The Creature Quorum

It's time for a long, looooong stretch of game! Looping all around Kanto as try to make our way to Celadon City! And once we get there? Game Corner! Team Rocket Headquarters! Erika's Gym! A weirdly creepy old man (who is weirdly NOT creepy in one version of the game)! How can we survive all of this? Thank god Magellan is here to help us along. Check out Magellan's blog, Not That Magellan, and listen to Chatz: A Television Podcast with them and Allen anywhere you catch pods! Bit of a shorter segment for our next episode, because we'll be playing through Saffron City... which is right next door! There will be some side stuff to talk about, though. The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Tunnels and ships, here we come! Bit of a short segment of game this time, but that's ok because we have tons of news to talk about for Pokémon's 30th Anniversary! It's... kind of underwhelming stuff, but at least there's a lot of it! For next time, we're doing a really roundabout run- Diglett Cave, Route 11, back to Cerulean City, to Route 9, to Rock Tunnel, and Celadon City. And a few little Routes in the middle of that too. It's a long chunk! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

With our first badge behind us, we now face the challenge of our first dungeon. And boy, across three iterations of the game, this dungeon is a wildly different experience! Once we exit Mt. Moon, it's Nugget Bridge, Bill's House, and closing it out with a challenge to the Cerulean City Gym, and the iconic/gender goals Misty. As cool as she is, she's possibly the easiest gym leader in the game. Oh well, cool isn't always about skill. Next episode, we're swinging south to the S.S. Anne and Vermillion City! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

We still have Rainbow Rocket to fight back in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. But who IS Team Rocket? ...Listen, I know the answer, and I know you probably do too. But work with me here. Pretend that this is a good excuse to check out Kanto, the twice-remade original generation of Pokemon, spread across a staggering seven games. The origin of it all. Welcome to Pallet Town. Next time, we're doing Mt. Moon through Cerulean City! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

There's nothing expressly called a "Part 1," it's just the beginning of our episode on the Alola Elite Four. So listen to that if you want to hear us begin the task of Quoruming the Z-A Mega Evolutions! Boy, they sure dumped a lot on us, huh? So many Mega Evolutions to rate. And our philosophy on what makes a good Mega has changed a lot since the days of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. But probably their philosophy in creating them has changed, too. Well, let's put it all to the test! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

We can't let a new Pokemon release go without coverage! As a treat, we invited Jen and Kyrie to join us and discuss the latest, and perhaps the greatest, from the world of Pokemon. ...Ok, not the greatest. But charming, thought-provoking, and distinctive, is how I would describe Pokemon Legends Z-A, and the four of us sat down to discuss its shortcomings, its successes, and the potential it shows in a series we all love. But also worry about. The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Ultra Necrozma? Done and dusted. Mina's Trial? Did it. Hapu's Grand Trial? Completed. Mt. Lanakila? Climbed it. The Elite Four? Smoked 'em. Hau? Bested. On this episode, we ran through the last stretch of Alola like a runaway train, smashing every remaining obstacle between us and the credits. There is, of course, more game after the credits roll. But that will have to wait for another time. The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

The way our discussion breaks down does not always imitate how our play sessions went. Sure, we spend a third of the pod talking about Aether Paradise. We talk Hapu and Seafolk Village, we talk the Altar of the Sunne and the Altar of the Moone, we talk Trials and Necrozma. But most of our time? Was fighting in the aptly named "Vast Poni Canyon." Yeah, that... that's a dungeon, right there. Next episode, we are hopefully closing out the main story of Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon! We'll be back for postgame stuff, but we'll take a break first: we both want to catch a breather, and also dig into Legends Z-A! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Team Skull. The island challenge dropouts have hounded us since the beginning of the game, kidnapping pokemon, blocking public roads, harassing bystanders. Oh, and trying to beat us up, though their efforts have been pretty laughable. But this week, they go too far. And it's up to us to head to their hometown to bring justice to them where they live. ACAB includes Nanu, in fact it might include him more than most fictional cops. Our playtime for this ep leaves us at the base of the Aether Foundation- next time, we're playing the rest of that, and onward til we hit the Kommo-o Trial on Poni Island! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

A haunting experience this week as we tool around Ula'ula, finally fighting the leader of Team Skull and challenging a throwback in the form of the Nugget Bridge, but it's all building to a shopping experience we won't soon forget. Sure, the Haunted Thrifty Mega Mart is spooky. But it's also really hard, with the Totem Mimikyu thrashing us within an inch of our lives. Past that inch, in some instances.... Next time, we challenge Team Skull on their home turf- Po Town! Then we'll knock out the Grand Trial, and hop on a boat to the Aether Foundation for some PLOT. The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

