#pkmn-frameshift

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*dusts blog off*

So, as you can probably tell from the six whole years of complete silence, Frameshift kind of.... fell by the wayside. Despite my best intentions at the time, i simply couldn't keep up the creative momentum for this undertaking. I've had plenty of ideas and concepts for where a few lines could go, but there were so many that I just could not work out (the middle forms of the Oraquill line, in particular, proved elusive in both name and appearance), and my ability to actually generate proper art seems to have wibbled on and off - and while I made several attempts to get back into Frameshift, I never could quite recapture what I've previously done with it, and I think I have to face the facts and admit that I... likely won't, at least in the foreseeable future. Not going to say I'm never going to revisit this little project - but for now, I may as well close the book on this particular endeavor and let it quietly pass into the sea of daily-pokedex-drawing-challenges that never made it.

But before I do, I have two last Frameshift 'mon to share - creatures that I actually succeeded in conceptualizing and drawing years ago, and were simply waiting for their evolutionary predecessors that, unfortunately, never took shape. These are Oraqueen and Oraking, the Psychic/Ice type equivalents of Nidoqueen and Nidoking. Oraqueen, the Seer Pokémon, forms orbs of ice which she can use as a scrying focus in order to divine patterns that can be exploited in her foes' attacks or weak spots in their defense, to better support her allies in combat. This in contrast with Oraking, the Warlock Pokémon, whom uses staves formed of ice as a focus for a channeling the elements and amplifying their power - and is the more offense-oriented of the two.

Goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of weirdly-reaspected-angels sing thee to thy rest.

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#028 - Succulash Pangolin Pokémon

Grass

The thick, water-retaining scale-like leaves on Succulash’s back grow in whorls that regenerate fairly quickly even if individual leaves are broken off. Over time, these leaves may partially or fully change color due to a variety of environmental factors. Their sharp claws make them adept at both digging and climbing, and also make excellent defensive weapons.

Etymology: Succulash - Succulent + Slash

Design notes: I’ve had a clear image of what this species was going to look like from very early on in this project - the leaf-rosettes of succulent plants such as Echeveria species meshed kind of wonderfully with the scale armor of the pangolins that Sandslash is based on - sticking to the desert plant theme on these former Ground-types. Like with Armactus, I opted to pull the Frameshifted version of Sandslash closer to the source creature and further away from the ‘could be mistaken for a random rodent’ as pangolins are among my favorite animals and I felt that the one pangolin-based Pokémon should represent its rather unique inspiration better.

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#027 - Armactus Armadillo Pokémon

Grass

Adapted for life in harsh climates, Armactus stores water from whatever meager sources it can find and stores it within the fleshy, thick plates that run along its back. If threatened, it will curl up into a ball and use these plates - the outer layer of which is very hard and covered with small but very sharp spines -  to protect itself.

Etymology: Armactus - Armadillo + Cactus

Design notes: Finally, a Grass-type! Those of you who know me are probably aware that Grass is one of my absolute favorite types and the lack of those in the area - particularly in light of all these blasted Ground-types everywhere - was starting to get to me.

I knew right from the start that Sandshrew and Sandslash would become Grass-types. I toyed with the idea of grass or pine-cone derived permutations before I settled on the idea of succulent plants - which not only fit the general deserty environment of early Frameshift-Kanto routes, but also the original habitats of the original sand-critters.

I couldn’t help but take the Frameshifted Sandshrew closer towards its Aramadillo influence and make its cactus-pad plates more like armadillo-plates, though. Pokémon already has a frellton of genericized ‘Mouse’ creatures, and bringing out the more “exotic” side of these creatures was definitely something i felt necessary.

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#029 - Oraquill ♀ Sense Pokémon

Psychic

Using the highly-sensitive, whisker-like sensory quills on its body, Oraquill can read the most subtle changes in its environment, sense incoming danger and avoid potential combat situations. It only opens its eyes when it is about to lash out with a psionic attack.

Etymology: Oraquill - Oracle + Quill

Design notes: Our first Psychic-type! In a world stuffed to the gills with Fighting-types, it was only natural for Psychic-types to start appearing earlier - but I confess that my main reason for applying the psychic type to the Nidos was because I was immensely tired of Ground-types.

I confess - I have absolutely no idea what I am doing with these. I am very fond of the Nidos and their weird synapsid-rabbit-kaiju physiology and I do want to do them some form of justice - but I wasn’t entirely certain how to make them seem psychic and prevent them from being boring as a result of not having poison spines anymore. Thankfully I have some incredibly awesome friends - and RacieB suggested the idea of sensory quills... and the rest sort of rolled out as I drew the thing.

This isn’t the best looking of the bunch but by the time I got around to drawing this thing I was already tired as frell. I have some interesting notions re: the final forms of these lines, but... bear with me on the rest.

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#002 - Lavasaur Core Pokémon Fire/Ground

In occasional eruptions, magma from Lavasaur’s core spills out in rivulets and cools down, building the volcano on its back up further. To support this volcano’s growing weight, Lavasaur’s body grows sturdier and its already heat-resistant scales become virtually heatproof.

