#pokerus origin perhaps?

[latealzalost]

heey idk if you will get this but what would you think of a villainous michael? i dont have any ideas i can come up with on thr spot but its been clinging to my brain like a pokemon with pokerus

Hmmm that would be most out-of-character for him. But I will indulge, given how it's theorized his family and the majority of the HQ Lab staff were likely once part of Cipher. (A theory I've made myself mainly centering around the origins of the Snag Machine and how secretive they were of their work around it and the Purify Chamber.)

To make a villain out of someone you have to emphasize something that happened to them to justify them. Cipher was an old mining corporation that founded modern Orre, they changed when they found a method for creating Shadow Pokemon which was a purple stone that you can see glowing in the Cipher Key Lair's conveyer belts and machines. It created Shadow Pokemon and made humans like Greevil and Evice's families greedy and power wild. That's all a theory based on observation and context clues, but one thing that we know for sure happened to Michael was the passing of his late father who was the inventor of all Snag Machines.

When he passed, Michael canonically was sent into a depression. An old man in the HQ Lab implied this. How Michael's dad died is a mystery. But with that, it could be used fuel some ambition for this Michael you're talking about.

Perhaps, inspired by Shadow Pokemon research and his father's death, Michael would try to find a way to cure mortality in a sense. Maybe he would notice how Shadow Pokemon never level up or gain experience, essentially making them incapable of aging. Maybe he would dabble with this prospect of keeping things the same, keeping his friends and family from undergoing certain changes. Why submit to the ugly inevitability of death when you are alive and well now?

It would go against everything he's been taught by Krane and Lily and the rest of the HQ Lab, but he would take a purple stone close and let it corrupt him to learn more about it. But the effect of the stone's afflicted greed snowballed into corrupting his friends, family, and his own Pokemon. In an effort to let himself and everyone live forever as perfect snapshots of themselves, to keep what happened to the father from happening again, they would become the new Cipher and repeat Orre's history within the HQ Lab. And at the center of a changed, maligned family is a changed Michael who did all this because he was unable to cope with his father's passing. The irony is that given their origins from Cipher and how they tried to hide their past the past ended up coming back and transforming them to become the new core of a spreading malignance. The HQ Lab dug up their past and become a rogue Cipher faction not affiliated with the real Cipher.

All that aside, fun stuff I could imagine is new Shadow Pokemon production from the "Impurify" Chamber and wonton snagging from reverted Snag Machine systems. While all of Orre at this point would be against their existence, what with ONBS and Team Snagem's remnants actively fighting against the real Cipher's remnants. Michael's Cipher would resist with their understanding of Shadow Pokémon and purification resistance. Michael himself would be the leader to wield a reverted Snag Machine and skillfully defeat everything he comes across with is new Shadow Pokemon and unhinged weaponized suffering.

But that is just a nonsense idea growth. It would be so out-of-character for Michael. His Snag Machine represented his father on his journey to redeem him for the part he played as the Snag Machine inventor during Colosseum and came to terms with his passing in the end. (The proof is in the Secret Ending) The Evil Wes idea makes a little more sense but still not that applicable if we take a deep dive into his possible motivations (and the rumor about him once being meant for XD's villain was made up). The purple stones exist but I can't say for sure if they're responsible for making Greevil greedy and evil or corrupting Evice's ancestry or Evice himself. Though theory has it that there were three Shadow Pokemon incidents Orre with the first happening in an ancient Orre, leading to Rui's gift of shadowy aura seeing, but beyond that I cannot say for sure of the purple stones would change human characters that way. I'd like to think they do for how its discovery changed an old mining corp into Cipher, not just based on its observed affect on Pokemon. The lack of motivation and depth for the main villains of Colosseum and XD inspire this theory.

Please excuse me if you got more than what you bargained for, anon. Emphasizing on a person's tragedy or discovery can create ambitions to become a villain. If you don't know enough about the character you can always give them a "rock" that makes them evil. As for Michael, you can do both for AU purposes.

[fugamsemidei]

“I recall it was originally a place dedicated to the study of Pokemon diseases, particularly the beneficial Pokerus.” He explains. “Which then turned to other ways to make Pokemon stronger, which then simplified to Pokemon genetic research...and now they’ve turned to gene splicing, among other things.”

The kids both visibly cringe at the words.

The Silvally continues. “The building itself was a massive complex, from the inside at least. It looked smaller on the outside, but the only time I’ve actually seen the outside of the building was when we were making our escape, and I wasn’t really spending much time to look at it at that point. I’m guessing most of it was underground, or perhaps I was viewing it from a bad angle.”

