#ask this one cubone

[iwabwy]

clexaweek23 day 5 - friends or foes?

clexa as rival pokémon trainers

[scifur]

4/20/23- 3D Sculpt

+ a dragon below

wings r kinda wonky but I like how it looked in some angles haha

[itstimeforstarwars]

[ID in alt text.]

I've decided that I am a drawer of snakes in baskets now.

[pyromaniac-cyndaquil]

It's been a lot of work over a lot of time but I think I can finally share this...

PMD:EoS, but with all of the starters!

...Including Grookey, finally!!!!! 🥳

Introducing PMD: Expanded Sky!

This is a public mod available to download now! It adds in all starters from unova all the way to paldea, as well as zorua, axew and rockruff, and allows evolving eevee into sylveon.

Speaking of which, fairy type has been patched into the game! Disarming voice replaces milk drink and moonblast replaces judgement, which was unused.

Some non-traditional starters are no longer available as hero options in this due to lack of space, but are still available as partners. (Skitty can be chosen as a hero in version 1.0.0 only, so download that version instead of the latest if you wanna use her! Riolu and Shinx are available in version 1.2.1 and below)

If one of your faves was taken off the hero roster (eg vulpix, skitty, riolu, munchlax, etc), I have a tutorial here on how to quickly edit the patched file to put them back in :)

Several regional variants have been added! Alolan Raichu, Alolan Marowak and Hisuian Typhlosion are now available as potential evolutions for their respective base stages.

Partners across both rescue team and all three versions of explorers are available too, including Cubone, Munchlax, Machop, Vulpix, Riolu, etc

Sprites and portraits are courtesy of the brilliant PMD Sprite Repository and the many incredible artists who contribute to it!

Credits for all improvement patches, sprites and portraits are included in the download, as well as an explanation on how to patch the game and the full starter list.

The mod is split in two versions to accommodate all the partners - MIDDAY version and MIDNIGHT version. The download includes both, as well as the tool required to patch your game! You'll need a clean US copy of pmd eos at hand.

A full list of moves learned by newly added Pokémon can be found here, as well as info on how to evolve them and their IQ groups.

If you run into any issues, feel free to drop me an ask or DM and I'll see how I can help/what I need to fix!

You can find the download for this rom hack here!

Edits/updates noted under the cut:

(27/04/23)

The overall mod now has a name - expanded sky! Reflected earlier on in the post.

I've been informed that the included patching tool (XDelta) doesn't work on mac, and after some digging around and discussions in dms we found this tool works for Mac instead.

Added graphics to the post displaying which heroes and partners are part of the hack.

(11/05/23)

Added link to learnset compilation for all new pokémon.

(17/05/23) Version 1.1.0 has been released!

Sobble is now a starter, replacing Skitty (Skitty is still accessible by downloading v1.0.0 on the download page). Sobble is also now a partner in MIDNIGHT.

Zorua/Zoroark's moveset has been tweaked slightly

Base forms of all new starters can now be found in Oran Forest, and can be recruitable in the post-game. The new fire starters can also be found in Giant Volcano.

Extra portraits and sprites were added for Cubone, Psyduck and Machop. Like the rest of the new assets in this mod, these were imported from the PMD Sprite Repository, and credits are on the title screen and in the readme.txt.

Extra credits + more in-depth instructions for patching the game included in the readme.txt.

(18/05/23)

Added a link to a tutorial on swapping out heroes for others already existing in the game.

(22/05/23) - Version 1.1.1 has been released!

Fixed genders for female starter options on the quiz. Updated Fuecoco to use new portraits and sprites. (Credits to Garbage)

(23/05/23) - Version 1.1.2 has been released!

Female starters from gens 5-9 can now evolve correctly (save for starters who don't have evolutions in the game yet - these are listed in the text file in the download)

Rockruff can now evolve, and Midnight Lycanroc's evolution method has been fixed to use the Lunar Ribbon as intended.

(15/06/23) - Version 1.2.1 has been released!

In 1.2.0, a second version of the mod was included in the zip compatible with melon emulator, and potentially others that were having issues with saving.

Fairy gummis were also made available as mission rewards and shop items.

There's a couple more things that can be seen in the changelog including bugfixes, but the main other thing promised was that Froakie and Litten can now evolve directly into Greninja and Incineroar. Due to an evolution flag not being set this ended up untrue, but has been fixed in 1.2.1.

This post claimed dazzling gleam is in the game, but it should've said disarming voice.

🆕 (10/03/24) - Version 1.3.0 has been released!

Dusk Lycanroc, Drizzile, Inteleon, Grookey, Axew and Fraxure have been added, as well as Alolan Raichu, Alolan Marowak an Hisuian Typhlosion.

Axew replaces Shinx in the hero roster, and Grookey replaces Riolu. Additional portraits and sprites added for starter evolutions, including vanilla starters. Sleep animations have been copied over to EventSleep/Laying/Wake animations if missing.

Greninja erroneously had the same moveset as Froakie. This has now been fixed.

Credits are no longer displayed on the title screen.

Sprite, portrait and patch credits can now be viewed by talking to a Cyndaquil NPC on the crossroads.

Evolution help can also be accessed by talking to this same NPC.

🆕 (23/05/24) - Version 1.3.1 has been released!

The uhh. Grovyle problem. Yeah. That should be fixed.

(Grovyle was missing several sprites as a side effect of trying to add new ones, due to his unique setup in the vanilla game as such an important npc. His sprites should now be reverted to a functional state, rather than leaving him to walk fowards on the spot all the time).

