Little things you like about Pokémon

Recently, there were a bunch of negative posts about Johto in the unpops thread… followed by several positive posts about Johto in this thread. I want to continue on that track, so here’s some more positive things about Johto! No, this is not a joke.

First of all, let’s talk about the Johto episode of Pokémon Evolutions: The Show. I really like this episode. As said in the unpops thread, I think it is a great example of how Johto is at its best outside of the games.

There is a lot to like about this episode. One thing I noticed was how it made use of colors regarding the Kimono Girls and their Pokémon.

:Moon ball: :Umbreon:
The first Kimono Girl has a Moon Ball in her hair, she wears a black dress with yellow rings and she uses Umbreon.

:Fast ball: :Jolteon:
The second has a Fast Ball in her hair, she has a orange/yellow-ish dress with a somewhat zagged pattern, she uses Jolteon.

:Level ball: :Flareon:
The third has a Level Ball in her hair, she has a dress with a fiery pattern, and she uses Flareon.

:Lure ball: :Vaporeon:
The fourth has Lure Ball in her hair, she wears a blue dress with a watery pattern, and she uses Vaporeon.

:love ball: :Espeon:
The fifth has a Love Ball in her hair, she wears a pink dress, and she uses Espeon.

I really like the way they made use of the colors here.

I also like how they used the Eeveelutions to symbolize the events of the story.

Umbreon: The night when it happened
Jolteon: The lightning that struck the Tower
Flareon: The fire that started afterwards
Vaporeon: The rain that put out the fire
Espeon: The morning after

That was really cool.

Another thing I like is how the episode showed a little “behind the scenes” with various Pokémon helping with the special effects on the theater.

I also like how this episode focused on Lugia instead of Ho-Oh. While it would have felt more natural for them to go with Ho-Oh instead as it resides on the top of the Bell Tower (as opposed to Lugia living at the bottom of the Whirl Islands), I feel like Lugia has gotten a bit shafted over the years so it was great to see it get some attention once again.

Let’s continue with saying more nice things about Johto! Another thing I like, which has been talked about before, is the atmosphere of Kanto in G/S/C and how it is ultra-industrialized to the extreme. I believe green_typhlosion was the first to bring this up in the past.

I decided to take a more in-depth look at G/S/C Kanto to see how it is. Here’s everything I could find:
- The Power Plant is back up and running, compared to being closed in R/B/Y
- The Safari Zone is closed
- Viridian Forest is gone, it is replaced by a small maze of bushes
- Seafoam Islands is just one very small cave
- Mt. Moon is much smaller and it has a square with a house, which wasn’t there in R/B/Y
- Cerulean Cave is gone
- In Lavender Town, the Pokémon Tower is replaced by a Radio Tower
- The Magnet Train between Saffron and Goldenrod has been built (though it is up to the player to get it up and running)
- Celadon City seems to have been polluted as the ponds are inhabited by nothing but Grimer and Muk. FR/LG seems to have made a minor reference to this as in those games, you have a 1% chance of encountering Koffing while Surfing, and Grimer when fishing with the Super Rod
- Route 23 has been shrunk down to almost nothing. In comparison, it was a quite long natural road in R/B/Y
- Some changes in the overworld design tiles, one of the most notable changes is the borders around the water routes are plastic things instead of the more natural rocks and cliffs
- The Pewter Museum is closed for renovations (it may not be completely related to this, but it was something I noticed and I just wanted to mention it)

Another notable thing is how Kanto is a lot smaller in G/S/C. Upon taking a closer look, it seems like the majority of the more natural areas (routes and dungeons) are smaller than in R/B/Y, the majority of them have been shortened or shrunk down. But most of the actual settlements are as big as they were in R/B/Y. This contributes to making the region feel industrialized.

I found a map which compares the overworld of Kanto in R/B/Y and G/S/C:
https://i.redd.it/gq6guoea8q661.png

It makes it very clear that Kanto is considerably smaller in G/S/C.

