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thunderblessedhero · 7 days ago

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[VIDEO: A young, green haired man lying back on a silky white bed, holding a book over his face and flicking through the pages of it. Next to him, an Archeops is cuddled by his waist.

The ancient bird trills while shifting a little, and the man reaches down to gently scratch the top of its head with his finger. As the bird chirps happily at the attention and snuggles further into his black turtleneck shirt, he sighs through his nostrils and places his book flat on his chest.

“It feels weird,” he murmurs as he stares contemplatively up at the ceiling, his brows knit and his nose a tiny bit scrunched. “To be relaxing at a time like this. But… Sage Rood is insisting I try to rest whenever possible while father prepares the next stage of the plan.”

He closes his eyes, mouth curling into a dissatisfied frown. “It’s so… weird how easy all of it was. Defeating Alder, pushing back against any resistance…” He briefly cranes his neck back to peer out a nearby window seated just above his bed. Thunder can be heard rumbling in the dark clouds gathering outside. “Over a decade of preparation, nearly my entire life up to this point, and everything we were fighting so hard to dismantle crumbled in less than a few days.”

Archeops croons, bumping its head against its shoulder. Its human friend shifts enough on the mattress to reach down and run his hand through its soft neck plumage. He has this melancholic glaze over his eyes as he does, however. “I’m not… complaining, per se, that everything went so smoothly, but…”

He buries the side of his face into his pillow. His avian companion tilts its head at him, seeming confused by his downcast state. “…They were supposed to be here,” he murmurs so quietly that you can barely hear it.

He gazes absently at nothing for a while, what seems like some kind of remorse weighing heavy on him, before shaking himself out of whatever thoughts he’s getting lost in and picking up his book again. “Maybe it’s… for the best that they aren’t.”

As he steadies the book on his chest again, Archeops makes a few soft clicking noises at him, and his lips turn up in bemusement. “You want me to read out loud to you? I swore I’ve already narrated this story for you before…”

The fossil Pokémon just warbles insistently as it gets up, ruffles its feather, and steps up to sit on the man’s stomach. He raises a brow at Archeops as it settles on him, but holds back a snort at the big sad eyes it gives him as it rests its chin on the top of his book.

“You like it that much?” he chuckles, glimpsing down at the pages. “It doesn’t have a happy ending…”

Archeops squawks softly, and his eyelids lift in mild surprise. “You… like it because it’s one Lady Anthea wrote?”

The bird chatters in confirmation, lying down and slipping its head under the book so it can rest its head on the center of his chest. The man gazes thoughtfully at his Pokémon for a minute, before smiling warmly down at it and stroking its back lovingly.

“Okay, you win,” he snickers, before turning his eyes back to the pages, flipping back to the very first one. “Let’s see…”

“…Once upon a time, there lived a prince in a vast, lush forest. It was like a kingdom with no king, that expansive woodland, but the Pokémon who inhabited it still deemed the little one their prince, as he took his self-assigned duty of taking care of them all very seriously. He was young, but he put in the work everyday to make sure not a single one of his friends knew suffering.”

“He, too, once knew loneliness, during a time before the forest Pokémon took him in- and never wanted another being to feel the way he once had.”

“One day, a peculiar cloaked stranger arrived. The prince was the first to discover the stranger hiding amongst the canopy of oak leaves, and found out they were a young warrior from the outside, but had not come seeking conflict. Rather, they came seeking temporary retreat from their village that lied just outside the forest borders, the one that had rejected them for being the weakest and most soft-hearted amongst their ranks.”

“Normally, the forest Pokémon were wary of unfamiliar outsiders… after all, the outside was rumored to be an unpredictable place. The prince, however, saw pain the warrior’s eyes, and remembered his mission of ensuring no being suffered under his watch. Their tears brought just as much of an ache to his heart as the ones his friends shed, so what reason would he have to turn his eyes away from this individual?”

“He offered his friendship, and the warrior, who was not used to such kindness, confusedly accepted it. As strange as they both found each other at first, the more time they spent together, the more their protective walls fell, giving way for a true bond to take bloom.”

“The prince would bring them on his adventures throughout the wilds, and the warrior would show him trinkets from their world. Time passed, and soon, the two began to find safety in each other. The warrior had found a true friend, one who saw them for more than just their strength, and the prince had found someone he could rely upon and trust with anything.”

“Even with his most heaviest of woes, ones he felt he couldn’t tell anyone else. With his new friend being from the outside, there was one important question he’d been itching to ask, but held back for fear of stirring up unpleasant topics for them.”

“My friend, he began one day while they were frolicking in the meadows as they usually did, Please, tell me… what is the outside like?”

“I’ve already told and shown you much about it, replied the warrior, What else do you wish to know, my friend?”

“The prince would look away, seeming troubled. On occasion, Pokémon from the outside will arrive, battered and bruised and scarred both inside and out. Sometimes, they are so terrified, even I am unable to get through to them right away. And even after they heal, the burdens of what they went through continue to weigh heavy on them… The outside rejected you, as well, so tell me… is it truly that horrible of a place?”

“At first, the warrior is unsure what to tell him. It was true, the outside world they hailed from had treated them coldly for the better part of their life. They had no reason to not resent it. And yet…”

“No, I do not believe it is.”

“This answer came as a surprise to the prince. Could you explain your reasoning? He requested.”

“His friend just smiles, like it’s the simplest thing. I don’t think anything can be a hundred percent wicked. Despite how it treated me, I saw Pokémon be loved there in the outside world. I saw them smiling, playing, existing to their fullest. Yes, they knew strife at times, but in many cases that did not outweigh their joy.”

“…The prince still struggles to understand. Why love a world that could hurt them so viscerally?”

“Well, to me, I think it’s because it’s the only world they have. In reality, we’re part of it too, you know, the warrior gestures around to the forest around them. We are all living under the same sky, aren’t we? I doubt we will get along all the time, but we’re all each other has.”

“But what about the ones who are in pain? Or the ones who cause that pain?”

“The warrior smiles at him somberly. Pain is just a part of life, my friend. At times, there is no circumventing it, and that is what is cruel about the world. But you know what’s makes it beautiful in turn? Our ability to help and heal one another of that pain.”

The man pauses in the middle of the story, wearing an unpleasant frown as he seems to think deeply on something. He keeps reading when Archeops gently nibbles on his sleeve, urging him to continue.

“I wish there was no pain in the world, laments the prince. The thought of anyone feeling that way fills me with anguish like no other. Especially people I might never get to help.”

“I understand, my friend, consoles the warrior. You have a caring, righteous heart, that’s what I admire most about you. But you musn’t let the pains of all weigh on your shoulders. It could break you, and I’d never want to see that happen.”

“But a world without suffering, the prince insists, do you think it could exist? Do you think it’s possible?”

“Something like that is certainly a wonderful dream… the warrior ponders on it for a while. If anyone could help spur such a shift, it’d be you, I believe. You show so much kindness to other creatures, and that kindness spreads. Perhaps pain isn’t something that can ever truly be vanquished, but… I think, as long as you keep being you, as long as you never lose sight of your compassion and why you wield it, then yes. I think a world like that will come to fruition one day.”

“An idea sparks in the warrior’s mind, and they stand before the prince, eyes burning with passion as they take a bow. In fact, I would like to help you create that world, prince, if you’d have me. The kindness you showed me inspired hope within me again, and I’d like to express my gratitude somehow. Allow me to swear myself to you, and your dream of bringing that hope to everyone else. Even if these seeds sewn are ones we don’t live to see flourish, let me be the one to plant them with you.”

“The prince is rather baffled at first; he’s never had a knight before. However, this person was more than just a warrior, or a knight- they were his friend. If he were to pick anyone, it’d be them. So, he accepts.”

“Together, the knight and the prince build the foundation of that world they dream of. It isn’t much, and it’s already takes a lot of hard work. But, it’s a start, and every smile and every laugh from their friends that it reaps is worth it all. They spend their days helping their Pokémon friends, any who come to the forest seeking refuge, with a vision that one day they will set out into the world together and offer their assistance to ones in need out there.”

“But… such innocence was never meant to last.”

“It happened so suddenly, without any prior hint or warning. One day, while on a walk around the outskirts of his kingdom, the prince felt especially disheartened that day. It was occasional, when something would come and remind him of how much work he had to do, and how daunting his small little effort to bring a shred of light into the world seemed in the grand scheme of things. That’s when he heard it- a foreboding voice, calling to him from beyond the trees.”

“He was wary of it, at first, but it whispered words meticulously crafted to lure him in by his heart. Promises of being able to end his friends’ suffering once and for all, of ensuring their safety for the rest of time. Things that soothed the worries in his heart, of nothing he did mattering in the end and never getting to see a world in which he dreamed of.”

“With a small group of his most trusted Pokémon friends, he followed that voice into the shadows, tempted to hear what it had to say. Could this be the answer to everything he’d been searching for, he wondered? He stepped past the tree line, leaving the home that had kept him safe for all his life, and to it he never returned.”

“The knight would notice the prince’s absence quickly. Desperate to find their liege, their best friend, the knight searched the kingdom high and low. Asked every Pokémon, left no corner unchecked, no stone unturned.”

“Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months.”

“No trace of the prince were they ever able to uncover, no word of departure left behind, nothing. But, the knight would not give up, not for anything. They took an oath, an unbreakable promise, one they intended to keep for the rest of time.”

“With no where else to search, the knight boldly journeyed to the outside from which they came, with intention to come back with the prince in hand and restore what was lost.”

“What became of them, no one was ever to find out, as neither they nor the prince ever made another appearance. Some believed they perished to the wilds, others think they could still be searching to this day. The Pokémon that didn’t disappear with the prince eventually dispersed from the kingdom, letting it fade to nothing but a blink in their memory. The story of the prince and knight were left forgotten to the whims of time, their dream vanishing along with it.”

