Epic Spheal

She/Her | 31 | Pokemon Centric Blog | CEO of Cactusverse and SnowMoonShipping | Profile Pic made by me

[epicspheal]

Okay so I wanted to bring this video to everyone's attention because I absolutely ADORE when we get deep dives into the worldbuilding of Pokémon. Especially when it comes to healthcare and how Pokémon are utilized outside of battles. While I think human hospitals in the Pokémon world have strict limits on Pokémon due to safety concerns, Pokemon that registered as therapy or service animals would be exempt It makes me think of how comprehensive Service Pokémon training would have to be in not only research on ways different species can be used, but also how to best train individual Pokémon to be qualified for services.

[soulsilvers]

lalalalala yayyyy

[soulsilvers]

more tweaking to the leaf design.. unleash the Leaf Ultimate

[epicspheal]

It's been 5 years since Cactusverse became a thing! I wanted to get something commemorate my little sillies in the Pokemon world. I've enjoyed creating this Pokemon AU and definitely a needed stress reliever from the hectic nature of medical school Thank you @rotoscare for this amazing piece of the cactusverse sillies

[epicspheal]

Something I wanted to yap about is just how socially awkward Corbeau really is. Yeah he's charming and charismatic...but very much in a business sense. Not so much personally. His mentors Giovanni and Lysandre are definitely not the best role models for "personal relationship graces" (although Lysandre is a lot better in that regard compared to Giovanni). Coupled that with living on the street...it's why he's so adorkable with the player character because Oh My Arceus someone he can be around and not be on his guard!? Qhat is this sorcery?

There's that grunt that mentions that while he's intoxicating it also makes him vulnerable it makes you wonder if he let someone in close and got hurt and now he puts up even more of a front. It's why he takes such a liking to the player, he can be himself and not get hurt. A true rarity in his hard life.

All this to say is that Corbeau is emotionally constipated and a dork when he gets to know someone in a way that does not involve him having to extort them or them being involved with the underbelly of Lumiose City.

[epicspheal]

You know with Legends Z-A, one group I really wish got some more focus was the Lumiose Safety Group. In a world of community service loan sharks and battle obsessed socialites, the Lumiose City Safety Group I feel like best represented the average Joe of Lumiose. The average citizen who may or may not be serious trainers. People who have watched the city change over the past five years with not nearly as much social or political capital to effect change other than banding together. As an aside, I also dislike the fact the one time we do see them, it's them being portrayed as the bad guys for wanting answers from the CEO of the company who hasn't been fully transparent as to what's been going on. I don't mind opposing the Lumiose Safety Group at first but they should've gotten a chance to explain themselves later on especially as things were getting worse It would've been nice if we saw them approach Team MZ since they notice that Team MZ, despite being a ragtag bunch, have a lot of potential and connections. Getting a chance to see the average citizen and how they see Lumiose and what they wish would've been really cool.

[epicspheal]

So @deepest-dope I wanted to answer your reply in a form of a post I hope that's okay For reference this is coming from my ask about placing Mega keystone in a pacemaker. Like the above ask, I'm going to preface this with saying if this is something you really want to do, don't let the consequences I write below stop you. Rule of Cool does exist after all! I'm just explaining from a medical standpoint why it might not be the best idea

So the glass eye key stone, my first concern would be the other good eye. We know when mega evolution is activated there's a lot of bright light that emanates. I'd be concerned about the other eye going blind due to the proximity. When it comes to the various gimmicks, we know that Z-moves and Terastal in particular tend to also emit a force that can be draining to the user (like how many NPCs struggle to hold the Terastal orb and how The Light That Burns That Sky very much drains the user). We don't see that too much with Mega Evolution but it is there (thinking of Urbain/Taunie when they use their keystone they seem to wince as if there's a pressure) So with that in mind the second issue I'd be worried is if the force from activating the keystone would cause injury especially in the heat of battle. Since it's embedded in a glass eye, should that eye shatter it could go deeper into the skull (meaning more surgery) or into the other eye (potentially taking out the other eye). And just the force could potentially rattle the brain causing a concussion or a brain contusion (bruise on your brain). A number of concussions (Traumatic Brain Injuries or TBIs as we call it) from using mega evolution would put that OC at risk for long term cognitive, physical and emotional impairments. So much like the keystone in a pacemaker, I don't think any reputable doctor in the Pokemon world would agree to put one into a patient's glass eye due to the consequences (note that I said reputable...I'm sure a shady back alley doctor might)

[strawbunnycakes]

togekiss 🌈🪽

[pokemonblack3white3]

Okay finished it

[epicspheal]

I see we finally have Red's answer to Blue's Raticate. Though it is odd to me that it's Beedrill and not Butterfree, you'd think they'd want to reference Ash's Butterfree...

