#look at my pmd thoughts boy.

[moe-broey]

I'm def losing the plot now but like. Picked up PMD2 bc the suggestion of remakes actually deeply infuriated me and I was sooooo fuckibg mad about it until I was like. Oh. I can just. Play PMD2. Like. I can Do That. And I think what I realized picking it up again is like. PMD forces you to take things slowly. It makes you sit with characters. With their feelings. With your own feelings. It reminds you again and again that even the littlest most seemingly mundane moments are so so sooo important. Each moment becomes a cherished memory. Of someone you loved dearly. Someone who loved you. Someone you lost. You knew you would be lost. You did it anyway. You were set on it before, with someone you loved, who loved you, and a mutual understanding you have nothing to lose. Let this fallen husk of a world be undone, unmade. For a tomorrow that you'll never see. For a world you'll never be a part of. You don't know that, now, though. Now that you have everything to lose. Now that someone else is losing you. You chose it again. For a better tomorrow, and now, for a world that welcomed you in with warmth and life. For someone you loved. Who loved you so, so much. For a whole world that loved you, that you loved too.

[srarlight]

Oh boy here we go!! To put it simply, I'd like to pay rent as well as help those I care about stay housed and have already been paying a lot to try and manage to do so since early 2022.  While relief could come in July of next year, that's a lot of months to try and survive in the mean time! So I'm ready to work hard to try and get by using my limited time after and during work to the max!!

While complex paintings are far too involved for the situation I am in-  I noticed I was still able to complete painted characters and sketches in a few weeks which is why I'm opening painted and sketched characters back up to the general public!  In addition I'll also take commission for a special PMD themed YCH. A few years ago, I made a motion media project themed on PMD2. I really enjoy the end results a lot still and thought maybe some folks would enjoy their PMD OCs in this context as well! I redid the music so that it's my own mix and plan on adding in folks characters in both the temporal tower and darkrai shot. This would be for a duo so two characters and any Pokémon for the PMD ocs is welcome. I would deliver every PNG featuring your character along side the video featuring them in movement.

You can see what the end video would look like here:https://youtu.be/r88_0JXv8FQ

(characters will be included in the Dialga and Darkrai shots - which is not shown in this example) 

For now there is unlimited slots for any of these selections, although if I happen to get a lot, that may change. If you're at all interest or have questions, please reach out via DMs or by emailing me at: Srarlightart@yahoo.com.

Gonna call this que closed while I catch up! Thank you all for your support!

No NSFW- but body horror and mild gore is fine by me!

You can view my que here:https://trello.com/b/p8qTclkn/srarlight-commissions

[emeraldtimethief]

I've got a question about a particular design choice for your Dusknoir. What made you want to add the chains on him where those little grayish arm things are where his wrists would rest at? It seems like a pretty interesting design choice and I was curious why you opted to do that

Ohhhh thanks for the question :> And I'm really sorry for the rambles that are about to come ... Here we go.

A Little visual reference over here.

Okay so... It kind of happened naturally to be fair xD for starters every time I saw Dusknoirs design I thought the big things around his wrists kind of looked like cuffs? And after playing PMD It just got my gears turning. Because.

First of all the visuals... In true Ghost story fashion you are lost in the Frozen future and you hear the ominous rattle of chains from SOMEWHERE and you don't know where that's coming from and next thing you see is a glowing red eye and a ghost who's willing to murder. Sounds good in my head haha. Plus they can be quite the effective weapon for him to use xD

Aaaaand It just sounded so fitting too... For the dude at least. He looks so imponent and dignified but the poor man is just kind of shackled by the unfortunate circumstances he's in. He's so loyal to Dialga that he would do anything for her... Has done anything for her in fact. Done so much he can't even THINK about stopping because he's too far gone now. Plus I do believe part of his terror about not wanting to disappear no matter the cost was because he was so damn close to Dialga and her... Not being right in the head.

Like he didn't really want to drag hero and partner back to the past but he had done too much already to stop. Or probably spend his life as an attack dog when... Really it's obvious deep down he was desperate enough that one (1) green twink believing in him made him change ways.

That's to say, (sorry for the rant, god) that the boy has a lot of issues dragging him down and I like to represent that with the chains. The fear in the Frozen future, the guilt after... Dude needs therapy. The more stressed he is, the longer the chains are... And the other way around.

....... See this is why you don't ask me questions because I have xD Lots of thoughts

[deepseacityunderground]

i did a pokeymon tierlist that took me three hours to do ;-;

i put it and explainations under a cut because its so big lmao. if you want it to not be blurry then open it seperately in desktop idk

lesbian tier: self explainatory (ill explain why i like them so much later)

my babies: good designs, sentimental, AND i like fighting with them

sentimental tier: various favs across the years, theyre more individuals than species to me because of my memories with these guys.

i wish pokemon were real: for pokemon that make me say "i wish pokemon were real"

ebic: i like them lots and i like to have them on my team

the funny little creatures: i smile when i see them and i like them

intriguing: hmm there is something here... but i'm not quite getting it maybe?

not rlly interested: this one is self explainatory... if ur fav is here im sorry :( im sure these guys are cool i just dont rlly think about them ever

fucked up: i dont like seeing them they make me uncomfortable

scyther was my first partner in my first pokemon game :) it was diamond. i overtrained scyther way too much and he (because it was a boy scyther) would do that thing where he doesnt listen in battle so i build his entire moveset around it. he was lost when i transferred him to heartgold and then dropped heartgold in some water. rip scyther always in my heart

togekiss was my friend alongside scyther. she was the first pokemon i ever trained up to lv.100. she was also a victim of the heartgold incident. rip togekiss always in my heart.

absol was the only one from my initial gamebeating diamond team to survive the incident. she was transferred over to my copy of platinum and after i ended up losing diamond, remained there happily. i dont want to transfer her to bank or home because i think itd be like moving an old cat to a new house. i dont want to upset her at her old age. also absol's design fucks. emo fringe lynx. absol is what sparked my emotions about dark types. also i played pmd1 as a kid.

gengar is gengar. also i played pmd1 as a kid and read a copious amount of fanfic focused around pmd1 gengar (everyone go read pmd victory fire now it doesnt even matter that its on forever hiatus and ended with a cliffhanger go read it)

the tentacool variations are here purely out of sentimentality. when i was much younger, id let my little sister borrow my copies of the gen 4 pokemon games. she was really young and didnt really care about rpgs in general at the time, so shed always just explore and catch random pokemon instead of actually playing the games. one time, after i got the games back from her, i looked in my pc and saw like. two full boxes of tentacool and tentacruel that shed caught. and they've all got nose themed nicknames like "nosey" or "nosenose" and other stuff like that. so apparently she was surfing about and saw a tentacool for the first time and was just. obsessed with how they looked and thought they looked like big noses (with the red spots being like nostrils i think) and just decided to catch loads and loads of them because she liked them so much. so it became an inside joke between us. i dont really have much in common with my sister anymore and our relationship is pretty cold rn but pokemon is the one thing we still hold in common. and ill always associate tentacool with her.

