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thelastspeecher · 5 years

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The Invisible Stan

AO3

All right, so myself and my wonderful roommate have been watching the Moomins TV show from the 90s. And in the Moomins series, there is a concept where abused or abandoned children turn invisible until given love and attention again. And of course, I thought to myself “well, let’s just apply that to some good ole Gravity Falls!”

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Summary: After getting kicked out of the house as a teenager, a childhood malady comes back, making Stan...difficult to find.

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Stan wasn’t completely taken by surprise when he woke up one day able to see through his hands. It was something he’d come accustomed to, as had Ford. Ford, being the nerd he was, tried to come up with theories as to why this happened. Why the shouting of their parents from the living room resulted in their shadows being only evidence of their existence. Why their father’s heavy footsteps on the stairs made them impossible to see or hear. Why the punishment of going to bed hungry night after night caused their fingers and toes to become ghostlike.

Stan never bothered with the why’s. He only focused on the benefits. It was a lot easier to sneak out when you were invisible, for one. And easier to steal food from the kitchen when your footsteps didn’t make a sound and neither did your stomach, even if it was trying to eat itself from hunger. And they didn’t have to panic and hide when their father made his way to their bedroom door in his loud shoes. They sat in full view of the door, and stifled giggles at the confused expression on Filbrick’s face when he saw nothing but an empty room.

This won’t help when someone comes to find me, Stan thought to himself, idly wiggling his translucent fingers. Because he was certain that someone would find him. They had to, right? Pops would cool off, Mom would tell Ford to go find Stan, and Stan would gladly follow his twin back to their room above the pawn shop. Sure, he wouldn’t exactly be welcomed back with open arms, but he wouldn’t expect that from his Pops, anyways. What mattered was that he would be home soon.

The atmosphere would be tense and awkward, yeah. He’d have to be “respectful” to Pops for a while, and let Ford punch his arm until it was black and blue as payback, but he wouldn’t be on the streets forever.

I just need to give ‘em time. Stan checked his reflection in the mirror. His face was still around, at least. He stuffed his ghostlike hands into his pockets. Even Pops wouldn’t permanently kick me out.

-----

After a month or so, Stan had to start wearing long sleeves and gloves constantly. He was the only person on the beach whose torso was completely covered. A few strange looks went his way, but he did his best to ignore them. Even when it was a cute chick who eyed his sopping clothes disdainfully. It was difficult, though. His sweat would pool underneath his clothes in the hot summer sun, causing large, unsightly damp patches. Which kind of confused him.

Even when I’m sweating so much I feel it drip off me, I don’t see it. How come I only see it when it makes me all wet? Stan cautiously sniffed his armpit, then recoiled at the stench. Eugh. That’s ripe, even for me. He turned back to the task at hand, investigating the latest spot to set off the metal detector he had swiped last week. But long sleeves are worth it, even if I gotta sweat like a pig. Can’t really go out in public with invisible arms.

Stan tossed another clump of sand over his shoulder, then leaned against his shovel tiredly. Digging was more difficult in this attire. At least he could still get by wearing shorts instead of pants. At the moment, his legs were the only part of him not actively drenched in sweat, instead feeling the crisp breeze off the ocean.

I didn’t think I’d get this bad. I mean, it’s not like anyone’s hurt me. They’ve just ignored me. That means I’m fine. Right?

“Right,” he muttered to himself, trying to lie about the sinking feeling in his chest. He was a good liar, after all. Maybe he could fool himself. After a brief moment watching the gulls careening across the bright blue waves, he let out a sigh and picked his shovel up again. Under the sand piled on top of his feet, he couldn’t see his beat-up sneakers beginning to fade.

-----

Stan didn’t know how Ford managed to find him. He hadn’t found himself in years. Not since his stint in the Columbian prison. In hindsight, that was a bad idea. Sure, being a trafficker had finally given him a purpose that made his fingers and toes visible for the first time since he was seventeen. But the temporary reprieve hadn’t been worth it. The guards stomping through the South American jungle had brought to mind his father’s own footsteps resounding on the creaky, wooden stairs, and before he knew it, he was gone. Completely. All attempts to become visible since had been useless.

None of the guards had seen him. None of the loan sharks looking for him could locate him. No one knew what Stan looked like anymore. Not even Stan himself.

So the letter that slid underneath the door of Stan’s dingy motel room was a hell of a surprise. Stan cautiously made his way over to the door and picked up the letter. He recognized Ford’s handwriting right away.

He…he wants me? Hope began to bubble through Stan’s veins, an emotion so foreign it took him a moment to recognize. He wants to see me? He needs my help? A small unseen smile forced its way onto Stan’s see-through face. Someone wants me around. His eyes widened at the sight of his fingers, clenching the letter tightly in joy, slowly fading into view. An invisible tear dropped onto the letter. Duh. If anyone could bring me back, it’s Ford.

-----

He’d become completely visible for a few sweet moments, right before he knocked on Ford’s door. Now, he was back to square one. Stan sat on the floor, his back against the broken damn machine his brother had just vanished into. And not vanished in the way Stan was familiar with. No, he was gone. Really gone.

“I just got him back,” Stan choked through his sobs. “I can’t lose him again.”

“What about you?” some part of him screamed. “You just got yourself back, too!” Stan tried to shove those feelings down. Down to the soles of his rapidly disappearing boots. It didn’t matter what happened to him. Not now that the only person who could make him turn visible again was gone. Stan leaned his head back. His tears trickled down his face, into the jacket he now knew was red. His hair, which he had realized only moments before had gotten really long, was starting to get damp, too. Anger suddenly surged through him.

No! Fuck my feelings! Stan brusquely wiped his tears away. I can’t be a lazy, selfish asshole anymore. Ford’s gone. I’ve gotta bring him back. He got to his feet. It might take years, but I’ll do the last thing he told me to. I’ll help him. God knows he needs it. Filled with purpose, Stan stomped away. As he passed the glass window separating the machine from the console covered with blinking lights and switches, he stopped. His heart leapt into his throat.

“I’m still here,” he whispered. His voice creaked from lack of use. After all, why bother speaking if no one could hear you? Stan swallowed, staring at his reflection. “I’m still here.”

-----

Stan might have been mostly back after that night, a new sense of purpose making him visible in a way he hadn’t been for far too long. But he was still partly gone. Luckily, Ford seemed to favor long-sleeved clothes, pants, and close-toed shoes. Unluckily, Stan despised almost every single item of clothing he could find. Until he spotted the suit at the back of Ford’s closet. It was piled up in the corner, like Ford only had it out of obligation and had thrown it in there to pretend like it didn’t exist.

Okay, I get why he didn’t wanna wear it, Stan thought upon inspecting the suit. It was clearly Pops’. At the mere thought of his father, his upper arms began to fade. Stan swallowed. But it’s either this, or those turtlenecks that smell like they haven’t been washed in months. He sighed and set the suit to the side. Now, does Ford have any five-fingered gloves?

-----

No one in town questioned why Stan wore a suit throughout the year. No one even cared. It was one of the few bright sides to the oddity of Gravity Falls, in Stan’s opinion. They coughed up money for his fake attractions whether or not Stan was drenched in sweat. He did get a few odd looks about the gloves. But that might have been due to Stan’s clumsy attempts to adjust a pair of Ford’s six-fingered gloves to fit him better. A woman with an exorbitant amount of blue eyeshadow pulled him aside after one of his tours to give him the address for a seamstress she knew.

Stan didn’t intend on following up with some random lady’s opinion on his clothes. He didn’t need to wear gloves all the time, anyways. Some days were better than others, in which case he went gloveless. But as the years passed and Stan ran up against wall after wall trying to fix Ford’s machine, the days he couldn’t see his hands became more and more frequent.

Fine. Fine. I’ll go see this “seamstress”. If only because I think my shitty sewing is resulting in fewer tips. Who knew there were people around who actually cared how things look? Stan rang the doorbell. Immediately, he got the urge to flee. She’s probably not even here anymore! It’s been way too long! Make a break for it, Stan! Before he could run away, the door opened. A woman with graying hair peered up at him through heavy-lidded eyes.

“Yes?” she asked in an accented voice. Stan cleared his throat.

Time to slip into Mr. Mystery. He grinned at her charmingly.

“I’ve heard you’re a fine seamstress.” The woman nodded. “Well, how’d ya feel about fixing up some gloves for me?”

“I won’t do it for free.”

“Of course not!”

“And I want to be paid up front,” the woman added. Stan stifled a groan.

Great. There goes my plan.

“Well, yeah,” he said, trying to hide his disappointment. He’d planned on telling her he’d pay her after the job was done, and then never cough up the money. But then again, in a town as small as Gravity Falls, where word of mouth traveled fast, maybe it was for the best he couldn’t do that. “Us small business owners have to support each other, y’know?” The woman looked at him for another moment before standing to the side.

“Come in,” she instructed. Stan obediently walked inside. “Show me what you want me to fix.” Stan handed her a pair of gloves, the first ones he’d messed with, and thus the pair he’d done the worst job on. The woman looked the gloves over, tutting softly. “This is not good. I can fix it, but gloves are delicate. It will take extra effort to repair without completely destroying them. And with extra effort, extra cost.”

Figures.

“So, do you have a friends and family discount?” Stan asked. The woman narrowed her eyes at him.

“We are not friends or family, Mr. Pines.”

“Yeah, but-” Stan started. A kid ran into the room, brandishing a red screwdriver.

