#<- learned from arven of course

[dionoussu]

picnic break🧺

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

So i hope its okay... Can i request arven penny nemona and kieran Meeting a pokemon Trainer that is basiclly Pokemon sword/shield MC and maybe hop or marni come to visit? Or it can just be Just the Trainer i wouldn't mind anyway here's the team

A inteleon is kinda like a big brother to the team but still is Sometimes mischevous

Zamazenta who May look cold but is essentialy a big puppy

Gerdevoir who kinda has a sibling like rivaly with with salazle on who's stronger

Salazle who is a little diva but both her or gardevoir will beat you up if you insult the other

And a sylveon and glaceon who are like peas in a pod and will go out to defend the other if something happend

Anyway you don't have to write it if you don't want to since its kinda long and have a good day/night 💜💛

Arven

Apparently saving a region from an ecological crisis wasn't your first rodeo..as you've done this in Galar too.

After sharing stories of how you became champion, prevented Chairman Rose from causing a second "Darkest Day" with Eternatus, revived the Hero Duo (with Zamazenta being living proof), etc...Arven's fully convinced you need a vacation.

Funny enough, Paldea was meant to be your fresh start and a way to begin your studies like a normal kid.

But of course that didn't happen.

Facing the Titan Pokémon together reminds you of the Dynamaxed ones, but you thanked Arceus they weren't that gigantic nor have any brutal G-Max moves.

When it comes to food, Arven learns you can make a mean curry dish, often trading each other recipes.

In fact, you've made so many types that your team is just happy to eat whatever you've cooked up.

Speaking of which..your current team is the same one from Galar. You decided they were ready for a new adventure in a new region by your side.

Inteleon, once a timid Sobble, tended to sneak bites of curry/sandwiches from the others, but otherwise acts like a cool older brother to your team.

His Snipe Shot is deadly and he lowkey missed being able to Gigantamax, although he likes how flashy he becomes when terastalized.

Zamazenta actually enjoys belly rubs, discovering this only after witnessing Arven give Mabosstiff pets on the stomach.

Gardevoir and Salazzle have been rivals since they were a Ralts and Salandit, having a few sparring matches during camps/picnics.

But trust they will BOTH go on the offense if anyone dared hurt the other. Arven witnessed this firsthand down in Area Zero when an Iron Hands attacked Salazzle with a ground move, and Gardevoir's Moonblast absolutely destroyed it.

Finally, Sylveon and Glaceon were two inseparable Eevees. You couldn't catch one without taking the other with you, and ever since then they've stuck together like glue, even evolving at the same time.

When Hop and Marni visited you in Paldea (whether to just travel or study abroad), Arven gets a little jealous that they were your friends before he was..but learns to get along with them.

Penny

Assuming she was studying abroad in Galar (after ditching Team Star) when the events of SWSH took place, she definitely would have seen your face around social media and on nearly ever TV station.

She knew you defeated Leon in the championship.

But she NEVER would've guessed it was you who also stopped the second Darkest Day from happening--and quelled Eternatus, of all things.

It was like you were the protagonist of some epic anime, doing all this heroic stuff yet being so casual when talking about it to her, Arven, and Nemona.

But she wants to hear all about your adventures!

Even though she was a little jealous you did all these cool things while she had to continue her studies.

She's thrilled to meet your Sylveon and Glaceon, finding their strong bond to be sweet and similar to her own Eeveelutions.

If you went to Crown Tundra, she immediately asks if you met her father and apologizes on his behalf if he was too overbearing.

But you amuse her with the story of how Calyrex kept temporarily possessing his body to speak to you.

The first time you brought out Zamazenta, Penny was a little intimidated by the way it looked at her menacingly...

Until it does the same thing Miraidon/Koraidon did to her during Operation Starfall:

And that is tackle her in kisses and icky wolf slobber.

She wonders why all your Legendaries do this to her..

Underneath the gruff, tough, and battle-hardened appearance, it turns out that it's really just a giant puppy longing to be spoiled like a Growlithe.

Nemona

Right from the get-go, she knew you were Galar's most recent champion and wanted to see how you fight.

Of course, that meant you had to adapt from the Dynamaxed battles you were so accustomed to and get used to Terastalized battles instead.

But you're a quick learner.

In fact your Inteleon, despite being at a disadvantage against her Pawmot, still managed to sweep half her team.

Sometimes you'll have your Paldea starter in your party in place of Zamazenta, but when you brought the shield wolf out for the first time during a picnic...Nemona was in awe.

"So THIS is one of the legendary heroes that Ms. Raifort taught us about????" She gawks, especially as you bring out the rusted shield and let it transform.

Penny made a good point: you may as well be a modern-day hero of Galar yourself!

She also wanted to hear all about your trials and tribulations with the gym challenge, having seen your battle on television and how Leon congratulated you for winning the championship.

Ngl it made her tear up the first time she rewatches it with you, proud of how you were still eager to finish it even though the Second Darkest Day interrupted the match and almost destroyed the whole region.

It lowkey made her feel bad when you, her, and the others had to go down to Area Zero and prevent another disaster that would've also unleashed dangerous Pokémon all across the region...

Yeah, you definitely needed a break and a chance to feel like a normal trainer.

And what better way to do that than to battle Nemona again and again?

Kieran

When you first met in Kitakami, you never struck him as the type to be Galar's Champion (as well as its savior from the second Darkest Day--the first one being an event he read about in books).

It's not something you liked to brag about anyways. So you downplayed your experiences while talking to him during the signboard project.

All he knew was that you lived in Galar and participated in the gym challenge. That's it.

Only when you show up to BB Academy does he overhear people talking about you like you're some celebrity, and he realizes you've been keeping even more secrets from him...

"Did you hear?? The Galar Champion is joining the league club!"

"I heard they reawakened Zacian and Zamazenta! They brought the heroes of Galar back to life!"

He refuses to believe it up until the moment you two battle, where Gardevoir and Salazzle worked incredibly well together, before you sent out Zamazenta near the very end.

Ofc Kieran is FURIOUS, screaming about how you lied to him yet again and "never changed".

"You told me you were just a normal kid from Galar...WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU BEEN KEEPING FROM ME?!!"

It's so unfair. You're hailed as a hero in a different region, you held two (and eventually three) champion titles, AND you have Zamazenta on your side...while he's a nobody from Kitakami who gave up so much and worked so hard--only to realize he'll never be even half as great as you.

How could he ever be like you with so many achievements under your belt?

But after you two become friends again (with you apologizing for not fully telling him the truth about yourself), Hop called you in hopes of visiting the academy's Terarium to research the Pokémon there.

You introduce him to Kieran, and they have a long chat about their rivalry with you.

Things get a little awkward when Hop rambles about his constant losses against you and his desires to become stronger (plus his struggle to step out of Leon's shadow), only to find his true calling as a professor in the end.....before asking Kieran how he coped.

"...oh um...I-I didn't really cope that well. I got jealous and bitter and..let's just say I wasn't very nice to [y/n]." He mutters, feeling ashamed.

"Awh really? But you seem like a nice chap now!" Your Galarian rival/friend tries cheering him up, although he understood his pain and felt that same humiliation several times before.

But Kieran did learn a thing or two from him, just like he did from Nemona. Battling was still his calling, but he forgot how to have fun with it, and he needed that reminder.

He mentions trading you an Applin, and Hop does a spit-take, asking if he knew what that meant (or if you told him).

If so, then he congratulates you both on your new relationship.

If not, then you let Kieran google it on your rotomphone...

Before he buries his face into Zamazenta's fur a few seconds later, trying to hide his worsening blush while you and Hop just laugh.

[sage-nebula]

It kind of really bugs me when people characterize Nemona as ditzy or dumb. I understand why this happens; "dumb jock" is a character archetype that has existed for decades, if not longer. But it's not an archetype that applies to Nemona, and is in fact directly contradicted by the game itself.

Very early on in the game, Nemona is stated to not only be student council president, but top of her class; I believe it is Clavell that tells the player this. Nemona can not only be seen attending classes at the academy, but also expresses dismay if the player complains about homework in the beginning, complete with a black squiggle above her head. Nemona's first and most passionate love is battling, but she also genuinely loves learning and schoolwork! Some characters (I believe Team Star grunts) even refer to her as "that student council nerd," highlighting that as much as Nemona might fit the jock stereotype, she fits the nerd one just as easily by being smart and enthusiastic about her studies!

And it isn't only that. Throughout the game, Nemona is the rival that is meant to be the mentor and instructor to the player. The story reason is that she's trying to build the player up into someone who can properly rival her, but that doesn't change the fact that she's always taking the time to explain how things work for a player character who ostensibly wouldn't know. She may not be a genius like Penny, but she still knows her stuff, and it shows.

"But Nemona was a total ditz when she kept saying the 'raidon were having a family reunion," you say. And to that I say: that's because there are different kinds of intelligence, and Nemona's social intelligence isn't as sharp as her academic and life skill intelligence.

If we're to name Nemona's flaws, it's that she can be socially tactless. This is because of several factors in her backstory:

She comes from a wealthy family, and her parents were (in her own words) very "hands off;" Nemona was left to her own devices because her parents cared more about raising her older sister to take over the company. What this means is that Nemona's idea of what a normal family consists of is pretty skewed. Her family wasn't around that much, so how was she supposed to learn from them? And while they did make her attend some social events (e.g. the party where she met Lacey and challenged Clay to a battle), we can still infer by her parents "hands off" approach that they really made no effort to socialize her all that well as a child. (Especially since she, again, challenged Clay to a battle at a formal event . . . she wasn't taught any better.)

In the postgame, Nemona states that her becoming Champion so early on put an "invisible wall" between her and her fellow classmates. They're intimidated by her, and / or put out because she always wins their battles. In other words, though Nemona excels academically, she still comes from a friendless background before the player moves in and she befriends them / helps them grow into someone who can rival her. (And then, of course, later befriends Arven and Penny, both of whom were among the academy students who misjudged her before they got to know her.) Not having friends for years in childhood / adolescence makes it very easy to grow into someone who misunderstands social cues and is at times tactless. Take it from someone who knows (me).

Because of these two things, yeah, she misunderstood what was going on with the 'raidon. And Penny, who comes from a super affectionate family and had a group of friends prior to the story starting, is the one who calls her on it. But that doesn't make her stupid. Nemona is not someone who would try to bake a cake at 4000 degrees for five minutes thinking it would work, or who wouldn't know how to measure things properly. Actually, she's probably going to end up valedictorian by the time she, Penny, and the protag graduate. (Unfortunately, Arven is so behind he will probably graduate a year later than the rest of them at least, RIP.) Free my girl from the dumb jock stereotype; it doesn't apply to her at all.

[pokemonblack3white3]

what disability headcanons do you have for the various protagonists?

OMG YAY WHAT A GOOD ASK. ok i think a LOT of the protags are disabled but I haven't properly sorted my headcanons out on a lot of them?? So I'll share my more solid ones. As per usual the table is open to discussion if anybody has anything to add.

After quelling Lord Kleavor, Rei assumed the alpha rapidash in Horseshoe Plains would be easy pickings for him. He was wrong! He ended up losing two and a half fingers and being left with some pretty nasty burn scars on his right hand.

Nate is hard of hearing! Up until his pokemon journey Hugh had a habit of white knight-ing for Nate to the point of infantilization as a coping mechanism for not being able to protect his sister. Over the course of his journey, Nate learned to put his foot down and stop being such a doormat.

Sabrina has a lot of chronic conditions that have affected her health since she was pretty young. It leaves her in a lot of pain and she needs mobility aids to walk, usually defaulting to a cane. Seeing Team Flare and Lysandre preach about how ugly the world has become and how they need to purge those imperfections to make a perfect, beautiful world was... I think most would agree she was well within her rights to beat Lysandre within an inch of his life with her cane.

