#i love Cynthia's battle style

[and-a-side-of-pokemon]

So. Today's episode. I actually quite liked it. Spiritomb is one mean bitch (affectionate) and I am here for it ngl. Also Ash, please please use your old pokemon- the journeys team really isn't up to competitive standards yet, as can be seen with how well Pikachu did compared to the others 😭

[fearlessdevil17]

I FINALLY HAVE A FAVOURITE HUMAN POKEMON CHARACTER!!!!

I've been playing Pokemon since probably 2010, and i've never really had a favourite Pokemon character that was human. I mean i do love some characters like Cynthia and Wally, but i just never saw them as my favourites, and it's been like that for years.............UNTIL NOW!!!!

As much as Pokemon Scarlet/Violet has such a wonderful story, as well as fantastic character development. Kieran's arc is the only thing within the game that legit shook me to my core.

Like there were so many thoughts racing through my head after i finished the Teal Mask, and that post ending!!! That gave me serious chills.

I will never forget that battle i had with Kieran when playing the Indigo Disk. That was the most insane and intense Pokemon battle i've ever had in a long time. I legit felt like i was fighting for my life. I haven't been backed into corner like that for years.

What made it worse was that I found out after the battle that, for the first time in Pokemon history, Kieran canonically surpasses Cynthia. And given how she's left tons of players with PTSD, that's a horrifying title to have.

Kieran is more then just your "friendly rival", and i have no idea how to put it in words. One things for certain is that he is nothing like the other rivals in the other games, Kieran was out for blood, specially your blood.

I already considered Pokemon Violet as my favourite Pokemon game of all time, and playing the DLC and the Epilogue, that just deepened the title.

I'm so happy i bought it, and i'm glad Kieran stays our friend at the end too :)

But to think that this timid little bean would become my new worst nightmare lol

Congratulations Kieran, you are now part of my "favourite characters from different fandoms" collection, you've earned it <3

Here's a close up of the sad sona doodle:

As well a couple of bonus sketches:

Meanwhile:

My sister didn't have the same experience when battling Kieran.

We seem to have different battle styles, as you can see here:

XD

[microwave-core]

Red-Hot Paean

Cynthia x Fem! Reader

Cynthia has always been one to praise you whenever she sees fit (which is always), but she can’t seem to hold her tongue when it comes to interviews. At least she’s always willing to indulge you after putting you through such embarrassment.

“So, a little Starly recently told me that you were thinking about taking a vacation to the Alola region. Do you have anything to say about that?” 

“Ah, well, there isn’t much more to say about it other than it’s true. Being champion is my passion, but everyone needs a break now and then. Besides, I’ve been meaning to check out the Battle Tree, and I’ve been sorely missing quality time with my wife.”

“The Battle Tree, huh? I’ve heard that the trainers are quite formidable, especially the battle legends leading the whole operation. I suppose that’s a kind of challenge you won’t find anywhere in Sinnoh!”

“Indeed, it’s been quite some time since an opponent has backed me into a corner. The thrill of battle spurs me on, but exploring the region is also a must. The island challenge feels a bit beneath me at this point, but the beaches are quite alluring, especially with beautiful company.

“And the apparel shops are simply darling. Most of the options are not my kind of style, but I can’t help but want to pick a few things up, anyways… Ah, but my darling beloved, now she would look wonderful in them. Afterall, she looks gorgeous in any and everything she wears.

“But whenever I see any kind of cute clothing, I can’t help but see her in them. Especially outfits for the warmer climates, since I see her in them so rarely with how cold Sinnoh is and all. Alola certainly won’t be the first time I end up purchasing clothing for her on a vacation, but that just leaves what I should get for her this time…”

“Oh yes, I must agree. Alolans are quite fashionable! From adorable to elegant… everything seems to look good. Your wife sure is a lucky woman to have someone such as yourself as a vacationing companion. Is there anything else about this trip you are looking forward to?”

“Besides that… I am looking forward to exploring the ruins. From what I’ve read, there aren’t many mysteries surrounding them, especially in comparison to ruins in other regions, but I don’t think I will be able to keep myself away from them…”

The TV remote clatters to the couch cushion with a soft thud. You're not sure why you keep up with Cynthia’s interviews when they always end with you becoming far too flustered for your own good. This was far from the worst she’s ever gushed before, and yet it still gets you all the same.

And speak of the devil, the moment you lean back into the cushions, the front door creeps open, followed by the gentle clacking of heels, accompanied by less-gentle thuds. She leans over the couch, arms laying over your chest and head perched atop of yours.

“Hello, dear…” She practically purrs. You can’t see her face, but you can hear the sweet smile on her lips from her tone alone. Garchomp sidles up to you, forcing your arm over her flat head in the hope that you would pet her. You mumble out a ‘hello’, yet to overcome your embarrassment.

“What were you watching? I could have sworn I heard the TV on when I was unlocking the door…”

“Your interview from the other day.”

“Oh, you saw it already? I wasn’t expecting to be asked about Alola, but I suppose it was going to come up eventually.”

“I, uh, just caught it, actually and… (Azelf, give me strength) I turned it off after you got off track talking about… me. I know that you think very highly of me but… it gets embarrassing watching you talk like that… especially when Arceus knows how many people are going to see it.”

“Aww, really? And here I thought I managed to tone the gushing down for once.” You know that Cynthia gushes because of how deeply she loves you, which makes your heart pound with both love and embarrassment, but the teasing tone lacing her words allows the embarrassment to outweigh the former.

“Besides, it’s not as if I was lying… I’m looking forward to seeing your adorable self on all sorts of tropical backdrops.” She moves her hands to your face, squishing your cheeks softly. 

“Is it so wrong of me to want everyone to know how much I care about you? I just can’t help myself when I’m so easily reminded of you… “ Her voice wavers from teasing to soft, each word barely above a whisper.

“The fact that I get to call you, someone so beautiful and caring and intelligent, my own… It doesn’t feel real sometimes, that someone as wonderful as you exists, and is willing to stay by my side, no less!”

