#with such a huge cast of both people and pokemon

[forestofmemories]

something something the lessons they’ve learned up until now thanks to everything they’ve experienced, the special connection with nature (with the tapus, with alola itself), and the bond they (people and pokemon) all share bc they’re always working together and helping one another shaped satoshi in a way no other *region* did

[cherrirui-official]

Friendlocke Violet Gijinkas (Part 1/7)

Since the edited episodes are starting to come out, I figured that bc of that and the fact that I've been keeping this in the back burner for a loooong while now, might as well complete all my friendlocke violet gijinkas!! Some are gonna stay the same while others are gonna have slight/ complete redesigns, so please keep that in mind!

I plan on posting them in order by groups of three, so there's gonna be seven parts in total, all of which I'll be linking here when done vvv

(Part Two) (Part Three) (Part Four) (Part Five) (Part Six) (Part Seven)

!! These will contain personal headcanons I have for the cast, little fun facts, and also spoilers for Friendlocke Violet (for both the edited vids and the streams) !!

@saltydkart-reblogs

And that's pretty much it, designs under the cut!

LARK:

HUGE nerd. spent most of his time during the Uva Academy studying different kinds of pokemon as well as different fighting styles he can utilize once he is able to go out on his own journey with his very own trainer! Too bad that didn't really help in the long run...

His entire wardrobe consists of McDonald's related outfits. It's fucking insane. He even has some from long LONG ago that aren't available anywhere else.

The bubble pattern on his hair is able to move and change. Nobody knows how this is possible, not even Lark himself. All Lark knows is that his hair looks incredibly stylish!

Speaking of bubbles, he has the ability to blow bubbles whenever and wherever he pleases!

Often keeps himself extremely clean and gets upset if even a small speck of dirt gets on him, despite this he somehow smells like McDonald's food and axe body spray. Disgusting. He's so cool!

Even after death he still likes to hang around the other team members as a ghost, often getting to know the newer members as well as reuniting with the old ones. Sometimes they see him, sometimes they don't. It usually depends.

SARA:

Due to being a human in her past life, Sara is able to actually speak with the other humans in the pokemon world. However she usually doesn't due to it being seen as extremely weird and out of place. She did slip up once while talking in the presence of Arven, who thought it was the weed making him hear things.

Oinkologne are usually unable to do much with their hooves but Sara spent nights practicing how to knit with her new hooves and now she's able to do it flawlessly. I don't know how she managed to do that but go queen!

When first joining the team she'd often have the urge to eat her food related companions. It was a strange time for Sara, but she managed to overcome it.

When Peppy gets sick, she usually is the one who nurses him back to health. She was a human once so she often is able to figure out whatever sickness Peppy has and treat it properly. I suppose she's like a second mother to him.

The bag she carries with her is full of thread that she collected from various Tarountula she encountered on the journey, as well as little things she knits together in her spare time.

For the most part, Sara forgives... but NEVER forgets.

Did you guys know that Sara has a new YouTube channel? Check it out!

Pastey:

Before joining the team, Pastey was a nameless wanderer. He's been down every road in Paldea and knows almost the entire region (except for Area Zero) like the back of his hand.

He's gotten hurt pretty badly throughout the run (ie. the Mikey fight, the Atticus fight, and ESPECIALLY the final battle), however, he does not gain any (physical) scars from those fights. This is bc he's basically an axolotl, and axolotls are usually able to heal without scarring.

Pastey's "arms" are, to put it simply, mud prosthetics. More info here vvv

Pastey HAS met Mall Bingo once before the run, however, he doesn't recognize her. The only reason he does not recognize her is bc she wears glasses. (You know how people somehow aren't able to recognize Superman bc he wears glasses in his civilian attire even tho his face remains the same? It's basically like that lmao)

Unlike the lightbulbs he eats, the gasoline he drinks isn't really mandatory to his diet. Gasoline is like alcohol to him and he drinks it like an absolute CHAMP.

He goes fishing when there's nothing else to do or when he can't sleep at night. He doesn't do this bc he thinks it's fun or anything, only bc it's a "good time passer" or so he claims. Other members of the team will often sit with him and vent out anything that's troubling them at the moment, and Pastey is always there to listen to them.

And that's pretty much it. Next is Joe, Hannah Ü, and Mykyie!

[epicspheal]

Would love to read all your thoughts on Leon and Raihan's rivalry across all the media

HI there Anon! Ooh this is a good ask! In general I can say I really like Leon and Raihan's rivalry across media but I do wish we got some more attention to it. Starting with the games (SwSh + DLC) I do think that they did a solid job at establish that Raihan and Leon are rivals. I do wish we could've gotten to see more of their rivalry beyond the beginning cutscene but I think at the very least establishing it as a competitive but cordial rivalry was a good step in the right direction. It's one of those things though that makes me yearn for a SwSh prequel so we could see more of their rivalry because at the end of the day, SwSh wasn't focusing on their rivalry (compared to their gen 1 counterparts Red and Blue where the story is indeed based around their rivalry) but rather the player and their various rivalries. Now let's get into Twilight Wings, I think this is where their rivalry really begins to shine. Granted we only see it in the last episode in a small animated battle but I think it did real wonders in establishing that Raihan is actually a genuine challenge for Leon. We see in the 3 on 3 matchup that Raihan actually can knock out a good chunk of Leon's strongest Pokemon (and yes I know it's mentioned in the rare league card but it's nice to have that visual proof for backup). It establishes Raihan as a challenge but also why Leon is as strong as he's claimed to be. And then there's Pokemas which in my opinion the best portrayal of their rivalry. I really like how we get some backstory from Raihan's lodge story about their gym challenge. But more importantly I really like how they managed to in some ways even out their rivalry by having Raihan knock out Leon's Charizard in the Galar Neo Champion Event. Sure ultimately his team loses but this is the first time we see Charizard get knocked out by anyone other than the protagonist (Ash in the anime, and then Victor/Gloria). It's something I really want to see more of in rivalries in Pokemon where it doesn't feels so one-sided which I feel like a lot of Pokemon rivalries end up being. Now for the Pokemon Adventures manga, I can't really say too much about their rivalry there because it just wasn't really touched upon much. I do appreciate Kusaka expanding the relationships among the young adult cast (Leon, Raihan, Nessa, Sonia, and Piers in particular) but given how the SwSh arc was set up there wasn't a lot of time to really get into Raihan and Leon's rivalry. Lastly the Pokemon anime...*sigh*. I have mixed feelings on the anime portrayal of the rivalry. On the one hand I really loved the baking episode with Opal. It was nice to see their rivalry translated into something other than Pokemon battles and that they were both competent at baking. That being said I think their rivalry (and Raihan in particular) was done dirty when it came to the PWC. Their only battle being a 1 on 1 didn't help matters much as a 1 on 1 battle isn't useful for assessing the relative strength of two long-time trainers at their caliber (and this of course is a critique I have of many of the early PWC battles). There should've been at least 3 on 3 like the Twilight Wings episode to show that even though Leon is stronger, Raihan can truly pressure him like no one else (bar Ash). I also personally would've switched the masters ranking so that Ash would've faced Alain (and finally triumphed over him) to get into the masters 8 with Raihan taking Alain's spot. Don't get me wrong I think Alain is very strong and in a revised PWC Masters final (which would've been 16 people if I had any say) he'd still be in it. It's just with this Journeys still being the introduction of Galar, and Raihan being hyped up as a champion level gym leader I think Raihan being among the other league champions would've made a huge statement not only for his character but his rivalry with Leon as well.

[k4ijynxx]

𐙚₊˚⊹ 𝑲𝑰𝒀𝑶𝑺𝑯𝑰 𝑪𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑮𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑺 ꒱ ₊˚⊹ ᰔ.

[pt: kiyoshi caregiver headcanons]

Note: character uses he/him and is canonically transgender :3 please dont use feminine terminology when talking about him! I will also switch between him and his puppets since they are a part of his identity :3

- he LOVES to make puppet shows with you!

- he even has a puppet for you! Although its not a part of the main 3, he still tries to use it as much as he can!

- his puppets love you as well! Although they all have different caregiving styles:

* Molly is a very motherly caregiver! She is sweet, kind, and overall what most people think of when the word caregiver comes around!

* Kat is a very boastful caregiver! They might make themselves first priority, but they make sure they share that priority with you as well!

* Jack isn’t the best at caregiving due to his abrasive personality, but he is a very good last resort! He might be strict, but he’s strict in a fun way!

- he’s incredibly sweet!

- he is mainly a caregiver due to past trauma, he didnt grow up in a safe environment so he tries to make sure you can have a safe space <3

- he loves to build pillow forts with you! He especially likes to use it as a puppet play!

- he loves playing! No matter the game, as long as it is safe he tries to be a part of it!

- hes very gentle and patient, which is why he is great with more sensitive regressors :3

- he REALLY doesn’t like punishments due to childhood experiences. He doesn’t consider them to be a way to learn but more of a way of hurt, so he tries to talk it out instead! Even with bratty regressors, he is good with talking and his puppets help him out!

- he likes any masculine term that isnt “Daddy” related. Also things like “Uncle” dont make him comfortable either. He is ok with being called brother, bro, or any other masculine name that you would give a caregiver!

- can overthink at times, but he doesn’t ever mean harm!