An issue present from the start that caused the game to freeze while advancing floors in dungeons occasionally should now be resolved.

[citruslullabies]

what about platonic swansea or anya hcs?

Of course darling!!

Swansea Mouthwashing

Platonic (completely!!)

Pre-crash Swansea:

Depending on your job, he is either going to ignore you or talk down to you at first

He's really just a tired old man, don't pay him any mind

But he'll eventually warm up to you in a fatherly manner

The occasional pat on the back or asking you to hold a flashlight for him

For the love of God. Hold. Still.

But if you're friends with Daisuke, which lets face it, you probably are

He probably warms up to you a little faster

Swansea is annoyed by Daisuke sometimes sure, but he's like family

And seeing you two goof around, it brings a small smile to his face

.. untillll he barks orders at you guys

Classic dad behavior

You and Daisuke were goofing around with tools and such, with Daisuke pretending to be a Pikachu with a faulty electrical wire he was supposed to be fixing. You snorted while leaning back and grabbing a wrench, pretending to be a Cubone and gently bop him on the head. Swansea watched from a distance, sighing from how early it was but smiling at how you two managed to make anything a game. Even if you both got side-tracked by it. He cleared his throat and returned to a neutral expression, putting a hand on his hip. "Both of you get back to work! You two and your stupid pokemon.." he'd grumble, watching you both scurry back to work. Both of you were his idiots.

He also will not understand any references at all you make

"pop off queen" "what the fuck did you just say to me??"

He's a goofy old man and we love him

He's also super defensive over you and Daisuke

You guys are like his kids

Post-crash Swansea:

He's more on edge

He tries to look out for you and Daisuke, but he's only one guy

When he comes across that cyropod.. he's hoping that you and Daisuke can both squeeze in.

And his sobriety goes down the drain

Some nights he'll cry to you when you're alone

He'll say that he wasted his life away and never did anything to impact the world

And no matter how much you comfort him, he sobs more and more.

He is losing it

And whenever he loses Daisuke, shit goes down the drain

And whenever Jimmy gets the gun.. to Swansea's horror, Jimmy ended up shooting you in the stomach

He couldn't even help you in time

He feels shitty in his final moments.

How he couldn't help Anya, how he couldn't help Daisuke, and how he couldn't help you

At least he doesn't have to worry about if you and Daisuke can fit in the pod together anymore

Thanks for requesting darling!

[bigfan-fanfic]

Star Shower (Batdad Pokemon Fanfic)

Can you do a fic where the batboys seeing batdad do a pokemon contest performance for the first time in real life? Batdad used to be a top pokemon coordinator and sorta quietly stopped being a coordinator because of Bruce disappearing and the whole family of vigilantes and having to take care Wanye Enterprise. Now that the batboys are adults and (mostly) stop vigilante-ing, batdad decided to re-debut.

Bruce, of course, leads the family down the red carpet.

He's so very proud of his husband. He has always felt a little guilty about the fact that you had to take an early retirement from your Coordinator career to run Wayne Enterprises and watch over the family after he came back.

But now you're back in full form, and the press is on fire, calling it "The Return of the King" and other such dramatic claims.

You were known for the powerful combination of your Lucario and Gardevoir - a glorious display of simple martial prowess combined with psychic illusions and effects.

But there's been a surprising development.

Instead of Lucario, you've registered with Gardevoir and Cubone.

The very same Cubone you raised from an egg.

People are intrigued, knowing you're bringing something completely new, but totally unable to keep from speculating.

"B, did you ever go to one of Pops' shows?" Dick asks. He, Bruce, Tim, and Barbara head down the carpet - Jason and Damian and the others have sought out a more discreet entrance.

"I did, once, before I left for training. It was... beautiful. He actually pulled me onstage and kissed me in public for the first time, after the performance. Honestly, I can't recall much about that show, but I remember the cologne he wore that night." Bruce sighs happily.

Tim rolls his eyes. "Some help you are. I still don't know what we're going to see tonight."

"I sent you a whole file of Contest performances last month to get you up to speed!" Barbara protests. "Do you... mute the group chat?"

"It's just not as fun now that it's... just a normal family chat."

Dick laughs. "I don't think we're that normal, Timmy."

They do a few short sound bites for the press, making it clear that tonight they are here for you. And backstage, Jason and Damian have come to give you good luck hugs.

"Awwww, my baby boys." You chuckle.

"Papa, are you sure you'll be alright that Brown and Cain and the Rows and Thomas won't-"

"Don't remind him of that!" Jason growls. "He doesn't need-"

"It'll be fine. Alfred's watching them all, and I don't blame them for avoiding the press. It doesn't mean they aren't with me." You smile. "Plus, I know Tim will be recording it for them."

Jason hugs you. "Go get em, Dad."

You smile softly, then look down to Damian. "Dami? You alright?"

Damian gives you a little shaky smile. "I suppose I'm just... excited, is all. To see you perform."

"Me too, kiddo. Go find your seats, okay? I want you to make sure you stick by your dad. You know he gets anxious when you're all out in public."

As they head back, you don the classic hat and tailored suit you were known for as a young Coordinator, adjusted and updated for the man you are now.

And you walk out on stage to thunderous applause from the audience - the loudest cheers from your family. The other Coordinators flourish on their entrance, throwing their Pokeballs into the air wildly, but you simply open your hands and let them exit. A little shy to debut, Cubone tries to hide behind you, but Gardevoir lifts the little thing up with psychic power into your arms for a quick cuddle, making the audience "awwww."

Eventually the show continues, each Coordinator doing their set, leaving you for last. Which definitely sets them on edge, you can tell.

