They Think Of Him As Weaboo Because Of Ramen - Food, Which Originates From Japan. As For Me, I Don’t

Did he have “Terror”-like version of the Flying Palace (pretty close to the original version), more agressive outfit, and the dream to finally finish his collection, no matter what the cost, so he went more dark and became sort of like Jirarudan/Zero/Hunter J’s hybrid? It just would suit theory about him being inspired by Jules Verne’s Robur (who went from half-serious nickname ”The Conqueror” (of the skies) to more serious pseudonym “Master of the World” in the second book, so, Jiri may’ve took pseudonym “Schwager” here) so well.

I had a dream that Jiri was in a new movie but the dub didn’t know who he was and renamed him Schwager. Like “swag”.

I was thinking about regular proflilactic repairs, but yeah, a single landing pad may be insufficient, though I thought about it as a part of his land base (used almost only for repairs and upgrades), and land bases aren’t cheap to maintain (although maintaining Hikokyuu itself probably costs several times more), and Jiri dislikes being on land, although he may use several of them (but then, where does he get THAT much money?). Also, if you look on moment with Articuno (Before “Time to turn up the heat”) you can see, that Flying Palace is pretty fast (as for airship THAT big), but inertia can be quite a problem.

@mgrgfan let’s talk ships. So, we both seem to be in agreement that the Hikoukyuu is for the most part fully automated. Though how it would land…you do propose an interesting idea, but that would suggest either that all landing pads are specifically built for that one ship or that there are other nearly identical ship out there.

Robur was also above politics in the first book (”Robur the Conqueror”), but went dark in the second (”Master of the World”), when he scrapped more peacefully-built “Albatross” (second one, first “Albatross” was blown up by Prudent and Evans, much like Hikokyuu was brought down by Ash and co.), which had only one short-barreled low-impulse cannon (used for whale hunting and somewhat similar to Hikokyuu’s mortar artillery system) and several explosive charges onboard, for more agressively-built “Terror” with powerful ram for sinking ships. Robur in the first book had some sort of justification - he wanted to prove superiority of heavier-than-air aircraft, so he took two most powerful lighter-than-air lobbiers to let them see HTA vessels superiority with their own eyes, and he also wanted to take revenge for the events in the Weldon Institute. Also, I re-read the book and’ve found, that “Albatross” was capable of landing, so forgive me for giving you false information.

Here’s that picture of the original Hikoukyuu and Melody’s instrument. Articuno has about…twice its mass in tailfeathers…

@mgrgfan check it out.

Pokemon Sun and Moon trailers

Two new japanese trailers for Pokemon Sun/Moon.

What project? Original story of yours, timeline of which you’ve mentioned some time ago?

I’m finally working on a project I should have done ages ago.

Okay then... how about we look at the lesser-known USA-first achievements, then?

First superheavy launch vehicle that worked and didn't blow up (Saturn V). 

First reusable piloted spacecraft and the first spaceplane (X-15).

First pilot-controlled space flight (Freedom 7)

First orbital human space mission that landed with pilot still in spacecraft and thus the first complete human spaceflight by FAI definitions (Friendship 7)

First rendezvous and docking in orbit (Gemini 8 - Agena Target Vehicle)

First successful orbit of different planets (Pioneer 10 mission).

First solar orbit (Pioneer 5).

First and second and third interstellar craft (Voyager 1, Voyager 2, New Horizons).

First manned maneuvering unit (Gemini 4)

First multi person multi spacecraft mission in space (Gemini 6).

First orbital vector adjustment to pinpoint precision (Gemini 6)   

First spy satellite (Corona KH-1)

First successful recovery of film from an orbiting satellite (KH-1 film return bucket)

First aerial recovery of an object returning from Earth orbit (KH-1 film return bucket)

First pinpoint landing on the Moon (Surveyor 1).

First manned orbit of the Moon (Apollo 8).

First human-crewed spaceflight to, and orbit of, another celestial object: the Moon (Apollo 11)

First rover on Mars (Sojourner)

First spacecraft to orbit Mars (Mariner 9).

