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ask-professor-laurel · 3 years

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Personal Field Notes #006: Dragonite!

This one’s a bit self-indulgent, but admittedly I’m just getting to sit down and properly chill out for the first time in days as we deal with an… unexpected guest in the woods. This batch of notes is gonna be off the top of my head for the most part, and the bias will be obvious, but what can I say? I’ll very likely get to doing one of these for each of the species I have on my team, so keep an eye out for notes on Vespiquen and Appletun in the future. But, let’s talk Dragonite.

Dragonites are like most three-stage evolution Dragon species in the sense that each evolution can be pretty clearly tiered in terms of care. The baby stage, as I call it, is relatively easy to care for and beginner friendly. Second stage is intermediate, and third stage is advanced/very difficult. This is the case for most three-stage evolution Pokemon, but Dragon types are somewhat of a drastic example, and Dragonites are no exception.

Dratini are relatively easy to care for; they need good exercise that’s easily done by a beginner trainer or a kid who likes to run, they like heat and sunbathing, they’re omnivorous at this stage, and the most difficult part of the care is honestly helping them with their shed. Dragonair, on the other hand, require a LOT of exercise as they adjust to their new size and prepare for their very drastic evolution. They require more shade than a Dratini and enjoy being misted, not unlike a floral Grass type, because it helps keep them from drying out and getting overly dry skin. They’re still omnivores, but Dragonairs get a real taste for meat, and they can eat a lot of food! They have a big evolution to prepare for and are constantly building up to that. They become quite competitive at this stage, so battling as part of their exercise is a must, or they might become sad and lethargic. They shed more frequently than a Dratini, and they need assistance with this! Misting seriously helps- keeps everything from getting too sticky and keeps them from getting cranky if it gets stuck.

Then you’ve got Dragonites. Dragonites require either full days out and about, or a really intense bout of exercise followed by rest. Personally, I keep Cloudhopper pretty much exclusively out a Pokeball and she roams freely. She knows and understands boundaries, and generally sticks close to me, and I’m not worried about her running into trouble because she can easily take care of herself if she happens to get into a battle situation with a wild Pokemon. When I can I do give her plenty of exercise- we go for walks, we train, and we often take flights together. I only have her in a Pokeball if I have to and she’s never in it onsite here. It’s a personal preference of mine with my entire team, and it works well for her needs.

Dragonites are also almost entirely carnivorous. They’ll eat some greens, and it’s good for them, but the vast majority of their diet is gonna be meat. They’ll be happiest with anything you get while fishing cooked up, they love seafood and especially fatty cuts of meat will be their preference, but each Dragonite is different. Cloudhopper, as an example, isn’t a picky eater and she really loves spicy food. Some Dragonites will eat anything not unlike a garbage disposal, while others are super picky. Oh, and I think this goes without saying, but they need to eat a LOT of food. Berries are good snacks, so is a standard Dragon type kibble. Keep their meals rich and meaty to keep them healthy and happy and full, and be prepared to provide lots of snacks.

Dragonites aren’t super picky about sun and shade. They don’t like a lot of cold, however, so having a warm place to keep out of harsher winters will keep them happy. If it gets really dry they might get uncomfortable, but this is easily remedied with a good old-fashioned misting down. They don’t shed as often as even a Dratini, but they do shed, and they do need some help because their claws can only do so much. If a Dragonite is excessively scratching, they probably have some stuck shed making them itch, and you’ll be their best friend forever if you get it off for them. They love water, so it’s easy to spray them down and help them out of it’s really stuck. I don’t recommend approaching a wild Dragonite for this unless you’re a trained professional, though.

Dragonites have a reputation for being cute and cuddly with friendly faces. A lot of people make the assumption that they’re gentle giants who wouldn’t harm a fly. It’s a dangerous assumption to make- Dragonites might appear more gentle than a Dragon like a Salamence, but they’re still just as capable of being just as fierce. Dragonites are viciously protective and are known to be extremely territorial. They’re an incredibly competitive species on top of that, and will rise to anything they see as a challenge. Wild Dragonites won’t hesitate to mercilessly attack anything that comes near their young if they deem it a threat. I never recommend approaching a wild Dragonite unless you’re a trained professional.

