#there are a lot more things like matching pokemon id like to explore

[canisbeasts-ooc]

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since the idea popped up in my head so:

Pokémon that fit the grumblr ocs, be that thematically, practically, or just cause they feel like they fit! :>

Sphinx and Respit

Lykoii and Styrss

Calbhach

Extra thoughts under the cut

Okay so this is only a portion of the Pokémon I think would fit each character, but here’s a few notes I wanna share:

Sphinx: I love the idea of her having intimidating and terrifying Pokemon, just like how she has a love for terrifying lusii. I imagine a lot of the pokemon she has are ex-battlers or stuff along those lines. The Starmie is also specifically cause of the fact she lives closer to a body of water. Chimecho is there cause she loves bells and little chiming noises, and I think it’d be a very cute partner pokemon! The Samurott is shiny cause it’s an otter-like pokemon and the white matches lusii :].

Respit: He naturally has a lot of plant/garden based pokemon and I think it’s fun :D The Jumpluff may have originally been a Hoppip gifted to him by Sphinx! The Grafaiai admittedly feels out of place but it just feels like it fits, and I like Respit having a poison type. The Dubwool is obvious given Sheepmom and the lamb associations, while the Mudbray and Dwebble kinda fit into general pokemon I think he would work very well with and could help out in the garden!

Lykoii: Okay. I could not help from giving the purple/violet cat guy some cute cat-like pokemon. The Sylveon would probably come about later once he kinda accepts himself more and heals a little bit, doesn’t come until at least he would be into the game or such. The Naclstack just feels right, something that grounds him. I couldn’t help from putting the mew as a cute little cat with some space associations due to Arceus and such. Same with the Minior. I think the Psychic types also work well with his later connection to Calixtus, as a Judge of mind. The Decidueye just felt like it fits, and I think it’s nice to have both him and Sphinx have shiny Hisuian starters together.

Styrss: It’s very obvious she has a fair bit of theming around death and how that affects life, and her team reflects that a lot! I thought the shiny Brambleghast and Morelull just looked very nice and fit better with her being shiny, but her physical isolation may also mean that vulnerable ‘mon might feel a bit safer, idk! The Forretress just feels like it fits, that’s just hers! Plus, I think it’s Pokédex entries about being rooted in one spot and safe in its little dwelling fit Styrss a lot too. Bonsly is kinda there cause you can’t have death without life, and also I think Styrss would like another silly little critter there beside Morelull.

Calbhach: ooooh boy :]. First off, as a lord of light I thought it was a pretty pretty fun idea to give him bright pokemon, and the idea of shinies having a sort of, well, shininess, lends really well to that. A lot of his pokemon are yellow and pink, yellow both for his aspect of light and his sibling Calfuray, and pink for Calixtus. I find it very nice how with the intersection of the shininess and his sibling’s colors, most of these Pokemon are blue or cool toned originally, only taking on the yellows and pinks when shinied. He has a lot of object pokemon both because I think it fits him well with his whole unrelenting scientific force thing, but also cause I think in a way, even if only subconsciously, he wouldn’t allow himself to have many comfortable things, he has more important things to tend to, in his opinion. Even still, his Pokémon would be very well cared for. It’s very clear his dear Pokemon have never been battlers of any sort. Ultimately, he will try his best to fight, and lose, his battles alone. Also, I couldn’t put it here cause there were only so many slots but he absolutely has a shiny pinkish-colored Absol too :>

[violentlydefending]

okay that's great and all but hear me out. what if they had pokemon. [id in alt, more under the cut!]

hi. (wearing a shirt that says "ask me about my yakuza pokemon au" but i'm looking in a mirror so i just start going nuts right off the bat)

woah it's some guy with a dragon tattoo!! lotsa dragons, lotsa fighters, and of course THE parent pokemon!! the zangoose is part of a matching set with majima's seviper, naturally. also it matches his autism stare. blaziken's there out of respect for nugget.

GO GO HARUKA!!! lotsa baby pokemon when she's younger :] the pichu turns into an idol pikachu mainly because i wanted something for her that'd fall in line with that but i also think igglybuff is ugly. sorry. happiny's there in particular because of the crazy eldest daughter syndrome she catches from y3 onwards LOL. that caretaker role hit her hard. sorry girl.

seviper's part of the matching set with kiryu's zangoose, naturally :] plus it fits the snake thing he's got going on with his tattoo. also some dogs!! specifically some fucked up ones!! also did you know froslass only goes after men it thinks is handsome. yeah.

daigo's so funny in y2 imo. aegislash is there in particular because it detects innate qualities of leadership!! anyway that bisharp becomes a kingambit when he's chairman (thumbs up!!)

tiger man gets the tiger man. cat. lots of big burly guys for the big burly guy. etc etc. i like that his training in y4 is just to go mining so i HAD to have at least one fossil mon. hi bastiodon!!!

yasuko's getting hit with the one-two of Beauty(TM) and Small(TM) versions of what her older brother's got :']

tanimura gets a lot of fighty guys, in particular i tried to find ones that sorta fit with the little asia stuff he's got going on. blastoise is there because of the tortoise thing and he's got a gun so ??? actually i might switch blastoise out if i end up exploring this au more LOL and zebstrika's there because he's a horse girl <3

akiyama!! a bunch of kicky guys to fit his fighting style and talonflame because of his phoenix thing. audino because he's the lifeline of kamurocho :]

hana!! why does she not have a last name!!! anyway lotsa guys to match her fighting style :]

magikarp -> gyarados is literally THE most obvious thing to pick out for nishikiyama but if it works it works!!!

makoto and tachibana get a matching set of eeveelutions :] i think a shaymin shows itself before makoto either when she gets her watch back or when she gets the new watch strap

i'm not 100% sure for most of these teams if anyone wants to share their own ideas i'm all ears!!

anyway yeah. hi. thanks for checking this out ily <3 (is still wearing the "ask me about my yakuza pokemon au" shirt and but i am now looking directly into your eyes)

[rk-ocs]

A chat with my friend over OCs

I am loving Michelle.  She sounds pretty amazing. Like, I can imagine she left words on many people.

Red has a lot of mixed words, and its confusing to know if she has it right.

Her first words to Gavin are to tell him she remembered to bring him a subway this time. And he's like "who the heck are you?" beacuse at that point he's never met her. Gavins first words to her, were "wake up, I come with breakfest." far later in the future, beacuse greeting with food is apparently a thing with them.

Desmonds to red would be something like "so I hear you are good with false ID."

Red would reply "for the right price of course"

Reds first life-changing words came from the convieance store robber. "Don't move"

Her reply was "bah"

He still doesn't know what that means.

-------

I think he's like a sort of uncle to her. They are friends, and he asks her to make maps for his work, and genraly keeps her well feed, clean, hydrated, and picks her up from the hospitial. She needs people to take care of her, and Gavin is one of those people who does.

If it were significant words that people said to change your life it would be a very diffrent interpretation in their lives. Rather then announce the hairbrininger of change, it would be announcing the moment or significance of change which would be intresting to explore

It is, and it is represented by food here.

In contrast Desmonds dosemt seem significant at first , beacuse their initial meeting was one with a specific purpose. But later they rely on each other so much, and the initial words are so misleading.

The last is a brief meeting, not one of a lasting relationship, but a bit like being struck by lightning. Not a nice meeting, but worldchanging is not always brought on by nice people.

If I had to define her with a quote it might be

"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn. William Nicholson

---

One of mine might be "I finally found someone who actually mentions Stockholm syndrome in a pokemon story and actually explains it quite well."

---

Yah It would be intresting to see what impacts me, and who

-The food things is cute. Like really cute holy shit

----------

I know right?

Whos words would be on your characters skins in a version of the soulmark AU I mentoned earlier. The one where the words are from someone who would completely turn your life around.

(it wouldn't nesscarly be first words that are important, but the words said announce the arrival of someone lifechanging)

That's the point of being Red.

Learning to overcome the challenges. Learning to balance.