The man stares silently at those last few written words for a time, before skimming through an array of blank, untouched pages that come after it. “I wonder why Anthea never finished this one…” he murmurs to himself, before snapping the book close and looking down to check the state of his Pokémon. Archeops had fallen fast asleep at some point during the story, its nose tucked under its wing. He smiles fondly at the prehistoric creature, running his fingers along its feathery back.

The two lay there for a while, the man closing his eyes to let himself drift into a slumber as well. It’s a peaceful scene, and you think perhaps it’s coming to an end- at least until you hear a subtle rattling noise come from somewhere offscreen. The man hears it, too, eyes blinking back awake as the sound starts to grow a bit more violent. Awoken by his stirring, Archeops hops off its human’s stomach, allowing him to sit up and swing his legs over the side of his bed closest to the camera. He bends down, seeming to reach for something tucked under the bed frame, before sitting up and revealing the sound’s source to be a wooden box. The container trembles in his hands like it’s about to burst, white like seeping from within, and he hastily undoes the latch and flicks the lid open.

Inside, you see a white, round stone, radiating a light as bright at the sun and emitting a wispy, orange flame. The man winces at the blinding glow flaring off of it, but still gazes at the object in wonder. Archeops shudders behind him, feathers standing on end as it shuffles away nervously.

“Reshiram, are you…” he whispers as the small blaze steadily starts to dwindle, lowering a hand to graze the surface of the pale stone. The flame licks his fingertips, though, and he swiftly withdraws it with a wince and a hiss of pain.

The fire raging off the artifact’s surface roars even more ferociously, and the man has to scramble to drop it on a nearby dresser. He breathily mutters something unintelligible, eyes flying about trying to make sense of this phenomenon, before it looks as though some kind of realization hits him.

“Are they here-?” He gasps, stumbling away from the stone before jogging somewhere off the screen without any further elaboration, feet pounding against the marble floor of the room he’s in. Archeops jumps to its feet and squawks after its human friend, frantically fluttering off the bed to catch up with him. You hear a large door creak as it’s pushed open and then swing back shut. Finally, the footage cuts.

End video.]

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#pkmn irl #pokeblog rp #pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pokeblr #pokemon rp #pkmn rp #rotomblr #facets of truth arc

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galargoldenboy · 15 days ago

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[IMAGE: A screenshot of a news article headline that says “KID HERO ABANDONING THE PEOPLE OF UNOVA? BLAKE LOCKEHART NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, PLASMA’S SIEGE ON POKÉMON LEAGUE CONTINUES”]

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Chat be honest should I kill

#pkmn irl #pkmn rp #pokeblr #pokemon irl #pokemon rp #rotomblr #pokeblogging #facets of truth arc

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crystaltoa · 3 months ago

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Ey so what was your thesis about Bionicle as a meta-narrative/story-about-stories? I´m a huge fan of meta-ficiton/meta-narratives and never thought of the series that way so your take regarding it got me really interested.

So, there’s a bunch of facets to this.

Basically, Bionicle characters know they are in a story. This doesn’t mean that they know they’re fictional characters or that there’s an audience of humans watching, but their universe designates people as heroes, villains, and bystanders/victims. The universe runs on story logic, almost to the same extent as Discworld, though with superhero comics and hero mythologies rather than high fantasy and fairy tales. The “genre savvy” characters are of a more subtle type as well. The heroes go into a situation with an expectation of how it will end, because they have some idea what their destiny is, and heroes are always expected to win, right? But they are still often surprised by the outcome, because the story they were told is only a fraction of a more complex reality.

Let’s start with the first obvious storyteller: Vakama

The backstory, as first told to us by Vakama invokes mythic tropes such as creation stories, Cain and Abel style brotherly betrayals, and heroes who arrive from a distant land. Despite the fact that the characters are clearly some sort of robots or cyborgs, we’re immediately told that their setting runs on the logic of magic and myth. So Vakama and the other Turaga, as the storytellers, give the heroes and the audience an idea of how this world works and how things will turn out. This mythic story also represents the power of stories to persist and carry meaning through time, shaping thought and belief, even after the original facts have been long forgotten.

But then Vakama pulls out the rug from under us with the reveal of Metru Nui. Suddenly the story shifts from fantasy to scifi, from humble villages in harmony with their environment to a futuristic dystopia. This time the heroes are not beloved figures of myth, but vigilantes pitted against a corrupt police state. Again, Vakama is telling the story though, and he holds control over how his audience perceives the events and characters. And yet again, he is leaving something out- the Visorak and Hordika. Initially, he intended to keep that secret. It didn’t fit the story he was trying to tell. He had a perfect character arc laid out for himself in Legends of Metru Nui in his journey from a shy, anxious mask maker into a confident hero and leader. That was all anyone needed to know, right?

The Hordika represent yet another genre shift, this time into noir/horror. The heroes do not act heroically. They do not look heroic. Their character development is often negative. They are implied to be an aberration at even the cosmic level, since the Great Temple, and implicitly Mata Nui himself, rejects them. They find out that their selection as Toa came about thanks to Makuta himself. The story has gone horribly wrong, and the heroes know it. But nevertheless, the Toa resolve their differences, teamwork saves the day yet again, the prophecy is fulfilled For That Is The Way Of The Bionicle.

Vakama has very little to do in the legends arc. Because he’s been established by now as a less than reliable expositor, it is the always truthful Nokama who drops the reveal instead: Mata Nui is dying.

Vakama’s stepping down from his storytelling role allows for the gradual reveal of another storyteller: Makuta Teridax.

Chronologically, Makuta’s first real foray into weaving the narrative around others happened in Time Trap. He constructs his own elaborate narrative around Vakama in order to manipulate his mind and behaviour. But Vakama fails to play his part as the protagonist correctly, causing Teridax’s constructed narrative to fall apart.

By the time we become aware of his role in the ignition arc, Teridax has improved his technique as a puppet master/ storyteller considerably. Almost every conflict the heroes face has been orchestrated by him, pitting minor villain groups against the heroes to give them the victories that their story requires. Teridax seems aware that heroes have to ‘win’ because Destiny demands it, so he lets them, but it’s all in service of his own ultimate victory. Instead of the ‘cross-wired’ and unpredictable Vakama, Teridax targets the dutiful but socially isolated and secretive Matoro, who he basically grooms to be the perfect little sacrifice. Matoro performs his role perfectly, and gives the heroes an apparent bittersweet victory while allowing Teridax to put the final stages of his plan in motion.

#This is from forever ago but i found it in my drafts just now #feels like there’s still bits missing but perhaps others can expand on it #bionicle #vakama #makuta teridax #matoro

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edwardteachswombtattoo · 5 months ago

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The interior of Ed and Stede's relationship is well-tread both in analysis and the show itself. We know why they fall for each other, how they fall for each other, when they fall for each other. We've been inside their heads. We could, if we wanted to, probably compile a rough timeline of events from Point A (Ed hearing of Stede's existence) to Point Z (Ed and Stede retiring from piracy to open an inn). Has anyone done that? Someone should do that. I might do that.

But a thread the show keeps pulling on from their first meeting all the way to the end of Season 2 is the persistent showing that no one else seems to fully understand what Ed and Stede have going on.

There are exceptions to this. Lucius with his emotional intelligence and arguably the whole crew of The Revenge understand that Ed and Stede feel something for each other that is somewhat outside the framework. The Revenge is a safe space where they are allowed to explore and hold feelings like that and their influence (Stede's, but really the whole crew's) outgrows the ship and spills out into the wider culture of piracy. They don't fundamentally change the whole culture of piracy, but their influence forces characters who would otherwise be immovable and rigid in their personal philosophies (Anne and Mary Read, Zheng Yi Sao, Auntie, Ned Low's crew, etc.) to rethink their relationships with each other.

I already made a post about Jack and how he seems to think Stede is just a passing fascination, so I won't repeat myself. But this is not the first nor will it be the last time a character fundamentally misunderstands how much Ed cares about Stede. Izzy in Season 1 legitimately believes that Stede's death will force Ed back to normal, to the extent that he does not even try to comfort or console Ed during Stede's almost-execution. And he is caught totally caught off guard when Ed gives up his life to save Stede's.

Ned Low demonstrates an awareness of something being there, but he dismisses it the same way Jack did: Ed only cares about Stede because he's new and interesting. Ed will move on once that shiny new pirate smell wears off. "Ed only cares because you're interesting" and "Ed only cares because you're inexperienced".

These are easy assumptions to make when you only have one half of the picture. And when you don't understand that Ed exists as a multi-faceted whole thinking person outside of his Blackbeard persona and piracy. The distinction between "Blackbeard" and "Ed" was made very early on (Ed introducing himself as "Ed") and reinforced later with "His name is Ed". When other characters refer to Ed, it's useful to ask: are they talking about Ed or Blackbeard? Ed and Blackbeard are not fundamentally distinct personalities, but Blackbeard is a performance and a mask Ed puts on. His arc at the end of Season 2 deals with reconciling his past, Blackbeard, The Kraken, and all these other facets of himself into one cohesive person who is just called Ed.

