#PRISMATIC EVOLUTIONS YOU HAVE MY HEART

[nervocat]

OMG BTW GUYS THE NEXT POKEMON SET COMING OUT SOON LIKE NEXT MONTH OR SO HAS RLLY COOL EEVELOUTION CARDS AND I NEED THEM SO BADDD LOOK LOOK

[speaker-of-the-void-cats]

What was witnessed

We know the Veil is connected consciousness that links us all. It is universal memory and "whispers an electromagnetic language that resonates with our minds," one that is as yet untranslatable "by the laws we wield in this universe." It is organic, and its signature covers sol (and presumably all of reality) much like a cloth veil. It also shares a link to the Traveler, and that link is primal and intrinsic, not created. It was used in the ritual which bound the precursors into the Witness, and more recently was used to distill the Ishtar Exo minds into Lakshmi-2. This is the recurring theme among Darkness/Veil related lore of many minds being simultaneously one in various ways, something we also see in the Vex mind structure and artifacts like the Crown of Sorrow.

What version of truth did the precursors see beyond the Veil?

[I end up on the destinylore subreddit often despite my better judgement and sometimes dip into discussions that are going well. This post was originally a comment made in response to this post. These are a lot of long-considered theories and wonderings tangled together, so bear with me if I take some interpretive liberties or get details a bit off. I hope you find something to think about or enjoy at the the heart of it.]

"You're getting ahead of yourself. Following some of my… less favorable tendencies. Nimbus says we must 'flow' to understand Strand; perhaps it is the same with the Veil." Osiris moves beside Ikora and reaches up, palm parallel to the threads drawn taut from Ikora's braid of Strand. "Sol remembered Titan, in a way. The Veil's signal spiked when Titan returned from memory to reality, when the rhythm of the solar system had been restored to order." Osiris drops his hand and looks to Ikora. "Perhaps we must simply find that rhythm before we are able to interpret the beats within it."

So here's roughly what I think the Witness saw: Before time, the Traveler and Veil were once a single system simulating endless "patterns"; a Gardener and Winnower working hand in hand, one to seed possibility and one to control and collapse it into a final shape before beginning anew ∞. "Darkness and Light becoming one in an endless cycle, like electrons bouncing between anode and cathode." Prismatic isn't the original connection, but I think it's an evolution of it.

But then the Gardener changed the rules and created this painful and chaotic reality. It caused the fall and didn't even have the decency to dictate the meaning of it all! And then it allowed itself to be worshipped as the only god, the only truth! It had hidden deeper things from them. The precursors had to follow the vestigial link from the Traveler to the Veil in order to even discover it's existence, and when they did they studied it. They learned the nature of our minds and Darkness, how they are connected, that they all flow from and back to this one thing, like a wellspring and rivers.

And that one thing has ideas, thoughts and memories. And it whispers purpose, leading those who gaze into its kaleidoscopic abyss down a path toward finality. It creates knives to fulfill its lost function in a more brutal fashion. And much like the Witness's disciples, all who commune with the Veil find their own final shape in the desires reflected back at them and the shadows they cast.

This is why the precursors tried to return the Veil to the Traveler, they saw that connection and wanted to return to the time before, where there was a grand design. But that is also why the Traveler ran, to preserve possibility and because it couldn't bear to reckon with that dark part of it which was severed. But while the precursors knew of the connection, they didn't understand that the original configuration was not half and half, it was a balance. A delicate one. But now another balance has been struck, catalyzed by the Witness's excision from the Pale Heart.

One day, we will see it.

"To seek balance is not to seek equity. A sea half of water and half of poison is not in balance. A body half alive and half dead is not in balance. Given the choice to live in any world, any world at all… we would need a little Darkness in it, I think, to keep the balance true. But not so much as we would need the Light…"

"Every rose has its thorn."

"Even the most perfect of pearls has grit at its center."

"Do you know what the Hive say when they want to express the inevitability of a thing? When they want to say, it is this way because it could be no other way? Aiat.

"Nothing ends."

Bonus thought: maybe the "truth in the Darkness" is why the Dissenter statues and Clarity take the form of a veiled figure. Much like the very essence and form of the Witness was an emulation or mirror of how it understood the Veil, the statues are effigies of how it views the Gardener, representing its silence and the silence forced upon the Dissenters. Maybe the statues themselves are calcified Egregore, "binding" them in the Veil's touch much like the Witness was bound, and our Embrace of the Darkness allowed us to reach within to sever and free them.

