#Or maybe I could work on Charizard instead...

[championleonsslut]

Got anything for a yandere Leon like headcanons or a fic?

OHOHOHO ANON THE CAN OF WORMS YOU HAVE OPENED

Yandere Leon

WARNINGS: kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome, kinda nsfw, murder, manipulation. Reader is female

DONT DO THIS IN REAL LIFE ITS REALLY BAD KIDS

Leon gets what he wants. He always does eventually. He’s the champion.

And what he wants right now is you. The prettiest girl in all of Galar according to him. So sweet, so kind, so clever, so good with Pokemon.

He’s madly in love with you, even though you guys are only friends. There’s just one problem.

The boyfriend.

Leon has some competition in his way, as you’ve told him over and over again how madly in love with this man you are. Leon has to watch him kiss you and make you giggle. Disgusting! You should be in his arms, kissing his lips instead.

He draws the line when you tell who you think is a good friend that you want to give your boyfriend your virginity.

So Leon “runs” into your boyfriend in the Wild area, and challenges him to a Pokemon battle with Charizard. Your poor boyfriend… Charizard just… burned him right up! What a freak accident! Naturally Leon deposes of the body before anyone stumbles upon it. He throws it into a cave, careful to keep his fingerprints off it.

His body is found a few days later, and it’s all over the news. You come running into Leon’s arms, crying your pretty little eyes out. Leon pretends to be all upset and comforts you as you cry.

That’s when Leon starts the manipulation. He starts twisting your brain to see him in a better light, to maybe even fall in love with him.

And it works! From what he can tell, you have a crush on him. Finally. Now he can begin the second step of his plan.

He decks out a room in his private penthouse just for you, and breaks into your apartment that night. The house is peaceful, and you’re wearing such short shorts and such a short shirt while you sleep peacefully… how is Leon supposed to resist you?

He sees you sleeping with your mouth open, and pops a few pills in there. He helps you swallow them too, how sweet. Those will make sure you stay unconscious for the next few hours.

And once he makes sure you’re out cold, he lunges his new prize over his shoulder, and carries you out to the car to rest peacefully in the back seat.

You awake in a very strange place. You don’t remember being here. Then Leon appears, to welcome you to your new home! You put two and two together and start screaming at him for kidnapping you, but he doesn’t bat an eye. He says once you’ve calmed down and gotten used to the place, your restrictions can be lifted.

And just like that he’s gone.

Your room is nice to say the least… he made sure to decorate it to your tastes. A large king sized bed, bookshelves, a desk, a video game system, anything else that may have interested you…

And of course a massive closet filled with all sorts of clothes… but especially lingerie. The sluttiest cuts you’ve ever seen! You even spied a few sex toys in the drawers…

Leon brings you fresh food and water very often, making sure you’re well kept. You’re still mad at him for kidnapping you, but pleased he’s taking care of you so well.

You eventually ask him why, and your suspicions are confirmed.

“Oh, love. Well I couldn’t let anyone else have you, now could I? You were made for me! So I had to start keeping you here… so I could have you all to myself. We’re meant to be together, don’t you know?”

At first you reject him, and he’s disappointed, but just thinks you need more time. So he gives you more time, and manipulates you more, until you finally tell him you love him after countless nights of being denied.

That’s when you gain a bit of freedom. Now you’re allowed to walk around the entire penthouse! Leon officially starts calling you his girlfriend too, and takes your virginity on a night you chose to wear lingerie for him.

You stay happily cooped up in his apartment for about a year, while still taking good care of yourself, before he finally sets you free. He knows you won’t leave his side, and you’ll always come home, but now you can start leaving the penthouse… as long as you always come back. (Which you do!)

After being his precious little darling for a few years, he presents you with a beautiful ring one night, and asks you to be his queen. Of course you say yes, and reward him that night with the lewd pleasure he loves to get out of you.

The wedding is wonderful, and he’s so glad to finally have you as his bride. Stolen, maybe. But his nonetheless. You’re a wonderful wife to him, no matter if you stay at home or have a career of your own.

But a few years into your marriage, Leon wants a little more than just you. He wants you to bear his children. Of course you say yes! Actually, you say yes many times, as you two end up having five little babies of your own.

A girl, another girl, a boy and a girl (TWINS!) and another boy.

Your children and husband are the lights of your life, just the way Leon has always wanted it.

Becuase you belong to him.

I’m totally willing to go into heavy detail about the five children you have with Leon just fyi

[the-present-is-a-gift-au]

Chapter 2: In Which Farewells are Bidden

Kip left to start his apprenticeship and set off on his expedition before Twig could work up the gumption again to even hint at her memories returning. She really was going to have to grin and bear their return on her own, and the thought weighed heavy in her belly. She only barely managed to keep up a smile for Kip in the days leading up to his departure— and the minute after Treasure Town saw him off alongside her, she started bawling. 

Bidoof noticed her silent tears as Kip disappeared from view down the road and everyone began filing off to their homes. “Shucks, are you alright, Twig?”

She sniveled and blubbered her answer. “I’m fine. I’m just going to miss him. Kip is the first friend I remember making. I just...”

“It must be awful rough, huh? I’m sure it’s hard on you, yes sirree. But… with Team Venture dissolved, maybe you could go on an adventure of your own while Kip’s off on his! I’m sure you got a family worried sick about you around here somewhere.” He smiled warmly, all buck teeth and sunshine.  “Bet your ma’s a right scary Charizard! That’s the kinda family you strike me as coming from.”

It occurred to Twig that she’d never told anyone from Treasure Town that she was once human. She wiped her eyes, then shed even more tears than she could hope to sweep away when her hands were already covered in her grief, and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea. It’d be nice to know more about my past.”

Bidoof sat up on his haunches and patted her back. “I think it’d do you a lot of good, yup yup! But get some rest for now. You need it after today.”

He fell back onto his paws and waddled off after the rest of the townsfolk, humming cheerfully to himself as he went.

Yeah, Twig bleakly thought, recalling the numerous ways she’d been tripped up by her returned memories, Some good it’s done me knowing anything at all about where I come from. It’s not like I’d give anything to be a real amnesiac and have them stay gone.

The worst part of her bitter inward remarks is that they weren’t even true. She desperately wanted to know who she was and how she’d come to be who she is. But the fact that it came with those memories instead of happier ones first… she doubted whether she could handle the return of any more. It just might shatter her.

***

It hurt a lot to learn respect. That was the only thing she could say. She felt like her insides were all done up in knots and stuck with pins whenever she had to go home to her aunt, so she spent most of her time avoiding passing through the door. She would beg to visit friends' houses, she would volunteer to clean up after school, she would take the long walk back— she did everything she could to put off her return to the place she’d learned was a painful schoolhouse and not a home.

That was funny to think about. Especially when the unit used to belong to her parents. 

Oh, that was sad to think about. Why did it surprise her to remember she had parents at one point? Sometimes it seemed like it had always been just her and Auntie. Her family had passed just a year or two ago, but here she was, remembering that she had forgotten the sound of their voices. 

How had they died, again?

She felt the memory of rattling gasps and the sound of bile splashing against porcelain tickle at the back of her skull. Her stomach twisted at that slightest hint of what happened. She would have liked to pursue the memory and grasp its slippery recollection with shaky hands, but she had just arrived home. She needed to be quiet and pleasant. She needed to hide and be silent. She hadn’t done anything disrespectful yet, but she didn’t want to try her luck and garner another lesson on how to behave for her aunt.

A hand seized her wrist as she carefully closed the front door behind her.

It turned out she didn’t have to do anything at all to need another lesson.

Twig woke up clutching her mouth and dry heaving. It wasn’t uncommon for this to be how she awoke nowadays, but the nightmarish dreamstuff clinging to her senses was more potent than usual— she couldn’t quite discern up from down as she rolled onto her hands and knees to retch. When her stomach finally got the memo that it had actually been well and truly empty the whole time, she wiped the spit from her chin and sat up to try and breathe. Her heart fluttered pitifully in her chest, and Twig recalled a word starting with P that described the sensation. What was it… Petulance? Presumption? She recalled a large dictionary that she’d spend time reading as a human and loving all of the words she learned from it, collecting them all like they were made of gold and precious gems. It was fun to gather them all and try to string the fanciest sentences she could come up with in her head as she hid away in her room. Twig remembered the feel of it in her hands despite not being able to recall the color of the cover or the edition. She remembered the way Menagerie and Jubilee felt on her tongue as she whispered them without sound to herself, and she remembered the way Cacophony described her aunt’s voice so well, even down to the way the word felt coming up her throat. 

Words were nice. A silent companion who she could take with her everywhere, and a way to help her make sense of what happened around her. She had forgotten how much she loved words. 

What a pity that there was no one around to speak English with or to help her remember whether it was Palpableness or Palpitations that she was trying to recall. 

What a nightmare that she couldn’t string together any words, whether in English or Pokéspeak or together, to convey the sheer terror she felt in the moment between hazy wakefulness and uneasy sleep as she looked over to Kip’s empty bed and recalled a terror from the near past instead of the distant Dark Future.

(She had slept in one morning after “Cresselia” had visited in her and Kip’s dreams. She was usually an early riser, but she couldn’t bear to face the day with the knowledge that her very existence was inexcusable. She was damaging the world around her and the people she loved within it just by living. Cresselia had made that clear. And she would have believed her wholly, if not for the fact that she said Kip was of the same make. Kip, the most perfect person she had ever met, who refused to fight before he could at least try to talk things out, who believed in the best of everyone— Cresselia thought he was just as bad as Twig? She was trying to mull over how that could possibly be. 

(Even beyond the morals of it all— Twig had apparently been traveling time for ages longer than Kip. She had been brought back from a Future that was meant to have been utterly erased. Kip had traveled to the future and back to the past just twice— maybe four times if you counted the disorienting spatial situation of the Hidden Land. But somehow Kip was on equal standing as her for being a temporal-spatial anomaly? She couldn’t wrap her head around it.

(But Kip had taken it so hard. He’d gone silent as Cresselia once again reiterated to them that if they were to continue living, they would undo the world around them. In the moments immediately after they had both woken up from their shared dream, he had turned to Twig and hesitantly posed the question of whether they should do it— whether they should go through with the unthinkable. Twig reacted with such a sudden anger at the thought of him harming himself that she snapped he was stupid for even considering it. 

(She didn’t mean to make him cry. She was grappling with the thought that she wasn’t just a burden on her loved ones, but she was also warping all of existence with her continued breath— and the idea that she had spread some of her self-loathing to the point of Kip pondering that very same question she had been grappling with for so long in her life was unbearable. She couldn’t stand the thought of her best friend being so poisoned by her presence that he believed for even a moment that he was as unworthy of existence as she was. He was stupid for considering it. He was. He was stupid for considering such a thing just like she was stupid for considering not doing it.

(She apologized. She said they should talk things through in the morning and try to get some sleep for the time being. He agreed and curled up in his bed opposite to her.

(Twig slept in, and she woke up to Kip’s bed empty, the entire house carved into the side of the bluff empty, and the waves and wind outside crashing and howling like a funeral march.

(She scrambled up the steps to search Treasure Town and found him sitting atop the cliff to watch the last of the sunrise. He was fine. He was okay. He was fine.

(When he asked her why she was shaking, she said she had another bad dream, and it was nothing to worry about.)

Seeing Kip’s bed empty while her mind was still halfway within her last nightmare sent her panicking.

The jolt of adrenaline snapped her awake, and with that wakefulness came the knowledge that Kip hadn’t done anything drastic— he was just gone on his expedition, seeking the apprenticeship of his dreams— but she couldn’t put a stopper on all those horrible thoughts that had gripped her when she first thought her friend had left her behind in a way more permanent than she could bear. 

When she came out of the panic attack, she decided she couldn’t bear to stay in the Bluff without Kip to dispel that awful silence his home had been overtaken by in his absence. Grovyle's words about the restored Future being too perfect despite everything that had happened there rang in her head. She went to work finding herself a new place to stay— even briefly considered living with the Future Trio before she determined she couldn’t bear to live with Grovyle’s perceptiveness when she was in so fragile of a state. 

