#high stakes pokeblogging

[liminal-station]

@that-one-poison-trainer

TIME TO KILL GOD!! WHERE IS HE?! COWARD HE IS

You realize you’re only here because I let you in, right?

I hope you had fun playing the heroes in your little faerie-tale.

Now, it is time for you to face reality. MY reality.

Prince, annihilate them.

[lumenflowered]

Do you know what the multiverse is?

-🟥

vaguely. it doesn't affect being the best trainer so it doesn't matter.

...why.

[battle-subway-ghost]

Unraveling.

// Please read the tags beforehand, <3

Paris leaned against the tree trunk, making a desperate attempt at catching his breath. He had been running for- He didn't know, probably hours? He checked the time with his phone, but it still read 3:27 A.M. Same as it had been for probably hours- He didn't know. he couldn't tell… He checked the battery icon at the top- it was nearly dead. The signal may have read "SOS," but he had already tried multiple times to call for help. Nothing.

He wasn't about to try again- Something about the definition of insanity… and instead he put his phone back into his pocket, properly shutting it off to try to conserve what little battery was left. Paris had the urge to sit down for a little while; the muscles on his legs burned, and he was completely exhausted from running for so long. Stupid choice- he knew it wasn't a good idea to run around in the fog like a headless Torchic while he was already lost, but every time he considered standing still and waiting for this stupid, stupid fog to fade, he thought back to…

That. He shuddered, trying to focus on anything else besides that voice- his own voice, feeling a familiar chill crawl up his spine as he started to grow tense again. He could just imagine approaching footsteps- those hollow eyes, the-

He felt something seeping onto his hand, and cried out in surprise as he immediately moved away from the tree, trying to shake off the…

Black ink. Leaking out from the tree like sap. Paris stared at his hand, feeling his head pound at the sight of the stuff… He did his best to wipe it off of his hand, though he didn't have much besides his own clothes to do so. Still- it was better than nothing, at this point.

…He wasted no time getting on the move again, wandering further into the fog, trying to listen closely for any odd noises or disturbances. He couldn't trust his eyes anymore, as the fog had grown so thick that he could barely see past the length of his arm. Paris tread carefully, avoiding tripping on any loose roots or branches on the forest floor. How big was this forest, anyways? Surely he would've found his way out by now.

Then again, this wasn't the same place he had entered however long ago now. He wasn't sure how, but he just knew. He just had to keep walking now, he wasn't even sure if this would get him out, but he couldn't stay still. Not right now.

Paris stopped in his tracks as he heard a twig snap to his left. He turned immediately, nearly giving himself whiplash with how quickly he moved. He instinctively backed away, already tensing up to run-

And there it was.

A Thievul. the Thievul. That damned thing, staring back at him with those hollow, white eyes.

At last.

Paris charged at him, pursuing him as he turned tail and fled. The Thievul was swift, but he was determined to catch him, maybe if he did, it'd put an end to this torment. He wove through the trees with a precision Paris couldn't quite match, as he seemed to blend in with the fog at times- like he was about to fade into it. Paris pressed on, despite the burning in his lungs and the stiffness in his legs.

He finally got close enough to where he could tackle that thing, grabbing him with his hands-

Only to grasp at nothing but air.

Paris hit the ground, falling face first into the dew-covered grass. It took him a moment to recoup and process what happened, as he scrambled to get up, looking around for the Thievul. He was nowhere to be found, as if he vanished into thin air. The fog was starting to clear up a bit, and from what Paris could tell, he had been lead to a clearing in the woods.

He was fuming. He had gone here for nothing! Nothing at all! Revenge- Or even just closure, simply gone! Like that! No fanfare- no anything.