I'm a fast reader, then I copy and pass it to you

Thats amazing, a great representative for Red. The fact she can deal with what's thrown at her , is wowie

---

The Five of Wands shows two types of conflict - outer and inner. The former arises when the world around you is filled with hassles and minor obstacles that would not slow your progress alone, but, when combined, they become increasingly difficult to overcome. The latter meaning manifests in times of difficult ethical choices, when the head fights the heart and when both are in combat with the conscience, each trying to tell you the best way to act and the right thing to do. It can indeed seem that you are being held back and attacked from all sides in such times.

When an outer battle is signaled by the appearance of this card, expect several problems to crop up all at once, each demanding immediate attention and none seeming particularly easy to solve. In the Rider-Waite variants the five combatants are evenly matched and armed, because none of them are any more important that the others. The situation then becomes a lesson about setting priorities calmly and without vacillation. In the Five of Wands there is a tendency towards rashness and loss of control, and you must be careful not to let that overwhelm you.

For inner battles marked by the Five of Wands the approach you must take is similar. Strategy is the key, because the energy of this card is natural, wild and untamed, an "every man for himself" philosophy. In such situations, once again, a clear head will prevail where hot-headed personalities get overwhelmed by difficulties. The emphasis is now on finding the sources of inner conflict and righting the wrongs that have caused them too appear. As long as there is guilt there can be no peace. Forgiveness and repentance, in these cases, make much more powerful weapons than the thickest wand or the sharpest sword.

The implementation of new ideas is a central theme of the Wands and the Five can show times where this implementation is halted or blocked in some way. This card may also appear when your ideas meet tough challenges by skeptics or opponents around you. At times like this, the best offense is a good defense. Hold fast to your resolve and let nothing deter you from your objectives. You will always succeed if you can tap the fiery energy of the Wands and, instead of using it for destructive purposes like fighting and quarelling, use it for constructive purposes. Compromise if you must, but refuse to lose your cool, even while standing on the hottest coals.

--------

I don't think it's a faimly curse. I think it's every few generations.  So perhaps Reds Grandmothers is cursed, her mom is not, and it hit Red the hardest. Or perhaps everyone has a diffrent curse.

Like say Her mom is cursed with Drive. She is so driven in her goals she ignores everything not related to her goal

An assassin who turned templar after he uncovered a first civ artifact that caused an earthquake. There's more to it than that, but he's pretty known in fandom for insisting he makes his own luck, which would make it kind of funny for him to have Red as a decendant

Meanwhile, I think reds patron first civ 'false god' either hates her, or is entertained by her misery. She gets into so much trouble. She does not have to even be doing anything, as evidenced by the convieance store robbery she first 'dies' in.

She has the weirdest luck, I swear

-------

No, but I'm glad you like her. Between her teleporting, and timetravling, flawed imortality, seriously increasingly convaulted backstory and now world jumping, I'm beginig to worry she might be risking a case of Sue.

The only cure for that may be failure.

Most of the time. Other times she would have no choice but to bulshit

RED QUEEN OF BULLSHITTING

--------

Oh God that's all pretty heavy, and not even cannon, so how about we have something slightly cannon and lighter.

Red messes up fourtuntellers. Any fourtuneteller she meets will spout strange things at her.

A Palm reader told her she had no lifeline and declared her a zombie, then she almost got stabbed.

It doesn't get better with Desmond (as a ghost at the time, and commenting on the shenanigans life throws at her) haunting her.

----

Fortune

"I don't know Desmond, anytime I do anything tangibly related to fortune telling, It gets weird. "

So that palm reader told you, that you have no lifeline. And her friend tried to stab you.  These are cookies. What could they do?"

Red frowned and cracked open the cookie. It smelt fine, but the fortune its self was very bizarre.

"While anyone can overbalance themselves they were cloudy, the true test is admission to someone else. Faults are tangible where permission is thin. The only real way to look bewildered is to not be backhanded so soon. Always try to do things in chronological shot, its less withholding that way."

-----

"I swear Red, this would only happen to you."

------

"I have some advice for you"

"Ok then"

"An option in hand is worth seventeen in the obstacle."

"A nineteenth-Century mouth manhandles no feet. An anonymous game believes anything but an essential game gives thoughts to his motorcycles. A copy in time integrates nine."

"Ummmm......? Whaaaaa???"

"Live well child"

-------

[dragimalsdaydreams]

ok soooo... I’ve never played Pokemon or watched the show or anything, but my dear friend @cobwebbing got into SWSH a while back and infodumped a lot of interesting trivia onto me, including the thing about fossil combinations. we were both horrified by the implications, to the point that she wrote a fun fic exploring the concept (HIGHLY recommend it), and I got invested in speculating the ACTUAL original Pokemon (also, these designs are technically ‘canon’ to her fic)

I tried to mimic some of the official art in lining/shading, but I don’t think I stuck fully to the ‘cartoony’ vibe of Pokemon. ah well, good experience either way

for ease of reading, I’ll be slotting both the image descriptions AND the extra “Pokedex” info about these guys under the cut-- I thought a LOT about their behaviors lmao. for the image descriptions, please assume that the style of all pieces is a mix of ‘cartoony’ and realistic in form, with solid lines and base colors

+bonus! to see the belly <3

[IMAGE ID: text above the Pokemon reads “Zoomzolt” with a yellow button underneath reading “Electric”. the background is a dull yellow with some areas of shade.

this Pokemon is shaped like a prehistoric raptor, with a small/round horizontal torso, a thin neck curved upright, small arm-wings, lithe digitigrade hind legs, and a thin tail held stiffly out at an upward angle from the body. most of the body is bright yellow with small areas of purple, as will be described. the Pokemon is standing cheerily, facing to the left.

the head has a long snout with a prominent bump emphasizing the tip, where a small purple nostril sits on the visible side. the mouth is held open in a happy gape, showing a purple tongue. the front half of the upper and lower jaws have serrated edges resembling sharp teeth, which seem to interlock. the eyes are closed, the lines of the eyelashes turned up with the smile. a small doodle to the left of the head shows the head with jaw closed and eyes open, showing off glossy black-button eyes with tiny eyelashes, and sparkles floating around the eyes. the head is framed by a crown of large, decorative feathers, all of which are a lighter yellow than the body and sport a couple spots of purple. each cheek also has a single purple spot.

a pair of small arms are held loosely to the sides of the body, each with three bare-skin purple talons with long claws, peeking out from under the fluffy yellow feathers of the arm. each arm sports a set of primary feathers resembling a simple wing, ending at around the elbow. these primaries are a lighter yellow than the main body, with a couple spots of purple near the edges. the overall outline at the trailing edge of the primaries forms a lightning bolt shape. there’s a long decorative feather on each of the wings, close to the body, which extends out into a simple zig-zag, before ending in a rounded tip which resembles a peacock feather with a small wisp and a couple purple spots.

the bonus image removes the closest wing primaries, better showing the lighter-yellow underbelly, and the hind legs. the hind legs are long and lithe, covered in yellow feathers up until the ankle, below which the skin is bare and purple. each foot has three toes, two of which are based flat on the ground with mid-length claws. the third toe closest to the body is raised high, sporting a large, sickle-shaped claw, curved sharply compared to the other claws.

a fan of long, light-yellow feathers spans out from the tip of the tail, resembling both the wing feathers and the crown of feathers on the head, adorned with purple spots. the overall outline resembles a diamond, with a vague zig-zag formed by a few feathers on the sides. two long decorative feathers resembling those found on the wings sprout from the sides of the fan as well.

