Mimic me, mimic you: Halloween J-A-P-E!
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skylight
Welcome to a spooktacular edition of Judge a Pokémon Express. You're in for a treat with this JAPE! We'll be discussing the absolutely terrifyingly cute Mimikyu, the creepy Dhelmise, and the frighteningly weird Palossand. Check out what our panelists have to say below!
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| Pikachu315111 | Pilo | {Pokemon_Vigilante} | heritage |
| Click on the images to read their thoughts! | |||
Dhelmise
Pikachu315111
At first you think this thing looks ridiculous. An anchor, really? Then you read its Pokédex descriptions... and continue to think it's ridiculous. Ghost seaweed, really? Well, once again, you read just the Moon Pokédex Entry. The Sun one is the one you should pay attention to, where it mentions it can ONE HIT KNOCK OUT A WAILORD with its anchor. A Wailord, a Pokémon with high HP and resistance to Steel-type moves (which Dhelmise's signature move, Anchor Shot, is). Dhelmise is sort of a "Fridge Horror," something that's more terrifying after thinking about it for a while. Sure, at first the whole concept of Dhelmise seems ridiculous, but really think about what it is. It's not the anchor that's the Ghost-type Pokémon, but the (dead) seaweed wrapped around it. Putting aside that apparently seaweed have souls (or maybe souls are possessing the seaweed? It's not clear how the seaweed got the souls), when the seaweed wraps around an object it possesses it and seemingly gains traits relating to what it possesses (such as powering up Steel-type moves for possessing a metallic object). Now for Dhelmise it's just an anchor, but who's to say the seaweed can't wrap around and possess other things, maybe something that's living even! And how much is there of this ghost seaweed out there? What happens if you accidentally eat it? And let's take a moment to talk about how you encounter Dhelmise. One moment you're fishing off a side of a boat, next you pull up an anchor that starts attacking you! Okay, maybe more of a Big Lipped Alligator Moment than a jump scare, but it will certainly take you by surprise if you're not expecting it. If that's not enough, its previously mentioned signature move, Anchor Shot, is a damaging trapping move. And if this thing is powerful enough to OHKO a Wailord, I wonder what would happen if it were to snag a boat, it is an anchor after all...
Mimikyu
Pikachu315111
Mimikyu scary? Surely you jest. With its woobie-ish backstory and charming design of a crudely drawn Pikachu costume, how can Mimikyu ever be scary? Well, stop reading the Moon Pokédex entry and see what the Sun one has to say about it: underneath that costume is an appearance so horrifying it INSTANTLY KILLS YOU (which brings in some horrifying implications in the games, as there's a little girl NPC somewhere who tells you she's trying to replace Mimikyu's costume with a Reaper Cloth!). But that's not the only moment in the games where they emphasize Mimikyu's creepiness. Mimikyu is the Totem Pokémon for Acerola's Trial, and it shows how its obsessiveness over Pikachu can take a demented twist. The backroom Mimikyu is found in is covered with nothing but Pikachu photos, drawings, and advertisements. When the Trial is over, Acerola tells you the abandoned supermarket doesn't have a backroom... as Mimikyu can then be seen crawling around in the background, causing Acerola to have a case of chicken skin (goosebumps as we call it). So not only can its true form kill you, but it can warp reality and make people and Pokémon around it feel uncomfortable. Also, after the trial, that Totem Mimikyu can be found later in the Aether House and, if interacted with, it says "Me... me curse... you." Yikes. You want another angle? The anime gave Jessie a Mimikyu who HATES Pikachu. Why does it dress as a Pikachu then? According to Team Rocket's Meowth, it wants to always remember who it hates the most, plus some other things Meowth dares not repeat. And it's true to this hatred, since when it sees Ash's Pikachu it mercilessly attacks it. Speaking of Meowth, on more than one occasion Meowth has accidentally seen underneath Mimikyu's costume, with near death experiences he barely gets brought back from. Consider Mimikyu cute at your own peril, because underneath that costume is a true Ghost-type. And in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Mimikyu is getting an exclusive Z-Move that might just reveal what's underneath...
Palossand & Sandygast
Pikachu315111
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the beach, now the very sand is trying to kill you! No matter what Pokédex entry you're reading you're told these haunted sand castles are not meant to be dealt with. Sandygast came to be from sand that seeped grudges of the departed, such as those who lost battles on the beach. Upon gaining sentience, they try to take control of others by having them place their hand either in their mouths or on the shovel on top of their heads. The possessed then start adding more sand to Sandygast, which eventually evolves into a Palossand. What happens to those it possessed or any unfortunate being who passes by one? Well Palossand's Moon Pokédex entry answers that: beneath its body are the DRIED-UP BONES OF ITS VICTIMS (let us not forget that infamous image of a Palossand dragging a Pikachu underneath it)! And how you encounter them? Through ambush battles via sand clouds when walking on the beach, a location where normally wild battles don't happen unless there's tall grass or you go into the water. True, most of the time you'll encounter Staryu in these sand clouds, but sometimes it's the very sand itself that might rise up for a battle...
Dhelmise
Pilo
Another typing oddity. Why is this Pokémon a Grass-type and not Water- or Steel-type? We may never know. One thing that's certain though is that this Pokémon is incredibly ugly. I can appreciate what Game Freak was going for here, and the idea of ghost moss possessing an anchor is kind of cool, but that doesn't make Dhelmise any less ugly.
