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a-tale-of-legends · 3 years

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A semi-deep dive of N's relationship with Alexis and Elliot. A matter in three parts.

Part 1: The Journey

It's no secret that Alexis and Elliot's journey wasn't what they were expecting. And it all started with a strange green-haired person named N. Both of the twins collectively agreed that N was odd at first, from talking really fast to claiming that he could talk to Pokemon. It got even more odd, and a bit concerning, when they would start to talk about becoming a hero and befriending the white dragon. Elliot was easy to dismiss this as just a weird person doing weird things( though she still had an eye out). Alexis, on the other hand, was oddly concerned? Something about this stranger concerned him. Was he hurt? Lost? Confused? He didn't know the answer then, but he did know that it wouldn't hurt to get to know the mysterious N a bit more.

As the twins journey continues, more joy and despair happen on both sides, Alexis breaking more and more, far from the youthful spirited kid he was before this journey started. N would make appearances in their journey, up to Nimbasa City. At that point, Alexis actually considered N a friend. A strange and distant one, but a friend non the less( Anything to distract him from the death around him).Elliot was a bit more apprehensive, slowly starting to put the pieces together. Though Alexis talked a bit positively of N, and if Alexis was happy, she was happy. N was confused about the both of them. Alexis was someone who almost seemed happy to see him, by the chances that they do see each other, even sharing some of his ideals. But he still seems to oppose him. Then there was his sister, Elliot, who was much more harsh and opposing to N. Tbh, N didn't really like her at first. But her pokemon remain by her side, claiming to love her with every ounce of their being. So confusing....

Everything came crashing down at Nimbasa City. At that point, Alexis, the poor boy, broke. He spilled everything to N on the ferriswheel. The death, the running away, the sleepless nights, everything..... everything expect Team Plasma. What they did. But Alexis trusted N. N was his friend.

I'm going to be honest, I'm still not sure how N would react to Alexis confession. Disgust, anger, sympathy? All of the above. I don't know. But I do know is that he decided the worst timing to tell Alexis the truth. That he was the king of Team Plasma. The team that harmed pokemon. The team that stole pokemon. The team that killed Alexis' pokemon in Wellspring Cave. That team. Alexis never felt so numb in his life. He felt so betrayed.

Elliot, who was just about having enough with the Team Plasma shabang and was about to talk to Alexis about it when she saw them. N and Alexis leaving the ferriswheel. Alexis looking terrible. Two Team Plasma running up to them. She hears them call N "Lord N".

Lord N.

The pieces finally click together.

Elliot was livid.

Surprisingly, after the two had their battle, Alexis prevented Elliot from absolutely beating the shit out of N( which also didn't let N see her in a better light either).

The whole ordeal left Alexis so confused. He was betrayed. Was he? Was he just that desperate to not think about the reality of the situation? Was N ever truly hid friend? And yet, after all that, he just felt it. Something was wrong. Something bigger than Team Plasma, or N ideals. He needs to find out. He has to. For N. For Unova.

Elliot wanted Team Plasma to burn to the ground. Really, she did not fucking care. They hurt Alexis, they hurt so many people! Fuck them! She's going to take them down if it's the last thing she does. She has to protect them. She has to.

N, after the ferriswheel incident, has just become more and more confused. Whatever emotions that he felt, or tried to not feel, has died down. All he feels now is guilt. And he doesn't know why. He's right! He knows he's right! His father trained him for this exact moment! Why?! He remembers their faces. The emotion in their eyes. Alexis feeling of betrayal, Elliot's rage. He can't un-see it. They haunt himAnd the pokemon. The pokemon. He heard them scream. Yell. Shouting at him to get away, crying in concern for their trainers. Calling him a monster. A monster. Him. No that can't be right. The true monsters are humans. They are foul, and dishonest, and bring nothing but harm to pokemon. N is not the monster here, he-

...

He confides in his sisters. He.... doesn't want father to know of his doubts. They, too, have been exploring Unova. They should help. They should set him straight. But his sisters shake their head.

" That's just means your learning the truth N. Your truth,"

The truth? The truth.

Hm.

He needs to find Reshiram.

N and the twins don't meet each other for a while. Elliot is head set on beating down any Team Plasma grunt she see's, while Alexis is honestly just avoiding them to ensure his pokemon lives( fun fact! The later half of the nuzlocke was actually decently deathless! I take it as Alexis being extremely paranoid of everything). Chargestone Cave was an awkward encounter between Alexis and N( Elliot was busy battling Team Plasma grunts to notice N). They don't really talk, both being as elusive to the topic at hand. The tie breaker is Cody( a then joltik) who was vibing on N's hat before taking interest in Alexis. It was a good ice breaker at least. N asks Alexis if he has a dream. Alexis thinks for a bit. He says he's not sure. Not right now. Of course, in typical N fashion, they battle, to which Alexis wins. Professor Juniper and Bianca( but mostly professor juniper) seems to get N riled up. He leaves as quickly as he came.

After getting his 6th badge, he meets N again. No battle. He just wants to talk. That scares Alexis more than it should. Oh wait it's too his pokemon. Still scared though.

N's mind is still plagued with the events of Nimbasa City, what his sisters told him. But he's tired of talking to humans. Pokemon are better. They don't lie.....though it seems that Alexis' team doesn't want to talk to him. Everyone except the Samurott. She insists for him to call her Kai. The name Alexis have her. That's.... interesting. He hopes to find something, anything, that proves him right. Surely, Alexis, his enemy friend rival, isn't as nice as he appears to be. There has to be more. There's always more( he knows from experience)

What she says surprise him. Does it? Was he something he always knew? He doesn't know .

Kai speaks of her trainer highly, and with great pride. Almost like a mother, ironically. She tells N that she would never leave his side. That Alexis is the most selfless human she is so fortunate to have as a trainer. She tells N that she loves him, and the team that they created

She also warns him if he tries anything to harm Alexis anymore than what Team Plasma already did, she will maul him to death. Politely.

Ah.

The new information makes the guilt N felt before resurface. The bond between Alexis and his pokemon( and dare say between his sister and her pokemon) is strong. It's would be heartbreaking to separate them. But if he must for the sake of pokemon then....

...

He tells Alexis about the stones. In Dragonspiral Tower.

Now there isn't much to say about the rest. The tension is high, Elliot is still mad, and Alexis is still a shadow of the young boy he was( but is slowly putting the puzzle pieces of N together)

When reaching N's castle, Elliot gets a slight perspective change. She's still angry and mourning( she lost pokemon too) but then she see's more team Plasma grunts. Some her age. Some younger. They all share the goal of wanting a better world for Pokemon. Some are even unsure of Ghetsis' action. Even N's! That's.....not different from what she saw. She's seen these type of grunts. Those who just want to protect pokemon. Those who just want pokemon safe. She knows that. ...

But that doesn't excuse all the harm they cause. She's still mad. She's still mourning. But she understands now. Just a little. Still doesn't like N.

Alexis finally understands. N's room. It's so....empty. So crooked. He can feel the loneliness. The isolation. He feel a fire blazing in his heart. He's going to save N, and Unova and maybe punch Ghetsis in the face! He just Zekrom feels the same.

The rest of it is a blur.

Alexis remember a few things. The gym leaders, the Elite Four, Cheren, Bianca.

His sister.

He remembers hearing Zekroms cries, lightning and fire clash. Waves of emotions pour out his body. He needs to make him understand. He has to.

Ghetsis. That smile. That rage. N's cries for his father to stop. His sisters were right. His sisters were right-

It's over.

He's gone.

And then they were two.

" Alexis! You said you weren't sure what your dream was. I hope you find it someday," N smiles down at the slightly bloodied Alexis, " I hope you find your dream! I hope you dream that dream! Dream that wonderful dream, and with the ideals in your heart, make it a reality!" He tips his hat, his eyes glistening.

" Thank you for everything, my friend. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you. And.....farewell!"

And then he's gone.

It's over.

Why does he still feel so numb? He should be happy. Ghetsis is gone, N is going to find his truth and everyone he loves is safe. He should-

He should....

He should go.

He doesn't want to be here anymore.

He'll be back.

Of course he will he just-

Can't do this anymore.

Elliot gets a phone call from her mother, crying. It's about Alexis. He wasn't at the hospital. The nurse found the bed empty. All except for a note:

"Gonna find N. Be back soon"- A

Liar.

#oc: alexis jones #oc: elliot jones #n harmonia #this ended up a story and a half #AND IT'S ONLY PART 1 #i think the next two will be much shorter #but who knows #also #don't tag as ship #please their relationship is purely platonic #they're siblings your honor

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yergink · 4 years

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countdown timer

all my thinking about colress has manifested into a fic.

Crossposted to Ao3

---

A megalomaniac and a scientist discuss evil plans over coffee and cheesecake. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

How Doctor Achroma joins Team Plasma.

--- In a rooftop cafe in Castelia City, Doctor Achroma waits patiently for his coffee to arrive. He sits alone at a window side table, his chin resting in a delicate hand as he watches the movement of the crowded city streets below.

Achroma is an accomplished young pokemon researcher, who has rapidly gained fame in the recent months, and who is known well by the general public for his papers discussing the nature of a pokemon’s strength. His name is often passed around university circles, and his work in recent years has only caused him to have an even greater public presence.

This is how the waiter at the cafe recognizes him, setting down his ordered cup of dark espresso with a shaky hand. Achroma gives him a smile, and the waiter works up the nerve to ask in stumbling words if the doctor would look over some of his notes for him.

“An up and coming researcher, are you?” Achroma asks.

“Yes, sir,” the waiter replies, holding the platter he’d delivered the coffee on tight against his chest. “And your work has just been such an inspiration.”

As he draws the cup closer, Achroma responds amusedly, “So I’m told.”

He goes silent for a moment, turning back to the window and gazing at the skyline. The waiter’s knuckles clench tighter around the platter, gut churning in a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Then, Achroma laughs. It’s abrupt enough to startle the young server.

“You know, the person I’m meeting with was supposed to be here ten minutes ago,” the doctor drawls, producing a red pen from a pocket and setting it down next to his cup. “I think I have some time to kill. Do you have your work with you?”

Almost dazedly, the waiter nods, hurrying to the back room to fetch his notes.

The bell above the cafe entrance chimes. It is the third time it has done so since he has arrived, and Achroma does not look up.

He can hear one of the wait staff flustering over the new customer, who grumbles rather loudly, “I’m meeting someone here. You don’t have to seat me.”

“Sir, please--”

“Out of my way.”

