#IT'S NOT EVEN BEATING THE POKEMON LEAGUE

[reddiamond505]

the love i have for swampert is undescribable

[cheemken]

will you be adding Kieran in your next gen champs au?

he is technically champion level and became champion of the bb league

Probably not hahah

Idk, bc in my aus and hcs, I only went w the regional Champions, and since Kieran is Champion of the BB league, which is just a lil league in Blueberry Academy located in Unova, I didn't consider him as part of the next gen champs group, since I also already have two Unova Champions in the au (those being Iris and Hilbert ofc)

Then again, we could consider him Champion of Kitakami, as he is from that region, but like Kitakami doesn't have its own league so he's really just Champion of his school's league

[pokemonleagueofficial]

What would Rika do if I surround her with my team of six tatsugiri? Be afraid is the only correct answer.

Do not underestimate Rika's abilities. She will decimate you once she grasps your... less than ingenous plan.

[poke-cove]

OH MY GOD I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO FIGHTING ELESA FOR MY FOURTH BADGE AND SHE WAS SO MUCH TOUGHER THAN I THOUGHT SHE'D BE

I had to fight a fucking war of attrition with Ellipse, Leech Seed and a LOT of healing items but SHIT MAN I DID IT

[elbdot]

Hello I am back with more lore questions about your comics if u wanna answer 👀 (I looked back, but couldn't find this mentioned so sorry if I just missed it 😅)

I was curious since the comic starts after all the main plot stuff has happened: we know El is the Champ of the Alola League, but did she also do the island challenge trials like in the game or was she just traveling around with Hau while he did his? If she did do the trials did you make up a reason why the kahunas would let her, despite being well over the age limit for it? If she didn't was there some other motivation for her building her team up enough that she could beat the league when it was finished?

We're basically playing out the original story of SM with some changes!

Originally El just wanted a FUCKING VACATION and came from Hoenn after receiving a letter from her mom, to come to Alola and help her move into their newly bought appartement. But then Kukui busted through the door to welcome them and El's mom insisted on her coming with Kukui to get to know the locals while she'd continue setting up the place in the meantime. El didn't have any of her old Pokemon with her, as she heard of the strict laws of letting "invasive species" into Alola and she didn't want to deal with the paperwork, especially since she assumed she'd only stay in Alola for 2-3 weeks at best. Kukui showed her the way to Iki Town, talked about their customs, wanted to introduce her to the island Kahuna. When they couldn't find him, Kukui suggested he might be up Mahalo Trail, but stays behind in case Hala might come back from Hauoli City instead. El checks it out, she meets Lillie, the saving-Nebby-scene plays out where Tapu Koko rescues Nebby and El, El unexpectedly receives the sparkling stone from Tapu Koko that Hala makes a Z-Ring out of. Due to the incident, Hala encourages El to partake in one of Alolas oldest traditions as a way to get accustomed to Alolas culture but also to welcome her into it and keep an eye on her, with Halas and Kukuis interest being sparked by the appearance of their deity. The fact that she's way over the age of regular trial goers is not a problem, Tapu Koko must have given her that stone for a reason so Hala simply follows the will of the Tapus and is interested to see how El's journey will play out.

El feels honored being so welcomed by the Kahuna himself and is also too polite to decline partaking in the island challenge, even though she wasn't really interested in going on anther journey and building a new team of Pokemon...wasn't this supposed to be a vacation aside from helping out her mom??

But her mother is surprisingly supportive of El going on the island challenge, as she feared strangers like them from Kalos might have a hard time fitting in and making friends with the locals. She's okay with El not being able to help out setting up the house, as in her opinion "You're doing your part by learning everything you can about the region and getting to know our new neighbors."

After getting to know Hau the next day during a Festival in Iki Town, El starts to feel more like Hala specifically put them together so someone would keep an eye on Hau while the old Kahuna is unable to. Babysitting it is then. GREAT. But the innocent sweet little sunshine that is our Malasada Boy QUICKLY grows on El and she takes looking after him VERY SERIOUSLY and becomes the Mom-friend of the group. She downright enjoys looking after the shy Lillie and the joyful Hau while getting to see so many of Alolas amazing sights. She also greatly enjoys Kukuis company I might add...

Until she finds out he's taken. FUCK. GODDAMNIT. OF COURSE HE FUCKING IS AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG "No Hau I'm not depressed. No I don't act strangely hostile towards Burnet what are you talking about nooooooo pass me the Malasada Hau. EW. It's BITTER. WHY'D THEY SELL THAT. I HATE IT HERE"

Don't worry, she recovers... El really starts to get into the challenge after a while. She was never a fan of challenging Gyms and greatly enjoys the different Trials she gets to go on instead. Alola quickly becomes her favorite region for the lush beautiful nature, the incredibly kind people and the Pokemon she meets along the way. Her team is unbalanced, but that's what makes her grow more closely together with her Pokemon than any previous team she had before. Beating trainers is a challenge due to the many bug-and flying-types on her team, she has to strategize more than ever before to make it work and be able to defeat the Kahunas. Her Oricorio Sweets would become her Partner Pokemon in the end, when she survived multiple hits from Kukuis Incineroar, holding on to 1 HP multiple times because of how determined the little bird was and how much she loved her trainer, defeating Incineroar in the end.

(This was my OG Team, only Sweets and my Golisopod Titan made it into the comics in the end, her Decidueye and Vikavolt are on Mohn's Pelago, Fletchinder I'd actually still like to include at some point)

El didn't expect to stay in Alola. She didn't expect to build a new team or even join the League or becoming CHAMPION of all things... Let's be real, Kukui didn't really give her much of a choice in joining. After Hau and El finished their island challenge, it was more of a "might as well join the League I just finished building" from the Professor, since before it was built, the final challenge WOULD have taken place on Mount Lanakila anyway. But what surprised El the most, was the fact that, after winning, she was offered the position of Champion by Kukui at all. IF she would have won, she thought, surely they'd not let a stranger like her actually keep the title and defend it. But NOPE. All hail Alolas first champion El I suppose. And with this, it was clear that El had to extend her stay in the region. For an...unforseeable time.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

I sincerely hope I’m sending this request correctly. I wanna ask for a pokemon request where reader has a full Unown team with the Paldea crew reaction(Arven, nemona, penny) and maybe the blueberry academy crew reaction. I love unowns they’re my funky little letter guys. Basically the reader is an Unown enthusiast who only ever has unowns and only ever used Unowns. They have all the forms but the six they use are just the ones they took with them to Paldea. They went through Paldea and became champion with a full Unown team. Same with the bb league. I just think it’d be funny to see everyone’s reactions to that. Their partner mon would be Unown O and the other five you could pick cuz Unown O is my favorite letter. And also if u could write the unowns being affectionate with the reader and vice versa. I just like seeing trainers bonding with their pokemon. Thank you and I enjoy your writing!

(Side note: Honestly if ScarVio was able to have unowns in it you’d bet your ass I’d do a full Unown run. I’ve done it for other games. Was disappointed and sad I couldn’t have any unowns in them, sword/shield too.)

I LOVE the Unowns omg. I got a plushie of V and I'm still trying to get shinies and alphas in PLA

My favorite is F because it looks like a little stick figure but I adore all of them very much <3

.......

General

Ever since discovering the Unown in Johto (Ruins of Alpha) and the two additional forms in Kanto (Tanoby Chambers), you found your calling as a trainer.

