#who the fuck IS violet???

[milfpopplio]

the real reason kieran doesnt have a phone is because all you would see in your notifs during the start of the epilogue is

[aprill-99]

Rhys: “So let’s see if I’ve got this; you have immense shadow power, incredible combat skills, height, tattoos, secrets, dead parents, a thirst for vengeance, the weight of the world on your shoulders, a rebellion to lead, and a dragon?”

Xaden: “Yeah? I mean, there’s also my girlfriend who I’m completely in love with and 107 people under my protection but-”

Rhys: *frantically flipping through papers* “this is the hyper-intelligent girlfriend with unprecedented lightning powers? The one you speak to with your mind and call a nickname permanently?”

Xaden: “I do only have the one girlfriend. Kinda offended you’d think otherwise.”

Rhys: *signs a paper* “Adopted. The rebellion thing is handled. Me and your aunts and uncles have got this. Your new mom is going to need some time to add you and your mate to the family portrait gallery. Your bedroom is upstairs, knives are in the training ring, family dinner is every Thursday, your allowance is infinity and your curfew is never.”

Xaden: “I am…. Older than your wife?”

Rhys: “Did I fucking stutter?”

[spacedlexi]

"sounds nice... having a partner"

[celestialholz]

Today in Gay People: Hassel.

There's something I've noticed about our resident art teacher, and that's... well, Flapple. I mean, we all know how gay the whole Applin deal is, but... well, it's where it is that's particularly interesting.

This is Steven Stone's team.

This is Cynthia's team...

This is Wallace's team...

I could go on. (And yes, I'm using champions because, like Hassel, they're important, powerful NPCs with a proper team, and let's be real here, Hassel is five minutes, that Tournament Dragonite and a fuck to give away from kicking Geeta out of his office.)

But the point here is... well, that penultimate slot. The fifth slot in a champion's team - or fourth, in Hassel's case - is reserved for the vice-captain role. It's the Pokemon hardest to take down before the ace, meant to weaken you up - the secondary signature mon. We see here with Milotic - defence for days, Marvel Scale, offensive too. And we see it with Armaldo - excellent attack, difficult type. And then we see it with Gyrados - Dragon Dance, Earthquake, power. Utility. That second-to-last slot is designed to weaken you up for the finale, the real powerhouse of the squad. Leon does it too - his fifth slot is the starter strong against yours, the one you may not have a counter to if your team-building isn't on point.

... And then we have Hassel.

... Now, there's a few things to note here.

Flapple shares the same quad weakness as Noivern, which leads. That's, er... different.

Flapple, statistically, is the weakest Pokemon here. Not by a lot - Dragalge is only ten points or so better, but it's a defensive Pokemon. It's meant to fill that role, as well as being a counter to Fairies.

Flapple isn't the utility mon most penultimate-slot mons are.

... And yet, here it is. Now, I could draw upon Hassel's six-mon Tournament team here, which adds Dragonite into this slot instead, but the Tournament is Hassel fucking about. He's been chilling in the staffroom and someone's gone "oh, that champion-rank kid's up, get out here." The Elite Test line-up is him at work. He's specifically chosen to leave a pseudo-legendary at home... for Flapple.

And why would he do that? @edgeanescence pointed out on the EphemeralArt Discord that the penultimate slot is meant to represent the trainer; the personality and the heart of them, as well as acting as vice-captain. And, well...

Cynthia's is a Milotic. Grace, beauty, the defence of Sinnoh against Cyrus.

Steven's is an Armaldo. A fossil, a Rock-type, the strongest of all fossils at the time - perfect sentiments for him.

Wallace's is a Gyrados. Power, controlled by a former eighth gym slot; ferocity in water.

... And Hassel's is a Flapple. Like him, she has power, but what she represents as a Grass/Dragon is much more important to him than raw offence or defence. She is his softness; she is his tears, and pride in his students; she is part-Brassius. Whether Brassius gave him the Flapple or not is irrelevant, though it's pretty compelling that he did - this man takes a representation of his heart and of his love into battle over the Dragonite, who has 120 more points of stats. By rights, even if he's leaving the Dragonite at home, Haxorus should be here if this is about power, not Flapple.

And you can tell me that it's about game balance as much as you like, but oh look:

Brassius's rematch team, everyone, and look at that penultimate slot.

Look at that Arboliva sculpture, with Brass's own spikiness and Dragon-type purple-tinged blue.

Brassius is not like Appletun, the obvious counterpoint here. Brassius is drama; Brassius is a man formerly weak, much like Smoliv; Brassius is not home comforts, apple pies, yet he's surprisingly kind and encouraging. Reminding you of anything?

... Ah, yes. Arboliva, depending on mood. And, if you're not already convinced...

That's Flapple, in the Violet dex. Strong, and covered in clay. Like a fucking artist, or a man who loves a sculptor.

When the chips are down, when they show up to work, when they have important, key battles, Hassel and Brassius don't just take their Pokemon to the arena.

They take themselves, and they take each other.

