Dr Lava

135 Pages of New Pokemon Translations

Hey y'all. Apologies it's been a while since I've added a new translation article here on Patreon, but I've got two for you today that add up to about 135 pages. Also got another short one coming fairly soon, just waiting on some artwork I commissioned to come in so it can be included in the translation article (to illustrate spritework that's described in the interview).

The first interview added today is with Masakazu Kubo. You've probably never heard of him before, but Japanese fans probably have. He was producer on Gen 1, producer/supervisor on Pokemon anime and movies, and one of the "three leaders of the Pokemon business." Most of the interviews translated on my website are about Pokemon game development, but this one's more about Pokemon as a business. Like all Patreon-only translations, the password to access is "Pokemon History Club". Here's the link: https://lavacutcontent.com/masakazu-kubo-pokemon-interview/

The other translation is 130 pages in length. It's a Japanese book published in August 2000, titled "Game Freak: The Creative Group Rewriting the Rules in the World of Play." The book's author is Akihito Tomisawa, who worked for Game Freak starting in the late 1980's (before Red & Green were even released), and has continued to work on Pokemon games as recently as Sword & Shield. Unlike usual, I'm not adding it to my website -- due to the ridiculous length, instead I'm giving it to you as a text document with some page scans attached. You can download all that here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18Z8ne_X0bM7ggqTczKWop_rUXHYBG5V8?usp=sharing

You can find lots more publicly-available Pokemon translations on my website, lavacutcontent.com. And here's a complete list of Patreon-only translations, so you don't have to scroll down through old Patreon posts to find them. The password to access all of them is "Pokemon History Club":

1. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

2. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

3. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

4. Translations of all 21 Pokemon pages from the 2014 art book Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-scans

5. The 5 page interview from Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-translation

6. Professor Oak and Bill's lectures from 1996 Pokedex book: http://lavacutcontent.com/professor-oak-lecture-1996/

7. Takashi Kawaguchi (Gen 1 producer) on Satoshi Tajiri's original Pokemon pitch: http://lavacutcontent.com/takashi-kawaguchi-pokemon-interview/

8. Video interview translation about Celebi's creation: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-zs_vWyockqdFL3v20fvZbeOR2i7pmp7?usp=sharing

And here's a couple more downloads you might be interested in:

1. Scans of the Japan-only "New Hoenn Artbook": https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uuwF4csHkhpjX19icX06U6AMGJ6r_YSM?usp=sharing

2. All 3030 Diamond & Pearl beta sprites: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14fKFk1x1gQpt1X081pAUmYzA9DyWV5O9?usp=sharing

Thanks again guys -- I really appreciate y'all's support, and I'll have more for you soon. Have a good week.

Some New Translations and Other Stuff

A couple weeks ago I added a Satoshi Tajiri book translation publicly available on my website: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-new-game-design/

And here's a new video translation from Game Freak's Japanese YouTube channel about Celebi's creation. It's in this Patreon-only google drive link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-zs_vWyockqdFL3v20fvZbeOR2i7pmp7?usp=sharing

I should note that in the Celebi video, the developers say they added rumored Gold & Silver content (Celebi at the Ilex Forest Shrine) into HeartGold & SoulSilver -- but they appear to be misremembering. I'm pretty certain they meant Crystal, not HGSS. There are also two Mew video translations in that same link above. If you're interested, here's a scripted video I wrote that incorporates the highlights from those two Mew translation, along with information from other sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esIL1W_QBns

And here's some downloads that were linked in Patreon posts a few years back but needed to be updated.

Scans of the Japan-only "New Hoenn Artbook": https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uuwF4csHkhpjX19icX06U6AMGJ6r_YSM?usp=sharing

All 3030 Diamond & Pearl beta sprites: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14fKFk1x1gQpt1X081pAUmYzA9DyWV5O9?usp=sharing

Those DP sprites leaked in 2019 -- it's the batch that show a lot of scrapped gender differences. The download is for the raw sprites, but if you want to read more info about them, see this page: http://lavacutcontent.com/gen-4-beta-sprites-leak/

And for an interview I did with the leaker in 2019, see this page: http://lavacutcontent.com/pokemon-beta-leaker-statement/

Links to all other Patreon-only translations can be found in the previous Patreon post. I know some of y'all are only interested in the scans and translations, but for the folks also interested in the scripted videos I write for DYKG (my day job), here's a link to a playlist of all 42 of those videos (about half are Pokemon-related):  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbBYbPZZXI70NqMYzCH42IsETfAhw0gQ9

A video landing on YouTube in about 2 weeks will focus on Pokemon Gray and Pokemon Z (already written, still being edited), and I'm currently working on a Pokemon book translation video that'll be about 2 hours long. Similar to that Pokedex book translation I did last year.

Thanks guys, I very much appreciate y'all's support. Hope you're having a good weekend.

New Japanese Magazine Translation (HeartGold/SoulSilver, 7 pages)

Hey guys, got a lengthy HeartGold/SoulSilver magazine interview translation for you today. The original Japanese interview was published as seven pages in the November 2009 edition of Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream, right around the same time HeartGold & SoulSilver launched in Japan. The primary focus of the interview are Johto’s origins, inspirations, and why certain decisions were made, both in the original Gold & Silver, as well as the remakes. Some of the characters and Pokemon are also discussed, including Ho-oh and Lugia. Other games are touched on as well, mostly DPPt. Here's the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/morimoto-heartgold-soulsilver-interview/

Like all the Patreon-only translations, the password to access it is "Pokemon History Club". For your convenience, here are the other 8 Patreon translations. Same password.

1. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

2. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

3. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

4. Translations of all 21 Pokemon pages from the 2014 art book Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-scans

5. The 5 page interview from Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-translation

6. Pokemon Colosseum interview and concept art: http://lavacutcontent.com/pokemon-colosseum-developer-interview/

7. Professor Oak and Bill's lectures from 1996 Pokedex book: http://lavacutcontent.com/professor-oak-lecture-1996/

8. Takashi Kawaguchi (Gen 1 producer) on Satoshi Tajiri's original Pokemon pitch: http://lavacutcontent.com/takashi-kawaguchi-pokemon-interview/

New 9 Page Translation (Gen 3)

Hey guys, I know I tend to make these updates super long, so I'll keep today's short. I just posted a new and very long interview with Sugimori and Masuda covering Ruby & Sapphire's development. As usual, the password to access is "Pokemon History Club", and here's the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-gen-3-interview/

Links to about a dozen more Patreon-exclusive interviews can be found in the two previous Patreon posts. Thanks as always for y'all's support, and there are more translations and videos on the way. Cheers.

2 Translations, 1 Video, Some Updates

Hey guys, I've got three things for y'all today, and a few updates. The first is an interview with Takashi Kawaguchi, Gen 1's producer and the man who Tajiri pitched the Capumon concept to. Next, some of y'all have been asking for a (47 page) text version of the 1996 Japanese Pokedex that I wrote a series of videos on about 3 months ago. And yesterday, a video I wrote about Mew's origins went up on YouTube. As usual, the articles are Patreon-exclusive and thus password-protected. The password is "Pokemon History Club".

Kawaguchi interview: http://lavacutcontent.com/takashi-kawaguchi-pokemon-interview/

1996 Japanese Pokedex: https://lavacutcontent.com/1996-creatures-pokedex-translation-1/

Mew Origins video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esIL1W_QBns

And now for some updates. Over the past couple months I've had one my Japan-based interpreters translating a book written in 2000 by Game Freak developer Akihito Tomisawa. It's about 300 pages, but only the first 120 are about Pokemon. So pretty soon I'll be posting all 120 pages here on Patreon. Due to the ridiculous length, I won't be including much of my own commentary for it, like I do with most translations. The Carddass card set was on hiatus for a while because the guy I hired to work on them couldn't do them anymore, but now they're back in the works -- currently being isolated and enhanced by HiResPokemon. That 34 page Tajiri interview I've mentioned previously is also in the works, but the fact-checking and commentary-writing's taking longer than usual due to its length and complicated nature of what Tajiri talks about. And there's also the issue of Lost Pokemon designs I talked a while back. Still in the works, but taking forever. My apologies -- if I'd known the process would take as long as it has, I wouldn't have teased it months back. I should've waited till it was almost time to release them. I'll fill y'all in on the details when I'm able.

There are also quite a few more Pokemon videos in the vein of the Mew Origins video that I've already written, but still need to be recorded and edited. One is based on an interview I conducted with the developer of a cancelled Pokemon spin-off game. Kind of a scoop, if I do say so myself.

Okay that's it for today. Sorry this update took me longer than usual -- as the projects get bigger, they take longer to finish. Also I took a couple weeks off from dealing with translations after experiencing some burnout -- but I kept paying for more translations during that time (it never stops actually), so my taking a break didn't slow things down too bad. Thanks guys :)

Oh and btw, all previous Patreon-exclusive articles are linked in the previous Patreon post. In case you missed them.

- Dr Lava

New: 8 Page Tajiri Interview (1997)

Hey y'all. So today's translation is an 8 page interview with Satoshi Tajiri talking about Gen 1 and 2's development, and also just having a bit of fun (he gives away a Red cartridge where the player's named Dumbass). It was originally published in the November 1997 issue of Japanese magazine Famimaga 64. As usual, I've included some outside sources and commentary. Like all the Patreon-only articles, the password to access is "Pokemon History Club". Here's the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-1997-interview/(edit: broken link, use this link instead: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-Tajiri-1997-interview/)

In my last update I said an interview with Gen 1 producer Takashi Kawaguchi was up next, but I got this Tajiri interview and enjoyed it so much that I decided to move it up in the queue. Before I started doing these translations, there were only two Tajiri interviews available online in English, so I've sort of been on a mission to up that number as much as possible. This is the fourth I've posted so far, and I've also got that 34 page Tajiri interview coming up in the near future.

The restorations of Carddass cards are starting up again. There's been some turnover from previous enhancers getting too busy with real jobs, but now HiResPokemon's gonna be taking over, which is great news. The highest priority project, obtaining a bunch of new Lost Pokemon designs, is still in the works but progressing slowly. Just gonna have to ask y'all to be patient on that one, because the pace is unfortunately out of my control during this stage.

Below are links to all the previous Patreon-exclusive articles. The password for all of them is "Pokemon History Club". Thanks again for y'all's support, it really means a lot, and helps keep the wheels turning. Cheers mates.

1. Translation from the Pokedex book, all nine Game Freak developers are interviewed to discuss Gen 1's development (1996): http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-pokedex-interview

2. Tajiri and Ishihara interview translation about Game Freak and Pokemon's early days (2000): 

  a. Part 1 is freely and publicly available on my website: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

  b. Part 2 is only on Patreon: http://lavacutcontent.com/tajiri-tsunekazu-ishihara-interview/

3. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

4. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

5. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

6. Translations of all 21 Pokemon pages from the 2014 art book Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-scans

7. The 5 page interview from Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-translation

8. Pokemon Colosseum interview and concept art: http://lavacutcontent.com/pokemon-colosseum-developer-interview/

9. Professor Oak and Bill's lectures from 1996 Pokedex book: http://lavacutcontent.com/professor-oak-lecture-1996/

10. Masuda talks Game Freak's early days: http://lavacutcontent.com/masuda-game-freak-history/

New Translation: Game Freak Origins

Hey folks. So today's translation is a 5 page interview with Junichi Masuda discussing the early days of Game Freak and Pokemon. As usual, I've included some outside sources, including about 25 translated pages from the Satoshi Tajiri biographical manga. Like all the Patreon-only articles, the password to access is "Pokemon History Club". Here's the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/masuda-game-freak-history/

Next up is an interview translation with Gen 1 producer Takashi Kawaguchi. I'm sure y'all have all heard of the 1990 Capumon pitch. Well, Kawaguchi was the guy who Tajiri pitched it to -- he was the guy sitting across the table from Tajiri. Then the next article's gonna be a 34 page Tajiri interview from May 2000. It's super long -- the longest interview he ever did -- so I'm gonna break it up into three parts and post them a week or two apart.

