#and looking up a list of all ground-types just to find this thing. a looong time ago

[front-facing-pokemon]

[papa-rhys]

By Chance (Javier X Reader)

Note: First fanfic I’ve posted in a looong while. It’s a rare occurrence lmao I don’t have plans to come back to fanfic writing. This just came to me as a dream so here ya go. Enjoy!

Category: fluff? 

Warnings: none

Word Count: 2411

The air in the train car is bitterly cold, biting at your skin and turning your fingers pale, despite it being well into the spring months by now. The open-ended cars and thinly sealed windows are to thank for that - West Elizabeth’s Central rail is known for many things, but luxury and decadence are not on the list.

You’re sat at the very pack of the fourth passenger car; right where you’re supposed to be. After all, behind you is nothing but luggage and payroll. No room to fit seating back there, so here you’ll stay until it’s your time to shine.

With your eyes out the window, surveying the mountains that drift by in all their white-dusted glory, you make a mental note of your surroundings. It pays to be careful around these parts. Beyond the couple bickering a few rows ahead, the child pestering her mother up front, and the two men chunnering about their work hours, there isn’t much threat lurking within the trains rickety wooden walls.

Save for the rather handsome man watching you, of course.

You dare to glance over at him, taking in every element of him in the fraction of a second that it takes for your eyes to flick over him and snap back to the window at your side again.

Bowler hat, blue waistcoat, gold-capped boots poking out from where he sits with his legs sprawled across both seats, back pressed against the window - not well dressed enough to be a bigwig, but definitely not strapped for cash with boots like that on his feet. Dark skin, darker hair, and a smirk on his lips as he watches you; visible even from your peripheral. He taps his fingers in a rhythm on the backrest, eyes locked on you.

He’s definitely flirting.

Your stop isn’t for another 43 minutes. You can afford a little fun before then. After all, being all business and no pleasure would be a painfull dull way to live, and if an unsuspecting deer is to walk into your trap, then who are you to deny a hearty stew?

A strategical lip nibble here, a well-thought-out hair tuck there. Eventually, he comes to the right conclusion: you’re flirting too.

The man swings his legs off his bench and rises to his feet, making his way to the back of the car with his hands steadying him against the push and pull of the train in motion. At least once, he ducks into a row to wait out the pull of the train curving around a mountain, hand gripping the backrest for support until the tracks straighten again and he’s on the move once more.

He stops beside your seat and you wait one, two, three seconds before slowly pulling your gaze from the window and looking up at him as if his presence wasn’t noticed.

“This seat taken?” he asks, nodding his head towards the empty seat beside you. 

“Doesn’t appear to be, does it?”

His lips curve upwards until the smile reaches his eyes, making deep brown pools narrow. Without another word, he sinks into the seat next to you and spreads his legs out in front of him. His casual demeanour makes him a much harder mark, but a more exciting one for certain. Anyone can charm a stray dog, easy. But a peacock - they’re the tricky ones. Complimenting someone is the easiest way to win their affection and there aren’t many compliments you can use on a peacock that they don’t already think about themselves.

“Do I recognise you?” you ask, shifting in your seat to angle towards him.

He blinks at you for just a second too long, the cogs turning inside his head as he mentally churns through every possibility that could arise if he answered the question. 

He’s a wanted man, then. That’ll explain the fancy clothing. 

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he says.

The corner of your mouth quirks upwards for a moment and you allow him to see it. You pull your voice low, keeping it light but quiet. Flirtatious. “That isn’t what I asked, is it?”

You watch him for a few beats and then he relents, turning away and surveying the car that’s folded around you both; the people occupying it, with their newspapers and hats and talk of the weather. The man beside you takes a breath and you wait for what he’ll say.

“I think I would've noticed if I’d met you before,” he says, eyes still scanning the car. “Someone as good-looking and out of place as you. You don’t strike me as the type of person I’d forget.”

A regular Romeo.

“Good-looking?” You don’t bother hiding the smile in your voice. It comes so naturally and it’s a tool worth using. “Well, aren’t you a flatterer?”

Romeo chuckles softly and you risk a sidelong glance, taking in his smile. It’s slightly crooked, one side rising higher than the other, and there’s something sweet about that; something real and grounded among the façade created by his shiny, polished boots and perfectly tailored waistcoat.

