#johto-succession

[asktheisle]

(@johto-succession Rayden @ Nat) "You seem like the kind of person that's met a legendary or two! Have any stories? Ooo or how about any legends you'd WANT to meet?"

I should really ask if the Lugia here wants to go by a name, they seem friendly enough to consider it.

Lotta legends come and go over here, so it's nice to see them pass by! I've made friends with Maksviah-I hope we're something like friends-and I want to think I get along with others that have come by.

[They mull over Rayden's second question, lighting up immediately.]

There's also Koraidon!! That seems like a really cool dragon to meet!

Oh! I wanted to mention how cool your jacket is, where'd you get it? I have to go to Sinnoh some time from now and I know it's gonna be cold for me, something like that would be nice to have. It looks super comfortable!

(( @johto-succession ))

[sinnohsiblings]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THESE ARE SO CUTE! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DRAWING MAMA NARCISSA! I was having such a bad day and this really brought a smile to my face thank you so much for drawing her I love it!

Fanart Friday turned into Fanart Sunday lmao

Thank you to all who suggested other blogs, the one I picked are

Narcissa from @sinnohsiblings suggested by @lightofunova

Gen from @ask-team-searchlights suggested by @ask-a-learning-ai

Reshi from @lightofunova suggested by @ask-the-royal-absol

I decided to make them all little guys 🥺❤️

[perish-song]

Oooo gimme 💛 Kat and Rayden ( @johto-succession )

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

routine vibe check: what’s the best starter pokemon and why are you right (pictures and long paragraphs of evidence welcomed and appreciated)

Gonna get a good grade in vibe check, normal to want and inevitable to achieve because I have objectively correct Pokemon opinions and will block naysayers

OKAY LET'S GO

I decided to do, like, a top 5 list or something, because I'm bad at picking a single favourite of stuff. And then even that overwhelmed me, so I found one of those tier ranking list sites and produced this:

It was done in less than a minute, so if I wanted to get really picky, I don't know if I would be fully wedded to it (not sure if maybe Sceptile should be one higher) BUT it did help to highlight the important ones.

So!

5. Bulbasaur

It's. Just. So. Nice.

Like you can find cooler, more beautiful, cuter, fancier... there's a whole bunch of ways for a Pokemon to be great. But you will never ever find a nicer Pokemon than Bulbasaur. It's so lovely. Look at it. Look at its face.

I can't put it higher, because the rest of the line is fairly bland in terms of development. It's good and logical and fun, don't get me wrong, but Ivysaur and Venusaur just look like bigger versions with More Flower and Less Cute rather than creatures in their own right. To be honest, if it weren't a starter requiring a three-stage evolution, you could do away with Ivysaur. Something I don't like about a lot of lazy three-step lines is that the middle step just looks like a transitional mid phase rather than a Proper Creacher, like they were artificially inflating the Pokemon number count. Meanwhile it took us until Paldea to get a Girafarig evo that would actually make the giraffe tall. Madness.

However my first ever Pokemon was a Bulbasaur I called Daffodil, and I have traded him forward onto every single successive generation since. He is, quite literally, my First Ever Pokemon. I love him desperately. I still have him. Not many people still have their First Ever Pokemon. But I do and I love him. So, Bulbasaur gets the fifth spot.

4. Snivy

Again, a victim of the Banal Transitional Middle Evo, but both Snivy and Serperior are incredible, and as Meatloaf took such pains to tell us, two out of three ain't bad.

But Snivy! It's so snooty! I was super lucky with mine, too, because I beat the 12.8% odds and got a female, and I loved her. Normally the initial baby starters are designed to be cute but Snivy has SO MUCH PERSONALITY, she's great. And the design of Serperior is utterly gorgeous. She keeps the expression, but rather than the Animal Crossing-style snooty-cute vibe of Snivy you get this thousand yard withering stare of an empress whose servant (you) has just turned up dripping mud in her throne room and asked her for money. Her green and gold colour scheme is exquisite. Her filigree design, including her high collar, give off the air of wealth and sophistication befitting her immaculate pedigree. And all this! In a simple snake. Incredible design work, 10 out of 10, no notes.

Begone, you miserable peasant. Have him boiled.

3. Torchic

Now I'll be real with you, lads, but Pokemon design hit its stride with Hoenn and then got better.

It's partly a fashion thing, of course - you look at some of the Kanto designs and they are remarkably 90s, because that's when the franchise launched. Others are clearly a product of what the 1990's were capable of producing in pixels on an already over-stretched cartridge medium. Like we like to clown on Red and Green/Blue now, but my god, those game designers performed a miracle with Pokemon. Every single square inch of space was used to make that game, and complex designs weren't going to cut it.

(With that said, there is still no excuse for Dragonite.)

And then Johto came about and its Pokedex sucks ass. It's mostly new evolutions for existing Kanto stars, useless babies to inflate the dex number, or poorly thought out single-evos like the inexplicably short Girafarig and the unacceptably dreary Dunsparce (our greatest thanks to Paldea for fixing both of those).

BUT THEN CAME HOENN (trumpets intensify)

And we get habitats! Biomes! A different regional climate, gifting us a brand new area of Pokecology! And therefore a brand new flush of creativity in Pokemon design across the board; less dated, and more inclined to be unique rather than a rehash of Kantonian stuff.

Which brings me nicely to this lad:

Now, I mean. Just look at him. Fucking hell. Cute starter stage, check. LOOK AT HIM FACE

AND THEN he became, at the time, a brand-new unique typing: Fire/Fighting. I realise that is now the norm for like, half of the Fire starters, but that's because of Torchic, actually. He was super popular. In fact if you ever play Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald and you do what my husband and I like to call a Mynci Dave run (use one Pokemon almost exclusively, meaning it gets all the experience points and therefore over-levels to a terrifying degree, allowing you to sweep the game; so named after the noble Primeape we first did this with, Mynci Dave), Torchic is the PERFECT Pokemon to choose, because almost everything is weak to either Fire or Fighting in that region.

Anyway, Combusken is, again, kind of mid (although props for the inverted colour scheme and the fact that it actually does look like a teenager.) But Blaziken, on the other hand... Blaziken is a six foot ninja chicken with wings for hair whose Pokedex entry describes it as able to leap tall peaks in a single bound, a feat it achieves after strengthening its legs by hoofing Geodudes down mountains like they're fucking footballs

Also an impressive bulge.

My first was called Gilgamesh, and he was fucking great. For a long time, this mad lad was my actual favourite Pokemon, not just starter. Brilliant. Love him. Five stars out of three. King.

2. Fuecoco

It would probably surprise you to know I've not actually used one. I chose Sprigatito, and I do really like Meowscarada, actually. But pretty anthro cat boys have been done in Pokemon quite a bit at this point; cats, dogs and rabbits are over-represented in terms of Poke-taxa. Possibly this is another reason for a toad, a snake and a chicken being 5, 4 and 3 so far (ooh, basilisk ingredients, I've just realised.) They're new and unusual! I like an Eeveelution as much as the next person, but they're a whole family of cat-dog-rabbits, like.

However.

Nintendo has tried its hand at Pokecrocodilians three times (Feraligatr, Krookodile, Skeledirge), and they have gotten so much better at design each time that the three of them are basically a scale proxy for ongoing design improvement. Look, I've made a diagram:

EXCEPT

(Strap in)

This one is that rare thing: a three step line that deserves to be a three step line. Let's talk Fuecoco first:

SO CUTE. It's charming, it's charismatic, it's adorable.

