June 13, 2025

TRAINER'S EYE #166 - "Deoxys Sprites Fueled By Cosmic Power" ft. SageDeoxys

What if your first Pokémon game wasn’t from the '90s…but your art still lived there? For SageDeoxys, a sprite animator inspired by Johto-era pixel art, limitations weren’t barriers, they were invitations. In this episode, we explore how one fan turned a childhood love of the anime and Pokémon cards into a creative journey that bridges generations. From discovering the Gen II aesthetic through ROM hacks to crafting a sprite-based dream Pokédex, SageDeoxys shares how nostalgia, friendship, and...

Show Notes
Transcript

What if your first Pokémon game wasn’t from the '90s…but your art still lived there?

For SageDeoxys, a sprite animator inspired by Johto-era pixel art, limitations weren’t barriers, they were invitations. In this episode, we explore how one fan turned a childhood love of the anime and Pokémon cards into a creative journey that bridges generations. From discovering the Gen II aesthetic through ROM hacks to crafting a sprite-based dream Pokédex, SageDeoxys shares how nostalgia, friendship, and a passion for underdog types like Bug Pokémon continue to fuel his artistry. And when your favorite Pokémon are Deoxys, Nihilego, and Shuckle, you know there’s a deeper story behind every choice.

Whether you're a longtime fan of pixel art, or just looking for a story that reminds you why you fell in love with Pokémon, this one is for you. Listen now and step into a world where old pixels spark new adventures.

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Sources
Opening Song: "Forget You" by Alex_MakeMusic from Pixabay

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Your next Pokemon adventure begins here!

WEBVTT

00:00:00.008 --> 00:00:02.498
My name's SageDeoxys and this is my Pokemon story.

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Welcome to As the Pokemon Ball Turns, where every voice, every journey, and every memory brings us closer to the world of Pokemon.

00:00:48.750 --> 00:00:52.859
I'm David Hernandez and I'm joined by an artist who breathes new life into old pixels.

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a Sprite animator reviving jo tos charm, one frame at a time.

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SageDeoxys.

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Welcome to as the Pokeball Turns.

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It's a pleasure to be here.

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And the pleasure's also all mine.

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I told you beforehand, you know, I'm a huge fan of just the art.

00:01:04.409 --> 00:01:11.138
I think you're very underrated'cause you're just very meticulous about bringing the gold silver crystal say feeling out of the art.

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you're doing Pokemon more recent than the was Johto's Gold Silver Crystals.

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You're putting your own spin on it.

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And I wanna start with this question.

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You know, you spent years animating Pokemon in a style older than some fans at this point.

00:01:22.103 --> 00:01:25.674
What keeps you going back to those pixel arts of the gold, silver, and crystal age?

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Uh, I can't say I have any particular fondness for plain gen two.

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I'm not that old, unfortunately.

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Uh, but I just really like the aesthetic, the, the limitations in the colors and the size, which is way smaller than any other generation besides gen one.

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Of course.

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I don't know.

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It just really speaks to me.

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I really like the limitations.

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Gets my creativity flowing.

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I always agree that, you know, whenever it comes to something creative, I think more limitations is better because it forces you to, I say, think outside the box and maybe come up with unconventional means that normally doesn't exist, and maybe that's what kind of draws you to it.

00:02:01.224 --> 00:02:01.493
Yeah.

00:02:01.733 --> 00:02:01.914
Yeah.

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I think that's part of it.

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Now, did you start with Goldstone and Crystal when it came to Pokemon, or what is your experience with Pokemon Start?

00:02:08.352 --> 00:02:12.076
No, I actually started, off with generation four styled Overworld Sprites.

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I don't know what, really drew me to doing it, but, uh, I guess that was my first time doing pixel art and I just thought, Pokemon, these small little sprites seem simple enough.

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So I got started with that over the years I kind of shifted styles and went to, into gen two and been stuck there ever since.

00:02:29.264 --> 00:02:31.364
How did you discover the Gen two Pixel art?

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Uh, because, you know, you didn't start with the Gen two games it sounds like.

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How did you discover those Sprites at some point?

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well I was on this, rom hack Discord server for, uh, Pokemon Blazing Emerald,

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Mm-hmm.

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and I saw another artist there and they were doing generation two style battles bites and, I thought those were really cool.

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So I was like, why not try give it a hand myself and it a few times.

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I really dig the style and eventually that's just, that just became half of my personality.

