#im using tailwind for this

[bf-rally]

ive done it...

the page is listing stuff weee! now if only i could figure out how to make the names change size based on the screen size

[curse-d-owl]

I thought I'd leave at just starters but moments later i was motivated to think about what Pokemon teams the Golden Deers would have. I'm satisfied with like 70% and the other 30% are placeholders. I'll mark them with * and I'll also explain my reasoning behind my decisions under a read more.

Claude:

Decidueye, Salamance, Golisopod, Amoongus, Mudsdale and Sharpedo

Lorenz:

Serperior, Armarouge, Sirfetch'd, Rapidash, Roserade and Thievul*

Raphael:

Emboar, Machamp, Rhyperior, Stoutland, Snorlax and Haxirous

Ignatz:

Intelleon, Smeargle, Grafaiai, Orbeetle, Noivern and Reuniclus*

Marianne:

Meganium, Galarian Rapidash, Blissey, Gardevoir, Alteria and Absol

Leonie:

Cinderace, Weavile, Ceruledge, Shiftry*, Hitmonchan* and Boltund*

Lysithea:

Delphox, Espeon, Mismagius, Alakazam, Alcremie and Vanillux*

Hilda:

Meowscarada, Tinkaton, Slaking, Carbink, Wigglytuff* and Whimsicott

Starting with Claude Decidueye uses bows just like him, Salamance is the most similar to his Wyvern in his Barbarossa class, Golisopod is a reference to Claude's past desire to run away from fights, Mudsdale and Sharpedo are a reference to Almyra's affinity for horseback and naval battles.

Lorenz got Serperior cause their both noble in status and Lorenz has snake eyes. Armarouge and Sirfetch'd reflect Lorenz desire to be a sword and shield for the commoners and both Pokemon specialize in one offensive area to reflect Lorenz's affinity to both physical and magical offense. He has Rapidash cause his end class is on horseback. Roserade is another self explanatory one due to his love for roses. And Thievul despite being a dark type and underhanded reflects Lorenz's cunning nature + Claude called him a fox in their A support.

Raphael has Emboar cause if their sinilair stat, physical build and desire to protect their friends. Stoutland also loves helping others like Raphael. Rhyperior has the same stats and its physical strenght is vastly superior to its intellect ( not that Raphael is that stupid for the record ) and it also references Raphael's boon in armors. Snorlax has a love for food just like Raphael and Machamp and Haxarous both have high attack stats and individually specialize in one of Raphael's weapon boons, brawling and axes.

Im personally not satisfied with what I came up for Ignatz even after I did my best. Intelleon specializes in sniping and hiding just like Ignatz plus just like Ignatz Sobble started off as very meek and its final evolution ended with the Pokemon gaining alot more confidence after numerous battles. Smeargle and Grafaiai are self explanatory. Orbeetle is a reference to Ignatz being a glass wearing nerd that loves to study. Noivern is a bit of a reach but my reasoning behind it is that just like bats Ignatz has poor eye sight and the latter needs glasses and it also has a support move in tailwind which Ignatz himself admits that he's more suited to support others rather than leading the charge. Reuniclus is to contrast Ignatz intellect to Raphael's physical strenght.

For Marianne I gave her Meganium cause it possesses the power to heal and soothe her allies plus it's somewhat similar to a horse ( I know it's a dinosaur but they have the same height and all that )

Galarian Rapidash and Alteria cause of her love for animals, Blissey cause of her affinity for healing and support, Gardevoir cause both psychic and fairy are the closest comparison to faith and light magic and Absol cause their both hated for something that's not their fault and out of their control.

Leonie is another one I'm not entirely satisfied with despite trying my best.

She has Cinderace cause their personalities match, Weavile cause they're both hunters, Ceruledge cause she's not afraid to use underhanded tactics to survive and win and it contrasts Lorenz's desire for a fair and honorable fight.

I gave her a Hitmonchan cause it's pre-evolution Tyrouge is dedicated to rigorous training, Boltund cause it has the competitive ability which reflects Leonie well and its the most fitting Pokemon for her and Shiftry is a massive reach cause they both grew up near nature.

Lysithea has a Delphox, Espeon, Mismagius and Alakazam cause they all specialize in magic. Espeon represents her affinity towards light, Mismagius ( despite being a ghost ) represents her affinity for dark/reason, Alakazam represents her high intellect. And lastly we have Alcremie and Vanillux to represent her love for sweets. I feel like there is a better to take Vanillux's place.

And lastly we have Hilda. She has Meowscarada cause their both tricksters, Tinkaton cause it's pink and wields a large weapon just like Hilda, Slaking cause they're both lazy yet strong, Carbink cause of her love for making accessories, Whimsicott cause it's also a trickster and has Hilda's desired role of playing support and Wigglytuff cause they both have a gender based skill that affects the opposite gender.

[amethystblack]

I just recently beat the fairy gym. Surprised Whimsicott isn’t sashed just to insure it can swap the field to Fairy Tale. Which by the way is an evil field and I love it

nah i feel like if you can counter the tailwind and keep it misty for the back half that's a strategy i'm happy to enable.

making battles, we're never gonna be able to foolproof a fight... and the few times with historical notorious fights (ancient serra, early charlotte) has been very unfun for players because it just becomes "use a specific strat or die". i'm much more interested in trying to set up a variety of ways for people to approach a battle, so shutting out FTF is great imo. for some reason my brain shortcircuited in the writing of the above paragraph and i wanted to refer to adrienn's gym as having a "bigender field". im gonna have to unpack that one.

[caffeinism404]

with you, on the street, rooftop, train, and highway…

i can’t help but wonder: what’s the best way to connect land and sky?

both painters and lovers tell me wet on wet-i’m not so sure i’m convinced.

your lips on my neck, i’m not so sure what to make of it.

touch my forehead, feel the insanity rooted deep in my genes, passed down from myriad diseases branches. it bucks and shakes, it’s like

hot rubber on hot tarmac oozing all the way down I-90, 200 miles-per-hour-screaming-california-i swear-to-god-and-the-cops-never-seen-a-thing

hm.

you pull me into you and i try to kill the blistering elation your tenderness evokes. didn’t i cry out “im not meeting you on that shore”?

my ego ignores my own declarations. i can’t help it. my confidence a faux prewar façade, oh, i confess it to myself under the cover of night and beer,

i want to be cared for so badly.

i can’t help it, for you i fold into myself,

small enough to fit into your wallet or pocket. flat enough to slide in with your kroger points card. conveniently camouflaged, or easily misplaced.

well, so what? if this is defeat, where is that final howl? my lungs feel weak and you’d never hear me over the engine beneath us. can i tap your shoulder instead? will you recognize that last vestige of spirit in my touch, hugely arrogant like the roar of blue-dawn yanks in days gone by?

before i work up the nerve to ask, it splinters, and oh, there it goes.

gone in the tailwind.