It also has hints of its evolutionary end goal, but not like an undeveloped middle evo. It likes singing. The white face hints at the eventual calavera, and it looks a bit like a lil chilli pepper - a ghost pepper, probably in reference to the eventual Fire/Ghost typing. But the colours and shape right now also look a bit reminiscent of a babygro, because this thing is a cute starter. Lookit them teefs. That tuft. Its lovely smile. Beautiful.

And then, at the point you expect it to turn into just the awkward teenage version of the adult, instead we get Crocator:

Oh boy. Oh there's so much to say. Okay okay:

The region it's from is based on Spain, but this thing is incorporating Hispanic elements from across the board. It's a mariachi in a sombrero, except the sombrero also looks kind of like a ring of Mexican marigolds and kind of like a Catalonian Easter cake called Mona de Pascua that has an egg (or egg-shaped confectionary) in the middle. Body shape and markings look kind of like a piñata. The white face is now on its way to a calavera, with the cheek and nostril markings more defined. And it sings, with its open mouth (also how crocodiles release heat, appropriate for a Fire type) and signified by the mariachi theme.

THAT IS A LOT.

And then it becomes Skeledirge. A Fire/Ghost crocodile.

Now the obvious design here is the calavera and the  Día de Muertos theming, which is part of it. But there are also many examples of crocodile figures in Spanish folkloric ghost stories: the Catalonian Cocollona, the Lizard of Magdalena from Jaén, or the Drac de Na Coca, or even the Cuca - that one is Portuguese, but turns up in both Brasil and the Iberian Peninsula including in parts of Spain. It's got a Gaudi vibe (like Barcelona). It's got an alebrije vibe (like Mexico).

And the bird! Nile crocs have a cleaning symbiosis with Egyptian plovers; it also sits at the tip of the snout where male gharials have a sort of bulbous bit to help them make sounds (the singing thing).

But this is what the bird does when Skeledirge uses Torch Song:

It becomes a microphone, then grows in size and attacks the opponent in Phoenix form. Phoenix: Fire/Ghost. Resurrected from the ashes.

Quite simply, your fave could never.

5. Rowlet

My god. (My god)

gasp

Look at this lovely creacher. He is so round and so soft and so lovely. He looks like that baby Yoda meme. He looks like that cat that someone's landlord said they would make an exception for because he looks very polite. Look!!! At his lil bow tie!!! He is a smartly dressed young man and he is kind and he is... well, a bit vacant behind the eyes. A himbo, if you will. But he is all the better for that. What a lovely owl.

He looks a little like a barn owl, perhaps, and those were imported to Hawai'i, where Rowlet is from. But I think he looks a little like a Pueo owl, and given that he will eventually be a Ghost type, that seems right - pueos are one of the physical forms assumed by ʻaumākua in Hawai'ian culture, as I understand it.

And then, hang onto your tits, lads, because this is another banger - THE MIDDLE EVOLUTION IS ITS OWN DESIGN!!! (confetti cannons)

I said earlier that boring middle evos are like just awkward teenagers of the adults. Here, I present to you, a very deliberate Awkward Teenager, in Dartrix:

IT'S A DANDY

I love him I love him I love him

He plays with his fringe and if you touch it without permission he has a tantrum. God, he's so charismatic. Also, that fringe further suggests the pueo - they have pronounced outer rims around their facial disks like that. Look at his bow tie and tail coat. So smart and handsome

This one is so good that it could be the final evo. This is actually my issue with the Delphox line - Braixen is amazing, and then it becomes the bland boredom of Delphox. Braixen should have been the final stop. Here, Dartrix is much the same - good enough to be a high-quality end goal.

Where they differ is that Decidueye is better again.

IT SHOOTS ARROWS MADE OF ITS OWN QUILLS

Also, fun fact - This line is the only starter to change secondary typing. Dartrix is part Flying; but on evolving a second time into Decidueye, it switches to Grass/Ghost. In this evolution, it's definitely mostly a pueo, so the ʻaumākua reference is IN, but actually barn owls also have their associations with the dead in various cultures.

The crown of feathers around its head are also reminiscent of an ayaigasa - a hat worn by Japanese samurai archers. And yet! AND YET!

It still has its lil bow tie look. Bigger now, more of a cravat; but there it is.

A perfect Pokemon, and a perfect evolutionary line. No notes.

Anyway, thank you for this chance to waste three and a half hours writing this essay

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

I sincerely hope I’m sending this request correctly. I wanna ask for a pokemon request where reader has a full Unown team with the Paldea crew reaction(Arven, nemona, penny) and maybe the blueberry academy crew reaction. I love unowns they’re my funky little letter guys. Basically the reader is an Unown enthusiast who only ever has unowns and only ever used Unowns. They have all the forms but the six they use are just the ones they took with them to Paldea. They went through Paldea and became champion with a full Unown team. Same with the bb league. I just think it’d be funny to see everyone’s reactions to that. Their partner mon would be Unown O and the other five you could pick cuz Unown O is my favorite letter. And also if u could write the unowns being affectionate with the reader and vice versa. I just like seeing trainers bonding with their pokemon. Thank you and I enjoy your writing!

(Side note: Honestly if ScarVio was able to have unowns in it you’d bet your ass I’d do a full Unown run. I’ve done it for other games. Was disappointed and sad I couldn’t have any unowns in them, sword/shield too.)

I LOVE the Unowns omg. I got a plushie of V and I'm still trying to get shinies and alphas in PLA

My favorite is F because it looks like a little stick figure but I adore all of them very much <3

.......

General

Ever since discovering the Unown in Johto (Ruins of Alpha) and the two additional forms in Kanto (Tanoby Chambers), you found your calling as a trainer.

An Unown trainer, to be precise.

Unown O was the first one you caught, and has been your battle partner ever since!

You've become something of an enthusiast, asking researchers what they've discovered and documenting the Symbol Pokemon as you collected them.

You've caught so many that you actually encountered a shiny or two--each capture being a success.

Their existence, connection to Arceus, home dimension, and "secret power" when more than one are gathered were all fascinating to you and made you wanna learn more.

You even incorporated some of their designs into your outfit: like gloves and socks that had symbols printed on them, keychains and charms on your jewelry and/or backpack..etc.

All 28 Unown grew to love you, and the ones in your party are super affectionate when you bring them out.

Their favorite game is hide n' seek (taking after their "ancestors" from PLA) around your home, and you like to play along.

Ofc people are wary around Unown given their mysterious nature, but you vow to break that stigma by feeding them treats and letting them nuzzle up to you, showing others that they're just like any other Pokémon: companions who deserved as much love and affection as a Pikachu.

After parting ways with your friends in Kanto and Johto, you don't leave without gifting them an Unown that was the first letter in their name (for Blue you left him a Shiny Unown B...which he still brags about to this day).

You decided to move to Paldea to take your Pokémon training more seriously, attending school and showing off your Unown since they're not native to the region.

Your team consisted of O, as well as N, E, F, R, and M--referring to what all 28 are collectively called (One Form).

Despite knowing they can only use Hidden Power and nothing else (plus the drawbacks from having a psychic-only team), you defied all the odds when you took on not one but TWO championships and won.

And of course, the friends you've made during your journey all got to know the Unown personally.

Paldea

Arven

At first, he thought your Unown team had more to it...until he realized that was ALL you brought to the battlefield.

Just funky letters that only knew one move.

