Tag!! You're It!! V3: Welcome to the Garden~

[Okido]

Now it’s my turn to ask a question here, haha! A simple one (or maybe not?) for @Orchid: How did you get into the Pokémon anime, and what’s kept you interested and/or invested in it for all of this time?

How I got into it? ...Honestly, my parents showed it to me! The "Pokémania" era happened shortly before I was born (my apologies to everyone whom I'm making feel old with that statement), so they were already big fans and I ended up being basically raised on Pokémon in general hahah. When I was a kid, Advanced Generation and Diamond & Pearl were the current thing — and I watched a lot of those during their time, but I was introduced to it through the original series of Indigo League/Orange Islands/Johto, so that's kinda what stuck with me most.

What's kept me interested for so long? ...That is a slightly harder question to answer.

It might sound a little strange, but partially, the thing that always drew me back to it was actually just how different it was from the video games. While I (mostly) like the games and their stories they way they are, I just really enjoy the unique world that only the anime has to offer. From how many things are purely anime-exclusive, like entirely new characters, locales, events, etc. that don't make any appearance outside of it whatsoever — to that certain down-to-earth way that it portrays trainers' lives, journeys and growth that I feel has never truly been replicated in any of the games yet (though SV probably comes closest) — there's just something so distinctive about its take on the Pokémon universe that I've always liked more than any other iteration of it so far.

And possibly even moreso: the characters! The main characters, the rivals, the side characters, you name it.
Regardless of how much I like any one of them individually, they all have a ton of personality and depth; and every one of them has played an important part in the story to some degree. Even the characters that aren't around any longer are still continuing with their journeys and influencing the story in the long-term, which brings a certain feeling to the series of everything being "connected" in a way that I really appreciate.
And after so many years spent following their adventures... I've just gotten attached to them! It's kinda hard not to stay invested when most of the cast feels like they're old friends of yours now.

...siiigh. Recent news regarding the anime has made all this very depressing, but I digress. T_T

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@Hawthorn Tell me a fact about something (anything at all) that you think most people probably don't know.

 

[airmail]

Tell me a fact about something (anything at all) that you think most people probably don't know.

I got so excited when I realized I could talk about this a bit!!

Did you know the honeybee we all know and love is not actually native to North America? They were brought here by settlers for wax and sugar, and have now become a widely distributed livestock animal much like cows, pigs, and chickens. These guys actually aren't at risk of extinction - honeybee numbers are pretty high despite the issues within beekeeping practices if I remember correctly.

However, North America is home to about 4,000 species of native bees! They're the ones pollinating most of our native plants (blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and so on!), and playing a crucial role in our ecosystems right under all our noses. And they're also the ones in steep decline, unfortunately. There's a heartbreaking lack of research on native bees, but what little we know tells us they are experiencing rapid, worrying drops in numbers.

It's really fun and easy to help them out, though! Growing a collection of flowering plants native to your area can provide a much needed food source to the bees there, and it's interesting research as you figure out what grows where and what exact species of bee you will be helping! Adequate shelter for nesting sites is also good, and relatively easy. While it may differ from area to area, and from bee to bee, a lot of times.. just some soil or an old log will do! Honestly, I can't encourage people enough; maybe I just like bugs, but learning about native bees is just plain fun!! They're so cool..

Honeybees are still great, though! I love honey, I love learning about them, and I actually wouldn't mind doing a bit of beekeeping if I ever had the chance ^^; They're still deserving of kindness and lots of praise, but I suppose I just couldn't resist the opportunity to talk about native bees..

thanks for enabling me! also, oki, your post about the anime made me very emotional to read <=[

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@Hydrogenium hi there! Is there a Pokemon that's always had a special place in your heart? Maybe it isn't your favorite, but it's one that just makes you happy? I hope you're doing well, by the way!

 

[Hydrogenium]

@Hydrogenium hi there!