I mentioned a few posts back that I'm in the process of acquiring some never-before-seen Lost Pokemon designs. I just wanted to let y'all know it's still progressing, although much slower than I'd like. Unfortunately the speed is out of my control. But it's still moving forward, and I'm very excited about it. I've also hired Nob Ogasawara to translate all 70 pages of the Pokemon Colosseum manga, but that'll take some time as well.

Below are links to all the previous Patreon-exclusive articles. The password for all of them is "Pokemon History Club". Thanks again for y'all's support, it really means a lot, and helps keep the wheels turning. Cheers mates.

1. Translation from the Pokedex book, all nine Game Freak developers are interviewed to discuss Gen 1's development (1996): http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-pokedex-interview

2. Tajiri and Ishihara interview translation about Game Freak and Pokemon's early days (2000): 

  a. Part 1 is freely and publicly available on my website: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

  b. Part 2 is only on Patreon: http://lavacutcontent.com/tajiri-tsunekazu-ishihara-interview/

3. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

4. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

5. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

6. Translations of all 21 Pokemon pages from the 2014 art book Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-scans

7. The 5 page interview from Ken Sugimori Works: http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-translation

8. Pokemon Colosseum interview and concept art: http://lavacutcontent.com/pokemon-colosseum-developer-interview/

Pokemon Colosseum Interview & Concept Art

Last year I was doing a lot Gen 5 translations, and this year it's mostly been Gen 1 translations. So for a change of pace, I thought I'd bring y'all the only Pokemon Colosseum interview ever conducted, along with all the Colosseum concept art ever published. Don't get TOO excited though, there's only 4 pages of concept art. As usual, the password for access is "Pokemon History Club". Link: http://lavacutcontent.com/pokemon-colosseum-developer-interview/

The next thing I'll have for you guys is a 5 page interview with Masuda discussing Game Freak's history from 1989-2019, originally published in Famitsu Weekly as part of the company's 30th anniversary celebration. It'll also include about 20 translated pages of the Satoshi Tajiri biographical manga, as it ties into the mid-90's history Masuda talks about in the interview. The magazine also includes 11 pages of Capsule Monsters concept art, though much of it you've probably seen elsewhere (but in lower-resolution elsewhere).

If you wanna see the other 8 or 9 Patreon-exclusive articles, they're all linked to in the previous Patreon update post. As always, I sincerely wanna say thanks for your monthly support. These translations literally wouldn't be happening without you. Cheers :)

New Translation/Archive Available, Other Updates

Heya folks. For this update I've got a new translation/archive, some updates on other projects in the works, and links to all previous Patreon-exclusive articles (in case you missed them). Okay, I've just finished archiving and translating all 21 Pokemon-related pages of the 2014 art book "Ken Sugimori Works." Most of the artwork and trivia included is stuff you've probably seen before, but the book also includes a 5 page Sugimori interview. To be perfectly honest, it's not the most explosive thing I've posted here -- sometimes you go to the trouble of translating a buttload of material and it ends up not blowing your mind. But it's still worth archiving, and the interview's a nice read, so I figured I might as well polish it up for you guys.

Here's a link to the interview translation: lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-translation/

And here's a link to scans and translations of all the other pages: lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-works-artbook-scans/

As always, the password to all Patreon-exclusive articles is "Pokemon History Club".

I've also got a 34 page Tajiri interview translation in the works. That's right, 34 pages. Prior to last year, there were only two Tajiri interviews available online in English, both rather short. I've translated a few since then, but this seems to be the largest interview he ever sat down for. It comes from a 20 year old book called "Pokemon Story," which I've been slowly working my way through. It's 600 pages in total. I've already had another 25 pages translated, and it's got me set off on a new project that looks like it'll be my biggest project yet. I don't wanna say too much too soon, but there's Lost Pokemon designs never seen publicly before, and it's looking like there'll probably be an art book produced about them. I don't wanna make promises just yet, because there's always the possibility things won't work out. It's gonna take a while to complete this project though, as there are multiple rights-holders and a lot of physical and digital clean-up involved. But it's looking very good so far, and I'll let y'all know when progress is made.

There's a few other books and magazines I've been working on as well, but the Tajiri interview, Lost Pokemon designs, and the 600 page book are the biggest projects with top priority right now. The next thing I'll bring y'all will probably be 5 page Famitsu interview with Masuda on Game Freak and Pokemon's early days. It's not top priority, but it's something I started working on before these bigger things came along.

And in case you missed any of them, here's a link to all previous Patreon articles. The password for entry is the same for all of them, "Pokemon History Club". I just wanna say thanks once again for your generous support, these projects literally wouldn't be possible without you guys. Cheers :)

1. Translation from the Pokedex book, all nine Game Freak developers are interviewed to discuss Gen 1's development (1996): http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-pokedex-interview

2. Tajiri and Ishihara interview translation about Game Freak and Pokemon's early days (2000): 

  a. Part 1 is freely and publicly available on my website: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

  b. Part 2 is only on Patreon: http://lavacutcontent.com/tajiri-tsunekazu-ishihara-interview/

3. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

4. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

5. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

6. Artwork preservations and caption translations from the Japanese art book "Pokedex" (1996): http://lavacutcontent.com/kanto-pokedex-extra-entries/

Quick Update, Big News

Hey guys, as always I wanna start by thanking y'all so much for the support. It really makes a world of difference. Okay first a quick update, then the reason I'm actually making this post.