A short yelp bursts from the attendant as the cafe’s new arrival shoulders past her. Achroma can just see it over the top of the notebook he’s holding. He sighs, knowing what’s next.

Ghetsis slides into the seat opposite Achroma, immediately clattering his cane against the table and hissing, “I believe I requested we meet somewhere more discreet.”

Indeed he had. But Achroma had figured that allowing Ghetsis to choose the location of their meeting would give him a little too much control of the situation. Plus, he was bound to pick somewhere creepy, and no matter what anyone said, Achroma prided himself in having standards.

In response, he simply hums, eyeing Ghetsis over. “Well, to be fair, I didn’t realize you’d be coming looking like that .”

Ghetsis’ outfit is what Achroma would not-so-lovingly refer to as a ‘Manic Cult Leader Uniform,’ complete with high collared cloak and elaborately decorated cane. It seemed almost as if he wanted to be clocked as a former Team Plasma leader. Not that regular clothes would have done much to hide his identity anyway, with a face like the one he had.

Achroma gestures to his own attire: a sleek black turtleneck and gray slacks. “It could have been discreet. If you’d taken a bit more thought.”

Instead of trying to refute Achroma’s smug comment, Ghetsis just scoffs. “It’s fine. Can we get to business now?”

Achroma taps his pen to his chin, looking down the page before him. “We can. Just as soon as I finish looking at this.”

“Excuse me?”

The sound of the pen scratching is Achroma’s only reply. Ghetsis slams a hand onto the table, and the force of the blow causes the doctor’s coffee to spill from its cup and for his pen to slash a jagged line across the paper.

“This is important business, Doctor,” he sneers.

Silently, Achroma puts down the notebook and reaches for a napkin, mopping up the spill. “I had to wait nearly twenty minutes for you to arrive,” he informs Ghetsis, his tone frigid. “So you’re going to have to wait a little while for me.”

Ignoring how his statement leaves Ghetsis fuming, Achroma resumes his reading. In the end, it only takes him a minute more or so. A ridiculously short wait time for Ghetsis to get so fussy about.

When he’s finished, Achroma caps his pen and sets it down, waving the server over once more. Nervously, the young man approaches the table.

“What did you think?” He asks, clearly anxious about the doctor’s response.

Achroma hands it back to him, and says, “It’s a solid start, but you need to step out of the hypothetical and put some of your theories to the test. Other than that, I can see that you certainly have a lot of passion for your research, and I'm sure you'll be able to find success."

Practically beaming, the young man stammers, “Thank you sir!” He marvels at the page for a moment, as though he’s been handed some sort of prize rather than his own notes.

It’s only then that he seems to notice Achroma’s companion. He turns to Ghetsis, pencil ready, and asks, “And, um. Can I get you something?”

“You have cheesecake?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That, then. And make sure it’s cold.”

The waiter nods, jotting it down before scurrying off, leaving the two men alone. Achroma sips his coffee.

“I didn’t take you for a cheesecake type. Always thought you were more into danishes,” he comments.

“It’s been years, Doctor. You think my tastes have all stayed the same?”

“I suppose not,” Achroma muses.

A brief bout of silence descends upon them, broken when the waiter arrives once more with the cheesecake. When he sets it down, Achroma can see it is chilled enough that the top is coated in a sheen of ice crystals. Ghetsis does not thank him for it, and the waiter takes his leave.

“Can we get to it now?” Ghetsis asks with poorly concealed impatience, picking up his fork and cutting into the slice.

Achroma has never seen anything more ridiculous than the overwhelming figure of Team Plasma’s former leader delicately eating a slice of cheesecake. He smiles in amusement and pretends it’s agreement instead. “Of course. With pleasure.”

Ghetsis swallows a bite of cheesecake before speaking. Achroma’s eyes follow down his throat.

“Now, I’ve gotten together nearly fifty of the old members. A great number were taken in by police, but I believe that we can begin recruitment again. With a little rebranding, it won’t be difficult. Of course, there is nothing that can be done about our runaway sages, but I believe…”

Slowly, Achroma’s eyes begin to glaze over as he listens to Ghetsis spew statistics about membership and plans and incomprehensible ideology. He realizes, quite suddenly, that he honestly couldn’t care less about the activities of a failed cult, and there were plenty of other things he’d rather be thinking about.

For example, as he watches Ghetsis speak, he finds his gaze trailing down at the half-eaten cheesecake, where the ice coating has begun to melt, moistening the surface. He thinks about a recent event he’d heard about, where an ice type trainer had developed hypothermia from prolonged proximity to his pokemon. He figures that you could craft an effective freezer from just the use of a few ice types, and then realizes that the idea probably wouldn’t fly with most manufacturers.

He glances outside, where the light of the midday sun reflects off the tops of skyscrapers, coloring them white. A flock of pidove fly by, chattering and cooing. One of them nearly grazes the window. Achroma thinks about how the top recorded speed of a pidove in flight is 92.5 miles per hour and wonders if there was a way he could increase it.

“Are you even listening?” Ghetsis asks suddenly, pulling Achroma out of his thoughts.

Not in the slightest, he thinks but doesn’t say. Ghetsis is glaring at him now, his one good eye narrowed and suspicious. Achroma takes his time answering, allowing himself a sip of coffee before cracking a reassuring smile. “Of course, my friend. And you’ve brought up several fantastic ideas,” he says and nods, as though he has any clue what nonsense the man in front of him has been rambling about. While his response is somewhat thin, it seems to do enough to convince Ghetsis, who calms and settles back down with a grunt. It appeared he’d gotten so worked up at the possibility that Achroma hadn’t been paying attention that he’d actually risen from his seat.

“Good. You always were a bit of an airhead, so I just had to make sure,” the villain grumbles.

Achroma doesn’t even waste his time thinking of a comeback to that one. Although, he does find Ghetsis’ needlessly emotional reaction amusing. He wonders idly how in the world Ghetsis came so close to becoming the most powerful person in Unova when he clearly had no capacity for complex thought.

In fact, he doesn’t know much about Team Plasma’s first attempted takeover at all. He’d been traveling in Sinnoh at the time, and now that an entire two years had passed since the event, it seemed like most of Unova were hesitant to speak on the subject.

Before he can spend too much time following that train of thought, Ghetsis says, “And I assume you’ve thought over my proposal?”

Ah, there it was. Finally. The reason Achroma had agreed to this meeting at all.

“I have,” he starts, carefully. “And I can’t express how intrigued I am by it. I mean--” he lowers his voice, leaning over the table. “Capturing Kyurem? Using it? As a weapon? You know me too well, old friend.”

“I figured you would be interested. Yes, that is the plan. And you’re the only person I know who I believe would be able to do it.”

Achroma hums. “Yes, I believe so too. It’s not something any self-respecting scientist would want any part in.”

“It’s very lucky then, that you have no self respect.”

Achroma laughs. “Well, no respect for the ethics of science, at least.”

He pretends to think for a moment, as if he didn’t already know exactly what he was going to say.

“And, as Head Scientist, I assume I would have full reign to do whatever I want with Kyurem? As well as the other captured pokemon?”

Ghetsis chuckles. It’s a dark, scathing sound. “Oh, yes. About that. I don’t want you to be Head Scientist, my friend.”

“No?”

“No.” A malicious grin crosses Ghetsis’ face. “I want you, Doctor Achroma, to lead Neo Team Plasma.”

Out of everything else, that’s what startles him. His eyes widen, and Ghetsis looks incredibly self-satisfied at having caught him off guard.

“Leader of Team Plasma, huh,” he considers the sound of it.

“It would suit you,” Ghetsis offers. “You’d have free reign of the entire operation. No limits as to what experiments you can conduct. As long as, of course, you also work to forward the overall goal of the team…”

“So you would, what, lead behind the scenes, then? Make me a figurehead?”

“Not quite. No figurehead this time. I’m not repeating my failures.”

Achroma doesn’t know what he means, but he decides it doesn’t matter. This opportunity was a good one. It would certainly suit his needs. Of course, he understood what Ghetsis was doing. Always ready to throw the blame onto someone else. But Achroma was smart. He wouldn’t let himself be so easily duped.

He’d take the bait and use Team Plasma, and by extension Ghetsis, for as long as he so desired. And then, once he’d tired of his playthings, he would see to it that the team was destroyed, and Ghetsis put away.

It would be easy.

He smiles warmly, extending a hand. “Alright then, old friend,” he says. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

#pokemon #colress #colress fic #achroma #pokemon black and white #pokemon black and white 2 #pokemon fic #fan fiction #my writing #marine blogs #reblogs appreciated !

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ghostmartyr · 6 years

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Pokémon White Randomized Nuzlocke Run [Part 11]

We have made it to post-game!

Sort of!

The plot done away with, now is the time to explore the rest of the map and wrap up the entire run with one last go at the Elite Four in their final form!

Our main contestants are

still spoiler tagged!

for maximum worrying.

Let’s get marching.

Back in the room where it all began. I wonder if this beginning will also start with my friends running in unannounced and starting a battle with me. ...That would be bad, it’d better not.

...Looker. I’m gonna level with you.

I don’t wanna be a junior detective.

He’s still on the trail of Team Plasma, and has decided to assign us the task of tracking down the Seven Sages. He also gives us a Super Rod. I don’t think we could fish before this, which is kind of an odd feature for a pokemon game.

Looker’s a nut, but an endearing nut.

Ah yes, my besties.

And hey, Professor Juniper’s dad shows up to upgrade my pokedex! Half my team will no longer be without numbers!

So. Now what.

Which really means, do I let Buzz Fly me to Nimbasa or Opelucid?

I think the Nimbasa route will contain a bridge.

We’re going on the bridge.

Though before we do that, I want to check out the train area again to see if the IV person is there now that I’ve beaten the plot. I’m probably just misremembering their entire existence, but I could have sworn someone was down there.

DUDE! LOOK AT WHO’S RIGHT!

Okay okay okay we’ve got to give this a full check.

Frogger is above average, with fantastic Attack and Special Attack. Rojo is decent, with very good Special Defense. Tock is above average with very good Special Attack. Fido is above average with HP that ‘can’t be better.’ That explains a few numbers. Batman is above average with fantastic HP. Palm is above average with fantastic Speed.

Rojo, you poor, useless legendary.

You are still one of the most broken things on the team, and I love you for it.

That’s more rounded than I expected, honestly. I figured a few of them would just be terrible, and maybe one would be extraordinary, but it’s above average across the board. Which is. kind of average. Pokemon NPCs are kind people.