Honestly, sometimes it felt like he knew her better than she knew herself— admittedly, that wasn’t a very difficult hurdle to leap, but she still found herself irritated by it at times. He knew her tells that had apparently carried over from her humanity, he knew things she was interested in before it even occurred to her how intriguing the topic he mentioned her enjoying was— she could tell from his using her name that they had been close before her amnesia, but it was always surprising to relearn the extent of that closeness when he brought up some insight into her personality that she wasn’t aware of beforehand. 

All of that was to say that she would absolutely not be staying with him and the rest of the refugees from the Future. The fact that she would need to be in close quarters with Dusknoir as well to put the final nail in the coffin of the idea. No, she needed to find somewhere else to stay. Treasure Town didn’t exactly have much available real estate, and she wasn’t willing to wait until a new home could be put up, so Twig set her sights on the settlements outside of her current home. The Future Trio lived in Fair Fields, so it would be nice to set up shop nearby… 

A small settlement nearby called Verdant Village had a handful of homes available. Twig stayed the night at the Future Trio’s home so she could scope out the area— it was too long of a journey to Verdant Village to make as a day trip from Treasure Town— and managed to evade Grovyle’s worried glances and quiet questions on how she was holding up by staying out on her house hunt most of the day.

She eventually found a place that would work for her. It was a bit larger of a home than she would have preferred— it looked like it was meant for two or three inhabitants rather than one, really. But it was cheap beyond belief, and she was able to pay the mortgage in full with a single payment. She realized that she might have a bit more money saved up than she thought when the eyes of the pangoro selling the home went wide at Twig’s offer to pay in one fell swoop. She didn’t really ever spend her portion of Team Venture’s income on anything other than a few stray drinks at Spinda’s Cafe here and there. It was gradually occurring to her that she could spend the rest of her life retired in relative comfort. Not that she could ever retire— the very thought sickened her— but it was a shocking realization nonetheless. 

She moved into the home. Her belongings fit well into the main room, but there was nothing left over to fill up the closets and guest rooms— she barely had a pan and a couple of plates to put in the kitchen. It was weird to live in a home that was so bare. Sure, she’d be able to fill it up with decor and furniture as time went on, but she wasn’t exactly rushing to buy a bunch of stuff that she’d just have to sell in order to downsize once she moved back into Sharpedo Bluff. It seemed like a waste of time and money, especially when she had no idea what she’d even want to buy beyond a table to eat at and maybe a chair or two.

Twig soon learned she had neighbors, and she soon learned that having neighbors was probably her least favorite thing in the world. Sharpedo Bluff had been out of the way, on the fringes of Treasure Town, and her home was as well, for the most part— if not for the fact that there was another home built not too far off, and the gallade and gardevoir couple living there didn’t mind taking a brisk walk to invite her over for dinner or drop off a housewarming gift. 

The gardevoir had stopped by soon after Twig moved in. “I live in the house just over the hill to the east— I'm so sorry for my late introduction, my husband and I have been meaning to make a good impression and intended to introduce ourselves sooner, but I’m afraid we’ve been busy helping our daughter with her schoolwork.”

Twig set down the ax she’d been using to chop firewood when her neighbor arrived— it felt odd in her hands. She'd evolved all of a sudden while doing some more intensive home repairs not long ago, and she was still adapting to her new body. “I only moved in a couple days ago, though?”

“Yes, and I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting. It must be worrisome to move somewhere new without someone willing to help you get your bearings. My husband and I would gladly be those people for you.”

“Oh— uh—” She let out a short, nervous chuckle. “I don’t mind. I’m probably just going to keep to myself, anyways. You don’t need to worry about showing me around or anything—”

“No, no, I insist! It’s the proper, friendly thing to do, isn’t it?” She gave Twig a kind smile, then shivered. “Ah— I hope you don’t mind, but is it alright if I step inside? I’ve always been one to get chilled, and the breeze is just a bit too stiff for my tastes.”

Gardevoir looked over Twig’s home with a scrutinizing eye when she invited her in. The barebones kitchen earned the narrowest appraisal. Twig assumed Gardevoir was judging her for her minimal furnishings or something, but it wasn’t even a week later when Twig was gifted a full set of dinnerware and a stock pot. Apparently her reluctance to possess anything more than two sets of silverware would not stand in the woman’s eyes.

Gallade, at the very least, wasn’t so overbearing with his welcoming nature. He made polite conversation with Twig when they crossed paths on the way to the market one morning, and told her that his daughter was a great fan of an exploration team when she told him about her former employment. “She’s always quoting their slogan. What was it… Nothing ventured, nothing gained? I had never heard it before. She had to explain to me that it was a saying from where one of the members came from. It’s got a lovely meaning, but it doesn’t roll off the tongue quite like you’d expect a slogan to, does it?”

It was a bit awkward to explain that she was the one who had come up with the slogan after that, but Gallade clearly meant no harm by it. He posed the possibility that maybe Twig could perhaps speak to his daughter about exploration teams and what she could expect from an apprenticeship at Wigglytuff’s Guild— she apparently had all sorts of romantic ideas of what it was really like, and Gallade couldn’t get her to understand that an apprenticeship would never be all sunshine and roses, especially an exploration team apprenticeship. Twig said she’d need time to get settled in more, but she’d gladly chat with her about the Guild. She figured it would be nice— she was missing Manaphy keenly these days, and chatting with a kid his age might help soften that wistfulness.

“I have all sorts of stories I could share,” she said, “good and bad, but mostly good. Let her know that the Guildmaster sleeps with his eyes open sometimes, and it scares the members silly whenever he walks in for announcements snoring despite looking wide awake.” 

When Twig finally met the young ralts in question just a few days later at the market, the girl was starstruck. She peppered her with questions as her mother surveyed the fruits available at the stall they had crossed paths before— and many of these questions were ones Twig had no idea how she’d come up with. She knew how to answer what the best way to keep your bearings in a mystery dungeon was, but she didn’t know how to describe the sights and sounds of the Guild. This dumbfounded her interviewer.

“How can you not remember the Guild? It’s so cool!” She exclaimed. “It’s built into a cliffside, and it’s got that big forest at the base, and Wigglytuff carved all the rooms himself!”

“I don’t know about that last one, Ralts. I’m pretty sure he asked some ground-types to help him out.”

“Nope, that’s not what happened at all. He blasted the rock until there was all the different rooms, and he did it by himself.” She straightened her bandana— a sweet little imitation of the informal uniforms worn by many of the Guild’s recruits, and one that was clearly homemade— and puffed out her chest. “Oh, and you can call me Lyra, Twig!”

Gardevoir, who had been silently weighing her grocery options until that point, sighed and shook her head. She knelt down to set her hand on the girl’s shoulder and kindly chastise, “Sweetheart, it’s not nice to use someone’s name without permission.”

“But I’m letting her use mine. That makes it even, so I can use her name too, right?”

Gardevoir opened her mouth to explain further, but Twig waved her hands placatingly. “I don’t mind,” she laughed. “Really. I always thought it was a bit weird to call someone Mudkip or Bidoof instead of something more personal, anyhow. We never did that where I grew up.”

“Is that so?” Gardevoir tilted her head curiously. “Fascinating! We must seem so stuffy to you, then. Where did you grow up, if you don’t mind my asking? I know a few grass-type and bug-type villages far into the valleys up North don’t place much weight in personal names, but I’ve never heard of a fire-type living out there.”

Lyra seemed to swell with excitement, eager to share her next words. “Nobody knows where Twig came from! She just poofed outta nowhere and became the best explorer ever!”

“Oh my!” She smiled down at her daughter. “I can hardly believe it! Truly the stuff of Legends, that sounds to be.” She looked back over to Twig. “You seem to have a fair few rumors built up around you, I’m afraid. I think that… Oh! Are you alright, Cha— Ah, Twig?” She looked her up and down, a worried look overtaking her. “Goodness, you look like you need to sit down.”

Twig shook her head to clear out the nervous buzzing that had filled it up. “I’m fine! I’m fine, I just need to get back home. It’s getting kind of nippy— I’m one of those people who get cold way too easily, you know? Heh. Um.” She wrung the woven straps of the bag she’d filled with her groceries. “I should head out, but I’ll see you again sometime. Let’s talk exploration soon, alright, Lyra?”

Lyra beamed. “Okay! I can show you my explorer’s bag!” 

“Let me accompany you. You don’t seem well—” She took a step forward, but Twig stopped her with a noisy refusal.

“Nope, no need! I’m good. Later, guys.”

Gardevoir’s concerned gaze didn’t leave Twig until she ducked behind a stall and out of sight. The scattered scales that she’d grown upon evolution prickled along the back of her neck. She’d moved out to Verdant Village to avoid Grovyle’s worried fretting, but it seemed she’d just gotten herself a new flavor of it in the form of her neighbor. Great. That was just peachy. 

She was going to regret moving here. She could feel it.

[drifloonz]

PLEASE CONTINUE RAMBLING ABT MISSINGNO I WANNA HEAR MORE OF UR THOUGHTSSS

basically, the missingno ramble came about bc i always thought that initially, pokemon were always supposed to be able to be turned into data and shit. eg, how pokeballs even work, how the pc works, how trading works, etc.

this is kind of long ( not really but a few paragraphs ( nevermind i made it longer. ) ) so im gunna put it under a readmore just so i dont irritate ppl in whatever tags i put this in

idk if theres evidence for this, it just feels like pokemon implied that more and has been recently backtracking and going "oh no theyre not actually like DATA lol." and kind of retconning it. but maybe im pulling all of this out my ass but idk it felt early gen pokemon was much more in that sort of direction. there were a lot of different directions in early gen pokemon in general, i feel

ANYWAYS given that i subscribe to that more than whatever theyre doing with the canon explanations for shit now ( also not helped by my general fascination with technology, ai, and glitches esp in fiction and how interesting they are if written well ), i think missingno is just . a glitched pokemon. which obviously. but. Like. it used to be a pokemon. they can be made easily if something fucks up in the data transfer from physical to pokeball or pc or during trading or something like that.

well, maybe not easily- i imagine missingnos are only made from particularly bad cases of this. complete malfunctions and breaks, probably. which would also be why missingno and glitch pokemon like the bad egg, M', female symbol, ? symbol, whatever other ones you can think of were much more prominent early gen and pittered out more in later games ( not entirely obviously, but yknow ) - technology advanced more and became more secure so these types of things happened less often.

and i think in terms of possible mew clone, they are clones of mew that could not turn into ditto because an error happened technologically. instead of biologically/physically, which is how ditto wouldve been made. why are they in the shore? who knows. maybe theyre kind of thoughtless and just somehow get physically dumped into the cinnabar shore. god knows why its kind of hard to integrate game glitch to actual story/lore but by god im doing it.

anyways. because of this in strangled red, i think missingno isnt an all powerful entity. i think its just something that fills miki's corpse with garbage data and puppets her around like a zombie. which would be oddly fitting for a pokemon that i think could be caused by a trading fiasco or other technological malfunctions that happen to pokemon in those sorts of things.

miki just got the worse of it physically, not glitch-wise. she just died. which, at least she got to go out and not be in eternal limbo. until, well, steven stepped in, but who knows if shes even sentient enough or if her soul is even in missingno-ified miki at all. i think its slightly there, just a fragment of it- but its mostly a husk.

when the trading incident happened, i imagine that if there's an error the failsafe in whatever trading mech you use immediately sends the pokemon back to the original trainers, but something screwed up in the wiring so she likely turned physical at the wrong time while still in the trading tube, which then ended up with the wires being wrapped around her neck, or maybe even stabbing into it.

i like to think in the strangled red universe it's a not very common thing that maybe even was the first or only reported incident. steven and mike just got extremely unlucky.