//Unknown VanNet router patching in

Receiving message and attachment...

Message: "Sorry bout the spam."

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 310: Bartosz Kruczyński

As mentioned during my write-up for Masala Kiss, I fell behind this year in covering Growing Bin Records and am trying to get back on track, having just visited the Trance Not Trance 12” on Glowing Pin. So next I’d like to focus on Bartosz Kruczyński’s Baltic Beat II, which was released back in April and serves as a sequel to one of my favorite albums ever in 2016′s Baltic Beat. Though Bartosz had already hinted at the direction he would take on Baltic Beat as early as 2015 with The Phantom’s “Ocean” (on Transatlantyk), the album was nevertheless a total revelation…a near perfect summation of minimalism, new age, kosmische, and post-rock built from solar organ swells, aqueous synthesizer environments, sunset orchestrations, liquid space guitars, and interlocking cycles of piano, vibraphone, and marimba. And I’m overjoyed to report that Baltic Beat II, which is appropriately subtitled Pastoral Sequences, continues exploring these same realms of bucolic dream ambiance, though there are some new textures and influences that reveal themselves on deep listening, with Bartosz touching upon spiritual jazz, avant-prog, and even ambient techno while also expanding the instrumental palette via guitar and bass from Marek Stuckzyński (aka Eltron John), flute from Marek Pędziwiatr, and vocals from Jagoda Gawliczek. As well, Baltic Beat II references the first Baltic Beat visually by once again featuring the serene photography of Karolina Zajączkowska, with the visual artist here focusing on rolling grain fields, cloudy skies, and scenes of farm life during harvest…a strange yet sympathetic match for Bartosz’s worlds of spiritual sonic nostalgia.

Bartosz Kruczyński - Baltic Beat II: Pastoral Sequences (Growing Bin Records, 2019) Lapping water and a symphony of insects introduce “Pastoral Sequences”…the sounds evoking the cool comforts of dawn and the feeling of a world waking up. Crystalline pads and sunrise organs smear together and buzzing tones sitting somewhere between hornet and saxophone flow across the spectrum, with thunder rumbling far in the distance. Bodies rustle through seas of grass and pianos fall like a rain until whooshing sounds sourced from a train (or a jet engine?) wash the mix clean, leaving space for spiritual vocals to fade in and sing child-like hymns. As the singing wavers through arresting vibrato motions, bleary-eyed synth layers surround laser-light glitches and mutating birdsong and eventually, idiophonic sequences bubble into the mix, though never rising above a meditative whisper. Next comes “In the Garden” and its oceanic fogs colored in hues of deep blue and dark grey. Piano chords drift and bass electronics float the spirit while mallet instruments add gentle touches of exotica to the evolving post-rock swoon. A muted kick taps out a hypnotic groove, which is then given further shape by tambourine jangles, kinetic rimshot rhythms, and jazzwise acoustic guitar riffing from Marek Stuczyński. An electric guitar executes fluid slides and starbeam solo dances, synthesized woodwind ensembles weave cinematic themes, and string synths are smothered in phaser psychedelics until the melodic elements pull away, leaving behind marimbas and a soft percussive hypno-glide…the feeling as if skipping through some flower field paradise. Phaser-blasted strings diffuse back in alongside sliding six-string melodics and now the rhythms are accented by tribalistic tom-tom dances, which somehow pull my mind to Popoul Vuh and the rhythmic work of Daniel Fichelscher.

“Petals” opens on an orchestral awakening, as seemingly millions of strings saw quickly back and forth…the effect like a cloud of fluttering butterflies. The hyperspeed repetitions blur into a minimalist dream haze as a technoid sequence bounces in, reveling in playful filtering and melancholic melodicism. Marimba taps are surrounded by blasts of spaceage gas and piercing feedback sonics fade in and out…cycling the mind through repeated ecstasy ascents while string orchestrations soar through phase shifting madness. Then, after piano chords drop from the clouds, they settle into a peaceful cycle, alternating back and forth with sliding electric leads and buried dream-pop arpeggiations. We rush right into a prismatic world of chiming starlight in “Voices,” with uncountable marimba, vibraphone, and guitar layers woven into a minimalist tapestry of every possible color. Cymbal taps keep a rhythmic pulse as galactic guitars solo overhead, with occasional volume knob echo-swells evoking the whalesong space psychedelics of Gilmour and Göttsching. At some point everything spreads out…mystifies…transmutes into ether…with the minimalist patterns almost imperceptibly receding until all that remains are tapped percussions and shimmering webs of guitar majesty. Then, further six-string layers fade in, with everything locking into syncopated echo grooves in the style of Schickert and Reichel…a sort of kosmische music generated purely by guitar, with layered arpeggiations flowing through mechanized delay trails and bluesy leads swimming across the sky. It’s a brief but glorious moment, and as the guitars slowly peel away, tick-tocking cyborg electronics progressively filter into indistinction while a lone guitar references the minimalist glories of the track’s introduction. And all the while, pianos wash out through liquid layers and tremolo hallucinations.

