#turtwig posting

[that-turtwig-guy]

@captain-mommy-issues met up with me while he was at Sinnoh. He introduced his Glaceon (Vanilla Extract) to my Eevee (COSTCO HOTDOG). They had fun :)

[azurityarts]

Commission for @toastereno! 🍃🎶

[tbshorts]

Turtwig and Torterra are almost perfect. Grotle........ is also there.

Chimchar really doesn't look like much, but Infernape absolutely rips

Piplup is easily the best gen 4 starter, Empoleon is practically a legendary

Video scripts below the cut

Turtwig:

Ah, the worst gen 4 starter - I'm kidding! I'm kidding. It's only second worst. It's a simple concept, executed well: what if a tortoise was also the seed of a plant, and as the tortoise grows, so does the tree on its shell. It recalls the idea of world turtles, the best cosmological concept, which is also hinted at in Torterra's pokédex entries.

But, right, Turtwig - like most starters it's mostly designed to be cute, with its broad smiling jaw and oversized upper lip and chibi proportions. The lil' twig with the two leaves on the head is just adorable, it's the pokémon version of a propeller hat, and I'm really charmed by it.

As for Grotle, well, middle stages are often awkward, and with its weird almost caterpillar body shape and two… bushes(?) on the back, it looks a bit half-finished. It really could have done more to imply a flowering garden on its back, it looks too barren.

Torterra, though? Fuck yeah, Torterra, this pokémon is so fucking cool. A giant tortoise with legs like tree trunks and claws made of boulders, and hills and trees perched upon its back, that RULES. My only criticism is that it is way too small in-game. If it was Wailord sized, it'd be S-tier.

Grade: A

Chimchar

Chimchar is probably the weakest design among the starters, both it and Monferno never really transcend just being… monkeys with fire on their tails. Chimchar has the… well it's supposed to be the shape of a small ember on its head, but let's be real, it looks like a poop, and there just isn't enough THERE to make it more than what it seems on the surface.

Monferno at least has the blue and red face markings, slightly recalling the idea of a mandrill, which is cool, and a bit of that wild white collar, which, okay, that's something, but it still barely looks special - if anything it looks like a first-stage evolution, honestly.

Infernape, thankfully, makes up for a LOT of lost ground. The billowing fire hair gives it a sense of dynamism, the powerful red crest on the face makes it look tough, the bright white is striking and the decorative gold pads on its body recalls how divinity is often decorated in Asian art. It's trite to compare every mystical monkey to Sun Wukong, but it does feel like some of him or Hanuman is in here, the design has a ton of charisma. And I really like that it remains slim, it looks agile, quick, clever, and more than a little mischievous. Weak pre-evolution designs are worth it to get to here.

Grade: B

Piplup is easily the best gen 4 starter, Empoleon is practically legendary

Piplup is the cutest gen 4 starter and also the best designed, this lil' guy is such an instant and immediate charmer. Being a baby penguin, how could it not be, but also the way that its blue markings are "fastened" on its beak and cascade down into a cloak hanging over its shoulders gives it a real "preschool kid in a raincoat" vibe that I love, and the two "buttons" on the tummy like it's wearing overalls just… god it's cute.

Prinplup avoids the awkwardness of middle stage evolutions, looking both cute with its plump little body, buttons and tailcoat, like a kid wearing his first fancy suit, but also like it's fast and powerful, thanks to those sleek fins and the head crest.

Empoleon, meanwhile… like holy shit, this thing looks like a LEGENDARY. The beak extending into a shape which is both a crown AND a trident is genuinely brilliant design, the picture of a nautical ruler. The stippling on the white marking makes it look like a fancy cravat of a king or prince, the hard edges of its collar look at once regal and dangerous, like it could slice you to piece with it, and together with those shield-like hard fins gives it an air of invulnerability almost. This thing is INTIMIDATING, it's regal, it's powerful, it's amazing!

Grade: S

[grim-grimmsnarl]

Kotobukiya Pokemon ARTFX Dawn & Turtwig illustration by Hitoshi Ariga (2023)

(This image was scanned and cleaned up by me)

[084392]

pokesquares #0387-0395

[inbarfink]

[snoofins]

TEAM BFFS!!!!! TEAM BFFS!!!!!

one of my psmd teams but get a spot in my personal pmd story!! (they dont get to have the harmony scarves so i gave them matching pecha scarves)

(edit: actually. i should give them the scarves but i'll keep this cuz they also look good in pecha scarves)

[moondove330]

[turtwig-hugger]

My collection grows…

[that-turtwig-guy]

He thinks he can pay the rent by being cute

[dawnedon]

oh god what if akari was a devout follower of arceus at the start, before she actually like met him at the hall of origin. revering and worshiping him, praying to him during her toughest moments in the hisui wilderness. collecting shards of his plates (my hc for him is he does have his plate's powers, but there's 'shards' of the plates still scattered around that basically just power him up when he gets them. in simple terms), and BRINGING them to him personally.

all because arceus used her to do so. man straight up manipulated her, like 'oh yeah just go get all the pokemon whatever! then you can come meet me i promise :)' and if you think about it, giratina killing akari would have destroyed arceus' plans. why doesn't he just get the plates himself? this guy is just an asshole that's all.

anyways, when akari does get through it all and gets to the hall of origin, she realized this was not a benevolent god. this was not a god that loved her. and it sort of shattered her entire perception and world-view. whether or not they have a bond like dawn does with giratina, i have yet to decide, but... WHEW.

[ashestoshadows]

Look at this goofy Turtwig

[puppys-rhythm-heaven]

anyways more importantly i got some plushies from pokemon center n like.

LOOK AT HOW HUGE THIS SPRIGATITO IS. i love it it's amazing-

[redparatroopaofbowerskingdom]

Dirt update that I forgot to post on here, he is LITERALLY REFUSING to get in his Pokeball or my bed so. . .yeah I'm just having him sleep on a pillow for now and it seems to be a nice compromise.

[thatdragonzeek]

Week two of PokeMarch

[smeargleangelo]

Cuteness overload!!!!

Little sprouts 🌱