Yeah, Ed is fascinated by Stede's things. His fabrics, his wardrobe, the model ship, the secret passages, the books. But even from their first meeting, Ed and Stede are not just connecting over Stede's clothes and his books. Ed is sharing his love of soft things with someone for probably the first time in his life, he's being vulnerable and truthful. He remains guarded through their first interactions, but he's being more open and candid than Blackbeard would be. "Do you fancy a fine fabric?" is not a question Blackbeard would answer honestly. And when Ed casually makes the reveal ("I'm Blackbeard") in the auxiliary wardrobe, Stede does not treat him any differently after the fact. Everyone else is like "big scary pirate Blackbeard!!" but Stede is like "That's Ed :) He's my friend :) He's very cool and he likes fabrics and did I mention he is my friend?? :)"

Ned Low, Izzy Hands, and Jack all ask the question Why does Blackbeard care so much about this fucking muppet? and collectively decide it must be because Stede clearly does not know what he's doing and/or he has a lot of cool stuff and Ed is into that shit. And there is a part of Ed who probably did at one point think it was just Stede's stuff he was into, that he just wanted what Stede had and then realized it was not about the fancy stuff it was about Stede as a person. That is why Ed starts to really fall for Stede at the end of "The Best Revenge is Dressing Well". They have their intimate moment and Ed is like oh fuck I might be in love with this guy for real oh fuccccck I want to kiss him so baddddd oh shit oh fuck. I've always been of the (maybe controversial? idk) opinion that Ed was flirting during their first meeting and making it obvious as possible he was DTF if Stede was into that, which is the maximum amount of physical intimacy and wanting Ed could allow himself to express without getting scared. He wasn't full bright lights in love with Stede at first sight, but he was infatuated at first conversation.

Interestingly, we never see this on the other side. It is always assumed that Stede just doesn't understand Ed, that he doesn't understand how Ed really feels about him and if he only knew The Real Ed (Blackbeard) he wouldn't have so many soft feelings. In Season 2, Stede is continuously confused when people suggest Ed might try to kill him. Because Stede alone knows that the last time Ed tried that, he ended up having a panic attack and hiding in Stede's bathtub. Izzy tries to pull the whole "you don't know him like I do" and Stede rebukes that fucking instantly by describing Ed's entire mindset in a single sentence while Izzy was just last season struggling to understand Ed's sudden shift in behavior. Izzy sees a change in Ed's behavior and is at a loss to understand, while Stede sees a change in Ed's behavior and instantly clocks what is going on.

"You don't actually know him" is how outsiders rationalize Stede's feelings about Ed and "he's just a momentary bit of fun" is how outsiders rationalize Ed's feelings for Stede.

The key to these intimate moments between Ed and Stede is that they really are between Ed and Stede. Ed never shares these memories with anyone. Even when he's talking with Mary Read in "Fun and Games", he brings up the stabbing because it's relevant and then tries to brush it off a little by saying he had to force Stede to do it and calling Stede "fragile". He does not even allude to the intimacy of that moment and his own being vulnerable. Stede and Lucius are the only people Ed reveals those parts of himself to.

#ofmd #just a thought i had that turned into...this??

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thebroccolination · 6 months ago

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THE EXPERTLY LAYERED WRITING IN THAMEPO'S FIRST EPISODE

My dudes.

The last time I was this jazzed about a series from the very first episode, I was watching Be My Favorite, which went on to become my favorite Thai series. Some of that was because of Krist's talent and charisma as Kawi, some of it was the chemistry between Krist and Gawin, some was the music, some was the production value overall, but most of it was the writing.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WRITING IN THAMEPO.

While I was watching the premiere of ThamePo yesterday, I messaged @hallowpen to rave about the script. "It has stakes!" I wrote. "A time limit! Character arcs!" Then they asked me who the director was, and when I told them it's Mui (Aticha Tanthanawigrai), they essentially said, "That makes sense."

Because Mui isn't only a director—she's primarily a scriptwriter.

And she definitely seems to know what she's doing.

The first episode has to do so much right to hook an audience and create a solid foundation for subsequent episodes.

It has to introduce the protagonist in their normal circumstances, then quickly endear them to the audience, establish what they want, show the obstacle(s) in their way, and give people a reason to keep watching. Do this while avoiding the traps of info-dumping or weighing down the narrative with too many characters at once. You have to build just enough of a structure to pique curiosity, but not so much that people can guess where the story is going.

ThamePo did all of that, and beautifully.

In the first scene, Po is interviewing for a creative job so he can return to his passion after spending three years helping Earn, his ex-boyfriend, achieve his goals. This interview shows us that Po is earnest and honest to a fault, which is helpful for endearing him to the audience, but a well-written scene is usually doing more than one thing. At the end of his short interview, the interviewers tell Po that his reason for taking a break was off-putting, and they advise him not to be quite so truthful in the future.

I'm curious if Po learning how to use his natural earnestness effectively will be part of his character arc. Because later in the episode, Po decides to embrace a mild level of dishonesty to get the job with ONER. He reluctantly agrees to give them a resume that his friend edited to sound more flattering, and in his interview, he…embellishes the truth.

This is the first time we see a flashback to the one time Po went to a MARS event to take photos for his friend, and it's fairly unremarkable on the surface. Just a quick shot of him in the crowd—one of many—and then a shot of him editing the footage at home.

No sign that this is setting up some fantastic layering in the script.

Now, before I go on, I just want to say that, y'know, stakes and character arcs and obstacles and time limits are all extremely basic facets of a story. The reason I'm excited that ThamePo has them is because a lot of the queer Thai series I've seen throughout the past five years…haven't had them. Especially in the onslaught of hundreds of BL and GL series produced in the past two years, the vast majority of them just seem to have been slapped together. A rough first draft kicked onto a smoking conveyer belt bleeding text and plot points.

But Be My Favorite is as good as it is in part because Waa campaigned for more time to work on the script. And ThamePo was apparently in the works for five years before Mui found the cast she wanted.

Good stories take time to create, so I'm glad that there are a small number of series actually getting that time.

Okay, so!

Let's talk layering.

Thame's first words to Po are, "Are you a sasaeng?"

For the uninitiated, sasaeng fans are an ever-growing concern in celebrity spaces, and given how much leeway GMMTV has given to sasaeng behavior in the past, I'm surprised and glad to see them allowing them to be a negative plot point.*

*Truthfully, I don't think you can tell an authentic story about modern-day celebrities without at least mentioning the horrific effects that sasaeng culture have on them.

Later, we find out that Thame saw Po at the fan meeting, and Thame gives Po the options of quitting on his own or being fired after Thame exposes the footage he's found.

So now we've seen this fan meeting twice: once from Po's perspective as a job he did for a friend, and now from Thame's perspective noticing some guy in the crowd.

We're incrementally getting more information as it becomes relevant.

And then, finally, after Po convinces Thame that he isn't a sasaeng or even a fan, Thame reveals the part that matters most to the story going forward:

The reason he remembered Po is because, in a crowd of people screaming to get his attention for their own sake, Po was the only one trying to help someone else. And I think that's another hint at Po's character arc: Earn took advantage of his earnestness and his selflessness and hurt him deeply, but he shouldn't have to give up that gentle side of himself to be happy.

This third layer shows us the most important detail of this moment and why the episode keeps coming back to it: this brief memory meant something to Thame.

I think the reason Thame was so aggressive to Po in the office when they met for the first time wasn't just that Thame suspected Po was a sasaeng.

Look at Thame's face in that last screencap: it touched his heart to see someone he assumed was a fan helping a younger, smaller fan. In a cut-throat industry where fame is mercurial, the public is vicious, the media poisonous, and fans fickle, little moments of genuine humanity and kindness must be priceless to the celebrities at the center of it all.

So, from Thame's perspective, recognizing that same "fan" at his workplace? Thinking that fan was intentionally filming a vulnerable moment between him and the CEO? It probably spoiled that precious memory. Maybe even introduced the possibility that Po just used an innocent child that day to manipulate Thame's emotions.

How little does Thame have in his life? We don't know yet, but maybe little moments like that are all that's propping him up anymore.

And we can garner all of this from the gradual layering of one scene.

That one fleeting moment from their shared past shapes everything for Thame and Po going forward. For Po, he was doing a favor for a friend and added an offhand gesture to a child. But for Thame, it was a ray of sincerity in a dangerously murky world he seems to feel strangled by.

One of my favorite directing and character choices in this episode is that Thame is soft-spoken in both anger and vulnerability. He's so tightly controlled at all times because of his public-facing job, and he's in such a low place emotionally, but he hasn't lost his kindness, either. Once he knows Po isn't a threat to him or his fellow members, Thame compliments the work Po's done, and he asks Po to continue his documentary work.

Thame isn't Earn. Po projects that onto him and quickly learns he's wrong.

(I really hope earnestness ends up being one of the main motifs in this series, because it suits both characters so well, and the world they're both in now makes living earnestly extremely challenging.)

All in all, the first episode exceeded my high expectations. I loved the teaser, I loved the trailer, and I'm delighted with the first episode. I hope the rest of the series lives up to this level of quality, but I'm not worried.

Judging by the writing, I think this series is in good hands. <3

#thamepo the series #thamepo #thame x po #thamepo meta #williamest #william jakrapatr #est supha #thai bl #thai ql #gmmtv series

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theresattrpgforthat · 25 days ago

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Ok I know this sounds specific, but do you know any good investigation/mystery games that AREN'T Eureka?

THEME: Non-Eureka Mystery Games.

Hello friend! I've got quite a few recommendations for you, especially at the end of this post! I hope that one way or another, your mystery game craving is sated!

Delta Green, by Arc Dream Publishing.

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

Born of the U.S. government’s 1928 raid on the degenerate coastal town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts, the covert agency known as Delta Green spent four decades opposing the forces of darkness with honor, but without glory. Stripped of sanction after a disastrous 1969 operation in Cambodia, Delta Green’s leaders made a secret pact: to continue their work without authority, without support, and without fear. Delta Green agents slip through the system, manipulating the federal bureaucracy while pushing the darkness back for another day—but often at a shattering personal cost.

In Delta Green: The Role-Playing Game, you are one of those agents. You’re the one they call when unnatural horrors seep into the world. You fight to keep cosmic evil from claiming human lives and sanity. You conspire to cover it all up so no one else must see what you’ve seen—or learn the terrible truths you’ve discovered.