My apologies it's been kind of a slow month as far as Patreon translations. A lot of my energy's been sucked up into that 1996 Pokedex book translation, and also I've been moving and renovating my new apartment the past 5 weeks, which just finally got finished earlier today. Part 2 of that video series is posting to YouTube in about 24 hours btw, then part 3 about a week later, with part 3 being the best one. Here's a link to part 1 in case you missed it: youtube.com/watch?v=McB4lCnAips

I've had quite a few translations completed over the past month but haven't had time to write commentary for them just yet -- all the Pokemon material from Sugimori's 2014 art book, two super-long developer interviews from Japanese magazines, and one important chapter of a Japanese book. You'll be seeing them sooner rather than later. But the big news I wanna touch on real quick is that a big project I've been working on for several months just finally had a major breakthrough. Much bigger, in my opinion, than the 1996 Pokedex book translation. I don't wanna reveal too many details quite yet, but I will say there are quite a few Lost Pokemon designs involved -- previously only seen by former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi, a few other top-level insiders, and the artists who made them. I've been speaking to those artists, and they said they'd be willing to share them. And there's some really interesting stories that go along with them as well, dating back to the 1990's. I've been told that about a third of artwork is essentially lost, but they're also "99 percent" sure they have the rest in personal storage.

I don't wanna count my chickens before they've hatched, but I'm so excited I just had to blab about it to somebody, so I figured I'd blab about it here lol. At the very least, I've secured the stories. But of course, the concept art is of the utmost importance. That's all I really wanna say for now until things are farther along. Thanks guys :)

New Translation: Professor Oak's Lecture (1996)

Hey y'all -- as always I wanna start off by saying thanks so much for your continued Patreon support. These kinds of translations literally wouldn't be possible without you guys. Further down in this post I'll have links to all previous Patreon articles, but first I'll let you know what's new.

So I've been talking about this 1996 book called Pokedex quite a bit in recent months. It was never released outside Japan, but with this post, the project to unofficially localize the full book is now pretty much finished. Here's the section of the book based on Professor Oak's lecture at Celadon University (a location not found in the games but mentioned from time to time in other official media). Like all the Patreon articles, the password to access the page is "Pokemon History Club". Here's the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/professor-oak-lecture-1996/

All that remains of this book is the 46 page Pokedex. It's already been translated by Nob Ogasawara, and I wrote a one hour video about it which has already been recorded and is now in the editing process. It'll be on YouTube in a few weeks, although it was so long that it'll be divided into twohalf-hour videos. It'll be on Did You Know Gaming's channel, which means DYKG's owner Shane Gill shortened it a bit in the editing process. He's probably right to do so, but after the video's finished, I'll make the full text of the script available here on Patreon for anyone who wants to read the longer, unedited version. Or maybe you prefer to consume 46 pages of translation (plus commentary) in text form rather than video.

The 8 page Tajiri interview, captioned diagrams, and watercolor maps sections I've already posted here on Patreon (links below). So after this Lecture section and the upcoming Pokedex section, the book's all finished. Mission complete. The only stuff that's left are type-matchup charts and stuff like that -- nothing we haven't seen a thousand times before. So I sincerely wanna say thank you to here on Patreon for funding this project.

Now that this book's localization is complete, I'm already working on other translations. Next up is the full text of everything Pokemon-related from Ken Sugimori's 2014 art book. Okay, here's all the Patreon article links, and remember the password for all of them is "Pokemon History Club":

1. Tajiri development interview from this 1996 Pokedex book: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-pokedex-interview

2. Tajiri and Ishihara interview translation about Game Freak and Pokemon's early days (2000):

  a. Part 1 is freely and publicly available on my website: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

  b. Part 2 is only on Patreon: http://lavacutcontent.com/tajiri-tsunekazu-ishihara-interview/

3. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

4. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

5. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

6. Artwork preservations and caption translations from the Japanese art book "Pokedex" (1996): http://lavacutcontent.com/kanto-pokedex-extra-entries/

I'll let y'all know when the next project's finished. Cheers :)

-Dr Lava

New Article (1996 artwork archive)

Hey guys -- first off, thanks as always for the support. It really does mean a lot. For new Patrons, I just wanna mention that the previous Patreon post has links to all the Patreon-exclusive articles and videos. As for what's new today, I just posted all 26 maps from the 1996 Pokedex book (the same book as the recent Tajiri interview translation), which you can see here: http://lavacutcontent.com/1996-kanto-watercolor-maps/

Unlike some of the recent translation articles, this one's being made freely available on my site to non-Patrons as well (in a few days). It didn't require any Patron funds to put together, just time, so it seemed right to make it publicly available. Some images are really tall and some are really wide, which made the layout look a little inconsistent on my phone. If you have any suggestions regarding layout, please let me know in the comments below this post.