But you're here because you wanna show the world that you didn't lose yourself all those years ago.

You start out cross-legged on the stage, sitting down. Cubone cuddles in your lap before tumbling out, seemingly eager to show you something.

The audience gives a little chuckle at the orchestrated adorable tumble.

Cubone withdraws a large bone and begins to slowly swing it around, twirling it like a baton. And when it tosses the bone into the air, it... lifts.

And then another, and another. Seven bones float in a large oval, continuing to revolve faster and faster as they spin across the stage.

The spotlight darkens, as light fractures behind you both - the stage becoming a prismatic field of light. Gardevoir appears, floating in the middle of the circle of spinning bones.

Cubone gives an excited cry and hurls a Bonemerang and one by one the bones break open in bursts of glitter powder, which swirl and swirl like a nebula forming into a planetary ring.

Gardevoir twirls in midair, the center of the nebula, and sends the shining rainbow powder running down to the stage-

-only for Cubone to use Icy Wind to freeze the powder in midair, making a beautiful mix of rainbow and snow, in an intricate swirl as Gardevoir manipulates the crystal formation.

As a grand finale, Gardevoir levitates Cubone into the center of a globe formed of ice and glitter, only for it to use Earth Power, bursting out in green and gold light, dissolving the ice and sending the glitter drifting like stardust across the audience.

There's a moment of stunned silence. And then in a great wave, the audience stands, and as they applaud, you see your husband practically glowing with pride and awe.

Of course, you win the Contest, and you hold your Cubone close in reward. The press calls it the greatest Contest Comeback of all time, but you're too busy watching your family gently praise your shy little Cubone and elegant Gardevoir.

And your husband never leaves your side the rest of the night.

[yamujiburo]

this might not be a yamujiburo ask but its pokemon related, so might as well? BUT I've been rewatching drawfee eps and got to the one ur in and was just wondering ur thought process on picking your dream team (and headcannon teams for rocket etc.) its just soo cool how u pick such good fits for characters :)

waaaah thanks!!

for my team i just picked alolan pokemon bc i love them but also im from hawaii myself haha. it just happened to line up that a lot of team rocket members have grimers and there's an alolan grimer and then team rocket is associated with cubones a lot of the time but i also love alolan marowak. and then there's stufful LOLLL

and i actually have a post detailing what other pokemon i think jessie and james should have and why!

[belamew]

IRL Pokémon asks: blog "canon" edition!

Since everyone has varying ideas on what is and isn't canon to their blog, here's a chance to talk about your ideas! What's canon to the games and shows doesn't mean it's canon to you.

Are Pokémon able to use more than four moves?

Can legendaries breed?

Do sentient/sapient Pokémon exist?

Are Pokémon all "standard" as their official designs or is there variation to their appearance?

Do hybrid (cross-breed) Pokémon exist?

Can people have more than 6 Pokémon to a team?

Do all Pokémon come from eggs?

Does everyone believe in mythical Pokémon?

Is it normal for 10 year olds to start a Pokémon journey?

Can legendaries be caught?

Do human-pokémon hybrids exist?

How truthful is the Pokédex?

Does cubone come from kangaskhan?

Why are most Pokémon Professors named after trees?

Do Pokémon have levels?

Can Pokémon that evolve in other ways besides leveling up (stones, friendship, trading, ect.) evolve naturally without those means?

Do Pokémon understand human speech?

Can shiny Pokémon pass down the trait to offspring?

Do IRL animals exist?

Do real world countries exist?

Do regions have more Gyms than just the ones you can challenge in-game?

Why are shiny Pokémon called shiny in-universe?

Are Pokémon strictly the typing they have in canon?

Does defeating the champion make someone the new champion?

What's a headcanon or lore drop you've desperately wanted to talk about but haven't gotten the chance to?

[yumeurl]

What Pokémon do you think Taco would have in a Pokémon AU? 💚

so i actually dont know much about pokemon (i played some of the games a bit but it didnt really stick for me to be familiar with it) so i asked @dearestdo3 for what she thinks :3 (thankyew waiff)

Tom

Arbok: This Pokémon is very tenacious. Once it targets its prey, it won't give up the chase, no matter how far the prey goes.

Cubone: This Pokémon wears the skull of its deceased mother. Sometimes Cubone's dreams make it cry, but each tear Cubone sheds makes it stronger.

Draco

Servine: Servine’s one weakness is its inflated sense of pride. It takes a while for Servine to be able to cooperate with other Pokémon.

Dartrix: This narcissistic Pokémon is a clean freak. If you don’t groom it diligently, it may stop listening to you.

[ask-games-galore]

TEAM ROCKET ASK GAME

Requested by an anonymous user

Remember to send an ask to whoever you reblog this from!

Bonus anime-related asks after the Pokémon section!

MEMBERS:

Archer - Have you ever had to replace someone, temporarily or otherwise?

Ariana - If you had to become someone's second in command, who would you choose?

Petrel - How prone to screwing up are you?

Proton - How easy is it to anger or frustrate you?

Giovanni - When were you at your strongest?

POKÉMON:

Sandshrew/Sandslash - Are you easy to befriend? Or do you tend to hide away from people?

Rattata/Raticate - Who's your favorite "underrated" Pokémon?

Zubat/Golbat - Is there any Pokémon that just annoys you by existing?

Drowzee/Hypno - How quickly do you fall asleep?

Machop/Machoke - Which one do you use first: Your brains or your brawn?

Grimer/Muk - Any unpopular opinions?

Cubone/Marowak - Is there anyone or anything you wish you could see/talk to again?

