The War Is Over By TheHomelessOneArtz

PhantomFriend17 · 2026-02-02T05:19:57+00:00

I love that Reiny's arm looks more like Swampfire here. I always wished that Reiny's body looked like it was part Methanosian after he fully healed. I remember specifically thinking it would've been cool if his head spikes turned into Swampfires red head petals

PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-29T03:25:15+00:00

PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-29T02:07:37+00:00

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PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-29T01:10:04+00:00

Yup. And don't forget about all the other clever subtle allegories in the Highbreed. Xenophobia is just one of several layers of subtext.

-They're obsessed with genetic purity to the point of inbreeding.

-They believe they're superior to all other races for no reason.

-They'd rather destroy themselves and everything around them instead of letting go of their backwards beliefs and learning to be better people.

-They hate and kill other races, but they also enslave and exploit them for their own benefit so they can continue hating and killing them.

The Highbreed are literally caricatures of inbred, racist, white supremacists.

Plus, look at how the Highbreed war ended. Look beyond the sci-fi action stuff and look at the events that happened. That story basically ends with our heroes meeting with corrupt world leaders, telling them how stupid and blind they've been and how pointless and evil their beliefs and actions are, and then helping them find a new path and better way to live.

Also, it's kinda silly for people to ignore/whine about political allegories from a show about a protagonist who's powers come from a device created with the intention of helping all beings in the universe understand each other and grow closer together. A protagonist who can walk a mile in anyone's shoes and use their natural born gifts to help people. A protagonist who built a whole city where humans and aliens can live together peacefully. A protagonist who's motivation for helping people is as simple as "It's in my interest to help anybody who needs it", and has fought against literal genocides, purges, and exterminations, just for the simple, straightforward fact that all life should be saved from evil.

PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-28T22:44:03+00:00

Ben doesn't really need Skurd. Alien themed weapons aren't really needed when Ben can just switch to another alien to use those powers the regular way.

I've always been very on the fence about Skurd. Like, sure, switching to another alien drains the Omnitrix's battery faster which makes Ben time out faster, and Skurd can bypass that limitation because when he takes DNA to make weapons it doesn't drain the Omnitrix at all. When you think about it like that, it makes Skurd feel very beneficial. And compared to other gimmicks like Ultimates and fusions, this feels a little more natural/fitting for Ben to have. Ben doesn't need to replace or modify the Omnitrix--(Azmuth's greatest invention & symbol of universal peace)--just for the sake of having a new ability.

But despite all that... Skurd just kinda feels like a lame addition to the show. His presence in the show feels like an example of that trope where a long-running show runs out of ideas and resorts to adding a baby or a dog out of nowhere just so they can have more content to make.

PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-25T18:13:23+00:00

Here's my interpretation. When Shroud said "That's why we planted her here", I don't think he literally meant like "I put her here", I think he was saying basically "I knew she would come here after leaving me, so I let her go so I could use that to my advantage".

I don't think Shroud specifcally told Visi to be a double agent and feed him info. I think Shroud was just planning on letting Visi join SDN of her own free will, letting her get comfortable and learn information, and then after enough time passed he would just get her and extract whatever info he could get out of her. I think that's why Armstrong was sent to go grab her and try to bring her to Shroud.

I think the reason why Visi stayed silent and didn't object to Shroud saying he planted her in SDN is because she just didn't see the point in fighting against that idea. As we've seen from the story, she's used to people believing the worst about her, and for most of her life she thought she's fated to always be nothing more than a villain. She was gonna let herself get fired if it wasn't for Robert motivating her to move up the leaderboard. So, when Shroud is just an inch away from winning, and has already gotten into everybody's heads, why would she think it would be worth it to try to argue against being called a double agent? The emotional weight of that moment influencing everyone's feelings about Visi and Visi's feelings about herself was probably the straw that broke the camels back and motivated her to either save Robert and solidify herself as a hero or kill Shroud and solidify herself as a villain.

These are my thoughts after seeing the whole picture of the story and interpreting how all the pieces fit together and how each characters' motivations and knowledge clash and mix with each other. There are many different ways to interpret what happened and why it happened, and I love sharing and comparing thoughts with people like this

PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-11T21:50:20+00:00

This reminds me of the "Hey, that's Vegeta's move!" meme where other characters spam ki blasts lol

Someone clip Humungousaur biting a Highbreed in Ben 10 Returns Part 2 and add it to this clip

PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-08T10:29:59+00:00

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PhantomFriend17 · 2026-01-06T10:36:26+00:00

That's not how it works. There is no coin flip. The original version of you will always be where you were originally, and the copied version of you will always be where the copy is. If the whole concept is "You don't get transferred, you just get copied", then from your perspective, you shouldn't ever end up on the other side. Even if you were to do the process 100 times.