Looking back, Kanto in G/S/C was really unique. While it was very heavily flawed from a gameplay perspective, the atmosphere was really special. I guess that a lot of areas had to be removed or get smaller because of technical limitations in the games, but seeing how most of these were the more natural areas, I wonder if it might have been at least partly intentional. Either way, I think it created something very unique. I never thought the day would come when I would say something positive about Kanto in the Johto games, but here we are. Unfortunately, HG/SS decided to get rid of the atmosphere but keep all of the gameplay flaws, which is a shame.

1650047789676.png

However, I think there is one area where HG/SS really nailed it. Cinnabar Island. They captured the atmosphere here so well. This island was once bustling with life and featured a city, then the volcano erupted and everything except the Pokémon Center got wiped out. The music in HG/SS is also perfect. It suits the situation so perfectly. When I played HG/SS, I would often Fly to Cinnabar Islands to listen to the music and relax after being frustrated by all the issues in these games. While I think HG/SS changed many things in Kanto for the worse compared to how they were in G/S/C, I think this is one of the few things (maybe even the only thing) they actually changed for the better, if only ever so slightly.

The above made me think about another thing. Cinnabar Island has a volcano, but it is never visible anywhere in the Kanto games, only in the Johto games. But it is clearly shown in other media like the anime and Pokémon Adventures. No idea why. To make it suitable for this thread, I guess I sort of like how the volcano on Cinnabar exists in the Kanto games without being visible... or something.

Onto something else. In Gen 1-3, getting certain badges would boost one stat of all the player’s Pokémon (for pure in-game use). But it seems that in Gen 2, each badge would also boost the power of the moves used by the same type. I just randomly learned this yesterday. In Gen 2, every Badge boosts the power of the type it is associated with. For instance, the Zephyr Badge boosts Flying-type attacks. And so on. While there isn’t a Ground-type Gym in the Johto games, the Earth Badge still boosts Ground-type moves. I guess Dark misses out on this boost as there is no Dark-type Badge in Johto. Though I’m not sure, maybe Dark-types get boosted through some other means, like after beating Team Rocket.

Moving on from Johto, another thing I really like and that I have always liked is how Pokémon evolutions are showcased in the anime. When I was a kid, I saw the anime before playing the games, and I always thought that evolution looked a lot cooler in the anime than in the games. Even now in Gen 8, I still think evolution looks much cooler in the anime than in the games. It feels like despite how it has evolved (pun intended) in the games throughout the years, it still hasn’t reached the level of coolness it has always had in the anime.

I have continued playing Emerald, and one other thing it made me think about that I like is how OR/AS kept most of the NPC designs from R/S/E for the new trainer artwork in OR/AS. For instance, here’s the sprites for Pokémon Breeders in R/S/E and the art for them in OR/AS.

1650047827100.png
1650047823593.png

1650047834532.png
1650047839847.png


Their art in OR/AS is clearly based on their sprites in R/S/E, but with some minor changes. I think it is really neat. The same goes for most/all other Hoenn trainer classes as well, which is cool.

OR/AS also did some updates to the more important NPCs (Gym Leaders, E4 and Champion) as well, and I think those are great. My favorite is Roxanne, I think her OR/AS design is much better than her original from R/S/E.
 
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Is it okay to double-post if the thread's been inactive for a few days? (I watched episode 7 of evolutions since then, and I liked it.)

Anyway, I just realised that Sneasel and Sneasler have the exact same naming pattern in Japanese as Sentret and Furret; the former are Nyula and Oonyula, and the latter are Otachi and Ootachi. Since Sneasel is a Gen 2 Pokémon, I wonder if that's an intentional call-back? (Then again, Taillow and Swellow also follow that pattern — Subame and Ohsubame.)
 
Is it okay to double-post if the thread's been inactive for a few days? (I watched episode 7 of evolutions since then, and I liked it.)