My thoughts on Gloria coincide with my headcanon that Gloria is actually Eternatus! A human form is much too squished to contain everything that is Eternatus and it deals with a lot of chronic pain as a result of that.

Florian had a run-in with Eternatus that left him in a several year-long coma until Arven fed him a sandwhich so good he decided to stop being mostly dead (Juliana, his step-sister, was seeking out the herba mystica for her own reasons). Still, the injuries from that day have resulted in paralysis and he uses a wheelchair to get around.

[sillygoblinantics]

Back to my regularly scheduled Lily tearing

*ahem*

“Jock Imoen”

My good mutual @agramuglia covered everything up to Gen 8 in his multi-stream and comprehensive compilation/analysis of Lily orchards over six hour cognitive hazardous brain vomit barely digested review of the main line games of the Pokémon franchise.

And of course, she got many things wrong, so when ant stopped after gen 8 I took it upon myself to finish it for ant and my arceus did I suffer for lilys pokesins.

And let’s get this out of the way:

No she didn’t play arceus because she couldn’t handle the amount of control changes and lore that went into that beautiful (imo) game.

No she didn’t play the dlcs. And frankly I’m glad she didn’t because we all know she’d make the sibling story of Kieran and Carmine weird (and perverted) but she’d misinterpret the entire arc he goes through in all three dlcs)

So how fucking wrong did Lily get with scarlet and violet?

Everything

Points to get out of the way before my reason of pain:

She continues to imply that pennie is a stalker, saying she’s the worst person who shouldn’t be redeemed and that team star terrible. Yes the bullied outsiders who formed a group to stand up to the bullies and later try to breakup only to meet up and assure Pennie that they love her and remind her that they’ll be friends even if the team splits up. In the dlc they’re even working to better themselves for Pennie trying to surprise her even. And yes Lily PROJECTS SO MUCH ONTO PENNIE!

Misgenders grusha (the beautiful snowboarder champ now depressed and detached gym leader who you learn more about the intropersonal conflict of in the dlc!)

No she doesn’t take the classes (doesn’t understand there’s more to the game or)

… continuing from the previous point: SHE DOESNT KNOW ABOUT THE RUINOUS POKÉMON NEVER MENTIONS THEM ONCE

She leaves out the fact Nemona teaches the players about terastalization before you even get to the academy!

She disrespects the entire story line and arc of our boy Arven nor does she fucking cry over the mabostiff arc

Never explains how she got ceruledge. At all

Complains and uses spiderverse as a way to talk about crunch time (LILY I SWEAR TO FUCKING MEW IF TALK ABOUT THE INDUSTRY ANY MORE I WILL REVOKE YOUR INTERNET ACCESS)

She brings up kingdom hearts

11. Never addresses the music or even gen one references

12. (Yes that’s a loss joke)

Now that we got those out of the way, allow me to rant:

OUT OF THE PAST 9 GENS, THE CAST OF FRIENDS IN SCARLET AND VIOLET HAVE THE MOST DEPTH AND PERSONALITY! THEY HAVE SO MANY SIDES THAT UNFOLD AS YOU FOLLOW(KEY WORD BEING FOLLOW) THEIR STORYLINES!

Lily you continue to prove your mental decline and intolerance to human traits and habits and devolve into a fucking ameba! Nemona from the start is not a jock. She is a himbo, she is the current/new student council president of the academy, she’s the champion and she is an only child of absent parents in a big *empty* home, her parents are running around who knows where and she most definitely has undiagnosed adhd or add, she has trouble with socializing because of her confident and pure genuine enthusiasm. She had trouble catching her own pokemon and even throwing which is why she wears that glove so she mostly rents out pokemon from the academy. When your character moves in she’s hoping to not just have a friend, but someone to rival her in battle, because she’s beat the league and everyone is afraid in some way of her because of how forward and high energy she is. The REASON SHE’S SO “CLINGY” IS BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME SHE HAS SOMEONE WHO ISNT AFRAID OF HER REQUEST TO BATTLE! She’s mindful and has had to realize that which is sad if you’re a kid who is as high energy and has trouble waiting to speak. (A bit personal on my end but thats the read) NEMONA IS NOT YOUR JOCK SISTER GIRLFRIEND YOU INEPT PERVERTED CANADIAN FUCKWAD!

LILY LEAVE MY MASTER CHEF SON AND HIS PUBBI DOG ALONE BEFORE I GET THE SANDAL AND BEAT YOUR PASTY WHITER THAN MILK ASS UNTIL YOU SUBMIT AND APOLOGIZE! Arven, is a boy who lives in the shadow of his absent parents who were renowned scientists, he wasn’t given the attention he needed at some point when they got busy with research but after having to leave area zero due to a grievous injury/trauma his truly only family member received he was cooped up in the lighthouse he once lived in with his parents. Arven holds so much resentment to his parents because he (validly) feels abandoned by them as they pushed him aside. Hell, he even shows a grudge and envy to our player when he learns his parent is talking to us in secret! The most painful thing we learn by the end is, arven’s mom and dad… died… they had been dead for quite some time and sadly only synthetic programmed copies of them survived but then they have to leave… arven’s story is him learning that he isnt in his parent’s shadow and realizing he doesn’t have to be alone. The friends made are his family- oh before i forget- THERE IS MORE LORE IN THE FUCKING CLASSES! THE HOME EC TEACHER WORRIES ABOUT ARVEN AND HAS A STORY LINE WITH HIM IF YOU TOOK THE TIME TO STUDY! Arven is a sad grumpy puppy, leave him alone you cynical mustache twirling puppy stomping carbon copy villain stereotype!

LEAVE MY VEE-VEE LOVING INTROVERT ALONE YOU NTH ROOM BROWSING TROGLODYTE! Penny out of the two others has present parents, her dad, who is revealed to be peonie in the dlc, is just loves and cares about her but pennie is going through that phase where “ugh my parents are so annoying with how much they care” type personality. Kids like that exist. Penny is also a vastly intellectually gifted kid, she’s able to do so much with computers and coding and hell she used technology to make friends. She and team star are adorable. They were all bullied and penny thinking quickly hatched a plan to gather them together but when things got out of hand she panicked and thought to run from it. When you meet she takes note of how you respond to her “peril” and thinks of a way to get your help. She thinks that her friends hate her or dont hold her in high regard until you defeat each of them and get the full story. Hell I’ll grab a clip i saved! But she learns to come out of her shell during the main plot and that staying in her head she’ll shut the world and truth out. She’s also such a fucking mood!

Also lily, you hate her because she’s better than you are you eternal hermit!

As you can see I adore this game and while I have my qualms with it I still love it and the story because that’s what I care about and appreciate in this and previous games and with what I wanted said out of the way: that’s

[pokemenlovingmen]

Could I request some headcannons of the ScarVi boys with an agender s/o who struggles a lot with dissociation and stuff? Like maybe how they’d comfort them. Preferably it/its and nym/nyms pronouns please. I personally don’t like being seen as super human due to how often I dissociate if that gives any ideas for writing.

Hello~ so sorry for how long this took. Life has been. A lot. I don't know how much use of pronouns I'll have since I generally write in the second person but I'll do my best! I also have issues with dissociation, but not a lot, so I hope I represent things as best as I can for you. I know everyone's dissocciation manifests differently as well as what helps, some folks need to be put into a lot of activity while others need isolation for a bit, at least from my experience, so I just want to represent all I can. :)

Also if I left anyone out you were looking for please let me know! There's a lotta guys so I left out a few, you said "boys" so I went with the academy guys.

ScarVio Boys x Agender S/O Who Dissocciates!

Arven

🥪 - Arven is definitely a little confused when you first dissocciate around him. First he's worried it's something he did. Then he's worried you're sick or something. So he doesn't handle it super well the first time it happens. But once he realizes what's going on he falls into a rhythm.

🥪 - He's always incredibly communicative but tries to keep himself from grilling you with questions. He handles things with a fair bit of caution as he gradually gets a feel of what dissocciating looks like for you and what you need.

🥪 - Arven always has your back when it comes to your needs. He makes sure you're well-fed and hydrated. If you can't bring yourself to cook for yourself, of course he's going to be doing it for you. (And speaking from personal experience god wouldn't that be the best)

🥪 - Mabosstiff is always hanging out with you too. Sometimes Arven will help guide your hands through the Pokemon's long, coarse fur as a grounding device. Or if you need a lot of sensory input to help, he can also totally just let Mabosstiff jump on you and lick you half to death.

🥪 - He gets restless when there's not something he can do for you at all times and he needs to take time to learn sometimes the best thing he can do to help is just sit with you in silence. Though, occasionally, he'll ask if you'd feel better if he talks. He'd talk for hours if it meant helping bring you down to Earth.

Giacomo

🔈 - Music is one of the best grounding tools and you can bet your ass Giacomo is using every last bit of his musical knowledge and gear to help you.

🔈 - He gets you your own pair of custom headphones, whatever kind you want, one of those types that have noise cancelling you can switch on and off if you're dissocciating for reasons of being overwhelmed.

🔈 - He puts together all the very playlists of all your favorite songs, organized by vibe ofc.

🔈 - And if you need it he'd be happy to share an earbud with you if you need the one-on-one connection of listening to music together.

🔈 - If you're in a public space he's also very swift and on the spot with getting you somewhere calm to decompress.

🔈 - He doesn't really have many words for you, but he'll squeeze your hand and remind you with gentle touches that you're here, and so is he.

Atticus

🧵 - If talking helps guide you through dissocciation, he's probably the one for you. You ask, and he'll just sit next to you and wax poetry for hours. It can help if you're someone who just needs words or conversation, it doesn't matter what the content is.

🧵 - If what you need is a quiet place to come back down to earth he'll whisk you to the very best right away. He has some good spots he finds ideal for meditation that he finds would be ideal.

🧵 - Atticus has lots of little one-on-one activities he offers to do with you. He'll paint your nails, let you try things on or model for him, even just hold up a sleeve of one of his current projects for him to stitch.

🧵 - Or if you need him to just sit next to you in silence, he can do that too. Or if you need him completely gone he'll leave you alone for as long as you need. I think Atticus understands better than most what you might need and to be patient with you, and he never takes your distance personally if it needs to happen.

🧵 - He can also put together some kind of garment like a sweater or hoodie that's sensory-friendly and he will take every last one in your preferences into account. Colors, weight, length, especially material, if you ever make a request expect it to be followed to a T.

🧵 - No matter what it is, if there's one thing you can be sure of it's that Atticus will be patient.

[petorahs]

what are your headcanons about Juliana and Florian?

oughhghghg where to begin

Both

-Juliana (Jules for short) and Florian (Flori, Flor, etc) are twins! Juliana is the older one. This is inspired by the fact that... they look so similar in their official art! All the recent protags all do but these two take the cake. It's so funny to me. -they look so similar in fact, that they could be body doubles! but that's totally wrong and unethical they'd never... right? -I like the HC that they're both from Galar (their mom having Skwovet and using a British term early-game, the Galarian pokemon stickers in their room, etc). They're both Paldeans, but were raised there before moving back to their hometown with mom.

-Fun thing about Scarlet/Violet is that they're such huge games that it's totally justifiable to have dual protags doing different things. Because of this, I decided to have Juliana handle the 'battle-heavy' routes like Victory Road while Florian, who is more research-focused (and has main character syndrome) features more in The Hidden Treasure arc. -I can't decide on who really does Starfall Street yet, but I'd like for Path of Legends to be the both of them helping Arven since it's the most plot-heavy and has to do with endgame. -Don't ask how but both Koraidon and Miraidon exist at the same time and the twins are their trainers. -In my recent art of them, you'll notice Juliana and Florian's eyes get all blue/crystal-like! this is an effect of their time in Area Zero/being exposed to that much Terastal energy. just them though, no one else...

