#i just have SO much love for the pokemon 151 set!!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

repentantsky · 3 years

Text

The difference Between JRPG’s and WRPG’s, and why we should stop comparing them

If you’re like me, you love RPG’s of many different genre’s. Whether they cover fantastical realms like Skyrim and Final Fantasy, or more technologically advanced ones like Borderlands or Star Ocean.

Like all genre’s most RPG’s of different genre’s also suffer from different problems because of tropes and reused settings that people can grow tired of, but talking about RPG’s from two different parts of the world, is a whole other problem. Japan for example, is mostly marketing itself to Western players, while Western RPG’s, are mostly marketing themselves to Western players...uh wait, why does that make them different?

It’s all because of style choices. See, Japan like most countries, has a lot of traditions that make a lot of it’s products fairly same-y. As I said that happens with everyone, but Japan has to try harder with smaller series to get western appeal, which is required to have a successful selling game, unless it’s a mobile title, since those all do really well in Japan, because people can just game on their way to and from work. I digress, but Japan is so rooted in tradition, that you can watch an episode of Gigantor, the anime that is considered by many to be the first anime ever created, and Demon Slayer, and notice a lot of similarities in the way the characters are speaking, because Japan has always made their shows where actors talk like they would in real life, which isn’t always true in other acting platforms around the world, which of course means, this translates to video games.

Specifically what it means, is that Japan has to hop a cultural barrier that Western games don’t, and they have to rely on a lot more tropes, because there are only so many ways to translate the same basic plot of a JRPG, for Western audiences, before things become too cliché. A lot of RPG’s are successful in doing this, like the aforementioned Final Fantasy, and other JRPG’s are coming through with successful games to, like Fire Emblem. Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, Atelier, and several others. All of the games coming through lately, lead people to believe that JRPG’s are a thriving genre in the west, but that’s not really true.

If you were to ask any random person what the most successful JRPG of all time was, a lot of people would probably think of a Final Fantasy game, but not even Final Fantasy 7, has come close. In fact the only JRPG that even made it to the top 10 best selling games ever, is Pokemon Red/Blue/Green/Yellow as a collective, with four different versions. The next best selling one is Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal, and in fact, only 11 of the top 49 best selling games of all time, are RPG’s, and all of the JRPG’s are Pokemon titles. Final Fantasy 7 has still been wildly successful, as the original has sold over 11.8 million units, and the remake over 5 million, but the fact of the matter is, that even though RPG’s as a whole are the biggest genre of the top 49, the few that made it are exceptions to the rules. In fact, of the top 10 best selling games of all time, 6 of them are by Nintendo. The other 5 excluding Pokemon, are Wii Sports, Super Mario Bros. Mario Kart 8/Deluxe, Wii Fit/Plus and the original Gameboy version of Tetris, which itself is on there twice because EA’s version is number 3. so you’re actually better off in Japan, not making a JRPG.

There’s a lot more that can be gleamed from looking at the list, so you can check it out here if you want: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_video_games

The point is that JRPG’s, aren’t always as successful as people think they are. I mean sure, you don’t have to be on the top best selling games list to be successful, but Persona 4 Golden on PC is considered a massive success for selling only just over a million units since it’s release, and the Tales of Series, which is one of the longest running in gaming, as recently as April of this year, had it’s sales numbers made public, and Tales of Symphonia, the undeniable Final Fantasy 7 of the series, sold a total of 940,000 units in the United States, and the game, easily the most successful title from Tales of, only managed 2.4 million in total. None of this is to say, that JRPG’s are struggling, because most of the ones I brought up are shining examples that they aren’t, but going back to that top 10 list, Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto V, just the top two of that list, have sold 345,000,000 total units. That not only beats the entire mainline series of Pokemon, it’s only about 2.5 million short extra, of beating the original 151′s total sales, with how many spare units the two games over Pokemon’s 300,000,000 million total sales mainline games, which means likely, the two of them will beat the series out at some point in the future.

Western RPG’s, don’t often suffer from as many problems, because they don’t have a border to hop, and it shows with Elder Scrolls, which has sold 58 million total copies with only five mainline games, and 30 million of those came from Skyrim alone. It took Pokemon, the undisputed champion of JRPG sales, 20 mainline games to reach 300 million, which means arguably, by the time Elder Scrolls reaches it’s 10th installment, it will have caught up to Pokemon’s first 20 games total sales. Borderlands, which is arguably the Tales of to Western RPG’s in most people’s eyes, has actually outsold Elder Scrolls with only 4 mainline entries, one of which is considered bad by many, with a total of 60 million total units sold. The better comparison, surprising for many I’m sure, for a Tales of comparison, is actually Fallout, which has sold 13.51 million units, to Tales of 23.5 million units.

Enough about numbers for a few minutes, 3 paragraphs about it is a bit much, but the fact of the matter is, Japan struggles more overall to make successful RPG’s in the West, than the West does in the West, and it’s all due to how much of a challenge it is to hop that border.

Outside of sales numbers, the other major difference between JRPG’s vs Western RPG’s is how they are classified. Generally, when someone thinks of a JRPG, they think of a fantasy world, with leveling, where rare items can be won off bosses, but your main way of improving stats is to level up, and have enough money to buy the best equipment at each new town you enter with a shop. However, a lot of games have been getting that label slapped on them by their marketing teams or fans, and some of it is just wrong. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one such game, despite the drops from enemies being the only correlation between BoTW and JRPG’s. The correlation was made by fans, which might seem like an innocent mistakes, and in fact could be nothing but that, but then there’s Monster Hunter, which actually does have two JRPG’s attached to it, in the Stories 1 and 2 games, but who took the reigns of JRPG to market, calling Monster Hunter World, a JRPG. despite it having few differences from other Monster Hunter action games, outside of having a story, and having nothing more to do with JRPG’s than Zelda. A lot of fans of Japanese games will classify simply playing as a fake character an RPG, which normally would be fine, but in games, that’s not how genres are defined. If that were the case, all of Yakuza’s games would be JRPG’s, instead of just Like a Dragon, and in fact most games would be RPG’s, and they obviously aren’t. Bubsy 3D RPG anyone? No? Ya sure? Yeah I didn’t think so.

The west has the exact opposite problem of under classifying it’s games as RPGs. While sure, you wouldn’t call Halo an RPG, unless you know, Master Chief was shooting an RPG, you absolutely should call Ratchet and Clank one. Think about it, your main playable characters all have HP, most of them have weapons that can level up, and the action setting of these games, basically should make Ratchet, a response to Level 5′s Dark Cloud series, which did all the same things for combat. However, it’s just seen as series of action games, despite it also being a lot like Borderlands.

The point is, there are a lot of things that differ JRPG’s and WRPG’s from sales, to marketing, to style and so many other factors, I would run out of characters available to me, before I get through them all. There’s nothing wrong with these genre’s being different, but people classifying them as similar, could harm either since they don’t often jell that well together. So please, think before you compare, and for those rare RPG’s, where you can’t tell the difference, makes sure you find out where they were developed, because a lot of games you might think are JRPG’s, could in fact be Korean or Chinese.

8 notes · View notes

victory-duo · 4 years

Photo

To the game that taught me to persevere for my dream, to open my mind to different viewpoints, and to accept different ideas to achieve something bigger together....

Happy 10th anniversary, Pokemon Black and White!

---

This was originally planned to be a two-part piece, but I couldn't finish James (Hilbert) and Fluffy (Reshiram) in time haha. They will be followed up on this week as a week-long celebration!

[Unova/Gen V lovemail ahead!]

----

Gen 5 was the very first time I was able to catch the pre-release hype of a Pokemon game online.

At the time, I was 13, a freshman highschooler who caught the intrigue of the very first Unova Pokemon in silhouettes, the starters and the Tao Duo.... wow, there's gonna be new mons!

I witnessed everything that unfolded during Gen 5 from start to finish: heck, I was even one of those bandwagon haters from back then, I knew too well how they thought.

"Wow this dex SUCKS they try too hard to copy kanto" "pokemon went downhill this year" "wth they changed so much?? this isn’t even pokemon"

I feel like these days people have been undermining how it was negatively received, so I want to share what I've seen firsthand.

Everyone was so angry at how the dex didn't have any old mons, and that the designs we're stuck with are tryhard expies of the original 151. That's beside the overused "ice cream and garbage pokemon UGLY" argument which rooted from that sentiment with the designs. Surprisingly I actually bought this thinking at first (YES, I started out as a Unova hater) and tried hard to lift up the then-latest Digimon season (Xros Wars) by saying the designs are ugly lol

Hate aside, younger me still wanted to see the game anyway and pirated a JP copy of the game release day.... but I couldn't understand anything, so I got stuck at Nacrene City and just waited for the English version haha.

Fast-forward to March the next year, it was a happy time of the year for me because school years used to end in March in my country! School was heavily winding down and I get to play a new Pokemon game fresh, wow!! I was still in denial but I really liked the new story focus. During that time, then-Unova hater me was in a denial stage, trying to water down what I liked about the game and being bitter about it breaking the mold too much.... but over the months I tried to engage with it more, and the biggest gateway for me was Spe BW.

At the time it was still in its earliest chapters (I think it was before the Nimbasa stuff?), and I thought hey, why not try to follow it while it's ongoing? (RIP) I just got really endeared with Black and especially White at the time! You can see where that led to today LOL

So now you probably guessed this is the start of my Hilda fan backstory, and yes, it is HAHAHA. I didn't pay it much mind at first but 14 y/o me was like, WOW.... wait.... her design really speaks to me, this is the aesthetic I want for myself?? She's so boyish compared to the others!

I started veering away from Spe White, taking aspects of her and projecting (HAHA) onto the actual player, and protagverse White was made! She isn't actually made for the verse, but someone I've been treating as an avatar for a while now since 2012. I was so happy with her that I even restarted White and made a new file playing as her character!

For this anniversary piece, it was meant to be a culmination of my personal feelings with the games:

My 1st G5 game was White 'cause I loved Zekrom, protagverse White was my comfort character that helped me cope so much as a teen, and they just influenced me in so many ways.

I wouldn't know how I would be today if teen me didn't find comfort and inspiration in the Unova games. It was a big part of my art journey.

Since 2012, every 4 years, I've made a small tradition to redraw my 1st White art. This art is redraw #2.

In 2012, I was in my 3rd year of high school. In 2016, I was in my 3rd year of college (and 1st year of art school). Today, in 2020, I've graduated and now working as a freelance artist.

White, and Unova as a whole, grew up with me, and I'm so thankful they exist.

If you've read this far, thank you for reading, and I hope that I've imparted how much I love Unova, and how much it's helped me over the years. It's had a rough start, but I will never regret sticking for it until it got out of the spotlight now as the appreciated sets of games it is.

Thank you so much, Unova!

Love, A fan since 2010 <3

#pokemon #pokemon bw #gen 5 #unova #pokemon black and white #trainer hilda #trainer touko #zekrom #headcanon #protagverse #pv white #BW10周年 #ポケモンBW発売10周年 #this game means so so much to me #and if you've followed this blog since the beginning you'd see how much it's impacted me #im so happy i've been there the whole 10 years even if it was so rough #this piece is a culmination of so many feelings in those 10 years and i hope i can show my thanks and love for it in this gesture #ill never regret loving and supporting this game. thank you unova

60 notes · View notes

medea10 · 4 years

Text

Medea Plays Pokemon Sword (&Shield): Part VI

Okay, it’s been several months since my last update with Sword & Shield.