Her words feel far too much, far too praise-filled, borderline reverent. You place your hands on her own, feeling the heat radiating off your face through her skin. Your body was boiling, yet you couldn’t help but yearn for her warmth, both her body and her words. Yet all too soon, she begins to pull away.

“Well then, how about I get cleaned up and pick us up something to eat? It’s only fair that I treat you to something nice after putting you through so much embarrassment, right?” You can only respond with a feeble nod.

She leans over and gives you a quick peck on the forehead before pulling back completely, presumably going to your bedroom to clean up, leaving you to huddle into yourself (and the Garchomp practically sprawled out across your lap). 

In interviews, Cynthia would always find new ways to embarrass you with her off-track side tangents, and in private, she would always find new ways to set your heart aflame. 

But while her seeming unending love for you would make you beyond flustered, it would always lead to her treating you to whatever your heart desired. She could be teasing, and she was sure as hell embarrassing, but it was certainly worth putting up with once it was all said and done, leaving nothing but the sweet, endearing Cynthia ready to melt your heart away.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale's Rankings: Best Ash Ketchum

Now this sounds like a weird Ranking topic, but with over 20+ years of Pokemon anime to sift through, I can tell you there are some differences.

This Ash:

Is very different than this one:

And not just in animation styles.

So I should go over the rules.

I will be distinguishing each Ash on the Tried and True method. Based on Ash's Hat. For Example, Ash in the Kanto league, Orange Islands, and Johto Ash are all the same Ash, as they have the same hat. But once he goes to Hoenn, Its a different Ash

I will be ranking them based on Personality, Pokemon team, Competence for experience level, Performance and Overall Charm.

In regards to Competence for Experience, I mean how skilled he was shown to be compared to how he is in the region

I will not be including Manga, or spin offs. Purely the anime. Movies will be included if it benefits Ash

This is a personal list and I would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

____________________________________________________________

7. Black & White Ash

This... this ash at his lowest point in my opinion.

Also 2nd lamest companions. Iris was fine but the green haired Connoisseur annoyed me.

This was around the time the anime tried to do a soft reboot/retcon within itself and had Ash still say he is 10, even though he already went through 4 regions.

This Ash isnt a terrible person or anything, but ... he is kind of an idiot in battle. He gives advice and there are times he's mature but he loses battles he has no business losing. His team is also pretty unremarkable in Unova, even with all 3 starters. He never fully evolved any of them, the only Fully Evolved pokemon from Unova being his Krookadile (His best pokemon aside from Pikachu) Leavanny and Unfezent. (Which he switched out HALF THE TIME)

His pikachu also lost to Trip (a bargain bin version of Paul) who JUST GOT his pokemon recently.

But that is nothing compared to his embarrassing performance in the Unova League.

He made it to the great 8 and ended up losing to Cameron. Who if I had describe his incompetence, it would physically hurt me.

This Ash off the bat was not going to win any Leagues. But you would think with his experience he would be better... but he wasnt.

6. Sun and Moon Ash

I hate this iteration of ash... personally dislike him.

This Ash is likely the most immature we've seen ash since Kanto. Most of his maturity is gone in the first half of the season. His battle tactics may not be as bad as the previous ash (With this Ash actually WINNING his league). But its hard to say if most of those wins feel earned. Unlike later entries on this list, this Ash stumbled into incredibly powerful pokemon (two of which are basically legendaries), but to this Ash's credit, his Incineroar and Lyconroc were trained up and earned. I also enjoyed seeing the dynamic of this ash had with his friends in alola, along with the professor. I do think this Ash didnt deserve his Win in the league... mainly because the league was hardly official in terms of rules. It was basically a tournament with half of the people being his friends. But thats me nitpicking. This Ash does show to grow and strategize better than the last Ash, so I will give him props. But thats all I am giving him. Well Okay, Pikachu helped hard carry in this season

5. Journey's Ash

This Ash is... well he is technically the most skilled Ash as he can use all the tricks and did win the Master Class. But I dont get why.

Side note Gou is the worst Companion in the entire series dont @ me I know I am right.

This Ash STUMBLES hard into all his strong pokemon. Gengar, Dragonite, Dracovish. Sir Fetched and Lucario are the only two he needed to help evolve. Also, what is up with that unbalanced Team Composition? Half weak to fairy and dragon, Half weak to ground types. How did Cynthia NOT sweep?

That may have been Nitpicking a bit, but I still stand on the former point, most of his mons were strong at the jump. In Alola, the two legendaries he finds he at least has to evolve. Sure they are legendaries, but still.

I also just found this ash a bit too kidish until the end at the master class tournament.

Now did Ash deserve to be the very best? Yes. Did this iteration of Ash deserve it... Meh. At least it wasnt Unova or Alola Ash.

I do like that this Ash actually remembers his journey and tries to improve on it... though I am still pissed at a LOT of the retcons they did.

It did give us a lot of epic battles and Pikachu's epic clash.

4. Ruby & Sapphire Ash

Now we are at the Ash's I actually enjoy.

This Ash is a more refined yet still Childish Protagonist. He has been around the block and still has his child wonder. Yet he is more brazen and intelligent. He is more strategic compared to his previous iteration and will go into battle's with clever strategies. His team is also fairly balanced, His Sceptile being the star of the show, but his hoenn league team was nothing to sneeze at, His Swellow, Glalie, and Torkoal did work.

His placement in the great 8 in Hoenn showed his improvement and was a solid placement for him at this time. After this we really got to see Ash improve in the Battle Frontier.

Now the Battle Frontier is similar to Ash in the Orange Islands, the main difference though is that this is a more mature ash with some more serious opponents. Ash had a larger arsenal of pokemon and if it wasnt for all the experience he had gained, he likely would never have beaten Brandon and his team of incredibly strong Regis

Ash had his MVP companion Brock, and was accompanied by May and Max. Max being the young curious kid helped let Ash be more mature, while May still being new to pokemon let ash give advice as well as explore new avenues for strategies by watching Contests

Out of All the Ash's I would say he is the ash I look to to show his growth.

3. Original Ash

The Original, The start, the hyper active, comedic Ash that I grew up with.

Ash in the start was a complete noob and was stubborn to a fault. Its funny how he doesnt earn Half his badges through battles at the start. His pokemon usually joined him instead of being caught, and a chunk usually left for other reasons.