we all know why grovyle is where he is. same with dusknoir. theyre also good designs.

i really dont like enamourus because its fucked up how they designed three big buff genie men and then made one that was pink and skinny. awful. makes me angry. if they were buff theyd be one of my favs tho.

i really dont like the pla designs for dialga and palkia... theyve already both got very busy designs and i think these forms are Too Busy. i really wanted to like them but well... i look at giratinas two forms and cry over what could have been.

i dont like the tumblr sexyman lizard.

a lot of pokemon are in higher tiers cus theyre based on animals i like... i like a lot of cat pokemon for this reason. also i like the litten line cus it fucks. and my litten in sumo was a female and i like the idea of big buff wrester catgirl :3 incineroar is a really good design and shes big and strong... whats not to love.

also, i generally like a lot of designs which other pokemon fans dislike... i especially love more humanoid/furry "feminine" designs like primarina, lilligant, gardevoir, lopunny, tsareena, etc etc... i really dislike how a lot of these designs are just seen as like sexygirl designs by the community... sadly porn will exist of everything but these pokemon are also creatures. theyre animals. they may look a bit like a girl but they are still magic animals. like one time in moon i had a whole team of grass girlies and it was just fun to hang out with my funny grass lady creatures.

i like giratina because theyre a big ass antimatter caterpillar. drawing giratina helped me draw antropomorphic caterpillars actually. i like their big ass legs.

all eeveelutions are CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the lunar duo are my ultimate fav pokemon forever as a team for a big mix of all the other reasons. partly its sentimentality, cus i really liked them as a kid and i would always chill on fullmoon island in my copy of platinum and just listen to the music, i also always tried to do the void glitch to get darkrai but i always fucked up and never quite saw her! (i couldnt do the event cus living in shitty rural region reasons) i also liked battling with them in oras :3 i think their designs are very well done. they remind me of the "swan" series by hilma af klimt specifically, which is a series i really liked on its own. i dont think that was intentional, but i was looking at the work about a year or so ago for an essay and i sorta realized how well the overall color palette of that series matches the pair and cresselia specifically, because shes based on a swan ofc. and ofc darkrai is also birdlike but in a more abstract way. she actually reminds me a bit of the skeletons of one of those really fucked up breed pigeons with the receeded necks and huge fantails and tiny beaks and weird spindly legs. i also really like how unabashedly edgy darkrai's design is... i feel a lot of nostalgia for edgy character designs from the mid 2000s which were edgy in a very un-selfaware way (another reason why i like absol specifically and also like. so many ghost and dark types) and as an angsty kid i always used to gravitate towards those designs lol. i also think its kinda romantic, the idea of a creature which kills others simply by being around them, a typhoid mary type creature, which isolates itself due to that, with its only friend also being the only creature that negates its negative affects. and also that creature killed a kid in america (fucked up). thats how i interpret their relationship. anyway ive been having lots of thoughts about them for like over 15 years.

this is unrelated but its kinda annoying when ppl use gendered pronouns for genderless pokemon... its not gonna ruin my days its just. funny lol (ignore that i have used she/her for darkrai throughout this entire comment... when i do it, its ok <3) one of the sad flaws of the pmd series imo bcus the mainline games dont do that at all.

in general i think my likes and dislikes are more dictated by character design/sentimentality as opposed to ability in battle or fanservice or competitive meta ... this is just part of being a longtime fan who doesnt rlly keep up with the community anymore methinks. im kinda beating myself up for not putting more complex thought into this buuut also i wanna be true to myself yknow... but then again this community sucks so i feel like im gonna be attacked for putting idk wingull too low or something lol

[princess-of-the-corner]

Now I'm interested, what are some of your favorite picks for the cast? Any choices that don't make sense on paper but you have an odd reason for?

Oh for the bnha pmd thing? Okay so they're all pokemon and like. I have. I have Thoughts™.

Like we brianstormed half of this ages ago in the discord and then I made a joke and we brought it back up and Aki is making their own spin on it now(I love this for you btw it's fun and I love seeing the overlap on our thoughts)

ANYWAY: Who is what pokemon!

So first off. All of 1-A are first stage evolution because they're baby.

Izuku - Oh boy. Short version: Mew 3 but thinks he's a Shaymin. Long story will swing back to it eventually

Katsuki - Riolu! I had narrowed it down to Riolu, Cyndaquil, or Mankey, all for appearance and vibes and some in the power category. But then it was pointed out that Riolu evolves through /friendship. and I just. The narrative there? Beautiful.

Ochako - Cleffa! They're from space!

Kiri - Sandshrew! I knew he'd be a ground or rock type and Sandshrew's a vibe and they're all pointy, but also because my AU has Kiri and Tetsutetsu as siblings I wanted something to fit both of them as they'd be the same thing, and main Sandshrew is ground but the Alolan one is part Steel for Tetsutetsu

Shoto - Vulpix, still a Chimera so he's both Kantonian and Alolan.

Denki - Pichu. Like how can I not he already gets the Pikachu jokes but Pichu is extra baby and can't yet control the electricity!

Jiro - Noibat! Just fuckin look at it!

Tsu - Froakie. Frog!!! Will eventually be a Greninja and look at the similarities!

Fumikage - Murkrow. Once again. Obvious choice.

Hagakure - Kecleon! Invisible baby!

Ojiro - Aipom! Monkey! Tail is a hand!

Sato - Milcrey but like. Big one.

Momo - Eevee. Simple but many possibilities!

Himiko - Zorua. Known for disguising!

Mei - Tinkaton. It just. It's pink and it builds weapons!!!!

Monoma - Smeargle. he copies things!

All Might - Palafin. IT'S LITERALLY THE ONLY PERFECT CHOICE

Recovery Girl - Blissey. Nurse pokemon!!

Present Mic - Chatot. I have to make the gay bird be the other gay bird it's a pmd story I have to!!

Midnight - Slazzle

Cementoss - Conkledurr

Power Loader - Exadrill

Nezu - Ironically, the one random Human who got yeeted into the pokemon world.

AfO - A VERY pissed off Mewtwo.

-

Going into the Todoroki drama for a second:

Enji is an Incineroar(Seriously LOOK AT IT).

Rei is an Alolan Ninetails, chosen because 1.) compatible with Incineroar and 2.) can make both fire and ice kids.

We're /kinda/ breaking some of how in-game genetics and abilities work for the kids to match their canon powers.

Toya is a Kantonian Ninetails but he got Snow Cloak instead of Flash Fire

Fuyumi is all Alolan

Natsuo is the opposite of Toya, being Alolan but having Flash Fire instead of Snow Cloak.

Shoto, as mentioned above, is a Chimera. So he got both the Kanto and Alola forms in one.

-

Swinging back to Izuku's bullshit: Basically Dad for One but with me yoinking from my other Monster AU.

