#Really the most story i got for it though is Larry going to Rika

[nostalgiaknight]

This stemmed from me just wanting to draw Larry with Zorua ears and having the transforming abilities. 

I can’t do things simple

[antivanwine14]

I finally finished the main story of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and boy do I have thoughts about that! My thoughts and spoilers under the cut (long post)

Game Overall: It really felt like they went for something with this game. They have been experimenting a lot in the previous few generations and this is the game they brought everything together. They took some pretty big risks shaking everything up and while I know some people are going to be pretty unhappy with some of the changes, I really like what they did with this one. It did not feel like a reskinned game but something really new and different. I hope they continue to go in this direction of taking risks and putting more attention on good characters and storytelling (and hopefully they will take some time to really improve the graphics though I will say, the pokemon actually look decent with the way they did their textures with special shout out to the steel types) 

Characters: This is definitely one of the best casts they’ve ever had, which is really surprising because it is also one of the biggest casts they had, but they did a good job giving the characters enough time to shine without getting grating. Most of the gym leaders are still a bit forgettable as they tend to be, but the friends, Team Star, academy staff, and elite four all had enough development that I actually could remember them and liked them by the end.

Academy Staff: Funny that the number one academy staff they showed case was Jacq, but I actually think because of how they did his interactions (locked behind pokedex) he was hardest to bond with. The others though actually had some really nice interactions and I enjoyed taking the time to get to know them. 

Director Clavell: I am not including him in the regular Academy Staff because he is too big of a character. I was not sure what we were going to get from him when I started, but I loved him by the end. He was so earnest, hardworking, and dorky. He really tried so hard for the students and I appreciated that about him. 

Team Star: For yet another fake out evil team, I actually liked the bosses and how they were handled (not actually causing any mischief really). They had some personality and it was nice getting a chance to actually get to know them and understand why they formed Team Star. Do I wish there was a proper evil team, yes, but I am happy these five were not actually evil. I also appreciate the fact they dropped the pretense that these guys were evil by the end of the first base.

Elite Four: Hassel may be the best elite four member since Lance. You actually get quite a bit of time with him, get to know who he really is, and I really believe that he cared about the main character. He was just so well developed compared to most elite four members. Larry and Rika were were also great. Larry is probably the funniest elite four member period (I’m putting him here since you get more time with him as an elite four member) and I liked Rika’s design. Poppy...well they were going to make a child elite four member eventually, hopefully this will be the last one. The one thing I will say about her is her ace fits her well. 

Penny: Penny had a great story and I really loved her personality, I just wish we got to see it a bit earlier. I think giving those supply drops scenes a few more lines would have helped boost her character. 

Nemona: She is probably the best of the friend rivals and I love the way she was purposefully scaling herself to your levels. HOWEVER, I do wish she had a little more of a story. I think a Volkner storyline, were she is a little bored, and wants a new real challenge would have worked, especially if she was still upbeat about it. She is great though.

Arven: Arven has one of the best stories in all the pokemon games. They did such a great job turning him from a jerk to someone I really cared about. The explanations for why he is like he is also works well. It is interesting, your journey is the main game, but his story is the heart and driving force of this game and the friendship that actually developed there felt real and natural and seemed like the central relationship in this game. 

The Squad: I loved their interactions and I wish we could have more of them. They really did feel like the main characters best friends and I am glad that instead of forcing this friendship from the beginning (X&Y) it really developed over the journey and felt a lot more natural. 

Ending: That might be the most bittersweet ending I’ve ever seen in a pokemon game and I loved. Like yes, you won, but Arven still lost his only parent and I definitely felt the sadness around it even as the five friends move forward together. They still ended it on an upbeat note, but it wasn’t parades and parties which felt appropriate. It was so surprising for this series and I really appreciate it. 

Gameplay and Graphics: I know some people had issues with graphics and gameplay and while both could definitely be improved, I didn’t find the issues too distracting either

The Professors: Great story, I still hate them for what they did to Arven.