He noticeably doesn’t comment on the assumption about his scars.

[1358456]

Pokemon Crystal Joy Run

For some reason, I really wanted to try this and devoted time that I should’ve used on the DE update into this instead.

Let’s dance. Joy run rules! ... The only restrictions I place upon myself is my own sense of restraint!

Now, I’m doing this run because I really wanted to test out TWO specific things. And so we shall see!

Huzzah! Finally, after “Sapph” the Sapphire and “Platina” the Platinum, I can actually use the full name! YAAAY!

Okay. ID number is 23017, which in hexadecimal would be 59E9. And in the world of Pokemon RGBYGSC, 59 is the hexadecimal code for Earthquake, and E9 is Vital Throw. ... What does this mean? ... Well, remember my Gold version joy run whose ID corresponded to Smog and Fire Spin? Hehehe... ... IF this works as I think it does, anyways.

Name: Crystal, thus starter: Grass. It won’t hurt me despite the fact that Grass is the worst typing here.

... Okay, Tackle missing a third of the time will though. Accuracy 95. Missed 10 times out of the 33 PP used. Worthless ass piece of sh*t.

What kind of name is... ... I mean... well, if that’s your name... who am I to argue.

I mean, he said that was his name, so...

Huh, Crystal version gets you a Hoppip a lot earlier than in GS. So I can prepare the shenanigans much earlier! Splash in third slot?!

Soon, shrine guardian... soon... perhaps.

Whitney’s dreaded Miltank vs. my standard issue early GSC staple dude.

What a boring ass fight. 2 turns, lost 1 HP (Miltank missed Rollout once). Male Graveler gets f*cked by Attract. Female Graveler does not. Easy ass whupping.

And now, even though I did not need to curb stomp Whitney before this, the sorcery can begin! ... Turns out, getting a bad cloned in Crystal version is SO MUCH HARDER than in GS!

But sorcery! Muhuhahahaha! So, my ID’s hex values was for Earthquake and Vital Throw. And...

The sorcery hatched with Earthquake and Vital Throw. IT WOOOOORRRRKEED! ... And a random TM 43 since the Hoppip’s 4th move corresponded to that hex value. ... I actually wanted the ID that gives me Thunderbolt and Ice Beam. But... that would be too UNFAIR. Come on. Show restraint.

... Huh. An unintentional byproduct of sorcery. A Hoppip that lost 4 characters to its name suddenly decided to break its shell and become more powerful than it could possibly have imagined. ... With Pokerus, of course. ... I’ll use this to just spread the virus and then ditch it in the box. Level 100 Mewtwo? Now that’s just too UNFAIR. Come on. Show some restraint.

Now, to test the OTHER thing that I wanted to test with this run (the first being the IDs corresponding to the two moves the glitch hatched Pokemon have). If the Pokemon that would originally have come out of that egg was to have Reflect in its 4th slot... then... after the shenanigans, the Pokemon should have the hold item of...

An event item. ... Now, this thing doesn’t seem to be triggering anything. It’s in the Key Items slot, but nothing’s going on with Kurt. Maybe I have to beat the Elite Four or get all 16 Gym Badges? Hmm...

Well, I got Rock Smash TM, so... sorcery continues!

Another byproduct of the sorcery. This... was a Rattata that ascended, and... what? Earthquake got PP Up’d once, and... random ass Pay Day with 2 PP Ups. ... ??? ... No, not the “rival”. ... Anyways. This byproduct also goes into the box and nothing else. A regular level 3 Lugia with Vital Throw, Earthquake, and Aeroblast is fine, thank you.

I know, right? They never put up a fight. ... Oh, were you not referring to yourself? You f*cking scrub.

... Er... Leaving now, and I will never come back.

Oh yeah, this guy was a thing. Ehn. Whatever. Keep chasing that blue... wind...water dog thingy. I have no use of it.

The asshead rival came by and took this guy’s prized Pokemon, SHUCKLE! ... This IS the Shuckle guy, right? ... But wait, the rival never had a Shuckle...

I don’t think he’ll be back to take your other Shuckle since he’s not using the first one. And besides, have you seen my team? Does it look like I need a Shuckle?

... Who the f*ck is this guy? ... Oh right. The asshead who thinks he’s invincible despite a literal 0% win rate against me.

Of whose soul? ... And pure? ... Are you sure? Because here I am, literally doing the dark arts of Pokemon!

Man, this free Earthquake is really handy!

