#honestly paldea is a personal attack and I could not adore it any more if I tried

[celestialholz]

Guys, we need to TALK because oh my god.

So, you may remember a little while ago that I pointed out how gay it is that Brassius gives you TM20, aka Trailblaze.

... And I was okay with leaving it there. Really, I was. I've already analysed him and Hassel to death in a colour theory fic, but like... ADHD brain go brrrr, so I decided to look up what TM20 used to be. Because Trailblaze is new, so it used to be something else, right?

... And that's when I noticed it, because TM20? TM20 is Brassius. It's his life story, and it's his love story.

At numerous points in the franchise, TM20 has been:

Rage

Endure

Self-Destruct

Safeguard

... Ringing any grass-type bells, guys?

Rage...

Endure...

Self-Destruct...

... and Safeguard.

... All the same TM he gives you. Two, and zero. An experience shared with no one else.

And what's even more interesting is that Self-Destruct is TM20 in Galar... so Hassel saves him from his own self-destruction, and Brassius presents him with a Grass/Dragon Galarian Pokemon which specifically shows romantic intent upon gifting, yeah?

... No, no. Go ahead with those details, king. I promise, I'm hella free.

(I like how they specifically don't show Penny here. The girl KNOWS and is already doodling fanfic in her notebook.)

And what does Brassius ask you to do, in the end? Be honest. Do what your heart desires. TRAILBLAZE.

... Oh, and just in case you were wondering, TM20 has been one other thing that I haven't mentioned here. Fucking Dark Pulse in Let's Go, in case we needed the depression in there too.

... The man who has spent his life struggling, who has been brought back from the brink of despair by Hassel, gives you the tools in both battle and in class to blaze your own fucking trail, just like he has.

He endured the rage and the self-destruction and the darkness, because he was safeguarded.