#and then with rby i was like let's just have fun

[mawguai]

final batch of pikmin drawings

[webcxre]

so! in this au basically everything in TADC and ena are the same, its just they take place in the same world!

so its no secret the circus is kinda buggy. we see it a lot in the pilot with things clipping, things popping in and out of existence, etc. turns out when you have an early ai running the show and throw human souls into the mix the computer doesn't run as smoothly as one would hope.

with so much going on at once, i'd assume the game would need a LOT of memory to keep track of it all.

then we have the void, which is kinda like going out of bounds...why can they even go into the void? honestly probably because of how buggy everything is dsgsh even caine's aware of it being there

so if you've ever gone out of bounds in earlier games, sometimes especially buggy games will just start pulling from the game's memory to figure out what the hell to put there. i'm especially thinking of early pokemon games. they're a MESS

(fun fact! pokemon RGBY/RBY is so buggy that you can program the memory from inside the game! people have even figured out how to run code IN OTHER GAMES by abusing pokemon's memory)

back to the digital circus. what if it's storing its memory somewhere out in the void? what if there's a whole "glitch city" out there that's simply garbage data from the circus?

well, what other world is full of nonsensical, well...EVERYTHING?

strange, once lively adventures left to collect dust in the game's memory. maze-like hallways and other inexplicable maps. some fully complete and populated while others sit unfinished

to put it simply: in this AU ena's world is the circus' memory dump!

i'd like to think caine is aware of this, but doesn't let the humans know as it's 1, not very safe due to being even more buggy than the circus, and 2, would probably drive them mad.

(something i realized while typing this out, its kinda funny that mannequins are NPCs in both worlds lol, wonder if caine just pulls em from here when he needs em)

i could even go further! like what the hell is an ena and why do npcs seem to not like them? whats their purpose?

well...what if they weren't meant to exist at all?

what if, while the game's ai was trying to learn, it tried to pull data from the humans to try to properly reproduce how they behave? but since new humans are almost always distressed...well, these smaller test runs are incredibly unstable. they achieve emotion, something even caine struggles with! but it's too much to bear, becoming an vulnerability in the code. enas are troublemakers. they break the game by simply existing.

so thats my silly little au with extremely niche usage :]

idk maybe i'll do something with it someday

[blue-jester]

full of pokemon takes today huh .

I think I figured out my problem with Scarlet and Violet's open world- it just feels so. Empty. And lifeless. There's never anything happening unless you go to one of the bosses, no substance between them, no fun character moments, no filler, nothing. There's just this MASSIVE stretch of land and yet seeing other people is rare, it's lonely.

You don't need to talk to anyone to get cool bits of worldbuilding or lore before they give you an item because ALL of the items except for the one that evolves charcadet- and if there is another one it's obviously not insentivsed well enough because I never found it and I am THOROUGH when I comb through towns. I talk to EVERYONE and go inside of EVERY house. Hell, you can't even go in most houses. There's little to no interiors anywhere

Nobody lives here.

Nothing happens. Nobody comes up to you to tell you how their adventure has been- I would've LOVED if we saw Nimona more then just occasionally during the gym challenge after you've beaten a gym leader

It's just too open world, too free.

There's also just??? Nothing to do outside of catching pokemon and the main story. There's the school battle thing but that's more of a series obligation- there are no mini games. NONE. The closest we have is the picknick things but like. C'mon. No contests? No pokeathalon? No mantine surf, or leveled rotom photo thing, doesn't make sense to mention the ultra warp ride here but I loved it and these games just have nothing. Alola had so much shit to do, god.

"But the dlc-" SHhshehshhhhh. Sh. Shhh. You shouldn't have to buy two entire dlc packs to still enjoy a game after you finish it if it lets you play a post game.

Anyways I do enjoy scarvio quite a bit, definitely more then rby and swsh, but like. It is just. Vacent.

[crystalelemental]

Crystal Reads PokeSpe - RBY Arc

I have now spent money on this, even if it was for my wife's sake, so it was inevitable that I'd pick this up. I am starting to read the Pokemon manga. As of today, I have finished the RBY arc. This is the only arc I know I read once before, via fan translation, ages ago. I did not care for it at the time. But, it's a different time, and maybe I'll be more into it now. Who knows.

The Red and Blue segment (ie, the first three books), are kinda...whatever. I admit, I still don't like Red, even after he starts talking. This iteration of Red is more clear, but I also feel like he's less interesting. He's as standard shonen protagonist as you can get. Blue doesn't get a whole lot either, given that he's barely around as the rival figure. Green is more fun, because I vibe with her general personality type, but that's about as much as I can say. She doesn't get that much going for her, in truth.

I think the biggest aspect that throws off the first three manga is the general pacing. They absolutely blitz through the locations in the game, taking very little time to actually do much of anything. There are a few chapters that are just showing off a Pokemon, similar in style to the filler episodes of the anime. But more than that, things go so quickly it feels hard to keep up with sometimes. I couldn't remember who had what Pokemon most of the time. I still don't think I could tell you Red's actual team. It's not until the champion match between Red and Blue that things start to slow down a bit and you can more easily follow the action.

Fortunately, by the time the Yellow arc begins, they've realized this. The rest of the fights are actually pretty well paced, and I found the Elite Four a much more salient threat than anything Team Rocket does. Especially because it...well, it's novel. Team Rocket in the manga, despite being a bit more brutal and having Gym Leaders under their command, are kinda the same as they've ever been. Giovanni gets to be a little interesting as someone who's more directly interacted with Red, and their experiments are more complex, but their motivations and actions aren't really that different. The Elite Four's actions are significantly more interesting, mostly because it's such a new approach compared to other media formats.

I also wound up liking Yellow a lot more than the others? Like okay, Green is still the favorite because personality type vibes more, but Yellow's really interesting as someone who's pure pacifism and aims to win without hurting her opponent. They don't play with it quite as much as I wish they did, but it's an interesting approach and I like her a lot.

By other characters, I really like what they did with Erika and Blaine. They're definitely the most interesting Gym Leaders. Erika being a sort of leader figure for the justice side, while Blaine's connection to Mewtwo is really neat. I kinda love that Agatha is just kinda Like That about how Oak left under what should have been otherwise amicable circumstances, she's just that bitter. And I like that Lorelei's like this because of her literally watching her Seel friends die due to human pollution. It's got a lot of impact.

The rest of the gym leaders are kinda whatever. They don't really exude much to me. Same with Bruno and Lance, I don't really think they're all that interesting. If anything, I'm a little salty about Lance being from Viridian Forest apparently, but that's likely due to the manga setting that up before GSC released to establish Blackthorn.

As for general stuff...okay, I'm trying to calm down about "Everything should operate on the game logic," and let myself be taken by creativity in the anime and now manga when they operate on physics rather than strict move definition and numbers. Like, it's actually kinda cool for Giovanni to show off his threat level as the top Gym Leader by trying to throw Red into a pit he made in the ground, and breaking the release mechanisms on his Pokeballs to prevent switching them in. The idea of breaking the ball or incapacitating the trainer makes it more dynamic, and kinda gives more reason to the usual "I must train myself as well as my Pokemon" approach so common in Fighting specialists.

Now, this has all been relatively comparative. How it appears in contrast to the games, and I guess the anime a little bit. But on its own merits...how is it?

Again, I think the first three volumes are a bit too chaotic and hard to follow. They offer a bit of a story arc, but it doesn't have that much going on, so I don't respect it. The Yellow arc is...hmm.

I assume this is very much "product of its time," but the pollution angle for the Elite Four's motivation of eliminating humans feels kinda stock-standard. It's relatively harmless, but it feels like a background note that has very little impact on anything? We get a couple very brief glimpses at "Oh, these Mankey are rampaging because there's little food," and Lorelei's backstory involving a dying Seel population, but it all feels very distant. There's nothing that actually connects to our heroes, because as Blue expresses, Pallet Town is the only "pure" place left. None of them really feel the effects on the larger world.

What's kind of a bother is that neither do their Pokemon. Not one seems to be impacted by this alleged super-serious pollution issue across the region. The only one with an emotional connection to the evil of the world is Red's Eevee, who can shift between its evolutions almost at will due to Team Rocket's experiments, but nothing that connects to this deeper aspect. So when Lance and Co start going on about all humans being a problem, and all humanity being a problem, and everywhere being so corrupted...well, it falls a little flat.

I can't even use the "kid's media" excuse here, because again, part of the "more serious" tone is stuff like Arbok getting cut in half, and people kinda dying. Which...was missing here. I mentioned reading this before? Some scenes I remember aren't in the official translation. I assume it's the old 90's style American Censorship stuff, removing Lance blowing up a boat and actually killing people, and Green getting attacked across the chest to reveal she was hiding Pokeballs there, so like. I guess they were trying to align this more to kids, expecting them to pick this up after the games.

On the whole, I think the manga turned out alright. I will say I had a decent time. I am looking forward to where it goes from here, because my wife absolutely gushes about the Hoenn books. But up next is my beloved Johto, where I'm expecting to have a great time.

[citadelofmythoughts]

Here’s a tough question. Top 3 favorite and least favorite things about each RWBY volume?

Sorry for the delay, this is something I've had to really think about.

V1 Faves

The initiation/Nevermore fight. Let's be honest this is where these legends started.

