[Your Own Pokemon Protagonists?]

Pokemon's always been a "silent protagonist"- kind of game, to make it easier for the player to shape and craft the protagonist into their own image. Especially with Pokemon X/Y allowing you to customize your protagonist's appearance even more. That seems to be more apparent in the newer games though, especially in contrast with how Red became an active figure despite not saying anything at all. These silent avatars are the perfect way for the player to experience the game how they want to, so..

 

Do you have any stories/headcanons about your protagonists when you play the various Pokemon games? Where they came from? Why they're challenging the league, etc etc? Most especially fanmade ones? Do you have some image of how they look like? I'm really curious because creating my own player characters for any Pokemon game is honestly a necessity.  Feel free to post and talk about your protagonists below!

 

I'll start. Currently, here's my protagonist for my current Reborn playthrough. 

 

 

 

 

[Your Pokemon Traditions]

Reborn and Rejuvenation is honestly the only Pokemon games I play now, so my traditions are specifically focused on them. Most of these aren't really "traditions", but more of how I play the game. This will probably be a lot, but anywho..

 

 

• I only use Pokemon that I actually like. Seems like a simple rule, but in specific, I avoid using certain Pokemon that can be very effective against a fight if I don't like them. For example, Zigzagoon can easily pacify Julia with Mud Sport, but I didn't use him because I don't prefer Zigzagoons. The Pokemon I like though, are usually unconventional and mostly underrated ones. I do still catch some special Pokemon though, like the limited events, but I never use them.
• Adding to that, when I catch a Pokemon, they must become a permanent part of my rotation. I make sure that I use those Pokemon at least more than once. I usually rotate my team after a gym fight, to spice things up a lot more.
• I actually also don't use nicknames. Considering that I end up usually filling at least 2 boxes of the PC, I just can't be bothered to think of a specific special name for all of them. Usually though, I only use nicknames for the special "main" Pokemon I have for each rotation.
• I always keep the levels of my team stacking just as how a gym leader does. With 1 to 2 levels of difference for each Pokemon. Like, my first and second Pokemon being level 70, the next 2 being 71-72, then onwards. It's a really really nitpicky thing to do, but that's just how tingy I am with my Pokemon.
• As for IVs and EVs, I don't particularly care for the former, but I definitely EV train them. Though, I only do this at a significant point in the game when the leaders also start using EV'd up Pokemon, which I think starts with Charlotte in Reborn. Unsure for Rejuvenation. Adding to that, I also actually don't care much for Natures either. Natures are one of the things that help me make a Pokemon more unique, so I don't try to change them. They don't really have much that big of an impact anyway, considering the options that I have.
• I also rarely use items mid-fight. If I'll ever be using items mid-fight, I limit to like 3 healing potions, just like how most leaders do. 
• I'm very obsessive with exploring an entire area. I need to find all the items there, do all the mining rocks, scout out hidden items, and all possible secrets. The plot can wait.
• This is a specific rule that you can only really do in fangames since they allow sprite editing, but I always make a player character sprite for myself. I currently have 4 different characters I use on Reborn and Rejuvenation together, and both of them are in specific styles for the game. If I'm not feeling lazy, I even incorporate outfits for them, like a winter-esque outfit for Reborn when the character reaches Ametrine. Here's the character I've been using in my current E17 Reborn playthrough.

 
 

[(Spoilers) Gym Leaders/Major Trainers using the same Pokemon]

Just now, ArcherEric said:

i think mimikyu's mystery under the cloth fits shade perfectly since we know almost nothing about shade

I think its cute appearance is also a nod to Shade's mysterious connection to a certain, precocious character we know. Anna. 

[(Spoilers) Gym Leaders/Major Trainers using the same Pokemon]

To be honest, I didn't like most of the team changes at all. I actually like a lot of the Gen 7 Pokemon, but it seems like they're spread apart haphazardly. Though, that could be because this is the first time I've played Reborn in the middle of a new generation, so it's probably not as haphazard as I think it is. However though, most notably, I was the most off put by Fern having a Rowlet. Decidueye sorta fits him, with the "glasses"-like face of Decidueye, but Serperior's condescending appearance fit Fern to a T. 