APTLY NAMED BRIDGE. ALSO KNOWN AS A NEW ROUTE, LET’S GO FEATHER DROPS.

The dude offering me a Magikarp to buy does not count as the first encounter. Also, I did not buy it. It is not randomized, and as we all know that means it’s awful.

That’s pretty much my reaction, word for word.

Ghetsis told them to give me the Adamant Orb. And the Lustrous Orb. And the Griseous Orb. I think those are... Diamond and Pearl’s legendary special items?

Then the ninja zoom away after telling me we’ll never meet again.

That’s one lazy way to get rid of ninja. I could have sworn I fought them once... wait, did I? That seems like something I could go back and check. Eh, whatever.

Speaking of lazy things, was Team Plasma having a giant castle ever explained? I feel like it wasn’t. I’m okay with that, I just want to know.

The inclusion of the wings you can pick up on bridges were really helpful to EV training. I don’t know how many hours I would spend biking on bridges, and frankly the answer would likely depress me, but picking up all those feather things was so useful.

Of course, I have no real use for them at the moment. I’m trying to find a pokemon in those shadows.

I found one!

Look at you, little adorable guy. Oh, girl.

Quick Ball, then faint if that doesn’t work.

Caught her!

What’s your name, though... gotta go with something musical... I dub thee Pink.

Some girl in the gateway area wants to have a Rotation Battle with me. Like a fool, I say yes, and--

Oh shit.

I was kidding when I called myself a fool, but no, yes, that classification stands. Ahahaha. Um. Okay so after this, I’m gonna. Gonna go to Opelucid instead, maybe.

I didn’t even look at Pink’s level when I caught her. It was all Quick Ball action and ignorance. Could I have been forewarned?

This is bad.

Rotation Battles in general irk me. Rotation Battles that place me at a considerable level disadvantage are. something else. Oy.

Um.

I think the Alomomola might have Water Absorb. But Frogger is the most likely to survive whatever awful thing is about to happen. So that limits me to attacking with Mud Shot or Hyper Voice until the Alomomola is downed. It’s a Normal move. It isn’t going to do much against a Steel type, and it doesn’t do much against Beheeyem either, but I think one of those probably has Levitate for their Ability.

Frogger should not be in front.

He is staying in front.

So far, none of these things are using an actual attack, which I’m grateful for.

As I say that, Alomomola uses Hydro Pump. Frogger’s still green, so. Yeah.

Frogger just keeps using Hyper Voice. He’s going to run out of PP for it. Oh well.

Next Hydro Pump gets him low enough to warrant a Hyper Potion.

Beheeyem uses Power Split. Beheeyem’s not bad and this one is a higher level, so I’m not sure how bad that is.

Good news! Nothing has Levitate, and the Klinklang is defeated!

Alomomola is also defeated!

Beheeyem is defeated!

Yikes.

That only went so well because the other trainer almost never used attacks. It was all status stuff except for Hydro Pump, which missed twice. Something would be dead if a human trainer had been guiding those move choices.

I think I’m going to go outside and check what the wild life is like. It’s possible that the huge level difference is an artificial thing with this one trainer, rather than the norm. I mean, her AI virtually never attacked me. So I’ll hold off on going to Opelucid until I get a look at what other people have.

It could also be that I am underleveled for post-game life.

One thing at a time.

Exploring time.

Oh. That guy’s a trainer. He has a level 62 Gulpin.

Okay, so I’m not comfortably leveled for this, but as long as I don’t fall into a Rotation Battle or a Triple Battle, I have items, and the exp will be worthwhile. I think I’ll keep going, with special attention paid to caution. Maybe something in the grass can help me out with some mild grinding.

I biked all the way back to a Pokemon Center.

That is how much confidence I am feeling.

Something should have a Lucky Egg, but I don’t even know if it’s safe to be here, let alone who my front runner should be.

...Fine, it’s Frogger, never mind.

I’m sorry Frogger, I have no idea why I’m so uninterested in cultivating you. I should be better about not taking you for granted and appreciate that you are the one true survivor of this squad.

It’s just you’re also level 60. So not the thing most in need of exp.

Hello possible new friend. It’s level 48, so I think it might be that the post-game sections just have a level jump for trainers. Delightful.

Quick Ball ftw, Baltoy is now Woody.

Munna’s also in this grass. I can’t help but notice these things are not great for grinding.

Trainer with a level 65 Altaria.

I think Rojo might need to try to handle it before anything more creatively unfortunate happens. Altaria’s a Special Defense pokemon, and I think has a few really great Defense-boosting stat moves. If I let it, it can sweep.

It might also be able to kill Rojo in one hit already, but.

Argh, I hate this, lol.

Rojo, go in, if something happens I’m sorry in advance.

Yeeeeeah this Altaria is doing what I thought it would and I don’t care for it. Dragon Dance plus the Cotton thing that drastically raises Defense. .I am afeared. It uses another Dragon Dance.

Oh good job Rojo. Critical hit for the save. Good job, good job.

Abomasnow is up next.

Fido, you’re up.

Fido eats it.

You know. I like this better when I’m not chronicling every single fight out of the fear of imminent death. The next trainer looks like a Fighting one, so Tock is moved to the first slot.

Are you fucking kidding me.

New plan!

We’re murdering legendaries for breakfast!

Because exp!

Side note: Air Slash has 95 accuracy. Why is it always missing.

...Oh fuck.

I hecked up. Badly. Oh fuck. no.

I thought. Tock would out-Speed. Which I would have realized was a stupid thought if I had actually spent any time thinking about Tock’s features and the fact that the Hitmontop has eight levels on him.

I thought about healing him. Those missed Air Slashes left a lot of damage.

You know what also leaves a lot of damage.

STAB Close Combat.

Stop. thinking. “oh I’m sure it will be fine.”

-cradles head in hands-

I am so sorry Tock.

Fuck, this was not supposed to happen. I shouldn’t be allowed to touch Flying pokemon. Ever. Or fight Fighting pokemon. The fact that this keeps happenings suggests some underlying stupidity.

Damn it.

This. Tock. Buddy.

ALL THOSE FUCKING SLUGMA.

FUCK I JUST REALIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF MY EMOTIONS. I DIDN’T USE TOCK AGAINST N OR GHETSIS. ALL OF THAT EV TRAINING. ALL OF IT. FOR NOTHING BUT RANDOM FIGHTS.

ALL

THOSE

SLUGMA

IT WAS A LOT OF HOURS.

I. Hell, I am so sorry Tock. I did everything wrong for your final moments. You would still be alive (assuming Close Combat wouldn’t have killed you in one hit regardless, which... I will never get to know) if I had just been more careful and less stupid. Five seconds of common sense would have put you out of harm’s way.

I am just. so sorry. This shouldn’t have happened.

You have such a sweet, innocent face and I...

I am upset?

I can’t even pick someone else for the team yet. It can wait. Nothing can really replace Tock, and I can’t act otherwise.

I can take Bandit for a walk, though. There are boulders nearby.

-eliminates Reshiram with no joy in heart-

Hell.

I think this place has more uses if you are not playing on the computer.

It has grass. That’s the important thing of the moment.

Hey little guy.

Quick Ball go, Quick Ball get.

I don’t know what to call you.

So. I’m gonna go with Tick.

FOR THE LOVE OF SOMETHING, STOP SPAMMING THE A BUTTON EQUIVALENT THROUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE I DID NOT WANT A TRIPLE BATTLE BECAUSE THAT IS LIKE THREE TIMES THE CHANCES OF DEATH AND I AM NOT DOING WELL WITH THE NORMAL CHANCES.

It works out thanks to the typing.

But geez self. Show some learning.

See, okay, the kid standing above her also wants a Triple Battle.

Now, what are we going to do?

Go to the Pokemon Center, and then say absolutely because my guys need exp.

I’m not a greatly intelligent human.

Not even a little.

It works out, though. Exp gained, no one dead.

New route.

This trainer has a level 68 Purugly.

I think. I really need to drop everything and grind for a little bit.

Frogger has fallen in love with the Purugly. He is also now paralyzed. After a turn of that, thankfully, he uses Hydro Pump and it hits.

Frogger.

I’m judging you a bit.

Level 68 Espeon. Followed by level 68 Lapras. Good grief I should not be in this place.

THAT ONE WAS NOT MY FAULT.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

This.

Fuck.

Uh.

So uh. There was this Future Sight Batman took. I made the executive decision that it was safer for her to be in there for it than Palm, and. I stand by that. Except then a critical hit Hydro Pump hit. And it’s a level 68 Lapras. So.

So.

You killed Boeing. By catching you, I took away your ability to kill. But I always knew you could still die. You were the terror. You were the knight.

You were Batman.

You deserved to be enshrined forever in the Hall of Fame.

But this is where we part, my friend.

Farewell.

Uh.

...4x STAB Leaf Storm.

This was meant to be the grass encounter where I caught one of them?

I was focused on that?

I did not think a level 59 Petilil could kill Frogger in one shot?

This is.

Bad?

There is also a chance the Petilil is too dangerous to live?

But I catch it, so yay?

Petilil’s new name is Battousai.

And.

This has been the longest hour of this run.

I am in so much more trouble than I was.

Frogger. You were my second pokemon.

You saved the day against the Elite Four.

You were dependable, and I never learned to depend on you.

I did not see us ending this way.

I am so sorry.

...

Hello.

Darkness my old friend.

I’ve come to cry at you again.

So uh.

Guess who. needs a new team.

Ahahaha I am in hell.

...

You know what. I. am going to take a break. This has been an excruciating hour. I don’t care for it. I don’t know what I should put on my new team. All I know is that this is very sad and I continue to be worse at this game than I thought.

So that’s great.

[next session start]

Alrighty then.

-stares blankly-

My party has Rock/Fighting, Fire, Grass/Fighting.

I, uh. Need to fill it.

With stuff.

Piglet (Spoink). You’re coming with. Buzz and Bandit will come along with HMs. I’ll see if I can hit the other routes, then figure the rest of this mess out.

Right. Lesgo.

On the comforting side, the first trainer we see has a level 65 thing too. So the side picked didn’t severely change the outcome of. things.

The first thing I see is Lairon, but I have an Aron.

-considers-

Let’s see if I can catch you.

Score, I can. I forgot the Quick Ball, but damage lined up to make it a clean catch. I’mma name you Daffy.

I think. I need to grind more than anything. My surviving team is very much at risk, and Piglet is wholly untrained. Both of those things need fixing. Hopefully it won’t involve chasing down Slugma.