Mostly because as soon as you finish the main story and the side-quest with Tweedle Dick and Tweedle Balls, what else is there? Just fill up the Pokedex and have a go at the Battle Tower.

I just took some time to go through the Shield game (since Sword is kinda my main game this time around).

I would just like to say, Allister is the cutest little fella.

Maybe it’s because of the episode of Pokemon Twilight Wings that just aired a few hours ago here, but Allister is such a sweetie.

And of course we have Thick-Chick Mama, Melony.

I knew going through her gym was going to be a pain in the rectum, just like Gordie’s. I was right. Her gym is on par with Wallace’s gym in Ruby & Sapphire.

But thanks to some Youtube videos, I managed to avoid falling through the ice pitfalls.

Sorry, she set me up for this joke.

Then in January, we got a taste of what to look forward to when the Isle of Armor expansion hit.

Like catching the odd-looking Slowpoke and meeting new rivals like Klara and Avery.

And I could tell then and there that Klara was one of those psycho, pink-haired bitches and Avery was Robert’s psychic cousin. Will that theory let up once the expansion hit? Let me think about that while I chow down on some Slowpoke Tail curry.

Itadakimasu!

Then a month passed and we were introduced to Pokemon HOME and Professor Oak’s other relative from some weird timeline where Macho Man Randy Savage and Jiraiya did the fusion dance and merged into the Grand Oak here.

A place where you can transfer all the pokemon you’ve caught throughout the years and STILL not transfer them to Sword and Shield.

And then Animal Crossing came out and we forgot about Pokemon’s existence.

Three months later and here we are!

At your arrival, you get an update to your Pokedex.

Don’t get too excited. We get SOME old pokemon added. Not all. Just some.

It’s nice that pokemon like Poliwag and Bulbasaur aren’t illegal in Galar anymore. But um...Ampharos? Dragonite? FRIGGIN’ BLAZIKEN?!

Whatever, take your time, dudes!

After the upgrade, you are met by Klara (in Sword). In a mistaken identity story line, she mistakes you for some other wank for joining the dojo nearby.

You battle her (or Avery in Shield). You wallop her.

OH, YUP! YUP! Look at that! Crazy bitch alert!

Anyways, this rival will try by any means to keep you away from the dojo by enticing you with a style card (which gives you exclusive hairdos and clothes).

But because I like to move this story along, I’m gonna go to the dojo.

Up yours, skank.

The dojo is headed up by an old fella named Mustard. And you’re met up with Mustard’s dotting wife...

I am not kidding.

His wife is named Honey.

And she’s a MILF.

Like I give a fuck about you, Yuno Gasai-Lite. Sheesh, maybe Avery isn’t this much of a cunt like Klara.

Oh, go shove a bent spoon up your ass, you watered-down looking Alucard, mother fucker.

Oh and if you’re wondering, I actually hate Bede, Sordward and Shielbert more than these two. I just feel like being mean since Tweedle Dick and Tweedle Balls aren’t around for me to poke fun at anymore.

Once inside, you’ll meet the master of the dojo, Mustard. He gives you a uniform and then we get down to the three tasks.

Task one:

Catch three speedy Slowpokes.

They took Avery/Klara’s dojo uniform and it’s up to you to catch them.

Just don’t expect a thank you from the Slutty Succubus of the South.

Task Two:

Find the Max Mushrooms.

These babies are the key to unlocking certain pokemon’s potential in Dynamaxing. So in case you keep getting your ass kicked by these special pokemon at raid dens, here’s your chance at getting the Gigantamax pokemon.

So after going through this twisted forest and nearly going insane by getting lost, I’m not about to have this little tramp steal my findings.

After you beat Klara/Avery in a battle again, you get the Max Mushrooms. But they come back with the mushrooms too and insist on cooking them instead of the ones you found.

For once, you did me a favor. I can use this for my Cinderace.

Task Three:

Fight Klara/Avery.

Now this might be a little tricky. Because at the beginning of the battle, Klara and Avery do something sneaky.

Before you could start, Klara sets up Toxic Spikes, causing immediate poisoning for your pokemon. At least Avery only had mist surrounding the battlefield. This bitch intentionally poisons your pokemon.

Just use a Steel type when going up against Klara.

After these three tasks, you get the secret armor of the dojo.

Kubfu.

You will get a Kubfu from Mustard. But that’s not all folks!

While you’re on the Isle, you are now able to have the first pokemon on your roster walk around with you.

Good that you bond with the Kubfu before you go to the next part. Also, all of those XP candies you earn in Max Raid Dens are going to be your best friend.

Okay, time to do what I love to do in Pokemon games.

FUCK YEAH! MISSY GETS TO TRAVEL BESIDE ME!

Anyways, once you bond with Kubfu and you’re the best of friends and train Kubfu to a decent level, then it’s time to take on the Tower of Water or Tower of Darkness.

You can only choose one. If you choose water, Kubfu will evolve into a part water type. And if you choose darkness, Kubfu will evolve into a part dark type. And the tower you do not choose will be closed off to you forever.

You’ll fight a few trainers with one pokemon each. Suggestion is to have your Kubfu past level 70 and know moves like Aerial Ace, Zen Headbutt, and/or Thunderpunch.

At the top of the tower, you are challenged by Mustard. And once you defeat him, you can evolve Kubfu.

By staring at a wall scroll.

I’ve seen stranger ways of evolving a pokemon. I’ll just sit back and accept it for what it is.

After this part, there’s a baby side-quest you have to go through in order to have this fella take part in the Dynamax process.

Apparently, this pokemon is picky about his food. But some Max Honey will make the Max Mushroom soup taste pleasant.

And that’s when Hau 2.0 comes in! And once again, we go through a three-tasked mission in order to get some Max Honey.

Task One:

Reunite a mother Lilligant with it’s baby Petlil.

Back to that twisted-ass forest again.

Some friendly advice, don’t use your bike to get back to Hop when you find Lilligant. Lilligant will get lost and just go back to where it originally was. Just walk.

Task Two:

Chase an Applin.

Task Three:

Go to the special tree.

Hop will tell you to shake it to get the attention of a Vespiquen.

...

ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE HOP?! It is 2020, the worst year on the record. I am not about to be stung by Pokemon’s answer to the fucking murder hornet. And what do I do next?

I shake it like a Polaroid picture.

So I’ve chosen death.

*snorts*

No you didn’t, Pokemon.

You didn’t do this!

-___-

I can’t EVEN...

Anyways, you’re taken to a Max Raid den and you take out a Vespiquen.

Fuck you Hop. Just fuck you.

Now that those three tasks are taken care of, you can feed your picky pokemon some Max Mushroom Soup. And now you can battle Mustard in a six-on-six.

After winning...

Can I please shove her off a cliff?

I know, I shouldn’t be mean to Klara and Avery. But I am. Klara tried to be a pop sensation and only sold 8 copies of her CD. And Avery is the outcast of his family with the least psychic energy. So maybe I’ll cut them both some slack.

I’m just not over Klara poisoning us at the beginning of the match with absolutely no warning.

And that’s the end of that story line.

But there’s still plenty to do around the Isle of Armor.

Catch pokemon for the updated pokedex.

Catch an actual level 80 wild pokemon!

No joke, friggin’ Wailord is level 80.

Also look out for Sharpedo in the water. They’re so fast that you won’t finish the Jaws music score fast enough before Sharpedo bites you in the ass.

Help this fool find his 151 Digletts.

At least he gives you gift pokemon for your hard work.

Like Alolan Meowth, Alolan Raichu, etc.

Combine four items to get a special item or pokeball.

So this nightmare fuel takes four items and can combine them into a pokeball, a TR, or a special item (depending on which four items you use to combine). And now that Apricorns are back, you can use them to make those special pokeballs you’ve been only able to get one up to this point.

Help the MILF around.

Welcome to the daunting task of getting Watts. Honey will not be fulfilled until she gets her hands on at least 2,000,000+ watts. Yes, I said that. But it’s to help put special things around the dojo like vending machines, a hair stylist, food for the fridge, and other essentials. But then there are other incentives you get for helping Honey out including battling with Honey and getting rare league cards.

Best method of gaining watts, find Digger Pa and Digger Ma. The digging brothers have parents. Pa digs for watts as long as you give him special ores. And Ma finds the ores (as long as her stupid shovel doesn’t crap out).

Now was buying the expansion package to Sword and Shield worth it? I don’t want to be premature in my thoughts since the second part of the expansion package isn’t out yet. So I’ll save it for later. This has been a fun side-story and it’s been able to take my attention away from Animal Crossing for just a little while. I know there will always be special events with Max Raids. I just hope we can add more pokemon from the National Dex when we can go to the Tundra later this year.

But if you’re one of those folks that’s National Dex or bust, maybe wait off on purchasing the package until we get more info about Tundra.

Okay, see you in a few months!

#pokemon #pokemon sword #pokemon shield #isle of armor #kubfu #mustard #honey #klara #avery

10 notes · View notes

aquanutart · 6 months

Text

I absolutely LOVE the Squirtle/Wartortle illustrations by kantaro in Pokemon 151!

The Squirtle jumping so joyfully from the rock into the ocean, the colors are STUNNING! I love the contrast of the Squirtle's aqua blue framed in the vivid orange sky, the soft bit of blue reflecting in its shell and its tail just catching the sun, how little and squishy its body looks as it launches itself towards the water with such tremendous excitement!

The lineless style of the background gives me the feel of a travel poster and I sense the tropical environment around it from the rocks and trees framing the corners, the waterfall splashing with as much energy as the Squirtle!

The layered blues on the surface of the water and the bubbles rising at the corner make me FEEL the liquid rising to meet the Squirtle--I can just feel how the next moment it's going to break through and be immersed in a cool island swim!

And the Wartortle running along the sunset beach, this is somehow everything I always imagined for Wartortle! I adore the way the rich purple melts into the warm red/orange sky, the matching purple clouds and shadows in the foreground, and how the dimming sunlight glows red on Wartortle's deep blues!

I love how the yellow and orange of the sky illuminate the lapping waves, I can just feel the gentle motion of the sea at dusk. The aqua color of the ocean matches Wartortle's ears and tail and sets off the red-orange sand, I just love how the colors are here!

