Okay, so.  Here’s the thing.  I’ve been detecting some enthusiasm lately for the idea of holding some kind of… great big Pokémon-designing shenanigan-fest, whereby the readers (that’s you ungrateful sods) would submit ideas for new Pokémon and I would rip them to shreds in my usual inimitable fashion.  Now, while I do love criticising people’s work loudly and venomously, it sounds like a lot of effort – and, potentially, a lot of drama as well if people don’t like what I have to say.  So I’m not doing that.  Yet.

I’m going to try starting with something small first.

Let’s make a Pokémon.  Just one, for now, as an experiment, to see if I can properly coordinate a community effort to create something that isn’t unbelievably sucky.  We’ll start by deciding what type we’re going to go for, and work from there.  Doesn’t have to be anything unique, now; it could even be a single type.  I’d like to do something unique with it, but I reckon there’s potential to break new ground with just about any type or combination of types if it’s done right.  Here’s the rules: in two days I will create a poll, open to all, which will decide the element of this godawful thing.  You have until then to tell me what should be on the poll, because I’m sure as hell not including options for all one hundred and fifty three possibilities.  You can do that using the Disqus comments, or by leaving a message in my Tumblr ask box (I won’t respond to all of these, but I will keep track of them).  Any type or type combination that is suggested in either way during the next two days will be an option on the poll.

If you already have a Pokémon in mind that you’d like to make, try and set it aside.  Assuming this goes well, you’ll get your chance later.  For now, just try to go with the experiment and pick a type that you think would result in something interesting.

Go.