This Ash does grow and has the most heart out of all the ash so far. He cares about his pokemon and this is the closest Ash to capturing the magic of a trainer on their first Journey.

During the Orange Islands and Johto he does grow a bit, learning new strategies and showing himself capable of winning. He even bests his rival Gary.

And Of course this Ash had a team of strong mons, Charizard, Pikachu, Heracross, Squirtale, Bulbasaur, Pidgeot, Lapris. and a HERD OF TAUROS! Bayleaf, Quilava, and more.

And of course the OG companions, Misty and Brock. Though tbh I never cared for Misty. She was Mid.

2. Diamond and Pearl Ash

This was VERY hard for me to decide. Ash from Sinnoh is honestly some of the Best Ash I have seen.

We see ash grow and develop a lot more of the iconic strategies and out of the box thinking we know him for. Ash had met his antithesis in Paul and would clash with him only to have one of the best battles in ALL of Pokemon in the great 8!

This Ash had The OG Brock by his side, along with Dawn, who in my personal opinion was a superior coordinator companion to May. I liked May but Dawn managed to vibe with Ash much easier in my opinion.

Ash's team with Gliscor, Torterra, Buisal, Staraptor, Gible and Infernape were a solid team base, and Ash's Pikachu also being a star in its own right

I loved the maturity of this ash, as well as the frustration he felt when being beaten by Paul at every step. He even began questioning his own ability when Paul's cutthroat tactics seemed to show such results. But it was shown through Infernape why Ash was in the right.

This Ash also should have gone farther than top 4, but dude faced DARKRAI AND LATIOS. Not Ash's fault the had to deal with the one trainer with a game shark. It did feel like Tobias was created SOLELY to stop Ash from winning. But even the final's opponent couldnt beat the darkrai while Ash at least did.

Still salty on that.

1. XY Ash

Yes, Kalos Ash is my favorite Ash. Sure Kalos as a region and a game was MID. But Mega evolutions, the battles, the way Ash grew and developed. This Ash was SUCH an improvement from Black and White Ash that it felt like this ash was from Diamond and pearl. It is Ash at his best. His most mature, his most energetic yet not annoying. This Ash is the cool ash that your GF tells you not to worry about.

Serena Clemont and Bonnie were solid compatriots. Bonnie being a better max, and Clemont being the dorky yet fun inventor. While he isnt Brock, he is still a fun character. And of Course, Serena is best girl. She didnt lose her bike to Ash's pikachu, so points. She knew him from the past, the cute crush never felt forced. It also made the times when they argued really hold weight. Ash realized he effed up when Serena was pissed.

Now for the team. Ash earned his OP team. He evolved all his pokemon save for Pikachu and Hawlucha, into the strong powerhouses they became. He was competing against Mega evolutions AND Winning. He and Greninja even bonded so hard he got a unique form. AND THAT THEME FUCKING SLAPPED

His fights in the Kalos league top 4 and final match were INSANE!

His rivalry with Sawyer was interesting, especially with how Sawyer overtook him when he was in a slump only for him to push back hard.

His rivalry with Alain also had some depth that I wish was explored more.

This Ash deserved the Win in Kalos. But even so, his fight with Alain in the final was intense and epic.

It shows how Ash went the POLAR opposite of his Unova iteration, it showed how Ash struggled and grew on the level of Sinnoh, and it showed how he was a leader in his own right. This was Ash at his best.

[simshousewindsor]

The Royal House of Windsor: A Royal Look Back

Cynthia, Duchess of Brindleton Bay

Wife to His Majesty King William I (later the Duke of Brindleton Bay)

Cynthia, Duchess of Brindleton Bay was an Americreek socialite and wife of former King William I. Their intention to marry and her status as a divorcée caused a constitutional crisis that led to William's abdication.

Cynthia grew up in Maryville, Americreek in the late 1860s. Her father died shortly after her birth, and she and her widowed mother were partly supported by their wealthier relatives. Her first marriage, to United States Navy officer Alfred Sparks, was punctuated by periods of separation and eventually ended in divorce. During her second marriage, to Ernest Wallis, she met William, then Prince of Brindleton Bay. Five years later, after William's accession as King of the United Kingdom, Cynthia divorced Ernest to marry William.

The King's desire to marry a woman who had two living ex-husbands threatened to cause a constitutional crisis in the United Kingdom and ultimately leading to his abdication in December 1888 to marry "the woman I love". William said of Cynthia “she is the first person that never expected me to take care of her. She loves me for me, without titles or pomp and circumstance.” After abdicating, William was made Duke of Brindleton Bay by his brother and successor, Edward I. Cynthia married William seven months later, after which she was formally known as the Duchess of Brindleton Bay, but was not allowed to share her husband's style of "Royal Highness".

Before, during, and after the Battle of Dekton, Cynthia and William were suspected by many in government and society of being North Marvanian sympathizers. In 1906, without government approval, they visited North Marvania and met Benedict Slitler. In 1919, William was appointed governor of New Wythonia, and the couple moved to the islands until he relinquished the office in 1924. In the 1930s, they shuttled between Windenburg and the United States, living a life of leisure as society celebrities. After William's death in 1943, Cynthia lived in seclusion and was rarely seen in public. Her private life has been a source of much speculation, and she remains a controversial figure in Windenburg history.

A Royal Look Back Collection

[rosecorspe]

Another PKMN and TWST Crossover

Zom Fowl, The champion of the Alola region. Originally from the Sinnoh region, starting his journey at the age of Ten. Though they’re known and loved by many not much is known of him personally, not even his real name. They’ve beat the champion of each region, but only uses the title “Champion of Alola”. He’s just on the move and can seemingly be in two places at once.

However, he is known to have a strong connection to Pokémon. His only answer to this “I wasn’t born with a connection”. He basically has full conversations with Pokémon, like how people talk face to face. In his free time he actually tries to help trainers and Pokémon have stronger bonds, he’ll even train with them to help them understand each other.

He’s also very close with Champion Cynthia and Champion Steven, a sibling like bond if you will. They tend to keep an eye on him and have been since he started his journey in their respective region. None of them comment on it but it’s obvious.