The B-side opens with “If You Go Down in the Woods Today,” which sees shakers rattling and marimbas moving through thrilling runs and dramatic key changes. The mallet motions are tracked by sprightly reeds and shining cymbal taps and eventually, low-down brass skronks join the panoramic dream flow (in way recalling Colin Stetson). Choirs bring touches of Zuehl to the proceeding, with masculine voices dispersing into shadow and feminine choirs chanting towards the sun. Cymbals swell, brass and woodwind instruments scat into hypnotic ecstasy, and pianos solo as waves of electronic smolder fade into view. Later, bass heavy marimba notes splash through tide pools alongside pulsating fusion basslines from Stuczyński, with the pianos swooning through mystical McCoy Tyner-style patterns. In fact, when viewed from afar, the track takes on the form of a spiritual jazz bop, though nearly beatless and landing like a dream. Moving into “The Orchard,” mallet instruments dance through kosmische echoes, with the repeating star-trails approximating Berlin School sequencers even as the melodies portend atmospheres of hope and joy. Vibraphones bend through mirage-like vibrato and electric guitars spray cosmic hazes as they solo…almost as if each note is carried within an aquamarine fog. The continually cycling marimba and vibraphone layers create an irrestible groove, one that causes the body to sway at peace in an ambient trance state, and occasionally, reversing bell-tones dance in counterpoint. Later, buzzing bass synths pound on the beat, with industrialized echoes spreading out…as if decaying within a cavernous warehouse structure.  And briefly towards the end, vibraphones solo joyously and mermaid voices flow in from underwater kingdoms, causing the spirit to soar beyond the clouds.

Baltic Beat II closes with the two-part “Along the Sun-Drenched Road,” the first part of which is built on mesmerizing synthetic cycles…almost as if a Leslie speaker has been slowed to the speed of evolution while being submerged deep within some galactic ocean. These throbbing dream sequences are flashed around by seascape tracers as a piano meditation unfolds, all glorious new age magic accented by glassy electronics that mutate into glowing gas. Seed shakers rattle like snake tails, orchestral woodwind themes are blurred by seafoam, and wavering organ majesties float towards the sky…all while Bartosz’s ivory note cluster and golden chordscapes wrap around the heart. Ebowed guitars swim in the background and strange sci-fi sequences float against the grain until the oceanic sound environments recede, leaving just drunken space electronics and birdsong. Marek Pędziwiatr’s flute then swells across the stereo field, alighting on breathy mysticisms and spiritual incantations…as if some satyr-like being is skipping through a forest of light. Birds of every color flit branch to branch and rainbow hazes are beamed in from futuristic dimensions while hovering just out of reach and eventually, the flute playing devolves into delay-soaked finger tapping. As we move into “Along the Sun-Drenched Road 2,” Pedziwiatr’s woodwinds flutter through white noise winds as psychedelic pad layers diffuse into the mix, with overlapping resonances creating softly lapping wavefronts. The flute eventually disappears as distorted voices lock into an esoteric chant and as we move towards the end, technoid rhythm patterns flow into the mix, with electronic cymbal taps and tom-toms locking into manic groove cycles while the tempo continuously morphs, sometimes accelerating wildly towards hyperspace delirium.

(images from my personal copy)

[egaohitotsude-archived]

;;drabble

Set in Alola verse. Serves as backstory to one of the integral aspects of the Sakura in this verse. Word count: 1,246

Tagging @prismatic-homunculus because relevant.

It started when Shinji bought the encyclopedia. Within a few weeks later, his bookshelf was filled with books and newspaper featuring pokemon. His free time was spent on his study table, reading and reading.

