#though according to the Sun dex entry

[pokemon-npcs]

[windor-truffle]

pokemans :) long ramble abt the symbolism behind the pokemon choice below the cut:

Asbel was actually a hard choice for me, his shonen-protag knight-wannabe basic bitch vibes are a little hard to pin down. I wanted to give him a normal type but also possibly a shiny one to represent how Asbel is simultaneously incredibly average (aside from the title he inherited and the powers Sophie gave him) and rather unique (personality-wise, people are drawn to his kindness and inner strength). In the end I picked Furret of the Walking Meme fame for a whooooole buncha reasons:

Firstly, though my pastel palette washes it down, shiny Furret is actually white and magenta instead of its usual brown and tan. It's actually kinda close to Asbel's ambiguous hair color and the white matches his cloak! Hooray for color coordination :)

Furret is the evolved form of Sentret, an early route normal type. Sentret is the scout pokemon and according to its dex entries it lives in groups and keeps watch over the others, akin to groundhogs or meerkats. In other words, it Proteccs(TM) (actually it only learns Protect via TM, like almost every other pokemon).

Strengthwise, Furret is... not good 😅 it suffers the gen II curse of having an abysmally low base stat total even for a fully evolved mon, with its best stat being speed followed by attack. Furret often serves as a utility or support mon instead, doing better in doubles where it can aid its partner with moves like Helping Hand (an Asbel move if I've ever seen one) and Follow Me (become a damage magnet for a round, a rather Asbel tactic). It can also run Trick, Sucker Punch, Knockoff, U-Turn, and Brick Break for more competitive settings, and its Frisk ability can scope out an opponent's held item in settings where that isn't given information. In gen IX it just recently got access to the previously exclusive hazard-removal/setup move Tidy Up (Asbel loves cleaning 😂) which could help Furret a little by boosting its attack and speed, either making its STAB(same type attack bonus) normal moves like Body Slam or Last Resort hit harder or possibly being Baton Passed onto another party member waiting in the back.

Furret has access to a shocking versatile movepool--- it can learn coverage moves for 13/18 types!--- but unfortunately lacks the stats to use them well, which lends to it being overlooked. In-game it can learn HM moves like Strength, Surf, Whirlpool, Cut, and Rock Smash, so it sometimes earns a temporary spot on the team as an HM mule 😅 (but that means it's HELPFUL! It can help its beloved partner navigate a difficult environment!) It can also set up rain or sun, it can Rest and Sleep Talk, it can run a Focus Sash Endeavor gambit, it can Toxic Orb Trick STABFacade. There's SO much Furret can do, the opponent will never know what to expect!! ...except an easy victory, because its stats are just terrible 😔

And that leads me to my final point of similarity, one that readers may have already noticed: Asbel and Furret are both SO underrated and I will defend them with my life 😤 The complaints and critiques against them are often valid, especially when compared to their counterparts like more nuanced protagonists or normal types with a BST above 415, but dammit that's my special little guy, can't you see his potential???? 😭 He means so much to me and he could mean so much to you if you could look past the initial scathing judgments of "this is silly, shallow, and not worth my time."

In conclusion, I love my pathetic little magenta guys 💜💜💜

[silent-sentinels]

Walks into your inbox. Hiiiiii dearest Starbrights it's time for more Pokemon assignments because we've been brainstorming ideas again :]!!

First off is Blender, and for it we've decided on Kecleon!

(↑ It's usually green, but I'll get to why this one's purple in a minute)

Kecleon as you can see resembles a chameleon! They're known for turning invisible and kinda just. Blocking people's way XHZNZNCJC in the games you can get around em by using the Devon Scope, an item that specifically?? turns Kecleon visible. Like that's its only use. There be some specific ass machines in the world i guess JDSJZJDJDJD

In the Mystery Dungeon series, there are two Kecleon that run the town shops! They're known as the Kecleon brothers; one is the usual green, while the other is uniquely purple! NO FUCKING CLUE WHY THAT IS, there's NO explanation for it, purple isn't even these guys' shiny colour so JDKSKDFNFJD????

Kecleon is usually a normal type, but it can change types temporarily in battle! It's not the strongest Pokemon (... Unless you count mystery dungeon. that's a whole separate infodump though), but it's very unique!!

Second is Deadsprint, we have a couple in mind for him (Jolteon and Mega Manetric specifically, both because of their speed!), but we also have a third, funnier [lh] one in mind: Spoink!

Okay, so... Hear us out. Spoink's dex entries CONSTANTLY state that it HAS to keep bouncing or moving in some way or it will Literally Die. The death thing isn't true (otherwise it'd be Permanently Dead every time it faints dhsjsjxndfn) but. That made us laugh sorry. A bit fitting for someone who embodies the need to Move Constantly, we think? <:]

Spoink is a baby Pokemon so it also isn't the strongest, but its evolution, Grumpig, is pretty damn bulky! Both of them are psychic types too which is always a fun type to train in our opinion :3c

And, finally for today, 🏵️!

So... At first we kind of thought about Missingno? Missingno is technically not a Pokemon, rather an infamous glitch throughout the series, but... It acts like a Pokemon. Technically has an appearance like one too. But depending on the game you're playing it changes drastically in looks NFJSJDKF

↑ This is its most famous look!

Missingno is a very interesting Pokemon!!! It can be used to generate infinite amounts of items, catch any Pokemon you want if you manipulate the game right, hell you can catch it yourself and completely break the game with how overpowered it is! It's VERY fun to mess around with <22 <33 Missingno's like... An all powerful entity that shouldn't exist but does against all odds, y'know?

But as for ACTUAL Pokemon, one we thought would be fitting aesthetically is Solrock!

Solrock, despite the name and appearance, is not a fire type! It's rock/psychic, and its counterpart Lunatone is the same typing! :]

We thought it'd fit 🏵️ better than Missingno definitely but to our (very thought disordered and psychosis addled [lh]) brain we DID make some connections between 🏵️ and Missingno bUT ANYWAYS ONTO SOLROCK!

Solrock is a really neat concept!!! It balances out Lunatone and has the Sun And Moon��� Motif goin for it! According to its dex entries, it shines when it spins, and its Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl entries state that it's rumoured to be the avatar of the sun!

We trained one a long while ago and it kicked ass tbh 10 outta 10 will train again (tho we Are a bit more partial to Lunatone tbh. Tho u rlly can't separate them ig they rlly do balance each other out well Message cancelled. Why did our phone auto suggest I type baka instead of balance???)

