Pokémon GO has been incredibly popular since it’s release, no dispute. But more than just popular, a fandom has developed around Pokémon GO incredibly quickly. This fandom, most visible on Tumblr, has produced an incredible body of work. In the beginning, it coalesced around the different teams, and when the team leaders were revealed, it gave the fandom characters to celebrate and create fan works of. Despite the competition for gyms that exists between the teams in-game, the fandom is remarkably positive and often portrays the leaders as close friends or a happy family.
These leaders are Candela, of Team Valor (FTW!), Blanche, of Team Mystic, and Spark, of Team Instinct. Despite how little information Pokémon GO gives us about the three team leaders, fans have developed a vast “fan canon” concerning these three, their personalities and how they relate to each other.
If you’ve had no exposure to the larger fandom, you might be amazed at how much the fandom has done to flesh out and expand upon Blanche, Candela and Spark. It’s remarkable, given so little in-game clues to their personality, that the fandom has turned them into fully developed characters. The fandom is an extension of the ways Pokémon GO has brought people together through its social gameplay, only instead of gathering around a PokéStop, these fans have gathered around Blanche, Candela and Spark. This gallery explores the amazing, beautiful and often hilarious fan art of these three as well as how the fandom understands them.
Every work of fan art in this gallery has a link to the artist alongside it and has been included with the explicit permission of the artist.
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Blanche is the leader of Team Mystic. She is hyper-analytical and the smartest of the three leaders, but can come across as cold. This piece is by Ravefirell, and a print is available here.
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Candela is the leader of Team Valor, aka The Best Team. She is passionate and wants to make her Pokémon as strong as possible through intense training. She will fight you. This piece is by Ravefirell, and a print is available here.
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Spark is the leader of Team Instinct. He is a bit of a doof, and has a habit of driving the others a bit crazy, but everyone loves him. This piece is by Ravefirell, and a print is available here.
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(Page 1 of 4) However, rather than me simply telling you how fans view the leaders, I'll let this short comic by
Chishio illustrate it.
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(Page 2 of 4) However, rather than me simply telling you how fans view the leaders, I'll let this short comic by
Chishio illustrate it.
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(Page 3 of 4) However, rather than me simply telling you how fans view the leaders, I'll let this short comic by
Chishio illustrate it.
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(Page 4 of 4) Well done, Spark. Well done. By
Chishio.
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(Page 1 of 2) Fan art frequently depicts Blanche, Candela and Spark as a family of sorts (not siblings, mind you). This lovely little series done in a Snapchat style is by Naaibi.
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(Page 2 of 2) Spark's characterization frequently drifts between goofball and toddler, but always lovable. By Naaibi.
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This piece by Mastry depicts the three as childhood friends shortly after a fight between them and an aggressive Pokémon. The fandom overwhelmingly cherishes their friendship above any sort of petty rivalry over what team is better. Print available here.