He yanked at his hair, yelling out of pure rage. Rage at the thievul, at himself for allowing it to escape, frustration over this entire stupid situation and this stupid fog and this stupid forest and EVERYTHING-

He stopped after a few moments passed, and finally opening his eyes, watery from the threat of crying. He looked up, seeing- black… patches? He blinked a few times, trying to clear up the blurriness in his eyes. Surely-

No. His eyes weren't playing tricks on him. The fog had receeded at an unnaturally fast rate, but… There was darkness. the inky-black dark of the ink, starting to spread through tears in the scenery, almost. He could feel the panic building in his chest, attempting to run the other way, only to find that the ground underneath him was starting to fade into the same black ink that was beginning to surround him. Paris screamed, trying to pull himself out, only to find that every time he put his foot down he simply got dragged deeper into the inky abyss. He could feel the substance clinging to his skin, unnaturally warm, almost pulsating… like breathing-

Something painful tugged against him, finally prompting him to glance down. his arms- the muscles were starting to twitch and twist unnaturally, his skin shifting around to compensate for the changes underneath. It was agonizing, muscles beginning to stretch and tear, before attempting to mend themselves again.

He howled in agony, nearly collapsing into the ink entirely, barely able to steady himself. it burned. His right arm in particular was getting the worst of it, the sensation similar to what he imagined it'd feel like having your arm ripped off.

…And much to his horror, it was actually hanging loose when he checked. the skin peeled away like wet cardstock paper, revealing red thread coiling around the remnants of the arm, as well torn ligaments and muscles trying to keep everything together- to no avail. It broke apart entirely, and fell into the ink below, slowly sinking down. There was no blood, instead, frayed and torn red thread hung down from what was left.

Paris collapsed- finally, into the ink. It was a miracle he had even been able to stay standing for so long, given that it seemed like he could fall apart like bad paper mache at any second now. He sputtered and coughed as he accidentally breathed in the ink, trying to pull his head back up. He couldn't breathe- it clung to him like tar, pulling him down further- further into the abyss.

Everything was falling apart. the trees falling apart like flayed seams- unraveling before his eyes, leaving nothing behind besides the pitch black abyss.

His head finally sank underneath. The last thing he saw was the bright red string- cutting through the dark abyss as it drifted upwards.

He shut his eyes, and the searing pain melted away.

Silence, at last.

[eartheats]

//ooc post but god. for my own sake, i'm organizing and trying to set some hard dates for some events. i'm also looking for some volunteers, specifically BBA adjacent for one of them and just in general for the second! i need to stop keeping plots in my head.

no cws up until the third bullet point, where there is talk of kidnapping (successful attempts on adults, failed attempt on a teen), violence (to adults and to a teen), murder (of an adult and only an adult), mind control, and other evil team shit on the horizon. be forewarned! the final bullet point will be in very high stakes territory, given that noriko fully intends to try and end the world, but feel free to ignore if that isn't your jam. live your lives besties <3

(may ETA): Bouton evolution arc. I need to find someone or multiple someones to bother with a very nosy Roselia who is trying to find a shiny stone, and may potentially steal something sparkly thinking that it's what it needs. If anyone wants to volunteer for this lmk, but I can just as easily borrow Carmine for this if nothing else! (CLAIMED)

(??? Probably May or early June): Ren goes back to Zapapico! Temporarily. Jacques is going to get his grand festival trophy from Sinnoh and quietly retire. Ren's going to be in Zapapico and getting used to life back home for a lil while.

(may or early june through august): I wanna work in the Iron Crown sighting/healing arc I have in the works, because while Ren's not going to CATCH the paradox, it's going to be something that works alongside any volunteers for taking care of Noriko's evil team resurgence. Mostly as extra assurance for them to lose! Tatiana reconciliation Arc will probably take place around here too. basically, if anyone wants involvement with zapapico/ren just in a general context, feel free!

(start of september) Ren goes back to Blueberry! Madison and Jacques will be posting some of notes they find from Noriko, which will have some involvement IC if desired since I'll be using Caesar Ciphers to scramble shit up if anyone wants to play detective. :3c They'll also briefly be around to post on Ren's blog/answer questions!

(mid september) The final batch of notes is found and translated, and the opening to Noriko's secret base of operations is opened! But Madison/Jacques are going to end up kidnapped here by Iori, an admin in Noriko's Neo Flare stuff and actually a faller from Hisui! She'll be available to interact with for at least a day. <3 Design coming soon, I need to figure out her nonsense.