To Dragonspiral and Jellicent, I guess. One step at a time.

(Bandit learned Surf, by the way. Because. Something needed to know that.)

Piglet is evolving! Form of... Grumpig!

Bodacious.

What EVs does Reshiram give? Because if it’s Special Attack...

That’s worth investigating.

Cue nothing but Baltoy. ...I also don’t know what Baltoy gives. ...Or Snorunt. Snorunt is also here. Along with Piplup.

Reshiram gives Special Attack.

I’m taking this as confirmed based on recording several levels of Piglet’s stats attacking nothing but Reshiram. A wild extra point of Special Attack appeared. That makes some things so much easier. I don’t know the exact numbers on what I’m looking for out of Piglet (I think maybe max HP, some convenient split of Special Defense, Defense, and Special Attack), but. Geez this is a relief.

Looking at the numbers though, Piglet isn’t going to be able to pack much of a punch no matter how many EVs I pour into him. I need to focus on tank power.

Maxing HP, then whatever’s left will go to Special Defense and Defense.

Only not in that order.

My memory being what it is, I’m not sure, but I think Relicanth might have Defense and Attack EVs. So I’m just here for Cloyster. I’ll down twenty, then go back to HP grinding. Simple.

Cue no Cloyster.

I should level up Bandit so I start getting better stuff with all this walking.

[one hour later]

This is still boring. I should have figured out my other replacements so I could do this all at once. At least one would have to have similar EV desires, right?

But then I’d have to figure out the other two.

My guess is it will be Yanmega and Jellicent. Fluttershy and Peanut.

But.

I want to wait. Just. Just in case.

Also, screw it, Bandit gets the other Exp. Share. I have two, I’m going to use them. I’m also going to use some PP Ups on Fido’s Flamethrower. Healing after every fifteen fights is. No.

[many hours later]

Okay. HP handled.

Sigh.

The journey continues.

[another hour (okay maybe not really)]

Yay!

I think what I want to do right now is level up what I have rather than focus on training any other new ones. I need to watch those exp bars zoom to the moon. It will sustain me in my grief/exhaustion.

Since I’m in Opelucid anyway, I’m just going to go right and hang in the grass until I’m slightly more confident in the ability of my team to not die.

Wild Pichu are not that helpful in that endeavor. Nor are Mime Jr. Granbull. You are our only hope in this arena.

...

I miss Tock [’s Shadow Ball] so much.

The fear of death is omnipresent. Too much has happened. Where once there was confidence, now there is only dread. Recovery is a faint glimmer of a dream off in the distance.

Neat. Kingdra is also here.

-tilts head-

Yeah, repeats. But still.

I wonder if anything helpful’s in the water.

Well. There’s a level 35 Surskit.

Leaning towards a hard no.

Oh wait, what am I doing. It should be all legendary murdering all the time.

It’s so frustrating, because I just keep thinking hey, I can go fight the trainers along the path for more exp! Then the rest of me remembers that I should not do that.

I don’t think I checked out the dark grass in the route I found Reshiram. I’ll check that out for a quick look. It will possibly be followed by running away as fast as humanly possible, but eh.

That’s not too bad.

...Ah. Levels 58 and 57.

Their danger levels and their exp levels sadly do not line up. Gonna stick with the Reshiram grass.

...Also gonna check what’s in the water of the route with the level 68 hellbeasts.

NO I DIDN’T REALIZE YOU TURNED AROUND.

-deep breath-

-deep scream-

Okay. Okay. It’s fine. It’ll be fine.

Level 64 Primeape, Piglet gets switched in. ..And survives a Close Combat crit.

So then, Piglet is at 23 HP thanks to two Thrashes, and now Palm is out to hopefully do away with a level 64 Scrafty. Yes, because Palm is Palm Wonderful. Last one is a level 64 Poliwrath. Palm gets a crit because Palm loves us.

Piglet learns Power Gem because I don’t have the guts to use Rest as a real strategy.

All right. Lived.

Super Rod leads to Palpitoad. That’s not a bad thing to know. Regular Surfing leads to Wigglytuff. That’s better than the Reshiram grass for leveling if it’s the only thing in the water. But then there’s Shellder.

New area!

Undella Town and Undella Bay are different places, so I must take care with Surfing for my new friend.

This is the town’s choice. I throw a Quick Ball. Metapod caught. Now if only he had a name. Hm.

You can be Crystal.

And this is the choice of the bay. Another Quick Ball is thrown. A Hoothoot is caught. Her name is Winnie.

I’m fast approaching the end of new areas. The map is almost completely lit up.

I think it might be okay to face trainers in the water, because I have Palm. So I’m going to try that, and hope I don’t soon have reason to cry like a baby again.

Level 63 Staryu.

You know, my new question is why that one girl had level 68 monstrosities.

There’s a Quagsire here that we don’t get to catch. ;-;

Oo, and Electrode. I’ve always loved Electrode. It smiles.

I have the HM for Dive now! Yay?

RUN

RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN

RUN.

-severe whimpering noises-

We are not in any way, shape, or form ready for post-game Cynthia. I have memories of grinding against her and others in this house thing, but those teams were allowed to come back after dying.

I will fight her before I fight the Elite Four. Because if I can’t beat her, I have no business facing the Elite Four again (...I think).

Okay, moved up to Route 13 because I don’t actually have anything that can learn Dive. New area. Time to see what we get.

Hmmmmmmmm. Quick Ball get.

Finneon’s new name is F9.

I can’t help but notice that other trainers don’t walk around with level 68 pokemon. I guess that means I really am exploring the entire map before I start training another pokemon. That is possibly misguided, but I really just... am not ready to finalize my final (I hope) team.

Um.

Wait, what the fuck?

I. I was typing.

WHAT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS TYPING. PALM TOOK A HEX BUT HIS HP WAS STILL GREEN AND THEN.

WHAT HAPPENED.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

It uses Hydro Pump against Piglet, so if I were to guess...

How is this still getting worse.

Palm.

Palm Wonderful.

I have no words.

I am distraught.

I will miss you so much.

I no longer have the option of being cute about this. I can’t be walking around with three pokemon in an area where I’m losing them at this rate. I guess the simple fact is that things are now high enough level to know seriously dangerous moves, and there is no truly safe option except for absurd over-leveling.

I need to select three new ones.

I have Fido, Rojo, and Piglet. Fire, Rock/Fighting, and Psychic. I can basically pick whatever I want. And as much as I hate to say it, Palm’s loss keeps me from being overstocked on Fighting. So. If I wanted...

But what do I want?

I want to stack the deck. How do I do that.

IV checker. Everything I might consider using is getting a free checkup.

It’s a sea of “above average”s. With a few “decent”s here and there.

Maybe I should try something different. Maybe I should just select the pokemon I love most. That’s the point of a Nuzlocke, right? Getting attached? In terms of Type coverage, there are things I can do, but. I don’t wanna do that. I want to pick the things I love most. If it has good odds on ending horrifically no matter what I do, I want to have as much fun as possible.

Swiper and Wagston are in. As for the last one, that remains to be seen.

If memory serves, Riolu evolves into Lucario with good happiness during the daytime. So I should start walking. He will also be given a Soothe Bell. I think I’ll spend my time leveling up what remains. Rojo can kill a million Reshiram and become a demigod in addition to a legendary.

Oh, and sportsball. Let’s go do today’s.

Baseball! Baseball is fun.

Have I been here since finishing the plot?

I have, right? There isn’t going to be a huge level jump?

This level 65 Persian staring me down says I’m a moron.

-paces-

I should not be here. I should leave. Straight away.

But Piglet is a tank. Everything I uses in battle is over 60.

This stupidity is now on record. I’m going to try to beat the baseball peeps.

This level 66 Simipour makes me miss Palm so terribly.

Wow, I should not be doing this.

And yet.

There are a lot more trainers here now.

Level 64 Conkeldurr vs level 64 Piglet. My future nightmares start this way.

Piglet is victorious, and we continue this horrible decision!

...

You know what, this is stupid. Piglet hurt himself in confusion twice, then I used a Lemonade to get him back to full health, then the Unfezant’s Sky Attack did. That.

So. This is going badly.

Piglet, I swear I’d say sorry, but I’m mostly just dwelling on how amazingly screwed I am. So. Uh.

So.

tfw I have two usable pokemon!

#Pokemon #Nuzlocke Challenge

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ultramanismycopilot · 7 years

Text

Team Galactic, Or, How I Learned To Stop Feeling And Love Nothing

Like many people, Pokémon represents a big chunk of my childhood. I was hooked from the moment I placed Pokémon Blue into my Gameboy, and to this day I still hold the franchise very close to my heart.

I’ve played at least one mainline game in every generation, and there are very few of them I’d ever call “bad” (some better than others, sure, but none ever dipping below the “good enough” line!).

The 7th Generation of Pokémon games was an interesting experiment, with Sun and Moon taking a much more character-driven focus to its story, as opposed to simply having a wafer-thin plot to fill in the gaps between Gym Leaders.

I can only speak for myself, of course, but I actually rather enjoyed SM for this. Lillie’s story was very interesting to me, and many were the times were I found myself very curious to see where it was headed. That’s not to say there weren’t flaws, obviously (a cutscene skip option would have been nice), and the story wasn’t exactly to the level of the majority of RPGs out there, but for what it was, I found it rather enjoyable.

This was, in no small part, due to its main villain Lusamine, who I’ve seen quite some fans call her the most complex Pokémon villain to date. And while I wouldn’t take away the fact Lusamine is a very interesting villain in her own right, I feel she has strong competition in terms of villainy in the Pokémon world.

Whoever your favorite villain in the entire series is, obviously, down to personal preference. This is just me gushing about a team and villain that I find to be remarkably fascinating for a Pokémon game, and who I believe to be one that gets somewhat misunderstood among the community.

So, with that (way too long) introduction out of the way, let’s talk about Team Galactic!

Team Galactic, for those unaware, is the main villainous team of Generation 4. Their goal, as understood by its Grunts, is the reinvention of the entire universe so that they would be in charge of everything and everyone. They masqueraded as a company devoted to studying alternate energy sources, but behind that lie there were dreams of not just planetary conquest, but of all reality.

This already places them quite a few steps above in terms of ambition from the team before them, and even those that came later. It’s not money they crave like the Rockets, and they’re certainly not doing this out of a misguided attempt at saving the environment like Aqua or Magma.