I don't think I can do a better job of recommending Delta Green than Quinns from Quinns Quest, but since his review is an hour long, I'll summarize: Delta Green is a heavy trad game that takes much of the horror of Call of Cthulhu and revitalizes the genre by turning you into everyday government workers pulled into investigations at the cost of their peace of mind. The rules of the game seem to be pretty down-to-earth and detailed, but the mundanity of the core of the game is what allows the horror of the adventures to well and truly pop. In his review, Quinns mentions that for much of the investigative parts of the game, a well-built crew will hardly ever have to roll to gather clues - which means that solving the mystery is doable, smooth, and makes room for plenty of interesting story once you start putting the pieces together.

Detect Or Die, by silkandstone.

Discover who you were. Decide who you are. Solve the Case. A tabletop RPG of neo-noir empiricism, unstable detectives, and total ego death & resurrection. Inspired by science fiction stories of memory and detection like Blade Runner (1982) and Disco Elysium (2019), Detect or Die places the players as the various inner voices of the Detective, collectively embodying the fractured psyche of an amnesiac protagonist attempting to solve the Case - whatever that entails.

One player takes on the role of the World, laying out the setting and mystery for the rest, using a bespoke variation of the Powered by the Apocalypse game engine influenced by Blades in the Dark and Bluebeard's Bride. The rest play Personality Components, the fragments of the Detective's Ego who combine investigative competencies with erratic coping mechanisms, trading off control and emotional stamina to make it through the Case to the ultimate revelations - about the World and about the Detective.

I'm intrigued about the pattern of mystery games and their attachment to systems that encourage you to inflict negative changes to your character as they discover more and more about the truth over the course of play. Detect or Die is unique in that all of the players are technically embodying the same character, or rather, fractured pieces of them. The pull from Disco Elysium gives you some really unique and iconic terminology, such as Exofamiliarity (a skill), Heartbleed (a skill), and Egghead (an archetype). I think it's also fascinating that Detect or Die pulls threads from Bluebeard's Bride, which is also about many facets of a personality inhabiting one person, but is a much different, very horrific kind of game.

The creator of this game has released a free case: The Case of the Signal Fire, as well as an example of play for folks who might want to get a taste of what the game is about. I still feel a little bit out of my depth with this game, and I suspect that's because I'm unfamiliar with much of Disco Elysium, but the combination of PbtA and Blades in the Dark rules certainly has me intrigued.

Elementary, by Black Armada Games.

Elementary is an Agatha Christie-esque game of convoluted relationships, seemingly insoluble mysteries and quirky detectives who solve them. It is GM-less: you take turns to introduce clues one at a time, building up a picture of the murder and who might have done it. And, it's competitive. You each have a preferred suspect and you try to introduce clues that will implicate them. At the end, like the movie Clue, you each create an alternate ending where the detective accuses your target suspect.

If you really like watching mysteries with friends and trying to guess who the murderer is before they are actually revealed, you might enjoy Elementary. It feels like the GM-less format is meant to allow you to play the game competitively if you wish, and GM-less games also typically spread out the burden of rules-knowledge, which means that this game might be easier to pick up if your group has a hard time deciding who should be the GM. Judging by the store page, you might be able to learn how to play Elementary in a way similar to how you might learn a board-game, and that's another strong point in its favor in my book.

Red Harvest: Mystery on Mars, by fuzztech.

RED HARVEST: MYSTERY ON MARS is a one-shot tabletop roleplaying game based on the 1929 novel RED HARVEST by Dashiell Hammett.

Play as a private investigator from the Galactic Detective Agency. You have been hired to investigate a mining colony on Mars. It looks like it’s going to be a routine case. That is, until your client turns up dead at the dig site. It’s up to you to solve the case, and unravel the mystery of the mine.

Includes Player Manual (1 page) with rules for character creation and taking actions, and Game Master Manual (3 pages) with a pre-written mystery scenario and supplemental materials.

Mysteries… in space!

Red Harvest is a relatively simple mystery game with four basic backgrounds for your character, with two skills per background. The game is meant to be a one-shot, with the mystery and setting laid out for the GM, as well as a map for the players to move through and investigate. Equal parts mystery, sci-fi and horror, this is a great game for folks who want a one-and-done taste of roleplay, and might even be a great introduction to the hobby!

Unravelled Knots, by Emily Cambias.

Each Saturday, a rag-tag group convenes in a dusty tea-room to discuss the criminal cases detailed in their local newspaper. Their leader is the mysterious Old Man in the Corner, whose knowledge of each case (and the true perpetrators of each crime) seems unmatched. From each newspaper headline, he extrapolates the truth of What Really Happened to these victims, and the missing pieces of each case that escaped the bumbling authorities—aided by his eager listeners and his trusty piece of string. Based on the book Unravelled Knots and The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Orczy.

Instead of dice or cards, Unravelled Knots uses a piece of string as a measuring tool for when your story is coming to an end. It's less like a traditional mystery game and more a collaborative storytelling exercise, with each player taking turns adding clues to the mystery as well as offering up reasons as to why those clues bring you closer to the real answer. You take turns playing The Old Man in the Corner, who acts as a sort of Poirot or Sherlock, in that he presumably holds the knowledge about What Really Happened. You also pick up other roles that are meant to introduce new clues, such as the details of the crime scene, the gossip surrounding various suspects, and the real state of the deceased's finances. If you like Agatha Christie novels, you might enjoy Unravelled Knots.

The Road Ahead, by WendigoWorkshop.

In The Road Ahead… you play as a group of young adults returning to their hometown for a summer of fun, parties and nostalgia. After one of their close friends suddenly disappears, new and old feelings stir, eventually getting them involved in the case. Through the carefree lens of an eighteen-something, uncover the truth and make sure it is the best summer of your life!

This game uses a deck of playing cards to provide resources for the characters, as well as dice to help resolve decisive actions. Built on the Songs and Sagas SRD, it's meant to be inspired be OSR-style play, with a flowchart to help the GM put a story together - a kind of adventure-builder, if you will.

The Road Ahead doesn't feel like it's solely a mystery game: your character is probably going to get into dire situations that they need to fight themselves out of, and if the right consequences happen, it feels like there's also personal fallout that each character might have to deal with, which feels very iconic of games about teens and young adults.

Haunted Echoes, by gaa_txt.

Have you ever wondered who died when the echo of a bell toll reached your ear?

Who died when the masked man descended from their black church to burn the flesh of the forgotten? Some say there aren’t enough of them to give names to the bodies, find the culprit. Even worse when you slip through their fingers, the only thing you can do is return as the worst memory you ever had, hoping your loved ones aren’t a part of it.

HAUNTED ECHOES is a lightweight TTRPG focused on one-shots and short term games where we play as weird detectives in the rainy streets of a fantasy Victorian city. Use your talents to gather clues, solve cases, banish ghosts, deal with elemental demons and ruthless scoundrels while trying to search for an answer to the question that haunts your very being.

This game combines mystery with the paranormal, giving your investigators technical and/or supernatural abilities that will help them try to solve a mystery of using a clock that is reminiscent of the same mystery clock found in games such as Bump in the Dark, or Brindlewood Bay. The game is a stripped-down Forged in the Dark rule-set, with play-sheets that are less differentiated than a typical playbook, a brief overview on how to run the game, and plenty of cases, questions, and details to help put together a mystery as well as flavorful characters to learn about as you play.

Some Days, You Just Can't Get Rid of a Body, by C.R. Legge.

You have received a letter that you hoped to never get. The one person that could ruin your life has invited you to a party, and wishes to discuss things…

As you arrive at the old mansion, they find you and ask that you meet them in a side room at a specific time. When the time comes you see a few others moving towards the room as well. Cautiously, you all enter the room and see them standing in front of the fireplace, arm against the wall. Before anyone can say anything, your host falls backwards onto the floor, dead.

You all had a reason to want them out of the picture. Unless you find out who really killed them, any of you could be framed for the murder…

This game is unique in that everyone who sits down to play must embody someone who had a reason to kill the central character. What I think is absolutely hilarious about this little game is the fact that since all of your characters are suspects, you as a group must carry the body of the victim with you around the house, to prevent NPCs from discovering their death. I can think of so many shenanigans a crew could get up to in trying to solve the crime while also keeping the key piece of evidence out of everyone else's hands.

Games I've Recommended in the Past...

One More Thing, by Nathan D. Paoletta.

Brindlewood Bay, by The Gauntlet.

After the Mind, the World Again, by Aster F.

Grandmothership, by Armanda.

Film Noir Game Recommendations

Mysteries Recommendation Post

If you like what I do and want to leave a tip, you can check out my Ko-Fi!

#mysteries #investigation #mystery #tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #game recommendations #dnd #asks #indie ttrpg

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btvs3x21 · 1 year ago

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the crucial fact of zuko and azula's relationship that makes it so insanely compelling is not the tried and true facets of siblings on opposite sides of a war, sibling rivalry turned murderous, or siblings who are divided by their parents' favoritism; it's the fact that despite being the older sibling, zuko is the one who doesn't care about azula while azula cares about him even when it goes against her best interest to do so. i think this makes a lot of people who want to see zuko through the fanon lens of this awkward turtle duck who's just doing his best and isn't super angry and volatile deeply uncomfortable because it so directly contradicts that reading of him unless they completely strip azula of her sympathetic and human traits. but that reading is not only unsupported by canon, it's boring.

the truth is that azula cares about zuko (in a very distorted way given how her upbringing and trauma restrict her ability to express it in a way anywhere in the area code of healthy) to the extent that because she chooses him over herself in bringing him home (because it is an insane retcon that implies she is near omnipotent to say she knew for certain the avatar was not really dead and was just going to scapegoat zuko, not to mention it makes very little sense and is, again, boring), she loses everything. and zuko cares so little for azula that he only feels anything remotely close to grief about it all when he sees just how badly she's hurting.

as much as i think his redemption arc leaves to be desired in terms of the political implications of it, zuko does have a good heart. he does want to do the right thing. it's just that azula has always been his blind spot, and that makes their relationship so much more interesting.

