#mech garchomp...

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MEGA GARCHOMP PROPAGANDA: SHE'S EVA UNIT 01 THE SCARY MECH OF ALL TIME!!! BUT A SHARK!!!

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Overwatch Pokemon teams

Going off of my previous post where I attached types to each of the pre-Orisa heroes, I’ve also been working on making potential teams for everyone. Orisa will come at some point.

A couple of rules I made for myself:

1: No duplicate Pokemon across multiple heroes

2: No legendaries.

3: Fully evolved Pokemon only. These are the teams I think they’d be using by the end of the game, or possibly online, and those pokemon are generally fully evolved except for a few Eviolite users or at much lower tiers.

List is under the cut!

Ana

This was one of the easiest. Arbok and Cofagrigus refer back to the Ancient Egyptian imagery of Wadjet and Sarcophagi, the former of which is part of Ana’s tattoos and the latter of which is part of her heritage that she seems to hold dear. Musharna is a reference to her tranquilizing capabilities, while Flygon and Delphox fit the more general desert setting of her home. And, obviously, her status as Pharah’s mother makes Kangaskhan a perfect fit.

Bastion

Another simple one. Magnezone is a robot with multiple sets of eyes, like Bastion, and terrifying long-range firepower. Swellow is the closest thing to Ganymede I could find out of any of the fully-evolved regional birds. Trevenant lets smaller creatures live in/on it, like Bastion, and Bastion is also shown to like flowers like Florges. Like Dragonite, Bastion is incredibly powerful but usually harmless. Forretress was the hardest one to justify, but it’s a durable Steel-type and “Fortress” is a synonym for the building definition of “bastion”.

D.Va

This took me a few tries. Azumarill and Lopunny are obvious, given D.Va’s rabbit iconography. Since D.Va is younger and less obviously threatening out-of-mech compared to the rest of the cast, I thought Roserade (“every rose has its thorn”) and Mawile would represent this “hidden danger” better than other Pokemon. Pachirisu is mostly there as a joke; while it’s a cute rodent that D.Va would probably use, its famous usage in the 2014 VGC championships was what compelled me to give it to her. She’d be aware of its competitive usage, after all. Golurk, being a large robot that does not look like it should be able to fly but still can (like D.Va’s mech) was an obvious choice I knew would go to her as soon as I thought of this list.

Genji

This was the first one I finished. Ninjask and Greninja are obvious; Genji’s a freaking Ninja, after all. Samurott was harder to justify, but I think it makes sense when considering his family background; yes, the Shimada were not Samurai, but going by Hanzo’s training they had a similar level of discipline. Absol and Scizor have sharp blade imagery/names, like his huge sword. Lastly, the most blade-like Dragon-type is Haxorus; yes, Genji doesn’t have an axe, but no other dragons use or are based off of a bladed weapon.

Hanzo

Hanzo’s was made after Genji’s and is meant to reflect him. Accelgor is a wandering ninja, and while Hanzo isn’t a ninja in the same sense that Genji is, he’s definitely a wanderer and like the Samurai/Genji connection, one exists between Hanzo and ninjutsu. Noivern is a dragon, but meant more to be representative of Hanzo’s “Sonic Arrow”, being based on an echolocation-reliant bat. Gyrados is closer to the dragons that Hanzo fires off with Dragonstrike. Decidueye is based on an archer, so this should be obvious. Umbreon was a contentious pic, but I want Hanzo to have an Eeveelution and it fit him more than the rest, being a dark and broody Pokemon. And, finally, him having a Shedninja while Genji has a Ninjask should speak for itself.

Junkrat

Another simple one. Electrode is a really obvious choice. Junkrat is a renowned criminal and gang member, so Scrafty and Krookodile make good choices. Being based partially on a caltrops, spiky traps hidden in the ground, Ferrothorn makes sense for the trap-based Junkrat. As a chemically unstable, high-flying and sinister Pokemon, Drifblim also fits him, while Floatzel seems to mix his lighter side with the undercurrent (sorry) of danger.

Lucio

Surprisingly, I think the only “frog-like” Pokemon that fits Lucio is Politoed, given that the others are either too sinister for Lucio (Toxicroak/Seismitoad) or don’t visually resemble frogs enough to belong to him (Other Poliwag family members). Exploud is a given, considering Lucio’s penchant for loud noise, while Kricketune shows off his lower-key nonvocal music career. Primarina was a more contentious pick, given that Lucio doesn’t sing, but it’s the closest we’ve got to a “diva” pokemon, no pun intended. Helioptile is partially based on solar panels, which is a reference to the energy problems afflicting Dorado and Rio that Lucio has involved himself in, and, like Ludicolo, he’s pretty laid-back and likes to party.