“Mijo, go back to your room,” the woman instructed. The kid stopped in front of Stan, staring up at him with wide eyes. Stan rubbed the back of his neck.

“Listen to your…grandma?” he said cautiously. The boy and woman both nodded. “Yeah, listen to your grandma, kid. We’re doing business.”

“But you’re Mr. Mystery!” the boy chirped.

“Yeah.”

“I have something for you!”

“…Okay?” Stan said. The boy held out the screwdriver. Stan took it from him with a frown. It wasn’t one he recognized, but it had a label printed on it reading “The Mystery Shack”.

That useless handyman probably lost it so long ago I forgot it existed.

“Thanks, kid.” The boy beamed. “What, uh, what’s your name?”

“Soos!”

“Soos,” Stan repeated. He glanced at Soos’s grandmother, then back at Soos. “Y’know, Soos, I need a new handyman around the shack. Think you can figure out how to use this?” he asked, handing the screwdriver back. Soos’s eyes widened further, something Stand hadn’t thought was possible.

“I mean, maybe- I don’t-”

“Maybe is good enough for me. Wanna be the new Shack handyman?” Stan asked. The boy nodded eagerly. “Great. Now, uh, go back to your room. I’ll figure out your work schedule later.”

“Do as he says, mijo,” Soos’s grandmother said gently. Soos ran away. Stan grinned at her.

“So, about that friends and family discount…”

-----

Even though Stan had paid to get the gloves fixed, he found himself not needing them as much after he hired Soos. Something about that kid brought back the warm feelings Stan had gone so long without. It was a bit annoying at times, and especially so when Soos tried to follow him around the Shack instead of doing his job. But overall, Stan liked the kid. Not that he would ever admit it.

And he liked Wendy, too. Once things picked up so much that Soos couldn’t be both a handyman and run register, Stan had begrudgingly put up signs over town. The teenager had been the first person to walk through the door. She didn’t give a single damn about the job, which Stan respected. But even though she didn’t care, she still got most of her work done, which Stan respected even more.

So it wasn’t that big of a problem to give her extra hours and a pay raise when her mom passed away unexpectedly. It wasn’t even that big of a problem to give her a couple weeks off. He’d done the same for Soos when his grandma got sick and wound up in the hospital for a while. After all, he could run the Shack by himself. Even if he had to wear gloves on those days.

Stan didn’t like agreeing to watch Shermie’s grandkids over the summer. It had been thirty years since Ford vanished. Things were getting bleaker. He had to start wearing gloves again and couldn’t wander around the Shack barefoot like he preferred. If his invisibility started progressing further and further, he didn’t want to deal with trying to hide it from some snot-nosed kids.

But like it had when he’d hired Soos and then Wendy, those days where his hands couldn’t be seen became fewer and fewer. It was enough to make Stan wonder what the connection between spending time with these kids and staying visible could be.

As he stared silently up at his twin brother, those thoughts ran through his head. Every time he’d started to fade, only to be brought back by the kids. The kids that had gone fishing with him on that day he’d stared at his reflection in the lake, waiting for it to disappear. The kids that he’d punched dinosaurs and zombies for. The kids that had fought tooth and nail to rescue the Shack from that punk, Gideon Gleeful. The kids that, despite his best attempts to be distant with them, had weaseled their way into his life.

The kids that he hadn’t expected to shoehorn in on his reunion with Ford. Stan wasn’t happy about that. He was even more upset that they had witnessed Ford’s solid punch knocking Stan to the ground.

In my defense, I didn’t expect him to hit me. A snarl twisting his face, Ford glared down at Stan.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?” Ford demanded. Stan opened his mouth.

I brought you back. I did what you asked. Is that not enough? He spoke, but the words vanished in the air. Ford’s scowl deepened.

Stan’s feet, shoes and all, began to disappear.

#Gravity Falls #fanfiction #Stanley Pines #Soos Ramirez #Abeulita Ramirez #Stanford Pines #my writing #my stuff #speecher speaks

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starbound-surviivxr · 5 years

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Copy and fill out with what your character’s dialogue would be if they were a Follower in the Elder Scrolls!

Tagging: @techthiev @bountyhuntr @gemstolu @cosmic-gemstone & @cosmosriisen ; if you guys want to do it!~

Tagged By: Stolen, here’s the blank meme (I added my own subsections for diversity)

Initiating conversation:

“Speak your mind!”

“Is there anything you need?”

“Somethin’ ya wanna talk about?”

“I’m being quiet..” (If sneaking)

Exiting conversation:

“By your leave.”

“To the trails, again.”

“Ready to go!”

Asked to wait:

“I’ll be here, then.”

“Maybe I can find a good spot to set up...”

“I’ll call you if anything happens.”

“Try not to go too far...”

“You want me to stay..? Here?!” (if being left in an unsavory place, ie. a cavern)

Spoken to whilst waiting:

- Initiating conversation.

“Done yet?”

“Oh, there you are!”

“And here I was, thinking you’d forgotten me.”

“Are we ready to go? I’m starving.”

- Asked to continue following.

“Right behind you!”

“Warm bed, here we come!”

“Good, this place is starting to give me the creeps...” (if in a dungeon)

- Conversation exited without being asked to follow.

“A-Ah, okay. I’ll.. be here.”

“Nevermind, then? Alright.”

“Not finished yet?”

“*yawn* Think I could spare a few minutes for a nap..?”

Asked to move/interact:

- Command given.

“I’m on it!”

“Sure thing!”

“Alright, give me just a moment.”

- Command denied.

“That’s.. outside of my comfort zone.”

“I’m not capable of that.”

“Are you kidding me!? That’s kind of illegal.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

- Command completed.

“Anything else?”

“Done and done.”

“Easy. What’s next?”

Asked to trade items:

“Here’s all that I have..”

“Need me to carry some of that?”

“Don’t worry, I can hold it.”

“Take anything you need. Within reason, of course.”

Dismissed:

“O-Oh, okay! See you around, then!”

“I hope we see each other again soon!”

“You’ll know where to find me.”

“Hey, stay safe out there okay?”

After dismissal:

“You’re back! Any new stories to tell?”

“Hey! Good to see you again!”

“There’s a familiar face!”

Combat:

- Combat start.

“Oh boy here we go..”

“Enemies dead ahead!”

“Look out!”

“Lykyll give me strength!”

“Kylphar’s undead minions!” (if fighting undead)

“Sephyr’s grace, not this again..”

- Taking damage.

“Ow! That hurt!”

“*incoherent screaming*” (If set on fire / hit with shock magic)

“That’s chilly!” (Hit with ice magic)

- Low health.

“I can’t.. take any more..!”

“H-Help..!”

“I-I can... keep going..!” (Standing)

“I need to heal..”

“Kylphar won’t claim me today..!” (Standing)

- Player on low health.

“Get down!”

“Take a potion, I can handle them!”

“I’m coming! Hang on!”

- Player death.

“NO!”

“No! Don’t die on me!”

“You bastard!”

“Kylphar have mercy...”

Other Dialogue (Specific cities, locations, situations, etc.)

- Whiterun.

“It’s a shame, I bet this tree was beautiful...” (comment on the Gildergreen)

“This place feels so peaceful.. like an eye of a storm.”

“I don’t quite believe those stories about Dragon’s Reach holding a dragon. The building would have burned to the ground, being made of wood, and all.”

- Falkreath.

“The forest around this place.. it’s eerie.”

“There are many restless spirits here...”

“We should stop by the lake sometime, do some fishing.”

- Markarth.

“Don’t any of these people ever fear some of the machines coming to life? You never know what to expect.”

“...I’m not sure I like the looks some of the guards are giving us...”

“I don’t like that house. Can we just go? Please?” (comment on the abandoned house)

- Solitude.

“Wow..! This city is beautiful!”

“I could never live over there... I’d be too afraid of the natural bridge collapsing.”

“...I heard that this place had a lighthouse nearby. Wonder if I’ll ever see it.”

“....I was hoping for something more.” (If taken to the lighthouse)

- Morthal.

“This place smells like undead. Eugh..”

“I heard that a child died in that house, in the fire. What a terrible way to go... I hope her soul finds peace.” (comment on the burned house)

“It’s very wet here...”

- Dawnstar.

“It’s very quiet here...”

“I hope we don’t stay long.. I can’t sleep here.”

- Winterhold.

“All the knowledge locked away in that place.. just think of what history we could learn!” (comment on the college)

“It was a great tragedy, what happened here.. I hope these people can move on soon.”

“Odd that the college managed to survive such a disaster.”

- Windhelm.

“...I don’t like it here.”

“They’re staring at me...”

“Can we finish our business and go..? This place makes me uneasy.”

“I don’t want to stay here at night..”

- Riften.

“This place is beautiful but I feel like it’s too good to be true...”

“That Maven lady scares me...”

“Hard to believe this is the only place one can get married...”

“Eep! Something brushed my leg!” (If inside the Ratway)

- Throat of the World.

“That’s... a big mountain... Wait, we’re climbing that?!” (In Ivarstead)

“*Heavy breathing* Oh gods... are we finally here?” (upon first arrival)

“Oh wow, you can see nearly all of skyrim from up here... And we’re still not even at the top!”

- Helgen ruins.

“A dragon caused this...? Great Four, help us...”

#;Dash games #;long post #skyrim!au anyone?

