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the-average-melli · 1 year

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What are they? What do they mean!? Pokémon characters are mostly named after plants or flowers and I like to think there are deeper meanings behind the type of character and the chosen floura. Here is some research I did into the Camellia plant, its uses, meanings, and more! All of my sources will be available at the bottom of this post for ease of access! I will be referencing this post for my own head canons and fanfiction, but anyone is welcome to read this assortment of tingz ‘n stuff.

Beginning with the plant itself,

Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves and leaf buds are used to produce the popular beverage, tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree. White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea and black tea are all harvested from one of two major varieties grown today, Camellia sinensis (sinesis variety) and Camellia sinesis (assamica variety). Direct quote from Wikipedia

The genus for the plant was given by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 after a Jesuit pharmacist and missionary, Georg Kamel, as an homage to his contributions to botany; the species was taken from the Latin “sinensis,” which means “from China” since this stinky plant originated from East and Southeast Asia as well as the Indian Subcontinent.

It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to below 2 m (6.6 ft) when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong taproot. The flowers are yellow-white, 2.5–4 cm (0.98–1.57 in) in diameter, with seven or eight petals. Direct quote from Wikipedia

The seeds of the plant are used for tea oil and cooking oil, and the leaves have 4% caffeine! It keeps bugs and other pests away by paralysing and killing them, but humans love it and it is very made of yum! The smaller leaves are plucked and harvested to make teas. If you let the Camellia sinensis plant live its best life and don’t mess with it, it will grow up big and strong and evolve from a shrub into a whole tree! To avoid a giant tree of stinky Camellias, the plants are normally trimmed to make plucking easier.

Interesting fact: herbal teas (or herbal infusions) are labelled as such because these kinds of beverages do not come from the Camellia sinensis or any of its variants; instead, herbal teas are comrpised of infusions from other plants, fruits, leaves, or chamomile.

In Japan

In Japan, the Camellia plant is used for tea and ornamental purposes. The flowers have their own religious and ceremonial significance.

The native tsubaki (椿) or "tree with shining leaves" held a special place in Japanese thought. It was a belief of the Shinto religion that the gods in spirit form made the flowers of the tsubaki their home when on an earthly visit. Plantings of the tsubaki were an essential feature of temple gardens, graveyards, and other areas associated with the religious life of the community. Today, many old varieties of camellia may be found in the old temple compounds of Japan. Camellias are not as popular as cut flowers in Japan because they are associated with "beheading". The camellia blossom often falls off the plant in its entirety, symbolic of a man's head being cut off. Direct quote from The American Camellia Society

The Camellia japonica is one flavour of Camellia that does originate from Japan which can grow into trees of 30 or so feet. The Camellia japonica plant blooms in the winter season with big red flowers that have five to six petals. They can also come in pink or white, but the red ones are the norm for this type of stinky Camellia!

Some of these babies come out during the fall months of September to December like the Camellia sasanqua, which is another Japanese flavour of Camellia. These have white, extremely fragile flowers that are harder to keep as cut flowers. They are also apparently less hardy than the japonica species which makes sense if the japonica is used to coming out of hiding during the winter!

Hanakotoba 花言葉 (flower words), are the Japanese equivalent to floriography: the Victorian symbolisms and meanings given to different kinds of flowers, and the use of flowers as a subtle way to communicate certain thoughts and sentiments. The meaning and symbolism of the Camellia flower depends on its colour.

Generally, red camellias mean “in love” or “perishing with grace.” For warriors, however, they symbolize a noble death. White camellias mean waiting. Pink or yellow camellias mean longing for or missing someone. Direct quote from Petal Republic

The Camellia is a very stinky gift to injured or ill people in Japan because as they die, the flowers fall off which (as mentioned above) resemble beheading. Mayhaps a different gift would be better in that case…

In China

These flowers are a big deal around the Lunar New Year because they bloom during this transitionary period, so they appear a lot in Japanese and Chinese celebrations and décor for this annual occasion! Wow!

The camellia is native to China where it has a rich national history, particularly in the southwest region. Here, camellia flowers grow wild and during the early spring entire fields will be covered in colorful camellias. In China, the camellia represents the union between two lovers. The delicately layered petals represent the woman, and the calyx (the green leafy part of the stem that holds the petals together) represents the man who protects her. The two components are joined together, even after death. Direct quote from J. Parker's

In Western Floriography

Like the Japanese hanakotoba, the meaning of a Camellia flower varies with colour: the general meanings for all Camellias are admiration; perfection; good luck, or “gift to a man.” Pink ones convey a longing for someone. Red ones communicate that “you're a flame in my heart.” White ones are an indirect way of saying “you’re adorable!” I wish that Victorian floriography was brought back along with pockets in women’s dresses; it sure would make flirting and rejection a lot easier!

