CAP 25 - Part 6 - CAP 25w Art Submissions

[Quanyails]

NEW: This is a Celebration CAP, meaning that we are going out of our way to break some rules. We'll be creating a set of three Pokemon this time around, a set of Fire, Water, and Grass-type starters! You can read exactly which rules we'll be breaking here and the logic behind Celebration CAPs here. Give these a read-through to get some context.

CAP 25 Grass-type art submissions: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/cap-25-part-6-cap-25g-art-submissions.3640033/
CAP 25 Fire-type art submissions: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/cap-25-part-6-cap-25f-art-submissions.3640034/

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This thread is open for WIPs, comments, and final submissions for the design of the CAP 25w. Important considerations that will come into play over the course of this thread are base stats and abilities. Please see the process guide for clarification on the timing of these decisions and for the timing of the closure of this thread. Warnings will be posted multiple days ahead of submission closure.

Posting Rules

***All material in both the main design and supporting material must be your own. Using another piece of art for inspiration is allowed, but blatant plagiarism will result in warnings or bans depending on the severity.***

Collaborative material (such as work made by multiple artists or a vision and art direction by a non-artist and execution by an artist) is not permitted.

Posting Frequency

Intentionally or unintentionally, thread-hogging tends to be more prevalent in the art submission thread compared to other CAP threads. In order to ensure that everyone has a reasonable chance to showcase their designs and air their opinions, thread-hogging will be moderated. If you wish to add new comments or art, but don't want to hog the thread, please consider editing your most recent post to add new content.

Posting Rules: Artists

• Artists can post any work-in-progress (WIP) artwork in order to solicit feedback or to help develop ideas. WIP artwork does not need to conform to the standards of a Main Design. It can be in any medium or stage of completion, but it must be related to an original art design by the poster.
• Do not post to state your intended design. You may not reserve an idea for yourself.
• Do not post questions asking for help in making art. For art resources on Smogon, check out Smeargle's Studio.
• Do not post inconsequential updates to designs. Only if you have made a significant change should you post an update in the thread.
• Do not bump art or beg for feedback. If no one comments on your design, consider the silence to be your feedback. Also, check out the CAP Discord channel or the CAP PS Room for open real-time discussion on CAP art.
• Images posted are subject to the following rules:
  • They must be in .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
  • They must be hosted on a reliable image hosting service (such as Imgur or puush). Do not use the forum's 'Upload a File' feature. Do not use the 'Attach a photo' tool on messaging apps (e.g. Discord). Do not use Iaza or Ezimba.
• Each post should contain no more than one (1) full-sized image, meaning:
  • The image is at most 640 pixels in both width and height.
  • The image has a file size of no larger than 200 kB.
• Artists should post links to additional art or use linking thumbnails. Each thumbnail can be no larger than 160 pixels in either dimension. Any number of thumbnails can be included in a post.
• Out of courtesy to users with lower bandwidth, artists must include a warning when posting links to images with file sizes exceeding 500 kB.
• The use of hide tags does not circumvent or alter any of the image posting rules.

Posting Rules: Commenters

• Please DO post constructive feedback for artists.
• Do not post ideas or images to serve as inspiration for artists or attempt to commission an artist in the thread to render your idea.
• Do not declare any artwork as "the winner" or make similar comments to that effect. Such posts are insulting to all the other competing artists.
• Do not comment that a design does or does not "look like a Pokemon/Digimon". There is no artistic style guide for Pokemon and therefore such comments are unable to be substantiated or refuted.
• Do not repost images from the thread. When quoting a post, remove any images.

Final Submission Post

All artists must make a final submission post conforming to the following rules, including those for the Main Design, in order to be included in the art poll.

• The post must have "Final Submission" (in bold) as the first line, the Main Design included in image tags below that, and supporting material (if applicable) below the main design.
• All supporting art must be included as links or as linked thumbnails no larger than 160 pixels in either dimension. Do not include full images of supporting art in the final submission.
• Only make one (1) final submission post. Artists are welcome to work on multiple designs and get feedback from the community, but only one design can be submitted for final consideration. If you wish to alter any aspect of your final submission, then edit your post. Do not make a new one, even if you delete your original post. Any deleting and re-posting will be treated as bumping and is subject to moderation.