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shapeshifting-arch-mage · 6 years

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12/04/2018

Raver Temmie and I fly on our broom to the Island. When was the last time we were here? We've come here again because we need to buy some glowsticks to pass out to the partygoers who've agreed to come to our private rave party. The one that we never got around to having because we went to Baku's rave over at Port Town's dance club. Now that was an experience.

"hey tem?"

"ya, hooman?"

"wen we get back, were gonna rite Baku a nice thank yu lettr, okay?"

"ooo, yaya!! thank u letr!! dats a grate idea!!1!" We fly our broom to the seaside store, which, unbeknownst to us, now has a new owner...

Raver Temmie and I fly our broom to the seaside store, where we'd last browsed for glowsticks. We dismount our broom, put it back inside our hat, and open the door. "i hope dis time i can find some-"

...The store looks different. We do not remember the store looking like this when we were last here. We step inside and close the door behind us. "h-hooman...?"

"yea?"

"wat happend to da store??"

"i dunno, its been a wile since we wer here. maybe sum1 redecorated it?"

We haven't seen who that someone is just yet, but if he were to look at the one who'd just entered his store, he'd see a bipedal Temmie in a pointy hat who appeared to be having a conversation with herself, as if she were two people.

"ok, but who did it?"

"i dunno." Our eyes look left and right as we take turns talking out of the same mouth.

[Salandit] The lizard frowned a little, holding the sandwich in its mouth. So... he could take random trash he didn't want, give it to this person, and they'd give him sandwiches...? ...He'd have to remember that, then. His tail flicked once more, and... before Jevil even finished his sentence, he was out the door- running at full speed towards... somewhere.

[Jevil] Jevil exhaled happily, tail wagging a bit. From his perspective, it had worked. It now knew the basics of capitalism. He laughed a little, having been greatly amused with the creature. Now though, he had a new priority. His small pointed ears shot up at the sound of the entrance bell and his attention was drawn to the newcomer: some sort of anthropomorphic white cat/dog. Them holding a conversation with themself was slightly off-putting to Jevil, but he wouldn't judge! Well at least he wouldn't let himself be too nervous, he had to serve this creature after all!

"Hello, hello to you, you! You come seeking wares is that true, true? Well, well tell me what you're looking for and I'll see what I can do, do!" Jevil wore his iconic joyous grin, mitten covered hands tucked beneath his chin as he awaited an answer.

[Rave Witch Temmie] Whoa! What was that that just darted by?! We flinch a little as the Salandit runs out the door. Once the door closes again, we turn back towards the counter and...

...Oh dear lord, what the heck is HE doing here?! He's not supposed to be out of his cell! We flinch again when he greets us, and begin to shiver, a look of dread forming on our face as he talks. After he finishes, our shivering culminates in a shudder as we cry out, "w-w-waaaaah!" We then hide our face behind our front paws.

[Jevil] He blinked once at the flinching reaction, deciding that it was only due to how loud he can become and often is to counteract the quieting nature of the shop's fabric walls. His voice would trail off somewhat as he noticed the shaking and expression. Maybe if he was quieter when he next spoke, this customer would be more comfortable here. The shudder and tears truly did distress the imp-like being, causing him to recoil a bit and spend a bit trying to figure out what he had said to cause such a reaction. Or maybe this person had very recently heard the rumors he had spread in his own world. He tensed a bit, taking in a breath, holding his hands out in front of him in the universal sign of harmlessness.

"H-hey calm down, calm down I say! There is no need for tears and no need for fears, I promise you won't be hurt, dears!" He had mainly pluralized it for the sake of rhyming rather than any knowledge of the newcomer's state.

[Rave Witch Temmie] Eugh, that voice... our shivering subsides somewhat, but not entirely. And did he just call us dears? Nnnngh...

We gingerly lower our paws from our face. They feel a bit moist... did we stain them with a tear or two? Oh geez, I didn't even notice- now that I think about it, our eyes do feel a little wet. How embarrassing...

"w-w-w-w-wat'd yu do to da store???"

[Jevil] "Just a little bit of renovation. I added a little things here and there to create what i saw in my imagination! Uee hee hee, and what a creation i've worked to see, see! No harm either considering the shop belongs to me, me!" He couldn't help but smile at the sensation of pride that whirled around in his stomach and warmed his chest. Jevil knew that there could have been countless others who sought this job and store, so he couldn't help but pride himself in the fact that the higher-ups, whoever they might be, had chosen him as the shopkeeper. No matter the poor experiences he has had so far, the bird-based robbery and the assault via spaghetti, he couldn't help but be happy and excited for all the new faces he'll be able to bring smiles to. His T ended tail swayed gently as he stared off into the distance at the thoughts.

Jevil was somewhat embarrassed when he emerged from his little day-dream. "Well, well now that you know my little slice of the resort, may I ask what wares you seek with some importe?"

[Rave Witch Temmie] "i... uh... um..." Oh geez, the little snot's gone and taken over the place, has he? Well, isn't that just faaaaan-tastic!

"human, whys a scary clown guy in da store??" Temmie thinks to me.

"Er, um, well, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he's actually a jester." I think back.

"watsa jester??"

"It's just what it sounds like- someone who jests."

"wats that mean??"

"You know... they tell jokes, and act silly..."

"u mean liek a clown??"

"Er..."

...Well, she's got a point there. I suppose if you think of it that way, they are kind of the same thing. Anyway, back to answering said clown/jester/whatever's question. We glance to the side, unable to bring ourselves to make eye contact with him.

"i was, uh... i was g-gonna hav a hapy fun rave party... a-and i-i needa get some stuff..."

"Glowsticks." I remind her mentally.

"o-oh ya!1! glowsticks!!" We say, looking at Jevil briefly before averting our gaze once more, "i needa glowsticks for my friends at da party... i came hear to buy sum befor but dere werent none..."

[Jevil] "Glowsticks, glowsticks..." He echoes in thought, mentally running through his stock, trying to determine if he would have them. For a while he didn't think so until he recalled their wide colour variety and knew where he would have stored them. Her perks up with excitement and giggles.

"Yes, yes I think I have a set in the back, I wouldn't think glowsticks would be something we would lack, lack! Wait here a second and I'll return with the items, I reckon!" With that, the leapt down from his chair, landing with a small thud and symphony of bell jingles. He remained in a crouching position for a second, showing just how small the once-court jester was, before he bounded into the back, passing through the fabric flaps that had matched seamlessly into the wall. A series of bells and other noises emitted from the back room as Jevil scurried about to find the glowsticks he was increasingly certain he had. He remembered having some in his old shop and had brought along many of his unsold wares from there when he moved his base of operations to the island. Where, oh where, though?

Jevil leaned backwards, holding himself up with his tail as he looked through the massive selection of colorful items, a few dozen pinwheels, plastic flowers, ball-pit balls, glow- There they were! He grabbed the glass jar filled with the unused tubes of chemicals and bounced out from the back.

"I return, return with the items you yearn! I have about twenty four glowsticks as you can see here, here now, lean in close, lend an ear: 2 of whatever you have for money each, it's a rather fine deal I preach!"

[Rave Witch Temmie] Once he goes to the back room and out of our sight, Temmie whispers to me, "whys he so scaryyyy...??"

"uh, cuz of his creepy face an' his creepy voice an' his, uh, "chaos chaos" thing, or sumthin?" I whisper back.

"wats dat???" She asks.

"i dunno, youd have to ask him!" I reply.

...Wait, I shouldn't have said that. I don't want us to ask him- oh no, he's back. Wait, are those... Hey, look at that, he does have glowsticks! Who would have thought?

"...Lean in close and lend an ear? ...Really?" I think, "Hardee har har. Just because we have four ears doesn't mean we're lending that creep any of 'em!"

"uh... o-okay, y-ya, ill buy em all..." We nervously approach the counter and pay 24 credits.

[Jevil] He giggled slightly, eyeing the 24 credits.

"I believe you miscounted, miscounted! 24 credits is only enough for half of the glowsticks, not all of them, them!" He seemed rather amused by the situation though, holding onto the product a little while longer as he waited to see if they will accept only half or seek out the remaining 24 credits to pay. He thankfully seemed to be rather patient, his tail wagging slightly as he hoped up onto his chair, putting the jar of glowsticks on the counter.

"Now now, would you like to pay the full price for all of them, them, or pay what you've already paid and take only half of them, them?"

"awawawa!!1 oh nooo!1 im sorry!11! heres da rest!1!"

We quickly put 24 more credits on the counter and then take a few steps back. Geez Louise, what is with us tonight? We already embarrassed ourselves in front of this guy once; we just had to go and do it again, didn't we! Sheesh...

[Rave Witch Temmie] ...Oh, wait- the glowsticks. We can't pick them up from over here. We'll need to walk back toward him to get them- actually, no, we won't! That's right! We're a Temmie! We stick our arms out in front of us and stretch them towards the jar of glowsticks.

[Jevil] He gave an amused laugh, happily accepting the payment and pushing the jar forwards towards them, blinking as they backed away. Frankly Jevil really wasn't sure what to make of this person, he was completely unfamiliar with Temmies after all.

"It's alright, alright! You can take the glowsticks whenever you'd li-" He was taken aback by the way the customer's arms seemed to just burst forward towards him. He looked absolutely horrified for a moment, recoiling as far back as he could, taking in these rapid, quick breaths. He had his eyes squeezed shut, not opening them up again until he thought it was safe. He pressed a gloved hand into his chest. Nothing happened. He was ok. He was ok. Seam didn't come back for revenge. It's ok. He's fine. Jevil took in a deep, shaky breath.

