PMDO Catalogue||Overview
Just a little overview and links for the PMDO group, since among other things I use my tracker on Google spreadsheets now.
Tracker: >>Here<<
Active Characters
The Peacekeepers: Emerald Enforcers
Cress | Rainey | Matcha | Kiwan | Cino | Violet | Pecan | Tikko
The Guild: Trade Guild
The Outlaws: Blue Spirit Outlaws
The Rebels: Lexin Wayfarers
Cursive = Spy
Active Teams
Seaweed | Gentle Breeze | Atropa Belladonna | Fluffy Troublemakers
Forest Dwellers | Fox Tails | Magic Missile | Still Waters Run Deep
Cursive = Collab Teams
Personal NPCs
Summary: Storyline Overview
Useful Links
Moving forward
Where to find me:
Inkblot: kiwiko
BlueSky: Kiwiko
ArtFight: Kiwiko
Tumblr: inukkiarts
Toyhouse: Inuki
DeviantArt*: Bowtzel
I already wrote this on BlueSky this morning and I think it's time to mention it here as well.
It's obvious that Deviantart has been going downhill for years, Eclipse wasn't even the tip of the iceberg.
In recent days Deviantart has been actively promoting... "artists" who are raking in big bucks with AI "art", making over 10k, instead of supporting human artists who work hard on their art and invest a lot of time and don't even come close to making that kind of money.
Above all, the staff don't seem to care, even hiding comments from people who are rightly upset about this.
I've already mentioned this in a comment or two to others here, and it's not usually my way of saying this because besides all these flubs, I've had my fun with the PMD groups I'm in, and I've met great people over the years, but I honestly don't know if I want to be on dA anymore.
I won't disappear completely, of course. I'll be uploading my stuff to other platforms in the future while still focusing on dA for my ARPG content.
Feel free to follow me there if you want to see pictures other than PMD and other group content.
It will take time though, many pages have not been used for years and need a general overhaul.
BlueSky: I currently use it very often, in addition to posting pictures I also sometimes post little ramblings. Inkblot: I've had this account for a while, but never used it. I just recently posted my first image and there will be more over the days. Will use it alongside BlueSky in the future as a dA alternative that contains little or no ARPG group content.
Toyhouse: I've had Toyhouse for a very long time, but I haven't used it for years. It will take me a while to update it, but I'll keep at it as soon as time allows.
Artfight: After AF 2023 and at the beginning of the year, I pondered for a long time whether I would take part or not.
I decided to take part again this year, thanks to my new working environment. :D
Tumblr: Has been a bit neglected lately thanks to BlueSky, but it's one of my oldest platforms where I still upload pictures. I'm still here sometimes and reblog postings, I have a lot of catching up to do. Since I follow a lot of PMD groups there, I also sometimes post my ARPG content here. Also plan to participate in this year's Hero-Partner Week if time permits, even if it's just sketches.
Deviantart-Bowtzel: At the beginning of the year I played with the idea of separating my ARPG content and normal content, but dropped with the thought of how much work it would take.
Nevertheless, I created this account two weeks ago.
But I'm not sure yet, and if I do, it will take some time anyway, mostly during my summer vacation. And until then there's still time to reconsider.
But depending on how I decide, be it here (Kiweyko) or on Bowtzel, you will only see my ARPG content here, cleaning out my gallery and selected images will be uploaded to Inkblot, for the rest I will make an archive via my Google Docs.
This will take a while and there will be another announcement.
Honestly it's super unfortunate, and for those of you who aren't interested in my PMD Group content, I'd like to sincerely thank you for your support over the years, and hope to see you on the other side. :D
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Um, one more little thing?
I can't cancel my Core xD?
A few years ago I treated myself to the "Till Hell Freezes Over" status of my Core (then known as a Premium account) during an offer, which is nothing more than a Premium/Core for 10 years.
Since it costs 200 dollars at auto-renewal, and I don't want to pocket any more money due to current situation on dA, I want to cancel the renewal, but...I can't xD?
FAQ said "3 dot menu, you can set it there." But I only get redirected to the page where I can upgrade my core xD?
I deleted my payment info in the hope that it won't work. The automatic renewal is next year, but I bet I'll have forgotten about it by then xD.
Welp, Pokemon Day is coming soon
Pokemon Day is coming up soon and I think I'll add my two cents as well.
It's hard to ignore the fact that games nowadays need longer intervals instead of just slapping something on in a hurry. Ultimately, it's all about the money.
I have to admit that despite the flaws I liked Scarlet, I also got Violet, which I will play at some point, especially to fill my Living Dex on Home, I'll mention something about that later.