As I talked about a few posts back, a translation of 46 pages of this book is currently in the works and nearing completion. Basically everything from this book is in the process of being translated, restored, etc -- it's being mined completely. Then on to the next project. Okay that's all for today, cheers :)

-Dr Lava

Huge New Translation

First of all I just wanna thank y'all for all the support that makes these big translations possible. And to the folks who just signed up -- at the bottom of this post there are links to all the Patron-only translation articles. As for today's new article, it's an 8 page Tajiri interview (along with some comments from 8 other developers) originally published in a Japanese book called Pokedex. I've combined it with translations of 10 pages from the 2018 Satoshi Tajiri biographical manga, and a little bit from various other translations. The page is password-protected, and the password is "Pokemon History Club": http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-pokedex-interview

Highlights include a scrapped mechanic for Pokemon monetary values, the fact that battles almost weren’t included in the game, and that Miyamoto himself saved 80% of the Pokemon from getting cut. There are another 46 pages from this book currently being translated by Nob Ogasawara (see the previous post for more info on that), which'll be used in an upcoming hour-long YouTube video. The video's going to be voiced by Rosemary Kelley, the girl who voiced the recent Pokemon Presents where they announced Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus. In the coming months, pretty much all the information and artwork from this 120 page book will be translated and scanned for you guys, and shared in 4 or 5 large chunks either here, on my website, or on YouTube. The only parts that aren't being translated are the pages that show battle stats and type match-ups (like how Water beats Fire), which is information already widely known all around the world.

Here are links to all the other Patron-only articles and videos. You'll be asked to enter a password to access each page -- the password for every one is "Pokemon History Club":

1. Tajiri and Ishihara interview translation about Game Freak and Pokemon's early days (2000): 

  a. Part 1 is freely and publicly available on my website: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

  b. Part 2 is only on Patreon: http://lavacutcontent.com/tajiri-tsunekazu-ishihara-interview/

2. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

3. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

4. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

5. Artwork preservations and caption translations from the Japanese art book "Pokedex" (1996): http://lavacutcontent.com/kanto-pokedex-extra-entries/

Starting in about a week, I'm gonna be posting a lot less on Twitter and Instagram, so I can spend more time on big translations for Patreon like this one, and big videos like the upcoming hour-long video with Nob Ogasawara. I'll tweet out a thread next week with more details, but the upshot is that I'll be focusing more on big projects, and focusing less on dozens of tweets each month.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave them under this post and I'll check em out. Cheers y'all :)

- Dr Lava

Important, Quick Update

Hey folks, as always, I wanna start by saying so much for the monthly support :) I'll be quick in this one, just two things I share -- first, there's gonna be a huge Satoshi Tajiri translation article posted here in about 48 hours. The biggest and best one yet, in my opinion. It'll include an 8 page interview from the 1996 Japanese book "Pokedex," 10 pages from the Tajiri biographical manga, and various other sources with information relevant to the 1996 interview.

And the second thing is that all Patreon-exclusive articles are now password protected, and the password is "Pokemon History Club." Same password for every article. Just a precaution to keep this big new translation (and other big ones coming in the future) from falling into the wrong hands. And by that I mostly mean pump-and-dump PokeTubers. Okay that's all for now, check back in two days. Cheers :)

Oh and in case you missed any of them, here are links to all the previous Patron-only articles and videos:

1. Tajiri and Ishihara interview translation about Game Freak and Pokemon's early days (2000): 

  a. Part 1 is freely and publicly available on my website: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

  b. Part 2 is only on Patreon: http://lavacutcontent.com/tajiri-tsunekazu-ishihara-interview/

2. Sugimori and Masuda interview translation about the Tao Trio's development, taken from two Japanese magazines (2011-2012): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

3. Two Morimoto video interview translations about Mew's development (2019): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

4. Sugimori and Masuda interview about Diamond & Pearl's development (2007): http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

5. Artwork preservations and caption translations from the Japanese art book "Pokedex" (1996): http://lavacutcontent.com/kanto-pokedex-extra-entries/

Translating 1996's Lost Pokedex

Big update below. First off, let me just say to the new Patreon supporters -- thanks so much for signing up, it really means a lot. The previous 3 or 4 Patreon posts have links to some translation articles and videos only available here on this website, so check those out if you haven't already.

Okay, now for today's news. So I've been using y'all's generous donations to, along with other projects, commission translations for an official Pokemon book called Pokedex, published by Creatures in Japan in April 1996. I shared a small section in my previous Patreon post, and there's an 8 page Tajiri interview with some really interesting development info almost finished -- I'll share it here soon, I just need to combine it with some translations from the 2018 Tajiri biographical manga. But the main point of this post is that this book has an entirely unique Pokedex. 150 entries with interesting lore not seen outside this book -- like what happens if a human drinks Moltres' blood? The Pokedex also has a  unique classification system with descriptions, and an introduction with Pokemon lore going back to the 18th century. Really cool stuff.

I was about to put one of my usual translators on the job, then it occurred to me that there's one guy who really oughtta be the one to translate this Pokedex into English for the first time. Nob Ogasawara, the former Nintendo staffer who localized the first 26 Pokemon games -- who could be better than that? So I talked to Nob and he agreed he'd do it. He's a very expensive translator, but I think it's worth it, to make this Pokedex localization as official as possible. Did You Know Gaming's owner Shane Gill (great guy btw, truly) generously agreed to pay most of Nob's fee, RacieBeep said she'll kick in $100, and the rest will be paid from your Patreon pledges. Being a good steward of y'all's money is something I take very seriously -- this is an expensive translation, but I think it's worth it. I hope you agree.

These book scans and the translations be used in an upcoming Did You Know Gaming video, and also published in full on my website in a month or two. The 8 page Tajiri interview will be shared only here on Patreon in about a week, then someday in the future it'll make its way onto my website as well. I wanna give y'all special stuff as thanks for your support on these projects, but I also think it's best for the community as a whole to share everything publicly eventually -- months, sometimes years after it's posted here (like the Tao Trio translations). Beyond that, there's a few more pages of the book that still need translating, and also some cool artwork that needs scanning. I'll be doing all that, so the book will essentially be translated in its entirety. You'll have access to all of it. The only exception are the pages of battle stats and things of that sort, which obviously don't need to to be translated.

