#lillie

[jsketch12]

gratitude

[molsno]

once again, everything english wikipedia has to say about vietnam is imperialist garbage. let's take ho chi minh's article for example. here's how the third paragraph begins:

no mention of what the land reforms even were. not even a short summary outside of the linked article, just fearmongering about "executions and political purges", as if it was just a mass slaughter done because ho chi minh was an evil dictator who loved killing poor innocent landlords

alright, so what about the section about his legacy? the people of vietnam seem to love him a lot, so let's see what wikipedia has to say on that:

the second paragraph on his legacy, right beside a photo of a statue of him in the city named after him, is a quote by some white guy who worked for the us state department. how can I trust anything on wikipedia when these are considered acceptable sources? every word of this article is not only absurdly racist, but also explicitly imperialist

[bepisode]

pkmn

[pokemonarchive]

Lillie & Solgaleo (2017) - Postcard Illustrator: Megumi Mizutani

[lanymme]

God I forgot how good Pokemon Sun and Moon were.

The like. background alolan sovereignty stuff and the frankly startlingly sensitive discussion of child abuse and the way they entertwine? Team Skull being kids failed by the system, and that social ill giving room for the Aether Foundation to sort of push its way in and establish a hold in Alola to "do good"? The fact that the stuff the Aether Foundation is doing is really good work from a certain perspective, but is also disruptive, controlling, and not in alignment with the Alolan way of doing things? Guzma being abused as a kid, and ending up pushed around and manipulated by Lusamine, an abuser herself, who knows how to push his buttons?

The whole subplot of looking for a champion, which probably would've been Kukui or Guzma if their own hero and rival story hadn't been shattered by the stuff that happened to them? Guy whose dad broke golf sticks over him develops a perfectionist obsessed with being strong enough that nobody can beat him again, and constantly proves to himself he's safe by throwing that strength around? The way their relationship starts to repair when those societal problems start to be addressed?

And then Gladion and Lillie. God. The way Gladion is the older child who figured out what was happening first and got out of there, went no contact, and had to do what he could to stay off the street. The way Lillie is just starting to figure out and unpack the things her mother taught her, and beginning to become braver and show more independence? How her fucking mother DRESSED HER UP AS THE NIHILEGO, and then her big moment is to put together her own trainer-like outfit, to start picking her own clothes?? The way Lusamine treats her pokemon with zero humanity but pretties up and preserves them horrifically for show, the way the Aether Foundation is engaging in torturous unethical experimentation, as metaphors for the way she abuses each of her children???

The ways in which Guzma, Gladion, and Lillie all bond with Pokemon that sort of symbolically resonate with the kinds of abuse they received and the way they learned to deal with it--Guzma picking bugs, traditionally the weakest type, and Wimpod who runs from everything--showing the kindness deep down in him, and the way he grew up to be strong. Gladion, whose pokemon was more overtly abused, and evolves through his care into Silvally who can take on any type the way Gladion is forced to learn how to adapt to being by himself, and then to being a member of the community? And Lillie with Nebby, who starts out weak and defenseless, helpless, imprisoned, and escapes despite that and gets by through relying on other people, until she learns to take care of herself--and her buddy evolves into the legendary that defends the Alola Region from alien threats like her mother????

fuck that game was good. it fit so well with the themes and aesthetics of pokemon. I really wish they'd make more like it.

[billfrancois]

Remembering how much I adore Lillie

[55cdfc-f7a8b8-ffffff-f7a8b8-55cd]

Pokemon SM was crazy for setting up 2 rivals and then they became each others' rivals instead of yours. Like you, the protagonist, are the side piece to gladion and hau's rivalry. It's fine though because while gladion is busy with that you get to date his sister.