But even I can't deny the flaws, and the botched graphics, I got a slight headache in places due to the flickering, distant objects.
Fortunately, I never had serious bugs like a corrupt savegame, but I did have an invisible picnic table, and I once got stuck on the wall when I jumped against it while riding Koraidon during a Shiny hunt for Roaring Moon to avoid a pair of Pawmo and couldn't get away.
The first DLC...I didn't think it was bad at all, I liked the story about Ogerpon and the three companions, of which Fezandipiti is my favorite among them.
The second one felt more like a huge preview of Unova, and in my opinion the Terapagos storyline was also just rushed, it was barely noticed and there was too much focus on Kieran. Too bad, Terapagos is really cute, and it would have had so much potential, which was unfortunately missed.
Especially since Terapagos had a mention in the books, a better story could have been built around that than a boy who has inferiority complexes (sorry for the choice of words).
I think it's obvious that I love Unova and even want a Unova game more than Johto. Still, I'm afraid of an announcement of a possible remake. I bought BDSP with high expectations, and was disappointed. What's worse is that it's both games, and since it was a downloadable title, I can't sell it or give it away either. I abandoned the game in Veilstone City, and I'd rather go back to Platinum.
The chibi look didn't appeal to me, it was kind of tough, and for me it wasn't a remake but a copy of Diamond and Pearl with a new skin.
Legends Arceus, on the other hand, was pretty good, and I loved it! I remember sitting at the beginning for hours just to fill up Starly's dex. Looking forward to a replay when I get to it! :D
Sword and Shield were alright on the first playthrough. Still, it got stuck because of the dexit, which honestly bothers me to this day. Still my favorite Pokemon haven't appeared in a modern game, which are the three monkeys. Sure, these Pokemon aren't popular, but it doesn't excuse the fact of putting them back in a game that isn't a possible remake.
I read that someone wrote that they waste 9 whole slots in the Pokedex, which in theory the Eevee line does as well, only with the difference that these Pokemon are more popular. Furfrou and the Patrat line share the same fate.
Back to Gen8. The game felt incredibly tough and boring on the second playthrough, and was glad to have finished it. I didn't particularly like Dynamax on the whole if I'm honest.
With Gen9 being introduced quite soon, the games quickly felt swept under the carpet.
The worst ones for me personally though were Gen7. Alola was so mega tough and boring. USUM improved some aspects, but even then I was glad to have finished the game. I didn't like the region, I didn't like that there were no gyms, and I didn't like the plot. Only the Pokemon could somehow save it.
The games definitely need more time to develop. They were on a good path with the story in Scarlet/Violet, I liked the plot around Arven and Mabosstiff, and yes, I even shed a tear.
It's the outside stuff that needs more than a polish. The older games had more love in them, I quite liked Kalos as well, but you could tell there was a rush to produce new games as infrequently as possible to rake in more cash. That's a real shame, because I still love the Pokemon series.
If you think about it, the games are not the main source of income, but the TGC and merchandise. To be honest, that's my own fault, I recently bought the Pokemon Fit Toys from the Unova monkeys and the Snivy series.
The gap between Gen4 and Gen5 was about 4 years, in the meantime we were treated to spin offs like PMD and Ranger, and that was perfectly fine. Why not do the same? We've been waiting for a new PMD for a while now.
At the moment I'm playing the older games myself, mainly because I'm doing a project inspired by a German Poketuber. An Origin Dex, I'm making a Living Dex with Pokemon from their original edition. I'm currently playing Emerald, and it's fun! After that will probably be Red on the Virtual Console.
However, the "Pokemon crisis" has no influence on my content. I separate my passion for PMD groups and PMD from the main games, as it's independent in my eyes. Besides, I like my characters too much to let them drop because of that.
I typed this up quickly before my shift starts, sorry if it looks a bit rushed, but I wanted to get this off my chest before I go to work.
2024
2024 is only a few hours away for me. Well, not quite, it's already 2pm at the time I'm writing this.
I haven't made any big plans or resolutions for next year. As they say, things always turn out differently than you think, plan or intend. I've felt that this year in particular. Especially in the summer.
I take everything as it comes.
For example: An update from my work. I wanted to switch workplaces and it didn't go as planned because the person who was originally supposed to move to the new store didn't want to leave... because they're only open for an extra hour, which will change from 2024 and will be aligned with the working hours of other stores?
I want to leave because I was harassed and had to do almost everything on my own.
They've found a middle way and I'm now a stand-in until a solution is found.
That's fine with me, because one of them is still on sick leave until around March, so I'm often there than in my still-regular branch and I also get a stand-in bonus.
What will probably still happen in 2024 is a stay in rehab for a few weeks. I'm still shaken up from what happened at work, and you can forget about therapy places in the area.