"Oh come on, you're never gonna win with a team like that-"

And then you go and beat him with a team like that, and it shuts him up.

But Arven just rolls his eyes to the sky, making the excuse that he's not used to battling, and moves on.

As you get closer to him, though, and help him take down the Titan Pokémon around Paldea, he warms up to your team and admits they're kinda cool.

He'll only shoo them away if he's making a sandwich, not wanting to be crowded (but tbh he can tolerate Unown O's presence more than your 'raidon's).

You presented him with picks inspired by the designs of some Unown (I, K, T, Y, and !) to hold the ingredients together, and he's thoroughly impressed by your dedication to the craft.

You joked about selling them if you ever went into the art of culinary--yet Arven tells you to seriously consider it.

After the fight with the AI Professor in Area Zero, he sees your entire team pop out of their pokeballs, clearly stressed from being locked inside due to the Paradise Protection Protocol.

You never did a battle without them and were afraid they couldn't protect you, but you reassured them you were okay, letting them stay out during the journey home.

Only then does he realize that sure, they're weird little guys that don't seem all-that powerful, but you treasure them all the same.

Nemona

While she was confused about you not using the Paldea starter the Director offered you..she's HYPED when your real team comes out to play during your first match together: One made entirely of Unown, a Pokémon not even native to Paldea.

She may have read about them in some textbook unrelated to battling and glossed over them.

But to see them in battle left her extremely impressed and asking you dozens of questions afterwards.

They could just change their type when attacking??? She read about Arceus supposedly having that power, but it's awesome that these little letters/symbols can, too!

Despite thinking you'll bore her by having no strategy except "use hidden power", Nemona NEVER wants you to feel discouraged!

She wants to battle your team every time.

As you fight your way through the Pokémon League and all the way up to the Elite Four, she's rooting for you 100%, praising your Unown for overcoming even the toughest terastalized foes.

Knowing your party members, they LOVE praise and are very friendly towards her and her own Pokémon.

If any of them have timid/lonely natures..her words give them a big confidence boost.

And it reflects in their reaction times and how often they'll heal their own status conditions or tank OH-KO hits.

She says you're helping them get stronger every day, but you give her lots of credit, too, for helping you get this far.

Penny

While dealing with Team Star, Giacomo's dark team put your Unown through a world of hurt...

Penny had been watching the battle, worried that he was going to be the reason you failed to squander the organization.

Yet by some miracle, your team came out on top!

Only then does she realize you were more than capable of taking down all the bases.

Unown P comes out to greet her while you've doing an LP exchange, and it scared her pretty badly.

Especially as it just...stares. Occasionally blinking once or twice as she tries talking to you.

Conversations are hard enough for her already, and staring doesn't help matters, so she gets ready to leave-

But then its tune changes when you pat it on the head(?) and it trills happily, snuggling up to you.

Penny had to do a double-take, wondering how it managed to look so cute..but she dismisses your concerns when you asked why she made that face.

Later, after revealing she's the leader and becoming your friend thereafter...she still gets anxious around the Unown from time-to-time, but eventually warms up to their presence.

You don't treat them any differently despite their mysterious nature.

If anything, you care for them just like anyone would a cute Eevee: by spoiling them with love, treats, and sweet words of encouragement.

Penny felt like a hypocrite for being scared of them, considering people used to be scared of Team Star--yet they aren't as evil as everyone made them out to be.

They used to be lonely and misunderstood, just like the Unown were before you found them.

BB Academy

Kieran

When you showed off your team for the first time, Kieran was stunned.. remembering the things he read about them but didn't know they could actually be caught.

All he says when you show him Unown K is "wowzers".

And the journal entries you've logged turned his eyes into stars.

You show him all the photographs of ruins and Unown blending in during your trips to the signboards, rambling about what you've seen and discovered.

He loves listening to your tales..and wishes he could see those places with you.

But what he didn't like, however, was whenever you two had a battle in which your Unown only needed one command to win. You didn't have to try at all.

Even with his team's most supereffective attacks..speed and dumb luck were on your side, crushing his confidence and making him jealous.

It doesn't help when you still decided to keep Ogerpon despite you saying you only ever used Unown.

It wasn't fair.

And ofc by Indigo Disk, Kieran wants nothing more than to destroy your team, insulting them under his breath when he thinks you can't hear him.

You just scowl and cover their nonexistent-ears while they nuzzle up to you--although deep down, you knew he didn't mean those words.

He's just pissed off that he lost sleep and his appetite over training his team, giving them the best moves and items to utilize on the battlefield..only for you to sweep the BB League with a simple command.

He managed to OH-KO one Unown with Incineroar's Darkest Lariat..and that sinister grin you saw on his face was most unnerving.

But you still claimed victory over him and he takes the loss hard.

Down in Area Zero, he's convinced that the "Hidden Treasure" Terapagos can take down your "Hidden Power" team..

But after seeing them form a shield (similar to the crystal one in the Spell of Unown movie) that protects him when the legendary goes rogue..it changed his perspective.

Only then he understood why they were so powerful.

As the Unovian Pokedex said: Alone, nothing happens..but together, Unown are strong and invoke a great power.

When the dust settles, O floats into Kieran's hands, healing the pain in his wrist caused by Terapagos breaking the masterball.

He felt so so guilty for the name-calling and his desires to hurt them. Yet they've all forgiven him.

In a way, Unown remind you of him: small and unassuming, at first glance..but full of great power that's waiting to shine.

During Mochi Mayhem, K stays by his side while he holds off the possessed townspeople and you capture Pecharunt, growing quite attached to him.

And after coming back to the academy, you decide to trade him that Unown, hoping he incorporates it into one of his teams. Be it casual or competitive.

Carmine

Back in Kitakami, she laughed at your "puny"-looking letter Pokémon, thinking them to be weak as she sics Poochyena and Polteageist on them.

While their dark/ghost moves hit the Unown hard, it's Unown O who takes them down with critical hits..and Carmine got LIVID.

She impressed you're sticking with a team that appeared in ancient texts, although that doesn't dissuade her from teasing you about them for a while.

Ngl you nerding out over Unown facts and studies you've recorded reminds her of Kieran infodumping about Ogerpon.

Your Unown just glare at her, and you gotta call them back to your side before they try attacking her outside a battle.

However as time goes on and she warms up to you, meets Ogerpon, etc..she grows to like them more, too.

Eventually she's cheering them on as they take down the Loyal Three and tank their poison attacks.

By Indigo Disk's events, she comes around to genuinely smile at their presence.

Although she had concerns Kieran's new team would be too overwhelming for them...

Yet your team of hieroglyphics won anyways.

And down in Area Zero's underdepths, they invoked a great power to shield the siblings from Terapagos' attacks, protecting the two people who once hated and mocked them with all they had.

As they both break down in tears, some Unown come out of their pokeballs to comfort them, and O stays on your shoulder as you exit the cavern together.

A few photobomb the selfie you take with the twins back at the academy (as well as Kitakami's festival), but it's alright.

Carmine will allow it because you treasured them and they DID save her and her brother's skin.

Drayton

While you did struggle during his trial (due to his "Terarium Pokemon-only" rule), the actual battle caught him by surprise when your Unown swept the floor, taking down his dragons.

How Unown F was able to withstand an Electro Shot was beyond him, but it was sturdy enough to finish the fight with a Fairy-based Hidden Power.

After winning, you both take a selfie in commemoration, with you passing F to Drayton like "can we get an F in the chat" and him humbly accepting it.