In Pop Culture

The most obvious pop culture icon is stinky sMelli himself, but here is another notable one from literature! La dame aux camélias (the Lady of the Camellias) is a novel written by Alexandre Dumas in 1848 which was then adapted into a play in 1852.

The novel tells the tragic love story between fictional characters Marguerite Gautier, a demimondaine or courtesan suffering from consumption, and Armand Duval, a young bourgeois. Marguerite is nicknamed la dame aux camélias (French for ''the lady of the camellias'') because she wears a red camellia when she is menstruating and unavailable for sex and a white camellia when she is available to her lovers. Direct quote from Wikipedia

I may or may not be back with more behind the meanings of floura—I do think it’s hilarious that giving someone a yellow carnation means they’re a disappointment, and that certain flowers can be given as an elegant, yet refined middle finger! Please bring back flowers as a way to communicate things—consider this a patch update to living that I so desperately yearn for. It would remove a lot of ambiguity and cut down on the time I must spend, deciphering whatever the heck neurotypicals are feeling.

References

Camellia sinensis

Tea Leaf Grading

Tea

History of Camellias

The Lady of the Camellias

Hanakotoba Guide

The Language of Flowers

Plants of the Chinese New Year

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the-average-melli · 1 year

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My Phone

It smells.

Very sMelli™

I had the case and phone charm since last year, but only posted it on my Instaham account (shameful plug let's goooo this is my house these are my rules it's pluggin time: IG @ the_average_melli)!

It's hard to get a photo of it with the case on when I kind of need the phone to take the photo, so have a very stinky phone!

🌺 My comfort objects go where I go 🌺

#pokemon #gaming #pla #pokemon arceus #pokemon legends arceus #melli #pokemon melli #warden melli #stinky smelli #pokemon keychains #keychain #phone charm #my phone #twinks r us #ツバキ #diamond clan melli #diamond clan

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the-average-melli · 1 year

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Clavell is Just Paldean Zinzolin & Kalos DLC

Zinzolin is just Paldean Clavell. The things that have been seen cannot be unseen!

I hope I am not the only one to notice this, but Clavell is just Zinzolin's Paldean variant! The two have the same hair colour as they age, the same defined cheek bones, the same hairstyle with the middle part, and the same goatees. The only differences are that Clavell's eyebrows are darker while Zinzolin's are white; conversely, Zinzolin's goatee is darker while Clavell's is white.

Here is a close-up photo of Zinzolin without his funny hat from the Pokémon Generations episode "The Uprising" which can be watched on YouTube. The hair and face are pretty similar!

Before anyone says anything: I know this is a wig. This is a reach on my part but if the man, the myth, the legend, Clive, who is 100% not Clavell chose this wig based on the hair colour or style he had when he was younger, than that's another similarity between the two guys. This very well could be some random Poké-Party City wig he just happens to own; if it is, I will gladly take the L.

If Clavell did have that colour of hair when he was younger, Zinzolin has the same dirty blond colour in his original sprite for Pokémon Black & White (on the right); the hair of his sprite has a lighter tint two years later during the events of Black 2 & White 2 (on the left) as he ages and it eventually becomes white like Clavell's.

This is not the best photo, but it does show the same tint of colour and style as the sprite, minus the goatee (even if he has one in the sprites!) The exposure from the lighting makes it harder to see... This photo comes from a Pokémon Evolutions episode that can be found on YouTube in which Ghetsis recruits N and has the coronation from the cut-scene at the start of the B/W games.

One thing Pokémon likes to do is use physical character designs and names as a way to show kind of relationship between characters. The most obvious canon examples of this are in Pokémon Legends Arceus where Cyllene is just a gender-bent Cyrus and Arezu (Ares) is just Mars in a hoodie using the Greek name for the same planet.

Zinzolin's name refers to a reddish-purple shade in French. The Japanese name Vio is also meant to originate from the French word for Violet.

Clavell's name comes from the Spanish/Catalan words for "carnation," and "clove." Another reach on my part, but Zinzolin's name means a violet colour. Clavell's name refers to carnations, which are red.

