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Dark Claws, my shrine to Sneasel from Pokémon, is celebrating its tenth birthday this year. I have kept this site in an archived form for a long time, as I wasn't sure what to do with it; I've grown dissatisfied with writing Pokémon fansites in terms of move lists and battle strategies with only one or two pages that I would find interesting as a reader, but I wasn't ready to part ways with my first and oldest character shrine, especially since Sneasel is still one of my favorite Pokémon. I thought I just didn't have much to say about it.

As I was talking about this with Denise, the things I said about Sneasel were of the type of, for example, expressing the personal frustration with not being able to get one in this or that game, or the fact that this particular sprite looks completely different than its later design and I wonder what happened, or headcanons about how it must be like to train a Sneasel. And so I thought: why not make a site out of that perspective? Why not write about the things that I really have to say about it?

And so!
For its tenth anniversary, Dark Claws has been completely redesigned and rewritten - it's a whole new site. Its essays are rather different from everything I've ever written in a fansite, and I can say that I am satisfied with this work.

I hope you will enjoy it!

DUBS. DUBS I LOVE THS. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.

I know you've been working on this while and just. Ahhhh this is so great. I totally understand your feelings about not being satisfied with the original format and I love how you merged the old information in with the new.

Various thoughts as I read through:
- I love the entire intro page. I find it really hard to introduce Pokemon given how long I've personally loved it but you did a fantastic job here. (I wonder though if the dex entries might work better as full-width in the box? They're appearing on the right side on my screen and it extends quite far down the page.)

- I never thought about how Sneasel was one of the last Pokemon you could catch! How cool is that. And... how annoying, lmao. I'm so sorry, that's a pain.
- That's hilarious about the TCG card. Way to go Sneasel.
- I love Weavile but I definitely agree that it stole a lot of the spotlight. I feel this way about Scizor and Scyther. Come on you guys the original was super cool

- It's obvious you did a ton of research on Sneasel's origins (I remember some of this from the previous site) and it shows on this page. This is all really interesting! Your writing is so engaging and easy to read.
- I laughed way too hard at the mention of running around a rock to evolve a Pokemon. Oh Game Freak.

- The points you make about Sneasel's claws are really fascinating (esp. as they pertain to evolution). Great stuff.
- "The time of day seems to be... holographic." omfg dubs

- !! I had no idea Silver's Sneasel was stolen! (Or if I did I forgot, haha.) It stands out so much reading about it here, as opposed to earlier in the site; I love that you've left it until after you've reminded me that hey you can only catch Sneasel in these hard-to-get-to places, so why does Silver have one?

gosh THIS IS SUCH A GREAT SITE, I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I'm glad you were able to revamp it into a form that satisfies you, and it's such a lovely read. Thank you for sharing it with us

OMG ART
HOW DO YOU ART ?? !?
OMG
SNAZZY SNEASEL

HOMG RESEARCHHHHHhhhhhdsklfjsdjflksjd
ZOMG IMAGES WITH CAPTIONS hoWWWW
ZOMG PADDING AND MARGINS ON POINT
HOMG EVERYTHING

</word vomit>

But seriously, Dubs, what a masterwork! Every little detail is managed and styled (but would we expect to see anything less?), and the result is a presentation that flows easily from first to last page. I can't believe the site is actually only seven pages (index + 6 content pages); it feels so full of information, especially concerning Sneasel's role in gameplay. The layout especially is magazine-quality, with the expert use of white space and captioned images (seriously these are great--and they're all clickable!!). And I love the way you've styled the intra-site navigation at the bottom of the page <3<3<3

Add to that your strong writing voice and evident love for this underappreciated Pokemon, and aaaaaaa it's so great.

One typo on the design page, in the paragraphs beside the male and female Sneasel picture close to the bottom of the page: "...but isn't it strange that Game Freak bends backwards so much to make evolutions that retroactively make sense with the previous games, and so we (missing word) Pokémon that have to evolve..."

Awesome design, the artwork on the banner looks great. I like how you included gif and images along with the text and how the whole site navigates. The plushie is super cute and the concept section is very interesting.

Larissa: THANK YOU ;_;

Really?! The intro is good?! I was so insecure about that part of the site, lol. I was afraid it was too boring and useless.

Aah, the problem of the text on the right XD If I put it horizontal underneath the picture, it looks too visually bad since most descriptions are one line on my screen. If I put it on the right, it can be quite tall on anything that's smaller than that...BUT you reminded me that I forgot to add the responsivity adaptations on that box, so let me do that :D you know what, let me make it full-width as soon as descriptions wrap in a good-looking way.