First reusable orbital-class spaceplane (Space Shuttle).

First solar powered satellite (Vanguard-1)

First communications satellite (Echo 1, Telstar)

First weather satellite (TIROS)

First satellite in a polar orbit (Discoverer 1)

First geosynchronous satellite (Syncom 2)

First satellite navigation system (Transit)

First Mars flyby (Mariner 4)

First human spaceflight that escaped Earth's influence (Apollo 8)

First X-ray orbital observatory (the Einstein Observatory)

First Jupiter flyby (Pioneer 10)

First Mercury Flyby (Mariner 10)

the space race may be the funniest point in history period and i'll stand by that. the US is like "yes whoever gets into space first will prove once and for all that our economic model is superior and that we are, in general, the superior country of superior and smarter people." then the soviets just went and did it and the US freaked out and needed to cover their ass so were like "WE MEAN THE MOON, WE MEAN THE FIRST TO LAND ON THE MOON."

Maybe, but my ficwriter side found it’s fuel, so, now I've got some headcanons for this backwards universe.

Official Pokemon Nation Government is corrupt beyond any imagination, up to the point, when Ranger force openly can act like a terrorists and receive no punishment in any form. The Governmental Leader bears some resemblance to the Richard Hawk from the Metal Wolf Chaos.

Mewtwo here’s managed to escape from the New Island, when the so-called Rangers broke into the laboratory and started killing everyone to cover up this project. He’ve also managed to save some of the researchers, though, unfortunately, not the Dr.Fuji who was almost like a father to the Genetic Pokemon, although all of the scientists were knid to him and he was kind to them in the return. Nowadays, Mewtwo is sided with Pokemon Rescuer J because he wants his revenge on the Rangers.

Lawrence III... Honestly, I don’t know how to put him backwards. Maybe he makes some priceless artworks all by himself and he only wanted to awake Lugia to get the greatest source of inspiration he was pursuing through his entire life (somewhat like the Crystal Onyx episode in the anime).

Zero and Graceland are pretty much just role-swapped.

Pokemon Rescuer J is the one who fights with governmental forces and criminal teams as hard as she can. She rescues abused Pokemon from both Government-funded OCG’s and just cruel trainers, then helps to find a worthy trainer for them or, if they want to, just releases them in the wild. She is also kind with her henchmen, because they are of very few humans she can trust. Overall, she will always protect the crew and crew will always protect her.

Jarvis just wanted to overthrow corrupt monarchic government (almost as corrupt as the Pokemon Nation one), so he was forced to do what he did and he was really not happy about it.

Fortunately for Jarvis, Magearna here originally is an almost-soulless war machine, so she did not feel any pain, but the aerial fortress’s cannon malfunctions still were present because of her IFF system. However, she gets somewhat better after the core (Soul Heart), which was reprogrammed by Jarvis, is installed back in the body. Overall, she is like Johnny 5 from the “Short Circuit”, except it was the Jarvis who made her more than just a machine.

Xerneas is a 1000% psychopathic asshole. He's still a bringer of life... sort of, because most of the time, he gives live to a cancerous growths and horrible diseases. Why kill someone in person, if you can give him immortal uncurable cancer and then enjoy watching his/her slow, horrible and painful demise? If there's some epidemy in the Kalos region, 99,9% of the time it'll be Xerneas's doings. Also, he has an army of sorta zombies, much like the fossils from the fifth movie, which were revived by the Defence Mechanism of Alto-Mare. He is nicknamed "Life, that brings suffering and despair".

Yveltal here is still a deathbringer... sort of. She is the one who opposes Xerneas, which already makes Kalos people like her far more than a Life Pokemon, but she also actually cares about the human and pokemon lives. Long ago, when she first saw, just what kind of a psycho Xerneas is, she has started mastering her Oblivion Wing move and, after some time, she has mastered it to such a point, that she became able to selectively drain life from different cells and, therefore, cure Xerneas-created diseases (including even the normally-immortal cancer), sterilize things (making bio-contaminated items and environments usable again), or, if there is no way to save someone, use this move as an euthanasia. She's also kind to both humans and pokemon, because she understands the true value of life. Each time, when she was starting to revert into the Cocoon form, she was trying her best to go as far away from her allies as possible, so, most of times, she did this on the battlefield, bravely attacking Xerneas's forces, putting the "zombie" pokemon out of theirs demise, de-contaminating a previously bio-contaminated areas and allowing her fellow humans and pokemon to mount a strike. Because of her doings, she is referred as a "Destruction, that brings hope" and is widely worshipped as a saviour of the Kalos people.

