New Pokemon Story Announcement

In July 2022, I visited the Boston Museum of Science with my sister, and one of the employees showed off their collection of Pokemon toys and trading cards. I was surprised to see an adult outside the internet show off their passion for Pokemon! I also saw skulls of different animals native to Massachusetts, namely a bear, deer, fox, otter, and beaver. I was immediately reminded of their Pokemon counterparts, and it made me think: What is Massachusetts was a Pokemon Region? For the rest of the year, I brainstormed what a Massachusetts-themed Pokemon region, named Chuso, would look like. For those following me on Facebook and Instagram, you may remember me making my own Pokemon species such as Zapmunk, Terrafowl, Elkcicle, and Rascoon. These are all part of Chuso, and a story I get to go with it.

Set one year after the events of my fanfic 'Rise of Rainbow Rocket', Ghetsis, who now runs the Mahogany Gym, has gotten younger after touching one of Xerneas's crystals. When he learns that the Tao Trio (Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem) inhabit Chuso, he decides to reunite Team Plasma to capture one of the Pokemon (depending on the version) and use it to make Pokemon disappear and replace them with smaller and less powerful creatures, animals! Now, it's up to Joe to defeat Team Plasma 2.0, save the world, and as usual, defeat the eight Gym Leaders!

As far as mechanics go, I don't imagine anything super fancy, though I do imagine Mega Evolutions returning. However, the most exciting thing Chuso have to offer is the ability to use seven Pokemon at a time instead of just six. I was inspired by one of my favorite video games of all time: Plants vs. Zombies. In this video game, you have to defeat an armada of zombies with your very own army of plants, such as Peashooters, Cherry Bombs, Cabbage-Pults, and Squashes. At the start of the game, you can only use up to six plants per level, but as you progress, you can collect in-game coins to buy seed packets to use up to seven, eight, nine, and even ten plants per level!

When I played Plants vs. Zombies for the first time, I thought to myself 'Why doesn't Pokemon do that'? That's why for Chuso, Trainers are free to use seven Pokemon instead of just six.

Just like Rise of Rainbow Rocket, there will be lots of Pokemon in my story, titled 'Joe's Adventure in Chuso', including the relatively new Poison/Steel-Type engine Revavroom. For some chapters, you have to choose if you want either Reshiram or Zekrom to be the main focus: I'm essentially writing two stories for the most part.

Joe's Adventure in Chuso will arrive March 7th.

Movie Review: Imagine That

Movie Review: Imagine That                                                                                                            2-17-23

Imagine That tells the story of a divorced father named Evan Danielson. Evan is a successful financial advisor, but his world is turned upside-down when newer employee Johnny Whitefeather is hired as his rival. It gets worse when his daughter Olivia is becoming wrapped in fantasy with her special blanket, affectionately called a ‘goo-gaa’. However, Olivia loves her goo-gaa, and screams her lungs out whenever it’s taken away. Evan’s ex-wife Trish advises him that he should take care of Olivia for a week. When Evan takes Olivia to work, he discovers that she has a special talent of predicting within the financial world by playing with her goo-gaa and talking to her imaginary friends. By spending time with Olivia, Evan not only becomes the talk of the town, but also learns how to be a better daughter.

Imagine That may not have the most original story and has a message that has been done many times about an overworked father learning to appreciate his children (think Mary Poppins or Hook), but the film overcomes this with strong acting, a good score from the talented Mark Mancina, and an imaginative world that is never even seen.

Olivia helping make pancakes with unconventional toppings.

While other films like Bridge to Terabithia and Middle School: Worst Years of My Life would visualize imaginary worlds, Olivia’s world, ruled by Queen Qwali and her three daughters, is never seen. There’s a pet dragon, a detour through France, and mermaids who like to eat popcorn balls. None of these is visualized, so it’s up to the viewer’s imagination to see what Qwali and the princesses look like.

If I were to critique one thing, I feel that Imagine That drags on longer than it should. With a running time of 107 minutes, this movie easily outlasts every other mainstream animated movie that year!

In conclusion, Imagine That is definitely not best of the year, but it doesn’t deserve a Razzi nomination, either (which it did). In fact, this is a move that’s perfect for Father’s Day if you’re sick of Finding Nemo or A Goofy Movie. Imagine That is also a lot of fun for those who enjoyed Will Ferrall making a fool out of himself in Elf, as Eddie Murphy, who plays Evan in this film, does similar antics.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.