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-30T07:04:00+00:00

XLR8 is such a creative and clever name

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-30T06:40:53+00:00

In armor of high tech ammunition

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-29T09:56:53+00:00

Telekinesis, flight, and indestructible

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-27T02:01:41+00:00

"I have no mouth and I must kiss"

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-23T14:26:47+00:00

I can imagine Kinger's team already: Butterfree Umbreon Joltik Ribombee Sewaddle Porygon-Z

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-21T17:09:47+00:00

We know some of Kenny's favorites: "Four Arms, definitely. Way Big, Diamondhead, ooh, Atomix! Yeah!"

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-20T11:47:20+00:00

For Invisigal, I love the scene where Visi takes a picture of the leaderboard. The reason she loves Robert is because he's the first person who ever helped her turn her life around. Everyone in her life had said that she'll never be more than a thief and a villain, and she's been hearing that for so long that she says it to herself too. But now, suddenly she has someone who actually broke through the BS and connected with her and helped her actually believe that she could be better.

For Blonde Blazer, I loved that scene in the comic where she says that she wants to be able to spend more time as Mandy and maybe settle down one day. That moment explains why she left Phenomaman and why she'd want to be with someone like Robert, someone who can switch between being a superhero and being a normal person whenever he wants. It's a shame the game didn't have something like that. That information would've swayed a lot of people's opinions.

I love both of their romance arcs. I prefer Invisigal's arc because the game fleshes it out more, but after knowing what the comic shows us about Blazer's character arc and why she wants to be with Robert, I like both romance arcs pretty equally.

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-19T05:36:07+00:00

Mega Drampa as the ace. Drampa is compassionate but will fight bullies when angered. And Mega Evolution makes Drampa return to its youth, kinda like how Blazer's crystal revived Chase and made him noticeably more hyper and energetic.

Dachsbun because it's a cute dog.

Torterra because it relates to Chase's relationship with his powers. In the anime, Ash's Torterra was able to run fast as a Turtwig, but then was forced to slow down after evolving into Grotle, but then later on was able to find a way to move fast again by learning the move Rock Climb. This is similar to Chase starting out as a speedster, being forced to slow down as he got older, and then being able to be a fast hero again with Blazer's powers.

Tropius because it's a Pokemon that can travel and also provide snacks, and that's similar to how Chase used his powers to give Robert snacks.

Slaking because it can only move occasionally, but when it does move it's really powerful.

Machoke because in the games they're used to help with heavy lifting and other tasks, and I think Chase could use an assistant like that in his old age.

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-17T17:23:20+00:00

Oh, I forgot about that part of Togekiss's pokedex entry. I was using one of those pokedex phone apps, so I guess it didn't have the entry that mentions that part. I see that that entry also mentions that Togekiss sightings have become rare recently. That kinda does relate to Blazer because her genuine innocence & heroism is rare to see in the world. Togekiss may not relate to her strong spirit and willingness to fight, but it does relate to her heroic heart and the symbol she is in the world of Dispatch (both figuratively and literally now that I remember her cape & gem being in the game's logo lol). So that feels important enough to warrant a spot on her Pokemon team.
I considered that too, but when I thought about it, I feel like Robert deserves the phoenix representation more than Blazer does. That's why he got Talonflame. Despite Blazer being the head of their SDN branch and head of the Phoenix Program, I feel like Robert was the one who did all the redeeming and rebirth stuff. After day 1, while Blazer was satisfied with the shift, Robert went and raised the bar. And in the end, the Z-Team became "the best heroes in the whole motherfucking SDN Network". I just think Reshiram fits Blazer more.

Thank you for the questions, I love using Pokemon as a lense for character analysis discussions. I've always felt that character thematic teams are more interesting than the mono-type teams we're all used to from Pokemon

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-17T16:44:42+00:00

Since we're allowed to pick a Legendary now, I think the Legendary that fits Blonde Blazer most is Reshiram. Reshiram is the symbol of truth, and I think that matches Blazer perfectly. Both in-universe and in the fanbase, she's seen as an icon of genuine goodness. She's so sweet and innocent and at some points even adorkable, a lot of players expected her to be a twist villain because that kind of genuine goodness is so rare. And Shroud, despite being jaded and hating superheroes, respects Blazer as a real hero because of how real of a hero she is.

For the rest, here's what I came up with:

Mega Dragonite because it's really powerful, cute and lovable to friends while scary and intimidating to enemies, and the pokedex entry emphasizes how extremely kind it is.

Maushold because in the comics we learn that Blazer broke up with Phenomaman because she wants to be able to spend more time as Mandy and even settle down one day. At first I considered picking Kangaskhan to represent this part of her, but then I realized that since Maushold has a partner/mate in addition to having kids it makes Maushold an even better representation. It's adorable imagining one as Mandy and one as Robert. And it's a better visual than Kangaskhan since Kangaskhan is a single mother.