Wartortle looks so round and squishy, I love its happiness as it goes frolicking through the shallows, chasing the bubbles caught in the setting sun! The shine and deep shadow on its shell give it an almost jewel texture like real tortoise shell; I love the silhouetted splash Wartortle leaves as it goes running across the shore. It's so full of energy and delight at the end of a gorgeous day! The colors in these are SO vivid and harmonized and the style is so cute and bursting with energy and joy. I just LOVE it (also Squirtle is my starter)

#pokemon #pokemon tcg #long post #i have deep affection for bulbasaur as well though and i also love the bulbasaur/ivysaur cards in this set #i SO wish we'd gotten art of the final evolutions in the same style as the pre-evos' standard cards!!#(yes i do love the full art ones but i also love the illustrations on the standard cards!)#from the way the settings in these two were going; i would have imagined blastoise to be set at night (??)#i LOVE pokemon cards. i can't keep up with every set but i started collecting again now and then a few years ago #and 151 has really got me wanting the full set the way i haven't since childhood. SO many beautiful illustrations (but there always are)#it's like having little pieces of art of my favorite characters and it's only.. slightly... less expensive than actually commissioning ....#i KNOW it's less expensive to buy the individuals online but it's so much less fun #part of the fun is having YOUR own pokemon journey ((going to the store)) and seeing what YOU encounter ((when you open the pack))#i do buy them online sometimes but i usually dont form as strong associations with them as when i open a pack in a certain setting or place #i tend to try to save them to open right before a significant event like starting something new or a holiday. so that i form associations #and it's like 'oh that's the galarian obstagoon from when my mom came home for christmas'#and 'that's the snorlax who reassured me when i was hurt'#i don't buy them too often so i've got to make it count #anyway i know i should wait for the prices on this one to come down because it's absolutely ridiculous #i didn't buy anything at release because i was like $6 for one booster pack??? but i couldn't take just sitting and watching them sell out #i really like the poster because i can look at so many beautiful pictures all together #i could say stuff like this about literally every pokemon illustration (if i had time to write it out) and sometimes i've wanted to #i just chose these two because these are a couple of my original favorite pokemon and i just couldn't keep it to myself. i LOVE these

77 notes · View notes

harusha · 4 years

Note

by last 2 gens, I meant SUMO and SWSH. I loved XY, but liked SUMO characters better. USUMO could have made great sequels. Lillie as prof. Gladion as champ, Hau as a kahuna. Etc. Would also make the transition to wormhole traveling more realistic if they were set in a universe where the events took place. I loved Gen 2 for letting us see Kanto 3 years later, and BW2 for letting us see what's changed in Unova. Just frustrating with the direction of things

Whoops, sorry anon. I never got the notification for this, so this is probably a week old or so. Tbh, I feel you though. I don’t want to be a spoilsport, but it feels like the mainline games are riding somewhat on name brand at this point. Making games is hard don’t get me wrong, but there’s a lot going on w/ SWSH rn on release.

I love the whole sequel stuff, but my only concern is “canonzing a protag.” Like…look at Alexio/Cassandra from AC:O. Sheer madness in how those arguments go on “canon. Like, I like ambiguity because I can avoid that.

Tbh alongside the sequel idea and the coherency it would bring, I would love it if wormholes let you go to the OG timelines (RBY–>GSC, FRLG/RSE–>PDPT/HGSS->BW->BW2), and that’s why you get hidden abilities, rare Pokemon, and increased shiny chance. They could just explain it as the wormhole changing the Pokemon’s characteristics. RBY timeline is basically “no one had abilities,” hence the drastic changes, FRLG timeline could be “they decided to go with you, and now they changed to fit your timeline.”

Like they wouldn’t have to put every single region in; they could even just make it to where you visited parts of each region, perhaps the most iconic locations and/or moments, as a post-game/high difficulty thing (everyone is set to lv. 100 and have ideal spreads+sets). Like dropping in on Mt. Silver at the foot of the mountain, and have the area name pop up as “???” and have the player traverse the dungeon (w/ the HGSS encounters but inflated to 80s-90s so the observant veteran player can go “hmm this is familiar”) and have it accumulate in walking in on EthanVSRed on Mt. Silver, and it ending up in a double battle with them. Like that would blow people’s minds and make them realize what the post-game is, a love letter to every single generation so far, and set the stage for the rest of the post-game.

They don’t even have to confirm the canon protagonist for Johto if they just cover them up in snow gear (ie. put a cloak on them and have the hood up), and give them Meganium, Typhlosion, Feraligatr, Tyranitar, Raichu, and Espeon/Azumarill. The three starters, the Pseudo-Legendary of the generation, Raichu to parallel Red (also small callback to how Ethan was supposed to be Red’s younger brother in the old GBC pamphlet), and Espeon if they want to showcase the OG day/night cycle gen+it being the gift Pokemon and a Easter egg part of Red’s original team. Azumarill is if they prefer to reference the childhood friend.

They could even make this a chance to up the difficulty through the excuse of “alternate universe/wormholes caused their Pokemon to change abilities.” Make Red’s and Ethan’s teams complement each other and have them carry optimized spreads and sets for doubles. Ex. Blastoise or Pikachu with Fake Out and Focus Sash sets up rain and Ethan’s Raichu w/ Air Balloon/Choice Specs and carrying Thunder+Surf and has Lightningrod (wormhole shenanigans gave it a Hidden Ability) and so forth. Give them things such as Magic Bounce Espeon, Dual Screens Meganium, Mega Charizard X (wormholes made it happen), etc. Just showcase them as a bonus challenge and their status as legendary trainers akin to Mameo from Digimon. Perhaps give a reward of something like “Red gave you that extra Master Ball he never used” or a music player from Ethan so you can listen to curated songs from the older games. Or even simply clothes modeled after their original designs (Leaf and Kris outfits for girls and Red+Ethan for boys; or make it all available as unisex outfits where the inspiration is obvious but it’s not exactly the same).

And if they want to make it even more of a nostalgia bomb, have Ethan’s Raichu have a spiky/notched ear to imply that it’s a timeline where the special Pichu evolves and had Surf instead of Pain Split as the special move.

Other iconic moments could be dropping in at Turnback Cave and traversing Distortion World again and saving on Lucas, Dawn, and Cynthia and rescuing them from Giratina. Reward is catching Giratina and a battle against Cynthia, Lucas, Dawn, and perhaps Cyrus. Avoids picking a canon protagonist and arguments over who should have showed up. Focus is single battle gauntlet with each trainer giving a choice on whether you want to heal after each victory (exception is Cyrus).

Have Lucas/Dawn mention how they like trading and that’s why one of them has two starters (or multiple gift Pokemon) to help avoid narrowing down the canon protagonist. Lucas could work in Trick Room (Torterra, Cresselia/Dusknoir, Vaporeon, Magnezone, Heatran, Machamp). Showcases the notorious number of roamers/legendaries in Sinnoh, Mt. Coronet evolution, trade evolutions (GTS), a new gimmick of the gen in Trick Room, and incorporates a gift Pokemon). Dawn could work with Iron Fist Infernape, lead Empoleon w/ Stealth Rock (showcase that infamous entry hazard), Paraflinch Togekiss, Porygon-Z, Lucario, and Glaceon. Gift Pokemon+showcases the (then) new evolutions of that gen.

Have Giratina be like lv. 80-100 with Totem Pokemon stat to explain how in the darn, everyone lost with those sorts of levels.

RSE could be dropping in on Brendan and May going up Sky Pillar and setting Rayquaza off to stop Groudon and Kyogre, and it starts a side quest of following them to experience the climax of the Hoenn Saga. Climax is them itching for a fight from seeing your skills. Have Brendan (Sceptile, Mega Blaziken, Celebi , Salamence, Starmie, and Latias) and team up with Steven and May (Mega Swampert, Gardevoir/Gengar, Latios, Metagross, Jirachi, and Ninetales) with Wallace in a doubles. Both teams have callbacks to stuff like the manga (Brendan with Celebi and Salamence), references the two Pseudos of the generation, the roamers, trading with Orre for the promotions (Celebi and Jirachi for US and JP respectively) and Red/Leaf in Brendan’s case, Wally’s OG signature, or even the OG Mystery Dungeon. Have Brendan wear his Emerald outfit while May wears the Ruby/Sapphire outfit to blur who the canon protagonist is. Bonus fight could be seeking out Archie and Maxie in their atonement/voluntary isolation for a fight.

BW is dropping in on Hilbert and Hilda encountering Kyurem (since it feels wrong to interrupt N’s goodbye tbh). Teams would be [Contrary Serperior, Samurott, Victini, Archeops, Zoroark, and Mandibuzz] for Hilbert and [Emboar, Keldeo, Genesect, Volcarona, Braviary, and Carracosta] for Hilda. Their teams aren’t amazing, but it’s meant to showcase the generation’s fossils, gift/event Pokemon, and version exclusives. Have it be you saving them from the snow and from Kyurem. Have them talk about how they’re thinking of setting off together to find their friend N, and how much they want to see him again. Make it emotional and have them talk about what they’ve learned about Pokemon from him and their interactions on their journey.

BW2 is saving Rosa and Nate from Ghetsis’s murder attack and fight Ghetsis. After you all return to a Pokecenter, have the two of them challenge you to a Rotation and Triple Battle respectively. Rosa runs a rain team with Drizzle Politoed, Octillery, Smeargle, Kabutops, Kingdra, and Ludicolo while Nate runs a Sand Team with Hippowdon, Sand Rush Excadrill, Rhyperior, Garchomp, Scizor, and Gliscor. Have it be a gimmick to where weather is infinite again in this wormhole location since their teams are meant to be a callback to the weather wars of gen v and the stars of those teams.

And have N show up to thank you for saving Rosa and Nate since he was almost too late right as you are leaving through a wormhole. Have the player tell him about what Hilbert and Hilda said and how they want to meet him again+urge him to meet his friends again and have it end with N saying something to the effect of “…I’ll think about it.” and leave it on an ambiguous note to whether he will meet them.

And finally, have it end with Red encountering Mewtwo in Cerulean Cave and have it diverge by you saving him from Giovanni (he lied about quitting and it’s only after you defeat him that he leaves for isolation until Ethan/Lyra/Kris beat him up again). Ends on a note of “this is where it all began.” Reward is catching Mewtwo and battling Red in a single. Here, they can make his team diverge from canon because it’s pre-Mt. Silver Red/alternate universe. Alakazam, Dragonite, Zapdos, Persian, Eviolite Chansey, and Mew. Showcases popular threats of that gen+trade evolution, irony in Red having Meowth’s evolution (Giovanni is associated with Persian b/c anime), the mythical #151 and source of playground rumors, the pseudo, one of the “your reward for exploring” stationary legendaries, etc.

Could even do a bonus of letting you travel to Kalos (but just the port) and meeting Serena and Calem who are both arguing about fashion while waiting for Sina and Dexio. Make their reason for battling you something lighthearted like you interrupting their argument to say “both of your fashion senses suck.”

Have them carry [Delphox, Chesnaught, Tyrantrum, Furfrou, Mega Gyarados, and Goodra] and [Greninja, Talonflame, Aegislash, Mega Kangaskhan, Meowstic-M, and Aurorus]. Showcases starters, Megas, radical gender differences, fossils, popular threats of Gen VI meta, Furfrou cuts, etc.

And if that’s too much, just recreate parts of the legendaries OG encounter dungeons, Cerulean Cave for Mewtwo, Bell Tower for Johto, etc.