By making a final submission, an artist gives the CAP project permission to use the submitted art for CAP and related projects. The artist also consents that the design can be interpreted by other artists for the CAP project and for other promotional purposes.

Artists cannot submit any artwork that has been previously or that is currently used by another project not affiliated with CAP. The winning CAP artist agrees to not later use the winning design for another project or contest not affiliated with CAP.

Main Design

The main design is intended to follow the same general posing and layout as the "Official Art" for existing in-game Pokemon. It must be suitable for display on the CAP Pokedex section of the CAP Website and any other CAP propaganda where a picture of the Pokemon is needed.

The comparison to 'Official Pokemon Art' is only applicable to the basic content of the main design; it does not imply any standards or guidelines regarding artistic style or rendering technique.

The following rules of content must be followed for the Main Design:

• The image must consist of a single Pokemon on a plain white background. The background cannot be transparent.
• The image must be a 2D digital or scanned traditional drawing. 3D media and photos are not allowed.
• No part of the Pokemon may be cut off by the canvas.
• The Pokemon must be in full color.
• The design must have a distinct outline on the entire subject in contrast to the subject and background. Colored outlines are allowed but must not obstruct the clarity of the design.
• No part of the design can be blurred into the background or blended into the background in any way.
• No props, action effects, move effects, or additional objects can be rendered on or around the Pokemon. If a prop is part of the Pokemon's basic design (i.e. Conkeldurr's pillars), then it is acceptable.
• The image must not include offensive or obscene imagery, or be intended to mock or insult the project or other users.
• The image must be in .jpg, .png or .gif format.
• The image must be at least 320 pixels and at most 640 pixels in both width and height.
• The image must have a file size of no more than 200 kB.
• The image must be hosted on a reliable image hosting service (such as Imgur or puush). Do not use the forum's 'Upload a File' feature. Do not use the 'Attach a photo' tool on messaging apps (e.g. Discord). Do not use Iaza or Ezimba.

The rules for main designs will be strictly enforced. Do not make comparisons to in-game Pokemon designs or to past CAP designs to determine if your design is in compliance with these rules. Some in-game Pokemon designs and past CAP designs do not conform with the current CAP art submission rules, and emulating those designs is not an acceptable excuse for breaking the strict interpretation of the current rules.

Supporting Material

There are almost no rules when it comes to supporting material. Action scenes, movement studies, interaction with other Pokemon, animations, sculptures, and cartoon strips are all allowed. Non-art supporting material is also allowed. This includes detailed descriptions of the art, background data, stories, etc. All supporting art and information must be related to the main design in some way.


Art Polls

All art polls will contain the Main Design and, if applicable, a link below it titled "Supporting Material". This will link to the artists final submission post, if applicable. All final submissions conforming to the rules above will be slated.

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CAP 25 so far:

Topic Leader: reachzero

Topic Leadership Team:
EpicUmbreon29 - Typing
snake_rattler - Ability
jas61292 - Stats
cbrevan - Movepool

Name: Starter Trio CAPs

Description: This CAP is not one Pokemon, but three seperate Pokemon, based off of a Grass/Water/Fire starter trio.

Explanation: There is rarely such thing as a competitively viable starter Pokemon in the OU metagame, rare exceptions being Serperior, Greninja, and Blaziken for their insanely powerful abilities, and Infernape for his speed and movepool. Running three seperate CAP Processes with different Concepts can be loads of fun, and a nice way to celebrate CAP with our own starter trio! I'd love to see what the artists can come up with, and what pre-evos will be made alongside this trio, as well.
I've spoken to Birkal about this framework, and I've decided that this framework would definitely limit the Typing stage of each CAP, but not necessarily limit the Abilities stages, as Overgrow, Torrent, and Blaze aren't very competitively viable, and not necessarily limit the Stats stages, as starter trios tend not to share the same BSTs, giving us flexibility with where and how we want to place stats, especially with each "starter" most likely having a different concept from the others.

Possible Questions:
Is it possible to create a fully competitively viable Grass/Water/Fire trio?
What can be learned from a trio of Pokemon that will mostly likely check, if not counter, each other in a Rock Paper Scissors manner?
Exactly what does it take to create a fully competitively viable starter trio, something unprecedented in all of official, competitive Pokemon?

Of course, feedback is all but begged for as we work to flesh out this framework!

