Dratini, and its second-stage evolution Dragonair, are two of the original 151 Pokemon from Red Version and Blue Version. Across the many releases that feature the two, the Pokedex entries fans get upon catching them say that Dragonair tends to live in lakes or the seas predominantly, while the smaller Dratini prefer waterfalls. The two Dragon-types tend to live in social colonies with Pokemon similar to itself, including the final stage of its evolutionary line, Dragonite.
RELATED: Pokemon Fan Makes Incredible Japanese Ink Painting of Dragonair and Dratini
The more popular Dragonite sits out in Twitter user _josueor’s recent artwork, putting a focus on the smaller evolutionary forms in a looping animation that may take inspiration from their Pokedex entries. It sees the two Dragon Pokemon sitting in bodies of water on some form of ruins. The water overflows off of the eroded square platforms, creating beautiful waterfalls.
While the animation is rather simplistic in motion, the detail towards the colors and lighting makes the looping video shine. Part of the reason the artwork looks so impressive is that it features a personally programmed pixel shader that _josueor made in Unity themself. Other programmers seem to adore the shader, asking if the programmer will ever put it up for sale. Pokemon fans can also be seen in the comments adoring how cute the Dragon-type creatures look, as well, calling the little Dratini “babies.”
The way _josueor merged pixel art and 3D isn’t something many can ignore, as the shader truly brings it all together. The way the artwork feels seems to invoke the same type of pixelated-3D work seen in many gorgeous indie games. Hopefully, the same shader will be seen in a future indie game down the line, as it has some wonderful potential.
For those who’ve adored _josueor’s rendition of the creatures, fans should check out their Twitter as they post progress on similar 3D projects rather frequently. The inspiration from their favorite games can be seen, as one of their other projects features a fake Pokemon trading card.
MORE: Kecleon Could Work in Pokemon GO by Imitating Smeargle