#atla #zuko #azula #fire hazard siblings

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thedubiousdallon · 5 months ago

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Okay, fuck it, I've built up enough goodwill with this sideblog - let's risk it all by sharing my opinions on how Amy is handled in Ward.

It's kinda complicated I think.

Okay, now that I've resisted the urge to immediately hit post for the bit: I think the way her interludes are written substantially flattens her character in a way that I find distasteful and unpleasant, but I find the overall shape of her arc and her role in the narrative compelling. The things I dislike have been well-covered by plenty of other people in the fandom, so I'm going to focus on the things I like.

To talk about Amy's role in Ward, I first need to talk about my interpretation of Ward as a whole. To me, Ward is, above all else, about trauma and recovery. Society is traumatized by the end of the world, the shards are traumatized by the death of Scion and their loss of purpose, individuals are traumatized by all the things individuals are traumatized by. As an aside, this reading is a big reason why I'm not too bothered by a lot of the world building choices that other people frequently (and fairly) criticize - I think many of them serve this theme effectively.

One specific facet of that reading that I find particularly compelling is Ward's interest in people who are traumatized not just by the harm done to them, but by the harm they've done. Characters don't just regret what they've done, they don't just want to be better, they are traumatized by it, and their reactions to that trauma are as messy and complicated as any other traumatized people. I don't always agree with the stances the text takes on how to deal with having done harm and been traumatized as a result, but I find the exploration of the topic compelling.

Enter The Altruistic Amy Dallon.

Amy's arc in Worm was, to a degree, a prototype of this kind of storytelling. She is repeatedly and horrifically traumatized, the actions she eventually takes in response to that experience inflict equally horrific trauma on her victim, and she is further traumatized by her own actions almost to the point of ego death. She removes herself from the environment she was in, begins rebuilding her sense of identity and ethics, and reemerges having grown, prepared to do better going forward and to make reparations for her past actions as best she can. Arc done! It's satisfying and cathartic, and we leave content in the knowledge that the part she's on will take her to better places. It's the quintessential appeal of a redemption arc, and it's a strong example of its type.

There's something people like to say a lot when talking about mental health and personal growth in real life, and that is that progress isn't linear. It's an important truth to understand.

It's rarely true in fiction. Very often, in redemption arcs, in personal growth arcs, after a series of false starts and setbacks, the character reaches a critical point where they resolve their conflict and either overcome it or succumb to it. From that point on, their nature or behavior is fundamentally changed - if they've grown they never relapse past a certain point, or do so only fleetingly, or else never improve past a certain point. This makes sense from a storytelling perspective, but it doesn't map to how growth often works in real life.

In Ward, Amy occupies the very rare narrative position of being who completes her arc of growth and redemption, who crosses that critical threshold of lasting, meaningful change... but backslides anyway, to the point of essentially losing all that progress.

It's an outcome that I find very believable for her, honestly. Her newfound worldview and conviction were forged in the very insular environment of the Birdcage - of course they would be impacted by her new environment. She says at the end of Ward that she had been able to excuse all of her worst behavior because she had convinced herself that she could fix anything - and at the end of Worm, I can see how she would come to think that! She's been pardoned and released from Forever Prison, she overcame her old aversion to brains to create Khepri and thereby saved the world, she's formed a positive relationship with the father she never thought she'd meet, she's receiving love and support from parents she never felt good enough for, she's using her powers to help people in a way that doesn't make her want to die, and she even "fixed" Victoria, when failing to do that before was the final nail in the coffin she just finished clawing her way out of! The sheer number of seemingly impossible things she's accomplished, of apparently irreversible failures she's seemingly put right, is mind boggling! It'd be the easiest thing in the world to let that go to your head!

Her social circle is also a perfect environment to enable her worst tendencies - there's no one left in it whose opinion she trusts that's willing to call her on her shit. Marquis doesn't see anything wrong with her behavior, Carol is trying to make up for a decade of neglect and unwarranted criticism, Mark just wants everybody to get along and be happy, and Riley and Rinke are pretty shaky on this whole human decency thing themselves! With a (not unjustified) pride in how far she'd come, a circle of willing enablers, a complete lack of moderating influences, and a bulletproof get-out-of-moral-culpability-free card, and two years to spiral, I find her backsliding to be completely believable. And given that Victoria is the fly in the ointment to all of this, that her continued refusal to have anything to do with Amy gives lie to Amy's belief that she can fix anything, and thereby puts the entire edifice of her self-rationalizations at risk, it also makes perfect sense to me that Amy would become fixated on her, on proving that she really can fix anything.

Of course, being believable isn't the same thing as being compelling. The thing that makes all this so resonant for me is that, at the end of Ward, after being this grasping spectre that haunts Victoria the whole book, after rejecting countless opportunities to demonstrate a hint of self-awareness or the slimmest motivation to change - Amy does. She sits down with a therapist. She rips off the band-aid - both the metaphorical one and the literal one made out of Victoria's skin, jesus christ Amy - looks at what she's done, at how she went awry, and resolves to do better. And we end with her in essentially the same place she was at the end of Worm: prepared to do better going forward and to make reparations as best she can. But the journey she has taken to get there gives the destination entirely new meaning for me. She's already fumbled her chance at redemption! But her journey gives lie to the idea that you only have one chance, or two, or any finite number! Every moment you draw breath is a chance to do better.

To me, Amy Dallon's arc in Ward shows that the most important step you can take is the next one, and no matter how many times you walk up and down that road, it never stops being true. And I find that compelling as hell.

#parahumans #ward #wardblr #amy dallon

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still-cookiedough · 6 months ago

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One thing that makes Pluto such a good show is that despite the plot line being batshit crazy at times because of the way the characters’ arcs have been portrayed each and every turn feels earned. This makes all of the jaw dropping moments feel satisfying because everything falls into place and it makes sense given who the characters are.

I think that a lot of May and Ai-Oon’s character choices can be boiled down to a facet of their personality that has been reinforced countless times throughout the show.

Ai-Oon has little foresight and she acts however she needs to in order to survive the moment. Her grandma was out of money so she dropped out of school, not taking into consideration how that would impact her future. She saw a girl getting picked on so she beat up the bullies, not thinking about the ramifications for her sister since she was wearing her uniform. This was not only how Ai survived but how she protected her family. So when she meets May she does the same thing, she doesn’t tell her the truth because she is trying to survive the moment. Of course the long term implications of Oom replacing her after she woke up from a coma don’t make sense. But in the moment it was what Oom needed and Ai felt like she did not deserve May. And of course when Oom asks her to choose between her and May, once again she chooses her family’s survival, not allowing herself to take into consideration how it will harm her future and her own happiness.

May on the other hand is always five steps ahead of everyone else. This was how she survived and escaped the grasp of her father, by meticulously planning her way out. She doesn’t want Ai to reveal herself immediately so she acts in ways so that the charade is maintained. Then she puts together a perfect plan to ensure that she will eventually be with Ai-Oon. But the thing with plans that involve other people is that sometimes others will mess it all up. May adjusts her plan countless times but at the end of the day there are too many variables and she is left alone once again.

There are so many instances of amazing storytelling and acting in Pluto this is just one of them. I’m so sad that we only have one episode left but I am excited to see how they will wrap everything up.

#pluto the series #pluto #oonmay #namtanfilm #I love this show much #I think I will come back to it over and over again in the future

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pinkpoweredpunk · 8 months ago

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…sooo.

long story. but what are some good names for a Tepig?

#pkmn irl #pkmn rp #pokeblogging #rotomblr #facets of truth arc #blake post

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lurking-observer · 18 days ago

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———

[AUDIO: Just a recording of, well… Pokémon noises, mostly, specifically Swoobat and Zoroark sounds. But for anyone able to understand or translate Pokéspeak, you can tell it’s a conversation.

???: { “Nox?” }

Nox: { “Hm?” }

???: { “Um, well, first of all, I… wanted to thank you for helping me get my friends back. Even after we’ve had our differences before...” }

Nox: { “Hm. Well, it’s as I said, I was only helping because I have nothing better to do. But you’re welcome, I suppose. How are your teammates faring now?” }

???: { “They’re doing okay…! Kilobyte is still a bit shaken from everything, but Lumi and I are making plans on how we’re gonna get back to our trainer…” }

Nox: { “Going back to them? Despite the fact that you have all the freedom in the world now?” }

???: { “W-well… yeah? We love our trainer, a lot. Of course we’re going back.” }

Nox: { “…Hmph. I’ll never understand Pokémon like you, you know. Why swear yourself to a trainer? Allow them to keep you confined within Pokéballs, let them limit the way you live?” }

Nox: { “You say your humans help you accomplish strengths you wouldn’t be able to achieve alone. Yet look at me, a Pokémon who’s managed to get plenty strong without a single word of guidance from a human.” }

???: { “Re-really? You got that strong all on your own? You never even trained with N?” }

Nox: { “Why would I? He and I are entirely different beings. What would a human know about perfecting a Pokémon’s combat skills?” }

???: { “W-well… I’ve improved a lot with Blake’s strategies. They can’t fly, but they’re still really creative with how to use my aerial maneuvers in battle. I’ve even come up with a few new moves by myself, going off what they’ve taught me! I don’t think I would’ve discovered I had that kinda strength without them…” }

Nox: { “Tch. What you’re describing is just learned helplessness. You think you’d be nothing without them, but I assure you those tactics you’ve learned are ones you could’ve easily developed yourself had you put the work into it.” }

???: { “That isn’t it at all! I listen to Blake because I trust them and value what they think, not because I think I’m helpless without them! It’s a… “moo-too-all” effort, or whatever that word Cordelia taught me is. I… geez, why do you have such a huge problem with humans and Pokémon working together, anyways?” }