Anyway, I just realised that Sneasel and Sneasler have the exact same naming pattern in Japanese as Sentret and Furret; the former are Nyula and Oonyula, and the latter are Otachi and Ootachi. Since Sneasel is a Gen 2 Pokémon, I wonder if that's an intentional call-back? (Then again, Taillow and Swellow also follow that pattern — Subame and Ohsubame.)
it's probably just coincidental, yeah. Japanese names in particular like having [Base Name] then [basename, but with a prefix/suffix] naming conventions, so "big ____" is bound to come up a few times.

Weavile works similar, Nyula -> Ma[demon]nyula. Sneasler is more of a bigger sneasel than an eviler sneasel, so they just went with...big.
 
Okay, so I was going to make a post about how one of the most brutal depictions of Pokemon battling (an alternative version of Ash and Ritchie's league fight) was overlooked because it happed to be within the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga...
Ash_Charizard_violent.png
but going through Bulbapedia archives made me realized that the manga has some of my favorite interpretations of Kanto mons...
Ash_Charmander_EToP.png
Meowth_EToP.png
Misty_Gyarados_EToP.png
Drake_Dragonite_EToP.png
ET09.png
Onix_EToP.png
Ash_Kingler_EToP.png
Ash_Muk_EToP.png

I think the alternate eye styles are what drew me in.
 
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I like the variety of little details that tend to come with Ho-oh and its appearances: typically it's holding a Sacred Ash, tying into the Phoenix motif along with Regenerator not only with the flavor imagery, but the revival of multiple Pokemon (as some depictions of the Phoenix evidently suggest the ashes can revive others beyond the creature itself). While Ho-oh has quite a few moves to restore itself, it does very little in the way of Team Support gameplay wise, which this themeing plays into: Ho-oh restoring others requires its ashes, which obviously it doesn't have consistent or ready access to, meaning it can at best use it for very dire or meaningful tragedies like the Burned Tower.

I also choose to believe this themeing is a major reason why Ho-oh, despite loosely being a counterpart to Lugia (Sea and Sky, Dragon and Phoenix), its stats aren't a direct mirror (i.e. having the same offense numbers where Lugia has defense and vice versa). Ho-oh's Physical Defense is tied for its lowest base stat (and one that sticks out more on a Legendary than Base 90 Speed), but its Special Defense is the highest even when it is an Offensive Pokemon. A creature like the Phoenix can be physically destroyed, but the spirit reincarnates and is much harder to extinguish; whatever awesome power the Phoenix displays as a living fire creature and a giant divine bird, its most famous trait is always its resilience against being truly destroyed.
 
I know I had the last post but in the vein of my Ho-oh stat post, I picked up something neat about Lugia's that may or may not have been intentional. For some context, Lugia is one of the few Pokemon that was definitively created outside of Gamefreak, being something Takeshi Shudo is credited for making for Pokemon: The Movie 2000 (which took place during the Gen 1-only Orange Islands), so its story role predates any role or design it has in the games proper.

In the film, Lugia is presented as the big-good Trio Master to fight the Legendary Bird trio on a rampage, but also explicitly stated not to be able to defeat them; rather its role is to keep them contained and focused on it so that they can be pacified before their battle spreads. Similarly, despite Pokedex entries alluding to immense battle power with things like a flap of its wings creating storms (flavor text not used as prominently for its more offensive counterpart in Ho-oh), Lugia's stats as the so-called "Great Wall" incline it to a similar role: Sponging hits from opponents so its teammates can take them down given the chance.

I expressed a degree of perplexion in the "Things that annoy you" thread for Cresselia and Darkrai having conflicting lore and gameplay style, so I do like to see when the flavor/story does align nicely with how the Pokemon's stats/gameplay style work out like that.
 
Roxanne actually seems, better than anybody else in Pokemon, to understand her proper role as a Gym Leader: A test. Not an insurmountable obstacle, but a demonstration of...basic competence, really, given she's the first one you face.

(Also: Alt timeline where Norman is Gym 1 and Roxanne's Nosepass is Whitney's Miltank-levels of infamous. It gets Thunder Wave at 13 and Rest at 16 in ORAS. Fun thing to think about.)
 
