hi i'll never get over the few golden times pokemon games have used in-game mechanics as incredibly subtle yet effective storytelling techniques. like the fact that in gsc/hgss silver uses a zubat/golbat for a majority of the game until the end when it's evolved into a crobat which is only possible through max friendship meaning he finally learned to love his pokemon. or the fact that team bosses like maxie, archie, and cyrus all have a crobat, showing that despite their evil they very much do bond with their pokemon (this being especially telling for cyrus). and yet despite so many team bosses being so horrid to the world, they at least are loving toward their pokemon, which makes ghetsis all the more revolting and terrifying when you realize that his hydreigon (which is underleveled, implying a forced early evolution) knows the move frustration, a move which gains power the more the pokemon hates the trainer, and it has maximum power
shit like that just makes me go fuckin wild
