#drawing mewtwo hands is a struggle

[lunaloothemew]

Would love to see Luna interact with Ash-Indigo or Peach!

Why not all three? :3

Becoming stylish with Indigo, battling with Ash and learning from Peach!

[bluejay-flies]

This is probably going to come as a surprise to a lot of you, but I’ve decided to try half writing half drawing the next part. ( I was inspired by @loupy-mongoose do do this!)

Drawing everything has taken a serious toll on me, I enjoy it but I find myself getting burnt out after each part is finished. So we’ll just see how this goes! I might love it, I might hate it, we’ll just have to see.

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The small Mewtwo and the strange human sat and stared at the other in shock. Iris’s eyes flicked from the bright green ones of the human in front of her and the darker green of it’s Pokémon companion’s. Her body felt frozen, and she struggled to inhale the frosty air as her mind raced with a thousand thoughts. “O-oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there!”

The stranger fumbled it’s words, mouth still agape at the strange Pokemon lying in front of it. Iris was still frozen on the ground, throat tight and chest heaving.

“I-”

WHEEZE-

“D-don’t-”

HGHHH-

Her words kept coming out half formed, and her chest convulsed in an attempt to get the oxygen she so desperately needed. A wave of terror crashed over her, sending her spiraling. She didn’t know what was happening- why was her body reacting like this? Her chest hurt, and despite the chilly weather her skin dripped with sweat.

The human was staring, staring right at her and she knew it was going to kill her, trap her, steal her away and never let her go. For a moment the world disappeared, and she was back in that room, that polished, cold room surrounded by white robed figures…

NO!!!

All of the fear, pain, and panic swirled together, condensing into a tight ball of terror in her chest that filled her body with only one need, a desperate need-

To escape

“AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

A scream burst out of her as the energy swirling within seemed to erupt out of her chest. With a final push of power, she teleported.

Iris opened her eyes.

She was surrounded by white, crystal leaves.

Her feet rested on a slick brown surface coated in ice, and she reflexively grabbed for something to hold onto. Her hands found the trunk and she clung to it.

She was in a tree, not too high above the ground but high enough to make her feel dizzy. She shut her eyes tight, taking a moment to let herself feel the relief of escape.

“…are you ok up there?”

She froze.

The voice came again.

“I’m sorry if I scared you. I just haven’t ever seen a Pokémon like you before, s-so I was a little startled.”

Crap. Crap crap crap.

She had teleported a mere 10 feet away, and was up in the high boughs of a tree easily in sight of the human.

“G-go away!”

“D-don’t h-hurt me!”

Iris choked out the words, voice and body shaking violently as she clung onto the trunk for support.

The human carefully stood up and brushed the snow off of its pants. It picked up it’s Pokémon and brushed the snow off of them, too.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I’d feel terrible if I did! Do you need help getting down?”

Iris hesitated.

She was still scared and shaking, but…

She was also a little curious. Sure, humans were bad, but she’d never actually talked with one before. The only stories she knew were what Aunt Mimi told her, and her memories were very fuzzy.

Auntie said humans were dangerous… but this one seemed different somehow. Less… scary.

Besides, it had promised not to hurt her. And promises were important to humans. At least, she thought so.

“N-no, I can get down ok…”

The human’s eyes widened.

“So you CAN talk… I thought I was imagining it before!”

Slipping and sliding, the little Mewtwo half climbed, half fell down the tree, landing with a thump on the snowy white ground. The two surveyed each other, taking a moment to assess the situation. Iris clenched her teeth to stop them from chattering, hands stiff by her side to keep them still. Calm. DOWN.

She took a couple of deep breaths before returning the human’s gaze.

The human was rather short, about half the height of her Dad (she felt a pang of sorrow at that, but it had a thicker build with broader shoulders and waist.

Suddenly the human moved, walking closer with eyes wide with wonder. Iris jumped back, fur puffed up in surprise and fear. The human didn't seem to notice as it continued it’s thorough examination of her.

"If you don’t mind, can I ask what you are? You're like no Pokémon I’ve ever seen, and I've seen a bunch before!”

“U-uhm, I don’t… really feel ok with that…”

Iris stammered out hee response, still wary of this new presence. As curious as she was, she wasn’t about to give the human any reason to hurt her.

“That’s ok! You don’t need to answer if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.”

The human stuck out it’s hand in some strange gesture Iris didn’t know.

“I’m Rose! Nice to meet you.”

Iris stared at the hand for a moment before taking another cautious step back.

“Uh… Iris. Nice to… meet you too?”

Hope you guys enjoyed the change of pace!

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[mushroom-for-art]

Thing I did a while ago and forgot to post silly me, presenting Vector across the like spectrum of mew to two, rambles under read more

So Little Blue is the mew that Vector started out as originally, in honesty she likely would've gotten quite fluffy into adulthood also sporting the iconic ear fluffs however I forgot this until it was all done/it's a representation of her unchanged from her original rebirth state as she was probably a smooth furred little mitten who would've grown into her fur eventually, not much to say slightly bigger than average shiny baby

Now what if somebody saved Little Blue before her mind and body was fully pushed and contorted and experimented on until she entered into her Vector state? Vector Glimmer represents that possibility, she is still altered having some human dna in her and her own extra dna is locked and altered in particular ways but she's not near enough a mewtwo she's still a mewish creature. This version came to mind when talking to @mewtwoevolution wherein Nine showed up to protect the poor mew from experimentation taking the trembling mitten who's body was morphing out of her control and took care of her, her name coming from the other definition of Vector as Nine had found her with direction and magnitude and then she showed growth to match while also getting their last name becoming Nine and Glims weird little daughter it's very wholesome, side ref to show that despite being mostly mew she is still a bit altered/abnormal

Vector is well Vector, her canon interation the feral girl herself changed forever by cruel experimentations pushing her biology as she harbors a disease developed in her body from so many tests and exposures her jelly like sections used to feed and nourish the pathogens that do not affect her.

Subject V, a Vector that they'd kept contained and pushed further into the mewtwo change or probably more likely from this point she is a clone made from Little Blue that was also experimented on her body still mixed with diseases she still adapts a jelly section for dealing with it all but not a full mewtwo yet but increadly close! She was likely the only one to survive the tests her batch was put through hence being so late in the alphabet they perfected whatever they were doing with her.

Finally the full mewtwo variant Subject - 273, absolutely a clone from Little Blue don't look at how big of a number that is or think about how many they made, did they all fail did they get sold to buying customers or sent to other labs for more experiments? We don't know... Her number is actually an incredibly obscure reference to the character of mine that she is based off of, it makes me happy.

Subject V and Subject - 273 do both have 3 fingers like classic mewtwo I was just struggling to draw them so hidden hands go brr. Subject V likely has two second necks still but they are significantly more fused together and cannot move unlike Vectors meanwhile Subject - 273 likely has a singular neck with a ridge line implying it has started to split but never full did

[pokemon-ash-aus]

https://www.tumblr.com/justice-the-pandisaster/681267138416312320/faeforge-how-to-figure-out-mewtwo-hands-a

Not sure if that's what u wanted but i did found a faeforge how to draw mewtwo hand tutorial in ur other blog

Hope it helps at least

Oh i could find Fae's easily. Its the one i did thats a struggle XC

Thank you tho!

[rockynfriends]

Hey everyone,

Mod Cleo here, and I’ve come to make an announcement.

No, not that one.

Rockynfriends started as “dailyrocketchu” back on June 2nd, 2017. At the time, I was friends with someone on Tumblr who ran a Mewtwo blog. I was running a whole Mario fanfic site at the time, so I’d created a Tumblr account and I reached out to them to see if they wanted to collaborate. They told me that I should try my hand at Pokemon blogging. I replied that I didn’t really know how to draw, and would not feel qualified to run an ask blog. They replied that I should give it a whack, and that I’d figure out what I wanted to do along the way.

I was studying cinematography and filmmaking then, so I was used to having a camera. I realized I needed a character who would be capable of multiple expressions, without me having to draw all of them. I searched my brain for Pokemon that had been represented in a physical form many times so that I’d be able to take advantage of those expressions, and of course, settled on Pikachu, the ubiquitous Pokemon mascot. Plushie acquired, character design figured.

But how to make him unique?

It’s hard to believe, but at the time I really didn’t know anyone had created Team Rocket Pikachu OCs. I wasn’t a part of fandom culture growing up due to living in a fairly conservative household and really only having one pop culture passion. So I thought I was doing something unique-ish by introducing Rocky, a Pikachu in Team Rocket who I planned to portray as a bumbling goofball villain, utterly failing at actual mischief.

That lasted two weeks, before @sometimesampharos, in conjunction with @adventuresquadharmony, made me realize that Rocky really shone when he was a clueless sweetheart, rather than an ill-meaning comedic relief.

I taught myself more editing and photography techniques, interacting with other blogs and inviting asks. My first photos were done on a flip phone because yes, I really WAS that behind the times. I was always limited by the fact I couldn’t draw other folks’ PokeOCs, and I do think that this probably meant some blogs ignored Rocky, but at the same time he managed to develop some close friends, and as he became closer to characters, I began to befriend their mods. Cynthia and Cassiopeia joined the team, and they helped round out his personality with their own unique attributes. I had a small cast of developing characters and the beginnings of a story.

One day, after a particularly discouraging interaction where I was dismissed for my lack of illustrative capacity, I received a contact from @duskffyart. They wanted to collaborate. I couldn’t believe my luck, and frankly, I still can’t. I not only found someone who could illustrate the emotions and situations I had imagined, but who could temper my wackier ideas and introduce ideas of their own. Rocky became more fleshed out still, and gained a little brother, as his friends became his family. All the while the Pokeblog community continued to evolve (ha) and while some blogs went away, others remained, and still others befriended Rocky all over again. We wrote a long, complex narrative, and eventually did a reboot that, in retrospect, signaled the beginning of the end, though we didn’t know it yet.

A lot happened in my life since Rocky became a part of it. I’ve found out I’m actually a woman. I’ve traveled to several countries, found a new career, lost friends, gained friends. I’ve started a Twitch channel, bought a house and a car, and finished college with flying colors. I lost my dad to a heart attack, underwent betrayal from people with religious affiliations, grappled with the effects of a pandemic that’s STILL ongoing, struggled with self-loathing and insecurity, and more than once, wondered if my life was really doing any good for anyone.

If you told me when I started this blog what life had in store, I would not have believed you. But Rocky, Cass, Cynthia, and Riley have all, in some measure, been there for me through all of it. They mean a lot to me, but lately I’ve felt that I’m going through the motions.

That’s not because of metrics, by the way. Rocky never broke 750 followers at any point. I’m told that’s a small audience -- and yet some of the kindness that it showed to me is impossible to forget. No, my exhaustion comes down to the fact that the story has been mostly written, but thanks to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, life has not allowed us to execute on it.

If Rocky and his family did anything for anyone reading this, I hope it was good. In a way, we’re one of the last ‘old guard’ Pokemon blogs, and I realize that shutting off means we’re one page closer to the end of a whole chapter in this community.

It’s been a serious privilege to do this. I don’t discount for a moment the absolute joy I’ve felt at times working on this, and my co-mod is a delight to work with. I look forward to continuing our collaboration on other things.

I’m also not saying that the gang will never come back...but if they do, it’s unlikely to be on this blog. I think they’d deserve a fresh place to begin.

The goal was always to make people smile. If you’re reading this, thanks for making it to the end. I know I get verbose. No words are going to be enough to really say how much this all means to me, and it’s not easy admitting I need to move on. But I hope to look back on this fondly as the longest continuing project, besides my self, of course, that I’ve ever worked on, and I hope that, even if it was just for a few seconds every couple of days, that we brought a little extra light into your life.

Take care, everyone!

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

Pokemon Card of the Day #2770: Sabrina’s Jynx (Gym Challenge)

Sabrina’s Jynx was one of those Pokemon that could help, but only in the right spot. Healing the opponent’s Pokemon to draw cards seemed like a pretty bad idea, and preventing retreating was cool but required a coin flip. That second part was impossible to make into a reliable thing, and it wasn’t like Sabrina’s Jynx walled a lot of important things. The first attack could only work in a deck where the amount of HP on the opponent’s Pokemon didn’t actually matter... and that did exist, to at least a small extent.