[futchgunk]

journaled my monochrome pokemon team and im putting it here

S/V Monochrome Black Team alcremie - hawlucha - espathra - haxorus - cetitan - camerupt ~~~~~~~~~~ Alcremie aka h.m.f.r. (Her Majesty Frosting Royale) Type: Fairy [Tera: Psy] Ability: Aroma Veil (Prot. Choice) (Loses to MoldBreaker) Item: Leftovers (+1/16% HP EOT) Role: Damage Enabler + 2nd Sweeper (Psy/Fairy) Ev: 250Hp 120Def 20SpA 120SpD

Moveset: -Decorate (A++,SpA++) -Draining Kiss (~)(Fairy)(+HP 50%) -Psyshock (-)*(Psy) (uses SpA@base) -Psych Up (copy stats) *(~) = special damage *(-) = physical damage Weak To: Poison/Steel

Poison Coverage: Espathra (psy) Weak To: Bug, Dark, Ghost

Steel Coverage: Hawlucha/Camerupt Weak To: Ice, Electric, Psy, Fair, Fly

Alcremie Notes: The most precious part. Alcremie unapposed means that the team should scale over most threats. Watch for the team unable to protect alcremie because of how the speed tiers

Espathra aka Type: Psychic [PSY] Ability: Speed Boost (Spe+ EoT (Max +6 (4x)) Role: Sweeper Special/Wall Break Item: Focus Sash (Live OHKO @ Item Use) Ev: 252 SpA 4Def 252 Spe

Moveset -Lumina Crash (~) (--Sp.D target ONHIT (true))(psy) -Energy Ball(~)(10% -Sp.D target ONHIT)(grass) -Roost (+50% HP) -Trick Room (Speed Tier Invert)

DARK IMMUNITY

Weak To: Dark/Bug/Ghost

Dark Coverage: Alcremie/Hawlucha Weak To: Poison/Steel//Ice, Electric, Psy, Fair, Fly Bug Coverage: Camerupt Weak To: Water (4x), Ground Ghost Coverage: --

Espathra Notes: Took out Calm Mind for Energy Ball (Camerupt Coverage)

Hawlucha aka junsie Type: Fighting/Flying [Flying] Ability: Unburden (Lose Item: Spe++) Item: Red Card (Live Hit: Use item -> Opp egress (true) EV: 252A 252Spe 4SpD Role: Disruption ++ Physical Sweeper (FLY)

Moveset: -Acrobatics(-)(2X DMG NO ITEM)(FLY) -Brick Break(-)(Breaks Screens)(Fighting) -Roost (+50% HP) -(Upper Hand)/(TailWind)

Weak To: Ice, Electric, Psy, Fair, Fly

Ice Coverage: Camerupt/Self Weak To: Ground, Fire Electric Coverage: Camerupt Weak To: Ground, Fire Psychic Coverage: -- Fairy Coverage: -- Flying Coverage: Cetitan Weak To: Fire, Rock, Fighting, Steel

Hawlucha Notes: +2A Unburden active acrobatics has mown through my rivals legendaries. Incredible wincon. Normally would have Swords Dance, but hopefully Alcremie can assist!!

Team struggles vs steel

Haxorus aka sw¡tchb!ade Type: Dragon [POISON*>DARK] Ability: MoldBreaker (Moves are unaffected by abilities) Item: Assault Vest (SpD+, unable to use status moves) EV: 252attack 80Def 80 SpD 80Spd 20hp Role: Revenge Kill/Offensive Coverage (DMG + SpD

Moveset -Breaking Swipe (-)(Both)(-A ONHIT (true)) (dragon) -Assurance (-)(2X DMG IF HIT)(Dark) -Poison Jab(-)(30% Poison)(Poison)* -Rock Slide(-) (Both) (30%flinch)(10% Miss)(Rock)

*Still Deciding on Poison vs Dark

Weak To: Dragon/Fairy/Ice

Dragon Coverage: Alcremie/Self Weak To: Steel, Poison Fairy Coverage: -- / Self Ice Coverage: Camerupt Weak To: Water, Ground

Haxorus Notes: Worried about the damage coverage allowing too many holes to come thru in favor of getting a revenge kill

Looking at a Dragon Cheer Set (night slash/shadow claw/bswipe)

Cetitan aka yacht killer Type: Ice [Water] Ability: Sheer Force* (Moves w 2nd effect: increase 30%, lose 2nd effect Item: Life Orb* (+30% DMG @ 10%HP Cost) *Moves that activate Sheer Force's Ignores Life Orb's Health Cost) EV: 180HP 180 Atk 80Def 80SpD Role: Tank + DMG Coverage

Moveset: -icicle crash(-)()(15% Miss)(Ice) -liquidation(-)()(Water)/play rough(-)(*)(fairy) -heavy slam(-)(Outweigh = DMG) (STL) -ice shard(-)(prio +1)(ICE)

Weak To: Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel, Fire Coverage: Camerupt/ Weak To: Water (4x), Ground Fighting Coverage: Hawlucha/Espathra/Alcremie Weak To: Ice, Electric, Psy, Fly//Dark, Bug//Poison, Steel Rock Coverage: Hawlucha/Camerupt Weak To: "" // Water (4x), Ground Steel Coverage: Hawlucha/Camerupt Weak To: ""

Cetitan Notes: Trading a big HP For Big Damage

EV stats should reflect a damage mitigation threshold to damage outhold ceiling

Camerupt aka gunk sootie Type: Fire/Ground [Grass] Ability: Solid Rock (Super Effective hits taken mitigated 25%) Item: Weakness Policy EV: 252HP 252Def Role: Defensive Tank ++ Coverage ++ Disruption

Moveset: -Yawn (100% sleep IF no opp egress) -Trailblaze (-) (+Spe ONHIT)(grass) -Heat Wave(~)(both)(10% burn)(10% miss)(fire)// Temper Flare (-) (2X DMG if prev Move Failed)(Fire) -Earth Power(~)(10% -SpD target)(ground)//Stomping Tantrum (-)(2X DMG if prev Move Failed)(Ground)

Weak To: Water (x4), Ground Water Coverage: Self Ground Coverage: Self

Canerupt Notes:

strong defensive pokemon

[ad-hawkeye]