Florian

-additionally, Flo's hair turns from a purply-brown to pink post-game because he's named "Haruto" in Jp, meaning spring. this carries over across all languages! I wanted to evoke a sense of a blossom coming to life over the course of his journey.

-hates battling because his sister will always be better at it than him, so he vastly prefers pokemon catching instead. (Galar's League-focus/prominence made him sickkkk. he was glad to move) -helped Jacq complete the Paldean, Kitakami and BB pokedex because of that. they're tight, the both of them. -his smile never reaches his eyes, early-game. -he is not naturally kind, nor does he see himself as the 'hero' of the story (that was always Juliana, not him), but he fakes being a main character to make people think he's just as good (this is also a byproduct of Galar's culture tbh) -that's why he seems like the more extroverted of the two, but really, he's just as quiet as her behind doors. -tbh even the fact that he has one beauty mark under his eye instead of two like his twin sis bothers him... blud thinks he'll never be enough! -Koraidon's trainer

-after meeting Kieran, Florian tried to be kind from a genuine want instead of to impress people. he wanted to be the 'hero of the story' that Kieran saw him as... and not because he needed to be out of his sister's shadow. Kieran made him want to try. -like the only way I see him winning during BB League wasn't because he was the main character who always wins, but because winning was the only way he could be friends with Kieran again. -his arc will conclude when he learns to be kind and do things out of selflessness :) which is why he takes a Tera Blast during the Indigo Disk's climax, the ultimate act of selflessness. help. sorry man it was for character development...

Juliana

-The actual main hero of the story. Really insanely strong in battles. like just straight up a beast -Juliana's names mean "youth", so she stays the same, forever a young battle prodigy Florian tries to match (but can't...). Also, youth to me can mean the future, which is why she's the Miraidon trainer! -Another reason why she's Miraidon trainer is because she can't express herself how she wants... she can't emote easily and speaks monotonously, like a robot. -Her arc would conclude when she learns that the people worth keeping in life are the ones that get her even when she doesn't feel "normal" :]]] true treasures. -big eater -read once that having beauty marks under your eyes means you'll have "trouble in love" and tried to scrub hers off... really envies Florian for having just one and thinks Flo's some kind of romance genius. goes to him for love advice one day and it freaks him out (he's having just a complicated time as any teen!!!)

-Heavily inspired by Pokemon Special's take on her. like look at her she's so cool.

[indigodiskmybeloved]

May I please have your Mochi Desires AU trio? Do you have headcannons or ideas on how they act?

Casually dumps info on ye

So, Pechakeen's mochi not only draws out desires and capabilities, but who's to say it can't change personalities as well?

Nemona:

Due to Florian/Juliana not existing in this AU, the Paldea Trio never got their proper arcs. Nemona never found anyone to match her skill set,and because of that, she grew more and more desperate, even trying to convince Arven and Penny to join competitive just to help her, even when they don't want to.

If Penny or Arven speak up about it, Nemona's confidence easily gets shattered, her self image of being the best destroyed with a few words, and it can be difficult to get her feeling like herself again. So, the two agreed not to speak about it, of fear they may hurt Nemona more devastating than before.

So Pechakeen gifted him with a team straight from smogon, and due to Kieran and Carmine working to save them, Nemona gets to battle them all she wants, even if they are scared and terrified

However, the longer Nemona is possessed, the more she loses herself. The battles turn from somewhat friendly to harsh and controlling, essentially molding Kieran into competitive. All of Nemona's energy go into her battles, so when she isn't battle, she sways and staggers quite a bit, often dragging out her words. Okidogi frequently prevents her from collapsing and hurting herself.

When Geeta learns of what had happened to Nemona, she is devastated, and overcome with guilt and the need to fix things, and be the champion Nemona always aspired to be.

Penny:

Team Star got disbanded, and Penny wasn't allowed to have contact with them, as the school and Director Clavell had deemed them a "bad influence; disturbance to the learning environment," etc.

Their behavior gradually slipped, becoming more quiet and depressed, not having the energy or social life to do anything. And when Carmine yells at them, it triggers the similar response that Penny had with bullies: covering your head and running away.

So now what does mean for Penny, when Pechakeen offers to help? Well, they become more assertive, not taking shit from anyone. However, that quickly evolved into Penny becoming more snappy and bitter, and then eventually becoming a bully themself, yelling at Nemona for literally anything, berating them if they stepped out of line.

When Nemona breaks free, her first instinct isn't to battle, or look for a new rival.

It's to save the ones she loves most, and apologize for hurting them.

And right now, that is Penny and Arven.

Oh, and speaking of which....

Arven:

He had the most drastic change out of the trio. His wish was mainly to be in a world where his father was there and loved him, something that Professor Turo was not capable of doing. Not only that, it was a world where Mabosstiff was alive as well, so everything is peachy!

Except.... Not really. Unlike the others, Arven has no connection to Penny and Nemona through the toxic chain. His thoughts are more muddled, and distant, and memories of them fade away, as Pechakeen doesn't want them interfering with the paradise Arven is living in.

Because his physical body is deteriorating. Since Pechakeen is a decayed Glimmora, it needs a new host to survive, as the peach body is decaying and rotting after all this time. So, what's better than a human?

So Arven's body is currently a host for Pechakeen and Glimmet to survive and use to get around, able to withstand attacks from Paradox monsters that destroyed the body of Glimmora in the first place.

Of course, they take advantage and have a bit of fun, as they become more dramatic and theatric, basically removing all of Arven's blunt and assertive personality.

And the dramatic movements don't last for long, as flowers and glimmet start sprouting, basically using Arven as a host to live off of, until they can detach and live elsewhere. However, Arven has no idea this is happening, and gets paranoid when he feels something is tearing from his body; he just doesn't know what.

Wow, that got dark. But yea. Mochi Desires AU is fucked up. Happy Mochi Day :3

[epicspheal]

Pokemon Concierge

I have to say after watching Pokemon Concierge last night, it brought actual tears to my eyes. Happy tears it was such a good series probably now my favorite miniseries of Pokemon outranking even Twilight Wings and Hisuian Snow. It was such a wholesome and refreshing take on the series. Don't get me wrong I love the battling aspect but it's nice to see the life of everyday NPCs who aren't partaking in the league/contest circuit/rangers/island challenges. Like it's been hinted since gen 1 most of the world aren't really active trainers (and by that I mean getting the badges/ribbons and actively competing in leagues/contests) but rather just live and work alongside Pokemon. We just don't get to interact with that world of Pokemon since the games always put us in the role of someone aiming to be a champion/complete the Pokedex. So it's nice to see that aspect get focused and the worldbuilding around it because it's a lot. The idea of resorts for people and Pokemon to relax makes a lot of sense when you think of the world. Even though it's in many ways a lot better than the real world it still has it's stressors (as the series of event that led Haru to the Pokemon resort in the first place lay out). I could honestly really relate to Haru's anxiety having a long string of stressors that just lead you to needing some type of change in environment. One thing that really stuck out to me in the last episode was Haru mentioning "adults have a lot of freedom" and it made me think. Granted I've spent only 12 out of my nearly 30 years on this planet as an adult and oftentimes it doesn't feel like I'm very free but you know in the end I do have freedom. Not freedom from bills and taxes but I can more freely pick my path in life and how I want to achieve my goals compared to as a kid.

Not to mention the Pokemon themselves that we see throughout the episodes all having their struggles and it was exceedingly wholesome to see the Magikarp evolve and be able to swim, Psyduck learning to control it's psychic powers to reduce headaches and the Pikachu finding it's voice. It makes sense that living, sapient creatures like Pokemon It's a very realistic and mature portrayal that we don't really get to see all that much in the mainline games (Amphy, Koraidon/Miraidon and Arven's Mabostiff being a few notable exceptions and of course there are instances in the manga and anime as well) because at least for the player (the rideable Koraidon/Miraidon being the exception) it's kind of necessary for the purposes of the gameplay that their Pokemon aren't in need of true psychological or physical support (that being said I would love a side-game that was based on Pokemon Concierge or even a Pokemon Hospital). Pokemon Concierge is the type of extra media we need more of to expand on the world building and I'd love to see A) more episodes of Pokemon Concierge and B) more miniseries that dive into parts of the Pokemon world outside of the league.

[interregional-lab-and-academy]

Greetings!

— This is the official blog of the IRPLA (Inter-Regional Pokemon Laboratory and Academy) organization. Both the organization as a whole, considering most paperworks and intervention are done here (and because it is the first laboratory officially owned by the organization) but also the more specific Kalosian branch (I ignore if our colleagues from other regions also made their own blogs for the organization? It would be interesting).

— All informations about the organization's history and actions can be found on our website, alongside the regions part of the organization.

— This blog is modded by three persons. Senior Assistant Raphaël, Senior Assistant Gabriel and Senior Assistant Louise. The three of us are Pokemon Professors working both for Professor Sycamore and the organization. We actively do researches following the objectives of the IRPLA and teaches junior assistants the base of being a professors. We, of course, aren't the only ones teaching them but we are the only one solely working at the interregional laboratory 24/7, on the opposite of our colleagues who only works part-time and spend most of their working hours at Kalos' laboratory alongside Professor Sycamore. We also actively live in the laboratory alongside the junior assistants, as we sleep in dorms.

— Never hesitate to ask us questions (as long as it stays respectful and in our center of capacity)!

— The three of us are born and raised in southern Kalos, so please forgive any possible mistakes with our Galarian.

ooc under the cut

happens in the same world as my prodigy!au ( with @hoplaventon @lilliemohn and @chef-arven ) , the three professors have already been mentioned on hop's blog.

the website only exists ic so don't hesitate to ask them questions about the organization.

the fuckers speaks french sometimes, mainly slangs so google translate won't help ya/silly

main blog is @orphees-corner but follows/likes/asks comes from @orphees-reblog-corner . mod is a minor and uses he/him.

explicit nsfw is a big no but the three muses are adults so innuendos and dirty jokes are fine.

this blog will contain: talks of past political conflict. any other triggering topics will be tagged as #cw (topic).

basic dni criteria, i will also block freely. otherwise everyone is allowed to interact!

english is not my first language and i'm still actively learning. i speak french though.

the blog's tags are:

— #prof raphaël talks ⛰️/ #prof raphaël answers ⛰️ = raphaël original posts + answering asks

— #prof gabriel talks ⚕️/ #prof gabriel answers ⚕️= gabriel original posts + answering asks

— #prof louise talks 🕯️/ #prof louise answers 🕯️= louise original posts + answering asks

— laboratory announcement = mainly indication of recent discoveries or the lab being open to the public for a day

— academy announcement = mainly meant for the junior assistants: reminders of rules, upcoming events or in rarer times, lockdown alert.

[ijichi-nijika]

Anyone who hates on modern pokémon rivals are just mean.

“Hau is so boring!” “Ugh Hop is annoying”. “ugh these modern rivals are just way to nice!!”

They’re your friends. They’re your friends. Do you want your friends to just be mean to you? They’re your friends and the player character IS friends with them. So of course they’re going to keep chatting with them.

Hau is funny and nice and really cares about the islands, especially the one he resides on, but still views you as a goal in his path to get stronger. While USUM may have made the Lilly and Lusamine story a bit simpler, it made Hau a little more complicated.