Blake & Yang meeting for the first time

Weiss and Blake coming to terms with each other

V`1 least faves

The animation. I know it was Poser, they had no budget, etc. That doesn't make it any easier to watch

That one line from Yang about boys that has haunted the discourse for nearly a decade.

TBH barely anyone had a character any deeper than surface level

V2 Faves

Yang talking to Blake in Burning The Candle. This is where their relationship became more than partners, deeper than just friendship

The talk between Weiss, Blake and Yang at Mountain Glenn. Something that would be directly referenced much later in V9

"Best Day Ever" - the food fight between RWBY and JNPR is just big dumb fun

V2 least faves

Jaune and his pursuit of Weiss. Obnoxious to the extreme.

Sun - that's it

"Breach" in general was kind of a mess and really was there to have a giant fight scene.

V3 Faves

"Heroes And Monsters" - It feels weird listing something so horrible and tragic as a favorite thing but what happened between Yang, Blake and Adam in this chapter would define these characters going forward all the way until almost the end of V6 and was a significant point in Blake & Yang's relationship

Also from "Heroes And Monsters" - Velvet unleashing Anesidora with "I May Fall" blasting is still so amazing to this day.

Yang being framed for injuring Mercury and Blake deciding to trust in her.

(I really could go on about V3 with many more positives.)

V3 least faves

SSSN vs NDGO - I DON'T CARE

Might be controversial but Pyrrha's death. I understood the narrative need for it but it doesn't mean I liked it

Same for Penny

V4 Faves

Meeting Blake's parents. Ghira and Kali are treasures.

The fight with Tyrian

Yang getting her new arm and starting her healing process

(Honorable mention to Blake, with Sun's help, starting to understand that sometimes you have to let people in and it's THEIR choice to want to be in your life. Also honorable mention to Ruby's letter in "No Safe Haven")

V4 least faves

Tai's "advice" both in "Family" and "One Step Forward..."

Sun. (I didn't start to be able to tolerate him unti V5)

Not nearly enough Yang

V5 Faves

Yang and Ruby reuniting - I always cry

Weiss' talk with Yang in "Alone Together" (which is also when I'm convinced she realized that Yang loved Blake)

"Yang...?" *Dumbfounded stare from Yang

(Honorable mention to Yang reading Raven for filth)

V5 least faves

The pacing wasn't great and yeah the big fight was lackluster

While the animation was fine the colors always felt very muted to me

Lionheart (not that I resented his use in the story, I just hate the dude)

V6 faves:

The Bees Vs Adam (was I gonna say anything else?)

The Brunswick Arc (why is CRWBY so good at horror?)

The fight with the Leviathan.

V6 least faves:

These are mostly really minor complaints

Dee and Dudley - annoying

The big lore dump, while not BAD was a LOT

Oscar vanishing and getting a new set of clothes off camera not that I care that much but I think it could have been handled better

V7 Faves

The makeovers, with the possible exception of Wess I thought everyone looked great and TBH Yang never looked better

The Bees getting ready to go on a date

Nora spilling the tea ABOUT the Bees

(Honorable mention to RBY standing by Weiss when she confronted Jacqass. Also honorable mention to Yang/Blake VS Elm/Vine)

V7 least faves (not writing critical just characters getting on my nerves)

Harriet is annoying

The AceOps being Ironwood's unthinking lapdogs

Ironwood coming out as a complete dumbass.

V8 Faves

Beeunion 2.0

Yang, Jaune and Ren infiltrating Salem's HQ and the fight that ensues. Especially Yang getting to talk smack to Salem and blowing her tits off.

Penny frying Cinder

(Honorable mention to Maria kicking Neo's ass)

V8 least faves

Ironwood continues to be a complete and total dumbass

Ren being a jerk. Thankfully he gets over it

Yang's fall. (not bad on a value level but it HURT)

V9 Faves:

The Bees confession - absolutely perfect. Could not be improved on

The fight scene in Rude, Red and Royal

Ruby getting her groove back and showing CC just how powerful she really is.

V9 least faves: (and I'm allowing for what I know was a difficult production)

We could have used at least another two chapters because some scenes and transitions were way too brief and as a result didn't have the emotional impact they should have

We didn't get the prologue that was shown at RTX

Minor complaint but in Chapter 1 I wish Blake had been shown as being a bit more worried about Yang since she saw her "die"

Wow, this was a LOT!

[cyberdragoninfinity]

What do you think about the mainline Pokemon games (RBY, GSC, etc.)?

LIKE...... IN GENERAL, OR..?????

ok well. let's see. there's ones I like and ones I don't, naturally. I said this in another ask but imo Pokemon design gets cooler and stronger with each passing generation, even if the games themselves weren't that good. LOVE Galar's designs for the most part, but good god Sword and Shield were not. good games. >__>

I'm eternally partial to RSE (Ruby was my first pkmn game, Hoenn's still one of my favorite regions, the Gen 3 era soundtrack is so nostalgic to me.) Gen 4 was a monumental generation for so many reasons, Platinum is a just a goddamn good game, and BDSP is a fucking embarassment lol. I love Gen 5's games, I've been wanting to replay Black sometime, I miss her. White 2 I think my be my favorite mainline Pokemon game of all time (though I have to be real, Violet is up there now too--warts (and bugs) and all, Scarvio was the most fun I've had in a mainline pokemon game in YEARS, and the story knocked my ass clean into the street. I just like it! I love Paldea!!)

I love Alola's Dex, I love so much of Sun and Moon's story and characters, and I fucking wish they were better games, I wish USUM wasn't a letdown (as much as Necrozma's everything makes me insane.) I didn't grow up with RBY or GSC so I don't really have any nostalgic attachment to them at all lol--in RBY's case I played the virtual console DS version and kind of. did not enjoy myself at all HHSGGDFG i would be perfectly content never going to Kanto in a pokemon game ever again.

Legends Arceus also kicked ass and I genuinely hope they do more games like that in the future. If they do Legends Unova I'll go absolutely ape, slash pos. (or whatever it is it seems like they're lurking towards with whatever the next 'big' game is, Unova wise--I genuinely dont think it's BW remakes (which also I don't think they should even make in the first place; the games look FINE, just PORT THEM FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.))

Scarlet and Violet's soundtrack goes so fucking hard.

And. um. X and Y's graphics aged like murky dogshit 🥴

[mountmortar]

Out of curiosity since you've mentioned The Legend of Zelda before, are there any of those games that you would reccomend? I've never played them before. I like Pokemon, Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts if that helps

RUBBING MY HANDS TOGETHER EVILLY. OKAY. SO. i don't know anything about final fantasy or kingdom hearts unfortunately but i CAN take a wild guess and say that if you like pokémon there's a higher chance that you're a fan of 2D games because a good majority of fans are in agreement that pokémon was better when it was 2D. in which case. let me put this under a readmore so people who aren't interested in zelda don't get annoyed lmao:

first of all i have to recommend my favorite game in the legend of zelda series ever which is the minish cap. it's definitely the most polished 2D zelda game out there (aside from four swords adventures but that was on a home console not a handheld) and all the spritework is SO good and cute and filled with whimsy and does actually remind me of pokémon. and the soundtrack is an absolute banger AND it isn't a terribly long game at all so it can serve as a great little introduction for people getting into zelda. a couple other fun 2D zelda games (and these will probably appeal more to people who are fans of the original rby/gsc because of the style) are link's awakening (which does have a switch remake) and oracle of ages!!! oracle of seasons was fun to me but most people agree that oracle of ages was much More fun. if you want more of what the majority of the zelda series is about there's a link to the past, which was released in 1991 (so before pokémon) and features link, zelda, and ganon, who are all the Main Three of the games.

aside from that, if the 3D games interest you, a link between worlds (successor to alttp but you don't have to play it to understand what's going on) is REALLY good with a KILLER fucking soundtrack. spirit tracks is wonderful and you ride in a train the whole game for people who are ingo & emmet fans. ocarina of time is probably the most influential zelda game out there aside from a link to the past and in certain games (wind waker [sailing on the ocean!] and majora's mask [THE TIME LOOP GAME OF ALL TIME]) some things will go directly over your head if you don't play ocarina of time first. skyward sword is fucking AWESOME and i cried like a baby at the end of it.

and. this is just me personally but i cannot stress this enough. avoid breath of the wild and tears of the kingdom like the fucking plague. if you do play them you cannot think of them as zelda games. they're alright games for people who like them i guess but they're genuinely the worst fucking ZELDA games in the franchise. i am so serious about this. i'm trying to make my way through breath of the wild right now (previously i'd just watched a playthrough) and it is legitimately so fucking boring and the soundtrack is GODAWFUL. pokémon legends arceus did everything 100000x better than breath of the wild absolutely no argument. and even diehard breath of the wild fans were disappointed with tears of the kingdom which should tell you everything you need to know.

ANYWAY. tl;dr: play minish cap, link's awakening, or oracle of ages if you want some fun 2D games (very easily accessible on an emulator or homebrewed 3DS, or nintendo switch for link's awakening remake). play a link to the past (easily accessible on an emulator) or ocarina of time (has a 3DS remake; opens up the door to gain a better understanding of wind waker and majora's mask*) if you want the Classic Zelda Storyline to understand what's kind of going on everywhere else. play a link between worlds (3DS) or skyward sword (wii or nintendo switch) if you want a good 3D game where things are less likely to fly over your head.

