Casual

A story collab: @whitecatarts did the story, story boarding, and color, and I did the editing, typesetting, and lineart.

Reads right to left. Tw: blood and gore

I’m sure many others have pointed this out before, and this is certainly not the first time I ramble about it, BUT:

Notice how Clive’s parents look like Hershel and Claire.

Notice how they disappear to the right of the screen, which is symbolically associated with the future, while Layclaire exits stage left, remaining in the past.

Clive represents the child they could have had. Hence why he’s so smart he can rival our protagonist in a battle of wits. Hence why he’s saved by both Hershel and Claire at different points in his story. Hence why the mobile fortress is defeated by a simple pocket watch, the ultimate symbol of their love. Hence why he’s close to the Professor on the box, where Luke would typically be:

It’s him! Clive is their Lost Future.

Literally me fan animation by soul freeman

so i was looking at my random late night sketches earlier today, saw this, & went "damn, i should actually finish this!"

so here is my susie gjinka design in full glory - also she is holding a gun.

but this is more of a poll regarding which parallel susie design is better (more like which color palette really...)

both of them are also right next to the original susie which i am completely unsure whether actually helps but hopefully it does!

Why is Lusamine usually so poorly written?

Now, this isn’t hating on the character, I LOVE the concept behind a good person both literally and figuratively becoming a horrific monster due to an obsession, only coming to their senses after causing irrevocable damage to their relationships with their loved ones, but no continuity really does it right.

I personally subscribe to the theory that, without the neurotoxins, Lusamine is a decent enough person, even if she is a substandard parent. Why? Because that seems to be the idea Game Freak was trying to convey. I also subscribe to the “Neurotoxins=drug addiction metaphor” theory.

But the problem is that, of the four takes on Lusamine, none of them really do a good job of balancing Lusamine’s villainy, humanity, and tragedy. For example:

Sun and Moon: Lusamine is a horribly abusive and controlling mother, who’s obsessed with the Ultra Beasts, but does a complete 180 in personality after Nihilego is defeated without ever acknowledging her misdeeds. Type:Null’s backstory heavily implies that she at first wanted to destroy the Ultra Beasts for taking her husband away until she fell in love with Nihilego after getting a faceful of neurotoxins. She is also obsessed with beauty. However, none of her redeeming qualities are shown, and she’s hastily ushered out of the plot after coming to her senses without ever showing remorse for her crimes.

Ultra: Lusamine is now a well-intentioned extremist who DESPISES the Ultra Beasts, especially Necrozma. But now her emulation of the Ultra Beasts in her clothing, and her decision to make her children and Guzma dress up like Ultra Beasts makes no sense. Additionally, that freaky cryogenic prison is still kept in the story and basically brushed over, despite the fact that she is no longer obsessed with beauty. She also tragically decides not to reconnect with her ex-husband after realizing that he’s lost his memory and has been living happily without her, feeling that he deserves better, before getting reduced to a damsel in distress in Episode RR.

Pokémon Special/Pokémon Adventure: Lusamine’s villainy is played up, but it is explicitly stated that she’s only acting the way she is because of Nihilego’s neurotoxins. However, she has no agency in her fall to villainy, as everything from her husband’s disappearance to her brainwashing at Nihilego’s tentacles was masterminded by Faba, effectively reducing her to Faba’s brainwashed pawn and someone for our protagonists to rescue.

Now, that’s not to say that I dislike the idea of Faba manipulating Lusamine or taking advantage of her deteriorating mental state to further his own goals. In fact, I’d argue that it makes both characters more interesting when it’s done well. But none of the above continuities do that.

But, there is a continuity which does tell Lusamine’s story competently.

Pokémon Anime: Lusamine is the workaholic, single mother of Lillie and Gladion, left to raise her two children after her husband’s mysterious disappearance. Rather than obsessing over what she lost, she mourned and moved on. She’s still remarkably childish, to the point that her prepubescent daughter is more mature than she is, but you can’t deny that she loves her children. She’s also disregarded Lillie’s feelings enough times to make Lillie feel the need to vocally defend her decisions even when nobody has voiced disapproval of them. She’s also become so neglectful that her daughter’s basically been raised by the family butler for the past five years, and never questioned why her daughter who loved Pokémon suddenly developed a crushing fear of them out of the blue. She also works to atone for her neglect the second it’s spelled out for her by Gladion, with her mentally and verbally kicking herself for letting the situation escalate to the point that Lillie’s memory is in danger of being erased. After that point, she works to become more active in her children’s lives, but still has flaws. For example, when Faba summons Nihilego to get revenge for losing his job (something he wouldn’t be able to do if Lusamine had properly dealt with the situation after Lillie was first traumatized), she fangirls for a few seconds before realizing that the Ultra Beast is about to murder her daughter. After this, she sacrifices herself to save her kids, kicking off the “rescue” arc. Also, after she becomes the Motherbeast and starts attacking the heroes who are trying to rescue her, she’s still partially in control, even if her mental state has deteriorated to that of a preschooler trying to protect their favorite toy (in this case, Nihilego), with Nihilego not taking full control until Lillie talks some sense into her by calling her out for being such a terrible mother while begging her to clean up her act and ditch the glass jellyfish. From that point on in the anime, Lusamine becomes a far more active supporting character, showing up in person for Lillie’s big accomplishments (such as a school play), and generally being a far more likeable and sympathetic person.

So what makes the anime!Lusamine the best Lusamine?

Every step of her character arc is HER CHOICE!

It was Lusamine’s decision to leave her children for long periods of time that lead to Lillie developing a fear of Pokémon.

It was Lusamine’s decision to not question her daughter’s trauma that led to her having to sacrifice herself to protect her kids from Nihilego.

The class couldn’t save Lusamine at first because she let Nihilego possess her, and it was her decision to stop playing around that allowed them to defeat the Motherbeast.

Lusamine CHOSE to be a better mother after realizing just how badly she screwed up in neglecting her responsibilities to her kids.

Her morality isn’t a freaking light switch in the anime! Nothing happens that turns her into a terrible person against her will which is magically undone by a Legendary Pokémon from another dimension. The evil can’t be blasted out of her until she cooperates. From her fall from grace to her redemption, she always has some degree of agency.

Marx wants the jiggle jiggle skin

may I offer you some checkmates in these trying times

Lore accurate Checkmates kissing

then they go "mwa mwa mwa!!" allllll daaaaay

Marika my little meow meow

Here is footage of Caine attacking a programmer. Let's sympathize with the victim😔

It’s good that the programmer has a loved one who will always support him❤