Hop has an inferiority complex and try’s so hard to be the trainer his brother is, but can’t get to that level, and can’t even surpass you in the same way. hell, his story ends up with him deciding that he loves going on his league challenge, but he wants to study under sonia and do pokémon research instead. he literally stops using his oldest pokémon (his wooloo) in battles halfway through the game because he gets depressed and wants to just beat you before realizing his goals and dreams, then using the now dubwool again in the final two battles (maybe final three it’s been a bit). he did this LONG before Kieran tosses his furret aside JUST to beat you in the teal mask.

And if you want mean rivals, they are literally still there. Cheren from black and white gets pissed he can’t beat you but realizes that winning isn’t everything. Gen six doesn’t have any mean rivals but the friend quintet really isn’t as bad as most people say, they’re mostly just kind of boring. gen 7 has Gladion. Gen 8 has Bede, who gets literally disqualified from his life goal. And the dlc has Avery/Klara who never really get super chummy with you but tone it down once you finish the story.

gen 9 has Arven, who isn’t trusting at first because he’s afraid to trust anyone again after his parent leaves him for research. Nemona is extremely nice but she’s obsessed with the player getting stronger and stronger so she can finally have an actual rival (SHES YOU BTW). Penny doesn’t count. AND THE DLC. Carmine isn’t the best trainer but she’s manipulative and mean to you before asking for your help when she can’t help her brother anymore and learns to trust you, but is still kind of just a mean person sometimes. Kieran literally goes insane from losing ogerpon to you (not what happens but that’s how he see’s it), and genuinely becomes a toxic person and a competitive (for in universe) pokémon player. the BB elite four aren’t really rivals, but drayton is super chummy with you just to be an extreme ass to Kieran.

POKÉMON RIVALS ARE FINE. THE RIVALS ARE AWESOME. BE NICE TO THEM THEY ARE LITERALLY SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR FRIENDS. EVEN BLUE IS NICE TO RED AT MULTIPLE POINTS IN THE ORIGINALS. SILVER ALSO HAS A REDEMPTION ARC AND BECOMES SORT OF FRIENDS WITH YOU.

[agentc0rn]

Teal Mask: Kieran’s desire for strength - not just becoming strong as a trainer but also as a resilient individual in general. *LONG THREAD WARNING*

Just wanted to contribute further to the teal mask content and all that juicy stuff. As we all know, we all have unfortunately witnessed a poor boy’s down-spiral character arc. It is evident that Kieran wants to attain strength to become a stronger trainer and person as a whole. He outright states that he wants to become independent, capable, and reliable at some point. His motivation and source of support - ogerpon -  more so the legend version of ogerpon than the “real” ogerpon, was once a common innocent fixation that many of us probably had/have in our lives, that was then tragically turned to an unhealthy obsession. It became a poor coping mechanism and desperate means of proving himself that pushed him towards reckless methods and mannerisms.  

Parallels with Loyal Three

I mentioned in the comment section of one post that his desire for power parallels with Okidogi. Additionally, he shares similar sentiments with Fez and Munki. He wants to be “cool” like the ogre (achieve a cool status that of a hero, admired for their strength) and seeks knowledge on the ways to succeed like us - he wants to know how to become stronger -  “why can’t I be like you?”. This is shown through his tactics, team member swaps and appearance change at the end. 

Foils with other characters

I find it sad how as Ogerpon learns to open up, heal and receives support, Kieran does not have a proper, stable one since the start - his sister has supported him in some ways of course, but her attitude/actions likely has also contributed to his sense of inferiority. Thus, the combination of misunderstanding, cultural norms, strained familial relationships, miscommunication, and self inflicted misjudgments have pushed him further down the hole. It’s almost as if he is the foil of Nemona (yet also alike) in terms of how strength as a social arbiter determines one’s worth and outlook. Nemona became so strong but at a social cost; no one wants to compete or keep up with her and misreads her passion (likewise with Kieran and his interest in history). She just wants someone to battle with with all of their efforts and enjoy the battle the same way she does, which she does not mind losing. On the other hand, if you’re weak then you would likely get made fun of or ignored, which we see Kieran has internalized that idea through his accusations of us and Carmine laughing behind his back (perhaps this is a common concept that runs in blueberry academy? Competition and becoming the best are of utmost importance). Moreover, he is, in a way, a foil of Arven in ascribing to a legend and superstition - except Arven learns to embrace support after being alone for so long, heals and accepts korai/Mirai, while Kiki feels further isolated, loses grasp of who Ogerpon really is by going against her boundaries and runs away from opportunities of support. As for Penny, it is clear that they share a reclusive nature and willingness to not conform to, but to confront social standards. Penny takes self accountability for her actions, whereas for Kieran, while he does apologize at times and keeps his word - soon gets lost in a convoluted, distorted sense of right and wrong (him stealing the teal mask, and him not wanting to join the mask retrieval mission may seem selfish at first, but it could be that he didn’t want to be a burden as well as be seen sulking). He unfortunately (would) becomes the antagonist or better yet, the oni in our path.

Peach Symbolism

On another hand, kieran may be the peach boy in a sense but reverse. His actions and desire fulfilled the required conditions for the resurrection of the loyal three (desire for “revenge”) and thus indirectly leads them to endanger Ogerpon.  In one of my previous posts, I wrote a poem about how Kieran's dreams were sweet like peach, but then got crushed. And like certain fruits, it has seeds that contains some poison but not at a dangerous level (unless consumed at high amount ofc), which ties to the toxic chain and dokutaro that has been theorized to be external influences partially responsible for his behaviour.

Hero + heroic values

Finally, that one part when he says you’re like the hero of the story (that line goes hard and breaks the fourth wall, it’s been mentioned a lot in visual works on pixiv and social discourses), is a dealbreaker of his wish to keep his new friendship. Despite the portrayal of him hating the player (through memes which I do laugh at, and artworks/ discussions which I agree while sad about it) I think he is mad at us for sure, but not spiteful. Or maybe slightly. I think above all, he is mad at himself;  he constantly faces inner turmoil  to overcoming his helplessness, insecurity, and the process of revising his dreams and outgrowing his old ones. He had to forfeit his one childhood dream and now recognizes that he has to change in some way (albeit a bit extreme). In an ironic way, he would likely become his idealized version of strength, like "his" ogerpon - a strong “oni”- aka champion of bb academy. But again, while physical strength is a quality emphasized many times, Kieran wants to grow mentally strong to endure losses and humiliations both as a trainer and individual (ex. he is told down by his sister as seen in the beginning). He wants to be appreciated and not looked down as someone who is meek, weak and cowardly, which he tries so hard to build himself up on the virtues of a hero. He values honesty and a fair fight and tries to fulfill them to "earn" respect from people + ogerpon as a trainer. And maybe, that is when he feels that he is equal on par with you, and that he can be considered good enough to be our friend.

I really feel a lot for Kieran, because I do see myself in him (not in an obsessive way though) - hated losing, shy, hyerpfixations… I see his good traits and flaws - he is curious, sensitive, empathetic, has a critical mind of mainstream narratives but is also insecure and stubborn. I see too much simplistic takes on them (Kieran is narcissistic victim, Carmen is abusive,etc), like I get some aspects of the ideas, but saying that in a deterministic way does not define the character at all…

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Could you do a scenario about Nemona, Penny and Arven with a real who has type null please? Maybe something about it transforming in Silvally?

YES NULL/SILVALLY TIME

I have one in Sword who I call "Bestie", and it's carried me through the Crown Tundra DLC. I want it in Violet so badly aaaa

Also this just reminded me of my fic that I wrote prior to Sun/Moon's release. Ya'll can give it a read if you so desire <3

That being said, this scenario will be like a sequel of sorts

........

Revealing Type: Null--or "Nully" as you've affectionately called it--to your friends was something you were initially nervous about...

But today was finally the day.

Moving away from Alola to attend school here in Paldea was quite the stressful journey, especially for your masked companion who had never know any place besides stark white labs and sandy beaches.

People kept warning you about how dangerous it was, but you never listened...and now your bond with the mysterious normal type has never been stronger.

Ever since you rescued it from an Aether Foundation facility that exploded due to its rampage, it put its trust in you and loved you unconditionally.

Learning the truth behind that supposedly "good" organization and its leader broke your heart. Although nothing devastated you more than realizing Nully had been held captive there as both experiment and prisoner.

You've tried researching its species, checking for notes and hacking into secret files the foundation kept under lock and key--and you discovered that Type: Nulls were basically created as "tamer" versions of Arceus, even having memory discs similar to the plates manufactured. They were meant to kill the Ultra Beasts should they invade Alola.

Instead, they went on a rampage (of course, that's what happens when humans try replicating a god's powers) and were confined to masks and put into cryogenic stasis. The whole project was deemed a failure.

As tragic as it was...you were relieved to have found Nully when you did and get it away from that horrible place.

Even so the mask still made it feel absolutely miserable, but unfortunately you couldn't find any further information on how to remove it without causing your precious Pokémon serious injury. There were no visible clamps to unlock, pulling it off would only cause it great pain, and cutting seemed too risky.

The only benefit was that it made Nully immune to critical hits, but the cons definitely outweighed the pros.

Maybe one of your friends knew more about the Type: Null species, and so you decided to call them all over for a picnic if they had free time.

All you could do was pray that they didn't lose their cool and scare your companion.

That's the last thing either of you needed.

Arven was the first to arrive, with Mabosstiff at his heels as usual, but he stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing the bizarre-looking Pokémon standing by your side. You could tell he was trying not to look too worried, considering the poor thing was hiding behind you now.

Still, it's obvious that he didn't have the slightest clue what he was looking at, so you explained everything to him: where you found Nully, why it looked like a rejected Arceus, and the memory discs you kept in a small folder.

So far, you haven't figured out how to utilize them in-battle. But despite the space they took up in your bag, you refused to throw them away.

"Are you sure there isn't a slot for these somewhere on its mask?" He stared at one of the floppy discs, before glancing back up at Nully, squinting. "It looks like there should be one."

"We've been pals for nearly three years, Arven..I'm pretty sure I would've found the slot by now if there was one." Shaking your head, you took it from him, sighing. "My only option is to get that thing off. The slot's probably on its body somewhere."

"Right...maybe there's a stomach hatch or-"

"¡Mira! You were right, Penny! They do exist!!"

"Nemona, slow down!! They're not going anywhere!!"

Hearing the shouts of two certain ladies from afar, you and Arven looked to see both Nemona and Penny coming over the horizon. The student council president was dragging the poor girl by the arm, with her stumbling to keep up and not lose her glasses.

When they arrived, Penny was dazed and annoyed as she scowled at Nemona, tearing her arm free of her iron grasp. But her attention was quickly set on the peculiar Pokémon who was cowering behind you yet again.

"Wow...I..never thought I'd see one up close before.." Adjusting her glasses, she gazed at Nully with interest.

"You've heard about them before?" You asked.

"Back in Galar, I found some top-secret stuff about Macro Cosmos trying to make their own instances. They literally stole the blueprints from the Aether Foundation."

"...yikes." Nemona remarked, tilting her head as she tried getting a better look at Nully herself. "It seems shy. Maybe a battle will help it-!"

"No battles, at least not right now." You smiled apologetically, patting it on the head as you looked at each other. "I know you're nervous, Nully..but it's okay. They're nothing like the jerks back in Alola who used to pick on us. They're my friends. You can trust them, I promise."

Nodding its head, it relaxed its haunches as it cautiously stepped away from your side, gazing at the trio and seeing their smiles, too.

They weren't looks of pity.

They seemed genuinely thrilled to meet it.

It stood there for some time, taking in everything you've said to it and thinking about how far it's come since you rescued it that fateful day.

Somehow, it knew it was always meant to be your companion--from the very moment you held it as it cried in the Pokémon Center, reassuring it that it's not a monster, but a sweet creature worthy of love and care.