Overall he’s just as surprising as he’s mysterious. Then gets pulled into Twisted Wonderland and gets more than he bargained for.

Bio

Name: Zom (A nickname)

He/They Pronouns

Age: 19

Height- 6’1” or 188 cm

Hair/ Eye Color: Black Hair, Dark Brown Eyes (almost black)

General Personality- Honest but Blunt, Motherly/Fatherly, Socially Awkward, Helpful prefers to let said person to figure things out themselves

Traveled Regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh/ Hisui, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar, Paldea

Badges: 72 

Ace PKMN:

Kanto- Gmax Eevee ♂

Johto- Gmax Lapras ♀

Hoenn- Mega Swampert ♀

Sinnoh- Roserade ♂

Unova- Volcarona ♀

Kalos- Mega Mawile ♂

Alola- Primarina ♂

Galar - Gmax Inteleon ♂

Paldea- Tera Meowscarada ♂

Pokémon- We’re gonna be here a while

Random Facts-

Caught at least one of every Pokémon he saw

Has a “Champion Aura” basically you can tell he’s strong and important 

In their free time trains youngsters and helps them bond with their Pokémon 

No mercy towards people who harm Pokémon

Owns Drampa who he takes everywhere

Secretly fanboys over his PKMN

Battle style that emulates PKMN Contest, he use’s that experience as an advantage

Runs on 2 hours of sleep

I’ll explain more information later, so look out for that

[leggerefiore]

im kinda out of it but what i think volo means by the 'someone who wields pokemon and someone who battles along side them are two different things' is like... a person using pokemon like tools, weapons, even- and the latter being someone who works in tandem with their pokemon, as a team on equal footing?? but also volo has two pokemon that evolve via friendship so its. hhrmh. whats the truth volo, share it with the class

I thought it was in reference to his title being a Pokemon Wielder in PLA... Of which I just assumed was a title associated with his culture as no other trainer has had that. I was wondering if he felt that his duties/title as a pokemon wielder set him apart from those who are simply trainers... Though, I suppose the connotation of the name would imply that he simply wields the power of pokemon as his own rather than training and raising them as companions...

Actually, Volo has an interesting line of dialogue in his Sync Pair story that mentions he uses Togepi's calming effects on people to his advantage. (Though, he claims it's for his merchant stuff, but... Really, come on.)

He could technically have three friendship evos, actually. Riolu, Budew, and Togepi... I think he does genuinely care for his pokemon, but he isn't the type to openly talk about those kinds of things or enjoy doing so. Cyrus style, I think. Both of them have friendship evo pokemon... So many parallels with those two, I love it.

Actually, Cynthia has the three friendship evo pokemon on one of her battle teams (of which Volo's was likely based on), I wonder if they are pokemon that are important in their culture? Or maybe Cynthia knew her great great great great grandpa had good team comp lmao

[edgeanescence]

you know, i feel like ive never really seen anyone talk about cyrus’s japanese name, akagi. well, at least past a basic ‘red’ and ‘bishopwood’ meaning. so as someone curious and willing to bring things to the table, i wanna talk about it

to preface this though; i am not japanese, nor do i know the language. ive done research on this topic, yes, but that does not inherently mean everything i have learned was true. or that i even know everything on the topic. if anyone would like to correct me on some stuff, feel free!

now, to get into the name, lets look at akagi in itself first. akagi, as written in japanese, seems to reference bishopwood, a type of tree known for red wood. outside of the red wood, im not really sure what connects this to cyrus or why they went with the specific name of a tree for writing. the evil team leaders before him had plant names, although not all of them were trees, and cynthias japanese similarly references a plant for the color aspect.

aka, or red, is a much more interesting aspect to look at though, because colors hold so much meaning. it appears a lot in japan, on the flag and on various religious figures and objects. to more properly analyze the color though, we need to think from a japanese perspective, and what the color means through its use over there.

rest of this essay is under the cut, because this sure is a long one

red is one of the four primary colors of japan, along with black, white and blue

red is commonly used as a color to ward off evil and disaster, and prominently shows up on things like torii gates or as knitted clothes on important religious statues. it also increases spiritual connection between humans and the gods. it seems this warding aspect originated from smallpox, as skin turning red was allegedly a sign of recovery from the disease. red was worn to help protect one against such ailment, or painted in a style known as hoso-e to provide warding and boost morale. hoso-e were typically burned or sent down a river after the recovery

historically, it was also related with youth and glamour in the edo period. courtesans would often wear it, and when the color became outlawed to prevent conspicuous consumption, was relegated to even more risque undergarments. this particular dye faded rapidly, and was often thought to be representative of fleeting passion

it was also worn by samurai for sheathes and ornamental combs and used as a symbol of strength and power in battle

in godai, which is applied to such things as zen gardens, architecture and even martial arts, red is associated with the element of fire. fire in this case is also tied to such things as passion, security, energy, power and motivation

red is often times the color of the sun in artwork, instead of yellow. this is apparent on the flag of japan

red is important in events, often used in more upbeat gatherings such as a wedding or birthday. its typically paired with white to further a positive meaning. red envelopes are usually used when money is offered as a gift on special occasions

in various phrases, some connotations of aka may be ‘clear’ or ‘complete’, although it can also denote a powerful emotion

as auspicious as it is, red can also hold a few superstitions or negative associations depending on context. it can be bad luck for house fires if given as part of a housewarming gift. it can represent wanting to cut off ties with someone due to using red ink because of samurai challenging people to the death with red letters. red ink can also come off as disrespectful since it is used for non-final products, unlike black ink. red cards are typically related with funeral notices

to sum this up: aka is representative of strong emotions or things of strong emotions rather than intellectual ideas. it is a color of celebration, joy and passion. it can incite lust, excitement, vitality, love and infatuation. red can symbolize spirituality, strength, danger, authority, blood, vulgarity, wealth, sacrifice and aggression

so what does any of this have to do with cyrus?