 

Victoria having an Incineroar ain't that bad. It still fits a physically-oriented fire type, but I feel Emboar is still close to home for someone like her. Primarina and Cain is honestly really fitting though. I'm also really confused about Shade's ace being a Mimikyu. I feel like it's such a divergence from what his reputation is and how off-putting he really is, that it sort of fits. But at the same time, looking at it at first, it doesn't. At all. But then again, changing Shade's ace from Chandelure to Mimikyu makes Chandelure a more specific Pokemon for Sirius, which is even more fitting.

[Ame's Team (maybe spoiler)]

I think it's highly likely she'll have a Mismagius and a Whimsicott too. IIRC Amethyst likes those Pokemons. Whimsicott I'm not too sure though. But still, it's not like we'll be able to get those Pokemon any time soon, seeing that Lin took them.

[***SPOILERS*** Post Episode 17]

I'm sorry but, whether Amaria was depressed or not, she DID genuinely try to kill you. I'm pretty sure everyone would react extremely defensively when their life is at stake. Especially when they feel that they haven't done anything to that person to warrant that kind of reaction. Looking at it in a completely unbiased perspective, regardless of Amaria's mental conditions, she could be held accountable for her actions. Does she need help? Oh, she DEFINITELY does. Does that change the fact that she tried to drown the player? No, it does not. 

 

I don't think Amaria is irredeemable or as a "selfish ***** who deserved what she got". It's crystal clear that Amaria is a person with many issues, so romanticizing or extremizing her is a really bad way of handling it. In fact, seeing her as this amazing, strong heroine just feeds into the self-deprecating issues she's feeling with herself. Because again, it's very clear that she's NOT that heroine. She's NOT that villain either. She's just a person with many issues. Not an evil murderess nor a perfect heroine. Just a burdened person, like everyone else. Amaria going through such a development is honestly not far off from how characters are in Reborn. If there's anything that's been stated a million times now in Reborn, no one is completely good or evil. Just all shades of gray. And Amaria's just like that.

[***SPOILERS*** Post Episode 17]

Amaria dying is kind of farfetched, since she didn't actually die in the Reborn League, only got an amnesia. If so, she might at least get some sort of Disney Death, where she's thought to have died but actually lived. Possibly getting amnesia again.

 

It's clear though that there's definitely something wrong with her. So for that she at least needs some help, yes. Should the player character be that person? Possibly not. I mean, as a player character, I'd be pretty off put by what Amaria did. That tends to happen when you try to kill someone. In fact, I think Amaria, along with Solaris, are the only two people to have directly tried murdering the player character? Even Sirius or Lin hasn't went there.

 

Yet.

[About Team Meteor.....]

To be perfectly honest, the concept of Meteor undergoing Redemption in the same style as Team Plasma is kind of off-putting. Team Meteor is a really great evil team because of their sheer determination in their goals. I mean, it took this long for Taka to flinch and finally break free from his ideals. The two head honchos, Solaris and Lin, continue to be ruthless despite the former having some sense of affability. The latter's just a full-blown murder machine. It's been very clear that Team Meteor WILL get those gems, no matter what. Even if the whole world stands against them. Having them redeem themselves really lessens their impact because it's been established from the beginning that they're truly aligned to their goals.

 

The concept of redeeming villains is not a bad idea, but it's not always necessary. Team Meteor is still a great villain despite their lack of pacifism and complete ruthlessness because of they just won't give up. A common trait usually seen in many protagonists. No matter how many times the player thwarts their schemes, Team Meteor just keeps on getting back, and back. That kind of trait humanizes them in some way. And I just personally think that Team Meteor AS a whole has no need for redemption. It's been shown very often in game that even the mere grunts you see are just humans too. Tara, Eclipse, etc etc. All of them show deeper characterization that makes them easier to connect to. Some of the other Meteor members like Simon and Taka undergoing redemption makes perfect sense due to what they've experienced, but having the whole group rebrand and split off like Plasma did is pretty meager.