Roxanne actually seems, better than anybody else in Pokemon, to understand her proper role as a Gym Leader: A test. Not an insurmountable obstacle, but a demonstration of...basic competence, really, given she's the first one you face.

(Also: Alt timeline where Norman is Gym 1 and Roxanne's Nosepass is Whitney's Miltank-levels of infamous. It gets Thunder Wave at 13 and Rest at 16 in ORAS. Fun thing to think about.)
Thunder Wave & rest don't mean much when you're slow, have bad HP and any all the grass & water types you found (or moves you have access too) will be at a naturally higher level possibly having access to moves they didnt before. Or just slightly bulkier pokemon in general. Nosepass kind of works in the first boss because stats are likely still a little low and so high swings in stuff like defense stats can flex a little while lower stats can still hurt you decently. The moment you leave that zone and start wasting turns on things like Thunder Wave you're smoked.

Miltank is such a terror, if perhaps a little over exaggerated, because it's an over all strong pokemon with a move that can get out of control and your counters are more limited to "kind of geodude & machop, I guess" because probably most importantly of all it's a Normal type. If Miltank were the exact same but was a different type, it'd likely be a completely different story
 

Coronis

Impressively round
is a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Saw this on fb, something wholesome to brighten all your days.

People have driven Lapras almost to the point of extinction. In the evenings, this Pokémon is said to sing plaintively as it seeks what few others of its kind still remain. - R/S/E

These Pokémon were once near extinction due to poaching. Following protective regulations, there is now an overabundance of them. - Moon

Good job humans in the Pokeverse.
 
Saw this on fb, something wholesome to brighten all your days.

People have driven Lapras almost to the point of extinction. In the evenings, this Pokémon is said to sing plaintively as it seeks what few others of its kind still remain. - R/S/E

These Pokémon were once near extinction due to poaching. Following protective regulations, there is now an overabundance of them. - Moon

Good job humans in the Pokeverse.
I'm reminded of a meme where some guy commented about how he'd just breed and release Lapras as a kid because he read that entry
 
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Leave it to Rotom Dex to say that an endangered species making a come back is a bad thing for the environment.
I love gen 7's dark humor pokedex.

That said overpopulation of a species in an environment can be about as bad for the environment
It's why there's regulations on hunting instead of just bans; it can keep certain populations in check so they dont throw things out of whack
 
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I love gen 7's dark humor pokedex.

That said overpopulation of a species in an environment can be about as bad for the environment
It's why there's regulations on hunting instead of just bans; it can keep certain populations in check so they dont throw things out of whack
While that is true, most cases are that endangered animals restore ecologic balance. The North American wolf population increasing, for example, is curbing deer overpopulation. If there was a note about Lapras curbing an overpopulation of fish Pokemon, for example, it wouldn't bother me. However, the dex reads like a sick punchline to a previous cool example of a real world parallel to animal conservation. Tl;dr, Rotom Dex is the incarnation of this guy...
1650995999847.png
 
My favourite thing about Gen 7 is that they finally wrote new entries for old Pokémon again.
I've actually been slowly compiling a bunch of information on dex entries for a future thread (off & on, it's a lot of stuff to check), and gen 6 is really the only outlier to that point (gen 8 is...different...). Strictly speaking Alola operates similar to Gen 5: If you're in the dex, you got a new entry. If you weren't you just reused a different entry. The primary (there's a few other odds & ends) difference being (1) BW1 obviously by default didn't have anyone but new Pokemon in its dex (2) it's not as noticable because there's just not a national dex any more

Meanwhile in gen 6 the only new entries are for the Gen 6 pokemon (and of those, Hoopa is the only one who got new entries in ORAS) and the Weather trio (since they got new lore they wanted to acknowledge)
 

Yung Dramps

awesome gaming
It fills my heart with boundless joy that you can do the funny pose with Ingo in PLA's photo mode
now if only there were any pictures of this online to accentuate the point of my post
 

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