Another illustration for my series of illustrations reimagining historical scientists as cats. Because that's what science geek cat moms do.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 8

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7

Chapter 8

It was rainy and cool on the morning Eunji first saw the Imperial City. Built on a flattened mountain top, the sprawling complex of buildings was surrounded by a thick wall, on top of which tall banners flapped imposingly. Below, the mountain dropped off in sheer cliffs, its roots hidden in mists that swirled around it and the other pillar-like peaks in this mountain range.

Eunji stared at the place in amazement, but at the same time her heart sank. “It looks inaccessible to Neopets who cannot fly,” she said.

“It is very well-defended,” Wai Ren said as rain dripped off the rim of his bamboo hat. “But there is a way in.” He pointed further down the road, to what looked like a dock that jutted out from the side of the mountain. “Those dirigibles are the only way in and out of Shenkuu for non-flying Neopets.” One of the unusual craft that bobbed at the docks released its moorings and took off across the gaping chasm, over the mist and toward the city.

 

 Compared to what goes on in a lot of future core series games, Team Rocket taking over a radio tower is pretty tame.

(Also, you can tell when I drew these because the Generation V games are the most recent ones mentioned.)

 Gotta learn the difference between burning resolve in your heart and acid reflux.

The Shadow of Takeryuu, Chapter 7

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7

Chapter 8

The trip to the mines was not easy. Faerie shadows constantly swooped down at them, eyes aglow, but Eunji and Min were quick to dispatch them. Eunji let the flow guide her as she led her friends into a dark shaft in the side of a mountain, a hole that looked like a bottomless pit.

Wai Ren held a fire mote in its lantern as they wandered down hewn-out tunnels that led from cavernous rooms to low-ceilinged corridors. Every once in a while, they would stumble upon a faerie shadow or two, and while it would attack them on sight, it was nothing the girls couldn’t handle.

Then they started finding rooms that weren’t empty. These areas were full of Neopets, their clothes worn, clutching their arms to stay warm as they slept on the floor, guarded by shadow sentinels. These must have been all of the Neopets who were taken away by the spectres, Eunji realised.  She wished she could help them, but the shadows there were too numerous for her and Min to take on alone. They would have to keep going to find the source.

Finally, deep into the heart of the mountain, Eunji’s senses led her to a corridor that glistened with gems still set in their native rock. Around a bend shone a dim purple light, and Eunji’s feathers bristled. She looked back at her friends to see if they were ready for this.

They nodded, and Eunji smiled at them. She was fortunate indeed to have such wonderful friends. Taking a deep breath, she stepped around the bend and her eyes widened.

 

 Not gonna lie, this is one of my favorite comics in the whole series.

I guess when I was a kid, I took it for granted, but as an adult, I just find it wild that Bill invented actual time travel and everyone acts like this is completely normal. So clearly it means he's a Time Lord.

Also that the Pokémon world has the technology to manipulate time and yet all they do with it is transfer Pokémon between the present and three years ago.

Also I'm shocked that this hasn't caused any reality-warping temporal paradoxes.

... And also I should probably just stop overthinking a video game.

 Here's a bonus science cat! I couldn't leave out the Archduke of Physics himself.