 

All in all, I think that Team Meteor is a very respectable evil team, not because of their callousness, but as I said, because of their virtue of not giving up. They stand by their goals, even if they know how dangerous and how many times they're damaging the region. They accept that inherent fact that it's evil, and that's why I like them. They're not unsure of their goals and are determined to get what they want. Having them undergo a redemption arc lessens that virtue. The concept of everything not being black and white already makes sense because not everyone in Team Meteor is completely evil. That's been established many times already. And of course, diametrically, not every one of our heroes is completely good either. You can make an argument that Saphira and Titania are just as ruthless as Solaris and Lin, respectively. Their goals might be different, but all of them have blood on their hands.

 

Reborn as a whole is already completely gray. You can't define any of the factions and groups into just one thing, so the concept of redemption is quite hazy since none of them are completely extremist in the first place. That said, I do think that SOME of the Meteor characters could go under some sort of redemption. Taka in particular is already a huge candidate. Cal already went one and is going through one. And I can even see Zero possibly doing that too. But the whole team? The chances are pretty slim. Do take all of this with a grain of salt though. No offense is meant at all to the OP's ideas. 

[[E17 Spoilers] A certain character.]

Another tidbit to what you said..

 

In Episode 17, after the battle with Titania, Lin says that the player would keep the bracelets. The conversation moves forward which makes Titania think that Lin and the PC are working together. Asking that, Lin actually replies with "Aren't we?". There's also the fact that Lin specifically asked that the PC not be harmed at the whole Devon escapade. And true enough, the PC's the only one who got out without so much a broken nail. 

 

Lin's just mystery in the form of a character. We don't really know who she is, what she's up to, why she's doing what she's up to, or how she's even doing what she's currently doing. Even 17 episodes later, we still don't have a solid answer to any of these questions about her. Which is kind of worrying considering we're only 2+ episodes away from Reborn ending, iirc.

I do highly believe that the Lin we see isn't real though. "Real" is subjective, but she's definitely NOT as we think she is. I hope that it's more than just a puppet-master thing though. That just seems too obvious. Anywho, I'm excited to get to battle her because that means we'll get a VS sprite of her. 

[[E17 Spoilers] A certain character.]

7 hours ago, pokemastercj1 said:

  Reveal hidden contents

So spoilers for the path you didn't get (since you saw Taka die you must have had the Reshiram path) but in the Zekrom path Lin herself gets stabbed through the chest by Titania, and lives. So yeah, Lin's even scarier than you just described as it seems she can cheat death.

 

Oh yeah, that too. That's probably related to the mysterious background around her. There's an implication that Lin we see now is that way because of her falling to the same place where Adrienn did, turning her old and possibly having mumbo jumbo hoopla effects on her.

 

3 hours ago, iDunno said:

[SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 17]

Personally, I'm kind of on the fence about her. On the plus side, she is definitely intimidating, and every time she appears (well, at least in this and the last episode) there's a definite shift in the atmosphere, and you know things are about to get ugly. Problem is, Lin is a pretty generic and unimposing name for a villain; there's already a green-haired Pokemon villain whose ace is Hydreigon; and the first time she appears is fairly late in the game, and at that point she comes out of nowhere ("oh, there's this random person here, she's the true leader of Team Meteor. We know we built up Solaris throughout the whole game, but he's actually second-in-command, xoxo").

Also, personality-wise, she is kinda like a generic Shounen anime/manga final villain (cold, powerful and goes on and on about how feelings and friends are useless and all that matters is true power), while Solaris feels more like an actual Pokemon villain (only more remorseless and pragmatic). Also, the mystery about Lin's true identity and motives is scary to me, but for the wrong reasons: I fear it's gonna be something silly and over-the-top (like the "Adult-Lin-is-a-robot-controlled-by-Child-Lin" theory). Overall, while I don't hate her, and I'm looking forward to beating that Hydreigon and whatever else she has, I feel the game would be much better and consistent if Solaris was kept as the main villain :/

I see your point! But I think that she was a better executed example of those kinds of characters. She's pretty one-dimensional from what we see now, but at least she actually live ups to that image. She's a full-blown sociopath that just makes dark speeches, but she's incredibly efficient about it. Unlike most characters that just give grandiose speeches without being able to live up to it. As they say, you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? I don't know, I just really like those villains that are evil simply because they are evil. No dark backstory. No Freudian Excuses. Just plain, simple, unadulterated evil. Stereotypical characters aren't always necessarily bad. That's why they're stereotyped in the first place. However, such characters can be divisive and it depends on your perspective on whether they're capable or not. Which is not a bad thing at all. Also, I think giving her an over-the-top name would probably just make her a lot less tolerable, imo. Giving her a generic name grounds her in some way, even though her character is NOTHING but grounded. I see where you're coming from though! 