Sakura felt... lonely. Her brother who used to play with her during breaks from school, building sand castles at the beach couldn’t seem to spare time for her anymore. She ended up lingering at the door numerous times, until Shinji finally took notice of it -- once, when he finally got up from the table to head to the washroom. Blue eyes first widen in shock before understanding came over him.

With a proud huff and the showing off the books on his shelf, he huffed his chest out, an excited glint in his eyes as he asks. 

“Sakura, do you wanna learn about pokemon?”

The question that changed a good part of Sakura’s life.

_____

At 14 was when she decided. It took courage, a nervous tugging on Byakura’s sleeve after an approving nod from Shinji -- “C-Can I be a pokemon trainer?”

It was something that her father saw coming. Of course, he did. The fascination she had with pokemon was impossible to miss -- the exclamations of glee when she sees a wild pokemon, the wonder in the purple eyes whenever her brother starts a speech about something he learned about pokemon. There was nothing else he should respond other than a yes.

The next day, he brought in a pokeball -- “A gift. There’s once you saved an injured eevee. Do you remember? It was still there in the shop.”

She named him Gon. She wasn’t not sure why that name came to being. She looked into his incredibly bright eyes and the name bubbled up in her throat.

The first pokemon she caught was with the help of Gon and a stroke of luck. Gon had been hiding in the tall grass ( for an eevee, he is quick on his feet and hides well; nature is his natural habitat. ) before he pounced on the wild absol. His sudden entrance caught the pokemon off-guard, and with the subsequent Iron Tail, it had no way to defend itself.

She named him Hei. Hei was grumpy and unhappy about his capture for a while, pride wounded but Sakura and Gon made sure to pamper him.

Two months later was when she first received a key stone (and a kirlia) from Shinji who was back from his travels. She took another week before she obtained a megastone, upon completing a request from a friend. It was specific to absols, called absolite.

It was the next day when it happened.

An accidental bump onto a trainer in a cave -- “What are you looking at, eh?” Sakura tried to apologise, but the man was particularly insistent on the offence she committed. And she had no way other than to settle it in a pokemon battle.

Sakura hated confrontations like this.

They served no purpose other than to prove one’s dominance. And it wasn’t even the trainer’s power. It was the combination of both the trainer and the pokemon team. Why did people always take advantage of pokemon to do things like this?

Pokemon shouldn’t be insulted like this....!

_____

The pokemon she sends out is Hei. He’s the fastest and most efficient pokemon she has. And the only one she has a megastone for. Kneeling down next to the absol and murmuring to his ear, Sakura asks him to take down her opponent’s pokemon quickly. There really is no point in this battle, so there isn’t one in getting hurt by someone like this. With an awkward smile, she makes sure to apologise to Hei though -- “I don’t really want you guys to be forced to fight my battles for me you know... I’m so sorry this keeps happening...” -- and he simply nuzzles her hand in reassurance.

It should have been a fairly easy battle. 

( And it is. It’s over in five minutes. )

The drowsee sent by her opponent isn’t particularly strong, Sakura can tell. A part of her wonders where the arrogance comes from. Is it because she’s a girl? Does she look that weak? Whatever it is, Sakura doesn’t really mind. It’s all the better for her. Maybe she can test out mega-evolutions. Maybe it’s because she’s thinking too much that she slips up, letting her guard down.

The hypnosis is cast before the either Sakura or Hei can react and almost immediately, Hei falls onto the ground. Sakura stills, the laughter from her opponent ringing in her ears -- “If the pokemon is unconscious, there’s no way mine can get hurt! We agreed that it’ll be a one-one battle so you can’t switch it out!”

She grits her teeth, heart knotting. Hei will wake up after three attacks, and he’s strong enough to survive the attacks, she’s sure. But before that... he’ll have to suffer and Sakura can only watch him get beat up--! 

All because of her...!

Her hand itches-- for something to do-- anything! 

A finger rubs against the keystone in her pocket and she inhales sharply. Surely, it wouldn’t work. He can’t possibly transform when he’s unconscious but... Sakura doesnt’ have any items to wake him up; it’s the only thing she can do at the moment.

But the absol glows. Purple eyes widen as Hei grows wings, fur thickening--

“That’s--” her lower lip quivers.

She can barely register the horrified shouting by her opponent. An index finger pointed rudely at her, he screams, “you never told me you’re strong enough to mega-evolve your pokemon!”

Sakura cannot hear him.

Doesn’t this... mean that Hei doesn’t have control over mega-evolutions? The one who has power... it’s her. The trainer.

