ls-kun

[ls-kun]

Strong Spheres kinda stick out for the fact that they represent the idea of "strength" without effort. A shortcut if you will. If they actually manage to get distributed to the masses one of the big problems is that it would promote the idea of laziness: not putting in the earnest effort to truly become strong, building bonds with your Pokémon, honing strength through earnest training and taking things one step at a time with your Pokémon, and instead relying on a "tool" like the Strong Sphere as a crutch to make up for a lack of mastery of fundamentals, or even worse, a lack of latent talent combined with an unwillingness to invest the effort to improve.

Indy and Rubella's battle against Liko and her friends highlighted this, because it's quite obvious from the way they battled that they aren't talented or experienced as battlers, and resorted to Strong Spheres as a crutch, a shortcut, to compensate for their lack of skill. They had no aptitude for strategy, nor were they truly in sync with their Tauros, especially since the Strong Sphere renders the Trainer irrelevant, something Dot and Uruto both noticed.

Spinel having them as his personal subordinates, and possibly having others like them, highlights his approach and his laziness. He didn't put his new operatives through any training and instead enticed them with the Strong Sphere and appealed to their laziness and desire to get strong without putting in the effort to win strength earnestly, using shortcuts to compensate for their lack of innate talent.

It contrasts the other admins of the Explorers who were trained by Hamber, who are all forces to be reckoned with, because Hamber trained and coached them rigorously. Right from the get-go, the stakes for Liko were high, because unlike TRio with Ash who were jokes, Amethio was no pushover, and this pushed Liko to need to get strong to fend for herself against him and his peers, something Coral, Sidian, and Chalce reinforced as they showed up in Liko's life. And that strength is no mistake. Hamber put those four through the wringer, putting them through rigorous training and difficult and grueling missions, honing their strength through sheer willpower and talent. Their strength is earned through effort, facing challenge, and getting stronger and stronger. Amethio even said as much: he and Ceruledge went through Hamber's strict training and grueling missions together and that's why they're truly strong.

The use of Strong Spheres to promote strength without effort is further reinforced by the fact that they're just being distributed to the masses for free. Mega Evolution, Terastal, Z-Moves, and Dynamax are power-ups and more effective tools in battle, but they have to be earned, and only those who prove themselves worthy are given the right to use such tools, as they are, ultimately, at the end of the day, tools, not replacements for the fundamentals. Mastery of fundamentals is more important over the use of any sort of tools. Liko, Roy, and Dot went through an entire training arc to earn the right to use Terastal, for one. Even Coral and Sidian did a good deal of it themselves.

So far Roy (and Uruto) is the only one of the group to use Mega Evolution...which he earned over the course of a year of training in Kalos. Him getting it that way fits him because he represents a case of a Trainer who, unlike Liko and even Ash for that matter, doesn't really have any natural talent for anything, but what defines him is his drive and willingness to put in the honest effort and go through the wringer to get strong and truly earn strength that he harnesses through effort. Him earning Mega Evolution after a year of training represents effort to compensate for a lack of a natural gift, because he has drive and determination, even if he isn't a particularly gifted person or born into a favorable position (he's at his core just an ordinary guy). He represents hard work and determination.

A drive to get stronger is important because it is the key to true strength in that regard. Liko on the other hand has more natural talent and has strength in her empathy and compassion, able to truly be in sync with her Pokémon, which makes her inherently really capable through her strength in bonds and connection, but her biggest flaw early on was her lack of drive, which is also something she regressed back into over the year-long timeskip. Overcoming that allowed her own talent to really shine. I feel like she's actually a really natural candidate to use Mega Evolution and harness it effortlessly, especially now that she saw Roy and Uruto use it and is curious about it. Her natural ability to understand how Pokemon feel and truly be in sync with them lends well to the power-up, meaning the use of it would come really naturally for her (now the question is what will she catch to use it?), much moreso than Roy. She'd be able to handle and master it a lot more quickly than Roy because of that, which would line up with the fact that Roy got his Mega over the timeskip; he needed that year-long training journey because of who he is, fundamentally speaking. A guy with no latent talent but a willingness to go through honest effort via hard work and determination to compensate for it.