60 HP wasn’t awful by any means, but was notable with all the 70 HP Basic Pokemon out there. Being vulnerable to a KO from Wigglytuff in this era was not a good thing, especially since Sabrina’s Jynx really only worked in a slower format like Prop 15/3 where Wigglytuff was a good option. The Psychic Weakness meant that Mewtwo and even Mr. Mime would be threats as well. The good news was that the Retreat Cost here was just 1, which was very reasonable to pay.

Helping Hand brought drawing to the game, but was not the easiest use. Yes, it only needed a Psychic Energy attached, but you then got to choose 1 of the opponent’s Pokemon and remove as many damage counters from it as you wanted. You then drew that many cards. Healing the opponent was generally bad, and it was rare to want to do that just for drawing. Prop 15/3 was low on Trainers, though, and extra drawing was really rempting. This was likely best alongside Sabrina’s Kadabra, a Pokemon that could put anything down to 10 HP with a coin flip, making the play much less painful if you were lucky.

Speaking of coin flips, Hug brought that to the table. 20 damage was a bit low for a Psychic and a Colorless Energy. The flip, if heads, prevented the Defending Pokemon from retreating on the opponent’s next turn. This would have been worth trying for on another Pokemon, but Sabrina’s Jynx wasn’t really bulky. Going for Lickitung and Paralysis was simply better for this.

Sabrina’s Jynx had a tiny role for draw power in decks that didn’t mind losing progress when it came to damage. Even with the luck-based Sabrina’s Kadabra, though, it was hard to really want to go for this unless your board was in a really fragile state. It was probably best to skip Sabrina’s Jynx, though a copy in that sort of deck was worth looking at if you were struggling to find good cards to add to it.

[beatbawksradio]

vent about having my accomplishments undermined

just feeling melancholy today about smth that happened literally 12 years ago, that has ended up still sticking with me today. it kinda sent me on this spiral of thinking about other scenarios like it and how often ive been trapped with people who treat me like this.

see, back in 2012, i went to my first and only ever convention. I've never gone to another mostly bc ive struggled financially all my life and can't afford the tickets for such a social luxury that im too anxious to even properly enjoy. but, its also bc of how... conflicting my first experience was. there was a panel for pokemon fans basically, which my friends was excited to bring me to, and during this panel, they held a tiny little drawing contest. it was like, you got small dry erase boards, and 15 seconds to draw the pokemon described. being an artist and also young (still in high school), i was super pumped to volunteer for it- i have always had very extreme stage fright, as evidenced by me being red as hell and sweating the whole time, but i powered through that for the sake of having fun in my Element. the final challenge was a 60 second chance to doodle mewtwo, and this was right when the y mega was revealed so i went with that, and the crows went insane. i won the contest, by a landslide, and it was such a genuinely amazing and unbelievable moment in my life. it was just a stupid local 15 second drawing contest with a small crowd of people, but hearing everyone be so excited about my art was so. just incredible.

but... afterwards... the friend who brought me there, while i was excited and celebrating that id actually, yknow, won something for the first time in my life, instead just. told me "well it wasnt really fair bc those other people weren't actually real artists like you are"

and that completely took the wind out of my sails. it crushed me. i felt like i had cheated, like i had stolen a victory from people more deserving, and that i should've never have raised my hand to begin with. id won a little prize from it but couldn't even feel all that happy about it. i felt like i didnt deserve it. i felt like people were mad at me for being decent at art

12 years, and that experience has still stuck with me. i remembered it bc my job is doing this funny little "daily stretching" challenge, and i was going to sign up for it bc i already stretch all throughout my work day, but i ended up holding myself back. bc i thought, well, is it really fair when i already do this as a daily habit? this challenge is to get people who don't stretch often to do it more, and reward them for it. would it be right to reward someone who doesn't need the extra push?

so i didn't. i thought itd be unfair. i thought people would be mad at me if i won bc i have such an advantage already.

and its just sent me down this spiral of remembering all the times ex-friends and past abusers have done this. how I've never been able to just feel proud of myself or happy that ive accomplished something or that im even just decent and capable at whatever the thing is. i can't talk about my meta-raised pokemon bc it isn't impressive when meta specialized mons plow through things. i can't talk about my art getting big numbers bc it isn't impressive when you bandwagon something and it gets spread around bc of that. i can't talk about defeating a tough monster in monhun bc its just my leveled up equipment carrying me. I'm not allowed to be good at anything, bc I'm either just cheating or i dont deserve the win bc i work harder than others. and me winning makes everyone mad that they didn't win instead

so i just accepted being a loser. being stupid. being bad at everything. bc it was easier to be a loser and let my friends always beat me at everything than to make a loser out of my friends, even though i was never trying to compete to begin with, i just wanted to have fun. but I'm not allowed to have fun bc me having fun makes other people upset and mad. and that sucks. id rather just lose. then everyone else can be happy

but. yknow. obviously that's not healthy. and what it ended up leading to was me just, isolating. i didn't wanna show my art to people anymore, i didn't wanna play games with anyone, i didn't want anyone to see me and be negatively affected by my existence. so i just started doing things by myself, and trying to live off self-sustained validation and happiness. and there is some merit to learning how to validate yourself and make yourself happy, but it shouldn't come at the cost of your ability to socialize entirely.

bc the problem was never with me. it was the people i was surrounded by. bc real friends talk you up, cheer you on, and celebrate your accomplishments. they dont see themselves as losers just bc you've won, they see themselves as teammates who have won simply bc you're happy. they don't make life a competition. that's how friendships are supposed to be. it was never about there being something wrong with me. i wasn't the problem

[telekinetiq]

Proudly and happily walking up to Myuutsu, Amber presents him with a gift. Albeit crudely wrapped in a large leaf and decorated with petals and flowers, she was happy. Wigglytuff had spent many hours working on it with her, a labor of love! In it, was a lovely Moonstone Necklace. Amber had found the jewel amongst their treks, and held on to it for the sake of making it a pretty gift. "--Happy Father's day, Myuutsu! I...uhm...I know you're not my daddy. But you've been really good to me like one! So I wanted you to know!"

          Father’s  Day,  like  Mother’s  Day,  was  a  bit  of  a  difficult  time  for  Mewtwo.    having  neither  to  speak  of,  and  the  closest  thing  to  a  father  figure  being  Giovanni  of  all  people …  suffice  it  to  say  that  the  experiment  was  not  in  the  best  of  headspaces  right  now.

          but  Amber  was  a  bit  of  a  psychic  herself,  or  just  very  good  at  reading  him  ( definitely  the  latter ),  and  came  to  bless  him  with  her  affection.    his  perpetual  frown  quickly  shifts  upwards  into  a  tender  smile  at  the  sight  of  her—  but  just  as  quickly  falls  in  confusion  as  his  gaze  focuses  down  on  the  leaf-wrapped  petal-bearing  mystery  in  her  hands.    what  on  earth ?

          his  thoughts  skid  to  a  halt  at  the  girl’s  well  wishes  for  a  happy  Father’s  Day.    wait—  but  he  wasn’t—  well,  yes,  he  took  care  of  her  and  was  practically  raising  her  as  if  she  were  his  child,  but  he  tried  not  to  think  of  it  that  way.    it  made  him  feel  guilty,  for  replacing  her  ‘real’  father  ( even  if  he  deserved  to  be  replaced ),  and  incredibly  anxious  about  being  a  parental  figure …    even  though  he  kinda  already  filled  that  role  for  his  clones.

      when  she  unveils  her  gift  to  him,  all  his  worries  vanish  for  a  moment.    the  cold  desert  of  his  heart  is  filled  with  warmth,  her  love  like  sunlight,  her  generosity  like  spring  rains  to  irrigate  the  barren  fields  of  his  soul  plagued  with  a  drought  of  loneliness.    it’s  so  beautiful—  not  just  because  of  the  stone,  although  it  is  very  pretty  —but  more  than  anything  because  of  all  the  care  that  went  into  it.    for  a  child  her  age  to  make  something  like  this,  for  him,  even  with  the  help  of  Wigglytuff …  he’s  stunned.    amazed.

      reaching  out,  Mewtwo  takes  the  necklace  in  hand  to  examine  the  precious  gift  more  closely,  struggling  to  keep  his  composure …  and  failing.    gripped  by  a  rare  and  overwhelming  joy,  the  psychic’s  knees  give  out  and  he  collapses  in  front  of  Amber—  but  before  she  even  has  a  chance  to  be  worried,  his  arms  wrap  around  her  smaller  figure  and  draw  her  in  close  to  him,  clutching  the  moonstone  carefully  in  one  hand.

         after  several  seconds  pass  by  in  emotional  silence,  the  psychic  pulls  back  to  look  at  her,  smoothing  a  stray  strand  of  hair  from  her  face  before  planting  a  gentle  kiss  to  the  girl’s  forehead.    the  tender,  loving  expression  on  his  face  made  it  look  like  he’d  break  into  tears  at  any  moment  ( oh,  if  only  he  could ! )

                        ❛❛    it’s  gorgeous,  Amber.    you  didn’t  have  to …  thank  you.    ❜❜

          taking  the  necklace,  Mewtwo  unclasps  it  to  pull  the  piece  of  jewelry  around  his  neck,  then  fasten  it  back  together  and  let  the  stone  rest  above  his  collarbone.    he  makes  a  silent  promise  to  himself  to  keep  it  on  always,  no  matter  what  happens,  as  a  precious  memento  and  reminder  of  her  affection.

[pocket-monsters-precure]

Chapter 19: Unstable Genetics!? The Most Dangerous Nega-Evolution!

(The Nega-Mewtwo drawing I commissioned from a friend, Melianthe!)

Wish and Starlight caught a violent swing of Nega-Mewtwo’s massive tail, skidding back as they did so. The mutated creature snarled viciously, nega-energy misting from its clenched jaw.

 “For a bony skeletal weirdo, it’s got some strength behind it!” Starlight grunted in annoyance, only to yelp as the tail flipped upward, throwing them into the ceiling. Nega-Mewtwo hurled a storm of shadow balls after them, rumbling the mountain’s very foundations with its sheer ferocity. It began to emit a long, low growl, as the two Cures fell to the floor and hit it with hard thuds.

 “We’ve been at this for a while now….” Starlight grunted as she sat up, “And we’re already tired from the first fight!”

 “I hope Rotomi’s okay…” Wish rose to one knee…she was shaking. Nega-Mewtwo was leering back at her. “Why…why does he seem to single me out…? Even before this…”

 “Maybe it’s because your powers are from Mew? It’s a clone of Mew, and hates humans, so…maybe seeing a human with Mew’s powers is something really, I dunno…infuriating to it?” Starlight frowned; it occurred to her that Nega-Mewtwo hadn’t made a move in that span of time. Starlight lunged forward suddenly, catching Nega-Mewtwo’s incoming fist to shield the unprepared Wish.

 “Back off!” she shrieked, while Absol lunged and unleashed Faint Attack. Though the swift, darkness-coated strikes showed to be affecting the psychic-type, Nega-Mewtwo didn’t back down, instead attempting to swat away Absol; its now larger size, however, slowed its movements.  Starlight jumped back and landed beside Wish.

 “Come on, let’s combine powers, like you did with Sunrise!” Starlight held out her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Wish nodded and took her hand, as they reached their free hands forward. They each drew an arc of light in the air, then grasped each arc.

 “Scattered Wish Shoot!” They shouted, releasing their hands and making the motion of drawing a bow and firing arrows of light, swirling with pink energy. The arrows detonated against Nega-Mewtwo, causing it to stagger back, before it telekinetically broke off several stalactites and hurled them at the pair. The pair separated to protect themselves, as the mountain continued to shake with each powerful impact; when the dust settled, both girls were down to their knees, even closer to exhaustion.

 “Mewtwo’s legends always hailed it as one of the most powerful pokemon…” Wish panted, “How much longer are we gonna be able to hold on…?”

 Nega-Mewtwo began to slowly stomp toward them, unbridled malice in its eyes…

 PA-POW!

 Two powerful diving kicks struck Nega-Mewtwo, knocking it across the cavern as Sunrise and Willow landed nearby.

 “We made it in time…what a relief!” Willow sighed. Sunrise turned a bit to look at Wish and Starlight.

 “You guys take a rest,” Sunrise suggested, “We can continue this.”

 “I need a rest, too…” Rotomi dizzily floated up, before dropping into Wish’s outstretched hands.