... which probably did not help stevens rage about the incident, losing his prized unique charizard who could evolve faster than any charmander ever has, and tank supereffective damage easily amongst other things and to the fact that it probably only happened to him. or at minimum a few other people ever.

why does steven know about missingno? likely tales when he was in cinnabar during his original journey about it. strangled red is a year or so before the canon story but i doubt the mewtwo thing happened exactly a year before reds story, so missingno still being there. yknow. makes sense if you think it exists like how ditto does. ( failed mew clone ) .

the only reason missingno has power is because it is a glitch, it is corruption, physicalized - in a way it was not meant to be even further than how a glitch is. pokemon can turn into data. you can see how that'd work. anything that can be digitized in the pokemon world, it has power over. i imagine something thats meant to be there like a normal pokemon or human would get corrupted by it if it touched or remained in an area too long, or if it were commanded to attack. which is why missingnos in universe have insane levels, odd or stolen cries ( along with the fact some of them just used to be a normal pokemon likely ), and are physically just a jumble of data or taking images from random pokemons appearances, and even the skeletons or ghosts of them.

ironically they are like miki, but if miki after the incident corrupted digitally and physically, and went into a state of limbo instead of outright just dying due to technical malfunctions. they probably barely remember their former lives or what they were supposed to be and become very mindless.

i also think this has interesting implications for the trade incident if it ever happened again with pokemon with trade evolutions. i don't think they'd die, i think they'd become corrupted in a similar but different way to missingno - like an unintentional and glitchy evolution akin to porygon-z.

anyways.

steven is desperate for anything and everything to bring her back, and maybe tried multiple methods beforehand if you think he was that desperate, but hey. missingno worked. even if miki's just a puppeted corpse being controlled by a mindless thing that used to be a pokemon. who is ironically, controlling a corpse of a pokemon.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

happy au steven mike n reader doing xmas stuff. tree decorating, cookies, etc. if it’s ok to go on from the last happy au ask, then maybe mikes egg hatched and is either lil baby charmander or is now a big strong charizard :> kinda wanted a cute lil thing with steven n reader under the mistletoe bc mike was like “LMAO this’d be funny” and hung it where he KNEW they would stand. also mini request could the reader have a shiny eevee companion? maybe as a gift from one of the boys? -galaxy(imoutofs

Aw yeah holiday sequel!

........

It was Christmas time in Kanto, and every human and Pokémon in town was making their final preparations for the holidays.

You, Steven, and Mike had just finished decorating the outside of the brothers’ home, so now there were a few more things to add inside to get you all hyped for the season.

You never thought you’d be spending Christmas with them, of all people.

But after a rather awkward meeting with Steven, that ended with Miki and your Charizard becoming lovers and having a baby Charmander (who Mike raised to become a strong and powerful Charizard like her mother), here you were years later, having grown closer than ever.

Especially Steven. 

Ever since Blue--and then Red--defeated him and became the new Kanto champion, he decided to settle for a quieter life with you, Mike, Miki, and the rest of his Pokémon team. It was much-needed “retirement” of sorts. The three of you went on vacations to other regions, the most recent being Galar, but returned home just in time for the holidays.

Of course, with both of your Charizards falling in love, it’s no surprise that you’d eventually develop your own feelings for Steven. 

But the truth was that he also had a die-hard crush on you..one that Mike knew very well.

He’s been trying to motivate his little bro for a while to make the first move--to no avail. Despite being quite charismatic with his fans, Steven faltered on genuine romantic things, even though he fell for you because you were the only one who treated him like a person instead of a celebrity. It’s you who he could envision a future with.

He simply didn’t know how to take things further from here.

However, with tonight being Christmas Eve, Mike may have just discovered the perfect plan.

While you were taking cookies out of the oven, the Charizards were playing in the snow, and Steven was adding finishing touches to the tree, the brunette had strategically placed some mistletoe above a gift his brother accidentally left on the sofa. He forgot to put it under the tree when he got side-tracked by other matters. 

‘All according to plan. This should work out just fine.’ Mike snickered, before heading into the backyard. He wanted to make an ice skating rink by using his Blastoise’s new Ice Beam attack.

Shortly after he left, Steven turned around and noticed the gift. “Crap, I forgot all about this one..”

“You forgot what?” You peeked out of the kitchen, taking off your mitts and leaving them on the counter. The cookies were cooling down now, so you decided to investigate what was going on in the living room.

He picked up the present and looked at you, standing rather awkwardly. “I was gonna put this under the tree but got caught-up in other stuff.”

“Oh! Is that for Mike or-?”

“You.”

“Awh, sweet!” Grinning, you took it from his hands, looking down at its spherical shape. “Y’know, in some traditions it’s okay to open one present on Christmas Eve.” Then you looked up at him, eyes shimmering. “Do you mind I choose this one?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Sure. Go for it.”

“Thanks!” You removed the wrapping paper, stuffing it into your pocket so you didn’t make a mess on the floor. And it was revealed to be a...

Pokeball?

“Huh..nice. Just what I always wanted.” You snickered sarcastically. “My very own standard pokeball.”

Steven was flustered, but before he could say anything, the device opened up by itself to reveal-

“...oh my gosh, is that a Shiny Eevee?!!!” Your eyes widened in shock for a few moments, before you hopped up and down in happiness, scooping the silver-furred Pokémon into your arms. “I love it!!”

It seemed just as happy to be your companion as it uttered a joyful “vee”, before wriggling out of your arms to curl around your shoulders instead. There, it nuzzled its nose against your cheek. You grinned and rubbed its ears. “It’s so cute. Thank you, Steven!”

You hugged him tightly, feeling him tense up for a moment before he returned the hug, smiling lightly. His heart was hammering in his chest at the closeness.

‘We fit perfectly in each other’s arms..’ His smile grew softer, wondering if this was now the right time..

But his eyes wandered up to the ceiling, and that’s when he realized...

There was mistletoe directly above you both.

“Huh, that’s funny.”

His face exploded into a blush as he looked back at you, seeing that you noticed it as well. And you just had a staring contest for what seemed like an eternity.

“Well..you know what they say about traditions.” You winked.

“I-”

But Steven was barely able to get a single word out, as you quickly pecked him on the lips. Only for a second, though this was a moment he’ll never get out of his head.

You were actually kissing him.

When you pulled away, you chuckled. “Awh, your face is as red as a Shiny Gyarados.” You teased softly. “Too bad you can’t hide it behind all your hair.”

Your Shiny Eevee seemed to agree, as it giggled at his flabbergasted expression.

“Now, what were you trying to say before?”

“...[y/n]..I-I...um...” Steven was completely tongue-tied right now. 

There was a lot he wanted to say in this moment.

So much that he wanted to tell you-

-click-

Startled, you jumped out of each other’s arms and saw Mike standing there with his Rotom Phone, a grin spreading from ear-to-ear. “Oh that’s cute. I’m totally posting this on my Pokégram!” He laughed, though he tensed when Steven began fuming. “Now, now bro..what do we say?”

“Mike...”

“..uhhh...hey I-I think Blastoise is calling me!! H-He learned how to use telepathy now so bye!!”

“YOU GET BACK HERE!!”

Mike sprinted away laughing, while Steven chased him outside, hellbent on ensuring he didn’t post that image of you two.

All the while, you stood there with the Shiny Eevee still on your shoulder, petting its fur. “Heh, brothers..am I right?” You sighed, shaking your head in amusement.

“Vee, vee.” It nodded.

“...I hope he likes the Shiny Applin I found in Galar. Do you think he’ll like it?”

“Hmm...Eevee!”

[monkeybell]

The opening is ok. Sounds more like something Disney would have as an opening ngl but it’s also not as bad as people make it out to be. Seriously guys, you can just… skip the opening if you don’t like it? It’s not like they be strapping you down to a chair and forcing you to watch it on repeat 🫥

There’s crystal turtle

Ok this falling off buildings/jumping is getting old. I’m sorry but I have to say it. Please tell me this doesn’t happen often after the first few episodes

Liko really likes the moon. Wouldn’t she work better as a SM protagonist since one of the legends is literally a moon Pokémon thing? /j. But hey, maybe that means we get Lunala content 👀

Ok I like Murdock’s voice

“Who are you people?” “Why, we are the people who have been stalking your school and fellow classmates!”

Fuecoco! Fuecoco! It’s the little guy! I guess Fuecoco will have to substitute for Oshawott’s absence

Aw little cuties pooties <3. If there’s one thing this new series has kept, it’s keeping the Pokémon adorable as fuck. I want one! 😭

ARE WE SERIOUSLY ALMOST HALFWAY THROUGH THIS EPISODE TOO?! Why are these rushing through the hell

Can’t tell if Snorunt is shaking because that’s it natural thing to do or if it’s scared but either way I will protect you!

YOO CAP! Let’s go!

Oh yes, we must head into the fucking thunderstorm. Bro I would rather go back to school than stick with these adrenaline junkies 😭

Fuecoco “helping” out Charizard 🥹

Does Murdock have Corsola branches on his shirt? Or are they supposed to be flames? Either way I like his overall love. Congratulations Murdock, you may be my next favorite character! 🥳👏🏻

Cute eye catchers. I’m not ready to say goodbye to Liko’s school uniform. It’s an underrated look and I honestly think I like it better than her casual look

The poor Pokémon! I want to comfort them! 😭 Am I really about to cry over them? Maybe…

Classic main character doing the main character thing and giving themselves up. Please writers, don’t let Liko become a mary sue

Friede sounds like a dad. And I don’t mean because of his personality I mean because he sounds like he’s peaking mid 40s

Yay badass ceruledge is back! Man I sure hope he doesn’t become a constant punching bag alongside his trainer 🙃

Trainers: *recklessly battling*

Move: *misses and hits something that could have serious consequences*

Trainers: *shocked cap pikachu*

Damn Sprig is pissed at Liko. Wait.. Liko has been lying to herself? About what? I’m so confused and this is only episode two dear lord

Am I the only one who would save the Pokémon instead of the person? .-.

Ok and that’s the end of episode two! So my overall thoughts on the show atm is that it’s ok. It has a lot of potential but it’s also rushing a lot and I’m still salty with how they tossed aside Ann and also the school. It wouldn’t have killed them to give it more screen time and have Liko learn stuff there but that’s just me. Also feel I need to say this but these are just my opinions on the show and stuff. Please don’t kill me. See you guys next time for episodes 3 and 4!

[mayakern]

what pokemon would your characters from spitfire have? (sorry if you dont know all that much about pokemon)

my knowledge of pokemon is SO spotty past the first two gens and most of my knowledge is from my wife so i think most of these are gonna be mostly VIBES instead of specific pokemon so if yall have suggestions im all ears

feon: honestly not sure wjat to do about feon since like… they might just BE a pokemon, you know? like a legendary dragon pokemon with the ability to take human form. but i also feel like that is a really weird answer to give considering all the sex they have with humans.

so assuming they are a trainer, they would definitely have a charizard. feon would pick pokemon that looked really Cool and would probably mostly have dragons.

caed: i think at least for the aesthetic/patriotism he’d have to have at least one pokemon that was dragon and/or fire type. im gonna say he has a centiscorch because devin had one in their sword/shield team and i liked him a lot. and caed would have at least one steel pokemong for sword boy reasons. probably that sword/shield pokemon everyone hates thats just a sword and/or shield.

but also he just has a cubone. for SAD boy reasons.

allene: definitely psychic pokemon!! im not sure which ones. she’d probably want pokemon that could help with her work in one way or another so she’d defs have a rotom. i think that’s how it’s spelled. she’d also have at least one ice type to help her traverse harsh voswainina winters.

lysithea: primary types i can see for her would be fairy, dark, and water. she defs has one of those fancy new rapidashes. maybe a ninetails just bc it suits her idk. the one that looks like a key ring with the headcanon that it could help her pick locks lol

fidelity: i think fidelity has two kinds of pokemon: 1. relatively weak ‘mon that are cute, frequently common/unwanted sometimes early route mon that ppl always try to get rid of, like an unevolved caterpie or furret. does cutiefly fall under this category? i have no idea when in its game it pops up i just know it has fidelity vibes. 2. pokemon abandoned/unwanted by other trainers for various reasons. maybe it looks scary but is weak. maybe it’s just stinky because its a gloom (coincidentally my favorite pokemon when i was a child).

clemence: i have nothing other than new pokemon snap to base this on, but i think she’d have a gardevoir. idk why. just has the right vibes. maybe a carbink idk anything about it but i think clemence would collect rare/lesser seen pokemon, but not necessarily powerful ones. i think she would take pride in finding hidden gems and bringing them into light. not in like a boastful, egotistical way, but clemence is someone who finds satisfaction in polishing and bringing appreciation to the rare gems.