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I mean, Gen four Sprites, they have more detail, and Gen two has more restrictions, I guess.

00:03:03.563 --> 00:03:07.669
What creative freedom did you kinda discover by going backwards that you wouldn't have discovered from Gen four?

00:03:08.304 --> 00:03:15.356
well the colors are generally a lot brighter, more saturated in, gen two, and I really like the, I dunno how to describe it, I guess.

00:03:15.356 --> 00:03:20.546
Uh, guess obviously the limitation of having to work with only two colors, plus black and white.

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It just, I don't know.

00:03:22.206 --> 00:03:23.917
I really enjoyed, having that little limitation.

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made me feel a little, a little more creative when it got to, uh, coloring stuff.

00:03:28.606 --> 00:03:31.306
So you said you started with Gen four games, is that correct?

00:03:31.306 --> 00:03:32.146
When it comes to Pokemon?

00:03:32.598 --> 00:03:35.359
Uh, technically my first game was sun and moon.

00:03:35.813 --> 00:03:36.674
Ooh, really?

00:03:37.188 --> 00:03:44.028
yes, I did not have the money to purchase a console at any point before that, but I, I was a big fan of Pokemon for years prior to that,

00:03:44.693 --> 00:03:44.984
Okay.

00:03:45.079 --> 00:03:46.489
get into the actual games.

00:03:46.489 --> 00:03:50.359
My first proper game was technically, this fan game called Pokemon Tower Defense.

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I think that was part of the reason I started doing, uh, overworld.

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Sprites.

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'cause that's what the main type of Sprite they used in that game.

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So were you, you were just mostly into ROM hacks beforehand.

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Were you also into anime?

00:04:00.062 --> 00:04:00.512
The cards?

00:04:00.512 --> 00:04:02.491
Like what did that Pokemon scene look like for you?

00:04:02.701 --> 00:04:03.931
I started off with the anime,

00:04:04.396 --> 00:04:04.687
Okay.

00:04:05.162 --> 00:04:09.782
and then started buying some the Pokemon cards, you know, little booster packs at the store.

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for the most part, just looking at the tv, hoping I'd get a, a DS for Christmas and never happening.

00:04:16.845 --> 00:04:18.704
And then one day I just decided, you know what?

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I got enough money, bought myself a two Ds and Sun Moon, and there I am now.

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Oh my gosh.

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game since,

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What do you remember about watching the anime?

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Let's start there.

00:04:28.074 --> 00:04:31.495
oh, uh, I remember being a big fan of the movies that showed up on TV as a kid.

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Uh, I

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Mm-hmm.

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the power of one specifically.

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That stuff.

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I don't know.

00:04:34.834 --> 00:04:38.134
It, it just really, I really enjoyed it as a kid, really tingled my brain.

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just seeing Luga fly around blast stuff all over the place.

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I thought that was really cool.

00:04:45.290 --> 00:04:50.389
it sounds a little simple, but you know, it, it just kind of spoke to me.

00:04:50.915 --> 00:04:52.384
I mean, simple is sometimes good.

00:04:52.384 --> 00:04:57.154
Sometimes, you know, I like a Pokemon, a Chu Pokemon card for no reason outside, just'cause it's very adorable.

00:04:57.154 --> 00:04:58.834
There's nothing elaborate by it.

00:04:58.834 --> 00:05:02.435
I just like the appearance behind it and I keep it like in a hard case.

00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:02.939
Mm-hmm.

00:05:03.095 --> 00:05:06.514
I don't know, just there's nothing besides it just being a P two car that I just enjoy.

00:05:06.574 --> 00:05:07.444
There's no value in it.

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That's fine.

00:05:09.245 --> 00:05:11.529
It doesn't need to be any value other than the one you put on it.

00:05:11.925 --> 00:05:15.915
now, do you think, you know, since you started with the anime, you didn't start with the games until Sun Moon.

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Mm-hmm.

00:05:16.545 --> 00:05:20.420
think your, I guess, connection with Pokemon was different compared to those who started with the game?

00:05:21.052 --> 00:05:21.841
not necessarily.

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I assume most people my age started with the anime as well.

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Mm-hmm.

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'cause uh, I'm only 24, so I obviously didn't grow up with the original games.

00:05:30.526 --> 00:05:30.942
No, no.

00:05:30.942 --> 00:05:33.132
Red and blue really grow up with that.

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And I assume it's the same case with some of, uh, most people my age'cause my friends, that's how they got into it as well.

