidoqueen breeding was on the table back then I guess.

[pokeshippingweek]

POKESHIPPING WEEK 2024!

It's that time again, pokeshippers!

Last year, we announced that the format of Pokeshipping Week - one theme per day - was getting retired. We also said that we'd still put on a celebration of some kind going forward. Well, the time is here, and I'm happy to announce that we are planning a pokeshipping zine...next year!

If you'll forgive the bait-and-switch there, we have seriously talked about doing a zine, but time got away from us this summer. So, while we do hope to tackle that undertaking in 2025, for this year, we're planning what you might call an open Pokeshipping Week!

How does it work, you ask? Simple: over the years, you all have submitted a lot of potential themes for Pokeshipping Week. For every seven that got chosen each year, plenty were left behind. Well, now you can fill November 1 to 7 with art, fics, AMVs, GIFs, graphics, etc., all about our favorite Poke-couple, using any seven you'd like from the unused themes list.

Any and all contributions are welcome, and if they're tagged #pokeshipping week 2024, we'll reblog them here and on the main @pokeshipping blog. Besides Tumblr, we’ll keep our eyes out for the tag on Twitter and DeviantART for artwork, for fanfics on FF.Net and AO3, and for AMVs on YouTube (no NSFW, please).

The full list of unused themes (from years 2020 through 2023) is below the "Read More" break. Use, combine, and create as your heart desires, and we'll see you November 1!

A bad fight A day in the life  A never-ending road A ship full of shippers Alola sunset scene Amusement park Anime characters meet their game/manga counterparts Anniversary Art classes together/Drawing each other Ash and Misty in Sinnoh Ash’s hat Avatar: The Last Airbender AU Birthdays  Breakup Cameran Palace ball (as in Movie 8) Celebrating Celebrities Champions/Masters  Cheerleader Misty Childhood sweethearts Chocolate Comfort during a natural disaster Comforting each other Competition Confiding in one another Cooking disaster Costumes Criminal/Detective Crossover Crossover with game/manga-verse D&D Dealing with Team Rocket’s teasing in “A Scare in the Air” Dewpider/Araquanid Different hairstyle Disaster dates  Disney AU Double dating Elder years  Elders Ash and Misty Evolution Fairy tales/Fantasy AU Fankids Fireworks First day on the job Food Fortune-telling/foresight Game of Thrones AU Giving advice to a younger generation Grey hair Gym leader Ash/beginner Misty Halloween/horror/ghost story Hanahaki disease Handkerchief Happily Ever After/Fairy Tales Hiding Hogwarts AU Horizons Hot tub/Hot springs If Ash heard Misty’s Song If Ash or Misty weren’t from Kanto If Ash started his journey at 16 or older If Ash’s journey had ended after winning the Indigo League (in season 1) If Misty caught Lapras If one came from another region If their parents met If they didn’t meet on Ash’s first day In-universe Pokéshippers Intimacy Japanese-style confessional love letter JRPG AU (ie, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, etc.) Karaoke Ladybug and Chat Noir Last goodbyes Learning a different language Lost Pikachu Love Letter  Love triangle Lovers across the multiverse Lovestruck (if Ash acted like Brock) Meeting the parents/relatives Mewtwo Strikes Back alternate ending Misty and other Pokégirls discuss their loved ones together Misty meets Goh and Chloe Misty overcoming her fear of Bug-types Misty the coordinator Misty’s Bug-type phobia Mixtape/playlist  Mystery dungeon Nervous Ash  Never have I ever Other Pokemon games AU (Detective Pikachu/Pokemon Masters/etc) Out of their element  Overprotective Misty  Perspective of Oak Ranch Pokémon on their relationship Photo shoot Pirates Plot twist Pokemon daycare Pokémon Mystery Dungeon AU PokéNav communication/Video calling Possessed/evil Misty Pregnancy/Birth Pro-gamers Puberty Reappearance of Ash’s father and/or Misty’s parents Regency Era Romance  Return to Orange Islands Romeo and Juliet Sci-fi AU Scuba diving Secret identity/superhero AU Slow Slumber party Spies AU Stargazing Studio Ghibli AU Sunshine and Rain  Superhero AU Swimming lessons Sygna suits Tabletop RPG AU Taller (height differences)  Tauros ranchers Ash and Misty Time capsule Training together Umbrella Vacation Visiting Oak’s ranch  Water and electricity/water and fire What if Ash didn’t take Misty’s bike? Yoga together Z-ring/Mega Stone

[torchu212]

Pokemon Movie Brain Blast

You know this scene in the credits of Spell of the Unown (M03)? In case you don't know, that woman is Molly Hale's mother. According to Takeshi Shudo (OG head writer), he asked for a copy of the final draft of the script, and it turned out the explanation was she was in the hospital for the entire movie. Shudo was not happy.

This was a very personal story to him, written with aspects of his own life in mind (Molly's Japanese name is Me, after Shudo's own daughter, and her mother was intended to be dead like his own). But as production went on, he was in no condition (he even landed in the hospital himself!) and eventually no mood to continue writing, so he asked fellow series writer and father Hideki Sonoda to take his stead. For most of the movie, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. This scene, however, became a major sticking point for Shudo as well as numerous fans for betraying the original intentions behind the story and Molly's character.

