I'm not a shopping liiiist, I'm a GHOOOOOOOOOOST

353: Shuppet

Three generations to finally get a traditional sheet ghost! And the fact that it's framed as a little sock puppet thing is a hilariously genius take. Shuppet itself isn't a bad design either, with it having some cool multi-colored eyes with super heavy outlines. The single horn is neat too, and it feels like it also serves the purpose of really selling how this thing is definitely a sheet ghost so they could draw its sheet-ey-ness in the form of some fabric folds in the art. Shuppet is said to feed on negative emotions, most in particular jealousy, hate, and spite. Cute!

We toys can see eeeeverythiiiiiing

354: Banette

It then evolves into Banette, stated to be a "marionette" Pokemon and having lore that talks it up like an abandoned plush doll that seeks revenge on its former owner. BRUTAL idea for a ghost Pokemon!! Ghost Pokemon up to this point haven't been THAT spooky but Shedinja and Banette here are definitely starting the trend of Ghost types having alarmingly grim backstories in their Pokedex entries. Though this entry seems to forget Shuppet came before Banette, unless we're just left to assume Shuppet possesses the old toy and morphs it into this shape as well as attaining memories of being abandoned.

Though it also sticks in some voodoo doll for good measure, with the move Curse being one of the moves it's most well known for having, and described as sticking pins in itself to curse others. Not sure how to feel about a Pokemon that derives some amount of pleasure from doing harm to itself, especially when it has a zipper-mouth, but ahhh. Shouldn't be a big deal, right? Right?

Anyway, Banette's design is super cool, with the mean face and the zipper mouth being a really neat addition, meaning that unironically this time. The ragged sheet going down its head looking a bit like a nightcap is fun too, as well as the big floppy flipper-like arms looking like it's wearing pajamas that are too big for it. The one sticking point keeping Banette from being outright perfect is the Cacturne problem again; where's the stitches!? If this thing's supposed to be a doll, we'd expect seams and stitches, fellas!

I am the one hiding under your bed! Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red!

Mega Banette:

It always struck us as strange that this Pokemon's counterpart, Dusclops, got an evolution, but Banette didn't. So Megas are the next best thing we suppose. Except not really because they're not in the games anymore, but bah. Meganette here doesn't fill the design with seams and stitches, but it DOES cover it with enough zippers to make Tetsuya Nomura shed a single solemn tear and give KH-Donald's silly zipper-hat a run for its money. But it has the zippers open up to reveal a spectral body beneath. And if we're lead to believe zippers on a Banette are just its mouth, who's to say these aren't just more mouths??? Mouths full of fingers sounds like just the amount of spook for a Halloween icon like a spooky doll, so Mega Banette here easily gets away with being one of the coolest Megas. Again, the one thing that would make this cooler would be if it was just Banette's evolution outright. You could totally pass it as one, too.