An Unown trainer, to be precise.

Unown O was the first one you caught, and has been your battle partner ever since!

You've become something of an enthusiast, asking researchers what they've discovered and documenting the Symbol Pokemon as you collected them.

You've caught so many that you actually encountered a shiny or two--each capture being a success.

Their existence, connection to Arceus, home dimension, and "secret power" when more than one are gathered were all fascinating to you and made you wanna learn more.

You even incorporated some of their designs into your outfit: like gloves and socks that had symbols printed on them, keychains and charms on your jewelry and/or backpack..etc.

All 28 Unown grew to love you, and the ones in your party are super affectionate when you bring them out.

Their favorite game is hide n' seek (taking after their "ancestors" from PLA) around your home, and you like to play along.

Ofc people are wary around Unown given their mysterious nature, but you vow to break that stigma by feeding them treats and letting them nuzzle up to you, showing others that they're just like any other Pokémon: companions who deserved as much love and affection as a Pikachu.

After parting ways with your friends in Kanto and Johto, you don't leave without gifting them an Unown that was the first letter in their name (for Blue you left him a Shiny Unown B...which he still brags about to this day).

You decided to move to Paldea to take your Pokémon training more seriously, attending school and showing off your Unown since they're not native to the region.

Your team consisted of O, as well as N, E, F, R, and M--referring to what all 28 are collectively called (One Form).

Despite knowing they can only use Hidden Power and nothing else (plus the drawbacks from having a psychic-only team), you defied all the odds when you took on not one but TWO championships and won.

And of course, the friends you've made during your journey all got to know the Unown personally.

Paldea

Arven

At first, he thought your Unown team had more to it...until he realized that was ALL you brought to the battlefield.

Just funky letters that only knew one move.

"Oh come on, you're never gonna win with a team like that-"

And then you go and beat him with a team like that, and it shuts him up.

But Arven just rolls his eyes to the sky, making the excuse that he's not used to battling, and moves on.

As you get closer to him, though, and help him take down the Titan Pokémon around Paldea, he warms up to your team and admits they're kinda cool.

He'll only shoo them away if he's making a sandwich, not wanting to be crowded (but tbh he can tolerate Unown O's presence more than your 'raidon's).

You presented him with picks inspired by the designs of some Unown (I, K, T, Y, and !) to hold the ingredients together, and he's thoroughly impressed by your dedication to the craft.

You joked about selling them if you ever went into the art of culinary--yet Arven tells you to seriously consider it.

After the fight with the AI Professor in Area Zero, he sees your entire team pop out of their pokeballs, clearly stressed from being locked inside due to the Paradise Protection Protocol.

You never did a battle without them and were afraid they couldn't protect you, but you reassured them you were okay, letting them stay out during the journey home.

Only then does he realize that sure, they're weird little guys that don't seem all-that powerful, but you treasure them all the same.

Nemona

While she was confused about you not using the Paldea starter the Director offered you..she's HYPED when your real team comes out to play during your first match together: One made entirely of Unown, a Pokémon not even native to Paldea.

She may have read about them in some textbook unrelated to battling and glossed over them.

But to see them in battle left her extremely impressed and asking you dozens of questions afterwards.

They could just change their type when attacking??? She read about Arceus supposedly having that power, but it's awesome that these little letters/symbols can, too!

Despite thinking you'll bore her by having no strategy except "use hidden power", Nemona NEVER wants you to feel discouraged!

She wants to battle your team every time.

As you fight your way through the Pokémon League and all the way up to the Elite Four, she's rooting for you 100%, praising your Unown for overcoming even the toughest terastalized foes.

Knowing your party members, they LOVE praise and are very friendly towards her and her own Pokémon.

If any of them have timid/lonely natures..her words give them a big confidence boost.

And it reflects in their reaction times and how often they'll heal their own status conditions or tank OH-KO hits.

She says you're helping them get stronger every day, but you give her lots of credit, too, for helping you get this far.

Penny

While dealing with Team Star, Giacomo's dark team put your Unown through a world of hurt...

Penny had been watching the battle, worried that he was going to be the reason you failed to squander the organization.

Yet by some miracle, your team came out on top!

Only then does she realize you were more than capable of taking down all the bases.

Unown P comes out to greet her while you've doing an LP exchange, and it scared her pretty badly.

Especially as it just...stares. Occasionally blinking once or twice as she tries talking to you.

Conversations are hard enough for her already, and staring doesn't help matters, so she gets ready to leave-

But then its tune changes when you pat it on the head(?) and it trills happily, snuggling up to you.

Penny had to do a double-take, wondering how it managed to look so cute..but she dismisses your concerns when you asked why she made that face.

Later, after revealing she's the leader and becoming your friend thereafter...she still gets anxious around the Unown from time-to-time, but eventually warms up to their presence.

You don't treat them any differently despite their mysterious nature.

If anything, you care for them just like anyone would a cute Eevee: by spoiling them with love, treats, and sweet words of encouragement.

Penny felt like a hypocrite for being scared of them, considering people used to be scared of Team Star--yet they aren't as evil as everyone made them out to be.

They used to be lonely and misunderstood, just like the Unown were before you found them.

BB Academy

Kieran

When you showed off your team for the first time, Kieran was stunned.. remembering the things he read about them but didn't know they could actually be caught.

All he says when you show him Unown K is "wowzers".

And the journal entries you've logged turned his eyes into stars.

You show him all the photographs of ruins and Unown blending in during your trips to the signboards, rambling about what you've seen and discovered.

He loves listening to your tales..and wishes he could see those places with you.

But what he didn't like, however, was whenever you two had a battle in which your Unown only needed one command to win. You didn't have to try at all.

Even with his team's most supereffective attacks..speed and dumb luck were on your side, crushing his confidence and making him jealous.

It doesn't help when you still decided to keep Ogerpon despite you saying you only ever used Unown.

It wasn't fair.

And ofc by Indigo Disk, Kieran wants nothing more than to destroy your team, insulting them under his breath when he thinks you can't hear him.

You just scowl and cover their nonexistent-ears while they nuzzle up to you--although deep down, you knew he didn't mean those words.

He's just pissed off that he lost sleep and his appetite over training his team, giving them the best moves and items to utilize on the battlefield..only for you to sweep the BB League with a simple command.

He managed to OH-KO one Unown with Incineroar's Darkest Lariat..and that sinister grin you saw on his face was most unnerving.

But you still claimed victory over him and he takes the loss hard.

Down in Area Zero, he's convinced that the "Hidden Treasure" Terapagos can take down your "Hidden Power" team..

But after seeing them form a shield (similar to the crystal one in the Spell of Unown movie) that protects him when the legendary goes rogue..it changed his perspective.

Only then he understood why they were so powerful.

As the Unovian Pokedex said: Alone, nothing happens..but together, Unown are strong and invoke a great power.

When the dust settles, O floats into Kieran's hands, healing the pain in his wrist caused by Terapagos breaking the masterball.

He felt so so guilty for the name-calling and his desires to hurt them. Yet they've all forgiven him.

In a way, Unown remind you of him: small and unassuming, at first glance..but full of great power that's waiting to shine.

During Mochi Mayhem, K stays by his side while he holds off the possessed townspeople and you capture Pecharunt, growing quite attached to him.

And after coming back to the academy, you decide to trade him that Unown, hoping he incorporates it into one of his teams. Be it casual or competitive.