*majora's mask and wind waker can very easily still be played without playing ocarina of time! there are just some things in the game that'll woosh straight over your head if you haven't played them. also okay that's a lie about wind waker being easily accessible because it's only available on the nintendo gamecube or wiiu BUT majora's mask does have a 3DS remake just like ocarina of time so if you've homebrewed a 3DS you're good to go on that end. OKAY i'm done

[gal-vanized]

that last post i reblogged about online avatars reminds me... lately ive been thinking about rpgs that let you name the character(s) you play as.

when ive played earthbound, ive always set every character's name to the default canon option (choosing the "i dont care" button to have the name default to ness, for example) the only exception being the player's name as there is no "i don't care" option, so i just chose my own name.

meanwhile in pkmn, i'll just use my own name for the trainer you play as. for the rival, i'll either pick their canon name (i.e. Silver for GSC's rival), or my sister's name (who these days is certainly bristly enough to be the rival in GSC, along with being annoying enough to be the rival in the original RBY)

n' i always try to think of fun nicknames for my pkmn, but for a long time i didn't bother n' just kept the default name of it's species (except for my very first pkmn, a totodile i named moe. i really liked the name moe as a kid for some reason)

idk where i was going with this. just interesting to think about i guess.

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Have you played all the Pokemon games? Which ones are your favourite?

Not all of them, for lack of money and time, but I think the games peaked at X and Y. After that, still fun, but very buggy, and not in the charming way the Red and Blue were. White 2/Black 2 had the best postgame, in my opinion, with the completely new challenge that allowed you to get your Pokemon up level 100 without it being a grind. X and Y had areas that were just so full of different species of Pokemon. It was like going on a nature walk if the plants and animals had superpowers. I never got to play Diamond and Pearl, so I don't know about the gameplay on that, but GSC and RSE were delightful, and GSC also had a very good postgame. RBY was very challenging with the caves, ice, and Rocket hideouts, plus a sense of mystery that no other game since has been able to recreate. You were always trying to find bugs that would let you access mysterious new Pokemon that weren't part of the 150. Now we know there will always be more. Which I'm happy about! The mystery is just nostalgic. I did like the open world of Sword and Shield's wild area, and sometimes I just like to listen to the music of the fairy forest. So no game I've played that I hate.

I guess if I had to imagine my perfect Pokemon game, it would have the graphics of X and Y, the challenges of RBY (and a sense of mystery if possible), open world like in the Sword and Shield wild area, full of different species like in X and Y, visible seasons, visible night and day, visible weather changes, berry trees with differing designs, all Pokemon possible to obtain either in-game or by trade, a postgame like GSC or B2/W2, diving underwater, soaring, space, rematches, breeding, dustclouds, shadows, horde battles, Pokemon that chase you out of the grass, playing with Pokemon, nice music.

[wisecrackingeric-2]

SHINY ASK GAMEEEEE 1, 5, 8, 16, and a bonus i will tell u my first natural/non-hunted shiny EVER was Alolan Dugtrio and i nearly threw my 3ds

THANK YOU VERY MUCH HERES THE ASK GAME: https://www.tumblr.com/wisecrackingeric-2/748819169262338048

1. First Shiny?

That’d be my shiny Golbat from Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee!!! I was grinding in that one cave you can find Articuno in and I was just catching chanseys left and right and then bam. Shiny Golbat. But my SECOND ever Shiny was a shiny Machop in BDSP that popped up IMMEDIATELY after that cutscene where you meet Cyrus for the first time which I thought was funny

2. Least favourite Shiny?

Goldengo. It doesn’t help that it’s also my least favourite Pokémon of ALL TIME EVER

CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE. FUCKING CAN YOU. CUZ I SURE AS SHIT CANT. I hate that ugly beast with every fibre in my body

8. Favourite method?

Either soft resetting on the older games (RBY/HGS) on the 3DS (it hurts my hand on the switch) or the sandwich method in Scarlet and Violet!!! It’s super quick and easy and just fun :) I do wish they brought back the sparkle noises from Legends though, accessibility helps everyone

16. Have you ever encountered a shiny when you weren't actually hunting?

Many!!!! Aside from the Golbat and Machop I just mentioned they’ve all been mostly from Scarlet!!!! I got like FOUR random shinies on my birthday last year (talk about birthday luck lmao) and a couple miscellaneous ones on Legends and PLENTY of random Luvdisc in X&Y iykyk

[legendtraineremily]

So…last TTRPG character is still in the works. But I’ve started a different project (possible ADHD? I dunno, I’m all over the place in any case). I have decided to play one of my Pokémon games as a Nuzlocke Challenge. For the uninitiated, a Nuzlocke is a special Pokémon challenge where you play the game under special rules intended to make the game more challenging and interesting. Typically this involves removing any defeated Pokémon from your party permanently and severely limiting your catching options.

The game I’ll be playing for this is Pokémon Yellow Version. This is the “Y” in the RBY Generation 1 game acronym for international releases. It is also heavily influenced by the anime tv show and thus has Pikachu on the box and the sole starter Pokémon. As Ash in the anime finds out, there are some challenges to having a Pikachu that refuses to evolve as your main. Unlike in the anime, I don’t really get protagonist protection or goofy logic to help me out at all. Anywho, time to set out the rules.

Rules:

1. If any of my Pokémon faint, they are boxed and transferred. For this Nuzlocke “lore”, when Pokémon are defeated, they are honor-bound to never fight again (Gary, you dishonorable monster! This is why Raticate leaves you!).

2. I get one catchable encounter per route/location (towns are included). This will be my first encounter in each location only. If it is a Pokémon I have already caught, too bad. Gift Pokémon are just that—gifts for me to use, so fossils and Lapras are viable and are exceptions to this rule.

3. I must have Pokéballs for an encounter to count. If I can’t catch the first Pokémon I find, why should that count against me? I’m not trying to punish myself for playing Pokémon.

4. In-game trade Pokémon are allowed only if I get the one needed for the trade—I can’t manipulate the encounters to shoot for the Pokémon I want.

5. For a slightly harder challenge, no TM’s. They are all but essential in a safe Gen 1 run, but with the exceptions I’ve made to other rules, I can’t justify them.

6. Healing outside of a Pokémon Center is allowed only once per battle. If another Pokémon needs it, too bad. In-battle boosters like X-Attack are allowed.

7. It is okay to get so frustrated that I restart and try again. Life continues regardless.

With that in mind, let’s finish setting the stage.

Ah…Gen 1. So broken, so fun, so glad I originally started in Gen II when they fixed some of the problems like Psychic types having no effective counter and general stat spreads/special attack and defense being split. However, I’ll be darned if I’m not using the speed=crits to my advantage! (A Pokémon’s critical hit chance in Generation 1 games was heavily affected by that Pokémon’s speed stat. Higher speed meant more critical hits.) Moves just hit different back then.

Moves were just different back then too. Many moves either worked differently or were completely different types from what we’re used to now. And I’m not just talking about how Dark, Steel, and Fairy didn’t exist; some moves just didn’t have the right typing. Gust and Karate Chop were both Normal type for example instead of Flying and Fighting respectively. But the “beauty” comes in when Wrap and Hyper Beam are involved. Wrap (and similar trapping moves) would utterly end the opponent’s movements, and if you got a faint on Hyper Beam, there would be no recharge as it’s supposed to work. You know what? I’ll just link the Smogon article on the subject and let y’all read at your leisure.

Next post will be Day 1 of my adventures! (I already have 2 days of content, so be prepared for the madness.)

[rabbitholeresearch]

The Trucking Truth: Why is there a random truck in Pokemon Red/Blue?

Death can go one of two ways: Either the brain is dying or the body is dying. Now brain death is commonly caused by major injuries to the brain, be it a bullet or a concussion of some kind.

However, there are also NEAR death experiences. Doctors basically theorize that people who have “seen” the afterlife are those that, through a lack of oxygen, have some form of delusions and suffer from something called Hypoxia, which is basically the body isn’t getting enough oxygen where it needs to go. It’s one of the reasons that you start seeing black spots in your vision if you hold your breath too long.

Now, what does all this have to do with Pokemon? Well, what if, Pokemon wasn’t real? I mean, it’s obviously not real. No matter what shifting realities we try, Pokemon just isn’t real. It’s the creation of a man named Satoshi Tajiri. 

Arigato, Taijiri-Dono<3

What I mean is, what if the entire world of Pokemon is the mind of a ten-year-old unraveling as he dies or is already dead?

Okay, so let’s first gather what we know about Pokemon. Let’s go off of Gen1’s Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue (maybe Yellow if you squint) because... it’s the beginning why not?

Pokemon is a game about a ten-year-old boy going out of his home Pallet Town in order to compete in a league of PETA-infuriating dogfighting. You win against eight major challenges (The Gym Leaders) and go on to the Elite Four and the eventual champion who is your rival. You beat the game. That’s it. It’s pretty simple. 10/10. Gen1 remake when?

The premise on its own is pretty easy to understand. I mean, a child can play this game and feel nothing, except maybe have to ask why there’s a ghost in the Lavender Town’s Pokemon Tower and try and understand what all the stones are. 