It was all in good fun, and looking back on it in your scrapbook made you laugh.

But what you didn't feel good about was him rubbing your victory in Kieran's face after you win the championship, further shattering the kid who nearly keeled over trying to make the perfect team to beat you..only for some "letters" to kick him down into the dirt.

"Wow, that's tough..now are you gonna take the F or L, ex-champ?"

He forgot this kid doesn't understand much internet lingo, but Unown F and Unown L didn't appreciate his jokes, and neither did you.

But after the events in Area Zero, you let it go, eventually deciding to trade him Unown D as your way of thanking him for helping you get close enough to knock sense back into Kieran.

Crispin

Let's face it, he's gonna be staring at your Unown like a Magikarp out of water and ask how they eat..

Or if they eat at all for that matter.

Their eyes just blink and poof, their share of the meal is already gone.

He knows they're psychic Pokémon, but still...

His favorite ones are definitely C (bc of his name) and S (for Spicy), though he's eager to see how your team fairs in battle when you clear his trial.

You warn him it might be "boring" but he acts like you insulted his cooking and begs you not to say that again.

"Every Pokémon battle gets me fired up!!!!! Don't downplay yourself!!!"

Even when your Unown easily douse his Pokémon's flames with Water-based Hidden Power (and Fire for his Exeggcutor), he still had a blast battling you, realizing those little letters are full of vigor and surprises!

He's eager to see what supereffective type they're gonna use next.

When you eventually decide to trade, you contemplate giving him an extra Unown F you had..or a C.

But you settle for the latter, and Crispin promises to feed the little guy well!

Lacey

Unown are small, simple, and make trilling noises...all checking off her criteria of "cute" Pokémon!

Although knowing they're connected to Arceus--the literal god of all 'mons--is an unnerving fact, she agrees that they're adorable and deserve to be treated as such.

She gets to learn your team's different natures, and likes how you're trying to convince people that they're not as scary as the old legends present them.

They love nuzzling up to you, resting on your shoulder and/or head, twirling around, and playing with the local Minior.

That being said..Lacey gets shocked at the punch they pack during battle, with them using Poison or Steel-based Hidden Power to take down her fairies.

It's always the most unsuspecting Pokémon who are the most powerful.

Even if you worry about the battle being boring since all you can give out is one command, she's gonna turn your pessimistic thinking around!

Unown F is her favorite since it's looks like a stick figure, but Unown L is also pretty neat..yet she wonders why Unown ? and Unown ! look tired all the time...

When you trade her a letter/symbol, she's thrilled to welcome yet another cute Pokémon onto her team!

Amarys

Considering their affiliations with ruins and Arceus, the existence of Unown have always piqued her interest.

And you so-happened to be a walking encyclopedia of anything related to the Symbol Pokémon, given the journals you've written on their mannerisms.

Amarys likes reading them over, and thinks a quiz involving the Unown Alphabet would be good to have at BB Academy.

On the other hand, after your battle to climb the League rankings, she wonders if you've ever used other Pokémon..only to find out that you never did.

All you know are Unowns.

She won't force you to change your team members, seeing as they were able to beat ALL of the league members--including Kieran.

But she suggests you had one Unown use Hidden Power on its battle partner, who could hold onto a Weakness Policy.

Yet you're adamant, saying "why would I want one Unown to hurt the other just for a temporary attack boost? :((("

Your team members are besties, your cuddle buddies..how could you do that to them???

Amarys is genuinely touched by how much you care for your Unowns, and vice versa.

Speaking of which, Unown A started hanging around her more often..and she cautiously tries to pet it, surprised by its happy trills, but otherwise acts nonchalant.

When you both decide to trade, you give her that Unown and she promises to look after it.

[bearimba]

Johto Culture/Worldbuilding Headcanons

Since the New Bark Town kids are out of the way, I figured I'd do some basic worldbuilding stuff before we start covering more characters. There's more I'll cover later on, but to start off with, let's go over the general culture of Johto!

As a whole, the people of Johto lean towards more "traditional" values such as putting family first, a sense of obligation towards their communities (national pride/patriotism is very strong in older populations), an emphasis on respect towards elders, etc.

That being said, Johtonians are also very private---typically, what happens behind closed doors stays behind there for better or for worse. That doesn't mean people aren't extremely nosy, just that they wouldn't actively disrupt the public peace with their gossip.

Joint families are the most common form of family unit, though nuclear families have become more prevalent in cities such as Goldenrod due to limited living space. Houses tend to consist of one main living space (usually living room/kitchen/dining room combined) with bedrooms and bathrooms accessed through either a side hallway or a second floor. Sometimes (usually in downtown areas), a family business may be on the first floor while living/private spaces will be located on the second floor.

Similarly to Sinnoh, Johto's history is considered very important and conservation efforts are taken very seriously across the region. However, those efforts are mostly aimed towards preserving current knowledge instead of actively discovering the past, meaning there is still information that gets forgotten and lost to time.

Due to this (and also partially because of the burning of Brass Tower), Ho-Oh receives much more reverence than Lugia. Before, they were considered the twin guardians of the region and protected the balance between people and pokemon, but now, Ho-Oh has been deified while Lugia is sidelined and nearly forgotten.

Johtonians have a very distinct accent, mostly since they're a bit more secluded compared to other regions. Goldenrod and Saffron City have a stronger mix of Johtonian and Kantonian accents mostly due to tourists and commuting workers on the Magnet Train.

Johto exports a large amount of artisanal and handmade goods, especially woodcrafts such as cabinets or other large furniture (it's much more heavily wooded compared to other regions), but the region also has a very successful maritime industry that could almost rival Hoenn's.

Johtonians receive their ID card on their 13th birthday. At that point, they may opt in to take the gym challenge. If they do, they will receive a trainer card that contains information pertinent to the gym challenge on the back, which is then updated with every gym the trainer beats. They will keep the same ID their entire life regardless of whether they complete the challenge.

On a similar note, the age of majority is 20, which is a bit older than most other regions (Sinnoh/Kanto are 18, Hoenn is 17, etc etc.)

Children typically get their first pokemon (also referred to as their starter pokemon) at a very early age. This is to help teach them responsibility and respect for pokemon, and it provides them protection when they're unsupervised.

Public schooling is free up to 13 years age, at which point they can choose to pay to go to a private school, take a break to go on a pokémon journey and take on the gym challenge, or quit altogether.

Far more often than not, children will take about a year to go on their journey and then go back to school. Upon their return, they generally have the option to skip certain classes (both the ones they missed and future classes) if they're able to put together a decent report detailing their experiences and what they learned on their journey.

Nontraditional scenarios include students returning from their journey earlier or later than a year, students going on their journey and not returning to school, or going on their journey/dropping out of school at older than 13 years (there is technically no upper age limit at which the gym challenge can be started).

Crime rates are pretty low (especially major crimes such as assault, burglary, kidnapping etc.), which is part of the reason why children are allowed to roam the region unsupervised. This is mostly due to heavy restrictions on which/how many pokemon are legal to own, with and without certain permits. Additionally, the maximum number of occupied pokeballs a person is allowed to carry at once is six, although the average person will own at most three pokemon. Such laws are common in other regions, but Johto is more strict about their regulations.

Additionally, since taking care of children is often a community undertaking ("it takes a village to raise a child"), many adults will keep a close eye on nearby kids and keep them out of trouble regardless of whether they're related.