Carmine

Back in Kitakami, she laughed at your "puny"-looking letter Pokémon, thinking them to be weak as she sics Poochyena and Polteageist on them.

While their dark/ghost moves hit the Unown hard, it's Unown O who takes them down with critical hits..and Carmine got LIVID.

She impressed you're sticking with a team that appeared in ancient texts, although that doesn't dissuade her from teasing you about them for a while.

Ngl you nerding out over Unown facts and studies you've recorded reminds her of Kieran infodumping about Ogerpon.

Your Unown just glare at her, and you gotta call them back to your side before they try attacking her outside a battle.

However as time goes on and she warms up to you, meets Ogerpon, etc..she grows to like them more, too.

Eventually she's cheering them on as they take down the Loyal Three and tank their poison attacks.

By Indigo Disk's events, she comes around to genuinely smile at their presence.

Although she had concerns Kieran's new team would be too overwhelming for them...

Yet your team of hieroglyphics won anyways.

And down in Area Zero's underdepths, they invoked a great power to shield the siblings from Terapagos' attacks, protecting the two people who once hated and mocked them with all they had.

As they both break down in tears, some Unown come out of their pokeballs to comfort them, and O stays on your shoulder as you exit the cavern together.

A few photobomb the selfie you take with the twins back at the academy (as well as Kitakami's festival), but it's alright.

Carmine will allow it because you treasured them and they DID save her and her brother's skin.

Drayton

While you did struggle during his trial (due to his "Terarium Pokemon-only" rule), the actual battle caught him by surprise when your Unown swept the floor, taking down his dragons.

How Unown F was able to withstand an Electro Shot was beyond him, but it was sturdy enough to finish the fight with a Fairy-based Hidden Power.

After winning, you both take a selfie in commemoration, with you passing F to Drayton like "can we get an F in the chat" and him humbly accepting it.

It was all in good fun, and looking back on it in your scrapbook made you laugh.

But what you didn't feel good about was him rubbing your victory in Kieran's face after you win the championship, further shattering the kid who nearly keeled over trying to make the perfect team to beat you..only for some "letters" to kick him down into the dirt.

"Wow, that's tough..now are you gonna take the F or L, ex-champ?"

He forgot this kid doesn't understand much internet lingo, but Unown F and Unown L didn't appreciate his jokes, and neither did you.

But after the events in Area Zero, you let it go, eventually deciding to trade him Unown D as your way of thanking him for helping you get close enough to knock sense back into Kieran.

Crispin

Let's face it, he's gonna be staring at your Unown like a Magikarp out of water and ask how they eat..

Or if they eat at all for that matter.

Their eyes just blink and poof, their share of the meal is already gone.

He knows they're psychic Pokémon, but still...

His favorite ones are definitely C (bc of his name) and S (for Spicy), though he's eager to see how your team fairs in battle when you clear his trial.

You warn him it might be "boring" but he acts like you insulted his cooking and begs you not to say that again.

"Every Pokémon battle gets me fired up!!!!! Don't downplay yourself!!!"

Even when your Unown easily douse his Pokémon's flames with Water-based Hidden Power (and Fire for his Exeggcutor), he still had a blast battling you, realizing those little letters are full of vigor and surprises!

He's eager to see what supereffective type they're gonna use next.

When you eventually decide to trade, you contemplate giving him an extra Unown F you had..or a C.

But you settle for the latter, and Crispin promises to feed the little guy well!

Lacey

Unown are small, simple, and make trilling noises...all checking off her criteria of "cute" Pokémon!

Although knowing they're connected to Arceus--the literal god of all 'mons--is an unnerving fact, she agrees that they're adorable and deserve to be treated as such.

She gets to learn your team's different natures, and likes how you're trying to convince people that they're not as scary as the old legends present them.

They love nuzzling up to you, resting on your shoulder and/or head, twirling around, and playing with the local Minior.

That being said..Lacey gets shocked at the punch they pack during battle, with them using Poison or Steel-based Hidden Power to take down her fairies.

It's always the most unsuspecting Pokémon who are the most powerful.

Even if you worry about the battle being boring since all you can give out is one command, she's gonna turn your pessimistic thinking around!

Unown F is her favorite since it's looks like a stick figure, but Unown L is also pretty neat..yet she wonders why Unown ? and Unown ! look tired all the time...

When you trade her a letter/symbol, she's thrilled to welcome yet another cute Pokémon onto her team!

Amarys

Considering their affiliations with ruins and Arceus, the existence of Unown have always piqued her interest.

And you so-happened to be a walking encyclopedia of anything related to the Symbol Pokémon, given the journals you've written on their mannerisms.

Amarys likes reading them over, and thinks a quiz involving the Unown Alphabet would be good to have at BB Academy.

On the other hand, after your battle to climb the League rankings, she wonders if you've ever used other Pokémon..only to find out that you never did.

All you know are Unowns.

She won't force you to change your team members, seeing as they were able to beat ALL of the league members--including Kieran.

But she suggests you had one Unown use Hidden Power on its battle partner, who could hold onto a Weakness Policy.

Yet you're adamant, saying "why would I want one Unown to hurt the other just for a temporary attack boost? :((("

Your team members are besties, your cuddle buddies..how could you do that to them???

Amarys is genuinely touched by how much you care for your Unowns, and vice versa.

Speaking of which, Unown A started hanging around her more often..and she cautiously tries to pet it, surprised by its happy trills, but otherwise acts nonchalant.

When you both decide to trade, you give her that Unown and she promises to look after it.

[kurooo-is-here]

I've been loving writing the yandere stuff recently, so I'll give you guys some crumbs of what I think yandere Kieran is like. Enjoy :D

Yandere!Kieran x Reader

Warnings: Obsessive and controlling behavior, lots of death, implied memory loss

He knew about you before you even met him. I mean, how could he not? The newest Champion of Paldea, who beat Geeta and saved the region during your adventures to Area Zero-- he admires you so much.

And then... he met you. You're even prettier in person, and your voice is heavenly compared to the recordings he has. He can't stop gushing about you.

He spends every waking moment thinking of you after that. So... it turns his world upside down when Ogerpon chooses you over him. And it twists his heart when Terapagos looks at you instead of him.

It's not fair. He loves you, cherishes you above all else... so why is the world being so cruel to him? He watches helplessly as his sister befriends you and keeps secrets from him. He watches as the Pokemon that were meant to be HIS... become yours. His dreams vanish before his eyes, taken by the person he loves most.

He hates you-- well, he wants to hate you. He loves you dearly, he's known about you for so long, but all of these other miserable nobodies can befriend you like its nothing, while scorning HIM for acting a little emotional? He's wanted you for so long, and these fuckers are taunting him, he just knows they are. Enough. He's tired of feeling like his life is out of control. For once, he's going to get what he wants...

One day, you pass by the League clubroom. You notice it's oddly quiet in the halls, and even more quiet in the clubroom. Something isn't right.

As you open the clubroom door, a wave of cold dread washes over you and a sickly stench hits your nose. Blood. Lots of blood. Everywhere. There's bodies on the floor. Your vision starts to spin before you can process anything more.

Kieran is sitting in the middle of it all, crying. But when he sees you, he gets... happy? He runs up to you and embraces you, his hands caked in blood... and he just keeps repeating your name, over and over.