- he loves giving piggy back rides!

- he trusts you to hang out with most of the cast, however he is a bit protective around Takeshi (not like takeshi would really want to caregive anyway)

- he ESPECIALLY trusts you around Otome though! Bani, Akira, Tomoya, and even Chiemi are also options if he cant caregive :3

- loves coloring! He always puts your art on the kitchen fridge!

- he LOVES to play sports with you, mainly soccer (or football if you are a non-American) he believes its a good way of work out (but he mainly just uses it to have an excuse to play soccer :3)

- he also really likes pokemon! He tries to save up money for pokemon games and cards for you, and likes to shiny hunt your favorite pokemon with you!

- he has a collection of drawing you made in a little bin he keeps under his bed, he likes to look at them in the mean time :3

- bluey! You both love to watch it, although he can get emotional at times

- hes a impure caregiver, he caregives mainly as a trauma strategy due to not living in a loving household and he has a huge fear that he will do something wrong because of that. He can breakdown at times over small wholesome things so sometimes he needs a break

- likes to caregive with Otome at times!

- hes actually a flip!

- he likes to make little notes in your lunchbox, although most of them are by his puppets

- he gets really happy and proud of you over the smallest of things! You can do anything and he will be saying you did a good job and give you a high five!

- he knows what to do with nightmares because he has them quite often

- hes fine with calling you anything, although he likes to call you kiddo, little one, button, sweetheart, or sugar!

- he loves to take you to playgrounds! He especially likes to help you on the monkey bars since he can reach and is very strong!

- he doesn’t care what gear you need, and he always makes sure you feel comfortable with your gear!

- he isnt the best with religious regressors (mainly christian or abrahamic religions related) due to his past, but he tries to toughen it out even if he can be anxious about it at times. He is always scared he will do something wrong and get in trouble, even if there is no one to punish him

- he loves cuddles and hugs!

- he loves board games! Especially shoots and ladders!

- he loves to get you plushies! Especially the more traditional kind

- he also likes movie theaters! Hes ok with most movies so he loves going!

- great with younger regressors! He doesnt really know what to do with older ones though

- he struggles with more independent regressors since he feels the need to caregive 24/7, but he can be comforted into it when he isnt stressed

- hes actually a pretty good singer! He sings you to sleep or when you are hurt

- hes good with regressors of any minority, although religion can be a struggle for him

Extra! :

🖍️⚽️🖍️

⚽️🎨⚽️

🖍️⚽️🖍️

[crazykacey]

HELLO I'M BACK WITH MORE CHRONICLE PAMPHLET TRANSLATIONS

Life has been more chaotic than I expected so that is why I've been MIA but Super Live and Chronicle DVD have summoned me to do more translations! This time it's the cast introduction and a small Q&A! First is the Inners + Chibi Moon! Outers and the rest of the cast will be translated at a later date lol

Disclaimer: there might be some errors and/or grammar mistakes. Enjoy!

Sailor Moon/Super Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino

Riko Tanaka

Q: What do you remember of being selected to be part of the Sailor Moon musicals?

When I heard that I was cast as Sailor Moon, it felt really unbelievable. But then due to corona, I had to wait a year before that news could be shared so it didn't feel very real at all. But finally when i went to costume fitting, I really got the feeling that I have become Sailor Moon.

Q: If you ever have to fight villains like Sailor Moon and her friends, what would be your fighting style?

Manipulating thunder like Sailor Jupiter, making them feel so much regret that it'll leave them numb lol. Supreme Thunder!!! And I also yearn to fight with huge items like Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn!

Q: A few words about the character you play.

She is clumsy but also strong, energetic, honest and a very hardworking girl. I will always admire her. I'm really happy to play character who is loved by many people! I will do my best for Sera Myu Fes(Chronicle) as well!!

Born 27th of February, Tokyo

Has appeared in commericials since she was 6 years old, such as Pokemon and others. She was won an ACC from her radio commercial Morinaga in-Jelly. She has also appeared in movies and played the role of a heroine's childhood self. She has been more active as an actress since high school and has appeared in many performances, such as ...from the moonlight ~A Delivery from the Moon~ and others.

Sailor Mercury/Ami Mizuno

Kanon Maekawa

Q: What do you remember of being selected to be part of the Sailor Moon musicals?

It was my stage debut so I was very honored. After the final audition, I went home together with Sailor Jupiter, Kisara Matsumura, who I have been good friends with for a while now and she said that "it would be nice if we could perform together."

Q: If you ever have to fight villains like Sailor Moon and her friends, what would be your fighting style?

I love pickled plums, so I would be Sailor Vinegar, protected by acid. With my powers of sour stimulus, I would weaken my enemies taste buds.

Q: A few words about the character you play.

Congratulations on the 30th anniversary! Please keep on loving Ami Mizuno and as for Sailor Mercury who I admire so much, i hope you shine forever. I love you!

Born 23th of February, Osaka

in 2018 she was accepted into the Yasushi Akimoto x TV Tokyo Project, Seishun High School 3-C so she moved to Tokyo after she graduated high school. She wast part of the 1st generation and appeared in the program for three years. She had her CD debut from EMI Records in Universal Music. She has also appeared in several TV dramas such as, Ore no skirt, doko itta?(Where did my skirt go?) and Anata wa hannin ja arimasen. (You are not the culprit.)

Sailor Mars/Rei Hino

Rei Kobayashi

Q: What do you remember of being selected to be part of the Sailor Moon musicals?

From the very beginning i have loved Sailor Mars and my manager knew that I wanted to play her so when the call came that I got the role, we both screamed with excitement. And when I told my mom and grandma about it, both of them started crying tears of joy which made me very happy. Seeing this made me want to work even harder!

Q: If you ever have to fight villains like Sailor Moon and her friends, what would be your fighting style?

At first, I'll try to talk to them and get along with them. Maybe I will find the good points in them, there is a high chance that they will change their mind! But if they keep on doing evil deeds, I will give it right back at them, Evil Spirit, Begone!!

Q: A few words about the character you play.

When I was 4 years old I fell with the canny and cool Rei. And when I found out that we had the same name, I felt it was fate. I love the Rei-chan who has a lot of charms, such as the way she hides her passion, the way she says things clearly and honestly, and the fact that she is kind and cares about her friends! Through the Sailor Moon musicals, and by playing Rei, I have met really wonderful and important friends. I'm really grateful. I will cherish each and every performance with love!

Born 29th of November, Saitama

in 2010, she made her model deubt by becomeing and exclusive model for the fashion magazine "Pichi Lemon". After that she joined the idol group, Yumemiru Adolescence. After graduating from the group in 2019, she started to be more active in stage performances and TV shows as an actress and model. Her main performances have include, Kishiryuu Sentai Ryusoulger on TV Asahi, Suiensaa on NHK, Peach Boyz (Ariake Garden) in XFLAG PARK 2020 and others.

Sailor Jupiter/Makoto Kino

Kisara Matsumura

Q: What do you remember of being selected to be part of the Sailor Moon musicals?

When I heard from my agency that I was cast as Sailor Jupiter, I remember being so surprised and full of joy that i couldn't stop trembling. And when we, the 5 Inner Soldiers, finally met face to face, all of them were those who had left a strong impression on me from the auditions. At the beginning, it was. a bit difficult to communicate due to the tension and corona but now everyone has become irreplaceable friends to me!

Q: If you ever have to fight villains like Sailor Moon and her friends, what would be your fighting style?

If I fight, I will fight like in my favorite RPG games and defeat evil! In the game, I can become as strong in mind and body as the Sailor Soldiers. I want to collect the strongest characters from all over the world and defeat evil and protect the world! Or course if possible, i would rather discuss and solve the problem without fighting.

Q: A few words about the character you play.

At first I was very nervous and worried if I could properly play such a cool character as Sailor Jupiter. But soon after, I started to admire her, who is by far the most powerful, the most sweetest and kindest of all. I learned to believe in my friends, to protect and love them. I will also continue on loving Sailor Jupiter so that I can get step by step closer to her.

Born 21th of July, Shizuoka.

Made her debut in 2019 in the NTV drama, Ore no skirt, doko itta?(Where did my skirt go?). She was also a regular in the CX TV show, Mezameshi TV Imadoki Girl. From June of 2021 to February of 2022, she appeared in three parts of AmebaTV's show, Kyou, Suki ni narimashita.(Today I fell in love). In 2022 she appeared in Kao's Essential THE BEAUTY advertisement and AbemaTV drama series　Fukumen D. She is active in a wide range of fields, including stage plays, modeling and movies.

Sailor Venus/Minako Aino

Marin Makino

Q: What do you remember of being selected to be part of the Sailor Moon musicals?

When I found out I was chosen, I was so happy and immediately told my family about it!! At the final audition, I remember Rei Kobayashi-chan talking to me when I was nervous. So I was really happy that I was able to become a Sailor Soldier with Rei-chan and everyone else! When I'm with the rest of the 5 Sailor Soldiers, I'm just so happy <3 Unlike Minako-chan, I'm far form being a leader, but since she is, I'll do my best to make everyone to able to rely on me!

Q: If you ever have to fight villains like Sailor Moon and her friends, what would be your fighting style?

Special Attack!!; Even though we meet for the first time, it feels like we have met before!! And then we become friends ♪ I call this special attack "Becooome my friend"!