Let’s look at Cloudhopper. I’ve had her for over a decade, and I’ve raised her since she was a Dratini. She’s still incredibly protective of myself and the people in my life, and she’s taken on both attacking wild Pokemon and more unsavoury types of people to protect us in the past. She’s always with me when I’m out in the field because she’s the strongest member of my team who can get us out of bad situations with the most ease, and in the few missions I’ve taken dealing with poachers she’s been by my side. Her competitive nature was aided by her training as a battle partner when I was a trainer, but I haven’t been a trainer in a very long time, and she’s never lost her edge. Our bond is what makes her so fiercely protective, and it’s not something I’ve trained into her, it’s just how she is! Granted, it works out in our favour, because I’m often called a magnet for trouble, which I can’t really argue against.

I’m very biased towards Dragonites. Cloudhopper is my partner, I’ve had her most of my life, we grew up together. She’s a big part of the reason my initial research focus was Dragon types. She takes a lot of care but it’s never felt like work to me, we fit together perfectly and I can’t imagine myself having any other Pokemon as my partner. I haven’t met many wild Dragonites, they’re quite elusive and live in areas not easily accessed, but the ones I have encountered are beautiful and incredibly powerful. They’re not a species to be underestimated, nor should they be handled or approached by anybody without proper training and experience. They make for great partners for trainers who can take on the challenge of raising a Dragon type, and are also great flight Pokemon. You just have to be up to the challenge and able to work with their needs, which get more and more difficult as they evolve from a Dratini to their final, massive form.

#pokemon #professor laurel #arthur rambles #personal field notes #Cloudhopper is a great asset right now in particular #this invasive species mess is a lot easier with her being intimidating #and it's more complicated than I originally thought hence why I haven't been around #Sevipers... and Zangoose! Moving into the area! You can imagine how my days are looking right now #the Zangoose are causing problems so I'm trying to figure it all out #hopefully get them moved somewhere more suitable to their needs and away from each other #and figure out why and how they came here of all places

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amaya-chwan · 3 years

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Therapy Game Restart Discussion: Who is Onodera?

Hello everyone! Hope you are all well~ ❤️💛💜 I've had a headscratcher of an ask/message regarding Onodera, so I figured I'll make it into one big post!

Before I begin this Q&A/discussion post (feel free to comment below if you have any thoughts), I have looked through past chapters to gather the information I will put into this post to support my predictions. Not all chapters are readily available for everyone at the moment as only one volume of TGR is out right now, so I shall put the chapter numbers for your future reference! ⚠️ Also, just a note! These opinions are my personal thoughts, conjectures, and opinions, so please don't think I am saying one idea or speculation is wrong--this is just how I see it, and of course I could very well be wrong! And I also am not fluent in Japanese, so I may have some translation errors!

⚠️ Also, a warning, this will be a long post! Keep reading if you're interested and please let me know your own thoughts!

First, in an earlier ask, I was directed to a translation group that said Onodera is a man. With the help of Google and Google Translate (because I don't understand/speak Spanish), I found that post (dated April this year) and the origin of the picture they used in that post. The image is from Hinohara-sensei's 13th August 2020 tweet here and is also below for reference:

Now, all I can remember from first seeing that image is "Woow, so pretty! A female character? A love rival? A threat? OH it's the infamous director they're all talking about???"

This image was released around the time chapter 8 was released, i.e. the first chapter we see Onodera in full.

Looking at the image again, I can see how Onodera could be seen as a female or a male. Onodera has long hair, yet no visible breasts. There is no evidence of an Adam's apple, but that could just be because of the turtleneck as part of their outfit. Furthermore, in chapter 13, we see a view of Onodera from behind. There are no "womanly curves" visible in this view of Onodera.

After searching some Japanese blogs, some fans also had the same thoughts: no breasts = possible male, the shape of the face etc. Here are the blogs I found: [1] [2] [3] but most of these are from around chapter 8.