Zygarde is not a real asshole - he just a sorta, to quote a TVTropes, "Tautological Templar". He thinks, that all the everything he does is right, because he can't do anything wrong. He is pretty much Greenpeace to the max, except with less knowledge (result of the Xerneas’s experiments with new bioweapons, which Yveltal was not able to stop in time) and too much power, so, when he decides that it is his time to shine, entire Kalos is pretty much destinied to turn into a wasteland for a long time, if humans and/or Yveltal don't stop him. Each time he's finished and sees the results of his doings (desolated wasteland), he'll always blame it on someone other, mostly Yveltal or humans (Xerneas know how to stay out of his sight... most of time).

Blackjack, what do you think about this insanity?

APPARENTLY IN ANOTHER WORLD HUNTER J GIVES OUT RARE POKEMON

Some worldbuilding for my fic - Ancient Soris Empire, part 4.

The Imperial Capital City’s name was Pervorechensk. Set on the Surava river, this city was pretty much shining jewel in the Imperial crown.

In the days of Empire’s glory, Pervorechensk was the most advanced city not just in the Soris region, but in the entire world. Powered by the local solar, wind turbine, hydroelectric and nuclear powerplants, surrounded by the S-Alloy Wall (yes, it was really called so), having self-sustainance ability, this city was pretty much small empire inside of the Soris Empire.

This city was well-known across the Empire not only as a capital, but also as a main construction and repair site of the heavy airships. Most of the “Overlord of Skies”-class nuclear-powered rigid-hull hydrogen dirigibles, including even the Emperor’s personal one, were built here. In fact, it was the first city in which nuclear energy was harnessed for the first time in human history too!

The Pervorechensk was also the first (and, for more than 2500 years, only) city, in which arcane science devices were put to wide use. Of course, it was planned to expand the arcane machinery usage to entire Empire, but, unfortunately, it fell before it was possible.

The most used arcane science systems were arcane computers, created by the Izya’s and Budulai’s cooperation and manufactured in the Imperial Science Facility 9 experimental factory. There were also some non-sentient arcane robots, which were intended to replace old non-arcane ones.

Thanks to nuclear powerplants and arcane machinery, Pervorechensk wasn’t defenceless, when it comes to agressive defence. Instead of creating the flying fortress, like the Nikola did (levitators were just being developed, when the Imperial Science Facility 9 had undergone the emergency conservation and, shortly after, Empire fell), Soris engineers put several turreted heavy rapid-fire arcane energy cannons with anti-air capacity on the Wall. During the Legendaries rampage, these cannons had proven themselves quite useful, because they’ve allowed Pervorechensk to endure three major attacks, before they’ve got destroyed.

The Emperor’s Palace was... strange. Because of how Soris Empire was developing over time and because of the royalties tastes in architecture, the Palace was looking like some weird hybrid between the, well, palace (similar to the real Winter Palace), atompunk skyscraper (like the Half-Life 2 Beta Citadel, “clamp” version) and an airport along with airship dock. It even featured several rapid-firing arcane energy cannons, similar to those on the Wall, on it’s own, and had a powerful nuclear fission reactor inside. Yes, this complex was far from the usual palace, but hey, it’s Ancient Soris Empire we’re speaking about!