After making my pokemon fight for me and get hurt for me, I can also force them to mega-evolve?

Do... their feelings not matter...?

_____

Shinji told her she was worrying too much. “The pokemon will have to hold the stone, you know? If they really don’t want to mega-evolve, then they’ll throw them away obviously!” he scoffed. “You’re being stupid as usual.”

Maybe... he was right.

On her lap, Gon flicked his tail upwards, rubbing the soft fur against her cheek as he whimpered, usual bright eyes scrunched together in worry. She gives a small smile in response.

At her feet, Hei rubbed her head against her thigh.

“See?” Shinji exclaimed, pointing a finger at the absol. “If he doesn’t like it, he wouldn’t be doing this. He’ll be sulking somewhere!”

At that, Hei stopped, looking up and straight into her eyes, determination in his eyes. He was reassuring her.

But instead of feeling encouraged, the corners of her eyes moistened. All she could think of was the confusion on his face when he woke up. The slightest fear in his eyes in seeing his new form -- the form he was forcefully changed into. 

Immediately, she made a grab for Hei and Gon, hugging them tightly.

“I’m sorry...” she laughed, voice breaking a little. Her heart hurt. “I don’t think I’m fit to be a pokemon trainer after all!”

Shinji shook his head, sighing. “You’re so useless.”

Yes.. She was such a bad pokemon trainer... She couldn’t let herself have this power, even if they trust her and allowed her to and even wanted her to.  But there was nothing she could do about it.

A breathless laughter. “I guess this is where my dream ends then.”

[acroamatica]

intenso

day -x: on paper, i think, this fragrance might be good. it’s talking itself up, it’s got things i don’t usually like along with things i adore, but people seem to think it knows what it’s doing. i order a sample.

i have the forethought, at least, to make it a large one.

day 1: it arrives mid-afternoon and it’s all over everything. my hands, my bag, my carpet. initially it’s overwhelming. i don’t know if i like it. i don’t know if i’d recommend it. i’m not sure it’s at all right for me.

day 2: with fragrances, you have to open your heart to them, let them nestle up right close to your neck and sit where you’re warm. only then are you really going to know what they’re made of. i put it on, gingerly: two sprays and then a third because, i suppose, i can always shower.

for half an hour it’s aggressive try-hard medicinal periwinkle blue, sharp and syrupy, not exactly like the pale blue calvin klein oeuvre we all drowned in in the late 90s and early 00s but walking a very fine line. there’s something underneath the overexposed try-hard soapy edge though. i want to wash it off. but i don’t.

and then. 

oh, darling, what are you, where did this rich, beautiful, clean soft sweet come from? it’s still purple-blue but all the edges fall off and it darkens and deepens, and i stick my nose into the collar of my shirt and huff. it’s not what i’m used to - my usual scent is a warm fire-bright amber-orange ginger lemon tea, not this cozy yet prismatically clear sweet-leaves herbal sachet dream. i don’t know what to make of it. i don’t know how to cope with it.

i can’t get enough of it.

the longer i wear it the better it gets. the more it sinks into my skin, the more i feel at home with it, until there’s a golden-warm edge of almost corn syrup, a kiss of the sweet herbs, clinging in the hollow of my neck.

day 3: i wake up and it should be gone but it’s still there, whispering gently at the surface of my skin and in the fabric of my shirt. it’s perfect. it’s perfect. i shower just so i can reapply.

the drydown makes me question everything again. but i ride it out, and sure enough, in an hour it’s back to magic. i love it. i yell at my friends about it. i still don’t understand it. i’m still not sure it’s for me - the evolution is so challenging and i don’t know what it says about me - but i can’t stop putting my face in my shirt by hour six.

i wear it for a week before i go back to the ginger lemon tea.

maybe it’s just that there’s enough of it on my carpet now, enough misted into the fabrics of my bedroom, but i keep catching it like an echo, a beautiful song played four houses down the street. i realise i miss it. i wish i was wearing it.

i go back to it the next day.

[chubby-aphrodite]

I was watching various Zelda and Pokémon theory videos, and I... have a little bit of a thing. A theory, I mean. 

The general gist of it is that Arceus is an Ultra Beast, came from Ultra Space, and created Solgaleo and Lunala. (And by extension Cosmog and Cosmoem.) This also has relations to Type: Null and Silvally, as well as the Aether Foundation and Necrozma.