Nox: { “Because they hold us back. They see us as lesser lifeforms. Things they feel they can control and can do away with at a whim if we become too inconvenient for them. They think they’ll hold power over us as long as they ensure we rely on them. Don’t you see it, too? In no way can a human and Pokémon be on true equal footing.” }

???: { “No, not really. Blake’s never made me feel that way… If anything, they’ve made me feel valued. They listen, they respect me… they didn’t stop me from leaving when I did...” }

Nox: { “I think a part of you understands, even if you don’t realize it, little whelp. Would you have taken off on your own if you didn’t feel Blake would hold you back in saving your friends?” }

???: { “That isn’t why I left! I did it because I didn’t want to risk them getting even more hurt. Maybe… maybe it wasn’t the best thing to do, but… I never planned on leaving them forever. They’re my family.” }

???: { “…You know, what I can’t wrap my head around is why you’re so against people and Pokémon partnering up, but you have a human partner of your own.” }

Nox: { “Tch. I thought it was made abundantly clear that N isn’t my trainer.” }

???: { “But he’s your family, right? Just like how Blake is my family…” }

Nox: { “You see, the difference is that your team and your trainer are the illusion of a family. All held up by a power imbalance you refuse to acknowledge. Me and N? We’ve been together since birth. Through tragedy and strife, through loss of family. And unlike your trainer, who is just… mucking about aimlessly, me and N’s alliance was formed from wanting justice for what happened to our kin. To ensure it doesn’t happen to others. Why have you been tagging along with Blake all this time, really?” }

???: { “…” }

???: { …I’ll be honest, I was still really young when I joined the team. But I do remember it was right after my mama passed… I remember seeing Blake, thinking that blue jacket of theirs looked like a Swoobat. So I went with them. Looking back, it was kinda silly… but I was alone after I lost my mama. I mean, there were other Woobats, but I didn’t really know any of them. Even if it was just a mixup at first, I don’t regret it. King and Cordelia ended up being like new mamas to me. Phaedra, Kilobyte, and Lumi all became my best friends! And Blake… they let me get to see a lot of things I never would’ve gotten to see if I’d stayed in that cave.” }

Nox: { “You might’ve. You have your wings. The entire sky is yours to explore. Why let yourself be grounded by a human?” }

???: { “No, I mean I never would’ve had it in me to leave my cave if I hadn’t met Blake. I probably would’ve gotten eaten by somethin’ eventually, or- or I just would’ve been alone for the rest of my life.” }

Nox: { “Well, you might’ve grown up to find a mate. Have a family. Build a new swarm all on your own. You know, the natural way your species lives.” }

???: { “I guess, but who says that kinda life isn’t open to me now? Look, all I know is that whatever happens in the future, I want Blake and my team there with me. I’ve never felt grounded by anything, Blake’s always made me feel like the impossible was possible!” }

???: { “Doesn’t Mr. N make you feel that way? Like you can accomplish anything together?” }

Nox: { “I-…” }

???: { “…However you feel about him, if he means as much as you say he does to you, you should tell him. The fact that you’re able to speak to each other makes you both super lucky, in my opinion… There’s a lot of things I’ve wanted to say to Blake that I couldn’t.” }

Nox: { “Tell him what? There’s nothing more to say. Once this is all finally over, he and I will go our separate ways. I will be free, and he will become the king he was meant to be. It was set in stone from the start.” }

???: { “…Is that really what you want? To live apart from each other?” }

Nox: { “It is what’s necessary.” }

???: { “…You know, you talk a lot about freedom, but if your meaning of ‘freedom’ is abandoning all your loved ones and… living on your own, or whatever way nature dictates, then is it something really worth having?” }

Nox: { “What are you talking about? Freedom is something all living creatures need.” }

???: { “Of course it is! But… I think you and I have very different ideas on what freedom is.” }

Nox: { “…” }

???: { “I think you should talk to Mr. N… tell him you don’t want to be apart from him.” }

Nox: { “Now when on earth did I ever say that?!” }

???: { “Pssh- Psychic-type, remember? I may not be the strongest one out there, but I can kinda pick up on other creature’s feelings. Even if they’re not saying them out loud.” }

Nox: { “…You are young and naive, Swoobat. There are far more many layers to this issue than just severing a few Pokémon and human friendships. If we do not separate ourselves from them, they will destroy us.” }

???: { “What? You mean like bad people who hurt Pokémon? I know those exist! Who’d ya think took my mama from me?” }

Nox: { “So what? Her death meant nothing to you?” }

???: { “Of course it did! It felt like the end of the world to me…” }

Nox: { “Then you should know. You should know how it feels to never want another Pokémon to experience something so unjust ever again!” }

???: { “Of course I don’t! But… there are. There’s probably going to be, and I can’t control that. There’s more that takes mama’s away than just humans, you know… in your world, Pokémon like me won’t have trainers who might be able to give them another chance!” }

Nox: { “So? Pokémon can handle themselves. We did for eons before humans came into the mix.” }

???: { “Well, humans are on this planet with us now! And maybe that isn’t a good thing for all Pokémon, but it is for a lot more than you think! There are some of us who never would’ve had a chance out in the wild. Would you have had a chance without N, after you lost your family?!” }

Nox: { “I…” }

???: { “We’re all living under the same sky, Nox… no matter how much we all fight, we can’t change that. The least we can do is try to be there and listen to each other. That may be hard to do sometimes, especially when we don’t all speak the same language, but it’s the only way. So stop with this lie you’re selling yourself, that everything can be fixed by one person and one dragon!” }

Nox: { “…You really are that pink hooligan’s Pokémon, huh…” }

???: { “Blake? Yeah, I am. And it’s helped make me the most kick-butt Swoobat in Unova! And… so much more.” }

???: { “So, come on!” }

Nox: { “What?” }

???: { “Before me and my friends leave, let’s go find Mr. N and talk to him! We can end this all without anyone getting hurt that way. I’m sure if you tell him the truth about how you feel, he’ll listen! He’s your family, after all. I can be there to cheer you on.” }

???: { “Ooh, and maybe we can get him and Blake to be friends again, too! They like each other a lot, I can tell, they’re just hurt and say a lotta things they don’t mean. Do you think maybe they’d like to go on the Ferris Wheel again, or is that in poor taste after-” }

???: { “Huh? Nox, where are you going?” }

Nox: { “I refuse to have any part in this.” }

???: { “Whaaat? Why?” }

Nox: { “Why? Why do you and your allies have to keep asking us ‘why’? I don’t know how many times N, Team Plasma or I need to preach it to all of you- we are going to liberate the Pokémon of this world and there is nothing you can do about it. We can’t stop now, not for anyone.” }

???: { “Come ooooon! Even after all that stuff I said, you’re still on about this?” }

???: { “This isn’t the way and you know it, Nox! Why are you clinging so hard to this notion that you’re better off leaving N? That you can’t build a better world togeth-” }

Slam!

???: { “Ack-!” }

Nox: { “Because unlike you, I refuse to dishonor the ones I’ve lost to the wretched humankind! N may not be like the rest of them, but that doesn’t change the fact that he and I belong to two entirely different worlds! It’s not my fault that you cannot understand sacrifice for the greater good.” }

???: { “B-But—” }

Nox: { “Enough. I am sick of beings like you prattling on to me about the power of ‘love’ and ‘kindness’... Those things alone never saved any of the Pokémon I’ve seen lost over the years! You think I need to open my eyes? They’ve been open for two, long decades-” }

???: { “C-Can’t… breathe-” }

Nox: { “…! Ghhg…” }

???: { *Cough-* “N-Nox? What’s happening to you? Th-that aura coming off your fur-” }

Nox: { “Don’t come any closer! I… Gah! I need to get away from this place…” }

???: { “Nox?! Nox, wait! Don’t go-!” }

End audio.]

———

#pkmn irl #pkmn rp #pokeblogging #rotomblr #pokemon irl #facets of truth arc #tw pokemon death #(mentioned)

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thunderblessedhero · 2 months ago

Text

OFFSCREEN POST

———

The shrill winds whistled over the desolate highlands, ruffling N’s long ponytail as he let his legs dangle over the ledge of the boulder he had perched himself on. Surrounding him on all sides were tall, barren black cliffs, one of which he and he and his draconic companion were resting on the edge of.

Zekrom stands tall and dignified beside him as always, piercing eyes diligent as she gazes steadily off towards something in the distance. She radiates elegance and power without even needing to try. N follows her line of sight to a small dot on the distant horizon- settled there on the faraway mountain range is the Pokémon League, the ancient-temple inspired architecture of its highest point distinguishable even from this distance. There it sits, whatever inhabitants inside of it oblivious to the divine presence watching from just a few miles away.

His mind wanders aimlessly as he stares at it too, for a while. How old of a structure was it, exactly? He recalls someone saying it had been constructed in honor of Victini, and he briefly thinks back to the one that accompanies that one boy, Cole. His mind then skips to pondering what the state of things were over there, if Alder and his Elite Four were in a disarray trying to prepare for his inevitable attack.

Zekrom rumbles at his side, her wings twitching in anticipation. He places a hand on her elbow, the only point of her towering form that was currently in his reach. “Soon,” he tells her, feeling the metallic hide buzzing slightly underneath his touch, similar to how it would as the Dark Stone.

“A joke,” the goddess snarls deeply, rearing her head back with a snort. “A mockery is what it is. Humans and Pokémon once fought alongside each other as equals, with honor, but now it’s been turned into nothing more but a spectacle.”

He absorbs her words, then lets his chin fall against his pulled up knees. “In an ideal world, Pokémon shouldn’t have to fight at all…” he laments softly. “Not at the whim or for the selfish reasons of humans.”