 “Great work, Rotomi,” Starlight praised her softly. Sunrise turned back to Nega-Mewtwo, who was recovering from being stunned.

 “Don’t mind us…we’re just tagging in!”

 Nega-Mewtwo leered at the interlopers, digging its claws into the ground beneath it with minimal effort before swinging one in a wide arc at the pair; Sunrise caught it, hands sparking with electricity.

 “Wake-up Shock!” She shouted, forcing it to reel back as the jolt ran through it. A swirl of leaves twirled through the air, before sharpening and flying, cutting into the beast. A bell chimed in the air, as Willow’s Chronicle Bell slowed down time and she moved in to kick it in the chin, snapping its head upward.

 “I still feel bad fighting it,” Willow admitted as she stood back-to-back with Sunrise, “It’s a Nega-Evolution, but still, at its core it’s still a pokemon…sealed inside like that, probably terrified…I wonder if it can see out?”

 “I try not to think about it,” Sunrise replied, “We’re fighting to free it, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

 Back with Starlight and Wish, Starlight was growing restless.

 “Break time’s over! Let’s go, Wish!” Starlight cried, rising to her feet and sprinting toward the others, Absol loyally following. Clefable pat Wish gently, as she got back to her feet. She watched the fight, Starlight joining in and firing off a shooting star at Nega-Mewtwo’s face, only for it to swat it away angrily.

 “You want a fight with the Precure,” Starlight declared, “You get to fight the whole team!  Come on, Wish!”

 Wish hesitated for only a moment, then nodded once, running toward the group, charging energy in both her hands. “Wish..Whimsy….!” she threw her hands forward, sending the two now-large orbs at Nega-Mewtwo. “Pop!” She clapped her hands together, the resulting explosion continuing to chip away at Nega-Mewtwo’s defenses and stamina. Both paws lunged forward to grab her, but Sunlight and Willow caught them.

 “I know you’re in there, you grump!” Starlight shouted, “You’re really gonna let Team Dysphoria make a puppet out of you!?”

 Nega-Mewtwo opened its maw, roaring directly in her face as she reached out, slamming a foot down on its lower jaw and grabbing the roof of its mouth with both hands.

 “You’re a powerful pokemon, alright…but that just made you a prime target for those creeps! You wanna make yourself useful!? Snap out of it and help the Precure!  The longer you stay like this, the more nega-energy that you’re feeding to them!”

 She pushed back, jumping away and joining the others; Sunrise and Willow released Nega-Mewtwo’s claws, as it suddenly pulled back, clutching at its head and angrily snarling.

 I…WiLl NoT bE EnSlAvEd…AgAiN!!!

 Its thoughts banged against the walls of their minds, distorted; fighting for supremacy.

 “Could it be you reached it!?” Rotomi floated over.

 “I figured it was worth a shot,” Starlight reasoned, “after Willow pointed out it might be able to see out, and I remembered how I reached Absol when she nega-evolved…and Guzma did the same thing with his Golisopod.”

 “While it’s struggling, we gotta act!” Sunrise turned to the others. “Let’s refresh it!”

 The group joined hands, as a new power seemed to flow through them. A righteous energy, as they put their hands together in the center, and a diamond of light formed beneath their feet…their finisher felt more energized than ever before.

 “Precure Quartet Refresh!”

 The diamond formed beneath Nega-Mewtwo and shot up, enveloping it and bathing the cavern in blinding light, scattering wild pokemon that had begun to creep out to watch the fight.

 When the light cleared, Mewtwo lay on the ground, its breathing heavy and raspy, eyes closed.

 “…we did it…!” Wish gasped, as the group jumped for joy and hugged. Rotomi zipped over to absorb the lingering nega-energy, then paused.

 “Hey, guys? It’s breathing kind of weird,” she called, “I don’t remember anyone who got nega-evolved being in this kinda shape when we saved them…”

 “…breathing weird?” Willow echoed as she walked over, kneeling by Mewtwo and putting her head to its chest.  She frowned.

 “The heartbeat sounds okay, but you’re right; that’s some really bad breathing trouble. It’s not even conscious…”

 “Is it…damage from when we fought it before it was nega-evolved?” Wish asked shakily, now wracked with worry.

 “I don’t know…but we can’t just leave it like this.”

 “Why don’t we take it to Dr. Pierce?” Sunrise asked, “She’s an expert on pokemon medicine, after all…maybe she can help?”

 “We’d have to warp it all the way to Unity Island from here…I’m sure Rotomi’s not able to handle that stress,” Starlight pointed out. “And if we try to take it out in the open, someone’s probably gonna see us with this fabled pokemon and ask questions…” “..why not just two of us?” Wish asked. “Rotomi could warp just Mewtwo and one of us directly to Dr. Pierce’s home, so we can explain what happened. The rest of us can take the ferry back.”

 “We can try that…” Rotomi agreed. “I think I can manage one more warp if it’s just one of you and Mewtwo.”

 “Wish, Starlight, one of you should go, since you were here from the beginning,” Willow reasoned. The pair looked between each other, and Starlight put a hand on Wish’s shoulder.

 “I’ll go,” Starlight said, “I know that thing freaks you out, and it seemed to really not like that you got your powers from Mew. Who knows what’ll happen if it wakes up before the rest of us get there?”

 Wish remained silent for a moment. Then, “No, it’s okay. I’ll go. I’ll have Dr. Pierce and Clefable with me, along with my other pokemon…I’ll be okay.”

 The other three looked to each other, sharing concerned glances. Then, Rotomi floated to Wish.

 “Alright…let’s do it.”

 ==

 She had been typing away at the computer for hours…researching, documenting, rearranging. Penumbra was asleep in Dr. Pierce’s lap, the umbreon’s ear twitching on occasion, as Hypno approached and placed a cup of tea on the desk.

 At the clicking of the ceramic on the wooden desk, Dr. Pierce finally looked over. “Oh…Hypno. Thank you. I left it in the microwave again, didn’t I?” She picked up the cup, noting it was still warm as she took a sip, and took off her glasses with her free hand, rubbing her eye with her knuckle. “I’ve been so swept up in all this Precure stuff my own work is starting to suffer. I need a balance…”

 A blip of pink light caught the corner of her eye. “…Rotomi’s warping here?” She looked over.

 CR-R-R-ASH!

 A blur of white and purple smashed into her coffee table, splitting it in two…Mewtwo lay there unconscious, as Fae and Rotomi landed beside it.

 “Dr. Pierce! Y-y-you have a patient!” Fae sputtered out. Dr. Pierce stared back, jaw dropped, while Penumbra had woken up in a panic and Hypno was waving its pendulum threateningly. Silence fell over the room, until the cup of tea slipped from Dr. Pierce’s hands and smashed on the floor.

 ……

 One hurried explanation later…

 “This is a lot to take in…” Dr. Pierce sighed, as Mewtwo lay on a small cot in the back room of Dr. Pierce’s home—a miniature medical lab, of sorts. The genetic creature’s breathing was still wheezy, and occasionally it shivered. “Help me strap it in.”

 “S-strap it in..!?” Fae gasped.

 “It’s just a precaution…we don’t know what it’s going to do when it wakes up,” Dr. Pierce replied, securing Mewtwo’s wrists. “So Mewtwo was nega-evolved while it was trying to challenge you!?”

 “Yes…” Fae looked down briefly, before anxiously moving to strap down Mewtwo’s ankles. “I don’t know what it was trying to prove…but it seemed especially hostile toward me. Naomi thinks it’s because I got my Cure Compact from Mew….I mean, it even pointed it out when it spoke to us. It said…it seemed weird that someone like me would be chosen….”

 “Could be a case of the clone feeling inadequate compared to the original…” Dr. Pierce put a stethoscope to its chest, “And since this guy was created to fight, it challenging you could be explained as it acting on instinct…”

 “Makes sense to me,” Rotomi huffed as she was flopped on a nearby desk, exhausted.

 “I…” Fae wrung her hands. “I…I don’t think it should just be explained away like that. Mewtwo seems really smart. It must have something it wants to prove, to challenge Precure like that…”

 “You may have a point,” Dr. Pierce nodded to her, smiling gently. “You know, Fae, you’re pretty nice…trying to understand Mewtwo’s side of the story.”

 “Ah-!” Fae stiffened up, blushing a little. “Well…all the things it was saying had logic to it…I guess I just don’t fully understand why it felt justified fighting us…is his condition because of the fight?  Or the nega-evolution? We’ve never had anyone in this bad of shape after a nega-evolution…”

 “Hmm…” Dr. Pierce watched Mewtwo shudder again. “It could be a mix. For one, it seems like it overworked itself and is both battered and tired. For another, Mewtwo’s body isn’t naturally occurring from centuries of existence, unlike other pokemon. Everything about it is something new and inorganic. It’s never faced something like nega-evolution before, and it’s unlike any other pokemon in existence, so it could almost be considered a type of anaphylaxis—“

 “Ana-what?”

 “—an allergic reaction. It’s a highly complex being right down to its DNA, so its body wasn’t quite sure what to do with the nega-evolution going on. Granted, this is all just a theory…it could very easily just be sick; after all, we don’t know what kid of natural immunities it might have or anything…but I’m digressing. I’d have to run some tests. There’s not enough information on its physical condition just yet for me to give a concrete answer.” She put a hand on Fae’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of it. You go get some rest and update the other girls. You can all come check on it tomorrow after classes.”

 “Okay…”

 “I’m sure I don’t have to say this, but don’t go around town saying that Mewtwo’s here.”

 “Y-yes, ma’am…!”

 ==

 “I still can’t believe we technically battled a legendary pokemon…” Naomi laid back in bed once Kailani and Fae had returned to the dorm; Asuka had taken a separate ferry back to Johto, as per usual.

 “It’s not a legendary!” Rotomi insisted from within the charging Cure Dex, “A legendary creature would be one that’s ingrained in folklore and legends!”

 “Oh, don’t argue semantics!” Naomi snapped back.

 “Are you alright, Fae?” Kailani asked gently.

 “Mm-hmm..” Fae nodded, hugging her pillow. “I just…feel so bad for it. It seemed to distrustful of humans, and so…full of anger.”

 “I don’t blame it,” Naomi replied, “Humans are the worst.”

 “I can understand where it’s coming from,” Kailani replied, “Created by humans who just wanted to make a fighting machine…what kind of life is that? Not one I’d wanna live.” She looked out the window. “Back in Alola, it’s ingrained in our culture to work alongside pokemon to achieve our goals. They’re not slaves or servants; they’re partners. The idea that someone would only see their pokemon as a tool to fight others, and create a living weapon to achieve that…it’s kinda alien to me.”

 “I mean, we fight pokemon in battles, but that’s just how it is…they’re our comrades,” Naomi mused, “Not tools. And definitely not slaves.”

 “…Naomi, if you had a pokemon that was clearly unhappy being captive,” Fae asked, “Would you let it go?”

 “Absolutely!” Naomi nodded firmly once. “Y’know that classic phrase, right? If you love it, let it go. I want my pokemon to be happy. Everyone deserves to be happy.”

 “Right!” Kailani agreed wholeheartedly. “Alright…we’ll all check on Mewtwo tomorrow. Maybe…he’ll even help us?”

 “Don’t get your hopes up too high, though,” Naomi muttered. The girls began to relax in their beds, while Kailani quietly stared up at the plastic stars she had placed on the ceiling above her.

 It was nothing like the beautiful night sky in Alola.

 ==

 “Hypno.” Hypno opened the door to let the girls in, closing it after them.

 “Doctor?” Fae called.

 “In the lab!” Dr. Pierce called.

 “Oh, my….” Asuka looked down to see Hypno had returned to its previous task—it had a broom and dustpan and was sweeping up broken glass.   There were cracks in some of the widows, and a few glasses had completely shattered.

 “What…happened here?” Fae wondered aloud, anxious.

 “Let’s go!” Naomi led the group in a hurried rush to the lab.  There, countless papers and binders were floating in midair, surrounding Mewtwo as its eyes darted from document to document. Dr. Pierce stood nearby, writing in a notebook while Penumbra watched it apprehensively.

 “Uh…what’s it doing?” Kailani asked, confused.

 “He. He asked for a male designation,” Dr. Pierce replied, “He’s going through gathered research and updating himself on the situation with the nega-evolutions…I’ve collected whatever I could access online and gathered up my personal notes for him. Isn’t it fascinating?”

