#i feel like we tried to make it a thing and then everybody forgor

[boyslit-moving]

wym everyone's not always thinking about the silly guy ever 24/7/365?

[the-knife-consumer]

Is Hardenshipping canonn?

Honestly wanna say no bc. Like. Obviously it's never been explicitly stated. So. No.

HOWEVER it is very fun and personally rewarding to speculate so. Thats under cut

Hehevwgeh they do have a lot of overlapping themes in their characters that i really love pointing out so whhhgh i'll just list them because surprise surprise (not a surprise this happens every single time) once i talk about something i like my brain turns to mulch and i can't essay like i usually do.

So, interesting things (minus images for most bc i dont feel like finding them)

-there's a mention of how they apparently used to be on the same team at some point in the past (i have a funny hc/au for what this "same team" is but i've yet to even mention or draw for it oops)

-the end of the main story where they reconcile. Just that entire scene (i've only really seen the alpha sapphire ver. Of this scene but whatever. Have seen the omega ruby one but i forgor what they say help)

-not really a. Like hardenshipping thing but OUGHGJJ MY GOOODDDD.... the very prevalent parallels between them and their respective legendaries. The constant feud and anger that kyogre and groudon hold for each other- the only break from their fights being brought on by rayquaza FORCING them to stop (the player being the rayquaza in this situation, hint hint). Rayquaza coming down from the sky to keep two idiots from killing everybody. Small child blasting through an entire evil corporation to keep two idiots from killing everybody. Literally the same.

Theres no way this could be just subtext, i feel like they kind of intended for people to make this connection its just one of those things thats SO obvious but still so fun to point out. I love symbolism and subtext and reading between the lines and *explodes*

-Another thing i find interesting is their outer shell compared to their actual personalities and ideals.

Archie seems very friendly and lighthearted (at least compared to maxie being an uppity dick). He uses more kind language when referring to the player- kind being less professional and less detached. He comes off as much more relaxed, but he holds a concerning amount of apathy towards humankind. Team aqua's goal was to drown everyone, thinking that if they did then the world would be perfect for pokemon to thrive in. Archie wanted to flood the world with the wellbeing of pokemon in mind. (Which. How the fuck does that even work) (also opens up the speculation of what could've possibly made him care so little for people's wellbeing, and what made him care for the lives of pokemon so much more)

Maxie comes off very cold. He tries to be professional. While archie saying scamp comes off as playful, maxie calling you "child" just instantly hits as condescending. (Can you tell i love-hate this fucking toxic slutch monster) (another btw, in his defeat animation he loses his cool for a sec and freaks out before composing himself, when you'd expect something like this from archie. Archie's lose animation is leagues calmer. Although this is a really small detail i feel like it gives great insight into their actual personalities. I love small details hoohoo) and even though he acts like this, he cares a lot for other people and made his team's goal to dry up all the water so humans had more land and could advance quicker. maxie wanted to dry everything up with the wellbeing of people in mind.

(Which, again, HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT WORK????? PEOPLE NEED DRINKING WATER???? HELLO???????????????)

-as per previous points, they are both very, very dumb.

-and oh yeah. The model boats. Oh my god. I lose my MIND over this little thing they share in particular because uuoiuuhsaaaaaaaagh. AAAAAGHHH.

Archie having a model ship makes sense, you know? He loves the sea- wants to drown everybody- yeah. It makes sense that he has a model ship.

But maxie. Woagh. Woauagh. Bro. What if we had matching model ships. And we were both boys (i say matching bc the 3ds overworld isn't very detailed so they look the same. Could be different for all we know.)

Why would maxie have a ship? He wants to dry up the sea. It's pretty safe to say he's either indifferent to sea-based travel, or he hates it. Boats, ferrys, ships, those wont be needed in the world he wants to create. But he has a model ship in his bedroom. A model ship that is absolutely spotless, not a single mote of dust.

Why does he take such good care of something that- according to the rest of his character and motivations- he shouldn't care about?

(Could those matching model ships that they have be something significant from their past when they were on good terms? Maybe something to do with that same team they were on?)

-also there's this which is worth mentioning i think because damn.

Theres more stuff that i could mention but paraphrasing is exhausting and my brain has shriveled up.