Q: A few words about the character you play.

Please lend me your power so I can play the cute Minako-chan that everyone loves &lt;3

Born 25th of November, Nagano

Received the Glico Award at the Pretty Girl Museum2 audition held in 2011. Moved to Tokyo when she entered junior high school. After taking lessons in dancing, singing and acting, she made her debut in 2016 in Eki Stage A (Ace). She actively performs LIVE activites and from 2021 she started to properly work as an actress.

Sailor Chibimoon/Chibiusa

Chise Niitsu

Q: What do you remember of being selected to be part of the Sailor Moon musicals?

When I went to the audition for the first time, it was the winter of my last year in kindergarten, so only 6 years old. That audition was for Chibi Chibi and when I was asked what my special skill is, I remember saying it was doing tricks with a ball and I started doing it lol. I was so happy when I passed was chosen to play Chibi Chibi! And now that i'm 12 years old, I'm really excited to play Chibiusa!

Q: If you ever have to fight villains like Sailor Moon and her friends, what would be your fighting style?

When I'm around town, I take notice of the license plates of the cars and phone numbers written on signboards of different shops and create them into mathematic formulas and solve them! I find it very enjoyable. Even in math class, I feel very accomplished when I understand a difficult problem. I once heard that "mathematics is connected to the mysteries of the universe". Because of that, if I were to fight evil, I would like to fight them with mathematics! I would challenge them by giving them complex figures and formula problems!

Q: A few words about the character you play.

My beloved Chibiusa, who I admire since she is adorable, strong and brave. Like Chibiusa, I will never give up no matter how small I am! With these strong feelings, I want to do my very best in singing, dancing, and acting to play Chibiusa on stage to the fullest!

Born 23th of May, Tokyo

She made her debut when she 4 years old in the musical Miss Saigon. She played Chibi Chibi in the Sailor Moon musical, Le Mouvement Final. She is part of the music unit Foorin. She is active in my other ways such as, the movie 3-gatsu no Lion (March Comes In Like a Lion), and NHK show Come Come Everybody.

[regallibellbright]

Tag Meme: 9 Favorite Characters

tagged by @talysalankil

Gonna copy your "one per series/franchise" because otherwise there is a genuine risk Precures and TWEWYs would eat it whole. In no particular order, and with definite "What's on my mind right now" bias:

Xion (Kingdom Hearts)

No surprise there, and yes, I did intentionally get a screenshot from the post-Riku fight for this.

2. Cure Grace/Nodoka Hanadera and Rabirin (Healin' Good Precure)

(Look, they transform as a pair, their transformation phrase is "Two flowers as one," I'm counting them both. "Then shouldn't you use a screenshot of Cure Grace?" Shut up.)

3. Anthy Himemiya (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Yes, I saved this image as "Anthy Himemiya Is A Weird Girl Who Keeps Snails In Her Pencil Case."

4. Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu (The World Ends With You)

... Yes, choosing his most insufferably smug dialogue sprite was necessary, why do you ask?

5. The Luidaeg (October Daye)

"I am the sea witch. I am the tide you fear and the turning you can't deny. I am the sound of the waves running over your bones on the beach, little man, and I am not amused at finding you on my doorstep." She took a step forward. He took a step back. "I won't punish you for obeying orders the way she would. But I can't let an insult go unanswered. You know how it goes." A smile twisted her lips. "I'm actually grateful. You see, there are... rules... that govern what I can and can't do. But you broke them first. Now I get to do something I don't get to do very often. Now I get to play." ... "What did you do?" "Nothing they hadn't allowed by coming onto my territory. Every soul who came here on the Queen's business will go home, go to bed, and sleep soundly, dreaming the sweetest of dreams." Something about that statement had teeth. I paused, and then ventured, "For how long?" The Luidaeg smiled brilliantly. "Until something wakes them up. True love, childbirth, and bees are all on the table."

(Chimes at Midnight, Chapter Seven, pages 91-92) The wiki also uses the "I am the sea witch" bit as her epigraph but as a known lover of "true love, childbirth, and bees are all on the table" I felt it best to include the full exchange.

6. Lio Fotia (Promare)

(This BARELY beat out something from the Kakusei sequence but I love how fluffy his hair is as he tosses it.)

7. Ventuswill/Venti (Rune Factory 4)

Tragic immortal dragon god BFF <3

8. Moist von Lipwig (Discworld)

Never promise to do the possible. Anyone could do the possible. You should promise to do the impossible, because sometimes the impossible was possible, if you could find the right way, and at least you could often extend the limits of the possible. And if you failed, well, it had been impossible.

(Going Postal) Okay, it's him and Vimes, but I figured I'd go for Moist for the variety since everyone loves Vimes.

9. Okay there were a LOT of characters I considered for this, like, seriously, I went from "hm I can't think of anyone" to "ugh I have TOO MANY options" in very little time, but ultimately, while this might be recency bias at the moment, it is also true:

Missile (Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective)

The goodest boy in gaming.

(Runners-up from things that aren't otherwise represented here include Surge the Tenrec from Sonic IDW, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan from the Vorkosigan Saga, Rose Aleon from Birdie Wing, Grovyle from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers, and huge enough swathes of the casts of Dumbing of Age and Girl Genius that I just didn't even bother trying to narrow those down.)

Tagging: In general assume I do this as an open invite to anyone seeing it, but just to name a couple people, @thesternest, @denizenhardwick, @mehanios, @purplelea, @yurisorcerer, @yoshiyakiryu

[tomyo]

Maka Supplementals

Hey welcome to my "Maka Supplementals" post aka when you become so obsessed with an anime character, you start to treat any other character that looks like them as that character. I've been in this fandom and ancient amount of time and for some reason, I'll just notice a very Maka like quality in them.

Neiro from Kaiba

I'm probably ruining myself by starting with the best. Kaiba (2008) is really a series you can easily project not just Maka AND Soul but the rest main cast onto. I stg I thought Bstar and Popo had the same VA (they definitely have the same god complex). Naturally the pigtails and droopy eyes were a huge connector and the orange/green color scheme is frequently used to represent our fav duo. As for the story, it's mostly around Kaiba and Neiro being just out of reach of each other and a new technology that allows people to store and transfer memories to new bodies. Neiro also makes a good Kaiba type as a stern person in the present but soft and kind in the past/later on. She also has family trauma which may be a theme. On its own it's a masterpiece but I actually made my first SE friend in part due to us both separately coming into SExKaiba au art.

Mikan from Gakuen Alice

I only ever read the series but I figured anime art would pop more. Mikan, the mc, our classic lightish hair color in pigtails and you could possibly call her eyes droopy shaped. Tbh I can hardly remember this series since it's been 11+ years since I last read it but I do remember Mikan having mother issues. If I remember right it's a magic academy shoujo and I probably wouldn't have included it but I wanted to show off that cute angel outfit she's wearing.

Shizuku from Tonari no Kaibutsu

When I watched this series in 2014, this was the first time I said "Oh, this character is just Maka" and thus this list was born. Did you ever want to experience Maka in a Shoujo where her love interest looks like DtK but acts like Bstar? Here you are, the most frustrating romance ever. Shizuku Mizutani is a pretty perfect Maka type, she's quiet, serious, extremely studious, and constantly annoyed by everyone else's shenanigans. One day she's sent to deliver socially maladjusted Haru Yoshida his homework and naturally a classic nightmare romance starts. I'm not kidding when I say every episode one of the two confesses to the other who then turns them down. Honestly, that's the plot. The first confession is right at the end of episode one and it doesn't stop. Can't lie though, I love high school tropes and aesthetics so it's a fun way to reimagine the crew's life going.

Kirin from Gakuen Babysitters

Absolute baby. If you want to imagine was toddler Maka was like then Kirin is pretty good for that. She's not really a main focus of the story but Gakuen Babysitters is still surprisingly good. Kirin really feels like the tiny Maka we saw in Chrona's soul, very outgoing and friendly to those who aren't as confident. She often fights with a Black Star like nursery mate and has an aggressively doting dad that aligns perfectly with Spirit. One small story arc with her is wanting to be a witch. Not really a lot of anything but a cute detail to point out.

Marnie from Pokemon

She has pigtails and 2011 me drew Maka in the exact same outfit. Ngl, this is a real head empty one but I'm still not over that happening.

Nino from Fukumenki Noise

Sorry this is actually just another kind of annoying shoujo. Outside of the hair, Nino is pretty much nothing like Maka. Unlike most series where the story is a string of misunderstandings, Nino's naivety is often a major problem where she cheerily sings over listening to her best friend/crush's home problems and doesn't reflect on the ways her actions could be affecting others. So why is she on here? The music segments. There's this raw and unpolished nature to the singing that really just brings something special to it. Honestly just watch the singing proportions, ignore the bad cgi (in 2017 no less) and pretend its Maka "I don't get music" Albarn singing it.

Sana from Kodomo no Omocha

Probably the only series I've watched before Soul Eater on this list. I recently rewatched and kept feeling weird about the Maka vibes I was getting off of it. Sana does start the series pretty annoyed her schooling is being interrupted and her middle school uniform looks like the Sparoi uniform but her more core characteristics is being a child star and is extremely hyperactive because of it. So what was it? She's voiced by Laura Bailey. It's very interesting to hear her distinctive wobble in Sana's voice. Of course that isn't all, Sana has family issues and her genki personality is related to people pleasing so it's interesting to see when that facade drops. While the manga leaves a stronger impression, the end of 17- start of 18 has a few particularly beautifully scenes of animation.