Okay, so, a ten-year-old boy. So, why a ten-year-old boy, well because that’s what we get in Pokemon Red and Blue. We get a young lad who is ready to go out into the world and catch creatures that strangely look like creatures from our world. Now, this is where it gets weird.

In the original Red/Blue, the PokeDex entry states the following for the Pokemon, Parasect: “A host-parasite pair in which the parasite mushroom has taken over the host bug. Prefers damp places.”

Alright. Pretty easy. The entry for Yellow says “The bug host is drained of energy by the mushrooms on its back. They appear to do all the thinking.” That’s mildly horrifying actually. Pretty sure we found the inspiration for The Last of Us Clickers.

But then there’s Pokemon Stadium. Think of Pokemon Stadium as the original Pokemon Go. Basically, you were able to transfer your Pokemon from RBY to this Nintendo 64 game to battle them with friends. 

That...actually sounds like a lot of fun. My brother has a 64 and a penchant for collecting games. I might be able to convince him this could be a fun game night.

Now, Pokemon Stadium, the entry states that again the bug host is controlled by the poisonous mushrooms on its back that scatter spores. These same spores are used for medicinal purposes in China.

That’s where my idea starts to come into light. We see references to our world all the time in Pokemon, even dating back to the reference Brock makes on the Minnesota Vikings in the original Pokemon movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back. 

The point is: Our world is SOMEHOW connected to the world of Pokemon. And how is that? The unraveling dream of a child. How could that be possible? How else would a person think to look at a mouse and wonder what would happen if it were able to zap you? A child would have that level of creativity.

A child’s imagination is astounding. Kids are generally pretty absorbent for information. You teach a kid how to ride a bike and it doesn’t matter how many years pass, that kid will always remember how to ride said bike. 

Children are incredibly creative! Kids can look at something and create their own stories, and THAT is the tragedy that is Pokemon.

Let’s take a look at such Pokemon: Magnemite and Voltorb. A pile of magnets and a Pokeball. Now let’s say maybe kiddo had just a regular ball in his room, like one of those rubber, or maybe some silicone balls from Wal-Mart. You know, the ones that are in that weird cage. 

This ball, for all intents and purposes, is red and white. Actually, thinking about the way it looks, it could very well be one of those gatcha balls from those vending machines. You know, the ones you pinch open and get some cheap ring?

Wait, actually, that could be a theory too, I’m going to write that for later.

Voltorb is a ball of some kind. And Magnemite is magnets. Weirdly enough this would also explain why Ekans is just Snake but backward. Okay? Got it? GREAT. Now, let’s get to the worst part of this whole thing. This child is dying and is possibly in a coma that is slowly unraveling.

Comatose is usually described as sleeping, which yeah. It looks like that, but only from the outside perspective. Dreaming happens in the REM-Stage of sleeping. Dreaming itself is usually based on events and things you’ve seen, which is probably why I have horrible nightmares every time I play Resident Evil despite knowing they’re not real, they feel pretty real to me in my dream as it is the only thing my brain has consumed for the last 10 hours and I will happily do it again for Karl Heisenburg.

Where was I? Oh right. Comatose. 

So what a comatose is actually is basically being unconscious for long periods of time. Not like passing out and waking up a few hours later, mind you, but more like being out for days or even months at a time. What it means to be conscious is to be both awake and aware. Or at least, one of two things. I’m pretty sure there was an episode of House MD that I saw a clip of that the comatose patient was actually awake the whole time, but just couldn’t respond or anything. Like the patient was just trapped in their own head, which let’s be honest is even more terrifying than falling into a full comatose state. This I found out is called locked-in syndrome and it’s not actually a coma because only one stage of consciousness is disrupted rather than both, and that is awakeness.

The brain is where the comatose theory falls out of place actually. See when in a coma, the brain uses about 10-20% less energy than it would in the deepest part of REM sleep, which is crazy considering in REM Sleep, the Neuron Firing Rate, or NFR, drops down almost 30%! Take into consideration that, when entering NREM, that’s non-rapid-eye-movement for those at home, your energy consumption drops to 85%. Take all that into consideration, just falling asleep uses 45% less energy than your normal life. Now, in a comatose state alone, your brain is using up to 60% less energy than it does just by sleeping. This means those movies about comatose dreams are all FALSE. CASE CLOSED. THEORY DEBUNKED but not entirely. Because that means something much, much worse. The child, or The Player, is dying, but not in a coma.

The conditions of this death are obviously varied, purely because we only have Pokemon to go off of. The Player doesn’t eat or drink anything, so we can rule out starvation, actually, because the child has never experienced true hunger or thirst. Which is honestly kinda relieving, we can rule out neglect at the very least! But what does that mean then? How is this child dying? And that, my friends, is a car crash.

Child Passenger Safety is a big deal, as it should be! I mean, it’s a tiny human with almost zero autonomy! They don’t know life or death scenarios! They’re too busy playing their GameBoy! 

According to the CDC website’s page on child safety (which by the way surprised me that the CDC had that information, but hey! I’ll take it!), in the United States alone in 2018, 636 children, ranging from ages 12 and under, died in motor vehicle crashes, with 97,000 injured. Without knowing the state of those injuries, that could mean anything between a small booboo and a literal amputation needed. That’s frightening! It also states that 33% of those deaths were due to the child not being buckled up. Click it or ticket it, or in this case, click it or get thrown so far out of the vehicle that you literally start pulling a Buzz Lightyear and fall with style to your death!

Now, this is the part where it will get really bad actually. Like, after this research, I actually had to sit down and just hug my Mimikyu plush because this really, really affected me. Alright. Still here? Okay, let’s just take a deep breath to brace ourselves...and go.

Ejections happen in one of two ways, they happen during a rolling vehicle incident, which is pretty self-explanatory. The vehicle rolls in just the right way and whoop! You’re no longer in that vehicle! In this case, I’m guessing you’re more likely to fall out of the vehicle than you would be practically YEETED out. The second way is the lack of a seat belt. So, let’s say the child was in the passenger seat, mindlessly playing Nintendogs then ahhhh...we’ll say Dad was driving. Dad is speeding down the street, probably to a friend’s house, not that far to get there in a drive, but far enough that walking with a ten-year-old seemed tedious.

The Dad is probably going to buckle up out of reflex, but rolled his eyes when his child decided, “Eh. Seatbelts are for nerds.” 

There’s a crash, let’s say, he did a rolling stop at an intersection, not thinking anything of it, and is T-Boned on the driver’s side or even the tail end. That’s not enough to actually completely eject the father or even the child. I told you. This is gonna get a bit crazy here. A T-Bone wouldn’t do it.

So what if we assume that Dad took a turn way too fast and the vehicle does roll, resulting in that ejection? An adult MIGHT survive, a child, not so much, but we also have to consider the vehicle itself which brings me to the famous truck in Red and Blue! You know THE truck! The truck that supposedly had Mew hiding under it! Why? Why is this here!? Why is this the only vehicle ever in this game that doesn’t actually get used but SS Anne will sail away shortly after you leave it? 

That is because the truck is Dad’s truck. It’s why it doesn’t move anymore. It’s just scenery. The Player doesn’t have to do anything with it, except seeing it, because The Child doesn’t want to interact with it.

The reason I bring up the truck is that, honestly, a pick-up like that isn’t too safe for kids. They’re meant for moving massive things. They’re meant for durability in tugging things like boats, trailers, and even construction equipment. They aren’t meant to protect anything but the driver, and even then, they’re not strong enough to do so. 

If Dad gets in a head-on collision, he’ll be lucky if he survives WITH his seatbelt on! In a head-on with no seatbelt, an adult would be ejected. That’s because the kinetic energy in your body is still going at the speed that you were going prior to that collision. 

Which, by the way, is why when you are asked for your weight for your driver’s license don’t FREAKING LIE. YOU NEED TO TELL THEM YOUR EXACT WEIGHT AT THE TIME AND NOT TELL THEM “Oh well I’m actually 130 but I’ll tell them I’m 120” NO NO NO NO ABSOLUTELY NOT. If you do that, the math the responding people on the team might not be able to find you after your ejection. Why? Because your weight and your speed are the way they can calculate how far you were launched. 

What we see is the Child trapped in the afterlife, fighting his way through with his imagination in order to beat the Pokemon League and become the Champion. In this case, the league is the anchor of Life, and becoming a Champion would be passing on. That’s why there’s not a whole lot to do post-game in Pokemon Red and Blue. There’s not really meant to be anything more. That’s why, when we DO see ghost children, they’re all little girls. For the Child, a young boy, seeing a ghost boy would be too much of a shock for him. It’s almost like he knows he’s dead, but hasn’t quite accepted it yet, which is why you, The Player, are given the option to help those ghost girls in later games.

And actually thinking about it, that’s why you have to tell Professor Oak your name and your rival’s name. The Child is losing his sense of reality and thus himself, so he’s essentially forgotten quite a bit, which adds to the idea of it being some type of injury to the brain, but then also naming your rival Butthead or FARTS is funny. You’re ten. Who cares. It’s funny.

But it’s also why things like the REAL world are referenced, the most notable references being China and the Minnesota Vikings. They were things the child has heard or maybe even seen in day-to-day life. I played Pokemon Blue in the living room during Super Bowl season while my parents cheered on the Dallas Cowboys. I don’t get the sport, but I heard about and saw enough games with my family that I could see their logo and know it immediately, even as a kid, and enough toys that I had were “Made in China” so it could work. It would also explain why all the professors are named after trees! One or maybe even both parents were into botany of some kind.