 

58 minutes ago, Nyarth said:

  Hide contents

Good taste in husbando my friend 

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

I agree with a lot of things everyone has been saying! I have a few mixed feelings on Lin, and it has more to do with her execution of a character, but I also really like her in the game. She’s a great addition, and I’m super excited to see what happens with her later to come.

 

My issue is that she’s being built up over the game as a very formidable threat, but whatever she does it’s kind of working counterproductive on her own part.

 

The easiest way to build up a character that’s going to be a final boss is to have them beat the stuffing out of characters that have already been established as strong with ease. 

 

Our introduction to her is when she takes Saphira and her giant Steelix down in oneshot. That scene is really nice and all, especially since we know how powerful Saphira and Steelix are already. 

But the issue lies in the fact when we see Saphira again. Completely unscathed and also with two of the keys. Lin hasn’t defeated Saphira at all, and it just makes Lin look less of a larger than life foe because the stakes have been now reset at that point.

 

In 16, Lin defeats Ame under a big type-disadvantage. Ame is introduced as the freaking Champion, so Lin beating the Champion means something, right?

Not quite. Ame’s introduction of Champion without context or previous knowledge works badly here. We don’t know how powerful Ame is to begin with, and our first hearings of Ame in action is that she and Adrienn were overpowered and defeated. Not good first impressions.

So Lin’s defeat of her is kind of meaningless. Her being the Champion is kind of meaningless here, because said Champion hasn’t really shown anything Champion-ish to begin with.

...but that scene where Hydreigon bites off Ame’s head was pretty freaking cool, I’ll admit.

 

E17 is a lot better in these regards! Sadly, it’s only in one path though. Lin spooking around and reviving herself makes her more mysterious, but not more formidable.

So I’ll have to focus on the Reshiram path. Lin tricking Titania, and then immediately defeating her was a great scene in these regards! Titania was previously established as insanely strong, and she didn’t exactly get away completely unaffected. Her actions and behavior actually changes in regards to what Lin had done to her. So Lin’s actions are finally shown with big impact here!

 

Some other stuff in regards to Lin’s own personality has already been covered. I’m super biased to icy-cold villains though, so I can’t exactly cover it without gushing.

 

I hope we have more interactions with her as we had in E17, but some early showcases of her worked negatively for her.

Regardless, all aboard the suffering train!

Oohh, that makes sense. I think what solidified that Lin's a true powerhouse is that her Dark/Dragon Hydreigon was able to defeat an Ice/Fairy A-Ninetails. Something that's diametrically opposite to its typing. Still, there are some other factors to take in note here, like the Field Effect, the levels, speed, etc. I don't exactly remember how that battle went though. And as you said, she just didn't care and bit Ame's head off, so yeah. 

 

Another thing about the whole Lin scenario in E17, it also seems that Titania has a very personal vendetta against Lin, moreso than her regular relationship with Team Meteor as a whole, adding another mystery to her. Just as how the orphanage people remember her. I do hope that these questions would be answered soon though. And considering I was taken aback by E17, I hope it's just as shocking.

 

Taka is the best husbando. Good boy with an amazing scarf. And yes. Icy-cold villains are my favorite too. 

 

 

[[E17 Spoilers] A certain character.]

Massive episode 17 spoilers about a certain erm, imposing character.
 

 

Ever since the last episode, the person named Lin finally steps out from the shadows to have a more direct role in the story. Ever since I saw this woman fly on her Hydreigon and basically eat a Giant Steelix alive, she became my favorite character. And the mysteries surrounding her just piled up since then. Laura and the other orphanage people somehow remember her, and the likes of even Sirius and Solaris, which to remind you are both A-class murderers, are actually terrified of her to a certain degree. Even though she's only appeared once back then, her reputation is already tremendously horrifying.