[redlibra14-2]

Ok, so this is what I think is going on with Pokemon Legends ZA... (+ why I think gen 5 was seemingly skipped over & which starters that I think will be getting a new regional form in this game)

If you're reading this, that means that you are at least somewhat aware of the announcement of Pokemon legends ZA and are probably upset that they didn't address gen 5. To start off with, it's no secret that even GameFreak thinks that the way they executed Gen 6 is incomplete. Whether you love or hate gen 6, I think that that's something we can all agree upon. I mean, like you, I too was also yearning for Pokemon Z to be a thing just to wrap it all together.

But I may or may not have also hoped for a pokemon W, in the event that Pokemon and GameFreak decided to go back to the format of having 4 games like how gen 1 started for some reason as a kid. I mean we literally have 5 rivals in X and Y ffs. But then again, that would really amount to there being 5 games, not 3 or 4 if this was the case. Considering in most of the games' lore and saga surrounding them, the rival is what one of the games is named after, followed by a side character, and then most importantly, the protagonists as well.

All joking aside, we all wanted Pokemon Z to happen. Collectively and don't you deny it. But that never happened, causing Zygarde to get screwed over for no reason in the process and hardly any explanation as to how we could get AZ's Floette, since it was in the code as an obtainable pokemon after all.

But now that we have the announcement of Pokemon Legends ZA, it could finally be complete. And to tell you the truth, it's unclear for now as to whether or not it'll take place in the past or even in the future. And the trailer isn't really helping much in determining this either. For all we know it could start off in modern times and then move into the future like most of the theories that I've seen suggest. Or I could be wrong on that. But if in the event they decide to have it take place in the past or even mix it up a bit, I'm gonna share w/ you rn, which of the starters I think will be featured and are therefore likely to get a regional form like the Hisuian starters did.

Let's begin by addressing all 9 generations by eliminating the ones that obviously won't work and explain why (+and an additional Legends scenario on where they would probably fit best):

First off we have gen 1 (Bulbasaur, especially Charmander, and Squirtle) - Not the main starters.

None of these guys could work because of one major reason: they already have Megas, so it would be pointless to give any of them (especially Charizard) a regional form and considering Kalos features megas, it would then also lead to the unnecessary plothole of giving the regional forms a mega form as well. But considering that a return to Kalos could mean a return of mega forms potentially, what they could instead do is give Charizard (and Mewtwo) a Mega Z form as well, since they are the only 2 with more than 1 mega forms we've seen. And who knows maybe other pokemon could get a new or additional form as well. Of course I am also not ruling out the possibility that maybe we could see the starters in the wild as well, kind of like how, despite not being the main starters in the game, we saw the sinnoh starters and their evolutions in the wild back in Hisui, even though by modern times, we can't find them anywhere in any of the gen 4 games, except in the Grand Underground in the remakes. which would call back to how we could get a 2nd starter in X and Y. But a game scenario as to where any of these guys could fit better in is if we had a legends game that was set in a tropical region, kind of like Alola, in the case for Bulbasaur and Squirtle. As for Charmander, maybe we could place it having a regional form in a pokemon region based on a country that features a dragon as one of it's symbols (like the country of Wales). So in other words, either a legends game based in Galar, any of the 1st 3 regions, or even a region based in China.

Gen 2 (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile) - These guys also wouldn't work because for 1. we already saw Typhlosion back in Legends Arceus and 2. the designs for both the Chikorita and Totodile lines don't really give off any French vibes to me. Like with Bulbasaur and Squirtle, the only legends games I could see these 2 gaining a regional form in would be somewhere tropical and coastal, like in Alola or somewhere else, like Australia, considering Meganium's flower on its neck and it's antennae make it resemble a Hibiscus flower. Plus, France, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, doesn't have any alligators or crocodiles living there natively. But keep this in mind, we'll come back to this in a while for now.

Gen 3 (Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip) - Another easy elimination on the grounds of how they already have mega forms. And like the Kanto starters, I am also not gonna rule out the possibility of them being able to appear in the wild. But even that's a weak claim, considering that if we look at all the animals that have inspired them, the only one that is likely possible if we ever end up seeing in the wild is Treecko, because of how geckos are found in the wild in France. As for Torchic, Torchic's only claim to france is how a chicken called the Red Junglefowl is referred to as the "Bird of France", because of a statue that was erected in France in 1760. Mudkip is even trickier since most of the animals that are said to have inspired it , according to Bulbapedia, namely mud puppies and mud skippers can't be found anywhere in France. Plus Axolotls have been shipped to France and the axolotl's there are only in captivity as a result. So where do I think these guys would fit best if we were to ever get a legends game featuring any of them. Well, for Treecko, I'd say somewhere Topical and forested. Torchic could be somewhere in Southeast Asia, or just simply back in Kanto or Johto. Additionally, I also saw this one piece of fanart of Blaziken's regional form looking like it came from the wild west (if you know what I'm talking about, you know). So perhaps, a Texas-based legends game could work for Blaziken too. For mudkip, probably somewhere up north in North America, like Canada for example, since that's where some of the critters that I mentioned Mudkip is based on live.

Gen 4 (Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup) - This one is pretty easy and is the first possibility. I'm talking about Piplup and only Piplup because of how it's final evo, Empoleon is based on French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, so this seems pretty solid to me. Now as for why I don't see Chimchar and Turtwig as viable fits for this game. Well, again, they also similarly don't seem very french to me either. Chimchar, I could see in a legends game set in any region that's based in a savannah like setting, or even in any region based in asia (Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn included). And for Turtwig, this is more of a monsterverse reference, but I'd say that they should have turtwig appear in a region that's based in germany. Sort of like as a reference to how Methusaleh destroyed a village in Munich, Germany and slept on the remains, tricking onlookers into thinking that he was just part of any ordinary mountainous region. But if Pokemon were to do something like that, they could very well easily base a legendary, rather than an entire regional form for a starter, or alternatively, they could somehow introduce a paradox form for Torterra to make that reference, but I could be wrong and possibly overthinking this entirely altogether.

Gen 5 (Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott) - Here we have our second possible regional starter, that being Snivy, whose own final evo, Serperior, is referred to in the pokedex as the Regal Pokemon, and it's overall design and its noble aesthetic does look like it could slot in pretty well with Kalos as its main grass starter. Plus, if this is true and Serperior does end up getting a Kalos-based regional form, this could mean a potential hint to the gen 5 remakes, and Unova already does make a lot of french references even prior to Kalos' reveal, from some pokemon like Escavalier, to mythical pokemon like Meloetta and Keldeo. I also enjoy the rather amusing thought of giving a regional form to Serperior that looks like Marie Aintoinette, but I keep forgetting that she was Austrian, not French. Even so, they could give Serperior one form that looks like Joan of Arc and have it resemble a dame, thus returning the snivy line back to having legs, like how Legends Arceus decided that Lilligant shouldn't skip leg day in its regional form. Samurrott wouldn't work, because like with Typhlosion, we already saw its hisuian form. Which just leaves us with Tepig, pigs are common in a lot of places and are native to Europe, but for some reason, I just can't see it having a regional form that's Kalos based. But maybe I'm wrong. As for the legends game that could fit with tepig and its line, it could probably go anywhere. But probably alola could fit where they could just ditch the fighting type that was part of why no one liked Emboar and make it be part psychic, ghost like Typhlosion, or even dark to reference the wild pig problem happening in Hawaii.

Gen 6 (Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie) - This one is by far the most obvious as to why none of these guys are gonna get regional forms of Kalos, because their normal appearences are already their forms and additionally, like with the Gen 1 and 3 starters, it could be the same situation as how we saw with the sinnoh starters being wild pokemon in legends arceus. But if they aren't getting any forms here, then where else could they be? For Chespin, remember that fanart I mentioned earlier when I talked about Torchic, Chesnaught was also in there too, given a more prickly regional form akin to a cactus. So chuck it in there with Blaziken I guess. Fennekin could fit in Galar and be given a regional form that channels, emmulates, and references famous fictional and powerful sorcerers (ala merlin, dumbledore, gandalf, etc.). Frogs are common in a lot of places, France included, and is also a slur aimed at French people for their supposed diet of frogs. But Froakie, as I said earlier, is already a Kalos starter so it can't get a Kalos form. But because it's evolution line is themed around ninjas, prehaps I could see it in a coastal Asian-based region in a legends game, or again in either Kanto, Johto, or Hoenn (mostly the 3rd one because of Hoenn's coastal setting). Or even like the Phillipines. Or Australia, like with Totodile.

Gen 7 (Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio) - This one is a 2nd possiblity in terms of water starters, but I'll get to that in just a moment. Rowlet is easily eliminated because of the existence of its final evo's hisuian form. Litten can't work either because of how tigers are not found anywhere in France and more common in places like India and Bangladesh, which are also where I think a possible legends game with Litten as one of the starters could work in, making it be part psychic. Alternatively, they could also have incineroar in Japan and have it be looking like a sumo wrestler (It would basically be Alolan Persian 2.0 but better). Or in Paldea, and/or another Latino/Hispanic vibe country, and have it reference macho libres, like Hawlucha. Of course, this would mean the fire-fighting final evo starter curse would start back up again after years of not being seen since Emboar (I'm sorry, but I don't see any other way in which this could work any better). And lastly, popplio. Popplio could work because of how Primarina is an opera singer and france did and probably still does have famous opera singers. However, this where the connection stops dead and as to why Primarina doesn't have as strong of a claim to Kalos than Empoleon, is because of where its name was inspired from: Primadonna, which is Italian. So alternatively, if Primarina can't work in Kalos, then perhaps if we ever get a legends game that's based in Italy, then it could go there instead.

Only 2 more generations left, we're almost there.

Gen 8 (Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble) - Grookey right off the bat doesn't mesh with the French vibe with me and Rock n' Roll isn't really the 1st thing one could think of when they think of France. I would probably say if we ever get a Legends game that is based somewhere up in the northeast of the US (like Unova maybe), anywhere else in the US, or even just straight up in Unova. Scorbunny seems like a good choice for a fire starter, until you realize that almost every country in the world outside of Britain has a soccer league or has ties to another country's soccer league. Sobble also wouldn't work unless they decided to probably give Inteleon a look resembling a french highway man (which is basically a robber on the road who jumped mostly rich people and robbed them of their money). Plus, some highway men were also British as well, like Dick Turpin for example, which circles all this back into a neat little bow. Also, this is the last time I'm bringing up that piece of fanart from earlier, it could work in a wild western setting in a Texas based region, like Chesnaught and Blaziken, where in there, it is also given a form that looks like a criminal outlaw, but this time from the wild west.

And last but certainly not least,

Gen 9 (Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly) - Now this is one where anyone of them could fit, but some links are still fairly weak. Sprigatito's final form Meowscarada could work considering that France had masquerade balls, but masquerades, like with the term Primadonna, are of Italian origin. Meaning that if Sprigatito were to be a Pokemon legends game starter, it would probably be in the same region with Popplio. But if they still hypothetically chose to have Sprigatito as a starter in Kalos, they could probably give it a look also resembling a highway man, like with Inteleon. Or a plague doctor look (I wanted to say this for Delphox, but then I remembered that Fennekin is already a Kalos starter, but even so, if Pokemon legends ZA decides to bring back megas and this time give the Kalos starters megas too, or if they decide to include paradox pokemon, the plague doctor could be a good design basis for Delphox in regards to either of these forms. And now back to the post). Skeledirge could also potentially work like w/ primarina, considering it also sings. And that would be perfect, had it not been for how Latino/Hispanic-centric Skeledirge is designed to be, from its name to its design. Meaning that it could also work in an Italy-based region in a Legends game (obviously not alongside Meowscarada just so we're clear). And lastly, Quaquaval, aka if Joskue from Jojo part 4 was a pokemon. It could also work if it were given a Court jester based regional form. But then again, this could work in any country that used to be a monarchy and happened to have a court jester in their rulers' court during the medieval or renaissance period of that country.