You're shaking. You can't stop shaking. You want to throw up, or scream-- just do something-- but you can't move. When you finally try to pull away from him, he looks confused.

"Y/N, where are you going?" His voice is calm, empty. His grip on you tightens.

"K-Kieran. I don't know why you did this, but this is wrong." You start to sob. "Let me go. Please."

Kieran just smiles at you. "Don't worry, Y/N. I'll take good care of you. There's nothing to worry about."

That's the last thing you hear before your vision goes black.

...

You belong to Kieran. You always have, and you always will. He's your loving boyfriend and caretaker, and you live with him in a remote place in Kitakami. You've lived here for as long as you can remember.

Kieran treats you well. He's rarely upset, and he protects you from wild Pokemon. You don't have any Pokemon of your own, so it's only natural. He cooks for you, takes care of you-- he's everything a partner should be.

He loves you so, so much. He always will.

[rockdwarftv]

So, you wanna play a Pokémon TTRPG

But you don't have the time to manage 1K entries in a book? Well, I'm working on the thing for you! PokéD6.

Now that I've show you my character sheet concept, let me break down some of the things on it. The biggest thing anyone will notice right away is the lack any numbered stats. This system converts existing BSTs (Base Stat Totals) into a 6 point grade. Above, each black diamond (✦) represents one point of that stat's grade. And any pre-existing pokemon can have it's BST quickly converted by simply dividing any given stat's total by 36 and rounding up, to a max of 6! Each grade also has an associated number of dice, which are always equal to the grade itself, and an associated modifier. A stat's modifier is equal to it's grade plus it's IVs. IVs, represented by the hollow diamonds (✧), have also been simplified down into a single dice roll per stat. So, whenever you capture a new pokemon, roll 6d6. Like with stat grades, each diamond represents the IVs value. IVs cap out at 3.

But, you may find yourself asking, what do Stat Dice and Stat Modifiers even do?

Currently, they're for combat! While the attack itself determines how much damage it can do, the pokemon's stats determine if the attack hits, it's minimum damage, how hard they are to hit, and even how much they can reduce the damage! When attacking, say with a Physical Move, the attacking pokemon rolls 1d6 + their ATK Modifiers against the defending pokemon's DEF Modifier + 3. If the attack hits, roll the move's Power and add any bonuses given. Such as Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) or type effectiveness. The defending pokemon rolls their DEF Dice, subtracting their result from the Power roll.

Power has now been converted into d6s, to find a pre-existing move's Power divide it's power by 25 and round up! With the exception of very high damaging moves, most moves deal 1d6 to 6d6 damage.

So a move like Tackle deals 2d6 damage.

I could go on, but for now I want to leave this here and just see what people think! I've enjoyed working on it and am pretty close to being able to do a simple beta of it. So, have a copy of the pdf and lemme know what you think!

EDIT (4/20/24): Yo what if I just suddenly dropped even more rules in this post? Yea? Yea! So here's how trainers work!

Trainers are divided into four Careers; Field Researcher, League Challenger, Contest Coordinator and Pokemon Breeder! These careers determine starting gear, recommend a set of skills (more on those later!!!), and determine how the player can make money. Field Researchers are basically the intern equivalent of a Professor's Aide! They go out, encounter as many new pokemon as possible, and get paid a weekly salary! They can even earn bonuses for finding odd pokemon, such as ones with unusual movesets~! League Challengers are pokemon trainers like in the games! Beat gyms, get badges, take on the champion. Easy as! They get paid based on the trainers they defeat, which can be picked up at a PokeCenter or just given to them immediately. Contest Coordinators focus on training pokemon for Gen 3 style'd Contests! They make money by winning contests, with each rank paying out higher rewards! And lastly, Pokemon Breeders! Like the name says, they make their money by breeding and raising pokemon at the requests of the Pokemon League or other trainers. The more specific the request, the more money they earn for it!

Trainers also have skills! These work a lot like Stat Grades, but they don't have an associated modifier. When making a trainer, a player picks 6 skills out of 12. Players then have 18 points to distribute however they want into those 6 skills, up to a maximum of 5. The other skills are left at 1. The skills available are: Archeology, Cheering, Climbing, Cooking, Fishing, Foraging, Knowledge, Nursing, Riding, Sneaking, Spotting and Swimming!

I'm currently working on reformatting the doc so enjoy the new tidbits for now! See you again when I've finished the doc!

[shiny-kaibernyte]

Could you do a Drayton x GN!Reader, where reader is rather clingy,

(and possibly trying to avoid Carmine by sticking w/ Drayton, knowing that she hates him? This is opt but it'd be p cool if you added this)

Ooo this is so adorable! I loved writing this so much! And I did include the Carmine request for you, I love my girl Carmine. I got a bit carried away though so i do hope you like it 💜💜

Pokémon Scarlett and Violet Indigo Disk DLC Spoilers ahead!

After a long and ruthless day of training, Drayton wants nothing more than to just lay down with his s/o and chill. And his s/o wants the exact same thing but there seems to be a road block between them.

SPOILER WARNING AHEAD (Indigo Disk Main Story and a little bit of The Teal Mask)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just this once | Drayton x Clingy Reader

“Is it just me, or is Kieran even more snappy today?” Lacey questioned as the door to the League club room opened. Drayton just sighed in response, holding the door open for the group, still feeling the strain from his training battle with Kieran.

Crispin was still fired up when he rushed into the room, hitting his hand against his pan. “What is his deal? Why can’t he get over himself!? I'm burning up just thinking about it. Who does he think he is? Revives aren't allowed, even in training battles!? Let alone two max revives.”

“Calm yourself, Crispin. Yelling about it won’t solve a thing,” Amarys calmly responded, pulling out her pocket watch and examining the time carefully.

“Sounds like you four had a fun time out there." Your voice chimed from the corner. A smile on your face when the group jumps from your response. Well, all except Drayton, who went from being stressed and tired to happy and tired. "Kieran giving you a hard time again?”

Drayton rubbed the back of his neck as he stretched his other arm up. “Hard time isn’t the word for it; I've never been so against Pokemon battling in my life. Apparently, a simple double battle isn’t good enough for our almighty  champion. "Rolling his eyes as he says champion before making his way over to you.

“I'm still all fired up from the fight! And I didn’t even fight Keiran,” Crispin chimed, crossing his arms in frustration, his fiery rage still burning. The whole place would be on fire if his rage continued.

“Crispin, I think you should get some fresh air. Come on, let's go find some Pokémon to battle.” Lacey calmly placed her hand on his shoulder before ushering him out of the room. Waving to her fellow members before her quick exit.

Finally putting the pocket watch away, Amarys sees herself out as well, giving nothing more than a simple farewell. Leaving just you and Drayton in the League club room. Drayton finally sits down for the first time in hours, pulling you onto the sofa with him. “I am beat... and not just mentally either; think Kieran landed one to many Super Sonic's. Ears are still ringing!” A small laugh escaped your lips as he banged his hand against his ear, acting as if he's trying to get something out, getting a bit too aggressive in the process.

“If you keep doing that, you’re going to hurt yourself." You smiled, taking his hand away from his face and into the grasp of your own before moving to sit on his lap, which he happily accepted, putting his free arm around you to hold you there. "Okay, so tell me everything that happened!”