END ID]

Name: Zoomzolt

Type: Electric

Animal Inspirations: road-runners, cockatoos, microraptors in general

Extra design notes: since the spots on the cheeks canonically match the other fossil in the pair, that gave me free-rein to choose whatever color I felt like, and I eventually landed on purple. I also redesigned the arms/wings b/c the shape was just kinda awkward and dull? I think the new wing shape adds more flair to the design, especially in combination with the tail. btw I only thought of the partly-arboreal lifestyle halfway through the piece, and I didn’t feel like changing the claws to fit it better. just know I’m aware that the wing claws should be curvier, and the toe claws (sans sickle) shorter, lmao

Pokedex entry:

Zoomzolts are a highly social species, roaming the moors and forests in groups of 20 or more. while individuals aren’t particularly strong, their tight social bonds more than make up for the lack-- several Zoomzolts can combine their electric powers and deliver devastating blows to even the fiercest opponents. if this isn’t enough, Zoomzolts are a quick and agile species-- they can race away across the plains or climb up nearby trees before their opponent can recover. their unique feet provide an advantage here-- a marriage between an arboreal lifestyle with the curved sickle-claw for climbing, and a grounded lifestyle with the rest of the flat toes for stable running.

besides scaring off predators, Zoomzolts mainly use their electricity to attract and capture prey. at night, packs of Zoomzolts will gather in the upper foliage of tall trees, settle down, and allow small sparks of electricity to arc across their purple spots-- from one part of the body to another, and from one individual to another. this creates a dazzling light show that many nocturnal Bug Pokemon simply can’t resist. when these bugs venture close, the nearest Zoomzolt will quickly snatch them up before returning to formation.

Zoomzolts are friendly and curious to a fault, known for snooping among human belongings if left alone for too long. they’re very easy to train and bond well with humans, but a Zoomzolt will always need more of their own kind to truly thrive. at least 3 or 4 other Zoomzolts are needed for an individual Zoomzolt’s social/mental health, but not all trainers are committed to keeping that many of one species.

~~~

[IMAGE ID: text to the right of the Pokemon reads “Dunkovish” with a tan button and blue button underneath reading “Rock” and “Water”, respectively. the background is a light blue with some areas of shade.

pictured is a fish-like Pokemon, with a typical torpedo-shaped body and a stocky, blunt head. most of the body is blue, with areas of orange and pale yellow, as will be described. the body is positioned in a downward curve, as if the Pokemon is poised to strike at something off-screen.

the head is heavily armored, with most of the main skull forming one large oblong-dish shape. much of this armor is dark blue, while other sections are a bronze-orange color. the jaws are formed out of large, jagged plates, creating massive interlocking orange teeth. the jaw is gaping slightly open, showing a pale blue inner mouth. the visible jaw hinge is rounded and prominent on the cheek. two small, round, bulging eyes sit just above the jaws, on either side of the head near the hinges. the eyes are pale yellow with black, vertical, rectangular pupils.

a few other large plates of armor (some dark blue, some bronze orange) extend out past the main head piece onto the body, arranged like overlapping scales. these plates all have lines at the trailing edges, implying a simple texture. the main body beyond these scales is pale blue, with splotches of dark blue and smaller spots of orange splattered across the body, arranged in a pattern to imply small scales.

there are two sets “limb fins”, one directly behind the lower jaw, and the other near the tail. both sets are built on prominent lobes extending from the main body and matching the main body colors, before the spines of the fin extend out from the ends, flaring out in a pale yellow. the front set of fins is medium-size, smaller than the head, while the back set is much smaller.

the tail fin starts on the back, in the middle of the spine, and extends down to the tip of the tail, then underneath into an extra lobe of spines. visually, this means the main fleshy part of the tail extends into the upper lobe of longer spines, while the lower, shorter lobe of spines flares out underneath, unsupported. this tail fin is pale yellow.

END ID]

Name: Dunkovish

Type: Rock, Water

Animal Inspirations: dunkleosteus, coelacanth

Extra design notes: added in a rock type b/c of the whole “armored fish” thing, and some orange to complement that

Pokedex entry:

this Pokemon roams the open ocean, traveling dozens of miles every day in search of large prey to attack. once spotted, Dunkovish will swim off an appropriate distance, then charge the prey at full speed, ramming their rock-hard skulls into their prey. these charging attacks can easily shatter bone and internal organs, leaving their prey weak and defenseless as Dunkovish feasts.

Dunkovish aren’t typically a danger to humans, as they usually steer clear of shorelines. small shipping vessels are more at risk, as Dunkovish can mistake the ships for prey and ram into them, causing shipwrecks and major losses.

while their power makes them dangerous for the inexperienced, Dunkovish are shockingly easy to train. they’re very food-motivated Pokemon, so all a prospective trainer needs is a lot of tasty chum and a bit of patience.

~~~

[IMAGE ID: text to the upper left of the Pokemon reads “Arctoise” with a light blue button underneath reading “Ice”. the background is light blue with some areas of shade.

this Pokemon looks to be a cross between a tortoise and a plesiosaur, with a large, rounded shell, two sets of long fins, and a paddle-like tail. the shell is mostly snow-white, while the rest of the body is mostly blue with areas of white, as will be described. the body is floating at rest, fins spread-eagle from the body for balance.

the shell is fairly tall and dome-shaped, with the lower half wrapping underneath the torso, between the front and hind legs. the shell has some ridges at the back implying “layers” of snow, which smooth out as they reach the front of the shell. the base color is snow-white, while the lower two “layers” get progressively darker, into a blue-ish light grey. this grey peters out into spots as it reaches the front of the shell.

the head is long, thin, and sharply pointed, making for a thin spear shape. the snout resembles a dolphin beak-- long and rounded at the tip. the eyes are sharp and triangular, with visible white sclera, light blue irises, and round black pupils. the nostrils are based at the center of the beak, raised up along with a small ridge of bone at the center-line of the beak, meeting the forehead. the nostrils are merged together into a small heart shape. a set of small spiral shapes frames either side of the cranium, implying some kind of auditory system. the neck is tucked into the body in the main art, but a small doodle to the side shows the neck fully extended-- long and serpentine like a heron. while the main body (outside the shell) is an aqua blue, the head itself is mostly dark blue, with a few stripes of aqua blue at the tip of the beak.

there are two sets of long, pointed fins, the front set slightly larger than the back set. the front set of fins sit to either side of the neck, settled into the open body cavity of the shell. the back set extend from the shell as well, just in front of the tail. each fin’s base color is dark blue, with white tips and white spots that vaguely follow the inner bone structure of the fins.

the tail is thick and somewhat short, smoothly transitioning from the wide main body-shell down into a pointed tip. lobes of short cartilaginous fins sprout from the top and bottom of the tail tip, the top lobe taller but not as long, and the bottom lobe shorter height-wise but longer. the main tail is aqua blue, while the fins are dark blue.

END ID]

Name: Arctoise

Type: Ice

Animal Inspirations: sea turtles, tortoises, plesiosaur, herons, anhingas

Extra design notes: in retrospect, the ‘shell’ is prolly meant to be a mane of fur, but I like my shell idea too much to change it (if I were to redo it tho, I might’ve gone for like... seal inspiration? selkie lore?? hm). also certain restorations of plesiosaurs shaped the ‘paddle’ on the tail like I’ve shown, which makes more sense to me.

Pokedex entry:

this Pokemon is closely related to the modern Lapras, as seen in their many shared structural features. many researchers even believe Arctoise to be a direct ancestor to Lapras due to genetic similarities, but this question hasn’t been fully resolved.

Arctoise are very successful predators of the frigid southern pole, utilizing a unique hunting technique. they float patiently out near glaciers, necks tucked into their shells and staying perfectly still for hours on end. when other Pokemon see the Arctoise’s shiny white shell, they’re fooled into thinking it’s a snow-covered glacier, safe to rest on. when the Pokemon settles comfortably on the shell, Arctoise snaps into action, quickly flipping over so their prey is thrown into the water. sometimes this is enough to drown the prey (often true for Flying Pokemon that dropped down to rest), but usually this only stuns the prey. this gives Arctoise the chance to snap out their long neck and capture the prey in their powerful jaws. once subdued, Arctoise will right their body in the water and enjoy their meal.

despite the ponderous size/shape of this species, Arctoise are still able to float quite easily due to air sacs located near their spine (thus, near the top of their shell). these sacs allow Arctoise to carefully control how they float, and help hold the large dome of their shell above the water.

communities of small Water Pokemon often form around Arctoise. the large shell and quiet demeanor makes for a stable underwater haven, and a steady source of food from the scraps that Arctoise leaves behind. they’re usually safe from Arctoise’s appetite, as they’re too small to be considered a proper meal. additionally, these small Pokemon often attract larger prey to the area, providing Arctoise more hunting opportunities.