Hello! I'm glad I finally got an opportunity to say hi to you.
Also, I apologise for taking so long time to reply...

Is there a Pokemon that's always had a special place in your heart? Maybe it isn't your favorite, but it's one that just makes you happy?

If there is one Pokémon towards who I have a relationship, that can be described by your sentence, I would say it's Arcanine.

It's a majestic and cute, fluffy big dog : )

I started to like it after reading about it in The Official Pokémon Handbook (all it says about Arcanine is how elegant and loyal it is, so it's no wonder), which makes it one of the rare instances of Pokémon I don't like thanks to the anime.

I hope you're doing well, by the way!

That's nice of you, thanks. I also hope that you are doing well.

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@DawningWinds Some people see their OCs as inanimate objects, while some genuinely adore their original characters... Where on that scale would you place yourself? Also, do you have a favourite OC?

 

[DawningWinds]

@DawningWinds Some people see their OCs as inanimate objects, while some genuinely adore their original characters... Where on that scale would you place yourself? Also, do you have a favourite OC?

I think I fall more towards the "genuinely adoring" end! I do think there is a bit of the inanimate objects feel too, but not nearly as much. There are a few less-developed ones that might go closer to that end though. All of my OCs that I draw even semi-frequently though are characters I care a lot about.

As for my favourite OC. Maybe Crystal?? She's one of my oldest OCs and many of the others I use sprung up around her so she'll always be really important to me in that respect. I also really enjoy her design and her personality, though admittedly I find that many aspects of the latter tend to be contained in my head.

@Dreary_Rowlet Outside of Pokemon and Countryballs, are there any other fandoms you really enjoy?

 

[skywaffles]

@skywaffles what are your favorite songs that have come out this year?

Sorry I haven't answered this yet, been pretty inactive this year,
Nothingg - Bladee, Wondha Mountain (Swedish pop, trap)
Eat Men Eat - Black Midi (prog rock, art rock)
13 - Lucki (Alternative trap)
Wanted More - Weiland (synth pop[?])
And alot more, but thats all I'll include for now lol

 

[skywaffles]

Forgot a question oops
@lisianthus where would you like to travel to?

 

[lisianthus]

@lisianthus where would you like to travel to?

If I'm being completely honest, I feel as though the only place I want to go is Japan? And I'm going to be doing that for college after I get my associate's degree in a year and a half soooo....

I don't really have anywhere else?

@colours hi colours!!! what made you get into FFXIV?

 

[colours]

it's because of @Sheep

i was big into maplestory (another mmo) before i got into ffxiv - and we both played that together, too! i think at some point shortly before i got into ffxiv i fell off of maple. i think i hit lv 220 which was pretty high at the time, and i got busy with life and didn't find a whole lot interesting worth doing in maple, anymore. the guild that i was a part of fell completely inactive, and i was looking for something new once i got a bit more free time. since sheep at that point had been playing ffxiv for years and has spoken to me about it before, i inquired about it and it kinda got me motivated to sign up and sub for myself to see what it's all about. and well, i started my journey two years ago on... august 2020? somewhere around there. and... the rest is history. i still play it semi-frequently to this day.

thanks for getting me into such a great game, janna. ❤

 

[colours]

hi @Blanc how did YOU get into ffxiv??

 

[BigDocFan]

@TheGoldenDuck

Any plans for New Year?

 

[TheGoldenToon]

I wish I could give a big answer about the New Year, but honestly I got nothing, things are pretty static for me.

@CharizardFan7 What is your favorite video game console?

 

[Blanc]

hi @Blanc how did YOU get into ffxiv??

HELLO COLOURS MY BELOVED.

Honestly, kind of similar to you and Janna! Back when the commercials for the game were still running, I really REALLY wanted to play, but I was in highschool at the time in some rigorous classes and couldn’t afford a game with a subscription because I couldn’t put in the time. My friend (whom I am married to in FFXIV) had been playing since HW, so I heard of it now and again briefly through him.