Galactic’s Grunts, however, could possibly be described as even dumber than any of those teams, and that’s no secret. Despite their lofty goals, Galactic Grunts are dumb as rocks, acting like no more than petty thugs and thieves and bringing plenty of unwanted attention towards their organization. As they are, their sole strength is in numbers, as the Grunts alone would be incapable of staging any of attacks seen throughout the course of the game.

As such, Team Galactic relies on its circle of Commanders to get things done: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Charon (in Platinum). Unlike the Grunts, they manage to be somewhat of a bigger threat, but despite being smarter they still hold much of the same idea as Grunts in regards to their organization and what their goals are. There’s a few exceptions however: Saturn seems to be driven by curiosity; Mars seems to believe Team Galactic is doing the world a favor; Jupiter seems to only care about ruling over Sinnoh; and Charon is only in it for the money.

However, none of them, not even the Commanders, truly understood what their leader had in store, and what is real plans actually were. The man called Cyrus had plans far, far different from what his organization envisioned, and this is where the really interesting bits start to pop up.

Without beating around the bush any longer, Cyrus can be succinctly and quite accurately described in just two words: cult leader.

While Cyrus’s goals towards universal reset weren’t a secret to Team Galactic, what that actually entailed was. Cyrus brought in all of his followers with promises of power beyond their wildest dreams, and a chance to become greater than anything they every imagined. He’d rally them with passionate speeches about their mission, and the impact that Team Galactic, not just himself, would have upon the planet:

Cyrus: Fellow members of Team Galactic! Hear me! My name, as I appear to you today, is Cyrus. This world of ours is a crude one. In a word, it is incomplete. It has been, and always will be, a struggle to survive in this world. We humans and Pokémon are likewise incomplete. Because we are all so lacking, we fight, we maim... It is ugly. I hate the incompleteness. That we are all incomplete, I hate it with my entire body and being. The world should be complete. The world must change. Then, who will change it? Me, Cyrus. And Team Galactic. Yes, all of you. Together we pored over myths and exposed their secrets. Together we captured legendary Pokémon. And now, Team Galactic has obtained the energy to change the world! The power of dreams is within our grasp! Understand it, fellow members! My long-held dreamworld is on the verge of becoming reality. All those headed to Mt. Coronet, and those who remain here... Though our missions may differ, our hearts beat as one. Let there be glory for Team Galactic!

This was the lie Cyrus told his followers, and while we only see this speech in the game, a post-game interaction with Saturn leaves enough implication this was a common tactic by Cyrus to get people to join him:

Saturn: Our leader, Master Cyrus, hated the very idea of spirit. He hated spirit for being incomplete. And yet, using fiery exhortations, he rallied the spirit of others. What he hated most, he used to control others. Isn't that ironic?

I’ll get to that last point later, but what Team Galactic didn’t realize was that Cyrus had no intention of allowing Team Galactic into his perfect world. Quite the contrary, Cyrus had no respect or use for his minions beyond them being the muscle that carried his plans:

Cyrus: You heard my speech, I take it. Snicker... A big lie, of course. It's true, insofar as my intention is to create a new world. But that world isn't for the likes of Team Galactic. I seek an entirely new world solely for myself. If not, it could never be the complete and perfect world. You've seen my minions of Team Galactic. You yourself must know that they are uniformly useless and incomplete.

Team Galactic were nothing more than pawns, and Cyrus knew this from the start. His entire organization was filled to the brim with morons, as morons don’t ask quite as many questions. But more than that, all members of Team Galactic go against Cyrus’s core belief: that spirit is at the core of life’s whole faults.

I think of one of the key points to try and understand Cyrus is his mention of “spirit”. This can mean many things depending on who you ask, but in Cyrus’s case, “spirit” can just as easily mean emotions and desires, if not the soul itself. Cyrus’s faith is that these things are at the root of all of life’s woes: it is the emotions that govern life that create the problems life faces. So, for example, anger begets violence; avarice begets lies and cheating; happiness and love cloud one’s judgment; etc.

Cyrus is a man who values logical thinking and judgment above all things, and his logical conclusion as to why bad things happen in the world is because “spirit” is the thing that blinds life to a perfect existence ruled solely by what is logical. To put it in even more simply: Cyrus wants everyone to be Vulcans.

It should be pointed out that Cyrus’s disdain of “spirit” isn’t only aimed towards the human spirit. He has plenty of hatred towards Pokémon as well. His struggle is against all life, rather than just a few portions of it.

But there lies a detail about Cyrus that I feel often gets overlooked, yet is why I find Cyrus to be one of the most interesting, if not complex, characters in the entire Pokémon franchise: Cyrus hates spirit not because he deems himself superior to it, but because he hates himself for being bound to it.

I think it’s a common misconception that Cyrus either wishes to become an all-powerful god or that he himself is already emotionless, when his character’s is more complicated than that. As far as Cyrus becoming a god is concerned, this is only the case in Diamond and Pearl, where the story takes a much different (and weaker, in my opinion) path. There isn’t much to Team Galactic there, and given how Dawn/Lucas meeting Giratina is mentioned in later games, I doubt they’re meant to be canon.

Platinum is where the real story lies, and where I think Cyrus stands in the canon proper. And in Platinum, while Cyrus certainly loves to brag about how he has left behind emotion and sentimentality to become a cold and logical machine, the story is set up to prove this is not the case. Cyrus is just as much a victim of the thing he hates, and this is what drives him above all else. This is the side of Cyrus we see when he gets transported to the Distortion World, and all of his plans start to unravel before his eyes:

Cynthia: ...The places we are born. The time we spend living... The languages we speak... We are all different. But the presence of Pokémon unites us. We share our lives with our Pokémon and our happiness grows as we all become greater than we were alone. That is why we can battle and trade with anyone we choose...

Cyrus: Silence! Enough of your blathering! That's how you justify spirit as something worthwhile?! That is merely humans hoping, deluding themselves that they are happy and safe! The emotions roiling inside me... Rage, hatred, frustration... These ugly emotions arise because of my own incomplete spirit!

This is what separates Cyrus from someone like Ghetsis (who took many inspiration from Cyrus’s plan): Cyrus, ultimately, hates himself just as much as he hates everyone he’s fighting against. He doesn’t want a new world to rule over it as the most perfect being, but instead so he can fix his own flaws and become perfect alongside the rest of the universe.

It is important to note that at no point in Platinum does Cyrus ever make the claim he wishes to rule the world. All of his lines are in relation to changing the world, and turn into a better place:

Cyrus: My aim is to rid our world of the vague and incomplete thing we call spirit. By freeing ourselves of that, our world can be made complete. That is my justice! No one can interfere!

Cyrus doesn’t believe what he’s doing is a bad thing. More than that, he doesn’t think he’s doing it just for his own sake. In his mind, he’s doing everyone a favor by imposing his will and removing all emotion from existence. His introductory line isn’t a lie at all to him:

Cyrus: My name is Cyrus. I want to put an end to pointless strife and hostility.

He’s a man with an incredibly twisted, yet still at its core noble, goal. Someone who wanted to end all strife by causing strife; who used emotions to end emotions, and whose goals began because he felt so strongly about his creed. Cyrus himself is the very thing he hates, as he became the cause of the same strife he championed against by falling victim to the same emotions he fought against. As Saturn put it: “Isn’t that ironic?”

Another common misconception (one sadly perpetuated by the Generations youtube series) is that Cyrus got what he wanted in the end. Ending up in the Distortion World, he was finally in a world free of spirit. This is not the case, as Cyrus has no intentions or desire to remain alone, as the game pointed out:

Cynthia: Why do you seek to change the world? If you hate our world you should just go off somewhere alone. Find somewhere where you can live without seeing others.

Cyrus: Why should I run and hide from the world and have to wait quietly? My aim is to rid our world of the vague and incomplete thing we call spirit. By freeing ourselves of that, our world can be made complete. That is my justice! No one can interfere!

Cyrus quest isn’t one for solitude. He has an enemy, and no reason to stop his goals as long as that enemy exists. After all, what’s to stop another megalomaniac villain to rise up and begins tampering with the fabric of the universe? The Distortion World isn’t immune to this, meaning even if it was his perfect world, it isn’t safe from the effects spirit has on those in the “real” world.

Cyrus is a man obsessed, and more likely than not, one that has plunged too deeply into the madness of his beliefs. This is why the ending to Platinum rings harder in my mind, and Cyrus himself sticks out as a fantastic villain in my eyes, not just in Pokémon, but just in general. Unlike Giovanni, he doesn’t choose to reform and study Pokémon. Unlike Archie and Maxie, he doesn’t see the error of his ways. Unlike Ghetsis, he doesn’t break down and gets captured. Unlike Lysandre, he isn’t presumed dead, and unlike Lusamine, he wasn’t under the influence of an otherworldly creature.

Cyrus leaves the story the same man he started it. His mentality remained exactly the same, as well as his goals. He had no intention to stop, no intention to redeem himself, and no intention to ever admit he may have been wrong. Instead, Cyrus exits the scene with a (as-of-yet unfulfilled) promise:

Cyrus: I will break the secrets of the world. With that knowledge, I will create my own complete and perfect world. One day, you will awaken to a world of my creation. A world without spirit.

(Thank you very much if you’ve stuck with this post this far!)

#pokemon #pokemon diamond and pearl #pokemon platinum #pokemon villains #pokemon villain #team galactic #team galactic cyrus #galactic boss cyrus #pokemon cyrus #cyrus

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oppressiveliberator · 5 years

Text

(TE information is only used once and are mostly often written in the voice of the character. FC questions may be repeated or omitted, and are from any dialogue or external sources like books or signs. You can check out Bulbapedia for the in-game text of the Trainer’s Eye or Fame Checker to see how it looks!) (like HTML? Here’s a pastebin link.)

TRAINER’S EYE

Trainer: Team Plasma Leader Sage Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius

Location: Unknown, presumably Unova

Strategy: It's unfortunate that we must fight at all, wouldn't you say? The harder you hit them, the harder they'll hit others. Discipline is the most masterful teacher. N/A

Favorite Pokémon: All of them deserve better than we've given them. They'll all obey me in time. The bigger their appetite and the more difficult to train they were, the more I'd enjoy them when I was young. But they're all tools. They all leave. It hardly matters.

Trainer Message: Just you wait. Wherever it is you came from, however it is you got here. . .I suppose I appreciate the company.

Fame Checker

Family and friends? Concordia(Pkmn B2W2, Driftveil City): "N was an orphan. I heard that right after he was born, he upset people with behavior that suggested he could talk to Pokémon. When he was living in the woods with Darmanitan and Zorua, Ghetsis took him in. We are also orphans Ghetsis took in."