Just about the breast argument: there are a lot of different shapes for breasts. I learnt that when working at a department store selling bras during university. It is possible that Onodera is really flat chested or just has very little breast tissue. Not sure if that's getting too technical now, ahah, but what I want to say is that the lack of breasts isn't a definite yes to Onodera being a man.

Hinohara-sensei also has not explicitly stated throughout TGR so far (ch1-13) that Onodera is male or female.

From chapters 8-12, Onodera is always referred to as 院長 (director) by Shizuma and the nurses at the clinic. No gender-specific pronouns have been used in the story nor by any characters to refer to Onodera when speaking so far (that I have read). So confirming Onodera's gender is just misleading at the present moment.

We do find out in chapter 9 that Onodera's first name is 昌 akira. Akira is a gender neutral name in Japan. It is often given to males, but it is not uncommon for females to have this name. Which, I think, is genius on Sensei's part. It leaves us all thinking!

Q: So Amaya-chwan, what do you think Onodera's gender is?

Just for me as I've been reading TGR the past 1.5 years, I see Onodera as a woman as I have been "encouraged" to see Onodera as one by the little subtleties in the story, and Minato sees Onodera as a female, so I probably am viewing Onodera in Minato's POV.

(Please keep reading on for more insights and answers to questions! Really, this post is long! 😅)

In chapter 9, Onodera's older brother, who is also Shizuma's university professor (and his last name is not Onodera), makes small talk with Shizuma regarding the staff at his placement:

Shizuma's professor says: By the way, Shizuma-kun, how've you been!? You haven't been bullied, have you!? // The female team here is scary, right~ You know, Nakajou-kun and I were in the same grade...

So here, I'm made to think Onodera's clinic is pretty much all female, including Onodera too.

Fun fact: His professor uses the suffix -kun for Nakajou-sensei, yet Nakajou-sensei is a female and -kun is commonly used for males these days. But, it is also used for females in very specific situations. I'm not too sure what the situations are, but I have heard them used for females before.

In the same chapter (9), while Shizuma is changing out of his scrubs in the men's locker (?) room, Onodera walks in. He is slightly flustered, and kindly reminds her that she's walked into the men's locker room. Her reaction is "Huh? Ahh..." So here, again, I am made to believe Onodera is female.

While no gender-specific pronouns have been used to address Onodera, Minato and Itsuki have referred to Onodera as a female in chapter 13.

The kanji for "female/woman" is 女. In these two images, Minato refers to Onodera as 上司の女 female superior, and from Minato's story, Itsuki hence calls her 職場の女の人 female from (Shizuma's) workplace. This is the only time Onodera has been referred to as a female.

⚠️ Just a note going forward in this discussion, I will now call Onodera "she/her" as that is what I believe Onodera's gender is at the present moment!

Now, I did get a second ask from an Anon! Here they are below with my responses:

This one is about what's behind Onodera. I think she's a pretty interesting character. I actually think she's a trans woman or a non-binary trans woman. Sensei has been dropping so many hints to that... The name her brother calls her might be her dead name. He complains about her hair and what their father would say. She's designed to have flat breasts, perhaps she's not under hormone therapy, perhaps her "trips" and "days off" have something to do with reassignment surgeries...

She most definitely is an interesting character. I wouldn't say Onodera being transgender is out of the realm of possibility because the story is still ongoing. But regarding her name, I don't know if I'd call it a dead name since it is gender neutral already. Perhaps the kanji for a male Akira name would be different to a female one though?

About the hair comment (ch10), I just thought it was unruly? I honestly didn't think too much of it! What I will add is that the kanji for hair (髪) is used, but the reading is あたま head. Not sure why just yet, so I'll just leave that here as some extra information for the moment.

Not sure what I really think about a) her flat-chestedness and b) her insanely long business trips yet! I figured a) might be a character design, and b) she really is a top-notch veterinarian so she's probably in high demand. But I could be completely off the mark!

Also, I don't know where to add this random bit in from the story, but in chapter 12, we find out that Onodera has been calling one of the staff the wrong name for more than 10 years now. Not sure if this new piece of info affects anything?