Since traveling trainers can’t hold down a steady job, a common way to earn money is just to pop into local businesses and ask if they need help. It’s not guaranteed to work, but most businesses will either find something small for them to do or recommend a different business to ask.

Pokemon centers will often allow trainers to sleep overnight in the lobby, though it's frowned upon to stick around for more than a day or two---camping outside or getting a room at an inn is better for longer stays.

Also, because pokemon centers are so widespread and well-recognized, they're often used as a meeting spot for social gatherings (though again, loitering inside isn't welcome. it's like meeting up with friends in a hospital lobby). As a result, many businesses---mainly third spaces such as restaurants and recreational spots---will compete to establish themselves as close to pokemon centers as they can.

Live performance tends to be the most popular form of entertainment across the region, including traditional/ceremonial productions, theater, and music. Historical enactments are also very popular during festivals. This is in part because oral storytelling used to be the region's main form of chronicling its history. (There are a few exceptions, such as the Dragon's Den containing extensive records of the Dragon Tamers and the local area, but unfortunately, access to those records is generally very limited.)

Slowpoke tails are somewhat of a local delicacy, but because Slowpoke farms are few and far between (there's strict laws on humane treatment such as how many Slowpoke can be kept on one farm, the space and amenities required to keep them, harvesting methods, etc.), they tend to be quite expensive and typically have to be sourced from the farms themselves. Trying to export them in large enough quantities is even more expensive, especially before the shipping methods are modernized, so for a long time the tails remain purely a Johtonian cuisine.

[efverse]

Concepts for evil team efverse substitutes...

a lot of this stuff is more spaced out throughout history than it is in the actual mainline games btw👍

Kanto-hoenn:

Kanto:

Team "rocket" itself was at the height of its success when eon and ditto were around ten and the team had a successful year or so from then where they could pretty much do whatever.... especially after they got a leash on Mewtwos power...

I kind of like the idea of replacing Giovannis role w a porygon2 that would evolve into a porygon z during like. a dramatic moment....

Johto:

Unbeknownst to the general public team "rocket" also had underground happenings in Johto as well, that were being run by 3 of their four admins while the fourth was in Kanto aiding porygon

When team rocket had finally been disbanded in Kanto shortly after losing Mewtwo their underground operations in Johto continued...

Until eventually that had been stopped too.

Hoenn:

About fifty years ago, when sableyes story happened btw, is when the team aqua/ magma thing went down in hoenn.

I think it was probably around the time of various crises that made a lot of water types form team aqua and that team magma was started as well

i havent played emerald in awhile but i think that the events played out w a bit more similarity to that situation than r/s?(ie both teams active not just one main one)

[ask-team-spectrum]

(@johto-succession Rayden @ Violet) "Woah, that's some awesome looking hair! Who's your stylist? Maybe I should go with some cool colors like that!"

“Honestly I might start dying my hair like Pa does when I start going out and doing some crimes, but for now I like the blue! I also like your blonde too.”

[my-pokemon-rambling-blog]

Before Lance, Clair was actually my favorite Pokemon character.

I already mentioned this on my main blog here: @trivial-writing. I grew up with two older brothers. I felt overshadowed by them. I felt that everything I did didn’t matter because my brothers were better than it.

My music ability? Well the oldest has that in the bag. He was able to play Bach when he was nine on a saxophone. He picked up guitar at age fourteen and absolutely blew my parents away.

My physical ability? Well, I did fencing and swimming. What are those sports in the US when you have a great football player of a brother? He got college scholarships for that. He declined them to focus on religion, and my parents got mad at him. I don’t understand why since they are very religious.

But what about my academics? Surely my 4.9 GPA would be something to gawk at? No. I had honors classes. My brothers had AP classes for two years in a row. All of them were AP classes by the way. Besides, my oldest was getting married by the time I got in into High School, and my graduation means absolutely nothing when your other older brother’s grad school graduation is on the same day.

This is why Clair was my favorite character for a time. I still have a soft spot for her to this day. It’s because I feel like she feels the same way about Lance. I head cannon he’s a prodigy. Just like the protagonist in Johto, he was able to get all sixteen badges. He left Blackthorn to go on a journey while Clair still had to train. Everything Clair did didn’t matter to her because Lance could do one better. She had a Dragonair who was a twin sibling to Lance’s Dragonite. Her Dragonair never evolved. Lance’s on the other hand evolved early because another head cannon I have is that Pokemon evolutions aren’t fixed. It’s just the trainer’s ability to get them to that strength.

Even non-Pokemon related things held Clair down. Lance is physically stronger than her. He’s a prodigy in whatever sport. He had to go to boarding school in Galar because Johto education is inferior to Galarian education. Lance was even able to get good grades there too. It infuriates Clair so much.

She just wants a skill that’s just hers. She does, but it’s not a skill that is looked fondly upon in the Elder’s eyes. She spends her life wanting to be successful in his eyes. Her parents, especially her mother, is looked down upon because their marriage wasn’t approved. The Clan is filled with purity culture. Clair’s parents weren’t married when she was born. She feels outcasted.

Clair is pretty good with the cold. She can also clean well. It’s just something she likes. However, she likes organizing more. Organization is her hobby. She will beg her cousin to organize anything. He doesn’t let her. And she’s pissed that she doesn’t get to do it.

I kinda went too much with myself than Clair. Oops.

[deerdeardarling]

alright due to that one post about PokeParents im gonna share my headcanons that i have on discord - but these will be edited from that a lil so, lets go!! Part 1 - Pokemon Protags Red - Same as Ash in the anime (they are parallels of one another!), His Dad left when he was a baby to go be a trainer but just. disappeared. still sends the very occasional letter and money but Red's never met him and doesn't care too. Mama is about the same as Delia. Leaf - Same as Blue since I follow the hc they're siblings, so I'll cover her in the rivals post! Ethan - So! with my Chosen au/pokeverse, hgss is technically the third gen, so either Ethan's mom and him moved to Johto at the start of game while his dad still works in Hoenn, or his mom's just single. Lyra - I've been playing around with the idea that she's Professor Elm's daughter (since, i think he's got a daughter in canon?) but i found out through that other post that she as a rival is the granddaughter to the daycare couple! I'll cover Kris with the rivals Brendan - Norman's kid, just like the games, there is a mom in the games but I don't have much on her since I still haven't played these games! (I'll get to the once i figure out whateverthehell is going on with citra-) May - Prof. Birch's kid! same as Brendan, don't have much other than what is already well known, her parents are happily married (-unlike Brendan's-) Lucas - Actually I have his and Dawn's parents switched! So Lucas has the rival!Lucas' parents from in game (who i know the dad works with Prof. Rowan, mom i think is just at the home.) maybe his parents know Palmer? Dawn... & Selene! - Yep, in my personal verse; ChosenZVerse, I have Dawn and Selene as sisters! Dawn as the older, Selene as the younger. Their mom was the former contest performer, and their dad is a deadbeat, but considering bdsp maybe he was involved with galatic? at one point?? (where the hell did i get this??) Hilda... & Nate! - second verse same as the first - USA DIVORCE!!! 🦅🦅🦅🎆🎆🗽🗽🗽(there's no flag on windows???) Serena - I'm gonna stick with this headcanon so sprinkling in some spice - I think Grace (XY mom) had a one night stand and decided to keep the baby (this is. supposed to be a symbolism for life-)

Gloria - aka my OC Fiona; who is the only other one than May to have both stable parents; I do have the hc that her mom's Unovan tho, with her Dad being Galarian aaannd! Victor - aka my other OC Malik! who is the younger brother of Raihan; both parents are still together but are working around the world. Their Mom's a successful business woman while their dad is a dragon expert/conservationist. runs in the family!

that's it! I'll either reblog or just make a separate post for the rivals cause that's prolly be twice as long lmao

[goldenteaset]

If Legato, Vash, Belial and Djeeta had Pokémon, which ones would they have?