Starter Fact Sheet

Final Submission

• Name - Astounding Ability Actualization (Triple A)
• Description - These Pokemon each maximize the potential of their given, separate abilities by coordinating their movepools and that ability's competitive effect.
• Justification - This is an Actualization concept much like Cyclohm's original "Neglected Ability." In my research on what made Pokemon with "Starter Level" stats effective, the common denominator was they all had abilities they used to full effect with their other competitive aspects. This framework gives us a unique opportunity to A-B test some fairly powerful abilities we usually shy away from and bring out an effective competitive starter trio.
• Questions To Be Answered -
  • Which Abilities are best suited to a full, comprehensive exploration of their specific mechanics?
  • Why does Ability seem to be the common factor in taking "starter-esque" Pokemon into prominence (e.g. Protean and Battle Bond Greninja, Contrary Serperior, Speed Boost Blaziken to Ubers, etc.)
  • What is the threshold where maximizing an ability goes toi far, such as Blaziken's combination of Swords Dance, strong attack and mid-grade speed, and high BP STABS with Speed Boost or Protean Greninja's huge speed and just-varied enough movepool in prior Generations?
  • How will introducing three specialized Pokemon into the metagame at once impact it overall?
  • Which type combinations along with the starter types are best suited to maximizing the potential of a specific ability, and why?
• Explanation - Competitive Pokemon has suffered from a massive power creep for a long time. In order for a Pokemon to be effective, not only does it have to be fairly good generally, it also can't be directly outclassed. Considering our Framework, our Pokemon are already competing against Heatran/Volcarona, Toxapex/Keldeo/Greninja, and Ferrothorn/Kartana for offensive or defensive roles. However, each of those Pokemon have their own flaws that give our FWG CAP Trio space to explore if we are focused on a key niche for each of them.
  
  Let's take Grass for example, and Tough Claws. Tough Claws boosts one of the most incredibly CAP-relevant moves, Grass Knot, because it is a special contact attack. Only Mega Metagross ever even came close to utilizing this combination, and Mega-Meta was banned (for other reasons, of course). Grass could also use it's huge number of healing options with Triage, including priority Strength Sap that even outruns Bullet Punch. Nearly every Fire attack has a secondary effect chance perfect for Serene Grace or Sheer Force. Water has a few specific moves that would also love Serene Grace, but would also appreciate breaking through Gastrodon and Mollux with Mold Breaker. Suffice it to say, this concept gives us an ability to meet our Framework demands and think through a huge combination of synergistic types and abilities in a single project.

CAP 25g

Typing: Grass/Electric
Threats and Counters: https://www.smogon.com/forums/posts/7875516
Abilities: Overgrow/Galvanize
Stats: 84 HP / 106 Atk / 82 Def / 77 SpA / 80 SpD / 106 Spe


CAP 25f

Typing: Fire/Ground
Threats and Counters: https://www.smogon.com/forums/posts/7870058
Abilities: Blaze/Technician
Stats: 88 HP / 116 Atk / 67 Def / 88 SpA / 78 SpD / 97 Spe


CAP 25w

Typing: Water/Bug
Threats and Counters: https://www.smogon.com/forums/posts/7872739
Abilities: Torrent/Poison Heal
Stats: 91 HP / 94 Atk / 110 Def / 80 SpA / 97 SpD / 63 Spe

 

[Sunfished]

Post updated at #89

11bug

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BlueberryBlanket

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Bummer

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DrifblooomCF
Falchion

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flying moose

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Golurkyourself

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Gravity Monkey

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Kyrads

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Magistrum

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imgur.com/cJ7DHB8

Mova

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Pipotchi

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Prototypetrainer

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Quanyails

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Zephias

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[K. Roolest Shark]

WIP

This lil fella will soon be redesigned

 

[Sunfished]

lobster knight wip

 

[Morghulis]

WIP

For now here is my waterstarter:

imgur.com/cJ7DHB8

It's based on the phrase "bug bear" as well as tardigrades or "water bears" and also the semi aquatic kodiak bear. It's especially large and tanky to fit the defensive nature of the CAP.

The "nose" is actually the mouth

 

[Mova]

Final Submission

EDIT: Final Subbed because I didn't get time to work on this fellow.

A mosquite that can $ook. Not much special about this one, other than that mosquitoes are known for spreading diseases that they don't get harmed by.