But again, that is a very interesting prediction/thought you have about Onodera, and I wouldn't say it's not possible!

She's kind of a female Minato, psychologicallly and in appearance, which brings some challenges. And one more thing that I think hints to that: "I'll make it so your body can never be satisfied by any woman", Minato says to Shizuma. As the last chapter leaves it at that, we don't know exactly what he is talking about. [spoiler?] I haven't seen the Japanese text yet to be sure if he's clear about topping Shizuma.

That was exactly my thought when she was first introduced! That's part of the reason why I think Minato sees her as a threat, especially when he saw her for the first time and was told she is a 美人beautiful person (both in chapter 12). She and Minato definitely share some characteristics, but I find she's a bit more socially-awkward than Minato given her background (Chapter 9 & 10).

For the dialogue, the Japanese lines and the most literal translations I can give are:

今から　静真くんを抱く From now, (I'll) hold/embrace you, Shizuma-kun.

どんな女に出会っても　絶対満足できない体にしてあげる No matter the women you encounter, I will make it so your body definitely cannot be satisfied (by any of them).

Hopefully we'll find out what Minato means by that exactly in the next chapter, which I hope comes to me this week!

But if that's what he's talking about, it's 1. poor Minato being transphobic (besides being biphobic towards his own boyfriend)* 2. poor Minato probably foreshadowing his own fall. If Onodera happens to be a woman with a d**k, she can do whatever Minato thinks a cis man only can do. That's not what will make Shizuma stay by his side. Shizuma will stay by his side because he loves Minato. And that's that. Debunks biphobic myths, debunks transphobic myths. *He's not a bad person, he's got issues

Okay, this is probably as straight-forward as I can say this, but I just want to say that I don't know enough about the issues faced by the LGBTQI+ community. My friends have kindly answered all my questions so far as I don't want to be ignorant or rude when learning more about my friends and the community. I don't want to give off the air that I'm assuming anything since I don't want any misunderstandings. And I am fully aware that I need to educate myself more regarding this!

So about Minato, I'm not completely sure what you mean by number 2. But he definitely has his share of trauma, insecurities, and fears regarding his relationship with Shizuma. Having Onodera as a threat in this story really helps drive Minato's growth. The story is titled Therapy Game Restart, so what I gather from the title is that Minato is going to face another fear/insecurity he has, something deeply-rooted in him, and it's going to get really heavy and complicated, but he will eventually get through it and it will help him heal and grow as a character, and hopefully strengthen his faith in his relationship with Shizuma.

So far, I believe this "fear" is carrying on from +Play More, that Shizuma can be whisked away by a female at any moment.

But yes, Minato has to realise for himself that his and Shizuma's love, relationship, and bond is strong enough for him to not worry about Shizuma leaving him so abruptly. He has to learn to trust in Shizuma more, and TGR is slowly revealing that, especially in chapter 13.

I'll stop here. I have already written long analyses on this series and I think about making them public at some point. But it would be nice to hear from you! Maybe I'm completely wrong in my interpretations! I'm really sorry for being so annoying and maybe using inappropriate language. I really didn't mean to bother you. But I never see anyone making these points. I just want to know if I'm thinking unreasonably...

I love reading different analyses, opinions, story predictions, the whole lot!! So please feel free to ask me or post your own ideas. It's always a welcome thing for me to discuss stories and learn new things! Don't be sorry that you're being a bother or annoying, because it's not a bother at all!

We're all allowed to have our own ideas and opinions about stories, and these ideas will change once something is canon in the story, and ultimately is something we will have to accept too.

So yeah, just my two cents. Thank you for being so patient with my response, dear Anon!

To anyone reading at this point, thank you for reading this far! ❤️💛💜

I shall see you in our next set of takeaways~ As always, stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones! 💜

(2021-05-17: Speedy proofreading is done ahah! And yes, my brain is still so full of 山河令/Word of Honor right now, so I have been VERY distracted! Highly recommend this drama, guys! It's up for free on the official Youku Youtube page! Totally not an endorsement, but I love this drama! AHHHHH!! Gong Jun [Simon] be living on my mind rent free~)

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