Okay, that's the update. I'm really excited about this. Let me know your thoughts in the comments if you fancy. Thanks again for your support, these kinds of projects wouldn't possible without you. Cheers :)

-Dr Lava

Book Translations

Before getting to the new information -- for new Patreon supporters, you can find some Patreon exclusive video and interview translations in the previous two Patreon posts. Thanks so much for your support :)

Okay, now on to today's new stuff. Some of y'all might remember me talking about a 120 page book from 1996 titled "Pokédex," which contains tons of development info, artwork, and extra lore not included in the games. I tried to get the book officially localized last year, but long story short, it didn't work out. So now I'm gonna have the highlights translated, probably about 20-30 pages in total. There's an 8 page interview with Tajiri and the rest of the developers that reveals some cool information, like how Miyamoto saved them from having to cut a bunch of Pokemon. Other scrapped ideas as well. I've already had it translated, but still need to curate it and do some fact-checking. The first section that's been finished is a small one, so I figured I'd go ahead and share it with you guys. The book contains 13 art boxes with Japanese text (two of them you can see pictured above), so I've enhanced and translated them. You can see them all here, along with some additional information: http://lavacutcontent.com/kanto-pokedex-extra-entries/

I'll have larger sections available in the near future, including that Tajiri interview. I've also got a video interview and a 12 page magazine interview already translated, I just need to curate and fact-check them before they're ready to share with you guys. And of course there's all the Carddass card enhancements that *almost* done, and some other projects in the works as well. As always, I really appreciate y'all's support :) This kind of stuff is pretty expensive, and it's your generous donations that make them possible. Cheers guys.

Carddass Update

Hey guys. First of all, I just wanna say thanks once again for y'all's support on Patreon. It really means a lot personally, and it also helps fund various projects. Usually that means commissioning Japanese interview translations, paying for Lost Pokemon artwork, or buying old books and magazines with various pieces of history in them. But as most of y'all probably already know, last year a few volunteers and I set out to scan and restore all 153 cards in the Japan-only 1997 Pokemon Carddass card set. They feature Ken Sugimori watercolor artwork never used anywhere else, and are the most dynamic art set in the series' 25 year history. A very important part of Pokemon history that's been neglected up till now.

Unfortunately, over time those volunteers got burnt out on the project, which is totally understandable. It's a lot of tedious work, and I appreciate all the time they contributed. But we've still got about 110 cards remaining. So I thought a good way of spending y'all's money was to hire a guy named Fleckaben to restore the rest of the set. For those who don't know, Fleckaben is half of the two-man team that runs an account on Twitter and Instagram called HiResPokemon, who specialize in restoring old Pokemon artwork. He'll be finishing up the rest of the cards in the coming weeks, and I expect to have them all downloadable for your guys sometime in April or May. And there's also gonna be a huge JPEG with all 153 pieces of artwork on it -- so if you want to print it up as a poster, or you've got some other way you wanna use it, you can do so.

All this Carddass artwork will be made public in an online archive, but I'm gonna make it all available to you guys first, since it's your generous donations that are paying the bill. I've got some more translations, artwork, and other projects currently in the works as well -- so don't worry, this isn't eating up the whole budget.

I'll let y'all know when I've got everything prepared for you guys -- every card scanned, every Pokemon artwork restored and isolated from their backgrounds, and the giant poster JPEG. Should be about a month or so, give or take. I'll let y'all know when other projects are finished as well. If you're new to the Patreon, take a look at the previous 3 posts for links to recently completed Pokemon developer translations.

Thanks so much you guys. Cheers.

-Dr Lava

Two Mew Translation Videos

Hey guys, first off I just wanna say thanks so much y'all's support on Patreon. It really means a lot. About 20 of y'all just signed up this month, which has allowed me to commission a lot more translations and Lost Pokemon artwork. I recently had an 11 page interview translated, but it still needs commentary written, so that's not ready to post just yet. But I do have a couple video interviews translated, which you can download and view here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qq4COx9KoazUvL-bqOMNOMWSyeTQzMSM?usp=sharing

Normally I don't share raw material like this -- I usually wait till I've got a lot of raw material and I condense it into a polished product I can show y'all that only hits the highlights. But in this case I figured I'd go ahead and give you the raw video translations, since otherwise nobody would ever see them (in English). Some details you may have heard before, but some you probably haven't. Highlights include:

1) Sugimori was originally supposed to design Mew, but Morimoto ended up doing it himself because Sugimori wouldn't make time for it, so he realized if he didn't do it himself, Mew wouldn't make it into the game.

2) Mew giveaway events never would've happened if Mew wasn't discovered first by fans who encountered a glitch. That glitch was put into the game by Morimoto himself... by accident. If that accident never occurred, Pokemon wouldn't have sold nearly as many copies, and probably never would have left Japan.

3) Mew's movements and personality were created independently by the staff of Mewtwo Strikes Back, and Morimoto was surprised how it turned out when he saw the movie. He never planned for it to move and act the way it does now.

4) Even though canonically Mewtwo is Mew's clone, in reality Mew's design was based off Mewtwo. Which means in a way, Mew is actually Mewtwo's clone.

5) Mew's design is so simple and small because it was the last Pokemon added into the game, and there literally wasn't enough space left on the cartridge to make it bigger or more colorful

Like I said, these two videos are just two pieces of the puzzle when it comes to Mew's origin story. I'll put it all together in a video at some point, similar to the Lugia video I wrote a few months back. But it won't include every detail from these videos, so I figured I'd give them to you here, unedited. Here's a link to that Lugia video in case you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQbKwNmsTes

Okay cheers guys, I'll let y'all know when I've got more to share.