Arctoise is an aloof species, and won’t respond well to “overly-affectionate” bond-based training. but as long as their space and solitude is respected, an Arctoise is willing to cooperate with a trainer towards mutual goals.

~~~

[IMAGE ID: text to the upper left reads “Dracoleon” with a purple button and magenta button underneath reading “Dragon” and “Poison”, respectively. the background is a light purple with some areas of shade.

there are two Pokemon in this image, one to the left with a “female” ♀ symbol, and one to the right with a “male” ♂ symbol. both Pokemon resemble stocky, low-set herbivorous dinosaurs, with short/thick legs, and round/heavy torsos. the female is far larger than the male, and sports two rows of large spikes along her back. the base color of both is a dark green, with large swathes of magenta patterns, as will be described. both are poised with their heads low to the ground, and the female’s tail raised in a defensive position.

the heads of both sexes are wide and triangular, with sharp points at either side of the skull, and a pointed beak at the tip. their round eyes rest underneath the flat top of the skull, facing outwards to either side. the female’s eyelids are pointed down in an angry expression, while the male’s eyelids are pointed up in a worried expression. their visible sclera are white, and their irises are dark magenta. their nostrils sit on either side at the point of the beak. there are prominent bumps on either side of the skull, just behind the eyes, implying an auditory system. the flat top of the skull is bright magenta, while the rest of the head is dark green.

the small head transitions into the larger body via a thick, short neck, held low to the ground. the torsos are both round, heavy, and somewhat horizontally flat like a lizard. the base color is dark green with a light green underbelly, while the magenta pattern on the head extends all the way down to the tail, covering the full back. several pointed spikes of color stick out from the pattern, trailing down the sides of the torso and legs.

the female has two rows of light magenta spikes sticking out from the upper-sides of her torso, 7 pairs in total. the front-most spikes are the largest, with a horn-like shape that curves out in a wave of out-up-out into a sharp tip. the shape of the spikes gradually transitions from round horns to triangular plates at the end of the tail. the sizes transition from the largest at the front, smaller on the torso, larger at the center of the tail, then small at the tip again. all the spikes point at an angle out/up from the body, except for the very last pair on the tip of the tail, which stick out flatly from the sides of the tail.

the legs of both sexes are short and stocky, with thick underlying muscles. the feet are all digitigrade, but the foot/”hand” sections are very short. the feet all have 3 main toes set flat on the ground, while the front feet have a dew claw set higher on the hand, above the ground. all claws are short/thick and hoof-like, though the female’s are slightly longer and sharper. the hind legs are longer than the front legs, pushing the hips higher than the shoulders. the legs are all dark green with light magenta claws. the female has extra magenta stripes running horizontal across the legs.

the tails are both thick, transitioning smoothly from the thick body down to a pointed tip. the male’s tail is short and stubby, while the female’s is longer, sporting the spikes.

END ID]

Name: Dracoleon

Type: Dragon, Poison

Animal Inspirations: stegosaurus, ankylosaurus. (also.... Kaim from Devilman......)

Extra design notes: I mostly color-picked for the other Pokes, but I shifted Dracoleon’s color a lot from the canon colors. the og colors were just a bit too much for me-- hurt a lil bit to look at. so I shifted the red more magenta, and the green to a duller, more subdued saturation. I’m hoping the purple-shifted red conveys the Poison type better. also added a couple more spikes to the tail for flair.

Pokedex Entry:

due to their heavy sexual dimorphism, researchers originally identified male Dracoleon remains as juveniles of the species. it wasn’t until this Pokemon was fully restored in the flesh that this misconception was corrected.

female Dracoleon are highly territorial, aggressively defending their territory against anything they perceive to be a threat. thus, females are generally solitary, only tolerating the presence of male Dracoleon. this aggression only increases during breeding season, when females compete for male attention, and then nesting season when defending their hatchlings.

male Dracoleon are much smaller and more docile than their female counterparts. while females will actively protect males when the males are still within their territory, males usually find protection in numbers by banding together into small groups. males are as attentive to nesting needs as the females, but since they end up mating with several females a year, they roam in small groups across several territories. they’ll visit one female’s nest to help with food and nest protection for a while, before heading off to the next territory for another round of nest-duty. these transition periods from one territory to another are where males are most vulnerable to predation, so they try to travel quickly.

females’ spikes are covered in a toxic oil which is mostly an irritant to fellow Dracoleon and Poison-types, but can easily kill other species if it penetrates the skin. their magenta patterns build an association between their bright coloring and toxicity, which helps protect the males from predation by association, despite the males not having toxic spikes.

while Dracoleon are herbivorous generalists of thick forest regions, they seem to prefer roots and tubers over foliage. Dracoleon territory is easily identified by scattered areas of dug-up soil and holes.

while male Dracoleon are generally easy to befriend and train, females are very stubborn and aggressive towards most training attempts. however, if an experienced trainer is determined enough to prove their worth to their Pokemon, Dracoleon can become one of the most loyal and trustworthy companions a trainer could hope for.

[tunnaa-unnaa]

Thoughts on Pokemon SS reveal trailer

I’ve been busy but I think it’s time to take a closer look at the gen8 reveal trailer and share my thoughts before more information comes out. Here we go.

+ Galar region looks great. Farmland, misty forests and classical european cities are cool additions to the environmental gallery of pokemon and I feel that they fit into it nicely. The map, being basically Britain upside down, has some nice variety of environments that Alola lacked in my opinion. A bit bummed if it follows the same pattern where the icy mountain area is placed near the very end of the game again, but that’s just my taste. PokeLondon looks like the main focus on the map so I hope it delivers in activities. The region’s name has a nice ring to it as well.

- I’m not too fond of the starters to be honest. None of them stands out to me particularly well and it’s kind of odd that two of them share the same eye style - something they haven’t done since gen1. Sobble and Grookey sharing almost the same body shape too is turning me off cause it makes their silhouettes almost identical. But as usual, it’s the evolutions that matter to me the most so I’m in no way deciding my favorite based on what we have now. Just saying that our starting options are far less varied than they have been for a long time.

- Trainer characters are a big disappointment. The male is as generic as he has been since XY and the female is uncomfortably close to the Sun&Moon girl protag. I really miss the variety the characters got back in gen2-5. And not just that, but their models and animations are the same as in Sun&Moon. This is extremely disappointing to someone like me who already disliked gen7 visual style when it was new. Bums me out to see the same wonky walk cycle again on a newer console. So overall, these two don’t get any points from me. The “female protag is an angry scott with a thick accent” meme is gold tho 10/10.

+ - Graphical look is unimpressive, but has a lot of charm. Let’s Go gave us a taste of what the Switch can do with lineless, smoothly textured pokemon and vastly improved lighting and textures, so I’m a bit disappointed to see them revert back to the cel-shaded, untextured style from before. That said, in a vacuum it looks wonderful and it’s much better than the pixelated style form the 3ds games. I was expecting more, but don’t hate what we got is what I’m basically saying. Battle animations look  a w e s o m e! Nothing to complain there!

+ - Random encounters are back, no more Let’s Go style roaming wild mons. I really liked the Let’s Go style but I could see where it was lacking. Going back to classic random encounter style id fine with me, no complaints. Except it might mean they’re making another Let’s Go game. Oh well.

- Sports? Ugh... Why? Because brits love soccer? It’s not like Unova had school shootings and super bowl like come on, I’m extremely put off by this and I HOPE it’s just a visual thing disguised as something more pokemon-themed than just straight up sports. Pokeathlon comeback? I’ll pretend that’s what it is.

+ New pokemon game on the Switch. No matter what it turns out to be, I’m in.