“Not flattery, just the truth.” He returns your sideways glance and catches your gaze, thoughtful eyes meeting yours. Your pulse quickens and starts off a drum beat thumping in your ears.

You turn your head towards the window, finding trees gliding by, rays of morning sun seeping between them. “There aren’t any guards in the luggage car,” you tell him. The hairs on the back of your neck tell you he’s turned to watch you.

“How do you know that?” he asks.

You turn back to look at Romeo once again. “If you feel like making your morning commute a little more interesting, then we could always relocate to the luggage care for the next, say, 20 minutes?”

A devilish smile blooms across his face, teeth gleaming. “Make it 30 minutes.”

You stifle the urge to giggle, keeping it locked deep in our chest and opting for a smile instead. “You think big of yourself, huh? In that case,” you rise to your feet, smoothing out your clothes, “it’ll probably be more like 10 minutes.”

“You’ve wounded me,” he says, allowing you to slip past him and into the aisle before pulling himself up off the bench and following you back to the luggage car.

_______

The two of you tumble into the wall of the luggage car, hitting the wood with an audible oof as the air is shoved from your lungs. But you’re too busy thinking about the hands on your waist, the lips at your shoulder, to even contemplate how badly that collision will bruise you tomorrow.

Romeo, it turns out, is a very good kisser. 

His breath comes in shallow huffs and the air from lips brushes against your skin, warming you against the chill outside. 

The train car rocks and rumbles, tossing you from side to side every now and then, but Romeo is on hand to steady you, keeping you o your feet. It’s not long before the train hits a bend and the two of you are unceremoniously thrown towards the other wall with the momentum. Romeo’s smile widens as he watches you clutch the window frame for support, the two of you momentarily separated. His smile is infectious, it seems, and soon enough you’re mirroring his gleam - your smile just as dreamy as his could ever be, according to the soldiers at Fort Wallace.

“Do you often find yourself frolicking with strangers in the luggage cars of trains?” you ask him.

“Depends on the stranger,” he shrugs.

“And I satisfy, yes?”

Romeo’s smile brightens a fraction. “Ay, I suppose.”

“Well, then I think maybe you should come over here and -” You cut yourself short as the scenery outside the window gives way to open land; trees dissipating, replaced by open grassy hills littered with low-lying shrub. You must have lost track of time. Your stop is close, now. 

Into action you spring, pushing off on the balls of your feet and flying by Romeo, leaving him with a confused smile and a face full of your flowing scarf. 

You’re all quiet muttering and business-like focus as you flip up the hollowed-out floorboards at the back of the car to retrieve the bag you’d stowed in it before boarding the train. Romeo joins you at the back of the car just as you come up to stand again, bringing the back with you and shoving one hand deep inside it to rummage through its contents.

“You might not want to be here much longer,” you say; eyes flicking up to Romeo briefly and finding him with a puzzled look.

“Why?” he asks, voice teeming with suspicion. 

Your fingers brush against the thing you’re looking for and you pull out your trusty neckerchief from the bottom of the bag and begin tying it around your face, stowing the bag between your legs while you work.

“You’re here to rob the train?” Romeo blurts, amusement and surprise mingling on his features, accompanied by… is that lust? Jesus, is this guy getting a thrill out of this? He’s even more curious than you’d thought.

“We all get our jollies off one way or another,” you flirt. “You jaunt around with strangers; I rob people blind. If I must go to hell for it, then, well… C’est la vie.”

With that, you promptly turn your attention to ransacking the surround cupboards, which may hold the odd trinket, but don’t contain the main prize. You move back a car, past the catatonic guard you’d generously shared a drink with at the start of your journey. Of course, you hadn’t drank from the same flask, but he didn’t know that.

You don’t even have to search the car to know where you’re heading. Eyes locking onto the bulky safe at the end of the car, you press forward, paying no mind to Romeo trailing behind you. 

After tipping a handful of gunpowder on the lock of the safe, you find view obstructed by Romeo’s arm, extending a lit match towards your pile of black powder. Looking up, you’re met with a very different man than the one you were sat next to in the passenger car not half an hour ago. With a black neckerchief covering his nose and mouth and a shiny six-shooter held lazily by his side in one hand, it’s his turn to baffle you. Oh, how the tables have turned. 

“C’est la vie,” he shrugs. 

Neither of you can see the other’s smile behind your masks, but you both know it’s there; lips curled up against the fabric.

