tax evasion

Origin:

Cirrusol is based on the kasa-obake, an animated umbrella yōkai from Japanese folklore. It is also inspired by the teru teru bōzu, which are handmade Japanese dolls that are displayed outside to call good weather. Its white cloud-like fluff resembles cumulus clouds. The yellow circle mark on its head resembles the meteorological symbol for clear skies.

Stratusol is also partially based on the kasa-obake and teru teru bōzu. Its cloud-like hair resembles pigtails, as well as stratus clouds. The water droplets on Stratusol's chest resemble a necktie or neckerchief, making it look like it's wearing a sērāfuku. The comma-like mark on its head resembles the meteorological symbol for drizzle.

Nimbrelona is based on cumulonimbus clouds. The pattern on its dress resembles the meteorological symbol for a cold front, while the shoulder pattern resembles the symbol for turbulence. The lightning bolts on its head and chest resemble a hair ribbon and a scarf. Most importantly, Nimbrelona's evolutionary line is primarily based on the song weathergirl by FLAVOR FOLEY, a track about an unrequited yet persistent love, which is metaphorically compared to changes in weather. The designs and color schemes of these Pokémon mimic that of SynthV Eleanor Forte in the original music video. Nimbrelona also draws some inspiration from La Llorona (The Weeping Woman), a vengeful ghost in Hispanic-American folklore. While the details of the story change between tellings, the gist is that La Llorona is the spirit of a woman who drowned her children in a jealous rage after discovering that her husband was unfaithful to her, before drowning herself. Nimbrelona's La Llorona inspiration ties into weathergirl's themes of unrequited love.

Because the Dynamax phenomenon is native to the Galar region, Gigantamax Nimbrelona is a nod to the often cloudy weather of the United Kingdom, the country that Galar is based on. The squiggly lines on Nimbrelona's dress resemble isobars on meteorological maps. Its arms now look like stylized human bones, both emphasizing its La Llorona inspiration and referencing the media trope of electrocution making victims' skeletons visible. Nimbrelona's signature G-Max Move, G-Max Heartbreak, references both a metaphorical broken heart (again alluding to weathergirl's themes of unrequited love) and the fact that extreme electrostatic discharges can lead to cardiac arrest.

Name Origin:

Cirrusol comes from cirrus (a type of thin, wispy cloud) and parasol.

Stratusol comes from stratus (a type of light gray cloud associated with light rain or snow) and parasol.

Nimbrelona comes from cumulonimbus (a type of dark cloud associated with severe storms), umbrella, and La Llorona.

Other Notes:

It feels like every new Pokémon region introduces a three-stage humanoid family (Machamp, Gardevoir, Tsareena, Hatterene, etc.). I looked at many of these Pokémon while designing Nimbrelona's evolutionary line, as that was the kind of series trope that I wanted to lean into.

This was probably the hardest Fakémon to conceptualize in this series so far. At first, I thought of a Pokémon that changes form with the weather, but that's just Castform. I then tried to think of animals associated with rain. I landed on frog, but that felt too similar to Politoed, which already has the Drizzle Ability. I tried to look up folklore and mythology associated with rain, but I just kept running into the thunderbird, which is already what Zapdos is likely based on. I even briefly considered a Water-type regional form of Skitty and Delcatty with an umbrella-shaped tail (based on the idea that cats hate getting wet), but that concept felt too shallow for my liking. I was originally going to skip weathergirl entirely for this series, but then all the ideas struck me like lightning (pun intended).

Because of the La Llorona inspiration, I could have made Nimbrelona a Water/Ghost type, but I was really attached to the concept of a Water/Electric type based on thunderstorms. Electric is my favorite type, and Water/Electric is a really cool type combination that I wish was used more in canon Pokémon. At the time of posting, the only Pokémon to have it are Chinchou, Lanturn, and Wash Rotom.

This was my first time ever designing a Gigantamax form, and it was a lot of fun! I know that some Pokémon fans dismiss the mechanic as just clearance-bin Mega Evolution, but from an artistic perspective, Gigantamax absolutely has its place in the series. Gigantamax forms are specifically designed around their massive size, meaning that there are different design conventions at play compared to designing a Mega Evolution. In the case of Nimbrelona specifically, I felt that a Gigantamax form better fit with its concept than a Mega Evolution: its cloud-like hair grows to the size of an actual storm cloud.

(Though, spoilers, one of my future FLAVOR FOLEY Fakémon will likely have a Mega Evolution. Stay tuned!)

👉 Cirrusol’s Art Fight page 👉 Stratusol’s Art Fight page 👉 Nimbrelona’s Art Fight page 👉 Gigantamax Nimbrelona’s Art Fight page

Origin: Biribark is based on a dog, which are commonly featured in children's media as protagonists. Specifically, Biribark is based on a Basset Hound, a breed of dog known for their short legs, floppy ears, and gentle demeanor. Basset Hounds are also known for being naturally stubborn. Biribark draws inspiration from children's toys, such as those produced by Fisher-Price. The Pokémon's stomach pattern resembles a set of buttons, and its tail resembles both a pullstring and a wire. Biribark's design also alludes to retro technology; the two tufts of fur on its head allude to set-top television antennae, and the pattern on its back resembles a cross-shaped directional pad. Biribark's Shiny form alludes to the original Game Boy Advance, which were commonly produced in an indigo color. Most importantly, Biribark is based on the song Static by FLAVOR FOLEY, a track about a children's show host beckoning the viewer to indulge in nostalgia and block out the noise of the modern world. Biribark's design and color scheme mimic that of Vocaloid Hatsune Miku in the music video. Biribark's base stat total of 404 references the length of the song (4 minutes and 4 seconds), though it also references an HTTP 404 status code, which indicates that a web page cannot be found or does not exist.