And there we have it, my reasons on whic starters fit and work with Kalos and why some others don't. Who knows? Maybe I'm right about some of these. Maybe I'm wrong. But as I said earlier, we don't know where ZA is going to happen for now, and it's possible that I just completely wasted my time, making all this be bullshit.

Now lastly, as to why I think gen 5 was never skipped over and that they are instead saving it for later. Well let's recouperate and analyze this a bit further, beginning by addressing a pattern that I have noticed with the past few remakes and when they've happened. You guys ever noticed how every time a remake happens, it's always on a generation that has an even number. Of course, the only exception to this is how the Gen 1 remakes happened on Gen 3. But I'll touch upon that as well.

Gen 2 remakes = Gen 4 (Same graphics and assets, but tweaked a bit, so it matches up with the original storyline from gen 2).

Gen 3 remakes = Gen 6 (Same graphics and assets, but tweaked a bit, (and even perfected according to some) so it matches gen 3's original storyline).

And the most recent remakes also follow this trend too. (Kinda.)

Gen 4 remakes = Gen 8 (Different graphicss from Sword and Shield and the exact same story as the original w/ very few changes).

So what exactly does this mean? Well I'll tell you what it doesn't mean: a consistent pattern of 1st 2 games, a 3rd game that's kind of like the precursor to the kind of pokemon dlc we have today/DLC, and remakes. Because this what we all must have thought would happen after gen 4. But it didn't. So ditch that empty hope that it'll ever be like that.

Alright, so if this pattern is true, then what does this say about the gen 5 remakes? And if we were to apply this logic onto the Gen 1 remakes, shouldn't they happen in Gen 2 and not Gen 3?

Well, to answer that first question. If we apply what I call the "x2 rule", where we take the generational number that has not a remake yet and multiply it by 2, our answer is that the gen 5 remakes will most likely happen in Gen 10, which is potentially a few years from now. So, there's your answer. From now on, I don't want to hear about how you think a remake is going to happen in this generation or immediately the generation that just had a remake. Because it's clear to me that a consistent pattern that is similar to how Resident Evil treats its remakes of its past games will never happen. Unless this'll be another trend that pokemon breaks again like with how as of gen 9, fire starters being based on the zodiac is unlikely to happen for the forseeable future. What would the gen 5 remakes look like? Will they follow the same pattern as gen 4 did? Just a carbon copy w/ few changes in the story? Or will it be different and it potentially returns to the way the gen 2 and 3 remakes were handled? Who knows?

Now, as for the 2nd question, let's say hypothetically this is intentional, why don't the gen 1 remakes happen in gen 2 and they happen in gen 3? Well, look at the graphics of gen 2 and look at the graphics for gen 3. Notice how one looks more fleshed out than the other? That's because by gen 3, Pokemon has become an official franchise at this point. The remakes couldn't have happened in gen 2 because pokemon was still in its infancy at the time. Lockstin once said something along the lines of how pokemon in its infancy 2 ggenerations in very likely didn't have many ideas for future games after gen 2, but after gen 3, they knew they had a franchise on their hands.

But then again, maybe this was actually intentional. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe we were supposed to have a consistent pattern of a remake happening every generation originally and at some point they hit a bump in the road and had to make changes. One more thing, where do the Let's Go games fall into this?

Well, I don't really consider those to be remakes in the same sense as what FRLG, HGSS, ORAS, and BDSP had going on. They were more like a game that screams that it was made as both a cashgrab to Kanto and an experiment to see what a Pokemon game on the Switch would be like.

So what does this say about the other gens after gen 5? I personally think they probably wouldn't be called remakes, as they are all already in a 3d setting. They would be more like remasters if anything. And the closest thing to a remake that could expand upon the lore for these gens is what Pokemon Legends arceus was to bdsp and gen 8 as a whole. But they would still follow the same rule as the others: 6 x 2 = 12, 7 x 2 = 14, 8 x 2 = 16, and 9 x 2 = 18. Would it continue like that or even that far in general? Pokemon is a phenomenon at this point, so of course it will for the forseeable future, unless something happens, like in the event they actually DO run out of ideas for real. As for the pattern itself, let's stick to it like this from now on. At least until Pokemon breaks it.

So what do you think? Did I miss anything? Let me know.

Also this is the fanart I mentioned: https://www.deviantart.com/gooompy/art/Wild-West-Starters-908520128

[thisselflovecamebacktome]

I've been meaning to make a post on the new legends game since the announcement, but have continuously had stuff come up so finally getting around to it now. Noting now that I've only seen very little (I'll mention what beneath the cut) about it so if any of this has been proven/disproven, my bad I guess lmao. But yeah, with that in mind, these are my very late night thoughts/predictions for the game.

So starting off I want to say that the only things I have seen on this game is the trailer and that apparently the whole game happens within Lumiose City. My kneejerk reaction to it happening purely in Lumiose was disappointment but then I took a step back and remembered that this will be Lumiose before it becomes the city we know from X and Y. Realistically I cannot see them making the areas of the game either 1. any smaller than Legends Arceus or 2. if they are smaller, have any less areas than Legends Arceus. Like with all the work they've done since Sword and Shield with bigger areas, I have faith that the sizing won't be an issue here.

Plot wise I am a little nervous, but I think a lot of that is just because there's so much that is unknown for now. Like tbh we don't even know if it'll have the same elements as Legends Arceus. Like for all we know it's a level by level game that once you finish a level, you can't go back because that part of Lumiose will have been built. Like I doubt that's the case, I imagine it'll be similar to Legends Arceus because they know that works, but we just don't know for sure yet.

Much like everyone else, I do hope Zygarde gets a proper story and tbh I don't want the A in the title to be another legendary (I do have a theory that instead of a new one, it may be Arceus but we'll see), but as long as it's written well, I will be happy. I also do wonder if the swords of justice will play a role given them being based on the 3 musketeers and feeling like they should be in Kalos.

More broadly plotwise, I am also super happy that Kalos was picked because tbh it's one of my least favourite games given how many missed opportunities I felt it had (likely due to the lack of a 3rd game) so I am excited to hopefully see those gaps be filled.

But yeah, overall I will say though, with Legends Arceus being my favourite pokemon game, it does have a lot to live up to, and that makes me anxious.

As I'm sure is the case with most people, my main hope for this game is that there are new mega pokemon (and regional forms). And tbh, I hope that any pokemon that already has a mega doesn't get a new one... maybe with the exception of Blastoise and Venusaur because it'd be nice for Charizard to not have the special treatment lmao. I don't really have any hopes for specific pokemon to get a new form or mega, maybe something I wouldn't usually use. Like I had never used Muk before Sun and Moon and now Alolan Muk is a top 10 pokemon ever for me.

Starter wise, my first guess is that they will pick all 3 from ones that aren't generation 6 or generations that were picked for Legends Arceus. Sprigatito, Sobble and Torchic were the first to come to mind, but I also have a nagging (affectionate) feeling that Squirtle may also be picked. If I'm right, I will likely pick Sobble because I've never done a runthrough with it, but if it is Squirtle and not Sobble, I really don't know because I've used all three of those pretty evenly. Then again, Lavender specifically came from another region iirc (did we ever talk about the implications of this? Like the 'Hisuian' starter forms may not actually be from Hisui if he brought them along from where he was from. Like I know pokemon says it's the area that determines the form but it takes years/generations to adjust so there's likely another region that had at least similar if not the same final forms as the Hisuian starters) so they could use that as a reason to finally give the generation 6 starters a mega and/or new final form.

And there is probably more but it's 1am here so those thoughts will have to wait for another time.

[adobe-outdesign]

I was looking through your old asks and I found a Spamton Pokémon Rating and I gotta say, it's a shame that most people only know him through his Deltarune cameo. Kinda like how people only know Ridley from his Metroid cameos rather than his original appearances in Pokémon... speaking of which have you done Aerodactyl yet? That’s the first Pokémon Ridley equivalent that pops to mind lol

Aerodactyl is okay—though I'll admit, it never did all that much for me. I think it's just because I feel like I've seen this kind of wyvern-style pterosaur dozens of times before, and it's just not as interesting as actual proper pterosaurs (though granted, the Japanese word for pterosaurs is "winged dragons", so that might've been intentional). I'll get into this later, but IRL pterosaurs were some of the weirdest prehistoric creatures out there, and I would've loved to see that worked more into this design.

I also feel like the colors hurt it a bit. There's nothing wrong with the purple, but when the entire palette's monotone with no real markings it ends up not really having anything to make it pop. Even just a different color for the wing membranes instead of just a slightly darker purple would've been something.

And just to clarify, what we got isn't bad; I think the head's a bit too big for its own good, but its otherwise serviceable. I'm also always a big fan of correct membrane-style wings (correct in the sense that they're anatomically plausible; IRL pterosaurs had rounder wings and no thumbs), and the arrow tail is a nice touch. It's just that, at the end of the day, it feels less like a unique prehistoric creature and more like Charizard 2.0.

I'll give mega Aerodactyl this: It does at least attempt to fix some of my issues with original Aerodactyl. The colors are slightly improved—using the addition of black to add some much-needed contrast, darkening the wing membranes, and even making the eye color more vibrant. It's also more of a unique design, feeling like it has something to differentiate it from other dragons/dragon-like pterosaurs.

However, I can't say I love the rocks, either. First, they create some visual awkwardness; the ones on the stomach aren't needed (a dark underbelly to match the wing membranes would've worked fine), and the "beard" only makes the head look even more oversized. The ones on the wings, back, tail, and hind claws look fine; if they had just stuck to those ones and maybe the ones on the ears, it would've looked a lot less messy. Also, why is the tail flatter?

But secondly, those rocks bring me to my second point: mega Aerodatyl doesn't really have an interesting direction. It's just regular Aerodactyl, but Pointier(TM). There's almost something interesting going on with these 'dex entries:

None of the fossil Pokemon are properly reconstructed, as emphasized by most of them having rock-typing. The idea of mega evolution restoring a fossil Pokemon to its original prehistoric form is perfect. The problem is that the idea presented here for Aerodactyl's original form is... rocks. Even if we assume Aerodactyl was always rock-type and that wasn't a side-effect of it being resurrected from a fossil, its true appearance just being the same thing With Rocks is just... not that interesting, or at least as interesting as it could be. (Plus it raises some logistical questions. Like, why does it have proper wing-hands it can walk on in the improperly restored version?)

I point this out because, if you didn't know, pterodactyls are extremely weird:

Look at that. Equal parts ridiculous and terrifying.

My point is that I would've liked to see mega Aerodactyl lean more into IRL pterosaurs for inspiration if that's what they were going for. Give it a more elongated face, rounder wings, longer neck, etc. And some pterosaurs were quite colorful. Adding in some red and blue accents and darker stripes would've been a great way to really make the original purple palette pop:

Anyway, overall, original Aerodactyl is fine, but it feels somewhat generic, and the monotone colors make it feel washed out. The mega attempts to fix a few things, but ultimately creates more problems and doesn't really take full advantage of its concept.

Also, final fun fact that I found out while researching this: There is an actual IRL pterosaur genus called Aerodactylus that's named after this Pokemon. Because scientists are as nerdy as the rest of us.

[askbeannuts]

I lost track of how long we'd been there, searching, risking our safety every. Single. Time. Just to find SOMETHING, ANYTHING… Eventually, we had to give up, we had to tell others what had happened. It wouldn't be our responsibility alone, and word would eventually spread as we told anyone who would listen… some rightfully tried to accuse us of tricking Shaymin… of… killing her… but there were those who didn't believe that, they could tell by own words, actions and body language that we were not lying or hiding a crime… Shaymin… I refuse to believe she is gone… I REFUSE…! The following days were a blur, all I could remember was talks of a library, and a young Charizard seeking allies… I never paid them any mind, it wasn't worth my time, how good would someone, a failure like myself, be for saving others from crime? Despite my despair, however, those two fellows who traveled there with me, worked with me to venture into that dungeon after Shaymin far too many times to count, weren't letting me wallow alone. They talked to me about forming a team, their roles as cartographers were being taken over by far more qualified individuals, or so they told me… what kind of team would we form? Joining this "Xerneas Guild" or whatever? I remember asking something along those lines, but the two refused-they felt their mapping knowledge could be put to use elsewhere… the Dungeons.