There’s a possibility that, while The Child was playing whatever, Dad got in a wreck and the kid doesn’t remember any of it. Just that the truck was there, and his imagination.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Research Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n7eDDAYCrE What happens to the brain as you die?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KquuVq2Pok What happens to the brain during a coma?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GGzc3x9WJU Why do we dream?

https://www.dw.com/en/the-science-of-dying/a-48372592 The Science of Dying

https://pokemon.neoseeker.com/wiki/Mewtwo_Strikes_Back_(transcript) Mewtwo Strikes Back Script

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5732842/ Brain Energetics During the Sleep-Wake Cycle

https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20636%20children%2012,can%20make%20a%20lifesaving%20difference. Child Passenger Safety

https://www.rguajardofirm.com/blog/how-vehicle-ejections-happen-in-an-accident.html Vehicle Ejection

https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Parasect_(Pok%C3%A9mon) Parasect Information

[startistdoodles]

What is your opinion on all of the pokemon gens? Is there gens you like over others? Or do you love them all equally?

I love all of the gens for different reasons, but there are certainly some I love more than others. Fair warning, I'm gonna be a bit critical with some of these, and if you disagree that's totally fine!! These are just my opinions ^^

Anyways, I'll put them all under the cut since this is about to get VERY long and rambly ^^; Sorry about that, I have a lot of thoughts and there are many regions, haha.

I will also include TL;DR's for every region for those who just want to know briefly what my opinion is on a specific generation.

GEN 1: KANTO - (RBY/FRLG/LGPE)

I'm going to start this one off by saying that the Kanto games are great for series starters. It was a wonderful introduction into the world of Pokémon and has a simple yet enjoyable story. It also contains some of the most popular and recognizable characters and the first season of the anime is my favorite. There's a reason it went on to become a franchise that is one of the most popular in the world.

But, and this is probably gonna be controversial, I think the Kanto games are kinda....boring. It really does have that 'first game' feeling to me. There's kind of a story with Team Rocket and I really like the twist of Giovanni being a Gym Leader and your rival being Champion, but other than that it's kinda...meh! Quite a few of the Pokémon in the Kanto dex feel like filler and aren't really as memorable as later gens.

I've played through Let's Go: Eevee and had a pretty fun time! But I don't really see myself playing through Kanto as often. It's just kinda meh. I think they only got better from here.

TL;DR: The weakest of the gens, but makes for a great first installment to the franchise and I respect it for that.

GEN 2: JOHTO - (GSC/HGSS)

Johto was definitely an improvement from Kanto, and I like it a LOT more. There still isn't a very strong story but I do think they build upon the foundation that Kanto created very well. Allowing the player to travel between Kanto and Johto in the postgame is amazing and it makes for the biggest world with the most locations in any mainline Pokémon title I believe

I love the music, the mythology with the two new Legendary Pokémon they added, and in HGSS having your Pokemon follow behind you is a feature I never tire of. This following feature was implemented so much better than in future titles, in my humble opinion. Johto may still lack a bit in the story and memorable Pokémon department (at least imo), but I think that they compensated HEAVILY with the new mechanics and features that are still used to this day. Stuff like breeding and shiny Pokémon are all thanks to gen 2.

TL;DR: Beautiful region (especially in HGSS), lovely soundtrack. Still not as much story, but it's a big improvement from gen 1 and it compensates by having so much more content in it.

GEN 3: HOENN - (RSE/ORAS)

Hoenn took a big risk by separating itself from Kanto, and I'm really glad it did. The Hoenn games are tied with Sinnoh for my second favorite gens in the series, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I believe Hoenn is the first game where the badge quest almost comes second to the overarching plot of saving the world from the criminal organizations. In Kanto/Johto, it was mostly just scaring off bad guys who were up to some evil shenanigans but didn't really have much of an 'ultimate plan' that would threaten the region. In Hoenn though, things get much more interesting as you battle against Team Aqua or Magma (or both) in order to stop them from summoning an ancient legendary Pokémon that would flood/dry up the world.

The stakes are very high, and I really like that. It gives us more to work towards other than being the very best trainer. Not to mention the Pokémon designs are super good and unique and are some of my favorites. Hoenn is the Pokémon game that I have replayed the most, it's just a lot of fun.

The music in Hoenn is ICONIC, Groudon/Kyogre/Rayquaza Battle lives in my head rent-free, as does Aqua/Magma Boss, Elite Four Battle, Abandoned Ship and so many more.

TL;DR: Great story, great Pokémon designs, great music, Gen 3 is popular for a very good reason. Tied with Sinnoh for my 2nd fave gen.

GEN 4: SINNOH - (DPPT/BDSP)

I'm going to mainly focus on the original Sinnoh titles and their remakes, but I'll do a very quick little opinion on Legends: Arceus:

L:A: It's very very good!! It does lean pretty heavy into Sinnoh myth but I think it explains it enough for new players to grasp. Graphics and the human dialogue animations could be better, probably the weakest aspect of it. But other than that, wonderful game!! I've already replayed it once and it's truly a lot of fun.

NOW onto the main Sinnoh titles: As I stated before, it's tied with Hoenn for my second favorite gen in the series. I'm sure you can tell by now that I really like the games with an interesting story and that's why I enjoy Sinnoh as well.

Gen 4 is when they introduced the mythology of the Pokémon world, how it came to be and the deity Pokémon that rule over it. It's very neat and I love all of the hidden books and details that may be overlooked that add even further to the lore. It's not really shoved in your face too much about what these Pokémon are all about. All you know is that Cyrus is fascinated by them and he seems to have something to do with them. The rest of the lore is pretty much up to the player to dig around and find bits of old texts. Cyrus' laptop has research notes in it about them, Canalave Library's top floor houses several ancient books. It's not entirely spoon-fed to you, and I like that about it.

I do think Platinum is the much more improved and 'definitive' version of Sinnoh, as the characters seem a bit more fleshed out (Cyrus in particular) as well as some more quality-of-life things like the expanded Pokédex and not having to backtrack all the way to Hearthome for the badge, you just get it on your first visit.

The Pokémon designs here are also very iconic to me, however....it may have a bit too many legendaries. I know Sinnoh is all about mythology and legends but...Pokémon like Manaphy, Phione, Shaymin and Heatran feel shoehorned in. I like them, don't get me wrong (I have no strong feelings about Heatran though). But I can admit they're a little unnecessary :')

The music is also VERY good and atmospheric here, with a lot of the town and route themes being my favorites. Route 209, Route 216, Canalave City and Game Corner are just a few of my faves :)

Anyways, I have a soft spot for gen 4, it was my first Pokémon game and the one I have put the most hours into. I have never reset my original Pearl copy because it's just meaningful to me that way. Lots of memories in that game.

TL;DR: Sinnoh is a really interesting region with lots to discover. I love the music, the Pokémon and the mythology this gen introduced. Platinum is much better than DP/BDSP though and I believe it to be the definitive version of Sinnoh.

GEN 5: UNOVA (BW/BW2)

And now we reach gen 5, my absolute favorite in the series. And I don't think it's hard for me to explain why as it combines all of the elements that I love about Pokémon games into one game.

The story. It's just so thought-provoking for a Pokémon game. I love most of the stories, but this is the only one that makes me think. The titles are Black and White, but the plot certainly isn't when compared to the previous titles. In Hoenn, for instance, there is a clear and definitive bad guy who wants to control a legendary to do something that is a negative for everyone. But in Unova we are challenged by N, who seems to have noble intentions despite being an antagonist. He says what most people who hate the Pokémon series have been saying for years: that people only hurt Pokémon and they should live apart from one another.

It's very philosophical with its message which may seem complicated for most people, but for me, it really made me appreciate and feel more involved in the story. Not everything is so black and white, and this game shows us this.

I could go on for ages about the story and characters and their arcs, but maybe if you wanna hear me ramble more I will talk about it in another post. For now, I'd like to talk about the Pokémon designs and the music. The music?? Is amazing. I'm always playing the BW/BW2 soundtrack while I'm working. Some of my favorites include Village Bridge, Gear Station, Opelucid City (White), Driftveil City, Unwavering Emotions and Elite Four Battle.

As for the Pokémon designs, they are so unique and memorable to me that they've become some of my faves. Yes, even the ice cream cone that is stronger than you realize and carried me through the Elite Four. BW Forces you to rely on new Pokémon and form new bonds rather than rely on your trusty Gyarados or Machamp. It isn't a huge problem for me since I tend to exclusively use Pokémon native to the region I'm playing but change is a gooddd thing.

TL;DR: Pokémon BW/BW2 are absolute masterpieces and my favorites in the series. The love and care that went into them is obvious and i am desperate for more unova content nintendo please im starvi

GEN 6: KALOS (XY)

This is going to be a bit of a turn, but while I like Kalos as a region and have put many hours into Pokémon Y, the story is...well...it's certainly not my favorite, lets put it that way.

I'll go ahead and start with the positives because even though Kalos isn't in my top 3, it does have very good things in it. Such as Mega Evolution, the switch to 3D was done very very well, and the music is also lovely and very unique.