AfO being a very pissed off Mewtwo. Has become the thing he hated and tried to make another Mew, resulting in Izuku. Baby Izuku ends up teleporting his ass out of there and is found by Inko(a Shaymin). Imprints on her as a mother figure and unconsciously uses the transform ability to copy her form. Inko does not know what happened there but that is a baby and it's hers now damn it. Izuku knows Inko isn't his mom but isn't aware that he's not a Shaymin.

[red-dyed-sarumane]

what are some cool games u have played? dont matter if u mentioned before. tell me again tell me again :D

uhh hmm.

well okami is my all time favorite the art & the music & the message/story are all just incredible theres not a single time ive finished it i havent cried. i absolutely adore ryoshima coast ive spent so many hours just running around there to listen to music. which fun fact for u i only know about this game bc in about 6th grade i picked up okamiden bc i thought the little doggy was cute & was like fine i'll play as this boy if i get a cool dog and u cannot imagine how excited i was to find out u DID play as the little dog. i was SOOOOO obsessed literally my exact thoughts were 'if issun is ammy's celestial envoy then i am going to be chibis' i have a metric fuck ton of fan art i did at the time bc i thought it was quote "the epic-est game for ds ever" also cried every time i finished it. i was 13 so i didnt know what "being down bad" was but do know i was as obsessed with kurow as i was with d-ne later and now tenshi not a single irl friend was unaware i was in love with him. also fun fact for u bc at the same time i was also getting super into vocaloid i was so convinced my vocap name would end up as chibiP to the point i named myself that in pkmn x chibiP after chibiterasu of course. please enjoy my banger old art which is not even a fraction of my output

yume nikki is my next favorite game specifically the og that changed my brain chemistry as a kid. i adore that game so much its hard to put it into words. its just so unlike anything else. there is absolutely nothing in the game that can directly harm u theres no real health meter theres no way to die during the main play the absolute worst that will ever happen is u get stuck or woken up. in a horror game. which is already just amazing. and the whole horror aspect just plays on something i dont think is often done as well in many other things. ur alone. u wander and wander thru worlds that loop and connect and seemingly have nothing to do with each other. theres no dialogue; talking to npcs just gets u a noise or animation at best. ur entirely alone with just urself. its all dreams so u know everything is of madotsuki's own creation, another layer to the all u have is urself feeling. the art is just unusual i cant even say any of it on its own is in anyway scary. the whole thing shouldnt be scary and yet every time i start wandering in a world i cant help but feel unease. amazing 10/10 no other game will ever have what this gave me.

everyone knows i play pkmn the best is still pmd sky that also rewired my brain i still cant play it without crying.

its been a long time since i was really just playing it as the chapters released & got translated but 1bitheart is so so so important to me too. i dont kin for multiple reasons but if i did nanashi would be my first choice. like- without saying that to her i got my one irl friend to play once & when she saw how nanashi was she turned to me and went "this is just you" hes very important to me even now. absolutely loved the whole friendship sim & the story & its twists & the endings & their implications left me in shambles at 1 am on a school night. my fave charas are nanashi enri & saaya btw. i should replay this.

i also love the etrian odyssey series i love the character portraits (esp with the more recent games' color customization) i LOVE the dungeon art & i think all the monster designs are so cool. adore the whole make ur own map aspect keeps me so entertained to take a step & look around & chart all the walls & path ways. unfortunately i fucking suck at every single one i am not very good at strategy games so i end up stuck at or before the 3rd stratum. but thats okay its still fun to me.

the other one i'll talk about at length is spirit of the north another game i loved the art of. u play as a fox & get a partner spirit fox & i just love it SOOOO much. its also a game with 0 dialogue but theres A Lot going on it if u care to follow along & explore & dig into details & the game play is also pretty fun to me. this is the one game i started learning the speedrun btw thats also a very fun way to play it but ABSOLUTELY play it as intended first it has so much to offer

aaaand special mentions to omori, oneshot, witch's house, mermaid swamp, corpse party, & limbus company

[artsyfyro]

Artfight 2023 Collection

This year’s Artfight has come and gone, and it was a pretty active year all things considered. Sent out a lot of attacks, and even got a lot of defenses, especially for Kilua this year. Since a lot of work went into the pieces I did this month, here’s each of the pieces I did for people.

Keep in mind that I was on Team Vampire, so next to the title of the piece, i’ll have a number that corresponds to the person it was for, attributed to near the bottom of the post, and in parentheses, a indicator on which type of piece it was, friendly fire, attack, revenge, etc. Without further ado... here’s what I did this year!

#Piece 1 - 20th Century Boys (Attack) Ft. Clarenze and Liam Signhson

#Piece 2 - Sweeping Blade of Grass (Attack) Ft. Parsley

#Piece 3 - Ballin’ (Attack) Ft. Slim Ridland (Ft. Daily Pyoro)

#Piece 4 - An Unlikely Trio (Attack) Ft. Ivy, Josie, and Wynne

#Piece 5 - Reaper in the Rain (Revenge) Ft. Drizzle

#Piece 6 - Salty Vaporwave (Revenge) Ft. Jewel

#Piece 7 - Hat Trick (Friendly Fire) Ft. Ferris and Mochi

#Piece 8 - Flower-Tailed Forest Dweller (Attack) Ft. Matcha

#Piece 9 - Sunflower Chu (Attack) Ft. Poppet (PMD ver.)

#Final Piece - Fluffy Aeromancer Dragon (With a Battleax) Ft. Aero

Credits:

1 - @clarenzesinghson 2 - @honeycrud 3 - @rachaelpyofren 4 - @madadrawing 5 - @dibblesdoodles 6 - SaltedGlaceons on Artfight 7 - @startistdoodles 8 - sweirde (Kira/Kemoki) on Twitter 9 - @snoofins Final - @noodlebean

Last Thoughts of the Event:

This year’s artfight I think was one of my favorites i’ve had so far (and i’ve only been around since 2021), but not without some added anxiety.

Some of that anxiety was expected stuff from artfight, like not being able to hit a couple people because I ran out of time and energy, and also dealing with artist burnout a couple time. But some other stuff was personal life stuff, and well... twitter becoming more and more of a trashfire.

That all being said, this year was also really fun. One of my favorite things to do over an artfight is find some way to improve on or just experiment with my art since I don’t really do “big colored pieces” very often, and this year certainly helped push that a little further. I experiment a lot with shading and backgrounds, and I think in hindsight, things like Pieces 2, 5, 6, 8, and Final ended up being my favorites to look at just because the colors and background all just work.

Some of them also allowed me to think up a couple ideas of scenarios to put the characters in that added to how I went about the piece. Pictures 4 and 7 especially clarify that, considering they depict a scenario or even a potential group dynamic that’s pretty fun to think on. 

Though what also was crazy was that I got attacked a lot more than I was expecting to going into this year. Like I expected at least a couple if I was actively participating, but I got hit with... well 7 technically, but one was a mass attack Volt was included in, not directed at me, so 6 officially. It was a neat surprise to keep waking up to a few of them, and a lot of them focused on Kilua, she got a lot of love this year. (dw, Volt got a couple too actually). I’m really happy about that, and I love all the drawings people did, they all capture something about the original designs that I love, while translated into their own styles. Dibnibs in specific went and even added backgrounds to them after the event passed, and they (not just mine but a couple of the others I saw) look awesome.