#THE PRIMAL FEAR THAT STRUCK ME AT THE SIGHT OF AYNS TEAM #vgc doubles player with perfect IVS and EVS with tailwind galewings talonflame and fakeout inceneroar #abuses light screen and reflect and spirit break looking aaah #i was going to question why not something like a trick room setup but in hindsight i don't think ayn likes that kind of style #sorry op the comp player jumped out I'm so testing the team #but yes all of these are mwah mwah mwah #i wonder if cael's gardevoir sensed something that made it pick him #also: maybe one of his work pokemon would be one of the four treasures of ruin #like specifically in godheim . chien-pao as the avalanche causing pokemon and a representation of destruction and doom. maybe in this verse #the infinite empire makes pokemon like that to aid the prefects since things like the treasures of ruin are basically just resentment #embodied and given form . the feelings tech they seem to have would be in line with making weaponized pokemon like that. #also i think the reason lars is like that is because he grew up in hoenn #no way he likes the water so much if he grew up anywhere else #IM SO SORRY FOR THE RAMBLE IN THE TAGS I'M JUST SO AH ABOUT POKEMON [via @stikybug]

OH MY GOSH HI the way i screamed when i realized there's someone else who does vgc doubles and plays lbc?!?!? sweats. i should have cleaned up ayn's team a bit more HAHA AAA BUT OMGG lemme grab my thoughts bc aaah!

trick room is actually my default play style!!! and i was this close to giving ayn a trick room team (esp bc indeedee and some other mon used in it are cute and ayn probably likes cute pokemon) but came to the exact same conclusion you did: he gives me the vibes of a guy who just defaults to a hyper offense team. trick room involves more set up, redirection, bulk and slower mon... this guy goes right in with the flutter mane, max speed, max sp attack -- terastallization right off the bat LMAOOOO

cael was actually the one i had most fun with!! what team would such a guy have for so many years. he must be seasoned. he must have run into a lot of pokemon in his time. the infinite empire must have some insane mon. and then i was like. oh my god the ultra beasts literally come from other worlds in wormholes.

and NOW?! OMG THE RUINS. YES YES YESSSSSSS. holy SHIT you are COOKING!!!! there's so many cooks in the kitchen tonight, my blog is on FIRE!! the ruins' origins being from the empire is the most galaxy brained take i've heard on this front. them winding up in the hands of a merchant somehow sounds like something that would be set up on purpose and ooooohhhh

AND LARS WITH HOENN. FAV. making this where he got his ludicolo from. as a wee lotad sitting in a pond. i actually considered giving him a wingull bc of how silly it looked and its basically a seagull from the Water Region...............

Pokemon Teams: Lovebrush Chronicles

So, for Pokemon Day, I just had a little fun creating teams for the main cast of Lovebrush Chronicles. I tried to make sure I wasn't too on the nose, and that these picks were a little bit more realistic. I hope you enjoy!

AYN: Talonflame, Grimmsnarl, Urshifu, Dondozo, Tatsugiri, Incineroar

Ayn is a tryhard when it comes to battling. I gave him a team that is legitimately competitively viable, and that fits to his character. Incineroar and Dondozo draw parallels to his cat motif and Alice the whale, respectively. He also has a Buneary that mainly acts as a house pet.

ALKAID: Mantine, Teddiursa, Blissey, Sawsbuck, Minior, Tropius

While a capable trainer, Alkaid doesn't focus on battling, but on outdoor activities with his Pokemon. He loves Matine surfing, as well as going on hikes with Sawsbuck and flying on Tropius. He caught most of his team while on his travels. He names his Pokemon; his Teddiursa is named Sparkles.

LARS: Lapras, Ludicolo, Pyroar, Lycanroc, Flamigo, Pyukumuku

Lars doesn't like battling; his Pokemon are solely extended parts of his family. Any sort of evolution is usually done with private training, or via vitamins. He got his Pyroar as a Litleo, and cherishes it. He loves surfing out on the lake with Lapras, and his Pyukumuku was caught while at the beach.

CLARENCE: Nidoking, Liepard, Tyranitar, Swanna, Skitty, Zweilous

Clarence much prefers Pokemon research and biology. His love for monsters and for cats shines through with this team. However, one of these is not like the other: his Skitty. His Skitty is often seen outside of its ball and will follow him around like a lost puppy. Pokemon, even dangerous ones, seem drawn to Clarence.

CAEL: Espeon, Milotic, Frosmoth, Aegislash, Gardevoir, Lunala

Elegant but deadly, Cael's team is unsuspecting and can pack a punch. Gardevoir specifically can see the future and make small black holes. Cael is also the only character with a box legendary, albeit one that isn't deemed as "rare" due to its extraterrestrial nature and its evolution cycle from a Cosmog. Cael has quite a few Ultra Beasts, though he rarely uses them outside of his own home world.

MC: Smeargle, Espurr, Cosmog, Ninetales, Frosslass, Mandibuzz

I know I said I'd avoid Pokemon that were too on the nose, but Smeargle is the only Pokemon with the powerful move, Sketch. It perfectly represents her Illustra powers. Likewise, her Cosmog is a gift from Cael. She also names her Pokemon; her Espurr is named Beanie.

[sassytail]

my job is making me learn css

i die............

my streak of never learning code and being purely a visual designer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, broken.

[crowning-art]

TGCF SPOILERS FOR BOOK 3!!

But before I get to what dots I connected...

Holy omgGG the chaos, the waters, the rescueee jefnwojn I literally CANNOT wait til this arc gets animated its INSANEE

I need a fashion show staring Hua Cheng

Xie Lian closed the communication array down and turned to Hua Cheng. “San Lang, over at the East Sea…”

Unexpectedly, the moment he turned his head, he saw Hua Cheng had already changed into a refreshing fisherman disguise. He tossed up the dice and caught them as they fell. His other hand was on the door, and he said straightforwardly, “Let’s go!”

It's so cute how he was already prepared ejfnoewnlq

I noticed something..

He laughed. “I’m not anyone unrelated, I’m only following my highness.

HE SAYS MY HIGHNESS NOT HIS HIGHNESS WHEN ADDRESSING XIE LIAN DIWBFJNOWJNF IM CRYING I CANT, THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR ME

I really can't imagine what Shi Qingxuan must be going through, but like is it fair that all power should be stripped away???

Shi Qingxuan clenched his right fist. That hand used to hold the Wind Master fan. With but one swing, it could’ve provided a tailwind, making the ship go at least four times faster. Yet now, the hand was empty, and he couldn’t help but exhale a long sigh.

it kinda hurts :/

Oh. my. God. OH MY GOOOD

It was a funny feeling. Hua Cheng was clearly taller than him, and it took him no effort to hold Xie Lian up with one hand, yet Xie Lian always felt that he was light as a feather; like if he didn’t pay attention, Hua Cheng would disappear. So, Xie Lian’s grasp was firm and tight. Hua Cheng, too, clutched his hand back at the same time.