 

[Magistrum]

WIP

My work-in-progress design, based on the Great Diving Beetle.

For the defensively-oriented starter of the trio, I opted for a compact guy that can exude bulk. For design elements I chose some basic typing cues such as hind flippers, scuba mask-like eyes and a sizable amount of froth on its neck which is a nod to the Great Diving Beetle's method to store air while diving.

As a design quirk, I wanted to give a jobclass theme amongst my starters, much like what has been done on the Gen 6 and 7 ones. This design in particular follows a Viking/Berserker-class aesthetic, which is supported mostly by facial features like the beard-like mandibles that extend to the top to look like horns, and the aforementioned froth that comes off as a fur pelt worn by vikings.

I'm still exploring the color scheme and whether the glowing-eyes-under-the-scuba-mask is passable for a starter, but what do you think? As always, comments, critiques and criticism is greatly appreciated.

 

[Raikoben]

WIP

Im not very good at drawing and this is not a very original design but I want to participate in this CAP project as much as I can. It's based on a Scarabaeus viettei. Part of the thorax pretend to be like a sea shell xD

 

[Gravity Monkey]

WIP
First sketch of my 25w! It's based on a dytiscidae (a water beetle), on which I added some submarine features, like the cockpit and the rotative feets.

 

[Bummer]

It's based on a Scarabaeus viettei. Part of the thorax pretend to be like a sea shell xD

dang, great minds think alike

WIP

went for a more Atlas related angle, where it carries the bubble around on its back

 

[Sgt.Moose]

WIP

So first step towards the goal for 25W. Centipede of sorts is decorated with those floaty donuts children use at the pool (and a beachball!)
Right now it doesn't really radiate starterness but I think that will be sorted with some tweaking of pose and proportions and the head (and general more polished lines etc)

 

[Pipotchi]

WIP

So im basing mine on the Great Barrier Reef mixed with a giant triton snail! Crown of thorns starfish (like toxapex) are destroying the coral reef and triton snails are their natural predators, so theyre really important for saving the coral reef. I also wanted to create a shell that could house smaller/baby pokemon just in case we get a certain ability that that would be fitting for. If not, perhaps Corsola take up refuge amongst the coral on its shell that I'll spruce up and make exciting at a later date. Just wanted to throw my concept down quickly!
Also, I made a conscious effort to give it a "secondary" bug typing feel rather than it being a primary bug, by trying to give it snail characteristics without being a full snail- in case you're wondering why its so weird haha.

also, im liking the entries so far! just gotta be careful to make them complex enough to allow for 2 cool prevolutions!

 

[DrifblooomCF]

WIP

https://imgur.com/pyNA77r

this desing is based on a tardigrade, also called "water bear", this fact can be seen in the number of arms, and the "thicc" form of the body

Modedit: Please do not use media tags for embedding images.

 

[Zephias]

WIP

Quick doodle of a shield shrimp design, with some water scorpion components. I still need to trace and get the colors/details right, especially since I plan on letting colors and patterns speak a bit more this time. I like the idea a lot but I think my art skills are failing to translate it :(

 

[Dece1t]

Pipotchi's conch looks absolutely fantastic and it looks like the defensive beast we're aiming for. Massive props man!

As for some of the other designs, I also really like DrifblooomCF's idea of the seabear, since that thing is technically invincible lol (my only suggestion being make it look less cuddly/mammal like, keep the bear pun but make it look a little more like a scary insect lol) and ZardX's start (I would only suggest it does look a bit like a pre-evo, toughen it up a little). Otherwise, general suggestion, be careful to not make the designs too similar to Araquanid's concept with the water bubbles. Keep up the awesome work!

 

[pastafari]

lobster knight wip

I like it!!!!!
Wouldn't a shield in one arm be more fitting to the defensive nature we intend on our mon? Just saying, it would look badass with a shield AND a sword!

 

[Ironmage]

Because I know way too much random stuff, I'm going to point out that tardigrades are actually pretty bad at resisting predator attacks since they lack the armour of most other arthropods. I guess it's hard for me to pick a favourite until I know if we're going physical or special defensive lol.

 

[Origin0]

Some comments/feedback:

ZardX: It looks more like a prevo, and the fort thing on its back looks a bit misplaced. It doesn't look very "bulky" or defensive to me either.