Whatever the case though, the event went really well. I got quite a few pieces sent my way, and I was able to put out a lot of pieces, and a lot of those pieces I really like how they came out. I was on Team Vampire this year, but I think I can say i’ll win either way because I only was on there because a lot of my mutuals were going werewolf, and I wanted to have opposition. That and, I just like Werewolves more. 

If anyone has questions for me about anything related to their art, my dms are open. And with that, thanks for a really fun year to everyone who participated. 

[bl0cky-comics]

Alright, so since I decided to join Tumblr to start posting my comics, I have been sort of laying low. Just getting to know my new surroundings. And boy, has it been an experience; I was hit by a bad joke by Jeff, saw PM Seymour's blog (big fan by the way), followed my favorites Pukicho and Advos, admired some Lego photography, rolled my eyes at a catgirl wishing death upon America... You know, all the usual stuff.

Now, I've been mostly hanging out in the Pokémon/PMD communities since I figure that's where I'll post most of my stuff. During which, I've come upon two realizations...

1. You guys really love Mewtwo and drawing yourselves as Pokémon.

2. All of you, and yes, you in the back, too, are INSANELY skilled artists.

This is no exaggeration. While some art styles aren't my favorite, all of the art I have looked at has ranged from good to awesome. I tip my hat to you, Tumblr.

Now the question is: OP, what is your art style?

In an ideal world, I would say "cartoony" or even "homestyle."

In the real world, I'd say my art style is... bad. Very bad.

Yep, that's my work. Both shoddily hand-drawn. Using a combination of office paper, BIC mechanical pencils, colored pencils, black pens, ultra fine Sharpies, and some hopes and dreams.

And that's assuming I don't mess up. If so, I have to be very careful that I don't smudge anything with an eraser. If I mess something up beyond repair, then I have to resort to nature's Photoshop, a.k.a. a glue stick and index cards. (To be fair, to the naked eye, they are indistinguishable. One of Swampert's eyes was made using this method.)

One thing I failed to mention about art on here is the amount of customization and personality there is. There are Original Characters and alternate stories out the wazoo, all unique from each other.

Me? Umm... I gave a tiny scar to a Blaziken and a pair of sunglasses to a Raichu.

The thing is, the first is a reference to the manga, and the other is an exact idea I've seen before that I'm just borrowing.

And that's just Pokémon. I have already given up on drawing humans, so I'm going to live up to my name and base my humans on square-like finger puppets. I'm not exaggerating.

So, in short, I suck as an artist, but I've done enough roasting my own drawings. Now, how do I appeal to a wide audience such as Tumblr? Well, I have already answered that: By being unique, sticking to their guns, and not giving a care.

While my art does need work, why should I stop myself from drawing and posting? Did all these artists and writers just give up because they thought they were bad or were actually bad? No, they stuck through and improved their craft, and I'll try my best to do so as well.

You might wonder where these drawings are coming from, and you're allowed to laugh at this; It is a PMD parody comic/song of "Another Irish Drinking Song" by Da Vinci's Notebook.

Now, this is a huge project. There will be around 72 panels if I estimate correctly, and since I have real-life stuff going on, this should take me at least 3 months to complete.

However, I promise I will complete this one way or another. It might take a while, but I am not giving up.

See you guys later. I need to get back to work.

[dukenjet]

PMD: Seven Heroes, Pulse One

Here’s a quick story I just throw together without planning. Might need at least a some understanding of what Pokemon is. Pleas point out grammar errors.

There were once seven Humans who fell from the sky and were turned into Pokémon. Each one with a heart shaped birthmark, they all became a great and powerful heroes. They would have many adventures and help many troubled lands.

One of these heros was named Hagar, he had became a Cinderace. He was brave and cared for his new home deeply, though he was not the beast at showing it. To put it bluntly, he was well... maybe this will explain it.

A young Raboot kicked in his bedroom door and began throwing his his belongings into a comically large briefcase. He was angry at his father, so angry in fact that it took almost all his concentration not to set the ship on fire with his feet.

Hagar: Son! (Stump Stump)

The Raboot rolled his eyes and sighed. He turned around as his father came into his doorway.

Hagar: Son what do you think your doing? What's with the case?

Kicks the son of Hagar, dropped a magazine he was holding into the case as he looked at him with a disgruntled look.

Kicks: Well DAD if you have to know, I’m quitting being a pirate going to go join an adventures guild.

Hagar: Kid! (rubs his forehead) I told you, your not joining some dumb guild!

Kicks: Guilds aren't dumb! There full of hero's who go out help people!

Hagar: Yha, we do that too, What's the big deal? Only difference are those dumb rules.

Kicks: There not dumb! Your just mad because you didn't listen when they told you not to go any deeper into GearTemple!

The room got quit, Kicks bit his lower lip. He got heated and shouldn't have brought that up. Hagar looked absolutely furious for a second before closing and taking in a deep breath.

Hagar: You are NOT going to join that group of, of, cowerds!

Kicks: But!

Hagar: NO BUTS!

Hagar slammed the door shut, swiping the key from kicks dresser and locking the door.

Kicks: HAY THATS NOT FAIR YOU LET MY SISTER DO WHAT SHE WANTS!!(Starts bang the door furiously)

Hagar: Thats because shes a grown up, your like 15!

This went on for several hours. In fact it was starting to get dark, so Hagar and his son stopped arguing just so the crew could get to sleep. When everyone had fallen to sleep, Kicks had gotten up from his bed and began to quietly finish packing and snuck out the window.

Kicks would often but heads with his father ever since Hagar had lost his wife. Because he blamed the Adventures Guild Leader who is one of the seven hero's, by the way. It was to dangerous to continue in the GearTeample too many members were getting hurt. However what ever was at the top the Dungeon was the only thing that could cure his sick wife, but when he reached the top on he had grown to weak to fight off the guardian on the final floor.

Its been seven days and Kicks was able to hitchhike his way to Blossom city, the biggest city on the planet. It was going to take Hagar a long time to find him when he get here. That would give him at least a few more days to get set up. With his own explores badge and everything. There it was, The tall blue building with the words ”Ebony’s Adventures Guild” in big yellow letters.

Kicks: Squee! :D

He was almost skipping with delight, if it weren't the heavy suitcase. He made his way up to the front desk and asked about forming a an adventure team. After taking a survey, he was called to Ebony’s office. He thought he was being called into the office for being the sun of the famous hero, as he touched the door handle he realized Ebony might not approve of someone's kid running from home. He hoped that she might be a bit more understanding.

Boy was he wrong.

Ebony the Absol had just got off the phone when he walked in.

Ebony: Oh good I just got of the line with you're father.

Kicks: DAMN IT!

