Tag: Fantina

Sometimes you start a post and you can just ramble on because you really like the subject matter! That is what happened to me in my previous post! So here I will continue it. For Halloween I have been doing the ghost Pokémon trainer of canon a solid and I have been readjusting their team to fit their style! Yesterday we looked at Agatha, Morty and Phoebe and we established some rules. Today for all your basic info I refer you to the first post and we dive straight in as we re-evaluate Fantina, Shauntal, Accerolla and Allister.

Fantina

Fantina is all about style! She is one of the most classic Oujasamas/Himedere in Pokémon. A Hime-dere is a bratty spoiled princess archetype. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl she is a very scary gym trainer because with an ace at level 36, she has a fully evolved team of ghosts pokémon! That is pretty scary. However, while her hair is someone who looks like a Drifblim, I just don’t see a fashion queen using this pokémon. She has a gengar.. which is all about shadows and darkness so is about as far away from what she is about as you can think and she has a Mismagius..which is the evolution of a very femine pokemon but turns into a witch.. which again would not be the image Fantina wants! Luckily I am here to rescue her!

Low Tier 1: Misdreavus

Let’s take her Ace away and turn it into its pre-evolved. This Pokémon is like it’s evolution based on a Banshee but is much more in the style of a pretty woman that wears some elegant jewelry. This jewelry that Misdreavus wears is super important in her lore as it is what keeps her alive. It stores the energy that Misdreavus uses as sustenance. A Pokémon that withers without looking it’s prettiest seems to go very well with the whole Diva vibe Fantina has going. It would also balance her out a bit, Mismagius and Gengar are very good sweepers and have a better special attack than most pokémon you can encounter before facing her. So stick with this one Fantina it suits you a lot better than it’s evolved form! Which we will pass on to another trainer on this list.

Low Tier 2: Sableye

Sableye is called the darkness pokémon and belongs to the Dark Ghost type. An Incredibly strong defensive typing with only one weakness. This weakness however only was given to it in the sixth generation. While of course for the nature of this list that weakness is still in effect, the Sinnoh region doesn’t have a lot of Fairy Types available.. not even of the ones that were given the typing later. Since we are taking Drifblim away Fantina needs a new defensive Pokémon and a ghost that is all about sparkling gems seems like a perfect fit for a Himedere. Gems Jewelry and elegance is the theme that goes with Fantina and this pokémon seems perfect for that. It will offer the trainer a nice obstacle to overcome in the form of a hard to counter typing. In the rematches this could even have it’s mega form so it is actually decent. Still since I semi-started my first Randomiser Nuzlocke and I got Scott the Sableye, I began to appreciate this pokemon a lot more and it is great for a mid game gym leader.

Mid Tier 1: Cursola

Pokémon fans like me really like to come up with the strangest theories. Are Agatha and Oak a couple, could everyone’s  dad have died in a big pokémon war?! Is Cubone a slide evolution of a Kangaskhan cub?! So how about this one! Did Fantina kill a Corsola to get some jewelry and end up with a Galarian (Ghost Type) Corosola? Did she just hoard for Coral and cause it to die out cause Galarian Corsola to appear in the Sinnoh region as well?! However you look at it coral makes for some great jewelry at a pretty big price.  Galarian Corsola is all about that and while we could give her another defensive type.. that strategy only really works if it holds an eviolite. Since gym trainers usually don’t use held items except for maybe a berry or so.. evolving it seems the most logical route for her team. Cursola isn’t as exceptional of an attacker as Fantina’s normal team either and while it is good still I think this is a much more balanced pick for a mid tier then Gengar.

Mid Tier 2: Oricorio Sensu

Fantina has style and flare, so having a ghostly dancer on her team makes more than enough sense to put this fan dancing bird on her team. With a lilac colouring scheme it isn’t even that far off from Fantina itself.. but that being said a lot of ghosts are purple and we actually took all of the most purple ones away! With Fantina’s team so far there is a lack of speed and  Sensu Style Oricorio would fix that a bit. It would also give Fantina a wider moveset to use since the Oricorio’s can learn a bit of a wider moveset. Since the others really struggle against normal types. Fantina seems like the person who comes prepared for that. She does not want to lose face and stand no chance… she would stack the deck in her favor.  The look of disdain on the Sensu Style Oricorio also fits Fantina quite nicely.