Half way through his very long explanation about how Kieran decided to test the strength of him and Lacey to 'see if they were still worthy’ along with his max revive cheating when they began getting the upper hand on him, Carmine suddenly burst through the door, almost taking the poor thing off its hinges. “I WILL KILL HIM!”

“That’s one way to make an entrance... Are you okay over there?” Drayton questioned, his arms still around you, tightening when you jumped closer to him at her sudden entrance. You could see the steam coming off of Carmine as she paced aggressively around the room, mumbling something to herself.

“No, I am very much not an okay captain obvious! Kieran has crossed a line today, and I need to blow off some steam! Amarys won’t battle me, and I can't find Crispin or Lacey, so one of you two will have to do it, and I'm not taking no for an answer!” She demanded coming over to you both, not even questioning the fact that you're just sitting on his lap.

Drayton shook his head and sighed. “I'm all battled out for today, so you will be taking no for an answer!”

"Fine, then I’ll battle you!” Before you could even protest, Carmine grabbed your arm in a non-aggressive way and practically yanked you away from him, much to your dismay. Letting go once you were by the door. Immediately, you stepped away, wanting to head back for Drayton, who was now standing up, flabbergasted by the audacity. "Hey, no walking out on me; we're battling!”

“Carmine, maybe you should take another look around for Crispin or Lacey? I mean, they have to be somewhere, right?” You respond, hoping she will just decide to go find them and use wild Pokémon as her victims of battle rage. As much as you loved her, you really just wanted to spend time with Drayton; he was your boyfriend, and he needed you as much as you needed him. And now Carmine has burst into the room like a wild Rhyhorn and pulled you away from him.

“No way! You’re here; you aren't doing anything important, so let's battle! I need to battle you so I can go talk to Kiki with a calmer  mind. "She pleaded, fists clenched, as she finally gave her reason for being mad. “He can’t just blame me for one of his Pokémon fainting just because I was watching! I didn’t distract him from that fight; I didn't even say anything!” She continued to rant after that, not even noticing you weren't near her anymore.

Slowly continuing to back away, you somehow manage to make it back to Drayton's side as you hook your arm through his. Finally, You managed to get a word in through Carmine's rambling. “You know... maybe just this once you could go battle some wild Pokémon? I heard there was a Scizor outbreak going on in the canyon."

“Huh? A what? No, I don't care about any stupid outbreaks. I need a real challenge! And you are going to give me that  challenge. "Carmine once again protested, " If she's anything, it’s determined. “And why do you keep hiding behind toothpaste? I'm not that angry!”

"No, you are; I can see the smoke coming out of your ears.” Drayton mocked crossing his arms as he stepped forward, leaning against the wall beside him as you continued to stay almost glued to his side.

“Zip it, Colgate! You’re not a part of this.” She snapped, staring daggers into his soul when he began laughing. “Unless you’ve changed your mind, you shush it!”

“Carmine, breathe; you are stressed. Take a moment to cool down and just think about my offer; who knows, maybe you could find a shiny Scizor there. That would definitely be one up, Kieran, huh?” Once again, you make an attempt to sway Carmine’s favour, hoping she will take the hint that you really don’t want to leave Drayton right now. Yeah, the fight will be short-lived given the team differences, but all you really wanted to do was just cuddle up to his side like a Komala.

Completely unexpectedly, Carmine stops abruptly and places her hand on her chin, thinking intensely. The way she can just switch off her rage so quickly is scary but hilarious at the same time. “A shiny one would be cool... Plus, Scizor is a pretty tough Pokémon, so I would get some good training done. And Kiki doesn’t have a shiny, so when I talk to him later, I can use it if he gets too pushy again. ALRIGHT! I’m going to get a shiny Scizor!”

Without another word, she just bolted out the door as fast as she came in. Drayton is just confused as he chuckles to himself. "Well, that was something. I’m honestly surprised that it worked; you certainly have a better way of calming the beast than I do love.”

“I'm also surprised that worked! And don’t call her a beast. "You respond by laughing along with him. “Though I'm glad it did work, I was worried I'd have to battle her and miss out on my cuddles.”

“You know I'd never let you miss that! I’d be too lonely. Besides, what's gonna keep me warm when you’re not around? A blanket I think not.” He teased, pulling you against his chest with a smile, your hands resting on his chest. “Though just once, I'm actually glad Carmine interrupted us... Her yelling probably cleared off the whole corridor, so why don’t we head up to my dorm before the swarm files back in? I rented your favourite movie this week.”

“If I get to stay with you, then I am so in!” You cheer. Taking his hand into yours as you drag him out of the room, rush back to his dorm for the peace and quiet you both desperately want. So much yelling for such little time.

[tinygenderfluid]

You know what's kinda insane to me?

The fact that Ash Ketchum isn't famous in the pokemon universe, like in-universe.

You mean to tell me that a ten-year-old going region to region, meeting multiple legendaries and solving insane problems with his recognizable as fuck pikachu isn't atleast twitter famous? Not even considered a cryptic that when people say that they met him, he beat their asses in a pokebattle, then continued to also beat a legendary/an evil league/team rocket, that people online don't go: "oooh another region/world wide incident that can go on the conspiracy board, time to put new red threads between this major world-impscting event and the fact that this kid might me god."

I mean, he atleast should be famous in Kalos from the jumping-off-the-Prism-tower-fiasco alone but he also sorta stopped an artificial apocalypse set up by an evil pokemon league using an unidentified legendary and a previously long lost mega-evolution form from a starter pokemon. (It's been a while since I watched the anime, don't get on my ass).

I mean, pokemon champions are kind of considered famous because people recognise them in-universe right? Shouldn't someone online have recognised him from hanging out with so many champions alone? You mean to tell me that if some random ten-year old started showing up in news articles with famous people even if he was just in the background, no one in the entire world would make a reddit post saying 'hey look at this funny coincidence, this kid has been spotted with 5 champions or something' ????????

Buzzfeed unsolved episodes have been made about less.

I get it that he wouldn't become well known from the mewtwo incident - because mewtwo erased the memories of everyone involved if I remember correctly - but you mean to tell me no one remembered him from the three legendary kanto birds and Lugia (saved the world), Entei, Celebi, Latio and Latias and literally every other movie? Sure, say those aren't cannon. WHAT ABOUT THE TIME HE LITERALLY GOT KIDNAPPED BY A THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT POKEMON IN THE FIRST SEASON?? THAT DINO-ASS FLYING POKEMON THAT FORCED CHARMELEON TO EVOLVE INTO CHARIZARD SO THEY COULD FIGHT IT? HE'S NOT ATLEAST INFAMOUS IN KANTO FOR THAT??

Also you can't tell me that there are a lot of ten-year old who fight in multiple major pokemon leagues in contention for the title of regional pokemon champion.

There has to atleast be one autistic 5-year old and their mother in the pokemon world who know all about Ash Ketchum because his adventures are low-key insane.

[bluekat12345]

Me and The BB League Elite Four!

Seriously, these guys were tough, even with my level 100 pokemon, they were still a challenge. Double battles are crazy for me. My Meowscarada fainted so many times, it's not even funny. Other than, most of the Elite 4 were great, and I'm torn between choosing Lacey or Amarys as my favorite.

Crispin was really hard for me, and his challenge was a bit of a pain, but I had fun with him and he seems like a fun guy, so I like him.

Honestly, Drayton was the easiest for me to fight. And I'm torn between liking him and hating him. Because he wanted us to beat Kieran to try and snap him out of his obession, but then he practically rubs the loss in his face, like dude! Not helping!