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Would you and your friends watch the anime together or something like that?

00:05:41.699 --> 00:05:43.079
Or is it kind of something y'all talked about?

00:05:43.093 --> 00:05:49.483
We ended up, uh, bonding more over the cards actually we started, like trading, playing with against each other, this and that.

00:05:49.798 --> 00:05:50.999
Oh, so you actually played the card game?

00:05:51.793 --> 00:05:52.603
Yeah, for a little bit.

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Now I can't,'cause I don't live anywhere near my friends, but

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Oh, you moved away.

00:05:58.449 --> 00:05:58.738
yeah.

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Do you ever, try to play online at all or is it just not the same?

00:06:01.992 --> 00:06:10.069
Uh, On occasion, I have, uh, I have the app downloaded on my computer, but, uh, it, it doesn't feel the same as doing it in person.

00:06:10.538 --> 00:06:13.838
Now, you said you started Pokemon Sun and Moon with the td, uh, two Ds.

00:06:13.838 --> 00:06:14.168
Right.

00:06:14.434 --> 00:06:14.653
Yes.

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Did it, ima, did it match what you always imagined?

00:06:17.588 --> 00:06:19.389
A Pokemon game would be starting at that game.

00:06:19.824 --> 00:06:20.694
Yeah, pretty much.

00:06:20.723 --> 00:06:24.954
I mean, I, I had watched, uh, playthroughs on YouTube prior to that, so I, I knew what the games were all about.

00:06:25.244 --> 00:06:25.454
But,

00:06:25.499 --> 00:06:25.528
Okay.

00:06:25.723 --> 00:06:31.370
sun, moon, I bought them like a month or two after release and it was everything I expected and a little more,

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What was your starter?

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rattle it.

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It's

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Nice.

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R it's available in Always My Starter.

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Got him in Sun Moon, and again, Legends Arceus.

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I was gonna say, I wanted to ask what your thoughts were on the Decidueye Hisuian

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I love it.

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It's a great spin on the original.

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I love both, uh, equally, honestly.

00:06:48.747 --> 00:06:49.916
Rowlet was my choice too.

00:06:49.916 --> 00:06:52.047
'cause I love Decidueye with the bow and arrow.

00:06:52.514 --> 00:06:52.814
Yeah.

00:06:52.903 --> 00:06:54.434
just seemed like it I gave mine, Bo.

00:06:54.853 --> 00:06:55.274
bow.

00:06:55.274 --> 00:06:56.084
Oh, I like that.

00:06:57.644 --> 00:07:01.694
because, uh, because t also has like a little bow tie going on, so it just fit.

00:07:02.158 --> 00:07:05.427
Now, I know Alola is where you started from, but it's also your favorite region, you know?

00:07:05.427 --> 00:07:05.908
What was

00:07:05.952 --> 00:07:06.163
it.

00:07:06.387 --> 00:07:08.038
the reason why it's your favorite?

00:07:08.038 --> 00:07:10.798
Like what is it about the atmosphere, the fact that it's your first game, the story?

00:07:11.178 --> 00:07:12.528
I think it's a combination of everything.

00:07:12.528 --> 00:07:17.629
I love the story, uh, especially in the original sudden Moon ultrasound was fine, but you know, changed some things up

00:07:17.973 --> 00:07:18.093
right.

00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:22.728
atmosphere as well, just this little archipelago violins going on adventure through them.

00:07:22.788 --> 00:07:23.809
I thought that was really cool.

00:07:24.178 --> 00:07:27.059
And of course the Pokemon designs themselves just fantastic.

00:07:27.495 --> 00:07:29.146
what sticks out most about that?

00:07:29.146 --> 00:07:31.545
Like was there anything like, just, do you remember any memories from that game?

00:07:32.401 --> 00:07:32.850
Yes.

00:07:32.880 --> 00:07:33.180
Yeah.

00:07:33.208 --> 00:07:34.798
playing that alongside my friends.

00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:40.730
we bought it around at the same time, and we did battles online with each other as we played through the story, and, I thought that was really fun.

00:07:41.177 --> 00:07:44.538
I always liked the concept'cause it was the first time they deviated from the gyms.

00:07:44.552 --> 00:07:44.973
Mm-hmm.

00:07:44.987 --> 00:07:54.187
And I really enjoyed the challenge of, I think it was the totem Pokemon it was called, you had to complete some trials and I like Pokemon Sun and Moon more so than Ultra Sun Ultra Moon.