Fun fact, Solrock was introduced in gen 3, and is one of the 7th gym leaders' star Pokemon! The 7th gym leaders, Tate and Liza, specialize in double battles, which is where Solrock shines (no pun intended)!

That's all for now our beloveds, we lov y'all!! <222 <333!!!

!! YAYYY HIIIII STARBRIGHTS :D!!! all of these guys were available for comment to various degrees so here ya go :3c

HELL YEAH WHAT A FUNKY LIL DUDE!!! thats literally so funny, turns invisible just to obstruct your path lmao?? nuisance behavior, i love it lmao :] hkjgh THERE REALLY DO BE SOME SPECIFIC ASS MACHINES LMAO!! also not even being the shiny color HGKJH and for what?? just to be ourple? silly hgkjh

very fitting to be a normal type, im the masker to help us look normal after all jglkj but that it can transform into different types too, very shapeshiftery, I LIKE THIS GUY!! excellent choice!! :D - Blender

---

LMAO YEAH?? ADHD ICON SPOINK LETS GOOOOO!! THAT'S LITERALLY SO MECORE I DO GOTTA KEEP MOVING OR I'LL DIE (<- He won't literally die.) I LITERALLY DIE HGKJFH IM ALSO NOT THE STRONGEST THATS TRUE! I DONT EVEN THINK IM VERY FAST IM JUST ALWAYS MOVING HGKJH!! VERY COOL :3!! - DEADSPRINT!!

---

it was unexpected to be assigned a pokemon before the others (lighthearted). based on how little you see of me through the shroud, you may have a skewed perception of my true nature. …i digress.

i can certainly see where you are coming from for missingno. your description of it feels fitting. not like the others, not meant to be there, yet there all the same. could break everything if it were not careful. solrock is lovely, very vibrant. i enjoy it having a counterpart in lunatone, balancing the sun and the moon. it's a sweet sentiment, thank you kindly for your assignments. - 🏵️

thank you so much dearests!! :D these are all so cool, we always love reading your reasoning and experiences with each of the pokemon!! we lov y'all so much <333 <222!!!

[tomboyvampire23]

Okay, since the poll has ended and most of you wanted it...

It's time to explain! Here we go! :)

According to Leafeon's Pokédex Entries, it says it is a pacifist, although its Ultra Sun Dex says it fights to protect its friends. Just like Gonta who is a pacifist and fights when his friends are in danger

This Dex Entry below makes me think of Gonta instead of Rantaro

While I had two Leafeons named after them in my same Shield game, I made Rantaro a special attacker while Gonta, on the other hand, was a physical attacker. Because according to Leafeon's base stats, it has amazing physical stats but poor special stats. Although Gonta is still intelligent (Like I said in the character ask thing), the way he acts is still reminding me of a Leafeon however. As for Rantaro, he has a calm nature which fits his personality, and him having Special Moves makes more sense to me

Gonta also grew up in the forest for a decade, which reminds me of Eevee evolving into Leafeon when levelling up near a Moss Rock. In fact, Moss Rocks are found in forests too.

I always see Leafeon as a peaceful but cheerful and kind-hearted rather than calm or mellow (Leafeon can have any personalities however)

Although I think both Rantaro and Gonta love nature, I honestly think Gonta is more of a Nature-Lover than Rantaro because, as I said, he grew up in the wild (Despite Rantaro still fitting for Leafeon though)

Gonta's swimsuit has a plant aesthetic while Rantaro doesn't, in fact again, Gonta's swimsuit also gave me Leafeon vibes.

Also, this may not be related to the explanation but Gonta and Leafeon are also my favorites (I still love Rantaro though)

Please tell me in the comments if you have a counterargument

Lastly before you continue scrolling enjoy the two Leafeon boys happily hanging out :)

(Also I love the ship of the two green leafy darlings)

[nerdy-sessions]

Pokémon of the Week!

#87: Dewgong!

Welcome, nerds, to Pokémon of the Week!

Where I, Sesh, generate a random Pokémon to highlight each week!

Last week, we highlighted the Hisuian variant of our slimy dragon friend, Goodra. If you wanna see that one, you can find it below:

This week, we are highlighting an OG water pupper with a warm heart of gold, Dewgong! It's a crying shame Dewgong and it's pre-evolved form Seel aren't in the latest Sword & Shield and Legends: Arceus games. But as it is one of the original 151 Pokémon, there is a good deal to cover and discuss!

LOOK AT THIS GUD BOI

Let's dive in! PUN INTENDED.

~ORIGINS~

Dewgong debuted in Generation 1 as one of the original 151 Pokémon in Pokemon: Red & Blue for the GameBoy Color. It has since appeared as an obtainable Pokémon in every mainline entry except Sword & Shield and Legends: Arceus.

Dewgong is dual-typed at Water and Ice (a good combination, though it allows Fire attacks to have normal effect against it).

Dewgong last appeared in the anime as a Pokémon belonging to newer main character, Goh. Evidently, it's got a simping problem for female water-types.

There's some debate about this adorable water-pupper's name...

As first glance, Dewgong could very well be inspired by real-life "dugongs", which are a family of marine mammals that include manatees. In the Red & Blue beta, Dewgong even had a different name: Manaty.

Below is a common dugong:

Ehhh...not really...dis chonky boi's got too big a nosey to look like Dewgong. And it ain't got no white fur, either.

According to Bulbapedia, Dewgong shares more characteristics with harp seal pups than actual dugongs because of their "white fur and icy habitat." I'm inclined to agree.

HNNNNNGH...

Anyway...

It's elongated body shares characteristics with fairy-tales of mermaids (which seals were often mistaken for mermaids by sailors of old).

It could also be inspired by beluga whales...again, due to the hue of it's fur and icy biome.

And the horn on Dewgong's head?

Narwhals. Easy.

Narwhals, narwhals, swimmin' in the ocean...

The OG Pokedex entries from generation 1 say is can swim at "8 knots". Now, I'm not a seafarer by any means, but I assume that's pretty dang fast? The anime seems to portray it as such.

The dex also says is gets..."frisky"...in cold water...

WELL THEN

#he'sgoingatmachsimp

Other entries describe it as being able to swim very fast and very well in colder waters, saying it thrives in the colder climates and "snoozes" on icebergs.

Generation 3 dex entries make a callback to olden times when, as I mentioned above, sailors would often mistake seals and manatees for mermaids.

Generation 4 entries describe it's white coat as being a camouflage from predators, which tracks with most arctic species of seal.