- Dr Lava

New Developer Interview Article

I just posted a new Diamond & Pearl development interview, featuring Masuda, Sugimori, Ohmori, and Unno. It's pretty long, and includes lots of information from outside sources like blog translations and the 2019 beta sprite leak. Highlights include details about the Masuda Method, an internal debate  over the UI, and which Sinnoh Pokemon were designed first, as well as why they were first. It's on my website, but hidden so that no one can see it unless they have the direct link, which I'm only posting here on Patreon. Here's the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/diamond-pearl-masuda-sugimori/

This and some other research will be used in an upcoming YouTube video, so please don't go sharing this around on Twitter or wherever. As usual, I like to keep this kinda stuff private until after the video's finished, to prevent some fly-by-night PokeTuber from stealing my thunder. Which has happened in the past >_< So for a couple months at least, this is just for you guys. As always, a huge thanks to you guys. It took me about 30 hours to put all this together, and I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't for y'all's support. Cheers.

Patreon-Only Translations

Hey guys, I posted this a few weeks ago, but Daniel just pointed out there was an issue with the second link. For some reason even after replacing the part 2 link, it still led to part 1. So here's an update, I'll make sure after posting it that the links all work properly. Sorry about that, I thought y'all were able to read part 2 weeks ago!

Tajiri and Ishihara Discuss Pokemon's Creation (Part 1, open to the public): http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

Tajiri and Ishihara Discuss Pokemon's Creation (Part 2, only on Patreon): http://lavacutcontent.com/tajiri-tsunekazu-ishihara-interview/

Sugimori and Masuda on Tao Trio's Development (only on Patreon): http://lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-tao-trio/

I also added another new translation covering Gen 1 and 2 a couple weeks ago, here's the link in case you missed it (moved from Patreon-only to open to the public yesterday): lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-developer-interview/

And that one also came with a separate bonus article: http://lavacutcontent.com/pokemon-developer-secrets-interview/

As always, thanks so much for your support. It's you guys that keep these translations going. Cheers guys :)

-Dr Lava

New Interview Translation

New Pokemon interview translation, with Sugimori and four other developers discussing Gen 1 and a little Gen 2: lavacutcontent.com/sugimori-masuda-developer-interview/

New Translation: Graffiti Charizard, Pikachu's Boobs

Hey guys, got a new translation for ya, a pretty long one: http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/

This is actually part 1 of 2 of this super-long interview with Tajiri and Ishihara talking about Game Freak in the 80's and 90's. For now this translation's just for y'all, but I'll share it on Twitter in a week or two. But part 2 I'll try to finish next week, then won't make it publicly available for a few months. It'll be Patreon-only for quite a while.

Thanks as always for the support guys. Hope you like the new translation :)

New interview: Pokemon Platinum

In this newly-transcribed 2009 interview, Junichi Masuda and (Platinum's director) Takeshi Kawachimaru discuss Gen 4's development, and in the process talk about earlier games as well. There's some interesting bits peppered all throughout -- like the series' musical inspirations and the Distortion World -- but the standout quotes actually come when Masuda starts talking about how he caters games to new fans... and the established fanbase is a lower priority =/ Worth noting that he retired from directing Pokemon games in late 2018, right before the Let's Go games released.

Just finished writing the commentary. I'll tweet out the link next week, but for for now, this link's just for you guys: http://lavacutcontent.com/masuda-interview-pokemon-platinum/

New (Short) Developer Translation

Hey guys, I've got a new translation for y'all today. This one's pretty short, and to be honest isn't as exciting as most of the other translations I've posted in the past. But after I had it translated, it seemed like a waste just to throw it out, so I figured I'd post it. The highlights are Masuda briefly addressing why Pokemon Gray and Pokemon Z never got made, and basically saying there's never going to be a new Pokemon Stadium or Colosseum.

I've got two super long translations already bought and paid for, and delivered from the translators, but haven't had the chance to write all the commentary for them yet. I expect to have the first one ready for you to read in October, then the next one a month or two after that. They're both about 8 pages each BEFORE commentary, and will definitely need lots of context added because one has a lot to do with Japan (with Tajiri and Ishihara), and the other covers a lot of technical details about the original Red & Green (with Masuda). They're both pretty great, so I'm looking forward to finishing them and posting them here on Patreon for you guys. Thanks again for all the support by the way :)

Okay, here's the short Spanish translation. I'll publish it next week, but for now y'all are the only ones with the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/masuda-ohmori-pokemon-gray/

HUGE new translation finished, read it today

I just finished a huge new translation -- it was originally 6 pages in a Japanese book, and now with my commentary added, the length has about doubled. It's an interview with Ken Sugimori, Atsuko Nishida, and Motofumi Fujiwara -- Eevee's three creators. They explain how all the whole Eevee family was created over the years, and in the process, they explain how ALL Pokemon were created throughout the generations. I won't be publishing this until next month, so please don't share it with any YouTubers or post it on Reddit or anything like that. For now, this is just for y'all to read: lavacutcontent.com/eevee-family-creation-interview/

And here's a download link for about associated 100 images, only about half of which ended up getting used in the translation article: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EefkqBLPqjVbF7umcmUKe6aRwt8ni54K

This article is currently being produced into a video together with another YouTuber named Lockstin. We worked together to convert the Shudo translation into a video a few weeks ago, here's a link in case you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsZY9UmC8dg

And I'm currently working on another video as well, it should be finished within the month. It's all about Pokemon based on prehistoric animals, and how paleontology shaped the world of Pokemon itself. I worked very closely with Christian Kammerer to write the video's script -- he's the PHD paleontologist who named the Bulbasaurus. What's a Bulbasaurus? Here's a tweet that sums it up pretty neatly:  https://twitter.com/DrLavaYT/status/1258065213833621504?s=20 

Alright, that's it for today. I've got another translation just starting up as well, so I'll let y'all know when it's finished and ready for you to read. Thanks as always for all the support :) These translations wouldn't be possible without you guys, it really means a lot. Truly. Cheers guys.