00:07:54.408 --> 00:07:56.148
I just love kind of the atmosphere.

00:07:56.148 --> 00:08:02.298
I love being able to just feel like you, I was in Hawaii almost And it felt like I was kind of backing Hoenn in a way'cause that's my favorite region.

00:08:02.507 --> 00:08:05.398
But you know, that region just seemed like it matched so well in my opinion.

00:08:05.850 --> 00:08:06.000
yeah.

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It's just a very nice.

00:08:08.071 --> 00:08:08.461
region.

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I don't know, it's just, it's just really fun.

00:08:11.641 --> 00:08:14.641
Now I gotta ask this question'cause you're gonna be the first one I've ever had to ask this one.

00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.290
If you're gonna do a play through of Pokemon Sun and Moon, what six Pokemon would you use?

00:08:19.858 --> 00:08:20.187
All right.

00:08:20.187 --> 00:08:30.687
Have to be a mix between my Sun, Moon, and Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon team So, Golisopod, a hundred percent Alolan Riachu, Decidueye probably Zoroark, snorlax possibly.

00:08:30.747 --> 00:08:33.644
And for the last one, I, I'm gonna have to think about that.

00:08:34.087 --> 00:08:36.238
Doubling up on water bug types, but probably Araquanid.

00:08:37.388 --> 00:08:37.837
Ooh.

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I love that.

00:08:38.467 --> 00:08:38.977
Yeah.

00:08:39.556 --> 00:08:41.775
I think that generation had a lot of good bug type Pokemon.

00:08:41.926 --> 00:08:43.456
There's a lot of them that were just so great.

00:08:43.456 --> 00:08:46.155
If you're a bug type fanatic, that was your region for sure.

00:08:46.245 --> 00:08:46.995
It's my favorite type.

00:08:47.296 --> 00:08:47.505
Mm.

00:08:47.625 --> 00:08:48.166
Oh really?

00:08:48.166 --> 00:08:48.735
It is.

00:08:48.975 --> 00:08:49.155
Yeah.

00:08:49.155 --> 00:08:50.956
I have a box in my ultrasound moon game.

00:08:50.985 --> 00:08:52.605
Three separate boxes, just bug types.

00:08:52.605 --> 00:08:54.796
Shinies, I hunted the hell out of them.

00:08:55.125 --> 00:08:55.605
Oh my gosh.

00:08:55.605 --> 00:08:57.375
What is it about the bug type that draws you to it?

00:08:58.035 --> 00:08:58.395
I don't know.

00:08:58.395 --> 00:08:59.475
It's just a fun little type.

00:08:59.475 --> 00:09:04.816
It's a, it's kind of a scrappy underdog compared to most, it's got all these weaknesses, not super effective against much,

00:09:05.145 --> 00:09:05.596
Mm-hmm.

00:09:05.836 --> 00:09:11.625
until Sun Moon is one of the weakest types, Because Leach life, for example, 20 Days Power before that game,

00:09:11.835 --> 00:09:12.705
Yeah, I got 80.

00:09:12.764 --> 00:09:13.125
Yeah.

00:09:13.455 --> 00:09:13.904
Yeah.

00:09:14.054 --> 00:09:16.455
Kind of ridiculous how much of a buff that was.

00:09:17.085 --> 00:09:17.294
It

00:09:17.325 --> 00:09:18.284
so many cool bug types.

00:09:18.284 --> 00:09:21.192
Golisopod, Araquanid, Buzzwole, Pheremosa, Ribombee.

00:09:21.381 --> 00:09:22.341
I mean, it's just,

00:09:23.197 --> 00:09:24.231
Oh, I love her Wabe.

00:09:24.292 --> 00:09:24.802
Yeah.

00:09:25.581 --> 00:09:27.662
I think for me, my favorite bug types were Shedinja.

00:09:27.682 --> 00:09:30.442
I've always had a soft spot for that one, even though it dies to everything.

00:09:30.807 --> 00:09:35.856
Of course, you talked about Araquanid, I talked about where Ribombee Heracross is always a good classic.

00:09:35.856 --> 00:09:37.057
You can't go wrong with that.

00:09:37.326 --> 00:09:39.427
And I've always loved Scizor just'cause of the sleek design.

00:09:39.427 --> 00:09:41.027
You can't, I mean, it's Scizor.

00:09:41.047 --> 00:09:41.346
I mean,

00:09:41.542 --> 00:09:41.721
Oh yeah.