PART ONE: Ultra Space

Arceus is the creator of the Pokémon universe, for the uninitiated. The following are all of its Pokédex entries from Generation IV to Generation VI:

Diamond: It is described in mythology as the Pokémon that shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms.

Pearl, Y, and Alpha Sapphire: It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was born before the universe even existed.

Platinum, Black and White, and Black 2 and White 2: It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world.

Heart Gold and Soul Silver, X, and Omega Ruby: According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokémon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world.

Three (3) out of four (4) of these entries describe how it existed in a space of nothing before creating this world, some even going so far as to state that it came from an egg of sorts. 

However, it might be apparent to everyone that eggs in the Pokémon universe don’t just pop out of nowhere. (Not that the Daycare/Nursery hands will tell you otherwise, but I don’t think they’d want the responsibility of explaining reproduction to some random tween/teen they just met.) It requires at least two Pokémon in the same egg group, or a Ditto and another Pokémon. Where am I going with this, you’re probably asking? 

My conclusion: there are more of Arceus’ species in Ultra Space, and they are in their own egg group. The only reason Arceus is put in the Undiscovered Egg Group is because there is only one in this world and thus it cannot breed to create more. Ditto cannot replicate the biology of Arceus because of its origin in Ultra Space, and Ultra Space genetics being even more complicated than that of the Pokémon universe or even the one we reside it, which also explains why Ditto cannot breed with other Ultra Beasts. 

A point you may be eager to dispute is that, in its Pokédex entries, Arceus’ egg is stated to have been born in “emptiness.” Ultra Space, of what little we see of it in Sun and Moon, is shown to be pretty empty, with the only other thing there being the Ultra Beasts. Another point to be made is that it’s described as Ultra Space, with “space” being the word that we humans use to describe both the void in between planets as well as the universe beyond Earth’s atmosphere. So, “emptiness” would be a fitting descriptor of Ultra Space.

PART TWO: Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, and Lunala (And Necrozma’s Here, Too)

Arceus has been shown to create beings that rule over and regulate the things it creates, like Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, as well as Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie. Dialga rules and regulates time, Palkia rules and regulates space, and Giratina rules and regulates matter and antimatter. Azelf embodies willpower, Mesprit embodies emotions, and Uxie embodies knowledge. Arceus created these things to give order to the other Pokémon it created, including humans. So, what’s to say Solgaleo, the embodiment of the sun, and Lunala, the embodiment of the moon, weren’t created by Arceus as well? (And maybe even Necrozma, who seems to embody light, despite its black coloring.) 

Well, let’s look at all their designs. 

Solgaleo is quadrupedal and white, with golden accents, just like Arceus. It also has a white underbelly, again like Arceus, and a golden crown-like structure around its face and protruding from its main. The golden crown is similar to the structure around Arceus’ midsection. 

Lunala is winged and actually has no legs, and is primarily indigo in color, but does still resemble Arceus. However, it does have bony white accents making up its main body and golden structures on the edges of its winds and tail. These golden structures also resemble Arceus’ hoop... thing. 

With these similarities, and the fact that Arceus is more dissimilar to Lunala, it can be assumed that Arceus did, in fact, create them, but at least not at the same time. Arceus must have created Solgaleo first, making a commanding son who was the spitting image of itself. Then, Arceus created Lunala, an equally as commanding daughter who looked like itself, but not so much like itself. This order of creation mirrors how the Sun and the Moon in our world came into being: the Sun is simply a star, and formed like one. Then, the Earth and the Moon came. Nobody is exactly sure how the Moon got there, but it definitely was created after the Sun. 

However, these Pokémon both started out as mere Cosmog, little embodiments of stardust and nebulae. After all, its entry in Sun states, “its body is gaseous and frail. It slowly grows as it collects dust from the atmosphere.”

Then, they evolved into Cosmoem, which represents the process of all the starstuff coming together, and this is evident in Cosmoem’s weight, which is 2204.4 lbs./999.9 kg. Its Sun entry also supports this, stating, “motionless as if dead, its body is faintly warm to the touch. In the distant past, it was called the cocoon of the stars.” 

Then, it all expands into the Sun or the Moon, being Solgaleo or Lunala. This process is a mirror of how celestial bodies are actually created. 

Another connection the Cosmog line has to Arceus and Ultra Space is their Pokédex entries making multiple references to other worlds:

Cosmog, in Moon: In ages past, it was called the child of the stars. It's said to be a Pokémon from another world, but no specific details are known.