McCree

My more controversial decision before the rest; McCree was part of Blackwatch and before that, Deadlock, so he’s got some demons, and what better demon than Houndoom, a hellhound? Clawitzer is a reference to his disproportionately gigantic pistol, while Cacturne, Lycanroc (being based on a smaller wolf and thus similar to a coyote),  Marowak, and Mandibuzz are more general cowboy imagery that I couldn’t pass up.

Mei

After resisting the urge to make her entire team irritating Dark-and-Ghost-types, Mei was one of the harder ones to do, mostly because I did hers last. Glaceon and Vanilluxe are the necessary Ice-types, the second one particularly notable given how many sprays she has depicting frozen treats. Jellicent is a silly-looking but terrifying Pokemon, and the female version fits her better even if the male version is blue. Even if she’s not a healer, Mei is pretty cute and kindhearted and generally tries to be helpful, so she gets an Audino. And because I just couldn’t resist pointing it out, she gets Wobbuffet and Whimsicott because they’re annoying assholes and so is Mei.

But in all seriousness, they do fit her.

Mercy

The second one I finished. I may have spoiled her a bit. Blissey and Comfey are healers, making them obvious choices, while Togekiss and Altaria are kindhearted flying-types with angelic imagery. Gardevoir has the grace, silhouette (and the fans of a…certain sort) of Mercy. Leavanny is there because...well, we all know Mercy is Team Mom. And Mismagius is a bit of fun, given the popularity and prominence of her Witch skin.

Pharah

Another fairly easy one. Lucario, being based on Anubis, and Luxray, being based on the Sphinx, are easy choices given her devotion to her Egyptian heritage. Pharah spends much of her time in the sky, shadowed against the sun, so a combination of that and her rockets being fire-based made Volcarona seem like a solid fit. Blaziken combines her flying-nature with her bird-of-prey imagery and her fire-based attacks, while Staraptor is obvious given the name of her suit (Raptora) and the previously mentioned bird imagery. Gliscor was the hardest one for me to decide here; I went with it because it’s a dangerous predator that can move around unexpectedly, fly from unusual angles, and some of Pharah’s suit resembles a gargoyle, which Gliscor is based off of. I acknowledge that it’s a difficult pick, and may amend it later.

Reaper

Edgelord, as could have easily been predicted, gets Skarmory and Bisharp due to their angular, slicey nature. Bisharp in particular, seeing as it’s a Dark-type. Sharpedo is a brutal Pokemon (and a Brutal Pokemon, shared with Hydreigon), and Reaper himself is cruel and powerful, so that fits. Toxicroak was a more difficult pick, but I wanted to grab something sinister and speedy that wasn’t a Dark-type and Toxicroak quickly came to mind. Dusknoir evolves from Duskull and still has some Grim Reaper imagery, so that makes sense, and the spin-to-win nature of Death Blossom makes Hitmontop a natural fit.

Reinhardt

One of my personal favorites. Aegislash is emblematic of the sword-and-shield inherent to Reinhardt’s chivalry and aspirations to classical knighthood, while Bastiodon is a more literal representation of Reinhardt’s capacity to shield others. Like Heracross and the beetles it’s based on, Reinhardt is exceedingly strong. The lion is Reinhardt’s primary animal symbol, so Pyroar is an obvious choice. Like Torterra, Reinhardt is strong but focuses on supporting others, sometimes quite literally, and is similarly durable. And Drampa is a bit of a joke, given how he’s like a grandfather to the younger members of the team.

Roadhog

This went through a few iterations before I settled on one that I liked. Snorlax and Pangoro fit the “large and slow and powerful” projection of Roadhog, while Emboar and Mamoswine refer to the pig/hog motif that fits most of Roadhog’s skins. Honchkrow is there because he represents Roadhog’s criminal status as a sort of “head honcho” of operations; yes, Junkrat technically hires him and is usually the one talking, but in every other context Roadhog gives the appearance of being a crime boss. Garchomp is a reference to his name, Mako (and since Sharpedo seems to fit Reaper better, I went with the other shark-like Pokemon), and his two shark-based skins.

Soldier: 76

I was a little silly with this one, choosing to emphasize Soldier’s ‘Merica mentality more than anything else. Bald eagles and grizzly bears are as American as apple pie, so here comes Ursaring and Braviary (yes, I know Ursaring is based on an Asian black bear, but there are no grizzly bear pokemon and it shares the brown coloration of one). Tanks, too, are truly American symbols, and Blastoise is sporting the double cannons of one of these tread-mounted monstrosities. The final three are a bit of fun; dogs, too, are universally loved by humans but seem to hold a special place in the hearts of United States citizens (and I’m totally not biased) and the most quintessentially “Dog” Pokemon are Arcanine, Stoutland, and, yes, Granbull (it’s bipedal, but the bulldog resemblance is there).