Random list of wishes and predictions for these games:

Entirely new UI for battles since it’s back to a single screen format.

The good things from Let’s Go - size variations, nicknaming mons wherever you want, releasing multiple pokemon at once, accessing the box wherever (although maybe limited in E4 and some cool endgame dungeons) and Pokemon GO connectivity.

A more PSS-like online system instead of the nightmare that is Festival Plaza or Let’s Go’s online functions.

More varied trainer customization that isn’t just an abundant selection of colors to a very limited set of clothing. Bonus points if we get more unique hair and eye colors than before. It’s the least they could do since they’re recycling the models already.

A partner pokemon following you like in Let’s Go. You can’t give us something like that and then just take it away.

No HMs as it’s meant to be.

Longer and more puzzle-focused exploration (Twist Mountain & Victory Road in gen5 as examples) than what the simplified XY and SM gave us.

Z crystals get the boot. Out. Entirely. Maybe keep species-locked ones?

Mega stones are simplified into one stone that works for all of them.

No more regional variants. Instead more evolutions to old mons.

New pair of eeveelutions with evolution methods or items we already have. Trade Eevee holding a Reaper cloth to get the ghost evo? Or level up holding a Toxic orb to get the poison evo? Something like that.

Legendaries that are not shiny locked.

Wolf-based legendaries to match the logos.

Legendaries AND regular pokemon that are NOT based on british folklore and culture. Hawaii isn’t particularly known for its wrestlers, archers and draft horses now is it. Toucans are american, koalas are australian and Togedemaru is based on a mix of american and japanese rodents. All regions have and should have pokemon that are not “culturally appropriate for the region” and I want more of them.

New breeding mechanics or reworked breeding mechanics.

Difficulty. Even a resemblance of it like we had in USUM. Give out EXP share much later in the game, or only post-game even.

Now to wait for the next news.

[1wngdngl]

Pokemon Shield playthrough - Part 4

Sorry it’s been a while, but I’m back with another post. This one covers getting the first Gym badge.

First, let’s hang out the the Wild Area on this beautiful evening.

Hanging out in the camp. My Pokemon can get quite competitive seeing who can get the ball first.

It’s weird seeing this fiery coal monster playing happily.

Okay, enough of that. It’s time to enter the mines.

It’s really pretty in here, with gemstones practically falling out of the walls. I don’t think real mines are /quite/ this abundant.

Also, this is the first cave area in the game, and it’s where you realize that there are no true “random” battles in the game  - you can always see the Pokemon coming and have a chance to get away. It makes the cave more exciting, seeing Pokemon chasing after you.

A secret exit leads to this TM.

Oh, also apparently the “headphones” item I got earlier just lets you adjust sound levels in the options. Not sure why they would make that an in-game unlockable instead of just being there from the start...

Some more screenshots of the lovely mines. I bet Sableye love this place.

I acquire what seems to be a new type of hold item. When I first saw “heavy boots”, I thought of the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time ;)

Oh, and I finally get to fight this guy. The developers seem to have deliberately made him as aggravating as possible.

He seem to be on a mission to collect Wishing Stars, which are (iirc) what powers the Dynamax bands. Is he trying to keep other trainers from having access to Dynamax, thus reducing their chances of winning the Gym Challenge? Or maybe he’s collecting them to power something else, perhaps on behalf of the Chairman?

He uses this really weird new Pokemon, that seems like it might be a Psychic-type, or maybe Fairy. What’s up with the hat it wears?

Finally, I reach the end of the mines. It was actually a pretty short trip - I hope future dungeons have more to do.

Out in the sun again on Route 4. It’s a route of gentle hills and golden grain, with Turffield nestled in a bowl in the middle.

I’m happy to see that you can encounter Eevee in the wild again, making it much easier to get all of its evolutions.

Pumpkaboo reappear, and they still come in different sizes.

And here’s a surprise - a Galarian Meowth! My Mystery Gift Meowth didn’t look like this, so I was never expecting to see /another/ regional variant for this Pokemon. It looks like something from “Where the Wild Things Are”.

This variant is a Steel-type, weirdly enough. It has a massive beard too. I wonder what on earth Galarian Persian looks like?

And here’s the mascot himself, ladies and gentlemen. It weirds me out how Pikachu and Eevee have the voice-acted cries; while all the other Pokemon get their naturalistic, animal-sounding cries. I wonder how all of Eevee’s evolutions will sound?

Our first true meeting with Milo.

I finally manage to catch my own Milcery. Since it’s called the “Cream” Pokemon, it definitely has to evolve into Alcreamie somehow...

I really want to have a Fairy on the team, so Jake the Wooloo gets booted off.

Hmm, maybe I can use these sweets to evolve Milcery? Are there different flavors of sweets?

I make it to Turffield, where good ol’ Hop is waiting for me.

Before doing the story stuff, I first check the bounds of how far I’m allowed to go. Here’s a literal broken bridge stopping me.

New types of jobs are available now. There's some strategy in choosing which Pokemon to send, since a lot of Pokemon have two types. It might be best to start with the job that requires rare types like Ghost, so that you can use each Pokemon most efficiently.

It looks like progressing in the game will give you new backgrounds for your League Card. This one featuring tiny Wooloo seems to be unlocked by reaching Turffield.

I now have the ability to try the daily lotto. I’m so happy all these features are right in the Pokemon Center so you don’t have to go hunting for them.

Of course, I’ve only had like one trade so far, so I don't have loads of trainer ID’s to help me win...

I go back to the camp I passed on the way and hang out for a bit. I’m so glad there are NPC camps for people who don’t have the online service. This one even has two trainers in it.

We make probably the best curry ever.

Before going to the Gym, I explore a bit around the village. It’s very pastoral, but has some interesting rock structures too. The paths can get a bit confusing with lots of dead-ends.

At the hillside overlook, I run into Sonia again, who contemplates what the glyph could represent. It must be some kind of legendary Pokemon, and I’ll probably have to fight it at some point in order to save the region.

Maybe the Chairman has a plan to release lots of Dynamax energy into the environment, thus causing /all/ wild Pokemon to turn huge and powerful? But he already basically controls the region - what would he need an army of big Pokemon for?

I really like that you can get actual water from this water fountain. And only /this/ water fountain, apparently.

This small girl presents us with a confusing riddle.

Ugh, I can't quite get my face to line up. The Pokemon on the right is obviously that squirrel, but what’s this big rock one that seems to be made out of glyph stones?

Okay, time to go to the Gym. First, here’s a re-cap of my current team.

I wonder how the Gym leaders get assigned their League numbers. Is August 31 his birthday or something?

Oh look, it’s the Pokeball cosplayer again. From a distance, his face looks like a weird bird.

I trade away my cool Galarian Meowth for a boring normal Meowth. I wonder if /both/ types of Meowth can Gigantamax?

This is the most ridiculous mission ever. The things I do for fame. Me - a sheep herder!

There are also annoying trainers that keep getting in the way. Can I instruct the herd of Wooloo to just stampede over these guys?

Counting /these/ sheep won’t put anyone to sleep.

I wonder how long it takes to reset the mission each time someone clears it. Oh well, not my problem.

Finally, we are on to the first Gym leader - this child-faced, buff farmer-dude.

I am so ready :)

There’s something kind of creepy about Milo’s face. His freckles make it look like he doesn’t have a nose.

You know, I just realized this Gym is probably horrible for spectators with allergies.

Another easy victory for me and my lump of coal.

I get my first badge! Looks like all the badges fit together into one big mosaic. I wonder how the merchandisers will handle creating real-world replica badges.

Can’t say no to free clothes. Maybe I”ll wear it at the next Gym.

I love that NPC’s are starting to recognize me. When I finally have my championship match, you think my mom will bother to come watch in person?

I also solved the riddle and found this item. You want it too? Then figure it out yourself ;)

I am now allowed to cross the bridge to Route 5, but I decide to hold off for the moment (this post is long enough anyways ;) )

First, I give another go at the lottery, but I only get milk as a prize. What if I was lactose-intolerant, huh?

My Pokemon are making quite a name for themselves on the job market.

Then I spend quite a while exploring more parts of the Wild Area. It really makes for some great screenshots.