(also mid september) yeah so ren is. escaping the academy, even if it tries to keep them constrained. they are going to be meeting their mom on the remains of cinnabar island, where one confrontation may take place. please keep in mind if you try to do a ren rescue party, it is going to fail. (very specifically for ren) it has to fail for the next leg of the plot, but i AM potentially considering getting carmine in on this mess and getting her injured in the process, and while there, noriko is definitely going to think about taking her too so that her kid has a friend. which. yeahno. this one is influenceable, but is MUCH more likely to fail, so if anyone wants to big damn heroes carmine you have my full permission 👍👍👍 save that girl! (CARMINE SAVING IS HANDLED BY THE GIRLFRIEND BLESS)

as a small aside: would anyone like to get ren's very stressed out team to take care of for a bit? noriko's a lot of things but she's not a monster, if anyone wants to take care of the team for a bit/potentially use them against lotus :3c it may be. interesting! (two out of five claimed~)

(october-november? maybe) noriko's neo team flare shit (name pending) will emerge proper and try to be as evil teammy as possible! ren is going to be a mind controlled admin named lotus and have none of their actual pokemon! shit's going to be bad, but! while it might take a bit to organize some losses for them and i may mostly leave that to anyone who wants to fix this mess (we can either handwave or actually play them out, preference to whoever volunteers), but there's gonna be one event specific for camille, one for iori, one for lotus (which can influence how the big admin battle goes), and then what i'm hoping to be a siege on the base. this one i have ways to bullshit a win (for the good guys!!) for, but i wanna see what people come up with, too!

and by the new year, everyone should be recovering, and that'll be the end of team neo flare at least! the rest of the event will decide everyone else but ren's fate. they will end up coming back fine from this, but it's gonna be rough :')

so yeah. basic rubric and very changeable (i gotta ask some players some stuff and things), my only real rule is no instant wins/legendary spam/godmodding really? i want this to be fun but i want it to feel like an actual uphill battle a bit, and i'm still trying to build toward that. this could even be pushed out into 2025, depending, but! yeah!!!

idk if anyone has questions feel free to leave 'em on this post and i will try to get to them when my brain isn't a mess because of retail or other stuff 👍

volunteers (for my ref)

@/suddenlyauntiemaya (bouton evolution arc!!! pushing this one back for this :3b)

@/little-guys-pokemon-central

@/elite-amarys (CARMINE'S SAVIOR!!!)

@/goindownswingin

@/professor-amaryllis (ren rescue party!)

@/electricalflre

@/bee-bee-kyuu (ren rescue party!)

temporary team-ups/team holding:

lulu the orthworm: going to @/ribesrubrum, i'm keeping lulu for some special reasons you'll see soon.

bouton the roserade: @/professor-amaryllis! teaming up to bring lotus back to their senses/back to being ren :3c

coriander the ferrothorn: available! she is not a battling pokemon and is. going to be about as stressed and anxious as lulu, as a warning.

soba the furret: @/bee-bee-kyuu! will be very determined and ready for a fight.

harusame the huntail: available! will also be very determined though a lot more emotional.

[faller-fears]

Wonderful news this morning (sarcasm)

It seems Hop's parents are...uncomfortable with the thought of "Yveltal acolites" in their house. They were quite clear that, had we, "simply been religious," they wouldn't mind. However, rituals to bring back the dead are, evidently, where they draw the line.

If that's where they draw the line, then there's no point in telling them the truth.

We're to be out of the house by the end of the week.

[bittersweetformula]

( @legendofzacian, @professor-devious )

[Static electricity builds in the air as a deafening roar comes rumbling through-the storm clouds have cleared thankfully-as the mighty black dragon lands only a few feet away-and off its back hops a trainer, a young man with oddly green, wild hair and piercing, greyish-blue eyes-some sort of puzzle cube hanging at his hip jangling as he hits the ground.]

There you are..! It's a wonder to finally meet you in person-Sorry for the intruision-..and the storm. My friend here likes to make dramatic entrances, I hope you can forgive us! [He sheepishly smiles.] I have healing items if anyone needs any-I know how stressful it can be for your friends to be hurt in this sort of situation.

[averagedualies]

[. . . CONNECTION ESTABLISHED]

[USER ID: 9999]

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

[It's a video! The one filming, as usual, seems to be Cross, who voices a low, electric "whoaaaaaaaa" as she films the legendary Reshiram, from its talons to the crest of its fluffy head. The dragon seems to be at rest, fluffing out its wings before the camera settles back at its feet on the three people in the room, standing tensely.