Oddish/Gloom/Vileplume - Any hobby you want to pick up?

Voltorb - Opinion on fireworks?

Houndour/Houndoom - Something that, if done to you or a loved one, will never be forgiven.

Murkrow - Favorite crime?

BONUS! The iconic Team Rocket we all know and love!

Jessie - How did you recover from your lowest point?

James - What's the greatest risk you took? Was it worth it?

Meowth - Ramble about a topic of your choice!

Ekans/Arbok - Are you a fan of any specific aesthetic?

Lickitung - Do you consider yourself to be forgettable?

Wobbuffet - Have you ever met someone you consider important by accident/sheer luck?

Koffing/Weezing - Do you have a code of ethics? How often do you play dirty?

Victreebel - On a scale of 0 to 10, how much do you like hugs/physical contact as a way to display affection? 0 meaning you absolute despise it, and 10 meaning you absolutely adore it.

Growlithe - Is there anyone you'd put your life on the line for?

[paradisepoisoned]

I was never going to post this cause well….quite frankly I hate it lmao. But I’ve been asked by a few lovely people to see it and I feel bad holding out. I was going for that cartoony Pokémon kinda style and i feel i just completely missed the mark but whatever this is Mello’s loyal crew lol He found his Aloan cubone abandoned and now it thinks Mello is it’s mother and refuses to leave his side. It never fights (and is terrified of Near’s Espurr as every living organism should be) and no I didn’t miscount one of his Pokémon is dead and I’d love to hear your guesses as to what it was.

There will be a Matt one whenever drawing Pokémon doesn’t give me chest pain.

Near

[dragonotaku-justineverything]

Little guy wants uppies.

...

And someone to love him.

"C-cubone cubone!"

"Cue cue?! What's wrong?" Pyrrha looked concerned as she caught sight of her newest member of her Pokemon team running towards her. He seemed very upset and agitated in the cries he was letting out. "Did something happen when you were playing with Aron and Hera?" She had only left them alone with Jaune for a few minutes to run to the restroom, and the second she got back she saw the little guy almost tripping over himself as he ran over to her, crying and arms flailing about as his little legs carried him.

Speaking of Jaune, the blonde came running over to her as well behind Cubone. Hera was cradled in his arms and her Aron was sprinting as quickly as she could behind him to catch up. "Pyrrha! I'm sorry, but I don't know what happened! They were still playing and having fun until a minute ago! But then I tried to join in a little and he started getting all fussy !"

"Cuebone! C-cuebo!"

Pyrrha stooped down to one knee and reached her arms out to him, beckoning him closer. "What's got you so worked up Cue Cue?"

The little pokemon didn't hesitate to rush towards her and immediately threw himself into her arms. "Cuuuue!"

Pyrrha caught him with ease and stood back up, holding him as gently as she could to her body. She was about to ask him what was wrong again, but before she even got his attention she noticed that he already wasn't flailing like he had been. And the brief shaking in his body she felt when she picked him up was also stopping just as quickly. "Cue Cue?"

The little ground type hugged her and then looked up to her eyes. The tears and cries had stopped and now he actually seemed somewhat calm. "C-cue?"

Pyrrha lightly rubbed his back. "You okay buddy?" Cubone nodded to her, then went back to hugging Pyrrha like nothing just happened. "Yeah, you're okay. You're my tough little guy." Pyrrha's words seemed to put him even more at ease. Aron also seemed relieved when she reached Pyrrha's crouching form to check on her friend.

"Wooooah that was amazing!" Jaune practically had stars in his eyes as he looked at her. "You got him to settle down just by giving him a hug! You're hugs must be incredible Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha blushed a little and smiled at his praise, but she kept her focus on Cubone in her arms. "Thank you Jaune, but I don't think it was just my hug that got him calmed down. I suspect that there is something more going on. What happened exactly before Cubone got so upset?"

Jaune readjusted Hera in his arms to get a better hold of her and started scratching her underbelly to keep her preoccupied. "I honestly don't know, but it was probably something I did. I'm sorry Pyrrha. They were just playing and having a blast so I wanted to join in a little. I picked Hera up like I usually do and before I knew it he was bawling. I'm sorry I scared him and ruin their fun."

"Jaune, I assure you that you most likely didn't do anything wrong. Perhaps you did startle him by picking Hera up so suddenly, but it wasn't intentional. You can't be faulted for that. However, I think it's something a little less serious. He stopped crying almost as soon as I picked him up. Perhaps he was just feeling left out?"

"Oh! Well... that makes me feel a bit better. And a bit worse too." Jaune lent in a little to talk to Cubone directly. "Sorry Cubone, didn't mean to leave you out. Next time I'll keep you in mind."

He got a quick glance and a nod from the pokemon. Pyrrha was much more vocal in her response. "Thank you Jaune. I'm sure he appreciates that. Now, how about we continue all of the fun they were having?"

"Yeah, sounds good! Right Hera?"

"Growlithe!" Hera was more than happy to get back to the game of chase they were having! Especially since her friend was now okay. She knew that he gets really scared when he can't find the nice red haired lady. But he's okay now and she'll make sure to have a lot of fun with him to help make him feel better!