You nod. Take a step back. Watch. In a heartbeat, he’s set your powder alight and the mound burns bright white like the centre of the sun for a few moments before fizzling out into a glowing molten mess. With a quick smack with the butt of his revolver, the lock gives, and the view before you is enough to send you skipping around the car singing praises for the Lord.

Gold bars sit on the top shelf of the safe, neatly arranged into rows like little gleaming soldiers. The bottom shelf holds bags; one of which has spilled from the safe and now leaks its contents over the floorboards - gold coins, freshly forged and on the way to the bank.

It’s a beautiful sight. 

Shame the bank will never see it.

The two of you stand in a stupor for a few moments, captivated by the sight of riches and all of the lavish ways of spending it that your brains come up with, and then you shake yourselves out of it and get moving. 

Stuffing handful after handful into the bag, the two of your work double time. A quick look at the passing scenery tells you that your stop is rapidly approaching. Romeo grabs a few of the bars, but you shake your head. “Too heavy. I can’t carry them.”

“Then I’ll take the bag,” he says.

“You will not.” You pull the bag close to your chest as if he might rip it from your hands at any moment. “This is my job.”

His shoulders deflate, frustration taking hold for a moment. “You can trust me.”

“I don’t even know your name.”

“Javier,” he says. “Javier Escuella.”

Jesus Christ, you’re really in trouble, now. 

He’s got an even higher price on his head than you have. Hell, you could leave this loot behind and turn him in for 10 times the amount of anything in this train. A small voice points out that he trusted you with his real name, which means you can probably trust him in return. No crook would have dobbed himself in like that if he had intentions of stabbing you in the back right after.

“Okay,” you sigh, handing over the bag. “Grab as many as you can.”

Whistles cut the air as Javier fills the bag with bars. The further down the length of the train have caught wind of something being wrong. If they’re close enough for you to hear their whistles, they’ll be here in force soon enough.

“We need to go,” you tell Javier, tapping him on the shoulder and prompting him to hurry. As a smear of blue appears in your peripheral, you pull up and haul him away from the safe by the shoulder of his jacket. “Now!”

You head for the back end of the train and find tracks staring back at you. 

“Jump,” you tell him.

Without another word, Javier leaps from the back of the train, landing in the centre of the tracks with his knees bent in a crouch and the bag in one hand. You turn the face the oncoming guard and offer him a quick salute before leaping from the train and leaving him in the doorframe.

Javier joins you in the spot where you landed and pulls you to your feet by the arm.

Before the guard has the chance to call out to his friends, the two of you duck into the passing forest that surrounds Heatherfield Station - your stop, chosen for the cover it offers via the trees.

And with that, you can add one more job to your resume and enjoy the fruit of your labour in whatever local pigsty you pass through next.

You’re not sure what you’re going to do with Romeo, though.

You suppose you can think of a few things.

[beer-and-breakdowns]

do all 150 !! :)

Thanks for this Anon, I needed something to do, lmaoo

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

My ex, which was a LOOONG time ago, lol

2. Are you outgoing or shy?

I’d say I’m a bit of both really, if I get to know you, I’d say I’m super outgoing but with new people I tend to be a little shy, unless the person I’m meeting has a lot in common with me personality wise and interest wise.

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

Well, I think I’m going out with one of my best friends tonight so her I guess!:)  (But the way I interpret this question, I’m also very excited to see a bunch of bands in the coming year, BFMV, Parkway, Currents, Slayer, Wage War, it’s looking good B))

4. Are you easy to get along with?

I’d say so! :)

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?

Yeah, I think so, she’s super kind-hearted.

6. What kind of people are you attracted to?

People with common ground with me.  Metalheads, laid-back people, fans of the same shit as me, etc.

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

Hahahahahahahanope.

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?

My mum bc my parents get back from a holiday today!  But also, that one person thats pretty much always on my mind, lol, rip meeee

No, lol

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

One of mutuals!:)

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?

Directions of where to find me for someone picking me up from work, lmaoo, HOW EXCITING

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

NOT THIS QUESTION D:  This is gonna be hard, and I can almost guarantee it wont be the same when you read this, lol.

Architects - Downfall, Polaris - Lucid, Currents - Forget Me, Architects - Doomsday, Currents - Life//Lost

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

Yeah, kinda lol

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

I believe in luck, I think!  Not miracles tho, rip

15. What good thing happened this summer?

Well, it’s not over yet, but DOWNLOAD 2018 YEEEET!!