So much to say about Lacey. She looks like Miriam, she also reminds me of Opal with her quiz and fairy typing, and interacting with her is such a treat, she's adorable. And she's tough, both as an Elite Four member and during the introduction to the Academy.

Amarys was awesome too, her stoicism was fun for me to witness. I love her design, she kind of reminds of Garnet from Steven Universe. She's strong, but was one of the easier matches for me. Not gonna lie, when I see my character and her side by side, I want to pretend she's my character's cousin. I just want them to be family.

Overall, I like these guys and I hope to hang out with them more in the post-game.

[pokemonheritageposts]

I have finally finished my complete pokedex run of Pokemon Crystal, capping off by catching Celebi in Ilex Forest.

This is such a weirdly emotional moment for me. Ignoring that this is the culmination of hundreds of hours of effort, requiring me to play through Gold and Silver as well as two seperate playthroughs of Yellow just to get everything not available in Crystal proper, I have a very personal attachment to Generation 2. I'm pretty sure that it's the game I've spent the most time playing across my life.

I've been here since the beginning, Red was my first game and I loved it to bits. But Gold version is infinitely more nostalgic to me. It's the first game I was ever excited for. There was almost a mysticism about seeing all the new details in magazines, about Togepi, about Marill, about Donphan, about the new starters, as more details started to trickle in.

Then one day in 2000, I got a gift. A pirated gameboy cartridge with 20 games on it - including the Japanese version of Pokemon Gold. I couldn't understand any of it, and it couldn't save, so I could only play through as much of it as could be done in one sitting, since the Game Boy Colour ran off of AA batteries and couldn't be left running indefinitely.

I must have played that almost every single day for like a year.

The furthest I could ever get in one go was Ice Path, so everything after that was no man's land to me until the English game dropped. April 6th, 2001 - I remember that date clearer than I remember most of my family's birthdays. I got it, and I played the hell out of it. And nothing could have prepared me for what would happen after I finally beat the Pokemon League - getting to play through Kanto again. Getting to fight Red.

I loved it to pieces. Later, I even bought Pokemon Silver and Pokemon Crystal, despite that I grew up poor and could only afford about two new games a year. I hold these games so dear to me. Even with HeartGold and SoulSilver offering many QoL improvements and additional content, I still find myself more drawn to them. (Also, Crystal actually has some improvements that were left out in HGSS - I'd still say it holds some significant merit even with the remakes as they are).

Sadly, my original copies of all the Gen 2 games mysteriously vanished (presumably stolen by my dipshit childhood friend), so I wasn't able to play them for a long time. But coming back to it as an adult, playing it all again, reliving everything I loved about them the first time - it's all been incredible. And finally having done the last thing that's left to do in it, seeing the last piece of content from these games that was never available until the Virtual Console release? It feels like the end to a grand journey for me.

[running-with-the-feels]

I'm reviving the pokemon au

Kuai Liang is the current ice type gym leader with a: Regice, Frosslass, Glaceon, Sneasel, Lapras, and Aurorus

The Regice was originally his mother's and the Froslass was one he caught while stranded on the top of a mountain during a blizzard, whom he privately believes to be his dead sister, Lian, and has named accordingly, as she died on that same mountain and it is believed that Froslass are born from the souls of women who die in the snow. Lian the Froslass saved his life by fighting off the pokemon who wanted to kill him and guiding him back down the mountain.

Frost is training under Kuai Liang and acts as a kind of mini-boss to challengers with a team of: Alolan Vulpix, Sneasel, Frosmoth, Cubchoo, Glalie and Cloyster

Her Sneasel, named Crimson, was a gift to her by Kuai Liang when he found her outside his gym one night, having run away from home. It was her first pokemon and still obviously her favorite, though she denies it to anyone who asks.

Bi-Han used to be the ice type gym leader, but after an accident that left his pokemon team dead, he abandoned the gym and vanished for years. When he resurfaced, he was the dark type gym leader with a team of: Weavile, Mandibuzz, Absol, Zorua, Umbreon, and Murkrow

The Absol, named Snow, was the first pokemon he caught after the incident and he maintains to this day that Snow caught him, not the other way around. He was originally never going to train pokemon again, but Snow pushed him

Hanzo is the dragon type gym leader with a: Dragapult, Drampa, Vibrava, Kommo-o, Noivern, and Dragonair

He is a descendant of the Draconid people and is one of the few who still maintains their traditions to this day, teaching anyone who wants to learn if they agree to join his gym as trainers.

Takeda acts as Hanzo's mini-boss, with a: Goomy, Gible, Deino, Bagon, Axew, and Applin

Kenshi left him in Hanzo's care when he was asked to join the Elite four by Raiden, fearing that the league was no place to raise a child and since Suchin had been a Draconid too and a member of Hanzo's gym, it was a way for Takeda to stay connect to her, even after her passing

The Fire Type gym leader is Liu Kang: Blaziken, Cinderace, Infernape, Armarouge, Hisuian Arcanine, and Talonflame

He was originally asked by Raiden to be the champion, but declined as he felt that such a position should be earned and not granted, instead working his way up to be leader of the gym.

Raiden is the electric type gym leader and runs the league with a team of: Morpeko, Elekid, Alolan Raichu, Magneton, Jolteon and Ampharos

He refounded the league after it had fallen out of use as he wanted trainers to be prepared for the dangers to come

Mileena is the Fairy type gym leader with a team of: Mawile, Mimikyu, Grimmsnarl, Granbull, Hattterene, and Sylveon

Sick of living in her sister, Kitana's shadow, Mileena founded her own gym and became one of the strongest trainers out there, with many trainers complaining that her gym is the hardest to beat. The sylveon evolved from an Eevee Kitana had caught her when they were kids (before The Incident where they fell out) and as Sylveons evolve into that form due to how much they love their trainer, the Sylveon is her favorite as it is proof that she can be loved

Jax and Sonya are the Joint fighting type trainers with Jax's team being: Hawlucha, Gallade, Sawk, Lucario, Hitmonlee, Machamp. and Sonya's being: Throh, Hitmonchan, Sneasler, Toxicroak, Primape, and Poliwrath

Sonya originally wanted to be the water type gym leader but as there were already 8 gyms, she instead joined Jax at his, working her way up to be his co-leader and training all their underlings to be even stronger

Jacqui is their miniboss with a team of: Breloom, Conkledurr, Scrafty, Heracross, Crabominable, and Falinks

She doesn't want to be a fighting type gym leader or trainer though, she would much prefer to be a normal trainer doing her gym challenge but Jax is overprotective and won't let her go until she's "Strong enough" Despite the fact that he has gone three months without a battle bc she kept defeating every trainer to challenge them

Kitana is the flying type gym leader with: Skarmory, Sensu Form Oricorio, Swanna, Aerodactyl, Swellow, and a blue Minior

She inherited the gym from her mother and is doing her best to uphold the late leader's legacy although some of the things she is discovering about Sindel are unsettling

Jade acts as one of Kitana's trainers, fighting with a Tropius and a Tropius only, though she is still hard to beat

Of the Elite Four we have:

Nightwolf, the rock type, who has three Lycanorocs, one of each form, a Terrakion, Rhydon, and Regirock

Kung Lao, who is determined to be the next champion and uses steel type: Bisharp, Aegislash, Aggron, Metagross, Bronzong and Tinkaton

Kenshi, psychic type: Reuniclus, Oranguru, Hypno, Alakazam, Delphox, and Espeon

And Jade, the grass type: Tropius, Rillaboom, Venusaur, Torterra, Meganium, and Serperior

The current champion:

Cassie Cage, with a team of: Hitmontop, Beedrill, Golurk, Cyclizar, Toxtricity, and Gyarados

Rain is trying to create his own gym, water type, but as it is unofficial nobody counts his badge as meaningful though many trainers do fight his gym just to prove they can.