Also something I want to point out is Sana's amazing wardrobe. Despite being 90s, the bright colors work great for Y2K looks that feel right for Mala's style sense. I wish I could use more than 10 photos to show them off. The anime uses a lot of long sleeves and skirts and the manga has some more trendy fashions like the fur trim cardigans that are popular right now so I'd look there for some outfit Y2K revival references.

[skybrightpixie]

im gonna share some tidbits about a couple of my many, many rejuv OCs bc i wanna have fun too!!!!!! i'll share some stuff for Sylvan and Asato, tonight

Sylvan

while he's generally very gentle and soft spoken, he has a huge mischeivous side. he often secretly takes small things—like a pen or even sometimes an empty pokeball—from his friends and then reveals it once they notice it's gone. if it's been a while since he took it and they still haven't noticed, he'll just show them and give it back. he doesn't actually want to steal stuff.

he's teased Venam, Melia, and Amber this way the most. i imagine Amber probably hates it and wants to clock him when he does it.

besides that, Sylvan is also a big fan of pokemon plushies! when he sees them in pokemarts or he notices his friends has one he just melts like he's seeing the cutest dog in all of history. if any of his friends got him a plushie he would explode with tears of joy.

Asato

his lack of any emoting at all, both with his body and in his voice, makes it hard for him to express his feelings, like i said before when i first posted art of him. he's pretty insecure about it but he has faith that most of the people around him know he's a good person who means well.

he's incredibly gifted in the way he's always calculating 20 steps ahead during battles. however, this is also why he's not the most passionate about them. he's more interested in learning how to raise every pokemon and keep their health well. a little unfortunate considering the fact that he must do a lot of battling to protect everyone, but he's decided that if it's necessary then he'll accept it, for now.

i've also mentioned he sees all the people who are younger than him in the main cast like younger siblings! he looks after them and likes buying things for them. sometimes it's potions and pokeballs just so it's something they don't have to worry about and sometimes it's food or a trinket! he has the money to spare from winning all those battles, so why not?

[firedragon1321]

So...this is all I have to say about Pokemon Horizons. I will not repeat it on this account. I have blocked the tag, and I have also blocked tags related to it. After this post, I want nothing to do with it. I just need to get this off my chest so I can move on.

If you’re excited for Ash’s replacements- do not read this. Nothing good in here. Continue scrolling and have a wonderful day.

If you’re not happy or ambivalent- welcome to my dungeon.

This show is gonna be Sue-Town and I hate it.

First, let me post my definition of a Mary Sue, because I’m sure someone will say “but you’re only saying that because Liko is a girl, you sexist pig! >:(”. Mary Sues are real, and they are not gender-locked. That is a myth perpetuated by Sue-lovers, who want to encourage people to write freely without being attacked. While that’s understandable for Little Miss Peggy writing her first fanfiction, it’s less acceptable for a big corporation. So I’m going to use the term “Sue” and ignore its baggage.

To determine what a Sue is, I use three rules. I made them in high school. I made some adjustments to spread away from fanfiction and use gender-neutral language. But the ideas still stick-

The character is “more” than human- usually a sign of author wish fulfillment. They look positively beautiful at all times, have no character flaws, and are generally free of the messiness of human beings.

Everything goes the character’s way. They face no real difficulties over the course of the story, and can do no wrong. Even if the author has to defy logic, they will clear the character’s shining path of all obstacles.

Other characters in the presence of this character alter their behavior. They may fall head over heels for this character, put them on a pedestal, or take them under their wing even if they normally wouldn’t. If the other character is a villain, the “problem” character will become main target of their hatred/jealousy/evil plan/etc. to provide the illusion of conflict. In short, the character is the primary concern of as many other characters as possible.

I can’t say if the Horizons cast will follow these rules at this point in time. But I have enough evidence that leans in this direction.

Liko and Roy both possess mysterious, powerful objects, despite being rookie Trainers. This could lead to Sue Rule 2 depending on how those objects are used. I can guarantee that one or more other parties are gonna want those items, which is Sue Rule 3.

The Rising Volt Tacklers and the Explorers are both tangled up with the protagonists- new Trainers with batfuck nothing except these rare and powerful items. This screams Sue Rule 3. Why else would these seemingly powerful groups tangle with newbies and/or care?

Liko’s only real struggle as of now is Sprigatito won’t listen to her. Which is just a copy of Ash’s Pikachu in Episode One. I’m going to take that with a huge grain of salt. If Liko’s first conflict is a copy of Ash’s first conflict, that’s an early sign she’s going to get swallowed by his shadow. Which doesn’t mean anything good for her as an individual character. Could be Sue Rule 1 later is she doesn’t have her own flaws.

Then, there’s this, which doesn’t make me confident-

“It seems that pendant has a secret-”

*shows a fucking shiny legendary*

“-and that secret is linked to you.”

(Trailer here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c_hMehCORQ)

This could constitute Sue Rule 2 if Liko gets to keep that shiny, or otherwise control it. Giving the characters powerful Pokemon can help make their lives easier. Other characters start with powerful creatures like Charizard (Friede) and Ceruledge (Amethio). These aren’t legendaries, but remember how Ash’s first Trainer battles were against common, unevolved wimps? This seems like a bit much for new characters to deal with. Sure, they’re probably not fighting Charizard. But we know for sure Liko will go toe-to-toe with Amethio.

Which brings me to a problem all these characters share. They look so damn boring. Here’s the mentor! Here’s the rival/villain! Here’s the cheery announcer! They’re character types trying to fill the shoes of a very iconic character. It’s going to take a lot to step into that role successfully, including well-written characterizations. But, um, this ain’t Digimon, where characterization is a priority. Pokemon very rarely has knockout character development.

Which brings me back to Sue Rule 1. I don’t have enough evidence to securely convict anyone of Sue Rule 1 crimes. Well-written characters can overcome all these other issues. But boring/flat characters cannot. Their flatness exemplifies the minor issues, building into a tower of Sue-ism.

“But Ash made friends with legendary Pokemon! He did other stuff you whined about! He even saw Ho-Oh on Day One! Is he a Stu?”

Answer- no. Here’s why-

Ash breaks Sue Rule 1 because he has flaws, especially at the beginning. He is child-like and naive. His intelligence in any field outside of Pokemon (and food, kind of) is very low. At the start, he’s also arrogant and a sore loser.

Ash breaks Sue Rule 2 because he doesn’t get to keep the legendaries he meets long-term. The one mythical he does keep- Melmetal- has a bad losing streak. He loses more often than not. The three big tourneys he won were unheard of to most of the world (Orange Islands), in their infant stage (Alola) or required eight whole episodes to get through the last two battles alone (World Coronation).

Ash breaks Sue Rule 3 because he usually has to prove his worth to other characters. In later seasons, he’s respected as a powerful Trainer. But that’s only after he’s slogged through multiple tournaments and made his mark.

I kind of hope I’m being resistant to change. All of this could be proven wrong later. Horizons does have a bigger story focus than the original anime, which means the characters could be written better. But that also makes characterization even more important. I’m sure Horizons would be just fine as a special like Origins. But it’s meant to replace a world-famous legacy character, is throwing dazzling shit around to distract from basic writing issues, and not convincing me it’s wearing those twenty-six-year-old sneakers very well.

TL;DR- Horizons is a cast of Sues as of now. I could be wrong. There is plenty of time for me to be wrong. But the red flags are all present. Horizons is not providing the same heart that made the original anime a success- merely empty trinkets and fancy lights.

Post Script

As I said before, I’m not going to pester the Internet with this any more. This is a vent post to get my anger out. People who reblog this to steer away from the topic- or to attack me- will be blocked. People who come in later with “aged like milk, lol” will be ignored. 

I’ll scope out Horizons just to see if I’m wrong. If I’m right, I’ll drop it like a hot potato and will never mention it again. It’s not worth stressing about it any more than I already have. I’d rather celebrate the character we lost than hate what replaced him.

[paragonrobits]

when i was a kid, during a time when anime dubbing was genuinely kind of rare in the US and even more rare to see it done well (because these were the days of the Pokemon animated series and predates even the infamous 4kids dubs), Dragon Ball was insanely popular and while it still is, it was a gateway series into high-action anime at a time when anime was not only only rarely dubbed, it wasn’t seen as entirely distinct from Western animation in the same way it is now

Dragon Ball was HUGE, especially to my cousin, who introduced me to it by proxy because he was constantly watching it, and I had a favorite. My favorite wasn’t Goku, though, not Vegeta or Trunks or any of the Saiyans at all, nor one of the secondary cast like that. No, my favorite was a character who, ironically, got his start in a series where most people being introduced to him did so AFTER some of his biggest character arcs, who started off as a villain but since it would be a while before the original Dragon Ball was shown to much degree, a lot of this was not really a thing at the time.

My favorite was, and remains, Piccolo.

I don’t know WHY he was my favorite. Maybe even at that point, I naturally gravitated to the characters that looked like cool and weird alien things (my favorite iteration of Cell was his Imperfect form, as an example), so maybe I just liked him. And his demeanor of an outwardly gruff person stubbornly insisting he was still a super bad guy while being everyone’s uncle is something that pops up a bit in my other favorite characters, both from series and in OC work.