Rehab can also take a while to be approved, but the application will be made by my doctor and the chances are a bit higher. I just need some space to recover properly.
Other than that, hmmm... I completely switched to CSP this year and rarely use Sai2 anymore. I'm still struggling a bit, but I think it's slowly getting better.
I made 2 VNs this year...they are nothing special and still contain flaws, they are simple stories, but I am proud of myself for making them. There will definitely be more to come, even if it will take me forever, just like with my comics. I may focus a bit more on that in 2024, especially with a lot of PMD Outlaws still unfinished, including Missions 1 and 2, and the heists "The Raiders of the Warehouse101" and "The Masked Stranger".
At the moment I'm working on the retelling of M0: Want a little preview?
I may also do something different with my main characters, I've mentioned an alternate story many times and may realize it outside of PMD Outlaws, but I may wait until both have evolved to avoid a lot of confusion with the same species. Kiwan will evolve soon, Rainey might take a while, I'm putting it around mission 5 if not later depending on how the plot develops.
Why not other characters? Well, I've built this AU story around these characters, it doesn't fit with others, and it's also possibly for another PMD group, which isn't entirely focused on that and can be continued, should it (hopefully NOT, none of them) meet the same fate as most PMD groups and end early.
The same is also the idea for a team with Matcha and Clover, blame it on a April Fool's doodle I drew last year xD
But these are just ideas that's still far in the back of my mind and will continue to be. (Here are some quotes)
At the moment I'm still focusing on Outlaws with my two main teams Seaweed and Atropa Belladonna, and doing smaller stuff with Callie and Cai when time allows.
Otherwise, Art Fight. I don't know if I'll take part in 2024. I drew over 20+ artworks and had a lot of fun with it apart from the drama in the background. I was pretty exhausted after the event and then the live shitshow started at work |D
But on the other hand, I like to participate, and if I do, it won't be as much as this year. We'll see, my mind may change :D
What else I might do...I'm called Kiwi almost everywhere, often call myself Kiwi/Kiwiko on other platform, and will probably change my dA name to something Kiwi related. It will be hard because many are already taken. |D
I think that's all I have to say at the moment! Have a good start into next year, depending on where you are! Love you all!
Your Kiwi/Tanukky
PMD Groups ramble
Some days when I'm not doing anything because my head is empty for drawing, I like to browse through old PMD stuff like PMDE, PMDU or Tales of Tabira.
I'll start with PMDE, the group that started it all. My two main characters were Fio the Drifloon and the Shiny Mareep Peaches.
These characters still exist today and admittedly are still used. Maybe it's because I never got to a conclusion?
And there were other interests and RL getting in the way to some extent, and between 2017/18-2021 I was rather inactive on dA.
Fio also changed species.
This idea originated on a short story about how she joined Lizzy and Paoro. I made a page by having Deerling-Fio pass away and live on as Drifloon.
This page was deleted and I don't own it anymore. But I liked the idea Fio as Deerling, so...she is now as she is xD
If I were to continue the story...or even start from the beginning...it would be fun to have her appear as Deerling, but on the other hand I would keep her as Drifloon, just because of...well...back then. But I would change the backstory, and pick up the idea from Tales of Tabira.
So she died as Deerling and lives on as Drifloon.
It may have taken place years before the events of PMD-E. She may vaguely remember her old life asDeerling, but she tried to come to terms with it and drifted with the wind, where she eventually met Peaches and became friends.
The possibilities are a lot, Fio might have gotten tangled in a tree, and Peaches helped her out of trouble.
During her travels, Fio saw many things, perhaps including the Merchant Guild in Tao, convinced Peaches and became members.
Of course, the plot of her missing father would no longer fit, but Peaches might meet Fio as a Deerling in PMD-E's past arc.
I never got around to finishing Fio's Mission 8, and maybe it's just as well.
To be honest, I have no idea for a conclusion, but there are many possibilities. It doesn't have to mean that the guilds disbanded after the group closed, maybe they still do their work and have adventures. It's been over 10 years, and like many former members, I moved on.
I wonder if Fio will meet Colin. Maybe.
Fun Fact: My Buizel Nico was originally intended to be a Pansage, but I failed to draw that Pokemon back then.
I thought their romance was too fast, with no story and plot, and it still bothers me a bit today.
After the closure PMDUnity was opened quite quickly, and used Fio again, this time with Colin.
I somehow never got around to creating a real story, there was never a real dynamic between the two, it just wasn't like it was in PMDE anymore, which is why shortly before I became inactive I rather used Team Aurora Borealis and made them my main team. And yes, this group is still in its never ending hiatus.