Fast forward to just after I graduated university, now with all the time in the world, said friend convinced me it was the best time to jump in since Shadowbringers had just dropped, soooo I finally at long last became a Warrior of Light. It didn’t take me long to customize my character either, it was like I already knew exactly what I wanted! LOL.

The game is a huge part of my life now, mostly because of the place it’s provided so many of my friends to gather…

@Hawthorn , hi hi Hawthorn! You’ve probably already answered this I’m sure, but I’m curious! What kinds of games do you enjoy besides Pokemon? Any give you a nostalgic feeling?

 

[airmail]

hi hi Hawthorn!

hi hi! It's nice to hear from you, and I hope you're doing well!

What kinds of games do you enjoy besides Pokemon?

My taste in video games isn't that expansive, I'm so sorry.. I've got a big soft spot for pretty looking open worlds, though - I always enjoy Legend of Zelda games, and Okami has been my all-time favorite since I was.. 13 or 14? I sometimes wonder if Wolfquest influenced my love for these, because I grew up playing that one and still enjoy it a lot ^^ Oh, and platformers! I love Klonoa a ton, all the various Yoshi games, and pretty much everything included in Super Mario All-Stars! I grew up playing Super Mario World, too, and I still love it to pieces.

Any give you a nostalgic feeling?

So very many!
Mother 3 comes to mind first. It's also another one of my favorites, and the memories associated are so fond and silly that I can't help but smile when I think of it. Being a wonderful game is one thing, but it never fails to make me happy (well, most of the time), and it's a huge source of sentimentality! Same with Undertale and Deltarune, also two favorites that I'm incredibly attached to.

They all make me think of my friends; enjoying the game together as we talked endlessly about the stories and characters. All of them are so incredibly comforting to me, and I'm thankful to have memories with them!

Also... Petz: Horse Club. It's not exactly a stellar video game by any means, and I honestly couldn't tell you anything about the story if you asked me, but I remember it fondly. Growing up, I'd settle down to play it and just enjoy the riding the horses around for hours at a time. There were waterfalls and forests and little wooden bridges, and I can still hear the sound of the horse hooves trotting along even as I type this! I actually still miss it sometimes; I'd probably play it again for hours if I had the chance.

There's a lot more, but I worry I'd go on forever if I tried to list all the ones I'm sentimental about, I'm so sorry! Thank you for the kind question, though!

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@Orchid
hi, oki! I'm here to bug you.. again!!
but don't reply right now!!! go to sleep!!!!! please!!

So, I've already asked you about glitches and the games, but what do you like about the actual Gameboy Advance itself? Something you find really interesting about how it works? What's something you didn't know before, or maybe isn't common knowledge, that you think is cool?

 

[Okido]

@Orchid
hi, oki! I'm here to bug you.. again!

So, I've already asked you about glitches and the games, but what do you like about the actual Gameboy Advance itself? Something you find really interesting about how it works? What's something you didn't know before, or maybe isn't common knowledge, that you think is cool?

You're very nice to ask me this, as this is probably the system I know the most about the inner workings of, but I also think this is something only I would find interesting. :p

With that said; have you ever taken out, nudged, or tilted a GBA game cartridge while it was running, and subsequently heard this loud, looping, grating noise when it crashed? Ever wonder why that happens and why it sounds like that? Well, now you can find out.

Spoiler

The way the Game Boy Advance processes sound is through a 16-byte circular buffering system in the game's memory. To put it simply, sound data stored elsewhere in memory is fed into the buffer via pointers, telling it what sounds should be played and at what time.