Hi there @ether-gearhead! For people reading this who may not understand where we're getting at, this is in reference to the latest arc suit story in Pokemas where Brock recalls facing off against Red who used a Beedrill, thus being a mon that has been used but just doesn't show up on final "canon" teams

Now to your point about not using Butterfree, I think that's intentional. Even though Red and Ash are both Pallet Town male protagonists, they are ultimately different characters and I think they want to make sure that distinction is still clear. It's actually much like how I think they don't really use Blue's Eevee that much (even though I wish they would, I think there is some missed storytelling with an Eevee and Blue if stays an Eevee or evolves into say Sylveon) because it would give more "Blue is Gary" remarks even though again they are also distinct characters (similarly like how for Blue they tend to push Pidgeot a bit more as his ace since a lot of modern marketing gives Blue a Blastoise) But back to Red, I'm actually really glad we're getting see some more Pokemon from him (as much as I despise the Kantrio Neo Champion storyline I did appreciate him having Articuno and that being a lowkey reference to the Origins battle against Mewtwo). We know Red has completed the Kanto Pokedex so we know he has every Kanto mon at his disposal, but since usually see the same 6 it's nice to see a bit of variation.

[epicspheal]

On the wake of FRLG being released on the switch and people realizing how Kantonians as a whole can be not the friendliest or have mixed opinions on Pokemon

it's refreshing to see modern games like ZA (and Arceus) bring back that varied dialogue. No not everyone kisses the player's ass (at least not at first). No not everyone is just head over heels about Pokemon, some are annoyed or even downright terrified of them. It makes the world feel lived in, because realistically not everyone would like Pokemon if every person on this planet was suddenly dropped into the world. And people can be cranky and distrustful at first and some people are downright mean.

[epicspheal]

I don't see why the fandom thinks some great Pokemon World War happened before the events of Gen 1. Like, Lt. Surge could've fought in any given Cold War conflict that the US directly fought in, especially considering multiple Gentlemen across all Kanto and Johto media identify him as their commanding officer. I don't know all the dates, but at bare minimum, I'd say the Korean War, Vietnam, maybe even the Gulf War. Or however the hell those played out in-universe.

Hi there @ether-gearhead! Good point! I feel like with World Wars 1 and 2 being well, world wars, and thus very much baked into the global culture's general knowledge of world history it often ends up being the war people just assume that Lt Surge fought in it. Which when you examine it, doesn't make sense given timeline because Lt. Surge is fairly young and if we're following a somewhat 1:1 timeline between our world and the Pokemon world (like how Legends Arceus was around what would be the equivalent of our world's Meiji restoration era which was only about 150 years ago) then it Lt. Surge wouldn't have even been born So yeah if they were truly referencing an actual war that went on in our world, it would've likely been another war closer to the 80s/90s depending on if we're doing a RBGY or FRLG timeline. And for all we know it could've been something completely made up specifically for the lore of the Pokemon franchise I also think part of it is that people sometimes really want to make Pokemon as dark as possible so they choose world war. And let's be clear ALL WAR IS DARK AND EVERY WAR HAS HEINOUS SHIT GO ON (very relevant given the time we are in right now as of writing this post) but we hear so much more about the World Wars and the heinous stuff that occurred there coupled with wanting to make Lt. Surge's backstory as dark as possible.

[strawbunnycakes]

pombon my beloved

[epicspheal]

this is extremely random but i randomly came across your blog through twitter and got whiplashed because im also a medical student with opinions on green/blue so its nice to see there are people like me also in this hell :')

Hi there anon! YAY fellow medical student! *gives you high five and a hug* this process of being a doctor is truly hell, I could go on a rant on what could be done differently to make it less toxic. Also a fellow green/Blue opinion haver let's go! For everyone else seeing this, a post of mine just did numbers for trying to point out the reasons why Blue is the way that he is in gen 1 is because his Grandpa doesn't really treat him well.