Sombra

This took a few versions to come up with something that wasn’t entirely Dark-or-Ghost-types; as it is now, I still failed on that part, but it’s a bit more balanced. Rotom is based on a poltergeist and is perfect for a disruptive hacker, while Klefki’s collection of keys makes it a similarly suitable Pokemon for Sombra, to whom no doors are locked. Gengar and Liepard are mischievous, bordering on criminal, while Malamar is confusing and menacing when it gets serious (remember how intimidating Sombra can be). Lastly, Mimikyu is also a Pokemon based on confusion and messing with your opponent and is more symbolic of her stealthiness than the others on her team.

Symmetra

Another one of my favorites. Symmetra’s got the haughtiness and grace of Serperior, the coloration and beauty of Alolan Ninetales and Milotic, and the technical prowess (though its instability would infuriate her) of Porygon-Z. Froslass, as a literal ice queen, fits her personality, while her hard-light technology makes Ampharos, a Pokemon notable for its electrical power and light-generating capabilities, a good match for her.

Torbjorn

I chose to emphasize the raw labor and toil aspects of his character, rather than the memes. Gigalith, as a mineral formation, is the perfect source (not literally) for Torbjorn’s machinations. Klinklang is a literal gear grinding mechanism, which he would appreciate and which matches his scrap collection. Diggersby and Conkeldurr are representative of construction workers, which fit Torbjorn’s style, while the stoutness and slowness of Camerupt’s flames make it an excellent partner for his ability to overclock his suit during Molten Core. And, finally, for some variation, Pelipper is the squattest and shortest, at least in general shape, of any of the major flying birds, making it a perfect fit for him.

Tracer

Tracer is all about speed. Zebstrika and Pidgeot are blazing fast, just like her, while Linoone is almost as quick and just as peppy. Jumpluff is sillier, and Tracer never lacks for a good joke, while Mienshao fits her slim physique and rapid acrobatics. Meowstic was a tougher choice, but it’s still a fast, short, deadly psychic type, and Alakazam really doesn’t fit Tracer.

Widowmaker

Another easy one. Galvantula and Ariados are obvious choices, considering Widowmaker’s spider motif. Gorebyss is pretty and dangerous, like Widowmaker, and Salazzle matches her color scheme and is all-female to boot. Baille Oricorio was chosen because it was the closest thing I could find to a ballet dancer (and Gardevoir is too kindhearted to fit Widowmaker), while Tsareena fits given her mono-gender nature, cruel demeanor, and long “boots”.

Winston

I had a bit of fun here and went with some unconventional choices. Slaking fits, being based on a gorilla (and also a sloth, but we’re ignoring that) and even if monkeys aren’t apes, Infernape has “ape” in its name and plays similarly to Winston (being a rapid, dangerous closer-range damage dealer). Electivire is representative of both Winston’s Tesla Cannon and his ape-ness, as it’s also based on a gorilla, while Slowking gives the appearance of stupidity while actually being more intelligent than almost any other Pokemon, in the same way that Winston is smarter than most humans but does not initially appear so. Beheeyem fits because, well, Winston is technically an alien, and since Winston crashed down on Earth in the same manner as a meteor, Minior with an indigo core also seemed appropriate. Plus, he obviously spent and still spends a lot of his time looking at shooting stars and it was the introduction we were given to his life as a baby (remember that he was watching the stars when he stole Dr. Winston’s glasses).

Zarya

The second-to-last one I made. Machamp is based on a wrestler/bodybuilder and thus makes perfect sense for our weightlifting hero, while Beartic is a “big, fuzzy, Siberian bear”. Magmortar might not seem to fit with our cold-weather woman, but it’s partially based off of a cannon, which she lugs around with little difficulty. Metagross is the closest thing to a mech that isn’t Golurk, and D.Va fits that one better. And since Zarya seems to enjoy the color pink (going by her nails and hair) and is inherently kindhearted even when she’s incredibly strong, Sylveon and Clefable make reasonable choices.

Zenyatta

Zenyatta’s wasn’t that difficult, since I had most of what I wanted for him in mind as soon as the rest of the list came together. Medicham is an easy pick, as is Zen Mode Darmanitan, given their association with meditation and calm. Noctowl, as an owl, is a symbol of wisdom, and Zenyatta is nothing if not knowledgeable. Bronzong was the most traditionally “spiritual” Steel-type I could find, and it also being a Psychic-type was an added bonus. Carbink is durable, unlike Zenyatta, but its association with gemstones fits the bright, shiny effects attached to Zenyatta’s abilities. And while the evil Spiritomb might seem a bad fit for our gentle Omnic monk, it’s based off of several Buddhist traditions and elements that are synonymous with the beliefs that Zenyatta and his fellow monks follow.

Hope you enjoyed this, it was definitely fun to make!