...But what if I told you that the dub fixed EVERYTHING about it?

On the DVD commentary for Mewtwo Strikes Back (M01), Michael Haigney (English writer/director) and Norman J. Grossfeld (English writer/producer) talk a bit how certain lines were added in an effort to explain things they felt didn't make sense in the original Japanese version. For example, the Tears of Life (pictured above) is set up as an old legend in the dub, while it goes unexplained in the Japanese version and both versions of MSB Evolution (M22).

In a similar vein (as explained on M03's own commentary), the dub implies that, rather than being dead, Mrs. Hale was also researching the Unown before being captured by them. While it was likely written with the short term in mind, this explanation not only fixes her sudden appearance in the ED, but also adds to the story in two major ways.

1: Molly having both of her parents be absentee Pokemon researchers taken away by the Unown allows the dub to maintain her initial loneliness and rationale without her mother dead and thus the ED contradicting the story. While it's further removed from the "dead mother" idea, it resolves the logical failing Sonoda introduced: "If Molly's mom was in the hospital the whole time, why didn't she visit her? Why have Entei kidnap Ash's mom?"

2: By having the explanation for Mrs. Hale's absence be that she was taken by the Unown much like Spencer would be in the movie's inciting incident, it adds a personal layer to why he's so feverishly researching them; not only to document their existence, but so he can find a way to bring his wife back, not unlike Dr. Fuji perfecting cloning to revive his daughter in M01's extended prologue, The Birth of Mewtwo.

Implying that Mrs. Hale went through a similar experience also makes it easy to infer that the Unown returned her to Molly as well. (Side note: This scene was originally part of the ED as well, but was moved up to take place right after Greenfield turns back to normal; another smart decision on the dub's part.)

Rewriting the story is frowned upon among the anime community, as it's often perceived as compromising the original vision and integrity. But Spell of the Unown already had it happen when Sonoda wrote the most controversial scene of the movie, a moment so opposed to Shudo's intent that he quit the series entirely not long after. This scene (and therefore, the entire story) was fixed because 4Kids were allowed to make the changes they did. They made a great movie even better, they held true to the themes and character, and they didn't even have to re-kill Mrs. Hale to do it.

[witchyfoxelf]

mewtwo returns, which is not to be mistaken for mewtwo strikes back, which is not to be mistaken for mewtwo strikes back: evolution

[cindrikat]

Randomly unlocked a core memory while I was at work and I can't stop thinking about it

When I was 11-12, I watched Mewtwo Strikes Back for the first time

I had watched other Pokemon movies already, but accidentally skipped over the very first one; loved Pokemon 2k at the time and enjoyed MSB just as much, but with an added bonus of brainstorming a crazy what if idea after I finished watching it

Around that time, I was also avidly watching DBZ Kai; and just so happened to watch MSB not very long after seeing Super Saiyan for the first time

So kid me came up with the idea of "What if instead of losing the will to fight after Ash gets turned to stone, Pikachu just fucking snaps?"

Memory is a bit hazy after that because I was too busy hyping myself up after remembering it, but having the knowledge I have now I think I have the perfect vision that kid me would be proud of-

So imagine this: Once Ash is petrified, Pikachu approaches him and cries as he tries to revive him like normal, then as Pikachu's tears are hitting the ground, lightning strikes around the area, striking more frequently and barely missing people and pokemon alike Once Pikachu turns to face Mewtwo, he looks pissed, tears still streaming down his face; Pikachu then shouts at the top of his lungs as a giant lightning bolt strikes him from the sky, a call back to the ending of S1E1 where he saves Ash from a flock of Spearow When the dust of the lightning strike clears, Pikachu is looking pretty different, having grown fangs and horns, his fur frizzed out and now colored a dark saturated red-orange and white, even his own electricity changed to be red instead of yellow Pikachu hasn't technically evolved, these changes are fleeting as evident by how he looks to be flickering between this new look and his normal self at first, but he plans to fight as much as he can while he can maintain that state

Basically what I'm describing is Pikachu almost becoming Gorochu, I always imagined Gorochu being part dark type too, so that'd be a big part of how he'd be giving Mewtwo a run for their money

Hell, I even thought about Gorochu being implemented as the final evolution of a regional variant Pichu/Pikachu evolution line where Pichu stays as a pure electric type, then gains dark after evolving into Pikachu

As far as abilities go for this line, they'd still have Static as their first ability and Lightning Rod as their hidden ability, but as for a secondary ability for Pichu and Pikachu, I feel like they could make good use out of Reckless especially if they use Volt Tackle, but for Gorochu, Reckless gets replaced by Sheer Force

I like to think Gorochu would get a signature move too in the form of what I'm calling Vengeance Bolt; it's a special electric type move with 65 base power with a chance to paralyze, and its power boosts based on how many teammates have fainted, gaining 15 more power per fainted ally, pair that with Sheer Force and it'll shred through most foes when it needs to most-- and I think it'd go so hard if this move referenced Goku's angry Kamehameha; Gorochu charging up all that electricity into their arm, the color of that electricity changing from yellow to deep red and blasting the opponent with it

Okay, crazy concept hyperfixation ramble over, but holy fuck I'd love to see Gorochu become real some day