YEAH Scizor too, I love what it looks like but especially in Scizor's case: it's barely an evolution at all stat-wise and, at that rate, I'd almost want it to be its own line because Scyther looks TOO FINISHED for it. To be honest I feel that way about almost every later addition (with the exception of, like, the Porygon upgrades, lol).

On the other hand on evolution methods: running around rocks is stupid, but I can still see how it could happen in nature. I guess it's like, it only evolves in the magical magical forest. But just the other day I was thinking, how the hell do evolutions by trade happen in nature. Maybe they just DON'T. And you can only evolve a Kadabra by making it FEAR THAT YOU NO LONGER LOVE IT and force it to prove itself to be like, NO, WATCH, WATCH, I CAN DO BETTER...WHAT ABOUT...TWO SPOONS. LOVE ME PLEASE DON'T ABANDON ME
That's dark.

THANK YOU SO MUCH

--

Robin: THANK YOU!!

The pictures with descriptions are made with the <figure> tag! It's the best thing that ever happened to HTML It's so useful and so easy to make good-looking accompanying illustrations with it :D

:D

OhHHHH HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT TYPO
Thank you so much! I'll fix it :D
(no what you talking about, it's how it's meant to be. WE POKEMON THAT HAVE TO EVOLVE! UNITE!)

---

Mikari: Thank you!! And isn't it a cute plush, yes? :D There's a few others that are even cuter but they're rare as fuck. Namely this one. It's so cute but it usually goes for about a hundred dollars and...I'm not doing that XD

One day I'll make a reply to a shrine plug with coherent running text rather than random yelling at every part of the shrine, but not today.

As Larissa has said, I love your approach to the intro page, and the combination of information as well as your own feelings!

I LOVE THE COMMENTARY ON SNEASEL'S PLACEMENT IN THE GAME (and how you later follow it up with Sneasel's ferocity and a commentary on Mount Silver on a different page), THE EXAMINATION OF THE DARK TYPE AND ITS RARITY AND INTRODUCTION AND ITS RATIONALE, THE GAMEPLAY AND EVERYTHING. ICE PATH RAGE.

"Sneasel is made of the stuff created to destroy Mewtwo." Well that certainly is a way to introduce a Pokémon. ALSO THE CAPTION ON THE MURKROW PIC (and the variety of pics on the shrine in the first place - not just the type of pic, but what they're supposed to express)

(... People I have never ever heard of "Beat Up" before, I didn't even know there was a group attack move in Pokémon... what? I have to go watch a video of this.)

"And thus came an end to those...Dark...days." omg. The frustration and bitterness in some of these pages is so lovely. LOL

It's really neat you've included so much details and off-site links about various things that even someone who has been a long-time Pokémon fan may not ever have heard of. Exploits, Gold/Silver being the true vision of the creators back then, TCG insights and such! Same for your conversational tone throughout the shrine, and how you're not afraid to add your own commentary aside from personal experiences (e.g. gender differences, shiny sprite). The latter especially: It's not just information - it's distinctly coming from a fan.

As always, I love reading about design backgrounds and folklore. What particularly stood out to me is the connection you made between some of the Kamaitachi accounts and Sneasel's signature move, as well as the speculation regarding Sneasel's ice type...! :O

A-Also all the different Sneasel colours, what even. I don't think I've ever consciously thought about it. AAAH I just really love how the "design" page is about so many things!! Not just what the Pokémon is based on, but also its development over the years and other things. Echoing what Robin said - I think it's because each of your pages is so diverse in the content it covers, it feels like much more than "just" 6 pages.

"They're Dark-types! They're rebels! They're not bound by silly things like day and night!" are you talking about yourself

Also wtf the stolen Sneasel!

I love love love the shrine - great work, dubiousdisc!!

(By the way, is this supposed to happen? I use Chrome.)

Robin wrote: HOMG RESEARCHHHHHhhhhhdsklfjsdjflksjd
ZOMG IMAGES WITH CAPTIONS hoWWWW
ZOMG PADDING AND MARGINS ON POINT
HOMG EVERYTHING

I need an entire page or topic here at Amassment called #justhonestrobinquotes LOL The stuff she says in reaction to other people's designs and skills sometimes HAHA. (I get it though - the padding and margin thing. /bangs head against wall)

dubiousdisc wrote: OhHHHH HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT TYPO
Thank you so much! I'll fix it :D
(no what you talking about, it's how it's meant to be. WE POKEMON THAT HAVE TO EVOLVE! UNITE!)