YOU DONT UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT- I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY IT JBEFBEOFJNLQNF IT'S IN THE SOFT TOUCHES, IT'S IN THE KNOWING WHAT HE WANTS BEFORE HE ASKS FOR IT, IT'S IN THE MIRRORING ACTIONS OF LOVE BETWEEN THEM, IT'S IN THE STRENGTH THEY GIVE EACH OTHER AND SECURITY OF KNOWING YOU AREN'T ALONE, IT'S IN THE SUBTLETY OF IT ALL EJBFKJEFEJFN iM IN TEARS THIS SCENE JUST KILLED ME

I get all the other cute stuff is like aww cute, but there's something about this line that I don't know, it just enamored me

I- ugh I hate him (said with minuscule affection, very VERY minuscule)

With his hands, Pei Ming used all that water to slick back his hair

You see? THIS IS WHY I HATE HIM

In such a situation, Pei Ming still acted the same. In the evening, when they rescued a few fishermen girls, so scared their eyes were blurry from tears, he held them in his embrace and soothed them with a gentle voice; a true show of honeyed romance, affectionate and charming.

SEEE????? REASON NUMBER 22 WHY I HATE HIM (no, it's not the hair slicking, it's the rude interruption, but like also the hair sticking, plz stop)

Pei Ming heard them whispering to each other, and he slicked his hair up again.

“Have you two made some discoveries? Why don’t you leave your little world and tell the rest of us?”

YOU GO HUA CHENG

Pei Ming raised his brow. “This little buddy sure knows a lot.”

Hua Cheng mirrored his expression and replied, “It’s not much. You just know too little, that’s all.”

This made me laugh lol

They couldn’t possibly build a coffin, then off a person in the group and toss them in there

THE LITERAL IMAGERY, IM IN TEARS

Ming Yi was standing on top of the handle of a shovel, while Shi Qingxuan was sitting on the head of said shovel, waving at him

fine...credit for one scene. but like ONLY ONE SCENE

Pei Ming was a master swordsman. The moment when he sensed killing intent, his hand reached for his sword, only to realize said sword was under his feet. Luckily, his reaction was quick. With a leap, he grabbed his sword in mid-air and sliced the incoming creature in half.

Before gravity could take control, he flipped back onto the sword, with not a single hair out of place.

T-T

Xie Lian nodded. The familiarity of this scene suddenly brought memories of a similar situation that had happened not so long ago. Instantly, he felt his face heat up. With one hand wrapped around Xie Lian, Hua Cheng used his spare hand to stir and leisurely glide through the water.

“Gege, hold on to me. You’ll sink if you let go

HUA CHENG LOL NO-

“Gege, now you know. If you’re gonna get any pets in the future, definitely don’t consider those ones. They’re useless trash.”

But like this psycho would ACC get him one if he asked for it sbdqlibfifb

AND OMGGG WJBFIFBNWO:FJN

OOOOHHHH MYYYYGOOODDDD ITS MY FAVEEE SCENE IVE BEEEN WAITING FOR THE CPR SCENE FOR YEARS AND ITS HERE FBIWJBFOWJBFOWFN OHHH MY GOD IW{NFOWNFOWNF IT WAS WORTH IT SO WORTHHHH IT!!!!!!!

THE PATIENCE PAID OFF!!!!! JOWFNWFNOWFNO# IM CRYINGG #UHFF FNOF# OHIO#WJNFKJWN

Literally that one animatic/storyboard done by melt strules is like 80% of the reason why I love it so much and If you haven't seen it, IM LINKING IT RIGHT NOW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNSNrx1etew

Ok. Ok. I've calmed down not really but like enough to coherently type up the dots I've (hopefully) connected.

So they said, Shi Wudu switched Shi Qingxuan's destiny with someone who matched in gender, day, month, and time born and had the name Xuan. We saw Scholar He who is out to get revenge because his fate was switched....which means his name was Xuan...He Xuan.... Ship-Sinking Black Water....

(And I knew this from centuries ago that earth master was He Xuan thanks to fanart lol)

BUT WHAT THE HECK WHAT THE HECKKKK WHAT THE HECK MING YI/HE XUAN WAS THE ONE WHOSE FATE WAS SWITCHED WHAT THE HECKKKKKK THIS IS INSANE SO ming yi is seeking revenge but they were best friends...what happened to best FRIENDS for life bfffl 😭😭😔 what about the friendship bracelets they exchanged, what about the girl codeeeee to never betray your bff????? Did u learn anything in your middle school life???

Clearly I lost my mind, plz don't mind me, IM just trying to calm down with all the cute stuff and plot twists, and as evident, I really can't

Oh man, poor poor Shi Qingxuan, I literally cannot see how much more worse it could get for the Wind Master after this is revealed, like it literally cannot...oh boi

ALSO, in retrospect, Xie Lian really connected the dots, I'm the slow one who put it in words lmao

But wow, what a wild ride haha

[ot3-watch]

Episode 5: The Mile High Job

WHY IS THIS EPISODE 8

FUCK THE NETWORK I’M VERY TIRED

So we’re starting on a client testimony. Which is sad because I kind of like the context establishing scenes

Sophie being French is hilarious

I’m not saying Hardison shouldn’t be able to take off when he needs to. I am saying that MAYBE THEY SHOULD PLAN HEISTS FOR DAYS WHEN THEY ARE A MEMBER SHORT?

Also, why does Hardison not put his food on a plate before he puts it in the microwave. That spinning plate does not get washed nearly enough for that to be sanitary

OK wait did Hardison just flake out? THEN WHY DID THEY NOT POSTPONE?

THEY SHOULD HAVE PLANNED THIS MUCH BETTER

I love Parker being magic and teleporting

The security guards always seem like idiots and tbh, working where I work with the security guards being who they are, I feel like it’s all bullshit and a disservice to security guards.

I love the Doctor WHo references. TOM AND SARAH JANE BAKER YES MA’AM

But also did no one make a Doctor Who comment? Like really. I know Tom Baker is probably a common name but I really want to know what happens when they get a whovian checking their IDs

THe poor flight attendant. That sucks. Can you imagine getting a COMPLETELY fake call that your cat might be put down? I’m sorry, I can’t. Completely innocent people get screwed by them sometimes and I feel bad

Eliot remembers everyone he’s slept with I love him.

THIS POOR FLIGHT ATTENDANT? WHat happens when she comes back and everyone is side eyeing her and being bitchy?

I hate the trope of girlfriends or love interests being overly sensitive about people remembering tiny details. Especially when they aren’t actually together. Especially when it happened years ago. Especially when they hold it against them for the whole episode.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE TERRIBLE MEMORIES OK

Also, this is Nate. It’s a shock he has any brain cells left with how drunk he is 99% of the time. Get OVER yourself Sophie.