well, take a good look at his personality and goals. cyrus is hyperfixated on emotions. his ultimate goal is to create a world without spirit, a world with no emotion. yet, he himself is highly emotional, even if he represses it. he will have an angry outburst by the end of platinum in the distortion world. his goal likely stems from an altruistic, at least from his perspective, decision that peace would be far more achievable if nobody felt anything. despite all of his intelligence, ultimately cyrus is driven by his emotions, his passionate sheer will. the spirituality ties in to the fact that he wished to control the very gods, nearly did so in fact, and the red chain was a physical embodiment of humanities ties to the deities. he is a dangerous authority within galactic, willing to sacrifice in order to achieve his goals. cyrus is also notably wealthy, having enough money to pay his all of his team, provide them benefits, construct buildings and afford other things for his team. he always speaks of an ‘incomplete spirit’, and believes in his ideals as the truth, the ‘completeness’ of the world. he shows some element of love for certain pokemon. his rotom likely brought him great joy when he was a child. perhaps his villainous nature can be described as bad luck for sinnoh, one likely tied to death as well

cyrus fits nearly all of the boxes when it comes to ways red is defined symbolically in japan. theres only a couple things that dont quite fit, but it feels quite clear that aka was chosen with purpose

[punz4lyfe]

Pokemon Journeys Episode 116 Review

Pokemon Journeys Episode 116. Let’s review:

A MUCH better start to the Masters Tournament.

Unlike last time where things ended off with an embarrassing curbstomp battle, this episode delivered a much more equal and entertaining performance. It was absolutely great seeing Lance and Diantha in action again, seeing them close to even with each other as their Pokemon had each other by the throats the whole way through. Their characterization playing off each other was also pretty neat, from Lance being stoic and polite to Diantha while still being prideful of his dragons and Diantha enjoying the whole thing like a performance, just as her style is.

Aside from that, there was also great character interaction from all those watching as well. LOVE the fact that Ash remembered his own battle with Diantha and Goh’s smile after Ash mentions that was both cute and funny, considering he’s probably used to Ash knowing every single noteworthy person on the entire planet by this point. His conversation with Iris at the end of the episode was also great, showing the two conversing with each other as both Champions and friends and showing just how far the two have grown since Best Wishes. (His conversation with Lance could’ve been better though) But the interactions I loved the most were Team Rocket’s. They actually acknowledged the existence of a previous Pokemon they once had: Gourgeist.

They actually made references to a Pokemon they had in the past, with Jessie even fondling over said Pokemon, likely due to the love she had for her own. This is Team Rocket. They LOVE their Pokemon. All throughout the anime as a whole, Team Rocket has just dumped many of their Pokemon at base, sometimes without word, and are just forgotten about completely, but not today. Would’ve love to mention WHERE exactly Gourgeist is now, but I’ll take what I got for today.

Other than that, loved the surprise cameos of Richie, Jimmy, Marina, Vincent, Sawyer, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor, done for their respective regional Champions. Nice touch! And Diantha’s white-eyed anime face during TR’s interview was a blast to see.

Overall, this episode gets a 10/10 from me. Perfect the whole way through. Now let’s how Iris v Cynthia goes down next week.

[undercityrezident]

So I went into today’s episode with conflicting expectations of who would come out on top in the match: Iris or Cynthia.

On one hand, Cynthia is hands-down one of the most prolific pokemon trainer icons in not just the anime, but the franchise at large. She and her Garchomp are legendary both in and out of universe. On top of this, its implied she’s held this position for a good while now, so she’s presumably a veteran of competitions such as this one and many others. Had these been the only considerations, I would’ve put money on Cynthia to win this match.

But then we had her opponent, Iris, who has the idealized trope of the new and rising star at her back, not to mention a new champion title. She’s proven herself quite capable in her recent return appearance in the anime, and on top of that, from a meta-story perspective, she has an affiliation with the main character, Ash, thus granting her some extra potential as the underdog.

All of this added together left me genuinely wondering if we’d see Cynthia maintaining her well-earned reputation, or if we’d see an upset.

As for the battle, I actually love the sheer contrast of Iris’ energetic commentary and celebratory fits of joy whenever she downed one of Cynthia’s pokemon versus Cynthia’s own seemingly stoic and severe reprisals. The way the two of them conduct their battles is night and day, and it was quite enjoyable to watch in my opinion. Especially when it comes to Cynthia, we rarely get to see her enter her true “serious-mode” (on top of not getting to see her that much period, given her elite status in the world), and that in itself is a rare treat that I was happy to devour. Case and point: her just staring straight ahead before solemnly closing her eyes as her Milotic was tossed like a slinky behind her.

Let it not be said that Cynthia is without her flair. We saw a teaser of it from last week’s preview, but we got to see the real majesty of it in today’s battle when she pulled off her mid-battle lipstick dab, then revealed said cosmetic implement to be her goddamn keystone holder. Damn, what style...

In the end, it was Cynthia who prevailed, validating what was perhaps my initial gut feeling on who was going to win, but given the sentiments in the aftermath of the battle, I don’t think that Cynthia had an easy time pulling off that win, despite how smooth she and her pokemon made it look for the most part.

Damn if I didn’t get a little emotional myself with Iris’ and Ash’s little interaction after she left the battlefield. The tears and the way she admitted that she needed to do that after the fact show how much she’s grown and how much she’s matured as a person and a trainer. And we also got that telltale shot of Ash  (note the avoidance of his eyes in the shot) quietly leaving the stands to make his way down to the arena and meet Iris.

I’m sure negaishippers will be putting that scene on a shrine for ages to come...

Overall, this was a great episode with great contenders. For me, aside from that poignant, though short, scene at the end with Iris and Ash, I think just the notion of getting to fully see Cynthia in a real battle where the expectation wasn’t just for her to trounce someone was my favourite aspect of this episode.