"Sorry I... I wasn't expecting that, that..."

[Rave Witch Temmie] Whoa, hold on... we scared HIM? Are we seeing this right? Did he just dart back behind the curtains again when we reached for the jar? You've got to be kidding... He's the creepy one, not us! What's so scary about us stretching our arms out, we wonder? Maybe being in this body for so long has made me forget that Temmies can be off-putting to those who aren't used to being around them...

We grasp the jar between our paws and then retract them towards us.

"uh... y-yu ok??" We call out.

[Jevil] "Y-yes, yes! I'm ok! Just- just shaken is all, all..." He emerged still looking very much unnerved. He fidgeted with his thumbs almost as if trying to distract himself from something, yellow eye-dots tiny in residual fear. He glanced off, making sure not to look at the creature's arms, part of him terrified they'll come after him again if he looks.

"Just shaken..." He repeats, taking in a deep breath. He tries to shake himself out of the fear, forcing a small smile until it became genuine. "But don't worry about that now, now, if there anything else you want or shall we say ciao?"

[Rave Witch Temmie] "is dere, uh..." Temmie remembers something she wanted to ask him. The thing I didn't want her to ask him.

"Temmie, no! Don't-"

"w-wats ur "chaos, chaos" thing?? human dint want me to- mmf!"

Since both our paws are full, I press the jar against our mouth to silence her.

[Jevil] "My chaos, chaos thing?" He seems confused for a moment, wondering what they could be referring to. Perhaps a combination of his repetition and his shop's title perhaps?

"Well if you're asking about the shop's name, that's easy, easy! It's important, so important not to fall into routine or it could suck up all your glee, glee! So I made a little shop back home just like this one, one where people can come and buy the things they need while also having a little fun, fun!" He giggles happily, tail wagging, mind seemingly off whatever had him so terrified before.

"As for saying things twice, twice, well I'm just following my own advice! Keep things fun, keep things nice, and life is sure to entice, entice!"

[Rave Witch Temmie] Sigh... why'd she have to ask him that...? Thanks to her, we had to listen to him yap at us in that spooky voice again! Though, on the other hand, I'm now very confused by his answer. We were not talking about this store, or his quirky speech patterns, at all. I had wanted to leave as soon as we'd bought our glowsticks, but now, I'm curious as to why he didn't seem to know what we were really referring to.

I decide to take control of our mouth from Temmie for a moment, and ask, "yu had anothr store? wat yu mean?? what happend to da cat guy??"

[Jevil] His mood shifted to discomfort at the mention of "da cat guy". Well, there was another question in there so he could ignore that part for longer.

"Yes, yes, I had another store, store. I opened it myself after the King decided he didn't want a court jester anymore, anymore. I could have done anything, anything indeed, but I thought that a shop of fun is what the kingdom would need. Then, then just recently, I got a letter in the mail, mail asking if I would be interested in coming here to do sale! I took it, took it I did, and that's why the island I now work amid!"

[Rave Witch Temmie] We shiver a little again as we listen to his creepy, singsong rhyming.

"yea, but, wat about dat cat guy, da one wit da button eye?"

Oh geez, now he's got us rhyming, too! Curses!

"i thot he was suppost to hav a store!1"

[Jevil] Oh god they really were talking about him. Jevil's pupils started to shrink again, seeming to grow panicked again. He seemed to grab onto his tail for comfort.

"I know who you're talking about but not what. Seam went mad years, years ago, it was very unfortunate... I just hope that now that his life in done, he isn't insane in heaven." He seems to be shaking a bit, really not wanting to recall those memories. That battle. That grin. By god, that grin. He tried squeezing it out of his mind, pressing his eyes shut and holding his head. That grin. That grin. It persisted even as Jevil had watched Seam rip his arm half-off to use as a weapon. He let loose a whine, shivering.

[Rave Witch Temmie] Our face goes blank. "...hes ded??"

[Jevil] Jevil nodded, trying to return to reality the best he could. Trying to pry himself away from the memories. Away from that battle. Jevil had technically won, but that did nothing to help his conscious. He held onto his tail tightly.

"Yes... Yes the once magician is gone, gone like the rain, only I, the once jester, remain."

[Rave Witch Temmie] Our jar of glowsticks in hand, we take several more steps back, uneasy at the thought of Seam being dead. Or at least I am. Temmie doesn't know who he is. While Jevil laments his loss, we back out the door with our purchase.

#discord #discord rp #undertale temmie #deltarune #deltarune jevil #jevil

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theblognobodyfoundlastyear · 4 years

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Expanding beyond the horizon: Not more ads!

You know that feeling when you have nothing to do, but don’t want to face the menial tasks of life such as filling out your tax return and making dinner? It’s hard to imagine that there was a time when there was no time for fripperies like blogging, yet here we are, unmotivated to exceed one’s comfort zone. And what incentive is there? The government is still trying to crack down on rogue fools who’d rather spend their last days getting that Lucky 7 from the local RSL Club than ponder the thoughts of old.

It’s no surprise that some people have an adept edge in certain areas. And no surprise that is, one basically does things for a living and therefore has to be decent at such a task. But what about the tasks that one is less skilled in? Surely, being a well-rounded rifleman has its benefits, no? An interest in the outside sphere external to one’s comfort zone usually helps, and an obligatory sense of urgency usually results in a lackluster outcome that us only achieved because of some arbitrary external requirement. So it turns out that people would rather do nothing than be challenged to do something. Even from a pessimistic standpoint, you can’t fail if you never try... but you never succeed either. Which might be a win, if the sole goal is to not fail anyway.

What about minor variations, which on a multiplicative level, can result in well-roundness over a series of repetitions? That would involve understanding one’s own unique(?) interests and abilities in good detail. Of course, for the purposes of this blog post, we will presume this is prerequisite knowledge of some extent. In any case, what good is variation if one does not know the direction they would want to go in? I suppose that’s where last week’s post about how a lack of agency can result in some kind of action is somewhat useful. So in the same sort of way, pick a direction and go. And maybe that’s not where one wants to go, and maybe it might be. Certain people refer to this as “putting their eggs into multiple baskets”, and I think that’s server some purpose in today’s ever-changing industry of questionable values and beliefs.

So you set off on an adventure to achieve arbitrarily defined goals that vaguely relate to one’s known abilities and interests, in the vain attempt to become someone whose abilities span slightly wider than before, such that shifting between interests and even goals is viable? It might not be for everyone, as it may turn out, but it’s always useful to have that one backup plan that you never use until you’re 45 and wondering where did the times go, baby it's all wrong, where are the plans we made for two. Eugh, turning 45 is worse than I thought. Regardless, one can look at this from an induction-based perspective: If one is not even willing to change themselves with something that still resides relatively close to one’s comfort zone, how can the last destination be reached if it is located in the lands of the unknown? At the same time, a static, unchanging character is something that is sometimes unhelpful. Perhaps you may have noticed with yours truly that change is not something that is worth pursuing because of the futility of what lies on the other side, which is to say, temporary satisfaction. So there’s a balance between being the Jamie Hyneman and the Adam Savage of one’s own pursuits.

But you may look at the everyday jerk and realise that they get by fine by not constantly refining their own character. And maybe that’s the way it’s meant to be, for the lesser man. Again, if one’s overall character is not an item worth fine-tuning, that is OK by most standards today. But I think there’s always that elephant in the room that dies 8 years ago, whose flea-riddled carcass and abhorrent stench have become decor in one’s personal space. Where was I going with this? Wait, I think this was the point I was trying to make, so hopefully it makes sense -- If life is easy-going, you’re clearly doing something wrong. Think about it: The man from thousands of years ago had to constantly adapt to his surroundings, lest he become the lunch of some overgrown jackal. As such, there was incentive to keep improving to keep fine-tuning one’s skills, abilities, interests and even goals to not just survive, but to also pass the baton with some level of added value such that the next man to run the race would reach new heights from previous progress. And while that may not necessarily translate completely to today’s motivations, I think we often fall into the trap of looking at the smaller picture for far too long, forgetting that there is more to the world than just money, software and pornography.

In some kind of closing remark, what now? What to pursue? What if such pursuits cost more than what one is willing to barter for? Perhaps the risk is always there, and the fact that complexity is an inescapable facet of the modern life. But it’s too easy to dwell on the bad memories, no matter how painful. Not to dismiss the impact of pain on a personal level, but has one even considered the thought of using such a entity to motivate future actions, that one may even be able to punch a hole in the works simply out of villainous duty for a memory long seared into the mind? If Dr. Neo Cortex could do it to some degree, you maybe could too. Even in the midst of error, one must too learn how to be better at avoiding such ill fates, which is only really learned by making errors in the first place. Success, failure, whatever you call the thing in between those two -- it is the crux of the white water rafting ride called Life.

‘Til next time, young padawan.

They may not be hungry, but they’re still hippos. And never underestimate the power of a hippo, mister.