In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon's entries, it gets darker, saying it is straight-up a predator, liking to munch on Wishiwashi, a small fish Pokémon introduced in Generation 7.

Oof...well, even the world of Pokémon has a circle of life. Bye bye, fishy! It's gonna be hard to avoid 8 KNOTS of solid blubber coming at ya!

~DESIGN~

Here's Dewgong's latest official artwork:

Quoted from Dewgong's biology section on Bulbapedia:

"Dewgong is a pinniped Pokémon with a snowy white, furry body. Its fur renders it virtually invisible in snowy conditions. Its face has two black eyes, a black nose, and two tusks extending from its upper jaw. It has a streamlined body with two front flippers and a long flowing tail. Even in extremely cold and ice-packed waters, its tail allows it to be a swift and agile swimmer at speeds of 8 knots. On top of its head is a sharp horn, which allows it to cut through the thickest ice floes.

It lives on icebergs adrift in frigid ocean waters. It thrives in lower temperatures, becoming increasingly more active the colder the weather. By storing thermal energy within its body, it is completely unharmed by even the most intense freezing weather. During daylight hours, it sleeps on bitterly cold ice or under shallow water. However, at night when the temperature drops, it becomes a hunter and searches for prey such as Wishiwashi. Following a meal, it sunbathes on the beach. This raises its body temperature and aids in digestion."

~ADVANTAGES~

Being a Water-type, you'll naturally want to use Dewgong against Fire, Rock, and Ground-types. It's dual Ice-typing can also be handy against those pesky Flying and Grass-types as well. This is an upgrade from it's pre-evolved form Seel, which is only a Water-type. It's typing saves it from Super Effective death more than Seel.

True to real-life manatees and seals having a layer of blubber and fat to keep them warm, Dewgong's highest base state is Special Defense (closely followed by HP). Field Dewgong against Pokémon that use special attacks.

If your Dewgong has the "Thick Fat" ability (yeesh, what a name), any attacks against you that are Fire or Ice-type deal half the damage they normally would.

If your Dewgong has the "Hydration" ability (like our friend Goodra), any status conditions it has will heal if it is raining.

It's hidden ability, "Ice Body", heals 1/16 of damage against Dewgong if it is hailing at the end of each turn of battle.

Handy to have around as an HM user if you are playing one of the older games (i.e. learning moves to use outside of battle like Surf, Waterfall, and Dive).

IT'S CUTE AS HECC

~DISADVANTAGES~

AVOID THE CHU! Do not field against Electric-types.

No Grass-types, either.

As I mentioned, Fire-types now have normal effect against it instead of less effectiveness.

It's base states as a whole are not impressive. None of them break 100. That's not very desireable in a final-form Pokémon like Dewgong. Don't be thinking your Dewgong will outspeed or overpower anything decently fast or strong by default without some Hyper Training.

~HOW TO OBTAIN~

Buckle up, nerds. Since this Pokemon goes all the way back to the first generation, this might take a while:

In the original Red & Blue versions, you can catch a Dewgong while surfing in the Seafoam Islands, or by catching a Seel and leveling it up to level 34. You can also trade a Growlithe for a Dewgong with an NPC at the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island.

In Gold & Silver versions, the only way to obtain Dewgong is to evolve a Seel. They are unobtainable in the wild.

In the Gen 1 remakes FireRed & LeafGreen, Dewgong can be obtained in the Seafoam Islands (as before) and Icefall Cave. Dewgong is in Ruby & Sapphire, but only by trading with FireRed & LeafGreen versions.

Dewgong is a version exclusive Pokémon in Generation 4, being available in Diamond, but not Pearl. Dewgong can be found in the postgame while surfing on Routes 226 and 230.

In Platinum version, wild Dewgong can be found while traversing Victory Road.

In the Gen 2 remakes HeartGold & SoulSilver, wild Dewgong can be found, again, while surfing in the Seafoam Islands.

In Black & White, wild Dewgong can be find while surfing in rippling water in the Giant Chasm. In Black 2 & White 2, Dewgong can also be found in rippling water in Seaside Cave.

In X & Y versions, Dewgong is only obtainable via an Ice Friend Safari.

In the Gen 3 remakes Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Dewgong can be found postgame in the Shoal Cave as a hidden Pokemon that needs to be searched for in rippling water.

It is unobtainable in the wild in Sun & Moon. However, it is obtainable in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon by evolving Seel, which can be found in Seaward Cave.

Once more, in the somewhat unneeded Let's Go! Pikachu & Eevee games, it can be found while surfing in the Seafoam Islands.

As stated above, Dewgong is not available in any form in Sword & Shield. #dexitvictim

Dewgong is available in the Gen 4 remake Brilliant Diamond, like Diamond before it, in the same locations postgame (Routes 226 & 230). In addition, it can also be found in Icy biomes in the Grand Underground postgame.

Dewgong is not obtainable in Legends: Arceus.

~COOL DEWGONG FANART~

There's some beautiful pieces of Dewgong out there that really capture this water pupper's natural beauty and inclination toward Arctic climates! Here are a couple:

Beautiful. No wonder sailors mistook them for mermaids once upon a time.

A bunch of Dewgong and Seel together!

A more realistic Dewgong that actually looks pretty good.

A What If...? Dewgong that has a mega form! Love it.

OG Pokegirl Misty hanging out with a bunch of OG water-types, including a Seel and a Dewgong!

~CONCLUSION~

Like with Goodra, I've never had a Dewgong on my team. But BOY have I had a hard time taking down those belonging to NPCs on my journeys. It's not the most powerful Pokémon around, but it's handy for water-based HM moves and it's added ice-typing is certainly handy as well. It's also a beautiful and realistic Pokémon; a very good reminder of some of the amazing creatures we have out there in the real world.

Overall, a decent OG 'mon!

Let me know your thoughts on Dewgong! Or if any of you have ever used one!

Until next time! See you next week for a real flappy apple!

[pop-goes-the-sneasel]

do mimikyu please!!!! :-D

IT’S HALLOWEEN!!!!! MIMIKYU!!!!!!!!!!

God I absolutely love love LOVE Mimikyu. And I’m in good company, since it’s the third-most-popular pokemon according to the Pokemon of the Year poll, and the most popular of Gen VII! EVERYONE loves Mimikyu!!!! Because Mimikyu is THE BEST!!!!! A Ghost/Fairy-type, Mimikyu is an amazingly cute little shadow blob that wears a Pikachu-like rag over its body canonically inspired by Pikachu merchandise, acting as a frightful parody of our franchise’s wonderful mascot. Its true form is unknown, but we’ll get to that!