16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Yeah, why not

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

For sure!  I love believing all that crazy shit, its fun, and also very plausible!

18. Do you still talk to your first crush?

Nah, lol

19. Do you like bubble baths?

I like baths, but haven’t had a proper bubble bath in years (NO, I’m not a smelly bitch that doesn’t wash, I shower everyday)

20. Do you like your neighbors?

I dont know them super well bc I moved house a couple of years ago but from what I can tell yeah, they’re really nice!

21. What are you bad habits?

Nail biting, mostly.  I’m shit with money too if that counts, lol

22. Where would you like to travel?

LITERALLY EVERYWHERE OMG.  But a US road trip is on my bucket list!

23. Do you have trust issues?

Nope

24. Favorite part of your daily routine?

Probably my nightly music/tumblr session.  It’s so relaxing and my music taste is the fuckin’ bomb.

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?

Probably my legs tbh, rip

26. What do you do when you wake up?

Scroll social media whilst my PC loads, lol

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

Neither, but if I HAD to choose, darker

28. Who are you most comfortable around?

My closest friends

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

Nah, I don’t recall that anyway, rip

30. Do you ever want to get married?

Definitely!  Just, not for a little while

31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail?

Nope, wish it was tho (not for the pony tail, just want long hair, lol)

32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?

Alexis Kaufman aaaaaaaaand Emily Kinney, maybe?

33. Spell your name with your chin.

oi9wen, went better than I thought, lol

34. Do you play sports? What sports?

HA no

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

TV 10000000000000%

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?

Yup

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

Nothing really, lmaoo!  I do try to start a new conversation if I’m not feeling too awkward tho!

38. Describe your dream girl/guy?

Ummm, I know them irl, lol.  Cute as hell, blonde, blue eyes, funny, kind as fuck, an all-round sweetheart with the looks to match.  

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?

HMV, lol

40. What do you want to do after high school?

I WANNA PLAY MUSIC FOR A LIVING but that shits hard so idk bc nothing else interest me the way music does:(  Maybe something with psychology and killers.

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

Yes, 100%.  I fully believe rehabilitation and reformation can work for everyone with the right tools.

42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?

I’m either super tired or feeling sorry for myself, lmaoo

43. Do you smile at strangers?

Yup, most of the time!

44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?

Space, even tho I’m scared of heights so getting in the rocket would be an ISSUE.  But the ocean is fuckin’ spooky man, I ain’t goin’ down there :o

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

Being awake, lmaoo.  I sleep for more hours than I should but I’m not one for staying in bed and once I’m up, I’m up.

46. What are you paranoid about?

Not having a stable life after Uni tbh, the real world terrifies me, lol help.  But also, and probably moreso never making any progress with my music and hopeful music career.

47. Have you ever been high?

Nope

48. Have you ever been drunk?

Yeeeeeee

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?

Nah

50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?

Black, probably, I dont normally wear hoodies tbh :o

51. Ever wished you were someone else?

Originally, I was gonna say no, but then I remembered someone that I’ll forever be jealous of, so yes

52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?

My legs probably hahaha

53. Favourite makeup brand?

What’s makeup?

54. Favourite store?

HMV, again, lol

55. Favourite blog?

Probably either @lovelyfoxes, @meowsonmeows, @emilyharrisxvii and @strawberry-sarcasm

56. Favourite colour?

Black (Dont go telling me that shits a shade and not a colour bc I’ll still say black.)

57. Favourite food? 

INDIAN FOOD PLS

58. Last thing you ate?

Katsu chicken

59. First thing you ate this morning?

^^^ Katsu chicken (I woke up late, okay)

60. Ever won a competition? For what?

Nah, not that I can remember lol

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?

Nope

62. Been arrested? For what?

7328916312 times.  Being annoying :): :))::)::) (No)

63. Ever been in love?

Yup, rip

64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?

Idk, I kissed a girl.  Sorry it was super long ago and I didn’t think much of it at the time, it sorta just happened, lol

65. Are you hungry right now?

Nah, I’m FULL boii

66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?