I scoffed at this claim, but they insisted… the entire time we were venturing in and out of the dungeon forming in Shaymin's domain, it did not change, it wasn't until… that--I decided to entertain the two… dungeoneering was dangerous, no one would do so, but we could potentially gain resources from them if we did this, we could even, maybe one day… take back the lands we left behind… wishful thinking, but it was… something that kept my mind off of reality, at least for a moment. I agreed to forming a team, but I wasn't ready for that, not yet, so instead, I suggested we travel this new world. If we were going to risk everything venturing into these dungeons, we'd need to know the populace we'd be helping… that was my reasoning at least… and it seemed to work… while I agreed to join them… I still had resignations about doing such work… I'd failed so many times… how would now be different?

With the help of our Pidgeot friend, we traveled to the Southern Islands, explored them as well as we wished, though many of them were small and near empty in terms of civilization. We came to learn that many Pokémon decided to leave the moment they gained the ability to do so, and sought out their friends or family that were scattered by the chaos-wishful thinkers. These islands were mostly empty, quiet… too much so for me, I wanted to leave for better lands myself… it makes me laugh thinking back on things now.

The Eastern Isles… we weren't there long.

I had heard that to the West, the Tree of Life allowed Pokémon to evolve, and that the "trial" as some called it varied by those who ventured in, what caused them was still a mystery. Some even claimed to hear voices… it was all too strange for me, but the idea of venturing through that dungeon, the tree where heroes-mere children-saved this world from a cruel fate, was exciting to my companions. I really wonder if they were merely trying to cheer me up… their willingness to help me seek out Shaymin aside… I prayed I didn't steal them away from a good life to follow me into danger. Among the other islands, communities formed around dungeons that they could mine for resources… I couldn't help but laugh at the idea of "infinite resources" from a dungeon… even if there was some truth to it… wouldn't it be dangerous to just dig away like this for too long? If we did form a Guild-as my companions were starting to suggest in idle chatter-we would definitely have a dedicated safety team here, or many teams… but that's a future I haven't even begun to fathom yet. One curious note aside from this, were groups of species or types gathering together… their numbers were horrifyingly low and they seemed eager to find ways to save themselves from going extinct.

The answers to their goals were obvious, though I'd heard not all of these groups stayed in the West and some found ways to fly to wherever they pleased. I feel a long-term method to sky travel in groups won't be far off with the ways these Pokémon are wishing to travel, and considering how long it takes and how often breaks are needed… it will be a serious undertaking. My Pidgeot companion did mention the idea of a basket or something similar to carry Pokémon, but lamented at the speed cost it would have on someone like them… it's funny to imagine…

Our last stop on this tour was the North, bitter, windy and just purely cold, it wasn't the best place to venture to. Some settlements were forming and a curious group of farmers were cropping up in some places… were they meant to be a "Guild" too? They operated like one, but I wasn't too eager to find out… gardening isn't of my interest… despite being a grass type. The only part of our cold adventure I truly remember to this day was seeing what happened to Mt. Freeze… it had begun to fuse with another dungeon near it, becoming a massive valley with the mountain at its center. I couldn't begin to understand what happened, but we were told the dungeons "changed" and this occurred recently. Of all our travels and the few dungeons we came across, none had changed per the Pokémon living there… we assumed a "delay" was occurring, but couldn't pinpoint it now… instead we chose to step back, a large group of Pokémon had begun to gather, some seemed very distraught, with what I could hear, they seemed to be in mourning, something they only now were able to achieve… someone they loved was lost, either here, or this was their homeland. I chose to at least pay respects before we departed ourselves, from a distance, but someone spotted us and kindly greeted us.

They were an Absol, I distinctly remember talking with them for quite a while… they were mourning the loss of another Absol, one who worked closely with the Hero of the Meteor Crisis-which truly surprised me. This dungeon-what was left of it-was once their home, and the cataclysm did… this… to it. At first I felt I didn't have the right to, but I saw this becoming common from that "Xerneas Guild" leader, so I suggested a monument of some kind, to honor their partner, their hero. I remember the Absol falling silent for a long time, just looking out to the mountain, so I did the same. During that time, we had talked about everything I could figure was worth talking about… even though it pained me, we spoke of Shaymin… I didn't have the heart to tell them what I saw exactly, but they understood and let it be… until my suggestion that is. "Shaymin was brave-even if it didn't seem like it." I didn't verbally agree with Absol's statement… but what they said next left me thinking more. "Form your Guild. Take that reckless bravery and use it to help others." They also agreed to suggest the idea of a monument to the others, and that they'd settle somewhere nearby, though I advised against it if the dungeons are changing again, but they claimed it'd be fine. I… agreed to consider it, and eventually, after a bit of idle chatter, we separated and I returned to the Central Islands with my companions… I had some thinking to do…

… I forgot how long it's been since I visited that dungeon, but I remember the last time we did go there, the monument was built… hah, it had that new-age Unown script written on it… I think it said… "Heroes" if my translation is right… Ah, I need to get Smeargle to help me get used to writing and reading that… After I find some time to visit that little town of theirs, it's been a while…

An Excerpt from The Founder's Book: Shaymin Guild

[kokorowoutsu-a]

-- RP: A Lost Cause? Never

@monterraverde​ | Continued from here

---

When she began shuffling things around, he knew he had messed up. Miscommunication right off the bat, Leon realized he had honestly been split between three cultures at this point; Alola, Galar, and Unova... and now clashing with Paldea. He wouldn’t shirk her hospitality though and instead offered a sheepish smile. “Sorry for the trouble.” He’d at least say that. Taking a seat and giving her a nod as well as a verbal ‘thank you’ for the sandwich, he turned his attention to the pokeball at hand. “Ah... you see...” How to get into this.

“... More or less i’ve been preparing to go to Sinnoh -- as such, any trainers that are looking to battle, i’ve been training against them.” And here he pauses. “... There was one trainer -- he... had this pokemon in particular. My partner and I couldn’t stand by and watch it be abused.” As noble as he was, he didn’t like thinking of how hard this poor pokemon had been beaten. For him, it had been that severe. “... Needless to say we took the law into our own hands and took possession of his pokemon while making sure the authorities had their hands on him. As a former Champion I do still hold some sway -- even in Unova -- and well...” He held up the pokeball at hand. “They told me to keep hold of this guy. I... I’ve been trying, but... well, its best you see for yourself.”

As if on cue, Charizard who had been quiet for the time being braced itself and Leon clicked the pokeball open to release what would show a Gallade, bandaged and bruised, looking around wildly for a moment before backing into the nearest corner and settling there upon seeing Leon and his Charizard -- and Rika nearby. Leon had half-risen just in case, but the Gallade seemed more startled then liable to attack.

... Afraid.

It took a minute, but the Gallade finally settled in a corner, fetal-positioned and hiding himself as tightly as he could. Leon felt his heart break just a little then and a shaky sigh came out, resettling himself in the seat he was using then. He chose to speak softly, not looking at Rika for the moment;

“I’d like you or someone you know to take care of him. I could ask anyone in Galar and they might do so -- but knowing how Galar works... this Gallade doesn’t need that atmosphere -- not yet. That’s why I brought him here instead.” Maybe Paldea might be the treasure he needs to find and heal himself using as such.

[unmeisenshi]

Solaris sat on the hill, crying his eyes out. Lots of emotions flowed through his mind as he sat. That he wished he could have seen Zane one more time before all of this happened. That he wished he wasn't so traumatized over past events that he could have protected Zane more. But the biggest emotion of all... Was that he lost his best friend in the entire world.

"Zane... Why..." He whispered to himself. "Why did you... I'm so... Confused..." Solaris didn't quite know the extent of Zane's injury, only that they were in the hospital for some time. But instead of helping out... He spent most of this time working at his bar.

"Dammit... This is... All my fault... I couldn't... I couldn't protect my best friend..." The Charizard curled into as tiny of a ball as he could manage, and slowly rocked back and forth. "Once again... I couldn't save the people I love... Just like with Mom... With Dad... With everyone at the guild..."

He tried to curl tighter, and tucked his head in-between his arms. "Maybe... Maybe Sirius was right those years ago..."

Solaris stayed silent for a few moments, and only filled the void with a sentence even he hadn't said in a long time.

"I don't want to do this anymore..."

[fierymountaineer]

…Hi.

Is-this how you make posts? Right-I think I got it! I’m still figuring out how Rotumblr works, and Blue is-NOT being helpful really. In fact he’s just called me ‘Worse than gramps’-which is just plain rude!

So yeah-my name’s Red, from Pallet town! ..no that’s dumb of COURSE people know who I am-but seriously, don’t be afraid to talk to me alright! I know some of you kids seem-downright scared of me and I hate to see that-I want to be there for the next generation of trainers, and learn everything that’s new right alongside them-! We all learn new things every day right?

Anyways-I’m currently at the battle tree, I’ve been planning to head back here for awhile- (I actually DID call my mom this time, don’t worry. She still chews me out over Mt silver to this day-!

Anyway, guess I should introduce my team-They’re all reliable partners, some of my best friends!

Char, my ace Charizard. He’s been with me since day one and is one of the best companions I could ever ask for. (Also saved my behind from freezing up there on mt silver)

Stoise, my Blastoise-A heavy hitter but gentle giant. I’ve noticed she has a fondness for letting kids ride on her back and shoulders-!

Saur, my Venusaur-He’s another one of my friends since the early days. Kinda the peacemaker of the team.

Pika, my Pikachu-Second ace aside from Char! He’s-..quite a handful. STILL zaps me now and then sometimes but he’s a reliable partner when I need him most.

Snor, my snorlax-he’s still blocking roadways when he sleeps to this day-! But thankfully I can just put him back in his pokeball this time instead of having to bother anyone for a pokeflute again-

Vee, my Espeon-Rescued him from Team rocket back in the day. He’s finally healed from the whole thing and he’s quite friendly! Still has some issues with new people but once he gets to know you, you’ll be fine!

Anyway, that’s all about me-you can stop by and ask for advice, battles, just talk-anything really! It’s-..nice to finally start socializing again. Maybe this’ll be good for me-…

Yo, Blue here! I’ll ‘butt in’ every once in awhile to make sure dingus here doesn’t get into TOO much trouble. Smell y’all later!

ooc: this blog is run by Me- @trainergraceneedstherapy, @fucktherulesletsseetheruins, and @bittersweetformula’s admin! I’ve been wanting to do this for AGES and the Miku concert in Alola/Team calm raid is giving me a GREAT chance to-here’s hoping y’all love my take on Red-! And yes he CAN talk, as in Pokémon masters-he still goes COMPLETELY silent sometimes but he’s getting better with speaking to people! Also he ADORES the younger generation of trainers-kinda hopes he can be a father figure to anyone who needs it!

anyway-here’s his playlist!

