This blog’s meant to be art-only but I gotta get this off my chest lmfao
Spoilers for Legends ZA’s main story and post-game
The last two groups to help the player get to Zygarde being those that were directly influenced by Lysandre is sooo good. It just adds more and more to his redemption arc.
Lysandre became disillusioned with humanity in the first place because no matter what he did and gave, nothing of value or of real change ever came out of it.
But he’s completely proven wrong by ZA’s finale, where the street kid he helped and gave opportunities to and the children that were raised in Team Flare’s original ideals both greatly contribute to saving not just Lumiose but likely the whole region. And not just that, both the Rust Syndicate and Cafe Nouveau pride themselves in and make it their goal to do what they can in bettering the world around them.
The Rust Syndicate ultimately aims to clean up the city’s grime (even if it means dirtying their hands) not only in literal terms but metaphorical too. Meanwhile Nouveau Cafe, despite struggling themselves, openly provide free and delicious food and drink to any who need it. Both have a great love for Lumiose and both would go at great lengths to ensure its safety and prosperity.
Even though he didn’t believe it at the time, Lysandre’s prior good acts did help lead to a beautiful future where people of differing paths and ideals came together to prevent a threat similar to what he once tried to unleash on Kalos 5 years before.
He was proven wrong in thinking nothing he did bore any fruit, that the people in the world deserve to die, that there is only one future where people continouously take from each other until there’s nothing left.
It’s interesting too, looking back at the “Give and Take” event story from Pokemon Masters, that Sycamore’s willingness to trust in the youth and guide them is proven correct. What Lysandre did to help/guide the RS and Nouveau duos aside, you can probably also extend this to L putting his trust in the player and Team MZ as a whole.
Also I just want to say as well that Corbeau (to me at least) is like an ideal version of Lysandre. Unlike his benefactor who was at either of the extreme ends, Corbeau is able to have a balance between good and bad. He and the RS do good through shady means. He both takes and gives. This is partly why I don’t believe that the RS are meant to emulate actual yakuza or mafia groups. They’re very much the “honorable yakuza” trope rather than straight up the irl groups. Maintaining a particular image (that of an intimidating and powerful group) is extremely important for Corbeau as it helps them get their way in negotiations and such.
But it’s not only Corbeau who succeeds where Lysandre did not. Lysandre refused to truly listen to other people (which is another theme that Sycamore brings up). He stubbornly insisted that only what he saw and understood is truth. In contrast, Grisham and Griselle took the time to listen to Lumiose’s citizens and understand them. Even when they’re on opposing sides, Grisham kept his cool (and Griselle didn’t battle the player until Grisham allowed it; both of which are also contrasting Lysandre who acted on anger and bitterness). They wanted the player to hear them out, and were open to hear the player out. And when Grisham lost to the player, he and Griselle don’t do anything to try and get Floette anyway (unlike Lysandre who kept trying to launch the weapon despite his defeat). The only reason I don’t consider Grisham as an ideal Lysandre like I do with Corbeau is because Nouveau really isn’t as shady lol. They’re definitely more a representative of what Lysandre and Team Flare originally were.