[ohquail]

POKEMON AU because I can and spent a lot of time on it

Pokemon Au:

Ashlyn: Cyndaquil -> Typhlosion: Scorch Mareep -> Ampharos: Zap Marill -> Azumarill: Blueberry Sudowoodo: Pebble Eevee -> Umbreon: Luna Houndour -> Houndoom: Cerberus

Aiden: Pichu -> Pikachu: Zippy Tyrogue -> Hitmontop: Champ Hoothoot -> Noctowl: Hootie Zubat -> Crobat: Echo Wooper -> Quagsire: Splash Dunsparce: Wiggles

Ben: Nidorino -> Nidoking: Spike Jigglypuff -> Wigglytuff: Puff Growlithe -> Arcanine: Scout Tentacool -> Tentacruel: Jelly Lickitung: Slurps Cubone -> Marowak: Skull

Logan: Caterpie -> Butterfree: Worm Oddish w/ everstone: Herb Poliwag -> Poliwrath: Ripple Magnemite -> Magneton: Volt Kangaskhan: Guardian Hitmonlee -> Hitmonchan: Roundhouse

Taylor: Bellsprout -> Victreebel: Petal Ponyta -> Rapidash: Rainbow Dash Farfetch'd: Duckie Staryu -> Starmie: Glimmer Eevee -> Espeon: Shine Bellossom: Buttercup

Tyler: Taylor nicknamed all his pokemon because he didn't want too Machop -> Machamp: Rex Shellder -> Cloyster: Pearl Onix: Titan Misdreavus -> Mismagius: Spooky Gligar: Aero Slugma -> Marcargo: Cinder

Ashlyn leaned back against the seat of the train. Her Azumarill, Blueberry, was nuzzled comfortably on her lap, lulled to sleep by the rhythmic chugging of the train over the tracks. She looked out at the passing scenery – verdant fields and wild Pokémon frolicking freely- it was a peaceful scene that was suddenly ruined. “Oh my god! Ponyta and Rapidash!” Taylor pressed her face up against the glass.

Her eyes were wide with excitement as she pointed at the fiery Pokémon galloping majestically across the open landscape. "Such power, such grace!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine admiration.

“Shut up Taylor,” Her twin brother, Tyler grumbled from beside her.

Taylor responded by sticking her tongue out at him, "Oh come on, Ty! Lighten up a bit. We're on an adventure!" Her words were punctuated with a wild gesture referring to the world outside their window.

Tyler merely rolled his eyes and returned to his nap. Aiden got into Ashlyn’s face. “Are you excited to see the big city?” “Get out of my face,” She shoved her hand in his face and pushed him away from her.

Aiden stumbled back, a grin still lingering on his lips despite Ashlyn's rebuff. He adjusted his glasses and laughed, "Alright, alright, I get it! Personal space, I respect that." He then moved over to join Taylor by the window, equally captivated by the sight of the fiery Pokémon racing alongside their train. Logan looked up at his book, “What gym is in Savannah?” He asked more so Tyler. The ladder looked up before drifting back off to sleep, not answering Logan’s question.

Logan frowned slightly at Tyler's lack of response but shrugged and returned to his book. “It’s the Electric Type gym,” Ashlyn answered, glancing over at Logan. “Ben are you gonna battle the gym leader this time?” Taylor looked over with a grin. The mute boy looked up at her and shook his head. Taylor’s grin didn't falter. "Well, your loss, Ben! Savannah's gym leader is supposed to be one of the toughest around.” Ashlyn nodded in agreement, her thoughts drifting to the upcoming challenge. Blueberry stirred on her lap, opening one eye lazily. “Ashlyn, the conductor is coming by, put the pokemon away,” Taylor hissed quietly.

Ashlyn gently nudged Blueberry, whispering for her to return to her Poké Ball. With a soft glow, the Azumarill disappeared, and Ashlyn clipped the ball back onto her belt. As the conductor approached, checking tickets and ensuring everything was in order, the friends settled down, their excitement momentarily subdued by the adult walking past. “Hey! Blonde kid, sit down,” She told Aiden.

Aiden, who had been bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, gave the conductor a sheepish smile and quickly sat down next to Ashlyn. The conductor nodded sternly before moving on, her eyes scanning the rest of the passengers with practiced ease.

Once she was out of earshot, Aiden leaned in towards Ashlyn, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, what's the plan when we get there? Straight to the gym or do we explore the city first?"

Ashlyn pondered for a moment, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her thigh. "I think it'd be smart to scout out the gym first, get an idea of the level of the trainers and the gym leader’s level and pokemon,” she mused, her eyes lighting up with the thrill of strategy. "But, exploring Savannah wouldn’t hurt either; it could be a good way to unwind before the battle."

Aiden nodded in agreement, his grin widening. "Sounds like a perfect plan! Plus, I heard there's a market where local trainers trade rare battle items!” “Okay calm down, it’s not that exciting,” Tyler opened his eyes with a glare at Aiden.

Ben, still silent, gave a small nod, his own excitement about the city's offerings visible only to those who knew him well. His dark eyes flickered with interest at the mention of the market, perhaps considering it a good place to gather resources that could be valuable in upcoming battles.

"Actually, it might be good for our pokemon to get some battle items to make them stronger!” Taylor wrapped her arm around her brother’s shoulders. Logan looked up from his book, “Plus in the tall grass outside the city, there’s shellos, we both need that for our pokedexs,” Logan told Taylor.

Taylor's face lit up at the suggestion, her adventurous spirit clearly piqued by the possibility of catching a new Pokémon. "That settles it then! First, we explore the city and hit the market, and then we head out to catch some Shellos," she declared enthusiastically.

Ashlyn shook her head, appreciating Taylor's infectious energy.

[sincerely-sofie]

Setting up a visual reference before bed so that I can respond to an ask tomorrow, and maybe I’m a little punchy, but I’m losing my mind.