 An annoyed grunt came from Mewtwo’s throat.

 “I mean, sure…” Naomi replied, “But what’s with the broken glass?”

 “Oh, that…well, when he woke up and realized he was restrained, he panicked a bit and had a small surge of psychic energy. But it seems he realized I wasn’t a threat and calmed down. Just a little outburst, that’s all.”

 “What do you mean, ‘that’s all?’” Naomi quirked an eyebrow. Fae watched quietly, then squeaked and flinched as Mewtwo glanced toward her. The papers floated back into a neat pile, as he turned to look at her.

 I will find out what my predecessor saw in you, he projected, but you may be at ease. I call a truce. If the Precure are what is necessary to stop this epidemic of nega-evolution, so be it. As for the doctor, she is…not as overzealous about my presence as I was expecting, so I suppose I am willing to work with her.

 “I’ll take compliments where I can get them,” Dr. Pierce shrugged.

 “This is actually pretty great,” Kailani reasoned, “We have a strong ally, and we can show Mewtwo that not all humans are bad, right?”

 “Hey, you’re right,” Asuka nodded. “But…what got him in such bad shape before, Doctor?”

 “I still don’t have a solid answer,” Dr. Pierce admitted, “But I gave him fluids and let him sleep and he seemed to recover based on that, so perhaps he was just exhausted.”

 “So this powerful pokemon got all tuckered out?” Rotomi huffed, only to get trapped in a psychic bubble and bounced around the room again. “AIEEE!”

 “…Oh, Rotomi,” Kailani sighed, catching her as the bubble popped. “Maybe it’s you who needs some manners…”

[elphaba-fang]

I Kick Down the Walls Around Me, they Don’t Know How Strong I Am.

!.:.:WARNING:.:.!

THIS STORY CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FOR THE POKEMON FIC!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

There was only one way to stop it. This ultimate power. It would consume all and rule if not stopped. Only one stood in the way. The aura of the chose. Blood spilled, and war waged. Innocents cower in their homes and weep. Afraid of the true reality that befalls them. The one that they get to walk away from.

Sixteen and a half years old. Given the option to let someone else give in to this temptation. But no, it was them. Had to be them. Everything they cared about would die otherwise.

Alexis... No matter how many times we faced trouble, you were with me. You stood by me when few would. You helped me reach everything I am. I will always be grateful to you.

William... We've been through a lot, huh? Anger, violence, hurt feelings and willpower fights. Some things don’t change. We’re two very strong and like-minded people. Except we’re not. I’ve always put the pokemon ahead of the people. You’ve done the opposite. Who are we to fight when we want equality on both sides. But in the end, I’m doing this for all of us. Does that mean I finally win our little spats? I guess it doesn’t matter.

A ripple of energy escapes her grasp. Hitting part of the forest and devastating it. A fearful gasp as Pokemon flee. But they together her a nod of thank you before fleeing farther away. She throws a blast of energy at the woman she's fighting. Her friends evacuating the Pokemon and dealing with the grunts. The young woman begins to think again as she is locked in a stalemate of power once more.

Lily... Remember when we met? You were always so nervous. Afraid. You grew up. You’re a better person than any of us could hope to be. You’ve become stronger and more compassionate. You stood by me when no one else would. You’ve never abandoned me. Ever. But I’m sorry. I... I have to go now. Please don’t be afraid. Lily... you’re the strongest, bravest, most wonderful person on the entire planet. And anyone who can’t see that is sorely mistaken. Don’t be scared. I’m always with you.

Lucario... I’m... I’m so sorry. I can’t help anymore... You have to be strong without me, my friend. You need to remember all those times we spent together. All that you’ve learned. Teach others... please, don’t feel like you need to take a form of revenge, find peace. Find peace in everything you do. I will be with you in your heart and in the love we share for the world we live. Don’t give up, my friend. Don’t bow to anyone. I know you won’t, but just a reminder. Don’t forget, my aura is your aura. And together we had faced this world in all it’s splendors. Don’t be afraid. Don’t take revenge. Be honorable. Be you. Be my Lucario. I love you, my little Lucario...

Power surges once more, breaking a cave apart and causing a collapse. The pokemon hurry to clear the blockage. Make an exit. Free those trapped inside. The young woman’s eyes drift to the young man who’s helping clear pokemon out. Tears flow. Biting back the pain she feels. The other woman sees this and aims to attack him. Drawing a portion of her power from the fight and lashing it out. She had to chose. Save him or the world?

No, not this time. That wasn’t a choice. With a burst of power, her aura channels itself through everything. Pokemon grow stronger, people no longer fatigued. Each of them looks to her. In front of this young man. A shower of rainbows across the globe.

“Unheard of power... how did you-”

“I am not making this choice! I will not let you take any longer! Your end is coming to you!”

“This is impossible!”

“I live by making the impossible possible!”

Pokemon flock to the forest. The Pokemon Village had a sudden spurt in power. Pokemon flock to her side. Babies, fully-grown, megas, and legends. Everything has come to her aid. But this was different. They give their energy to her. Lucario stares. Eyes watering.

“NOOOOoooo!!” He screams, trying to run forward. Watching her fall to her knees, holding her arm in pain. Witnessing his greatest fears. Coming alive.

Each of the pokemon changed. All that could go to a mega evolved state did. Not just her’s. All those all over the world. Her aura forced the change. But it wasn’t painful like they thought. No, this was a transformation of love, hope, strength. All those things required to make the transformation seamless. But all was not seamless. It wasn’t perfect. The fight was dragging.

The lady, true entity of evil. She was pushing beyond her limits to contain Fang’s true power. This wasn’t going to last. They all turn to witness Fang’s struggle. Her power was growing beyond her control.

The last of those who could witness her. The last of this power. Lucario screamed again, fear gripping him, he still tried to move forward. Reaching out to her. Holding out for her. A few more steps and he could maybe... no, she was forcing him back. Her eyes drifted to the young man once more. Heart sinking, breaking.

N... You... were such a stranger. And, if it weren’t for your endearing honesty and desire to help all those in need. All the pokemon... I probably would’ve just asked you to leave me alone. I’m glad I didn’t. You’ve become someone I care about. More than I thought I would. When the world came crashing down around me, you didn’t hesitate to offer your hand. Help me chase this chaos around the world. Help me fight this evil. The first to volunteer. The first to arrive when I need help, and never willing to leave. You’ve fought harder and harder every day. At first I thought it was because you... you just wanted to be accepted and not be seen as a traitor or a jerk... but... it was so I could see you. And notice you. The ferris wheel. You admitted that it was a bad idea after you found out I didn’t like the rocking feeling. When we got separated from the others, and you carried me through snow after I was almost freezing to death. You didn’t let any of our pokemon out of our pokeballs because you knew... you knew i didn’t want them hurt... everything I did you were beside me. Only a couple of years we’ve known each other... but you never left my side. Not once. You stood with me against your father... against my mother. And here you are. Still standing...

                                                   I love you... A tear falls from her eye as she starts to fade away. Piece of her drifting off into the aura she’s releasing. A small smile. Content. Sad. Pained. But not physically. He tries to reach for her, but it doesn’t work. She fades further. The pokemon and people begin fighting to get to her.

After all her years of suffering and fighting, taking responsibility... she was ready. Content.

In one final release of power, they were gone. The lady and the hero. Freedom by death’s sweet release. They are left. Alone. Screaming. Crying. Fighting. Confused. Unwilling to accept.

She was finally free. After all her hard work, she was free. Freedom was finally hers. But at the greatest cost of all. ~*~ Okay guys, this was very hard for me to write, emotionally. But if you guys have questions, feel free to ask. First though, the one addressed as The Lady, is evil. And she also happens to be Fang’s mother. Yeah, crazy right? Second, Fang’s aura is that strong. She did a painless mega evolve for all pokemon possible. “But what about Charizard and Mewtwo? They have two megas!” Yes, I know! They split and reform after she dies. Anything else you want me to address, I will. This takes place in Kalos, in the Pokemon Village. There’s so much that leads up to this, and I didn’t get to cover it. And this might not be specifically how it happens in the actual fic. I hope you enjoy, if I tug at any heartstrings, good. Because I think I died writing this.

[undauntedtcg]

My Favorite Deck of All Time: ZoroPod

Before I begin, I apologize for the amount of time this post took. I hope the content makes up for the deviation from my normal schedule.

 I was playing some 2017-2018 format games on TCG ONE with my ZoroPod and I realized a few things. The first? This is still my favorite deck. The second? I’ve played it in both standard formats since the deck’s creation. 

So start off, I have to rewind things a bit! Welcome back to 2017.

Gardevoir just won the world championships and rightfully so, it was the most powerful card ever printed at the time. (230 HP after a rare candy...good times) A couple regionals passed by and stories began to emerge about something terrifying: The “Optimal” Gardevoir list. It was basically a two shot deck that, if it got bored, could ramp up to 210 damage without breaking a sweat. If it weren’t a stage two deck, it would’ve been unbeatable. 

A couple funny little sets came out, Shining Legends and Crimson Invasion. The cards were...divisive to say the least. Zoroark GX was at the forefront of these discussions. Most people just thought it was a worse Octillery that gave up two prizes, others thought it was a fantasatic secondary attacker. Worthy of a 2-2 line at most. Around this time, I had just picked up Ninetales GX/Zoroark, liking the synergy between Trade and Aqua Patch. Others picked up Lycanroc GX, Decidueye GX and Golisopod GX. But never with more than a 2-2 Zoroark line. )You can check out my favorite example of the community having it all backwards here: Pablo Meza’s ZoroPod) Then, the Vikings came.

Tord Reklev and a great many European players came to the European International Championships playing a list that revolutionized the game for years to come. The first true Zoroark deck was born, as was the first ZoroPod list I’d ever pick up.

The List

Pokemon (20) 4 Zoroark GX 4 Zorua 1 Zoroark 3 Wimpod 2 Golisopod GX 1 Tapu Koko 1 Mewtwo 1 Mr. Mime 3 Tapu Lele GX

Trainers (33) 4 N 4 Guzma 3 Brigette 3 Acerola 2 Professor Sycamore 1 Mallow

4 Puzzle of Time 4 Ultra Ball 4 Field Blower 2 Enhanced Hammer 2 Choice Band

Energy (7) 3 Grass Energy 4 Double Colorless Energy

The first thing you’ll notice is that there are far more than two Zoroarks. Actually, there are five. But that’s not the only thing about Tord’s list that was revolutionary.

Puzzle of time hadn’t been seen in a while, but it was perfect for Zoroark. You draw so many cards that you’re nearly guaranteed to be able to find the puzzles when you need them, and you can reuse effects like Acerola up to 7 times in a game! This truly is the two shot deck of the century.

Many people still liked Drampa Garb going into EUIC. For obvious reasons, Zoroark decks are heavily ability reliant. So why not just play four blower and four puzzle to make sure they can’t turn off your abilities? As it turns out, you really don’t need 4 field blower to beat Garbodor, as your Guzmas can do a lot of that work instead. But I’d take overkill to under-preparation any day.

Lastly, Brigette was only a 1-2-of in most evolution decks at the time. However, with Zoroark’s trade to get rid of the extra ones, 3 copies doesn’t clog up the deck and it makes hitting it turn one way more likely. Most games, if you got turn one Brigette, you won. If you missed it, things didn’t go too well.

After EUIC, people were very afraid of ZoroPod. It seemed pretty much unbeatable. Tord Reklev had completely broken the Pokemon TCG.

But what about Gardevoir? The list was optimal! Broken even! Well, it was good against the old decks. But playing a stage 2 deck means that more often than not, you collapse after a Zoroark spends three turns picking off Ralts while you struggle to draw rare candy.

Fast forward to Leipzig regionals, just a while after EUIC and people had found the counter: Mill. Turns out, Quad Sylveon autowins Zoroark match-ups when you only play seven energy and four Puzzle of time.  

The rise of mill gave Tord the idea of a new deck using his Zoroark engine: Zoroark Gardevoir. He won his third international championship in a row with that deck, but we only care about ZoroPod today, so we have to skip ahead to after Ultra Prism became legal. To Prague we go!

Tord won the Prague SPE with ZoroPod, but the list changed significantly. 

