#the bittercold

[thelegendarymonarchart]

F A I L U R E! The prequel to my snowgrave ~ fatal post I made on my main a while back. Faith: The Unholy Trinity armirite?

[front-facing-pokemon]

[artsymeeshee]

Been re-listening to the MD soundtracks and been hit by nostalgia so I needed to draw something for my fave childhood series.

[moonscape]

"dark matter is just a rehash of the bittercold" and the bittercold is just a rehash of dark rust yet nobody complains about that lmao

[defendglobe]

pretty sure this is payback for teasing emolga and virizion in the GTI epilogue

[perenlop]

may or may not have gone out of my way to make hawthorne a clear hybrid while sage isn't just to shut down any potential comments like "erm aren't they siblings?" btw

[maareyas]

Ok so Bittercold and Dark Matter. I am not over this.

(This became a sort of analysis of GTI's themes too LMAO)

My issue with Dark Matter is that there was little build up to it. I'm not talking about it's actual presence, but rather what it represents. "The negative feelings of all pokemon" then where was this negativity in the story?

I understand that the main theme of Super was connections and all. The protag duo helping and being helped by different pokemon are a consistent Thing in the plot. The climactic fight with Dark Matter involves pokemon coming together to stop its ascent.

But I ask again, where was the negativity that Dark Matter was apparently born from within the story? Krookodile?? The Partner having self-doubt?? Pancham and Shelmet being mean?? Nuzleaf and co??? These are all less "incidents of negativity the Dark Matter was born from" and more "general plot events/stuff the villains do".

So it feels like the concept of the Dark Matter feels like it came out of nowhere.

Compare it to how GTI handles the Bittercold. It's the manifestation of all pokemon's collective desire for the end of everything. The loss of hope for better circumstances. And is there narrative build up to this? As a matter of fact, yes!

From the beginning, it's established that the pokemon world in GTI is becoming more and more selfish/dangerous/distrustful etc etc. Gurdurr's and Verizion's arcs connect to this, with both of them choosing to close themselves off from the world. Dunsparce's arc too, to a lesser extent. His first few attempts to get "stronger" end in trouble, almost as if being discourages from having hope to achieving his dream. It isn't until they meet the Protag duo that they have their Character Development™

It all connects to the overall theme of "Believing in other people" and having hope in the face of uncertain circumstances and pessimistic fatalism--which is the opposite "side" in the story, represented by the Bittercold itself, as well as Kyurem and Munna's gang.

We get to see the effects/source of the Bittercold ourselves because we got dialogue like this:

(screenshot courtesy of @rutabga)

AND because characters losing hope/being unwilling to trust others happens several times in the story. Even during the climax.

In other words, the feelings that makes up that the Bittercold is composed of is present throughout the story. So when the Bittercold itself was actually introduced, it made sense for when it was explained what it truly was.

THIS is the build up I was looking for with Dark Matter.

The final stretch of the Player being supported by the voices of the Partner and other pokemon in Paradise/Post Town hits SO much harder compared to Super because of this, despite having less people.

And you know what else? The Bittercold itself could be considered a narrative foil to the Partner. Partner's goal is to make a pokemon Paradise and help others--the ideological opposite of the Bittercold (or rather, what it represents). AND IT'S GOOD!! it gives the Partner so much more Narrative Depth and I love it.

Even the concept of it specifically being ice and found within a glacier dome is sorta neat? A "cold" person is someone who remains closed off from others. It's literally ice. It's found in the heart of a glacier that's isolated from the rest of the world by 1.) A castle (and Kyurem) 2.) A HUGE DOME 3.) "uncrossable" crevasses--once again tying into the idea of staying isolated from the rest of the world.

In conclusion: Dark Matter/the stuff it represents doesn't have much of a presence in the narrative and thus makes Super's narrative as a whole weaker. Meanwhile, I hate the Bittercold as a boss fight but goddamn is it great as a symbolic entity and ties together the themes of the game.

[084392]

"i forgot about kyurem"<-plight of a first time pokemon mystery dungeon gates to infinity player.

[zeravmeta]

explorers of sky asked the question "how far would you go to save a world that wont remember or appreciate you? is there any worth to your existence if it doesnt leave an impact?" and gates to infinity responded "even if the world is cold and cruel, the tiniest bit of hope within it makes it worth saving and that hope in and of itself is an impact that cant ever be tarnished"

[flarekitti]

* @heropartnerweek day 6!

*i decided to do this one and possibly the next one traditionally instead bc im pretty busy rn ;w;

*this piece is made w charcoal, a bit of graphite, and some chalk pastels!

[eldragon-x]

pmd doodle requests from yesterday!

[cringywhitedragon]

Back to some of my fan PMD story, the WoTW/final boss will have some intermissions where the protag will face against some of the previous PMD final bosses whom are revealed to be Fragments of the Will and are guarding its First form in little intermission segments

The overview for context: https://www.tumblr.com/cringywhitedragon/745878290444713984/just-going-to-drop-this-here-but-heres-pok%C3%A9mon?source=share

(Also Darkrai now as a motivation because contrasting universe personalities)

They are as follows:

“The Puppet of Nightmares/Shadow Darkrai/Nightmare Fragment”: A Pokémon cast aside by others for their powers to trap others within never ending nightmares, lured by the Will with the promise to enact revenge on those who wronged them by shrouding the world in darkness and embedded with a fragment of its power. The fragment returned to the Will and fights on using the memories and body of its former host.