New island, new us! Ok, I lied. Same us. Gardens, community centers, tile puzzles (???), even a gym ala Kanto, Ula'ula Island is immediately serving up some fresh and engaging spots for our tour guides. We get to the top of a nearby mountain at the end, but it's the rest of the island that's really proven so interesting. Plus: Six forgets what shape a Z is! All this and more. We'll tackle the ghost trial next episode, continuing our Ula'ula Island Time! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Leaving the volcano behind, we head for the coast and cooler climates. Then it's back into a hot and humid jungle to pick ingredients for a soup. We make some time for science and golf, head through tunnel taken over by an invasive species, meet the Ditto Five, fight Team Skull's strongest trainer yet, and triumph over Olivia. All in a day's work. A lot waiting for us next time- the Aether Foundation's floating conservatory, Ula'ula Island, a gym?!? Should be interesting. The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

A shorter piece of game gives us time to linger and explore, and we're all the better for it. Akala Island has a lot to offer, from ?evil? scientists to definitely deranged influencers to our main topic- a friggin' volcano with a dance contest at its peak! Boy howdy, lot to dig into there. Plus: Hapu! She's the best! Next episode, we will CONCLUDE Akala Island with Mallow's Trial and the Grand Trial! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

We're leavinggggg! On a Mantine! Don't know why cuz I'm back again! ...Hold me like you'll never let me go? Or is that part BEFORE the chorus? I don't know the song that well. We finish our first island, leave, and then turn around and come back because hey we weren't actually done. But THEN it really is on to island number two, a watery trial, and a trailer full of infinite Pikachus. It's probably not cursed. Probably. For our next episode, we're playing up through Kiawe's trial on Akala Island! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

An interesting theme of empty homes this week as our journey through the Trial and Grand Trial of Melemele Island sees us stopping by the homes of both Ilima and Guzma. We start sticker collecting, learn to do Z-Moves, and... have Metal Gear Solid 3 flashbacks? Alola means "hello," "goodbye," and "enemy spotted." For our next episode, we're playing up through Lana's trial on Akala Island! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

We're picking starters. We're Deciding If We're A Boy Or A Girl (TM). We're walking into tall grass obliviously. Yes, it's time to start a new Pokémon game, and a new tour. As summer gets underway, we take things to the sunny side in Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, and the island chain of the Alola region. There are malasadas to eat, Kahunas to fight, trials to pass, and Mimikyu to fear. Let's get started. For our next episode, we're playing up through the Grand Trial of Kahuna Hala to finish up Melemele Island! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

We've taken the League Challenge, and fought our way through eight gyms to the Elite Four, beaten them, and then the champion. (Kind of.) We've beaten N, and proved he should have more faith in humanity. We bonded with two ancient dragons of legend, and used their might to beat Team Plasma. Then we started over. We took the League Challenge anew. We beat back a reformed Team Plasma. There was a third dragon, we got that friend too. Ghost houses. The return of N. The story of the rising champ Iris. So many caves. Getting lost. Pushing rocks. We've done it all, folks. And with this, we close the book. This is the end of the Unova Tourism Committee. We hope you've enjoyed it. The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Here we are- the reason Magellan encouraged us to pick up our watch pods of the Pokemon movies to begin with. Are you READY. To see LEGENDARY POKEMON LATIAS. Kiss a HUMAN BOY. We're heading to PokeVenice, we're shapeshifting, we're corrupting gems, we're solving ancient sliding tile puzzles. If you thought the last Pokemon movie was a bit of a whiff, don't worry. We're back on track. Incidentally, Six writes these show notes and maybe some other people wouldn't quite say the same thing.

