with Issue 36 up I wanted to celebrate a little by going back over this very long long season.

{writers notes}

Wow I finally got done with that stretch of comics! Season 3 started wayyyyyyy on 2/24/2016! Almost 4 years ago. The theme of season 3 had actually been set up at the end of season 2 when Gible having lost control ate his gf who he thought was a giant cupcake. The Gibles Last Bite 2 covered part of that. So we started off season 3 Gible in jail for murder.


issue# 24 TM Withdrawl. What made tm withdrawal stand out was it was the first issue where I changed the opening post to a picture of the pokemon writing the question. I had felt that maybe seeing the pokemon could help connect the read with the situation before than I had been using the computer screen letter as a way to start each comic. (Which was a nod to the comic strong bad) In the last issue of the comic I wanted to create a full loop from that issue which wasn't a very substantial issue but the ending featured this.
Spoiler:

Prin up until that frame had always been featured as a Piplup. Having given no explanation of this I wanted to come back to that at some point which I thought would be good now. Piplups evolution will be covered at some point.


Issue#25 Big Eater - After putting out an issue basically calling pokemon who need evolution stones junkies I figured I would go with something more personal. At the time I created Big Eater I was working with high school students. This issue was inspired by those students because they seemed to forced to choose over popularity or themselves in a never ending dance to fit in. When reading the issue I had hoped to convey that as long as you were you and you were treated with respect either way was the right choice.
Spoiler:

With this issue, I also realized I would need to move away from some of the core characters and build up this prison world.


Issue #26 Friendship For Sale....This issue turned out to be way over the top. Its actually one of my favorites because I got to mix in a real in-game story theme. That theme being why the hell would team rocket be mixed with Slowpoke Tails. When I first came across this years ago I always thought it was way too dark for a kids game. Beyond that I really wanted to finally address just how awful some of gibles responses were and with him being in jail I wanted to stick to a prison theme.
Spoiler:

I realized early it would be dark but I also wanted to convey that this trauma was serious. People can be broke by betrayal. Finally, the issue ended with a teaser from the 2nd Suicune's Grace


One shot Suicune's Grace 2
I love love loved working on this issue as the story like the last one had come from the Johto games and it was something that most players would understand. This issue you gave me a chance to break from the gible questions and use a character already established. I had planned to make this more like the first one which featured cameos of most of the members I communicated with a lot at the time but felt like just the core of her story was enough since the theme was so serious.
Spoiler:

I didn't write it just for Xanthe but obviously felt like her contribution to the comic deserved it.


Issue #27 Happy 4th!
If any of you out there are writers and artists you know that when you take on a big project it tends to drain you. After the last two entries, I was exhausted. I'm not sure how long the SG issue took but I remember trying my best to give that issue extra attention. When it came to this issue it was a very easy issue for me to get back into the rhythm with. You'll see these filler-type issues after a big project. This didn't require much thought. What stands out most of if anything was the introduction of the gen 7 pokemon from this point on.

Issue #28 Detective Lumin - At this point with the season going well and my confidence in my art growing I decided to tackle a new challenge. You see years before the comic the character had been created as a Xmas present to one of the members. I had loved the character so much I had drawn up templates for the issue a year before this issue but I didn't know how I could handle the noir style of art. This style is was so much different than the simple bright drawings that I had to read through noir comics to find a way to connect my story to them. I was happy with the turnout.
Spoiler:



Issue #28 Closed Caption - After the grace issue I felt bad because I had worked on the design for Neo, Eric, Noble, and Jacob. However, I decided that I would leave Eric, Neo out because I had already had a part for them in the unreleased SG 3. I however didn't have any place for one of my closest forum friends next to Sarah. So I came up with a story that I figured represented my friendship with Jacob well(Without the swearing and mod intervention). The issue was fun to make as I hadn't gotten to introduce many new characters with a backstory like that.
Spoiler:


Issue #29 Breaking the mold
This issue was something fun and short but I felt like we could all relate to change. The dittos gave me a pokemon that I had always seen as whimsical but they all represented to change. Even at the end of the issue, the fact is that the change wasn't permanent and it was a choice. That ditto was meant to be me saying you can be what you want to be. Dittos are cool because they could choose to remain any other pokemon but they always go back to being just who they are.
Spoiler:



Issue #31 Did you just assume my typing.
Having put out a short issue before I had been planning this issue ahead of time. This issue was very personal for me and I figured it would before for those who read it. I have been fortunate to meet many students and one of the last classes of students I worked with had some very special young ladies. One of them had already come out and another was planning on doing so. Sadly though as open as some places in the us are to the LGBTQ community many others were not. So this issue was me trying to make sense of unnecessary hate.
Spoiler:


Issue #32 Fashion Police was very much a restart issue. There was a two-year lapse between these issues. My life had changed so much and I couldn't find the creativity to make a decent comic and I'm of the mindset that if you cant give something the full energy you shouldn't do it. The comic would mean less if I just didn't care. The first couple of frames lacked depth and it could have been a filler issue but as I continued with the different stories I found my style coming back to me.
Spoiler:


After Issue 32 I was back and I was ready. I put out the remakes for issues 4, 5, 6 and 7

Issue #33 Baby shark. issue 33 became the first new story to be put in the list of remakes. The story for this issue was because I had answered one question so poorly that I thought I could try again so I broke up an issue into two separate comics and I was happy with the outcome. Baby shark gave me a chance to add more backstory to gible and bring back Prin who I had been planning for the ending.

Issue #34 Love Potion was actually a question sent to the ask gible thread years before. The reason I had struggled with it, is because of Pikachu. I've never felt confident drawing it. For some reason, it never looks like the cartoons and it bothers me.


Finally, there was #35 Out of reach. Probably the most politically divisive issue I made. When I posted it on Instagram I lost some followers. After months of heartache, pain, and frustration with the country I love I could only think to express that by covering some of the most painful moments I had seen over the last couple of years. After this issue, my creativity and motivation were drained.



Well that's its, folks. Thanks for reading this comic. Next season you'll see the story advancing and hopefully, you'll enjoy the ride.