But Piccolo was always my favorite and its nice to see people applauding him, even by proxy.

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

Foxes aren't really superstitiously unlucky or bad though, I think they're technically good luck if they run past you? They're pest animals to farmers though, which has somewhat different connotations. Rabbits are also typically pest animals, though I don't think hares are. I think most omen/bad luck animals actually tend to not be pest species, although coyotes are and I guess one could make the argument for crows.

Unfortunately, if the protagonist was gonna be one of those animals to really drive home Kamado's paranoia, birds are most of them lol. There's always a black cat or bat, but I think cat works better for one of the sisters. Though three birds I don't think would be overly much when added to the rest of the cast being non-birds (them being protagonist, Volo, and Charm), and you could have Volo do a 'birds of a feather have to stick together' type deal to get a better relationship with the protagonist, especially during the red sky. Also, red sky, a bird's domain, Kamado would be drawing all kinds of conspiracy threads. Although... I was reading something that said rabbits were bad luck to sailors? Or saying the word was. But if protagonist was a bunny, it'd match with Ingo, and since the Galaxy Team sailed over to Hisui maybe they have bad superstitions regarding rabbits because of that.

Love Pearl Clan being mostly predators though, because that means poor prey animal Ingo goes from them to an even larger predator to warden for lol. That might endear him to them though. I'm sure he's probably not even the most unsettling thing out in the wastes anyway, they're just like no, that's pretty tame compared to everything else out here, which means he's to be protected because nothing's gonna be scared of him. The scariest thing out there to them is even a fox, too. He's not even cold adapted like an Arctic hare or snowshoe hare, which they might occasionally get. Anyway, that's why all his pokemon are huge and intimidating, especially if you go the his gliscor is an alpha route lol.

there's also melli (a peacock) and possibly a crow in the miss fortunes as well, for birds. it just feels like a lot considering how few other people we've nailed down lol

and foxes might not be bad omens per se, but they are notorious trickster animals in a lot of folklore. to go the other direction, if you wanted to lean into the sailor thing, protag could be an albatross, and kamado exiling them during the red sky is him "killing" them. or they could be a rat? notorious for being disease-carrying pests but actually very sweet once domesticated. by the same token, and to parallel volo even more strongly, they could also be a normal pigeon

also we DO have both rei and akari to think about, so. they could be two different animals? but i think they should be Similar at the very least even if they're not the Same animal.

and then naturally ingo is still ingo, so despite being a prey animal he WILL still put his life on the line if it's to protect someone else. and do it with that dead-eyed calm, too. he'll go toe-to-toe with a zoroark, sure. try him. (lol what if, bc he's so much bigger than the hares they're familiar with, and has that inadvisable lack of fear of pokemon, they assume he's like. some sort of esoteric carnivorous hare. and then he's like oh no i very much do want to take off at a dead sprint in the opposite direction at all times i'm just ignoring it)

[crystalelemental]

While I started Pokemon in Kanto, Johto is my nostalgia generation. This is the one I distinctly remember my grandparents buying for me one summer, and playing with my cousin, and just getting really involved with. Johto will always be special to me. Which is why it's so fascinating to me that it's apparently low on most people's perceptions. No taste, I swear.

Like always, my focus is on Crystal. My team was Typhlosion, Victreebel, Poliwrath, Espeon, Togetic, and Sandslash. All of them were female, which bears mentioning because of Gen 2's sexism mechanics.

Gen 2 is so obviously my nostalgia generation, because I will willingly grind for fun. Seriously, something about the water routes between Olivine and Cianwood just hit me. I even did a bunch of League runs to make a point.

Now, for me? The thing that most stands out about Johto is how it expands on character and region. Kanto's biggest fault is really just that it feels like it lacks personality on the whole. It's a fun game, it's doing a lot of good stuff, but very little of the region or cast pops to me.

Johto is like...the exact opposite. On the region front, we get actual lore. The history of the towers and the legendary Pokemon is far more developed than what we got with the birds, and Ecruteak itself feels very novel because of its association. Your early game forest in Ilex is mostly similar to Viridian before it, but the presence of the Ilex Shrine and the legends around Celebi give it a lot more life. The Seafoam Islands as a mostly isolated location, and one of two places where you actually need Whirlpool, makes it stand out, combining both the sense of areas having significance to the legends, and being a weird exploration place like Seafoam before it.

Meanwhile, the character side actually is a huge step up. I know it's Pokemon, there's only so much development you get, but consider the following:

Silver, your rival, is the son of Giovanni, who has a major vendetta against the organization because of his father's fall from grace. He treats his Pokemon as tools for power, considering personal strength the only thing that matters, then gets his shit rocked by Lance and starts to question how he's been approaching things. This culminates in him starting to understand the significance of bonds, and in his optional fight, he finally evolves his Crobat.

Speaking of: Lance does stuff. It's a short sequence, but it kicks off Silver's arc, and starts the trend of Champions (generally) being involved in what's going on with their region. Blue was always around, but never as more than an obstacle to beat.

Compared to Kanto gym leaders, Johto leaders will get in your way. I know people get snippy about them, but Whitney and Clair are some of my favorites. Having a character who cries and calls you an asshole for beating them is hilarious, and Clair's refusal to accept defeat and pushing more nonsense on you because what are you going to do about it is delightfully petty. Morty has his aspirations of chasing a legendary Pokemon, Jasmine abandons her post to help a sick Pokemon, and Bugsy has a little professor thing going on. Everyone just gets a bit more personality to work with, and I think the cast shines when going sequentially from Kanto to Johto.

The other major aspect defining Johto is, unfortunately, one I'm not as big a fan of. Events will happen on days of the week, or times of day. They can reset, which is a positive, but you also have the possibility of missing them entirely. On a first playthrough as a kid, when you're just going about the game constantly, this is fine. When you're an adult with a job replaying it, it is annoying. This gets exponentially more annoying when you're also trying to stick to a team plan. Being flexible and working with whatever makes this a lot less stressful, but let's say you want to run Heracross. Hope you know how to calculate where your special trees are!

These events start to define a lot, from what appears where and when, to whether or not you even knew there was a move tutor in Crystal. It matters that some things are this obtuse. Especially with the team I ran, which relies on knowing which phone calls will sometimes give you stones, which NPC gives which stone, and then wasting enough time that they do finally call you with the one you need. I lucked out and got them before beating the League, but this isn't a great way to access a ton of evolutions. To say nothing of how many require trade. I can't trade anymore, guys! My precious Kingdra is lost to me forever!

But again, the game is not too difficult. You still have many advantages in your corner, if fewer than the previous generation. Level curve, at least to me, was never as bad as people complained, and watching someone's first time through the game be a straight shot with one (1) short training session for two levels on a Pupitar, I'm inclined to think I'm right. It also helps that movepools are still fairly shallow, so you can get away with a lot of nonsense just by counterpicking teams.

I think the main (only) reason that Gen 2 gets this perspective is one of my least favorite fights in the series: Red. Red is conceptually interesting. After beating the first game, your greatest challenge is facing your old self with these new tools. It's interesting. Unfortunately, they decided the challenge was setting his levels near 80, when your best grinding location caps at 50.

Red can be beaten easily. I will always argue that. Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix all counter half his team. Any Dark type completely bops Espeon, with Tyranitar in particular just destroying him. Misdreavus, which you can catch here, can beat his Snorlax without any investment through Curse and complete immunity to his attacks. Everything Red does can be easily handled with some know-how. And that's not even counting Lugia, who is easily obtained, and comes at level 70. I assure you, Lugia can handle him.

My problem is that, if you want to run a particular team, you're at the mercy of how well said team counters his. Red's level is so high, and your options for leveling so scarce, that doing so manually for a team that doesn't automatically handle him is a brutal time. My team had this issue. They are, to put it mildly, not particularly great for this. Poliwrath does not handle Charizard's Wing Attack so well. Nothing answers Espeon or Snorlax particularly well. It is a problem having to stop and level up just to handle one fight because of the sudden, massive level spike. Yes you have advantages, and yes you can streamline it by shifting a bit of focus. But I think other options should exist too, and when they technically exist behind the wall of your real life time, that's a frustration point.

Still, Red is a small price to pay. The Kanto run is a bit of a victory lap that doesn't add much, but it's less annoying than Red, so I tend to consider it fine depending on my mood. Postgames in Pokemon are never great, but that's a complaint for a later generation. Johto is still, overall, one of my favorites, and I do enjoy what it presents, even if there are a few things it did that didn't age so well.

Gold and Silver Corner It's been ages since I played not-Crystal Gen 2. There are distinctions, such as Suicune being roaming, and getting one of the box legends early, etc. But I don't really recall too much different, beyond a few Pokemon placements and probabilities for encounters. I guess it does lack Eusine, which is a weaker point. Still, this is the closest I get to saying there's no real difference between any of the three games.

[cafalla]

Pokémon BW Rival Destinies: Battle for the Bolt Badge (2012) Comic Storybook Scans

I've got a couple of scanned Pokemon books for today! Mainly because tumblr only allows 30 images per post, and if I combined both posts it'd be too long! Here is a link to the post about the second book!