[wyrmwiind]

{{ Pokemon asks! 8, 9, 12, 24, 27, 32, 39, and 40? 80 If that's too many, just 40, 24, and 9! ~works-of-magic

@works-of-magic hi! it is a lot, but i think i can handle them ^^

8. Which do you prefer, competitive battling or battling for fun?

this is a funny question to me because competitive battling is fun a lot of the time! to answer the question more thoroughly though, we do casual battles frequently as it's a good way to get my team's energy out.

in terms of competitive, i actually took the indigo league challenge but i could never beat Red, and i've visited a few different battle facilities! my favorite was the battle frontier in hoenn

unfortunately we haven't done competitive battling in a while because one of my star pokemon, diamond the garchomp, had to retire and be rehomed. i don't like to feel like i'm replacing him

9. What type of battle strategy do you tend to use with your Pokémon? If you do contests or something else with your Pokémon, what is your preferred approach to that?

i'm a big fan of double battles, they allow for a huge depth and variety of strategies! my preferred approach is usually to have one mon defend while the other attacks, but you have to be really flexible in these kinds of things. if your strategy isn't working you have to switch to a different one, and if you see an opportunity you have to know when to take it

12. Give us a random celebrity (gym leader, tv personality, musician, etc.) you can’t stand and why.

diantha :/ i keep up with the leagues across the world and diantha is the only champion ive ever actively disliked. it felt like she never took the responsibilities of being the champion seriously and only used it to promote her acting career, a standing champion is supposed to be there to help protect the region y'know? im gonna be bold here and say she should have stepped down sooner.

on a nicer note serena, the current standing champion of kalos, is an absolute gem

24. Would you ever enter one of your Pokémon in a contest? Which one?

i actually did enter a contest once when visiting hoenn! it was just a basic-level beauty contest and we didn't really know what we were doing, but Nymph seemed to really enjoy it ^^

27. Who was your first Pokémon? How did you get them? How long have you had them?

Cari, my charizard! i was lucky enough to get her as part of a starter pokemon program, we've been together over ten years now ^^

32. Have you encountered any rare or unusual Pokémon?

no one is going to believe me but i've come face to face with moltres... it's incredibly beautiful and descriptions really don't do it justice. it's my dream to someday battle one of the legendary pokemon but we definitely weren't strong enough when we met it... one day we'll find our chance

39. Do you and your Pokémon have any badges or contest ribbons? Which one are you most proud of?

i'm absolutely proudest of the fact that we collected all 16 indigo league badges! blue and clair in particular were incredible opponents, i don't think i could have beat blue if he was fighting at full strength instead of in a gym context... maybe someday we'll see though :)

and we do still have nymph's contest ribbon on display, too! she's very proud of it and so am i

40. Favorite thing about your partner Pokémon?

you wouldn't know it from looking at them, but my whole team absolutely loves cuddles :)

[blackdragon-selfships]

Summary: After moving in to a new house, a young girl writes letters to herself that she hides in a hole in her bedroom wall. One day after a particularly grim letter to herself, she returns to the hole to find one she did not write in its place. This leads to a tentative but growing friendship with the mysterious recipient which helps them both with their feelings of hopelessness and loneliness together.

Warnings: Mention of family issues and mention of threatened acts of violence, also lots of fluff and soft times.

Letters to No One

The house I grew up in was old. Not a foreboding mansion or something falling apart as we speak. Just old. I lived there with my parents and two younger siblings. It had three stories; The main floor where the household utilities and living room were set up, the bedrooms and bathrooms, and the attic. No one has been up there yet. All we knew was that it was there and that there was a staircase leading to it, but nothing more than that.

There was nothing very extraordinary about the house (if you don’t count the mysteriousness of that attic) either. While it was old and there are places work needed to be done, there weren’t any interesting secret compartments or places to explore. Except for a small hole in my bedroom’s wall, near the foot of my small bed. It was large enough that, when I was a child, I could stick my hand through it if I wanted. Though that was strongly discouraged.

My parents would say rats probably made that hole. Who knew what creatures lived there in there? I was forbidden from sticking my hand in it and to avoid temptation, a poster was plastered over the hole so I couldn’t access it. For a long while I obeyed, being a compliant child at that age. Then one day the hole in the wall couldn’t be ignored.

“I hadn’t meant to do it!” I would tell you back then. I had only been pulling lightly at the bottom of the poster because I was curious. It wasn’t my fault it ripped. It didn’t change the fact that the poster did rip. The bottom corners were pulled loose. The laminated paper would flutter just slightly from even the smallest gust of wind.

Now it couldn’t be ignored, and I had to do something with that hole. By now I was too nervous about all the creatures my parents guessed were inside to stick my hand in. Maybe I could stick something else in instead. Recently, about that time, at school I had learned about Time Capsules. Wouldn’t it be fun to use this hole as a Time Capsule?

Looking around my room, I found a piece of paper and grabbed a crayon (it was all I had on me at the time) before beginning to write. I wasn’t sure, at the time, what I wanted to write. I ended up with a letter to myself in the future filled with interesting things about my life at that time:

Dear future-me,

This is you from the past. This hole has been here since I moved in so I chose to use it as a Time Capsul. I’m not sure what else to write but today at school I played with Jacob. We pretended to be Pokémon Trainers and my Charizard kept escaping! Also on the way home from school I pet the cat that lives nearby.

I don’t know what else to say, so bye!

Not the most grammatically correct or exciting start to my new hobby, but I was young. After that, I made a habit to write a letter to myself daily then stick the letter in the hole. I would then cover it and my parents were none-the-wiser to my antics. Eventually the letters turned into a diary of sort, my daily updates becoming more detailed and at times quite personal. I never thought much about if someone other than a future-me would read them.

One day, however, I wrote the most personal letter yet. I was in middle school, and while it wasn’t always easy, I didn’t have a horrible time there. It was at home where things went wrong. Specifically with my younger sister.

Got in another fight with her today…she wanted me to give her one of my games and I told her no. We argued and she threatened to hurt me. Mom got between us, but I know I’m in trouble now. She will do something to get back at me. I know she will… I wish I could do something about it…

When I was finished, I shakily folded and pushed the letter into the hole with the others. If I was in a better state of mind in that time, I would have noticed something odd about that hole. I had been writing every day, shoving those same letters to myself inside since I was much younger…but the wall was not full. At the time, however, I didn’t notice or care. All that mattered to me was that I felt better after that, and after covering the hole again I put it out of my mind as I returned downstairs for dinner.

I didn’t write again for a while after. Growing busy with one thing or another as I got older, or simply forgetting. The next time I lifted the poster flap to hide one of my letters, however, something caught my eye. There was a rolled-up scroll of some kind just inside the hole. Somehow, I knew I had not put that there in all my time stuffing letters inside. That was not one of my letters.

I stared at it, unsure how it had gotten there but very curious all the same. I had to know what that scroll was, so I did the one thing I was told not to do: I stuck my hand inside the hole.

After a moment of anticipation, nothing happened. An animal of some kind didn’t lunge forward and bite my hand, and it didn’t get cut off either like I once feared it would. All that met me was cool air and then the touch of parchment before I pulled it out.

I examined the scroll now, looking it over curiously. I had never seen parchment before outside of movies. It looked quite old, though only a bit dusty for some reason. How long was it in that hole? Who put it there? …and what happened to mine?

Slightly panicked now, I looked inside the hole again. Only to find there weren’t any letters inside. It hadn’t been that long! Where did they go? Did someone take them?

My first thought was my parents found out about the letters and took them. Though that didn’t make sense. Why would they only take the letters but not fill in the hole like they had wanted? Unless they were hoping to get their hands on more personal writing of mine, which wasn’t like them, so it didn’t make sense. Not to mention, why would they use parchment?

I looked down at the scroll in my hand. There was only one way to find out what it was. So, I opened it. Immediately upon doing so, discovering that it was not from my parents. The scrawl was small, neat, and elegant but not in cursive. The words were calmly placed, and oddly it was in purple-colored ink as well. The message inside was what I focused on most, however:

I know that your situation appears grim right now…but it will not be forever. Have patience and courage, young one, for you will see the clear skies again. Do not lose hope.

I stared at the message, reading, and rereading it again with building confusion. Who wrote this and how did they get into my room to put it in that hole? I should have been more concerned, even reported this to my parents. For reasons I still don’t fully understand to this day, however, I didn’t. Instead, I held onto the parchment for a while. Then, whenever I had a bad day, I would pull it out and read the message again. It provided comfort, somehow, and helped with several difficult days as I grew older.

Until one day in my later years of high school, I returned to the hole in the wall. This time with another secret message to hide inside, but less detailed now in case someone found and read it like last time:

My parents had another fight with my sister today…there was a lot of yelling, and I was afraid that at one point someone would pull a weapon on the other. Her more likely than my parents…I don’t know what to do.

I’m scared.

I slipped the letter into the hole in the wall and hid in my room the rest of the evening. Even long after the yelling had stopped, and the front door was slammed (telling me she was gone for at least a few hours) I stayed where I was. Mom called me down for dinner, but I didn’t eat much. Neither of them brought up the fight and neither did my brother or me.

The next morning another scroll was in the wall. I pulled it out and read it:

Do not lose hope, young one. You have been strong thus far; you can weather through this as well. Do not let her break you.

Short and to the point as the last one was. Giving words of encouragement like before. Who was sending them, though? How were they getting in? It was time, I decided, to get to the bottom of that mystery.

That night I set up the video camera on my phone. Writing another letter, but this time to the mysterious recipient:

I know you have been reading my letters to myself and I have caught you on film this time. Don’t you know how rude it is to read someone’s private mail?

I meant it to sound angry, even though my mood did not reflect this somehow. I hoped to scare them before I would turn them in to the police for breaking and entering once I saw what they looked like. Though a part of me was somehow reluctant to do this since I would no longer receive letters now from the recipient. Still, I went through with it, slipping the paper into the hole and going to bed.

The next morning, I checked under the poster and with a jolt I found another scroll of parchment inside. My letter was also gone. I hurried to my phone next, checking the footage…but there was nothing. Just hours of me sleeping through the night, undisturbed by a mysterious stranger sneaking in to take my note and replace it with their own. So how were these scrolls appearing?

Annoyed and confused (and perhaps a bit scared now) I unrolled the parchment to find a reply:

My apologies, young one. I was not aware you were upset by my responses. If you wish for them to stop, I will do so.

Reading this, I was even less informed than I was before on who was doing this. But I had an out now. If they were true to their word, I could end this and move on with my life. Grabbing my notebook on my desk, I started to write my response.

Yes! I would like you to stop immediately! Whoever you are, this is a serious invasion of privacy. It’s illegal, I’m sure!

I started to rip it out afterward, then shove it into the hole. But I stopped. In truth, I didn’t really want this exchange to stop, as crazy as that sounded. The replies to my letters were comforting and while it was selfish, I didn’t want to lose that. So, I flipped the page and instead wrote:

No…I just want to know who you are and how you keep getting in. How are you getting my letters?

Not sure what else to do, I placed this one in the hole as well and went downstairs for breakfast. When I returned from school that day, I checked the hole and there was another scroll. This one longer than any of the others so far:

I am no one of importance, but know that I cannot harm you from where I reside if that is your concern. I simply found your letters one day in my home, through a hole in my wall…I began to read them and when I received your message of distress the first time, I could no longer remain silent.

A hole in the wall of his (her?) home? I looked at the poster hiding the hole in my wall, suddenly nervous again. Was someone living in the wall of my home? That was unsettling to think about. I looked back down at the scroll, biting my lip. Should I respond? Even at my age I knew how unsettling this was…but my curiosity was stronger than my fear.

No one of importance? That doesn’t sound ominous at all…

I included what I thought was an amused smile before continuing.

Where are you then? Because I’ve been putting these letters to myself in a hole in the wall in my home.

I didn’t know when I would get a reply, so once done I retreated to do something else for a while. When I returned, there was another scroll.

This will sound more ominous, but I am afraid I don’t know where I am. I call this place home because it is all I have to refer to as such. You needn’t concern yourself with it, though.

I read this, then I responded.

Considering a stranger is writing to me through a hole in the wall, I am a bit concerned. I won’t lie. Is there a name I can call you by?

I sent it through. Returning later, I found his response.

I have gone by many titles, all useless now. Most common of them, I was once known as the Midnight Star. Does this satisfy you?

“Not really?” I wanted to respond with, a bit incredulous. Who talked like that?

Midnight Star, huh? That’s a pretty cool name…but I think just Midnight fits better, don’t you? Less of a mouthful.

When I got my reply, I don’t know how, but I knew he had found my suggestion amusing.

JUST “Midnight,” you say? Yes…though a bit lazy, it still seems suitable. Very well. And what might I call you then, young one?