Look! It's Scarlet and Violet!

Zinzolin is part of the Seven Sages, a bunch of guys Ghetsis rounded up to LARP with from all over the world. The fact that Zinzolin's name is meant to originate from the French word for Violet could suggest Ghetsis brought him over from Kalos or Paldea while he was looking for like-minded individuals to dress up and go on D&D campaigns with. A tweet from Matsumiya in 2012 clarifies that Zinzolin's name was meant to originate from the French word for Violet, but it didn't quite carry over into English translations of the game since these two words are spelt the same in English and in French...

Regardless! An attempt was made and I am going with it as a possible indication that Zinzolin is somehow tied to Poké-France/Kalos.

What does any of this have to do with the potential DLC for Scarlet & Violet?

Everyone and their sister is guessing that the DLC will involve some return to Kalos. The signs are all there with the mountains at the edge of the map that Koraidon/Miraidon won't grip (yet) but are clearly there. There is a whole portion of the map hashed out like Area Zero is on the top-right where Kalos would be if we're applying real geography to the fictional regions. Many theorists and fans have their reasons as to why there might be Kalos DLC. I for one hope this is true because Pokémon Y was a missed opportunity and she deserves justice!

Paldea is gently caressing the borders of South-Western Kalos. Any relation between Clavell and Zinzolin could be possible if Zinzolin comes from Kalos or moved to Paldea at some point.

Zinzolin's team from Poképédia

One last thing to note is that Zinzolin even uses pokémon that can also be found around Glaseado Mountain in Paldea; Cryogonal can be found around the peaks, and Sneaslers/Weaviles tend to spawn around that snowy area of region. These pokémon are also found in Unova and he could have just as easily found them around there, but the coincidence still stands that Zinzolin has pokémon with him that can also be found chilling in the mountain range that borders Paldea and Kalos. I'm guessing that this range is meant to be similar to the Pyrenées, which function as a natural "divider" between the two actual countries of Spain and France.

Even if I am the only one to notice these similarities between Zinzolin and Clavell, I wanted to share them anyway. I thought it would be cool if they were somehow related when their physical features are similar and their naming schemes have parallels to Scarlet and Violet. It felt interesting enough to write out, so here it is! If someone else thought the same, I am glad I'm not the only one!

Originality is dead so if this looks like something someone else has mentioned or theorised at some point, it is not "copying" or "stealing" by any means. The wonderful thing about theories and speculations for lore and characters is that many people can come to the same conclusion about things if enough clues point them in a certain direction.

No single person can act like they own a theory for a game when the fanbase is so vast, and so many people love to look deeper into the story or characters like this. There's a high chance that many people will think or see the same things and that's partly what makes sharing theories or thoughts so fun!

The same can be said of official images or artwork for the games: no tumblr user has exclusive rights to post these if they are available to public! You can't "own" them unless you designed the character yourself, or were on the development team for the game. You can find all of the above images on Bulbapedia and I linked the Pokémon episodes I referred to for your viewing pleasure!

References

Zinzolin

Clavell

#pokemon theory #pokemon #pokemon scarlet #pokemon violet #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon scavio #pokemon thoughts #pokemon clavell #director clavell #pokemon zinzolin #gaming #pokemon headcanons #team plasma #kalos #paldea #pokemon dlc

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the-average-melli · 1 year

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Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Arting with Hassel, a Hassel appreciation post

One of the features I enjoyed about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were the optional classes; many of which were optional. This was a perfect way to include content such as lore for world-building and additional opportunities for interacting with teachers and staff outside of class to give more depth to NPCs without falling into the hand-holding linear formula that Pokémon often fell prey to in previous generations, most notably generation seven with Pokémon Cut Scene Version Pokémon Sun and Moon.

Each of the classes has a purpose insofar as they introduce players to game mechanics, exposition, or general lessons that are simply important in and of themselves. The class that left the best impression on me during my first blind playthrough of Pokémon Violet was the art class because of a single quote from Hassel,

"It is true that one doesn’t need art to survive... But it certainly makes surviving much more enjoyable!"