Like…Gen VII was the “this is the 20th anniversary of Pokemon” gen and that would have been a great time to pack everything into one gen. Like…they had space for multiple walking Pokemon animations on the cart that they could have taken out or even tweaked these ideas so the dungeons would be slightly smaller (ie. fit to cart) or reduce the weirdly high number of Lillie models in the game. This isn’t an entire region (or regions) either, but snapshots and small locales to revisit. It also incorporates more fights with the Team Leaders at higher levels and difficulty.

Like idk, I made myself sad because I realize this would never happen unless some mad lad decided to create a massive rom hack/expansion, Masuda gets a larger team (and Pokemon stops with the yearly releases so the team isn’t pressured as much), etc.

Idk, I feel like the games for the 20th ani weren’t as good in hindsight for what they made out to be a year of Pokemon. But that’s just me griping again about Alola.

Also perhaps solviing all this gives you a final wormhole where you’re taken to fight Leaf. Give her Clefable (Clefairy’s original yet scrapped mascot thing), Golem, Flareon, Jolteon, Aerodactyl, and Omastar. Showcases fossils, gift Pokemon, other Eeveelutions, etc.

#long post #pokemon #me tooting my own horn in what i'd like to see from the series tbh

22 notes · View notes

animebw · 4 years

Text

Binge-Watching: Pokemon, Episodes 1-3

And so we begin our longest journey yet with our first tentative step. Does this show still hold up 20 years later? Is Ash as annoying as you remember? What’s it like to look back on where it all began after marinating in everything it’s become? Welcome, folks, to my adventure through the Pokemon anime!

The Wayback Machine

This is gonna be the weirdest analysis I’ve ever done for this blog.

I am not that familiar with Pokemon as an anime. The most I’ve watched of it has been the movies up to Arceus and the Jewel of Life, as well as pretty much the entire Diamond and Pearl saga. At the same time, though, I am hugely familiar with Pokemon as a cultural phenomenon. I bought all the games from Emerald to Black and White, I dove headfirst into the increasingly dense Pokedex data, and I absolutely fucking loved learning about each and every new critter Game Freak added to the canon. I devoured their stats, their lore, their type advantages, the mythos behind them, what kind of concept they were all based on, the human characters that interacted with them from trainers to villain gangs to gym leaders to Elite Four, and everything in between. I’m familiar with Ash, Misty, Brock, Team Rocket, Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy, Giovanni, Pikachu, Mew, Mewtwo, and all the rest of the original 151 pocket monsters. I love OG Pokemon. I don’t know a single nineties-aughts kid who doesn’t. It really was the perfect toy concept, endlessly merchandisible and utterly ubiquitous. Pokemon was just as much my childhood as everyone else’s, a staple of the young imagination that took root like nothing else.

And now’s the first time I’m actually freaking watching it.

This is the kind of prior expectation setting that no other franchise could possibly hope to match. Pokemon is a giant, massive, multimedia franchise, with trading cards and video games and plushies and everything in between, and it’s entirely possible to get the “story” of Pokemon in its entirety, as it were, without ever having to actually watch the most story-based element of it. I now know pretty much everything there is to know about Pokemon (at least up until Gen 5, after which I lost interest for a while), all the heaps and mountains of context that color what this franchise has become. But this original anime didn’t have all that outsized context. All it had were the initial few games and the barest beginnings of the goliath Pokemon would become. It had to be the bedrock upon which everything else was built, the foundation that would grow into the inescapable tendrils of pop culture that ensnare us today. The kids of twenty years ago didn’t go into Pokemon with decades of cultural expectations built up; they went into it with fresh eyes, discovering an entirely new world, with entirely new characters, being told a story that had to hook them in completely with its own merits. And now, here I am at last, analyzing a marathon right from its starting point when all I’ve ever known of it has been its finish line. How the heck am I even gonna make sense of all those conflicting patterns of thought? It’s almost like I’m gonna be re-watching a series I’m experiencing for the first time.

But you know what? I tackled all 367 episodes of Gintama no matter how many times it left me emotionally broken. I suffered through abominations like Guilty Crown and Future Diary and lived to tell the tale. I re-watched Neon Genesis Evangelion, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Angel Beats, three of my top five anime ever, and still found new and exciting things to say about them. This blog has been nothing but me overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, finding the words to communicate the extreme, indescribable, sometimes incomprehensible feelings anime can leave me with. I am a writer who lets nothing stand in my way. So what’s one more impossible task to complete? What’s another thousand episodes of setting familiar eyes on something I’ve never seen before? If I’ve survived talking about anime as long as I have, then I can survive Pokemon too. Who knows, maybe that dichotomy of past and present experience will make my analysis even richer than it otherwise would have been. After all, there’s something really powerful about standing at the end of a long journey and casting an eye back to where it all began.

So bring it on, Ash Ketchum. You and I both have a long-ass journey ahead of us, so let’s make every step count.

Living in a Pokemon World

So, with all that rambling word salad introduction out of the way, all qualifiers and asterisks set aside, how are the first ever few episodes of Pokemon? Well, they’re good! Very good, even, in some respects! It’s definitely far from perfect, and the product of being cash-cow kids’ show translated by an equally cash-cow marketing team isn’t exactly subtle. The animation isn’t always the best; there’s a particularly goofy moment where instead of animating Pikachu’s thundershock attack, the screen just pinwheel-cycles between four still images of the attack as they rotate around the screen’s corners. Some of the dub voice acting is quite good, while some characters- Gary Oak, Misty, and Officer Jenny- can get seriously grating with how rough-edged their voice-actors are. I’m also taking a little to get used to Ash’s voice, as the only version of Ash I ever heard was after the actor changed in Diamond and Pearl. It’s goofy and corny and very simplistic at times, with characters who can act like insufferable brats in the worst-case scenario. But you know what? I’m still really fucking enjoying it. For all its numerous flaws, it’s driven by a sincere, imaginative passion that really shines through. There are so many charming moments, so many clever touches, and so many ideas that really made me sit back and say, “Wow, no wonder this show caught on like it did.” This isn’t just a cash-in money mill for the profit machine, it’s trying to be a genuinely inspiring, horizon expanding adventure story. And despite how long the road ahead looks, I’m genuinely excited to follow it.

I think what stands out the most is how deeply committed this show is to wringing out every last ounce of potential from its concept. It doesn’t just want you to love Pokemon, it feels like it sincerely loves Pokemon itself. I can only imagine what this must have looked like to the kids of twenty years ago experiencing this world for the first time, not knowing all 151 original Pokemon and seeing everything with fresh eyes. Why is a three-headed bird crowing like a rooster to signal the dawn? Why does Ash’s alarm clock have a face on it and spring open to reveal a bird figure inside? Who are all these mysterious creatures we see Ash running by as he escapes from the murder birds, and what cool powers might they have? What’s that giant fucking water serpent that almost eats his face off? What’s that majestic bird we see flying over the rainbow at the end of the first episode (side note, HOW IS THERE A FUCKING HO-OH IN THE FIRST EPISODE WE’RE NOT IN JOHTO YET ARE YOU SHITTING ME)? It’s easy to forget with how ubiquitous the brand is now, but the concept of a world populated by hyper-competent super-animals that integrate perfectly into human society is kinda freaking bizarre, yet this show completely sells it. You feel just how much deeply entwined humans and Pokemon have become, how carefully this entire society’s been constructed around their presence. Even that one scene of Caterpie and Pikachu talking in episode 3 was really charming; it’s remarkable how much chemistry you can establish between two characters who can’t even use words. I can only imagine what it must have been like seeing all this for the first time, marveling at the endless possibilities this world would allow. And we’ve only just got into Type advantages and Evolutions; how fucking cool must that have been seeing it for the first time?

And heck, even for a grown-ass adult like me who’s been marinating in this stuff for decades, there’s still stuff here that really sparks my imagination! I love the goofy primitive voice chat that uses corded telephones connected to the computer monitor, the wet dream of communications technology past. I love the bizarre way that actual living beings can be stored and transferred through a network connection at the Pokemon Center. Heck, I’m even intrigued by the mystery of that mural in the Pokemon Center with the four legendary beings depicted on it; at first glance it just seems like the three Legendary Birds, but Ash seems to think one of them’s really Ho-Oh, so is that actually true? And who’s the fourth Arcanine-looking guy in the bottom right? And then there’s the residual angst of seeing Ash break so many of the rules from the video games, which made for more than a few moments of complete expectation readjustment. Seriously, he catches a Caterpie without any damage, he catches a Pidgeotto with just a single Thundershock’s worth of damage, he gets to keep his Pokeballs even after failing a capture with them, and he takes down two trained and dangerous poison Pokemon with a single use of fucking String Shot, and then his Caterpie evolves after just two battles? Somebody get Game Freak on the phone, because they’ve been stiffing us poor players for years while Ash gets to break all the rules. Clearly, even a lot of stuff I think I know can no longer be taken for granted in the wild world of Pokemon.

Gotta Ketchum All

If I’m being honest, though, the most promising aspect of the Pokemon anime isn’t the fascinating of the world itself and all the ways it can incorporate the titular critters into it. Shockingly enough, what gives me the most hope for this anime success is none other than Ash Ketchum himself, the perpetual butt of jokes since 1997. It’s easy to pick on this perpetual ten-year-old for his brash arrogance and how it took him 22 years to actually become a Pokemon Master, but I was stunned by how quickly he wormed his way into my heart here. Sure, he’s definitely reckless and a little too proud of himself, but what sticks out the most about him is just how committed he is to doing the right thing. He’s gotten so much shit thrown at him already, between oversleeping, Gary’s jackassery, Pikachu’s initial disdain for him, and his constant bickering with Misty, not to mention a certain trio of Poke-nappers gunning for his new companion. But for all his exasperation and attitude, he consistently tries to do right by the people around him. When Gary’s giving him sass in the first episode, Ash still tries to make friends with him over their shared love of Pokemon, eager to hear about which one Gary got from the professor. When Pikachu’s refusing to obey him, he does his best to listen to its demands and give him free reign instead of confining to for a Pokeball. And even after bristing against Pikachu’s stubbornness, he doesn’t hesitate a second to throw his own life on the line to keep his new pal safe from the attacking Spearow flock. Ash is the kind of guy who can easily bitch and moan about his misfortunes, but when the chips are down, he’ll quickly step up and make the right call, because his heart’s genuinely in the right place.

In short, Ash Ketchum is one part the animal-loving softie of Steve Irwin, one part the prickly defensiveness of Yusuke Yurameshi, and one part the wanderlust-driven traveler Gon Freecs (side note, when did Hunter x Hunter start in comparison to the Pokemon anime? Because the whole concept of a shonen protagonist kid setting off on an adventure across a modern, yet undiscovered world, chasing the profession that his absent father once performed... yeah, I got questions, Togashi), and that combination makes for a surprisingly fun protagonist to be around. He’s driven by a genuine love of Pokemon, and it’s clear he has great respect and admiration for the many remarkable critters he comes across. When Misty’s freaking out over his Caterpie, he doesn’t hesitate to comfort the poor guy and give it the encouragement it needs. He’d even let it travel on his shoulder alongside Pikachu, because that’s how quickly he’s come around to the idea of treating Pokemon with kindness and respect. Heck, when Caterpie’s crawling off in a huff, he even crawls right alongside it rather than just spend five seconds getting out of his damn sleeping bag. This kid might be a few good multiple choice answers short of an SAT, but he’s ready and willing to jump right into the thick of things, mess up however he has to, and keep on trucking until he finds the right way forward. If nothing else, you really gotta respect that gumption.