Two of them stand together--Tula, and presumably Vanilla, facing Vision in garishly purple robes. Tula's hand rests at her hip, where her sword sits, but Vanilla's position is a bit more diplomatic, hands open in front of them as if to negotiate. Even so, Tula speaks first.

"Where's your boss, Miss Ghetsis Wannabe."

"Boss?" Vision sneered. "He needs me more than I could possibly need him. He's off working on his special little machine, though. Apologies for disappointing you, little grunt."

Before Tula can bite back, Vanilla jumps in.

"So, to be perfectly clear... your plan is to use Reshiram to force people to release their Pokémon. While you have Reshiram captured. And you're saying you're better than Ghetsis was, because...?"

Vision shakes her head. "Hmph. Reshiram and I formed a bond of trust far before I captured them to ensure our plans could succeed. And I intend to give them their freedom, too. Is it truly so hard to understand that without Pokéballs, Pokémon could still choose to spend their time around humans? Or is that the only way you can envision your bond? As captor and captive? It would be one thing if all Pokémon chose to join their trainers before being captured, but can you say without a singular doubt that there aren't Pokémon trapped and abused in the current system? If it takes the fire of truth to bring about justice, then so be it!"

"Justice? Don't talk about justice when your 'plan' is going to hurt and kill innocent people and Pokémon!" Vanilla reaches for the sword at his own hip. Negotiations were through.

"If your idea of justice is so perfect, then you can burn with the people you're defending!"

At a swish of Vision's wrist, Reshiram flexes the length of its entire wings, a thrumming noise and a steadily increasing heat filling the room as it activates its Turboblaze. The camera-Pokémon moves closer to her trainer, as she fumbles trying to pick a Pokéball from her waist and hold her sword steady.

They whisper to their partner. "Tula, you should..."

She shakes her head, rejecting the thought of fleeing before it's even finished. "...I'm supposed to protect you."

As the ground, ceiling, and even Cross shake with the force of the charged power, though, the notably absent member of the fight appears with a flash and a Beheeyem, yelling loud enough to overcome the noise.

"In the name of-- do none of you care of what would happen if the ceiling collapsed in on you all, here?!"

Both Vanilla and Vision's fur stands on end. Tula pivots and breathes deep, holding tight to her own sword as Vision responds, her voice cold but even.

"Colress. I have this under control."

"We have an agreement, Vision. Our tools aren't yet prepared. The emotions. The setting... These are far from the ideal experimental conditions. Bide your time."

As Vision grumbles, and as he backs off from the impending attack, Colress gestures at the 'visitors'.

"Now, Beheeyem. Show our guests out, would you?"

As Tula steels herself and lunges at the scientist, yelling something along the lines of "Don't you fucking dare, you fucking--", the camera flashes with blinding light, and the surroundings change from the crumbling ruins of a castle to a lush forest. There's the distinct sound of a thud against the earth, the cry of a Beheeyem, and something hard and plastic hitting the ground before Cross reorients herself to the scene just in time to see Colress's Beheeyem teleport away, and Vanilla rushing to help Tula off of the ground.

"Shit. That must've hurt... are you okay, babe?"

Tula peels herself off of the ground with a sharp intake of breath.

"Yeah... I'm... It's all my fault, I couldn't..."

"No no no," Vanilla assured as a few Zorua wandered over to assess the scene. "You did amazing. We just need to figure out how to deal with that Beheeyem..."

One of the Zorua--the yellow eyes suggest Vanilla's nephew, Bach--nudges over a worn Luxury Ball.

"Huh? What is..."

Vanilla picks up the Pokéball, and the video ends.]

//tagging @plasmaapologist for Tula !

[subwaywardeningo]

In response to the unnaturally low temperatures, I wanted to make a resource for my fellow Unovans about surviving unexpected or extreme cold. Considering my experiences, I am somewhat of an expert in the topic. I will try to put these in what I consider order of importance.