What is this person like? Shadow Triad(Pkmn B2W2, Giant Chasm): "Lord Ghetsis has. . .lost control. . ."

What is this person like? Shadow Triad(Pkmn B2W2, Icirrus City): “Ghetsis won't do anything anymore. . . No, to be more precise, he can't do anything anymore. . ."

What does this person do? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, Accumula Town): "I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation."

What is this person like? / What does this person do? Concordia(Pkmn BW, N's Castle): "Pokémon that were betrayed, mistreated, and hurt by bad people. . . Ghetsis deliberately brought only those poor Pokémon closer to N."

What is this person like? / What does this person do? Anthea(Pkmn B2W2, Driftveil City): "The one he groomed to help him further his nefarious aims was N."

What is this person like? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, Accumula Town): "Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers. . . They get pushed around when they are our "partners" at work. . . Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?"

What does this person do? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, Driftveil City): "We only free Pokémon from wicked people."

What does this person do? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, Driftveil City): "Don't worry, my fellow servant of the king. . . We are two of the Seven Sages, are we not?"

Family and Friends? / What is this person like? Ryoku(Pkmn BW, Relic Castle): "But we don't know much about Ghetsis or our lord N! We haven't even figured out if they are father and son. . ."

Family and Friends? / What is this person like? Shadow Triad(Pkmn BW, Marvelous Bridge): "Ghetsis is gone. He went off somewhere alone after we rescued him from the castle." "From the day Ghetsis saved our lives, we have sworn to be loyal to him. Even now, after he ordered us not to search for him.[...]" "We, the Shadow Triad, have always been and will always be the loyal servants of Ghetsis. And Ghetsis's ambitions will never cease!"

What is this person like? Shadow Triad(Pkmn B2W2, Giant Chasm): "Lord Ghetsis spoke of Pokémon liberation two years ago simply for his own ambitions, but. . .if his plans had succeeded, many Pokémon would have been saved."

What is this person like? Ghetsis(Pkmn B2W2, Plasma Frigate): "How fortunate for you! Few get to be the sole audience member for one of my speeches."

What is this person like? / What does this person do? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, Relic Castle): "I'm doing this out of kindness. Yes, kindness. I'm making sure the Champion doesn't get hurt for no reason. Granted, the moment when someone loses all hope. . .I really do love to watch that moment."

Family and friends? Ghetsis(Pkmn USUM, Episode RR): "It wouldn't do at all to have you get in [Giovanni's] way, especially when I must establish him as my king!"

Family and friends? Ghetsis(Pkmn USUM, Episode RR): "The Colress of this world! But you should have no reason to meddle in my plans!"

Where was this person born? (Map description of Abyssal Ruins in eastern Unovan sea): "An ancient tomb that is said to be the resting place of an ancient king." (inscription on 4F of Abyssal ruin's walls. The name of the king is represented in-game as "●●●●●●●●", the same number of letters as 'HARMONIA', Ghetsis and N's surname, leading to speculation that Ghetsis and/or N are descendants of the ancient king of Unova, further supported by other inscriptions in the ruins): "The great King 𝕳𝕬𝕽𝕸𝕺𝕹𝕴𝕬"

What is this person like? Shadow Triad(Pkmn BW, Marvelous Bridge): "Ghetsis. . . Where did he find these? What was he planning to do with them? Why did he give them to you? There's no way to know now. Is he testing you? Or. . .using you?"

What is this person like? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, N's Castle): "I created Team Plasma with my own hands. I'm absolutely perfect! I AM PERFECTION! I am the perfect ruler of a perfect new world! "Mwa ha ha! Since I couldn't become the hero and obtain the legendary Pokémon myself. . .I prepared someone for that purpose--N! He's nothing more than a freak without a human heart. Do you think you're going to get through to a warped person like that!?"

What is this person like? / Family and friends? Rood(Pkmn BW, Route 18): "Ghetsis wandered the lands of this world all over, collecting knowledge of all kinds while searching for like-minded people. From the moment we met, he understood what I desired."

What is this person like? / Family and friends? Zinzolin(Pkmn BW, Cold Storage): ". . .Breathing. Having a heart that beats. That is simple existence and nothing more for a living being. That may be the definition of living, but I don't think that defines life. The experiences of joy and suffering are a vital part of being alive. Ghetsis gave me the sensation of being truly alive. . . What did he mean to accomplish? That isn't important."

What is this person like? / What does this person do? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, Tubeline Bridge): "From his infancy, I provided [N] with the education required to become the hero of legend. Indeed, he has been so acknowledged by the legendary Pokémon. . . .Such purity of purpose is his."

Favorite kind of Pokémon? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, N's Castle): "Use your head. What's to be gained from letting go of useful things like Pokémon? Certainly, manipulating Pokémon helps people expand their possibilities. That much, I can agree with. So it naturally follows that only I should be able to use Pokémon!"

Favorite kind of Pokémon? Ghetsis(Pkmn B2W2, Plasma Frigate): "Kyurem is an empty being. The remnants of a certain Pokémon when it split into Reshiram and Zekrom. . . My desire is absolute rule of Unova! That's right! Kyurem will be the vessel into which my desires will be poured!"

Favorite kind of Pokémon? Ghetsis(Pkmn B2W2, Plasma Frigate): "What's this? Your Poké Balls are trembling. Could your Pokémon be trembling with rage? (slams cane) No! That's not possible! Simple tools don't have emotion or thought!"

Family and friends? Ryoku(Pkmn BW, Relic Castle): "I was planning to catch the Pokémon called Volcarona that lives in this relic castle and present it to Ghetsis. But the Shadow Triad said that Ghetsis has gone somewhere, right? The Seven Sages. . . We always said we were complete when the seven of us were together. Now I don't know the meaning of those words anymore. I guess I don't mind, even if we were being used"

What does this person do? Zinzolin(Pkmn B2W2, Undella Town): "I have papers that Lord Ghetsis left behind. With these, you can read the ancient scripts in the Abyssal Ruins."

What does this person do? Rood(Pkmn B2W2, Route 6): "So the reach of Ghetsis's ambition and malice is growing ever wider and warping the lives of all it touches. . ."

What is this person like? / What does this person do? Ghetsis(Pkmn USUM, Episode RR): "You see, I have been thinking long and hard about the reason I have been sent to this world. And now. . .I believe I finally have the answer! My purpose. . . It is to travel between the worlds, freeing all Pokémon from foolish people. . . And at the same time, consolidate all the power in all the worlds to myself! "In order to achieve this beautiful ideal, however, I have need of a useful pawn. . . And that man, the leader of Team Rocket, is a man of pure evil! If I can make good use of him, and set him up as king, I shall be able to reign supreme above all existence!"

Family and Friends? / What is this person like? Giallo(Pkmn BW, N's Castle): "Ghetsis called us the chosen ones. He chose us and gathered us here so we can change the world!"

Family and Friends? / What is this person like? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, N's Castle): "After all of that, do you think you're still worthy of sharing the name Harmonia with me? You good-for-nothing boy! [...] "After saying you had to put your beliefs on the line and battle to see which one chosen by the legendary Pokémon was the true hero. . . You lost to an ordinary Trainer! There is such a thing as being too stupid! Add it up, and you are nothing more than a warped, defective boy who knows nothing but Pokémon. . . ."

What is this person like? Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, N's Castle): "a Pokémon, even if it's revered as a deity, is still just a Pokémon. [...] So what if [Reshiram] chose you! That doesn't mean you're a threat. Come on! Now you'll face ME in battle! I can't wait to see the look on your face when you've lost all hope! "I won't allow anyone to stop me! No matter who does what!"

What is this person like? Rood(Pkmn BW, Route 18): "When it comes to Ghetsis, I cannot separate the truths from the lies."

There’s a rumor… Ghetsis(Pkmn BW, N's Castle): "Now that the stage is set, we can seize people's minds and hearts. We can bring into being the world that I--no, that Team Plasma--desires more easily than you can imagine! We and only we will use Pokémon, and we shall rule the powerless populace! "I've been waiting so long for this! I've kept my silence so no one could piece together what I planned. Now, those painful days are at an end!"

What is this person like? Ghetsis(Pkmn B2W2, Giant Chasm): "Excellent! That was a moving expression of your determination! So the education I provided to make you king wasn't a complete waste, then! But I still haven't forgotten that even though I was kind enough to find you when you were living in the forest with Pokémon, and take you in, and care for you, in the end you were selfish and disrupted my plans. I was supposed to use your abilities to rule Unova! "But I'll forgive you for that as well."

What is this person like? Ghetsis(Pkmn B2W2, Giant Chasm): "You fool. . . Last time, I was going to use you to capture people's hearts and minds to rule them! But this time, I'm simply going to use overwhelming power and rule with an iron fist! Do you understand? If you had simply become king, Unova would have remained beautiful!"

What is this person like? / What does this person do? Ghetsis(Pkmn USUM, Episode RR): "This cannot be possible. . . I will not accept this! "Myah-ha-ha! No, no, no, no, no! You don't get it, do you? I can't be defeated! I won't be! IT. CANNOT. BE. ALLOWED! You, tiny intruder! If you value this girl's life, throw aside all your Poké Balls, at this moment!" (When obeyed): "Myah-ha-ha! Good, good. . . That's a good little [boy/girl/child]. Do as your elders command you! Victory only suits perfect leaders, after all. . . Such as myself!"

There’s a rumor… Rood(Pkmn B2W2, Giant Chasm): "Ghetsis's real plan was to take over the Unova region! Liberating Pokémon was nothing more than an excuse!"

There’s a rumor… Zinzolin(Pkmn B2W2, Undella Town, after reaching innermost chamber of Abyssal Ruins): "An extremely wonderful king was laid to rest in those ruins. If that king has descendants, maybe those special powers were passed down. . ."

Message from Ghetsis to [player] Ghetsis(Pkmn B2W2, Plasma Frigate): "That aside, this is my gift to you to show my respect for making it this far. I'll freeze you solid right here so you can watch my glorious ascent!"

#Pages | Find Me And Follow Me Through Corridors #Blog Maintenance | I’m Gonna Burn This City Burn This City

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sage-nebula · 7 years

Note

Besides the black and white games which Pokemon games did you find to be the most well written.

HMMMM . . . I’m going to go ahead and rank them by region, with 1 being the best, and 7 being the worst.