To Protect the World

And now, folks, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the moment when the true stars of the show take their first bow. Drum roll, please!

*ahem*

To protect the world from devastation!

To unite all peoples within out nation!

To denounce the evils of truth and love!

To extend out reach to the stars above!

Jessie!

James!

Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!

Surrender now or prepare to fight!

(Meowth, that’s right!)

Christ, is there a single more iconic villain motto in any other anime? In any piece of media ever? Heck, is there a more perfect villain introduction than these three hooligans using a fishhook to snatch their own wanted poster from the comfort of a hot air balloon emblazoned with their head honcho’s face, only to complain that their photos aren’t flattering enough? You tell me, because I’m not seeing one.

There’s no getting around it folks; there is no set of fictional antagonists quite like Team Rocket. Jessie, James and their talking Meowth are the stuff of villain legend, some of the most perpetually entertaining foes ever to grace the silver screen. And even with just two appearances under their belt, I completely understand why they exploded in popularity to such an extent: they are an absolute delight. They’re all the pomp and circumstance of villainy mixed with the buffoonish incompetence of the Three Stooges, masters of showmanship and grace but complete morons at actually, y’know, being evil. So they’re able to be as enjoyable over-the-top as the best scenery chewers without any of the associated sense of danger that more competent villains give off, and the result is possibly the single most perfect villainous banter and chemistry of all time. You get all the enjoyment of the villainous flamboyance with none of the associated risk, because these lunkheads can barely go two seconds without descending into infighting. There the rarest of all treasures, some of only few villains who you’re capable of loving unconditionally, even rooting for their success safe in the knowledge that they’ll never cause any actual harm. Bottom line, I’m already enjoying the hell out of them, and I look forward to many more happy blast-offs to come.

Odds and Ends

-Yep, that theme song is still killer.

-asdjhasd I didn’t expect it to start with the freaking game graphics

-WHY DOES HE HAVE CHEELREADERS ISTG GARY

-”The early bird gets the worm. Or in this case, the Pokemon.” Wow, Professor Oak really let him open all those empty pokeballs instead of just telling him up front. ASSHOLE.

-”Shocking, isn’t it?” PUNS? That settles is, Professor Oak is the real villain of the series.

-”Oh, you’re playing catch! You’re friends already!” Ash’s mom is a delight.

-”Enjoy your last moments of freedom!” Don’t think about it too hard don’t think about it too hard don’t think about

-”It also comes to open fields to steal food from stupid travelers.” WOW, way to call him out, Pokedex.

-”I’ll give it back someday!” Ash Ketchum, Kanto’s Most Wanted.

-I. I forgot about the Pokerap. Why is there a Pokerap. WHY.

-”You know there’s a driveway.” The way Nurse Joy says this, it makes me think Officer Jenny must barge in through the front doors a lot. Hmmm. Hmmmmmm.

-”Oh my goodness, I left my motorcycle parked at the front desk!” ...fuck it, I ship it. JennyJoy for life.

-”I suppose that proves it!” Oak continues to be the most chaotic presence in this entire show.

-”Well... money isn’t everything, right?” akjsdhaskjdhaskjdhaskjdh

-”Mmm, anchovy, spinach and pineapple pizza!” Out of all the surprises I was expecting from the Pokemon anime, Professor Oak being the secret evil mastermind was not one of them, yet here we are.

-Okay, so some of the Pokemon’s voice actors are putting in a lot of effort to sound like animals, and then there’s Goldeen. Just... Goldeen.

-Ash Commits Domestic Terrorism(tm)

-”No, not this again!” He’s already sick of their intro askjdhasjkdhasd

Hot damn, here we go. Still over 1,000 episodes to go. Can we make it? Only one way to find out. Thank you all for joining me on this new adventure, and I’ll see you next time!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #pokemon #misty pokemon #brock pokemon #ash ketchum #pikachu #gary oak #professor oak #team rocket

13 notes · View notes

ericsonclan · 4 years

Text

How to Curry Favor

Summary: Omar meets some trainers on his Pokemon journey who show him camping with others isn't always a bad thing.

Read on A03:

Omar felt the weight of his pack grow heavier on his back with each step. He knew that it would probably be for the best if he looked for a campsite for the night. Being alone had always suited Omar more or at least that’s what he told himself whenever he came across other trainers. Whenever he reached a campsite he always got filled with dread, the memories of the few times he had joined crashing into his mind. The far and few times he had joined a site, the other trainers always seemed to brush him off or get upset based on his beliefs in certain topics.

Omar shifted the pressure on his left leg to his right leg, looking out towards the field of tall grass that stood between him and the route that would eventually lead to Marsh Town. There was rumoured to be rustic classics just waiting to be added to his collection of recipes. His eyes looked towards the sky that was turning from the calming blue into a bright orange.

I can’t stay on route 20 for long. Not when it gets dark. He was drawn out his thoughts when his Applin shuffled in the open palm of his hand.

“Sorry, I’ll find us a place to rest,” He gave a small smile towards his Pokemon who seemed happy by the news.

“Applin!” it cried before settling down in his hand once more. Omar focused back on finding a camping spot. This route had been reported to contain dangerous Pokemon. If he was lucky there would be others here if not… He would just have to spend another night camping alone and keep watch.

He walked down the trail for a few more minutes when he spotted a campsite off in the distance where a few trainers were staying. Omar took a deep breath, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best when he walked forward. When he came closer towards the camp a redhead with slicked back hair looked up from her camping chair where a Cleffa cuddled comfortably in her arms.

The redhead said something to the brunette man by her side who turned towards her before looking up from his task of setting up a tent towards Omar. Before Omar had even reached the site, a man with dreadlocks ran forward with a huge grin on his face.

“Hey there! Come to join our campsite? ”His smile disappeared for a split second when he saw Omar’s surprised expression on his face. “Only if you want to.”

“That would be great if you have the space.” Omar replied, looking down at the sleeping Applin in his hand. He hadn’t met anyone so friendly at a camp before.

“Of course!” His dreadlocks swayed when he extended his hand. “I’m Louis!”

Omar shook the man's hand with a firm handshake. “Omar.”

“Well, Omar, come on over,” Louis turned around sharply causing his coat tails to flutter in the wind. “We happen to have a great spot left if you want to claim it.” He motioned over to a grassy spot on the left corner of the site.

“Thanks,” Omar looked towards Louis before starting on setting up for the night. After he gently set down Applin on top of his jacket he began to set up his tent and sleep bag. When that was finished he decided to let his Drowzee out for a bit to stretch his legs. Drowzee seemed more than happy to be out of its Pokeball. Omar then moved onto setting up his cooking pot and prepping station for dinner. It was just at that moment when he noticed a girl walk over with an Absol walking calmly by her side.

“Hey there, I wanted to give you a few minutes to set up before introducing myself. I’m Clementine.” The girl gave a warm smile towards Omar who once again felt a feeling of surprise wash over him.

“Omar,” he paused when he saw Clementine’s eyebrow quirk at his Drowzee. Omar’s eyes traveled down to see his Pokemon standing more defensively, its nose swaying slightly as it stared at the Absol. “Drowzee, relax, that’s a friendly Pokemon,” Omar looked back at Clementine. “Is your Absol alright if I pet it? My Drowzee can be a bit of an anxious Pokemon, but usually if he sees that I get along with the Pokemon he’s fine.”

Clementine was taken aback by Omar’s question. Usually people were wary of her Absol and wouldn’t really like being near it. “Sure,” Clementine gave a few pats to her Absol before gesturing for it to step forward. The Absol’s red eyes stared into Omar’s who seemed unfazed by it. Slowly he moved his hand forward, waiting for the Pokemon’s approval. When the Absol seemed fine with it, Omar brushed his hand on the top of the Pokemon’s head who seemed happy with the affection.

“I usually don’t see many Absols on my travels,” Omar glanced up at Clementine who seemed touched by his acceptance of her Pokemon.

“Not many trainers want one. Usually people say they’re doombringers but that couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Omar could tell there was a story behind Clementine’s words, but he knew it wasn’t his place to pry.

“I also came over to ask if you wanted to join the others and myself at the center of the campsite. Brody has started a fresh pot of MooMoo milk,” Clementine motioned over to the redhead who was stirring the contents of a pot when the brunette man came up from behind and wrapped her in a warm hug. The girl seemed surprised for a moment before smiling back at him.

“I’d like that. My Drowzee is a bit anxious around new trainers. Is it alright if he stays back with my Applin?” Omar scratched the top of his Drowzee’s head who seemed pleased with itself.

“Sure,” Clementine smiled at Omar.

With reassuring words that he’d be back in a little bit, Omar walked alongside Clementine to the center of the campsite where five chairs had been set out. Louis was busy talking to the other two when he noticed Clementine, a bright smile playing on his lips as he motioned her over.

“Hey, Omar! Come to join us?” Louis intertwined his fingers with Clementine’s when she had sat down in the chair beside him. A Bellsprout was nuzzling against Louis’ leg under his coat.

“That was the plan,” Omar sat down in a chair and was immediately struck with how unusual this camping experience had been so far for him. Rarely did he meet people like this. “Thanks for letting me stay at the campsite.”

Louis waved a hand dismissively. “Think nothing of it. Oh! You haven’t met these two, have you?” Louis looked over at the pair who were busy preparing mugs of warm MooMoo milk for the others.

“Hi there, my name’s Brody,” The redhead smiled shyly at Omar before handing him a mug which he accepted gratefully. “And this is my boyfriend Mitch,” She put a hand on Mitch’s arm who looked over Omar and gave a small nod.

“Hey.”

“Hello,” Omar took a quick sip of his drink when Louis spoke up again.

“So tell us Omar, what brings you to the likes of Route 20?” Louis leaned forward, clearly intrigued to find out the answer. The others also seemed interested as well.

“I was on my way to Marsh Town to find some new recipes,”

“Oh, you’re a chef?” Clementine’s voice made Omar look over towards her.

“That’s my dream, but for now I’m traveling with my Pokemon to find new recipes and…” Omar’s voice faltered for a moment. Should he share the next part of his sentence? It was usually the part that people didn’t care for. He studied the group’s eyes for a second before deciding to go for it. “And to find healthy and delicious alternatives to recipes to make sure that no Pokemon lose their lives for our meals.”

The group seemed amazed by his statement.

“That’s amazing!” Brody wrapped her arms around her Cleffa once more while carefully holding her hot drink.

“Yeah, sounds cool,” Mitch pushed aside his Golbat that was trying to sneak some sips from his drink.

“Do any of you cook much?” Omar looked around at the group.

“I only know about five curry recipes,” Clementine stated. “It’s enough to get by so it works out well.”

“I know one,” Mitch grumbled, annoyed by his own lack of skill when it came to cooking.

“I know two curry recipes,” Brody leaned back in her chair and took a long sip from her cup. Louis looked proud when it was his turn to answer. “I know a whopping dozen recipes! They are all safely tucked away right here,” Louis tapped the side of his head with his index finger.