There are many who think art is a waste of time. Hassel even acknowledges this in his preface to the class: “I imagine that many of you will forget all that you learned in this class once you graduate! After all, you don’t need even a basic understanding of artwork, much less a refined appreciation of beauty, for most exams or jobs.” When you compare it to other classes of the Academy roster like home economics, history, biology, or maths, the art class seems the least useful, doesn’t it? Many today even make fun of people who pursue fine arts because of how “useless” and “impractical” they are compared to other more esteemed choices that almost every parent would prefer a million times over!

The truth of the matter is that those people who are quick to denounce the validity of art or artistic endeavours are the same people who know little about how impactful and infulential art truly is in our daily lives. From the shows we like to watch to the music we like to listen to, art has served humankind as an outlet for self-expression and innovation. There are essential parts of intentionality and the human condition—things that make us humans, human.

Once upon a time I, The Average Melli, encountered many others who not only dismissed the value of arts entirely, but condescended anyone who would want to “waste their time” on something that “wouldn’t benefit society” or “make good money.” One person once said that “schools should stop teaching art altogether to focus more on subjects that students would actually need in life like the sciences or maths.” The person saying this was a Computer Science major who was deeply disappointed by others around them if they decided to become educators or earn a a degree that didn’t relate to STEM fields. This person further mocked others when they suggested that they would “all be working at fast food joints” while they would have a stable and plentiful income. Everybody would want them and they would always have a job, they prided themselves.

At the time, I called them out and didn’t allow them to condescend others over choosing non-STEM paths. What people like this don’t realise is that when someone pursues the arts, how much money they’ll make is not a large factor. Money is nice, but most people who choose to commit to the arts already know they won’t be making a lot of it. The commitment to the arts is instead fueled by an ambition that those who see them wasteful may never understand. The artist isn’t after a thicc paycheck or a Nobel Prize. The artist is someone who unapologetically expresses themselves and their ideas in an authentic way.

Hassel embodies the heart of an artist as a character who ran away from home to chase his own dreams as a pianist instead of succeeding his father as the head of his family of Dragon Tamers. Interactions with him outside of class reveal how persistent his relatives are about getting him to return and how disappointed they are in him for making a life for himself on his own terms, doing what he loves most. Hassel’s backstory hits home for any person who has ever disappointed others by doing something they love to do, or following their own dreams instead of conforming to the expectations of others.

For some of us, art is more than a hobby or a side-gig. It’s a way to share glimpses of our inner-worlds with other humans through different media be it a song, a story, a video game, a movie, etc. Art is so much more than drawing a pretty picture. When Hassel says

“it is true that one doesn’t need art to survive... But it certainly makes surviving much more enjoyable,”

he’s right. It has no practical use in and of itself, but art makes the world a place worth living in. Art is why some of us are still living today. In the darkest of times, art serves as a safe haven and healthy alternative for coping with the most unfortunate circumstances.

The way I see it, there is a difference between living and being alive. “Alive” is merely an adjective that describes a passive state of existence for a noun; “living” is a verb, an action to be taken by nouns. Human ingenuity and cognition are not guarenteed or propelled by mere existence alone or being thrown into the world by chance. Creating, progressing, engineering, thinking outside of the box--human cognition is driven by action, by living.

We don’t need art. But for many, being able to appreciat the beauty in the world as Hassel encourages in art class makes being alive, mere survival, worth it. It gives some of us a reason to keep going. For many, art is speck of meaning that continues to shine against the nihilistic pessimism of the modern age. Art class isn’t about basic life skills like cooking or financial management, but as Hassel says,

"it is my hope that this class will add even a little bit of color to your lives."

References

Hassel Quotes section on Bulbapedia

I don’t quote it directly, but I am influenced by phenomenology! I recommend Martin Heidegger’s book, Sein und Zeit (Being and Time) in which he discusses at length concepts I’ve alluded to above such as geworfenheit, or being “thrown into the world.”

I also recommend The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt for more on “action” as a defining feature of what makes us human!

#pokemon #pokemon scavio #pokemon scarlet #pokemon violet #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon hassel #elite four hassel #hassel pokemon #philosophy #art #gaming #video games #phenomenology #hassel appreciation post

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the-average-melli · 1 year

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Original artwork © @the-average-melli 2023

I drew a smol stinky baby sMelli! He is doing a nap in his mum's arms. She has a giant white camellia flower for him! The white camellia symbolises purity, and the love between a mother and child.

References

Diamond Clan uniform

Diamond Clan tent

#pokemon #pla #pokemon arceus #pokemon legends arceus #melli #pokemon melli #fanfiction #pokemon warden melli #warden melli #fanart #pokemon fanart #my artwrok #original art #digital arwork #camellia

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the-average-melli · 1 year

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Stinky sMelli Redemption?