So, Mimikyu’s gimmick is the Pikachu-like rag, and in gameplay this manifests as an ability called “Disguise”. This allows Mimikyu to survive one free hit, with the disguise’s “neck” seemingly breaking after taking the hit, producing this rather unsettling visage. Isn’t it great????? It’s also competitively quite useful, since it gives Mimikyu a free turn for setting up or something, like using Swords Dance to boost its attack. Flavour-wise, Mimikyu is said to stay up into the night fixing its neck, “crying inside” as it works, and will mercilessly seek revenge on the one who broke it.

The messy pen-coloured “disguise” is a superb aesthetic. Its initial dex entries describe it as simply an “old rag” it wears to hide its appearance and get closer to others, though the Pikachu affiliation is made clear in Sun and Moon by the Totem Mimikyu in the Thrifty Megamart, who lives in a back room covered with Pikachu posters. This implies an obsession with or jealousy of Pikachu, with other media and later dex entries affirming this further, explicitly stating that Mimikyu pretends to be Pikachu because of Pikachu’s popularity. Jessie’s Mimikyu in the anime is shown to actively despise Pikachu, however, so it seems Mimikyu’s relationship with Pikachu can vary across the species and is a bit more complicated than any single source lets on.

Mimikyu’s appearance under the rag is purposefully left a mystery, described as “terrifying” to such a degree that those who see what lies beneath soon die painfully, with three separate instances of this cited in the dex. That said, it is shown to have shining eyes when it attacks, and long, clawed arm-like appendages heavily associated with the move Shadow Claw. It’s really an incredible aesthetic, and it highlights Mimikyu’s real face for those who aren’t immediately aware of it!

That said, both the anime and games can’t resist showing a little glimpse of its true form, which is best shown by its signature Z-Move, Let’s Snuggle Forever. In this attack, Mimikyu envelopes the opponent in its disguise, then attacking them with an upgraded version of Play Rough. Depicting Mimikyu as a shadowy blob with glowing red eyes, it’s rather underwhelming, and frankly I feel that teasing Mimikyu’s appearance with attacks like this kinda devalues the concept of its appearance being too dangerous to see. Not really a big deal, though.

Mimikyu’s shiny is a wonderful slightly-off greyscale, which is incredibly rare for shinies and boosts Mimikyu’s inherent spoop factor even further. The only splash of colour is its wooden stick, which makes sense since that’s not physically part of it; it merely holds it. One of my most favourite shinies ever, actually! One also appears in the anime under the care of Acerola, notably as a literal ghost of a dead Mimikyu, with a sewed-on patch of a non-shiny.

Anyways, Mimikyu is absolutely fantastic. It combines cute with creepy marvellously, in a way no other pokemon does, with its scrawled-on Pikachu face managing to be nearly as iconic as the electric mouse itself. Its concept is both cool and heart-wrenching, as a pokemon who desperately craves attention and approval, trying to be something it’s not whilst completely unaware of how many people utterly love it for what it really is. Mimikyu is PERFECT, conceptually and aesthetically, and I can easily say it’s in my top three favourite pokemon – and I’m glad everyone else can see the appeal, too. Mimikyu needs it.

Precious spoop beby/10.

[bl00diedhell]

So for the people with muses who can (or used to) Mega Evolve, how d’you handle the whole retcon of Mega Evolution from “the bond between a trainer and their Pokemon” to “monstrous instrument of torture”?

I’ve been rationalising it as not having enough research going into it for people to properly realise potential sinister side effects. After all, Sycamore says "Also, I want to ask for your help in solving the Kalos region's biggest Pokémon mystery: the secret and potential of Mega Evolution, a new kind of Evolution that occurs in battle! That's why I gave you that Mega Stone just now. It's an important clue!" Source (just past the "If the player has or makes room in their party" section)

So, if it's still very new, then it was probably still under researched during the events of X/Y, and while Sycamore was right about it being due to a strong bond in some cases, if we take all the dex entries as an accurate descriptor, with a lot of other Pokemon, he was dead wrong.

After rifling through all the Mega Evo dex entries, I've noticed that X/Y didn't actually include any - that was a thing that started with SuMo. So X/Y was going on about how Mega Evolution is a bond between Pokemon and trainer, and then SuMo came along like 'actually, would you like to read these?' and presented us with stories of horror.

That's not to say that all the Mega Evo dex entries from SuMo/USUM are nightmarish; some of them are quite nice! Ultra Sun: Excess energy from Mega Evolution stimulates its genes, and the wool it had lost grows in again. Ultra Moon: Massive amounts of energy intensely stimulated Ampharos's cells, apparently awakening its long-sleeping dragon's blood. Source

The SuMo entries seem to generally be, if not nicer, then more likely to be neutral compared to the USUM ones, which is where the real fuckery comes in. Mega Salamence, Garchomp, Houndoom and Scizor being, IMO, the worst of the worst.

And then there's LGPE, which loops back around to being all nice again. The LGPE Mega Evo dex entries are neutral at worst, with some of them going back to X/Y's root of it being due to a strong bond: Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee: Its bond with its Trainer is the source of its power. It boasts speed and maneuverability greater than that of a jet fighter. Source

So my interpretation is that people in Alola (Aether, maybe? Some other scientists?) did their own research on Mega Evolution, and found that Sycamore's own barely scratched the surface, and there is a dark underside to it that he was unaware of. And then I suppose the neutral/positive entries from LGPE help to support Sycamore's positive bond theory. A case of hit or miss, I suppose.

So from a story perspective, I'm interpreting it as Mega Evolution being a bit less widespread due to the critically edgy SuMo/USUM entries, and those negatively affected Pokemon have their Mega Evos and Mega Stones abandoned by their trainers, so as not to, y'know, gruesomely torture them. Though there's probably going to be one or two assholes out there who will Mega Evolve a Scizor for the sheer sadistic fun of it (*coughcoughimagineifGhetsiswasaroundduringMegaEvolutioncough*)

As for the Pokemon without a Mega Evo dex entry at all,  (out of 46 Pokemon that can Mega Evolve, 16 of them still lack a Mega Evo entry) I'm just going to assume that they're safe to be Mega Evolved. That perhaps there was nothing particularly stand-out about the transformation, compared to stimulated wool growth or fucking melting.