The New List

Pokemon (19) 4 Zoroark GX 4 Zorua 3 Wimpod 2 Golisopod GX 1 Tapu Koko 1 Mew EX 1 Oranguru 3 Tapu Lele GX

Trainers (34) 4 Guzma 3 N 3 Brigette 2 Acerola 2 Cynthia 1 Mallow

4 Puzzle of Time 4 Ultra Ball 2 Field Blower 2 Evosoda 1 Enhanced Hammer 1 Max Potion 2 Choice Band 1 Float Stone

2 Parallel City

Energy (7) 3 Grass Energy 4 Double Colorless Energy

Ultra Prism gifted us with a couple cards that helped ZoroPod a ton.

Remember how Mill was this deck’s worst matchup? Not anymore. Resource management can put back puzzles, energy, really anything you need...infinitely. Now, you decked Sylveon out instead of the other way around. The card was also pretty insane in the mirror match, letting you get more value out of your cards than your opponent.

Cynthia proved to be far better than Professor Sycamore in Zoroark decks. You can get a new hand without discarding cards or refreshing your opponent’s hand.

Aside from new cards, there are other additions to the list to help deal with a Zoroark heavy metagame, or just improve consistency.

On the added consistency side of things, Evosoda is such an obvious inclusion to the deck. It’s like playing extra copies of your stage ones, and, unlike Ultra Ball, you didn’t have to discard cards to get to those evolutions.

Don’t get me wrong, Acerola is still the best healing card in the deck. But it is a supporter and you sometimes find yourself needing to heal and get another supporter effect. Max potion let’s you do exactly that.

The last new addition is Parallel City! For some reason unknown to myself, after winning EUIC and OCIC, Zoroark decks were getting pretty popular. With Parallel City, you could limit the damage output of all those other peasants playing the exact same archetype as you. That’ll show ‘em. The card could also be used to clear inconveniences like Tapu Lele GX off of your bench to deny prizes.

ZoroPod continued, barely changing for months to come, until we get to the final list from this format, Brian Miller’s World’s Top 8 deck.

The ultimate ZoroPod list!

Pokemon (18) 4 Zoroark GX 4 Zorua 3 Wimpod 2 Golisopod GX 1 Mew EX 1 Oranguru 3 Tapu Lele GX

Trainers (34) 4 Brigette 3 Guzma 3 N 1 Acerola 1 Cynthia 1 Professor Sycamore

4 Puzzle of Time 4 Ultra Ball 3 Field Blower 3 Evosoda 1 Enhanced Hammer 1 Max Potion 1 Counter Catcher 1 Choice Band 2 Float Stone

3 Parallel City

Energy (7) 3 Grass Energy 4 Double Colorless Energy

Most of what’s different about this list is what it leaves out. 

No new additions to the Standard Format made it into this list. In fact, there’s only one new card!

Somewhere between the Prague SPE and NAIC, Counter Catcher became a standard inclusion. With all the hyper-aggressive decks in the format, ZoroPod fell behind in prize cards all the time. Instead of matching that aggression, which this deck cannot do, it just takes advantage of being behind. You could N your opponent low and play a pre-errata Pokemon Catcher to deal with one of their major threats. Or more commonly, kill their draw support Pokemon.

Now, one last card that didn’t make it into any of these three lists but did become a standard somewhere in between. An honorable mention, if you will.

Delinquent allowed for so many insane plays. Counter catcher to kill their draw support Pokemon, Parallel city to force them to discard a couple other benched Pokemon, and then you simply delete the opponent’s hand. Seems pretty balanced, right? A weird T1 Delinquent Zoroark deck actually got the card banned in expanded, so take that information however you may.

And then rotation hit.

Zoroark lost pretty much every card that made the deck good in the previous format. Brigette, Puzzle of Time, Evosoda and Parallel City no name a few. 

Basically, everything that drew me to the archetype was gone. But the first cup of the season was upon me, so we ran it.

The List

Pokemon (21) 4 Zoroark GX 4 Zorua 4 Wimpod 2 Golisopod GX 2 Tapu Koko 1 Deoxys 1 Dedenne 1 Oranguru 3 Tapu Lele GX

Trainers (32) 4 Lillie 4 Guzma 2 Professor Kukui 2 Acerola 1 Judge 1 Cynthia

4 Ultra Ball 4 Nest Ball 3 Choice Band 2 Enhanced Hammer 1 Rescue Stretcher 1 Pal Pad

2 Devoured Field

Energy (7) 3 Grass Energy 4 Double Colorless Energy

This deck, to put it gently, is garbage. With no consistent way to find evolutions and no guarantee of a good set up, there is almost no reason to play this deck if you weren’t already a Zoroark player from the previous season. But, let’s have a look at some of the things that changed.

Some people that, arguably, had worse ideas than the Zoroark players tried to make BuzzRoc work in the new format. While imperfect, Deoxys established a favorable prize trade. Dedenne can one-shot the new top tier threat, Rayquaza GX with a choice band, DCE and Tapu Koko on the bench. The deck’s match-up spread would just be terrible without this.

Now that Brigette is gone, we have two supporter options for the first turn of the game: Lillie or Pokemon Fan Club? Fan Club only grabs two basics. Yes, that’s only one less than Brigette, but it’s a huge difference. Nest Ball in combination with Lillie was usually enough to get basics down. But that ended up not being the deck’s main problem anyway.

You’ll notice that Ultra Ball is the deck’s only method of finding its evolutions. Well, as it turns out, in Bo1 cups, you can get screwed over by that very easily. Every one of my losses in the cup were not because I couldn’t find my basics, but rather because on the second turn the Zoroark’s didn’t show up. 

I loved all of the previous year’s Zoroark decks, so I’ll be the first to admit that this hurt. Between that and the dominance of Shrine of Punishment, I was fairly disillusioned with the game after that tournament. I attended a couple tournaments after this, most notably getting 2nd at an ARG State Championships with ZoroGarb, but for the most part I stopped playing for a full Quarter. 

I only played ZoroPod one more time in the Standard format, sometime after Team Up was released.

The List

Pokemon (20) 4 Zoroark GX 4 Zorua 3 Wimpod 2 Golisopod GX 1 Ditto* 2 Tapu Koko 1 Oranguru 3 Tapu Lele GX

Trainers (33) 4 Professor Elm's Lecture 4 Guzma 4 Cynthia 2 Acerola 1 Judge

4 Ultra Ball 4 Pokemon Communication 2 Enhanced Hammer 2 Choice Band 1 Max Potion 1 Rescue Stretcher 1 Pal Pad

3 Devoured Field

Energy (7) 3 Grass Energy 4 Double Colorless Energy

Lost thunder gave us a couple cards to help our consistency. Sadly, a once powerful deck had almost been entirely power creep’d out of the format. I had a couple decent results with this list in spite of that though, so let’s take a look at what changed.

Elm’s lecture almost replaces Brigette in this deck. Wimpod has 70 hp, rendering it unsearchable with this card. However, Ditto* nearly filled the void. The deck regained much of it’s consistency with this card and I’m thankful for that.

Pokemon Communication had amazing synergy with Elm’s lecture. The number of outs you had to turn one Elm and turn 2 Zoroark increased a lot. This card is what made Zoroark playable again, change my mind.

Apart from that, the list hasn’t really changed, Just some engine adjustments.

Now, the only thing we haven’t covered is ZoroPod in the Expanded format. On average, I attend one expanded  tournament per season, and I didn’t play ZoroPod at any of them. However, I can direct you to Dean Nezam’s 1st place list from Dallas Regionals.

So that’s my history with the deck! I know it sounds silly, but I’ve become very attached to this deck. I attribute the majority of my success and my entrance to the competitive scene to this deck. 

The thing that I loved most was ZoroPod’s incredible consistency. At it’s best in 2017, it just felt like the deck let you play Pokemon every game. Something that many, less consistent archetypes didn’t do. (Looking at you, Buzzroc)

It’s best not to dwell on the past, but sometimes, when I’m disallusioned by the current state of the Pokemon TCG, I think back to my first tournament with this deck and think “What I wouldn’t give for just one more tournament.”

In the present, many people play old formats at regionals after being knocked out of contention for day 2. Usually it’s 2006 and 2010 formats that get all the love. But in a decade or so, once the 2018 Worlds format is but a distant memory, I’ll be playing my Zoropod.

[oakmd]

professor oak’s rp plotting cheat-sheet!

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mod name: :v OOC Contact: Tumblr IM; but if we’re mutuals I’ll give you my discord! I have Skype too, but I don’t really use it much. 

WHO IS HE:

 Professor Oak is a renowned Pokémon Professor most notably known for his invention of the Pokédex, his Welcome To The World of Pokémon! lecture / documentary and his extensive research surrounding the relationships between pokémon and people. He’s a very recognizable icon in the pokéworld; it would be impossible not to know who he is. 

Alternatively, while he’s mostly known for being a scientist, he has wide recognition for his Pokémon poetry. He also does regular recordings with DJ Mary at Goldenrod Radio Tower. 

The Professor resides in Pallet Town, Kanto, in one of the world’s most impressive laboratory reserve - stretching across acres upon acres of land, built entirely to replicate all types of pokémon’s natural habitats and terrains. 

As a former pokémon trainer ( as well as Kanto Champion ), he has one grandson, Gary Oak, who is also former pokémon trainer, but is now currently on the path to becoming a Scientist himself, specializing in fossil revival.

Points of interest:

My portrayal of Professor Oak is mostly anime-based. This means I do not consider game function as canon or as character trait (ex. Professor Oak forgetting his grandson’s name. I have heard this joke enough to last me a lifetime, please Don’t™.) However, I include some elements of the manga/game, I guess, but usually only to fill in the many gaps untouched in the anime. With that being said, Green / Blue / Red and even Daisy do not exist. I have exceptions of interactions with some people, but it does not fall under my Main Canon and is more of some weird, blended AU, lol. 

Professor Oak is a 50+ year old man. On top of that, a parent and a grandparent. Because of this, most of the time ( not always ) he will naturally be more intuitive and perceptive to situations than a younger muse might be. He has had many, many life experiences to draw from that he applies to current context; empathizing and offering advice comes easy. With that being said, please communicate with me if I’ve crossed a line with this; I won’t take offense!

Professor Oak has interacted with legendary Pokémon. See: Celebi, ft. Suicune. Professor Oak is not immune to... strange occurrences. He’s interacted with the legendary pokémon Celebi ( and Suicune ) when he was a young boy. However, I portray this muse as someone that has seen much more ( of the unexplainable, not necessarily legendaries ), yet appreciates them within the comfort of his own privacy. 

Professor Oak has very high public status! While the man certainly lives his life as a regular person, his life is anything but. Hailing from Kanto and living peacefully in Pallet Town, Samuel’s demeanor is very humble, but his Net Worth is one of the highest, given his important influence, multi-faceted popularity and on-going relevancy among the citizens of the poké-universe. It goes without saying that he has made some of the most important contributions to the field of science and world of pokémon, but he is also sort of a pop culture “idol”. His name is attached to hundreds of awards, recognitions, lifetime achievements, entertainment achievements. Whatever there is to do, Professor Oak does it all: Scientist, Writer, Artist, Humanitarian, Pokémon Professor, TV Host, Radio Host, University Lecturer, Motivational Speaker, Activist, League Advisor, Parent. There is nothing he won’t dive into if it’s for the greater good.  List of Awards: here. 

What they’ve been up to recently:

*POST-CANON. Same ol’, same ol’. Professor Oak has many years left in him yet! You can still find him on his happy little hill in Pallet Town doing what he does best: giving trainers their starters, and babysitting those same 9482536 kids under his care. Including, but not limited to all the 3948357927682294 pokémon he and - everyone’s favorite personal assistant son - Tracey Sketchit share responsibility for. His life will pretty much be the same, as it has been; the perks of being old and well-adjusted.  *I use ‘post canon’ loosely. My default timeline is ongoing with the show itself, but since time never seems to progress, I’ve taken it upon myself to lazily assume some years have passed since S1E1 ( hence why I say Oak is 50+ rather than actually 50 ). 