It's dungeon time, baby. A nothing town with a weak gym (though the inside is cool!) lasts as long as a Mento before we're off to a cave, then a floating fortress, then a cave, then a floating fortress, then a cave, then a cave. I hope you brought Surf. And a lot of patience. It's time for the Team Plasma Payoff, and... sorry Allen, it's a bit overhyped for what we got. Victory Road lies before us, after which is the Elite Four. Unlike the first Black & White, we plan to some post-game content this time. We'll see how much, but at the very least it'll be part of next ep, if not another ep thereafter! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

The road to Opelucid City is paved with good intentions. And stones. And gravel. And clay! And grass. And sand. And interrupting legendaries (plural). And... well look, it's a long friggin' road. A pretty interesting one, too! We enjoy the small towns we missed in Black & White, relax on Village Bridge, mourn death in the Strange House, and much more in a really cool and exciting stretch of game. Next time, Humilau City... and more? We haven't decided exactly where to draw the line. We're probably not doing the Elite Four. But we might do Victory Road. We're just not sure yet. The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Through caves, along balance beams, up a tower, through a wind tunnel... this leg of our tour takes us to some interesting places, though most are alarmingly familiar. Perhaps this is a calm downbeat to set up for some dramatic surprises next week? I can't be sure. For all its quality, Black 2 & White 2 have felt pretty inconsistent to me. Next time, we're... well I would say we're headed to Icirrus City, but Allen tells me it won't go quite as I expect, so who knows! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

You know, I used to live in a former mining town. Carbondale, it was called. Gives away the game a bit, the "carbon" part. "Driftveil City" may not have any minerals in the name, but it's a former mining town through and through. Clay has turned this blue collar burg into a gentrified pocket of apartment buildings and fancy tourist attractions. But when one of those attractions is a big Pokemon trainer tournament, well... who's to say if gentrification is good or bad? Next time: Mistralton City! I hear it basically hasn't changed! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Last episode was our first time revisiting a city from Black & White now that we're in 2. It was a little underwhelming, to be honest. I began to think that maybe this was gonna be a bit of a letdown. But the Nimbasa City area? Hoppin', jumpin', bumpin'. The heck with Castelia, this is the REAL jewel of Unova. On our next episode, we're headed west to Driftveil! The Scanline Media Discord can be found here!

Your first time in the Big City, you're wowed. Perhaps even blown away. But your second time? ...You're probably still blown away in a real city, I guess. In Pokemon, it's a bit... eh. We've already done Castelia City, and while there have been a few interesting changes, it mostly hasn't learned new tricks. It's got one hell of an underground scene, though! this is a joke about the sewers Electric City is next on the docket- we're headed to Nimbasa City for our next episode!

P! O! M! E! M! O N! POMEMON! It's time to rock out in Virbank City, the town with kinda nothing to do! We'll pass back through Route 20 on the way there, swing by the ol' Virbank Complex, have our fifteen turns of fame at the Pokestar Studios, and of course enjoy the musical stylings of Roxie and her band. Flip a coin: if it's heads, she doesn't use a single poison attack on you, and the fight is mad easy. If it's tails, all she uses is Toxic, and it's a nightmare. Next time, we're headed to the Big Leppa Berry itself: Castelia City, and the Insect Badge.

We've got a bit of a different one for you this time. We're joined by Magellan, Allen's best friend and cohost on Chatz: A Television Podcast for a special draft episode. We've got a whole menu of regions, a plethora of trainers, and a trio of visions to make real. Let's. Get. Snake Drafting! Our podcast art is done by the wonderful Noelle (@noelleproblem on Twitter)!

It's time for round 2! Many Pokemon generations have an extra game that comes out after the initial two, but only Black & White got full-on sequels, aptly titled Black 2 & White 2. Two years have passed in game! The world has changed! Team Plasma hides in the shadows, and the cast of the first game have moved into a new stage of their lives. Let's pick the tour back up, coming at this from a different direction... literally. Next episode, we're off to Virbank City, and the Toxic Badge!

And once again... we're caught up! The Paldea Pokedex is done, and we await a new challenger. Probably Legends XY, but I guess we'll see! On this episode of the Quorum: Archaludon, Gouging Fire, Raging Bolt, Iron Boulder, Iron Crown, Terapagos, and some pre-B2W2 Q&A. Our podcast art is done by the wonderful Noelle (@noelleproblem on Twitter)!

It's time to get back to our original duties! Pokemon Scarlet & Violet's DLC, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, released in two parts, bringing some two dozen new pokemon with it. (EDIT: No, Six. That's 14. Not 24. Please learn to count.) Neither of us had completed the main game, nor touched the DLC, so we held off on discussing designs we'd never seen in context. Well, we have now, and we're pretty excited about some of them! Let's talk! Our podcast art is done by Noelle (@noelleproblem on Twitter).

We had a score to settle with N. And then, spoilers... we did. This week on the Unova Tourism Committee, the Eight Badge Gates, Victory Road, the Elite Four, N's Castle, and a man impersonating our mom! That's it for round 1 of this tour, and we'll take a few eps doing other things before we jump back in... but we WILL jump back in, for Black 2 & White 2.