#change #character development #making mistakes #regret

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elevenhoursinfront-blog · 7 years

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20th September

I woke up around 0830. We did plan on waking up at sunrise and go down to the jetty but we completely forgot to set the alarms. Hopefully we can go at sunset. Steve got up and made me a cup of tea. I sat in bed with my cuppa opening my cards and two presents. Steve's Mum got me a bottle of wine which is chilling nicely in the fridge. Steve's Nan got me some smellies - hand creams, shower gel. They smell unreal, I'm dead excited to use them. I was overwhelmed with how many cards I had received. I had about 9 to open which was amazing. I didn't expect many being on the other side of the world. Mel had sent me a card too, which was so thoughtful. She and I have known each other short of a year and she manages to remember my birthday and send me a card. You know you've got a good friend when they remember the small details. We chilled out for a bit before I suggested scrambled egg on toast for breakfast. Only, we didn't have any bread left. We got dressed and jumped into the van so we could run to IGA. We obviously planned to go in for 1 item and came out with about 10. Who can go into a shop and not buy more than the necessary items? We got back and the girls Lexi and Louisa had blown up balloons and blew party things at me which was nice. Harriet and Lisa made their own decorations by blowing up plastic gloves and drawing faces on them. They used cotton to tie them all together so they could be a banner across my door. I loved it. Steve and I went to the kitchen to make breakfast because I was starving. We added spinach to the eggs because it tastes great. The majority of the hostel wasn't going to be around today and no vehicles were going to be left so Steve and I couldn't actually go out and do anything. Half were at work (95% of the hostel which is still only 5 people maybe). Lexi and Louisa were going to Innisvale to find jobs. That was it... The vehicles were taken up and nothing that we could do. We should've planned something in advance really so we could've booked a van or something. Hey ho. Fraser was leaving so we said our goodbyes to him. He has finished his 2 years in Australia and is finally going home... What a weird feeling that must be. Everyone left and Steve and I chilled in the room. I spoke to Mel on the phone for about half an hour - it was great to hear her voice. I decided that I wanted to go lay by the pool. The weather was unreal considering it was meant to be chucking it down. It did enough of that yesterday to last the rest of 2017 I reckon. We got ready and walked down. We sat in our sun loungers trying to plan more of our East Coast trip. We're starting to pick the tours we would love to do and tours that are budgeted but at least we get to experience it. We spent about an hour or so sunbathing when we decided to jump in the pool. The water was warmer than normal because of all the rain. It also filled the pool up right to the top. Steve and I were the only ones there. Around 1500, we left the pool for some lunch. I just reheated the pasta from last nights dinner and Steve made ham and mustard sandwiches. I was fairly red again so I decided against going back to the pool. I catch the sun so easily it's ridiculous so best to stay out of it for now before I end up sun burnt. We chilled in the room again which was nice. I enjoyed my lazy day. I remembered that I had the ingredients to bake a cake so I decided to go and do that - it was my birthday after all and calories definitely don't count on birthdays. Steve and I went up to the kitchen and started making our cake. We had no proper utensils - nothing to measure in, not a proper baking tray etc. Hopefully it was going to be alright. My Dad FaceTimed me whilst it was in the oven which was nice. We spoke for a little while before I had to get the cake out of the oven and Dad had to drop Craig off at the station. My cake looked great - I was so chuffed. It was a little high on one side and low on the other, but nothing out of the ordinary. A little bit of a cosmetic problem, not an issue. I left it to stand before putting chocolate frosting on. I spoke to my brother on the phone for 20 minutes or so whilst he was on the train to work. It wasn't long before my Mum finally woke up and rang me. We sat Facetiming for a while. It was around 2000 when I came off the phone to her. I had to ring work to find out what time I was going to be in tomorrow, eugh. I rang and they said I had a day off. Two days in a row? This is great but it also means I won't be getting another one any time soon. Zzz Harriet bought her own vegan tattoo ink and what not. She has started tattooing herself with sewing needles as she watch a DIY YouTube video. Of course, Steven was highly interested and was booking in with Harriet at around 2030/2100. Oh god. Here goes... As Harriet was coming to the room, I heard a massive "WE'RE BACK". Lexi and Louisa had turned up and brought the old lot with them! Nick, Donald, Hugo... They had all came back for one night (I'll pretend it was for my birthday). They ran to me and hugged me, shouted Happy Birthday and what not. They also won me a teddy in an arcade game which was cute. It's a medium sized Strawberry with a face. Harriet had started doing Steve's new homemade tattoo. He decided on a small wave by his ankle. It should be fine because the ink will most likely fade within a year. He reckons he'll get it done properly by a tattooist, just over the top. That's one for the mems (memories). As an injection freak, I left the room to shower. She had to do dot work with a sewing needle. She said she had to pop the skin and what not. At that point, I was like "Noooo. That's enough". I put some clothes on that wasn't pyjamas and went up to the entertainment room with everyone. Drinking games - let's go! Steve came up after about 20 minutes and to be fair, the tattoo looks very cute. It's only small otherwise Harriet would've been there for about 3 hours. She did it all properly with surgical spray, antiseptic sprays and all that jazz. All the other lads were jealous and asked to be tatted by her. Unfortunately, they were on a tight schedule. We played drinking game after drinking game. Leonie asked Steve, Harriet and I whether we wanted to work at the Watermelon farm tomorrow... We all said yes. I was off so I thought why not. Steve needed any work coming his way and Harriet needs money. We had to leave at 0610 tomorrow morning. We were playing music and laughing away for hours. Lucy and Margo baked cookies and pancakes. I went to my room and brought my cake out to share it around. Everyone sang me happy birthday which was nice. I had sparklers left in my room that I saved for my cake but I completely forgot about them. Boo! Is it sad to make your own cake and provide your own candles? Maybe it was a good job I forgot them. As it was my birthday, everyone decided to give me the drinks. By that I mean, whenever someone had to hand out 5 sips or what not during a game, they all came to me. Steve and I got through a bottle of 1.24L of cider. We were up until 1230, singing at the top of our lungs, drinking and chatting. It was great. Steve and I would regret our 4 hour sleep in the morning. 23 years old. Where has the time gone?

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astridspokemonfic · 6 years

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Episode 3: The Rocens City Ribbon!

Narrator: The day of the Rocens City Contest has finally arrived! After some setbacks, Astrid is ready to take her first ribbon! A fierce, new rival has set her competitive spirits high.

“Vulpix! Use Ember!”

With a cry, the fire-type released a barrage of small flames, directly hitting Chikorita’s Razor Leaf, with nothing but charred remains.

“Alright! So we’ve gotten accuracy down! We’ll still need to come up with a winning combination for the Performance Stage though…” Astrid mumbled. “Maybe something simple for now, until we can find a way to be flashier. Okay, let’s try…”

Janine and the twins watched her from afar.

“She’s trying really hard to come up with good combinations.” Kayla observed. Vulpix let out a huge fire spin while Chikorita comically struggled to keep away from the flames. The Fire-Type stopped immediately and both trainer and Pokemon panicked when her leaf caught fire. They began to frantically try to blow it out, coincidentally making it worse. Kayla watched with concern. “Do you think she’ll get past the first stage?”

“She’ll win.” Janine said easily. Kaytlyn nodded.

“It’s Astrid. She’s been planning for this day all her life! She’ll be fine.”

“Kaytlyn, she had one day to practice. That’s not enough time!” Kayla argued back.

“No, it’s not.” Astrid agreed, suddenly standing next to the trio. Kayla jumped in surprise. Vulpix and Chikorita sat behind her, both eating poffins. “But at the very least, it’ll be the best learning experience of my life.” she chuckled. She moved to reach for her bag which Kaytlyn passed to her.

“When we get to Rocens city, I need to go straight to the Contest Hall and get my Contest Pass.” Astrid said, absentmindedly petting her Vulpix.

“You need a Contest Pass to compete?” Kayla asked.

“Every person who wants to compete has to get a Contest Pass…” She gasped suddenly. “You guys should totally compete!” Astrid hopped up, her eyes practically shining.

“Astrid. We only have one Pokemon each…”Janine reminded her. This did nothing to sway the other girl.

“Next time then! When it’s a Singles contest!”

“I guess if we have time…” she muttered.

“It’s a promise then! I’ll hold you to that!”

“Don’t we need Ball Capsules and Capsule Seals to compete?” Janine asked. The twins breathed a sigh of relief.

“Nah, they give those to you with the Contest Pass. So no excuses!”

“Wait, what’re Capsules and Seals for?” Kayla asked. The Rowlet on her head tilted its head a full 90 degrees in joint confusion.

“Don’t they add special effects to Pokeballs when you release the Pokemon inside?” Kaytlyn asked, throwing out a vague definition. Astrid nodded.

“They’re kinda important! Along with costumes.” Astrid added.

“Ah! We don’t have any costumes-”

“That’s the easiest part of Contests.” The girl deadpanned. “Stop trying to get out of it!”

The group laughed nervously.

~*~*~*~*~

“Here’s your contest pass! Along with the two ball capsules, a Seal case, and the rule book! Make sure to read it carefully!” The Reception Lady presented Astrid the items on a tray with a smile. Astrid carefully placed them in her bag.

“Of course! Thank you.” Astrid bowed slightly to the older lady and ran back to her friends waiting in the lobby of the Contest Hall. “So I finally have my Contest Pass… and I have everything I need to compete. Honestly, all that’s left to do is get changed…”

“What’s wrong? Something’s up with you.” Janine said. “Suspicious.”

“I guess I’m a little nervous…” Astrid said, looking down at her feet.

“Dude, you have like 4 hours until the Contest starts. Let’s go look around.” Kayla said, glancing at her phone clock. Kaytlyn nodded in agreement.

“It might calm you down.” She added. Astrid nodded and walked along with them with a troubled look on her face.