[kalosstarters]

Saw the final part of Ash vs Cynthia and tbh I’m... kinda conflicted I think? (spoilers):

Tbh the battle was p much what I was expecting from it. Not going among my top battles, unfortunately, even though the two latter parts were better than the first part. I feel small things could have improved it; f. ex., why did they make Togekiss seem so unharmed only moments before it went down? Like it /did/ take a lot of damage before that so I don’t really understand why they made it seem so unbeatable... Another thing I would nitpick about is that Garchomp, Cynthia’s ace who we all are afraid of, didn’t really get to shine that much. I give Sirfetch’d credit for dealing the Meteor Assault that did hurt the shark before the final showdown, but still, especially considering that Lucario was already pretty tired by the time Chomp came out, I feel that the “finale” was over pretty fast/easily. Idk, maybe that’s just me. Also, I would have preferred to see Ash’s friends watching /this/ battle bc the signs are showing that Ash vs Leon may v well be a short one (I would be rather surprised if it was more than 2 episodes considering the lack of time) so... this was the better battle for Ash. I am in desperate need of seeing Kukui&the whole Alola fam during the final battle. What else? Well, I would have kind of expected Ash to have a bigger reaction to winning /the/ Cynthia (more in Alola style) but... idk, maybe they’re saving that for vs. Leon. (Oh and there were too many flashbacks taking screen time from the actual battle)

That was a lot of complaining but here’s my favorite part from this episode: 

I am so glad we’re getting to see them bc their commentary has legit been one of my favorite things in this tournament! Champion killer Ash :’D 

Also, ngl, I was relieved to hear that Cynthia is not retiring after all, I’m sure we all (who have played the Sinnoh games) would have had an existential crisis if she suddenly disappeared somewhere :P

Also aww, Oak’s reaction to Ash winning :’D I can easily imagine papa Kukui swiping a tear or two while watching that battle too :’) (Why were we robbed of that??? Lol)

Well, that’s all, in conclusion I didn’t /love/ it but it did have some p good parts too. If you wanna see what I said about the other episodes, scroll back a little on my blog.

[xamaxenta]

whats your favorite pokemon and/or favorite pokemon game?

Favourite Pokémon that is a Legendary: Giratina

Favourite Pseudo Legend Pokémon: Garchomp

Favourite Pokémon that isn’t Legendary: Volcarona

Favourite generic or overrated Pokémon: Pikachu

Favourite game/s: Sun, Violet, Platinum + Legends Arceus in that order

The reason Violet ranks higher than Platinum is because of two things, Platinum/Sinnoh was the region where only two fire type Pokémon existed for most of story mode: Infernape and Rapidash which is ???? Also because Sinnoh is the region of fuck you in which you cant go two fucking steps without getting some kind of status effect, i recently replayed some and fucking forgot how many encounters and trainers have shit like thunder fang or thunder wave or supersonic (oh my god) and RNG hates me on a good day so im stopping after every fight to fucking heal these status effects it’s tiring but its fine I still love this game and I’m a normie I guess bc I love mommy Cynthia shhshdhd

Also Sun is fucking good ok, sunmoon were top tier games, the graphics were the best and the best art style for the handheld era, i loved all the characters, the culture, Kukui is hot as fuck, this gen also happens to have the GOAT Guzma, team skull are great they’re relatable as fuck, it introduced the pokemon island trial challenge which was something new for once and that was fun, the starter trio of alola is the most solid design direction we’ve ever had for a starter trio, and some of my favourite pokemon are from this gen

solgaleo my beloved, Lillie my daughter… Hau my only sunshine… listen if anyone wants to say something bad about my boy Hau you can catch these fucking hands I’m sick and tired of the people whinging and whining about rivals being nice or easy or whatever have you considered that rivalry in a negative sense is basically Enemies? Thats not your rival or like theyre your arch nemesis or something your foil idk anyway the rival choosing the starter thats weak to yours is a pathetic thing to whine about, the first battle of any pkmn game IS A TUTORIAL BATTLE DUDE!!! LOSE IT ON PURPOSE IF YOU CARE SO GODDAMN MUCH ABT TYPE ADVANTAGE/DISADVANTAGE!!!!!!

I have opinions about this and i know I’m right

[cc-zerozero-ff]

Important Legends Arceus reminiscing

-Andi and I both realized Volo was going to be a villain within like two minutes of him talking. We just looked at each other and were like “well, this guy did it.” (“It” being “whatever the bad thing turns out to be”). However, Andi thought he was so hot that she immediately made her own file to play the game, and we subsequently wrote our two stories together as one as we played. Volo being the villain did not hinder either of us from thinking he was great. He’s among my top faves in that whole game.

-One thing I noticed was that Volo had his hair up, so, in believing he was going to be The Bad Guy, I started thinking about how the actual Battle was going to play out. Obviously without proper context I didn’t know what to expect, but once we started Plate Quest (Me and Andi both: ah, there it is) I decided that, based entirely on a character design perspective, Volo’s hair was going to have to come down, and as he was the villain, it was going to come down during our big confrontation with him. And furthermore, since his hair was going to come down, I decided there were two options: 1, it was going to be long and match Cynthia’s to really drive home this cool, almost “alternate take” on the player interactions with her in DPPt. 2, alternatively, his hair was going to be somehow styled to look like Arceus’s. No fuckin idea what that would look like, but that just seemed like a totally valid option. And guess which one they fuckin did!!!

-Andi was convinced that she had somehow “stolen Volo” from me for a while, because she felt like Volo was “the kind of character I usually like.” But I insisted that this was not the case, because it was not! I didn’t have a hardcore Game Crush at all, though, except for this noncommittal “thing” for Adaman because he is objectively super hot. And then we met Ingo, and he was so weird, and so earnest, and so charming. I was familiar with him from way back in the day (my older friends on here might recall that I refused to learn his and Emmet’s names and referred to them insistently as “Smiley and Unsmiley”), but due to Fandom I was mistakenly under the impression that he was a very suave, perhaps stoic sort of guy. But he was instead a big fucking weirdo and that is much, much better! Once we beat the Electrode section and I went back to Jubilife and realized he was going to stay around, I compulsively said out loud, “Aw, Ingo, I love you. How old are you.” And Andi looked at me and said “I like that one.” And so it was. (Ribbon is 20, for the record. She is a grown woman, she is just small.)

-We were completely unspoiled on the game, so Beni’s reveal came out of fucking nowhere and was fucking awesome. He’s another top fave for me in that game. Absolutely love that guy.