Team ACT from Rescue Team is made up of Alakazam, Charizard, and Tyranitar. The shortest member, Alakazam, is 4’11”. My Rescue Team hero is a cubone. She’s not even 1’4”.

These three square up against this unlucky soul atop a mountain like it’ll take anything more than one of them punting her like a football to end her entire existence.

This ridiculous height difference is dramaticized by the ask’s request to make Ninetales 9 feet tall and very peeved by attempted child murder happening on her mountain.

I don’t heed Pokédex heights much when it comes to how I draw… but oh my word.

LORGE.

[kohakhearts]

goh starter trio meta perhaps? i was ensnared by the goh-scorbunny parallel subpoint in the cubone meta bc i'm making myself unwell thinking about how scorbunny latching on to goh and goh latching on to ash.... but also more generally, sobble's whole thing and the absolute tearjerker drizzile evolution episode, and goh's weird ass dream about his rillaboom parents and then waking up to baby grookey clinging to his arm, you get it, i know you're galaxy brained about this

YESSS I AM *SO* GLAD YOU ASKED!!

so my tl;dr here is that all of the galar starters represent something about goh specifically relating to his childhood. their growth and eventual evolution (or lack thereof!) therefore serve to highlight his character development (as an aside, i think this is a very common theme in anipoke. ash's pikachu not evolving speaks to the fact that ash's growth isn't about becoming someone new but about staying true to himself and embracing a battle style that reflects the creative ingenuity that, in the early os, other characters mocked him for. similarly, dawn's piplup chooses not to evolve because it doesn't want to change how things are between them. does this not seem fitting for the partner of someone like dawn, who has always admired her mother so much that she never even considering doing something other than following in her footsteps? i'm sure there are other examples, but these seem to me the most obvious ones!).

let's break down each one, then!

scorbunny

when we meet scorbunny, goh is still determined that mew will be his first pokemon. this is a point of stubbornness that, while impressive and arguably kind of admirable, is frankly kind of stupid. how is he supposed to get to mew without any pokemon to help him? there's an interesting implication in this resolution, which jn004 and jn005 really highlight for us - goh isn't comfortable with having a pokemon. he knows a lot about them, is interested in researching them, but as far as the bond between pokemon and trainer goes, i don't think he feels prepared for that. it's easier to pick a target that is far from reasonably attainable for him at this point, especially since he does have some history with mew - didn't it take an interest in him? didn't it give him a reason to chase after it?

so meeting scorbunny, he's obviously not thinking about catching it. but he lies to the guy at the scone stand, in an interesting parallel to how scorbunny steps in to protect the nickit. he doesn't even seem to know why he does it. but just before that scene, he sees scorbunny wipe some of the dirt off its face. he doesn't get the whole story and connect all the dots until after, but i think he realizes then that scorbunny is trying to hide itself in some way. that it's performing as something it's not. and on some unconscious level, that motivates him to lie for it. after, we get this whole exchange, where the scone seller tells ash and goh the story

and this note is what makes goh get up and approach scorbunny and the nickit:

it's very symbolic that he wipes the mud off scorbunny's face. and then later, he even points out when they see it again that it looks better without all the mud covering it up - it looks more like itself. it's not pretending to be something it's not. goh wiping the mud off its face is him saying that he accepts it as it is. that being resigned to living a certain way just to fit in or just because that's how it's always been is pointless.

and i mean...even ash says in this scene that the things goh is saying are things he's only recently learned himself, right? goh denies it (and tbh when he says that he's always thought the world is big and anyone can explore it if they want to or whatever - i don't think that's untrue! i think it's just that, prior to meeting ash, he didn't have it in him to explore it), but ash has a point. and what goh is doing for scorbunny here is the same thing that ash did for him.

relatedly, scorbunny follows him, right? in the same way that goh "accepts" ash as his friend, scorbunny chooses goh as its trainer. goh recognizes that it travelled far for him, that it saw a vision of its future with him, and changes his mind about not catching it. i think the determination he saw in scorbunny to chase after its dreams resounded with him, because he's only just started doing the same thing. and his entire character is built around this idea of like, learning how to adapt and how to let other people help you find the courage to chase your dreams (and even to help you chase them). how could he possibly deny scorbunny the same thing?

but while scorbunny's enthusiasm helps motivate goh to chase his dreams, he is very flippant and dismissive, as we see when it learns ember and he says it doesn't matter, that scorbunny doesn't need to know a fire-type move and this gut-punch of a line, of course:

goh is someone who needs a lot of convincing to do things he doesn't think he'll be good at (or enjoy). he only joins project mew because gary goads him into it. he spends most of his life refusing to make friends, because he had one bad experience. he's a fairly black-and-white thinker, which makes sense considering his background. he doesn't really believe in change. he especially doesn't believe that people (or pokemon, in this case) can change their circumstances just through hard work and determination. as we see in jn003 with the ivysaur, he also doesn't think that it's anyone else's place to intervene and "help" others. if you can't change something, then don't. and there's no point in hoping it'll change on its own, either.

when scorbunny storms off here, his expression is interesting. this isn't the expression of someone being judgemental. it's the expression of someone who sympathizes.

he sees scorbunny trying so hard to do something he thinks it can't do and thinks that scorbunny's determination to change things is, if i had to guess, kind of immature. a lesson scorbunny will have to learn, whether it wants to or not. at first it's kind of endearing, but then he actually gets frustrated, because he feels like scorbunny's determination to learn ember is harmful to them both. here, there's a degree of "why won't you just trust that i know what's best for you?" for sure, but on a deeper level, i think that stems from a place of "can't you see that i'm just trying to protect you?"