“Most burn to shit though,” Mitch looked over at his friend with a smirk.

Louis’ face fell at the comment.

“Mitch,” Brody scolded, whacking the side of his arm in disapproval.

“What? It’s true.” Mitch looked over at his girlfriend.

“Well, Louis’ curries are getting better each camping trip,” Clementine added to which Louis’ warm smile appeared once again. “What about you, Omar? How many curry recipes do you know?” Omar thought for a minute, trying to recall how many he had obtained over his six years as a trainer. “If it’s just curries, I would guess around 151.”

“151!?!” Mitch’s eyes were large at Omar’s words. “How are there that many fucking types of curry?”

“It all depends on the ingredients and the imagination of the person,” Omar stated simply.

“You gotta cook for us tonight!” Louis nearly jumped up on the spot at his own suggestion.

“Only if you want to,” Clementine added, hoping that the suggestion hadn’t stressed out Omar, but when she looked over at him she saw the biggest smile yet appear on his lips.

“I’d love to.” Omar suddenly was struck with realization, “But I didn’t bring nearly enough for this many people and Pokemon.”

“No need to worry about that,” Louis got up to his feet, carefully placing the sleeping Bellsprout onto his camp chair. “Just tell me what you need and Mitch and I can grab it at the nearby town.

Omar looked shocked by the offer. “I don’t have the funds right now to pay for it,”

“Don’t worry about that. I got it covered,” Louis flashed a charismatic smile.

“Alright: lum, sitrus, mago, kelpsy and hondew berries, fresh cream and some veggies like-”

“Hold on, there is no way those two will remember that,” Brody reached in her pack to grab a piece of paper and pencil.

“She’s right, it would be better to write a list for them.”

“Hey!” Mitch stood up in a huff. “We’re not dumbasses.”

“Well,” Louis scratched the back of his head, “When it comes to this, Mitch, we sorta are. We’ve totally forgotten things in past shopping trips.”

Mitch tried to come up with a comeback but fell short, tapping his foot impatiently while Omar jotted down the list of ingredients.

“Thanks, Omar,” Louis took the list and planted a quick kiss on Clementine’s cheek. “We won’t be long,”

“Okay,”

“Be safe,” Brody held onto Mitch’s hand for a second. Mitch gave a small smile to Brody before kissing her.

“I will,” With that the two were off, promising to be back within the next half hour or so. The three sat around the center of the campsite in silence, each of them focusing on finishing up their drinks.

Clementine was the first to rise up, brushing some dust off her pants before taking out two Pokeballs and tossing them in the air. A sound emitted from each Pokeball and a faint light as a Luxray and Leafeon appeared. “You want to join us in some games?’ Clementine looked over at Omar with a smile.

He didn’t know exactly how to respond. This was this first time he had been offered to join in with playing with other people’s Pokemon. Brody got up as well, releasing a Spinda from its Pokeball.

“Sure, let me just check on Drowzee and Applin,” Omar got up and walked over to his two Pokemon who happily greeted him when he showed up.

“Applin!” The Pokemon cried, its eyes popping out from the apple and looking up at Omar with adoration.

“Hey there,” Omar picked up the Pokemon in his hand again. “How would you two like to join the others in some games?”

His Drowzee seemed still unsure by the suggestion while Applin seemed perfectly content with staying his hand. “Okay, you two can stick by me, but I’m sure Sizzlipede would love the friends,” Omar unclicked the Pokeball from his belt and threw it in the air; a tiny red Pokemon emerged in front of him. “Want to make some new friends?” Omar kneeled down in front of his Pokemon.

“Sizzli!” The Pokemon closed its eyes, swaying its head back and forth in agreement. Omar flashed a quick smile before making his way back towards the others who had pulled out all their Pokemon toys. An old, worn-out rubber ball in the style of a Pokeball laid by Absol’s feet while a mirror ball was stared at curiously by the Spinda who stumbled on its feet with each step.

“Oh, you have another Pokemon?” Clementine asked, a feather play toy in her hand that Luxray was already trying to get to.

“So cute,” Brody smiled down at the Sizzlipede who gave a happy cry at the new face. “Are your other Pokemon going to want to join in?” She looked over at Drowzee who was clutching onto Omar’s pant leg.

“No, they’re shy with new people,” Omar lifted a finger and rubbed the top of Applin’s head.

“My Cleffa is the same way,” Brody lifted up her arms that had the Cleffa in it who looked at Omar for a second before turning its gaze downward. Suddenly Omar felt something brush up against his leg. Looking down he saw Clementine’s Leafeon who seemed to have already taken a liking to him.

“Leafeon,” it purred as the leaf on its head blew in the wind, causing the scent of fresh morning grass to overwhelm Omar’s senses. If the Leafeon had that smell, then it must be a fairly young Pokemon.

“Looks like Leafeon is already becoming friends with you,” Clementine pulled up her hands, causing Luxray to let out a whine while she stretched her paws towards the feather toy.

“Looks like it,” Omar smiled down at the Pokemon and gave it a few scratches which seemed to help his Drowzee calm down.

Soon the games started first with a fun game of fetch. Clementine tossed the old rubber ball as far as she could. Luxray was off like a shot, tearing up grass and dirt when she ran forward. Sizzlipede wasn’t going to let her competition get away with it though. The Pokemon moved its tiny legs as fast as she could, leaving a thin layer of dust while it tried to catch up. Spinda on the other hand was going the wrong way, stumbling and tumbling over, getting once again distracted by the mirror ball.

“Spinda, Clem threw it that way,” Brody blinked her eyes a couple of times, trying not to get dizzy just looking at her Pokemon. Luxray returned within seconds, causing Sizzlipede to stop, slowly turning around and jetting off after her. Omar chuckled while he watched his Pokemon. Even though throughout the rounds Luxray and Leafeon would end up getting the ball, Sizzlipede would never give up. A small, joyful glint played in her eyes whenever she tried to chase after the other Pokemon. In one heated round Spinda had actually gone the right way, stumbling around and looking more like it was dancing than trying to get a ball. Luxray immediately got distracted by the Pokemon and jumped around it, barking excitedly while arching her back playfully.

“Lux! Lux!”

“Spiiiiiinda,” The Pokemon fell on its feet once more but didn’t seem to mind as it got right back up again. Absol watched from the sidelines, seeming to pay particular attention to Luxray before resting his head once more. The games continued for some time until Louis and Mitch came back.

“We come bearing many gifts!” Louis exclaimed, placing the bags down on one of the camping tables. Omar looked up from waving the feather toy back and forth for Luxray and Sizzlipede.

“Thanks, I can get started right away,” Omar placed aside the feather toy and started to make his way to his supplies to prep.

“Oh, we can help,” Brody offered with a kind smile.

Omar looked up and nodded. “That would be great, if you could just cut up those vegetables,” He gestured over to the array of veggies besides him. Brody and Clementine immediately started helping out while Louis and Mitch took a break, receiving much love and attention from the different Pokemon. Omar started on the cooking, getting a good base for the curry while the rice cooked. Once the base was set and at the right consistency he added some of the berries, making a rich, flavorful sauce. Once the rice was done he placed it to the side and reseasoned a pan before placing veggie patties on it. The patties sizzled and popped from the heat. A warm, comforting flavor filled the air which made Mitch’s stomach growl while he tossed one of the toys for Golbat to catch.

Once enough of the patties were done, Omar set out to layer the plates. First with the soft, fluffy rice seasoned with mild spices, then he added the berry-filled curry sauce that the rice soaked in on contact. Lastly he added two veggies patties on each plate, ladling another small serving of the sauce on its side before presenting the dish. The other four looked in awe at the presentation of the dish.

“Holy shit!” Mitch wiped his mouth when drool started to appear on it.

“It looks amazing,” Clementine looked at it, the aroma of it overpowering her nostrils and causing her stomach to growl. Suddenly she felt a paw whack against her leg. Luxray looked up at her with large eyes.

“Don’t worry, I made enough for all your Pokemon too,” Omar moved back, revealing the different Pokemon bowls he had asked them to bring over. Each of them was filled with the same mouth-watering meal. “It should be the right amount based on what I know of your Pokemon’s usual weight and metabolism.”

“Whoa, you really thought of everything,” Brody looked at the food with a level of disbelief in her eyes. “I can’t believe you can make it look this good,”

“There is no need to wait: grab a seat and enjoy,” Omar motioned before sitting down himself. The others didn’t need to be told twice. Immediately they started to dig in along with their Pokemon. Some tried to take their time like Brody and her Cleffa while others struggled to maintain any manners like Louis and his Trubbish. The five sat around the table talking about some of their adventures along the way.

“Oh, you gotta camp with us again when we’ve got some of the others with us,” Louis spoke, a grain of rice shooting across the table.

Omar flicked aside the grain before looking at Louis who had an apologetic look on his face. “You don’t just travel together?”

“No, we usually only meet up here and there. Louis and I actually met Brody and Mitch one night when they needed a camp to crash at.” Clementine looked over at Brody.

“It was really sweet of them. That was the first time we met Marlon and Violet too. You remember that, Mitch?” Brody smiled at her boyfriend who swallowed his mouthful of food before responding.

“We also met Prisha there too,”

“You know a lot of other trainers.” Omar took another bite of his curry.

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind exchanging contact info you can join us again sometime,” Clementine’s offer shocked Omar who sat in silence considering it.

“I’d like that, but first,” Omar snatched up his bowls along with his Pokemon. “We should get the dishes done so we can move to dessert.”

“Holy shit, there’s more?” Louis’s eyes danced with excitement. Everyone helped out with the dishes. Even some of the Pokemon tried to as well, although some like Spinda were thanked for their offer but didn’t end up helping out.

Soon the pots and dishes were clean and Omar started once again, first getting the rice started off again then the base with sweeter spices to bring out the brighter, fruitier notes hidden with the berries.

When the sauce was done Omar asked each of them to take a turn whipping the cream, figuring it would be a nice way to have them help out. “You use your arms and position the bowl like this,” Omar demonstrated before passing off the bowl to Clementine who only took a few seconds to catch onto the gist of things. Omar put his focus back on the dish at hand and incorporated some more ingredients into the mix and after a few minutes of letting its stew, the juices formed together into a flavorful sauce he took off the heat.

Once again he gave special attention to detail when plating the dishes. The sweet rice was placed first then the bittersweet sauce was added next. Last but not least he added the whipped cream that each of the trainers had helped make. When it was done, everyone dug in once again.

“Fuckin’ A!” Mitch’s eyes brightened. “This is fucking delicious,” He scarfed down his dessert within seconds. Omar shook his head at how fast Mitch had inhaled the food. He didn’t even bother to savor it. But a small smile crept up onto Omar’s lips, happy for all the compliments his dishes were getting.

After the meal was done, the five of them sat around and talked for a bit longer. They shared some funny stories with their Pokemon, some of which seemed to not care while others seemed to understand their trainer’s words and took some offense to it.

“Come on, Bellsprout, it was cute!” Louis pleaded but the Bellsprout had jumped off his lap and after a few seconds of struggle had plopped itself onto Clementine’s lap.