Of course, with ORAS canonically confirming multiple timelines*, there could be some timeline fuckery taking place to obfuscate things further, as the Gen 6 games can’t even agree how long Mega Evolution has been around.**

*”My people know it. From generation to generation, we pass along the lore about the distortions in the world borne by the Mega Evolution mechanism. And about the existence of another world, which we have long observed to be just like this one and yet not the same... That's right. A Hoenn region that's almost exactly like this one we live in. Filled with Pokémon and people like us. A world where maybe the evolution of Pokémon took a slightly different path, where Mega Evolution is unknown... A world where that war 3,000 years ago...never happened. A world where the ultimate weapon was never even built." Source (Mossdeep Space Center (second visit))

**“Korrina, the Gym Leader of Shalour City, is said to know secrets about Mega Evolution. The Tower of Mastery is also related to Mega Evolution. According to a Kalos legend, the first Pokémon to have been Mega Evolved was a Lucario. However, according to Zinnia's grandmother in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Rayquaza was the first Pokémon to Mega Evolve; Mega Evolution was first discovered by the first meeting of humanity and Rayquaza." Source

So this confusion lends credence to the idea that Mega Evolution was under researched by the time the events of the game it was introduced in took place. And if Zinnia’s grandmother was right about Rayquaza being the first, then that would mean that Mega Evolution predates X/Y by literal millions of years due to Rayquaza’s age:

Ruby: Rayquaza lived for hundreds of millions of years in the earth's ozone layer, never descending to the ground. This Pokémon appears to feed on water and particles in the atmosphere. Sapphire: Rayquaza is said to have lived for hundreds of millions of years in the earth's ozone layer, above the clouds. Its existence had been completely unknown because it lived so high in the sky. Omega Ruby: Rayquaza is said to have lived for hundreds of millions of years. Legends remain of how it put to rest the clash between Kyogre and Groudon. Source  

Of course, Rayquaza is also the only Pokemon that is capable of Mega Evolution without needing a stone:

“Inside Rayquaza's body lies an organ that contains the same power as a Mega Stone. A Devon Corporation scientist named this organ the mikado organ (Japanese: ミカド器官). By consuming meteoroids as it flies through the stratosphere, the mikado organ will be filled with enough energy to enable Rayquaza's Mega Evolution.” Source

So then, if Rayquaza was able to Mega Evolve hundreds of millions of years ago, due to consumption of meteoroids and an internal organ that other Pokemon don’t even have, it’s not necessary unbelievable that it’d take up until the more modern day events of X/Y for scientists - Sycamore included - to just figure out that a Mega Stone and ring are needed.

...Though my own biggest personal take away from this is that GF made Mega Evolution a complete and utter fucking mess.

[kariachi]

Reading Slowpoke pokedex entries and, according to gen 7 their tails just, fall off naturally?

Sun: “Its long tail often breaks off. It doesn't really feel any pain, though, and the tail grows back, so Slowpoke isn't particularly bothered.”

Ultra Moon: “Although their tails, which fall off naturally, can easily be found lying around, they're a precious ingredient for cooking.”

Just, how naturally are we talking? Like, if something tugs on it it falls off? Slowpoke bumps into something, flump, there goes it’s tail? Do they shed them like antlers? Does, does Johto know about this?

Ya know, I used to think the pokedex entries that talked about how long it takes to acknowledge prey biting its tail were following off the entries talking about how long it takes for them to process and acknowledge pain- which always felt weird I’ll admit, given it’s first dex entry says it takes five seconds to feel pain (Red/Blue)- but given this new info plus this entry

Black/White: “Although slow, it is skilled at fishing with its tail. It does not feel pain if its tail is bitten.”

I, I think slowpoke might actually just not have pain receptors in its tail. So, is it just, literally an inbuilt fishing lure? Technically it’s also for balance but slowpoke are, well, slowpoke, so it doesn’t actually matter? And why do they fall off, especially often enough that they “can easily be found lying around”? Is it to do with their tail sap? Does it lose effectiveness as the tail ages and sees use and so they just, grow a new one?

Fucking slowpoke, man, apparently they contain multitudes.

Also, check this-

Moon: “Alolan home cooking involves drying Slowpoke tails and then simmering them into a salty stew.”

I, kinda wanna try that, that’s gotta be one interesting as hell meal.

[doodledex-project]

Doodledex - #376-M Mega Metagross

It seems I miscounted the number of difficult Steel-type Megas.... this one was the most difficult! I honestly think this coulda turned out better... especially as far as getting good references for the “back legs” was concerned. (An attempt was made, though.)

You’re probably thinking that Mega Metagross would be a theoretical fusion between two Metagross... nope! According to Sun’s dex entry, this is what would probably happen if a Metagross fused with a Metang and two Beldum! Still, that’s technically two Metagross.... and also means that the Mega should have eight brains regardless!

[moonvalecrossing]

Moonvale's Pokemon Commentary: #139 Omastar

Scyther, Tentacool, Dragonair, Magmar!

Just for Looks:

Take wee baby Omanyte, shift its tentacles around so we can see the terrifying beak mouth. Roll six of those legs like they're play-dough so they're longer and thin. Make its pupils less dilated and now look like a straight vertical line. Glue some spikes on that shit. Now you got Omastar! The shiny is just like its previous evolutionary stage, except it seems like the shells are the same color between versions. Yes, this does bother me a bit.

What's in the Name:

The name's similar to Omanyte too. Only add star to it at the end. Because I guess the body looks like a star? Well without the pointy top anyway. The Japanese name is the same thing pretty much. Only without the first letter a. America doesn't like your lack of a's, Japan!

The 'Dex Says:

Omastar's main mentioned prey was Shellder (or more realistically, whatever Shellder came from in the ancient past). That beak could crack right through the clam's shell and it sucked out the insides. Other prey would become ensnared with those longer tentacles and Omastar would never let go. It would then just chew on its victim while it was still alive. That beak is a blender of nightmares.

Don't worry though, it could only reach close prey for food. Turns out that shell is hella heavy and that's what's believed to have caused Omastar to go extinct. But it apparently lives on outside fossils because it's a distant ancestor of Octillary according to the Ultra Sun dex entry. That's right. Omastar died off, but something branched off from it, eventually turned into a gun-fish that doesn't actually look like a gun and that fish then evolved into an octopus. Sure, why not.

It's Rating Time!

Omastar also gets a 3/5. I'd have given it a point more for the creepy look and spikes, but apparently those spikes are the reason it died out. :P Also it brought about the fish into octopus evolution that to this day still makes me unreasonably annoyed.