... Meh. I have no use of it. Let Eusine have it... after reviving it. In Crystal version, you need Raikou, Entei, and Suicune in order to get Ho-oh, if I recall. But... I already have Ho-oh... the BETTER Ho-oh since mine has Sacred Fire, so... I have no need for Suicune.

Man, I sure do appreciate the fact that Sneasel is found so much earlier in Crystal than in GS. With duplicated Rare Candy, I can get a male and female Sneasel and raise them to level 57 so much earlier and so...

Sorcery. Celebi with Earthquake! ... Imagine if Celebi had Thunderbolt and Ice Beam. Now that would be too UNFAIR. Well then, time to level it up a few times with Rare Candy so I can choose to NOT get certain moves that it gets at level 1 so that it retains Earthquake.

And... wait, what’s happening? ... Q from Yellow version?? Or is the asshead “rival” evolving?!

Well, that happened like 5 times. Moving on!

Man, this free Earthquake is really handy! And now that beat the Elite Four, I have access to move tutors. Ohoho! And I have SO MUCH MONEY since I never spent it (other than some daycare f*ckery)...

Getting up to 9999 coins is so much easier in GSC than it is in RGBY... Ah... still a waste since I only need coins in increments of 4000, but hey. I have the cash... and the duplicated Nuggets. Too bad Celebi doesn’t get any of these. Would’ve been nice if the ID cooperated, but then again, maybe that would be too UNFAIR.

... But this move tutor teaches one move a day, and is only available in two days in the week? Bullsh*t. Time to f*ck with the game clock. Record the money I have, change the date to 11:59 pm of the day before the tutor guy appears, let the minute pass, and move tutor and repeat. Bolt-Beam for Mewtwo and Lugia, and Thunderbolt for Ho-oh!

... Grimer and Muk can swim? ... Or is that “water” just ALL Grimer? ... Eww... ... Moon might like it here, I guess, but... blech. ... Anyways. Grimer = Acid Armor, so... my last team member appears. Mew! And to “immediately” dump 12000 coins to give it all three move tutor moves...

And... um... well, this is happening. The bad clones that were supposed to disappear or transform during the process... remained. The one on the left was leftover from the Celebi shenanigans, and the one on the right is from Mew. ... I can’t get rid of these, since they don’t show up in the box. I can’t have them in the party in order to utilize this glitch again, so... ... well, looks like I can’t do the shenanigans ever again. Well, fine. I don’t need to do it one more time anyways. That would be too UNFAIR.

Here we are again. Leftovers duplicate spam. Constant HP regeneration! Because of this, I opted to NOT keep/get Recover for the 4 Pokemon that do get them. Because that would be too UNFAIR.

... Who in the what now? You are me and I am you and I am confused!

Er... why does the teacher class trainer have... is that a whacking stick? Oho, haven’t been hit by one of those since the 90s for my fingernails being too long.

... Swimmer WHAT?! No. Unacceptable. There can only be ONE! And who the f*ck has green hair?!

Well, all 16 Gym Badges obtained. Leveled up my 5 Pokemon team to level 50 each because any higher is too UNFAIR. If I recall, in my Gold version joy run, I went up to level 55, and that was completely unnecessary. So... level 50 it is.

And still Pikachu remains ever so pitiful. Worthless ass piece of sh*t.

So, counting the times during the level grinding phase, Celebi was hit by Body Slam 8 times, and got paralyzed 8 times (33% chance, by the way). And now Celebi has literally done nothing for 7 turns straight. Fully paralyzed, fully paralyzed, fully paralyzed, flinched to Snore, fully paralyzed, fully paralyzed, flinched to Snore. Good thing Snorlax has such a huge HP that Leech Seed helps out so much, along with Leftovers. Or this worthless ass piece of sh*t would’ve been the first and only Pokemon downed.

Aeroblast the sh*t out of Venusaur... nope, missed. ... Aeroblast the sh*t out of Venusaur, and there. Easy win against Red with a bunch of level 50 Pokemon without losing anyone and without using any healing items. Yay. I originally thought about raising to level 60, but... good thing I didn’t. That would’ve been too UNFAIR.

So. Now that I beat the Elite Four, got all 16 Gym Badges, and whupped Red... does THAT item work now?

... Still nothing from this guy. If I recall, he was supposed to take the GS Ball and keep it for a day. And then hear commotion from the forest and... out pops an onion fairy from the shrine.

Damn. So I can spawn the event item, but not the event. Aww... Although... meh. It’s not like I need a random ass level 30 Celebi anyways. I have a better one with Earthquake!

So with this, I’ve done... Yellow, Gold, Crystal, Sapphire, and Platinum. So maybe one day, I can move on to Generation V?