MULTI-VERSE. If you are a non-pokémon muse, Professor Oak will happily accept that you’re simply not someone from his universe. As mentioned above, stranger things have happened to him. Because of his own experiences, he’s very open-minded about the possibilities the universe has up it’s sleeve. I like to think of his corral and his lab are portal spots for the unknown to materialize. Maybe a point deep in the mountain and forest terrain. Or perhaps from the forest ( between Kanto and Johto ) where Celebi dwells. This concept isn’t necessary to follow for the multi-verse, just a suggestion! TL;DR Let Professor Oak be your away-from-home grandpa, he has lots of Experience™.

Where to find them:

DEFAULT VERSE. There are a lot of places to find the ever-active Professor Oak. However, the top three most common places are: his research lab ( corral included ) in Pallet Town, Kanto, Goldenrod Radio Tower, and Celadon University. Because he is so famous, he can be anywhere, though. Whether it’s doing charity work, raising awareness, doing lectures, being a guest at internships, working with media across regions, visiting other pokémon professors, being on a much needed vacation, traveling for work. Pretty much, wherever your muse is, I can find a reason for Professor Oak to be there. 

POST-COLLEGE. I don’t actually have a ‘verse’ for this but it takes place shortly after Samuel finishes grad school and takes position as Kanto’s Pokémon Professor. He’s the first one to reside in Pallet Town. The lab itself is still under renovation; he’s moved back home after being away for years at school, and still trying to mourn the loss of his fiancé. He’s a single father, struggling to balance work and parenthood, but he gets by. ( Further down this timeline, about thirteen years later, he suffers the loss of his children, and becomes the guardian of his grandson, Gary Oak. )

To find Professor Oak is the other ‘verses’ from the Offered / Desired sections, just ask. 

Current plans:

Keeping busy. Professor Oak is a very goal-oriented person and although he finds relaxation necessary, he also prefers to be active. His hands are always full running the biggest pokémon lab, but he’s always throwing himself into new projects of all kinds of varieties.

Travel and meet new people. Ever the social butterfly, the Professor is always welcoming new faces to his growing list of companions. Although his reasons for traveling are no longer for becoming a Pokémon Champion, he finds that there are plenty of things he hadn’t quite noticed or appreciated before. It’s interesting to see how some things have changed, and for others, how they’ve stayed the same. It’s all for business purposes of course ( mostly ), but coming full circle provides closure for memories he’d only reminisced about for years after he graduated from college. 

Supporting Gary. As his grandson begins his journey in the field of science, Professor Oak prioritizes helping him adjust and giving him the support he needs.

Otherwise, the plans depend on what your muse brings. :O

Desired interactions:

Retired Oak! Literally everything is the same except he’s wearing tropical shirts and jorts. B^) Alola cruise, anyone?

Alzheimer’s Oak! LISTEN, I KNOW.. ... .. Game-mechanic jokes aside, lmao - I have no real excuse. It just hurts so good. ;^(

Grandpa Oak. I’m sure raising Gary and Ash was nothing but and Experience™.

TRACEY. MY PURE ASSISTANT SON -

College. What goes on in college, stays in college. College timeline: here.

Celebi, Again! Starring... Professor Oak! B^) Swapped into the body of his younger self. How does he fix this? Calamity ensues.

Dr. Fuji, Who? No, Professor Oak isn’t part of Team Rocket but he did get roped into helping them create MewTwo with the desperate attempt to also bring his family back to life. Did I rip that from Dr. Fuji? Yes I did, and I don’t care, let me live -

Team Rocket? Or, alternatively, he does work for Team Rocket with this ridiculous concept that he was blackmailed into working for them post-grad because of his unremarkable intelligence and promise. While his public face is the friendly Professor Oak everyone knows and loves, his lab holds darker secrets, the darkest being that he could no loner resist their persistence in making him comply, after they staged his children’s death as an innocent car accident. : ) ... Anyway, 

Persistent Press. Be annoying and invasive. Start scandals. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Unrequited. Get rejected by the notorious man himself. He will be gentle.

Agatha. How dare you,

CROSSOVERS!!!

Offered interactions:

Are you a Pokémon Trainer™ or some other kind of pokémon-specializing person ( pokémon watcher, photographer, breeder, ranger, etc. )? Ring up your Professor when Officer Jenny arrests you for something he told you not to do in the first place so he can judge you with a proper scolding. For the others, show him your talents and skills! If you’re not a Kanto Trainer, I’m sure one of the other Professors can send you his way, either to drop something off / pick something up / for general help, etc. and he’s always excited to meet his colleagues’ kiddos. Also excited to see others contribute to the world of pokémon in some way! He loves pokémon and humans interacting! 

Are you a Pokémon Professor? Doctor, Nurse? Let’s gather ‘round and be stressed about Ash our reckless trainers. But also drinking and karaoke! Pokémon Discourse™. Camping retreats. Boring, obligatory conferences. Peer Review. Or maybe you just need a little advice from one of the pokéworlds more experienced Professors! Unless you’re Professor Rowan - in that case you’re BFFs that get into shenanigans nobody would ever believe. 

Are you a Science Major? Limited internships available for college students.

Do you live in Pallet Town? Hi, neighbor! B^) Professor Oak ( and Tracey ) most likely talk to you in passing, should it occur. ( Please message me about pre-established relationships first. ) Common places include, the mart, post office, movie theaters, etc.

Summer Camp? Boom, Professor Oak has summer camp for the kiddos at his corral. 

Are you a big idolizer of Professor Oak? Lucky for you, there’s more than one way to be a fan! You can reach him via fanmail, @’ing him on social media, finding his personal phone number from some sketchy fan forum, hogging up the radio show hotline, stalking his schedule to make each appearance panel, hovering outside around his lab, stealing candid photos, bombarding him in public with intrusive questions, shoving your notepad out for an autograph... You can even be one of those weird people who try to proclaim your love to ‘celebrities’ too old for you that you know little about. Who knows what this poor man will do?

Are you into Traditional Kanto / Johto? You may share the same passions if you’re into calligraphy, ikebana, haiku, tea ceremonies, etc. 

Are you a Celadon University Student? Feel free to talk to your Intro To Pokémon ( or Pokémon Sociology 101, etc. ) Professor about anything unclear about assignments, to offer questions or concerns... or try to make excuses for not turning in homework and being late, you lazy student. :T Doubles as an Unofficial Guidance Counselor to said students even though that’s not his job - but he can’t help it, he’s a parent before he’s a Professor.

Are you a child associated with Make-A-Wish Foundation? Professor Oak offers terminally-ill children the opportunity to choose their starters, and spend time with their favorite idol. : (

Are you affiliated with the media? All press can inquire about guest speakings, giveaways, promotions, advertisement deals, interviews, volunteer work, hosting/co-hosting, etc. and Professor Oak will get back to you at his earliest convenience. This INCLUDES those working at Goldenrod Radio Tower!

Are you a business person? Politician? High-Profile Celebrity / Figure? Meet Professor Oak at a Gala! Or any other formal event. Feel free to offer business negotiations, inquire about his residence, or other sketchy things. :v 

Are you affiliated with Kanto’s Pokémon League? Albeit not as recently involved as per usual, he’s an advisor, so he and your muse are at least associates, if not more.

Are you one of the developers that helped with the Pokédex? Nerds will be nerds.

Do you know Samuel from his days prior to being Professor Oak? Whether it be from childhood, training days, or college, they all matter. ( I’m aware this is highly unlikely because nobody RP’s old pokémon muses, but with that being said, I’m open to interacting with kids / grandkids of the aforementioned. )

Are you Team Rocket a villain? Have you reached your Kidnap-A-Scientist quota today? 

Current open post/s:

I had very few, but I’m too lazy to look for them. Plotting is probably better. /gestures to this post

Anything else?:

Threading is not limited to this list. I’m always open to more ideas!  

I’m not sure what the huge difference is between the Desired / Offered interactions -

You don’t need a pokémon verse to interact with me! 

Your muse does not need to idolize Professor Oak to interact with him.

CROSSOVERS.

Tagged by: i stole this from @undinaes

Tagging: Whoever sees this!

[mysidewriting]

Through the Storm

From the start --> Previous chapter

Chapter Four:

The walls of Professor Oak's lab were lined from ceiling to floor in thick books. Titles ranging from things relating to the overall population of Kanto, to specific species of Pokémon. Large machines whirred in the background and an interesting assortment of the native beats wandered the lab, aiding assistants with their work or just lounging in corners.

The man himself was short, square faced, and entirely grey. He welcomed me ceremoniously with a large grin and a steady handshake. His hands were so raw with callouses that I felt as though I needed lotion after simply shaking hands.

He directed me towards a side room of the lab where some thick binders sat on a round table. I could tell by the scribbled words on the cover that Oak's work laid between the plastic. He promised my time here wouldn't be mostly reading and would actually include some hands on experimenting and sampling of the Kanto population, but for today it would be most beneficial for me to read as much as possible.

So that's what I did nearly all day. Sat at that round table with my nose in binders full of research findings and questions. As monotonous as it was, the content was shockingly interesting and exciting so I never got too distracted or bored.

Towards the end of the day I moved on to the last binder, a significantly thinner piece of research than the ones I had worked through. The cover was black and speckled with gold, a sheet of paper with a drawn rune on the front sparked my interest.

The index held nothing other than Pokémon names and page numbers, nothing I recognized at all. Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mew, and MewTwo.

Articuno, currently believed to be sleeping somewhere in the depths of sea foam cave, was one of the three legendary birds. An ice and flying type and that held unspeakable power. I wondered if it was any stronger or even stronger than Lunaala or Solgaleo. Not much information was in the research about the ice bird, and not much was in there for the other two birds either.

Zapdos was last seen in the power plant near Pewter City and Mt. Moon. It was an electric flying type and was known for striking lightning with each beat of its wings.

Moltres, the fire and flying type bird had not been seen anywhere other than the sky in the last ten years. Its location was completely unknown, and its presence was feared by many. The bird was almost entirely covered in flames, much like the Phoenix spoken of in old mythology. Despite the fact that its location was unknown, researchers speculate that it was living in a tropical environment such as the orange islands not far off the coast of Kanto.

The final two Pokémon covered in the binder had their sections merged and not much information had been provided for either of them. I'd just started reading about the psychic type, Mew, when Oak entered and informed me it was time to head home for the day. He was surprised to see I had gotten through nearly everything and agreed to let me finish the last section tomorrow.

Green had invited me to stay at house for the whole week I was supposed to be in Pallet and working with his grandfather. I thanked him repeatedly, and promised to repay the favor in the future. The guest room was made temporarily mine and I unpacked all the contents of my backpack into the empty dresser, washing my dirty clothes in his basement. I met his younger sister, a girl who sparked no resemblance to the narcissistic man whatsoever. She was shy and quiet, only two years younger than me.

Daisy was a Pokémon groomer with a magic touch, not even my still rambunctious nidorina could act disorderly around her. She was calm and didn't react negatively when I asked if she would groom Type:Null, she only asked where it was from. We had tea together and talked about various things, she told stories of Green when he was younger and more annoying than he was now.

Later in the day, as the sun was falling beyond the horizon and the rattata scurried around in the shadowed grass for scraps, Green came back to the house with another guy in tow. They were both covered in dirt and debris.

"Cinnabar is uninhabitable, in case either of you were wondering." Green said as he tossed his dirty jacket into a corner of the living room. His sister rose her eyebrows in annoyance at him but he shrugged it off. "That volcano eruption destroyed everything."

"That's not surprising." Daisy stated bluntly, still gazing at her older brother with a look of aggravation. "The news said the eruption was huge."

"Eruption?" I questioned, gaze falling on the other guy who was shucking off his own jacket and hanging it up on a rack.

"Some volcano under Cinnabar Island blew up two months ago. Red and I wanted to see if anything from the city made it." Green explained, referencing the new guy. Red the champion of Kanto, oh.

"So that old mansion and the fossil lab are just destroyed?" Daisy asked.

Red nodded disappointedly.

"That's a lot of scientific research and history lost." Daisy complained, setting her cup of tea down on the side table. She stood from the couch both of us had been sitting on for the past few hours and scooped up Green's dusted jacket and Red's as well. "You should have taken Moon with you, though." She said as she left the room, likely taking the jackets downstairs to wash them.

"We'll take you with us when you’re finished with gramps's stuff." Green said with a beaming grin in my direction. "We're going to explore Seafoam Island with you."

Seafoam! That was where the ice bird was thought to be located, excitement gripped me and I grinned back to him. "You better take me with you!"