Ever since then, your friendship has grew...and now it feels stronger, willing to put its life on the line for you if need be. Even though most of its powers have been concealed, it didn't feel like some weak and helpless lab experiment.

Oh no.

It was far from that now.

Thanks to your bond, it felt unbelievably strong.

So much so that....the normal-type realized an extraordinary change was imminent.

And you were about to witness it.

"Look! Nully's glowing, [y/n]!" Nemona pointed, her eyes widening as your companion was basked in a familiar light. "Is it evolving???"

"Oh my god...I think so." You gasped, never realizing the possibility of it evolving, but you're now certain that friendship is what triggered it at last.

The most noticeable thing were the cracks that started appearing all over its helmet, pieces of what you assumed was indestructible alien material falling apart. Nully shook its head vigorously, trying to get rid of it as much as possible.

Then it turned its attention to a nearby boulder, letting out a cry before performing a move similar to a Headbutt, ramming into it and letting the rock shatter the helmet completely.

At last, it was free.

When the glow faded, you and your friends gazed in awe as Nully looked back at all of you.

With its mask finally gone, what lied underneath it was a beautiful creature made of both nature and machine, with a beaklike mouth that smiled proudly.

"Nully...?" You murmured, stepping closer.

"Ally." It chirped, walking up to greet you.

Tears began forming in your eyes as your grin widened. "I can't believe it...friendship was all it took to-"

Suddenly, your rotomphone decided to ruin the sweet moment by flying out of your pocket.

It displayed a new entry in your Pokedex, and you grabbed it to read what it had to say, while Arven, Penny, and Nemona checked their own phones.

"I see, you're Silvally now." You gazed back up at Null--Silvally, watching it bow its head respectfully. With a small laugh, you mimicked the gesture, before petting it lovingly as you sighed. "Wow..."

You noticed one of the metal bolts on its face open up like a CD player, indicating that something had to go in there-

"Wait.." Remembering the memory discs, you took one out and held it up. "Do you want me to use this?"

Silvally nodded, although before you could do anything, Arven interjected.

"Hold on, which memory is that?"

"The Dark Memory. It probably just changes its type, but I believe this represents all the pain Silvally had to endure while being trapped in that mask, not knowing what it did wrong or why people shunned it for simply existing." You placed a gentle hand under your companion's jaw. "But now I think it's ready to turn that painful memory into power. So let's see what happens.."

"Silllllv!"

Carefully inserting the disc into the open slot, you watched as it closed up. Then you stepped back, seeing the colors and spikes on its body turn smoky black.

Even its eyes changed, and when they opened they looked even more menacing than ever.

And they stared directly at you.

With a low growl, it crept closer to you, while your friends held back..tense and worried that the pokedex entries were correct: this wasn't something you could so easily control.

There was probably a very good reason for the mask-

Yet any hostility Silvally seemingly expressed disappeared, as it smiled and licked your cheek affectionately, causing you to laugh once more. "Hey, that tickles! C'mere you!"

Hugging its neck, you grinned as you received even more kisses, hearing it purr with happiness. You petted its feathery crest, relieved that it completely trusted you now.

"Wow..it's way cooler than Arceus!" Nemona laughed. "Do you think I can battle it-??"

Silvally just shot her a wary look, and she immediately fell silent, a nervous smile on her face. "Haha, you're right. Not yet. But I swear we're gonna have an epic battle one day!"

"Yeah, one day. But for now, I have something special for this big guy."

"Sill?"

You managed to regain its full attention with a simple yet supereffective move of your very own:

It's called "chin scritches", something that none of your other Pokémon could resist receiving.

The mask obviously made it difficult for Silvally to receive proper affection back then...and you vowed to find a way to break it so you can do just that.

Now it was free of that awful and heavy thing, having a brand new life to look forward to: battles, friendships with other Pokémon, and more.

Even better?

Your three closest friends in all of Paldea were here to witness its evolution--a sign that despite all the odds...your bond was unbreakable.

[the1entirecircus]

Arven learns that Arceus is in your contacts

This is a what if scenario based on if the trainer in Pokemon SV was the same trainer in PLA

Arven, on Trainer's phone for some reason: Hey, Little Buddy, I didn't know you had a sense of humor.

Trainer: What do you mean?

Arven, points to Arceus in your contacts: You have Arceus in your contact list.

Trainer, laughs: Yeah, because I met him.

Arven, not believing them: yeah, riiiiight, of course you did.

Trainer: Arven. Your parent made a time machine.

Arven:...oh my Arceus, you met Arceus.

Trainer, nodding: Yeah, I did.

Arven, now hyperventilating: Oh my Arceus, you have met Arceus!

Trainer, pulling up a seat for Arven: Take a seat, I know this is a lot to process.

Arven, sitting down: Why-? How-? When-?

Trainer: A week before I moved to Paldea from Sinnoh. He sent me back in time to deal with something.

Arven: YOU WENT BACK IN TIME?! TO SINNOH'S HISUIAN PERIOD?!

Trainer: Inside voices! No need to yell!

Arven: I'm sorry it's just...wow, like oh my Arceus, but why you?

Trainer, reflecting on their crazy adventures:...that's a long story for another day.

[roxannarambles]

Title: Home For the Holidays

Ship: Nemona x Juliana

Summary: Nemona doesn't have much planned for this holiday season but in the very least, when it comes to getting Juliana a gift, she wants to do things right

Nemona never had such a difficult time getting a gift for somebody before.

Getting gifts for someone was super simple, normally. Just find out what they’re interested in! Then maybe do a little checking to see what they already have and get them something they don’t. Easy, right? With the Winter Solstice coming up, giving gifts was a big part of that. And Nemona had new friends this year, so she definitely wanted to get something for each of them. It was smooth sailing for most of them. For example, Arven: he loved cooking. Nemona talked to Mr. Saguaro to learn what fancy cooking gadgets and ingredients were desirable, and she bought Arven some really gourmet salt from different regions. For Penny, she asked her about the shows she was currently into, and then she checked her shelves of DVDs to make sure what she had, before buying her a nice DVD set of her current favorite anime.

For Juliana, well, of course she loved pokemon battling. Nemona had some really rare and useful Ability Patches, five of them! She knew Juliana would love those, so it was a great gift for her. Piece of cake!

. . . but then Nemona started to second-guess herself.

Getting a gift for Juliana was different, somehow. True, Juliana would love the Ability Patches, but it wasn’t a particularly personal gift, was it? And Juliana was . . . special to Nemona, really special, and she wanted her gift to reflect that. Nemona felt like she wasn’t always really great at telling Juliana just how much she meant to her. Sometimes she would just blurt it out, true, but she usually did that just prior to rushing off in embarrassment, too nervous to see Juliana’s true reaction. And the times she did see her reaction, well, Nemona wasn’t the greatest at reading people, so she didn’t exactly trust herself to know for sure. 

Oof. Feelings were complicated. But maybe gift giving could help with that. She could just show Juliana how much she cared for her. That seemed like a lot less scary way to do it. But it had to be perfect. Not too practical and impersonal, but also not too intimate, otherwise that’d be offputting and presuming too much about how close they were. It couldn’t be too cheap but it also couldn’t be too expensive, she didn’t wanna seem like she was showing off or drawing attention to any sort of expense disparity between gifts. Also it should be something creative and unique, something that really stood out, but not so unique that it misses the mark and Juliana doesn’t even like it. Something that was thoughtful and showed she clearly put a lot of effort into it, but not too much effort, something that told her how she felt but also wasn’t too raw and honest in case that was overwhelming or it wasn’t reciprocated.

She could . . . do all that, right? Nemona brainstormed for hours but every idea she had was rejected for some reason or the other. She wandered shops for inspiration, but nothing seemed quite right. She even asked Arven and Penny for suggestions and asked them what they’d gotten Juliana. (Arven had made Juliana some really nice Solstice cookies and Penny had bought her a cute pair of headphones with Umbreon-shaped ears attached) They tried their best to give Nemona suggestions, but none of their ideas really felt like the perfect answer.

Eventually Nemona just had to go with something and hope it would turn out okay. She chose something that had to be custom-ordered, a little on the pricey side but not extremely so. Once she put the order in she tried to just put it out of her mind and stop worrying. 

As the Solstice drew nearer, they had to bid Arven and Penny a temporary farewell. Penny was flying back to Galar for the holidays to be with her dad. Arven’s case was a little more complicated. When he learned of his mother’s death, his next of kin had to be notified, once they’d managed to track them down. He hadn’t actually met any of his extended family before. But they did track someone down, Arven’s grandmother on his mom’s side. She lived in Kalos and hadn’t been in touch with her daughter for some time, but had seemed very warm and welcoming when Arven contacted her. She had invited Arven over for the Solstice, and so he was flying out to Kalos to meet her. They made sure to exchange gifts before they left. And so that left Nemona and Juliana in Paldea. Juliana would no doubt be spending the holiday with her mother, of course. It was nice that all of Nemona’s friends were spending time with their families. She was happy for them, truly. 

Thinking about it sometimes made her feel a pang of loneliness and maybe even jealousy, but she ignored it as best she could. Her home life was not exactly ideal, true, but she wasn’t going to complain about it and bum her friends out. They deserved this chance to enjoy their time. 

There was a piece of bad news that did manage to really dampen Nemona’s mood, though. It turned out that the gift she had custom-ordered for Juliana probably wouldn’t be ready in time for the holiday. They had called that morning to give her the update– they would do their best, but it might be delayed for a few days. Nemona felt very disheartened after that. Not only was she unsure whether the gift she picked out would be a good one, but it wasn’t even going to be on time. She moped in her dorm room after that, not really feeling like going out. She was leaving Mesagoza tomorrow to return to the house in Cabo Poco, since her family wanted her to tend to the house. If she wanted the chance to buy something last-minute, she should really jump on it now. Yet she couldn’t seem to muster the willpower. Seeing all the Solstice decorations and music and such seemed a bit . . . unappealing now. She didn’t want to be a grump, but she couldn’t help feeling like one at the moment.

Nemona was busy zoning out with videos of pokemon matches, munching on junk food, when a knock at her door startled her. The door swung open soon after, a girl bounding in, her voice cheery as she sing-songed,

“Happy Solstice Eve, Nemona!”

Nemona immediately dropped her tablet, her face brightening.

“Jules!”

She bounced off her bed and rushed up to her, hugging her.

“Happy Solstice Eve! How’s it going, you excited to see your mom tomorrow? Betcha she’s excited, we’ve been so busy this semester you’ve hardly seen her for months now, huh?”

Juliana chuckled,

“Honestly I think she’s been enjoying the time alone, she tells me all about the places she’s been exploring in Paldea. She’s kinda been having her own treasure hunt, haha. But yeah, it should be nice! We’re going to have a big Solstice breakfast and everything. Mom’s cooking is the best. Oh, don’t tell Arven I said that.”

“I’m sure he’d understand. Tell your mom tomorrow I said ‘hi,’okay? You still have to invite me over one of these days, I’m dying to meet her.”

“Of course! Oh, and that brings me to why I’m here.”

Juliana had an excited gleam in her eye as she set down her bags. She pulled a brightly-wrapped package from one of the bags, presenting it with a little flourish.

“To my best friend and beloved rival, heehee. I figured we should exchange our gifts now since we’ll both be with our families tomorrow.”

Nemona accepted the gift, a slim, tiny package wrapped in shiny red paper, topped with a little green bow. She felt the guilt and anxiety return.

“A-about that, I . . .”

She trailed off and sighed.

“What? What’s wrong?”

She looked to Juliana with sad eyes.