This bug Pokemon is apparently super-rare, so I was lucky to find one in a Max Raid Battle.

Of course, I already have both a Bug and a Fire type, so you know where this one’s going :)

More lovely screenshots.

I can’t wait to get to that distant dragon city beyond the bridge.

I tried really hard to see if my trainer would jump off this cliff. Come on, the water will break your fall! ^.^

It’s scary seeing a Corviknight just flying around - they’re huge!

I’m kinda disappointed there are no actual giants here.

Another raid battle done. I love that you get a bone for beating a dog.

Finally, something fun to end this post with: November 21st was my birthday :)

[soupiyamashuu]

whats in my ocs’ pockets ( TEXT HEAVY )

INSPIRED BY A POST I JUST SAW

the format is basically like: Name - description. everyday content. extras.

Finn: this guy ... always has weird stuff in his pockets ok. im sure that if cargo pants were stylish he’d be wearing them because he is always complaining about “NOT ENOUGH POCKETS”.

contents: keys, passes, phone, headphones, wallet, ID cards, library cards, pencils, pens, paper, paperclips, etc. he likes to bring along a lot of office supplies so he can draw in meetings with his co-workers. he sometimes brings in food ( candies ) and weird toys that he can fuck around with when he’s really fucking bored. often, he keeps weird anime references ( naruto cards, dragon ball marbles, etc etc )

Elena: elena’s got a lot of useful stuff, but she doesn’t have very many random things on a daily basis.

contents: keys, bus passes, IDs, wallet, phone, teacher ID, hard candies, and bandaids. elena will sometimes collect odd things during class, such as erasers, mechanical pencils, pens, and left behind notes. she likes keeping her stuff in specific pockets as well. finn tends to give her weird gifts to keep, so she’ll put those in her pockets as well. sometimes she’ll accidentally leave trash in her pockets after forgetting to throw it away.

Dimitri: he always picks out clothes with deep pockets so he can store more things, kind of like how finn does. except he doesn’t hoard random things for later.

contents: his keys, passes ( bus pass, parking pass, student lunch pass, dorm pass, etc. ) phone, headphones, IDs, and his wallet. he’s the type to keep ticket stubs, so he probably has stubs from a few days ago in one of his pockets, especially if he didn’t clean out his pockets // hasnt washed his pants yet. he once had someone else’s student ID in his pocket for days before looking at it and realizing it Wasn’t his.

Cecil: this guy barely has anything on him! therefore he’s good with pants without deep pockets.

contents: phone, keys, loose money and change. he also brings contact solution / a contact case OR glasses cloths. while he doesn’t keep many things everyday, he tends to pick up things for later, especially when he goes outside. once he collected a bunch of “cool” leaves and shoved them in his pockets for later.

Toby: toby doesn’t keep anything useful in his pockets

contents: phone, headphones, an eraser, one single canadian penny toby claims his penny gives him good luck because ever since he picked it up on a trip to vancouver, he’s been having multiple streaks of lucky days. toby likes to have very tight pants and therefore doesn’t get much pocket space. he usually keeps his phone in either his hands or the pockets of his jacket. he likes to pick up rubber bands and keep them to send to others as “gifts”

Marina: marina surprisingly has a lot in her pockets.

contents: a slip of paper that has her coffee orders, her phone, headphones, paperclips, a wallet, keys, passes, and loose change. marina could have put her change in the wallet, but what’s the point. it’ll just fall out anyway. she also tends to have folded up sheets of paper that have new things she wants to buy. she keeps a french flag pin in her pocket sometimes.

Carmen: carmen is the most efficient with her pockets.

contents: paperclips, her phone, (broken) headphones, wallet, keys, pens, pencils, scraps of paper, and little pieces of candy. she likes to keep candy around in case she’s Really hungry or one of her friends is hungry. she also keeps a glasses cleaning cloth in her pockets just in case. carmen also likes to have at least 5 bandaids on her person at any given time.

Yuki: yuki is fairly average with what’s in his pockets

contents: pocket notepad, wallet, keys, phone, anxiety meds, and a pencil. he doesn’t like to have a lot in his pockets because he’s always worried that he’ll forget something that’s Actually important. he would like to carry around a stress ball, but hasn’t bought one yet.

Tsukihime: she keeps almost Nothing there. literally, most days she’ll just carry around her phone, a key, a train pass, and a credit card / loose money. this is probably because she doesn’t actually wear a lot of things with pockets. her purse has a lot in it, but this is a post about pockets.

Nikolai: this guy literally has a billion things

contents: lucky rabbit’s foot, laminated 4 leaf clover, phone, headphones, wallet, keys, pencil, erasers, candy, gum, a bandaid, a single match, a rubber band, torn papers, a cleaning cloth for his glasses, a swiss army knife, a “get out of jail free” card, a checker piece, and his library card. when questioned why he always has so much useless stuff, he replies, “There will come a time for all of this stuff.” cryptic!

Keiko: she doesn’t have anything to hold in her pockets very much. if she keeps anything, it’s usually candies or important papers.

Kikka: doesn’t keep many things except for candy.

Luna: not an avid collector of many things, she’s got pretty empty pockets!

contents: phone, passport, wallet, keys she keeps all of her ID cards in either her passport or her wallet and rarely bothers to pick up anything. she will sometimes keep a pencil and paper in her pocket if she’s going to an exciting event. if she’s going to be driving around a bit / walking a bit, she brings her headphones.

Kouki: he’s always carrying a bunch of useless junk around with him. relatable?

contents: phone, headphones, a comb, wallet ( pokemon themed ), and some IDs. he’ll carry around literally anything that he thinks about. he likes to keep a laminated card of jerry seinfeld’s face in his pocket and brings new things around every day. he has a written out schedule of his school day in his pocket on the back of a coupon for captain crunch cereal. kouki sometimes brings pokemon games in his pocket, then forgets his DS at home. he also often sneaks in odd food and gacha machine prizes. he kept a gumball that was oddly shaped in his pocket for 3 months.

Ha-Yun: she has funny things in her pockets, usually from her friends and family.

contents: headphones, phone, ipod, wallet, ID cards, library card, tissues, phone camera add-ons, and a little plastic alien. often times, she has american money in her pockets. even though she lives in south korea. she says her “fans” from her blog send her money to the PO box without exchanging it to KRW. she likes keeping a glow in the dark alien figure in her pocket just in case. sometimes she keeps miniature flashlights in the case that she has to run around outside in the dark.

Chun: because she’s always exploring outside, she often picks up a lot of stuff outdoors.

contents: phone, ziplock bag, headphones, camera lenses, microfiber cloths, bandaids, candy, pencils and a notepad, a wallet, keys, IDs, etc. she often picks up seashells and keeps polaroid pictures in her pocket. she likes to collect little shells for her pet crabs to look at. sometimes picks up flowers and weird plants.

Markus: markus keeps Only important things. if he doesn’t need it, why would he pick it up..

contents: phone, wallet ( w/ IDs, passes, keys, and money... efficient! ), and a swiss army knife. on the rare occasion that he does pick up something else, it’s usually money.

Melati: melati seemingly picks up anything that she thinks looks neat.

contents: phone, lucky clover, tissues, an ID card, money, a library card, bandaids, headphones, and her keys. melati usually walks around through downtown on the weekdays and ends up picking up a lot of stuff she sees. often, she picks up rocks and flowers, sometimes random lost receipts and notes she finds on the ground. she likes to buy trading cards and put them in her pockets sometimes.

[sweatcr-weather-a-blog]

POKEMON VERSE ー KANTO SAGA

General information

Trainer name: Sharon Won

Trainer ID: 816160

Home region: Kalos

Hometown: Laverre City

Backstory: Despite having grown up in the Kalos region, Sharon started her journey in Pallet Town after a long journey to Kanto. Her parents did not approve of her dreams to become a trainer after a traumatic accident which happened in her past. At the age of six, she had snuck out of the house late and night and got lured into the nearby forest by a wild Haunter playing tricks on her. The routes surrounding Laverre City are swampy and one wrong step can cause one to slip and fall into the murky water.

Once her parents noticed she had gone missing, they immediately rushed into the forest, eventually finding her drenched and unconscious next to one of the puddles. It was a miracle how she hadn’t drowned, but even after coming back to her senses, Sharon couldn’t seem to remember much about the event. All she could recall was that something had pushed her back out of the swamp.