Cosmoem, also in Moon: There's something accumulating around the black core within its hard shell. People think this Pokémon may come from another world.

Solgaleo:

Sun: It is said to live in another world. The intense light it radiates from the surface of its body can make the darkest of nights light up like midday.

Moon: This Pokémon is said to be a male evolution of Cosmog. At the activation of its third eye, it departs for another world.

Lunala: 

Sun: It is said to be a female evolution of Cosmog. When its third eye activates, away it flies to another world.

Moon: Said to live in another world, this Pokémon devours light, drawing the moonless dark veil of night over the brightness of day.

The only alternate worlds we know of in Pokémon, besides the one that the Mystery Dungeon games take place in, is Ultra Space. (And the Distortion World, but the Distortion World most likely resides in or is a part of Ultra Space. It’s a place beyond our dimension where the rules of our world don’t apply, after all.) So, using the powers of extrapolation, we can infer that the Cosmog line is from Ultra Space. Since Arceus is from Ultra Space, as stated earlier, and Arceus is know to create beings in that space to accommodate the Pokémon world, this makes sense. 

Now, let’s take another thing I said and prove it: that Necrozma is the embodiment of light, and was also created by Arceus. 

Actaully, it being the embodiment of light is pretty much canon. How? Well, it’s the Prism Pokémon with ability Prism Armor and the Move Prismatic Laser. Prisms are associated with light and their ability to split it into many colors. As well, its Moon entry says, “light is apparently the source of its energy. It has an extraordinarily vicious disposition and is constantly firing off laser beams.” It’s safe to say that Necrozma rules over light.

As for its connection to Arceus, Ultra Space, and the Cosmog line, its Sun entry says, “reminiscent of the Ultra Beasts, this life-form, apparently asleep underground, is thought to have come from another world in ancient times.” So, Necrozma isn’t dissimilar to the other Ultra Beasts (and is even encountered during the Ultra Beast post-game sidequest!), and is said to come from another world. This pretty much confirms that it comes from Ultra Space. 

Another thing: Arceus most likely created it before Solgaleo and Lunala. Why? Because you can’t have a shining sun and radiant moon without light being there in the first place. Necrozma is like their big nonbinary sibling, basically. The reason it doesn’t look similar to Arceus is because Arceus is god and it can do whatever it wants.

In short: Arceus created the Cosmog line and Necrozma, and they’re ALSO from Ultra Space.

PART THREE: Type: Null, Silvally, the Aether Foundation, and... the Beast Balls?

Type: Null and Silvally are made to replicate Arceus. I know that, you know that, it’s basically canon. Silvally’s ability is called RKS System and is near identical to Multitype, and its shiny turns it yellow just like Arceus’ does, for Mew’s sake! 

But... why?

It’s possible that the Aether Foundation knew of Solgaleo and Lunala’s status as Ultra Beasts and as being created by Arceus. Thus, they created it in order to contain them (Solgaleo and Lunala) and other Ultra Beasts. They might’ve hoped that its Arceus-like appearance, moves, and ability would remind all the Ultra Beasts of Arceus, thus making it easier to capture them. Type: Null and Silvally are also very powerful, the latter’s stats comparable to a Pseudo-Legendary’s. 

And now for the Beast Balls, because I’m getting tired and this section is the shortest on its own:

The Beast Balls share similar design elements to the Cosmog Line, being blue with golden claw-like accents, and with Arceus, again with the accents. This would make sense, since they’re all Ultra Beasts. 

Aaaaaand since I feel as though I’ve covered everything I wanted to, and that I’m tired, that will be all.

[indigo-study]

Since I’m trying to get in the swing of blogging, I thought why not start with a favourites post since it’s the end of the month.

This month, I decided to stop wearing foundation as often in the hope it would help clear my skin up. I never used to wear foundation until about a year and a half ago and I actually prefer how highlighter and such looks on my natural skin compared to foundation. Don’t get me wrong, for nights out I go all out but for day to day I just want something simple and like all I’ve done is put effort into my eye make-up.

This combination of the TOO FACED Hangover Primer plus NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer and NYX HD Concealer are my go to. There’s just something about it that leaves me feeling fresh and put together without too much effort.

Firstly, the primer smells absolutely to do for but also leaves my skin feeling plump, hydrated and silky smooth without there being that tacky feeling you can get with primers. As someone who suffers from rather dry skin, I would highly recommend it for anyone else who suffers from dry patches – when I have paired it with a foundation it just glides on over without clinging to the driest parts of my face in a gross way.

