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Games General / In Defense of Vanillite (and other 'inanimate object Pokémon)

« on: July 23, 2015, 14:53 »

This was originally posted on my Tumblr, slightly edited it and posting it here, I'd love to get people's opinions

So, the Vanillite line, also known as Vanillite, Vanillish and Vanilluxe, also known as these adorable scamps:



So yeah. A trio of new pure Ice types introduced in Gen 5, evolving at surprisingly high levels, with a look that we haven’t seen before in the games. OK, they’re a bit wacky looking, but so is a lot of other stuff in Pokémon.

Of course the fan reaction looked a bit like this:



And I’m not sure I understand why these Pokémon are seen as deserving of a reaction like this. I see them constantly topping ‘Worst Pokémon Ever" lists, along with its fellow Gen 5 whipping-boys the Klink line, and I think that’s a gross overreaction.

The main argument is that it doesn’t make sense that they would look like inanimate objects, and that there is no reason for something biological to exist that looks exactly like an ice cream cone.

Let me offer a defense of the Vanillite line, with a little headcanon I built up:

So, the Pokémon world is a dangerous, terrifying place, right?



Monsters hide anywhere they can, ready to leap out and attack with a whole array of elemental and physical powers. These are creatures that can melt rocks, swim across the ocean in minutes, eat your dreams and so many more horrifying and terrifying things.

And it's been established that wild Pokémon do hunt and eat each other, so it's just as, if not more, dangerous to be a Pokémon in this world than it is a human.

Captured Pokémon, on the other hand, generally have very safe lives. Free healthcare in the form of Pokémon centres, love and care from their owners. They’re fed, they’re sheltered.



So why wouldn’t some Pokémon WANT to get caught?

It makes perfect sense to me that a lot of these Pokémon have adapted very quickly to the world they live in and have managed to survive by taking forms that they have worked out are appealing to humans.

Of course, this is a lot harder for the animal based Pokémon, because we can assume that they abide by similar rules of adaptation as real world animals, i.e. it takes a hell of a long time to change form to fit your surroundings. *(side note- I’m not talking about Pokémon 'evolution’, which is essentially just growing up, not breeding down traits that could help survival)

But for sentient blocks of ice like Vanillite, there’s no reason they couldn’t enact that change a little faster. So, they’ve seen that there’s another ice based entity that humans seem to be drawn to, one that always brings a smile to their face when they get their hands on it, and that’s ice cream. Thus, they gradually, as a species start shifting towards an ice-cream form, in the hopes that the humans will look at them the same way and want to take them away from all the nasty fire types who want to melt them down to nothing.



The same could be said of mechanical based Pokémon like Voltorb. As a strange, mechanical based life form, it has adapted relatively quickly to a world where humans will pick up interesting things off the ground, particularly things that look like Pokéballs. So they’ve adapted to look like Pokéballs themselves in the hope that a kindly human will pick them up too.



Of course, ghost types that look like real things can be explained much more simply: They are possessed. We have seen this in action with Rotom, and it has been spelled out as much for Pokémon like Honedge.

But, to me at least, this seems to explain every other Pokémon that lives in the form of an every day object. They have adapted to the world they live in, and have done so with the express reason of appealing to trainers.

So leave Vanillite alone, ok guys? Its doing this for you. It just wants to be loved!



Do you agree? Reckon this makes sense? Or still think Vanillite is the worst?

2

Updates / ANNOUNCEMENT: Promotion, Resignation, Hiatus and Clarification

« on: February 27, 2010, 21:17 »

Dear PKMN.NET Members,

You may have noticed a few goings-on on recently with the site, Senior Staff Members and Moderation Team. We thought it would be best if we quickly filled you in on what has been going down behind the scenes of PKMN.NET, and how it affects you.

• Senior Staff Member Typhlosion is taking a temporary hiatus from his duties on the site. This is so he has more time to work on his degree, which should be complete by May/June '10. While he will still retain his powers on the site, he will not be active enough to use them in any real capacity due to this hiatus. He will still be keeping a watchful eye on the site however, just incase something serious happens the requires his expertise. However, I would like to wish Mike the best of luck with his degree and look forward to his triumphant return.

• Congratulations are in order for the member currently known as Gethsemane (Rob) on his promotion to Senior Staff Member. He himself has just returned from a hiatus, but as a result of much careful thought from the other Senior Staff Members he has been invited to join their ranks. Congratulations Rob!

• You may have noticed an error on the site late Thursday night (GMT) where parts of the main site were unavailable and the forums reverted to a default state. There has been much discussion as to why this happened and as such we would like to offer some clarification: What happened was the result of some some contact with the coding of the site as a part of some internal disagreement within the Staff and Moderation team. However, this was quickly resolved and as you can see, the site is back to normal, no harm done. However, due to the personal nature of the disagreement on one level, and it's dull technical nature on another, this is all we wish to discuss on the matter. All that matters is that the problem is resolved.

• Sadly, we also have to announce the resignation of very popular Global Moderator and former Senior Staff Member Ledyba (Rex). This is a result of the previously mentioned internal disagreement within the staff, and as an extended consequence of the resignation of Joeno, but we would like to make clear that that he has left of his own accord. We here are very sad to see him go, as we expect many of you are, but he has made it clear that he is certain of his decision. We wish him the best of luck in whatever he does next.