“I got you something, but the problem is, it’s, um, it’s a custom-order kind of thing and they just called me earlier today and said it’s gonna be late, probaby for a few days. I’m really sorry, Juliana–”

“Oh, gosh, that’s all? Nemona, don’t worry about it, it’s fine!”

“I really wanted to give it to you on time though, I feel really bad . . . I guess I should have ordered it sooner, ugh . . .”

“Nemona,” Juliana put her hands on both her shoulders. She spoke breezily,

“You’re being silly. I don’t even need a gift from you, you know that. Not when I have you!”

She leaned in and rubbed the tip of their noses together the way Pawmi kissed. Nemona giggled,

“J-jules!”

“Now don’t give it another thought, just open your present, okay?”

Nemona tried to ignore the tingly sensation that had spread across her entire body– if she knew any better she’d be convinced Juliana packed as much electricity as any Pawmi’s Nuzzle did– and instead just laughed,

“O-okay, okay, you win. But um, you want me to open this now? It’s still Solstice Eve.”

“That’s okay, you can open it now. Unless you wanna save it for tomorrow when you open gifts with the rest of your family?”

Nemona glanced away from her, discomfort flickering across her face briefly before quickly being replaced. 

“Mmm, well, let’s just do it now!”

“Okay! Heehee, great, I can see your reaction then.”

Nemona turned her attention to the little package, excited and curious about what it could be. It was very small, whatever it was. She carefully tore the paper off and found a jewelry box within. She opened the clamshell.

Inside was a necklace. It was a pokeball encrusted in sparkling little gems, red gems on top and white ones on the bottom. The center button of the pokeball was set with a pearlescent gem that had a rainbow sheen. The little pokeball rested on a thin gold chain. 

“Oh wow . . . Juliana, it’s beautiful!”

When she looked to her friend, she saw that Juliana actually looked a little nervous.

“You really like it? I know you’re not much of a jewelry kind of person, but when I saw these, I thought . . . well, it seemed like such a good fit for you.”

Nemona smiled brightly, answering,

“I love it! And yeah, you’re right I’m not usually one for jewelry, usually it kinda just gets in the way, you know? But a necklace like this is perfect. It’s so cute and it’s so sweet of you . . . oh, I hope it wasn’t too expensive though?”

Juliana shook her head.

“It was pretty reasonable. Those little gems are tera shards that pokemon drop after they Terastallize, the jeweler collects and polishes ‘em.”

Nemona’s eyes widened.

“Whaaat? That’s so cool!”

“Yeah! Oh, also, there’s a little surprise. It’s also a locket.”

“A locket?”

“Yeah! I guess it’s kinda an old-school thing, hold on, I’ll show you.”

Juliana gently pressed down on the little center ‘button’ of the pokeball. The top and bottom of the pokeball swung open on two hinges, revealing a flat compartment beneath.

“See? You can put a tiny little picture inside it. Usually people put a picture of their pokemon in these, I thought you could put a photo of Pawmot or something!”

Nemona made a delighted noise and gushed,

“That’s amazing!! Juliana, thank you so much, this is such a cool present!”

“You’re welcome! I’m glad you like it so much.”

Nemona hugged her again, squeezing her tight.

“I love it. You’re the best, Jules.”

Unfortunately, Juliana couldn’t stay for very long after that– she’d promised her mom she’d do a bit of shopping for her while she was still in Mesagoza. Juliana invited her to come along if she wanted to, but Nemona declined, saying something vague about finishing up some work. In truth, she didn’t have much work to do; she just was nervous she’d bring the mood down. Or worse, Juliana would notice something amis. But this was fine, she didn’t mind lounging in her dorm the rest of the evening. It was rare she took the time to just chill, after all.

As the hour grew late and she was sitting in bed with Pawmot, she looked up ‘locket’ online. Juliana had mentioned it was sort of an old-school thing. She found a website on the history of the locket and read aloud,

“A locket is a pendant for storing a photograph or other small memento, usually given to loved ones . . . it symbolizes something you want to cherish forever. . . ooh, Pawmot, that’s so sweet!”

It was supposed to contain a photo, but Nemona figured it probably had to be a physical photo. She didn’t have any of those. How did you even get physical photos? She did a little more searching and found out you could get any digital picture printed as a physical photo if you wanted. Great! So she could just use any of the pictures she had on her phone. She scrolled through her phone, trying to see if she had any really good shots of Pawmot. She found plenty of photos of Pawmot, but they hardly could be called ‘good.’ The majority were super blurry because Pawmot rarely stood still and Nemona wasn’t exactly great at snapping pictures. 

“Urgh, none of these will be clear when they’re really small. Hold on, let’s try to get a better shot.”

She aimed the phone at Pawmot.

“Smile, Pawmot! Lemme see those cute ‘lil cheeks.”

Pawmot came closer and shoved his face into the phone.

“No, back up, silly, that’s too close. Here.”

She nudged him back and tried taking some shots, but Pawmot squirmed and squeaked at her.

“Hold still, Pawmot, just for a second, okay? Ok, look at the camera!”

Pawmot bumped the phone again and jumped onto Nemona’s chest, nibbling on her face.

“Pawmot, c’mon!”

She struggled to get a proper photo, but the pokemon was way too wiggly and refused to sit still long enough. Eventually she gave up, sighing,

“Ok, ok, fine. Maybe I’ll try again when you’re sleeping?”

Pawmot shoved his way ontop of her again, smooshing his face against hers and chirping happily. Nemona pet his fluffy head and chuckled.

“Not that I really need a photo of you, huh? You’re already in my face pretty much always.”

Pawmot purred, his big ears twitching as she pet his soft fur. Nemona let her thoughts wander as she pet him and relaxed. As her mind lazily rotated around the memories of Juliana’s visit earlier, an idea occurred to her. 

A really amazing idea.

“Something you cherish . . .”

She scrolled through the photos on her phone again, until she landed on one that would be perfect.

“Yeah!”

So excited by her idea, she leapt to her feet (Pawmot slipping off of her) and grabbed her bag. It wasn’t too late yet, the shops should still be open. 

“C’mon, Pawmot! This shouldn’t take us too long, if we hurry.”

On the morning of the Winter Solstice, Nemona got up pretty early to make the trip out to Cabo Poco, packing some essentials in her bag and taking the first Air Taxi out there. It didn’t snow in this part of Paldea, but it was a pretty chilly morning, cold enough for Nemona to see her breath– she was glad she bundled up. When she arrived, she walked down the familiar path and let herself into the house with her key. 

The house was very empty and quiet. Truthfully, the house always felt pretty empty to her, but it felt even moreso this morning, with even the usual house staff gone for the holiday. Nemona did some basic tasks, taking in the mail and checking on some of the family’s pokemon. Her mother was particularly fond of Pachirisu, and she fed the hyper group of squirrels, all of whom seemed very excited to see her. It didn’t take Nemona long to finish the rest of her house chores. After she did, she got herself some breakfast, eating it while sitting on the couch in front of the massive TV. She sighed as she flipped through channels. A million different channels and yet it felt like nothing good was on. She left the station on some cartoon and tried not to think about anything in particular.

Inevitably, her thoughts turned to her friends, though. She wondered what they were up to. She hoped Arven and his grandmother were getting along well in Kalos. Arven had mentioned he was going to cook for her. She bet his grandmother would be very proud of whatever he made. Penny had made a big show of being annoyed about returning home for the Solstice, telling them about all the twee holiday traditions her dad was really into, but Nemona suspected that deep down, Penny was actually looking forward to it. Nemona hoped Penny didn’t take what she had with her dad for granted. 

And, of course, Nemona wondered about Juliana. Just down the path from her, so close, and yet so far away. Nemona’s chest ached just thinking about it, but she refused to give into self-pity. Juliana deserved the chance to catch up with her mom and have a nice holiday– Nemona wasn’t going to interrupt that. She sighed, deciding to make herself some tea. Maybe she’d put a movie on to watch.

Nemona was sipping her tea and in the middle of halfheartedly purusing her family’s streaming services for a movie when the doorbell chimed. Huh. That was weird, she was pretty sure there was no reason for anyone to drop by the house today. She moved to the foyer, hoping it wasn’t somebody from house staff that thought they needed to work today.

When she opened the door, she found a delivery man standing there, large box in tow.

“Hello! Have a package here for a . . . hmm . . .” The man checked his tablet.

“Nemona Sánchez?”

“Oh! Yep, that’s me, although I don’t remember getting any . . . oh, oh! Is this from Dragon Claw Sports?!”

She grabbed the box to check before the man could even reply and then exclaimed,

“It is!! Oh my gosh, this is fantastic! It got here on time!”

“Happy to hear. I just, um, I need a quick signature here . . .”

“Right, of course. Sorry.”

Nemona scribbled a messy signature and thanked the delivery man before hauling the box into her house with a grin. She had completely given up on the idea that Juliana’s gift would arrive in time, so this was a really big boost to her mood. Once she’d dragged it in, though, she realized she still needed to wrap it. Dang. There’s no way there was any wrapping paper around here. She wasn’t about to give up yet, though. Maybe she could find something that would work?

After a lot of digging, she managed to find some parchment paper in the kitchen. It took a surprising amount of work but eventually she was able to wrap the box after she found some scissors and tape, although when she finished, her wrap job still looked pretty lumpy and sloppy. She groaned, unhappy with the results. Not only was it really sloppy but the plain white paper was ugly, too. She tried to think of how she might make it look better. Nothing in this house was whimsical or pretty, not in a Solstice-presents sort of way, so it seemed an impossible task.

“Oh! Maybe . . .”

Nemona rushed to her bedroom. Clicking on the light, the room was very clean and stark, much like her dorm room at school. A long time ago, her room had been vibrant and colorful, covered in posters and fairy lights and wild decorations, but that was back before Nemona had been made self-conscious over such things. She’d painted over the walls and given away a lot of that stuff since then. 

But not all of it. Nemona got down on the floor and pulled a box out from under her bed. She rifled through the box for a bit, giving a satisfied, ‘Aha!’ once she’d landed on something useful. It was a sheet of pokemon stickers, bright, colorful, childish. Maybe a bit silly, but at least it was something. She went back downstairs and used the whole sheet of stickers on the box. It looked a lot better after that, and she smiled. 

It didn’t take long for Nemona to think of her next problem, though. Juliana was still busy enjoying the Solstice with her mom. She didn’t want to interrupt that, but at the same time, she wanted to get her gift to her. Should she just leave the box on her doorstep, maybe? Although somebody might swipe it, that’d be awful. It would take a pretty cold heart to steal a gift like that, sure, but the possibility still made her nervous. Well, she could always give it to her after the Solstice? 

Feeling very indecisive, Nemona took her phone out, typing out a text.

hi jules, sorry to bother you but I just wanted to let you know your gift arrived today

Juliana replied soon after.

 oh cool!!  you can bring it by if you want to :D or if you’re too busy with your family we can do it whenever

Nemona hesitated, then typed out,

ok. sure. we can do it after the solstice that’s fine. 

Juliana answered,

ok, if that’s what you wanna do, sounds good.

She went to sit back down on the couch, slumping. For some reason her stomach was twisted into a knot. What was wrong with her? Was she secretly hoping Juliana would want to drop everything just for her stupid gift? Ugh.

so how are things going? enjoying solstice with your folks?

Nemona blinked at the text. Her heart picked up speed, nervous. She hated lying, she hated it so, so much. Especially if it was to Juliana. Not that she ever had lied to her before, she couldn’t think of any time she did, although she did omit stuff sometimes. She’d hoped her family situation could remain a lie of omission, but that was tough with such a point-blank question.

well the solstice isn’t a super big deal for my family to be honest

She hoped being indirect would work.

wait, really??

yeah, we don’t do much for it. but that’s fine, I don’t mind.