His team is: Milotic, Relicanth, Kingdra, Lumineon, Vaporeon, and Slowking

Johnny runs a pokemon rescue/pokemon nursery and was once a famous pokemon trainer and actor though he has since settled down. He doesn't have a full team anymore, just a Cinccino from his movie days and a Sableye that keeps breaking into his house to eat his jewelry

Shao Khan runs Team Hammer (I couldn't think of a better name) and seeks to turn the league into his own personal army by becoming champion and disposing of any gym leaders who won't fall in line. Shang Tsung, Skarlet, and Kano + Kano's black dragon goons all work for him and cause havoc wherever they can

lemme know if y'all want more of this AU, bc I can do more, also, feel free to add on or use this idea as you please

[elbdot]

Who’s your favorite Champion (and why is it Cynthia? 😉)

I SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE CYNTHIA Ok serious talk: I've never played Pokemon Diamond/Pearl or the remakes but I have MAD respect for Cynthia. Her design, her demeanor, her team, her battle style? She's intelligent, she's got style, she's got CLASS, she's what I'd imagine a world-class Champion to be. I only experienced her ingame at Alolas Battle Tree, but she gave me a pretty dang good challenge.

If I'd only go from the Champions I beat in their main game however, I'd say Kukui gave me the hardest and most memorable battle. I still remember it more vividly than the battle against Steven, Diantha, Geeta or Leon. But I know Kukui doesn't really get counted to the Champions, Alola is in a weird position due to the League being freshly established within the story of the game.

I'd say Cynthia, Leon and Kukui are all my favorite Champions. Even if Leon wasn't that hard to beat in SWSH, I still really like his character, especially in the anime.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

How about Kieran practicing asking out his crush in front of some Pokémon in the terrarium? Oh and said crush is currently using the synchro machine with a Pokémon who can easily blend in with the ones found in the terrarium and is among the group watching / listening to him. Thankfully his crush likes him back.

Here's some cuteness for Pokemon Day! ❤

..........

'Man, this synchro machine is fun.'

It was just another warm and sunny day in the Terarium, with you running around as a Smeargle and painting on rocks to your heart's content. A few others were doing the exact same thing, not knowing that you were actually a human trainer in disguise.

It was nice becoming a Pokemon for a little while. You didn't have any immediate responsibilities nor would you attract unwanted attention from others.

People kept coming up to you asking for battles, especially after you became the new BB League Champion. Even now you didn't think it was that big of a deal...

Besides, you still felt bad about ripping the title from Kieran.

You knew that he needed to be humbled and beaten in battle, although the guilt lingered as you recalled how devastated he was that he lost to you again.

Fortunately, things have gotten a lot better for him, as he learned to enjoy Pokémon battles again and realize it's just a silly title at the end of the day.

It's not something he needed to have in order to be worthy of love and respect.

All in all, your friendship has grown stronger than ever. To the point where the casual battle you both had didn't stress him out. He enjoyed it despite its outcome.

But today you haven't seen him anywhere in the academy, although Drayton pointed out that he ventured into the Terarium...and said nothing more than that.

You figured he just needed time to ease back into everything after a much-needed break in Kitakami.

Of course you two recently saved the whole land from Pecharunt's possession-spree. So you'd give him time to ease back into things.

So while he was doing whatever in the Terarium, you were just living the life of a Smeargle, painting a pokeball on the face of a boulder. One or two others have joined you, inspired by your art, and a few stray Deerlings and other Pokémon stopped by to observe.

Then suddenly, you heard a familiar voice.

"Th-This is kinda awkward, but...you think you and your friends could help me out?"

"Smear??" Spinning around, you completely forgot you were a Smeargle for a second, eyes wide to see Kieran there, and he was holding...a paper?

'Oh right..I'm a Pokémon, he can't tell..' You realize and internally sigh with relief, curious as to what he wrote.

"I'm just..t-trying to ask out this person I really like, but..I'm too embarrassed to do it in front of people. So...Pokémon might be better? I dunno.." He grumbled to himself, shaking his head. "Just let me know if this is good or not."

You looked to the other Pokemon, who seemed to understand him with a collection of nods, chirps, and growls. You gave your approval with a thumbs-up.

The way Kieran smiled at you made your heart skip a beat.

"Okay, th-thanks...ahem.." Clearing his throat, he glanced at the paper, before pocketing it and looking directly at you. "So..[y/n]..."

'It's...me? Oh my arceus..' You held onto your tail brush, trying not to give yourself away but at the same time feeling heat rise to your cheeks. 'Be cool, be cool, be cool-'

"I know I..wasn't a great friend back then, but I'm glad we were able to move past all of that stuff. You've made me happy in ways I could never imagine. I lost my spark..and you were the one to put it back into me, and I'm forever grateful. That being said..I-I...um...I'm ready to be more than just friends....so....I.....w-wowzers..this is tough..I dunno if I can do this." His posture became slumped, and you frowned a little.

"Smear, smearg!"

'Kieran, c'mon..don't give up.' You silently encouraged.

He perked up at your cry and saw the other Pokémon cheering him on, and he shyly smiled. "Thanks guys, so..would you...um..like to go out with me, [y/n]? Or wait, that might be comin' off too strong..uh...wanna grab somethin' at the cafeteria later---no, no..that sounds too much like Drayton...ugh....I'll be fine."

Rubbing his hands over his face, he calmed himself down and looked at the group, sheepish. "Worst they can say is no, right? But...I-I hope they don't. They mean a lot to me..although if they wanna stay friends, I don't mind that too.." He mumbled.

You felt a strong tug on your heartstrings upon seeing the despondent look on his face. Like he was expecting you to reject him right away.

It made you wanna desynchronize right now and reassure him you accept his confession, but you didn't wanna scare him with the fact you were listening this whole time.

Maybe you could drop subtle hints.

You wanted to express your feelings for him, too, in your own way.

So after the Pokémon dispersed, and Kieran stood there pondering over what to do next, he noticed you walking up to him, handing him a rock.

"What's this..?"

After close examination, he realized there was a heart painted on it.

"You think [y/n] would like this?" He blinked, before smiling and kneeling down, patting you on the head. "Thanks, Smeargle...y'know your tail color is also their favorite color. Funny coincidence, right?"

"Smear.." You pointed to yourself, tilting your head.

"Yes. You." He laughed a little. "You don't happen to belong to them, do ya?"

"Smear..smear!" You nod.

"Oh? Where's your trainer?"

"..........."

A look of realization crosses his face. "Hold on-"

Suddenly, you switched off the synchro machine, causing your Smeargle to vanish and him to freeze, now understanding what was going on.

It was you.

This whole time you were synched to it, listening to his confession and watching him fumble over his words like an idiot.

After you emerged from your hiding place, back in your actual body and Smeargle at your side, you searched around for Kieran--only to find him sitting by a small pond, his back to you.