I hope this helps explain what has been going on with the site over the last couple of days. Once again, we wish Congratulations to Rob,Best of Luck to Mike and Farewell to Rex. Now feel free to continue browsing the site.

3

Updates / PKMN.NET: 'Admins on Tour'- Live Blog!

« on: July 23, 2008, 08:30 »

The PKMN.NET admins are on holiday in London. And obviously, you care deeply about this. So in lieu of updates to the site about... y'know, Pokemon, and that, here's some live updates about what they've been doing. Saturday is the day of the big official PKMN.NET meet-up, so expect to see the most activity then.

You can find the live blog here, on the wonderfully convenient front page of the site. Also, if you are wondering who is talking in these live blogs, it's most likely to be Psythor.

Enjoy!

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Character Guides / Flygon Man! [Character Slot 2]

« on: March 02, 2008, 09:01 »

(a)  Character name

Flygon Man!

Real Name: Gerald Smith

(b)  Age and Gender

Late 20s

Male

(c)  Description

He's average height, with brown hair. He tries to work out, so is a little built up, but nothing really amazing. Stays in his Flygon Man! Costume nearly all of the time.

(ch)  Personality [Updated for v2.0]

He's a delusional super-hero wannabe. He tries his best, but he has no powers to use. He always wants to do the right thing, but often gets the wrong end of the stick. When not in his Flygon Man! costume, he is rather nervous, and has a stammer.

(d)  History

See Personality^

(e)  Friends and enemies



(f)  Pokémon

Flygon
Vibrava
Trapinch

All three at the same level, Trapinch and Vibrava neither want to evolve, or are wanted to evolve.

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Character Guides / 2nd Char: Moonbeam [CHARACTER RETIRED]

« on: March 24, 2007, 17:37 »

Name: Michael "Moonbeam" Black

Age: 21

Appearance:
Hippy Type. Long, dirty blonde hair. Scruffy T-shirts and tatty jeans. Never wears shoes. Tallish, but not impressively so.

History: Grew up with his family in Saffron City. He was a privilaged child, who went to all the best schools, and moved in all the right circles but never felt he fit in. Went he went to university he realised his true calling and became a "political activist", as he puts it.

Personality: He is actaully quite a friendly person, but often people are put off from talking to him becuase of his appearance. He is also very intelligent, but uses it it in non-obvious ways. Serious about his cause, whatever that may be.

Friends: College friends, (but no PLC friends)

Enemies: Whoever he is being a "Political Activist" against at the time.

Pokémon:

Soodowoodo
His only Pokémon, it never goes into it's Pokéball, and no-one is really sure if it has one. Given to Micheal by his parents.

[CHARACTER RETIRED]

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Character Guides / Reposting of My Character Guide: Steve Jones

« on: February 18, 2007, 18:18 »

My guide got deleted in the PLC purge so I need to repost it.

Name: Steve Jones

Age: 16

Appearance:

Looks older than 16, more like 18. Scruffy black hair, tallish compared to most of his piers. A little bit of excess weight, but not enough to be called overweight or fat. Usually wears Jeans, T-shirt, black Pirate style frock coat and a black hat. Always carrys his guitar with him, as well as a canvas shoulder bag that seems to be able to hold everything he needs.

History: Grew up in Pacifidlog town in the Hoenn reigon with his mother, father and younger sister. Left on his journey at the normal age, but kept on with his studies along the way. He collected all of the Hoenn league badges, but before he could face the league his proper journey started. He went off on a quest to find out about the malevolent group "The Management". After being knocked unconcious during a battle he woke up on Cinnibar Island where he met up with the "Quest for the Gym Badges" crew, After many adventures with that group, he was attacked by The Management again and woke up in Fuchia where he started a new journey with a new group, "Search For Suspicion". The group travelled to Sinnoh on the special event boat. He split up with that group and is currently travelling with a new group, the "Strong Dreamers"

Personality: Steve a quite complicated character. He can be serious a lot of the time, but is also constantly making jokes and sarcastic comments. He cares about his Pokémon very much, actually, he loves them. He would hate for anything to heppen to them. Steve stands up for what he beleive in, but will accept defeat if someone bests him... most of the time. He can sometimes be a bit of a sore loser. His guitar is one of his prized possesions, and he doesn't want anything to heppen to it, the same with his bag in which he keeps most of his worldly possesions.

Friends: The "Quest for the Gym Badges" crew, "Search For Suspicion" crew, "Strong Dreamers" crew.

Enemies: The Management
Typical Management Member:

Pokémon:

In Party
Quilava:
Obtained as a Cydaquil as a birthday present from his cousin from Goldenrod in Johto. Neither Quilava or Steve want them to it to evolve into a Typholsion.

Breloom:
Caught in Petalburg Woods as a Shroomish, only recently eveolved as it was waiting to learn Spore.

Hypno:
Obtained in Pewter city at the "Pewterful Hotel" at the time of the Psychic convention. Has a silver Yo-Yo instead of a pendulum, given to it by Steve.

Electabuzz:
Traded to Steve for a Swellow in Hoenn, helps Steve show off by lifting him up into the air during guitar solos by using the move Psychic.

Flygon:
Caught as a Trapinch in the desert in Hoenn.

Vaporeon:
Given to him by the same cousin who gave him Quilava, however at a later birthday.

Pokemon in PC
Relicanth and Nidoran, among others who haven't been mentioned in the story yet.