She only looked up when she felt Janine elbow her.“Isn’t that the group from Prof. Laurel’s lab?” she pointed at a group of three teens who were sitting on a bench on the side of the sidewalk. Astrid squinted and recognized the taller girl with a Popplio in her arms. She nodded and cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Hey, guys! Adrian! Sheyla! Andrea!” The coordinator shouted out, causing the other trainers to look around in bewilderment until Adrian’s eyes landed on them and he waved back, calling the group over.

“How have you guys been?” Janine asked, somewhat relieved to see familiar faces.

“We’ve been fine! We’re just sightseeing the city for now!” Andrea said happily. “We were planning on going to the art museum later today, would you like to come?”

“Ah, actually I’m competing in the contest in a few hours,” Astrid said sheepishly. “You guys are free to come and watch if you want.”

“That sounds way more fun than a boring museum!” Adrian exclaimed.

“Hey!”

“It’s true, Andrea! They’re all dead! I don’t care!” He turned to Astrid. “We would love to watch your contest later.”

“We can go to the museum tomorrow, chill.” Sheyla placated the other girl. She seems to have warmed up to them. Janine thought.

“Wait, did your group double since the last time we saw you?” Andrea asked. Astrid beamed and nudged the twins forward. Kaytlyn tensed considerably while Kayla seemed bored.

“We met them in Gemlock Forest. A funny story actually.” She giggled lightly and prompted Kaytlyn to introduce herself.

“I’m Kaytlyn. I'm a Pokemon trainer.”

“I’m Kayla, and I’m comedic relief.” She deadpanned. Janine whacked her shoulder in annoyance.

“A mood.” Adrian replied. While the others introduced themselves, Astrid pulled a Pokeball off her belt and stared at it for a moment before putting it back. She slung her arms around Kayla and Janine’s shoulders and began to lean on them.

“Alright, so who wants ice cream?”

~*~*~*~*~

Astrid sighed in the waiting room, trying to push her nerves down. Both her Pokemon were safe inside their balls, already with seals. Astrid stared hard at the viewing screen on the wall as the announcer began her opening.

“Hello, everybody, and welcome to Rocens City! I’m Miriam, and I will be your Master of Ceremonies for this evening! Tonight we have…”

The faint echo of Miriam’s voice reverberated below the stage, down to the coordinators waiting to be called up. Astrid began to play with the hem of her yellow dress.

One by one, each trainer left the room and returned, some looking victorious, while others… didn’t. Astrid stole a peek at Pearl who waltzed past her and to the stairs leading up to the stage with a smirk. Unable to resist the urge, Astrid watched the monitor as Pearl practically danced onto the stage.

“Stunfisk, Quagsire! Go!” The ground types were released from their Pokeballs as Ribbons of light swirled around them.

“Oh, so that’s what Seals do!” Kayla exclaimed in the audience. To her right, Kaytlyn gave her a tired look while Janine let out a laugh she disguised as a cough. To her left were the three other trainers that they had barely met that day. She squinted a little harder at the stage and gave off a whine.

“Eugh! What Pokemon are those? They’re so ugly!” She whispered to Janine. The trainer looked for a moment before turning.

“Stunfisk? I mean, it looks like a pancake so-”

“It looks like a peanut and a pear fused with bird… And the blue one is even worse!” She pointed at the aforementioned Quagsire with such revulsion that Janine had to laugh.

“It doesn’t look that bad!” Janine said, trying to placate her. Kayla let out another gurgled hum before Pearl finally began to get her Pokemon to perform.

“Quagsire, Mud Bomb!” The Pokemon swiped its arm, creating a ball of mud and throwing it up into the air. “Stunfisk! Use, Hidden Power!” The flat Electric-type threw orbs of power at the mud bomb, causing it to blow up in sparkles.

“What a stunning use of Hidden Power! The audience is loving this!” Miriam said.

“Let’s keep it going! Quagsire, use Water Gun! And Stunfisk use Discharge!” Pearl crossed her arms in an ‘X’ fashion over her chest.

“Wait, won’t that move hurt Quagsire? Discharge attacks everything in the immediate area! And Quagsire’s a Water-type…” Andrea furrowed her brow in confusion. Adrian shook his head.

“Quagsire is a dual type: Water and Ground. And as you know... Electric-type moves won’t affect Ground-type Pokemon.” he explained. Stunfisk’s Discharge hit Quagsire who remained oblivious. The Quagsire used Water Gun, directing the electricity charged water upwards in a fountain.

“Wow! A dazzling display of electricity from Stunfisk! Quagsire’s water fountain is simply breathtaking!”

Pearl took a bow along with her Quagsire. Her Stunfisk just sorta flopped around.

“That’s going to be a tough act to follow. That fountain really appealed to the audience.” Janine said, glancing around at other spectators. A few more coordinators, performed on stage until it was Astrid’s turn.

“Vulpix, Chikorita! Spotlight!” Astrid threw her Pokeballs in the air, releasing both her Pokemon in a sea of stars.

“Chikorita! Let’s start off with Poison Powder!” Chikorita twirled her leaf around, expelling a purple powder into the air in a tornado fashion.

“Vulpix, use Attract!” Vulpix winked, summoning hearts that got caught in the tornado. “Ember!” The Ember dispelled the poison tornado, leaving sparkly purple hearts floating around.

“Vulpix and Chikorita have created a beautiful display of hearts, now floating around the stadium!” Miriam said in slight awe.

“Chikorita, use Vine Whip!” Astrid made eye contact with the Chikorita at her side and winked, signaling something to her Pokemon. The Grass-type got a determined look on her face and reached out with her vines.

“What is she doing? If Chikorita touches those hearts-” Adrian began. Janine shushed him.

“Watch.”

Chikorita wrapped her vines around Vulpix’s middle and flung him high into the air.

“Vulpix use Ember!” Vulpix stopped mid-somersault and blew Embers out at the hearts from the Attract earlier.

“Razor Leaf, Chikorita!” Chikorita sent dozens of sharp leaves up at the hearts above. The combined attack destroyed all the hearts, causing pink sparkles to rain down on the audience below. Chikorita effortlessly caught the falling Vulpix with her vines, depositing him softly onto the ground.

“Wow! Chikorita and Vulpix’s performances seem to have impressed the judges!” The announcer said, looking to the judges who were all smiles. “And that concludes the Performance Stage of the Competition! We’ll return with the results before intermission!”

“Do you think Astrid passed?” Kaytlyn murmured. Kayla considered for a moment, then nodded. Janine watched the judges apprehensively, choosing not to reply.

“And the results are in! These 8 Coordinators have made it past this stage and will be moving on to the second part of the Contest!” Miriam announced. She turned to the screen behind her.

For one tense moment, the screen didn’t move, then 8 faces flashed onto the screen at once. Astrid’s eyes immediately zeroed in on her own smiling face staring back at her like a reflection.

“We will be back after Intermission for the Battle Stage, where these trainers will battle head to head for the Rocens City Ribbon!”

Astrid let out a happy whoop and pulled both Chikorita and Vulpix close, giving them a tight hug.

“Alright let’s win our first ribbon!” She said with determination. Both Pokemon gave a cheer in response.

~*~*~*~*~

“Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen! You’ve waited patiently! Now it’s time for our first battle! To my right I have Judy! And to my left…”

Astrid zoned out for a bit in the waiting room and glanced around. There were only six other coordinators in the room, the others had already left after hearing the results of the Performance Stage.

“Hm. So you can fool everyone into thinking you’re good after all.” Astrid turned to find Pearl standing next to her. “You probably won’t make it to the final battle, but kudos to you for trying.” Astrid resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Next to her, Vulpix bristled.

“Kudos to you for wearing one of the only colors that clashes with your hair.” She retorted, walking away, leaving Pearl sputtering as she gripped her gaudy lime-green dress. Her Pokemon followed in suit, walking away with their heads held high.

The teen sat closer to the stairs, waiting not-so-patiently for her turn. Finally, the previous coordinators returned, the male looking victorious while the other girl rushed off towards the restrooms. Astrid felt a twinge of sympathy for the other teen. Astrid recalled her Pokemon and took a deep breath before running up the stairs to the stage.

Astrid’s opponent this round was a male teen around her age. He wore a dark cape along with an outfit that instantly reminded her of the outfits Princes wore in fairy tales.

“To my right, I have Astrid! And to my left, Darius! Alright, Coordinators! Five Minutes on the clock! Begin!”

“Chikorita, Vulpix! Spotlight!” Astrid released them with a flourish, both Pokemon bursting from swirling ribbons.

“Come on out, Surskit, Munna!” The opposing trainer called as his Pokemon burst forth in a splash of color.

“Munna, use Round! Surskit, use Bubblebeam!” Surskit shot out dozens of bubbles while Munna let out a ringing sound that boosted the power of Surskit’s move.

“I don’t think so! Chikorita! Use Razor Leaf to burst those bubbles!” Darius’ points sunk down at Chikorita’s counterattack. “Alright! Vulpix, use Ember!”

The other trainers’ Surskit moved to intercept, but Vulpix leapt over it and hit Munna square on its head.

“Astrid’s really going at it,” Andrea said, watching as Chikorita unleashed a wave of leaves on the opposing Surskit.

“That Type difference is going to be difficult for Surskit. Chikorita’s Grass-Type moves could decimate any water type.” Adrian murmured. Janine nodded in agreement but kept her eyes glued to the points on the screen above the battleground. The opposing coordinator’s points were steadily going down to slivers while Astrid’s only had a sizeable dent in comparison.