<90s rap beat>
YO YO YO
WE POKEMON THAT HAVE TO EVOLVE
WHAT WHAT
CHECK IT OUT
</90s rap beat>

Lethe wrote:

Robin wrote: HOMG RESEARCHHHHHhhhhhdsklfjsdjflksjd
ZOMG IMAGES WITH CAPTIONS hoWWWW
ZOMG PADDING AND MARGINS ON POINT
HOMG EVERYTHING

I need an entire page or topic here at Amassment called #justhonestrobinquotes LOL The stuff she says in reaction to other people's designs and skills sometimes HAHA. (I get it though - the padding and margin thing. /bangs head against wall)

ROFL #overlyexcitedrobin more like XD

Lethe: EEE EEE EE eee ee

On the pictures: I am now very glad that I saved some pictures thinking "this is an interesting picture and one day will be useful". Like the Entei picture. I have been patiently waiting until the moment it would be relevant for YEARS.

Dark types: oh no I totally was not talking about myself. What would make you think that. (seven pm and woke up one hour ago)

The Chrome bug: that was NOT supposed to happen but huh. That's actually...kinda interesting looking. I'll investigate. Thank you!

And please go make that topic. I need that topic in my life.

(Also little side note: I wish I could have used the pictures of Sneasel and Silver that you sent me but the one that I liked best was so vertical it didn't work with the layout, so I had to reluctantly switch back to the one I had in the beginning. SIGH...)

Robin: whatever that song is I need it to exist

ALJSDLFJLSKDJFLKJSDF;;
OMGGG, THE LAYOUT. THAT ART. THOSE COLORS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL I DIE.

I love everything about the site, dubiousdisc! Your layouts are always so clean, beautiful and stylish. I'm always in awe of people who can pull of "big" layouts with big, readable text because it's something I definitely struggle with all the time and am still learning how to do.

I really like how you incorporated all those different shades of brown as well! It almost gives the site an overall sepia-look that speaks well to its age. With the lovely artwork you used, the header/sub-headers and the font of the content, it feels like I've just walked into a quaint little museum full of charming Sneasal antiquities.

Antiquities... like those IMAGES and CAPTIONS. It's great that you linked the bigger versions of the images to the ones used in the layout! I also like the different sorts of images you used, from the game to the anime to the manga to the Sneasal plushie (omg, it's adorable!!!). Despite how dissimilar they are, they fit really well with each other. Just—those PIXELS! I love it!

Aside from design choices (which again, are really awesome), the content was incredibly fun and informative to read. I especially liked reading about Sneasal's origins and loved how in-depth you went with it, covering mythos and even touching upon how its design has changed over the years.

Once again, I LOVE IT. Really nice work, as always!

This is truly mindblowing, and reading through Dark Claws (again!) completely made my day.

First of all, this layout. THIS LAYOUT. It's fantastic. (And your art is, as usual, extraordinary).

The introduction tells the history of the Pokémon franchise in a really fresh way. I'm a fan of Pokémon, but I'm not actually a BIG fan, as I have only played Fire Red (never finished) and I've been making slow progress on Pokémon X; my interest in the franchise was born primarily from the anime and comic books in my childhood. I noticed your response to Larissa that you were insecure about the intro, so I'd just like to say that, from the perspective of a fan-but-not-a-huge-nerdy-fan, the introduction was extremely informative and pleasant to read! It also introduced Sneasel brilliantly! When I got to the bottom of the page and saw the block of info on Sneasel, introduced simply by the question "What will they look like?", it felt like it was the first time I had ever seen that Pokémon in my life.

Sneasel in nature wrote:So, are Dark-types really evil? Or are they merely dark?

This might not have been your original intention, but this paragraph is really hilarious to me, because you're really playing the devil's advocate in here, to the point that it kind of feels like you're defending Sneasel in a coutroom taken directly from the Ace Attorney universe. Besides, as I was reading that line, I immediately and unconsciously remembered the Not Evil, Just Misunderstood trope. And I was just a tiny bit disappointed when you didn't finish the paragraph with the trope name!!!!!!!

I don't mean this to sound critical at all though; most of this page is conjectural, and I love everything about it! (I love trying to dig into fantasy universes and thinking about how things that weren't approached by the official material might work in that context).

Another thing that I'd like to say is a hUGE thank you for adding a lot of images to your site. I feel like it's REALLY important to illustrate what you're saying, and the images (and captions) you provided did the job beautifully.

Congratulations on the revamp!!!!!!