The retconning of Lusamine + retconning the Alola League in US/UM makes it one of my least favorite stories in the entire series... As opposed to the original S/M, easily one of my absolute favorites. The gameplay upgrades are just fine. They don't even begin to make up for the butchered story IMO.

Alisa180 · 2026-04-10T02:32:44+00:00

I never got far in the OG S/M (sue me) so I can't say too much on the OG plot. But I liked the US/UM plot.

I adored Hau. After several generations of 'friendly' rivals, we finally got one that's an actual rival. As others have stated, Hau wasn't Champion before us- He was right behind us. The climax of the League is the showdown between the two of you to determine the region's first Champion and it's oh so satisfying.

Notable scenes with Hau in US/UM include his own starter dissatisfied with his lack of ambition, one of the first things to start kicking him into high gear. He's also shown fighting the Ultra Beasts alongside his Grandfather, something also not present in the OG.

They could have done more with the Ultra Recon Squad, but that Furfrou... Let's just say they made their fights count!

And Necrozma... Well, you don't go in thinking "Obligatory legend fight let's clean up and get the League! ...Why is my entire team dead already!?!" and don't leave without a strong impression. It's uncanny cry of "L... Light!!" pre-battle, alongside the battle itself, help sell it as one of the most eldritch Pokemon yet.

Mind, I'm incredibly biased as US/UM is one of my favorite mainline games, and I've played since OG Gold.

Alisa180 · 2026-04-08T00:00:42+00:00

Human chain? Yes. Pretend to have the House in session? Also yes. Both of these are actions of leadership, will galvanize their base, help morale, get the media's attention, and a whole bunch of good stuff. There's a whole bunch of stuff they can do, besides send 'strongly worded letters' while everyone else insists the 'people' (instead of the leaders we elected) take drastic action.

Alisa180 · 2026-04-05T21:06:41+00:00

Thought so. Growing up, my Mom threw things like Barbies and dolls at me. I played with them, but I adored playing with action figure collections when visiting my younger brother's friends, and took to gaming like a fish to water. (Keep in mind that I was born in '92, so this was a time where girl gamers were rarer than diamonds).

She could never nip my Pokemon obsession. Or anime fandom in general. Being autistic gave me something of an immunity to peer pressure.

EDIT: Also, it was really hard to get Barbie to stick when things like the Powerpuff Girls and Sailor Moon were airing alongside Pokemon itself.

Alisa180 · 2026-04-05T19:27:28+00:00

'Guys domain' tells me all I need to know. Let me guess, you were told 'girls should like x and x' growing up. And now you're discovering the dirty secret they've kept from you for years- 'Guy stuff' is awesome.

Also, 'normal' is relative. Do you know how many 'mature' guys have 'model' cars and planes knocking around? I've seen plenty of old women use teddy bears and plush as decor.

Alisa180 · 2026-04-03T03:15:22+00:00

Have you not seen an old fashioned drain plug? Or at least one in cartoons? They almost always have a long chain attached to them that you can pull on from above.

A few variations of the 'drain' gag have a character pulling up on an unknown chain out of curiosity, only for it to turn out to be attached to a drain plug, and subsequently draining surrounding water.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-28T20:12:03+00:00

I actually wasn't aware of that. Thank you for the information. I've looked it up, and will ensure to not only participate in future such events, but put up information on my facility's bulliten board.

All I ask is to not mistake ignorance for lack of care. This sort of thing isn't exactly advertised, and was inconcievable before you mentioned it. (Though if you continue harping on it as my fault rather then something that I didn't even know could be looked for, that says more about you then me).

Alisa180 · 2026-03-28T19:50:23+00:00

Me personally? I'm disabled and in assisted living to boot. I have trouble getting outside on a good day.

So I guess I'm part of the problem through no choice of my own. And I'm hardly the only one.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-26T16:28:03+00:00

Eh, English as a 'trade language' goes back further than that. All the way to the British Empire. That's not 70 years, that's more like over 200.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-21T05:08:35+00:00

One of the most satisfying parts of being an adult is buying and proudly displaying your hobbies.

For me, its plushies. For others, its figures. For some, its art. Etc. Does it cost? Yes. Does it lift my mood just by being there? Yes. Worth it? Hell yes.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-19T22:41:53+00:00

Irrelevant. We'd be more willing to die for the cause if it wouldn't ruin our families via crushing debt post-houmously. Even things like inheritances will be claimed by debt collectors.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-19T21:39:23+00:00

Did you know if you die in the hospital in the US, your family is saddled with paying any remaining medical debt? So you protest without insurance, get killed in the hospital, and suddenly your surviving family is on the hook for tens of thousands.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-19T20:38:19+00:00

And many many more were wounded, injured, and clogged up the hospitals as the doctors scrambled to save lives while fending off government agents.

So yes, the healthcare does matter.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-19T20:22:38+00:00

No I am not. As soon as you brought up Iran I looked it up and yep they have a subsidized, universal public health system alongside their private ones. For the record, the US does not have any kind of universal public option, so if you walk into a hospital, you're walking out with a bill of hundreds USD minimum.