“Munna use Zen Headbutt!” Astrid glanced up at her opponent who seemed to be sweating with desperation. Astrid sent a silent apology his way.

“Dodge it!” Both of her Pokemon jumped away from the rushing Munna in a V pattern. “Vulpix! Use Ember!”

“No! Surskit use Quick Attack on Vulpix!” The Surskit let out a small cry and went rushing to Astrid’s Vulpix.

“Chikorita, use Vine Whip to intercept!” Chikorita’s vines stretched across the battleground and managed to grab onto one of Surskit’s thin legs. “Toss ‘em!” Chikorita flung Surskit across the field and back to the block where its trainer was standing. Meanwhile, Munna took a direct hit from the Ember.

“Oh no, Surskit, Munna!” Both of the Pokemon were lying down with swirls already forming in their eyes.

“Surskit and Munna are unable to battle! The winner of Block B is… Astrid!” Miriam announced. Astrid stood there panting slightly. She smiled lightly at the crowd before running back to the stairs, her Pokemon following her. The coordinator sighed in relief in the waiting room, pausing when she saw the Coordinator from earlier. She gave him one of her brightest smiles and offered him a handshake.

“Darius, right? That was a good battle.” Darius eyed her hand warily before shaking it hesitantly. Astrid beamed and filed him away in her mind as a potential friend. “My name is Astrid. That combination with Round and Bubblebeam was really cool!”

Darius gave her a surprised look. “Really? But you cut through it so easily...” Astrid shrugged.

“That was just the type difference between our moves. They cancelled out!” Astrid explained. “Your combinations were really amazing!” Before Darius could reply, Miriam’s voice echoed again.

“And the winner is… Pearl!” Astrid flinched and looked up to the Screen in the room where Pearl had already won her battle. Her eyes widened in shock.

“T-That was only a couple minutes…” Astrid stuttered. The teen next to her glanced up and paled considerably.

“I’m actually glad I got you instead of her. That was just… brutal. She demolished me in the Mistdrive contest.” Darius muttered. He eyed Pearl’s smiling face warily. “The combo of Surskit and Floette was no match for her…” Darius murmured again, clearly disheartened. Astrid shook her head stubbornly.

“But she’s not unbeatable. I’ll show you that when I’m holding that ribbon.”

Darius absorbed her words with a spark of determination in his eye.

As if on cue, Pearl strutted in, clearly proud of her accomplishment.

“Next time,” He said “I’ll be the one you’re competing against.”

“That’s a promise then!” Astrid said in a sing-song manner. She shot a glance at Pearl who was preening in a mirror.

“You better demolish Pearl in the finals or I won’t forgive you for beating me.” Darius said, his competitive spirit reignited. He gave her a smile before departing to the changing rooms. Clearly if Astrid was ever going to get this ribbon, then Pearl would be the one to beat.

~*~*~*~*~

“I’m back and I have food!” Adrian said, scooting past the twins and seating himself between Janine and Andrea. He passed popcorn to each of them.

“You missed Astrid’s second battle.” Sheyla deadpanned.

“Did she win?” He asked.

“Yes-”

“Then I didn’t miss anything at all.” He gave a self-satisfied smile.”Besides, from what I heard, this is the battle I shouldn’t miss.” Janine nodded.

“Apparently, Pearl challenged Astrid’s integrity as a coordinator, so she really pushed through just to get to this battle!” The trainer said, remembering her desperate hunt for Vulpix and Astrid’s determination in training them both.

“It all comes down to this! The Rocens City Ribbon will go to the winner of this battle! In Block A, Astrid! And in Block B, Pearl!” The crowd cheered loudly. “Let’s get this started! Trainers! There are five minutes on the clock! Battle, begin!”

“Chikorita, Vulpix! It’s showtime!” Chikorita and Vulpix both gave Pearl a fierce glare and Pearl merely raised an eyebrow.

“Quagsire, and Stunky! Show ‘em how it’s done!” Quagsire was the furthest thing from intimidating, but Stunky glared right back.

“Stunky, use Fury Swipes!” Stunky charged at Chikorita.

“Chikorita, Vine Whip!” Chikorita whipped Stunky away, causing the skunk to retreat.

“What Pokemon is that?” Janine asked out loud, pulling out her Pokedex. Kayla shuddered at the Quagsire once again.

“Stunky, the skunk Pokemon. It protects itself by spraying a noxious fluid from its rear. The stench lingers for 24 hours.” The Pokedex recited perfectly.

“Oh,” Janine paused, thinking about the description. “Ew.”

“Ew! Stunky’s even worse than Quagsire!” Kayla whined, making a face. Kaytlyn patted her back without any real sympathy as they watched the battle continue. Astrid and Pearl seemed to be taking turns, both of their points steadily going down until they were both at about half.

“Quagsire! Water Gun! Stunky use Acid Spray!”

“Vulpix, Ember! Chikorita, Razor Leaf!”

Janine watched with bated breath as Astrid countered another one of Pearl’s attacks, causing Pearl’s points to go down by quite a bit. The coordinator growled.

“I’m done playing around! Stunky, Smokescreen!” Without pause, the Stunky jumped back and released dark smoke all over the battleground. “Quagsire, Mud Bomb!” The Quagsire threw the bomb into the fray, dispelling the smoke and hitting both Chikorita and Vulpix. Chikorita shook it off easily, but Vulpix seemed to have more difficulty. Astrid’s points went down to just below half.

“A Ground-type move like that is super effective against Vulpix.” Janine said, causing Kayla’s eyes to widen in understanding.

“Doesn’t that make Quagsire super dangerous to Vulpix?” she asked. Kaytlyn nodded stiffly.

“Don’t let up! Quagsire, use Water Gun, Stunky, use Feint!” Astrid gasped.

“Chikorita use Razor Leaf on Quagsire! Vulpix get out of the way!” Chikorita’s move hit Quagsire square in the chest, but she got the full force of Stunky’s feint. “Chikorita!” Pearl’s points went down a bit, while Astrid’s points were now down to around one-third of their original amount.

“Quagsire, use Rain Dance!” Quagsire began to shift its arms about in a strange way, causing rain to pour down in the Stadium. Vulpix’s ears flattened to his head.

“What does Rain Dance even do?” Kayla asked. Janine had a tense look on her face as she answered.

“Rain Dance lowers the power of Fire Type moves by half.”

Pearl had a triumphant look on her face. “It’s all over for you now!”

Astrid grit her teeth. Vulpix wasn’t being hurt by the rain, but he clearly felt weakened. Chikorita was still recovering from Stunky’s Feint. Astrid ran her head through her options when it suddenly clicked.

“No! It’s not over yet! Vulpix, use Fire Spin!” Vulpix unleashed a beautiful tornado of fire around Quagsire, the tornado sustaining itself around the Ground-Type.

“What are you doing?! Fire-Type moves are weakened in rain!” Pearl yelled. From the audience, Adrian and Sheyla gave each other confused looks.

“That doesn’t change the fact that Quagsire is trapped in that Fire Spin!”

“Quagsire, use Ice Beam!” Quagsire attempted to shoot and Ice Beam but was unable to shoot one through the flames.

“Chikorita use Poison Powder!” Chikorita’s powder joined the Fire Spin, making the tornado sparkle. The powder wafted inward as Quagsire began to suffer from the effects of the poison.

“Stunky! Use Fury Swipes!” Pearl yelled. Stunky began to take a running start towards Vulpix.

“Nuh-uh. Vulpix! Attract!” Astrid stood with bated breath as Vulpix’ hearts hit Stunky dead on target. To her absolute relief, Stunky began to stumble around, clearly infatuated with Vulpix. Pearl gaped as her points were neck and neck with Astrid’s.

“A male Vulpix?!” She yelled. The rainclouds faded away.

“Vulpix! Use Ember on Stunky, Chikorita, get ready!” Stunky was knocked back into Quagsire, forcibly pushing them through the Fire Spin. Pearl’s points began to diminish.

“Rrrgh, Quagsire! Use Ice Beam on Chikorita!”

“Vulpix, intercept!” Vulpix jumped in front of Chikorita and opened its mouth. Astrid had expected Vulpix to release an onslaught of flame on the Ice Beam. Instead, Vulpix’ eyes began to glow yellow and a rainbow-colored beam of light was released from his mouth, overpowering the Ice Beam and getting through to Quagsire. Astrid struggled to form words.

“Was that…” She stammered.

“...A new move?!” Kayla exclaimed in the stands. Kaytlyn swiped Janine’s Pokedex out of her hand and had it analyze Astrid’s Vulpix. She narrowed her eyes and began to read it out loud.

“Known moves: Fire Spin, Attract, Ember, and… Extrasensory.”

Astrid’s eyes began to shine as Vulpix glanced back at her with a determined look. Chikorita cheered next to her. Astrid glanced up at the clock. 20 seconds left.

“Chikorita! Use Razor Leaf! Vulpix, use Extrasensory!” Chikorita’s Razor Leaf headed straight for Quagsire. “Quagsire, Ice Beam to intercept!” Quagsire shot an Ice Beam to deflect Chikorita’s move, but the leaves boosted with Vulpix’s Extrasensory cut straight through the Ice Beam and subsequently hit Quagsire. Pearl’s points went down.

“Vulpix, use Ember on Stunky!” Vulpix let out a cry and shot the Ember, resulting in a mini-explosion as Stunky was knocked back and into Quagsire.

“Quagsire, Stunky, get up!”

“Chikorita, Vine Whip!”