Ace : Froslass

Froslass is based on the Yuki-Onna Yokai and is a female only pokémon that is all about an elegant appearance but a cold personality. It is perfect for someone like Fantina. It works as a speedy revenge killer so if you are on your last Pokémon when Fantina sends out her Froslass you are going to have a bad time. The fact that this pokémon freezes it’s victims to death and then uses them as decoration might be a bit too evil for Fantina but the whole idea of using people as tools for yourself does fit in with the whole Himedere esthetic that woman has going. A hard hitting but fragile pokémon seems more fitting then her more defensive ghosts and with those witteling you down a bit it seems like this stone cold Killer ghost would truly be something that Fantina could use as a main.

Shauntal

By design Shauntal is probably my favourite Ghost Pokémon trainer, she reminds me a lot of Willow from Pokémon. An adorable slightly awkward geek that spends too much time in her books and as  result comes across rather strange. Her sprite animations have a level of clunk to them as if she is really klutzy.. which endears her to much even more! Yet her team has always been odd. Golurk looks adorable on her in the comic but there is a lot you can do with her here. However they did not treat her as wrong as most other ghost trainers. For one I think we can keep her ace on the team. 

Low Tier 1: Haunter

Now this one seems a bit of a weird one for Shauntal because in no way it fits her personality. Haunter is a bit of Poltergeist which has nothing to do with Shauntal’s intellectual plight and her studious nature. However Shauntal seems to be a Pokémon Trainer that isn’t always in control of her Pokémon. There is this sense that she is a bit of a submissive character and having a Pokémon by her side that constantly pranks her and tosses her books on the floor seems like something very “anime” to do with the character. She actually is a very good trainer, she is elite four after all.. but she can not seem to get rid of this thing. She probably has some sort of attachment to it, maybe even claiming it was the spirit of a lost relative or a friend who always bullied her. That is also why she can not evolve it since she doesn’t want to trade it away.

Low Tier 2: Lampent

Shauntal once again seems the least dominant personality of all the ghost trainers so it makes sense for her to have multiple guiding lights.  Her poor eyesight and love for dark poorly lit places does help. Lampent would be that  light that helps her down and up some ladders and function as her mobile light. While I would love for her to have a Litwick I can’t justify that on an Elite Four Member. She probably would have one as a pet.. that constantly drains her life force without knowing it but yes.. Shauntal would crawl up in dark corners and get her Lampent out so she can read more! 

Mid Tier 1: Runerigus

In the official game Shauntal has a Cofagrigus and while that still makes a bit of sense the evolution of its Galarian form makes a lot more sense. This pokémon is based around ancient and mysterious symbols and an ancient wall of text. It also offers Shauntal the amazing ground type to add to her lineup to replace her less fitting Golurk. It is much easier to see Shauntal discover an ancient wall of text and wanting to bring that home and being super stoked when she discovers a cursed pokémon lives inside the text so she actually CAN bring it home, rather than see her catch an ancient stories high Golem and it using it Jet powered lags to fly her back  home.. That latter looks super cute.. but she is a nerd! She probably would get sick or something! No stick to runes because knowledge is power.

Mid Tier 2: Mismagius

Mismagius is all about casting and chanting ancient spells and has that book knowledge vibe that Shauntal has as well. Mismagius also has a bit of a good nature but not always.. which seems to fit the Elite Four member quite well. She would usually be engaged with her own little activities like reading and not really caring about the world around her. However if she would stumble upon someone in need she seems like the type that tries to help but might make it worse. Mismagius can bless people but also can make them go insane or at least super fearful with their chanting.  Just like how a socially awkward person can unnerve an extraverted person as well. Jeesz she is weird.  Shauntal and Mismagius would make great friends.