After a bit, Juliana came back with,

so what’s everyone doing right now then?

Nemona stared at the question for a while, trying to think of how she could weasel out of this. She answered vaguely,

they’re working

working?? seriously? you tellin me your parents cant even relax at home on the solstice, damn. 

The guilt was getting to be too much. She tried to type out an excuse or just laugh it off, but she just couldn’t make herself do it any longer. She typed out her confession.

well they’re actually away on business right now

Juliana’s reply was rapid.

what?? wait so it’s just you and your sister then?

she’s with dad. family business stuff, they’re in unova. mom’s in kalos. 

so you’re ALONE?! 

yeah, but it’s no big deal jules, I’m used to it! I’ve spent a lot of solstices alone, so no need to worry.

This apparently was not the right way to convince Juliana that it was no big deal.

are you kidding me?? that’s horrible!! why didn’t you tell me sooner, I could have just invited you over to have solstice here!

I didn’t say anything because I don’t want to intrude on your family time. juliana, really it’s fine. it doesn't bother me

I cant believe they’d do that to you, thats so messed up

they’re just super busy is all

I dont care if they’re busy, they still should make time for their own daughter! theyre like NEVER around!!

jules, thank you for being mad on my behalf but i dont wanna make this about me. just go back to enjoying your solstice, ok? we can–

There was a knock at the door and Nemona grumbled.

brb theres somebody at the door again

As she walked to the foyer her phone bleeped again,

how am i supposed to enjoy it knowing youre sitting there all alone?

Nemona typed,

one sec ok

She pocketed the phone and opened the door. When she saw who it was, she sputtered a surprised,

“J-Jules–”

Juliana was clad in a cute Solstice turtleneck and her winter coat, a checkered scarf in her hands. She looped the scarf over Nemona’s head and gave it a little tug, pulling her close. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she said,

“You’re coming with me, tesoro, no excuses, no escaping. We’re gonna give you a happy Solstice this year.”

Nemona was doomed the moment she’d opened the door. How could she possibly resist this girl? She felt her resolve crumbling instantly, her cheeks heating up as Juliana held onto the scarf firmly with a smirk, as if daring her to try and escape. For some reason, she felt a little tongue-tied. 

“I-I-”

A laugh bubbled up from her chest and she agreed helplessly,

“Okay.”

They had to stop briefly for Nemona to get her coat and her bag– and then she realized she needed to grab Juliana’s gift too– but then they were off, walking down the path to Juliana’s house. Juliana’s eyes widened when she saw the gift.

“Whoa, that’s my present? It’s huge!”

“Mmm, yeah,” Nemona mumbled, glancing away and feeling a little self-conscious.

“I love all the stickers . . . man, I wonder what it could be. And you said it’s custom-made? Hmm . . . do I get any hints?”

Juliana was poking at the box, trying to see through the paper.

“Hey! No peeking! I thought you liked surprises, Jules.”

“I do, but I also hate waiting.”

Nemona laughed, 

“Well you won’t need to wait much longer, I promise.”

“Okay, but first we gotta get you some breakfast. Have you eaten anything yet?”

“Just some toast.”

“Oh, perfect.” Juliana took the steps to her house quickly and swung the door open, calling excitedly,

“Ma, we’re back, I got her!”

The woman that came to greet them was in an apron and had her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. She smiled warmly at Nemona; she had kind, hazel eyes and pretty features, the family resemblance obvious. 

“It’s so wonderful to finally meet you, Nemona. Oh, let me help you with that!”

“Oh, thank you! And it’s great to meet you too!”

The woman took the large box from Nemona and helped deposit it on the floor in the living room, right beside their Solstice tree and some other gifts. 

“I have to say it feels like I already know you, in a way. Juliana’s talked about you probably every single day since we’ve moved here,” the woman chuckled, wiping her hands on her apron. 

Juliana’s eyes widened and then she squirmed, looking embarrassed.

“Mommmm! C’mon, I don’t talk about her that much. . .”

Her mother smiled mischievously, ruffling Juliana’s hair.

“If you say so, dear. The two of us have already eaten, Nemona, but there’s plenty left over. Why don’t I serve you something, Juliana and I can enjoy our tea while you eat. Does that sound good?”

Nemona nodded, somehow feeling a bit more shy than usual. Well, it was Juliana’s mom– it was important that she liked her, she wanted to leave a good impression. 

“Y-yeah, that sounds great. Thank you!”

Nemona was treated to a full Unovan breakfast; eggs, bacon, crispy potatoes, toast with jam, and fluffy pancakes covered with fresh fruit. It was a much heavier meal than Nemona was used to for breakfast, but she had to admit that everything tasted amazing. She spent the time chatting with Juliana’s mother, learning more about where they used to live in Unova and where Juliana’s mother used to work; Juliana’s mom also had plenty of questions for Nemona, excited to hear more about her experiences during her first year at Naranja as well as the more recent adventures she’d been having, including a new school club she and Juliana were trying to start up. Juliana mostly let the two talk and would put in the occasional comment or exciting detail. 

Nemona found Juliana’s mother to be a very smart and surprisingly very funny woman– not to mention incredibly kind– and she took an immediate liking to her. And judging by just how much she already knew about Nemona, she was perhaps not exaggerating about how much Juliana had talked about her. It felt a little foreign for an adult to listen to Nemona so very intently and to clearly care so much about all the details of her life, for somebody to be so warm and encouraging and present. Well, it wasn’t entirely foreign, because Nemona had some wonderful teachers of course, but that wasn’t quite the same. Nemona found herself actually getting a little emotional over how quickly she felt welcomed into the household, how easily and effortlessly she already felt at home here.

After a very leisurely breakfast, Nemona helped clean up and then they went to the living room to open gifts. They had a little tree dressed in fairy lights and tinsel and a modest number of gifts sitting below it; the room was decorated with pinecones and sprigs of evergreen, a snowglobe on the coffee table and candles flickering merrily on shelves. The house was quite small compared to Nemona’s– the entire downstairs could practically fit into Nemona’s foyer alone. It also felt like the coziest, nicest home she had ever been in, and she was so grateful in the moment that she was here instead of sitting in the cold, empty house just down the path.

Opening gifts didn’t take too long, but it was very enjoyable to watch Juliana and her mother open their presents, especially to see Juliana’s reactions to Arven’s and Penny’s gifts. They had saved Nemona’s contribution for last, at Nemona’s insistence. In truth, Nemona was still nervous about Juliana’s reaction to her gift, even though there was no reason to be. When the time came, though, Nemona realized she still had another present she’d almost forgotten about.

“Right, one sec! I got something for your mom too.”

She got up to rush over to her bag and dig through it. She took a tiny box wrapped in gold paper and handed it to Juliana’s mother.

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you, thank you dear.”

“It was kind of a last-minute purchase,” Nemona confessed, sitting back down with a nervous smile. She’d seen it in the shops last night when she had gone out and they’d been good enough to wrap it there; she never expected she’d be able to give it to her in person, though, so this was a pleasant surprise. 

Once Juliana’s mother had torn the paper open, she exclaimed cheerfully,

“Oh, how lovely! Juliana, look.”

She held the box out for Juliana to see; it was a glass ornament in the shape of an Ice Tera Jewel.

“They’re really popular in Paldea, a lot of people put them on the very top of their trees. Like, erm, like the same way a Tera Jewel sits ontop a pokemon’s head, you know?” Nemona explained. Juliana laughed,

“I love that! What a good idea. We should put it up now!”

She fetched a stool to stand on and lugged it over to the tree.

“Careful, dear. Why don’t we have Nemona put it up there?”

“Oh, yeah, good idea. You do the honors, Nemona! Your arms are longer than mine anyway.”

Nemona laughed and took the ornament from her. She carefully placed it on the top, adjusting it until it looked perfect. They all admired it for a few moments. Juliana’s mother said,

“Very nice. It looks beautiful, Nemona.”

Nemona smiled,

“Yeah! Your tree’s terastallized now, heheh.”

“Okay okay but now it’s time for my last gift!!” Juliana said, clearly with other priorities in mind. She got down on the ground and grabbed the large box, her eyes glinting with excitement. Nemona sat back down on the couch and watched Juliana poke and prod at the gift, trying to see through the paper.

“I thought you wanted to open it,” Nemona commented, amused.

“It’s part of the ritual, okay?” Juliana said, knocking on the box as if that would somehow give her more information. Nemona gave a little snort. 

Apparently finished with her assessment, Juliana proceeded to tear the paper off with gleeful abandon, finding a plain box inside. She grabbed the pair of scissors to cut through the tape and open the box, rifling through the packing peanuts and flinging them all over.

When she pulled out the contents of the box, her eyes grew wide.

“Whoooa . . .”

Her mother said,

“Oh, goodness. Look at that!”

Juliana held aloft a large saddle. It was made of a rich, beautiful black leather and had a wide, comfortable-looking seat, looking similar to the higher-end saddles that Cyclizar were sometimes fitted with. Juliana seemed speechless, just gazing at it, and Nemona started to nervously ramble.

“It’s for Koraidon. Um, you remember the day I borrowed him? I took him in so they could take measurements and everything. They normally made saddles for Cyclizar so this was a bit unusual for them, but they were very thorough with it. It should fit him perfectly if they did their job right–”

Juliana cut her off with an excited,

“Nemona, this is incredible!”

Nemona smiled, relieved at her reaction– maybe more than she cared to admit. Juliana set the saddle down on the couch beside her, smoothing her hands over it.

“It’s so soft!”

Nemona nodded.

“Yeah, w-well, you know how you’re always saying your butt hurts after you ride Koraidon for too long, I wanted to fix that. It should feel even better once it’s broken in a little. Oh, and it should be more comfortable for Koraidon too! They made sure to make it well-padded. I also made sure they made the seat big enough for when we– uh, when we both ride him together . . .”

Juliana gave an excited squeal,

“It’s perfect! We should go try it on him now, let’s go!”

She started to haul the saddle to the door, Nemona laughing and following after. Juliana’s mother called,

“Juliana, don’t forget your coat! Goodness, that child is always in such a hurry . . . don’t forget your coat either, Nemona, dear.”

Nemona was grateful that the saddle fit Koraidon just as it was supposed to; she helped Juliana put it on and then they went out for a ride together. They raced along the path all the way to Los Platos, tearing through the sleepy town at high speeds, laughing all the way. Juliana wanted to go further but Nemona made her promise to not overdo the first journey out so they could break the saddle in gradually. They spent some time fooling about in Los Platos, enjoying the Solstice decorations and letting their pokemon romp around, then returned home. It was surprisingly still quite chilly out, the overcast skies and nippy breeze suggesting it might rain later. 

When the girls returned, Juliana’s mother made them some hot chocolate, and the two went up to hang out in Juliana’s bedroom. Juliana said she used to sit in front of a fireplace back in Unova during the Solstice, but her new house didn’t have one, which kind of bummed her out. Nemona joked she could always just sit in front of her Volcarona, but Juliana loved that idea. They gathered a bunch of pillows together on the floor and Juliana let her Volcarona out so they could sit there together, sipping their hot cocoa. Rain began to gently patter against the windows, and Nemona had to admit it felt incredibly cozy.

“So how’s your butt?” Nemona suddenly asked with a smirk.

“Whuh? Oh, pffft. It’s great! Way better than riding bareback. I could tell Koraidon liked it better too. Thank you again, Nemona, I love my present so much. And I love that it’s something we can enjoy together.”

Nemona's expression melted into something soft.

“I’m glad. To be honest, I was kinda nervous about getting you a gift. I must have spent weeks agonizing over it, so it’s a relief I did an okay job with it. Hold on, oof, getting too warm here.”