Feel free to include your FOs teams as well or just pick and choose ♥️

Aww thanks anon! Allow me to put in lots and lots of time on this because The Resurgent Obsession Is Real. XD In the order you listed out:

Legato

I feel like he'd be that nightmarish Trainer (Gym Leader?) who specializes in Psychic Pokemon.

Malamar would be his pride and joy I think! When it was an Inkay it glommed onto him and he sloooowly sorted out he "liked its company"

Prefers Pokemon to people, often violently.

Really his whole team would be designed to make the player go "Oh god oh no oh no OH NO" with each successive sending out. (Except for his Alolan Raichu, I suppose?)

By contrast, he makes excellent curry and his Pokemon all love him.

Vash:

Vash's team is all over the place! He'd be a "completes Pokedex for love" sort of Trainer, with a special fondness for the misunderstood Pokemon.

(See: his "starter" Absol, who he found injured in a ditch and cries over a lot.)

His Absol finds this a bit embarrassing but soldiers on.

That said, Vash's super-secret ace in the hole is Inteleon! >:3

He and Legato would be childhood rivals--or to be more specific, Legato would insist on challenging him all the time while Vash runs away

Belial:

I actually have an entire Pokemon AU for him and Cammy at this point that I keep meaning to burble about in full...but anyway!

Another one you'd never know what to expect from, but he does have his tastes. Dark, Poison, and Fairy for spice!

His "starter Pokemon" was a Trubbish Professor Lucilius chucked at him one day.

That Trubbish is now a very spoiled Garbador! Real "lapdog" energy, if that lapdog was also 6 feet tall and ate the burnt bits off of baking utensils.

He has two Alcremies: one Shiny named Black Forest and a rainbow flavor named Stiff Peaks, because even in this AU he has to have his innuendo. XD

That said, the Alcremies don't go into battle very often, they're his baking assistants.

Djeeta:

Shinies and Legendaries for days, baby!

Is a Pokedex completionist who always has souped-up IVs on her "crew members" (Note: I haven't looked into those yet ^^;)

Loves loves loves camping with other Trainers!

You're going to camp with her and you're going to like it

She's the epitome of that mindset from Johto: "Weak Pokemon, strong Pokemon...that's only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with her favorites."

On that note, her favorites are an Altaria named Lyria and an Appletun named Vyrn!

This was fun, thank you anon~ :D

[sleeppaw]

Now is the time to let Harry Potter fade into obscurity

After J.K Rowling showed herself to be a racist, it's high time to let Harry Potter become irrelevant. Let it become "The Sheikh" of the 21st Century. There are way better authors out there. There are young authors out there that deserve support, some are LGBTQIA or disabled or poor or from an ethnic minority. Let Generation Alpha and Generation Beta have their own cultural touchstone in the form of literature. I have been doing my part, promoting my "Bramble Clough" Short Stories whenever I can, even going as far as creating a TV Tropes page for it; in the next year, I plan to create a wiki for the series. One thing I like about Pokemon is how each region is both separate and connected, and that each installment doesn't contradict the lore. More importantly, each region has a theme: Kanto is science, Johto is tradition, Hoenn is environment, Sinnoh is Mythology, Unova is Ethics, Kalos is Culture, Alola is Family, Galar is Succession and Paldea is Legacy.

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

(Response) @johto-succession

Translation Protocol - Activated

Test test. Hopefully ya can understand me. Sorry if I caused you a bit of a shock when I used my Rotie, but anyway, I'll ask you again: I see you havin' some nice headphones. Are you perhaps a music fan? If so, can you recommend some songs to listen?

[realm-sweet-realm]

One For All, Epilogue

In an AU where the protagonist never fell from the sky, the Survey Corps will have to pull together and make use of every resource at their disposal to face the challenges present in Pokemon: Legends Arceus. There will be surveyshipping.

Thank you guys for joining me on this much-longer-than-planned adventure! I have a lot of one-offs planned after this, so stay tuned!

---

The festival was a sight to be seen. Never before had any resident of Jubilife seen so many clanspeople within their streets, let alone welcomed them warmly. Children donned masks and chased each other through the streets, merchants made trades, musicians played, and every spirit seemed to soar. 

Through it all, Laventon couldn’t be in enough places at once. Everything was worthy of a photograph, and he sought to capture as much of the event as he could. He’d captured a beautiful photo first thing- one of clanspeople in their finest montsukis and furisodes pouring through Jubilife’s open gate- and from that moment on, the spirit of photography was with him. He was managing successful picture after successful picture. With any luck, this would serve as a reminder for everyone of the joy and connection that came from working as one- not that he suspected the tale of the three factions conquering Gods together would die out anytime soon. 

As Laventon captured shots of the drummers drumming, he caught sight of two men and a woman carrying fireworks toward the edge of town. He certainly wanted a picture of that. He followed the three up the towers of the village gates, asking them the best place to set up his camera for the best view.

“Excuse me,” Laventon said to the trio, “where can I best set up? To take a stunning photograph of the fireworks without disturbing you, that is.”

The woman chuckled. “The fireworks won’t be for another hour yet, and you’ll be able to see them from anywhere.”

Laventon blushed. “Oh. Yes, of course.”

“You should go down to the town square. A dance is starting, and I’m about to head down myself.”

“Oh!” he replied. “Very well, then.”

The square was in the thick of the action. It was where the musicians had chosen to play, and thus, many people had taken to dancing there and merchants had taken to the edges of it, trying to make a dollar off of partygoers.

Sitting off to the side of it was Cyllene and Rei, talking at one of the tables outside the Wallflower. Leaning over the table with his good arm and a weary look in his one unbandaged eye, Rei was clearly drained. Who wouldn’t be after all he’d been through? But he was happily chatting with Cyllene, perhaps recounting the tale of how he’d been injured in the first place.

Cyllene. It wasn’t often that Laventon had seen Cyllene interacting casually- not outside her training sessions with Zisu that Laventon had sat in on and in one disastrous instance, participated in. She was wearing a fine purple kimono, her face adorned with a small smile as she listened to Rei’s tale. She reminded Laventon of a regal queen he’d once met in Johto- a comparison he perhaps ought to keep to himself.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Laventon said as he approached their table.

“Thank you,” Cyllene replied. “It’s good that you came. Rei has much he’d like to express to you.”

“Yeah!” Rei seconded. “I have so much to tell you about what the plates are for, and a story to tell you that I’ll be telling to everyone for years, especially once these are scars to bring it up with!” Rei pointed at the bandages over his eye at that last part.

“Well, I’d love to hear it!” Laventon said. Just then, the music slowed as a new, romantic song played. “But, um, first,” he turned to Cyllene. “May I have this dance?” he asked, extending a hand to her.

Rei sat back, defeated. “Ah, come on- I’ve been waiting all night to see you, and you’re leaving already?”

The two older researchers paid him little heed. “You may,” Cyllene replied, taking Laventon’s hand, and, after Laventon gave Rei a brief apology, they were on their way to the square.