After this tragedy, she barely ever left the city and would spend most of her time drawing instead. During her early teen years, she grew close to the city’s newly appointed gym leader, Valerie, who had recently moved in from the Johto region. She would often frequent the gym to care for or play with the various fairy type Pokemon.

It was Valerie who eventually suggested the idea of journeying to Kanto to embark on her own adventure, knowing that her parents wouldn’t be able to intervene as easily. Professor Oak is known across all of the world and he would surely be able to give her a fitting partner. 

At the age of sixteen, she finally worked up the courage to do so and together with Valerie, they arranged a trip to Lumiose, from where she would take the train to Goldenrod City. From there on, it would be a short trip to Olivine to make it on time to board a ship to Vermillion.

After a long and tiring trip, Sharon arrived safely in Pallet Town, where here real journey was yet to begin...

Pokemon

Eevee

Nickname: Soleil                          OT: Sharon

Gender: Female                           Nature: Naive

Ability: Adaptability                      Level: 75

Attacks: Headbutt, Dig, Shadow Ball, Glitzy Glow

Info: Sharon met Eevee upon arriving in Pallet Town, when she suddenly jumped out of the tall grass at the very beginning of route 1. It was clear from the start that Eevee felt attracted to the inexperienced trainer, jumping around her feet while pawing at her shoes. Professor Oak had just been on his way to Viridian City to pick up a parcel when he spotted the peculiar scene and walked up to the two of them.

He immediately sensed the connection and persuaded Sharon to try and catch the wild Eevee, which she eventually did. Back inside the lab, she was gifted the Eevee as her very first Pokemon. She was given the french name ‘Soleil’ as an hommage to her home region, Kalos.

They travelled together throughout the entire Kanto region, defeating gym by gym and developing a special bond. Unlike most Pokemon who remain in their Pokeball outside of battle, Soleil travels on Sharon’s head or shoulder at all times.

When it was time to take on the Elite Four and eventually the Champion, it only seemed fit to use Soleil in this final, grand battle and have her be the one to defeat the opponent’s last Pokemon, winning them both the title of Indigo League Champion.

Butterfree

Nickname: Twilight                         OT: Sharon

Gender: Female                              Nature: Timid

Ability: Compound Eyes                 Level: 72

Attacks: Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz, Air Slash, Mega Drain

Info: Caterpie was the second Pokemon Sharon ever caught, shortly after receiving Eevee and starting her journey. The two of them were trying to make their way through the natural maze known as Viridian Forest, hoping to reach Pewter City in before the night fell. 

A wild Caterpie suddenly fell down from one of the tree branches, landing in Sharon’s backpack which was partially open after she hadn’t closed it properly during their last trip to the Pokemart to stock up on Potions.

It wasn’t until they arrived at the Pokecenter in Pewter City that Sharon noticed the little critter. Upon opening her bag, she found her curled up, snoozing in between her Pokeballs and potions.

Sharon didn’t want to just throw her out and return her to the forest, so she decided to wait for the Caterpie to wake up and capture her. Dubbed ‘Twilight’, she quickly evolved into her next stage and eventually into a beautiful Butterfree.

Bug Pokemon are notorious for being ‘weak’ but Sharon has managed to keep Twilight on her team all the way through. She even managed to defeat almost all of Sabrina’s Pokemon on her own after setting up with Quiver dance.

Venusaur

Nickname: Basil                             OT: Sharon

Gender: Male                                 Nature: Naughty

Ability: Overgrow                           Level: 72

Attacks: Petal Dance, Toxic, Earthquake, Sludge Bomb

Info: After realizing that a Normal and a Bug/Flying type weren’t the ideal way to march into a Rock type gym, Sharon once again ventured into Viridian Forest in search of a Grass type. Bellsprout didn’t quite fancy her interest, but she eventually ran into a mischievous little Bulbasaur who had used its vines to sneakily steal some Razz berries from her backpack.

After a long battle against Soleil, the Bulbasaur had to admit defeat and got caught, receiving the name ‘Basil’. He was quite the difficult one, often going against her commands and acting on his own instead.

Sharon eventually proved herself as a proper trainer and gained Basil’s respect. He evolved into Ivysaur shortly after reaching Cerulean City and once more into Venusaur during their trip through Rock Tunnel.

Venusaur became the powerhouse of the team, being able to tank most hits and strike back both on the physical or the special side. He proved to be especially useful against the many rock and ground types in cave areas as well as against the myriad of water types on the water routes surrounding Cinnabar Island.

Clefable

Nickname: Pixie                             OT: Sharon

Gender: Female                              Nature: Quirky

Ability: Magic Guard                       Level: 73

Attacks: Moonblast, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt, Psychic

Info: Due to Sharon’s involvement with Valerie in her hometown, she has always had a soft spot for Fairy types. Unlike the Kalos region, Kanto does not have a big variety in Fairy types, so she was delighted to spot a nest of Clefairy in Mt. Moon and catch one for her team.

Clefairy are gentle but whimsical in nature, often spending time outside of her Pokeball to waddle behind Sharon as they explored the area. She also got along well with Soleil, playing in flower beds or searching for wild berries in the bushes.

During her trip in Mt. Moon, Sharon had made sure to pick up one of the famous Moon Stones laying around. However, rather than evolving Pixie right away, she waited till after obtaining her third gym badge to enjoy some time together while she was still just a cute, little Clefairy.

Once a Clefable, she was still adorable but a force to be reckoned with, hitting hard with special attacks. She proved to be extremely useful in the Elite Four matches, having a favorable match-up against both Bruno and Lance. Dragon types used to be feared, but they are no problem when you have a strong Fairy type on your team.

Rapidash

Nickname: Helios                           OT: Sharon

Gender: Male                                  Nature: Lonely

Ability: Flash Fire                      ��     Level: 71

Attacks: Double Kick, Flamethrower, Drill Run, Poison Jab

Info: After catching Clefairy, Sharon went a long time without adding any new team members to the team. After settling the incident with Marowak’s spirit, she obtained the Pokeflute which successfully moved the slumbering Snorlax out of the way, granting her access to the famous Pokemon Route. This former bike path is a popular spot for trainers to go for a stroll with their partners, but also hosts a variety of wild species.

One of which is Ponyta, a fire type much needed on the team. When Sharon spotted a lone Ponyta eating some wild berries on her own, she immediately decided to try and befriend that one. After chasing around the thing for what felt like hours, Ponyta finally allowed himself to be captured.

He was given the name ‘Helios’ and evolved shortly after being caught while fighting off the Team Rocket Grunts who had taken over the Silph Company. Rapidash is not only a strong battler, but he also allowed Sharon and Soleil to ride on top of him to move through the routes or visit old places at a much quicker pace.

While a lot of the water areas and later gyms weren’t too kind to fire types, Rapidash learns a variety of other moves and also proved to be a great asset against the Elite Four member Lorelei.

Lapras

Nickname: Aurora                           OT: Unknown

Gender: Female                               Nature: Docile

Ability: Water Absorb                       Level: 73

Attacks: Surf, Dragon Pulse, Body Slam, Ice Beam

Story: Upon reaching Fuchia City, Sharon became aware that her team was in dire need of a water type. Unfortunately, she hadn’t exactly encountered a lot of water types up till now. Most of them reside in the water, but she didn’t have a way to go there just yet.

Near the former Safari Zone, she met a guy who could teach Soleil a surfing technique who could help them surf on the ocean or rivers. Alongside him, he had his trusted Lapras who would often help him cross the ocean as well. As they were talking, he brought up the story of another Lapras who had been abandoned by their trainer and now wandered around the seaside south of Fuchia.

Sharon naturally went to go check it out, offering the Lapras some berries to befriend it. Lapras soon decided to join her team and got the nickname ‘Aurora’. Despite being the latest addition to the team, she contributed a lot both in terms of helping them cross the ocean as well as against the final two gym battles against Blaine and Giovanni.

[nuzblog]

November 29th, 2017

MORN

At 4:30 in the morning, I healed my team using the fight against Bugsy and headed West to Ilex Forest, to be confronted by my rival, Luster, with IndieCindy switched for Rainwater.