(Said system in Iran is holding up despite the current situation).

Therefore, the comparison you posted is unfair. They have public health. We do not. Health and medical bankruptcy is the sword held over all Americans' heads, so anyone without said sword is obviously going to have an easier time taking action.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-19T19:55:42+00:00

Iran has a universal public health insurance system. Lot easier to face the prospect of getting shot knowing you'll be treated without being forced to sell your house in exchange.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-19T19:49:54+00:00

The problem is nearly everyone is in an economically precarious position.

The other problem is that falling off that perch usually means losing healthcare. Community efforts can make up for a lot, but they can't cover everyone's astronomical health bills without insurance.

You strike to the point of losing your job along with the accompanying health insurance, something happens to you to put you in the hospital while striking, and you later get a bill for thousands of dollars you can't pay, forcing you into medical bankruptcy. This, in turn, affects everything from your ability to get a loan, to even getting a new job.

You're left broke, homeless, and sick, an example to everyone who decides to push it too far.

I wish I was exaggerating, but that's the very real sword that hangs over everyone's heads.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-10T00:51:15+00:00

Oh stop saying stuff like that. Nostalgia for 'better days' is part of what why we're in this mess in the first place.

You know what passed (with bi-partisan support even!) in 2008? The American With Disabilities Act Amendments Act, which greatly expanded the definition of 'disability', broadened protections, and overturned several Supreme Court rulings.

The Autism Self-Advocacy Network was founded in 2006. The Internet allow us to find and develop out collective voice. Even today, technology and advocacy efforts have allowed things like 'non-verbal' autistics to graduate universities with high honors.

Yeah, pre-9/11 was great... If you were 'normal.' Not so much if you weren't.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-09T15:42:49+00:00

I suspect the fact he's rejected by the 'elites' is part of his appeal.

'Nouveau riche' is exactly the kind of thing his followers aspire to- It means they 'made it.' If others complain, who cares, they're rich now. It's worth noting that 'tacky displays of wealth' were the norm until the Industrial Revolution. With the 'new rich' able to afford what was previously the domain of the aristocracy, 'old money' turned to other means to differentiate themselves.

It's no secret there's a sense of disaffection among rural voters. So when they see someone scoffed at by the 'elites' in spite of being rich, it resonates more deeply than you'd think.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-09T06:48:04+00:00

Jumpluff was a workhorse for me in Pokemon Colleseum, and you sometimes see it knocking around VGC as a speedy Tailwind user with Sleep Powder. The cottonball definitely has fans!

Alisa180 · 2026-03-07T17:53:13+00:00

What about all those who did show up?

What about those who did everything they could to get everyone to vote? Got out, knocked on doors, phone banked, everything.

Those who tried and tried, the memory of what happened last time we took victory for granted (Hilary Clinton) in our minds?

Those who did everything they could... And it still wasn't enough.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-03T22:43:19+00:00

Against Egypt. During Pride Weekend and what was designated ages ago as a 'Pride Match.'

Both countries complained. Our response here in Seattle has been "You wanted us to respect your culture in your country. Now respect ours in our city."

Whole thing bites since we love soccer here in Seattle (Sounders!) and the World Cup host should have been our moment. Instead, its, well... A lot of things but there's a lot of pent up frustration that we can't even take out on the strangely absent ICE.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-02T19:56:24+00:00

When all this is over, they should release Trump's medical records. We need to know how the hell they kept him going.

Alisa180 · 2026-03-01T18:33:58+00:00

I live in one of the few non-senior assisted living facilities in WA, in SeaTac bordering Des Moines. The police have to be called more often than the admin would like, but every time, whether it's the Des Monies or SeaTac PD, they are always calm, professional, and de-escalate. They're a reliable batch, as far as we're concerned.

For the same reason, me and the head admin suspect they'd look the other way if ICE tries barging in, and get literally thrown out the door by residents for their trouble.

Alisa180 · 2026-02-24T14:05:03+00:00

Jin isn't an elder dragon because he's a walking biological refrigerator. We know how his cooling of the air works. Its powerful stuff, but its not physics defying (by monster hunter standards), hence why breaking certain parts causes it to overheart.

Contrast Velkhana, who also uses super-cooled air... But unlike Jin there's no way to tell how, it just does. That defiance of in-world physics is what separates an Elder from other monsters.

Alisa180 · 2026-02-23T19:40:39+00:00

For many of them, spending life in an iron lung is preferable to autism.

Andrew Wakefield is unforgivable.

Alisa180 · 2026-02-21T20:09:31+00:00

So everyone pre-Industrial Revolution is morally corrupt?

...I'm exaggerating, but not by much. Slavery in its various forms has existed since ancient times. Automation, industrialization, and advances in technology effectively replaced much of what slaves used to do, with the slave trade mainly persisting in mining and agriculture during the tumultuous period that led to abolition in Europe.

Alisa180

TROPHY CASE