Not sure if this is necessarily the right place for this, but I figured I'd share this here!
(Twitter Thread Here!)
(Twitter Thread Here!)
Parkémon: Pokémon X Theme Parks
For fun, I decided to combine my two favorite things: Theme parks and Pokémon! I figured I'd start out with two sets of starter Pokémon for two regions- one based on the Disney Parks, and one on Universal. First up, Disney!
With Disney, there's a ton of things I could do purely off the movies, but since this is the parks, I figured what better than three OG park originals to be our starters? Introducing the (currently nameless) Disney region starters!
These three lines are based on arguably the three biggest original parks attractions*- the Country Bear Jamboree, the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean! I wanted them to all read as clear references to their inspirations while still working as Pokémon on their own.
Grass Starter - Country Bear Jamboree - Grass/Ground type
For the grass starter, we have a line based on the Country Bear Jamboree. The general designs of the bears are based on many characters from the show- the first stage being based on Baby Oscar, the second based on Shaker, Wendell, and Ernest (Shaker's body with notes of Ernest and Wendell for the head), and the third on mainly Big Al, but with aspects of Henry in there (and maybe a little Ted with that hat shape, but I wasn't thinking of Ted while designing it.).
For the Pokemon's lore itself- the bear has a symbiotic relationship with the berry (bear-y?) bush that grows on its back. When it reaches its final evolution, Jambearee (the only name I've currently come up with for any of these), the berry bush has gotten so large, it's grown roots that wrap around the bear's body for stability. When Jambearee scratches at the roots, it produces sounds similar to that of an acoustic guitar. Using the roots connected to its paws, it can change the pitch of the string roots (similar to a guitarist pressing down on guitar strings).
If I were to do Mega Evolutions, I imagine that I'd incorporate Sammy in there, giving Jambearee Parental Bond/As One as an ability.
Fire Starter - The Haunted Mansion - Fire/Ghost type
Next up, the fire starter! This one is based on the Haunted Mansion. I originally planned on doing something based on the Wax Man, but it felt too close to Litwick. Plus, starters have always been animals, never objects. So I went for the most notable animal in the ride- the raven! The second stage adds in a subtle element of the beating heart bride, with a eternal flame over its heart. The final evolution takes inspiration from a lot of concepts- the Hatbox Ghost, the organ, the wallpaper eyes, Rolly Crump's Museum of the Weird concept art, and even the concept of 999 Happy Haunts!
In terms of lore- this Pokemon can set fire to its feathers by concentrating its body heat to the tips of its wings. This results in their bodies often feeling cold, as if they were dead, despite being alive. The final evolution collects souls and stores them under its feathers. Some have collected as many as nine hundred and ninety-nine spirits, but they're always looking for more.
Water Starter - Pirates of the Caribbean - Water/Dark type
Lastly, the water starter! This one is a bit more out there compared to the other two. Since the fire starter was using the Ghost type, I decided on using Dark for this line. I considered using the prison dog as a basis, but went for one of the pooped pirate's pigs instead, as I thought it fit better- though I suppose a salty sea dog could've worked! The stripe markings on the pigs are meant to represent the stereotypical striped shirt pirates wear. The gold tusks and claws represent gold teeth and treasure in general. The pigs breathing bubbles represent the drunk pirates. The manes on the last two stages represent, respectively, a bandana and a pirate hat feather. Lastly, the markings for the last two stages represent bones!
For lore- all I have so far for these guys is that they produce bubble bombs from their tails to throw around and cause chaos! They love collecting shiny objects.
That's all I have for now. Let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas/suggestions for other Fakemon based on theme park attractions and characters!
