Pokemon TF drive page 1: Arrival in Vermilion City
Yes, it's now canon! My Raichu girl officially has a nickname and it's Sparkey!
One of my big regrets when I played Pokémon Yellow was leaving this one door on the SS Anne for last. It led to the bow deck of the ship, which was undoubtedly the prettiest-looking area. When I finally went through it, I saw two sailors ready for battle... and I ran. The moment I stepped of the ship, it set sail. I'd wasted my last chance to explore the ship without knowing it ...hence the "almost".
But beating 15 trainers in a row without visiting the Pokémon Center or saving is still pretty impressive, especially to Sparkey who never saw me take on that kind of risk again.
The design for Vermillion City is largely based on the 19th-century-style etching by Hitoshi Ariga (and, of course, the in-game map).
The ship we're on has no right to tower this far over the SS Anne, but it would be a lot harder to recognize the SS Anne if it was at its proper height.
My outfit is Ash's hat and jacket over Brendan (from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire)'s clothes, plus a Johto Pokégear.
No TF-ing on this page because there's no donations yet on this donation drive. If you want to donate, go to PayPal[dot]me/frankhghtwr
After visiting Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, the SS Anne's next stop is the Taehwa region, the Pokémon world's equivalent of Seoul.
It is a rugged, mountainous region, known around the world for its impressive, high tech cities nestled in its valleys. Because of its close geographical proximity, it shares much of its native Pokémon with Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. Typically, Chikorita, Torchic and Squirtle are given out to starting trainers. Nevertheless, it has an extremely distinct and hypercompetitive battling culture, that is both vicious in terms of strategy and celebrity: navigating the top battling scene not only requires being good at battling, but managing one's image carefully and turning the battle into a true audience spectacle.
If the drama of all that is not your thing, the region also offers a spectacular landscape of mountains and rivers. However, even there, be prepared, as the Pokémon that inhabit the place, particularly Rock-types like Aggron, Tyranitar and Rhydon, are no joke!
Finally, the Taehwa cities and countryside offer a look into the region's culture and traditions. Many of the stories told around the region share curious parallels with those of Unova, telling of a balance between two dragons, but key details differ: here, the two dragons have always been separate from the creation of the world onwards. Every generation a hero arises whose task it is to maintain the harmony between the two great dragons of the Taehwa region.
The more I think about it, the more I think that Persuasion has my favorite premise of all of Jane Austen's novels
Anne Elliot as a character speaks to my soul. She feels tremendous guilt for a decision she made eight years ago. Her life is lonely, as she doesn't really have anyone she can truly confide in despite being surrounded by people. So she swallows her pain, the yearning she feels deep in her soul, and vows that if nothing else at least she'll be helpful.
And of course she is reunited with Frederick Wentworth (the one that got away) who seems to hate her now, and she just keeps going. She keeps being kind and supporting her loved ones while slowly carving out a life for herself. There's something about her classic heroism that just feels so attainable. I don't have Elizabeth Bennett's wit, or Jane Bennett's unwavering belief in the goodness of everyone, or even Elinor's constant composure. But I can be like Anne and just keep moving forward attempting to be helpful
Of course it all works out in the end, and Anne is finally surrounded by people who truly appreciate her, even if she had to wait an extra eight years. Others have observed the fairy tale quality of the ending, and perhaps that's why it speaks to me. The idea that if you just keep doing your best and being kind, you'll eventually find happiness
Preview for page 2 of the TF drive. The good news is it's going faster than I thought! (I had expected backgrounds to double my drawing time but they're only increasing it by 50% so that's a win!) The bad news is they're tiring me out.
Oh, and that black stuff is supposed to be tall grass.