On most newer game systems, cartridges are often hot-swappable and can be removed without shutting down the system — they're more akin to SD cards, per se. Take the 3DS or the Switch for example; they'll usually just toss out an error stating the cartridge was removed and the system needs to be restarted.
But for many older consoles and handhelds, while the system is powered on, a lot of the game's memory is being read directly from the cartridge at all times. Therefore, when you remove a Game Boy Advance cartridge from its slot, you are essentially ripping out a large chunk of the game's data, right from the place where it was currently running. (This is also why the last frame displayed remains frozen onscreen, rather than cutting out to black.)
That memory is then abruptly replaced with nothing but garbage data — and when that happens, the poor sound buffer will either be overwritten or have nothing more to read. So this looping chorus of noises you hear, in this case, is most likely the GBA trying and failing to process pure corrupted garbage and turn it into sound.

This specific crash sound can occur in all sorts of ways! If the memory is corrupted through other means, it often occurs as a result of buffer overflow — incorrect or overwritten pointers, attempting to pull graphics or text data as audio, et cetera.
The reason why the beautiful song of cartridge removal sounds the same across many different games is because most first-party GBA titles use the same kind of sound buffer. Games using different sound buffering systems, as a result, will have different crash sounds!

(As an additional fun fact, this is also exactly why "cartridge tilting", most notably on the N64, results in the particular effects that it does. When you dislodge a cartridge's pins, you are directly tampering with the game's memory just enough as to not crash it entirely; which can obviously cause all sorts of strange things to happen if you're lucky.)

And before you ask: yes, I'm very fun at parties.

They all make me think of my friends; enjoying the game together as we talked endlessly about the stories and characters.

You guys need to play a real game like Putt-Putt Saves The Zoo

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@Torchic W. Pip other than the ducky(!), are there any other Gen 9 Pokémon you really like?

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

@CharizardFan7 What is your favorite video game console?

Hmmm.......my favorite video game console? It's really hard for me to pick just one, but.......well, we always had only Nintendo consoles/systems in my house when I was growing up, and they're the only ones I've ever played, so.......probably either the GameCube or the Wii. I have very fond memories of both from my younger days and the games for them hold a very special place in my heart. Examples for the GameCube include Super Smash Bros Melee, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and of course my beloved first Pokemon game Pokemon Colosseum as well as XD Gale of Darkness. Some of the titles for the Wii included Super Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Galaxy, and Super Paper Mario. (Also have very fond memories of when my family used to play Wii Sports and Wii Fit, not to mention the Miis. ) They were definitely the consoles of my childhood. (Though, if I'm being completely honest, I think I prefer the GameCube just a teensy bit over the Wii; most of my fondest memories come from it.) Oh, and I simply can't forget my cherised Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance SP; many, many fond memories come from them also.

Oh yeah, there are many great games for the Switch as well, but I've only really played a handful of them, and I can't really say if the console is a favorite of mine yet. (Not a fan of its main menu compared to the Wii's. )


@Hawthorn Since I'm almost positive you've played it already, what did you think of Breath of the Wild? Oh, and how many other Zelda games have played?

 

[Welkamo]

@Torchic W. Pip other than the ducky(!), are there any other Gen 9 Pokémon you really like?

The other duckies

Okay duckies besides:

• Tandemaus/Maushold - I AM THE MOUSE. I'm TRAPPED. I love these micesomuch. It's a mouse couple...... then a mouse FAMILY.
• Scream Tail - I love Jigglypuff a lot, so you can imagine I chose Scarlet just for this fren. Also:

Spoiler

Smoliv line: This is,,,,,,, such a good line,,,,,,,
Fidough line: DOUGH BOY BECOMES WELL BAKED BREAD BOY
Orthoworm: MONORAIL WORM
All of the birds: Yes. All of them.
Ceruledge, Armarouge, and Iron Valiant: They speak to my soul on a quantum level.

Honestly, even if a Pokémon isn't my favourite, for the most part, I can appreciate the designs of every Pokémon in this gen.

@Hawthorn Favourite Pokémon type and favourite mons of that type?

 

[airmail]

Ah, gee, I'm so sorry for taking this long to answer! Hello to the both of you, and I hope you're doing okay!

Since I'm almost positive you've played it already, what did you think of Breath of the Wild? Oh, and how many other Zelda games have played?