And boy, does she live up to it. I'd really just like to say that ever since Episode 16, every time Lin's involved, everything goes to literal hell. In just the short span of time she's stepped on to the spotlight, she basically kills 2 named characters. Though, one of those is only a potential, but still. She Mami'd Amethyst and got Taka the same old Titanium Meteor treatment. She could've also easily turned both Victoria and Adrienn into barbeques and Arclight as a pincushion, but somehow she doesn't. When even the Champion HERSELF has nothing against such a character, we're kind of erm, in trouble.

Though, admittedly I could just be hyperboling all of this up since I'm such a huge Taka fan and I'm still in shock about his death in one of the story branches in E17. And also the fact that I'm a Lin fan too.

All in all, I'd really just like to say that I'm impressed that Lin actually lives up to the terrifying image that the game has built up about her. Which isn't that easy to pull off, in my opinion. She's basically a walking black hole. A really good kind. In a story sense, again in my opinion at least. She's had such an impact on me that in fact, from now on, I'm honestly scared for each Episode release. As I said, since Episode 16, the suffering train has just been pushing through, and with Lin driving that thing, it'll basically never stop. Which makes sense because we're slowly reaching the final episodes now.

But even then, there's still not a lot known about her. Which only makes me more excited for the next episode releases. While at the same time being scared. So good job to Amethyst and the creators and what not for Lin. And boo, for having her kill Taka. Because now I'm conflicted.

TL;DR, i love lin but i hate her too 

also my husbando taka deserves to live
 

[[Warning: Major Spoiler] Let's Talk About That Branching Path]

Direct thoughts below.

 

I'm a solid Taka fan and he's one of my most adored characters ever since I've started playing way back when at Episode 9. This episode, wow. It shook everything. The only time I was this flabbergasted over a moment in Reborn is probably Kiki's death. 

 

Since I'm a huge Taka fan, I definitely want him to live, but at the same time, I agree with Titania's sentiments that being confined and bound into a state like that is disconcerting. So picking what branch I should go for is difficult. I honestly have so much more thoughts on this episode, but I'm going to keep them on hold and probably use them as building material for my own journal/playthrough of the game. 

 

I'll probably still battle Taka though. I don't care. Right or not I want him to live. And I think that this branching path isn't over yet. Choosing to battle Taka might feel empty and it actually kind of is gameplay-wise and story-wise, but I feel that it'll get expanded more in the next episodes. Though, at 17, we don't have a lot left. How it'll expand is unknown. A part of me thinks that it'll probably end up blowing into something way worse than if you choose to actually not battle Taka. I don't know. It just doesn't sit right that it'll all end up being quite peaceful for them. Especially now that Lin is directly intervening with the story.

 

Also, can I just say that ever since Lin directly stepped onto the spotlight in Episode 16, she's just been causing destruction everywhere? Both physically and emotionally? Wow. Your girl does not get tired. And now that we're this far in the story, I only fear that she'll be up to more shenanigans. The bad kind.

 

The other part of the story that really got me is Amaria's behavior. As someone who's also highly HIGHLY aquaphobic, Amaria scared the living sh*t out of me. More so than Shade when I first played the game. I was definitely definitely DEFINITELY not expecting her to go that crazy. I knew that she wouldn't be able to take Titania's rejection easily, but never at that level. Still, I think that her acting that way makes a lot more sense. And it also makes her a lot more memorable in my opinion. I mean, I didn't see any signs of crazy on her when I first met her at the Coral Ward. That has a lot more impact now that I'm starting to replay the game from scratch.

 

Episode 17 is definitely one of my favorite episodes. Probably my most favorite. So much that I rose up from nearly a year of inactivity just to post how much I'm shook over it. Though that's kind of biased because I really like Taka as a character, which is why I got more emotionally invested in this episode's events. All in all, major props again to Amethyst and the developers. Wonderful episode. 

[E17 - Gen 7 Pokemon Locations?]

5 minutes ago, seki108 said:

 

 

I didn't search deep enough. Thanks a lot! 

[E17 - Gen 7 Pokemon Locations?]

Does anyone have a list of where the Gen 7 Pokemon are found? I've already seen one listing the Alolan variants, but I haven't seen one with the actual Gen 7 Pokemon. To be specific though, I'm looking for Pikipek, Wishiwashi, Araquanid, Fomantis, Salandit, and Komala.