Emory Has Thoughts

You know how most Pokémon say their name in order to speak or different syllables of their name?

There are a few that just make like animal type sounds, but there’s one in the original show…



**victreebel**

This

Pokemon

Just…

**Screams**

Why???

I will say in the first episode this Pokémon appears it goes “Vic” but in every other scene and episode it full on **human screams.**

it’s jarring 

Why does it do that?

What is the purpose? 

The dub of the Pokémon anime can be a little absurd sometimes.

But every other Pokémon either says it’s name or makes normal animal sounds **except for this one**

I will say that there are animals that have calls that sound like human screams sometimes.

But this is the only thing Victreebel does in order to speak.

Said animals that I mentioned usually have other noises they make not just the screaming. If they were trying to make a Pokémon that was kind of realistic to an animal that mimics human screams, they could’ve used anything else. but a plant type Pokémon that’s supposed to look like a pitcher plant???

Why not like a ghost or a fairy type Pokémon that mimics human screams in order to lure humans into the woods or something like that?

Which is something they have literally done.

I will say that was way after this show aired, but it’s not a huge stretch.

Pokémon has had creepy underlying lore since the beginning.

For example - fucking the three ghost type Pokémon that were first introduced in THE FIRST GENERATION. All three of them have insanely creepy lore. Especially Gangar!

Why would it be such a stretch instead of having a random grass Pokémon scream to speak they make another Pokémon or use one of the Pokémon they **already have** it would be super funny/make a lot more sense for Hunter to scream. Hunter is the in-between evolution between Ganger and ghastly. If randomly the transition stage of a Pokémon wildly switches up how it communicates that would be an insanely funny detail. ESPECIALLY if it just… goes back to saying its name or syllables of its name like normal when it evolves into its next stage. how funny would that detail be if you think about a Pokémon trainer, catching a ghastly, not realizing that when it evolves it constantly screams in order to communicate, and when it first evolves, it just…lets out a piercing human like scream, **terrifying** the trainer. And the sigh of relief that same trainer would breathe when it finally evolves into a Ganger and just goes back to saying syllables of its name or just its name in order to communicate. It would be a hilarious ark.

Anyway I actually don’t know if victory bells call was changed at some point after this show. But given that it’s a two stage evolution line. I sure hope so, because imagine being a Pokémon trainer and having a victreebel and being forced to deal with its *human like screams* every. Single. Day…

Just a thought. 

So i’m slowly making my way through the original Pokémon series and i’ve gotten to The orange Islands league part of the show. So all of the badges for the orange islands league are made of seashells and in this episode in particular Ash battles for a sea **Ruby** badge. At the beginning of the episode it’s described in this scene;

Right, so you think that the sea ruby badge would look something like this :

(Drawing by me)

A shell with a **Red** ruby in it

But no, at the end we see it looks like *this*

You see that? …

A red print with a GREEN GEMSTONE!

I did some research and I would give the show a pass if there was such a thing as I Green ruby…

BUT IT DOESN’T EXIST!

There is Zoisite that **contains** ruby inclusions but it’s more pink than red and you can see the stone as a more vermilion red behind it. And Zoisite has a more pinkish tone.

One theory I have is that the name of the badge was caught in translation on the English dub. Something that happens frequently. I was able to find that when corundum forms a ruby, it’s red because of the chromium inclusions between the lattice structure of the crystal. The chromium inclusions is what makes it classified as a **ruby** however when that chromium is replaced with titanium it becomes classified as a **Sapphire**. They both have a base structure of corundum but have different inclusions that make them a ruby or a sapphire. There are no green rubies but there are green **sapphires**. So maybe the word for sapphire and ruby are similar because of their similar chemical composition in the original language of the show and the translation was botched. Hence “Ruby of the sea badge” instead of “Sapphire of the sea badge”. It would make more sense thematically that the gem would be a sapphire instead of a ruby because of its common association with water and the ocean. And that vermilion color behind the gem would most likely be **coral** so I’m thinking that it was a green sapphire and a piece of coral on the badge.