“I’ll warn you, I don’t really know how to dance, let alone whatever dances are popular in Hisui.”

“I don’t dance, either,” Cyllene replied. “So show me how Galarians dance. It’s the only way either of us know.”

Laventon put a hand on her shoulder and his other one on her hip, and she mirrored him. “Very well, then… I only know so well myself, but… one step, two step… one step, two step…”

It was a simple dance, one that both of them could keep up.

Behind Cyllene, Laventon could see Irida and Adaman, laughing as a gaggle of children carried off their eevee evolutions. Many villagers had come out with their Pokémon, too- pets, creatures of labour, guard Pokémon. Though it was hard to tell, Laventon even thought he could make out the shape of ghosts in the crisp night air, perhaps drawn to the festival by the pleasant music and the smell of food.

“So, what’s next? For the team, I mean, now that this strange phenomenon is behind us.”

“Much the same as before the phenomenon began- fill the Pokédex and fulfill requests. The clans have requested a better understanding of time-space Distortions. Once we find a way of predicting their formation, this could be an excellent opportunity to collect rare specimens.”

Laventon perked up at the thought of such an adventure. While he was glad things had settled a bit, he was glad that the Survey Corps adventures weren’t over for him yet. “I’m certainly game for that!”

“Yes, it’s very exciting. However, until we have the research methodology worked out, we should keep ourselves occupied with other tasks. The Agriculture Corps has requested that we look into the possible uses of bug types. That would be a good place to start.”

Laventon chuckled, almost falling out of the song’s rhythm as he did so. “Well, I suppose we’re due for some mundanity as well. Are you certain the bug types won’t be too much for you?”

Cyllene turned slightly pink. “After fighting Gods, I’m certain I could tolerate a few wurmples.”

“Well, alright!”

With that, the song ended and another began.

“Want to try copying the others this time? It’s a pretty good way to learn dances if my experience is correct.”

“Laventon, I would like a word with you,” Kamado said, interrupting their dance before Cyllene could respond.

Laventon nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked to Cyllene, nervous and looking for guidance. Kamado had every right to be at this party, of course- Laventon had caught glimpses of him while he was running around with a camera, even- but this had come out of nowhere and he hadn’t done anything wrong that he could think of, and-

“I would like Cyllene to come as well, and Rei is already at the village gates,” Kamado continued. “I promise that you aren’t in any trouble.”

With that, Laventon and Cyllene started following Kamado. They were joined by Rei as they followed Kamado past the gates of Jubilife- gates that were left open more and more nowadays as Pokémon and the clans had become less their enemies and more their allies. Laventon began to trust that Kamado really did mean no harm. Or at least, that he might.

“You still keep a knife on you, right? At all times?” Laventon whispered to Cyllene. Not that it was likely to come to that, but it would be reassuring nonetheless!

“Is that something Mesprit showed you?” Cyllene whispered back.

“Yes,” Laventon replied, taking a more thorough look over Cyllene’s outfit and wondering how exactly she’d manage to hide a knife in it.

“I don’t think we’ll have any need to impale our commander,” Cyllene said coolly. Laventon grabbed her hand for comfort. 

The trio’s destination wasn’t far from the village: it was Prelude Beach, the same port that Laventon had arrived at Hisui, and, most likely, the place that Cyllene and Kamado had years prior.

“Laventon,” Kamado started, “I have brought you here to apologize. When the first of us arrived here on Prelude Beach, myself, Beni, and all the others, we had little. We wanted to make ourselves a home and a future here, and I would have done anything to protect it from anything that might threaten us. Our life here was fragile at first, and I reacted poorly to any change to the status quo. And yes, that included a team of adventurers teaching us to live in harmony with dangerous creatures, aided by a foreigner seeking glory. But since you have come here and since the Survey Corps has flourished, the lives of everyone in Jubilife have improved. I understand that I have made your time here very difficult and went against what I intended for Jubilife to be- a place where all who are willing to work are welcome. It would be understandable if you cannot forgive me, but thank you for your help in protecting Hisui, and I’m sorry that I didn’t see that you were with us from the beginning.”

“Sir… It’s alright,” Laventon said. “So long as I’m welcome here now and you respect me from now on, that’s all I care about.” It was the truth.

Kamado’s stiff posture seemed to ease considerably. “Thank you…” Kamado said.

For a moment, the four sat on the beach, watching the waves come in as they reflected light from the lanterns of Jubilife. 

“So… can I tell you my story now?” Rei asked.

“Of course!” Laventon replied.

“Alright!” Rei said, his eyes lighting up. “I know you don’t have your notebook right now, so I’ll just keep this casual and then give you a written report later. So, after the Captain told me to go after Volo…”

As Rei started his story, Laventon held Cyllene close and Cyllene held him back, Kamado’s presence ruining none of their comfort. Maybe Laventon should have been less forgiving of Kamado, but he honestly felt like a hurricane had stopped coming his way- like he could stop waiting for a shoe to drop. Maybe now that Kamado wasn’t a shoe or a hurricane he could be a person to Laventon, maybe even one he liked. Or, maybe he couldn’t. But all Laventon could feel now was relief. Relief, and gratitude that he could keep enjoying Rei and Cyllene’s presence without fear.

Suddenly, the four heard the whizzing sound of something flying through the air, followed by the bang of the first firework exploding into a flash of coloured sparks. 

“Oh, no! The fireworks!” Laventon cried, rising to his feet. “I need to get back and capture this!”

“They’ll be going long enough for you to take your photo. But let’s hurry, just to be safe,” Cyllene said, and the four rushed back to Jubilife together.

[lightofunova]

(Johto-succession Rayden @ Reshi) Rayden spots Reshi and bolts over to greet her "Hey! I hear you're the host, yeah? Thanks for throwing this awesome party! Love the spot, got yourself a sweet place for sure! So anyway, I brought some games and stuff if you're interested!" He rummages around in the bag he held, pulling out a speaker. "I also thought we could get down with some jams, yeah? It's not a party without dancing!"

“Are they made from berries? Is that a modern day jar? I haven’t had jam in so long!!” The goddess excitedly says, clapping happily.

[doktorpeace]

The Great All Generation Nuzlocks Roundup

This is gonna be long and have multiple parts thanks to the image limit on posts. Each game will be headlined by their title in Bold Print so if you're only interested in certain games it'll be easy to filter through. These notes will also only be on the Successful Run of each game. I'll note how many times I wiped in each game, but largely won't mention those runs for sake of relative brevity.

All runs were performed with the following rules - Only One Encounter Per Route/Zone/Area/Cave [Unique Names Denote Separate Areas] No Duplicate Encounters No Using Items In Battle No In-Game Trades No Overleveling the next Gym Leader or Major Boss Purchased/Gift Pokemon Are Allowed (Though there is only one case where I use one) but count as your encounter for that Area. No Use Of 'Affection' Based Mechanics.

RED - Kanto is a genuine joy to Nuzlocke for a few reasons. It's quick to get going, most early game Pokemon are quite strong (Ratticate, Primeape, Nidoking/queen, and Fearow are all genuinely incredible encounters), and it has probably the most balanced set of starters overall with regards to choice. All three have viable reasonings to be picked in the context of a nuzlocke. I, personally, went with Bulbasaur because my primary goal was to Win The Game and not to flex.

Kanto's also great for developing basic skills for nuzlocking. Team building, knowing when to switch, resource/Power Point management, moveset scouting, etc. all go much farther than normal in Kanto thanks to the poor AI and generally weak enemy trainers.