I alluded to it--it was coming! Can such a ratchet character ever be redeemed? Is there anything to like or add to this character to make them more than a blundering doodoohead that occasionally pops up to take a flaming dump in your cereal just because it bothers you? Why, yes. Yes there are. Just as people have good and bad qualities about them, SMelli and other arguably complex characters also come with their fair share of goods and bads. In this post, I will go over what I believe to be redeeming qualities for this tol twink. I will stick to canon information, but you can find head canons where I expand on sMelli's canon traits, too.

He cares for the homies

His bio on the official Pokémon Legends Arceus website mentions that, "He puts on airs and is a tad quick to fight, but he cares passionately for his fellow clan members." Even if he doesn't show it when the player is around, it is canon that he does actually care for them. There are a lot of people who care in their own way, and part of having a close circle of friends is knowing how each person expresses care. Based on how he cares for the members of his Clan in particular, I'd venture to say sMelli is the type who seems sour and salty to outsiders, but has some other side that he will only show to close friends in his personal circle who understand him and have earnt his trust. We don't show our most vulnerable sides to strangers we just met, so I find it reasonable and fair that sMelli doesn't feel obligated to show the player, a complete stranger, any vulnerable sides of him. He's doing what we call in the industry a "pro-gamer move:" keeping people you don't know at arms' length and not investing in them until you've been around them long enough to feel comfortable sharing more.

Honesty is the best policy

SMelli is honest. Most other characters in Hisui are fine trusting a 15-or-so-year old kid who fell from the sky randomly one day and the ones who don't instantly trust the player are gradually won over after seeing how well the player fairs in the fields as an adept Survey Corps member. Even those characters like Irida and Kamado who are skeptical of the player's intents at first are eventually won over by the alacrity of the player. The same is not true for the stinky sMelli. He doesn't like outsiders meddling around and inserting themselves in affairs they have no business being involved in, and for good reason when thinking about this avoidance from another perspective. Not everyone is going to trust you or even like you at first, which is a good quality to have when you are looking out for yourself and others who matter to you. Part of self-care is realising that you can't help others if you can't help yourself, and sMelli at least recognises this by how honest he is. Honesty alone is a respectable trait because it takes a lot of courage to speak up, especially if you're saying something that others won't like to hear. Being honest is perceived by many as "rude," but oftentimes, honesty only appears rude because of how it's delivered and how another hearing it takes it. Being blunt and honest are rare, yet commednable traits; if you know someone is blunt and honest, you know they won't be lying to you by telling you what you want to hear; they aren't only telling you things that make you feel good. You can rely on candid people to give you all kinds of feedback or new ways to look at things you're dealing with!

The chutzpah! The audacity!

If there is one thing that stinky sMelli has, it's the ✨️audacity✨️. For better or for worse, he has a lot of nerve. This is a great quality to have in the right scenarios. Taking risks, doing or saying things people may not like, or staying true to your own authentic self and what you may believe in are all possible with a little nerve. Unlocking ✨️the audacity✨️ in our daily lives can embue us with the testicular fortitude to grab life by the throat, get out of bed, and do whatever we need to do to survive. Daring to be true to ourselves is not easy, especially in a world where others command unity and conformity to a certain standard or norm. Fear not! For having ✨️the audacity✨️ also fills one with the confidence and creativity required to defy norms and rules whenever they are stupid or arbitrary. Melli has his own views about the frenzying Noble Pokémon which makes him unique from other characters. His own views give an alternative perspective to whether or not someone should stop the rampaging Noble pokémon. It might be an ill-informed take, but sMelli has ✨️the audacity✨️ to stand by what he thinks. Going all in for something you believe in can be inspiring, especially for people who aren't as brave enough to take a stand, think for themselves, ask questions, or be their authentic selves without regret. It's easier said than done, which is why someone who can do these things clearly had a history that shaped them into the kind of person overflowing with a lot of chutzpah!