“Bell,” it huffed, turning away from Louis’ face.

“I should probably head to bed. My Pokemon seem pretty tired,” Omar’s head tilted to his arms where all three of his Pokemon had fallen asleep.

“Oh, before we forget, here!” Louis hands shot forward, holding his phone. “ Your info!” Omar took the phone and one by one the others handed theirs forward until everyone’s contact info had been inputted. With that Omar got up, wishing the others a good night sleep before dipping into his tent.

After a few minutes he was settled into his sleeping bag, the warmth slowly covering his body as a smile appeared on his lips. This had easily been the best campsite he had ever been to. Not only were the people nice, but their Pokemon had gotten along with his. Omar’s eyes fell upon his phone which laid beside his sleeping bag.

His smile grew as he thought of the prospect of another campsite night. For the first time on his journey he was excited to have run into other trainers.

#fanfic #twdg omar #twdg louis #twdg clementine #twdg moody #twdg bitch #twdg mitch #twdg brody #clouis #i want to be the very best au #pokemon

1 note · View note

pokemagines · 5 years

Text

JAPAN TRIP 2k19 with Mod Elesa (1/?)

hey n’yall it’s mod elesa, lemme tell u bout my japan trip! u can find some of the photos of these events on my instagram @atel2er! i didn’t want to flood this post with pictures hehe ,,

GENERAL STUFF

went for school, study abroad trip to study visualization and simulation of “serious games” that businesses buy and use (but i dont feel like talking abt it since this is the FUN POST

may 10-26

the flight was 11 hours, p easy, i didn’t know anybody going into the trip because i didn’t go to any of the meetings HAHhaHEHA

whatever. everyone on the trip initially came off as if they had yellow fever and i was like ... i’m really not trying to interact with FETISHIZERS

turns out they were all really cool! only this one kid was a real weeaboo who was greasy and tall and a neckbeard who kept talking about being “culturally insensitive” and speaking japanese constantly to the teacher and the TA like ... ok patrick we get it you flex

i stayed in a hotel in shinjuku! everything is so small and i used the bidets for the first time and WOO chile that shit feels FUNKY on your asshole

i visited shinjuku major (kabukicho aka red light district, couple other places!), ikebukuro (THE MEGA POKEMON CENTER), mt fuji, fuji q highland, akihabara, hamamatsucho (area where tokyo tower is), HARAJUKU, and the emperor’s palace! i’m probably forgetting some places since we went to a lot of temples and shrines that were cool ...

the public transportation in japan is scarily on time.. like, by the second. they apologize if they’re one minute early and will wait until the scheduled time before they move omg

the subway stations have their own jingles! they kind of act as an alarm system because a lot of people sleep on the subway (which is why people generally don’t talk on it) and will recognize the jingle for their stop!

the crowded hours on the subway are noon and 6-8pm... like, its insane. it’s actually packed like sardines in there.

EVERYONE THERE IS SO SHORT.... i was taller than a lot of the grown men there (i’m 5′4″ or 162 cm for reference) and most people were around 5 feet tall... the only people taller than me were some kids around my age and this gaggle of japanese schoolgirls who were like 5′7+ and i was like. sis you’re 13, why are you that tall

pokemon is EXTREMELY prevalent in japan wherever you go. there’s pikachu stickers on taxis, pikachu is on ads on the subway and at the AIRPORT, pokemon go is widely played by a lot of people and so many of the people in my group played it so i got conned into playing again. i leveled up 5 times within 3 days and honestly? i’m god

anime is very normal there... i know that sounds all “weeby” but a lot of normal shops had animated mascots and there were ads for anime all over the place.

literally gacha machines everywhere i spent a lot of coins on gacha machines plz kill me

the homies in japan loooove crepes. they sold so many crepes. everywhere. just crepes. also spaghetti carbonara! and corndogs HAHAHA

the food there is so cheap but SOOO GOOD. sushi isn’t all that expensive at all?? like a set of 16 pieces is 1080Y... meanwhile that cost in america is like. $6000 HAHAHAHAH.

very humid? at all times? also the RAIN is debilitating if u make one wrong step you will slip and die (like i did! i stepped on a tile and fucking fell into a puddle! i have bruises still!)

SHINJUKU (detective pikachu day, may 10)

i went to go see detective pikachu on its release day in shinjuku! before that, i went to a couple sega buildings--

the sega buildings are 4 story buildings FILLED with claw machines holding stuffed animals, figurines, candy, all kinds of stuff. when i went, there was a lot of detective pikachu-related stuff. i saw this detective pikachu hat in one of the machines and spent 1000Y (about $10) or 10 attempts at the claw machine ... i still can’t believe i got it ... nobody was there to see it besides me and i YELLED when it dropped

i wore the hat that entire day around shinjuku because i honestly felt like god. people would point at me and go like “ah! meitantei pikachu!” and smile at me. i was a celebrity. i wore the hat into the movie theatre, i wore it through the entire movie, and when i was walking out, someone tapped on my shoulder and asked for my picture. she was all nervous about her english and was like “i love your hat. may i take a picture?” and i was like omG YES U CAN... sweet bab... so that’s the first photo of me that ended up on some random person’s phone

we waited around for the mass of people to exit the theatre and then left, and we ran into her again! she asked me more questions about the hat: “did you make it?” “no, i got it in a claw machine in the sega building.” she looked dumbfounded. “in shinjuku?” “yes.” “in the sega building? over there?” “yeees.” “in a claw machine?!” “yes!” “ah! i thought you made it! it’s so cute! i’m going to get one for myself.” “lol ok have fun”

i learned that its customary to stay until the very end of the credits before leaving a movie out of respect for the people who made it! meanwhile in america we walk out when the credits roll FHDSKFJS OOPIES

SHINJUKU (visit #2)

we went in the night time to go see the red light district aka kabuki-cho because thats where a lot of the bars are

i don’t drink so i didn’t join the people who went to the bars to get CRUNK, so i dragged two other guys with me and we walked around the red light district

I SAW SO MANY HOST CLUBS. so many maid cafes. so many bars. i saw a love hotel too... i was like... i wanna go inside... Blease... and my friends were like “you’re so weird KHEDJFSk” and im like “I WAS GOOGLING THESE IN CLASS TODAY, I DIDN’T THINK THEY WERE REAL”

my friend sean (he’s from taipei, cool guy, could read a lot of the kanji so we used him to navigate the subway HAHA) was walking with me that night and we saw this hole in the wall that had stairs going down to a peep show ... homegirl had her whole ass out on the sign... tiddies covered with caution tape ... i said MAAM?

one of the signs in kabuki-cho had a woman doing straight up ahegao with (what i’m pretty sure was) nut on her face. it was a small sign and i was the only one who saw it. i lost my shit. it was the funniest thing ever

kabuki-cho is really really dirty... like people straight up litter all the time bc there’s no trashcans around? so people throw their shit on the ground? and everyone steps on it... very seedy area, very gross, but i was absolutely enthralled with the nightlife and the blatant sexual vibes half the places had!

some dude stopped me and started speaking english saying “do you like karaoke? you should come drink with me for two hours, it’s a great price if you drink a lot” and i was like “no... i have to go home” and he’s like “come onnnn it’s a good price” and i was like. i’m not very assertive with men so i started panicking and my friend sean (A GOD AMONG MEN) started speaking chinese to him and he backed off ... i love you sean you’re so fucking COOL

IKEBUKURO (pokemon mega center)

so there’s this huge mall. i forgot the name, but it’s got like a lot of floors and they’re MASSIVE

on the 2rd floor is the MEGA POKEMON CENTER!!! i was so HYPED to go in there!!! it was teeming with people but there was just... so much stuff. all kinds of merch. they had plushies of the original 151, a shitton of really cool tshirts, a whole block for detective pikachu-themed merch (pins, socks, canvas bags, shirts, patches, hats, etc), and sooo much more. there’s a giant charizard statue when you walk in, as well as a statue of a pokestop HAHA. i was so excited and i wanted to buy so many things when i was in there bc they had stuff for all the legendaries (LATIOS AND LATIAS STUFF WERE THERE I WAS SO HAPPY)!!! literally anything you can think of, they had in some kind of pokemon print. including underwear. yeah i said it. here’s a really good article that showcases some of the stuff they sold there!

for reference, 100 yen is about 1 usd. a lot of things there were 480 yen ($4.80) or 3000Y ($30) and it was just... beautiful.

when i was there, yen didn’t feel like it had monetary value since it’s not the currency i’m used to, so i sPENT WAY TOO MUCH AHFJKDFD

they had themed cash registers with each of the starters... i cried :’)

i actually went there a second time but it was packed for a different reason. some idol group was performing on the ground floor and a shitton of girls were screaming fanchants while their jpop boys danced LOLLL. now i know how people see kpop stans ...

AKIHABARA (i went like 8 times)

this is what i like to call my birthplace

we went to the maid cafe. of course we fucking did. i got a dreamland passport and some cat ears. THE MAIDS ALL LOVED HATSUNE MIKU

SPEAKING OF HATSUNE MIKU AKA MY GODDESS, she was pretty popular in akihabara! she was also on some posters in the subway stations (across tokyo, not just in akihabara) and was apparently having some magical mirai concert???

there’s this giant tower called radio kaikan thats right outside the akihabara station that’s filled with all sorts of anime shit. i spent so much money in there. Good God. there was a furret plush for 5400Y and i was so STINGY that day i shouldve BOUGHT IT.... it was a longboi and i was like... sis!!!!

remember how i said my brain didn’t register that yen had monetary value? yeah i spent hundreds of dollars here no cap ...

i went to a kaguya-sama cafe as well on another day bc my friend joe (one of the figureine-collecting weebs) wanted to go and get a chika coaster

i went into a three floor sex shop and gave no fucks, the bottom floor was filled with bdsm shit and LEATHER SCHOOLGIRL OUTFITS and it was WILD. and these two old men were just casually browsing this shit like we weren’t both looking at whips and buttplugs in Public you know

i wasn’t fazed by a lot of the stuff there bc i read Funky fanfiction but the people i went in there with were major uncomfy ... i was like PRUDES HAJKFDAHDS i almost bought something don’t tell anybody

OKAY SO. there’s this place called super potato that has a floor dedicated to old games and consoles. they had so many gameboy advances and gamecubes and old consoles (famicom, dreamcast etc) for CHEAP. they had a gameboy color for 4900Y and a gamecube for 5600Y. a bitch almost cried. they had every old pokemon game under the sun (the original red, blue, yellow, gold and silver) and i ,,, they were 480Y. they were 480Y. that’s five fucking dollars. do you know how much collectors pay for that shit on ebay? HUNDREDS. i could’ve mass bought those and sold them and made so much cash but I DIDN’T.

that store had an original unopened copy of super smash bros melee and pokemon colosseum and i was like... wait if i cop a gamecube i could play pokemon collosseum like a true g... ((i didn’t cop))

but anyways there were a lot of games that didn’t make it to america (including mother 3! which my friend connor bought! as well as the console to play it!) and just... so many old things i grew up with ...

whenever i walked out of the super potato we’d end up in an alley where all the girls who work at cafes were advertising their stuff

i always took the flyers from the girls bc they spoke their cute english to me and i was like... i’d die for you, yknow that?