No, but some of my tumblr frands are my irl friends

67. Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter 1000000%

68. Twitter or Tumblr?

Tumblr 1000000000000%

69. Are you watching tv right now?

Nope, havent in a while tbh

70. Names of your bestfriends? 

Emily, Zac, Laura, Leo, Ethan

71. Craving something? What?

Attention.  Of a specific person.  YES PLS.

72. What colour are your towels?

White, black and grey.

72. How many pillows do you sleep with?

Twooo

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

Nope

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?

7328131691

75. Favourite animal?

FOXES.  Or wolves.  Unless Dinosaurs count.

76. What colour is your underwear?

Grey

77. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Vanilla, man

78. Favourite ice cream flavour?

Salted Caramel

79. What colour shirt are you wearing?

Black, lol

80. What colour pants?

V dark blue

81. Favourite tv show?

Atm, probablyyyyy The Walking Dead, Ray Donovan and WWE, lmaoo

82. Favourite movie?

The Domestics just recently took the spot over Pulp Fiction.  WATCH IT.

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?

Only seen the first one, lel

84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?

21 Jump Street

85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?

Me

86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?

Me (Prolly the turtle)

87. First person you talked to today?

My friend Leo

88. Last person you talked to today?

Who knows, probably my friend Emily

89. Name a person you hate?

Most modern “musicians”

90. Name a person you love?

Alexis Kaufman

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?

Nope :)

92. In a fight with someone?

Nah, ya boii is mostly pacifist, I wont start shit

93. How many sweatpants do you have?

Like, 1 pair, lol

94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?

Prolly like 5 or 6?

95. Last movie you watched?

Looper

96. Favourite actress?

Hard to think atm, so probably off the top of my head Emily Blunt.

97. Favourite actor?

Mark Wahlberg or Johnny Depp

98. Do you tan a lot?

Hahahah, thats a massive nope

99. Have any pets?

I used to have a lil cat dude, but nah, not anymore

100. How are you feeling?

I’m goooood :)

101. Do you type fast?

Yeah, lmao

102. Do you regret anything from your past?

Yeah, lol

103. Can you spell well?

Yeah, mostly, I stumble when typing sometimes, but I can correct myself quickly and its usually just a mis-click

104. Do you miss anyone from your past?

Yeah, kinda

105. Ever been to a bonfire party?

Nope

106. Ever broken someone’s heart?

Probably, tbh

107. Have you ever been on a horse?

Nah

108. What should you be doing?

Showering, oops

109. Is something irritating you right now?

Nah, not really! :)

110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?

Yes yes and YES

111. Do you have trust issues?

Nope

112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?

Honestly I think it was my friend Emily, lol (U remember if ur reading this, Sax is never a good idea)

113. What was your childhood nickname?

I didn’t really have one :o

114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?

Yup, been to a few different countries

115. Do you play the Wii?

Used to, lol

116. Are you listening to music right now?

Yeah boiiiiii B)

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?

It’s pretty good!

118. Do you like Chinese food?

Ummmm yes

119. Favourite book?

Sorry internet, I’m not a massive reader 3  I don’t really have one :(

120. Are you afraid of the dark?

Nah, used to be as a kid tho

121. Are you mean?

Nah, man

122. Is cheating ever okay?

No.  There’s probably a very VERY specific scenario brought on by many other specific actions within a relationship where it might, MAYBE, slightly be the smallest bit justified, but I don’t know what that would be off the top of my head and no one should break someone’s trust like that.

123. Can you keep white shoes clean?

Nah, my shoes get dirty no matter where I go, lol

124. Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yup

125. Do you believe in true love?

Yeah

126. Are you currently bored?

Nah, I love tumblr asks, dude

127. What makes you happy?

Music, friends and escapsim

128. Would you change your name?

Nah, I’ve come to terms with it now

129. What your zodiac sign?

Libra

130. Do you like subway?

Of course B)

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

I’d prolly see how it goes! :)  I certainly wouldn’t complain!

132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

One of my mutuals!

133. Favourite lyrics right now?

“No matter what it is we've facedIt's now part of usWe can overcome” - As I Lay Dying - Overcome

134. Can you count to one million?

I think? hahahah

135. Dumbest lie you ever told?

I had every single PS2 game ever created... kids, eh?

136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?

Closed 1000000%

137. How tall are you?

about 5′11″

138. Curly or Straight hair?

Straight hair on me, doesn’t make a difference on others B)

139. Brunette or Blonde?

Blonde (but Brunette is gorgeous too)

140. Summer or Winter?

Summer (But Christmas time is GREAT)

141. Night or Day?

Night, mostly!