It was very toasty in front of Juliana’s snoozing Volcarona, so Nemona pulled her sweater off, tossing it aside. Juliana leaned against her and giggled,

“An okay job? You did fantastic. Also, you worry too much, I meant it when I said I would have been happy with anything, Nemona."

“I knooooow, but I still wanted to–”

Juliana’s eyes brightened as she suddenly exclaimed,

“Oh, yay! You’re wearing it now, that makes me so happy!”

Nemona glanced down and realized she was referring to the necklace she’d given her. 

“Oh, yeah! Of course. I’m gonna wear it every day.”

“What?? Aaaa, that’s so sweet, Nemona, you don’t have to!” Juliana buried her face into Nemona’s shoulder bashfully and Nemona laughed, 

“Of course I don’t have to, I want to!”

“Heehee, I’m so glad . . . oh!” Juliana looked at her with bright eyes, asking,

“Did you decide yet what you wanna put inside it? I thought I could help you take pictures of Pawmot if you want.”

Nemona’s smile disappeared and she glanced away, suddenly looking very shy. She mumbled,

“Oh um, well . . . I kinda, um, already put something in there . . .”

Juliana’s eyes widened.

“Oh wow, already? Can I see?”

Nemona looked to her, hesitating. She knew that of course Juliana would want to see, she’d always planned on showing her, of course she did, but now that she was faced with it in the moment, there was a sudden terror gripping her. What had seemed like such an incredible, brilliant idea late last night was starting to look like an awful, horrible idea now that Juliana was looking at her and wanting to see, oh god, what if she thinks it’s weird–

“What’s wrong?”

Nemona forced a laugh, grinning,

“Ahaa, nothing! ‘Course you can see, here . . .”

She took the little pokeball up with shaking fingers and depressed the button, revealing the little photo beneath. Juliana leaned in to see.

Then her eyes grew wide and she held a hand to her mouth in shock. The little photograph of Juliana’s face was very crisp and easy to make out– the photo printers at the store did an excellent job with it– so there was no mistaking what it was. Nemona’s heart was pounding and she was trying so hard not to start on her usual nervous rambling, but every second Juliana spent staring in silent shock was just killing her. 

Finally, Juliana’s brows curved inward and she squeaked in a high-pitched voice,

“Nemona . . .”

The trouble was that still did not clarify anything- was that good? Was that bad?? Nemona opened her mouth to start backpedaling like a champion, but before she could get a word out, she suddenly found herself in the tightest grip of her life, Juliana squeezing her so hard that it felt like she was trying her absolute best to suffocate her. Nemona grunted,

“Ulllk!”

With her face smooshed against her, Juliana squeaked,

“Nemona this is the single sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me ever in the history of ever??”

“J-jules– n-need air–”

Juliana loosened her grip a little, saying,

“Sorry, sorry, I’m just– gahhhh!” She buried her face in Nemona’s neck and squeezed her again, making adorable and completely indecipherable noises of joy. Nemona decided if she was going to suffocate this way, it was entirely worth it and she had zero regrets.

Eventually Juliana managed to pull away, though, her face flushed and her eyes just a little teary. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner, you coulda just– oh, my god, you– you were worried about it, weren’t you! You acted all worried when I asked, you silly Zangoose, why?”

Nemona smiled self-consciously and glanced away, answering shyly,

“I dunno, I guess I was worried that it, um, y’know, maybe you’d think it was a little . . . a little . . . too much? I-I–”

Juliana quickly hugged Nemona once again, saying earnestly,

“Never. You’re never too much, Nemona. Never hold back for me, never.”

Nemona felt as though a soft, rhythmic static was rumbling pleasantly inside her, echoing through her head and crackling under her skin, making it quite impossible to string a coherent thought together. She hugged Juliana back, not trusting herself to speak.

Still hugging her, Juliana giggled,

“To be honest, now I kinda wanna get a necklace too so we can match, and put a 'lil picture of you in there, tesoro."

Nemona’s face grew incredibly warm and the static grew impossibly louder, her heart stuttering in her chest. Some distant part of her mind managed to wonder if this was what people meant when they used the word ‘bliss.’

Juliana finally pulled away so she could look at her and ask,

"Would that be okay? I don't wanna make your present seem less special, so it's fine if you don't want-"

"Of course it'd be okay that'd be AMAZING!" Nemona blurted quickly. Juliana laughed, then said,

"Okay! Oh, wait, I gotta tell mom!! C'mon, let's go show her!"

Juliana bounded up and grabbed Nemona's hand, pulling her along. Nemona stammered,

"O-oh, um, w-we- okay-"

Juliana rushed downstairs, finding her mother in the living room, reading a book.

"Mom, look what Nemona put in her locket!!"

Nemona laughed nervously, not at all prepared for this but apparently this was a thing that was happening now. She held up the little pendant awkwardly and glanced away as Juliana's mother carefully examined it. She felt a blush rapidly spreading across her face.

"Well, now. Would you look at that."

Nemona's gaze flicked briefly to Juliana's mother. When they made eye contact, there was something very knowing in the older woman's eyes. Nemona quickly looked away again, reddening further.

"What a bold statement of devotion. Very beautiful, Nemona."

"Thanks," Nemona mumbled. Juliana exclaimed,

"I'm gonna get one too so we match! I gotta find the perfect picture for it."

Juliana's mother returned her focus to her book, smiling fondly.

"Why don't you borrow my camera, dear? I'm sure you'll be able to get a very lovely photo of Nemona with that."

"Ooh, yeah! Good idea! Thanks ma!"

The rest of the day was spent very comfortably: helping Juliana's mother with cooking, playing games in the living room while Juliana's Gengar and Nemona's Pawmot rough-housed, and later, when the rain eased up, walking along Nemona's litte piece of private beach. Juliana snapped so many photos, but her favorite one was a picture she snapped at the top of the lighthouse when the skies had cleared and the sun was beginning to set. She'd angled it so that the setting sun had given Nemona an orange, radiant glow. She said it suited her perfectly. They stayed out there on the lighthouse until the stars came out, just talking, breathing the sea air, and enjoying each other's company. They could see all the houses below glittering in their multicolored Solstice lights, in Cabo Poco, in Los Platos, and even further beyond into Mesagoza. It had never looked so peaceful and beautiful to Nemona before.

It turned out that it was a much, much happier Winter Solstice than Nemona had ever dared to dream.

[mochiponadventures]

Punishment

...

Juliana was busy helping her mother in the garden when she heard someone approaching. It was Kieran. He carried a small box in his hands and gave Juliana a big smile.

"Hey Juli, i brought you some cookies made by my sis. Believe it or not, she fell in love with that home ed class at your school and is now full on trying out everything they learn there" This amused Juliana quite a lot, seeing as Carmine didn´t really looked like she would engage in such things at all...

"Thank you, i really appreciate it!" She got up from her position and walked over to Kieran, hugging him. "So i take that you two enjoy Naranja Academy so far?"

The boy nodded, still smiling.

"Yeah, it´s really nice here and the teachers are certainly different from those at Blueberry Academy" Less strict and way more more lenient, Kieran mused, chuckling. "Let me put these cookies inside the house before the sun melts them. It´s quite hot today. Do you want something to drink?" Juliana asked, taking the box from her friend, carrying it inside. "Yes please!" He replied, looking around the lot he was standing on. The garden really was beautiful and certainly ripe with all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Just as he wanted to follow Juliana inside, he saw Ogerpon swiping the patio with a broom, looking all but not pleased. When his friend came back, he gently nudged the girl, pointing towards the sweeping pokemon. "What´s up with Ogi? She looks really angry, did something happen?"

At that, Juliana sighed, giving Keiran his drink.

"It´s a punishment, she did something very bad and is now living through the consequences of it. Right Ogi?" She turned towards the young Pokemon, raising a brow. There was only an indignified huff as answer as she continued to sweep the ground.

"What did she do?" Kieran asked.

"Well, she sneaked up in the attic, got her Iron Cudgel, which by the way she is forbidden from using outside of battles, and decided to hit Momo on top of his head with it..."

Ogi only rolled with her eyes.

"Don´t give me that eyeroll, young lady! We don´t hit in this house and you know that!"

"POOOOOOOOOOON PON!" Ogi replied dramatically, it was amazing how close it sounded to a child, whining. Kieran chuckled, shaking his head. "Poor Momo, i bet that must have hurt!"

"He cried for hours afterwards. I even had to take him to the Pokemon Center! And you know how he likes going there..." Momo had a severe phobia of hospital settings and thus, every visit to the Pokemon Center or it´s sick bay, made the little Pokemon flew into a giant panic attack. "Don´t even get me started when its time for his shots...you don´t wanna see him there..."

Kieran nodded at that, feeling sorry for the little Peach.

"You know, Ogi and Momo are pretty much like Carmine and me when it comes to sibling quabbles. She used to hit me too when i was too annoying for her taste. Of course never so bad that i had to go to the hospital, but still." The memories of these events were still fresh inside his head, albeit it had been years by now that they happened.

"Speaking of Momo, where is he? Terapagos wanted to go play with him as soon he heard me talking about going to visit you!"

"Oh i laid him down for a nap. The heat is making him kind of drowsy and i don´t want him to get a sunburn or heatstroke either. He is in my room." Keiran mused at that for a moment, it was really hot he had to admit. No wonder even Pokemon got bothered by it.

"That´s a shame, but of course his health goes first. I hope he feels better after that nap." He took a sip from his lemonade by now and relished at the taste. "This is really good. Perfect for a hot summer day!" Juliana nodded eagerly. "Yeah, my mom makes the best lemonade around here. Nemona, Arven and Penny can testify to that!" She laughed, pulling Kieran over to her, nuzzling his cheek.

"That said, I am done with gardening for now, why don´t you come inside and we can watch a couple movies? We have an air conditioner too, so it´s nice and cool inside." Before going inside though, she called over Ogi, allowing her a break as well.

"You can take a break as well, Ogi. Take a glass of the lemonade and go inside, okay? I don´t want you to get overheated either...you can continue later!"

Ogerpon was first relieved to finally being able to stop sweeping but got hit by the word "break", which meant that she had to continue later on, which did not sit right with her at all. Pouting she listened to Juliana and went inside with a huff, throwing the broom on the ground, probably to make a point.

"She still has a long way to go..." Juliana sighed, taking Kierans hand, pulling him inside. "Then again, i can´t really blame her. She never had someone to tell her what is right and what is wrong..."

"I think you´re doing a pretty good job as her trainer so far, so don´t worry about it!" They kissed each other and went inside together, hand in hand.

Inside the house there was a commotion going on already, Momo seemingly had woken from his slumber and was now darting through the house, visibly full of energy. From what Juliana could see, he had cookie crumbs around his cheeks which only could mean one thing...he must have gotten in the cookies Kieran had brought and Momo now effectively had a bona fide sugar rush.

"I think someone gourged themselves on your sisters cookies, Kieran..." Juliana chuckled, watching her youngest charge zooming around the house, giggling like crazy. Ogi followed him, visibly annoyed but also with cookie crumbs around her mouth.

"Now that Momo´s awake, i can let out Terapagos as well, that´s what he wanted anyway!" Kieran exclaimed, calling out his friend from inside his ball. "Alright Tera, go have fun with Momo!"

The young Pokemon did not wasted a minute and quickly got a hold of both Momo and Ogi.

"You think they let us watch our movies in peace?" Kieran asked, looking at Juliana with an amused look. "We can try, let´s go before there is yet another incident caused by this trio in the back"

And with that, both Juliana and Kieran sat down and enjoyed a couple hours together, with the joyful and livid background noises of playing Pokemon.