ALL KINDS OF CAFES. regular maid cafe, pirate cafe, ninja cafe (you could do that thing where you karate chop a wooden block in half), sailor cafe (as in actual ship captains), shrine maiden cafe, vampire cafe, prince cafe (for the ladies ;3), catgirl cafe, bunny girl cafe... i took all of the goddamn flYERS THEY WERE ALL SO CUTE :( i wanted to go so bad...

FUJI Q HIGHLAND (also known as the time i flipped my shit and went on rollercoasters)

when i found out about fuji-q, i told my group that we HAD to go. i didn’t want to go to an onsen. i wanted to go to fuji-q. i had to. i love rollercoasters, it’s my passion, my driving fORCE IN LIFE

so fuji-q is home to 4 record-breaking rollercoasters! u got fast boi aka jojo reference do-dodonpa; EXTREME TALL BOI fujiyama; superior to x2 at six flags eejanaika; and the steepest rollercoaster in the world TAKABISHA ... i got to ride fujiyama, eejanaika, and takabisha! the scariest one was probably fujiyama despite it being very cut and dry up for... ever ... 79 meters ... oh god ... i lost my shit on the way down ladies let me TELL YOU

FUJIYAMA ALSO HAS A VIEW OF MT FUJI AND I WAS LIK E”YO GUYS ITS MT FUJI” and then we went down and i screamed

please watch the pov videos for these rides they’re very good but they don’t convey the absurd amount of excitement i had going on these rides

anyways the fuji-q park was having a sword art online collaboration when i visited, so they played SAO music and had cardboard cutouts for them across the park... kirito’s ride was fujiyama (aka the king of them all). i forgot the other ones but those alicization kiddos were there but ion care about ALICE OR EUGEO

the first ride i went on was eejanaika which is a 4d rollercoaster, pretty epic, total Baby Ride though

i went on as a single rider so i ended up getting put in this group with these college kids! the guy i was sitting next to spoke to me in english and asked basic questions: “where are you from?”, “is this [ride] easy for you?”, “how old are you?”, basic stuff. he asked why i was in japan and i told him i was studying at waseda university, and he immediately perked up and went “I GO TO WASEDA!!! WASEDA YEAH!!!” and fist bumped me ... his friends were giggling and kept asking him to ask me questions and it was just. so wholesome.

when we were abt to get on the ride he looks at me and says “my name is soichiro. call me so-chan ok??” and i was like... “so-chan” and his friENDS ALL STARTED GIGGLIGN AND I WAS LIKE U///W///U

while we were going up on the ride, he kept yelling “JESUS FUCK YOU JESUS CHRIST” and my favorite: “JESUS CHRIST WHAT THE FUCK YOU” because apparently fuck cannot be standalone! “what the fuck you” is my new fave insult (i miss you so-chan)

afterwards he kept coughing and was like. dead. his soul left his body. so i asked in him japanese like,,, “daijobu ka?” and he was like “nai.” and i just laughed at him bc BA B Y SO-CHAN CANT HANDLE SOME SPINS

i bought a corndog at fuji-q at this place called arirang hotdog which is a korean style hotdog place??? BRUH that shit is so good but i shat myself for a good minute afterwards ... damn i want those corndogs

sadly i did not get to go on do-dodonpa because nobody wanted to ride with me and i didn’t want to go by myself >:/// still mad abt that bc that was the FAST BOI ...

also. takabisha. the guiness world record with the 121 degree drop. not even scary. BUT they do hang you there for like 3 seconds before making you go down and i was like “YALL FUCKIN WITH ME” really loud when they hung us there ... PLS watch a pov video you’ll see what i mean ...

HARAJUKU (i totally forgot abt this place OH lord)

i bought ... clothes here ...

they have all those clothes with the random english words on them so OF COURSE i had to buy one AS WELL AS a hat to match!

i also bought one of those ear hats where u press the paws and the ears move ... bts inspired that one

so many people in harajuku absolutely DECKED OUT in fashion. what a bunch of legends.

apparently wearing shirts that say “babygirl” are popular here i have no clue why ,,,, also im pretty sure i remember seeing a shirt that said “call me daddy” and i’m like. Ok Japan

half the shit in english made ZERO SENSE or was SPELLED WRONG and that was common all across japan, not just on harajuku fashion pieces LMAOOOO

deadass i went to a couple businesses (fuji xerox, nissan factory, etc) and they had spelling errors all over the place... nissan really had a placard that said “Prease do not touch” AND I CACKLED hfDSKLJF ilove u nissan

#mod elesa goes to japan #mod elesa speaks #not an imagine #long post #elesa in japan 2k19

44 notes · View notes

gamersonthego · 4 years

Text

GOTG SP 8: The N64 Transfer Pak

A version of this posted is featured in episode 151 of The Casual Hour podcast.

Sparsely supported, finicky and a bit convoluted, the Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak is one of Nintendo’s many long forgotten peripherals, but it’s one I have a deep fondness for as a handheld gamer. In telling you its history, maybe you’ll learn why.

The Nintendo 64’s controller had a built-in expansion port in the back, originally designed to hold the console’s Controller Pak memory card unit. The Controller Pak would eventually fall out of favor: partly due to the more widespread practice of utilizing the N64 cartridge’s integrated storage, and partly because of the growing appeal of the N64 Rumble Pak that launched with Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars a year after in 1997.

But those two devices would not be the only uses of the controller expansion port. Nintendo would create the Transfer Pak, allowing the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy line of consoles to be able to connect and talk to one another, and they’d debut it with their biggest handheld franchise: Pokemon.

The Transfer Pak would launch in North America on February 29, 2000, bundled with copies of Pokemon Stadium. Japan would actually get in much earlier, August 1, 1998, with Pocket Monsters Stadium, a much more basic game that only featured 42 of the original 151 Pokemon (just the fully evolved forms…except for Raichu, who was replaced with franchise mascot, Pikachu). Both versions would use the Transfer Pak in the same ways: You could send over your Pokemon from Red, Blue and Yellow (and Green in Japan), and have them battle in Stadium’s various tournament cups. You could also examine your Pokemon and items, arrange them in your PC in a much more efficient way than on the Game Boy, trade Pokemon between cartridges and (perhaps most notably for GOTG fans) play your Game Boy Pokemon games on your TV through a built-in emulator. Even better, optional Doduo and Dodrio modes (unlocked by completing the games Poke and Prime Cups) would allow you to play these emulated versions 2x and 3x faster respectively.

Pokemon Stadium would go on to be the 6th best-selling N64 game, totaling almost 5.5 million copies. With that many Transfer Paks in the wild (even more as Nintendo also sold the accessory by itself), you might think other developers would take advantage of that hardware. They…would not. Outside of Japan, the N64 Transfer Pak only supports six games. You already know about Pokemon Stadium, so let’s break down the other five.

In Camelot’s Mario Golf, players could bring over their Game Boy Color campaign character to the N64 version to compete in tournaments and mini-games. Playing with your character in the N64 Mario Golf gains them experience that can then be transferred back to the GBC version (and your N64 scores could also be brought back over to display in your GBC game).

Camelot also made Mario Tennis, and it has a little more going on with the Transfer Pak. Similar to Mario Golf, you could bring over your GBC campaign character (and doubles partner) and play with them in the N64 game, but instead of being a temporary thing like in Golf, in Tennis, they’d be unlocked permanently. In addition, linking the games unlocked Yoshi, Wario, Waluigi and Bowser in the GBC game, as well as four mini-games featuring those characters. And if you completed those mini-games on the GBC, you could then link your games again to unlock four more tennis courts on the N64 version. I did all of this as a kid. Because Mario Tennis rules.

Connecting the Mickey’s Speedway USA games would get you Huey as a playable racer on the N64 version and...well, that’s it. Do you even remember which of Donald Duck’s nephews is Huey? It’s the red one.

So if you love this knockoff Mario Kart game (made by Rare) so much you’d buy both a $50 N64 game and a $30 GBC game, I mean, this is a thing you can do with them.

But Mickey’s Speedway USA wouldn’t be Rare’s only foray into the Transfer Pak. They’d also use it with Perfect Dark. Connecting the GBC Perfect Dark to the N64 version would net you four of the N64 game’s cheats: Hurricane Fists, Cloaking Device, R-Tracker (which makes it easier to find special weapon caches) and All Guns in Solo, which you’d otherwise only be able to unlock by beating the final mission on the hardest difficulty in under five minutes and thirty seconds…which you can only even attempt if you’ve already beaten every other stage on the hardest difficulty.

That’s not all that was originally planned for Perfect Dark though. The N64 Perfect Dark was also supposed to connect to the Game Boy Camera, letting you take a picture of your face and map it onto multiplayer characters. Rare officially stated that technical problems were the reason the feature was ultimately cut, but it should also be noted that we were a little less than a year out from the Columbine High School shooting at the time, and video games were still a favored target for politicians looking to be tough on gun violence without…y’know…doing anything about the actual guns themselves. A similar type of feature would be used in the Japan-only Mario Artist: Talent Studio, allowing you to use transfer faces over to avatar characters and use them in animations. Those characters could then be further transferred into a Japan-only SimCity 64 where they could live in your virtual town. Sounds complicated, but awesome.

The final game should be fairly obvious: Pokemon Stadium 2. While this version wasn’t bundled with the Transfer Pak like its predecessor, it did use the Transfer Pak to its fullest extent. Like the previous Stadium, it let you play with, arrange and trade your Pokemon from the Game Boy games, this time including Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal. But you could also trade items between cartridges, use Pokemon Stadium to unlock Mystery Gifts and redecorate your portable game’s room in 3D. Of course, like in Stadium, Stadium 2 also let you play your GB and GBC Pokemon games on TV with the built-in emulator. Hackers have gone on to open this feature up to work with a limited set of non-Pokemon games as well. It’s not as functional as Nintendo’s Wide-Boy 64, but since that thing was never officially released this hack is the closest thing to having a Super Game Boy on your N64.

And that’s pretty much it. Japan had 12 additional games that worked with the Transfer Pak, notably PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64 which was compatible with any Game Boy or Game Boy Color game as each game would unlock a random character (like in Monster Rancher or Skannerz or some games with Amiibo support). And notable for me since I’m such a fan of the series, Super Robot Wars 64 used the Transfer Pak in conjunction with the Game Boy Color’s Super Robot Taisen Link Battler to unlock additional mechs and pilots.

So despite most people only using the N64 Transfer Pak with one or two Pokemon Stadium games, it was technically a commercial success, if not a long lasting one. However, it lives on as an example of Nintendo’s experimental nature, a relic both ahead of its time and also kind of a mess. From the failures of the Virtual Boy and the E-Reader, to the flash in the pans like the Transfer Pak, to the incredible successes of the Wii, DS and Switch, Nintendo tries things other companies don’t. And it’s why I love Nintendo to this day.

But seriously, someone come over and play Mario Tennis with me.

#gotg sp #transfer pak #n64 #pokemon stadium #mario golf #mario tennis #perfect dark #mickey's speedway

1 note · View note