We're so close to done... but alas, getting close to finished with the first half of our Unova journey is a lot of pressure. To relax a little, we're taking a quick detour. Team Rocket, Team Skull, Team Magma, Team Yell... and others, like... also Team Skull but different. So many villainous organizations in Pokemon. But what is the BEST? Let's decide. Our podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected].

In search of answers as to how to revive the dragon pokemon of legend, we head to Opelucid City, home to Drayden and Iris, Dragon Gym Masters and protectors of the Legend Badge. And, of course, they don't know a SINGLE THING. Siiiiigh. Opelucid itself is a strange city separated by version, with very little to do but dramatically different aesthetics. We wrap a few character stories, like Professor Juniper (whom we are accidentally VERY rude to) and Bianca. And we stare down the Eightfold Gates to Victory Road. Here we go, gang.

We thought we were done with Pokemon movies. Truly, Allen and I were like "okay, we've had our fun, but the rest aren't worth our time." But along came Magellan (@chatzpod), Allen's best friend and Pokécinéphile, to convince us that we were neglecting a magnificent body of work. Is that actually true? I guess we'll see, as we continue our journey through the Pokémon movies starting with the 4th. We're incredible grateful to Magellan for joining us! Make sure to check out Chatz: A Television Podcast, which Allen and Magellan do together, plus Super Smash Echoes, which Magellan does with their friend Justin! Our podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected].

Snow and ice conjure hardship to the human mind. Bitter winter, and its challenges- something so many of us know well. It's something we can all relate to, and find hard. That's why ice-type gyms are so often near the end, but not actually the last dungeon: you want a relatable challenge, and clear communication that things are getting hard. But for the finale, things need to get more intense than anything you've experienced in your real life. no sorry i made it sound like next ep is the finale, it's just the last gym. of the first set of games. there is a lot of UTC left.

A quick jog to Chargestone Cave becomes a LONG slog through the cave itself as we deal with an onslaught of story, trainer battles, and an obnoxiously high encounter rate. Then it's on to Mistralton City, a city that- wait. That's it? There's no city here! Oh well. Off to Celestial Tower? Then the gym? I'll be honest- not Black & White's strongest showing this ep.

For all the hype about the music, Driftveil is no great shakes. Ha! Cuz Quake Badge? It's a... yeah, ok. Driftveil City is a quiet town, and this is a quiet episode, as we partially foil an unclear Team Plasma plot before being forced to surrender the culprits back to their organization, check out a nice little market that doesn't sell anything we want, watch the sunset... y'know, a quiet day is nice too sometimes.

After, let's face it, a down episode, we're back up as we head to Nimbasa City, the electric city! Sports! Musicals! A ferris wheel! A roller coaster! Plus sand, a castle (but not a sandcastle), a spoOoOoky forest, and lots of new pokemon! We're feasting this week, and even N being sorta inappropriate and definitely a weirdo can't bring us down. Alright Empire PokeState, what have you got for us next?

Little trainers in the big city! Our journey through PokéNew York hits a milestone as we finally reach PokéNYC! Big streets! Huge buildings! Lots of people! S... urprisingly little to do! I mean, don't get me wrong- there's more to do here than like a, a Nacrene City, or an Accumula Town, or something, but... lotta empty space! Lotta "skyscrapers" that in practice only have two floors! Well, whatever. Victini! The Insect Gym! Our first meeting with Iris! There's plenty to celebrate this week.

Five final monsters, and then the Hunters may rest. We've gone through every mainline Monster Hunter and talked about the big boss beasts, and now all that remains is Sunbreak. Will Malzeno make it big? Will Lunagaron pass our inspection? It's time to rate a few last friends, and then close down shop until the next Monster Hunter. Not that the Quorum's stopping- hell, our Unova journeys are only just getting started. A big thank you to our guest Matthew, whom you can find on Twitter at @Infinite_Rewind! Our Pokemon podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), our MonHun podcast art is done by RitSkyZ (@RitSkyZ on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters, DM Six at @sixdettmar!

Our tour through the Unova Region continues! Travel Famous Route 3, see Complete Nothing Wellspring Cave! Drop by Nacrene City for a soda- but only if it's Wednesday, otherwise the local cafe won't serve you??? Check out the museum, see the home of famous artist Burgh! Then it's off to Pinwheel Forest- after you swing by the Challenge Rock of course- and onto the big city itself... next episode!