The three of us, excluding Daisy. Went out to the backyard where Green released half his team to wander and stretch before being in for the night. Red did the same and I gazed in awe at his bulky charizard and somehow intimidating pikachu. Green half forced, half requested me to release lycanroc and Type:Null so Red could see the rare species of Pokémon from Alola. I obliged and had to stop Null from ramming into Green's arcanine out of intimidation. Kai was preoccupied showing off to the two men staring at her with amazement.

Red wasn't much for words, as I learned when attempting to ask him about his training regimen. He'd just shrugged and pointed to Green - who then explained that they trained off each other for the most part. The only thing he did say was 'sure' when Green asked him if he wanted to watch some movie before calling it a night. The Pokémon were left outside while everyone in the house nestled into the living room to watch some cheesy flick about team rocket.

After it was over I told them about Alola's former Team Skull. How there was nothing all that scary about them aside from some crazy crap with Pokémon from another dimension. Both Red and Green stared at me like I was insane, I just shrugged. I wasn't really allowed to talk about ultra space or the ultra beasts with anyone other than those who already knew about them.

M//I met the champion of Kanto!

H//REALLY?! Ooh what's he like?

M//quiet haha //he's got a real scary looking charizard and pikachu

G//pikachu?

H//yeah why not a raichu?

M//idk and he wouldn't tell me if I asked

L//I've met him before too! He's very quiet, but very nice //I've heard that Kantonian Raichu aren't as strong as Alolan.

G//odd.

M//Gladion, the Null you gave me tried to fight Green's Pokémon for no reason hahaha

G//you brought it with?

M//yeah!

H//I still want one 😒

G//There's only two.

L//Moon's is much cuter than yours, Bub. 😝

G//Okay?

L//she also saved me life so

M//you wouldn't have died! Just probably broke something.... haha //also she?

H//HOW DID SHE SAVE YOUR LIFE? Why did you almost die!!!!

G//What did you do....

L//Moon and I found a weird cave and explored and I almost fell off a cliff 😅

G//Moon, that's exactly what I told you not to do...

M//this was before that though! //And I guess Null is just a girl now, ok haha

H//LILLIE DONT GO IN THERE AGAIN! You either Moon what the heck?

M//I want to go back though

G//D o n ' t. I swear to Arceus, Moon, do not go back.

Mew was apparently the first decedent of the god Pokemon, Arceus. The first Pokémon that created every other Pokémon? Something like that, the way the research was written it was hard to understand what they were trying to explain. Either way, it was rarely seen but apparently whenever it did appear in front of someone it was very playful and loved to play tricks on people.

Mew was the only other Pokémon known to use the move transform, where it took on the image of another beast. Ditto, the man made Pokémon, is such thought to be a failed attempt at recreating the legendary mew.

Mewtwo, was a more successful attempt to create a clone of Mew, for research purposes. Drawings were scattered throughout the pages of Oak's work. Depicting a humanoid figure with a long tail and two spinal cords. The lab it had been created in was destroyed with 180 casualties and almost all information about the man made creature was destroyed in the exploding lab. It used telepathy to speak with humans according to the information that had been saved... only eyewitness testimonials to its power... of those who survived, all believe it was Mewtwo who had destroyed the lab - killing all the professors and assistants.

The Pokémon had escaped and was now in hiding somewhere, likely in Kanto.

I want to find it.

The rest of the day was spent surveying the wildlife just west of Lavender Town. Oak provides both of us and a small group of assistants a helicopter ride to the area. I searched for growlithe and tried to tag at least two girls and two boys with trackers.

The only thing I could think about while looking at all the growlithe was my father's pet of the species. I struggled to focus on counting the population as my mind drifted to wonder about my mother's wellbeing.

I would have to call her again, check up on the whole situation.

Most of the work I did with Oak was relatively similar to the things I did the first two days. I learned a lot about the native species of Kanto, and helped to put away some new found information about some rarer species.

I'd explored the safari zone very thoroughly, seeing Pokémon that couldn't be seen outside of the 'playground' as easily, at least in Kanto. I certainly recognized a lot of them from Alola. We studied the interactions between humans and Pokémon by interviewing with various trainers, people with pets, and businesses that used Pokémon for various tasks. I helped a few of the assistants to put together a quick report on our findings. I got a chance to explore Mt. Moon much more thoroughly then I had when I transversed it myself. Finding some new areas and tunnels that I hadn't seen when I was only looking through the caves.

All of the time spent traveling across Kanto had exhausted me by the final night of my week with Oak. I'd spent most of the time after what Green had deemed 'work' for me, just lying in bed and listening to music. Recounting all the different things I'd done and seen already was amazing to me. I still had another five months to do similar things and I couldn't even imagine what events would unfold as I traveled and met new faces and Pokémon.

I was packing up my things from the borrowed dressers when Green suddenly burst in the room, a bag over his own shoulder. "One more day with gramps, huh?"

"Yep!" I passed him a small smile, "thanks for letting me stay here."

"You kidding, kid? It was a joy." He chuckled, "You’re always welcome to stay with Daisy and me."

"Thanks! Maybe I'll come back then. Maybe I'll come by every week." I joked. I stuffed a tightly rolled up ball of undergarments into my bag, hoping the man standing in the doorway wouldn't notice.

"Uh, let's not over use my generosity here." He affirmed warily, his eyebrows low and judgmental before realizing I was only kidding. It was quiet for a moment before he spoke up again, his tone taunting. "So you know what this means, right?" He said with a sly expression on his face. Sliding around the doorway so he was officially in the room, leaning against the wall.

I stared at him quizzically, "no, what?"

"Seafoam Island soon!" He half sang, the sound falling into more laughter.

I actually jumped with excitement, dropping my bag so nearly all the contents spilled out. "Oh! Right! I want to find that legendary bird in there."

"Ha! Fat chance." His voice was loud enough to make my ears ring. "It's nearly impossible to get to the bottom of the caves."

I returned a sly grin in his direction, "I can make it down there."

His hazel eyes rolled, over dramatic. "Sure, sure."

Note: So this is kind of a super uneventful chapter and I apologize for that. I may just post chapter five later today, to make up for that. To continue off of that... Could you guys let me know what you think of length for these chapters? I'm conflicted about how much to post at a time. :c So two things - do you guys want chapter five tonight/tomorrow? (Next chapter is posted!) and what do you guys want to see with length for chapters? (For reference, this chapter was around 6 pages long. Chapter three was a whopping 13-14) Thanks!

[damnedpmd]

Prologue 2/2 : New Beginnings

"Aaaaaaaa-teeeeeen-tion!"

A childish voice spoke out among the chaos. It seemed to belong to a Jirachi from the myths, a white and pale blue colored Jirachi with what seemed to be feathery wings on it's back. She huffed waiting for the crowd to quiet down, arms resting on her hips, she seemed to try and express authority despite her very small and cute figure.

The confused group of Pokemon did derail their attention from each other to look at the Jirachi, but the Jirachi was not alone at all. They all had to wonder how they didn’t notice a large white dragon arrive into their presence, the dragon resembled the legendary Reshiram, and she had the air of elegance but intimidation you would have expected from her, she glared down at the Pokemon with icy blue eyes. At the Reshiram’s shoulder lay a half-asleep Celebi, being a dull green color with accents of gold and purple, even having a tail made of lavender. She seemed to fight her heavy sleepy eyelids to look over all the confused Pokemon with a pique of interest.

The Flapple seemed to not care at all, still frantically scavenging the floor for some evolution items that never accompanied him at all.

But the Snivy seemed to have enough boldness to speak up to the Legendaries that appeared before them, "Oh hey! You're not Satan, are you?" The Reshiram’s glare seemed to grow sharper directed at the grass snake, “No.”

Kaori looked over, curious. "Who are they..?"

“I don’t know...” Bravo whispered back to her.

The Espurr looked up and sighed.

Linnea stared up at the legendaries, her interest piqued at the creatures of myth and legends, "Ooh, now this is interesting shit we got here..."

The Flapple was still persistently searching, “Where are the sweet and tart apples!? Tell me!!”

"Shut the fuck up!" The Morgrem snapped, his patience already having grown thin from all this, he swiped at the Flapple as he snapped at him. “HEY!” The Flapple roared, but didn’t attack back, only distanced himself and growled at the Morgrem.

A few new faces decided to make their presences apparent, one of them carrying a halo of absolute authority yet gentle kindness, she would have to be the Goddess of this universe, the Arceus smiled softly down at the Pokemon, a Zacian accompanied her side, fierce expression and aura, she equipped a sword at her side, only to show this one didn’t play around. The Arceus and Zacian locked eye contact and nodded to each other.

Another three legendaries, two adorned a crown at their head, even the Pokemon of Death himself, the Yveltal smirked and snickered whilst the other two kept a cold and serious composure. The Mewtwo crossed his arms and sighed while the Necrozma just stood there.

“Is that fucking ‘Jesus’” The Mightyena gaped at the legendaries, though specifically stared at the Arceus.

Despite not being the one the Mightyena was mentioning, the Mewtwo’s expression scrowled with offence, he snapped to the Arceus, “Okay Natilla, why did you choose this one again?” The Arceus, named Natilla by the Mewtwo, giggled, “I have my reasons, dearie~”

A Mew hovered, casually waving, “Sup?” Soon after, five more legendaries appeared.

"Wow! So many Pokemon, that’s nice." A Meloetta spoke, hovering over the Pokemon, she stared at them trying to take in each of their appearances, the Tapu Lele beside her agreed with an energetic nod.

"They're awfully loud..." An Azelf muttered. The shining Diancie near them only looked at these Pokemon with those calm eyes of hers, as did the Victini. "...My...I hope these Pokemon are ready for all of this."

"Been a while since we did this, huh guys?" Mew joked, levitating above the other legendaries, grinning at them. The Tapu Fini offered no response, just silent staring.

The Victini did respond however, "The last Pokemon I've taken care of were difficult, such bad Pokemon. Let us hope this group is better."

“Hey there, had a nice breakdown, fox?” The Yveltal smirked at the Zoroark, but he tried to cover the smirk with an arm.

The Zoroark snapped back at him “NO I DIDN’T. WHY THE FUCK AM I HERE. TO CHIT CHAT WITH YOU? OH NO NO, IM HUNGRY AND I WANNA MURDER THE HECK OUT OF THEM”

The Yveltal hovered back, eyes widened, “Yeesh! Well, aren’t you snappy boy?”  The Yveltal laughed but the Zoroark glared back, not finding this funny.

Kaori also didn’t find the entertainment in this, she stepped back, putting her pincers in front of her protectively. “Um… Please keep me far away from him…” She turned her sight away from the Zoroark feeling nothing but unsafe around him.

"Is this our punishment?" The Espurr stepped up towards the legendaries.

"Not exactly," The Tapu Lele answered, "It's an opportunity to improve yourself and be redeemed! I happen to have an interest in you, miss Espurr." She smiled.

The Espurr deadpanned, “Joy”

The Flapple was just grumbling on the floor about how he wanted his apples back.

Bravo snapped his attention towards the Tapu Lele, redeem himself? Of course he wants to redeem himself! But before he could approach and question the Tapu more…

The Mewtwo looked down at the coward Vaporeon that laughed quietly to himself, feeling disgust in him, “Get, UP!”

“OK OK OK... EEPP!” The Vaporeon scrambled up to his feet, nearly slipping on the crystal floor.

"Ughh… What the fuck is all this bullshit…" The Morgrem muttered to himself, side glancing at the Vaporeon and Mewtwo.

The Mewtwo looked over at the Morgrem next within a blink of an eye,  snapping, “Please be silent...At least we aren’t fucking throwing you towards bloody hell. SO WOULD YOU ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

“You shouldn’t be Harsh... Takashi,” The Necrozma looked at the Mewtwo. As he breathed in and tried to calm down his risen temper.

The Morgrem stared, "You think I’m gonna listen to you? I fucking died not like a man! My death was bullshit! I'm pissed!" As he spoke his shoulders rose, then he dropped his gaze to the floor. "I never even had the opportunity to fuckin evolve…"

"Died not like a man, huh?" The Snivy replies smugly, glancing at the Morgrem. Nyx stood by, following the Snivy’s gaze to the Morgrem and Mewtwo’s ‘argument’ her mind was too cluttered to think up any responses so far.