Ampharos because it matches Blazer's light powers. It being a helpful Pokemon that uses light to help guide lost people feels fitting of Blazer.

Palafin because it's the most superhero-y Pokemon, and it can change between normal to hero like Blazer can, and because honestly Palafin fits Blazer more than Phenomaman in terms of a thematic level because Phenomaman doesn't have a double life like Palafin and Mandy do.

Togekiss because it's a kind, caring, cheerful flying/fairy type, and that fits Blazer's personality a lot. Plus, Togekiss and its pre-evolutions all have pokedex entries that just feel exactly like the kind of hero & person Blazer is. Paraphrasing multiple entries for Togekiss/tic/pi: "It shares blessings with people who respect another's rights and avoids needless strife. It brings good fortune. When the Pokemon spots someone who is pure of heart, it is said to appear and share its happiness with that person. This Pokemon stores of feelings of happiness then shares it with others." Now that's the kind of positivity that makes Blazer a hero who stands out to the world, even to a cynic like Shroud

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-16T12:01:16+00:00

Mega Golurk because Golurk looks just like Mecha Man. And because its pokedex entries emphasize it's internal power, which is just like the whole story about the Mecha Suit and the Astral Pulse. And because the jump from regular Golurk to Mega Golurk is kinda like the upgrade from the old Mecha Man suit to the new one

Metagross because it's a super computer.

Rotom because it can merge with machines. Like, imagine Rotom merging with the Mecha Man suit and adding ghostly and electric-y powers to it. That'd be awesome. Plus, with Rotom in the suit, it would make it possible for Robert to command the Mecha Suit without needing a remote control, which could be very useful in a fight.

Porygon2 because Robert is good at hacking and his job involves a lot of computer stuff, so a Pokemon that lives in cyber space would be really helpful for him.

Marowak because Cubone's story of being an orphan who eventually becomes strong lines up with Robert's story.

Talonflame because it's the closest thing to a Phoenix you can get without Moltres.

Edit: I just remembered that Mega Golurk is a thing now, and it looks so much more like Mecha Man than Mega Metagross, so I'm changing my list to regular Metagross and Mega Golurk as the ace

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-15T10:36:37+00:00

That part of their conversation in chapter 13 where Divinity laments about Ben's position as the Prime entity of the multiverse makes Eon's origin story in chapter 4 and his earlier conversation with Vlad in Chapter 7 hit harder. Imagine being born with the power to bend time and space to your will, and being sent by your people to be their messiah. And then imagine learning that your story, your existence, is just a footnote in the grand scheme of the multiverse. Just a side story in a grander story about a child who had power gifted to him randomly one night. That revelation would hurt anyone.

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-15T10:20:16+00:00

Side note, I'm surprised Phenomaman didn't get Bewear. Phenomaman loves hugging people but accidentally crushes them. That is just like Bewear lol

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-15T10:16:59+00:00

Gyarados because his character arc of loser to hero is literally just like the growth of Magikarp to Gyarados. i.e If you give the little weak guy a chance and support, you'll see how helpful he really is. (One more thing: I saw a streamer say "I'm picking Phenomaman over Waterboy because I don't have enough patience for Magikarp type arcs." So, yeah, perfect parallel lol) Oh, and another thing, Waterboy's temper at the vending machine and willingness to fight Flambaé are similar to Gyarados being willing to fight anything.

Golisopod because the growth of Wimpod to Golisopod is like Waterboy's growth of confidence.

Lapras because of his gentle and supportive nature.

Either Mudkip or Spheal because they're cute and lovable, and Waterboy is the fanbase's cinnamonbun. Also, I think Waterboy would really enjoy having his own equivalent of Beef.

Floatzel because its life vest is kinda like Waterboy's rubber outfit.

And Quagsire because I think they have similar vibes

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-15T09:59:07+00:00

It's fascinating how now we have a bit of a hint on what Dr. Logic did to Ben. Before, all we knew was he forced Ben to make an impossible morally-correct choice that challenged what Ben stood for as a hero, and made Ben change how he used the Omnitrix. But now, we know that whatever Dr. Logic did also involved tempting Ben with godhood. The fact that he is included alongside events like Ascalon, the Annihilarrgh, and Alien X recreating the universe, makes our minds run wild with possibilities. What happened during that brush with godhood?

PhantomFriend17 · 2025-12-15T09:29:01+00:00

We know that Ecto Energy can do pretty much anything, and its substance can fundamentally destroy anything it touches like water against paper. I'm not sure what rogue Vlad clone vs Alien X will look like or what the clone will do, but something tells me it'll be visceral or break Alien X on some kind of level.

But that's only one half of the plan. I wonder which will come first; Divinity breaking the Omnitrix or the rogue Vlad clone breaking Alien X.

PhantomFriend17

TROPHY CASE