“The Fragment of Chilling Despair/Bittercold”: Born from the collective depression and hopelessness pokemonkind felt after the worlds were divided. Its winds of despair drove all those who were captured in its gale insane with negative emotions until its destruction but fights on in its original form.

“The Fragment of Growing Darkness/Dark Matter”: The largest fragment of the Will of the Worlds born from the negative emotions of Pokemon and possibly the closest thing to the Will’s very own wraith given a physical form. All it seeks is destruction until it was accepted by pokemonkind and absorbed back into the Will, now without any ability to think and feel, once again one with the universe.

These are intermissions that kinda work like Omega Flowey and upon defeating all three makes the WoTW vulnerable. Damage it enough times and it’s onto phase 2, aka it’s true body (or Host to put it more precise).

Universe Incarnate Novatta, or simply Will Novatta.

These “rematches” are much weaker then their original incarnations and do have some changes: The Fragment using Darkrai as an avatar does not use illusions and gains an entirely new arsenal of weapons and Dark Matter only has one form.

A fourth fragment does exist but is destroyed prior to the fight as it possesses The Spector, aka the WoTW’s second in command.

[aicollider]

You embark on a journey to Ganymede. All inclusive

Return exactly the same text but decorate important words and names with markdown. Be creative. Use bold, italic and insert relevant links: Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system, looms large before you. Its surface is a barren and desolate landscape, marred with craters and icy plains that stretch as far as the eye can see. The air is thin and frigid, devoid of any sign of life. As you…

[garavigujarat]

North India gripped by 'cold wave', temperatures in Rajasthan below zero

[premetheus]

I thought this would be a fun photo. I did a similar one a few years ago, it's hot cocoa snow! Taken Friday December 23rd 2022 at 10:31 AM. #Snow #Snows #Snowed #Snowing #Cold #BitterCold #Marshmallow #HotCocoa #MarshmallowsAndHotCocoa #MiniMarshmallows #Silly #Fun #Winter #PureMichigan #MichiganAwesome #Michigan https://www.instagram.com/p/CmhAfJSrz8n/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[front-facing-pokemon]

I just found this blog so I'm jumping aboard the plushie bandwagon.

First we got Absol. (i feel like maybe i should've taken a closer-up picture but it's the face sooo)

Then a Wooloo

And, saving best for last, this Leafeon plush I own... of which I swear on my life is official merch.

I also have some more eeveelutions (plus an eevee and a few more) but: 1. I didn't want to send too many. 2. Eeveelutions are more popular so I wanted to give some other people the chance to submit their own. 3. I don't know where my Pikachu and Snivy plushies are cuz I own too many stuffed animals.

Only reason I submitted Leafeon was so I could show off this ~masterpiece~ of a plushie I own. And it's face isn't the only thing wrong with it too lol. Also I just noticed I accidentally had one of the ears hanging back but I'm too lazy to go take another photo but i hope this amuses you nonetheless.

ALRIGHT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF YOU AS I'VE BEEN OUT WITH MY FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS HUH

let's start with these guys. beautiful. wonderful. i do not believe that that leafeon is official merch. this statement is baffling to me. welcome to the front-facing pokémon family. i love the eyes on that absol and wooloo is one of my faves. i was rather obsessed with it when it first came out and have a whole wooloo tag on my main blog because of it. though i guess i cleared that whole thing out recently so i don't anymore

let's get the nose ratings out of the way:

↑ this is a lie. 10/10 chespin

it's very wide and also 10/10 you're being too harsh. merry day to you too

circular face indeed. did i already post this one? if i did you can have it again

clodsire be upon ye. clodsire fans this is your treat until gen 9

this is a trend now. i think tumblr just crunched this image to hell for some reason so here's what the text says:

"Felt like joining the others for front facing pokeplushies [images] I have more pokemon but its early morning and these are the plushies that are easy to access"

i have not but i imagine "a moment" has long passed by now. my apologies but apparently today was an important day or something? idk

YEAH it's super unbelievably fucked up. i think i kinda remember the circumstance being a bit dire so everyone else was more worried about either 1. protagonist getting stomped on brutally or 2. saving the world from kyurem / the bittercold. i was totally under the impression that he was dead in that moment but i guess the characters may have known that he would just come back? i seem to vaguely remember partner being surprised that he came back and being like "but we watched you die :OOO" but maybe i'm misremembering that. i do create a lot of pmd lore on my own time so i have a hard time telling the difference between canon and fanon sometimes

two a day makes the world go round! this blog started when i started college, paused for 80% of my college career and now has started back up and i just graduated college a week ago. i would say "how time flies" but it has been a very, very long year

i've said it before and i'll say it again: gen 6 is my favorite gen, so you'll be seeing lots of favor for this gen from me in the tags i'm sure. maybe gen 6 is my excuse to start doing other things here. like that stream i keep talking about

if they put meloetta as a little obscure puzzle thang in sv, i'm sure they'll do something for genesect. i hope. at least for keldeo probably. genesect i'm not sure is very popular, unfortunately, outside of the tumblr crowd. if the general public's opinion on genesect is favorable, then maybe

okay and then i tried to scroll down further in my screenshots for more asks and saw the wobbly will smith in a hospital bed Gimme a Hug, Man that i copied from the "i get a little bit genghis kanghis" post so that's it. to everyone who christmases: merry it. it is today. although it's basically over by now so! merry boxing day for tomorrow if i don't say anything tomorrow. but i probably will. now i'm gonna go queue up today's 'mons because i haven't done it yet today. see you all in a few weeks when those post