Etymology: Lavasaur - Lava + Saur  (ancient Greek for ‘Lizard’)

Design notes: Fun fact: in the original sketch that started everything, it was this species that was named Magmasaur - whilst Bulbasaur was named Thermasaur. Proto Derp is as Proto Derp does! I eventually decided to swap the names around to keep the syllable/phonetic resemblance between Bulbasaur/Magmasaur and Ivysaur/Lavasaur - and the fact that magma is what you call the molten rock juice when it’s still underground (like the filthy hipster it is) and lava is what you call it when it erupts - just felt right. This design ended up a bit more streamlined compared to its proto-sketch as well.

I’d like to think those eye markings on that line glow - softly, not enough to get in the way of the creature’s vision. I’d also like to think that constantly dripping lava cools down and hardens fairly quickly when it drips off the creature’s body, otherwise it proooooooooobably isn’t the safest ‘mon to handle.

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#026 - Nezuchi Mouse Pokémon Ground

Spry and light on their feet, Nezuchi cover much ground by running at great speeds and leaping to great heights. If provoked, they are capable of kicking up vicious dust storms and trap their foes within as they make a quick escape. These whirlwinds of dust are often seen from a distance, and sometimes persist for quite a while after the Nezuchi that caused them has left the area.

Etymology: Nezuchi - Nezumi (Japanese for ‘mouse’) + Tsuchi (Japanese for ‘earth’)

Design notes: I’ve encountered similar issues with Nezuchi to the ones I have with Nezuri. Unlike Pikachu, however, I actually like Raichu - and particularly its strange ears and the long tail, and wanted to keep these attributes in Nezuchi as well. What sparked figuring this design out was a thought of “So basically, it’s a dust bunny” - which promptly resulted in a few hare-inspired doodles that weren’t quite it yet - but what clinched it was what happened when I figured out what to do with the tail.

It wasn’t a dust bunny, but a dust devil.

And suddenly everything made sense. Still took me a bit before I managed to draw an outline I liked enough - but I am immensely proud of the result. Putting flow and movement into my creatures is something that I still struggle with at times, and this bugger looks like it’s actually running. Nezuchi is one of these mons that made me actually see progress taking shape as I Do the Frameshift Thing, and that gives it even more points.

(Also caracal ear tufts, because the line’s markings reminded me of Servals).

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#024 - Dragdim

Serpent Pokémon Ground

Dragdim grow continuously throughout their lives, and some fantastically large, ancient individuals in remote deserts have inspired myths of a Dragdim large enough to wrap the entire world in its coils. They are rarely seen above ground, spending most of their time in deep tunnels, only emerging to feed. Finding some of their shed, brightly-colored scales in an area is, generally, a good indication that it’s time to leave said area, and fast.

Etymology: Dragdim - Midgard spelled backwards.

Design notes: With a name and flavor text evoking the Midgard Serpent, Dragdim is the subterran wyrmsnake the old tales warned you about. The stripe patterns and colors on its sandy-coloured body was developed with heavy earth-moving equipment in mind, and its general appearance is based on a number of viper species, including the bush vipers of the Atheris genus (the overlapping, pointed scales) and the horned vipers of the Cerastes and Pseudocerastes genus - mixed with the hood-forming capability of cobras. (Dragdim is a frameshifted Arbok, after all). I picture at least part of its burrowing involving undulating those spines on that ‘hood’, but it’d mostly be Ground-elemental shenanigans, really.

This is another species I imagine having some impressive size variations... and being a VERY good reason to carry a powerful Water or Grass type with you when exploring deserts. Just in case you run into large, sand-eroded scales that still glisten with black and yellow hues and realize that it’s been a while since you’ve seen another Pokémon in the area...

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#011 - Chrysalift Cocoon Pokémon Flying

Inside its tough but very light shell, Chrysalift’s body undergoes a process of growth, metamorphosis and adaptation to colder temperatures. To regulate its internal temperature to one optimal for that purpose, Chrysalift continuously expels heat to the environment - and to protect itself from foes, it may emit a sharp gust of particularly hot air at a close range - burning the foe and slightly propelling itself away.

Etymology: Chrysalift - Chrysalis + Lift

Design notes: Cocoons, basically, are just that - and to give one a sense of “Flying”, my immediate thought was ‘Give it an anime flying wing shape’. The initial concept just had the general shape, but as I developed the idea it sort of split into this V-formation around a central more ‘traditional’ metapod-like form - with a swarm of proto-wings that look somewhat derives from Caterplume’s form and give the whole thing a hibernating angel sort of look. The iridescence just happened as I tried to inject more blue into the general green. The eyes look a bit more in line with Caterplume’s wing spots - and while it does kind of lose Metapod’s iconic “I am so tired of life right now” expression, I honestly couldn’t bring myself to break this shape with “eyelids”.

My initial concept for all three of these was that their final form would take on Ice-type characteristics (as a frameshift of Flying) - which inspired the idea of ‘slow adaptation to cold’ followed by ‘expelling heat into the environment’ (probably through this row of spiracles?). Cocoon Pokémon don’t typically learn new moves, beyond hardening - but in a game, perhaps this flavor text would have taken the form of an ability that may inflict burns upon physical contact.