Arylett Charnoa

It would be hard to make you understand, but believe me when I say I have been trying to realize my fursona for my entire life and have never been satisfied. My art skills just aren't good enough for what I want to do. I have poured sweat, tears, and damaged hands over this. I am someone who has NO ability to imagine pictures in my head, so this has only made things far more difficulty. That is my main flaw as an artist and is why I need a clearcut reference to function.

Preferred Generations: I heavily favor Gens 1 and 2, being an old fan. They have a certain feel to them that the newer games don't capture and I prefer their design aesthetics. I just really like that vibe Pokemon had before it had fully established its patterns. It felt a little more mature and lowkey and Pokemon Stadium was just so full of personality and charm. Old school Sugimori art also feels very textured and human - this handmade feel and passion that I think has been lost as things got more digitized and mass-produced. Back when Game Freak really was an indie company and had no idea this Pokemon thing would take off.

I still enjoy newer games though, like Gens 6 and 7. My favorite Gen is actually Gen 4 due to the enhanced battle mechanics and HGSS being awesome. Also, Gen 4 had the best spin-off game and my personal favorite - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky.

Why I Play Pokemon: The art style of Pokemon made me who I am as an artist. All of my creature-related artwork, which is the vast majority of it, is inspired by Pokemon. Either subconsciously or consciously.

I just really resonate with the designs, particularly those of Gens 1, 2, 3, and 6. The creatures have inspired me since I was young. Lately, since around Gen 7, I have unfortunately disliked the majority of them. I feel they've gotten too toyetic and cartoony, with overly simple shapes and losing the naturalistic feel that Gen I started. Also, they've lost cohesion and consistency - with so many artists working on the series now, the designs don't fit together as much or look like they're part of the same series.

Because they're going in a direction that I personally dislike and for a multitude of other reasons [poor technical performance], I may not continue to play the modern games after Gen 9. However, I will forever love Pokemon and continue to create my own fanart regarding it, as well as playing the older games and various romhacks. It is a huge part of who I am and that will never change.

I care far less about the gameplay than I do about the character designs/lore of Pokemon species, so you're unlikely to see me praising it for that. Every Pokemon game I've played is a serviceable RPG that I just enjoy because there are pretty creatures that I like.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon strikes me the most though, as I'd rather BE a Pokemon than a trainer. I feel Pokemon are too cool to just be relegated to serving humans, but hey, it's a video game and it's fun.