*Main channel:* http://youtube.com/@TBSkyen
*Let’s plays:* http://youtube.com/@2BSkyen
*Reactions:* http://youtube.com/@3BSkyen
——————-
*Twitch:* http://twitch.tv/tbskyen
*Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/tbskyen, or on http://ko-fi.com/tbskyen*
*Merchandise:* http://crowdmade.com/collections/tbskyen
——————-
*SOCIALS*
BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/tbskyen.com
TUMBLR: http://ohnoitstbskyen.tumblr.com
——————-
Editing by: Minimo – https://youtube.com/@minimoYT
Pokemon Masters
35 Comments
I always liked that her updated color scheme is almost the exact color scheme/shape language of Shiny Milotic
Homestead I feel it is a really weak design, its original design carried a motif of fangs, with her hair having a W shape in each strand closing on each other with also a lot of sharp lines on her dress. But that thing was lowkey ruined with her redesign, that gave her a weird belt
Its always too basic, it doesn’t really say anything about her or her personality
This is one of the Pokemon designs that I just CANNOT deal with, the design team cooked waaaaaay too hard.
She looks very much like a gyaru to me in exactly the Gen II sprite
either the original design or the remake design, both are a hard smash
I honestly forgot all about her OG design, the Remake look appeals to me way more😂
It feels like it bears mentioning that "Dark" type is a bit of an odd translation (possibly brought about by the relatively sanitary standards of Nintendo at the time of Gen2), and that a more direct translation would be something along the lines of "Evil" type.
This is why Dark theming tends to involve nastiness, dirty tricks, and underhanded/sneak attacks; it plays into the exact same sort of dynamic as wrestling heels do, and there's a reasonable chance that Dark's weakness to Fighting attacks is a reference to the way that heels, inevitably, meet their defeat at the hands of the "heroic" or "clean" face.
Having her play into "hidden cruelty" with her glamorous appearance is definitely clever in that respect, it hits the same sorta buttons that the likes of Boa Hancock do in that sense.
The original design almost reminds me of a negligee, or other piece of clothing like a slip. It almost makes me think of a promiscuous woman.
Would.
I could never beat her as a kid, and that’s why I named a Houndour and Houndoom after her. Because she and that Houndoom taught me a valuable lesson, even tho I can’t articulate what the lesson was
I thought she was suppose to be like a femme fatal seductress. I can see these types of women being drawn to dark type pokemon.
asexual color palette
"Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites."
I've never seen the original art for her, I kinda prefer the old design tbh
Karen is in no way mean spirited or short or rude or whatever OP is attempting to convey. She’s the Agatha of Gold/Silver. The Sage. The wise one. She’s kneeling in an almost meditative position.
She’s the final elite 4 member, the one that espouses the basic theme of loving Pokemon beyond shallow features of power and strength. True trainers win with their favorites…Mean girl? Shes the kindest of all Elite 4 members.
Perhaps it would take such a person to love the evil (and wretched) dark types.
I love how in her first spirits the gabs between her bangs resemble horns I don’t know if it’s intentional but it’s a very fun way to push her dark typing
I actually would’ve liked to see Karen with blonde/ginger hair or her platinum hair from the original look. If she kept those colors, I would sense her being from North/Central Europe in real life because Karen seems to be a Danish name
I like to think Sabrina's new fashion in Gen 2 is cause she's friends with Karen
MEOW
Karen is literally the trainer who said "Winning with your favorite Pokemon is better than winning with the strongest Pokemon" so she was originally a dark design hiding a much sweeter person.
Find it very hard to believe mean girls use to dress more in black
Altought I guess it would make sense since they had a gothic people had a tendency to be viewed as bullies and rude who do take a lot of times in their appearance but in reality once you get to know them they may be blunt or rude at first but they are just people overall
And considering the fact that the mean girl changed from a goth to a preppy it almost seems weird they didn’t go with pink (but maybe that’s of the fairy type being pink but idk)
Karen can be mean to me any day of the week.
Mean girl? More like "hot mom" or "steal your husband", which I believe the latter of the two is more accurate, given how incineroar does the same thing.
Original color is better
I think the white-yellow colors and the silverish hair are deliberate contrasts to her type choice. She speaks about how people categorize Pokemon as strong or weak, when the point of battles is to develop bonds with your mons. So her design backs it up: she doesn't look or act like a Dark type Trainer but she still loves them just as much. It's all about defying preconceptions.
I really like what she says in GSC after her defeat: "Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites. I like your style. You understand what's important. Go on–the Champion is waiting." I have always thought that they are a great lesson from not an old sage, but from a Dark trainer, and from the most powerful one in Johto after Lance
Black, red and white hair…darkrai!
i would say she isnt a mean girl she is more like someone who doesnt mind to be cruel to someone else to protect someone… off of vibes
Karen never gave me mean girl vibes. She always came across as someone who just wanted what was best for her Pokémon. And if you look at her team they aren't all dark types despite her being the dark specialist. This is something like relates to the part of her famous quote about wanting trainers to win with their favorites. They may not all be dark type, but they are her favorite pokémon.
She was the reason i gave up beating pokemon Silver. The game does not tell you what's good against steel and dark, and i suffered from that lack of knowledge. Plus most if not all my mons were more prone to special attacks and her houndoom was an actual nightmare even multiple levels over. So i quit the game, and didn't pick up pokemon again until gen 6 (x and y, the games that got me back into pokemon).
But…. But Karen is not a dark type trainer, she has a Gengar and a Vileplume. She's a girl that uses her favorites!
Also she never struck me as a mean girl either, she seems quite gentle, at least to her pokemon
it‘s just funny to me that ofc a karen is a dark type specialist
I wouldn't say she's playing into the "mean girl" or "bully" archetype. She's more playfully deceptive/mysterious rather than anything else.
And Karen looks very cool, almost like a Gen 2 version of Cynthia. Especially because she’s associated with that famous phrase about “strong pokemon, weak pokemon,” which makes her sound wise and shows that she really values her connection to her team despite the dark type stereotype.
How does rhe pixel art have cake? How did they manage this?
She would fit perfectly with the Heathers 😂