I smiled at that, then pondered this question. I didn’t have any grand nicknames like he seemed to, so I said that:

You can call me whatever (as long as it isn’t “young one,” it makes me feel like a kid.) I don’t have any nicknames or anything.

He got back to me quicker this time.in shorter time.

Oh, my apologies. I was unaware I was not speaking with a child. (I couldn’t shake the feeling he was mocking me there.) Very well, I will do my best in future.

Thank you for your consideration.

I put another drawing to show my tone. To my surprise, he sent a smirking face back. I still had my reservations on this decision of mine, but so far, I was not regretting it too much.

* * *

I would try to write my new, mysterious pen-pal daily. Responding before school each morning, then again, each night when I returned home. In that time Midnight (yes, I really started calling him that) had cycled through more than a few generic names to call me by (my dear, madam, my lady, among others I teased him on being straight out of the Victorian era.) That wasn’t all we talked about either. We talked about our days (mine were often more eventful) and our hobbies.

Occasionally he let slip something about his past, which in turn I would share a harmless story or piece of information about my home life. As time went on, however, I became more eager to return home to read his replies and write back. He was fast becoming a secret friend. One I could share my problems and my accomplishments with. One that cared about what I had to say and even encouraged it further. Things weren’t so lonely anymore.

Something he shared that sentiment on.

It is quite funny, really…we do not know what the other looks like, and perhaps we never will, yet having you here through our exchange of writing…it has been a comfort in this silence.

That was not the first time he alluded to his whereabouts. Last time he did so, it was to tell me it was only him in the unknown place he was in. When I pressed for details, he was vague, though I could tell it was out of fear. He only kept what he was afraid of being intercepted, somehow, out of his replies.

I know what you mean… Well, not exactly, since I do have people around…but usually I’m ignored in favor of focusing on the ticking time bomb.

He knew who I referred to. She had gotten worse as she got older, and my parents were no closer to controlling her outbursts and aggression than I was. Midnight once said she was desperate for control, knowing that using fear was effective. Especially after it was proven through the reactions from myself and the rest of the family.

Yes…which I do not want to envy, but I would take the screaming of a poorly disciplined child over this forced silence I have endured…

I wish there was something I could do about that…

Your letters have helped greatly, Starlight. I would not ask any more of you.

That made me pause.

Starlight?

Do you not like that one? I thought it was fitting.

No…I don’t dislike it. It’s just… I didn’t know how to finish the reply so sent it as it was.

Why did I use it? I would think it obvious…but I won’t give you the opportunity to make absurd guesses. I chose the name because it is what you have become to me. A light in my dark existence, like a distant star. Out of reach, but still a beacon in the night.

…sometimes I hate how clever you are with words. I really don’t know what to say to that…

I do hope whatever you say is positive. It took me quite some time to perfect the name.

I’m sure it did. I rolled my eyes as I wrote, but there was also a smile on my lips. Well, be put at ease, my friend…I do like it.

I am indeed put at ease then! I could practically see him grinning when he wrote that. It put a smile on my own face.

* * *

I had graduated High School and I was ready for college, at least according to my parents. I was of the age I should apply and find my niche. I was not as thrilled, almost entirely because I would be moving out in the process. Which would not be a problem, if not for the fact I would leave my friend alone again. I expressed this to him one night, but his response surprised me.

You should go. The sooner you have secured your future, the sooner you will escape your home situation.

But what about you? I argued, a bit hurt at how readily he agreed with my parents. I won’t be able to write to you while I’m away.

I was alone long before you sent your first letter, Starlight. Longer than you would believe…I will be alright left like this a bit longer. You will return for your holidays, after all, yes?

This was true…and I confirmed it.

Go face your future. I will be here when you return.

I was still reluctant to agree, but my arguments were weak, and I didn’t have the courage to go against what my parents wanted. Not to mention, I was not sorry to leave aside from the detail Midnight would be alone again. The fighting with my sister had gotten worse as I had gotten closer to graduating high school.

In the end I applied to one of the universities my parents suggested and was arranged to move into the dorm room assigned to me at the end of August. Knowing this, I tried to make the most of what time I had left with Midnight. We wrote almost constantly in that time, but as the departure date drew closer, I knew I couldn’t leave him without doing something to help with his loneliness. Especially after all he did for me in mine.

A plan came to me shortly after making that decision. The next day, I started on the project while responding occasionally to my pen-pal when he did. It wasn’t until the day before I had to leave that I revealed what I had been working on.

I’m leaving tomorrow, you know…

Yes, I remember…

I wish I could still talk to you while I’m there.

As do I, but perhaps it is for the best if you don’t. I wouldn’t want to distract you from your studies.

True…you would be distracting. I replied, rolling my eyes (but with a smile) as I did. But…with that said…I made something for you. So, you aren’t as lonely while I’m gone. I’m going to send them through, but don’t open them. The last one I send you, you can open though.

How mysterious. Very well.

I smiled, then carefully pushed through three stacks of letters. Envelopes this time, all tied together in their bundles. Then I pushed through the one explaining what they were:

Since I won’t be able to write to you every day while I’m away, I came up with an alternative. In those stacks are letters for you to read each day while I’m gone. Only open one per day so it lasts…then I’ll be back before you know it!

I waited by the hole for the scroll of parchment to appear with his response. It didn’t come for a while, worrying me a bit. I almost grabbed my notebook to send another when slowly the scroll appeared within reach in the hole. I took and unrolled it like always.

Forgive my delay…but I could not find the words to respond properly with. You have been…far too kind to me, Starlight. Much kinder than I probably deserve… Thank you, for the letters and for the many years of friendship. You do not truly know me, but you have treated me as though you do. I will follow your instructions carefully. You have my word…and my eternal gratitude. For everything.

Heat rose to my cheeks reading his response. Now I wasn’t sure how to answer.

It’s not a problem…you’ve been just as kind and generous to me. I would have probably gone crazy without being able to share everything with you.

His next response was shorter but no less sincere sounding. I had to change the subject before my face got any warmer.

* * *

I sent my last reply before departure. It was meant to be a temporary, “good-bye” and a few last words before leaving, but his response was not one I wanted right before going away for an extended period:

Starlight,

Forgive me for waiting until the last moment, but I cannot let you go without this. I want you to know who I am, who I truly am. Where I am from and my forgotten name…I am a coward for waiting until this moment, but I would not forgive myself if I did not do this now. With this final message from me I have enclosed in a second scroll everything. My past, my present, my future, and everything about the world I came from, as well as my true name.

Please, do not forget my name when you have learned it. You may be the only one that will have it now.

I want you to know the good and the bad. I will let you decide what to think and feel when you have read it but understand I could not leave things without doing so. If you still wish to speak with me when you return, I will wait for your letter.

-Yours, Midnight (Star)

True to his word another scroll pushed through the hole. I took it, finding it was also sealed with wax in the shape of six diamonds surrounding something that looked like a dragon. I was about to open it when there was a knock at the door to my bedroom. My mother was calling from behind it. Asking if I was ready to go. I confirmed I was, then decided to put the scroll in my backpack for the time being. Once I settled in at the dorm I would open it, I decided.

* * *

College life, it turned out, was time-consuming to say the least. I forgot all about the scroll in favor of focusing on my classes, my dorm friends, and other college life activities. I didn’t forget Midnight in that time, but when I returned home for the winter holidays, the unspeakable had happened. I hurried upstairs to my bedroom with the excuse of unpacking and resting for a few hours before dinner, secretly eager to write to my friend, but when I opened the door to my room, I froze in horror at what I found.

The room itself was untouched. My bed and desk were still there, so were my closet and small bookcase. Nothing out of place…except for one thing. The hole in the wall had been sealed.

I dropped my backpack and hurried back downstairs. I confronted my mother, asking her why the hole was gone. She looked at me, confused, then explained she and my father had been waiting until I left for college to fill it in. They didn’t want to have to find somewhere else for me to sleep while it was being done, so it worked out well that way.

I didn’t respond. I simply turned and returned to my room after nodding silently. She was satisfied with that response, letting me retreat without issue. I returned to my old bedroom then faced the wall where the hole was. I was numb with shock, placing my palm to the plaster where the sealing and new coat of paint were located. I pushed, but nothing happened. It was gone.

He was gone.

The last scroll of parchment he ever sent remained sealed in my backpack. Forgotten.

—

This was written for my Creative a writing class in college, and I finally feel up to posting it. The only rule was we had to write a work of fiction, but I kept the characters ambiguous on purpose since my classmates would be reading it as well as my teacher.

To spoil the obvious, though, “Me” is myself/Meg and “Midnight” is Aaravos.

[sage-nebula]

When you can’t draw and you have (hopefully temporarily) lost your ability to write, you do memes instead. To add more detail:

 — I started shipping Alan and Leon before the Masters 8 was even thought of in the PokéAni (as proof, the oldest post in my AlaLeo tag was made 10 November 2020), and my headcanon sort of merged game!Leon with anime!Alan, where they’d both be about the same age when they met. Therefore, even though in the actual anime Alan is still 15 while Leon is 20+, I’m just going to go ahead and ignore that like I ignore most things canon does, haha. (That said I did use the Masters 8 pics since they were the most convenient. Gave me colors to use and everything.)

— I like to think the heights given for pokémon in the Pokédex are “average height when first evolved,” especially since Legends Arceus kind of proved this correct by showing that the same species can be different sizes. So while a Charizard might start at 5′7″, they grow to be much bigger as they age. So in my headcanon, Lizardon (Alan’s Charizard) and Zar-Zar (Leon’s Charizard) are much taller than their trainers. That said, I did pick Alan’s height based on the average height for a Charizard, even though it makes him a shortie. (Maybe that’s his Johtoan genes kicking in, who knows.)

— I picked their fonts in the top part based on what I thought would most closely match their handwriting (but also wasn’t locked behind a paywall in Pixlr). Alan’s is like a script because he tries to make it look somewhat decent, but is also a professor’s assistant and so it’s not the best. Leon just writes in print and all caps always. On that note, their sexualities are written out how they themselves describe it.

— Leon is nearly half a foot taller than Alan so if anyone’s borrowing anyone else’s clothes, it’s Alan borrowing Leon’s, no question.

— They don’t actually spoon much because it makes it harder for Alan to fall asleep (Lizardon is the only one he can really cuddle up to comfortably), but when they do, Leon’s the big one. (Basically it’s like, Alan will agree to it to make Leon happy, but Leon doesn’t push it because he doesn’t want Alan to do it just for his sake, if that makes sense.)

— The crossed out one was “screams about bugs” and “squashes bugs” and neither of them would do either of those things. More like, they let the bug pokémon stay there unless the bug in question is aggressive, in which case it goes outside.

— Most people who know Leon would say that he can’t drive either despite his license and Jeepizard, but he at least does have a license and knows the basics. Alan has never learned because he sees no point when he can either use public transport or Lizardon to get where he needs to go.

— The main thing Leon can cook is various curries, but that counts, so. Alan’s not a gourmet either and honestly prefers baking, but they can both cook food to survive.

— Leon is mostly chill, but having been Champion for 14 years, he does have a bit of a hero complex in that it’s His Duty to deal with any danger and protect everyone, so that can act up sometimes. Meanwhile we all know that Alan has a Hero Complex the size of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh combined, so if there is a threat to someone he cares about he is going to Do Something About it, consequences be damned.

— Alan legitimately thought he was aroace before meeting Leon, so lol. Meanwhile Leon has been in a relationship with at least Raihan in the past, as well as others. He definitely has way more experience than Alan. This is also why Alan is So Incredibly Awkward about almost everything relationship-wise. Fortunately for him, Leon thinks it’s adorable.

— That said, neither are really the type to get jealous. I think the only thing I could see Leon being jealous about is if Alan met another Charizard trainer and struck up a rivalry with them, but even then he’d be like, “can I join though” LOL. But either way they’re both pretty chill on that front, which is why they work.

I tag this as AlaLeo on my blog because I don’t tend to like the ship naming convention we use in this fandom, but if I did have to pick one for them, perhaps CharizardChampionShipping? I don’t think that’s taken yet.

Anyway, this is long, but I just wanted to do something for them because I like them a lot.