PLACE YOUR MASK OVER YOUR MOUTH AND NOSE ok Leverage predicting the future…

Parker being a terrible flight attendant is hilarious

Did I like her in this episode? I think I liked her in this episode

Eliot suffering through economy I can’t

I feel bad for the woman, but like… stop pushing? I know she’s nervous but the flight attendant is trying to do her job. I mean, it’s Parker, but in any normal situation…

Hardison pulls the same “You’re such a racist” bit every time he gets in a sticky situation, and it always works? Can you imagine if he tried to pull that on an actual racist?

Do planes have bars like that? I’ve been on plenty of planes and i’ve never seen a bar like that

Im never in first class though so whatever

OKAY GUYS THE IN-FLIGHT MOVIE IS ONE OF THE LIBRARIANS MOVIES

Which means noah wyle exists in the leverage universe.

HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK WITH THE REBOOT THOUGH?

Unless they just… expected no one to notice? To be fair, it’s not like they focused on it

They probably just needed a movie they could use without securing rights first or running into copyright issues

But still… paradoxes

Eliot just going through a bunch of random people's bags…

HE AND PARKER MOVING AROUND EACH OTHER SO COMFORTABLY THOUGH

THIS IS SEASON ONE WHY ARE THEY SO GOOD TOGETHER ALREADY

I LOVE THEM GUYS

Parker. That’s not reassuring Parker. Parker that’s just terrifying. WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT PARKER?? pARKER?? i’M CONCERNED PARKER!

I really hate Sophie getting mad at nate for this shit. It’s not funny. It’s not cute. It just makes Sophie seem unreasonable and bitchy

OK BUT Hardison and the woman bonding IMMEDIATELY over nerdy gaming is so great

Also i like that they made the other nerd a woman is great

OK but he is not talking nearly silently enough for the ONLY other person in the room to just stop listening to him?

Could you imagine the person you were talking to randomly stops talking, looks upset, and then sticks his head in the cabinet? And starts muttering to himself?

LIKE EITHER HE CAN’T TELL REALITY FROM FANTASY OR HES A SPY

WHY ARE YOU NOT SUSPICIOUS??

He really does pull this shit off really well.

The amount of men in that conference room is oppressive and very realistic ina very sad way

Parker must be in a thief’s paradise

OKAY I REMEMBER NOW AND I DID LIKE PARKER IN THIS EPISODE

“Nobody tells me anything”

THAT’S SUCH A MOOD

Literally the job I’m working in right now is exactly like that

My job is literally to know things and help people and provide them with the information they need

AND STILL I’M ONE OF THE LAST TO FIND THINGS OUT

IT’S VERY FRUSTRATING OK

WHy can I not remember why they’re going after genegrow? Someone died I think? But i cannot remember

“The guy in 1D wants to kill you. Ginger Ale?”

Why is it that all i can think about right now is harry styles and niall horan

I mean I KNOW why but like… why

I LOVE them but why?

WHAT IS THIS OFFICE WOMAN’S NAME I LOVE HER

How does no one question Hardison showing up out of nowhere though?

Im just saying… supposedly it’s “Dave’s” birthday, and they think they should have already known about it? He just started that job on that day?

Unless he’s pretending to have been there forever but even then…

This makes no sense? I’m so confused?

Eliot beating a guy up in an airport bathroom is fantastic

But also you can’t fit one person in a airport bathroom, let alone two

THe view from the top is much smaller than the shots from the side

Parker: the guy we just took out? Eliot: -_- Parker: The guy Eliot just took out?

Sophie always seems so shocked by the inhumanity of some of these people they interact with. Nate’s like “Yeah, people are awful” and Eliot’s like “I see worse all the time” and Parker’s like “Is this meant to be weird or something?” but Sophie’s like “WHAt? Someone wants people DEAD? And might KILL US IN THE PROCESS?”

Is the art theft world just not so violent?

Even hardison doesn’t seem shocked, just upset and offended. Sophie’s always like OoO though and it gets weird?

Now both Eliot AND Nate are fitting in the bathroom? With an already unconscious guy? I’VE BEEN IN AIRPLANE BATHROOMS. THEY AREN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR THAT.

Unless i’m just fat. Which is an option.

Why do people have random wires in their luggage? Who travels with a giant bundle of wires in their luggage?

Oh look. The red head was right. There is a tailwind

OK But THE OXYGEN MASKS CAME DOWN AND NO ONE IS TRYING TO PUT ONE ON?

I know they’re panicking but still

Nate really does just throw things at hardison and then Hardison goes like WHAT I CAN’T DO THIS and then he does it.

HOW is Hardison THAT talented it’s ridiculous

WE all talk about Eliot being hyper-competent in everything when Hardison is literally right there

Not to say that eliot doesn’t deserve attention because he does and I love him

I LOVE ELIOT OKAY

I’m just saying Hardison deserves more credit

HOW DID THEY NOT HIT ANY CARS WHEN THEY WERE LANDING? THERE ARE CARS RIGHT THERE? ANd then there’s suddenly no cars in font of them when they land ? It’s all deserted?

HARDISON IS SO GOOD THOUGH

How did they set up a party for “Dave” so quickly?

WHY DOES NO ONE LOOK TO SEE WHO DAVE WAS YELLING AT?

Everyone is so done with Hardison and honestly? Fair. He might’ve saved them, but he also screwed them over earlier. It came in handy, but still.

I really could not give less of a shit about the Nate Sophie storyline in this episode. In most of season one really. It’s all shitty and annoying

FINAL THOUGHTS: 8/10. Points off for people not acting like people. Points off for the shitty Sophie/Nate stuff. Extra points for Eliot being Eliot. (There will always be extra points for Eliot being Eliot). Extra points for Hardison’s badassery. Extra points because I liked Parker in this episode. Extra points for nerd girl. You go nerd girl. Points off because I literally remember nothing about this episode except for Hardison being awesome, the office scenes, and the fact that there was a plane crash. Why were they on the plane? No idea. Can’t remember.