Both books are from the Black & White anime era of Pokémon, titled BW Rival Destinies. They are “adapted” from episodes of the Black & White anime. By adapted, I mean they simply retell the story of the episodes with screenshots and a comic-like layout and style. 

The first book is titled “Battle for the Bolt Badge”, and retells the anime episode “Dazzling the Nimbasa Gym!” This book and episode cover Ash’s gym battle with Elesa.

They have a three count Pokemon battle, and *spoilers* Ash wins in the end and gets his gym badge. But you probably already guessed that outcome.

Here’s some of my favorite parts of the book!

Elesa sends out Zebstrika, and Ash sends out Palpitoad. I’m crying over the way Palpitoad is just staring down the barrel of a flaming zebra gun three inches away from his face with a smile, unbothered, head completely empty.

Palpitoad just has so many great expressions. He's the star of this book for me.

What a goofy guy.

By this point Zebstika is eliminated and Elesa has sent out Emolga. Who, by the way, says “Emo, Emo!”

I know it’s common for Pokémon to use abbreviations of their own names in the anime, but this one is SO funny. Emo, Emo!

Emolga casts attract on Palpitoad and looks cute doing it.

Palpitoad gets knocked out, and Ash sends out…Snivy? Against an Emolga? Even Ash’s crew is confused at this move.

Snivy eventually falls, and Pikachu joins in as Ash’s last Pokemon. He takes down Emolga, and the final fight is Pikachu v. Tynamo.

Tynamo proceeds to beat the sh*t out of Pikachu.

Is it just me, or is Tynamo HUGE? I looked up their heights, and Tynamo is canonically eight inches tall, while Pikachu is one foot four inches.

It's so funny when creatures in games are portrayed bigger or smaller than they actually are. I understand it in a Pokémon game, given the limited framing of battles, but even in the game Tynamo is portrayed as quite small. Definitely smaller than a Pikachu.

Maybe this Tynamo is larger than most. Or maybe it's normal size and everything in the Pokémon universe, including people, are tiny. That'd be kind of funny considering the size of Tynamo in comparison to both Pikachu AND Ash in the above frames.

Anyways, I'm thinking too hard about this, I know it's not that deep. Lol.

Pikachu picks himself up and defeats Tynamo, earning Ash the Nimbasa badge.

The End!

。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°

Here is the link again to the second book!

As always, you can read the whole book(s) and view higher quality scans on my Internet Archive account.

Thanks for reading!

[tobiasdrake]

Orange League, Episode 27 - Get Fired Up! Snorlax!!

Kunenbo/Butwal Island, surrounded by rough seas. Ash, his friends, and their Pokemon have been stranded for a week and now everyone's starving. But a Trainer NPC pops up and you can't back out of Trainer matches so Ash goes forward with it anyway.

The battle is a farce. Ash is too hungry to select the right Pokemon or call attacks well. He winds up trying to use Charizard against an opposing Gloom but accidentally sending out Snorlax instead, and damages Snorlax's Ball in the process.

This is a setup for another "How do we get Snorlax to do a thing?" plot. We've done "How do we wake Snorlax?" We've done "How do we make Snorlax stop eating?" And now we have to move Snorlax over a mountain to get to a Pokemon Center and fix Snorlax's Ball.

This makes the first half of the episode quite a lot of fun. Ash, Tracey, and Misty all work together in equal measure to accomplish their task, spreading out the cast effectively.

Second half is Team Rocket's worst plot yet, both ethically and sensibly. They steal an air-drop of food from the Pokemon Center and threaten to make a huge crowd of gathered people starve if they don't surrender Ash's Pikachu. But there's like thirty Pokemon Trainers here so I don't know why everyone doesn't dogpile on the Rockets.

In any case, they make the mistake of igniting Snorlax's fighting spirit. I said when Ash got them that Snorlax is by far the most formidable Pokemon he's ever caught, and I meant it.

You might not know it just from looking at their stats. Snorlax isn't topping the Most Powerful Pokemon in Kanto charts. But that's only because they dump-statted Speed. Snorlax is comfortable with going second and having poor Defenses because their HP is the #3 strongest stat in the game, tied with Onix's Defense and beating out even Mewtwo's Special. And their Attack is through the roof too.

Snorlax does two things: Hit very hard, especially with STAB Body Slam, Mega Kick, or Skull Bash, and refuse to go down no matter what you throw at them. They're incredible, and the only thing balancing Ash's Snorlax is that their predilection for sleeping all the time has kept him from thinking of Snorlax as a viable competitive Pokemon.

This Rocket fight is where Ash learns of his mistake. Snorlax destroys Team Rocket because obviously, sending them sailing with a 225 Power STAB Hyper Beam.

[shmothman]

THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR POKEMON: LEGENDS ARCEUS

Judgement | Forgiveness

Part 6

Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four / Part Five

AO3 Link

Volo Playlist

The morning dawns cold and bright, the snowstorm finally having subsided in the early hours, and you awaken slowly, with a pleasant warmth seeping into your bedroll. You’re only marginally confused when you finally open your eyes to a mass of orange and brown, but the events of last night come back to you as you blink the sleep from your eyes, and you smile when you realize it’s only Arcanine’s huge, sleeping form—it must have moved from Volo’s side to lay between you, keeping you both warm through the night. It lifts its head blearily as you roll over and sit up. As soon as you leave your blankets, you begin to shiver; but pulling on your coat helps, and you need to start a fire, anyway.

Volo is still asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly, and you make sure to move quietly so as not to wake him. He’s going to need all the rest he can get in order to heal—and besides, he looks so much more peaceful in his sleep, without the unhappiness that has recently etched itself below his eyes; you don’t think you could bring yourself to wake him anyway. 

So you sneak outside, bringing an armload of firewood to the extinguished campfire, and you call upon your Rapidash to light it. Before long, you have a large pot of clean water for drinking and for cleaning his wounds—and the rest, you’ll use to make soup. 

You return inside for a knife and cutting board, and although Arcanine watches you with interest, its tail thumping, Volo still sleeps soundly.

As you peel the sootfoot root, chop the leeks, and shell the beans, you finally allow yourself to dwell on the things you’ve been trying to stay away from: namely, that Volo will take weeks to heal completely, and that not a single part of you wants to leave him until he can take care of himself again. In a way, it’s strange how quickly you make the decision to stay, but you can’t say you’re surprised at your own thoughts. It’s just that you’re going to need to make excuses to your friends, to the Galaxy Team, and to the people of Jubilife Village as to why you’ve been gone so long. Or, you suppose, you could tell them the truth... but quite frankly, it’s only been a few months since Volo’s stunt atop Mount Coronet, and you doubt that the villagers would continue to look at you favorably if they knew you were... aiding and abetting. Even if that’s not quite the truth.

You sigh. Since when did your life become so complicated?

Oh, right. Since you fell through a rift in space and time. Naturally.

You have some King’s Leaf in your bag from your last expedition, so you chop it into tiny pieces and add it to your simmering soup. Maybe you’ll send your Staraptor to Jubilife with a note requesting Rei send a bag of spices back with her—if you have to eat bland camping food the entire time you’re watching over Volo, you might go crazy.

Now the sun is higher above the horizon, creeping over the peaks of the mountains and casting the freshly-fallen snow in blinding white light. Leaving your soup on the fire, you return inside with the pot of water.

Volo is awake. 

He looks up as you walk past, still blinking the sleep from his gray eyes. He looks... rather terrible, all things considered, but frankly you’re glad to see him awake. You smile gently, if a bit awkwardly. “Good morning.”

His head falls to the side, and you see him wince. “So it really wasn’t a dream,” he remarks.

You set down the water in the corner of the room, taking a cupful of it for Volo before grabbing a sootfoot root frond to cover the jug with. You kneel by his side.

“How do you feel?” You ask. The side of his head is still slightly swollen, but thankfully, it’s gone down considerably since last night.

“A bit like I fell into an ice cave,” he retorts, and the attempt at dry humor is almost enough to make you snort. Almost.

“Do you feel dizzy at all? Disoriented? Does the light hurt?”

He seems to consider your questions for a moment, then slowly shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Okay,” you say. “That’s good. If you start feeling any of those things, let me know. Here,” you push the cup of water toward him. “Can you raise your head enough to drink?”

Wincing, he raises himself onto his elbow carefully, though it makes him clutch his ribs on the other side. For a moment, you think the pain of it might be too much—but then he lets out a long breath, and nods. You hold the cup to his lips, and (slowly, awkwardly,) he drinks. 

It takes a while—and a fair bit of gasping in pain on Volo’s part—but you manage to raise him to a sitting position, Arcanine settling at his back for both postural and moral support. You retrieve your first aid kit again and grab a bowl of water this time, and Arcanine helps by warming the water for you as you take the blanket from Volo’s chest, ready to inspect his wounds. His right side, where the scrapes are, is red and raw, but the paste you put on the cuts last night seems to have helped at least some.

Gently, you clean them, dipping your cloth into the warm water and wiping off the dried antiseptic to get a better look, but one of the cuts much deeper than the others, and as soon as he moved to sit up, it must have opened, because blood is once again beginning to seep from it onto the blanket beneath him. If you knew how to do it, you would probably consider stitching it up, but you don’t—you’ll just have to settle for the next best thing. Quickly, you take a dry cloth and hold it to the wound as he winces. 

