Landorus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Careful Nature
- Earthquake
- Defog
- U-turn
- Toxic

⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⢿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠻⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢺⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠆⠜⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠿⠛⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠻⣿⣿
⣿⣿⡏⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣠⣤⣤⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣦⣤⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⢠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⡧⠇⢀⣤⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣮⣭⣿⡻⣽⣒⠀⣤⣜⣭⠐⢐⣒⠢⢰⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⣾⣿⠂⢈⢿⣷⣞⣸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣽⣿⣿⣷⣶⣾⡿⠿⣿⠗⠈⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠻⠋⠉⠑⠀⠀⢘⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⢹⣿⣿⡇⢀⣶⣶⠴⠶⠀⠀⢽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⠀⠀⠣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡟⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⣿⣧⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡀⣴⠁⢘⡙⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⢿⠗⠂⠄⠀⣴⡟⠀⠀⡃⠀⠉⠉⠟⡿⣿⣿⣿
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢷⠾⠛⠂⢹⠀⠀⠀⢡⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠛⠿⢿

Every now and then a game comes along that announces itself as special from the moment you start up. More rare are games so impactful that the genre can be cleanly divided into before, and after. Such is Hollow Knight: There's metroidvanias before it came out, and after it's earth-shaking impact.

At the surface of Hollow Knight is the sprawling, beautifully constructed and interconnected world design, the evocative and often rousing music, the hand-drawn art and animation, the perfect gameplay. The tremendous freedom with which we can explore the world. There are vividly realized characters, sharply characterized with through art, voice and dialogue that bring them to life. It's truly incredible the way Myla and Hornet - to pick but two examples - become fully-realized characters we care deeply about despite their relatively short screen time.

Another level down, the initially typical story of a fallen kingdom being explored is steeped in an original and compelling story. Through rich worldbuilding we learn of ancient enemies, tragedy, heroism, tribal pacts. We encounter characters simultaneously silly and affecting (somehow), like a dung beetle whose joyful demeaner and optimism mask a tragic past.

Amidst a heavy story Hollow Knight is also utterly hilarious, including the payoff to a joke developed so carefully that the punchline lands as unexpectedly as it is perfect. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a game (let's just say the object of someone's obsession takes on a very odd fantasy). And yet somehow the humor melds with the world rather than clashing with it, a balancing act that is really tough to pull off.

Yet another level down, we find the deeper secrets of the story, the nooks and crannies of the world, the deep lore - and the themes of what it's really about. Hollow Knight has come to mean a great deal to me. It's a special game, yes. It plays beautifully, sure. But it's also a game with an insight into human - and bug - nature. Ultimately, all things must accept an end, whether we want to or not. It's how we respond to that end that defines us.