00:09:42.096 --> 00:09:43.876
favorite Pokemon Oh, Beautifly.

00:09:44.197 --> 00:09:54.846
I always love Beautifly, primarily'cause of the Hoenn anime, but just because, I don't know, it just, it's such a very beautiful Pokemon for both a bug type and just in general, it was my top 10 for a while.

00:09:55.136 --> 00:09:56.062
it's very colorful.

00:09:56.062 --> 00:09:56.542
Very pretty.

00:09:56.542 --> 00:09:57.022
I love it.

00:09:57.475 --> 00:10:01.337
Now were any, is any of your Pokemon that you chose your favorite, or do you have a different favorite?

00:10:01.337 --> 00:10:01.758
Pokemon.

00:10:02.192 --> 00:10:05.157
Mm, I do have favorites that are not part of that, team.

00:10:05.157 --> 00:10:09.413
I, chose, it's kind of a three-way tie between Deoxys, Nihilego and Shuckle.,

00:10:10.077 --> 00:10:11.217
What's the reason for each one

00:10:11.663 --> 00:10:14.062
Deoxys I kind of just grew up with, it's my namesake.

00:10:14.062 --> 00:10:16.043
It's been for over a decade at this point.

00:10:16.418 --> 00:10:16.508
right?

00:10:16.643 --> 00:10:22.403
just really, I really enjoyed the Deoxys movie that really got me into the Pokemon.

00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:24.480
Nihilego again.

00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:27.299
Sun and Moon being my first games, have a special fondness for them.

00:10:27.750 --> 00:10:31.049
And seeing that thing show up for the first time, it was just fantastic.

00:10:31.110 --> 00:10:32.549
And shuckle, he's just a silly little guy.

00:10:34.845 --> 00:10:35.715
Oh my gosh.

00:10:35.715 --> 00:10:37.304
You can't go wrong with like and Shuckle, man.

00:10:37.304 --> 00:10:38.745
It's such a good meme, Pokemon.

00:10:40.278 --> 00:10:43.217
and since you're on Deoxy real quick, do you have a particular favorite form of the four?

00:10:43.863 --> 00:10:49.173
I'd say normal form, just because he can actually morph his tentacles, uh, whatever the hell you wanna call them into

00:10:49.307 --> 00:10:50.538
The, the noodle arms.

00:10:50.567 --> 00:10:50.837
Yeah.

00:10:50.988 --> 00:10:51.707
design choice.

00:10:52.231 --> 00:10:54.822
Next thing I wanna talk about is your second favorite region, which is Unova.

00:10:55.216 --> 00:10:57.647
And I wanna know why that one's your second favorite.

00:10:57.647 --> 00:10:59.057
And what do you remember about playing those games?

00:10:59.057 --> 00:10:59.447
Pokemon.

00:10:59.447 --> 00:10:59.986
Black and white.

00:10:59.986 --> 00:11:00.692
And black and white too.

00:11:01.143 --> 00:11:03.769
Um, well, I'm just a big fan of the story of the game.

00:11:03.950 --> 00:11:05.330
I think it's, it's really fun.

00:11:05.690 --> 00:11:08.330
It's a, a big departure from what came previously.

00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:11.299
'cause most games prior to that didn't really have much of a story.

00:11:11.743 --> 00:11:13.482
And again, the Pokemon designs, I just love them.

00:11:13.962 --> 00:11:14.202
Mm-hmm.

00:11:14.447 --> 00:11:17.773
They're, they're different to what came before, but they're so Pokemon in a way.

00:11:17.773 --> 00:11:18.793
I don't know how to describe

00:11:19.236 --> 00:11:24.631
Especially when you talk about n and and Ghetesis and that whole relationship and eventually, you know, Ghetesis turns on'em and everything.

00:11:24.631 --> 00:11:24.991
Yeah.

00:11:25.294 --> 00:11:27.934
But it's kinda the same reason why I guess you would like a Pokemon sun.

00:11:27.934 --> 00:11:29.975
The moon, it's just a very diverse region.

00:11:30.394 --> 00:11:32.615
There's a massive amount of Pokemon for that region.

00:11:32.990 --> 00:11:33.409
Oh yeah.

00:11:33.631 --> 00:11:36.241
I actually started with black and white too, before going to black and white.

00:11:36.511 --> 00:11:37.201
Really?

00:11:37.201 --> 00:11:38.407
Oh, you, you went backwards?

00:11:38.851 --> 00:11:39.481
Yeah, I did.