The first thing that needs to change is attire. There are specific ways to dress for the cold- naturally, most people are aware of the virtues of layering, but there are specific ways to do it. You will want three layers of clothing, done as follows:

Ideally, the bottom layer will be a snug fitting (but not tight!) long sleeve shirt and some leggings. Wool or fleece is best for this, as the main purpose of all of this is insulating. This layer should also be breathable and able to absorb sweat, especially if you are unable to avoid physical activity. When putting on this layer, a good tip is to tuck your leggings into a base pair of socks to minimize any gaps in the layer. The same can be done for a base layer of gloves- something less bulky, made of fabric for warmth.

The middle layer is to help trap any body heat that escapes from the base layer. Choose a thicker fabric, such as a sweater and a thick pair of sweatpants. Again, this should not be tight- air must be allowed to circulate between the layers. I recommend some kind of fur if available to you, though I know this is less common, and I unfortunately do not know much about modern clothing materials at this time. If you have reason to go outside, you should use this layer to add something waterproof over your socks. I have found success with plastic shopping bags so far. Put a second layer of socks over this, or simply wear two pairs of socks if you do not need to go out. This will not work for gloves, but there are waterproof mittens I would consider ideal for this. In general, mittens are preferable for the second layer on your hands, but an additional pair of gloves can also work.

The third layer is primarily to keep the elements off of you, so it is not entirely necessary if you are remaining indoors. A typical winter coat will work for this, as well as a pair of snow pants- otherwise, any thick fabric that can keep melted snow from getting to your base layer. I recommend high boots, with all of your pants tucked into them to keep as much snow off as possible. It is also important to wear a hat and scarf- if you have any hooded garments, put the hat and scarf on, then pull up the hood. Keep your mouth covered, and try to cover as much of your face as possible without blinding yourself.

Next, it is vital to ensure that you have a ready supply of food and water. There is a possibility of electricity and plumbing no longer working, so fill available vessels in your house with water now- bathtubs, sinks, bowls, pots, anything that you can get water in. I would recommend warm water, as it will be easier to cool water down than to heat it up. However, in terms of food and beverage consumption, please avoid food and drink that is overly hot. Consuming something warm can actually lower your body temperature, while cold things can raise it. Luckily, food preservation will not be as much of an issue, with the cold. I recommend beginning to prepare food now, so that if the electricity goes out, you have something ready to eat.

To keep warmth in your home, ensure that all windows and doors are securely closed. You can put rolled up towels and blankets over any possible gaps to prevent the cold from coming in and heat from escaping. You can also hang blankets over doorways and windows, as additional insulation. Pick one room in your home, ideally towards the center, and try to keep as many individuals in this space as possible- having others around you will raise the ambient temperature. Put blankets over any doorways into this room. Try not to sit on the floor, instead on some raised surface such as a bed or couch. If this is unavoidable, put down blankets or extra clothing to keep cold from coming up through the floor. This is especially important if this room is on the ground floor.

Please, if there are any further questions, do not hesitate to ask me. I will try to be available as much as I can.

[water-pokemon-appreciator]

Just checked the news

that's a headline and a half

thats... clickbait right...?

[corviknight-appreciator]

Ah. Necromancy on my dashboard. None of you had better be in my world.

[liminal-station]

You stand before a mighty city-sized palace, a towering structure formed from glistening ice.

Two fox statues guard the gates, bearing the faces of their false god.

You gather your courage, but the cold is only growing and time is not on your side.

THE IDES OF GHETSIS

[lumenflowered]

I'm fine. for the record.

[battle-subway-ghost]

I have no clue how sleep deprivation actually works but I think it's making me hallucinate, why am I seeing red string.

[official-macro-cosmos]

Hello, everyone of Galar. Lend me your ears.

As you all know, Rose was the Chairman of this company for a long time. He used his power as the leader of Galar to gather as much energy as possible, for the region’s sake.

Well, the excess energy shall be taken from you all. It will be used to truly end the Great Galar-Kalos war from thousands of years ago.

You think Kalos was the only region with a weapon? Think again.

Today we will use that weapon not to purge all of Kalos, but to end all of Galar, and bring the world to its knees.

The countdown has begun. Goodbye, Galar.

[zygarde-the-guardian]

Everyone say it with me....

K

This is inconsequential.