...but obviously, all he really does is wind up lashing out and hurting scorbunny's feelings. he tells ash that he was trying to draw out scorbunny's strengths (and he was, by telling it to use moves it was already good at!), but ash points out that their values weren't aligned and that's kind of the opposite of strength when it comes to pokemon battling. so he reassesses the situation and finds a way to bring out scorbunny's strength that also aligns with what scorbunny wants. that compromise is what makes scorbunny evolve. it was the right call! but then raboot starts ignoring him.

and this is like. a running gag with scorbunny - goh gets distracted by other things and doesn't notice that it's trying to show him things. it happens when they meet and it happens again in this episode with its ember. we see something very similar with goh and his parents in jn032 when he's excited at the prospect of their vacation together, but when he tries to ask what they want to do, he turns around and find they're both asleep (and we see the flashback of something similar happening last time, too).

with raboot, in a lot of ways, goh is grappling with...himself. or at least, the person he was before he met ash - cold and distant, more interested in doing whatever he thinks is worth his time than in school, for example. so if goh saw his child self in scorbunny, he sees his more "adolescent" (i mean. he's still ten so still child, technically. but older child lol) self in raboot. and he actually responds to this in a way that's a lot like how we see his parents responding to him. in jn022, we see him

buy a bunch of apples for raboot, even though he thinks it doesn't need them (and is hurt when it doesn't let him have one, despite raboot seeming pleased that he bought them for it). compare to the device he shows horace in jn032, for example, which he says his parents built for him. or his six computer monitors. his parents reach him best through material means!

question why raboot hates him when it's not responsive to his overtures. contrarily, goh's parents don't think he hates them; they just automatically assume the worst case scenario (like in jn015 when he calls and they immediately wonder if he did something and got kicked out of the institute). but while that's their worst case scenario about him, raboot hating him is kind of goh's worst case scenario, right? it took him time to open up and accept scorbunny as his partner. now that it's evolved and is acting differently, he's terrified that he came to care for it only for it to leave him.

which leads to my last point here, which is that he doesn't actually ask what it wants. in this episode, he concludes that raboot would be happier without him. so he leaves it behind, but he never actually considers how it might feel. goh's parents do the same thing! they worry about him, but they don't share their concerns or ask how he feels. they just assume that he must feel a certain way and they adapt to compensate for that. but they never actually ask him what he wants.

this episode ends with him realizing that he hasn't been reacting to raboot's feelings so much as to his own, of course, and we see their relationship smooth out quite a bit. he's acknowledging that he's done things wrong, but also that it's not all his fault - and raboot's change in temperment is just a consequence of it evolving. they accept each other again and move on.

then, it evolves into cinderace and kind of opens up again more (though it's been doing that little-by-little since jn022). i think the fact that raboot and riolu evolve at the same time was a really cool move by the writers to kind of demonstrate how like...the relationship between ash and goh is reflected in the growth of their pokemon. they trained together! in a way they kind of grew up together! riolu, ash's token baby pokemon in jn, evolving at the same time as goh's starter feels like a very deliberate choice to highlight how ash helped goh's pokemon grow, too - through getting the ball rolling with how he helped goh grow as a person and a trainer. if that makes sense?

anyway, i don't have much to say about cinderace, other than that if he saw himself as a child in scorbunny and as an older child in raboot, then cinderace's level of openness and its enthusiasm aren't just reflexive of it getting back more of its scorbunny-esque personality - it also shows how goh has changed and has learned to embrace these parts of himself, now that he's in that "coming of age" age (well, for pokemon. he is still only ten lmao).

i think we see something similar with his other starters, though maybe a little less on the nose.

sobble

the drizzile episode, as you mentioned, is probably Thing here. but i think the theme with sobble is sort of that, where scorbunny maybe reflects more of the way goh thought about growing up and his aspirations (and how hard it was to open up to people), sobble more so mirrors his social experiences at school and with chloe.

VISUALLY, i think it's really telling that when goh catches sobble, he's...literally speaking to it from the other side of the water:

this whole episode (jn028) is about goh kind of...forcing sobble into positions it's not necessarily comfortable with, and not realizing that it's uncomfortable until it runs away from him. as we saw with raboot, this is a common theme with goh - but it's most obvious with sobble!

he realizes, of course, and says this:

even in flashbacks, goh never comes across as a shy kid. he doesn't exactly relate to sobble, but i think he's drawing a parallel here between them. he wasn't shy, but he was always on the "outside" - that's why he's so good at researching. he strives to see things as they are without getting involved. eventually, this is something that will make him a pretty thoughtful and strategic battler, though at this point he's still learning how to apply that to more than just research for the sake of research.

and then after sobble meets inteleon, we have these bits too:

goh's childhood motivations on the surface appear to be like...he doesn't want to bother with friends, because they aren't going to be able to serve a purpose for him. he isn't interested in making friends with anyone who is less into pokemon than he is. but after what happens with horace, it seems to get a little more complex, and then we have to wonder if his motivations really were that surface-level to begin with, or if, maybe, his policy of not making friends has always been a way for him to protect himself from betrayals like he experienced with horace.

we see chloe as early as jn001 trying to convince him to make friends, to no success. she doesn't even refer to herself as his friend - he doesn't seem to be willing to let her. he believes he doesn't need friends and is better off alone. but he doesn't realize until after meeting ash that his solitude is more of a self-imposed exile, in that it's hurting him more than other people. he can't improve as a person and reach his goals if he's too busy trying to protect himself to accept that he needs help from other people to do those things. so, again - i think he sees that side of himself in sobble. so it feels very impactful that he reaches out to help sobble become a better battler, but rather than forcing it to battle in a way that makes sense to him, he comes up with a way to have it train that plays off of its strengths of running and hiding.