Unova

Hoenn

Alola

Sinnoh

Johto / Kalos

Kalos / Johto

Kanto

Hoenn is a bit difficult to rank, because Emerald Version is vastly superior to either Ruby Version or Sapphire Version, which means that Hoenn should technically be broken up to show that Emerald comes before either Ruby or Sapphire. However, both AlphaSapphire and OmegaRuby also have elements---namely the Delta Episode and that amazing gift to the Pokémon games known as Zinnia, but also distinct personalities for the characters of Archie and Maxie---that Emerald didn’t. So in a way, the remakes kind of tie with Emerald, but Emerald is still superior in other respects (e.g. two antagonistic teams, a much better climax, et cetera). It’s kind of like how it’s impossible for me to decide whether Gen VI or Gen VII are better in terms of gameplay. They keep wrestling with each other for top spot because they both have glaring strengths and weaknesses.

With that said, though, although it’s difficult for me to decide whether Emerald or ORAS is my favorite Hoenn game (honestly, they could have solved this problem by giving us DeltaEmerald, but alas), I still think the Hoenn games are the second best written games in the series. Unova is first for obvious reasons. Alola could have been second (or even first!), but the more time I spend away from it, the more the issues become apparent to me, and I’m never going to be over how disgusting Lusamine’s “redemption” was in the end, particularly since it has led to the fandom woobie-fying and excusing her blatant, on-screen abuse of her children, in ways I’m sure they wouldn’t if she was a man. (I mean, the disgusting “alas, poor villain” the game gave her certainly contributes to it, but I’m positive the Unova games could have done the same for Ghetsis and people would still hate him, because female abusers always get less harsh treatment than male abusers do. As someone with a very abusive biological mother, this is the sort of thing that personally upsets me to no end.) Gladion and Lillie both deserved better than what they got, and so while the Alola games do have strengths in the narrative, ultimately the way the Aether Foundation part of the plot was handled drags them down.

I’m personally not a fan of the Sinnoh games, story-wise, but I do think they were still written well, and I think that perhaps my dislike of them stems from my dislike of Sinnoh as a region (and most of the Sinnoh ‘dex due to how many of them are pre-evolutions / new evolutions for existing pokémon). With that said, I haven’t played the Sinnoh games in years, and because I’m me I will buy the remakes when they’re announced (come on, we all know they’re going to be), so it’s possible that improvements will be made and my opinion will change then. Depending on how much I like the story this time around, the Sinnoh story might move up to spot three, particularly considering (again) the glaring flaws and weaknesses in the Alola narrative. Even if I don’t personally feel attachment to Sinnoh’s characters or story, this is a question of what is more well-written, and it’s entirely possible that Sinnoh has a stronger narrative than Alola. We’ll see.

Johto and Kalos are difficult for me to rank because Johto barely has a story (though it still has more of one than Kanto, but that’s not saying much), but the story it does have is good. I’m still salty that they weren’t willing to change enough in HGSS to flesh out the story more. I get why they didn’t---an in-game Game Freak NPC straight up says that they tried to change enough things to keep them fresh, while keeping enough the same to keep fans happy---but it still upsets me, because with the Johto games there is so much potential to make them more than they are, and yet that’s potential that is wasted. Still, what is there is good. All of the characters are likable, there’s good development (Johto Rival has some of the best development), the legends and lore are fascinating, et cetera.

Meanwhile, there’s a lot more to the Kalos games, but even though there’s more, I still dislike it and find it to be a mess. And keep in mind, I played both X and Y; it’s not as if I only played one of them and made a judgment. I played them both. The rivals were aggravating and shallow, Team Flare was written to be a “lighthearted, joke team” according to Game Freak and yet they wanted to commit mass genocide, and the fact that these two ideas---that they’re a comic relief team that wanted to commit genocide---existed in the same game led to not enough gravity being applied to the situation. LIke, for fucksake, in the Unova games all Team Plasma wanted to do was make it so that Ghetsis was the only person in Unova with pokémon, and everyone in the narrative flipped their fucking shit over the idea that they might not be allowed to train pokémon anymore. We had an entire showdown at N’s Castle with all of the Gym Leaders (minus the Striaton Trio) showing up at the end of the first game. Yet in Kalos, Lysandre makes a region-wide broadcast about wanting to commit genocide, and yet the only ones to do anything about it are the player, the rivals, and Sina and Dexio on Sycamore’s orders. And then there’s Sycamore’s speech about how he wanted Lysandre to “set his pride aside” which just . . . it seriously reminded me of Cho saying that Marietta was “a lovely person who made a mistake,” which, okay, that’s fine for Marietta “I Sold Out the DA” Edgecombe, but not so fine for Lysandre, who wanted to commit mass genocide, ugh. (And I’m not bashing Sycamore here so much as I’m criticizing the writing; while I felt angry at Sycamore for phrasing things like that while playing, in retrospect I’m more infuriated at Game Freak for actually writing this.) I felt like the same level of gravitas was given to Lysandre wanting to commit genocide as was given to Team Rocket’s shenanigans in the first two gens. Had the Kalos games been games from an earlier generation, it might have been more excusable; but they followed the Unova games, which were such well-written Pokémon games that really filled the player with a sense of urgency and appropriate drama and determination, and as such they were a complete letdown.

So tl;dr on this: The Kalos games had a more fleshed out plot, and that should theoretically put them above the Johto games, which were pretty bare bones. However, the bare bones we had in the Johto games were better written than the flesh we had in the Kalos games (which were terribly written even though they could have been so much better, as the PokéAni proved by miles, god bless the PokéAni), and as such it’s hard for me to decide where they go.

Finally, the Kanto games barely have a plot (they have the least plot of them all), and what is there is . . . unimpressive, to say the least. I mean, it’s actually a little hilarious to me how Giovanni is taken so seriously in Pokémon fandom, because in all honesty he’s a complete joke. I think part of this is due to the PokéAni; Giovanni is far more powerful, strong, and intimidating in the PokéAni than he ever is in the games, and Team Rocket’s influence is far more wide-reaching as well. The TRio aside, the rest of Rocket’s agents and executives and scientists are actually frightening in the anime. But in the games? Giovanni loses a couple of battles to a child and then tries to disband his entire organization. They reform without him and he’s about to go help, but then he loses another battle and leaves once more to go continue sulking. It’s pathetic. Team Rocket may be my favorite villainous organization in Pokémon (could have been the Aether Foundation, but Game Freak fucked that one up), but the game!Giovanni is pathetic, and since the Kanto games don’t have a plot beyond “be the very best like no one ever was and I guess beat up Team Rocket sometimes,” they’re at the bottom of the pile as far as narrative quality goes.

#decadeoldtiger

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pkmnomegaverse · 7 years

Text

I've been thinking more about the Striaton brothers and here's some of the prototype ideas I'm kicking around. I have decided to go with them having been the Shadow Triad, so keep in mind how that would affect their characters. While I don't view them as “bad people,” they're not just a trio of goofy brothers that love to cook. They’re all quite a bit more serious than they let on, and are use to putting up a facade to hide who they truly are.

Continuing off the last headcanon I posted about them, they end up moving to Lumiose once they finally decide to give up on being the Shadow Triad. The big city is useful for both disappearing (since what's three more foreigners amongst a sea of people), but it also lets them keep an ear out for information. While they don't plan to return to Unova, they keep an ear out for gossip about what's going on there, if Team Plasma is acting up, or of word of Ghetsis’ where-abouts. They're not entirely decided on what they’ll do if they hear word of his return, but they figure it's better to stay informed, and they can make their decision later if it ever comes to that.

They open up a small little diner that doubles as their home, with the living quarters being on the second floor and the diner on the first. It's a struggle initially to make ends meet, since between the crazy rent and slow initial business, they're barely scrapping by. But it's not like they haven't dealt with worse, so they persevere and eventually things start to get a little easier. They don't advertise that they use to be Gym Leaders, but word eventually gets around which helps business a bit. Cress might or might not get involved with Siebold as well, which would further boost their reputation.

As far as shipping and possible fankids go, this is a lot more up in the air (since all of the above information is pretty much set in stone). For Cress, I like the idea of him with Siebold. They first meet when Siebold shows up at their diner, since I see him making a habit of occasionally trying out new food places in Lumiose, (you never know where you'll stumble across something truly astounding). Cress is the one who prepares his meal, and while it isn't bad, Siebold still ends up insulting his cooking, saying he's holding back and not achieving his true potential (since the brothers are always hiding part of themselves, this somehow comes across in their cooking. Or at least Siebold claims to be able to taste it). If Cress is going to hold back, he might as well not bother cooking at all.

Naturally this pisses off Cress, who takes a lot of pride in his cooking, so he insists on making something else that will blow Siebold away this time. Siebold admits his second attempt is slightly better, but he's still holding back, and thus it’s still not good enough. They end up striking a bet of sorts, where Cress dares him to come back, saying he’ll definitely make something next time that will leave him speechless. While Siebold dismisses him, saying it’s not worth his time, he is a bit intrigued by him, so he mentions that if he’s ever bored and in the area, he might stop by. If Cress can make something that impresses him, he’ll take back what he said about him not bothering to cook.

Siebold does end up coming back, multiple times, and the two slowly start to become closer. Siebold still often insults Cress’ cooking, but begrudgingly admits he’s getting better. There conversations become less combative and sometimes they’ll share different recipes and cooking experiences with each other. From the beginning, there had always been a lowkey attraction between the two of the them, which only grows the more they interact. While I’m uncertain if they ever get married or just long-term date, they end up with one daughter.

For Chili, I sorta lowkey OTP him with Burgundy, so even though she's an anime-exclusive character, it's not like I haven't already added a gameverse!Drew into this verse, so what's one more! She's much more involved in their lives than anyone else in Kalos, and ends up becoming a close friend to the three brothers (although lord knows she still ends up snarking at/berating them half the time). I'm undecided on how they end up meeting, maybe they’re leasing the building from her father, maybe she's just a regular customer, but regardless, her and Chili eventually get together. Fankid wise, they end up having an older son and younger twin daughters.

This is the one I'm much more hesitant to implement, as it does have more far-reaching effects, but for Cilan, I'm considering having him start a relationship with Clemont. While normally I wouldn't give this pairing a second thought, certain people's headcanons for this pairing have made me start to consider it (you two know who you are)! The issue with this one is that Clemont is married to Korrina, and while I always had the idea that their relationship deteriorates to the point where they probably should consider getting a divorce, they still stay together out of convenience. So a relationship between him and Cilan wouldn't necessarily be happy, as a lot of it would be driven by Clemont being lonely and feeling abandoned by Korrina. They’d be having an affair, and even if Clemont grew to genuinely love Cilan, he would still feel overwhelmingly guilty about cheating on Korrina.