Want to read more of my reviews? Click here!

[pokemaniacal]

Pokémon Moon, Episode 9: In Which I Do Battle With A Demon Jellyfish From The Endless Void

I should really just get out while I’m ahead. 

I got this sparkly bracelet thing, I got a bunch of weird voodoo crystals with a variety of dubiously magic powers, I got a bunch of… arguably cool Pokémon that I’d never seen before.  Some of those things’d have to fetch a decent price if I just left Alola and never looked back, right?

And if you’re with the police, no, obviously I’m not talking about the Pokémon; they would stay with me back in Kanto and I would do my best to give them all a good life.

(If you’re not with the police, look, I know a guy who knows a guy, okay?  Just be cool)

“You may call me Faba.” Like… like the bean?  Come to think of it, his glasses do look kind of like beans.  Sure, whatever, let’s go with that.  This way, he can be played by Rowan Atkinson in the movie adaptation. “I told you before that I would show you someplace astounding, right?  Well, that wondrous place is… Aether Paradise!”  I look at him blankly. “…should I have heard of it, or…?” “Just as the name suggests, Aether Paradise is a veritable paradise for Pokémon that floats far out in the sea surrounding Alola,” Mr. Bean explains.  “It is an artificial island, made entirely by human technology, for the protecting of Pokémon!  And our Foundation wishes to offer you a tour of Aether Paradise – you will come, won’t you?” “A chance to see a state-of-the-art Pokémon conservation facility?  Sure, how can I pass it up?”  It’s not exactly what I had in mind for my time in Alola, but I’m pretty sure this counts as sightseeing on some level.  Olivia and Professor Kukui show up to drop off Hau, and give us both a nice send-off from Akala Island, since Mr. Bean says we’ll be able to travel directly to Ula’ula Island once we’re finished at the Aether Paradise.  Hau, as usual, is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement and can’t wait to see the Paradise, so the three of us board a small Aether Foundation ship and set off. 

The Aether Paradise is everything it’s talked up to be – a huge, gleaming white building on a platform floating in the middle of the open ocean.  Mr. Bean is tight-lipped about what exactly holds it up; according to Hau, it’s rumoured to be supported by powerful Pokémon, but Hau is an idiot. It’s impressive, regardless.  The ship drops us off on the docking level, where several Machamp and a few particularly burly humans are shifting huge wooden crates.  Everything is the same pristine white as the superstructure.  Mr. Bean explains that below us, beneath sea level, there are research labs where Aether Foundation scientists are working on new technologies to assist in Pokémon conservation, including special advanced Pokéballs, and also warns us that, although there are many wild Pokémon in the facility, we cannot use our own Pokéballs due to a special jamming signal.  I ask to see the underwater labs, and am told that I can take the elevator down to the research level if I want to use the observation windows in the lobby, but the labs themselves are off limits.  Well, that’s… a little suspicious, but I guess the Aether Foundation is a privately-run organisation with a lot of sensitive new technology, so it’s not unreasonable.  The conservation level, on the other hand, is ours to explore.  Mr. Bean is apparently far too important to show us around himself, though, so he quickly fobs us off on his assistant, a friendly purple-haired woman named Wicke.  Wicke gives us a brief tour of the parts of the administration level that aren’t off-limits, before zipping us up to the real attractions on the conservation level. 

The conservation level is truly spectacular – a carefully balanced mix of woodland, river and hillside habitats, criss-crossed by walkways and tended by numerous Foundation workers, filled with rare Pokémon, and all enclosed in perspex so the climate can be controlled.  The whole thing must be the size of a small town. “We keep Pokémon that have been targeted by Team Skull here,” Wicke tells us, directing our attention around the different parts of the conservation area with sweeping arm gestures.  “And we also try to support Pokémon that need a little extra protection.  Like Corsola, for example.  They are quite terribly overhunted by a Pokémon called Toxapex…” (the evolved form of Mareanie?) “I hope you don’t mind if I read a passage from my Pokédex.”  She pulls out her ‘dex and quotes an entry: “Toxapex crawls along the ocean floor on its 12 legs.  It leaves a trail of Corsola bits scattered in its wake.”  I frown. “Yeah,” Hau says, “my grandpa’s always saying nature’s got its cruel side, sure as it gives us blessings.” “Well… isn’t that all part of the balance, though?” I question Wicke.  “Toxapex are native to Alola, aren’t they?  It’s not as though they’re an invasive species… and they have the same right to life as the Corsola.  Protecting endangered Pokémon from human action is important, but why should the Aether Foundation interfere in the Alola region’s natural food chains?” “That’s right…” Hau says thoughtfully.  “Can the Aether Foundation really protect all the Pokémon that’re out there?  Even from each other?”  Wicke nods approvingly at our questions. “Nature does have its own balance, of course.  It can be difficult to judge just how much we humans should try to affect that.  But that’s part of the reason the Aether Foundation employs so many scientists and research assistants – so we can make sure our actions sustain the balance, rather than tipping it too far in another direction.  If you’d like to know more about what we do, I could introduce you to President Lusamine,” she offers.  “She should be here in the conservation area now…”  I glance at Hau, who has switched to a total wide-eyed grin as he looks around the habitats. “If she’s not busy, then sure, we’d love to,” I answer. 