I’m sure this is talked about in some areas of the fandom, but not as talked about as the rice ball versus “jelly doughnut” debate. Which is one of the most noticed and talked about dub errors on the original Pokémon show. Basically the dub says “jelly donut” instead of “rice ball”. There are theories that the dub was just trying to pander more to American and English speaking audiences, but the rice balls shown in the show are very clearly not jelly donuts at all. It’s pretty comical to people who are fully aware of what rice balls/Onigiri are. However, I will say that, while watching the show this dub error was fixed in later episodes where they showed the Onigiri being served. Calling them “rice balls”. At the time the show was airing. They did have a mailing address that kids and other fans would send mail to and I’m sure a bunch of kids and fans noticed the inconsistency and mailed asking why the dub was calling the rice balls jelly donuts, instead of what they actually were. Which wad why the change was made. 

It’s interesting to see an error like this is such a famous show and I’m sure there are many more.

So around ep 20-21 Misty gets a phyduck…

I know the whole point of this ongoing plot point is to develop Misty’s character into someone more patient and empathetic. But the issue is after she gets Phyduck every time she tries to battle it busts out of its Pokeball instead of the Pokémon she’s trying to choose and basically does nothing. I know phyduck is a play on the “ugly duckling” trope and - like magiccarp - is supposed to be a Pokemon with hidden potential that only grows strong with diligence and patience. But before she had Phyduck Misty was a really strong trainer!

This arch completely nerfed her character in my opinion. I know that I’m being like all the neigh sayers in the show that are supposed to be “mean” and “bad” for making fun of Phyduck. But the plot point is used very episode to basically push Misty into the sidelines or even humiliate her as a trainer. I know that’s not the intention and it’s supposed to be comic relief mixed with an ongoing lesson about not judging a book by its cover. But it does not achieve that in the slightest! It only proves to make Misty look like a bad trainer, a mean person, abusive towards weak Pokemon, and just generally a likable character. Before this plot point I’ve heard so many people talk about how annoying Misty is, when she’s really not that bad… but this arc makes her look so much worse before she gets better… I myself am a huge Misty fan, I love water Pokemon and I also relate to Misty’s personality.

She tends to be an emotional character which puts a lot of people off. She’s very similar to other characters like Amy Rose from Sonic or Marenet from miraculous. All emotional, deeply feeling, and bubbly characters that tend to be hated because of this. I think it would’ve been a better choice to give Misty a magiccarp or possibly another Pokemon that you have to be more patient with. It could’ve been a funny and interesting plot point. But it’s used. Every.single.episode… even multiple times in an episode. Misty used to be a strong and supportive character that would jump in immediately to help Ash in battle, but now Phyduck either just does nothing or makes things worse! It sucks, it’s overused, and it really doesn’t help Misty’s character until much later on… it’s sad because she had such a strong roll in the Tenticool and Tenticrule episode, she even called them “cute”

she defended them and made the EXACT POINT that the writers are trying to make with the Phyduck thing - you can’t judge a book by its cover and you can’t judge a Pokemon o until you get to know them - in fact… if they wanted an ongoing theme of that they should have given Misty a Tenticool.

It would make a lot more sense given that it’s already established that Tenticool and tenticrule are both more hated Pokemon within the universe. They’re irritable, mostly made of water, don’t look particularly appealing, and tend to just cause unease. Giving Misty a Pokemon like this would give her a chance to defend it like she did in that episode. It would make the same point, it would make more sense, and when she pulls it out in battle it would cause people to question why she chose it and make her show them it’s stronger then it looks. It could also tie in with the arc of people tending to call her a “little girl” or a “weak girl” giving her a Pokemon that is not conventionally cute would counter act that argument. Misty is spunky and the type of girl to teach people a lesson when they underestimate her, this would give her a chance to make people like that shut up real quick. The Phyduck plot does the complete opposite and just tends to make her look like a whiny little girl, proving the people who underestimate her right. That would shake anyone’s character, and you can even see Misty loose some confidence in herself as this plot goes on. I think the writers were trying to dull her character a little because of people not liking her, but it was an incredibly poor choice. 

The Phyduck thing eventually grows on her and it ends up ok. but after that her character is pretty permanently made into another one of those “annoying girl” characters, and I really hate to see when a character is put into the most hated character hall of fame. And Misty unfortunately is the poster child of that tittle…

So the basic premise is that Ash and friends find this Charmander on a rock and they found out it had been abandoned. However it wasn’t Ash’s idea to go back for it - It was BROCKs -

Throughout this whole episode Brock was the one the most invested in helping Charmander. And even defends Charmander from its lame trainer.