Once I tried to rejoin with a new team, despite the hiatus, but nothing came of it either xD
Rival Gates... I love this group and I follow the plot. At the time I created Lizzy and Matcha, but RL was more important (I wasn't well at the time, and also got seriously ill months later, 2016 was just a shitty year for me).
Until today I always try to create a team and participate. When I finally set with Team Seaweed, new PMD groups were popping up at the time, and I wanted to be in a group from the beginning and ended up in PMD Outlaws.
Still...maybe I'll get around to creating a team for RG again, and maybe participate with artworks at least a little. My thought would be a Totodile character, or Tropius or Fidough.
Then there was Tales of Tabira. I joined quite late, and reused my Espurr Lizzy, (who is now an NPC of mine in PMD Outlaws), and the Phanpy Paoro.
Months later, ToT also closed.
2020 was...dumb. This pandemic, the strict rules, and also IRLcrap...it really got to my mind and motivation. Also, my old laptop was slower than a snail and my graphic tablet broke, so I had to borrow it from my sister.
A year later I felt better. I got motivated again (thanks to some awesome PMD comics who inspired me), could afford a new laptop and graphic tablet, and started participating in a PMD group again. Rival Gates, but as mentioned new groups popped up and I joined one of those where I am still active, and having fun too! :D
I also wanted to join ATBU and continue with another team in RG, but due to a rebuild at work, two pointless additions, causing more stress and work, and taking up more work time, I unfortunately only have time for one atm and even there I don't get anything done properly, although I would like to ^^;
Once I changed my workplace, I will have more time again.
In between I got the idea of a Matcha-Clover team thanks to an April Fools doodle, later also a team with Rainey and Kiwan - in an AU.
I could have just changed Rainey's backstory in Outlaws, but there are small things where some plot points doesn't fit anymore. Theoretically I could start completely from scratch, but that would be a lot of work, and I progressed to far that it's not worth it.
I'll keep that in mind tho Either for another PMD group (probably once the two have evolved to avoid confusion over using the same characters/species in different groups, at least the species is different), or even something separate from PMD groups? The future will tell.
As I said, it's just an idea in the back of my mind. I'm still focusing on PMD Outlaws, and the plot of my characters.
Thanks to the groups I started to find joy in drawing again, or even finishing two VNs, and most of all meeting new great people (here and Discord), and helped me for a shy and quiet person like me to interact at least a bit.
By the way, I once planned to make an account for PMD content...but I discarded it. |D
What do you think about it?
Sorry for my long ramble, sometimes I have to write down my thoughts. |D
Heads up!
It's a bit bumpy at the moment, which has mostly to do with my job. Leaving aside the vacation season, the staff shortage doesn't seem to be improving.
Especially towards the end of August, it seems like there's a curse.
When I think I mentioned it was getting better, I got a call from a colleague's daughter saying she fell off her bike and broke her leg. (Get well soon! This is something that can happen to EVERYONE).
And since this week another one underwent surgery....
The other one is sick for every little thing, so to speak.
We have replacements, but they are mostly newbies who have to be trained first.
Next week, one is on vacation and it looks pretty grim that as I've heard it, the closes earlier than usual, or even completely closed at the time (me and the one who always makes sick for every little thing would be the only ones without the replacements).
The only good thing is:
I won't be there much longer. I have to admit, my mental health has been a little...banged up for a while and have been in treatment for it since June. Therapy places are hard to come by the way, am still looking.
Two weeks ago I plucked up the courage and talked to my boss that I wanted to change stores, and that was approved! :D
In November I'm working at a store in the neighboring town, with luck in October.
I do feel sorry for some of my colleagues, but there were a lot of things that have been bothering me for a while (this one colleague I had a beef with (meanwhile others as well, but my boss don't do anything about it)), that constant bitching, and most importantly: they don't take responsibility and leave all the logistics to ME. We also have lottery, and when I wondered this week why no tickets came although I had ordered them, I checked, and they have touched NOTHING for two weeks. As an example.
And yes, small flubs happened to me too, nothing bad, ordered too much paper stock, but so the others are fine out of it..u.u
...and before I also become one of the long-term sick, I had to dare this step. I have to look after myself and my own health, not after others.
Also, in the last few weeks there were a couple of other things where a lot of paperwork had to be done, and I'm short on cash because of a recent high repair cost and heating oil, but that will also improve next month.
It's just been...a lot lately.
I hope October will be good! I think it will be good! Despite everything, I'm still trying to be optimistic.
As soon as I start working at the other store, I will have more time for my hobbies and other stuff. And the working envoirement is much better. I have been there many times as a substitute and I am sure that my time here will be much better! Maybe until retirement xD