Ebony was about to explain when the little Raboot feel to his knees and started begging. It took her a full minute to calm him down.

Ebony: He said you can join.

Kicks: What.

Ebony: But only if can find some at least one other Pokemon who are willing to start an adventure team, before he gets here by tomorrow.

Kicks: (Blinks a few times, then pinched his arm) I’m not dreaming, why?

Ebony: He said that he wanted to make sure you were serious about this.

Kicks: More like he thinks I can’t pull it off!

Ebony: That wouldn't surprise me either.

After Kicks left he began to ask around the guild but by the time he was out of the office everyone new had pretty much already picked who they wanted as teammates. So he had out to town square, nobody was interested. Mostly because they were afraid of the dangers, or because they didn't want to risk there lives for strangers.

He had walked all over town square and the park. But now it was getting dark. The sky turned orange and yellow as the moon loomed over the town. He looked up at the large rownde satellite. He really didn't want to go back to the ship. It just doesn't feel like it used to with out Ma. Hagar knows this and Kicks cant bare to his Father slowly fall apart.

Kicks: I just want one friend who can help us.                                                 

Kicks: Wait what's that thing?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

He had to squint in order to see it at first, a speck in the sky.

                              aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

Kicks: Is that a, HOLY!                                                                                  

                                                               AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!SPLAT!!

Some sort of screaming purple goo landed right onto his face. He fell onto his back as the purple thing bounced off him and hit a tree. As the stuff slid down the tree if made a painful groaning sound. Kicks slowly got back up onto his feet, he wasnt hurt but the wind sure did get knocked out of him. He looked over at the thing he realized that goo. Was a Ditto! He looked back up trying to find out were and how it got up there.

Ditto: Oh man how many bite sized pizza snacks did I eat before bed?

They raised there little stubby arms in front of there face.

Ditto: Oh GLOB! I’ve set Infront my computer monitor for so long the radiation has mutated my body into a horrible blob monster!

Kicks approached as the Ditto rambled on about mutans and stuff he didn't under stand.

Kicks: Umm are you okay?

The little blob froze and stared at him with its beady dark eyes.

Ditto: And now I am hallucinating that a giant emo bunny is talking to me! WHAT HAS MY LIFE CAME TOO!

Kicks: I’m not an emo!

Kicks walked up to the Ditto and looked over him.

Kicks: Dude calm down, I’m pretty sure that's Ditto supposed to look like.

Ditto: A what? What's that? What are you?

Kicks: Were uhh Pokemon? How did you forget that?

That’s when kicks saw it, in the core of this blob was a was a heart shaped spot. That’s when he realized it was a human, like his Father.

To be continued?

CHARECTERS: HAGAR the Human turned Cinderrace, KICKS the RABOOT son of Hagar, EBONY the Human turned Absol and ??? the Human turned Ditto.

[razzle-zazzle]

Top ten fav video games?

Oh boy oh boy oh boy

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. Nostalgia baybeeeeee!! Game I played the most on my DSi as a child.

OR/AS was my intro to mainline pokemon games, Sun and Ultra Moon are held in high regards because of ✨Primarina✨, but I also have a particular fondness for randomized Platinum/White/HeartGold because the randomizer creates so much chaos.

Minecraft! I haven't played it in forever but sometimes it's nice to go into creative mode and spend several hours building a fancy mage tower. And the entire time I'm building it I have a cutesy little hut set up for all of my cats to be warm and safe in.

Miitopia on the switch is funny as fuck actually. Even ignoring the meme potential this game had me by the throat during the summer and it's starting to grab me again. Paris wrote Alekai a poem and his response was "okay" and then Darli got jealous of Alekai. Zach Varmitech is the prickly husband in Neksdor in all three of my saves. The twerkeys slaughtered me

I bought Terraria on a whim a while back because I went, "hey, I have money now." It didn't work right away but when it did I used TEdit to give myself a terraprisma so I wouldn't die every five seconds lmao

Clubhouse Games! Recently got the switch version because I loved playing it on the DS.

Igor™ The Game for the wii. I remember barely anything about it but I also know that I completed it multiple times, which is really notable since I didn't usually complete games as a child (in fact, I don't think I ever beat PMD so. yeah). Also it's a fun movie and I liked the game a lot :]

I loved Super Scribblenauts as a kid. I spent so many hours just dicking around in playground mode; I used the level editor to make cool new maps for playground mode; it was a fun game for me. The Scribblenauts games for the 3DS (I have Unmasked and Unlimited) didn't have playground mode and that's honestly their biggest drawbacks.

Kirby's Epic Yarn. Played it nearly every time I visited my dad's, completed it multiple times. Loved customizing my apartment :]

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. I know nothing of the Might & Magic lore I just know that I thought the game looked cool when my aunt played it and then when I got it for myself I spent hours playing through the campaign so I could unlock all the characters in the quick battle mode.

[the-elder-beato]

give me your pokemon hot takes and be MEAN

1. Sword and Shield are boring, hand-holdy, regressive, annoying, awful excuses for games and $30 of DLC in addition to the $60 base game do not make up for that. I don’t care what features the DLC brought back, I don’t care what new shit it added, you still have to slog through that main game just to get even a whiff of maybe passable content. Also if you’re a Hop uwu baby boy defender I hate you, you are the reason we’re going to get stopped every 5 steps by some stupid NPC in every future game

2. I really thought this would be a popular opinion but tumblr has proven me wrong so: Incineroar sucks, it’s pseudo fire/fighting furbait. I get the fucking theming, I get that it’s meant to be a wrestler heel, but it doesn’t change the fact that Gamefreak got my hopes up with a fire starter staying quadrupedal in its 2nd stage for once, and then completely killed it with the final form. I cannot stand unnecessary bipedal Pokemon and I will die on the hill that Decidueye deserved the Smash slot that this thing got instead

3. Robin is gonna kill me for this one but. Gates to Infinity is like.. bad to me instead of awful. I hate what it did to the future of the PMD series, I hate the slow text speed, I hate the lack of starter options and Pokemon in general, and I especially hate the dumb, Danganronpa-esque plotline of having to overcome despair and having to read these long fucking spiels from dogs and bugs and rats about how life isn’t worth living because someone sent them a letter saying that they don’t want to be friends anymore.