Mega Evolution is probably the most popular and memorable thing about Kalos and for good reason. It gives us a chance to use some Pokémon that may have been overlooked before and gain an insane power boost now. Not all of them are created equally, however (looking at you Mega Kangaskhan and every Mega Pseudo-Legend that was already powerful to begin with and didn't need stronger forms).

The switch from 2D to 3D was done very well, and I remember importing so many Pokémon from my old games JUST to see what they looked like in 3D. It was so neat at the time, and seeing old Pokémon in this new style was such a cool experience!

The music is also very nice!! Some personal faves include Lumiose City, Trainer Battle, Laverre City and Xerneas/Yveltal battle.

As for the story...it's got a lot of. Weak points. First of all, Team Flare's plan doesn't really make a lot of sense to me and whenever I'm asked about Lysandre by my friends I just never remember what his deal is or why he hates the world so much and wants to destroy it. It's very vague and there's not really any hidden lore like with Cyrus about his past. All we really know is that he and Sycamore used to be friends. And then Lysandre turned to the dark side. Maybe there's more but I just don't really care that much about Lysandre...at all...to look into it. He's just kinda boring to me. 🙃

Not to mention that Megas are SEVERELY underutilized in XY. There's maybe like? 3? Fights? Where your opponent uses a Mega? And the final gym leader doesn't even use Pokémon with a full moveset? Even though by that time you're like level 40?

Honestly XY deserves a rambly post of its own but all in all despite its flaws I think it's an enjoyable game. Not my fave and not one I really return to often, but it is fun for what it offers.

TL;DR: More enjoyable to me than Kanto, but still has a lot of flaws. Definitely deserved a 3rd version. But the music, 3D graphics and Mega Evolutions are all well done.

GEN 7: ALOLA (SM/USUM)

I haven't replayed Alola in a hot minute so forgive me if I misremember parts or aren't as thorough. But concisely: I like Alola a lot! I really like the deviation they did from Gym battles and turned them into trials that you face. It's almost like the Noble Pokémon trials from Legends: Arceus, except there's more of them.

I like how theres different islands, the Kahunas all have really nice designs and the regional villain not being an 'Evil Team' was a really cool decision that deviated a lot from the other games! I ADORE Team Skull, they're all stupid and they're family to me.

I was very conflicted about Ultra Beasts for quite a while but I have recently come to like them. I think very weird alien Pokémon that come from another universe is such a neat concept and I actually hope they return in future games. I want to know more about Ultra Space and the wormholes!

The music is also very good, but there's not a whole lot of standouts for me. However the Abandoned Thrifty Megamart haunts my dreams forever.

I love the characters, the new Pokémon and Alola as a whole!! The biggest glaring downside though is that it's way too hand-holdy and there's wayyyyy too many cutscenes. It seems like every three steps triggers a cutscene or someone telling you what to do. It gets better later on in the game but the early game is pretty slow because of this. Also, I hardly ever use Z-moves. Not super interesting to me, but it's nice that any Pokémon can use them as opposed to the select few that can Mega Evolve.

TL;DR: Alola is a very good and enjoyable game with great characters and some of my fave Pokémon. Its main flaws are just that it's very hand-holdy and somewhat easy for experienced players.

GEN 8: GALAR (SWSH)

And finally we arrive in the Galar region. Sword and Shield get a lot of hate, and while I do think it has areas where it's lacking and it's not my favorite in the series, I don't think it deserves all of the hate that it gets. There is, however, room to criticize and that is what I will do. (Also: I haven't played the DLCs nor do I know enough about them to properly criticize, so I will just be talking about the base game)

But first! The good parts. The 3D models in the 3DS games suffered from lack of saturation disease, so I'm glad that SWSH fixes this. The Pokemon and the overworld is so vibrant (the wild area isn't as much, but the cities and routes are so overlooked imo, they're stunning). I love how Pokémon are walking around in the overworld like in LGPE, while others hide in the grass and can only be found if you search for them there. I also love how the Pokémon can be aggressive and chase you, it's great fun xD The camp, Pokémon jobs and the water bike are also great additions.

This is where I get a bit more critical. First, I find Dynamax a bit more interesting than Z-Moves, but it's still kinda eh. Not a lot of thoughts about it other than I think Gigantamax forms are a lot cooler than normal Dynamax even though the whole mechanic is pretty broken in competitive I hear. Ah well. It's a fine mechanic, I don't mind it existing.

And now the story. It's very reminiscent of XY where the potential is there but it just seems very unfinished. Chairman Rose's goal at least makes more sense than Lysandre's but that doesn't really make it compelling. I found it odd how Rose just summons Eternatus out of nowhere, this Pokémon that was never mentioned or hinted at beforehand and then he goes on to announce to the whole region that he made an oopsie and he's making that everyone else's problem. It's just very weird and feels a bit out of character for Rose. I know he's a paranoid man and has concerns for the region's future and all but this drastic measure just kinda came out of left field for me.

I will say though that before this moment, I found Rose to be a very funny and interesting character. I mean I kinda knew he would be the main villain but I found his paparazzi disguise and moments of braincell singularity charming. I think he would have made for a good antagonist but maybe not the best main villain.

Also I really really wish there were more fully animated cutscenes. That kinda goes for every 3 Pokémon game nowadays but just...seeing Zamazenta do a walk cycle while turning on the Y axis was just. So underwhelming.

TL;DR: SWSH may be flawed, but I did have fun playing it and there's a lot I love about it. I just wish the story was better executed and had some more interesting animations.

[desultory-novice]

since you are still doing character asks... i'd love to hear your thoughts on dedede :)

003 Dedede

How I Feel About This Character:

King Dedede holds a permanent position in my top 5 favorite Kirby characters and I want everyone to know that my top 5 in a series this great and with so many amazing characters...well, getting a spot there is a really big deal.

For one, his character design is nearly perfect. Like, Kirby obviously has the perfect character design. Just beautifully simple and flawless. I'd probably rate Magolor second for excellent use of simple shapes, colors, patterns, and silhouette, but Dedede is third. He rocks the RBY color scheme and is a delightful combination of circles and rounded triangles. If you've never drawn him before, I recommend it. He's a character that is actually FUN to draw. Just like Kirby!

(But I also love people experimenting with him. Feathery Dedede++)

We're obviously all big Kirby fans here on Kirby-Tumblr, but I want to give a shoutout to "The Subspace Emissary" from Smash Bros Brawl, which really should have been everyone's wake up call to what King Dedede was -really- like. The way he feigns being on the villains side when he ends up being the damn hero of the story who literally saves all the fighters from being wiped out forever by Tabuu, hello?!?

Also his sliding hug tackle when he sees Kirby again! Cutest thing ever. I could watch it 100 times. I probably have...!

Any/All the People I Ship Romantically With This Character:

Already mentioned I have Dederanza feels in the Taranza ask. Let's see, I mentioned in my Kirby general series ask that I also ship MetaDede so might as well talk about that?

MetaDede is something I hadn't actually seen in the games -I'd- played that much (I only picked the ship up after being alerted to some of the stuff in the later games.) I thought it came from the anime, tbh! I'm fairly low-key about it, but I think it's neat. I really enjoy monarch x vassal and they are in no way your average king and knight, and actually end up bonding over their shared experiences with KIRBY of all things, which is pretty hilarious! Anyway, there's so much MetaDede in the fandom that I rarely feel the need to talk about it, but having them fight at each other's side/back-to-back to defend Dream Land is the A++ quality I look for in this particular ship.

...That said, I do want them to play chess together sometime. (Man, you cannot believe how I screamed when I saw in the Planet Robobot opening cutscene that chess playing Dedede was real. Chess-playing Dedede! Ahhhh!!)

My Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship For This Character:

Dedede and Adeleine. The protective pseudo-sibling (?) relationship they have is one of those low-key amazingly heartwarming things going on in the background of Kirby.

I have a scrap of a comic idea written down where time passes VERY strangely on Dream Land, and so, in this particular story idea, Ado is actually Adeleine's grandmother, and she tells young Adeleine that should she -ever- get in trouble or need anything, go to the king. "He'll take care of you, just like he's taken care of our entire family till now." That is, in a nutshell, how I see them and why I adore them.

But also King Dedede and the Waddle Dees and Doos all the residents of Dream Land. Even in the chaotic and brain-breaking Kirby manga by Hikawa-sensei, Dedede still has a good rapport with his sovereign subjects.

My Unpopular Opinion About This Character:

I think everyone being tired of "mean ol' King Dedede!" is a popular opinion, at least, it should be, so... Hmm, I don't know where this falls, but one of the reasons I love King Dedede so much is that he ISN'T perfect? Like, I recall hearing once upon a time that the stories say the Arthurian knight Lancelot had the healing touch not because he was a perfect human being, but because he accepted his flaws?

King Dedede LIKES being in charge! He's got a huuuge appetite, and he likes being pampered. (Heck, who doesn't?!) He wants to win against Kirby when the two are competing. (Not enough to set up him, but in an actual fair competition.) He can have all these traits and still be a hero. I don't want a flawless Dedede who is free from snark and never loses his temper or accidentally (oops) misjudges people and other character flaws. I want a Dedede who can do these things and then come around!