[thursdaymorningchild]

The last week of Why the fuck are you looking at each other like that if you're not gonna fuck?! .... Except my beloved Maniel has had a makeover and change of lifestyle AND STILL DIDN'T GET FUCKED

Bonus gif of him having the same colour eyes as the LOHL

[just-a-karla]

Late to the party but huh? Also just punch Scarlet, seems the most effective way to get him to stop

Scarlet's being a bitch right now.

and who the fuck is Violet???

[kogglyuffs]

im bored ok

[corethetrueidiot]

spoilers ahead for one of the scenes!

me and my level 100 pokemon about to beat up the pokemon version of team rocket (actual asshole version)

[shima-draws]

Listen I love Pokemon so so SO much. Like so much. But I do want to say in terms of design it’s REALLY gone downhill;;

There’s definitely a lot of really sick designs in Gen 9 that I can’t really nitpick at too much because compared to what we could have had they did a good job with them.

But then we have Dunsparce.

I want to talk about Dunsparce in particular because of its evolution. I know a good handful of people have wanted to see a Dunsparce evolution for YEARS now, and for good reason: It’s a very forgettable Pokemon. A normal type one stage that shows up briefly in Generation 2 (which, sadly, is a generation full of forgettable Pokemon) and barely anywhere else. SO if we take that and look at some other really neat Gen 2 evos we got in Legends Arceus and SV--like Wyrdeer and Farigiraf, for example--you’d THINK that they’d come up with something equally as creative and unique, right?

NO.

LOOK AT THIS.

THIS IS DUNSPARCE.

NOW LOOK AT THIS.

THIS IS DUDUNSPARCE.

WHAT THE FUCK.

It looks the same. IT LOOKS THE EXACT SAME. It just has another segment and a thing on the tip of its tail. You could mistake this for a powered up Dunsparce or a shitty take at a regional form. What the ever loving christ is this???

THERE WAS SO MUCH ROOM FOR POTENTIAL HERE. Instead they just said ah yeah let’s just slap some extra stripes on it and maybe give it a cool wingdrilll thing and move on. LIKE. BRO. THIS IS THE LAZIEST POKEMON EVOLUTION DESIGN I’VE EVER SEEN. THIS IS FUCKING INSULTING.

If you Google Dunsparce evolution, you’ll find WAY better designs made by creators not currently employed by Nintendo:

(@/woodenplank on Twt)

(@/mykemon_regions on IG)

(@/trainer_matz on IG)

THESE ARE SO MUCH COOLER??? Some of them even have an ouroboros theme which is SO sick and such a clever idea for a Dunsparce evo.

I’m just. I’m so salty. We could have had a sickass evolution but we were ROBBED

Anyway Nintendo shape up and hire these people to do your designs instead of whoever you have on staff right now that designed THAT abomination of an evolution

[violetineprompts]

tbh props to violet for having bangs in the apocalypse because i have bangs with all the tools in 2024 and i still hate my life

[scarletdex]

Ogerpon or Kieran

I mean, Kieran and I have been through a lot. We just managed to become close again, but what kind of Pokémon Professor would go abandoning the pokémon under their care? I... don't think I can really choose...

[dragons-library]

A little rant about Dain on chapter 18 fourth wing. Because fuck him.

Ughhhhhhhhhh SHUT UP!!!!

He first gets mad a violet because she tells him what Tairn said about “scorching the ground where he stands if he harms Violet”. DUDE ITS A DRAGON YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO QUESTION THEM!! It’s not even violet saying that to him it’s literally the biggest dragon in the quadrant. Whatever.

And then is like “why didn’t you tell me you can’t keep your fucking sit?” Idk SQUAD LEADER maybe you should know that already. Everyone else knows. It’s not even a fucking secret. It’s hard on violet already not to mention Tairn is a monster of a dragon how would it not be harder for violet, any other rider for that matter, to keep their sit. They are just learning how now and her dragon is the second largest alive.

And what really pissed me off was when he said (and I quote) “I've been LETTING Kaori teach you” I BEG YOUR FINEST FUCKING PARDON????? YOU???? ARE LETTING ??? A PROFESSOR TEACH A RIDER????? WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!???????????????

A lot of his actions I try to understand coming from someone terrified to lose a friend after experiencing a year of just watching everyone die, but this???? All of this is absolute bullshit.

Oh!!!!!!

And him talking about the Gauntlet, don’t even get me started on him talking about the Gauntlet. She used his precious little codex to prove herself, using her brain like the smart strong woman she is, and he is here talking about he right or wrong way because Amber said so??? Oh but Xaden can go fuck himself even tho he is his wing leader😤

Is like the more she proves herself and the stronger she gets! The more Dain dismisses her and belittles everything she does

[spacedlexi]

so often i see people try to downplay violet and minervas relationship like it wasnt Real enough or was some Inferior Romance that her relationship with clementine could Never compare to, and i find it so annoying and boring

she LOVED minerva!! and its okay that she did!! she was her first love!! childhood best friends turned girlfriends!! seeing her being so heartbroken and miserable about what happened to minnie, how deeply and desperately she missed her, hugging that bed frame so pathetically. but clementine makes her CARE again. makes her LOVE again. slowly violet becomes comfortable with the idea of opening her heart up to people again, after trying so hard not to because the pain of losing people she cared about was too much to bear (especially when she blamed herself for them being gone)

then she learns minnie didnt die. shes falling in love with clem while grappling with the fact that minnie might still be out there??