00:11:39.481 --> 00:11:45.426
and personally saying I think I prefer black and black two and white two, I know the story in the first one's probably a little better, but I don't know.

00:11:45.426 --> 00:11:49.982
just everything that Black 2 White 2 has just side content that it has just sitting there.

00:11:49.982 --> 00:11:51.302
It's just too much to ignore.

00:11:51.307 --> 00:11:54.812
I, I really love it all those legendaries at the end of the game as well.

00:11:54.932 --> 00:11:55.623
It's just fantastic.

00:12:29.451 --> 00:12:32.662
Now I want to go transition to when you started doing Pokemon Sprites.

00:12:32.662 --> 00:12:37.581
You know, you alluded earlier how you originally started with Gen four before kind of, I guess, focused hyper focusing on gen two.

00:12:38.241 --> 00:12:38.631
Yes.

00:12:38.631 --> 00:12:44.032
started posting your Sprites in 2017 with Tapu Fini and Tapu Bulu with their animated sprites.

00:12:44.402 --> 00:12:50.437
when you started posting it, did you feel nervous doing it cause you kind of expressed that you were ready to kinda show it off at that point.

00:12:50.977 --> 00:12:51.398
Uh, yeah.

00:12:51.398 --> 00:12:51.847
I wasn't.

00:12:52.207 --> 00:12:53.048
Nervous.

00:12:53.347 --> 00:12:54.705
I had friends that had Twitter accounts.

00:12:54.705 --> 00:12:55.815
They posted stuff all the time.

00:12:55.815 --> 00:12:57.195
I was like, why shouldn't I, you know?

00:12:57.511 --> 00:13:00.692
looking back on it now, those are not very good sprites, but I'm proud of them.

00:13:01.158 --> 00:13:03.227
we're artists, we're our harshest critic.

00:13:03.557 --> 00:13:03.918
Yeah,

00:13:04.187 --> 00:13:06.227
is that kind of the main reason why you look back on me?

00:13:06.227 --> 00:13:07.368
Like, eh, they're not that good.

00:13:07.368 --> 00:13:08.898
Like you can, you know, you know, you're better now.

00:13:08.898 --> 00:13:10.758
Obviously this is like almost a long time ago.

00:13:10.758 --> 00:13:10.788
I,

00:13:11.251 --> 00:13:12.302
Better part of a decade now.

00:13:12.620 --> 00:13:16.280
It's not necessarily me just being my harshest critic, it's just looking at those sprites.

00:13:16.605 --> 00:13:22.575
They're a good start, but uh, they don't really fit the style all that well that I was going for, which is specifically the overall sprites in Gen four.

00:13:22.884 --> 00:13:23.304
Mm-hmm.

00:13:24.269 --> 00:13:28.289
Uh, there's a lot of rules that I'm seeing here that I'm not really following with these, uh, sprites.

00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:32.850
If I tried now, I'd be way better at it, obviously, even if I haven't done these in a long while.

00:13:33.160 --> 00:13:35.206
But yeah, overall, I don't know.

00:13:35.296 --> 00:13:36.316
I, I'm proud of them.

00:13:36.653 --> 00:13:39.504
You mentioned like, I guess rules, like what do you mean by that?

00:13:39.504 --> 00:13:43.104
Like I guess you're talking about the two color for GSC Sprites.

00:13:43.313 --> 00:13:49.104
What rules, I guess, did you not follow when you first started, and that was, was that because you just didn't know about it or you just didn't believe in them?

00:13:49.104 --> 00:13:49.494
Or

00:13:50.100 --> 00:13:52.339
I didn't think I needed to follow them.

00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:54.798
Uh, that that was main, mainly part of it.

00:13:55.115 --> 00:14:00.339
like at the very beginning of my start on Twitter, there's this like, Tapu Koko, Tapu Bulu, all that.

00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:04.052
I think I made them bigger than the canvas size allowed for those types of sprites.

00:14:04.322 --> 00:14:06.543
So immediately those wouldn't work.

00:14:06.548 --> 00:14:09.302
From what I understand, if you were to put them in a ROM hack.

00:14:09.623 --> 00:14:14.869
also the angle they're at, World price in gen four, sort of at an angle from top down.

00:14:15.333 --> 00:14:15.573
Mm-hmm.

00:14:15.589 --> 00:14:16.519
Made them face forward.

00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:18.948
So they wouldn't visually fit.