 “OH YOU THINK YOUR DEATH IS WORST...WELL GUESS WHAT? I WAS EATEN ALIVE. HAAA? HAAA? DON'T YOU THINK YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE SUFFERING HERE?” The Zoroark snapped at the Morgrem, taking an offensive stance as though he were ready to pounce at the other.

"Goddamn-- You have fucking problems." The Morgrem glared, but didn’t approach for a fight.

 “YEAH I DO, BUT DO I CARE? NO!”

“I take back what I said about thinking this wasn’t hell,” The Snivy spoke, “This is hell with these kinds of guys,” He pointed at the Morgrem and Zoroark, Nyx just gave a sheepish smile in response to the Snivy.

"Please calm down…" Kaori spoke to the Morgrem and Zoroark, somewhat hiding behind Bravo, finding safety being nearer to him than any of the others. Bravo stood his ground, he worried people might soon get violent but he wouldn’t let a bunch of hysterical Pokémon take him down.

“Alrighty then... Is Everyone here...?” The Arceus begins to slowly levitate... She looked over everyone, counting the Pokemon and Legendaries. “Listen here... Everyone,  please quiet down... Kindly…” The Arceus hovered down once she had done her count and looked over at everyone arguing. The Zacian was almost wanted to silence one of them but Natilla moved in the way, shaking her head to the Zacian, then she turned to the Pokemon calm as ever.

Linnea, the red Braixen, had managed to get hold of a squirming and angry male Meowstic, demanding of her to let him go, but she just poked at his ears as she listened to the ongoing chaos, hoping the subject would turn to something more serious.

“One of you mentioned something about redemption?” The Snivy brought up, looking at Arceus.

The Braixen, Mightyena and the Umbreon just stood quietly in disbelief... As well as the other two.. Redeeming themselves? That seemed impossible… A dream. You only live once right? And they all knowingly wasted that life.

“Redeeming ourselves… You must be mistaken... We shouldn’t... Deserve that at all.” The Braixen muttered, barely able to keep his head up to look straight at them.

"I'm still pissed--" The Morgrem grumbled, arms still crossed, Linnea gave him a firm smack on the head, "Shut up and listen."

 The Reshiram spoke up with a cold voice, "Be silent all of you and pay attention, for we don't wish to repeat ourselves."

"So~ So~" The Jirachi floated up a bit with one arm up trying to draw attention to herself, "To clear your doubts! All of you have died, you would normally have to go to hell for your wrong doings buuuut--”

"Natillia is very nice and gives second chances....." The Celebi said in a soft voice.

"Oh, isn't that nice?" The Snivy remarks. "It really is!" The Mew replies to him, appearing out of thin air right next to the Snivy, he nearly trips as he steps back in shock from the sudden invasion of his personal space.

“Oh thank you… Thank you…” Kaori spoke, but it was so quiet it might have been a message to herself, tears brewed up at her eyes and her eyes shone with added wetness. She didn’t seem to bother hiding her tears though.

"Why the fuck are you crying…?" The Morgrem looked over at Kaori, scoffing in annoyance. "Ugh... this is all pissing me off."

Linnea hit the Morgrem on the head again, still holding in another arm the still struggling male Meowstic. "Shut up, gremlin." The Morgrem groaned and lifted his arms up to protect his head from any further blows, then glared at the red Braixen. "Take the chance you've been given, You wanna actually die like a man?" The Morgrem huffed and directed his gaze elsewhere, "...Whatever…"

The Mewtwo stood up. “Oh... If you wanted to go to hell then...” He clasped his hands... “Why didn’t you just say so? I would be happy to grant that wish of yours.”

“Shhhhhh Mother is trying to speak...” The Yveltal hushed the ticked off Mewtwo, muffling the rest of the words the Mewtwo speaks with his big feathery arm.

 “Indeed~ That’s why you’re all here~” Natilla beamed, “Of course! I mean... Since there’s always a bright future ahead of you… Your vision just happened to be darkened. You have been selected by each of us due to how much you deserve a second chance.” Natilia chirped and smiled, much like a mother.

"I deserve a second chance?!" The Espurr scoffs. "Well, I for once graciously accept your offer." The Snivy bows politely.

Bravo was happy he could redeem himself, he wanted to be forgiven from his sins and he was glad that the gods themselves chose them specifically to have a second chance to make up for their crimes.

Kaori on the other hand, was wiping her tears away with her pincers, trying to stop more from coming but they continued falling down. Bravo gave her a pat on the shoulder, "…A second chance..." Kaori muttered, her words being muffled from her sobs.

 “Why are you even giving it to us? You know we deserve less!” The Braixen cried at the Legendaries.

“I don't... Why are you doing this to me... I… I actually wanted to die already…” The Vaporeon sniffled, what kind of kindness was this?

“...FUCK THIS, THIS IS ALL AN ILLUSION! FAKE FAKE FAKE!” The Zoroark snapped, again. He pulled at his hairs in his frustration.

“...I can't process any of this… Anymore…”  The Umbreon trembles, cool demeanor crumbling down.

“Ohoho? So I can be king again...? Wonderful! Ohoho!” The insane Mightyena laughed

 “Alrighty here, I don’t like explaining things as much because I could go overboard on my own talking aha! So why not Miss Jirachi here explain to all of you why you're here~ Ah I wish I could talk.... Oh how fun it is to chatter in little fun things~” Natilla chuckled.

"Ah!" The Jirachi seemed hurt, "Miss Natillia doesn't remember my name..."

"All of these people here are assholes… Why am I grouped here with them?" The Morgrem grumbled again, glaring at the Pokemon that paid anyone but him any attention. "Please don't be rude.." Kaori spoke.

"Unhand me! Unhand me, Braixen!" The Meowstic continued to shout, swatting his paws at the larger Pokemon’s arms to loosen her grip, but it remained firm. "Shut up, you refused to participate in the group so this is what I’m doing."

Braeburn was frustrated “I was supposed to be the strongest in my town, but nOoOoo! Stupid tremor...” he mumbled. "Uhh. Guys?" The Snivy calls, “They’re still talking?” He warned them point over at the trembling Mewtwo, but he was trembling from his pent up anger.

“. . .”

The Mewtwo sent in a wave of psychic force throughout the area, it was weak, but enough to catch the Pokemon’s attention yet again.

“SILENCE ALL OF YOU!”

The requested silence was given, the Celebi looked over at the Jirachi, expecting her to continue but seeing the Jirachi in low spirits the Celebi continued instead.

"Well... Erm you see there are things… You guys should not do… It depends on really who you are under... But if you keep doing the taboos you... Can die again and no second chances after that…." The Celebi spoke softly and slowly, with a yawn in between her explanation.

The Jirachi having recovered, continued "But but! There are virtues! Do em and you'll make your legendary happy~happy! Do enough to make your legendary caretaker super duper happy~~"

"Being under us also gives each of you special perks to use in the new world we will be sending you to shortly. These faculties get weaker with each Taboo, but stronger with each virtue." The Reshiram spoke after the Jirachi.

"This all sounds like some cheesy game." The Snivy comments, “But I’m in,” The Espurr sighed.

“That's easy for me... I will comply." Kaori nodded.  “Same here,” Bravo was determined. “I GUESS I’ll do it...” Braeburn huffed, finally giving up on the evolution items at last.

“...I, See.... But... Mmmm...” The Braixen was hesitant...

“You mean... I can still do good after all I’ve done?” The Vaporeon stared up at the Legendaries, tears decorating his eyes and cheeks.

“You gotta be kidding me...You think I want to go through life again?” The Zoroark grunted, but despite what he said, compared to second life and hell the former was obviously better wasn’t it?

“... I don’t get it… I don’t get you…At all…” The Umbreon mumbled

“Can I summon a demon? Can I? Can I?” The Mightyena chirped, clapping his paws together in excitement, his crown almost falling down when he jumped. “Absolutely not.” Natilla forced a smile at the Mightyena, hiding her glare with closed eyes.

"Ugh, I'll do it… I guess" The Morgrem groaned. "Oh, sure, sure. And what about you, meow?" Linnea smirked looking down at the Meowstic in her arms.

"I have a name! My name is Aither and I demand you let me go! Right now!" He continued to squirm, “No can do, kitty,” She tightened her grip.

"Sounds fun fun~" The Mawile sang, moving her weight from on leg to the other, dancing to some muted music.

The Zorua seemed to finally get up, very sluggishly she stood up and yawned, blinking, "Wait... Hold up-"

Nyx's uneasiness didn't decrease and she hated it. "What happens if we do enough virtues? Do we go to heaven or just stay forever in whatever world you're sending us to?" She snapped at the legendaries, she shouldn't have done that.

“Oh well~ I suppose you will see?” Natilla replies, the Reshiram speaks up, “Make honourable actions that you won’t regret, and you will get a favorable outcome.”

"So, the Espurr here has Tapu Lele's eyes on her, who's got me?" The Snivy asked, glancing from the Espurr to the Tapu Lele to the other legendaries.

The Celebi lifted her little hand in reply to the Snivy, "I'm your caretaker, I know you've done a lot of... Fighting in your past life, in your new life you should stop that. Ah... And I'm Lavandula..." She shyly hid behind the Reshiram showing only her head and hands from the shoulder of the Reshiram.

The Celebi seemed to jump, "Ahhhh I forgot I have two to take care of... I'm also taking care of you, Flapple,” She pointed at said Flapple. “Huh? What??” He seemed to still be processing most of this information, and was surprised. The Snivy puts an arm around the Flapple, “Guess you're in the same boat as me, buddy!" The Flapple nervously chuckled, “Heheh, I guess so...”

"Who is my caretaker...?" Kaori questioned, looking left and right from the legendaries. 

“I, Amaterasu," The Reshiram spoke ruffling her wings a bit, “Oh but the caretakers of that Mawile are absent at the moment, but her’s are Latias and Latios. Uxie happens to be absent as well... Though he's caretaker for that cowardly male Meowstic.”

The Arceus then hovered over the Mightyena and the Bisharp. With a soft smile she looked at her two little subjects and chuckled. “I’m guessing you're with me...~ You're going to expect alot of mom jokes from me~ Tee hee~” She smiled and chuckled,  the Mightyena was rather shocked, Bravo simply nodded understandingly.

The Mewtwo looked over at the Morgrem and Vaporeon . The Vaporeon shivered at the Mewtwo’s gaze though the Mewtwo didn’t have any intention of harming either of them, “Well well well ... I guess you’re mine after all? Make sure you don’t fuck up...” A slight glimpse of an image of the Mewtwo in his Y Form, he spoke in a darker tone, “UNDERSTOOD?”

"What the fuck..." The Morgrem muttered, "Yeah, yeah, I understand..."

 “YEEESSS SIRRR!” He stood up straight, and oh god, more tears.

"Me….?" Linnea pointed at herself, "I shall be taking care of you, dearie." The Diancie spoke, hovering over to the Braixen. "Oh, nice."

“If I remember correctly… Seems like snappy boy here is mine... Correct? Ohoho-” The Yveltal flew over at the Zoroark who acted like a rebellious teenager. The Yveltal chuckled at them “You need to work on your temper~”

“I long for nothing more than to MURDER you.”

“Yeesh.. Quiet Down... Boy...”

The Morgrem laughed watching the Zoroark and Yveltal, "Be glad I'm not as bad as that fucking psycho,” He said to no one in particular.

“… You’re with me, perhaps… Don’t expect much from me. I know you had something in you... You just gotta move on from it,” The Necrozma looked over at the Umbreon as he nodded slowly, finally accepting this situation and role.

“And… Me?” The purple Braixen pointed at himself, the Zacian approached him and nodded, the Braixen understood this was his caretaker and nodded back in response.

"Oh how unfortunate... I have no one to take care of, what about you, Chouko..?" The Victini spoke, looking over at the Azelf. The Azelf shook her head.

"I don't got nobody either, you don't see me complaining." The Mew comments, crossing their arms.

"I can just wait, I just think it's unfortunate." The Victini said, glancing at the Mew, "No need to be so mean."

“So,” The Snivy looks at the legendaries, changing his gaze from them turn by turn but finally rests on the Celebi. “When does this whole thing start?”

“Actually,” Ametarasu started, closing her eyes and lowered her head, “You’re starting now”

The floor below the group seems to vanish, turning into a black void sucking everyone and their screams into the darkness.