Everyone is asking, "what will the Generation 10 Pokemon games be like?" Always, we look to the horizon. That's not a bad thing: to neglect the future is to neglect progress. But it hasn't always been a step forward, has it? Are you going to be the first person to claim Sword & Shield were better than Sun & Moon? Do you really think Diamond & Pearl were better games than Ruby & Sapphire? For years, Allen has told me, Six, that Gen 5 is the best generation of Pokemon. And y'know, those games were cool. But they're not Gen 2, or Gen 7... isn't "best" a bit too much? Well... maybe not. Over the course of 2024, Allen and I will play through Pokemon Black & White, then Black 2 & White 2, one gym per episode. The last 2D Pokemon. The last DS Pokemon. The Pokemon that dares to be about... New York state?! Join us we tackle Black & White, a game from our pasts with a shocking number of good suggestions for the future.

It's time for the curtain to fall on Monster Hunter Rise. Six, Allen, Minovsky, and Crass assemble one more time to finish up the new monsters of Monster Hunter Rise. It's only four creatures, but we manage to go over an hour debating the merits of some particularly interesting beasts. Next time: Sunbreak. After that? Well, I guess we'll see. ...That's not like a sly tease, I truly have no idea. A big thank you to Minovsky, whom you can find on Twitter at @MinovskyArticle, as well as to Crass, whom you can find on Twitter at @Crasspants! Our Pokemon podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), our MonHun podcast art is done by RitSkyZ (@RitSkyZ on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected]. If you want to see the list of what creatures we've discussed, including direct links to Monster Hunter wiki pages for each monster, it's right here! Don't forget to switch to the MonHun tab!

It feels gross to start our pod with Monstro. Why is there a level of Kingdom Hearts set inside a whale's stomach? ...No, I get why literally speaking, I've seen Pinocchio, it's just... ah nevermind. Let's just talk Heartless, shall we? Oh, hang on, I'm getting a call.... Our podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), though that's the Johto Quorum art, and we intend to get some Quorum That Never Was art at some point. You can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected].

Once again, we find ourselves reaching the end of a journey. It's like chasing a car- what do you do when you catch it? Well, we've done it before, so trust us- the best answer is to sit down for months or years and let the car get a healthy lead again, then resume the chase. We've got the Ruinous Quartet, some more Paradox Pokemon for you including our cover legendaries, and... oh. That's it! That's it. Then we all go home. Our podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected].

One. THOUSAND pokemon. And a lot more designs, thanks to their many forms. We've got a new third stage evolution for a Black & White design, then we're off to the Paradox Pokemon mines for a while. Finally, we end with a Jojo's reference. I know. I'm sorry to bring this cursed knowledge into your life. Not as sorry as Allen is at the Gholdengo fan art I sent them. Our podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected].

Weird Fish Hour! We're back with more Scarlet & Violet Pokemon designs, and you know? They kinda went for it on this set! In weal and in woe, they went for it. Seriously what the hell is Cetitan. Our podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected].

As we start the latest Monster Hunter, our group of three becomes temporarily a four! The internet's Crasspants, or Crass if you're feeling... nasty? joins the crew for this one, and yet somehow they're not the one that starts the wrestling references rolling. It's a youkai-themed time as we check out Dirty Boys, MonHun Krampus, an incel tiger, and more! A big thank you to Minovsky, whom you can find on Twitter at @MinovskyArticle, as well as to Crass, whom you can find on Twitter at @Crasspants! Our Pokemon podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), our MonHun podcast art is done by RitSkyZ (@RitSkyZ on Twitter), and you can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected]. If you want to see the list of what creatures we've discussed, including direct links to Monster Hunter wiki pages for each monster, it's right here! Don't forget to switch to the MonHun tab!

You didn't think we changed our name to The Creature Quorum just to more smoothly incorporate Monster Hunter, did you? Oh no no no. We did it to open the door. NO MICKEY, NOT THE DOOR TO DARKNESS. God. That guy never quits, does he? No, this is the door to talking about a whole lot of Heartless. And Nobodies. And I guess Unversed at some point, and... well yeah, point is there's a lot to do. Our podcast art is done by Robin (@CourageousRobin on Twitter), though that's the Johto Quorum art, and we intend to get some Quorum That Never Was art at some point. You can contact the show with any questions, comments, or arguments for future (or past!) monsters at [email protected].