Delighted by it! My quiet fondness for Zelda games aside, I honestly just really love how.. lost you can get in the world? I love all the little puddles to splash in, trees to climb, or small and hidden places you get to explore. I know the purpose of the game isn't to grant me the ability to waste time, but I enjoy being able to! It's something very easy and soothing to return to; open up the game, wander around, pick some flowers, and learn a little more about the world/story as I go.
the cute horses are also a huge bonus

As for the other games I've played, I have to think.. My favorite out of them all is either Twilight Princess or Wind Waker, but I've also played Link Between Worlds, Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Majora's Mask, and Minish Cap!

Favourite Pokémon type and favourite mons of that type?

Hi hi! I also really love the Smoliv line, and the new birds are so cute !

Aaaas for my favorite type, though, that'd be Grass - has been since I was a kid! When it comes to the Pokemon themselves, I feel so bad having to pick a favorite. A tiny part of me just wants to say "all of them!" because, well, it's not untrue. Leafeon comes to mind first though; that one's always at the top of the list! And then Deerling, Hoppip, Celebi, Chikorita, Skiddo, Shaymin, Sunflora.... and I could keep going on honestly. ^^;

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@Rainbow Cloud hello! I hope it's alright for me to tag you, and that you're having a nice day/evening!
How did you get into Pokemon? Any particularly fond memories?

 

[Rainbow Cloud]

@Rainbow Cloud hello! I hope it's alright for me to tag you, and that you're having a nice day/evening!
How did you get into Pokemon? Any particularly fond memories?

No worries, I don't mind being tagged, yeah having a good day

I got into pokémon when I was a kid during the late 90's when pokémon was starting to become really popular and the time. My first memories of pokémon where watching some episodes of the first season of the anime when they were airing on TV in the UK. I didn't really get into it right away but started to get more interested in the series after a few episodes and went on to start collecting the trading cards and getting some pokémon toys and VHS tapes

I didn't get my first pokémon game for a while though as I didn't have a Gameboy at the time during the first generation, my first handheld console was the Sega Game Gear, (I probably would have chosen Bulbasaur as my starter back then if I'd had Red or Blue at the time though as Bulbasaur was my favourite of Ash's pokémon in the anime at the time, followed by Pidgeotto and Butterfree). My first experience with the games came when I got a Gameboy Color bundled with Pokémon Gold when the gen 2 games came out, the Gameboy Color I got was the Pokémon Edition one. I chose Cyndaquil as my first starter but it was kind of more through mashing the A button at the first pokéball I went to than deciding between the three choices, Cyndaquil still remains my favourite starter to this day but I really like the other Johto starters Chikorita and Totodile too

Some of my fond memories are going to see the first movie when it came out in the cinema, choosing Cyndaquil as my first starter and the first time I completed Pokémon Gold, competing in pokémon battles at lunchtime when I was a school during the gen 3 era (Swampert was kind of my signature mon at the time as Mudkip was my gen 3 starter), first playing both of the Orre games and the Rescue Team and Explorers Mystery Dungeon games, Pokémon Battle Revolution Random Wifi Battles (These were some of the most fun battles I've ever had, always loved the creativity and unique teams that were often used in PBR online battles), joining Bulbagarden (the first large forum I joined in any fandom and the first I became a regular user on), getting back into the anime in 2021 (finally decided to catch up from where I last left off in the anime and watched everything from midway through Sinnoh through to Journeys in a few months) and more recently playing Legends Arceus and Scarlet which feel like some of the best games I've played in years, really loved exploring the open worlds and the stories in both those games

@BigDocFan which is your favourite region in the pokémon games?

 

[BigDocFan]

@BigDocFan which is your favourite region in the pokémon games?

Tough question, I'm torn between the Kalos, Alola, Galar and Paldea regions

 

[Okido]

@Sheeerna - what's something you're looking forward to this year?