Sam count: 3/5

IYS count: 2/5 (Am I remembering this wrong? I felt like there were more? Then again, I’m only 5 episodes in)

[bf-rally]

okay so im back in navbar hell (when i thought i escaped...!!!) but ive managed to get this set up today :D

[mindbreaktrap]

pokemon's never been a game I wanted to get good at or play competitvely, but I love hearing about it from people who know what theyre talking about

yeah, i felt basically the same until i found pokemon yt and pokemon showdown. now im obsessed playing pokemon only a normal amount. personally, i really like the teambuilding aspect of it and that’s what i spend most of my time doing. the actual gameplay though can be... interesting. theres so much random chance involved and a couple of moves that let you basically just coinflip the entire game that it can feel really frustrating at times.

since you said you like to hear about it tho, im gonna take that as an invitation to once again ramble. so here’s another spoiler to save my followers dashes!

okay so let’s talk about one of my favorite pokemon, and the one i’m currently building a team around...

whimsicott! <3 along with being a PERFECTLY designed pokemon (i mean its just a ball of fluff w/ horns and lil nubby legs and arms, what more do you need?) it is also - in my humble opinion - one of the best pokemon in the format. which is why i take issue with this!

for any other pokemon #23 is a pretty respectable ranking, as that means its by far one of the most used pokemon, but for whimsicott??? unacceptable. which is why i am personally attempting to raise whimsicotts ranking by beating everyone else w/ it. but what makes whimsicott so amazing? while whimsicott has always been a good pokemon competitively, gen 8 brought whimsicott to new heights. this is because swsh changed how speed worked, calculating which pokemon was fastest mid turn instead of at the beginning of every turn. for singles, this rarely matters, as if a pokemon uses a move to boost its own speed its already moved for that turn, so the increase wont matter until next turn either way. doubles, on the other hand, is a different story.

this is where whimsicott comes in. it can have the ability prankster, which gives all status moves a priority of +1. what that means is that these moves will automatically go before any moves with a priority lower than +1, regardless of speed. moves can have a priority of -8 to +8, with most moves being priority 0. whimsicott also has access to tailwind, a move that doubles the speed of all pokemon on your side of the field. meaning - after whimsicott automatically goes first bc of its priority - the speed will be recalculated after tailwind and whatever pokemon is next to whimsicott should be the fastest pokemon (unless it is just disgustingly slow).

SO with whimsicott you can turn any heavy hitter into a speed demon, which is already good enough. but what about other priority tailwind users? wouldnt they be just as good? maybe, if whimsicott didnt also have an insane base speed of 116, making it the fastest prankster pokemon. this allows you to simply add the move taunt to your whimsicott, and stop the enemys tailwind from ever going off before you go for one of your own. with a focus sash to stop the other one of their pokemon from one shotting whimsicott, this is a pretty good strat. one that gives your enemy only TWO ways to stop all your pokemon from having double speed for 5 turns. the first, is to bait out your taunt and then attack whimsicott with both of their pokemon to break its sash and kill it. the second is to run a fake out - which has priority +3 - to break the whimsicotts sash and flinch it. both of these things can be played around if the whimsicott player knows what they’re doing.

so yeah, thats why YOU SHOULD FEAR THE FLUFF BALL, and why i WILL get it into the top 20 and hopefully even the top 10.

[kaytoko]

Hello dear! I just wanted to tell you that I really love your seigou stories, even if I don't know if the fandom for that pairing is still alive. I read some of them years ago and came back for more. Either way, I know you have written more of them here in your blog (aside from the ones in AO3) but I can't seem to find them. I tried with the "seigou" tag but only TTL appears, and so it happens when I use the tag "writing". Can you help me with a link to your seigou stories?

Thank you for reading my stuff for so many years! It really makes me happy to hear that you still love them 🥰

I haven’t been through my own tag in a million years, so it was kinda fun to go back and see what I had in my SeiGou tag. (I also tend to use “my writing” and “Kay writes fanfiction” for my writing tags) Here’s a few links to some of those fics ;)

(Adding this one on here too even though it’s on AO3. It’s legitimately one of my favorite things I’ve EVER written for any fandom ❤️) https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/81056620991/tailwind-a-seigou-fanfic

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/91333524977/parfait-confessions-a-seigou-fanfic

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/89815490512/circumstantial-a-seigou-fanfic

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/87030486837/if-im-late-to-the-party-dont-take-this-i-enjoy

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/78413678647/the-worst-and-best-day-of-his-life-a-seigou

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/76668120103/promt-candy-hearts-otp-seigou-happy-valentines

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/61458176793/i-want-the-k-seijuro-mikoshiba-any-number

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/60824857808/snow-cone-juice-a-seijuurougou-and-the-rest-of

https://kaytoko.tumblr.com/post/60736301501/true-self-a-seijuurougou-fanfic

There’s a few others that are only a few paragraphs long, so that should be most of the longer ones. Happy reading!

[goodguidanceptc]

Ironman New Zealand Race Report  March 2, 2019

Welcome masochists and insomniacs. When people ask me about my races, I usually try to deliver a balance of facts (split times, data, total race time) and feelings (mind & body perceptions, key moments) in an entertaining yet succinct report. As usual, that often means STRONG LANGUAGE. Here goes:

Prologue:

A few weeks prior to the trip, I learned that I’d been selected for the “Ironman New Zealand Experience,” an online contest, administered with typical Kiwi approach by the local council. Read: relaxed, with ZERO Ironman lawyers involved. Six men and six women were selected--based on online posts--to learn a haka, perform at the athlete dinner and attend an after-race luncheon that included a presentation and performance of Maori history and traditions. 

I suspect my "pick me! pick me!” post got me plucked from a small applicant pool. Supporting evidence: of the twelve selected, two others were my training buddies from Chicago, Christine B. and Bernie Mc. SIDE NOTE: Each winner was allowed one additional guest at the luncheon--so a very special thanks to Christine for graciously counting my wife as her guest which meant I had both my wife and son at the luncheon.

Haka is Maori for “breathe fire.” Historically, hakas were performed by Maori warriors prior to battle. These days they are performed ceremonially to celebrate major milestones (marriage, retirement), honor important guests or--perhaps most notably--to intimidate opponents at athletic events (here’s a link). Outside of New Zealand, the most famous and awe-inspiring hakas are performed my the Maori All-Blacks National Rugby team prior to each match. 

I learned that there are hundreds of haka versions, each with its own inherent weight baked into the story it’s presenting. Although it was very different than the aggressive, male-only, pre-battle version the All-Blacks perform, I personally felt a tremendous honor and reverence for the one we learned.

The haka preserves indigenous culture, energetically injects traditional language into a modern forum, gathers and channels group energy by seamlessly melding ritual gesture and movement with raw emotion. It all adds up to a sum greater than it’s parts that’s simultaneously respectful and rebellious. Taken as a whole, the haka is something like how the Incredible Hulk would dance if the Incredible Hulk danced.

All of which is just to say that before I even started the race, I’d already experienced that tremendous joy that comes with receiving an unexpectedly perfect gift. IMNZ was already a success before the race even started. Now, let’s get back to facts...