-Dr Lava

Patron-exclusive content summary

Between my website, Twitter, and YouTube, I've posted a lot about Lost Pokemon History over the past couple years. But in recent months, I've also published some stuff here on Patreon that hasn't been made public. This summary is for new visitors, and also for current Patrons who might have missed previous posts:

1. Pokemon Anime: Fueled by Booze - this translation-based article focuses on Takeshi Shudo's blog. Takeshi was the head writer of the first several years of the anime, as well as the first 3 movies, and in these translations he explains how he alcohol and painkillers fueled his creative writing process. He also discusses how he wanted to end the anime, as well as Mewtwo Strikes Back -- two endings that never became a reality.

2. Creating the Tao Trio - this article includes translations from two issues of Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream, which were first published in 2011 and 2012. Game Freak developers Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda, and Go Ichinose discuss how the Tao Trio were created, and the topic of Pokemon Gray Version is raised as well. This article also includes commissioned speculative artwork of beta Zekrom & Reshiram by Nick Kron.

3. Japanese Blue's Bizarre Release - it's common knowledge that Japanese Blue Version was originally sold ONLY to subscribers of Japanese magazine Corocoro Comics. But there's much more to the story. This article include high-resolution scans from a 1996 issue of Corocoro, as well as translations from that same issue. The full story of Blue's release is covered in-depth, and some Blue beta sprites are revealed as well.

4. White Pichu: The Full Story - recently, I briefly touched on White Pichu in a short Twitter thread. After buying Shōko Nakagawa's book from Japan, I was able to write this full-length article on Gen 4's Lost Pichu variant. The article includes White Pichu's official concept art, a high-resolution recreation of that artwork, translations from Shōko's book about White Pichu, and a translation of Shōko's Twitter.

All these articles also include lots of my own commentary of course. I've also uploaded a few other goodies to this Patreon in recent months, including some Japanese art book scans. As always, I really appreciate y'all's support, and let me know if there's every anything I can do. Cheers guys.

New Lost Pokemon article, video updates

I've just finished a new Lost Pokemon article, this one's about White Pichu. Here's the link: http://lavacutcontent.com/white-pichu-lost-pokemon/

This is hidden on my website, so no one will be able to read it except you guys. As always, I ask you to keep this to yourselves until the YouTube video based on it is published. Which brings me to my next point -- YouTube videos. You may have noticed it's been several months since I last posted a video. I've been working on a massive project focused on the creation of Lugia, based on 225 Japanese translations. It's been a bit overwhelming -- I bit off a little more than I could chew, to be honest. So I've decided to set it aside for now, so I can work on other video projects. I'm currently working on a HeartGold/SoulSilver cut content compilation video.

I've also partnered with two of the largest PokeTubers on the platform, with over 500k+ subscribers each. I've been working on that Lugia video for months, while also collecting and amassing more research all at the same time. So now I've got a backlog -- lots of research completed, but it would take months to convert it all into YouTube videos. So to balance things out, I've given two scripts to these two mega-PokeTubers. This way, my research can be presented in video format (and I'll appear in their videos), and I'll be freed up to make the HGSS video.

So I hope y'all enjoy the White Pichu article, and those two videos based on my research should be finished within the month. The HGSS video will probably take a month or two. Cheers guys.

New Translation & Blue Beta Sprites

I've just finished a new translation-based article. I'll publish it probably in a couple weeks, but I wanted to let y'all see it first. Here's a download link for the PDF: http://lavacutcontent.com/corocoro-comic-pokemon-blue/

It's the full story of how Blue was released -- most notably, it reveals that Blue was actually released about 7 weeks LATER than was previously believed. There's also some unused Blue beta sprites, a translated comic, and some more information.

Download: Rare Art Book

Working on three large projects together right now, but I thought I'd share this with you guys while those are still in progress. Here's a download link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=18QxSMZiKPQR_6fP_j4MWMpitE28kz19M

These are scans of all 32 pages of the New Hoenn Art Book. These limited edition art books were only given to Japanese fans who pre-ordered Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. These books are very rare, and today cost about $50-$100 depending on condition. I haven't dropped that kinda cash on a 32 page book myself, but someone who calls himself H.exe was kind enough to scan these pages and send them to me.

Hope you like it. I'll let y'all know when the next project is finished, the first one should be about a week from now. Cheers guys.

Pokemon Art Director Deletes Development Info... Because of Me >_<

Well, I'm used to covering Lost Pokemon History... but this is the first time Pokemon History BECAME lost because of me.

On December 15, I went through the entire Twitter history of James Turner, the current Pokemon series art director. I was looking for development details and information about design inspirations, and I found some really good stuff amongst James' 3700 tweets. How Guzzlord's design was inspired by HP Lovecraft monsters and Guardians of the Galaxy villain Agrajag, that Naganadel was inspired by the Xenomorph from the Alien movies... lots of good stuff, pulled from 41 tweets. Check out the 3 photos attached to this post.

On December 17, I posted quotes from 3 of these tweets. The next day, James deleted 96 of his old tweets, including everything I'd recorded just a few days earlier. So it appears that right after I spent a whole afternoon combing through James' twitter history copying down development info, he spent an afternoon of his own combing through the same tweets... and deleting all of it.

Fortunately, I've still got all that info recorded. As a courtesy, I tweeted James to ask if he'd prefer I not share any more of it. I know James saw my question and knows who I am -- not only because he deleted all those tweets, but because he's retweeted me twice this month. But the Pokemon company has pretty strict policies about answering the questions of non-approved folks like myself -- so as I expected, James didn't respond to my question.

After thinking it over, I decided to put all this deleted development info into an article, then into a video in the near future. Now that it appears I'm the only person who has access to it, I think it's important to preserve it. I'd already tweeted about 1/5 of the quotes by the time I realized what had happened, but I think I should treat the rest of it a bit more carefully. Anyway, I thought y'all might enjoy hearing about this. Cheers.