Rainwater's Mud Slap took out Gastly with no issue. Rock Star's Rock Throw does similar for Zubat.

And then... well, I already knew thanks to the fishermen on route 32 that I've been having issues with water types, and unfortunately, the answer to that problem is on the other side of this battle.

Luster's Croconaw one-shots Rainwater. As they say in the business... "oh fuck." I switch to DrinkyBird, trying to get SOMETHING going, but she gets critically low on health, and Rock Star is 4x weak. I get stuck just using potions over and over, but I'm either gonna run out or he's gonna crit and I'll be done for, so I make a snap judgement and switch to Rock Star. As expected, he does down, but it gives me that extra turn of healing, and it lets me reset his Leers.

At this point I notice that he's using Leer and Scratch instead of the STAB Water Gun he's got, because he knows that my Special Defense is my highest stat. I Growl him down and try to survive as best as I can until he changes gears and starts using Water Gun instead, healing when I can. I use a found X Attack, and keep attacking and healing, trying desperately to hold on, at one point being dropped all the way down to 1 hp but managing to survive... and after an awful slog of a battle, losing two dear friends, I beat him. This was very nearly a run-ender.

Ilex Forest is my next stop, for a Pokemon capture and Farfetch'd herding. Now, my initial plan here was to enter at night, where I would essentially either capture an Oddish or a Paras, both of which would cure my Water problem, and then also get Headbutt and be able to potentially catch an Exeggcute, which would do similar but would also be a Pokemon I haven't used before.

Of course, I entered in the morning, so I got a Weedle. Which, is fine, it just means I can DEFINITELY get an Exeggcute from Azalea Town. I name it "KnifeFight" and, with a lack of anything else I particularly want to teach Cut in the party, I start backtracking to collect berries and grinding it to level 10.

Speaking of grinding, the level curve in this game is already bothering me. Why is the highest level Pokemon encountered in Ilex Forest at Level 6? We are two gyms into the game, have fought Level 16 Pokemon with trainers behind them, and yet, the wild Pokemon aren't even level 10. They're 2-3 levels higher than the ones found on the first route of the game. This is dumb! Why is it this way???

Anyway grinding takes six eternities but whatever, eventually I have a Beedrill and I can teach it cut and actually progress through the game. I also get to knock out some of those cut trees from earlier in the game, which mostly just makes the walk easier.

Back in the forest, but not for long, I grab Headbutt and re-exit to Azalea Town, find a nice tree and start butting it.

After 6 Weedles, followed by a Beedrill, followed by 11 more Weedles and a Kakuna, FINALLY, some eggs fall out of the tree. I mean, an Exeggcute. NOW I can progress through the game! Its name is "Deliver", and...

Hm. I hadn't actually checked its movepool until now. It might not be as useful as anticipated. The TMs for Psychic and Giga Drain are both in Kanto, and while it'll get Confusion in just 9 levels, the first and only STAB Grass move it gets by level up will be... SolarBeam at Level 43.

My only other option is Mega Drain... which is an egg move. Well, fortunately, I am about to be at the Pokemon Daycare... so, I guess that's what I'm doing - catching a Sunkern at the National Park during the day, hoping that's my first encounter, and hoping it's male so I can breed it with my thankfully female Exeggcute. That's a lot of hopes. And, to muddy the issue, I then stopped playing for the day, and the next day was Thursday, which means the Bug Catching Contest is on, which if my understanding is correct, would have prevented me from catching a Sunkern.

November 30th, 2017

MORN

I drop Deliver off at the daycare, and head for Goldenrod, where the Name Rater lives, allowing me to change the name of my Hoothoot from DrinkyBird to T.I.M.E.

Speaking of time, just do be extra safe, I decide to play around with it a bit. I set it exactly 36 hours forwards, putting me in the daytime of Friday, and safely outside of the reach of the Bug Catching Contest. I do this by holding Down, B and Select at the title screen and inputting a password that is generated from my character's name, ID Number and current money total. Thanks, PsyPokes.com!

I head to the National Park ASAP, and... yes!! The Sunkern I need is exactly what I get! I name it Sundial, shove it right into the daycare, and go attend to some business in Goldenrod. I grab the Bicycle, I fight some guys without meaning to... actually, can I say some stuff about the dialogue in this game? One guy said he gave his Pokemon a haircut, which would make sense cause the haircut place is right there by him... but then he sent out a LICKITUNG. Which, if it has hair... I super duper don't want to know where. Also, one trainer said "Behold my graceful BALL dexterity." Like, capitalized like that, because of this game's weird thing with capitalization. (Seriously, how did it take until Gen 5 for them to fix the antiquated adventure game CAPITALIZATION of KEYWORDS?) Which is just hilarous.

Anyway, while waiting for my eggs and seeds to breed, I run to some freshly available routes and catch some new boys for my team.

On Route 34, I find a Drowzee, who I name Nightmare. Again, this is a Pokemon I used recently, so... boxed.

On Route 35, I found a Male Nidoran! I name it Showdown, and since it has Double Kick, I'm definitely at least gonna use it for Whitney! Speaking of, that's a whole dangerous thing. She's well known as being a difficult fight. As I collect andrun around to grind and hatch the egg, I think about my strategy. I also backtrack for berries while trying to hatch it, and rematch Hiker Anthrony while I'm at it.

Eventually, the egg hatches into more eggs, which I name Fine, and I'm grinding it from Level 5 to something usable! And yes, it has Mega Drain! I use both my heals in the process of grinding, the one in Goldenrod and the one from the Luster fight at the beginning of this post. Also, wow, they are REALLY pushing the Game Boy Printer in this game, huh? Like, wow.

NITE

I slept, and kept playing when I woke up! I fought the gym trainers, and backtracked ALL THE WAY to New Bark to heal, and then went back to Goldenrod, and... sigh, bluh, FINE. I go ahead and fight Whitney.

The really dangerous thing here is that since she only has two Pokemon, well... so do I. Showdown and IndieCindy accompany me, while the full-health T.I.M.E. and Fine (and the essentially obsolete KnifeFight for that matter) are boxed, and I head for the leader herself.

As with most gym leaders, their non-ace Pokemon are basically meaningless. Clefairy goes down quick and easy. Miltank, though... hff. I lead against it with IndieCindy and get off two Smokescreens before his health got too low to keep going. I switched, healed, used Double Kick, and was disappointed by how much damage it did. Showdown (who had evolved in the process of grinding) was infatuated, so I switched back to the restored Cindy and got off some more smokescreens, and so it goes. Friggin' Milk Drink... such garbage.

Showdown got killed by a critical Stomp, which leaves me one Pokemon away from the end of the run, yet again. Ember burned Miltank, but I was infatuated back. It could be a simple war of attrition thanks to the burn, if not for Milk Drink making it last way longer.... but I did, EVENTUALLY, manage to do it!!

I lay Showdown to rest. He wasn't with me for long, but he served his purpose very well. I pull TIME and Fine from the PC, and head off towards Route 36, to fight that Sudowoodo!!!

Rock Throw takes down a solid half of Fine's health. That's less than ideal. I manage to put it to sleep and heal, and drain its health, catching it handily! I name it Wiggles. Since I'm close enough, I run back to Cherrygrove, and heal there, finally.

On Route 37, after 3 Hoothoots, I run into a Stantler! But... I ran out of balls trying to catch it.

While exploring Ecruteak, Luster appears, catching me off guard. Fortunately I match his team size (4 to 4) but I'm unprepared for the battle.

I mostly get through it alright. T.I.M.E. evolved into Noctowl. And Fine... well. Fine died. Which sucks, and means I wasted a lot of time, but also... I have an infinite supply of fresh Mega Drain Exeggcutes. I run back to the daycare after talking to Bill in the Center, retrieving another egg egg, and in Goldenrod I visited Bill's house, and he gave me an Eevee, which I named Furries! Which also means I can't get a Pokemon from the Goldenrod Game Corner. :P

You may notice that “Furries” doesn’t lead to a link to the song in question there. That’s because the official video from Neil’s own Youtube channel featuring that song has been wrongfully taken down based on a false copyright claim, despite it being Neil’s original mashup work. If you want to listen to it, it’s track 3 on the freely available album Mouth Silence.

I catch Pokemon in the Burned Tower (a Koffing, named Fuzzy) and on Route 38 (Meowth, named Cat Hacks) and box them both before going to work... and then I put off writing this for nearly a week! But I did that, so I'll be playing again soon.