Total race time = 11:33

Not a PR, but a mature result. “Mature?” you may be wondering, “Really?” Granted, few people would describe anything I do as mature, so perhaps a better word is un-deluded. Why? Because plantar fasciitis made for a “No-Run November” (all long runs performed in a pool), I hadn’t done enough resistance training, and winter holidays not only make it impossible to train, they make it nearly impossible to fuel properly. 

In his book, Elite Minds, Dr. Stanley Beecham suggests giving yourself a W when you trained your best and an L if you didn’t. My record for this training sequence (Nov-Feb) was 89-20-11. ( I gave myself T for Ties on days when training went right but something else went bad...usually diet.) In other words, a respectable-but-not-stellar W average (.741) earned a respectable-but-not-stellar result.

But still, the haka was awesome.

Pre-Race

Slept well. Ate well. No mechanical issues. Huddled briefly with most of the training buddies and Iron sherpas prior to warming up properly in the water.

Swim (1:06 total swim time)

Clear sighting, aggressive line, good tactics (drafted when possible), and even got some help from the current towards the end. That said, the two turn buoys at the far end were both a raucous scrum. First time I ever took a hard shot to the lip. My best swim ever. 

T1 (7:49)

"T1 is a 400 meter run from the swim out...” My ass. If that’s 400 meters, I’m Leslie Jones from SNL. Plus, AFTER the “400 meters,” a winding grass staircase comparable to any third-floor-walk-up or Wisconsin helix--easily another +50 meters at an +8% grade.

Once I did get up Mount Metric Bullshit, I moved right along. Sprayed on some sunscreen, stuffed a plastic bag under the regular bike jersey with some light gloves (in case it was nippy for the first hour), shoes on in the tent. Go.

Bike (5:38, technically a bike PR)

Two loops. Windy? A tad. The outbound tailwind was so strong, I struggled to maintain target watts. Get that? I didn’t have to pedal as hard as I’d trained to because I was easily traveling +20 mph on flat sections. Ditched the plastic bag and gloves at the first aid station because it was sunny and mild and I was feeling really great. Of course, logic dictates that inbound would be a shitstorm. Which it was. Oy. Mixed with some crosswinds too just in case you, oh I dunno...tried to pee on the bike and took too long...or wanted to take in some nutrition. Nasty. I caught myself using a bastardized mantra from IMAZ, “Frontside fast side, backside strong side” which morphed into “Out bound, throw down; In bound, get down.” whenever I was tempted to chase or draft.

A word on drafting: it’s illegal in Ironman races. BUT! By slipping into the draft zone of somebody passing faster than you are passing then letting them go, you can save energy and still stay within the letter and spirit of the rule. That said, 12 meters = 6ish bike lengths so don’t be the fucko that lingers.

Repeated that song and dance inbound on both loops. It’s a terrible thing when you can’t stay in aero-position because you gotta pee but can’t pee because the wind stuffs any momentum you need to keep your leg straight long enough to break the seal. But it WILL keep you legal.

For you data geeks: Normalized Power was 197 but I AVERAGED 20 m.p.h.

Another notable: the bone-shaking chip-seal they use to pave most New Zealand roads. It just rattled my whole rig from pedals to fingertips to helmet. That shit literally rattled my Torpedo bottle right out from between my aero-bars about halfway through. I’d already taken in the nutrition so I left it (apologies to all the Tidy Kiwis and the whole leave-it-like-you-found-it philosophy) and just held fresh bottles in with my thumbs as needed.

T2 (4:13)

Efficient but could have been a tad quicker. At this point in the race, I was on plan, feeling good and ready to attack the run. Nutrition was on point. Legs were solid, stomach was a non-issue and weather conditions were near ideal. Sunny and delightful low 70s. I was actually looking forward to Run Special Needs where I’d planted a fresh shirt and an extra bottle of nutrition.

Run (4:36 aka: avg 10:39/mi)

I went sub-4 hours in Louisville under raining mid-40 degree conditions. If I could have just matched that, I’d have delivered a juicy PR of under 11 hours.

It seemed reasonable that flat IM-LOU shitstorm would vaguely equate to hilly IM-NZ sunny delight, yes? 

No.

That three loop run over what my training bro Andrew T. would call offensive hills was having none of that nonsense. Turns out, I was woefully undertrained. My legs were just not up to the second and third loop of hills, despite biking to plan, executing nutrition properly, and taking the first loop at a very easy RPE.

In past reports I’ve shared some of the actual mental chatter that runs through my head but in this case none of my mantras were very interesting or helpful. What I have learned to do when I’m truly falling apart is to reinvest in technique. Focus on the extremely immediate present, which I used to counter punch one particularly angry and persistent neg that I just couldn’t shake. See if you can pick it out of the following scientifically gathered brainwave transcription:

...chatter-chatter-chatter...BREATHE...left-right-left-right-Toe-off-knees-up-hands-up-lean-easy-at-the-ankles-glutes-tucked-somebody-fucking-LIED-to-me-goddamBREATHE!-Toe-off-knees-up-hands-up-lean-easy-at-the-ankles-glutes-tucked-somebody-fucking-LIED-to-me-goddamnit-Toe-off-left-right-left...chatter-chatter-chatter...BREATHE

On a slightly more-vulnerable note, I will share this: typically, a few tears leak out at special needs. Hormones? Pain? Mental breakdown/relief that the marathon is half over? All of the above, probably. Just a few moments of a grown man losing it. (Do NOT watch Ricky Gervais’ After Life while jet lagged. But DO watch it. Amazing. Shut up. Don’t judge my process.)

Anyway, I was all business during the Special Needs of this run but lost it right after a particularly steep descend where some guardian bros had set up an “unofficial aid station” consisting of Red Bull, handles of vodka, and liters of Jaegermeister. A runner just ahead of me had grabbed something off their card table and their robust cheering were suddenly horrific screams warning him off of chugging it. I was just tickled and toasted at the same time and it all came gushing out. Just all kinds of quads burning gasping ugly face craughing (learned that word from a tweet praising After Life, btw). Of course my male ego would NEVER allow me to overly express vulnerability in front of the drunken bros, thoughtful though they were. So I kept running. A woman running along side me kindly asked if I was okay, I said, “Oh...yeah...this...just happens,” between gulping breaths, “The good...news...is...it’s much...later...than usual.” Which cracked her up, so... y’know, pay it forward.

After slogging my way through the third loop, and making my way through the finishing chute, where the normally incomparable Mike Reilly butchered my last name, I was told that I’d been on the leaderboard during the bike and immediately fell off during the run.

So even though I did not over-bike, I did under-train. Plus, I did not need to go directly to Medical in shock, which suggests that my race plan, nutrition strategy and execution was pretty spot on. IMAZ was a PR of 11:19 and IMNZ was 11:33.