Oh...and also I don't headcanon him as being particularly older than the rest of the gang?? ("Kirby is in his 10s, Dedede is in his 40s" stuff is just not for me, thx.) Maybe it's because my older sibling always picks Dedede in Smash (while I always pick Kirby) but I'm not super into "Dedede Dad" either? (...Well, "Dedede Dad" with the Waddle Dees is okay. I just have a limit I hit with that stuff.) I can see where people get the idea of an age gap from, and there's a size difference to boot, but I just see them as closer in age than most? It makes their "destined (friendly) rivals" thing better if they're not 20+ years apart, y'know. Dedede is not the team's "grizzled old man veteran" to Kirby's "idealistic young hero" (that role goes to Meta Knight if anything!) he's right there with Kirby on the field.

Annnd last unpopular (?) opinion: I don't necessarily mind Dedede being damsel'd. WITH the corollary that he gets to have his hero moment after. (Or that they, you know, switch it up RtDL style and let him be a hero from the beginning.) That is to say, I don't think it never needs to happen again. This is a highly personal thing, but as bigendered peep who grew up with so.much. female-in-distress in media, as long as we're going to get "save person in danger!" fiction (and it's a good trope in a bottle, so we will) I am totally okay with the big tough guy being the "person in danger." Cliches are gonna cliche, so give a peep some role-reversal so I stop feeling crazy inside, thx!

One Thing I Wish Would Happen / Had Happened With This Character in Canon:

I have never seen KRBAY. I don't really want to. But, as I mentioned in my Taranza ask and again here, I am big on loyalty dynamics. And I guess in the anime, Meta Knight was -literally- a knight of the kingdom? Whereas in game canon, he seems to be more of a mercenary/leader of a para-military force? (I mean, Dedede was said to have give fragments of the broken Dream Rod to his most loyal allies so obviously he has a long standing relationship with Meta Knight) but anyway, what I am getting at is that I would have a LOT of fun with a Meta Knight who is officially sworn to Dedede's service. At least for a little bit!

Oops. That turned into more of a "what do I wish happened to Meta Knight in canon."

Speaking of Meta Knight, I wouldn't have minded if we got just a little bit more insight into Shadow Dedede? Like, we know Shadow Kirby is a trickster and a coward, and DMK is ruthless and pragmatic instead of noble. And we get some implications that Shadow Dedede was...maybe never -rescued- from one of his earlier possessions (?!?) but very little on what makes him a reflection of Dedede.(*)

...Oh yeah. MORE MERCH PLEASE! I want to have more Dedede in my home but his majesty just gets real bottom of the barrel stuff and it's so sad. Like, okay, no one is as cute as Kirby and Waddle Dee. I get it. But they make Kirby seasonal collabs with Waddle Doos and Gordos and Scarfies and yet no Dedede? Puh-lease.

Favorite Friendship For This Character:

Kirby. Honestly, a big part of my "unpopular opinion on Kirby character ages" is because I really, really, really, really REALLY like Kirby and Dedede's friendly rivalry/ "two heroes working the scene from different sides" dynamic and I massively prefer that to pretty much any other relationship they could possibly have.

I was playing Forbidden Land with the fam and my sibling commented that Dedede's mid-boss fight roar in the Ice Castle stage felt almost like he was shouting to Kirby, "Where HAVE YOU BEEN?!" and ugh, I got so many feels from that idea.

...Forgotten Land is really good for the Dedede+Kirby dynamic...

FREE SPACE/Recs:

Rinyo's next video is actually going to be Dedede focused, I hear? :excitement:

There's also this Dedede x "King" with 7 different artists collaborating to draw his majesty in all his glory. That was a little fun!

I want to burn his Kirby Cafe outfit/hat in a fire.

Dedede's Drum Dash was silly fun, but it will be weird if it stays the only Dedede focused spinoff in the history of the franchise. ...HAL?

(*) Oh, and lastly, I just went to the wiki to look up Shadow Dedede in Japanese only to find out he's got the, uh, ill-advised name of "Black Dedede" there but, it's noted further down that this gets shortened right in his pause screen to "Bla-De" - which is a parody of Dark Pit's nickname "Bla-Pi" (which got localized to "Pittoo") but anyway, my twisted brain accidentally read "Bla-De" as "Bloody" and suddenly "Bloody King Dedede" popped into my head, which is maybe a really cool take on Mirror-verse Dedede???

[crystalelemental]

I've been mulling over how to start this one for a while now, and I think I've settled on this. I've talked a lot about watching stuff from Professor Bopper, and his Pokemon videos in particular have been fun. But one of his independent videos is about yellow paint mechanics in videogames, and he specifically calls out that gamers, as a group, are uniquely bad at games, often ignoring the function of what the game wants you to be doing in favor of what they think you should be asked to do, and getting mad when the game meets expectations. This broadly rings very true, and it's that very bias in myself that I aim to combat with a lot of my replays lately, and it's been liberating.

However. I feel like sometimes the gamers are right. Sometimes it is bad design. Sometimes they developers made a decision, and they design their game around that decision in a way that teaches the player exactly what they should be doing, but the baseline concept is just...bad. It wasn't properly thought out, and it feels, in its entirety, like it would've been better if they had made some changes. I'm sure that doesn't happen often, though. Certainly not in any big name franchises.

Anyway, I finished Let's Go Eevee.

Positives first. The game is a pretty interesting take on Pokemon as an adventure game. Eevee is wildly overpowered. It gets higher base stats, and a special 90BP move with an absolutely busted secondary effect in every one of its possible evolutionary types. The combination of Electric/Ice/Psychic/Dark perfectly answers the entire Elite Four, while also providing Dual Screens and sure-Paralysis. Ice's only flaw is a pretty middling secondary effect, compared to sure-Burn, sure-Leech Seed on a damage move, HP recovery, or curing all status. Eevee is a monster that can handle pretty much everything.

I find this interesting, because in some measure, Pokemon is always about making bonds with your Pokemon. The idea of having your Signature Partner that does everything with you is a neat approach to the usual rotation of a team. It's always been possible to steamroll the entire game with a single partner, that's most of the basis of a speedrun. But it's rare for the game to lean so heavily into it. The sheer breadth of tools given to Eevee give it a presence similar to that of the Chrobin combo of Fire Emblem Awakening. More on that later.

Because now it's time to shift steadily into the problems of this game. Difficulty in Pokemon is a big topic, and has been for a long time. Personally, I have come down strongly on the side of "I don't think any Pokemon game has ever been difficult, and there is no point in time where chasing the white whale of a difficult Pokemon game resulted in improvement in the experience." Pokemon is not fun because of challenge. It is fun because of effort, and having something to work toward. The reason older games appeal so strongly to me isn't because they are harder. RBY and GSC are kinda piss-easy. But what they are is limiting. Movepools barely exist, and a ton of a playthrough is finding ways to keep your preferred teammates relevant across various challenges, all while acknowledging you do not have access to most of their best tools yet. It's scrounging around through TMs to find a set that works, and coming up with some really creative solutions that many modern games don't push you to do. As a quick example: Larvitar. In Gen 2, it doesn't learn Earthquake naturally until 49, which balloons to 56 as Pupitar. Pupitar can evolve at 55, and if you don't stop these evolutions, Tyranitar cannot learn it until 61. This is a beast you find just before the postgame superboss at around level 15. In Gen 9, it learns Earthquake a level 31. There's just far less to actually build to, as players are given early access to most everything, and much earlier access to complete movesets.

Let's Go...kinda has this issue? But only kinda. I expected Brock to be an immediate wall for an Eevee, only to find that Eevee now learns Double Kick super early and can two-shot his Onix no sweat. Whoops! The progression of special moves also open up right at points you'd want them. You get Fire, Water, and Electric in Celadon, which answers Misty and the Rock Tunnel hikers. You learn Dark and Psychic in Celadon, which is ideal timing for all the Poison types you're about to encounter between Erika and Team Rocket, while Dark...okay, Psychic also answers Ghost but you know. Ice, Grass, and Fairy drop in Fuchsia, but I think that's because those three weren't going to hard counter anything past that point anyway. Like it gives you exactly the tools on Eevee that you'd want to answer the present threat for free, so Eevee never truly struggles with anything. It's always a clean sweep.

Which raises a big issue when it comes to the general feel of the region. I recently replayed LeafGreen, and while the postgame is rough, the main game never feels like too much to me. Even the "slower" segments are fun, because by then, I'm working with something new that's low level. It's why I never minded all the Rocket segments in Johto either. Sure there's a billion fights, but I need about that many to train this Horsea. I wound up picking up a Poliwhirl, intending to trade for Jynx, and accidentally landed a Modest nature. Blastoise was not doing so hot, and I decided fuck it, I'm rocking Poliwrath. Which meant leveling up something far behind, using those extra routs and the Silph Co section. That's great! That's as intended!

What purpose do those sections serve in a game with only one Pokemon? When you don't need a team, and have no reason to train anything else...what do they do? It's just busywork for no real reason. "But they give you three Pokeballs!" Pokeballs stopped working around level 10, my dude. This is not a reward. And there's no EVs in this game, so it's completely trivial to fight anything but the keynote bosses.

The removal of EVs was...not ideal. Instead they use Candy, which is specific to a stat. You gain candy by sending Oak copies of Pokemon, or rarely when you catch them. With a higher catch chain, where you keep catching the same beast repeatedly, you have better odds, but it's never guaranteed or even all that likely. This system is, in some ways, meant to be a controlled form of Stat EXP. You just naturally gain your stats as you accumulate candy. It's not a terrible idea, but its implementation is Extremely Bad.