142. Favourite month?

October, maybe?  Either than or July, idk

143. Are you a vegetarian?

Nope

144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?

Dark B)

145. Tea or Coffee?

Coffee

146. Was today a good day?

So far, yeah! :)

147. Mars or Snickers?

Mars 100000000%

148. What’s your favourite quote?

“The best thing you can do is follow your dreams“ - James Owen Sullivan (The Rev)

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

Yup, 100%!

150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?

There isn’t one! :(

THANKS ANON!

[puclpodcast]

The Fluff: Autumn Is Coming (a.k.a. My Top 6 Gen II Pokémon

Hello, my dear PUCLonians, and welcome once again to The Fluff. In September we’ll finally be able to use the Time Capsule again in a meaningful manner, by which I mean, without having our Pokémon stuck forever in old games. Gold and Silver are coming out on Virtual Console, and while I deeply feel the lack of an immediate Crystal release, I remain optimistic for a future one.

Gen II is kind of my unfinished Generation: due to various circumstances, I never finished my Silver game way back when, and in my SoulSilver, I could not bring myself to grind my sub-par team up to a level that would allow me to challenge Red. So in my mind he’s still sitting there, waiting for me to come find him. Will I ever? I hope so, and when I do, there’s a good chance I’ll bring some of these to the match: my Top 6 Gen II Pokémon!

Number 6: Chikorita and Hoppip

These Pokémon round out my rankings together, although for different reasons. The first time I played Silver, remembering how much of a good idea it had been to pick a Fire-type starter in Gen I, I chose Cyndaquil to begin my journey. But as my love for Grass types consolidated, Chikorita became my only choice. (Hint: it wasn’t a very good one, to be honest, as it’s by far the most difficult Starter for the Johto games).

When I got Pokémon Super Mistery Dungeon, the personality test said I was a Chikorita, and I was like, yeah, OK, that sounds plausible enough. And then every single person I know, from my PUCL friends to my Mom to my boyfriend, looking at a list of the possible starters for that game, pointed, umprompted, to the Chikorita as the best possible match for me. (My boyfriend called it “that zucchini thing”, but that’s besides the point.) So, apparently, I’m not a Whimsicott, but a Chikorita.

Well, I wasn’t a possible starter, which is absolutely preposterous, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

I don’t know, Whimsicott… it definitely left a mark. Hence Chikorita’s presence here.

So it’s a vanity thing?

… I suppose.

As for Hoppip, I’ve told this story countless times: Hoppip was the one Pokémon I remember coming across in a patch of tall grass, knowing absolutely nothing about it and never having seen it before, and it filled my heart with wonder and joy. (My heart was a bit disappointed when I caught it and realized it knew no useful moves, but that’s another story.)

With all the other generations after being pretty much completely spoiled by Japan having them in advance or by Game Freak being dumb, I’ve never again felt that wondrous feeling. And I miss it. Hopefully the spoilers for Gen 8 are handled in a better fashion… or I can devise a strategy to stay in PUCL without seeing absolutely all of them.

Number 5: Furret

Furret is one of those Pokémon that hovers around the top of my huge, ever-changing list of favorite Pokémon. But it is not a Pokémon that represents Gen II to me, so it’s a bit low on this list.

Furret is as useless as it is freaking adorable, and somehow learning it is as long as a man is tall does not take away from it.

… wait, what- Oh dear Arceus. This thing is 5’11”?

Yup. You’re used to my Furret plushie being tinier than you, but the real deal is huuuge. I’ve seen people make life-sized Furret plushes online, but so far none have been sufficiently fluffy in my opinion. If an appropriate one was made, you can bet I’d empty my wallet out for it in a heartbeat.

It would essentially be a body pillow.

Yes! The cutest one ever! Furret is definitely a Pokémon I’d choose to have in real life, for its perfect cuddling potential. And its pink shiny is delightful, although the color has lost a lot in the later Generations.

Number 4: Mareep

I guess it’s pretty clear that I love fluffy, sheep-shaped Pokémon.

And rightly so.

So Mareep was on the fast track to being on my team as soon as I met one in Pokémon Silver. While the loss of fluff upon evolving was a bit disheartening, I loved my Flaaffy and my Ampharos dearly, and years and years later, my love was rewarded with a super-fluffy Mega Evolution!