Mimikyu
Pilo
Cute or scary? It's hard to tell with this failed mimic. Whatever it is, this 'mon was the bane of my existence in my Moon playthrough, managing to single-handedly sweep my team several times before I was able to take it down (who knew a Pokémon so full of character and charm could simultaneously be so infuriating). All I can say is that Mimikyu is lucky it's, cute because I have never been closer to taking out my frustration on my 3DS. Aside from the obvious visual appeal, Mimikyu, like many other Ghost-types, possesses an enigmatic allure. In this case the mystery of what lies under its cloak. I have no idea what's under Mimikyu's poorly crafted disguise but I'd die to find out, both figuratively and literally seeing as anyone who witnesses Mimikyu's true form is stricken with illness. If whatever lies beneath Mimikyu's rag is as colorfully characterful as the disguise itself though, it might just be worthwhile to take a tiny peek.
Palossand
Pilo
When Palossand was first revealed it was love at first sight for me. A lot of people find Pokémon based off of objects to be mundane or poorly designed, and I mean a sand castle 'mon is pretty ridiculous, but how could you not love Palossand? It possesses people, makes them build it into a sand castle in order to evolve, and then lurks on beaches trapping innocent victims from below and devouring them sandworm style. Actually, I may be getting a bit carried away, but you see my point don't you? Heck, even Palossand's shiny color palette is a great nod to Hawaii's beautiful black sand beaches. What's not to like?
Dhelmise
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
This ghostly-looking anchor matched with a steering wheel is ghastly in terms of color, but it lacks power. Nothing really sticks out about the capabilities and uses of this broken piece of ship, but that doesn't mean it doesn't look great. Ghostly looking seaweed, rusted boat anchor, and the brown and brass trim on the steering wheel make this Pokémon well worth the less than 10% encounter rate. But I wonder why it would be so rare yet lack power the way it does? In any event, it's well worth the hunt to resurrect this ghost ship piece and add it to your collection. If nothing else, you can wonder what else may yet come out of Davy Jones's locker in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Mimikyu
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
Let's just say this decoy is broken in a number of ways. I fully hoped that even though it could take a hit without taking damage, that you'd see the actual ghost that inhabits this little Pikachu knockoff. Sadly, all you're left with after taking a hit is what looks like a lifeless doll. I do have to say that the faded coloring scheme it has going on is quite spooky. It lends to the thought that the ghost form hidden inside the decoy is pretty scary, kind of like how Gengar originally was. Maybe if we pull out the Silph Scope we could see the true form of Mimikyu, but even without seeing it, this is one well-built Ghost-type Pokémon. Hopefully it's just as great the second time around in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Palossand
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
I don't know about you, but this Pokémon didn't wow me like I thought it might. Sure, it looks ghostly and spooky, but it doesn't stack up the way I hoped in any other areas. Its color scheme was bland from the start, its expression was vacant, and it doesn't look like anything to be truly afraid of unless you find a shiny specimen. The black coloring makes it look a bit more spooky, but it still isn't the best-looking Ghost-type Pokémon by any standard. Now if the shells that line the face of Palossand had teeth, then you'd have a terrifying ghost on your hands. Total waste of sand in my opinion.
Dhelmise
heritage
I could never really find the appeal for this thing. I'll give it that it's unique, but if they were aiming for a scary atmosphere, then that fell straight on its face, and it's frankly quite ugly (especially its shiny form). At least in comparison to the rest of the Alola dex, it isn't really too freaky. Sorta like Mimikyu, I only really find it unsettling rather than scary. I'm not sure if there's enough total information on it for me to be really scared of it. And unlike Mimikyu, its design doesn't really hold up enough for me to like it. It doesn't make me angry or anything, it's not that bad, and admittedly the fact that it practically wears souls as its body... I can see how something like this would have fans. I'm just not really one of them.
Mimikyu
heritage
Pikachu clones, for the most part, are an overdone, annoying gimmick that are a stain on the Pokédex. They're nothing but a boring cash-grab that adds practically nothing to the franchise besides an excuse for some plushies. Now, notice how I said "for the most part"? Well, Mimikyu is probably the only Pikachu clone I can actually tolerate. Mimikyu not only manages to be an interesting clone for once, both in design and lore, but it also manages to be quite terrifying. In Sun and Moon it's... not that scary, mainly just unsettling. I wouldn't quite say its attitude is one to be scared of, although someone outright dying from shock is, uh... surely something. The totem Mimikyu is, again, simply unsettling to me. Having it speak human language definitely gave it an edge, but that's about it.
When I'm talking it being truly scary, I'm mainly referring to the anime. If it wasn't for the goofy style of the overall animation, I might even go so far as to saw it's the most horrifying thing in the entire anime period. This thing straight up wants to tear apart Pikachu and throw its bones across the world, and god is it great. As someone who gets really annoyed at pretty much everything involving Pikachu, watching something kick the life out of the annoying shit is incredibly redeeming. It's a shame Bewear is the worst thing to happen to humanity though and prevents Pikachu's death. Also Meowth literally died for a few minutes after looking at its true form. Hilariously morbid.
Palossand
heritage
Palossand has a really unique and downright freaky Pokédex entry. Apparently it possesses people to help build its body up, which increases not only its power, but the strength of its curse as well. And what happens to those people? They become nothing but bones buried below its body. Yeah, certainly freaky. As someone who lives in Florida, I can promise you beaches are overhyped anyways, you're pouring sand out of your cereal box for the next three months every time you step foot on one, and this is just another reason not to go, lol. Sadly, there's not... too much more to talk about with it. I mean, it's got a nice design and an interesting typing, but its episode in the anime wasn't really what I call creepy or anything, it kinda just appeared in a normal episode. Ah well, it's always nice to see a Pokémon murder Pikachu though. That art is great.
skylight
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