We find Lusamine in the north part of the sanctuary.  She is a slim, beautiful woman, with shoulder-length platinum-blonde hair and a poufy yellow-and-cream dress.  Her eyes… her eyes are the same piercing green as Lillie’s.  Hmm.  She wears a large, sea-green jewel at her breast like an amulet.  It looks a little like a Z-crystal, but I can’t quite tell. When Hau and I first see her, she is surrounded by wild Pokémon, talking to them gently and softly.  When Wicke approaches her, she beckons an attendant to lead the Pokémon away, speaks to Wicke for a few moments, then turns to us. “You must be Chris and Hau,” she says in her soft, dreamy voice.  “Welcome to Aether Paradise.  I am the president of the Aether Foundation… but please, just call me Lusamine.”  Hau and I introduce ourselves, and we exchange mundane small talk about the Island Challenge before Lusamine reaches the meat of the conversation.  “I’m glad there are people like you, who travel the islands to learn more about Pokémon… But there are also unfortunate people who harm Pokémon for their own selfish reasons.  And that is why I am here.  I will be like a mother to all of those poor Pokémon and shower them with love.  Even Pokémon from distant worlds, far from the Alola region, are worthy of my love.” “That’s… a noble sentiment, ma’am,” I say carefully.  “But not even an organisation as advanced and powerful as yours can protect every Pokémon in Alola from harm… much less distant worlds.  Isn’t the Aether Foundation’s mission in this region a bit more nuanced than that?”  She gives me a motherly smile. “Didn’t I tell you to call me Lusamine?  There’s no need to be so formal.  And… we may not have that power yet. But the Aether Foundation is an organisation built on love, and love cannot fail to grow from love… Do not let your preoccupations with what is blind you to the possibilities of what might be.” “Wow, Miss Lusamine!” Hau exclaims.  “I don’t know how you do all this!  You’re, like, not even that much older than us!” Lusamine giggles. “Oh, you sweet boy!  I’m already over 40!” “You are?” Hau asks, a little sceptically.  Lusamine says nothing, just smiling at him, until he realises she’s perfectly serious.  “Wait, WHAT!?”  She giggles again. “Oh, you! The right style does wonders, you know. And Hau… your style is a bit wanting, hmm?” “Well, she’s not wrong…” I murmur quietly, earning me a hurt look from Hau and another giggle from Lusamine. “I’ll have to take you out sometime and help you pick a smashing outfit.” “L-like what you wear?” Hau stammers.  I do believe he’s a tad smitten.  “I don’t think anyone else could pull off that kind of look!  Except maybe Lillie…” Hau is too preoccupied to notice, but when he mentions Lillie’s name, Lusamine’s eyes widen a little and she breathes in sharply.  It takes her only a second to regain her composure completely, but there’s definitely something going on there.  She knows who Lillie is. “Oh, don’t you worry,” she reassures Hau.  “You just leave everything up to me.  Trust me – children would all be much happier if they’d only listen to the adults around them.”  There’s a hint of exasperation in her voice – as though the last person who heard her say that ran off to become an international terrorist, and is now out past her bedtime.  Before I can think of a subtle line of questioning to finagle more information out of her, though, the entire facility shudders violently on its nonexistent foundations.  Speak of the-! Lillie and Nebby must be trying to blow up the lower levels of the facility!  I should have known she would try something like this, after she acted so ‘frightened’ of the Aether Foundation!  There can be no other possible explanation for- 

…well… or, I mean, I guess it could also have something to do with the glowing white vortex, crackling with unknown eldritch energies, that just appeared in the middle of the conservation level.

But it’s probably Lillie’s fault.

“Hold onto your butts…” I mutter to no one in particular.  The Ultra Wormhole – for that is what I assume this is – swirls, sparks, and ejects a large blue-white jellyfish that floats gently towards us and comes to a stop, hovering a few feet above the walkway.  Lusamine, transfixed, reaches out with her hand and takes a step forward. “Did you come… from another world?” she asks it. “Miss Lusamine, stand back!” Hau warns her, trembling as he speaks.  “That thing’s… not right!”  Lusamine shakes her head sadly, apparently not hearing him. “You poor creature…” she says, taking another step.  I clear my throat. “For once I agree with Hau.  So, uh… we fighting this thing?”  Hau takes a step back. “Aue! Don’t look at me!  I need to, uh… keep our flank secure in case more of them show up!” “…sure.” Okay, I guess I’m fighting this thing.  Because of course I am.  When everything’s fine and dandy, Alola thinks I’m a meek little novice trainer who needs his hand held every step of the way to come out of his shell and embrace his talent, but the moment there’s a goddamn demon jellyfish from outside the universe to fight, suddenly I’m the only one in a ten kilometre radius with Pokémon and a backbone.  Fine!

So, problems: there is a demon jellyfish.  I have no idea what powers it has or what type it is, or whether “type” is even a meaningful category here.  Is… is it even technically a Pokémon?  Let’s assume yes, for the moment?  It has a powerful totem-like aura that is protecting it from physical damage.  Also its creepy extradimensional voice is whispering around my ears and will probably drive me insane if this takes too long.  Solutions: TRUMBEAK, USE ROCK SMASH!  RATICATE, HYPER FANG!  NO, I THINK IT’S A STEEL-TYPE, USE CRUNCH!  KEEP HITTING IT!  DO SOMETHING! I keep screaming, mostly to drown out the sound of whatever Lovecraftian nonsense this thing is drip-feeding my psyche. Luckily, the demon jellyfish doesn’t seem to have much in the way of damaging attacks beyond Headbutt and Psywave. When it starts flickering in and out of existence, I conclude that we’re onto a winning strategy and hit it once more. With a final string of eldritch clicks and beeps, it twists the space around it into a folded pocket and vanishes. As everyone else breathes a sigh of relief, Lusamine starts talking to herself quietly, contemplatively. “So, it’s true… I still need that Pokémon.  I need to get it back.”  I have a dreadful feeling I know what Pokémon she’s talking about. “What? Miss Lusamine, did you say something?” Hau asks.  For just a moment, a strange, almost predatory grin flickers across Lusamine’s face. “That creature we just saw was undoubtedly an Ultra Beast… an unknown being from another dimension that suddenly appears from the Ultra Wormhole… It looked like it was suffering… like it pained it to be in this strange place…”  She clenches her fist.  “I can’t bear to see that happen!  I will save it!  And I will love it!”

…what a nice woman.  It’s a good thing she’s not doing anything suspicious.

This apparently concludes our tour of the Aether Paradise.  I suppose I can’t exactly blame them for cutting things short; they probably need to get to work on new security measures against extradimensional threats.  As we leave, Wicke gives the two of us some gifts: a box of malasadas for Hau, and a copy of the TM for Psychic for me. “…huh,” I say to Hau, as Wicke leaves and we climb onto the boat to Malie City. “Does it seem to you like there’s sort of… a disparity in the quality of our gifts, at all?”  Hau laughs. “Well, yeah!  But don’t worry; I’ll totally share some of these malasadas with you!  What are friends for, right?”  I open my mouth to give a snarky reply, but then just sigh. “…you know what, Hau?  You do you, buddy.  You’re gonna be just fine.” “Duh!” he exclaims, as we take our seats on the ferry and he begins tucking into his food. “I got these awesome malasadas!” “…yeah.  That is exactly what I meant.”