Ace: Chandelure

I am at a toss up if Chandelure or Mismagius should have been her ace, but I feel Shauntal would spend more time with a Pokémon reading than she would do the whole chanting mystic stuff. Like I said I can easily imagine the girl with a litwick so perhaps when she was young she had one and kept staring at it feeding it her life energy until it evolved. Somehow this never killed her as she always kept struggling on wanting to finish her book and as it got more strength and evolved her Ace Chandelure would start to enjoy this odd woman’s company and her fascination with books.  Since Chandelure has a dual typing and a wider moveset then Mismagius it also seems the better choice for an ace then  the previous one on this list.  It gives Shauntal a bit more chance to show off her intelligence by choosing some advanced strategies and calculations so yes this seems a great pick.. at least until we get an E-Book Rotom!

Acerola

By far the easiest trainer to create a theme for would be Acerola. This Trial Captain and Elite Four Member however is a bit hard to scale her in how she relates to everyone. Alola never had a league before so her skill isn’t that established plus she is a kid. That kid route is however the main hook we will take for her team! She is an orphan girl as well so she would probably desperately be looking for friends! Well look no further.

Low Tier Number 1: Sandygast

Alola is a beach region so playing in the sand is something a kid would very likely do! Especially such a wandering person like Acerola. It is not hard to see her making a sandcastle and talking to it, with people thinking it is an imaginary friend of a lonely kid but then one day she takes a pokéball and catches it with everyone being surprised. Acerola has that weird “would talk to inanimate objects” trait. She is odd and mysterious and very much a loner despite seeming to enjoy the company of others. One can easily imagine her going to the beach and be among other people , pretending they care for her.

Low Tier Number 2: Drifloon

With the risk of underpowering Acerola here.. (of course it would be a Drifblim in her Elite Four team) I can easily see her wandering about being held in the arms with a balloon. Now this Balloon is infamous for trying to drag children away into the afterlife. It would be a great allegory for the struggles Acerola has been through as an orphan and wandering child. It would also very much fit in the plaything estetic for her team. It could even enforce the story of loneliness upon her.. how she is playing with some kids and her drifloon and some worried mothers take their children away from the killer balloon. 

Mid Tier 1:  Polteageist

Yes she has some overlap with Agatha but a girl holding a tea party is a perfect way of playing. However Agatha would own an Antique Polteageist while Acerola would have a Counterfeit one.. and yes those are two separate forms.  Acerola’s one also does not use stored power or such clever tactics it is there to giga drain and shadow ball. Even though it might not learn it officially I am deciding her one would have the move “Trick or Treat”.. which turns others into ghosts.. It seems like a tactic that Acerola would use in “join the fun”  Of course she would need a couple of dolls to host her haunted tea parties.. luckily for us I got that covered.

Mid Tier 2: Banette

Banette is the spirit of a discarded toy that came to live to get revenge on the kid who discarded it. Acerola  of  course would not be the victim of that power but it does make sense for her to pick up a toy like this when wandering about.  She is an orphan and from the looks of it she isn’t really in a home either.. at least not all the time so she would be short for money and short for childhood items. So it would make sense that she finds a discarded toy and claims it as her own.  Now Banette might be whispering to her to be a trial captain to deal with ten years old who are possibly one that can help Banette put a needle through the head of that kid that discarded it.. it could also be more innocent. Acerola found Banette still full of spite but she gave it a loving new home as her doll!   Having tea parties with new friends the Banette slowly found it’s way to it’s heart again! Either way this clearly is a great addition to Acerola’s team.  That later might even be able to go mega.

Ace: Mimikyu

Of course Mimikyu needs to be on here as well, it is from her region, it is her totem pokémon and it is a Pokémon Acerola uses as well.. it makes perfect sense for this to be her ace. Like her it doesn’t have anybody like a family to love her.. and much like the other Pokémon in her team it has this “toy” like quality. While it is in fact a costume it has enough plushie estetic to join her tea parties. Mimikyu is also a lot more affectionate and could keep her safe from the “less kind” spirits on her team if there are any. A personal bodyguard of sorts she can carry around like a ragdoll. The ragdoll look works great with a poor little strange orphan girl that talks to her dolls and Mimikyu is a physical attacker unlike the rest of her team offering her some new diversity. She can use it in so many different ways and really can work as the best friend that she very much needs! A great Ace or Acerola.