OVERALL RACE GRADE: C. Just a C. 

OVERALL EXPERIENCE GRADE: A+

As with prior races, IMNZ yielded some incremental improvements. As I said at the top, this was a mature result, with which I am unsatisfied. I haven't yet done my best race. I haven’t yet DONE MY BEST. There is clearly opportunity for improvements to all five aspects of my racing:

Swim was well executed. Still room for growth.

Bike was properly executed. Adequate. If anything, I could have pushed more.

Run. Ugh. Time to throw myself into Runner’s World and CARA and make like Forrest Gump and Prefontaine and Mo. Also, back to Hokas. Or maybe Altras. The Brooks I ran in were farts. The blisters on my toes had blisters. Not kidding.

Fuel strategy and execution was on point, although I was a few kilos heavier than previous races. Holidays and too few resistance training sessions.

Transitions were adequate.

Am I one of the guys at the pointy end of the bell curve? Clearly still yes. Maybe I’ve just evolved beyond a standard group training plan. Self-Coach? I’ve got the credentials and experience. Back to a previous coach? Maybe a new coach? I’d take some applications. Yes.

In the meantime, I’ll see you in Chattanooga for some 70.3 action in May, 2019. That’s only two build cycles. Ima go noodle around in TrainingPeaks.

WAIT. HERE’S THE BERNIE STORY...

Bernie McNally is one of those people I am just glad to have in my life. This race report would be wholly inadequate if I didn't share how this amazing woman is absolutely unstoppable.

First, she got everybody who trained for New Zealand (at Well-Fit) a fleece.

I forgot to mention she broke her ribs in a bike accident a few months ago.

Then, in what can only be described as the luck of the Irish, she charmed her way into the “New Zealand Experience” haka class. Just showed up and got in. Turns out one of the women selected didn’t show up. Classic.

Here’s the unstoppable part: at around Mile 110 of the New Zealand Full fucking Ironman race, she hit a cone and went over her bike handle bars. Road rash up her arm, split her knee open and cracked her head/helmet on a curb. A bystander said, “Do you need some help? I’m calling an ambulance.”

Her reply?

“Just help me get my chain back on.”

So he did. And she finished the bike. The medics in T2 told her she needed stitches.  She said she didn’t have time, to just patch her up so she could get on with it. She finished the race with half an hour to spare. Words fail.

All I know is this: whenever I’m feeling like I can’t get it done--and it can be anything from driving in traffic to folding laundry to a holding pace on a long run--I know exactly what I’ll hear. 

A thick, sassy, Irish brogue doing the haka.

WITH GRATITUDE FOR…

I’m very grateful to my lovely wife Susan and my wonderful kids, Peter and Veronica for their support. Susan, you are my salvation.

I’m grateful to have the expert professionals Coach Russ and Coach Sharone and the entire Well-Fit staff and athletes who generously share their wisdom.

I’m grateful to my inspiring and impressive training partners. Especially the seven hardcore savages that got it done in New Zealand--Adam, Christine, Dan, Kelly, Megan, Mike, Will and Bernie.

I’m very grateful to anybody willing to excuse my terrible smell, deplorable language and barbaric sounds during training.

Maximum gratitude to Well-Fit, Get-A-Grip, Fleet Feet and all the pools I use.

I’m grateful for Crushing Iron (C26), Matt Fitzgerald, Joe Friel, Training Peaks, Scott brand bikes, Apple, Ironman.

Thank you to all the on-course maniacs cheering and making signs and wearing all sorts of crazy outfits to show love and support. For strangers exercising.

I’m grateful that I’m able to race triathlons. I’m grateful to you for reading.

[lilycutesmith]

im using jumpluff as my tailwind setter, as well as running Worry Seed on it because as it turns out, shutting down enemy abilities is fucking poggers right now in VGC.

[mr-president]

OH BABES U ASKED FOR THIS. IM PULLING UP POKÉMON SHOWDOWN.

(warning: i did not test these teams and MAINLY WENT OFF OF VIBE, esp since i’m not choosing a specific vgc ruleset for this. some will have legendaries bc they’re just built different and u just gonna deal w that)

Also, I got tired and only did offense rn :((( sorry.

SCOUT:

It’s giving tailwind, it’s giving hyper offense, it’s giving has never seen a recovery move ever, it’s giving “set up tailwind and blast through everything,” it’s giving “the only support I will use will be a complete bastard to my opponent.” I originally wasn’t going to give him Miraidon but in the end, I did bc they go together personality wise.

I won’t go too deep into detail abt sets, but I’ll list some synergies I was thinking abt:

rising voltage fake out a-raichu under electric terrain

draco meteor miraidon w PRANKSTER HAZE murkrow

SOLDIER:

More balanced hyper offense. I’m not very creative, but there’s a lot more support because the main thing w palafin vgc teams is “how do I get palafin to be actually not ass” and the answer is either a) stall them or b) just beat the shit outta the opponents mons. You can guess which one is more soldier like. Either way, that’s kinda what I built this team around:

rage powder and follow me redirection by amongus and togekiss

Togekiss flinches

fake out pressure from iron hands

Aerialate hyper voice mega mence

Braviary (idk honestly this mon is kinda dookie but smth smth bulkup brave bird? idk just use final gambit Staraptor instead)

PYRO:

Big surprise, a sun team. But, a very well balanced sun team!! I couldn’t find a way to add g-rapidash or regular rapid ash on here because it sucks ass, so in my condolences, there is scream tail. It’s way cuter and pinker than the horses. Bite me.

Cool shit:

Rage powder volcarona redirection support

After you chlorophyll liligant for speed control

Beads of Ruin chi-yu and a shitton of strong special attackers. Oh yeah.

tnite, instead of finishing the 7 page research paper i needed to do, i drew tf2 pokemon art and rambled abt it instead.

anyway if this post gets one (☝️) note i will give u what i think the mercs’ respective team structures are for vgc

[lady-imperatrix]

im in the process of making a new team

if you play usum battle spot doubles, this is/was me. more explained under the cut

tyranitar was there to make berries useless, unfortunately always first to go down cuz of that

pheromosa was there to annihilate landorus-t. with adrenaline orb to make it first

tapu lele was there for terrain, priorities cant save you there. and a lot of skill swap shenanighans

salazzle and electivire mostly there for type coverage

finally greninja. greninja was there to snatch tailwinds from ever so annoying pesky whimsicotts. that and using haze to unset the opponents and reset lowered stats on my end

overall was best troll team ive built. ill have to remake it sometime to make it better. japanese players have adjusted to knock out pheromosa lol