A driving force

SMelli's stinky personality works as a foil for other characters' personalities to react to and bounce off of. From a writing perspective, having foils is an excellent way of breathing life into otherwise static NPCs with little to nothing that makes them memorable. Having a character like sMelli presents an opportunity draw out the differing personalities of other characters in the world. In PLA, a high-point was watching stinky sMelli fire relentless shots at Lian's unsuspecting hat and watching Lian retort back. That moment cut the tension of the climax at the Temple of Sinnoh and it felt like an effective use of comedy to balance out the serious elements of the storyline at that point. Stinky sMelli and his antics are very silly, and it puts a smile on my face to watch Lian and him squabble like an old married couple or two siblings who need to be torn apart to make sure they don't unalive each other. It's moments like this that made the game outside of the actual storyline and other high points that many already praise it for, like the unique two-stage final boss battle of the post-game.

Not entirely static

Stinky sMelli does experience character development implied throughout the game. The first implication occurs during the Daybreak update for PLA which added more content with the massive outbreaks and more opportunities to rematch NPCs in battle. Stinky sMelli appears to give out epic aguav berries for the player's adorable efforts investigating the outbreaks. After giving one of the best shooketh faces a character can have in this game, he departs and Mai informs the player that he used to be a very shy (stinky) boy. He one day decided to change so he could help Adaman. People have many character arcs in their own lives, and it was wonderful to see this twink get some kind of backstory. How he changed into the opposite of who he was as a kid is left open to interpretatiom, but the fact remains that he started from the bottom and now he's--not at the bottom anymore (??) He changed over the years with a particular goal in mind, much like any person would if they were dead set on achieving a goal of their own. How lovely. 🌺 I include how he might have changed over the years in my head canons for him; no matter how he did, he surely must have had to stay on the grind and get out of his comfort zone to try new things. That's pretty respectable since it can be quite the challenge to change or improve parts of the self.

The Update includes another chance to interact with the stinkiest Warden in the entire region! During the battle, he is still his very twinkie self, but he at the very least acknowledges the player as a decent sparring partner. He makes similar acknowledgement of the player and actually throws less shade at them as the game progresses. He will always consider himself "Great" but by the end of the game, he is willing to admit that the player is a formidable opponent in battle. By the end of the game, his name-calling transforms from a condescending form of address to mere teasing. (What a tease!)

I will never forget the first nice thing this massive twinkie man ever said to me: he would be here for "moral support!" It hits so different when a character who has done nothing but drag you to the moon and back in insults finally says one nice thing to you. It feels like they mean it since they won't say it often and being so supportive is just so out of pocket for a stinky sMelli like him!

He has a good outlook on existence

This can be taken multiple ways, but I choose to look at it with a side of optimism. Suffering surely is quite painful. It isn't ideal, but without suffering no human would have any character development. We have grown to be who we are because of adversity, and resillience. There are many obstacles and forces that may try to take us out of the game of life prematurely, and yet, we are still here today. To acknowledge and suggest that suffering is a large part of the human experience is not to say that it is mandatory, nor ideal in the slightest. It is how we handle the trials and tribulations life thrusts our way that speaks to the amount of perserverence required to just keep swimming. When you look at it from a deeper side, this quote from the stinkiest of twinkies is actually quite profound! I don't expect such existentialism or intentionality in a kid's game, so I am delightfully surprised by dialogue like this. His moment of wisdom here is not the only one.

We are walking contradictions of ourselves

In the above dialogue, stinky sMelli has another real moment: while he wasn't as supportive of the player (me! These are my screenshots hurrah!) and casually did everything he could to prevent them from reaching the Moonview arena... he admits a part of him did hope the player would make it. This is a good note to end on, seeing as it speaks to something about humans as a species. We are walking contradictions of ourselves whether we choose to say it or not. As humans, we have biases, dreams, preferences, and more! We have experiences unique to ourselves and our own inner-worlds. Anyone who enjoys this Disney Princess on Crack™ as much as I may be just as much of a contradiction. There are many toxic people online here who love this character (perhaps because they embody the worst at times and can relate to another just as poisonous!) I have no doubts about that, but I would like to assume that there are also decent humans that take a liking to this character. Assuming there are, congratualtions on being a walking contradiction; we find quite the appeal in one of the most ratchet, feral, and off-putting characters in Pokémon! That is a cause for celebration! Despite his flaws and how we as humans may not condone the things he might do in our own lives, we are still smitten by an obnoxiously flambouyant fictional mans! What an achievement we have unlocked. And how excellent: the reward is knowing that there are in fact a niche few who do in fact see good in even the wildest characters!