00:14:19.255 --> 00:14:23.114
And of course the colors, the shading, they're not really, in line with what you'd see.

00:14:23.114 --> 00:14:24.043
Normally in gen four.

00:14:24.350 --> 00:14:25.580
They're like just barely there.

00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:29.980
They're getting of the idea down, but, there's these small details that make it not work exactly.

00:14:30.408 --> 00:14:35.830
Do you remember when you made that shift to where, you started following the rules that were supposed to be for Sprites or did it.

00:14:35.830 --> 00:14:36.909
take a while to get to that point,

00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:38.450
it took a little while.

00:14:38.797 --> 00:14:45.126
it wasn't until like halfway through those sprites that I started realizing maybe I should actually follow the size limitations and whatnot,

00:14:45.427 --> 00:14:45.817
right?

00:14:45.817 --> 00:14:46.177
I did.

00:14:46.177 --> 00:14:47.496
So I got better at that as well.

00:14:47.557 --> 00:14:50.886
But again, I haven't touched them in a long while, so.

00:14:52.142 --> 00:14:52.711
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:14:52.716 --> 00:14:57.187
And I'm not judging you for old, so like if people judge me on my old episodes, by all means, like I'm not that good.

00:14:57.187 --> 00:14:57.966
You can notice the difference.

00:14:57.966 --> 00:15:00.667
Now we're just, it's the evolution of doing this stuff.

00:15:00.937 --> 00:15:01.177
yeah.

00:15:01.177 --> 00:15:02.076
you improve over time.

00:15:02.106 --> 00:15:02.976
It's just a natural thing.

00:15:03.456 --> 00:15:07.147
Yeah, it just, and then you bring it up and we're like, uh, do we have to really talk about it?

00:15:07.537 --> 00:15:07.866
Yeah.

00:15:09.049 --> 00:15:10.909
what's the process of creating these sprites?

00:15:10.909 --> 00:15:14.840
'cause you do, you do some animated, but you also primarily do a lot of static images.

00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:16.250
What's this process from doing?

00:15:16.250 --> 00:15:17.120
Start to finish.

00:15:17.809 --> 00:15:22.009
Okay, so first up, I usually look for two or three a reference images.

00:15:22.009 --> 00:15:28.070
Usually just official Suki, morr, and then maybe a few, frames from the anime just to look at the, uh, the Pokemon's like design.

00:15:28.370 --> 00:15:31.309
Sometimes I'll take the 3D model from Pokemon Home, just look at it there too.

00:15:32.029 --> 00:15:33.350
then I kind of just start drawing.

00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:39.529
I don't really, uh, a lot of artists are not gonna be happy about to hear this, but, uh, I don't really like draw the shapes beforehand.

00:15:39.529 --> 00:15:43.159
I just kind of draw the outline of the entire Pokemon, and I usually get it right first time.

00:15:43.355 --> 00:15:44.524
Oh wow.

00:15:44.585 --> 00:15:45.095
Yeah.

00:15:45.095 --> 00:15:45.215
Yeah.

00:15:45.590 --> 00:15:49.879
So I, I don't have like a very specific or, let's say convoluted process to do it.

00:15:50.029 --> 00:15:50.659
I just kind of do it.

00:15:50.659 --> 00:15:53.240
It's, it's not too hard for me at this point.

00:15:53.884 --> 00:15:55.469
You're just a natural at this point,

00:15:55.933 --> 00:15:57.494
Uh, I'd say so, yeah.

00:15:57.958 --> 00:15:58.769
well, I wouldn't say natural.

00:15:58.769 --> 00:16:01.229
I guess maybe more as a, you've memorized or I.

00:16:01.514 --> 00:16:02.024
Routine.

00:16:02.024 --> 00:16:03.195
I don't know what the word I'm looking for here.

00:16:03.299 --> 00:16:04.200
It's become routine.

00:16:04.394 --> 00:16:05.024
Yes, there we go.

00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:05.909
uh, full on natural.

00:16:05.909 --> 00:16:09.917
Sometimes I'll just completely have to restart with some of these sprites, after being halfway through with it.

00:16:10.375 --> 00:16:15.294
Now, I know that you're working on some kind of Dex and I want some more, I guess, insight on what you're doing.

00:16:15.625 --> 00:16:16.794
What's the goal of it?

00:16:16.794 --> 00:16:19.465
What is it and how do you decide which Pokemon to work on?

00:16:20.085 --> 00:16:20.375
Okay.