“I’m sorry,” you say as he grits his teeth. The rise and fall of his chest beneath your hand is shallow. You can tell it hurt his ribs to sit up, and he’s struggling to breathe deeply, tears welling up in his eyes. 

Unthinking, you caress his cheek with your free hand. “It’s okay,” you tell him in a soothing tone, though you’re concerned at how warm his skin is—if he’s febrile, that’s not a good sign. “I’ve got you.” You need him to relax, otherwise he’s going to hurt himself more. 

He winces further as he attempts to take a great gulp of air, and you realize he’s trying very hard to hold back tears. His hair is slightly tangled, and there are a few places that are matted with dried blood. Absently, you note that you’re going to have to help him wash it out. Tucking a strand behind his ear, you do your best to get him to look into your eyes. “Don’t try to hold your breath, okay? It’s just going to hurt worse.”

When he nods, shakily, the tears begin to fall, and you catch them with your thumb, brushing them gently from his face. He must be hurting terribly, and it makes your heart ache.

So you do the only thing you can think to do: you keep talking. You tell him, in measured tones, everything you know of his injuries, and that you’re confident he’ll heal. You tell him that it isn’t as bad as it seems, although it hurts; and you tell him that the hardest part will be waiting. He continues to sniffle and wince, but the tears soon stop, and his breathing becomes more regular again—and when it’s been long enough, you can finally remove the pressure from his side, sighing in relief when you find that the bleeding has stopped. 

You smile at him. “See? I’ve got you.”

Now that he’s sitting up, you can bandage him more easily, wrapping his side in gauze—though avoiding his ribs on the other side is difficult, and you have to wrap the bandages around his opposite shoulder and hip to get them to stay. If he moves much, you doubt they’ll stay up... but he won’t be moving much for a while anyway.

When you pull away to inspect your handiwork, Volo begins to shake.

Immediately worried, you draw the blanket back up over him. You thought Arcanine’s warmth would be enough, but if he’s having chills from fever...

You press your hand to his forehead, brow creasing in concern. “Are you cold?” You ask. His skin no longer feels so warm, but then again, you aren’t a thermometer. 

Volo shakes his head, and you draw back, confused. He isn’t quite shivering—it’s just his shoulders that are shaking—and when he looks at you with tears in his eyes, you understand.

“Oh,” you say, already moving to hold his face in your hands again, to comfort, to do whatever you can—but he turns his head with another shake, and you pull back.

Right. Your hands fall into your lap. Of course he wouldn’t want you to touch him like this. What were you thinking? Did you so easily forget everything that’s happened?

He must see the change in your expression, the way you sit back on your heels and wring your hands, because he shakes his head again as he lets out a shuddering sob (that makes him clutch his side again in pain). Tears begin to fall again, and he seems to force himself to meet your eyes. “Why?” He asks.

In your confusion, you say nothing. You don’t know what he’s asking you.

“I...” he chokes out between desperate, pained sniffling. “I don’t understand, why are you being so nice to me?”

Oh. You swallow hard, taking a moment to consider your words, but he continues:

“After... after everything I did to you...” There’s a plea in his stormy eyes, but for the life of you, you can’t understand what he’s pleading. “After everything I said... despite it all, you came to my aid.” His tears make tracks down his cheeks, gathering at his chin and falling to his lap. He winces through another broken sob. “And more than that, you continue to...” 

He stops, overcome by the pain of trying to breathe through his crying, but you know how he meant to finish that sentence. You continue to be kind to him.

And it’s true, isn’t it? You don’t have to treat him this way. You could continue to help him without being this kind to him. After what he did to you, the way he betrayed you, no one would expect you to be so gentle with him, to be so soft. You’re angry at the way he treated you, and you’re wary of ever trusting him again, and you don’t think that he necessarily even deserves your kindness.

But your kindness is all you have in this world. And Volo cannot hurt you any more than he already has—not now, not injured like this. He has no one; has seemingly never had anyone, and even if that is his own fault, how can you not take pity on him? How could you not be kind, when he so badly needs it?

You aren’t sure how to tell that to him, though. You don’t really know how to respond at all.

When you finally speak, the words that come out are not words that you planned. 

“Why did you do it?”

Through his tears, Volo looks up at you in... if not in surprise, then at least in shame.

You can feel the cracks forming: the dam of emotions within you is finally beginning to break, and you can hold your tongue no longer as the words come rushing out in a rapid stream of thought. “I thought that you cared about me. I thought that we were partners in this. In trying to find the plates, and unravel the mysteries—and I get that you never saw it that way,” you add hastily. “I get why you would feel like I just came in and, you know, usurped your life’s goal. I get that you were angry, and jealous. But why...?” 

When you sniffle, you laugh bitterly at the same time, and Volo at least has the good sense to look abashed. 

Once more, after the weeks of attempting to stamp it down, anger rises hot within you, and you stop for a moment, trying to collect yourself with deep breaths. Anger is what got Volo to where he is, and it’s not something you wish to give in to. When you start again, your voice is quiet, though you’re still speaking through tears. “I can understand why you did almost everything else,” and by understand, you hope he knows you mean you don’t condone. “But why did you kiss me? Was that part of your plan, too?”

All these weeks, you’ve told yourself again and again that his reasoning doesn’t matter. That if you ever had the chance to ask, his answer would still change nothing. But now he is hurting. He is broken, and vulnerable, and you already decided you won’t leave him; so maybe the answer won’t change anything, but you still have to ask.

Now your own tears are falling into your lap, and Volo’s gaze follows them downward, no longer meeting your eyes. It’s silent for a long while.

“Nothing I say can change my actions,” Volo says, “and I certainly won’t ask your forgiveness. But no, it was not a part of my plan.”

You choke out a sob. Honestly, you don’t know if it would have hurt more or less if he had only been using you that entire time, if he had calculated that kiss to serve his own purposes. You hardly know what you’re feeling at all. 

But you’ve taken care of his injuries, for now, so you give him a terse nod, wiping your tears. 

“I’m making soup,” you say, standing. “I’ll be back in when it’s ready.”

---

For the rest of the day, the two of you say little, though you busy yourself with gathering more food and firewood once you’ve brought Volo a bowl of soup. You borrow his Garchomp for the afternoon, and between it and your pokemon, you manage to bring back a sizable haul of berries, wood, sootfoot root, and leeks—even if you had to fight about a dozen aggressive pokemon to do it. You continue to say very little as you sit by Volo’s side, using a comb and a wet cloth to clean the blood from his hair and tie it into the loose bun you’re so accustomed to seeing on him, and as you check on his leg—still very swollen—and very carefully elevate it on another rolled up blanket. You make sure he eats enough, and drinks enough, and is warm enough.

And as the sun sinks below the mountains, and the sky darkens enough to see the innumerable stars, you think you’ve finally made your decision.

Helping Volo lie down is just as difficult as getting him to sit up was, and he winces with every small movement, though he doesn’t make much noise. You think he’s trying to be as quiet as possible.

He was right, that his words now can’t change his past decisions, his actions toward you. And you aren’t naive—you won’t trust blindly in the idea that he regrets what he did. But you also don’t believe it’s a crime to be cautiously optimistic, to think that people can change. Kamado treated you poorly, too, but he has apologized, and he does his best to make up for it. The whole of Jubilife Village, in fact, treated you poorly, save for a few, like Cyllene, who went against orders to help you. Your feelings for all of them are complicated, too. And what you told Sabi was true: the minute you feel that Volo is planning something, you’ll do anything to put a stop to it. But he’s certainly not planning anything right now, bedridden and broken as he is. 

You sit cross-legged beside him, though he doesn’t meet your eyes. “I’m being kind to you because that’s who I am,” you tell him simply. “I don’t really have it in me to be any other way. I haven’t forgotten the way that you hurt me—I just can’t stand to see you like this and not help as much as I can. You’re a person, Volo, and I care about you.”

It’s too dark to see much of his expression, but you can tell that he’s looking at you now. He’s silent for a moment, and then he lets out a rush of air that’s something close to a chuckle. “No wonder Arceus wants to meet you,” he says, and you can’t hear a trace of the bitterness or jealousy with which he spoke of the same thing atop Mount Coronet. He says, “When you found me, in Giratina’s realm, I told you I thought it had been weeks since you found me.”

In the beat of silence, you can hear the wind rising outside the hut. 

“I lied. I thought it had been months.”

Your blood runs cold. “Months?”

“The Distortion World... it is not a friendly place to human life. There is water, though it tastes foul. You don’t need food, though you still feel hungry. I thought I was going to die there, abandoned by Giratina, unreachable to you or anyone else.”

Tears spring to your eyes. He had done something bad, yes, but he certainly didn’t deserve to spend (real or perceived) months in the Distortion World, alone and starving.

“And then you came, borne on Giratina itself, and told me it had only been a few days. 

“I spent all that time, those months-that-weren’t-months, thinking in circles about what I had done wrong. At first, I thought it was my plan that had been flawed. Certainly, there must have been something, some myth, that I was missing, that could have led me to victory. But eventually, the anger faded. And I realized I had known all along why Arceus chose you, and not me. Of course you fell out of the rift to get in my way; that was Arceus’s point. 

“You said it yourself. You’re kind. That’s why Arceus wants to meet you—why it wants to battle you, understand you, perhaps even be your friend.