I use the NARS concealer to spot conceal as your gal here is super prone to horrible red spots – ugh! It’s been the best concealer I’ve used for covering them up since I got into makeup, definitely trumps MAC in my opinion but that’s just how I feel. It’s thick and velvety and you only need the tiniest amount to get full coverage. I blend it out with a beauty sponge and it melts into the skin creating a natural finish as if I didn’t have any spots. I use the NYX concealer for under my eyes and it does the job without costing me too many pennies so I can’t complain.

It’s summer and I’m a sucker for colourful makeup. This month I’ve been especially loving pastels colours as my go to on my days off from work.

These NYX Vivid Brights Crème Colours have been my favourite for using as an eyeshadow base but also for eyeliner both in the waterline and for a cat eye. They are super creamy and blend like a dream as well as being super tacky if you don’t blend them out making them the perfect base for shimmery eyeshadow. I personally pair the Aqua colour with the NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow in Mermaid to make it pop and pair the Sugar Rush Lavender colour with the shade Whimsical. These come in a wide range of colours and are super affordable.

Kat Von D has held my heart for such a long time and the Pastel Goth palette does not disappoint. I guess this isn’t really a new favourite as I got it back in May and have loved it since but it has been my go to this month when doing my makeup. I especially love pairing these up with the Vivid Brights Crème Colours to amplify them. There’s a look on my instagram that incorporates both these products as well as the Alchemist palette.

Last but not least for makeup is this gem of a product.

The TOO FACED Sweet Peach palette has been one of my go to palettes since I bought it in Barcelona. It’s perfect for natural looks as well as more out there looks. I use this on a daily basis when getting ready for work since I’m not allowed to wear too much makeup – I just pop Peaches ‘n Cream all over the lid or Nectar then a coat of mascara and I’m good to go. Just Peachy is probably my all-time favourite shade as it’s rather unique with its pink with gold peach reflect. These shadows are so smooth and richly pigmented, they blend out like a dream.

This month I decided to change my hair up – I went from dark grey back to blonde. My roots were my natural colour going into a darkish blue/black from when I did a hair competition meaning that it needed bleached twice. Not having a lot of time, I never made it back to the hairdressers to get it toned again and all that jazz. This product however has been my saving grace.

Fanola No Yellow shampoo is one that everyone rants and raves about – you’ve probably seen it in an Instagram video magically changing bright yellow hair into silver. And yes, it actually is that good! I still have some problematic areas in my hair – particularly the midsection where the darkest deposit of colour had been in my hair but without this shampoo I’d still be looking like Slim Shady.

The first picture is the colour my hair was, the middle was a day or two after getting it bleached with one wash using my usual silver shampoo and the last is after 2 washes with the Fanola No Yellow. I don’t use this every time I was my hair as it’s pretty heavy duty – I’m sure the first time round I thought I’d dyed my hands purple! But I use it once a week for maintenance.

I’ve been on the hunt for cozy things to wear around the flat as it’s not been warm enough to kick about with just a t-shirt on but also not cold enough to justify turning the heating on. I was also on the hunt for cute hoodies that I would feel comfortable wearing out the house – not every day is a fashion show but I do like to look presentable.

After browsing ASOS for a while I discovered this brand MAD BUT MAGIC and fell in love. They had a holographic skirt/jacket combo that I’d seen before and loved but never had the guts to buy. I’m mad about pale pink right now and frills and flares so when I saw this jumper I had to get it – especially as it was on sale! Unfortunately, I can’t show you a picture of it in real life as it’s currently hanging over a radiator as I’ve worn it to death since it arrived. I would definitely recommend checking their stuff out as it ranges from sequins galore, weird and wonderful to super cozy jumpers and hoodies. And believe me, this is one of the coziest things I’ve ever worn.

My last favourite for this month is an album. As much as I tell myself I’m not that Paramore fangirl I was back in 2010, their new album is a total jam and I’m still such a sucker for Hayley Williams.

  After Laughter shows a new evolution of Paramore – one with a pop-y kick to their emo vibe. There’s not much I can say as I’m not fantastic when it comes to describing music but all I can say is go give it a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

– Keira

July 2017 Favourites Since I'm trying to get in the swing of blogging, I thought why not start with a favourites post since it's the end of the month.