#they're counterparts after all. and i really like the slurpuff line!

[riddlerosehearts]

No but for real I’m so salty dude cause I’m trying to at least trying to rationalise why her design was reworked into Aromatisse, like as much as think she also serves a bit, her design is just a MESS of inspiration. She’s meant to be a masquarade attendee but also a cancan dance and also a perfume bottle?? Like it’s too much. But with miss Diva I immediately guessed she was a flamenco dancer due to her head feathers looking a bun and her wings looking like a flamenco fan . I can’t stress enough how much of a stroke of genius of a design it was. The ONLY reason why it might’ve got cut is that Flamenco is not a French dance while can can is. But then again I don’t remember any Pandas being native to France either .

right?? i've never liked aromatisse much but i couldn't say why other than it's just a little boring to me... but maybe that's because its design is trying to do so much at once that it ends up not being great at any of it 😭 with this flamenco pokemon it's very clear what the inspiration is and things like the beak resembling castanets and the wings looking like a flamenco fan are so clever!! i also find it a lot more interesting than flamigo--some people say flamigo is a boxing glove, some say lawn ornament, and some say balloon animal, but i remember that when i first saw it, i didn't even notice the knot in its neck and thought it was just a normal flamingo... the flamenco flamingo beta design is gorgeous and immediately stands out!

and, to add to your last point, we've also gotta remember that hawlucha is based on luchadors and birds found in mexico, oricorio has four different forms based on dance styles from around the world (one of those even being flamenco!), and unova was already full of pokemon based on animals that aren't native to the US--zebstrika comes to mind. pokemon designs taking cultural inspiration from the region's real-world equivalent is always cool but it's never been a strict requirement, so i really don't know why gamefreak cut this design!! this is why i wish pokemon games had making of books so the devs could have a chance to talk about cut concepts and beta designs.