Name Origin: Biribark comes from ビリビリ biribiri (Japanese onomatopoeia for an electric shock) and bark. It also alludes to Biri-Biri, a song by Japanese duo YOASOBI which was released to commemorate the first anniversary of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.

Other Notes:

Right off the bat, I knew that I wanted this Pokémon to be small, cute, and mascot-like. I briefly considered drawing inspiration from the ungaikyō (mirror monster from Japanese folklore) with a TV for a head, but I felt that a toy-like dog would better fit the concept.

I specifically wanted Biribark to be a weak single-stage Pokémon. It looks like a Pokémon that should evolve, but it can't. It will forever stay the same and never get stronger, alluding to Static's theme of stagnation and harmful nostalgia.

There are some small things about Biribark that hearken back to older Pokémon. For example, it has equal Special Attack and Special Defense, because in Generation I, those two stats were fused into one stat: Special.

For the Abilities, I had to give Biribark Static because... yeah. However, Retro Power also fits with the concept: it alludes to the pre-chorus lines where Miku sings "the world you know never seems to take it slow". It also references how older tech is sometimes considered to be slow, and at other times more reliable.

Biribark's resemblance to Blue from Blue's Clues was completely coincidental (I didn't watch much Blue's Clues growing up)... At least it fits with the concept.

👉 Biribark's Art Fight page

Origin:

Wilowei is based on a rabbit, specifically the Dwarf Hotot breed, which are known for their small size, white fur, and black markings that look similar to eyeliner. It is also based on a will-o'-wisp and other similar atmospheric ghost lights. Its Fairy typing comes from the legend of the Moon rabbit. Wilowei's ears resemble candle flames when upright, giving it the appearance of a tealight.

Illunawei is based on a mixture of Chinese and Japanese myths and folklore. Conceptually, it draws some inspiration from Yotsuya Kaidan, a Japanese ghost story. Its rabbit-like traits reference the legend of the Moon Rabbit, and its spherical red paper lantern resembles the moon's reddish appearance during a lunar eclipse. The tassel hanging from the lantern resembles a Chinese knot. The evolution method involving said lantern also references the Chinese fairy tale The Magic Lotus Lantern. The moon-related aspects justify the Pokémon's Fairy typing. Most notably, Illunawei is directly based on the song 炜WARD ROMANCE by FLAVOR FOLEY, with the Pokémon's design mimicking that of SynthV Feng Yi in the music video. The lop rabbit ears and hitodama-like fireballs on its head resemble long hair tied up in buns, and the pattern on its torso resembles a qipao. The heart-shaped patterns on Illunawei, along with its signature Ability, reference the romantic subject matter of the song's lyrics. Name Origin:

Wilowei comes from will o' wisp and 炜 wěi (Chinese character roughly meaning "to glow" or "to burn").

Illunawei comes from illuminate, luna (Latin for moon), and 炜 wěi.

Other Notes:

Please, please listen to 炜WARD ROMANCE if you haven't already. [ YouTube // Bandcamp // Spotify ]

These Fakémon went through some drafts. First, I had the idea for a Bug/Fire-type firefly with a lantern-shaped abdomen, but my initial sketches didn't turn out great. I also briefly had the idea for a Ghost-type humanoid based on a jiangshi (undead creature from Chinese folklore), but I scrapped it in favor of the moon rabbit concept.

Those names were brutally difficult to come up with, but I am so happy with them. They roll of the tongue nicely.

I do plan on making Pokémon based on other FLAVOR FOLEY songs, but only when I feel like it. Though, be warned that I will often introduce new concepts or adapt the songs' themes in new ways. (For example, just because I'm making a BUTCHER VANITY Pokémon, that doesn't mean it's going to be a literal cannibal.)

👉 Wilowei's Art Fight page 👉 Illunawei's Art Fight page

Stevonnie's debut is why Alone Together is my favorite episode from Season 1. I loved everyone's reaction to them, especially Garnet's uncharacteristically huge grin. And of course, Mindful Education is a fantastic episode. Rebecca Sugar has stated that Stevonnie represents all the scary-yet-exciting firsts in a relationship, and I think about that often.

Similar thing with Smoky Quartz: they're the reason why Earthlings is one of my favorite episodes from Season 3. Smoky was the perfect way to conclude Amethyst's character arc, and their curb-stomp battle against Jasper was also fun to watch. Yo-yo weapons are also one of my favorite media tropes. It's partially because of Smoky that I often carried a yo-yo with me in high school. (The other influence was the MOTHER series.)

It's also because they're hybrid fusions. The fact that Steven can canonically fuse with humans makes my crossover brain run wild. What if Steven fused with other characters that I like? What would the fusion look like? How would they act? How would others react? (Speaking of which, I really want to go back and revamp my older fusion designs.)