Anon if you don't mind I'm going to just yap a bit more about this here. Because every so often people make posts about Oak and how he treats Blue on Twitter and without fail someone always tries to justify Oak's behavior and it's so draining and it's clear they're missing the point of post like these

I literally had to make a follow up tweet saying

Yes Blue was very cocky, overly so. He's was overly competitive and self-centered not giving enough credit to his Pokemon for their part in the victory (that's the whole trust and love aspect, he's not abusing his Pokemon he's just not being a team player which can erode trust and love). So yes, he absolutely needed to have a lesson learned. No one is denying and trying to paint him as this smol bean that does no wrong. But point number 2, Oak has his share in this behavior. Some of it is genuinely unintentional and not something you can legitimately fault him for. Oak is a famous professor so anyone connected to him by blood in some way is going to live in his shadow. He can't help that, nor can he help the idea of people always referring to him in reference to Blue. That being said, Oak fails to acknowledge how that connection could very well cause insecurity. Blue is the first in a very long line of characters in Pokemon who has a famous relative that likely causes some insecurity or interpersonal issues. In Blue's case his insecurity doesn't make him a trembling leaf that's just "uwu I don't believe in myself"...it manifests as an overinflated ego as a form of defense. Which is very common and realistic as a response. And so many people forget that insecurity often expresses itself in many ways, ways that aren't always going to make you go "Oh you poor thing". So Oak isn't too blame for having fame, but as a parental figure for Blue he could've done better with making sure Blue can recognize his own talents in a healthy way. What's not cool is trying to act like you forgot your grandson's name in an attempt to humble him. I'm literally seeing people try to say that as justification and that's genuinely horrible parenting. That's not going to humble a kid that's just going to either give them a new insecurity or make them double down on the malignant behaviors you're trying to correct.

Same with the focal point of that first battle in the laboratory. Regardless of the outcome Blue says something that is a great teaching point (blaming the Pokemon he chose if he loses, brags about how great he is without acknowledging his Pokemon if he wins). And so yeah that's a perfect time for Oak to try to impart some wisdom to set up the idea that Blue while talented is going to go down a bad path if he doesn't change his ways. But Oak's methods do nothing of the sort and if anything likely made Blue double down which is why it likely took until losing his champion title for him to change and in some ways that was probably less about Oak saying anything to him. We can hold space for the idea of parental figures should guide kids while also acknowledging that the way the guidance is given can often hurt. Sometimes tough love is needed. I think of Silver and Lance. But Silver was in a darker place given his circumstance so tough love was probably the best way to get to him. And I wish when these discussions come up people on Twitter could actually see the nuance.

[epicspheal]

Pokemon Day 2026

Oh well I'm tearing up now writing this. Pokemon means so much to me. I remember one afternoon watching Kid's WB in 1999 while my mom undid my braids that we caught an episode of Pokemon- Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden and I was mesmerized. Soon it became a regular tradition to watch Pokemon after kindergarten. And the Pokemon the Movie 2000 was shown in theaters, I remember going there with my Squirtle Plushie and seeing the Pokemon that would become my all time favorite...Lugia. And that was a wrap, I would be a Pokemon fan for life I'd eventually get my first Pokemon game, Hey You! Pikachu. I remember over summer camp hiding under Pokemon blankets with two boys I watched the oldest one play Pokemon Gold when we were supposed to be napping. A couple of years later I would get my first ever Pokemon game, Ruby. Life hasn't always been smooth for me. I hint a little  bit  at that through my trainersona Cami's story although much  of  it I keep private. But Pokemon has been one of the few constants in my life that have brought me joy and peace, even in the darkest moments . I thank God I got a chance to get into this franchise and meet so many people both in real life and online . Since starting my blog  Ask  Epic Spheal in 2019  I've found myself appreciating this franchise even more and I'm glad to know people have enjoyed not only  my Pokemon AU Cactusverse but my character, worldbuilding and lore analyses and theories . It means a lot that I can interact with other  fans of the franchise in that way  as  I remember as a kid  daydreaming about what it would really be like to live in the Pokemon world. So thank you Pokemon, for everything. And thank you all who I have come across over the past  6 years of . I love you guys.

[soulsilvers]

jus trying out new styles

[epicspheal]

[Alt Text: short video of a Red Plushie out in the snow and sleet on a balcony, the camera then pans to inside where a Blue plushie is looking out at the Red plushie in disbelief]

Well I'm under a blizzard warning so I thought I share this Gurire/Reguri video I made the last time we got a big snow (with some sleet) Red thinks he's back on Mt Silver, Blue wants him to come back in this instant