Thoreal the Ampharos sits in a box, waiting for me to find a way to use him properly in OU (I have a good set, just not a good team to go with it), which hopefully will be soon. I hope he and Tapu Cocoa, my Koko, can become fast friends.

I can take care of Ground types for them!

That’s sweet, Whimsicott, thank you. I’ll consider it. Anyway, after a first Generation in which the only Electric type I liked was Raichu, the Mareep line came in and strengthened my appreciation for this type, which, given my fondness for Grass types and their hatred of anything with wings and a beak, is a good, good thing.

Number 3: Celebi

Between my Mew and Jirachi 20th Anniversary plushes sits a Celebi from the same line. It has adorable glittery pink wings, and it has so far refused to let me go back in time to tell myself to buy Google stocks.

Gee, I wonder why.

Much like Mew in Gen I, Celebi was the unattainable dream of Gen II for me, because, much like with Mew in Gen I, Italy was pretty much the only country where Pokémon games were localized and sold in giant heaps, but no distribution events were held. My first Celebi came in Gen IV, in 2011, but the memory of its mystique never really left, and Celebi is pretty much the only onion I love (since I can’t eat most of them).

It’s kind of a bummer that it already had two non-Normal types and it couldn’t become a Fairy type along with me. I’d have been kind of OK with Celebi as my twin.

Really? I always thought you loved the exclusivity.

I do, but for a Mythical Pokémon, I might have made an exception. Now, sure, Tapu Bulu is a strong Legendary, but it has ZERO fashion sense. Unacceptable.

Yeah, Bulu is a good, bro, but… well. Let’s go back to Celebi, shall we? Despite its slightly awkward looong arms, it’s really cute and huggable. Also, we need a billion more time-travel plots, stat. They’re my favorite and I can’t get enough.

Number 2: Suicune

Speaking of time travel plots in Pokémon, Celebi’s mate in that movie I will, absolutely, watch some day (when the warnings about its awfulness from my PUCL peeps have faded enough from my ears) is the majestic Suicune.

Maestrale, my Suicune, was only used in a few VGC matches in a PFTT two years ago. Now I’m gathering Bottle Caps to give it a chance to shine in Gen 7.

Wait, Maestrale isn’t shiny.

No, darling, I was being metaphorical. Suicune is utterly beautiful, with its physics-defying ribbon tails, its flowing mane, its lovely blue shade… ah, it’s so pretty!

I mean, it was on a team with a shiny Whimsicott, so my eyes were elsewhere, but I guess it does look pretty nice, yes.

My love for Suicune is the main reason I resent Crystal not coming out this Autumn. This Pokémon deserves the extra storyline it got in Crystal and in the remakes, and I can’t wait to chase after it again, following the Northern wind.

Number 1: Bellossom

As I’ve mentioned before, I fell in love with Bellossom during its dance in the short that came with Pokémon The Movie 2000. I’ve always loved the Oddish line, and Bellossom was a fantastic addition to it. It is constantly on my list of “Pokémon I wish were more viable in battle”, and as much as Thatch tried during that one episode, I haven’t been able to find a set that satisfies me yet.

Maybe your expectations are too high.

Maybe they are. But when I do find that set, you can bet I’ll be breeding enough Oddish to plant a freaking forest of them, because Bellossom currently has the best shiny in the game. I do have a shiny Oddish already, but her Nature is not ideal, so my little green friend needs a little brother or sister. By the way, there is, out there in the world, one absolutely perfect shiny Bellossom plush. It was made on commission, so it’s not commercially available, but I want to share this awesomeness with you all:

By Sugarstitch on DeviantArt

Isn’t that amazing?

Not as good as a Whimsicott plush, but yes, cute!

With that, I suppose I’m done with Gen II until September. My dear PUCLonians, what are your favorite Gen II Pokémon? What are your fondest memories from that time? Let me know in the comments, and also let me know, if you managed to convince your Celebi to let you travel in time, how the heck you did it. Mine is apparently a real stickler for the rules.

It’s also made of fabric, which I’m sure doesn’t help, but keep dreaming, sister.

Until next time,

The Fluffiest Whimsicott

from The Fluff: Autumn Is Coming (a.k.a. My Top 6 Gen II Pokémon