During the Legendares rampage, the Pervorechensk city was the last to fall. Thanks to arcane energy cannons, repulsor arcane science devices and decent self-defence military, it was a very tough nut to crack. Of course, eventually, both the Palace and the city were ravaged by these Legendaries, but it has proven to be a trap - when the Legendaries were too busy destroying the previously-magnificent city of technological wonders to avenge the time they wasted on trying to destroy the defence, several survived cargo planes, loaded with very powerful nukes, took a kamikaze course and synchro-detonated charges when they were in optimal range. The resulting 55 megaton explosions killed these Legendaries for good while also turning remnants of the city into a pretty much irradiated boiling mass of metal and glass. Even after more than 3000 years, this zone still bears the old scars.

However, the last part does not apply to the Shift-verse, where the Empire, instead of Ancient Soris War, got time-shifted 3100 years ahead and, therefore, was never destroyed and even prospered in the new time.

Some worldbuilding for my fic - Azoth Kingdom, Alva, part 2.

In my fic, cabinet minister Alva is a child of the not very famous, but still pretty well-known arcane researchers Ogden and Nancy.

During his childhood, young Alva was a pretty lonely boy, whose main and almost only interest was the arcane science. Because his mom and dad were too much into arcanics to pay enough attention to their son, Alva spent most of the time reading the Ogden’s and Nancy’s books, trying to study the arcane science himself. While Alva’s parents were proud of it, they still paid too little attention to the boy, so Alva had to pretty much fight tooth and nail for his social progress from the position of the simple researchers son to recognized arcane scientist to the (much later) cabinet minister. However, Alva still loved his parents very much and they loved him too, though, again, payed too little attention to him.

Both Ogden and Nancy died in the accident (one of the catwalks above the big city gears, due to metal fatigue, broke and fell down along with people on it right into the working mechanism. The results were far, far from the pretty), when Alva was 19, so, from this moment, lavender-haired boy could only count on himself. Thanks to his parents library and his own skills, he was able to quickly take a position of the arcane science student in the local technological university and earn a degree in just five years. Overall, professors thought of Alva as a very promising student, so he was able to take a position of the junior arcane researcher.

At this point, Alva started to grow dark. Seeing, how Kingdom used pretty much the same technology as in the Nikola’s times with little to no advancement (how else would you explain such hi-tech control systems in the Nikola-built and then unmodified Flying Fortress?), how safety rules were violated from the very founding of the Kingdom (his parents died because of badly-placed and undermaintained catwalk, after all), how not-very-young corporations started to slip in the traditionally Azoth-monopolistic airship market (Tunguska Technologies, SaL-12 “Charizard” Assault Ship Aerodyne, which, thanks to high resilience and durability, low price, great fuel efficiency along with ability to use pretty much any liquid, gaseous or even gelatinous fuel, wide range of modifications and very easy repairs became widely-used platform for different machines, including even the VTOL cargo fliers and passenger transport) and how royalties weren’t doing a thing about it made him angry. After understanding this, Alva chose to become at least cabinet minister to try to, in the best case, influence royalties to take actions, or, if they won’t, take over the Kingdom and do it himself. Considering his genius, it didn’t take a long time.

The true reason why Alva sympathizes Raleigh is because cabinet minister sees himself in the young prince and does not want such a childhood for this young boy. If not for this, his plan wouldn’t even included Raleigh after the Alva takes the control over the Kingdom - he would’ve simply exiled or even executed everyone from the royal family and become the sole dictator, but friendship with the prince made Alva change his plans - in the new version, after the Alva takes control over the Kingdom, current king and Kimia are stripped of their positions, but left alive, Raleigh becomes a new king and, until he reaches the adulthood, former cabinet minister takes control of the Kingdom, while continuing to teach Raleigh arcane science and, as a part of preparation to become the king, politics and economics.

On top of everything above, the reason Alva is doing all of this is because he loves Azoth Kingdom very much and wants it to become mighty and prosperous once more, even if by such a dirty means.

BA-11 Ballguard (Magearna)

When I saw Magearna deploying from her ball form

I immediately thought of 80-X Boxguard from Deus Ex: Human Revolution:

And now each time I see this cute robot Pokemon (Magearna), I can’t help but think of her saying “ENTER COMBAT” or some other 80-X phrases in some strange mix of her and Boxguard’s voices.