This could go one of two ways, either Clemont eventually calls the whole thing off and vows to never see Cilan again (or at least limit their contact as much as one can living in the same city) or he does end up separating from Korrina to be with Cilan. If I end up going with the idea of them having a relationship, they end up having a son. Even in the scenario where Clemont calls the whole thing off, they still probably end up with a son because I like unnecessary drama.

#Waterbutlershipping #Lemonmeringuepieshipping #Cilan #Cress #Chili #Siebold #Burgundy #Clemont #Headcanons #Candycornshipping

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sage-nebula · 7 years

Note

In terms of heroic achievements which pokemon protagonist do you think accomplished the most/least?

I’m assuming you mean objectively, in terms of the player characters we see in the games, rather than my specific ‘verse, so I’m going to go just based on what we see in the games without applying any characterization. So that said, let’s just list out their heroic accomplishments, shall we?

RED / LEAF:

Forced Team Rocket, an organization equal to the mafia irl, to disband.

Defeated Green, who was acting like a power hungry twit, and took his place as Champion. I’m counting this because Green being so drunk on power would have made him a terrible Champion for Kanto.

ETHAN / LYRA:

Forced Neo Team Rocket to disband (again).

Defeated Lance, who was acting like a power hungry twit in a different way, and took his place as Champion. (i.e. Whereas Green crowed about being “THE MOST POWERFUL TRAINER IN THE WOOOOORLD!!!!111!1″, Lance was going around berating children and siccing his dragonite on unarmed trainers. Both were power hungry, but they just demonstrated this in different ways.)

BRENDAN / MAY:

Stopped Team Aqua/Magma’s various villainous activities all over the region, similar to Red/Leaf and Ethan/Lyra with Team Rocket, ultimately making both (depending on the version) teams disband.

Confronted the legendary pokémon (either Groudon, Kyogre, or both, possibly primal) and captured them in order to avert/end the apocalypse.

In ORAS, captured Mega Rayquaza, and then rode Mega Rayquaza into space in order to capture/defeat Deoxys and avert another apocalypse, this time via meteor.

DAWN / LUCAS:

Confronted Team Galactic’s terrorism head-on in numerous instances, similar to the other anti-Team examples above (but more extreme in this case when you remember what happened at the three lakes). This ultimately resulted in Team Galactic disbanding, especially when Cyrus was trapped in the Distortion World in Platinum.

Confronted the legendary pokémon (Dialga/Palkia/Giratina depending on the version) and defeated/captured them to stop Cyrus’ plan/avert the world’s destruction. Possibly also traveled to the Distortion World to do this.

WHITLEA (LEA) / BLAIR:

Fought through the Elite 4 at double speed in order to try and reach Alder before N did, though this endeavor ultimately failed.

Stormed N’s castle to face him / revive the legendary pokémon as the other Chosen Hero. This endeavor ended in success.

Fought Ghetsis after fighting N in order to end Team Plasma’s regime once and for all and restore the government of Unova back to what it was before N/Team Plasma took over.

Helped Looker track down the remaining Sages of Team Plasma so that they could be arrested and held accountable for their crimes.

ROSA / NATE:

Combated Neo Team Plasma’s criminal activities all over the Unova region, particularly since Lea/Blair had left this mess to be cleaned up in favor of hunting down N instead. Ultimately, this led to Team Plasma being disbanded again, once and for all this time.

Helped sort out the mess that Ghetsis and Colress were making with Reshiram/Zekrom being fused with Kyurem. This helped restore Unova back to its original state (i.e. not frozen)

Helped N confront Ghetsis.

SERENA / CALEM:

Combated Team Flare across the Kalos region, and ultimately stopped Lysandre’s mass genocide attempt by capturing/defeating the legendary pokémon he was going to use to power the ultimate weapon. Lysandre then killed himself(?). Team Flare was disbanded, but Malva is still at large for reasons unexplained.

Helped Looker stop Xerosic from forcing Emma (as Essentia) to commit petty crimes across Lumiose City. This culminated in Xerosic’s arrest.

SUN&MOON BOY / SUN&MOON GIRL:

Stopped Team Skull from being nuisances at various instances, and also rescued a yungoos they stole for the lulz. (As in, they stole it for the lulz. I can’t imagine why else they’d waste their time stealing a yungoos from a preschooler.) Ultimately forced Team Skull to disband. This is only arguably heroic, however, as Team Skull were never truly threatening, and they seem to be a bunch of severely impoverished teenagers led (kind of) by a severely emotionally unstable, potentially alcoholic abuse survivor. They were never actually helped, so ymmv on the heroism of just disbanding them and then leaving them to fend for themselves.

Helped Professor Kukui overthrow (at least partially) the religious oligarchical style of government Alola has operated under for centuries to create a League instead. “Helped” is used loosely here, however, as Kukui did pretty much all of the work himself, and all the Sun/Moon PC did was take the throne when the time was right.

Stormed Aether Paradise in order to rescue Lillie and Cosmog. Succeeded in rescuing Lillie, however, Cosmog was tortured and reduced to its second-stage evolution.

Traveled with Lillie to retrieve the second flute, and help Nebby (now a Cosmoem) evolve (into either Solgaleo or Lunala).

Traveled into Ultra Space to aid Lillie in confronting Lusamine. Battle Lusamine/Motherbeast while in Ultra Space in order to protect Lillie and stop her nonsense, even though tbh she wouldn’t be hurting anyone if she was just left alone in Ultra Space with the Nihilego like she wanted. So, again, YMMV, since the world wasn’t actually in danger anymore (and her kids would be much, much, MUCH better off without her).

Assisted Looker, Anabel, and Nanu with tracking down and capturing the Ultra Beasts that had been unleashed on the world. Since the Ultra Beasts were shown to be legitimately dangerous, this is probably the most heroic act under the Sun/Moon PC’s belt.

CONCLUSION:

So with all of the feats listed out above, if we made a list of Most Heroic to Least Heroic, I think it would look like:

Brendan / May (as of ORAS)

Lea / Blair

Rosa / Nate

Dawn / Lucas

Serena / Calem

Sun&Moon Boy / Sun&Moon Girl

Lyra / Ethan

Red / Leaf

Brendan/May averted two (2) apocalypses as of the ORAS remakes, and one apocalypse aversion resulted in them flying into space on a giant dragon in order to battle a sentient alien virus. If that’s not heroic, I don’t know what is.

Lea/Blair had their entire regional government overtaken by a totalitarian dictatorship, and they resisted this despite not knowing whether or not they were going to be able to awaken their chosen dragon. They also succeeded in this, and then took the time to help Interpol hunt down the remaining Sages before they left on their own personal quest. Especially considering the fact that they originally faced N without Zekrom/Reshiram, I’d say that counts as pretty heroic.

Rosa/Nate did similarly, but their quest was mostly focused on cleaning up the remnants of Lea/Blair’s quest, which is why it comes in third. However, they do get extra points above the rest given the fact that Kyurem was steadily icing the entire region, and they helped stop/put an end to that. So they do still have a respectable third slot.

Dawn/Lucas get the fourth slot because Team Galactic pulled off actual acts of terrorism, such as bombing lakes and mass killing the pokémon inside so that they could capture the lake guardians and then torture them in order to create devices to restrain the mascot legendaries. They also, as of Platinum, went into the Distortion World itself to deal with this threat and avert that apocalypse. That’s pretty damn impressive, and to be honest I’d be tempted to swap them with Rosa/Nate. The only reason why I’m not is because Unova was literally being destroyed, whereas Sinnoh (aside from the lake bombings) didn’t face a similar threat (like, Cyrus was going to remake it in his image, but the Unovan people were actively suffering due to the ice; the Sinnoan people weren’t suffering like that yet). It’s close, though.

Serena/Calem are up next, and while they do get major, major props for averting a mass genocide (which is a very big deal), they also lose some heroism points because, prior to Lysandre announcing to everyone that he was about to murder everyone who hadn’t paid him an exorbitant amount of money to be saved by joining Team Flare, Team Flare didn’t actually pose very much of a threat. The most threatening thing I can remember them doing is taking over the Pokéball Factory, and that wasn’t a very big deal. Serena/Calem also lose some points for not doing anything about Malva, and they also didn’t really do too much in the post-game subplot (instead, they were mostly our vessel for watching that story unfold)—and even if they did, Emma/Essentia’s crimes were mostly petty, although they were escalating in violence. So all in all, while Serena/Calem were very heroic by stopping a genocidal maniac from, you know, committing genocide, the rest of their feats (or lack thereof) land them in slot five.

The Sun/Moon PC has the most items on their list, however, most of their feats are dubious at best due to Gen VII’s shaky (at best) writing. While they certainly accomplished some of the most amazing things (riding a massive sun lion/moon bat into Ultra Space certainly sounds/looks impressive), the true weight behind them is skewed when you realize that the morality behind their actions is so tenuous (i.e. Team Skull clearly needs help, and yet they were offered none), they really didn’t do anything at all (i.e. Kukui formed the League while the PC did fuck all), or the world was never really in danger and everyone would have been better off had Lusamine been left to rot in Ultra Space. The only inarguably heroic thing that the Sun/Moon PC accomplished was the post-game subplot, in which they actively worked to save people from a very real and present danger. Otherwise, they didn’t do very much, and though Lillie credits the PC wholesale with helping her, I would argue that Lillie accomplished what she did as a result of her own strength and mettle, not because of the PC. Therefore, they’re sixth.

Lyra/Ethan come in at slot seven, the reason for this being that they … didn’t really accomplish very much. I’m being generous by giving them defeating Lance simply because he wasn’t a good Champion, but other than that the most they did was disband Neo Team Rocket, who weren’t posing any major threat to the world. That said, Lyra/Ethan did directly combat some of their more villainous activities (the Slowpoke Well, the Mahogany Town experiments, Radio Tower takeover), and since they had the bravery to stand up and stop Neo Team Rocket in those instances, they get slot seven …

… versus Red/Leaf, who come in at dead last. The most Red/Leaf did was stop Team Rocket’s activities in the Silph Co. building, and defeat Green (and again, I’m being generous by giving that to them). That’s it. Team Rocket wasn’t even posing that serious of a threat to the world (even less so in Gen I than Gen II), and so while it was still brave of Red/Leaf to do something about it, it’s not like they were saving the world. Therefore, they come in dead last since they objectively accomplished the least.

#decadeoldtiger

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