Candy, as it turns out, caps at +200 in each stat. In case you're wondering how many that is, it's approximately 500 of the basic candy, 300 of the L candy, and 600 of the XL candy. For context, I tried doing a chain with Eevee on Route 17, which gives Sp Def candy. I caught enough to get a chain of 20, and upon that 20th catch, I received nothing. Just fucking nothing. The 21st catch gave me around 6 basic candy, and 2 L candy. To say this takes forever is a wild understatement. By and large this is not necessary. My wife did not do as much catching as I did, had far less candy, and still beat the League pretty much exclusively with Eevee. For main game, this is...annoying, but unobtrusive.

The instant you hit postgame it's a nightmare. Because, Red is back. And to fight him, you have to beat six Master Trainers, who will do a 1v1 mirror match with a specific Pokemon, but theirs is trained to have like +150 in three stats. Doesn't that sound fun? For context, I put all my massive candy stocks from repeated chain captures onto Eevee and hit around +80 in like two stats. My playthrough was like 20 hours.

This begins the descent into the really bad, which is that Let's Go bears two great sins: one of its birth, and one of its maker. Let's Go is, at its heart, a gacha. It was literally born from Pokemon Go, which is designed to be eternally tedious to force microtransactions, and Let's Go emulates that in its postgame perfectly, without the microtransactions. The one of its maker is that, as someone who will grind in Pokemon Crystal literally just because I find it fun to do so at certain points, this system still could've had me. Opposing trainers very clearly have sequentially boosted AP from candy application, it's not a bad system to use for difficulty curves. It's a lot steadier than BDSP's sudden "everything is maximized without warning," and I don't begrudge the idea of doing this, even going so far as to question why they don't do this with EVs in the main series. It's not a terrible idea, and in fact has some serious merit.

Unfortunately, it is blockaded by the sins of its creator. Masuda just really though it was super important that people fulfill his vision of immersion by having to throw the controller like you're catching Pokemon. Nevermind that motion controls have been known garbage since about a week after the Wii came out and no motion that resembles an actual throw gets registered by this system, we have to do some dumb flailing shit that, for no discernible reason, either goes straight on target or miles to the left despite the same arc being used. Worth noting: Pokemon will run from you if you don't catch them fast enough. Sometimes "Fast enough" is in two balls. If they run your chain breaks instantly. Are you having fun yet?

Let's Go has the honor of being the worst capture mechanics in a series with continuously terrible capture mechanics. Their decision to demand motion controls, refusing to just let it be buttons if you're using the console docked and not allowing the pro controller hookup at all, torpedoes everything positive this game has, because it renders it borderline unplayable. "But didn't you say Eevee sweeps?" Yeah, but it relies on you catching things. Not just that, but getting good at the arc. Battle EXP is truncated, you get far more from effective captures, and the biggest modifiers are "first try" and "excellent" when the circle is tiny. I'm sure someone will insist it's fine when you get used to it, but from my experience, it never gets better. It is always incomprehensible which way the ball will go. Moreover, trying to use a quick flick of the wrist motion resulted in a 100% rate of the ball immediately dropping to the ground, so I had to actually swing my whole arm, and mysteriously I have had this growing pain in my shoulder all week despite playing in shorter and shorter bursts. Add this one to the same pile as Hades, under "Games that cause me to take recoil damage" I suppose.

But, I can hear it now. Some are going to call this a skill issue. And you're right, it is. There are people much better about this than I am. However, I still think this is a problem, because as a mechanic, it fails to do what games are supposed to do for players: provide control and feedback.

Main game Pokemon games have terrible catch mechanics, but this is usually only around Legendary Pokemon and the occasional hard to catch thing like Beldum or something. That difficulty is just pure RNG, because the rate is so low. But even in those scenarios, the player has options to control how bad it really is. Knock them to low HP, inflict Sleep for best odds, catch a bunch for critical capture Gens 5+, use a Roto Power in Gen 7; there are modifiers the player can apply that are inherently beneficial. NPCs will tell you about them, but even without listening to a single one, you can actually experience the difference yourself through the gameplay. Trying to catch a Pidgey or something with full HP does mean it can break out. Trying to catch one at like 1/3rd HP almost never does. Hitting something with status seems to result in much more assured captures. The player takes actions, and the game provides feedback on whether those actions were the right call.

Let's Go's catch mechanics do not have any of this. It's so disconnected from the idea that all the NPC advice is now just "if it's a red color it's gonna be harder," which is useless because guess what, Ultra Balls don't actually change the color for things that push level 40, and Legends are glaring red no matter what you do. Throwing it dead center for an Excellent toss did not ever seem to improve my odds; I had just as many breakouts from that as I did wildly off-center barely touched the catch circle tosses. I can take no action aside from finite berries, which disappear after a single use of a ball, and do not seem to have any method of acquiring more since they don't seem to be sold in shops. I learned very early that Razz Berries are functionally worthless when I hit a Great toss on a Yellow circle and it just broke right out and was Orange again. So maybe I'm being uncharitable. It does give feedback, the feedback just tells you not to do anything but keep throwing and hope you get lucky, because nothing you do will help. What a fun system!

Unquestionably, Pokemon Let's Go is the worst Pokemon game. But I feel like that is solely based on direction. Had the catch mechanics been less awful, there is merit to the idea of a game where you have one (1) defined partner through everything. I think it would've benefited from a Legends Arceus style approach that fixated more on catching as a primary goal than battling, given how meaningless the constant trainer fights were, but maybe that's just me. Whatever the case, I feel very strongly that this is the worst Pokemon game, and that it is the poster child for upper management staying the hell away from things. The instant you let them talk about their great ideas for what the art should be like, the instant you are damning that art.

[gracifleur]

okay i'm kidding, more seriously: what drew you to shaymin in the first place? do you have any favorite and least favorite theories and concepts regarding it?

i hope ur ready 2b emotional on this good monday bc this, is the saga of me & shaymin.

so ive been a fan pkmn since the good year of 1998, u could not for the life of u me n dupree get my gameboy from my tiny child fingers n make me put down red or blue. my fav pkmn was pikachu, instantly. i still have my fav pikachu shirt from childhood ok listen. so thru the years watching the anime, seeing the movies in theater, playing the games time passes n we get to rse & admittedly i was burnt OUT. BURT THE FUCK OUT. but also, & pls no hate, i wasnt the biggest fan of the 3rd gen. i loved the sprites, the pkmn, the location, but the story itself just wasnt my thing & i rlly just felt the pang of man idk if im into this as i used to be which sucks when u lose a hyperfixation but also something that u rlly love n enjoyed n brought u immense joy. so i decided to be a wee bit edgy n be all bleh pkmn for babies as i totally very much still replayed rby & gsc etc etc. im a lil hypocrite if nothing. so when the ds came out n news of a new gen was on the horizon, i ignored it. however one of my high school besties did not & got diamond. it was also my birthday( fun fact i do share a release date birthday with platinum in america i will let u look it up ) & pal was like 'i wanted pearl so here take diamond as ur gift n lets go get my game n play together i kno u love pkmn' he was right. i do love pkmn n wow, wow. the first moments of diamond rlly just SNAPPED something within me. it was like falling in love with this series all over again. something about the world, the characters, the story, the pkmn it all fell into place n really really made me remember why i loved this franchise in the first place.

so, naturally i start paying attention again to pkmn news & more importantly: event pkmn. which lead me to this advertisement from toys r us. also fun fact: i have the shaymin image from this ad bc i cut it out, it's in my 3ds case at all times safe.

now, i saw this lil fella & i was like oh my god ur so adorable i need you. && so me n one of my high school besties who was as fanatic abt pkmn as me rushed off 2 our local toysrus n download the mystery gift. i go n open the summery of my shaymin & that was that. idk what happened. suddely pikachu was #2 in my heart( tho nowdays i do consider both shaymin & pikachu as my all time favs, but shaymin is like slightly higher on the list ). idk what it was ! this lil fella made me appreciate grass types, a type i normally dont care for at all but turtwig had started to fix that. i always had them in my party, i got a secondary diamond copy just to hACK TO DO THE OAKS LETTER EVENT. i loved them idk why something about the fact that this lil friend shaped creature is thankful to me in spite of everything was like the franchise itself saying thank you for always loving pkmn, for giving it a second chance, for like idk being a good friend. && that rlly resonated with me.

pkmn has been a franchise that has rlly helped me thru some shit & has always just been consistently there. every game since diamond ive loved more n more n more. && i think like gen4 will always be special for me & so will shaymin bc like as grateful as i am for pkmn it sorta feels like pkmn is grateful for me too & thats just like makes ur heartgut go emotional huh cause it does me too its ok anyways shaymin rules actually

aND FOR THE SECOND PART UHH IDK ABOUT THEORIES I HATE or concepts, its kinda hard to like rlly delve into more than whats there bc shaymin seems to embody the coming of spring, the change of the seasons, to start anew, refresh & rejuvenation all of those are sick as fuck concepts but i guess if i had a criticism i would def say sky forme looks stupid kdJHASKJDhsa IDK THATS JUST ME LAND FORME BEST FORME #HATER

oh uh, pet tax: here is a photo of that said toysrus shaymin currently chilling in my copy of x