Zekrom thrums in concede, her eyes still drawn on the league building, and he wonders if it’s been standing long enough for her to have seen it in a previous awakened period of hers. While the globalization of Leagues across the world was a more modern development that had occurred within the last few decades, the concept as a whole had been around for well over a century. Unova’s was up there with the oldest, in fact, so it was entirely possible.

“It is in our nature to battle, to spar,” she rumbled as she settled down on her hind legs. “To try and grow stronger. But that is not the sole reason for our existence. And we certainly do not have to rely on humans to do so.”

“To that I agree, Goddess of Ideals.”

N doesn’t jump as he turns to face the new voice, already recognizing it the moment it reaches his ears. The sight of his Zoroark brother brings a twitch of a smile to his face, but it doesn’t last when he’s reminded of the distance that’s been between them as of late, due to his duties.

“Nox,” He slides down from the rock to greet his best friend, trying to not let the recent time apart faze him. He’s reaching out to give his fluffy red mane a gentle ruffle out of instinct, but doesn’t let his hand linger for long when the action earns a disgruntled huff from the dark fox. “You’re back.”

“I apologize if my absence worried you,” Nox replies, standing up on his hind legs and rising to about a quarter away from N’s height, something he did notably rarely. He always preferred appearing feral and menacing. “I know I was gone for some time.”

That triggers a pang of guilt in N’s heart when he realizes it’d actually been days since he last saw the Zoroark, and he hadn’t taken that into account until now. He’d been so caught up in training with Zekrom.

“I knew you’d return,” he assured, rubbing his arm sheepishly and hoping his embarrassment at his own folly wasn’t outwardly detectable. “I’m glad to see you’re okay now.”

Nox hums and lowers his head. “That’s a relief. I feared it would affect you due to Concordia and Anthea’s disappearance.”

The mention of his missing older sisters causes the young king to wince, and Nox withdraws thinking maybe now was a sore time to bring the subject up.

“Right…” N murmurs dolefully, eyes descending to his feet. The vanishing of his two older sisters, following his arrival back at the castle, was one of the major things weighing down on him lately- especially with him pinning the blame on himself for it. He’d acted horrendously to them, after they’d been doing nothing but attempting to console him like they always did. “H-Has anything been dug up about their whereabouts yet?”

That’s when Nox perks up again, but there is something distinguishably grim behind in the way his gaze intensifies. “That’s partly what I’ve come here for, brother.”

N’s heart skips a beat, feeling the tiniest spark of hope- until he reads the direness on Nox’s expression, and it sinks to his stomach when he realizes it must be bad news. “What happened? Are they-”

“They’re alive,” Nox assures him, but then looks to the ground and grimaces scornfully, showing his fangs. “But they…”

There’s a beat of silence, and N leans in attentively, quietly urging his brother to continue. Nox draws a deep breath in, collecting himself before he can fall apart, then deflating again with a long exhale. Still, there’s an intensity of churned emotions behind his hardened eyes as he speaks-

“They’ve turned on us. They’ve joined the Hero of Truth and are aiding them in defeating you.”

And just like that, the world seems to oh so silently shatter around N, like a rock through a thin sheet of ice. The young king feels his body goes stiff on the spot. Zekrom hisses out a low breath behind him, turning her chin up and watching her chosen carefully.

“…What?” He sputters out, shaking his head in disbelief. Denial. He thinks about the gentle hands of the two who raised him. Their warm embraces, their kind voices, things that at some points had been the only thing keeping him going. During times where he felt so burdened by the weight of his destiny, when he thought he would never live up to his father’s expectations… No, not two of the few humans he knew he could trust.

He shakes his head. That can’t be right. “N- no, they…”

Nox frowns regretfully, wishing it wasn’t so just as much as his brother did. Seeing that expression was all it took for N to know he was being truthful. Nox could lie, even manipulate when he wanted to, but live around someone long enough and you can see right through them no matter how cunning they were.

That sinking feeling increases tenfold as the shadows of Nox’s illusions stretch out to surround him, forming a dome. Materializing around him is a scene- one from the Zoroark’s memory, he assumes- the outside of a lone Pokémon center on what looks like the long route between Iccirus and Opelucid. He’s drawn to the window, and slowly makes his way towards it before bending to peer inside.

That’s where he sees them- Concordia and Anthea. They’re sitting around the fireplace with Blake’s group of friends, donning new sets of clothes and even their own X-Transceivers. And they’re… laughing. Along with all the others. And smiling- so much brighter than they ever had back in the castle. At least it seems that way, to him.

They’re… happy.

The sight would almost melt his heart had it not been for the context behind the scene in front of him. They’d abandoned him.

As the illusion starts to disintegrate, and he finds himself back on that desolate cliff with Zekrom and Nox, he simply feels… hollow. But heavy at the same time. Unbearably heavy. And the only question that seems to plague his mind is "why?". Why those two? Why his closest family?

In the last traces of the illusion, he looks up one last time, and sees them. That unmistakable head of bright pink hair, laughing along with his sisters.

Them. Why was it always them?

The next thing his eyes flick to is the bag by their seat, sitting with the zipper halfway open. Seconds before the illusion drops completely, he's able to make out a round, white shape sticking out against the black fabric. It doesn't take him more than a second to recognize it. The Light Stone.

The second he sees that artifact, the dormant counterpart of his legendary companion, it's like a switch is flipped. Something thunders to life inside his crushed, devastated soul, takes hold in his heart and twists his anguish into something else. Something angry.

"N, there's one more thing you should know," Nox begins, putting a cautious paw forwards. "Blake, they're the-"

"I already know," N cuts him off more sharply than intended. His hand clenches into a fist at his side. Of course they were. Just like he’d predicted. Just like he’d dreaded.

The world around him is still, yet he feels like he’s at the center of a hurricane with all this turmoil he feels surging inside of him. His mind races a mile a minute, his heart thumps within his chest like a pounding drum.

He knows what hate feels like. Is this what this is? No, he can’t hate his sisters. He’s beyond furious with them, but he doesn’t have it in his heart to hate them. No, it was towards someone else-

That trainer. They sided with them over him.

He has to sit down. He takes in lungfuls of air at a time, knocks his hat off as he digs his hand into his scalp, reaches for his void cube, but even that isn’t enough to soothe him.

“Brother?” Nox mumbles worriedly, ears pinning back.

“Why?” He seethes under his breath, gripping the old toy in his hand so tightly it might break. “Why is it always them?”

Nox narrows his eyes, understanding what he means without even having to ask. “Blake. Something must be done about them.”

That’s when Zekrom chooses to intervene. “Don’t do anything reckless, you two,” she warns with a gruff expire of air through her nostrils. “They’ve been chosen as the Hero of Truth. Remember your plans? They will face you alongside Reshiram, and the future will be decided by the victor.”

“I know, I just…” He growls, burying his face further into his hand. “It isn’t fair. Why? Why would they both do this to me?”

Zekrom’s face softens, and it’s an unusual look on a dragon as imposing as the Goddess of Ideals. With a soft, rumbling purr deep in her throat, she lowers her head and comfortingly presses her snout against her young hero’s back. “Betrayal can cut deep. Believe me, I know.”

He feels that same soft vibration of electric energy she always emits, and it’s enough to guide him out of his near-breakdown, just a little. The anger and resentment gives way to just sheer grief and despair again, and a choked sob escapes him. A part of him regrets ever declaring this would be decided on a clash between the dragons- why had he felt such a thing was needed so bad? He just wanted to soar straight to that Pokémon League right this second, pummel Alder into the dirt, and bring an end to this once and for all. Yet there had been something in him that wanted to prove himself against Reshiram. Against Blake.

This had all just started with him wanting to save Pokémon- such a simple and clear cut goal. The creatures he cared about more than anything in the world. That was the sole, core reason for all of this. Yet things had become so messy and complicated along the way- and it was all because of that pink haired idiot. Things had once been so straightforward- find the dragon, bring the Pokémon League to its knees. But then they came along, and had to mess everything up. Stir up all these old memories he thought were dead and buried.

Those fading ones he had of him following a head of tousled, light brown hair tied back with a bright pink bow through the forest, hands intertwined as they laughed gleefully together, running with the wild Pokémon…

His face felt hot, and he almost surprised himself when he found wetness dripping from his eyes. When had he started crying? Damn it, he thought, burying his face further into his hands. Why did I let this happen? At the start he’d just been looking for someone he thought he might share a common ground with, someone he thought he’d lost a long time ago, but all of that backfired the second he told them who he was on that Ferris Wheel. And even after that, he couldn’t seem to tear himself away from them- getting trapped in that cave-in together certainly didn’t help, and he might as well been doomed when they kissed in Mistralton.

Or when even after everything, they still furiously insisted they cared about him.

He hated how confused they made him. He hated how awful it made him feel when he hurt them, even if it was out of necessity. He hated this ache he felt when he thought about how things could’ve ended up differently between them, had he just maybe done something else. He hated how their mere existence created the tiniest sparks of doubt in him, whenever he saw how much their Pokémon loved them.

And now, they’d taken away his sisters. That was a line crossed. That was a bridge burned.

It’s the dull buzzing from his necklace that draws him out of the depths of his spiraling thoughts, and he snaps to attention when he realizes it must be someone calling him back to the castle. Hastily wiping away the tears from his eyes, he holds the disguised communicator up to his mouth and presses his thumb down on the hidden button. “Hello?”

“N, are you there?” He’s surprised to hear the voice of his father on the other end. He’d known Ghetsis was capable on contacting him via this method, but it was usually calls from either the Shadow Triad or other sages he received.

“Yes, father,” he replies, trying not to let his slightly unsteady voice reveal he had just been crying. “Am I needed back in the castle?”

“Not right this second,” says Ghetsis, and N furrows his brows in confusion. “I just received word of Concordia and Anthea’s whereabouts from the Triad, and thought I should inform you. I have to warn you- it isn’t good news.”

His grip tightens on the communicator, ridges slightly digging into his palm. “I know. Nox already told me.”