"Ki?"

His shoulders were tense, although he didn't dare look at you. Instead his face was buried into his hands, trying to make himself look as small as possible.

Maybe, just maybe, if he sat very very still....you wouldn't see him.

But unfortunately luck didn't shine on him this time, as you just calmly sat beside him, chuckling. "C'mon, that was actually really sweet. Practicing in front of Pokémon. They don't judge."

"...I-I didn't know you were there.." He spoke, voice slightly muffled. "I'm so embarrassed...this isn't how it was s'pposed to go-"

"Well, if you want my answer..it's yes."

"......huh?" Peeking through his fingers, he gazed at you for a long while, wondering if you were joking or not. But the look in your eyes was warm, and your smile genuine.

"I was trying to use Smeargle to express my own feelings, but just so there's no confusion...I'll go out with you, Kieran." You told him, feeling your heart beating fast again. "You make me happy and..I wanna keep being there for you. Through the good and the bad. So...I'm ready to be more than friends, too."

He was stunned. "Really..?"

"Yes." You opened your arms up to him, and a few moments later he uncovered his face to hug you tightly. It lasted for several seconds, before you pulled away to kiss his cheek.

Immediately, he began burning red. "W-Wowzers...so..we're official, huh? Just like that?"

"Yep." You chuckled at his flusteredness, intertwining your fingers with his own. "And if you wanna go on a little cafeteria date, I don't mind."

All Kieran could do was nod and smile, his gaze going to your Smeargle who was painting absentmindedly on a different rock. And when it was done, it presented you two with a simple drawing of you holding hands with him.

They were stick figures, but it was still a masterpiece.

You got yourselves a little wingman in the form of a Painter Pokémon.

[ruiyuki]

“Then, why don't you claim your own skies?”

The words ring in his head that morning of the ceremony. Thinking on this was unusual, really— the Drayster never mulled over things for long. In the days leading up however, Drayton couldn't help being reminded of the words said to him by that guy many months ago.

— —

Cyrano introduced him as a gym leader of the Galar region, visiting Blueberry Academy to train for a while in the Terarium.

“Yo, name's Raihan. Heard you're a dragon trainer too— care for a battle?”

A fellow dragon specialist, and Duraludon trainer too. They clicked instantly; having so much in common and being so similar in personality, it made League Club members do a double take. It wasn't before long that Drayton spent most of his class-skipping days hanging with Raihan in the Terarium during those few weeks.

They battled, they trained, and sometimes they just chatted over grub. Most of the time it was light-hearted: trading tips on dragon training, or stories of the strong trainers they've encountered. Other times, Raihan ranted off about the online beef he had with that Iono chick

(“The streamer girl? Yeah, we've met; she was invited here from Paldea last year. Girl's a whacky cuckoolander.” “Ugh, got that straight.”)

or jived Drayton about his League Club juniors.

(“Your girl Lacey is real cute.” “Yeah, that's her thing. Don't you think about trying anything though; her old man's Clay.” “The cowboy man? Damn.”)

It was only when the topic of rivals drifted along the daily conversation mill that vibes turned dour. A topic that Drayton avoided taking too seriously. There were feelings that never left him, never spoken aloud at Blueberry Academy. He wanted to keep it away, leave it on the shores of Unova miles from his small ocean sanctuary.

But Raihan never disparaged it. To Drayton's surprise, the other dragon tamer even had his own struggles to share, despite already reaching the status of 8th gym leader. He candidly described the child prodigy in his home region— the undefeated champion ever so popular and praised in the public eye.

It was a story Drayton knew all too well; he could recognize it in the undertone of Raihan's voice as he hit note for note the same emotions Drayton had felt too. So for the very first time since stepping foot upon Blueberry Academy, Drayton shared his own story— of his family, of the Opelucid Gym, of the Unova Champion.

Leon. Drayden. Iris.

These were the names that, although both Raihan and Drayton had much respect for them as pokemon trainers, never really made their smiles reach their eyes. The brighter big lights shine, the larger the shadows are cast behind them they say. Drayton's never found peace in that darkness, but it did make him feel better finding a kindred spirit in Raihan.

That is, until Raihan dropped the most mind-blowing take the Drayster's ever heard.

“It’s the same for you innit?— with Iris, I mean. There's always that someone you can't reach up to no matter how much you give your all— the ultimate rival. 'cept don't you think it could be that way 'cause you're playing the game with different rules?”

“Huh?”

“Leon was the strongest because his Pokemon are strong. Even if he's in a tight spot, he'd always manage to eek out a win because of that insane raw power of his pokemon. Battle instincts just come naturally to him y'know? But if you ask the man about how he uses his pokemon's abilities or setting up his next move? My mate gets lost quicker than Sonia can put a tracker on him, haha!”

“The Pokemon League's standard for single battles is great and all, but doubles is a whole different ball game. Singles is all about strength and endurance; double battles actually uses tactics. Just because a trainer is good at raising Pokemon to be strong doesn't always mean they'll be good at strategy. Honestly, it’s amazing how Leon stayed at the top for a decade 'til the new champ beat him.”

No matter how good Drayton was as Blueberry League Champion, at a school specialized in double battles, beating Iris was always a separate issue. The battle skills he was taught as a child, from his training by his grandfather at Opelucid Gym was all he had ever known when battling her. But truth be told, it never even occurred to him to level the playing field. It never occurred to him to think that he could.

“That's why I choose doubles in my gym. There are different ways to be strong as a trainer, it's just a matter of finding your own. 'sides, this school already specializes in double battles, why not put that to your advantage?”

Challenging Iris in a double battle… might just be the craziest idea Drayton has ever considered.

“The skies are big enough for all of us to fly— you just have to claim your territory, mate.”

— —

“Drayton, there you are!” Lacey's voice snaps him out of his reverie.

They've just finished the graduation ceremony. Long and arduous, the graduating students all decked out in Blueberry's cap and gown stood in the Terarium's Central Plaza waiting to be called up one by one to recieve a fancy sealed up paper. After the final speeches were said, cheers shouted and caps tossed, it was finally time for students to freely mill about in the celebratory energy.

“Yo. Congratulations, Miss Valedictorian.”

“Oh please, not you too. Crispin and the other League Club members have already said enough.” She pauses, lightly laughs as she approaches him. “And besides, I came here to congratulate you! Congratulations on graduating, Drayton.”

“Thanks, been a long time coming.”

“Yes… To be honest, I'm kinda surprised you made it this year…”

“Heh heh, aren't we all?” He took no offense to that, really. “Guess I just got my muse back this time 'round.”

Indeed, Drayton's change of pace didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the BB Elite Four. Perhaps it was the influence of the whole Kieran drama last year… or after that had cleared up, the subsequent sister school exchange event where the top BB League Club members got invited to Paldea to participate in a team competition. Lacey certainly noticed Drayton went back to skipping class when the Galarian gym leader was here, but at least he was motivated somewhat regularly after.

“I see… well I'm glad to hear that, Drayton. What are you planning to do after graduation?”

“Who knows… but I might have something in mind…”

“Something?”

“Don't worry about it.” He waves it off and ushers her ahead. “C'mon, lets take some photos with the club. It'll be our last ones here afterall.”

.

.

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“By the way Drayster— if you ever find yourself in Galar, feel free to drop by Hammerlocke Stadium any time. We'll be happy to have ya.”