Which is to say, they both foil what the Strong Sphere represents, especially with Mega Evolution being set up to be a major story element. Strong Spheres represent power without either bonds or effort. Liko represents strength through connection and bonds, being able to understand her Pokémon and act in line with their feelings, Pokémon and Trainer united as one. Roy represents strength through effort and training, putting in hard work and determination. They're different but complementary and highlight where true strength is, not the hollow, effortless strength of Strong Spheres.

[ls-kun]

My luminous mama

[ls-kun]

[ls-kun]

[ls-kun]

i can only imagine batman having to tame shadow when he eventually gets adopted into the batfamily

[ls-kun]

[ls-kun]

COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN!!

More info here.

Message me here on Tumblr or e-mail me at allaricacommissions@gmail.com if you’re interested!

(Reblogs are super appreciated, thank you!)

[ls-kun]

Incredible work on this! Just to ask, has anyone ever made artwork of Addie? I'd love to see peoples interpretations of her. :3

You’re a daycare worker, watching over toddlers, when the imminent end of the world is announced. It becomes increasingly clear none of the kids’ parents are going to show up as the end inches nearer.

[ls-kun]

4-Koma Nano Ace Magazine Nichijou Folder

[ls-kun]

it is my birthday so it is indulgent au hour. this started with a request on patreon and got out of hand oops

more info below the cut:

-Fu tried giving the Ladybug Miraculous to Marinette but, when she helped him on the street, she insisted on helping him all the way home (she was just straight up going to ditch going to school and used him as an excuse) -due to her uncanny clumsiness and absolutely horrible bad luck, she ended up knocking the unlocked miracle box down and in a rush, Fu passed her the wrong miraculous (oops!) -Trixx tried explaining the situation to her but she wanted nothing to do with Hawkmoth and decided to just keep Trixx. When Fu came back for the necklace, Marinette (with a taste of freedom Jekyll and Hyde style) threatened to reveal his identity and his home to Hawkmoth if he tried to take Trixx from her -Fu can still sense righteousness within her and allowed it. Alya and Nino are the holders for the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous as a result - Alya as Scarabella has two goals: take down Hawkmoth and reclaim the Fox miraculous - the issue is Kitclown is really funny and charming and watching bad things happen to bad people is super great and she always falters last second lol

[ls-kun]

✨ Look to the future ✨

Featuring my new designs for post-TotK Flora and Wild in Wisdomverse <3

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Masterpost

Update: You can now get a physical copy of this on Inprnt!

(I’ve been working on this specific art for so heckin’ long. Shoutout to chat in my Monday art streams and to fellow streamer dust_rabbit for the many, many suggestions that made this piece work!)

(Also, there is a korok hidden somewhere in this image :)

[ls-kun]

Wait, are you the person who did the comic about the werewolf researcher who wanted to get fucked by the werewolves and there was one werewolf who wanted to play a board game?

I am indeed!

Notably the werewolves *all* played Tabletop games.

Not just Tim

Fun fact! The Werewolves are all named after the Magic the Gathering Player Types. I still haven't done much with Vee and Mel unfortunately.

[ls-kun]

Skincare Routine

Monster Researcher Andie continues to study gorgons.

Happy Year of the Snake!

[ls-kun]

Listen, it's a common mistake. That being said, despite their similarities, clowns and vampires are natural enemies.

Featuring cameos of cute Clown OCs: charredasperity.bsky.social’s Milly bunnybbouncin.bsky.social’s Peggy nikotoofficial.bsky.social’s Starboy joechoui.bsky.social’s Mary McBell basedbinkie.bsky.social’s Pippi Panini mementofunesmori.bsky.social’s Narrina

[ls-kun]

Sonic Prime got me back in the fandom, and now these two are my favorite little guys to draw. It's always the sibling dynamics that get me dangit.

AU where Maria gets to explore Earth and Shadow gets to be grumpy because he's protecting his sister.

I have so many sketches

[ls-kun]

Dragongirl kidnaps a maid instead of a princess by mistake; comes back to her lair after a hunt to find the coins and gems in her hoard have been organized into neat piles sorted by type, value, and kingdom of origin.

[ls-kun]

Arthur Penhaligon, Suzy Turquoise Blue, and The First Part of the Will (paragraphs three to seven) all together.