Both trainers stopped suddenly, pausing to looks up at the screen. Astrid’s points were just barely larger than Pearl’s. The screen changed to feature Astrid’s face along with Chikorita and Vulpix. Champion shined in bright gold.

“Ladies and Gentlemen what a turnaround! The Rocens City Ribbon goes to Astrid!” The crowd cheered loudly.

“We did it?” The coordinator was tackled by both her Chikorita and Vulpix. “We won! We won our first Contest!” She could very faintly hear her friends yelling in the stands.

~*~*~*~*~

“It is with Great Honor, that we present you the Rocens City Ribbon. We look forward to your future performances.” The Contest Director said, presenting the ribbon to Astrid on a tray. Astrid accepted it and bowed gratefully. Soon enough the people onstage began to disperse and the coordinator left to the changing rooms, ribbon in hand. She entered the waiting room below only to find Pearl waiting for her, no longer wearing her gaudy green dress, which she had switched out for the red one she had been wearing the day previous.

“So you aren’t that bad of a coordinator after all.” She said haughtily, refusing to look her in the eyes. Astrid resisted the urge to shove the ribbon in her face and instead offered out her other hand. Pearl glanced at it before turning around, completely snubbing the other coordinator. She stopped suddenly.

“Today was a fluke,” she announced. “Next time you won’t be so lucky.”

Astrid watched her stride off with an exasperated look on her face.

“She’s absolutely insufferable.” a voice said from behind her. Astrid spun around to face Darius, no longer in his costume, and instead was wearing a dark red hoodie.

“You stayed!” Astrid said joyfully, “Oh yeah!” Astrid showed him her open palm, revealing a light purple ribbon. “I told you she wasn’t unbeatable. No one is.”

Darius laughed and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. He suddenly got a determined look on his face. “Well, that means neither are you. So next time, I’ll beat you and Pearl!”

“I look forward to it.” Astrid smiled.

“Congratulations on your first ribbon, by the way.” Darius offered her a good-natured handshake, which Astrid accepted.

~*~*~*~*~

“You did it!” Andrea yelled and gave Astrid a tight hug. Kaytlyn and Sheyla followed in suit while the others offered their own congratulations.

“My first ribbon! I’ll be Top Coordinator in no time!” Astrid laughed.

“Vulpix learning a new move in the middle of a battle? That was insane!”

“Actually, I think Vulpix knew that move or at least was learning that move before he met us,” Astrid said looking to her Vulpix. He was sniffing around Andrea’s Popplio, while Popplio was clapping their flippers together in excitement. “It just kicked in when we were onstage I’m guessing.”

“Alright! So tonight, let’s rest up at the Pokemon Center! Tomorrow we go to the Art Museum!” Andrea cheered. Janine shook her head.

“Tomorrow we head out to Mistdrive city. I’m going to try and fight the gym there and get my first Gym Badge.” Janine said. “So is Kaytlyn.” The twin shrugged non-committedly.

“So I guess we part ways-again,” Adrian said quietly. “Janine, after you get your first badge, we should battle!” Janine nodded and gave him a hi-five.

“I promise.”

Narrator: With her new ribbon, Astrid is one step closer to her dreams of being Top Coordinator. Now, it’s on to Mistdrive city, where the Mistdrive Gym awaits!

“Huh? That’s weird.” Kayla stopped in front of a billboard as they were leaving the city. Kaytlyn hummed in confusion and backtracked to where her sister was standing.

“What do you mean?” Astrid asked. Kayla furrowed her brow.

“You know how Kaytlyn and I had already visited this city?” Kayla reminded them. Astrid nodded.

“That was one of the reasons why we travelled with you in the first place.” Janine chuckled.

“Yeah well, that was only two days ago, right Kaytlyn?” Kaytlyn thought back a bit.

“Maybe two or three.” She admitted. Kayla gulped and stepped away from the billboard with a dark look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“The number of “Missing Person” posters has tripled since then.” Astrid and Janine shared a look. Kaytlyn scanned the board for a moment before pulling Kayla away by her shoulder.

“You’re imagining things.” Kaytlyn said offering her sister a smile. Kayla gave her an unsure look and glanced back at the posters before following her friends.

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zichqecs-hoard · 7 years

Text

Thoughts and feelings on Pokemon Moon

So, I finally finished my run, and I feel like I need to summarize how I felt about it. I dunno how many people are going to read this, as it’s probably going to be long, but it’s also here for me to look back on. Who knows, maybe a few years from now when we get generation 8, my thoughts will completely change.

My overall feelings are very negative. I did not enjoy the game except for a few select parts, and in fact it literally gave me headaches to play because I was so frustrated. I was bored, I would procrastinate and do anything else, and there are so many tiny things that made me angry with it because they got rid of good features/added useless ones I don’t like.

There’s a pros and cons list and some rambling under the cut if you want to know why I feel this way more in depth.

Pros!

-I like a few of the pokemon designs I especially really love the Cutiefly, Rowlett, and Mudbray lines, as well as a handful of other designs that are neat.

-Festival plaza is kinda fun Though really I just mean playing missions and connecting with people, which is nothing you couldn’t do in earlier games... though if I’m honest I got on the pokemon train too late to experience.

-Poke pelago Best feature of the game, hands down. Does it totally break working to get berries/hatch eggs/find money items? Yes. Is it fun? Heck yes.

-Po town It had a really awesome creepy atmosphere. Well done.

-Time offset I usually play the game at night, so having the time offset by 12 hours means I get to play during the day, which is super nice.

-That one Machamp you can ride ...Yeah. I still find that hilarious. Just. The way it carries you. XD

Cons

-Pokemon refresh They ruined Pokemon Amie and I was absolutely devastated and angry. I want the minigames, I want to play making faces, it was such a good thing, give it back. I barely used Pokemon Refresh because there’s just no reason to besides status healing(which means there’s even less reason to buy status heal items now)! The rainbow beans cheat it to max out affection, you can only play for short sessions at a time, and there’s no games to play! I can play Pokemon Amie for hours, and I still do! Pokemon Refresh? Uuuugh, no. I like that the beans stack, but that’s literally it.

-Called for help! ...Do I need to explain? I hear they’ve fixed this in Ultra Sun and Moon, but for crying out loud why can pokemon attack and call for help in the same turn, I literally got stuck in battles for several extra turns because I’d faint the help and another would immediately show up and that’s total bull.

-Story Mmm.. I didn’t really enjoy it all that much. I did find it interesting how downright dark it got at one point, but that alone doesn’t make it a good plot.

-Pacing This game is so s l o w. It took me 70 hours to beat, most pokemon games take me 50-60. And I was rushing to get through as much as I could.

-Difficulty spike Anybody else notice that the difficulty suddenly spiked towards the end of the game?? I was doing fine and then suddenly I was really struggling right at the end.

-No soaring One of my absolute favorite features of ORAS. Not included. It would have been perfect in this game. Just imagine soaring around Alola! It would have been great! And honestly, I can just soar without any particular purpose in ORAS, just listening to the music, loving the visual... it’s such a great idea, especially since it also gets rid of needing to have Fly all the time.

-No bike I know there’s ride pokemon for that, but they’re bulky and don’t turn the best and I like the bike aesthetic.

-No credits recap So you know that great feature in all the gen 6 games where during the credits you get to see important moments from your journey again and be reminded of your adventure? Yeah nah, they scrapped that.

-Not enough clothing Honestly mostly a fault of the setting but for crying out loud so many people need to put on some freaking clothes. I know there’s swimmers and stuff in previous games but at least it was only the swimmers.

-Can’t sit So you know that great feature in gen 6 where you could sit on chairs and things and it was really immersive and nice? Yeah no, that’s gone too!

-Music Something that’s been more and more of a problem for me with each generation, and maybe it’s just me, or that I haven’t replayed them as much as I have the other games, but all the music just... kinda feels bland and blends in? I dunno, I really think this one is just me, at least for this part. Just.... I miss the generations where music was simpler and had limited channels and instruments, and things kinda stood out more. I can’t remember a single melody from Moon off the top of my head, but from, say, Hoenn? Oh you bet. Really though, since I think that’s just me, here’s another reason. The battle songs were uninspiring, especially the Kahuna/E4/Champion songs. Those are supposed to get your blood pumping and be an intense battle and they just didn’t do that for me.

-Hand holdy This game babies you so much and it’s frustrating... cmon I didn’t memorize most of the type chart for you to just tell me when a move is super effective or not. Also I find that little pokeball graphic that covers the pokeball when you catch something really annoying. It’s dumb and unnecessary and I want to see the pokeball thank you.

I don’t know... it just didn’t feel right, to me. Something was just off the whole time. It didn’t give me the same feel as playing any other pokemon game, including X and Y, or (eugh) Diamond Pearl and Platinum. I don’t like any of those games very much, but at least they felt like a pokemon game. Something was just different about this and I didn’t like it.

Sad, really, as this was the first pokemon game I was even a tiny bit hyped for, and I made sure to avoid all the spoilers I could.

Would I ever play it again? Not likely, really. Maybe some day far in the future, but... considering how many headaches this game gave me, it’d be torture to put myself through it again.

I think that’s all I had to say... and I guess that concludes Zi’s adventures in Pokemon Moon. Thanks for putting up with it! And now back to your regularly scheduled cats~

Though I’m thinking of doing posts on my thoughts and feelings from all the pokemon generations. We’ll see.

#Zi's adventures in Pokemon Moon #Thoughts and feelings on pokemon

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