In conclusion

This man is a very petty man-child and a Dollar Store Disney Princess on Crack rolled into one hot mess, but he is my hot mess. I would not want him any other way. Even if it's hard for most, I do see good qualities somewhere deep within him. He is just the type who needs to trust you and know you before caring about you, and that care is expressed in his own stinky way. I would not want anyone else but him to babysit my balls or have my D

This is the second part of my super stinky sMelli character analysis! Click here if you missed part one!

Of course I spent five hours straight writing this two part character analysis infodump!

#pokemon #gaming #pla #pokemon arceus #pokemon legends arceus #melli #pokemon melli #pla melli #pokemon legends arceus melli #warden melli #diamond clan melli #character analysis #character development #character design

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the-average-melli · 1 year

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The Irony of Loving SMelli

Today's fixation is going to be general thoughts about the character and how I find it hilariously ironic that people with certain personal beliefs and personal opinions are drawn to him. Whether they love to hate sMelli or they are as equally attracted to the complexity behind the character as I, I'll be reflecting on common tropes the fairest twinkie in the land fills in Pokémon Legends Arceus to explore this funny phenomenon.

"Admiring the Abomination: Believes that the frenzied Noble Electrode shouldn't be quelled."

For starters, sMelli is a reckless mans. He quite frankly doesn't see danger when it's right under his own stinky nose, firing chloroblasts and dropping sees bombs behind him. If he does see danger, even worse! He acknowledges it but turns a blind eye to it, diminishing its presence as if it doesn't really exist. There's a fine line between being noble and reckless and this twinkie is outright reckless for downplaying the potential harm to others around him that his frenzied friend might unleash.

I noticed that people who love his character also tend to "hate" people who downplay the harm they may or may not be doing to others in whatever they're saying or doing in the world. Some who enjoy this flambouyant botanical atrocity of a man tend to also hate the type of person who turns a blind eye to pressing matters, plugs their ears when something big is happening, and diminishes the concerns of others around them.

"Blatant Lies: Given that he actually seems to care about Electrode, it's pretty transparent that his claiming to have forgotten its favorite food is just another attempt to prevent the player from stopping its frenzied state."

On to the next trope--we have a liar. This guy lies in the highest hopes that the player will bug off and stop meddling in affairs their little protagonist nose doesn't quite belong in. He won't let the player help, and sees them bothersome partly because he views them as an outsider snooping around. He doesn't trust the player immediately and even goes the extra mile to fling personal attacks at how they look, and the group they belong to.

I notice people who love this character are pretty sensitive when it comes to body-shaming and xenophobia... but this character literally body-shames the player during their very first (un)faithful encounter at the Galaxy Expedition HQ (how romantic). Stinky sMelli scoffs in utter disgust--nay, he is ✨️gagged ✨️ by the fact that Adaman would entrust a "flimsy noodle" like the player character to quell Lord Electrode!

As the player character makes their way up to the Coronet Highlands, this pissy twinkie does little to tone down his prejudices, bestowing onto them the distinguished honour of "Galaxy grunt." For people who are bothered by xenophobia, this amount of prejudice towards anyone outside the Daimond Clan should have kept them away right then and there. This man undermines the player and whatever skills they have simply because they are a foreigner poking around, possibly up to no good.

"Bystander Syndrome: His reaction to Electrode's frenzying makes it sound as if his main motivation is just to suck up to "Almighty Sinnoh" at everyone else's expense."

I have already touched on the recklessness of this moment in the game as the first item of our humble list, but circling back to it: sucking up to a higher power for more points or better rewards than others is another thing Stinky sMelli loves to do! He is the poster-child of trying to do things that might make him (more) favourable in the eyes of the one he worships, no matter the cost or the impact his sucking-up may have on others around him!

Inconsiderate? Yes! But I have noticed people still love this character despite also hating the type of people who hold very strong beliefs. I have seen people who love this character, also vocalise strong discontent or hostility towards people who do as Melli does--that is, ride or die for a diety or a set of religious beliefs just because they believe it will give them some kind of advantage over other people who don't worship or recognise a deity. It's interesting how people that love this character also tend to dislike people who are willing to go to extremes to uphold a set of religious traditions or values!

"Evil Is Petty: More like Jerkass is Petty, but removing all the torches in Wayward Cave so no one else can reach the Noble Electrode just screams pettiness."

SMelli is a petty Disney Princess. He has a great voice, but man, he would do anything to hinder the player. Not only is he annoyed by the presence of outsiders infiltrating his territory in the Coronet Highlands; he actively considers ways to make it harder for the player character to make any progress.