But there’s actually a lot of stuff I like about it that I wish were in a better game, like I like the group dynamic and the fact that you and the partner kind of cobble together this bunch of Pokemon that all have different strengths and relationships and form a bond together. I like the idea of Pokemon Paradise even though it’s unfortunately mostly useless. I love the music, and I really love the fucking glacier dungeons, those still hold up really well graphics-wise. Don’t get me wrong, this is still the worst main mystery dungeon in the series and coming off the heels of Sky it never had any hope of competing especially with all the corners they cut but I don’t find it completely unenjoyable. I can’t recommend it at all but yeah I actually have some nice things to say about it (sorry)

4. Pokemon Rumble and Rumble Blast are some of the best side games Pokemon has to offer. It’s satisfying to play, the music’s pretty good, and the wind up toy aesthetic is just so fucking fun and cute. Half the fun for me is recruiting new mons and seeing what their squished-ass chibi forms look like, I love it. I’ve seen a lot of people call this series repetitive and same-y, and like yeah sure the first game was a WiiWare title, it wasn’t exactly made with longevity in mind, but I still think they are very fun and enjoyable if you just feel like beating Pokemon up for a while and laughing at how tiny their arms are in this art style

5. The 4Kids dub is good and it won’t kill you to call the characters by their dub names. Rachel Lillis, Eric Stuart, and Maddie Blaustein absolutely make the Team Rocket dynamic as good as it is. The only thing that bothers me about the dub is that after the first season, they stopped keeping in all the original BGM which sucks cause they have a ton of bops. Other than that, it’s a perfectly enjoyable watching experience (until the VA’s changed in season 9 but that’s a whole other can of worms)

[moe-broey]

Fuck it my brain feels super clogged so I'm posting my agenda with little to no context + one doodle idk if I'll color but I kinda want to but I kinda don't LMFAO

(wips I'm hoping to return to ect ect, just a few snippets from a larger Thing)

[meister-draws]

I love your NSR\Pokemon Mystery Dungeon crossover! Just out of curiosity, what ‘mons would the other artists be? I was thinking Cosmoem or Minior for DJSS and Primarina for Sayu, but I dunno about the others.

Thank you, I’m happy that you liked it anon! 😚

And I’m glad you asked because I actually already have ideas for what the other artists could be (and will be very happy to draw them if other people want me to 😉)

I’ll list everything under a readmore since this is gonna get very rambly. Anyone’s welcome to give their thoughts and ideas in the replies too.

DJSS

There aren’t that many space-themed pokemon so narrowing down some fitting choices for him is hard but my first choice for him would be Deoxys, specifically the defense form since it’s more similar to DJ’s silhouette. They both can change their shape to some degree, they both have spaghetti arms, and they both have an orb as part of their designs, the only difference being DJ’s orb being his head and Deoxy’s orb in its chest actually being its brain. But if you don’t like the idea of him being a mythical pokemon then minior is a good option for him too, and a hilarious one because DJ is supposed to be a huge and hefty guy and then you got minior who is tiny. Aesthetically, Cosmoem would’ve been a good choice for him, but idk how I feel about assigning him a pokemon that’s literally described to be a lifeless cacoon.

Sayu

If we were to consider Sayu’s form changes, I would actually make her the entire Popplio line; Popplio being the 1st standard form, Brionne being the 2nd, and Primarina being the 3rd. I’ve also thought about what team Sayu could be too; Tila being Jigglypuff, Remi being Smeargle, Dodo being a Kirlia, and Sofa maybe being a Porygon or a Porygon2. In the PMD world, Sayu could be an illusion brought to life thanks to the efforts of Dodo’s psychic abilities and the like.

DK West

If Zuke is a Treecko/Grovyle, then by default DK West would be Grovyle/Sceptile. The reason I picked the Treecko line for Zuke is because of the chill vibes the entire line gives off, and West is pretty chill too in his own way. Otherwise, he could be something like a Gengar for its ability to manipulate shadows and a tendency to mess with others (i.e. Zuke)

Yinu and Mama

It’s pretty obvious that they’ll be a Budew and a Roserade because of the rose motif, although I think Yinu could work as a Roselia too. I think it could work for her character as a prodigy for a young child like her to have already evolved.

1010 and Neon J

I could be predictable and make 1010 the eeveelutions; Red/Zimelu = Flareon, Blue/Purl-Hew = Vaporeon, Yellow/Haym = Jolteon, Green/Eloni = Leafeon, White/Rin = Glaceon or Sylveon, but I also like the idea of making 1010 Pawniards and Neon J a Bisharp because all of Bisharp’s pokedex entries talk about how it commands its own troop of Pawniard. Plus Pawniard and Bisharp are all part steel type which works with their robot/cyborg aesthetic well

With that said, I don’t not like the idea of making 1010 the eeveelutions. After all, what the two groups have in common is that while they’re both widely beloved they are also incredibly overrated. It just leaves the question of what Neon J could be because so far my other best pick for him would be Xurkitree, because both of them have a passion for dance apparently. And idk about you but there’s something very endearing about an extraterrestrial lifeform and a bunch of dogs adopting each other as a family unit. Sometimes a family can be some sentient cables and their five dogs.

EDIT: FALINKS! Falinks is also a good choice for 1010 and NJ! Can’t believe I forgot about them they were so obvious 🤦‍♀️

EDIT 2: A friend from a discord server I’m in also suggested Silvally for Neon J for the eeveelution 1010s. Silvally Neon J can change his type to reflect the boys’ much like how he can use them as weapons in the final phase of 1010′s fight

Eve 

It’s either Gardevoir or Medicham. Gardevoir can distort dimensions and its design suits Eve’s diva aesthetic well. But if Gardevoir’s too predictable of a choice, I also suggest Medicham because they both have a similar colour scheme (white and magenta) and Medicham’s mega evolution sprouts another pair of hands like how Eve can.

Tatiana

I want Tatiana to be some kind of legendary, preferably a fire type. Dialga sounds fitting because both of them have time control abilities, but then I saw someone suggest Groudon for Tatiana too which I also really like the idea of. Some less powerful and non-deity-like options I’ve considered are Entei and Moltres, both kantonian and galarian, though I think galarian Moltres matches Tatiana's intimidating stature more. I had also considered Arcanine for her too, even though it’s not a legendary pokemon in a true sense it is classified as ‘the legendary pokemon.’

BONUS

Kliff

I really like the idea of Kliff being a Rotom for his gift at hacking into machines and being tech savy.

Ellie the Alligator

A Totodile. They both almost look alike. She could be Team B2J’s third member

[infini-tree]

FANFIC: against all odds - part 2

prev | next

Summary: One time they dwell on the thought of being caught, and the one time they were. It all works out, kind of. (Piqua Mystery Dungeon)

A/N: ‘i make no promises,’ i say, immediately writing the third fic for this au in one week? have I ever mentioned that the first thing I made fancontent of was the first pmd game?

Also, this really is just an opportunity to practice writing more scenes with the boys and figure out their tone.

_____________________________

George recalled a time when his dad called him precocious. 

What does that mean, he remembered saying. 

It means that you’re very smart for your age, his dad replied with a grin. You already get basic type matchups and dungeon theory better than most groups your mom’s mentoring in the guild she’s workin’ with!

The snivy had let out a laugh at the mental image of himself trouncing a bunch of grown-ups. Whoa, really?

Swear on the Lake Trio’s jewels, he said, putting up a hand to his chest, and he let out a little giggle as he lifted him up, up, up.

Experiencing the real thing was a bit of a-- well, maybe disappointment wasn’t the right word. Accurate, but not fitting. Tedious, maybe. The long stretches of nothing in-between took up more time than the actual dungeons themselves. He looked over to Harold, and he knew he felt the same.