00:16:20.434 --> 00:16:20.654
So.

00:16:21.565 --> 00:16:22.884
I'll start off with that last point.

00:16:23.215 --> 00:16:26.282
the Pokemon, I started off it chose for this, it's just Pokemon.

00:16:26.282 --> 00:16:28.164
I like, honestly, It's.

00:16:28.235 --> 00:16:30.965
Not Pokemon that I like over others necessarily that aren't here.

00:16:31.282 --> 00:16:39.869
But, I also like made sure to keep a sort of balance between the types of Pokemon, so that, that played a role a lot So I don't have too many of one type other than bugs.

00:16:39.869 --> 00:16:43.828
Of course, a little biased towards those, Otherwise, it's mostly just Pokemon.

00:16:43.828 --> 00:16:50.875
I really like and wanna make Sprites for, beyond that, it's essentially just a dex for a game I hope to maybe make in the future.

00:16:50.875 --> 00:16:58.065
I still have no idea if it's gonna be a ROM hack or a Pokemon Essentials game, but I just like to have that ready for later down the line.

00:16:58.410 --> 00:17:01.481
the meantime, just working on the sprites for the Pokemon themselves.

00:17:01.481 --> 00:17:04.751
Later I'll do tiles, this and that actually work on the game.

00:17:05.210 --> 00:17:10.279
So the Dex is kind of a hope to build into something maybe potentially bigger down the road, it sounds like.

00:17:10.565 --> 00:17:11.224
Yes, exactly.

00:17:11.630 --> 00:17:18.500
And I guess you don't have to share any details, but do you have like the plot or what you wanna do, or is it just kind of an idea that you're hoping to get to at some point?

00:17:19.025 --> 00:17:22.444
I don't really have much, concrete besides the price at the moment, to be honest with you.

00:17:22.755 --> 00:17:23.569
But hey, that's fair.

00:17:23.569 --> 00:17:23.869
Yeah.

00:17:24.019 --> 00:17:26.539
Sometimes it just need, you just need to start with the thought sometimes.

00:17:26.734 --> 00:17:27.035
Yeah.

00:17:27.305 --> 00:17:27.454
Yeah.

00:17:27.454 --> 00:17:32.555
Especially since I don't really plan on even starting this for a few years'cause that's how long it's gonna take me to do all these sprites.

00:17:33.006 --> 00:17:34.865
well, I always see you do batch, posting.

00:17:34.865 --> 00:17:40.635
But I think I see you post like every, you post pretty consistently, but sometimes you do like a whole, I think you do like two or three a week.

00:17:41.175 --> 00:17:46.480
it depends, sometimes I take breaks maybe a few weeks, months, in between, mostly from burnout.

00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:46.961
Don't wanna.

00:17:46.978 --> 00:17:49.077
Force myself to make a Sprite when I'm just not feeling it.

00:17:49.367 --> 00:17:52.627
but when I am making sprites, I'm just churning those out like a factory.

00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:55.160
since posting this, you're Sprite, art on Twitter.

00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:58.970
Have you gotten any reactions or interactions from people who've admired your art?

00:17:59.644 --> 00:18:00.394
Uh, yes.

00:18:00.394 --> 00:18:05.900
recently I had a few people ask me to do Perler beads of my sprites, one person showed me those, and those were fantastic.

00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:06.440
Love that.

00:18:06.756 --> 00:18:11.885
and I've seen a few people that have been inspired by my art to do their own, which I, I'm really glad to be able to be a part of that.

00:18:12.339 --> 00:18:16.095
Are you gonna try to ever dive into pearl beads or are you kind of prefer just to stick to digital?

00:18:16.589 --> 00:18:25.012
Uh, I've been thinking about it, but I don't know if I have the time to do that, to be honest, because, that's a lot more meticulous than just doing it on, digital software,

00:18:25.318 --> 00:18:25.826
Oh my God.

00:18:25.946 --> 00:18:29.517
have the designs already just ready to have me put down the beads everywhere.

00:18:29.965 --> 00:18:41.665
I mean, it's true'cause I've seen some people do it and they'll do like little key chains or they'll do, I got one where somebody did like a, a picture frame and it has the, old school trainer, you know, interaction with wild Pokemon.

00:18:41.875 --> 00:18:48.746
So it has that on the lower left hand side, it has the Pikachu on the right hand side and I could put my, I put my dogs in that picture and it's just stuff like that.

00:18:48.746 --> 00:18:48.955