“I followed you all that time with every intent to take the plates from you once you had collected them all, because I knew I had no chance of them being bestowed upon me—but my jealousy blinded me to the fact that there was a reason they were bestowed upon you. Wyrdeer, the Nobles, and all the others... they all sensed your kindness.”

He’s silent for a long time, and so are you. If he’s telling the truth, that he truly understands and regrets what he’s done...

There’s a waver in his voice when he resumes speaking that makes you desperately sad. “So. I know that I could apologize a thousand times, and thank you a thousand times—and I will, if you’ll let me—but it will never be enough. I do not understand your kindness, but I know that it is the reason I’m still alive. So, thank you. And I’m sorry.”

You take a deep breath, then let it out in a long sigh. Night has fully fallen now, and only the light of the moon reflecting on the snow outside allows you to see his tears. In truth, you’re crying again too. “Volo, I...” you struggle for words. “Thank you, for apologizing. I... I think you know that I can’t blindly trust that you’re telling the truth right now. But I hope that you are. I just... I want you to know that it’s never too late to... you know. Do what’s right. And find happiness, and meaning.”

He sniffles, and you echo the sound.

“It’s getting late. You need to sleep so you can heal.”

Volo sighs. “You’re right.”

“Wake me if you need anything, alright?”

“I will,” he says.

Then, the night is quiet, except for Arcanine’s occasional snore, but you doubt you’ll be able to sleep anytime soon for all the thoughts swirling around your mind.

[prof-peach]

Hey Prof, I need your advice.

My sister recently decided she didn't wanted her bulbasaur anymore (she got him on a whim about a month ago) and gave him to me, he is quite violent and tends to attack when I try to get close to him.

Now, that wouldn't be a huge problem, but my Purrloin has gotten hurt trying to befriend him, she's quite outgoing and never really liked fighting (we enjoy contests so she knows a few more flashy attacks), so she couldn't even defend herself properly.

I don't want to give up on him and my local rescue center is filled with Bunearies (you know, after Easter kids don't want their Bunny anymore) so they can't take him in right now, any advice in how I can go about this situation?

Sounds to me like you have a tricky little dude on your hands. So you're not battle orientated which will make this harder, Bulbasaur in the wild are actually quite combat minded to defend their families and territory, and a lot of their herds consist of strict hierarchy based on power and skill, often led by older, fully evolved members of their group. 

Before you take any actions to befriend them, its worth noting that any pokemon who comes into your care showing aggression is usually doing so for one or two reasons that are pretty universal for any species. Fear being the main issue with pokemon who have been ditched, if a pokemon is unwell, if it feels exposed, if it is unsure of you or your home, your partners, it may lash out because it is afraid. Even what looks like pure anger can stem from a fear. Of course some individuals are just full of rage, its not unheard of, but for the most part it comes from somewhere else. 

For a moment, take the time to put yourself in this pokemons shoes. It was chosen, with hopes and ambitions of its own, by your sister, a stranger to them, and for whatever reason they were cast aside. This reason may be unclear to the pokemon, it may be unfair, unkind, or even without malice just out of pure indifference. No matter the reason, this pokemon has been left behind by a trainer it at one point probably wanted to try to get along with. I don’t know what your sister may or may not have done, or provided for the bulbasaur, but it will help you understand how its feeling, if you were to ask her about their relationship prior to you receiving the pokemon. If it has always been aggressive and angry, i’d seriously consider talking to it about release, not rehome. 

We humans have a preconceived notion that pokemon are pets and things to keep with us. This may be true for some sure, but not every pokemon wishes to be a captive to a human, they may want more for themselves, and wish for a free life with their own kind. We cannot put our wants and desires above that of the pokemons, so you two need to have a talk, at a respectful distance for safeties sake, to see what the Bulbasaur feels they may want. These are herd pokemon, born and bred to be with their own kind, if not a larger group, if its lonely, if it wants to go home, to start a family, or simply to not be held in a ball as some creature to be owned, then you as its current carer must give it what you can. You can always find another pokemon who wants to be your partner, but you cannot give back lost years to a pokemon who has lived a life its unhappy with. Treat them with respect, and be open and honest. At the end of the day we have a chance to help pokemon, and forcing what we want onto them is a hinderance, and will lead to them feeling unsatisfied and bitter in the long run. 

Some pokemon lash out due to the process of being handed off to someone else, trust is earnt, not always just simply given to whoever holds the pokeball. Remember this as you move forward, and try to keep your other pokemon away from them, Bulbasaur are territorial species, and have to accept pokemon into their families before simply allowing them to come and go freely into their personal space. Despite their grouchy natures at times they usually do have a morally positive compass, and defend with ferocity when they love something. Perhaps in you showing genuine concern for their welfare and future, offering them not what you want, but instead what they want, they may give you a chance to get closer, but take baby steps, and try to be their friend above all else. I bet they're feeling pretty lonely right now. 

Its worth sharing interests with the pokemon, talk about contests, see if they're interested, some pokemon have a predisposition for this, others have no interest and prefer more battle based lives, or even peaceful non-competitive existences. no amount of pressure will change a pokemon’s nature, and some just aren't cut out for the fine art of showmanship that contests require. You can however use powerful attacks in showy ways, so theres always hope that they could enjoy it, if you can work with them to their strengths. 

If possible, work to getting them outdoors, cooping grass types up can lead to stroppy, testing personalities, many thrive in the outdoors, he may need some serious outside time to compensate for the lack of exercise and natural stimulation they may have not been getting prior to your ownership. There are plenty of areas in public that are much like tennis courts, areas of space you can book for a set amount of time too exercise difficult pokemon, these locations are often secure facilities, both outdoors and indoors, to suit a range of species. find one that has outdoor facilities and book a few hours per week to go there, increasing the time whenever possible. This exercise and time with you may help to find common ground, and topics that you and the bulbasaur can bond over. This can be anything from battles, to sun bathing, playing sports, games, swimming, running or digging, and everything in between. Bulbasaur naturally are great foragers and tend to like to snaffle about in long grass and shrubland, hiding treats like berry slices in a secure environment is good enrichment and can tire the pokemon out. a tired pokemon is usually a little less aggressive, having lower energy levels and less want to expend attacks. this process also associated you with something fun, and your scent will be on the treats too, so they'll know you were the one to provide this activity for them.   

I’d also take plenty of time to observe the bulbasaur, as your sister got them on a whim, they probably had no prior knowledge of the species, or how to correctly care for them. In a month, a health complaint could have begun to show, so observe their colouration, feet, walking gait, sleeping patterns, feeding habits, and general behaviour. Excess scratching, heavy breathing, or unusual shaking or moving can suggest a health condition is starting to take form. Most can be helped if caught early, but some illnesses give the pokemon discomfort, and can lead to snappy tempers and irritability. It could be that this individual is in pain, or finding life difficult due to its health, which can cause a lot of hostility as i’m sure anyone would agree. It can suck to be sick!

This species can be won over if you can prove you have a skill of worth to them. This is the case with a lot of pokemon, having respect for something they cannot do, and learning that they need things from you can lead to them at least tolerating us humans. Its a foot in the door. A trick i like t use with particularly difficult bulbasaur is to give them their fav food, whatever it is, then put it in a clear container the pokemon cannot open. They have no thumbs, and their vines though dexterous, aren't able to open every kind of container. The pokemon will want whats inside, and be unable to access it. they will eventually give up out of frustration. this is where you come in. enter the space, don’t let your pokemon approach as this can be threatening, and open the container. leave it on the floor open, making sure they've watched you get the thing open. They can then approach and enjoy their fav food, all thanks to you and those wondrous thumbs you have. repeating this process yields good results, and starts a mutual relationship of tolerance and acceptance between you and a bulbasaur. Most will accept they want the food more than they want you gone, and you provide something they can’t get to. whatever you do, don’t let them see that you were the one to lock the food up in the container. Get a friend to do it, or do it in the room, and leave it in place on the floor, before allowing the bulbasaur to enter and investigate the item. If they see you're the one doing it, the trick is foiled, and your back to square one. Eventually this does tend to lead to the pokemon becoming less stressed with you around them, and eventually it leads to trust, and even friendship. This trick is good to use to get them use to you, once they're ok with you being around them because of your use to them, they may start to take food from you directly, engage in play, or even just sit and tolerate company for short periods of time. Do not expect this to be quick, but it does usually do the trick. 

Regardless, i do have concern that the pokemon may want to be with its own, should you discuss this and find they're not interested in being housebound and a pet, feel free to send them our way, we had exactly this situation in mind when setting up the islands facilities, and have extensive locations designed with grass pokemosn needs at the forefront. Theres a small herd of about 12 bulbasaur evolutions that live north of our labs, no people see them, they are happy as a unit, and are left alone to go about their lives, with the only interactions between humans being us giving them their yearly health check, or should we spot them with an issue, we may intervene. They live away from others and pretty much free, in a poacher safe environment. Its not ideal, we like to keep pokemon in areas they come from, with people who love them, and you show great concern for the pokemon so it would be a shame to have to let them go, BUT sometimes thats just life, and theres nothing to be done about it other than accepting that the pokemons wants come first. They may just be mistrusting so try everything else first, and see how you go. hopefully you’ll yield some results from this all. Good luck out there trainer.