The walk was silent and oppressive. George unfurled his vine-tie slightly and something fell out and onto his palm. It was a shiny half of a disc, but upon closer inspection its lustre had flaked away to reveal the clay underneath.

Sometimes he would turn the thing over in his hands, but if he had to be honest he had no idea why he kept the remains of the novelty hypno pendulum.

When the snivy first used it, he hadn’t expected anything to happen. He heard tales of the line being able to hypnotize its foes to sleep, and in the more outlandish stories suggest them to do something. Ultimately, it was a desperate act, and maybe that desperation was the thing that made it work.

It wouldn’t be the strangest thing that happened to them, but it had the distinction of being one of the first.

The latest strange thing was the quiet. Him and Harold knew Krupp-- knew how to get under his skin in record time, how to avoid him, the works. They knew how explosive his temper was-- even for an ice-type!

They also know that he was at its worst when he was quiet, so when the abomasnow didn’t react to the bombshell that was being Captain Underpants, it was... unnerving.

For the past few minutes, the boys were giving each other a Look, nudging the other into asking what was on both of their minds. Eventually, hesitance wore into mild frustration. George sighed, then pointed a glance Harold-wards that meant you owe me before breaking the silence with a long “Uuuuuuuh...”

“Yes?” Krupp cut in.

The snivy flipped the pendulum piece to his other hand. “Aren’t you mad?”

“About what?”

“About, you know-- hypnotizing you?” When no answer came, he prodded with, “Being Captain Underpants?”

The pine needles on his arm adjusted themselves in agitation. The snow on it sloughed off at the sudden motion and the boys had to step around the snow drift that was now on the middle of the road.

“You are mad!” Harold interjected.

The abomasnow’s tail slammed to the ground. “Of course I’m mad.”

“What he means is, we kind of expected, I dunno, yelling?” George explained. “Something about how we’re literally the worst-- anything!”

His pace slowed down. Krupp finally looked back at them for the first time since they explained the whole thing, but the expression was all wrong. His brow was more pinched in confusion than frustration. “What, you want me to yell at you?”

“No, but we’re kind of expecting it and would like to get it over with,” the snivy said with a shrug.

The temperature dropped several degrees. There was the frustration. Harold brought himself closer to George, and he leaned into the fluffy warmth.

“Get it over with--” Krupp spluttered. “We are literally being hunted down by every team this side of the region. Someone claiming to be one of my students from the future is spearheading that hunt and not only are pokemon listening to that, but he ripped my guildmaster title from me in what is essentially a forceful takeover.”

A thin layer of frost began forming on the path.

“I’m sorry I’m not dedicating every moment of my time being the World’s Worst Guildmaster, but some of us here have priorities. Like, say keeping himself and two children from not dying on his watch? From not getting caught?” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you know what they’re going to do to us if they catch us?

“I know those idiotic comics were a parody of the actual stories, but do you know what you’re parodying in the first place?” Puffs of frost breath punctuated each breath. “I know neither of you like applying yourselves, but you have to be at least a little aware.”

Harold had taken to picking at the ground with one of his front hooves. George traced a digit over the edge of the broken piece anxiously. Neither of them spoke up.

“Are you satisfied with that lecture?” And just like that, the frost started to melt. It slowly got warmer. “Because I’m not.”

(The boys never liked the quiet in general. Maybe that was why they were always so offput whenever he was.)

_____________________________

It wasn’t long before Krupp and Captain Underpants started talking. They kind of expected that. More often than not, they would wake up to scratching noises as one of them tried to write in the dirt with one of their pine needles.

What was more surprising was how quickly they had compromised on the whole switching thing.

“I’m good at fighting, and Guildmaster is good at planning travel stuff,” Captain explained as he floated them over to where the stairs were. “Neither of us are good at puzzles, but at least we haven’t encountered any!”

“Just like that?” Harold tilted his head.

The abomasnow ground his teeth in what was his attempt at a grimace. It looked weird on his face. “He said it was a matter of practicality, and working with what we’re good at makes sens-- ACH!”

His body tensed up in pain, and he instinctively held them closer to protect them. Harold began to struggle in his tight grip, eyes darting in every direction to figure out what had hit them.

“Captain? What’s wrong?” Panic began to creep into George’s tone.

“Hey, guys,” a familiar voice cut in.

George and Harold paled at the sight of Erica clambering up on the abomasnow’s shoulder. Even in the gloom of the dungeon, the violet crest around her neck glinted.

And Captain was going down, down, down. They braced for impact.

_____________________________

Erica, out of the boys’ circle of friends, was one of the ones who was more in-tune into their misadventures and ready to lend a helping hand. Erica was also the scariest guildmember-slash-student they’ve ever met; she had a cool head and popped up where you least expected. 

It was honestly no surprise that out of everyone, she was the first one who cornered them, and right between the stairs out of this place, too!

“What did you do to him?” Harold yelled, nudging the abomasnow to his feet. 

Captain looked, for a lack of a better word-- terrible. He looked like one more hit would do him in. While landing face-first would definitely leave a mark, they knew him long enough that it shouldn’t leave him straining.

And that’s when George finally noticed what was in the axew’s hands. In one hand was the three-pronged pounce wand that brought her up there with them, whining as the last vestiges of its power left it. In the other, the spiked two-edged wand also making a dying down noise-- it was most likely the thing that brought them down.

“Relax, I just didn’t want you guys to immediately fly off.”

Still, there were more pressing questions, like, “Why are you helping Melvinborg?” George made a face like the name was as bitter as the duosion’s personality.

“We all... kinda got no choice,” Erica replied with the nonchalance of listing off the day’s errands. The only thing that betrayed her was how she gripped the now-defunct wands in a vicegrip. Then, belatedly, “Sorry.”

“Wait, wait, wait, um-- uh--” Captain rushed forward in front of them, his arms spread out to protect them despite his fatigue. His face was scrunched up in the way he does when he was overthinking and none of them could tell whether it was because of the abomasnow’s fatigue or because he really didn’t know that he settled on, “Before you, uh-- take us in-- Plungerina can we talk, one human-turned-pokemon to another?”

To Erica’s credit, she was only tripped up for a moment before she steeled herself for a bit of improv. “Sure, right after I catch you.” She lunged forward and--

Tripped. Somehow. She poked her head up to look at the one entrance to the room, then seeing that no one was there, she opened her backpack and threw a box at their feet.

“Oh no, I am petrified,” she said, practically announced for all the floor to hear. Then, in a more regular speaking volume, “I hope they don’t take the care package I dropped that has supplies and letters from their friends and family.”

There was a moment of silence as the three of them processed what she said. And when they did, George put it in his satchel. “I... thanks, Erica.”

“You’re not welcome, because you stole from me, remember?” she said with a conspiratorial wink. She turned her attention to Captain. “You got one question before the rest catch up.”

“Do you know what they’re going to do to us once you turn us in?” The abomasnow was concerned, to put it mildly. But his tone reminded Harold of the same one he had when he asked long ago where dad went. Naïve, but you knew deep down.