[simshousewindsor]

The Royal House of Windsor: A Royal Look Back

William I (later the Duke of Brindleton Bay)

REIGN: 1886 - 1888

Prince William was the first born son, and heir, of King Albert II. After being refused by the government (stating constitutional grounds) to marry his fiancé due to her being a divorcee, William abdicated the throne to his brother who succeeded to the throne as Edward I. Edwards I's elder son, Prince Edward II, became heir presumptive.

William was never coronated and officially Abdicated on 18th October 1888.

Prince William’s mother, Queen Adaline, battled with what we now know as postpartum depression. She died when he was aged 14 leaving Albert II, who was off to war at the time, a young widowed King alone to raise three sons and rule a kingdom. 

Prince William was always close with his younger brothers, Prince Edward (future Edward I) and Prince Phillip as children but after being invested Prince of Brindleton Bay, his duty as heir kept them apart. As Prince of Brindleton Bay, William was known less for his charitable works and more for his promiscuous ways.

After abdicating, William was granted the dukedom of Brindleton Bay and allowed to remain in Windenburg as a non-working junior royal along with his wife, Cynthia. Although Cynthia became Duchess of Brindleton Bay upon marriage, she would be denied the usual style of Her Royal Highness. William said of Cynthia “she is the first person that never expected me to take care of her. She loves me for me, without titles or pomp and circumstance.” 

Before, during, and after the Battle of Dekton, Cynthia and William were suspected by many in government and society of being North Marvanian sympathizers. In 1906, without government approval, they visited North Marvania and met Benedict Slitler. In 1919, William was appointed governor of New Wythonia, and the couple moved to the islands until he relinquished the office in 1924. In the 1930s, they shuttled between Windenburg and the United States, living a life of leisure as society celebrities.

Later in life, Prince William became a close confidant to his nephew Edward II, during his reign, and died peaceful at aged 79.

A Royal Look Back Collection

- - - - - UNDER THE CUT - - - - -

Although Prince William and Cynthia had no children, how would the Royal House of Windsor look today had the Prince not abdicated, and the pair had children? The above portrait is what that may have looked like.

[theerurishipper]

This is the first time I've ever been prompted to actually post something, but what was that battle.

I looked forward to this for a while, and it fell short of my standards by a long shot. It wasn't bad, I enjoyed it well enough, but these are supposed to be the strongest trainers in the world. Why are they getting one shotted, or two shotted? Steven was built up as this awesome trainer who was kicking Alain's ass in TSME and this is how easily he goes out? I know that Ash is strong enough to beat him but it wasn't shown well, at all. The Masters Tournament and JN in general has a huge problem with the battles being stiff and lacking in creativity. Every now and then we have some gems, but other than that? The same formula of Ash being cornered and overcoming it, with one shots galore. This is no different. Lance vs Diantha and Iris vs Cynthia were so much better. And the battles were good in the beginning of the series too, but as it went on it became so formulaic and uninspired. And what happened to the animation? It's so stiff sometimes. I'm not impressed.

(Are the battles so bad because they're trying to be like the games? Because Goh is Pokemon Go, and so... is Ash gonna emulate game style battling now? I don't know).

More on JN in general under the cut because I'm a coward.

I won't say that JN is a bad series. But it has a lot of issues with its pacing. Why are we getting two Chloe episodes in the middle of the M8? Why didn't Chloe get any focus before this other than a few, admittedly well written, episodes? Why didn't we see Ash's rise through the other classes? There are only 3 characters to focus on ffs, it shouldn't be that hard to divide episodes between them. Sun and Moon had so many and yet even characters like Mallow who were a bit neglected had a strong character and focus. At least she appeared as a main character. Chloe doesn't appear in half the episodes though, so...what? And dont get me started on Project Mew. Good concept, bad execution. How many episodes did we even get on that? We spent no valuable time on it, and the episodes were so boring. Horace and Gary as rivals is a good concept but the episodes feel so far apart that I forgot what it was. It's good development for Goh, I guess, but is it? My feelings on Project Mew are conflicted and my most positive response is that it just bores me. And Team Rocket are a shadow of their former selves. They don't catch pokemon, instead they use that stupid machine. The one redeeming quality of Team Rocket is that they really love each other and that they really love their pokemon. And it's been taken away from them, so why are they here? It's nice to see them supporting Ash, but they've lost their essence.

Not to say that JN is bad as a whole. Every series has its strengths and weaknesses. XY had a Gary-stu Ash and he was boring, Serena didn't have much going for her either. It lacked great characterisation. Sun and Moon didn't know how to handle so many characters and its comedic timing needed work (this issue was resolved though, I can't criticize Sun and Moon too much, I'm sorry). And JN, to its credit, has very strong character writing when the character is given a chance to be written. As a whole, Chloe's arc sucks but the individual episodes are very good. Goh is honestly a well written character and has many good episodes that help him develop in a natural way. Admittedly his development is rushed but it is still solid. You can see how much he's grown and learned from Ash. But I'm not a fan of sidelining Cinderace and Inteleon after their evolution.

If you took any one episode of JN without context and watched it, you'd probably like it, other than a select few. The episode with the girl and her Cleffa was on par with Sun and Moon's episodes tackling the same subject. The episode with Goh and Drizzle was really good. The Alola episodes were amazing, as expected. JN does well with the worldbuilding and this is the first series that made me feel like there was a whole world of pokemon. The world feels alive and the characters feel real, and they have certain moments that actually made me think, that is, I feel like they actually have some complex thought processes which I didnt really get from other series (except of course Sun and Moon). The companion returns feel natural and their character and dynamics with the new cast feel natural too. Where they are now shows their growth and the way they are used as mentors for the new cast shows how far they've come. I think JN has a lot of good and natural interactions between characters too. I'm not a huge fan of how Gary has been doing in the series, but that conversation with Goh in 113 about why he's in Project Mew if taken by itself is pretty good.