Sunfished: I think this is a cool design, looks like it could be a cousin of Escavalier. To me, though, it looks more ant than lobster. Maybe you could give it a lobster tail and modify the legs and abdomen to look more like a lobster?

Morghulis: I like what you did with the face, the brow ridge thing (sorry I don't know what to call it) turning into bear-like ears is a nice idea. I think the elbows look a bit odd with their bulges, though.

Mova: I was going to say it looks like a Sonic series character (not a bad thing) before noticing your avatar. I do like its expressiveness, but since 25w is supposed to be bulky and defensive, it kind of doesn't match with its small, scrawny body.

Magistrum: I like the royal warrior look, it looks like it could go head to head with Empoleon.

Raikoben: This honestly reminds me of Flabebe, riding around with its water bubble. It looks more like a prevo, though, and it doesn't exude "bulky" to me.

Gravity Monkey: Nice submarine-beetle idea, but are those rabbit ears? And what is that appendage coming from its back?

trialcaptainmina: I really like this design, it's colorful and mixes the best of the two creatures together. The only suggestion would be to make the head and neck a little bigger to better fit where it connects to the body.

Bummer: It reminds me of Heracross, especially its head. Carrying the water on its back is a cool idea though.

Sgt.Moose: The head looks more like a snake than a centipede to me, it could be changed a little to look more buglike. I do like the floaties, it's a nice alternative to bubbles.

Pipotchi: I like this design and its inspiration, it definitely looks the part for the type too. I personally like how the lighter blue slime drapes over the back legs like a coat.

DrifblooomCF: The head makes it appear less bug-like, though I do like how its body is surrounded by a layer of transparent water, like how a water bear looks under a microscope.

Zephias: It looks cool, I like the claws and tail, but I'm just wondering what those protrusions on its sides are?

EDIT: ZardX: I like the colors of the new nautilus design but it still doesn't look tough enough.

 

[K. Roolest Shark]

WIP

Significantly changed in its design

 

[Reiga]

WIP

Based on nudibranch, a group of marine slugs well known for their striking colors. In the same nature how Swampert is based on mudpuppy or the like while still sticking to a starter-like appearance, with heavily stylized elements, this design also does the same to the otherwise blob-like nudibranch, by giving it proportions more similar to mammals and reptiles so it can fit as your usual starter.
A secondary Bug type was definitely something tricky to design around, but in the end I decided the typing would best suit something "low-key" Bug-like, and seeing as other mollusc in the form of Shelmet and Accelgor managed to be considered Bug-types, I stuck with a sea slug. The bug-type is accentuated with the six legs (based on the way a slug's foot may at some points look like a couple pairs of small legs), and large antennae and feelers.

As for the still speculated stat spread (alliteration!), Slugmon has quite the thick build to it, and while not covered in armor or the like, Pokemon has a long history of squishy stuff with high defenses (Quagsire, Swampert and Gastrodon to name a few). Plus, it goes along with how many absurdly tanky mons out there have a cute and innocent appearance (Chansey, Alomomola, Wigglytuff).

Also extremely low-key based on sea bunnies, since those guys are incredibly adorable

 

[trialcaptainmina]

Posting my peacock mantis shrimp design here; mantis shrimps hit like a truck and see like 17 colours, what more needs to be said? Open to suggestions on how to make it more obviously water type, also may change pose to differentiate from milotic/serperior/snake-y things

Modedit: Please use image tags, not media tags.

 

[BP]

These all look so good oh my goodness! I'm especially a fan of trialcaptainmina, Magistrum, and Zephias works. They look really good and in my opinion there concepts are very good. I'd love using any of these Pokemon simply because their art is great. Keep up the spectacular work!

 

[Grassgem389]

WIP

This is a work in progress for my entry. It's the basic evolution of the starter. I wanted to create a shrimp that can curl up into a ball like an armadillo. Any feedback on this starter would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Warren685]

WIP
View attachment 130790

This is a work in progress for my entry. It's the basic evolution of the starter. I wanted to create a shrimp that can curl up into a ball like an armadillo. Any feedback on this starter would be greatly appreciated.

You know it's final evolution only right?

 

[Grassgem389]

You know it's final evolution only right?

I did not see that part. My bad. I'll redo it soon.