There’s an unusual undertone of pity in Ghetsis’ response. “I see.”

N feels that lump in his throat tighten again, and he tries to stay composed while on the line with his father, but he can't stop a waver or two getting through. "I don't know what to do. H-How could they do this to us?"

He hears Ghetsis sigh deeply, and the light tap of what sounds like a pen on a table. "Why don't you return to the castle? I have something I'd like to discuss, regarding our plans to strike the League."

Something about hearing that dampens his spirits more. He really doesn't want to think about the mission right now, but he knows he can't set it aside just so he can wallow in his grief. "Alright," he says while slumping in defeat. "I'll be there soon."

Which a click of a button, the call is ended, and he pushes himself off the rock to start moving towards Zekrom. Understanding it was time to depart, the dragon lowers herself and extends an arm out for him to climb. There's worry for her hero evident in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything as N lifts a foot onto her forearm.

Before he clambers up, he looks over his shoulder back at Nox. "Do you want a ride back?”

The Zoroark looks to the ground glumly and seems to consider it, before shaking his head in decline. "I would like a bit more time alone, I think."

Hearing that brings a small frown to N's face, but he can't blame him. With an understanding nod, he carefully skips up the length of Zekrom's arm until he reaches her shoulders and perches himself on the base of her neck. She rises to her full height, and N glances down to give his brother one last request. "Don't stay out too long, alright...? Just... let me know when you've returned."

And with that, Zekrom is off. The ride back to their underground palace is quiet, with nothing but the wind howling in his ears as his dragon weaves narrowly between the cliffs, gradually descending until they spot the torchlight of the windows in the darkness below.

She drops him off on the roof, and he's able to climb his way down the wall and through a window in practiced movements. Listening to the sound of her tail engine disappear into the distance outside, he begins his navigation through the halls, the near thirteen years he had to memorize these corridors serving him well as he traverses down the numerous floors to his father's quarters. Several grunts and two of the sages pay him their greetings as he passes by, and he doesn't acknowledge them with anything move than a halfhearted wave.

Soon enough, he facing the tall doors of Ghetsis' office and pushing his way inside. His father is standing at the far back, behind his desk and chair, staring up at a hung tapestry depicting Unova's two draconic deities circling one another, engaged in combat. Fire trails from the mouth of Reshiram, the white dragon ablaze in unfathomable glory, and electricity surges from the maw of Zekrom, crackling with an aura that radiates unshakeable might. No two looks to hold power over the other; perfectly balanced in strength and reverence.

His eyes linger on it to, for a while, mostly noting the inaccuracies in this illustration of Zekrom- The singular horn being too straight, the wings looking more like classical dragon wings rather than the more rugged and firm shape they were in real life, her being shown as quadruped rather that bipedal and humanoid. He supposes he can't blame the unknown creator too much- there had never been a concrete and consistent portrayal of them over the centuries, so taking liberties was pretty much necessary. He can't say much about Reshiram's design, but he can only assume it doesn't hold a candle to the actual one, either. He'd have to wait and see.

He pulls his attention away from it just in time to see his father turn to him. Ghetsis is posed as calmly and stoic as ever, pacing across the floor to meet his son halfway.

“You’re here,” he speaks gruffly. “Good.”

N’s hand twitches nervously by his hip, but he quickly tries to hide it. It had been quite a while since he spoken to his father face to face like this… he doesn’t remember them having a one on one talk since right before the tower.

“What is this about?” He asks, subconsciously avoiding the sage’s gaze. He always feel like he’s is peering straight through his soul, reading him for filth.

Ghetsis stares him down for a moment, and that aforementioned feeling of being judged harshly is palpable. He shifts uncomfortably in place, unable to shake the feeling he’s about to get shouted at or reprimanded one way or another.

A firm hand is placed upon his shoulder, and he isn’t exactly sure what to expect. The last thing he was expecting was to be pulled forwards into a hug soon after.

He blinks, bewildered and slightly unsettled, thinking he must’ve stepped into an alternate dimension. “Father…?”

The embrace isn’t long, as Ghetsis pulls away soon after, but the man still carries a somber smile upon his features as he gazes at his son. “I didn’t take the news of Anthea and Concordia’s betrayal well, either,” he admits. “After I provided all three of you with lives of comfort and stability… But as cross as I am with them, I’m choosing not to focus on their ungratefulness, and instead be thankful for the loyal son that I have left.”

He gives N a pat on the shoulder, and the young man still isn’t sure what to make of it. Emotional vulnerability wasn’t something often seen from his father, and he distinctly remembers not hugging since he was a child. Even back then, it was usually him initiating them, and Ghetsis wouldn’t reciprocate with much else besides a disinterested pat on the back.

“It’s been an incredibly long and arduous process getting to this point, N,” the Sage says, closing his eyes in thought. “There’s been many a curveball along the way, many skewered plans and unexpected trifles popping up trying to slow us down. But even so, you’ve prevailed in the face of of them all, and managed to obtain the legendary dragon.”

“I know your sisters abandoning us has been a shock to us all, but I know you’ll continue to strive forward in spite of it,” Ghetsis looks up again, eyes full of sincerity. “I’m proud of you, son.”

It’s those five incredibly simple words that make N want to crumble on the spot. He doesn’t, for risk of appearing weak in front of the man he’d fought so hard to impress, but he isn’t able to deny the subtle welling in his eyes. It wasn’t until now that he realized just how much he’d needed to hear those words, face to face. To be reminded he still had family who cared for him left.

“I…” he chokes out, swallowing hard in an attempt to keep his composure. “Th-thank you, father.”

Ghetsis hums, then turns to walk back over to his desk, and just like that the fleeting heartfelt moment comes to an end- although the expression of pride still lingers in N’s mind. His father beckons him over while sitting down in his chair, and he obliges, standing in front of the ornate wooden desk.

“Now for the other reason I called you here,” Ghetsis begins, folding his hands over each other as his expression changes to a more down-to-business one. “The siege on the Pokémon League is coming up any day now, but there are still preparations to make before then. Recently, they’ve amped up security around the League building… surveillance drones, extra guards, even the Elite Four will come out to patrol at times. They’ve become awfully close to uncovering our headquarters here. While Alder did promise to call off the hunt for us, I doubt he would keep his word on leaving us alone were he to locate this place.”

N’s eyes narrow. That would be certainly pose an issue. “So what’s the plan?”

“We simply need to buy ourselves more time,” the sage states, in that tone that easily makes N think he already has a plan of action in mind. “A distraction of sorts should be sufficient enough. And I already have scoped out a place of potential interest- Opelucid Gym.”

Hearing that sparks interest within N. Opelucid? Where Blake and their friends were heading next?

“The gym also functions as a dragon-type training facility, and Drayden even dubs it a ‘sanctuary’, but it’s hardly that at all.” He pressed a button on some device built into his desk, bringing up a projection of Opelucid Gym. “As you know, Dragon-types are incredibly volatile in nature when it comes to being handled humans. Drayden prides his methods on ‘forging bonds with them’, but I'm sure as you already expect, it's all just a facade. Keeping any large amount of Dragon-types, who are notoriously territorial with each other, captive in one small location like this is bound to reap its consequences sooner or later."

There's something almost devious in the way his father's grin spreads, eye glinting in the light of the hologram. "I believe it's within the Pokémons' best interest to intervene as soon as possible."

That last part makes N tense- he knows where this is going, and he doesn't know how to feel about it. "Wouldn't launching a direct attack on the building make the dragons inside become panicked and violent? The devastation that that would result from that kind of chaos breaking out..."

"Part of the reason why it's been on our radar for some time, but we've never chose to take action until now. That's where you come in," Ghetsis counters. "Or more specifically, you and your legendary. It's said that the Original Dragon had the ability to exude influence over other Dragon-types- and that this power was carried over Zekrom and Reshiram as well."

The pieces click into place seamlessly. N understood before the man had even finished his sentence. "You’re asking for our assistance in the raid?”

There’s a glint of approval in Ghetsis’ eyes, pleased that his son caught on so quickly. “Yes. With Zekrom using that ability of hers to keep the dragons calm, we’ll be able to send in grunts to fight off whatever Drayden throws at us while you extract them safely.”

While he trusts his father, he can’t say he isn’t unsure about how solid of a plan this is. “I don’t know how I feel exerting Zekrom’s power on anyone but the champion. And are we sure this capability of hers can extend to so many dragons at once?”

“We plan to put those rumors to the test before any drastic action is taken, of course,” Ghetsis assures him. “But as Zekrom’s hero, your consent is vital before we press forward with this mission. It’s all up to you, Natural.”

N can feel the pressure laid on thick. Their entire team was counting on him in this decision- should he refuse, would that leave them at risk of the League finding them? And did he really want to pass down the opportunity to rescue so many Pokémon from that facility?

The only thing spurring reluctance in him was the thought of who would be there to witness it. His sisters. Blake. What would he do if he encountered them there?

A part of him, one that’s still himself, fears he wouldn’t be able to reign in his anger were he to see them in person like that. But there’s another part, one he didn’t think he had in him, that wants to let his fury be known.

It crackles viscously to life inside his chest, an electric surge coursing through his veins, filling him with the galvanic fury of a deafening, destructive lightning strike. His fist shakes at his side with newfound, barely contained, godly rage. He doesn’t know where it comes from, but he doesn’t bother to question why. All he knows is that it needs to be let out.

Zekrom senses this sudden shift in him, and he hears her response in the tremors that echo in the sky outside.

He takes a moment to think on it, hard. Is this really what he wants? Is this truly how he wants his legacy as a hero to begin?

…

…Unova won’t bow to a weak king. He has to show them. All of them.

“…When do we strike?”

———

#pkmn irl #pokeblog rp #pokeblogging #pokemon irl #pokeblr #pokemon rp #facets of truth arc

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