Allister

Allister is a bit of an odd one here. Why .. because he is a version exclusive gym leader. His design is a lot cooler but he does not get the same popularity as Bea due to her charming episode of Pokémon Twilight wings. Allister hasn’t been really given that much flavor other than him being mostly “that creepy guy” Luckily that does make it very easy to build a team for him.

Low Tier 1: Yamask

This is a dead give away.. Alilisters trade mark is that he wears a mask. So Yamask would be a great pick for him to have as his first team member. Now Alilisters mask makes him look ghostly while the ghost carries a mask of their former human form. So there immediately is a great duality in this. I am not talking about the Galarian variant of course as only the Unovan variant carries a mask but it would make a great lead for Alistair. While not great in battle I imagine it functioning in a way similar to Morty’s original team that relied heavily on curse. Yamask looks at their mask and cries knowing they have died so them spreading a curse on the living seems quite in line with the behaviour of the boy and the very nature of this pokémon.

Low Tier 2: Gourgeist

Allister’s theme seems to resolve most about fear, above all the other ghost type gym leaders. So him slotting into the Halloween Pumpkin pokémon would make perfect sense.  We do link that pumpkin lantern to fear so often and over time it has become an icon for scary stuff. Like Acerola this would give him access to  moves that allow him to turn your entire team into ghosts which then can hit super effectively and that is a frightening scenario.It’s lore also says it loves to trick people and creep them out with scary songs. Allister while not a singer surely puts on a creepy act as well. A nice pair.

Mid Tier 1: Drakloak

Drakloak’s Final evolution Dragpult is scary as hell! Yet with it only being available after level 60 this Semi-legendary might be a bit out of the league of young Alistair. He is still a kid entering those awkward teen years. Drakloak is in a similar phase in it’s ghostly life span and besides that it also has a bit similar body language than Allistair does. It is a pokémon indigenous to his region too and given his young age , he should not have been able to travel that much! Perhaps this was the pokémon that got him started with his collection. Not really his starter.. but the second one.. after which he decided he would be a ghost Pokémon trainer and all! Plus lizards are always scary right?!  His legendary of choice would without a doubt be Giratina so this is a mini version of it as well!

Mid tier 2: Gengar

One of the few doubles on this list but for good reason. Gengar is very much connected to the concept of fear, plus he is a prankster and shown to often be rather infantile. All these elements connect rather well with Alistair. I feel where Agatha would use the pokémon mostly for Shadowball and powerful special moves like Focus Blast, Allister would go a “creepier” route. He would focus on the poison element, teaching it toxic alongside Venoshock. That sense of an impending combo and a unescape poison seem in line with who he is.  He isn’t a hard hitter.. more the guy that unnerves you and borrowing from Gengar’s poison element really works for that.

Ace: Spiritomb

This Pokémon is something I find one of the most fearful looking ghost in the entire game and thus I think it is a great choice for the masked boy. Formed out of 108 souls bound to an odd Keystone it has something ominous.. this isn’t just one ghost.. This is over 100 ghosts! It was also mischievous! Most Gym Leaders in the region also seem to have a weakness against one another, with a few options that protect against their greatest weakness.  However until now we had not given Allister anything that can resist the dark type at all! This Pokémon is only weak to fairy and eats psychic Pokémon for breakfast.It displays the same otherworldly quality that Allister has to himself and I think it would be truly amazing to see Gigantamax or Mega Spirtomb!  I have no doubts these two can work well of each other.. or drive each other to utter madness. Whichever it is this is one scary pair!

And with that we conclude this series of giving famous type trainers a themed team! What team do you support?! What would you like to see in a team?! Would you like to see this for trainers of others types? Let me know and I hope I showed plenty of ghosts! Boo!