then she meets minnie in the woods. but minnie has changed just like she has. theyre both different people now. and slowly violet is forced to come to terms with the fact that the person she loved so deeply isnt that person anymore??

violet at the beginning mourning minerva and blaming herself, to shooting her to save clems life. she LOVED minerva once, but she doesnt like the person she is now. and shes not gonna let her hurt anyone else she cares about. shes done mourning her by the time they get to the bridge, only crying out for tenn

like idk i just find their relationship evolution to be so interesting and sad as shit. the fact that they once loved each other so much and it has now come to this?? but violet makes her choice and she Chooses clementine, because she admires and loves clementine, probably similar to the way she used to admire and love minerva if the way she talked about her is any indication

i just think "i never thought i would ever feel this way again" is way more interesting than "wow minnie Never made me feel like This"

[azuremist]

Arven thinks he’s the MC’s Mean Rival With A Tragic Backstory, but in reality, he lacks the active malice needed to be anything more than a sleep-deprived and self-loathing teenager who gets a callout post on Pokemon Twitter for traumadumping

[jabberwockprince]

Who in ur pfp they kinda hot

Dylan Springbell, a minor character from an old webcomic (2010s) called Todd Allison & the Petunia Violet, who makes extremely fuckin funny faces and basically defined my teenage years

he's this kind of brash and very outspoken, combative violinist and a childhood friend of the protagonist and her brother. shows up pretty late in the webcomic but it's always such a treat to see him, like. look at his introduction

the webcomic follows these two neighbours, Petunia and Todd Allison, and their daily struggles in early 20th century Australia. Petunia, described as a very ordinary but perky girl, is fascinated with Todd Allison, pretty much the weirdest, most interesting guy in the world to her, and who works for the government investigating a terrorist named Violet

I want to stress the fact that most of the cast are poc, with the protagonist and most of the people in her life being aboriginal australian. which doesn't seem like much now, but back in the early 2010s this shit was revolutionary, especially because one of the themes the comic openly tackles is the racism and oppression indigenous ppl and other poc experience, the communities these minorities form to support each other, and feelings of resentment, hatred and displacement born from these aggressions

but its also full of whimsy and really funny, slice-of-life moments <3

there's a lot of characters but the main cast is very strong, every character is so unique and make very good first impressions.

the artstyle does change a lot throughout the whole thing, but listen. the fuckin covers. the paneling. the vibes. look look, these are just a few examples i had saved on my laptop

however. the webcomic is unfinished (there's only 17 chapters) and its been presumably abandoned by its author, nozmo. every single site that the comic was hosted on, including archives ran by fans here on tumblr (@tapvfans and @tapvarchive) are defunct or abandoned pretty early. the only way you can read it is through the wayback machine here

I've been archiving the main story, the sidestories and extra pages/zines for awhile now because this webcomic means a lot to me even a decade later, and so that ppl can have an easier time reading it, but i've only archived up to chapter 8 or so orz

anyway, if it caught your eye, I deffo recommend it. it was such a hidden gem <3

[somuchfuckingsalt]

Okay, so I just finished reading Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and someone needs to explain something to me because either I'm stupid and missed it or there's a plot hole.

We know Violet lived at Basgiath for years because her mom was stationed there. Lived there long enough that she's able to confidently tell Xaden that she's lived there longer than he has, to have extensively worked with Markham who lives and works in the archives there, and to have had Nolon mending her for years in the Healer's Quadrant.

And I know only riders and cadets are permitted in the Riders Quadrant so obviously she wouldn't be going there. But we also know the riders go out into other parts of the college all the time?? The riders use the same healers and infirmary as everyone else in the college (the same infirmary Violet has been using for years while living there before entering the riders quadrant) and Violet spends a shit ton of time in both books in the Archives as a rider.

What I don't understand, is how Violet never crossed paths with any of the marked ones? Or Dain in his first year? You're telling me that after Dain bonded and was able to have his pick of the chores and he didn't choose the Archive rotation like Violet did in Fourth Wing just because he knew she was always in the Archives? Or something in the Healer's Quadrant just so his overprotective ass could always know when she was injured? Same with marked ones, none of them ever had chore duties outside of the rider's quadrant?

The only explanation I can come up with that is that they weren't permitted to have chores outside of the riders quadrant because of Violet but I don't know how her mom would've been able to swing that because it feels like she'd be overstepping some how.

It also doesn't explain how out of all the third and second year marked cadets, none of them happened to be injured the same time she was? Or when they were permitted to leave the college on weekends they never came across each other in that town I forget the name of that they're allowed to visit on weekends when they're second years. Or even if they weren't permitted to work in the Archives, they would've still been allowed to go there because Violet does many times in Iron Flame and it's not because she's special, rider's are allowed to check books out of the Archives same as their own library.

Anyway, I feel like I missed something and it's bothering the hell out of me.