Another thing I notice about people who adore the petty, passive-agressive twinkie is that they hate people or systems that make it harder for people to do things. Whether it's getting a much-needed service or it's something completely mundane, I've noticed people that love this stinky twinkie also hate unecessary road-blocks whether they're physical like removing the torches from the cave in Pokémon Legends, or it's an abstract thing like a law, barring them from doing something they strongly believe they should be able to do. Whatever it is, Melli is the embodimemt of haulting progress and throwing obstacles in the way of others he simply isn't fond of.

"The Fundamentalist: Is the only character in the game that's close to being one as he's convinced the frenzied Noble Pokémon are the result of "almighty Sinnoh's will" and wants to have them keep rampaging even though all evidence points out that doing so would be a bad thing."

In a way, I have touched on this one but we'll go over it again because this trope is a distinguishing feature of this character that makes the character so memorable. Whether it's a good or bad trait, a well-written character will have traits that leave an impression. The fundamentalist trope appears solely in the Stinkiest sMelliest Warden; he not only rides or dies for what he believes in at the expense of others, but he sticks to his beliefs without considering other perspectives on the frenzied Noble pokémon. It is Almighty Sinnoh's will, and it would be blasphemous to tamper with the intentions of whomst he worships!

People who love this character also tend to hate the type of person who is rooted deeply in unwavering beliefs, religious or not. They don't take to kindly if a person says they're doing something "because G-d says so," or because they are acting as an extension of "G-d's eternel will." Whatever the phrasing, the fundamentalist mindset is one that surely bothers a lot of people who do have a soft spot for Melli and his antics.

"Hate Sink: Melli is a huge Jerkass who shows animosity towards both of the other two factions, refusing to associate with Ingo and Lian, and constantly talking the player down because he doesn't believe them to be all that (despite events saying otherwise). He has an ego the size of almighty Sinnoh, constantly talks about how grandiose he is, is willing to keep Electrode in a frenzied state, and refuses to listen to reason from everyone and especially Adaman (even if he genuinely believes it's good that Lord Electrode is in a frenzy rather than harmful). Even after proven wrong, he claims how it's never his fault. It shouldn't be surprising that none of the other wardens like him, and the fact that his Golbat isn't fully evolved suggest even his own Pokémon share the sentiment."

This man will not take an L. Not on his life! After fighting him and defeating him, he first shows how he won't admit defeat. He didn't lose. He just wasn't completely ready yet and he needed more time, that's all. He refuses to listen to anyone around him and his head is so far inside of himself that it's looping around, going in a second time!

We all know someone who will never admit defeat. We know someone who will never apologise. I think as humans we do love feeling like we're right, but some of us humans can't take an L or admit we are wrong when we end up being wrong. People who love this character also tend to despise people who think they are always in the right. They get wildly uncomfortable when they're around someone who thinks they're so high and mighty, playing in a completely different legaue, roaming around on a high horse and revelling in having some kind of "moral high ground." Melli thrives best on his high horse and he rides that thing all over Hisui, reminding everyone how great he is as if they'd forgotten within the last minute or so he felt like mentioning it! I don't quite understand how people who hate others who think they occupy some moral high ground, end up loving this outrageous character who is "I didn't lose. I just need more time. Brb!" incarnate.

"Jerkass: Is the most hostile of the Wardens, constantly talking down to the player and speaking of his own greatness. He also takes the bad blood between the Diamond and Pearl Clans too far, refusing to associate with Ingo just because he's from the opposing Pearl Clan. And he even calls the player a "grunt", a term used to describe future villainous organization members. His official bio does claim a Jerk with a Heart of Gold side to him with his fellow clan members, though the player won't even see such interactions in-game and his fellow clan members dislike him as well. Notably, his Golbat still hasn't evolved into a Crobat, which can only be done through The Power of Friendship, implying that even his Pokémon don't like him."

SMelli sounds like a toxic Twitter user at this point with all the traits weighing against him. This is a good place to transition into potentially-redeeming qualities starting with the "jerk with a heart of gold" trope. I've already covered the explicit prejudice towards any foreigner and going the extra mile to belittle anyone outside his own group, so let's try to find some good things about the character. There have to be some, surely!

This part 1 of a greater character analysis for the biggest twink to twink, sMelli! Click here for the exhillerating second part! 💎

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