Ula’ula Island is equivalent to the “Big Island” of Hawai’i in the real world, the island from which the whole archipelago takes its name, and its main port, Malie City, matches up with the real town of Hilo.  Malie is one of the largest cities in Alola, comparable to Hau’oli City.  Like Konikoni City, it has a very strong Japanese aesthetic in its architecture and general culture (courtesy of settlers from Johto), but has a sort of stately grandeur to it, that both Konikoni and Hau’oli lack.  Hau insists on a battle the moment his feet touch solid ground, and as it turns out, he’s really making progress.  Not only does he have a third Pokémon – a Flareon, to complement his Brionne’s Water abilities – but his Pikachu has evolved into a… a…

…huh.

Well, I mean, it’s clearly a Raichu, but it’s… well, it’s surfing in mid-air on its own tail, and its eyes are glowing blue, and… it has psychic powers!?  It’s a Psychic Raichu?  A Psychu, if you will!?  Props to Hau, this thing is adorable and awesome!  And a neat tie-in to the old “surfing Pikachu” idea.  And the discoveries don’t end here: once I defeat Hau, my Trumbeak – already high off our defeat of the demon jellyfish – reaches her mighty final form, Toucannon.  I had more or less inferred the existence of a toucan Pokémon from some of the merchandise in Alolan souvenir shops, and guessed that it might evolve from Trumbeak, but I hadn’t predicted how awesome it would be.  Not only do I love things with “cannon” in the name, Toucannon has a cool signature move to back it up: Beak Blast.  At first I think this is a two-turn move like Solarbeam, and not a great one at that, but I soon figure out that it works more like Focus Punch; it has two stages, but both occur in the same turn, one before the opponent’s attack, and one after. But unlike Focus Punch, instead of cancelling the move if the user takes any damage, Beak Blast inflicts a painful burn on any opponent insolent enough to hit Toucannon with a contact attack while it’s charging!

According to Professor Kukui, who meets us in Malie City, the next trial site is up at the summit of Mount Hokulani, one of the two big mountains in the centre of Ula’ula island.  At the moment, though, I feel less inclined than ever to march to his tune, so I just hang out for a while in the Malie Gardens, training a bunch of my B-team Pokémon and discovering new evolutions.  My Rockruff and Morelull evolve into Lycanroc and Shiinotic, which I’ve already met, but more importantly, there are a few completely new ones.  My Cutiefly evolves into a fairy-like Ribombee, and, like Toucannon, gains a neat signature move: Pollen Puff, a nifty little dual-use Bug-type special attack that can either do heavy damage to an enemy or restore health to an ally. My Dewpider evolves into an even more menacing and alien-looking Araquanid, but despite its fearsome appearance, the Rotomdex assures me that Araquanid is a gentle, caring and protective Pokémon.  These assurances do not, unfortunately, hold true when my Stufful evolves. Stufful’s evolved form is Bewear.  Bewear is… a creepily quiet, expressionless and unmoving stuffed bear Pokémon.  It weirds me out a little at first, and then I learn from the Rotomdex that Bewear has a reputation for accidentally killing its trainers by hugging them too hard. I promptly send Bewear off to the Poké Pelago so Mohn can deal with it.  This day has been way too long already without having to think about this $#!t. 

Ridiculous quote log:

“Master Chuuster!  This is your first vacation in three years!  Please forget that you are a famous star, and just enjoy being a regular Pikachu for once!” …the Pikachu… has a butler… and is a celebrity… and has come to Alola for a vacation.  This… makes perfect sense. 

The team:

Tane the Dartrix Male, Timid nature, Overgrow ability Level 30 Tackle, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Pluck 

Rhea the Toucannon Female, Lax nature, Keen Eye ability Level 30 Screech, Roost, Beak Blast, Rock Smash 

Ashley the Pikachu Female, Timid nature, Static ability Level 30 Volt Tackle, Hidden Power (Ice), Nasty Plot, Nuzzle

Hypatia the Slowpoke Female, Hardy nature, Own Tempo ability Level 30 Psychic, Yawn, Headbutt, Scald

Soot the Raticate Female, Hardy nature, Hustle ability Level 30 Crunch, Tail Whip, Hyper Fang, Focus Energy

Joanna the Salandit Female, Timid nature, Corrosion ability Level 30 Flame Burst, Sweet Scent, Dragon Rage, Toxic

[pop-goes-the-sneasel]

X A T U ?

X A T U !

Xatu’s an amazingly eerie Psychic/Flying-type, with a mysterious demeanour and a blank stare that exudes some incredibly intense vibes that can’t really be described in any sufficient way. It just STARES, motionless. Even into the sun!!! All day!!!!! And also sees into the past with its left eye and future with its right eye, simultaneously!!! That’s COMMITMENT. Also high-key terrifying, since according to one dex entry it’s apparently paralysed with fear by what it sees? Still though!!!!

Aesthetic-wise, Xatu derives primarily from Native American totem poles and artwork, and the result is incredibly iconic (though I’m....not equipped to get into the appropriation aspect). Beyond just the blank, staring eyes, Xatu’s got some ornate patterns going on, visually interesting without being too detailed. There’s even an additional set of eyes on its chest, which are (presumably) non-functional. And the green and red colour scheme is pretty dang good too!

Unfortunately, Xatu’s a victim of something called sky battles. Every few generations, Game Freak likes to introduce a new battle style in the games, starting with double battles (2v2, essentially) in Gen II and later things like triple battles (3v3), rotation battles (1v1 with free switching), inverse battles (reversed type mechanics), and finally, sky battles. Sky battles were introduced in and exist exclusively within XY, with the concept essentially being that only pokemon capable of active flight or levitation could participate. This includes Xatu.

Do you all see this? This AFFRONT to GOD??????? Gen VI happened to be the first fully 3D generation, with all pokemon receiving 3D models for use in battle, and to accommodate sky battles, most Flying-types were given 3D models in a state of perpetual flight. Sometimes this looked good, usually it looked mediocre, and occasionally it looked ATROCIOUS. Xatu falls into the last category, frozen in an awkward airborne lean with no movement whatsoever. And since Game Freak has shown no interest in redoing any pokemon’s animations at this point, it’s likely stuck this way indefinitely, as are several other poor souls. It’s even infecting spinoffs like Pokemon Go and Pokemon Masters!!!!!

Aaaand that’s also Xatu’s shiny, incidentally. It's incredibly underwhelming, though the bright chartreuse is at least aesthetically pleasing. Really could’ve done with a more substantial change.

Xatu’s a fantastically excellent pokemon, even if its portrayal in the games has potentially been forever cursed. Xatu’s unwavering, immobile stillness is its defining quality, and even if its perpetual flight looked good, it would be missing the point of Xatu. It’s just supposed to stare!!!!!

Into the sun!!!!!/10