and then, of course, there's the episode where sobble evolves, jn062. the writers themselves do most of the work here of drawing the parallel between goh's childhood and how drizzile is feeling, but i think it goes even deeper than that. drizzile is unhappy because it wanted to evolve into inteleon, not into drizzile. it's not comfortable in its own skin. and it doesn't necessarily want others to see it, because it feels like it's still growing and it's not ready yet. it kind of just...needs time to sulk and brood. drizzile runs away again, because it's not ready, and while they're looking for it, it's chloe who makes goh start thinking about when he was a kid, by saying this:

which prompts him to think about how he was searching for a "reason" for why drizzile was acting how it was, just like how adults used to demand reasons from him even when he didn't have them. and then of course we get this scene:

but i think he does on some level know why, because he talks immediately after this about how his parents weren't home and often felt lonely. he's more comfortable being alone. he's protecting himself. which is reinforced by the fact that he then tells drizzile this:

goh has a hard time putting his feelings into words, which is something we see throughout jn. he sees that drizzile is the same and this is a huge moment for him, because he's saying here that it doesn't matter what inspired its feelings; he understands it is experiencing those feelings and that's enough. he'll wait until it's ready to fully process them or whatever else it needs. drizzile kind of returns the favour when he starts crying here and it reaches up to brush away his tears, then disappears again.

overall, this episode does an amazing job of showing us how goh has become someone who actually acknowledges his and his pokemon's feelings - this is the only time we see him as a child where he's not doing something to try to ignore his feelings, or trying to walk away from them. in flashbacks, his back is often to his parents. in jn032, he gets upset, and then tries to cover his disappointment up immediately with anger and avoidance. the writers set this scene up so that we can see the reason behind his feelings clearly (just like we can see the reason behind drizzile's, even though goh and co. can't), but they rightly emphasize that goh's ability to analyze "why" he or his pokemon are feeling a certain way isn't always helpful. emotions are meant to be felt, not intellectualized. it's a good message, and a huge area of growth!

drizzile's evolution into inteleon also shows us how this acceptance translates into it eventually being comfortable enough to be who it wants to be. and the characters are impressed by it - it even earns kecleon's admiration, the same way that other inteleon earned its when it was a sobble. this is a pretty clear mirror with goh's social life, where he went from being this friendless outcast figure to someone with a lot of friends, and a great willingness to make more, as he became more comfortable and confident and willing to reach out to others.

and lastly,

grookey

the only one of the three that doesn't evolve, for reasons that aren't ever really made clear to us. but i think that as random (...and tone deaf) as his dream sequence at the start of grookey's debut episode is, it actually makes a lot of sense. in the original, the dream has camille and walker transformed into rillaboom, and goh is understandably freaked out. but i think the bigger, more symbolic thing is that even if it is a dream, his parents are the ones that foist grookey upon him. this does seem like a really weird choice, until you start thinking about the parallels, right?

in reality, grookey is team rocket's pokemon. the episode title "when a house is not a home" tells us that grookey obviously doesn't feel like it "belongs" there. but the episode doesn't open in team rocket's base. it opens in goh's apartment. and the part i didn't show in the drizzile scene above is when he says this:

the fact that goh was home alone a lot as a kid gets brought up fairly often. it implies that he kind of had to adopt this lone wolf persona, because there was no one else around to take care of him. he had to learn how to console himself and meet his own needs (hence why he's so combative about ash intervening with the ivysaur in jn003!), which is a lot of responsibility for a kid. grookey is handed to him like it's a responsibility in his dream, but then they bond. and he starts to appreciate having grookey around, to the point that he misses it when it returns to team rocket.

to me, the choice to have grookey not evolve kind of comes down to grookey being kind of...emblematic of goh's childhood. like, in his dream, grookey is this burden that's forced on him. someone he has to take care of, even though he isn't really prepared to do that. in reality, grookey is escaping from an environment that doesn't meet its needs. putting those two things together, i mean...that's just my reading of it, anyway. so grookey not evolving, and goh accepting grookey as it is - without any of the "growing up" analogs we have with cinderace and inteleon - is a way of showing that goh has come to terms with his childhood and that he accepts (and cherishes!) his childhood self. which he can only really do after he's done all the growing we see reflected in the evolutions of his other starter mons. (relatedly, grookey is the only starter of goh's who goh considers leaving with other mons in its evolution line. specifically, with two thwackey and their child, i.e. a family unit not unlike goh's!)

anyway! this is a very long post, so thanks for sticking with me if you did. hope my takes are as galaxy-brained as you hoped hehe

[yoku-yukihime]

(Pretend this ask is from @pokemonxhyperfixation, this is just my main lol)

So, I do trainer cards of Touhou characters, and I’ve been wanting to do a Junko one for a while, but Junko isn’t one of the characters that has parasitically latched to my brain, so I thought I’d ask YOU, THE Junko Touhou, what Pokemon you’d hypothetically use.

ive seen junko drawn with pokemon like delphox and ninetails before. obviously foxes and fire, but ive also seen her drawn with things like lunatone, jirachi, raikou, even something like chansey the way it cares for its egg. hell imagining her looking after a cubone, smth that lost its mom and jun that lost her son is cute Me personally though? as Junko real? My favorite pokemon is ferrothorn. nothing screams more visceral "i hate you" at someone than setting up five million entry hazards. plus i think hes just cool :)