My favorite thing about it, though, and what made it very fun and a great start is that unlike every other region you can 100% assure yourself VERY powerful encounters in the mid and late game, and I don't mean gift Pokemon. There's just so many routes where all the encounters are filler you're 100% going to have out of the way early (Ratata, pidgey, etc.) that it's a surefire thing that you WILL get a Doduo right outside Celadon, for instance. Extending this to the whole region, you can guarantee you get other extremely potent Pokemon like Slowbro, which I did.

My team in this one was a strong Water/Fire/Grass core and otherwise strong goodstufts that compliment one another well. The surprise of this run was definitely Arcanine. I remember as a kid really being underwhelmed with trying to raise a Growlithe and never really getting the hype behind Arcanine outside of a VGC setting. However, I realized as an adult that keeping it a Growlithe until level 50 for flamethrower is Stupid. I immediately evolved that sucker and taught it Dig, which has 100 base power in gen 1. Arcanine was able to coast off of Dig and Body Slam until we beat Blaine and got the Fire Blast TM. It can also learn Reflect in this gen! All in all a stellar team member whose absolutely massive stats right after obtaining at level 19 really let it shine!

I always forget just how absurd the level swing from even just Lorelei to Blue is though. Just an absolute cliff of increase. Thankfully, however, leveling up in Kanto is a non-issue, so I was able to keep pace even while abiding Hardcore Nuzlocke rules. Total Wipes - 0

CRYSTAL - My overall opinion on Johto really hasn't changed at all, lol. It's still suffers a lot from what I'll call 'Fake Nonlinearity'. Like, sure, you CAN go to a lot of places after beating Morty but like...why would you do anything but go Chuck->Jasmine->Pryce and their associated content? It's not like you can meaningfully get strong early since the entire region has a dearth of strong trainers and wild pokemon alike. It's simply not productive to do things outside of the obviously intended order, except perhaps in the context of a Nuzlocke and trying to get some encounters early.

What does give Nuzlocking this region a unique flavor is that the best pokemon in the game, Alakazam, is a 100% ensured encounter assuming you're willing to pass over the free Eevee from Bill, which you should be. For a mere 200 coins at the game corner, you can get an Abra which can immediately be taught all 3 elemental punches on the cheap and raised up. Johto Nuzlockes thus take the form more of building an ensemble cast to support your clear Main Character, rather than building a cohesive team. As a result, Steelix and Machamp greatly stood out for being so dramatically different from Alakazam that they could patch up his few deficiencies.

We faced a setback VERY late and lost our Tauros on Victory Road, leading to the emergency training of Golly the Politoed. He ended up doing almost nothing, but that's true for the entire team besides Pugilist, who swept the entire Elite 4 and Lance unassisted.

It was definitely a fun time and had a very unique flavor compared to other regions. What Johto offers it does offer uniquely, at least.

Total Wipes - 2 (Rival Fight in Azalea Town Gym Leader Morty)

EMERALD - I'm gonna be totally honest. I love Hoenn and I love Gen 3 but I had somehow never actually pushed all the way through Emerald before. I've beaten Sapphire and ORAS each several times, so there was some nice new stuff to me waiting. Emerald is the first game you can play that still feels 'Modern' even without the Phys/Special split. The gameplay design, routes, and everything else just feel much more well realized and iterated upon, which makes sense. Gen 2 was made to capitalize on the Pokemon Craze where Gen 3 was made with the idea of 'Oh, we have a long running thing on our hands.' They worked to impress!

That said, I don't have all that much to say! Emerald is a very Standard Pokemon game and I had a lot of fun with it. I did end up repeating a single pokemon on my endgame team, Gyarados, but most of the run was played without it. I simply blundered a good number of strong encounters away in the midgame and had to fall back on a Pokemon I knew would be strong and could help get me through the Elite 4 and Juan!

This team has a very funny Water/Fire/Grass/Water/Grass core and it's also the first game where I actually EV trained my team on purpose. Thanks to Gen 3's thoughtful encounter design, training up Sp. Attack, HP, Speed, and Defense are all trivial, which greatly helped out. Sunny Day on Ludicolo was specifically to counter Juan, and we NEEDED it too because we lost Gyarados to Drake and Juan got TWO FREEZES in that final battle, so I needed Ludicolo to put in extra work. All in all, this was definitely one of my weaker Final teams, but I partly blame that on my relative unfamiliarity with Emerald's mid and late game. I also simply was not using all the resources at my disposal, which would dramatically change starting with the next game. The big surprise was honestly Electrode, who was a pretty stellar and reliable teammate all through the late and endgame due to fast, strong thunderbolts and screens support.

This game had a nickname theme - Fruits.

Total Wipes - 1 (Gym Leader Brawly)

PLATINUM - If you've followed me long enough you know I've historically been very hard on Gen 4. I do not like Diamond/Pearl and have started and dropped Platinum many times. However, this run I had a genuine joy playing through. Really and truly, playing in this format with the momentum of three runs behind me energized me to see Sinnoh in a new light and I can truly appreciate the dramatic improvements Platinum makes to the region. Most importantly, I've made a new, lifelong friend.

Encountered as a Nosepass at level 14 in Mt.Coronet, Cao Cao was a true champion and help throughout the midgame and into the early late game. Stonewalling tons of trainers, enabling easy captures on lots of encounters, offering free and important switches at critical moments, and just generally being a reliable member of our core duo for most of the game with Rotom Fan...but we lost him at Iron Island in a completely optional double battle... (artist's rendition in the workbench room at my office)

To make matters worse, the teammate we went to Iron Island for, our Scyther so we could evolve her into Scizor, would also be lost shortly before the Elite 4, rendering his loss all the more painful! I knew, for him, we had to carry on and we had to win.

And win we did. My total unfamiliarity with Platinum past the first couple gyms had me doing much more planning and research out of game on upcoming trainers to help ensure a strong run. As a result we lost far less team members than in the past three runs. In particular I was really sweating the encounters with Barry, who is dramatically stronger than previous rivals. But really, we didn't have any noteworthy losses to him.

Platinum is certainly a challenging game in its back quarter but it also really squanders its otherwise quite excellent pacing in the first two thirds or so of the game. After the sixth gym the game gets really long in the tooth and I was just ready for it to be over by the end. Nonetheless, I did have quite a lot of fun and when I play Platinum again in the future I'll definitely do it as a more casual nuzlocke, for fun.

For the vast majority of this run I had a Rotom Fan, Probopass, and Scizor but they were all lost somewhat to VERY late and were replaced with the bottom row. While Whiscash and Porygon 2 stepped right up and were excellent performers, Bronzong was absolutely abysmal and did nothing but provide a single free switch against Cynthia. This run also came closest to dying, with only Crobat surviving the champion battle. (in my heart, however, any team that completes the game all get to go on and I have in fact transferred them into pokemon home, lol) Wuxuan the Crobat was basically my true starter. With me from before the first gym and all the way through to the end. A stellar pokemon. While this run endeared me to many Pokemon I hadn't used in game - or at all - before in Rapidash, Crobat, and Rotom Fan, above them all stands my new true friend, Probopass.

This run was downright cursed when it came to natures, too. Basically every single encounter had a nature that was negative on their most important stat. It was really frustrating, tbh!

This game has the second and final case of a team having a duplicate species of a previous team - Machamp This game has a nickname theme - Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Total Wipes - 0

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