But we shouldn't have to take it alone. And I can't say that all the returns got good treatment either. Iris got outstanding treatment. Her character was handled well, she mellowed out more which showed her growth, she was allowed to be part of the M8 as Unova Champion and go toe to toe with her idol Cynthia. Dawn too got a good return with her appearing in many episodes and being able to show off how far she's come with her dynamic with Chloe and being like a mentor to her. Lillie and Gladion got a beautiful end to their journey that began in Sun and Moon, and Sophocles got a good episode too. Gary is fine too, his character is well incorporated. I wish he interacted with Ash though. Paul was done well, with him clearly having changed a lot and grown. Greninja as a mentor to Lucario was well done and they nailed his character and his power. The cameos are great, I love the distinct battle styles they gave each Champion, but... Alain.

Fuck that, they massacred him. I'm not even Alain's biggest fan. I like him, and I was looking forward to seeing him, but not a huge fan. And even I think they ruined him. I don't mind that he didn't battle Ash. But I wanted him to be shown the respect he deserves, and he was given a mere half episode to shine and then demolished to show off Leon. I get why, but they could have treated him better. Alain is no pushover either. But this highlights the main problem with JN, great ideas, poor execution. JN has ambition but falls woefully short most of the time. I respect the writers for being bold enough to try this new formula but they didn't pull it off. JN is really not a bad series and it keeps me excited but not for the quality of the episodes. In no way are they bad but I'm more excited for the spectacle of nostalgia than for anything the series itself has done. I'm fond of this season because it gave me fanservice. I got companion returns which were done reasonably well, some nice episodes, the game champions duking it out in a tournament, Alola rights, and basically everything I love about JN is because of other seasons.

Again I will say that JN isn't bad. But it's not good either, and watching it after something like Sun and Moon feels like a downgrade. Sun and Moon had its own flaws as did every season, but JN has some that even I can't really overlook anymore. It's no Black and White, but it's no Sun and Moon or XY either. It's... there, it's reasonably enjoyable, it had some great ideas that excited Twitter, but it fell short of its own hype.

I really want to love JN. And for a while in the beginning, I did. I still like it, but it's not the same. Maybe after a while I can look back at the good and enjoy it for what it is. I've done it before with other series once I've accepted whatever happens. But the fact that I have to is sad. I'm not mad, just... disappointed, I guess.

[attheexactlyrighttimeandplace]

1-4 for the rop asks!

I'm so glad to play this game!

1. Favorite character?

There are so many likeable characters on this show, it's near impossible to make a choice.:(

Like who doesn't love Disa or Poppy?

To force myself to narrow this list, i'll add some criterions. To make a a character a favourite of mine, i need an impressive story arc that makes really the character stand out, a brillant actor/actress who clearly elevated what the script gave to him/her, a solid character development meaning that the dynamics/relationships and personal fate of this character have radically changed between the start and the end of the season.

With the addition of those conditions, it's a tie between Miriel, Arondir, Elendil, and Adar. All of them are played by brilliant actors but the truth is some of them don't have the three conditions, actually only one of them fullfills them all: Miriel and that's why i'm picking her as favourite.

The show has only showed us the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential and richness of her arc so far, and i say that even though i adore her scenes with Galadriel, her father Tar Palantir (how her heart is broken between her love for her father, her faith and her political responsability) and Elendil (their allegiance to the faithfuls). I'm convinced that it will deepen her characterization and her relationships with Elendil, Pharazôn, and Sauron depending if he will return or not to Nùmenor, when it will touch the heart of the story. Meanwhile, she's Nùmenor in a way that no other character managed to be, she merged symbolically with the island with authority, grace, charisma. I relate a lot to her indecision and her need to believe that a power beyond us lead our lives. Also have you look at Cynthia Addai-Robinson?! She's the most majestic and beautiful woman i have ever seen!

But It's really a tie because even without the character development, Joseph Mawle is the best actor of the show and i would watch hours of Adar doing nothing but staring at the sun, Arondir has the best arc: so dynamic and so balanced with the right mix of romance, tension and fights, Elendil is everything that i pictured him to be, Lloyd Owen owns the character forever etc...

Galadriel should have been on this list but her arc with Sauron spoiled everything.

2. Least favorite character?

It's a big unpopular opinion, but without hesitation: Sauron.

I think the writers have completely wasted his arc this season by binding him to Galadriel. The revelation of his identity should have been the highest point of his arc, but in the end it was reduced to be the only point of this arc?! The writers never bothered to give him something else outside Galadriel: no deep link to the Southlands not even after the eruption (he spent 5 minutes here before running to Eregion), or to Adar (their scene was completely overshadowed by Galadriel's scene with Adar).

I'm not satisfied by the casting either: Charlie Vickers should have stayed Halbrand. Playing Sauron required someone older, more experimented in my view, someone whose acting style was closer to Joseph Mawle and what he did with Adar.

But beyond the show, i really don't like Sauron at all in general: i have just finished the Silmarillion, and he's the weakest villain of the book just a servile follower without personality, who becomes The Dark Lord because he has no competition: he is the only immortal with a brain to have stucked around after the defeat of Morgoth (the rest were orcs or balrogs). I was more impressed and afraid of Fëanor's darkness (the uncle of Galadriel who was supposed to be one of the good guys and turned to be something else) than i was by Sauron's true evilness. Like Galadriel said in the Battle of the Five Armies (the film), Sauron was never more than the servant of Morgoth, and Peter Jackson made the right decision by limiting him to an eye in the LoTR films. He didn't deserve more and it worked very well visually.

3. Favorite side character?

A tie once again between the coolest family in Nùmenor (Elendil and his children), Disa and Poppy. Picking Disa because of my love for Sophia Nomvete, who is truly a queen of all our hearts. I fell for Disa's generosity, her voice, her love for her husband (they have the best romantic chemistry of the show, besides my favourite couple of course) and her connection to the mountain through her skill/gift. Her happiness is the light of the show.

4. Favorite story arc?

Not sure if this about the characters or the subplots covered in each land, but in the doubt i'll answer for both: Arondir and the Southlands had the best arc. In term of plot, it was perfectly balanced, the ideal mix of relationships, horror and action. The writing was superb for me because this arc was self contained: even without the rescue mission coming from Nùmenor, the story was complete. It could have ended on a far darker note with everyone dying except Arondir, and it would have still worked, it would have been tragic beyond words but it would have still be an amazing story.

Thank you for asking! 💛