#gen vi

[cinimuffin]

[dragonkeeper19600]

I’ve seen a lot of fans saying that Z-A’s treatment of Lysandre salvaged the character, turning what had been kind of a lousy villain into an actually compelling figure.

But, while I also like Lysandre’s portrayal in Z-A, I also always liked him as a villain.

Hear me out. I know ProZD made fun of him back in the day for having a twist villain reveal so obvious I’m not sure it even counts as a twist. I also acknowledge that his flaming hair is silly enough to earn the respect of any Yu-Gi-Oh protagonist. But even with those flaws, I found myself invested in him as an antagonist, almost in spite of himself.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a fan, but he’s a big part of the reason I actually found myself more invested in XY’s story than BW’s back in the day. Maybe part of it was reverse psychology. I saw so many people praise BW’s story and dismiss XY’s that I was inclined to go the other way. But I’ll also say that his motivation made sense to me. It’s true what he says; there aren’t enough resources for everyone to live a comfortable life. Some have to go without; it’s basic math. I can understand Lysandre’s frustration with his inability to help everyone.

His plan also made sense to me, in a “I get why this person would do this” way. Reducing the world’s population to a select few and then making those few immortal, thereby putting an end to death and want, made logical sense. It reminds me of what we call “eco-terrorism” in real life, the idea that we need to actively reduce the human population for the sake of the planet. It does kind of make me wonder about myself, considering how many people criticize his actions in XY as “unrealistic.”

Even so, looking back at Lysandre and his final moments in XY again, I find that I was able to identify with him now even more than I did as a teenager. His obvious despair when his plan fails and he sees no possibility of a bright future resonates with me. As someone who’s struggled with depression a lot this year, I know what it’s like to look toward the future and not see any hope.

This is why Lysandre’s redemption arc really got to me. Not just because he’s working to make up for his past mistakes but because he regained his lost hope. Just look at this dialogue in Hotel Z.

He’s looking forward to something. Change used to terrify him, but now he’s looking forward to it.

I’ll admit, L’s battle theme in Z-A made me shed a tear. It’s such a beautiful score that sings not just of redemption but of hope. It’s really what I needed to hear this year, and it’s the perfect tribute to a character who spoke to me long before it seems he spoke to anyone else.

If someone like him can go from utter despair to smiling like this:

Then maybe I can, too.

[circlegirl]

awesome goodra win

[obscure-pokemon-facts]

#416. In Pokémon Crystal, Generation III, and Generation V onwards, increasing a Pokémon's friendship is more effective when at the same location the Player first met said Pokémon.

In Pokémon Crystal, the amount of friendship gained is doubled when levelling up only, whereas in Generation III and Generation V onwards, any friendship gains will be boosted by 1. (X)

[zobearry]

[sinnohgirl]

pokélog 2021 ① by  ゆらの

[mega-scolipede]

I can't believe I suggested they should have used a character as an example to show Lysandre helping someone out in the past when I wrote my Pokémon Z post... and then now I just got Corbeau's backstory and they really did it.

[csolarstorm]

AZ's Floette & The Circle of Arceus

Image from: Forgotten Dex, the Lost Forms

Back when I was writing Eternal Flower Files: Sacred Geometry, I figured out that the Eternal Flower that belongs to AZ's Floette maps really well onto the Circle of Arceus.

Here's a breakdown that shows how the Circle of Arceus fits the design of the flower:

It matches so well that I don't think it's a coincidence - GameFreak probably designed this strange flower to match up with the circle.

Now, there are a lot of hexagram-based symbols in anime. This article from Comic Book Resources does a great job explaining the significance of the hexagram in the east and west, and why it's a shorthand for divinity and magic in anime.

But I think there's more to it than both shapes just being hexagrams.

I think this design choice comes down to two things. One, the Eternal Flower is probably based on the Philosopher's Stone, the divine substance in alchemy that grants eternal life.

Even though Floette is the one that was brought back to life, the machine that revived her looks like a giant Eternal Flower itself. There are definitely organic petals emanating from the center during the blast.

Two, Eternal Flower Floette is almost definitely inspired by the fleur de lys. To recap, legend has it that the first King of France, King Clovis, adopted the fleur de lys as the symbol of France after he was given a lily by the Virgin Mary during his baptism.

This divine lily is said to have sprung up from the tears of Eve as she left Eden. (Source) Like the Philosopher's Stone, lilies are symbols of rebirth.

Image from: clker.com

So if Eternal Flower Floette is partially based on this holy lily, this flower of light so entwined with the mythology of France, it would make sense to connect it to Arceus, this non-denominational Poke-god that combines myths from all over the world.

And we see this divine symbolism further with Eternal Flower Floette's signature move, Light of Ruin. It feels like something that would turn you into a pillar of salt if you looked at it. Then again, the Ultimate Weapon's power turned Pokemon to pillars of stone.

What does this mean for Legends: Z-A? I have a feeling that Z-A is more of a sequel to Legends: Arceus that we'd expect from a Kalos game. I think Arceus will still have a presence in Z-A as the Alpha to Zygarde's Zed, even if it's just in spirit.

...

This is the latest entry in The Eternal Flower Files, my series about analyzing Eternal Flower Floette, King AZ, and their part in the history of Kalos.

The Eternal Flower Files: The Sun King

The Eternal Flower Files: Flowers of the Fleur de Lys

Eternal Flower Files Short: Thismia

The Eternal Flower Files: Sacred Geometry