Brock is the first one at Charmander’s side

Even though Ash did protect its flame Brock was the one to really save it. And he was the most invested in Charmander getting better

In fact both Ash and Misty give up pretty easily when Charmander leaves the Pokemon center after the gang saves it.

Brock seems pretty put out about leaving Charmander behind and even trails behind the pack.

And YET :

… what?

I know Ash is the main character but plot wise this makes no sense and this is the explanation:

After all that and they even ADRESS HOW BROCK WAS THE ONE WHO SAVED IT

And yet after all that he just goes to Ash. I understand Brock is a rock type trainer but he was the one who had the most connection to Charmander. And in the episodes that sandwich this one the formula had been Ash rescuing or doing something meaningful for the Pokémon that makes them choose to stay with him. The VERY NEXT EPISODE he saves Squrtle from Team Rocket and it decides to become his Pokemon. Brock and Misty take side rolls again but my question is why did Brock take a leading role in the Charmander episode and then NOT get Charmander? Why did Ash not take the lead? This episode was also so outside of Ash’s character too, he WOULD be the one to want to go back for Charmander both him and Brock care a lot about Pokemon and fight hard for them, however Ash just… gives up? Ash is by far the most stubborn out of the group when it comes to Pokemon Brock tends to be more levelheaded and critical so this episode was completely out of left field.

Something I’ve been thinking about 👇

Bee/Beelzebub - Gluttony - however she is also extremely generous and gets pleasure/power out of making people happy/fulfilling their desires

Asmodeus - Lust - however he is also very loving and caring. He doesn’t just use his lover for their body but also truly loves and cares for them deeply and will do anything for them. Also shows empathy for others and is completely against non consensual actions/is very focused on mutual pleasure.

Lucifer - pride - even though he seems very prideful outwardly he has very low self esteem/poor self image. He believes he is nothing without his counterpart and shows genuine pride for his daughter and other people when they accomplish things.

Belfigor - sloth - from what little we know of her she seems to be focused more on the health and well being of others than actual laziness. She is the backbone of the healthcare industry in hell which shows that she is the very opposite of apathetic - a part of Sloth - because of how active she is in making positive change for the residents of hell.

Satan - wrath - even though we saw his more ruthless side during the trial he does seem genuinely concerned with justice instead of just blind wrath. He, like Lucifer, preforms a wrathful outward appearance, however can be mercifully as shown in the episode when Stolas protects Bliz and the others from execution. To be fair, the punishment for Stolas is far less severe than Bliz and the others, but if he was truly wrathful he would’ve still killed Bliz and the others while also punishing Stolas. - his case is complicated so it would be better to asses him further when we see more of him.

Mammon - greed - Mammon is the outlier in this group, he truly shows greed, he’s willing to squeeze every last penny out of the inhabitants of hell but he’s also shameless in his tactics to get more money and power. He exploits people for money too - Fizz - and when they stop being useful to him he throws them away. He also exhibits the traits of every other sin - he’s prideful - his face is everywhere in his ring and he constantly boasts about being “the best entertainer in Hell” - gluttonous - you can constantly see him eating and drinking and hoarding food for himself - lustful - has multiple women around him that are presumably for his own pleasure - sloth-like - is barely seen walking or moving much at all and is constantly lounging around - wrathful - hates when anyone speaks against him and will immediately act without mercy/flys into fit of rage when challenged or insulted - and envious - refuses to be outshone by anyone and constantly reminds Fizz that he would be “nothing” without him, even though Fizz is obviously a much better entertainer then Mammon ever was and is. He has to make sure everyone believes he’s the best so he’s never outshone. The story suggests that he used to be much less like this when he first arrived in Hell and even was probably the opposite of Greedy. Because he was supposedly an amazing performer and entertainer, he probably just wanted to make people happy and didn’t care about the money, but overtime it got to him and he fully embraced his roll.

Leviathan- envy- not much is known about Leviathan at this point in the story, but from the short screentime we got with them during the trial we can see that they do seem to be a bit self conscious. Ie when Mammon makes a comment about them. But it seems to be a split personality situation between their two heads, one is more vain while the other is self conscious. The basic form of someone envious is someone who is secretly self conscious while outwardly seeming extremely vain and confident. They always want what others have and try to emulate being a certain way so others envy them instead.