Considering his talks with Krupp, he probably knows in some capacity.

“I figured you’ve been in tough scrapes like this, but I suppose maybe not?” His arms lowered. Harold looked at him worriedly; his pine needles were still shot up and pierced through his cape, despite the lull.

The axew appraised him for a moment, and she noticed the needles, too. “It’s weird to see you think this hard about anything.”

The boys grimaced at how blunt she was, but its definitely crossed their minds.

“It’s weird to think hard about anything!” Captain laughed.

“To answer your question, no, I don’t,” she frowned. “Knowing Melvin, and by extension Melvinborg, it’s probably something else than the, uh... standard. You know how he is with tinkering dungeon items to be more potent.”

And just like that, Captain’s cheery mood was back, even if it was a little more sedate than usual. The needles settled to its more natural position. “Okey-dokey, thanks Plungerina!”

All four of them tensed up at the sudden sound of shouting.

“Time’s up,” she gave a half-smirk half-smile. “Also, there’s a petrify orb in the package. Gotta make this look convincing, you know?”

“O-- oh!” George floundered for a moment before opening the box and taking it out. It let out a low hum.

“Don’t expect this to be a repeat thing,” she added, in the tone of voice that mean to definitely expect it. She stared at him, sensing his hesitance. “Relax, I’ll be fine-- the other teams are coming up and will bring me back first before getting to you. It’ll buy you a bit more time.”

The snivy was still a bit unsure about the whole prospect, but he held it high anyway. It flashed and it froze Erica in place before disappearing in a puff of smoke. And then they ran for the stairs.

(And then they continued to run.)

[wildbootsappeared]

My Favorite Reads of 2020

I read quite a bit in 2020, so I wanted to share some of my favorite books and fics.

I work in the teen department of my library, so I read a lot of YA. I think that fic and YA are looked down on for similar reasons: both are supposedly the domain of teenage girls, childish and of dubious quality. I’ve definitely read YA novels that were no better than fic, and I’ve also definitely read fic that was better than most YA novels I’ve encountered. Fic can be more thought-provoking than one might assume, and YA can be way more salacious than one might assume. YA has gotten way cooler and way higher quality than what was available when I was a teen ... and so has fic!

That said, not all of my favorite reads of 2020 were YA, but a lot of them were. Go read some of these--it’s good for your brain.

In no particular order ...!

Mainstream Fiction

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Genres: Young Adult, fantasy, mystery

Keywords: ghosts, LGBT (ace), Native American (Apache), crime solving

Two words: ghost dog!! In a version of the US that’s a lot like ours but more magical, Ellie (short for Elatsoe) is a Lipan-Apache girl who can raise the ghosts of animals from the dead. When her cousin is murdered, she has to go toe-to-toe with the elites of Willowbee, TX to get justice for her family.

The Little Drummer Girl by John LeCarre

Genres: political fiction, romance

Keywords: Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 1970′s, spies, double agent, middle east, bombings

Copied from the original summary: You want to catch the lion, first you tether the goat. Joseph is an Israeli intelligence officer, and Charlie has been wooed to flush out the leader of a Palestinian terrorist group responsible for a string of deadly bombings. Still uncertain of her own allegiances, she debuts in the role of a lifetime as a double agent in the "theatre of the real."

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribray

Genres: Young Adult, political fiction, realistic fiction

Keywords: Philippines, drug war, Duterte, family, murder

When Jay’s cousin Jun dies, supposedly because of selling and/or using drugs (a crime punishable by extrajudicial murder in the Philippines), Jay is convinced there must be more to the story. He travels back to the Philippines to try to uncover the truth of his cousin’s death, his family, and who his cousin really was. (Made me cry. Twice.)

Dread Nation by Justine Ireland

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, historical fiction

Keywords: Post-Civil War, zombies, racism, LBGT (ace, bi)

In this book, the Civil War was ended not because the north won but because the dead rose from the battlegrounds. Now, the dangerous work of fighting the undead falls to black and brown folks while the white folks hide behind the safety of the walls. Balancing humor against cutting commentary on race in US, this story kicks so much ass.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

Genres: Fantasy, novella

Keywords: LBGT (non-binary), ancient China (kind of)

A cleric records the history of an empire newly fallen and remade, cutting back and forth in time between the present and the recollections of Rabbit, former handmaiden to the empress. 

Fanfic

I’m sorry to report that all but one of these are works in progress. (Two of them are close to finishing, though, and likely will in 2021.)

art by @helloyellow17​

envy of eden by kintsugi

Genres: xenofiction/pokecentric, trainer fic

Keywords: achronological, N, Unova, pokemon rights, myth

This fic takes to heart the idea that pokemon don’t tell lies and then gives the pokemon a platform to speak, making a case for “N was right.” It asks pointed questions about sacrifice, consent, personhood, and what it means to be a hero. Come to have your heart broken, stay for gardens and maybe a yogurt cup.

The Suicune’s Choice by An Author’s Pen

art by kintsugi

Genres: trainer fic

Keywords: Hoenn, OC, pokemon rights, myth, Suicune

Don’t let the title fool you: it is Hoenn fic (with some Johto mythology). It’s about a sweet boy at the end of his training career who has a religious epiphany at the worst possible moment (OR the best one?) and ends up on a path of no return.

Dragon’s Dance by An Author’s Pen

Genres: trainer fic, journey fic

Keywords: Johto, Kanto, Lance/Wataru, Team Rocket, dratini, pre-canon

He started from the bottom, now he’s here: a tale of Lance’s rise from child exile to leader of the Elite Four. All he needs to become strong is a big dragon or two, right? Right??

Broken Things by Vulterine Queen

Genres: trainer fic, journey fic

Keywords: OC, Alola, A-vulpix, LGBT, trans, camping, apocalypse, abuse, psychics, alt-earth

Three kids with Problems(TM) travel across Alola, camping, bickering with each other, and slowly (slowly!) becoming less-shitty people.

Salvage by Negrek

Genres: trainer fic, pokemorph

Keywords: mew, mewtwo, Team Rocket, black comedy, horror

The child is not quite human and not quite pokemon, but it’s all trouble. Its quest to rescue Mew from the Rockets forces it to team up with some unlikely friends (this is definitely the wrong word). This quest has a body count.

Those Who Will Inherit the Earth by love

Genres: PMD

Keywords: environmentalism, horror, deal with the devil, leafeon, completed

Poppy the leafeon doesn’t want much: to spend time with her friend Lavender and to take care of the natural world. But the Guild’s attitude towards conservation (it’s not interested) forces her to take a much more aggressive approach to protect what she loves.

Parliament of Steel by girl-like-substance

art by Cooltrainer Jim

Genres: xenofic

Keywords: Jasmine, magneton

Told from the perspective of a massive magneton hivemind, this fic explores personhood and trust with some very cool world-building thrown in.

Another Verse by Farla

Genre: trainer fic, journey fic, novelization

Keywords: horror, Alola, food

Farla’s speciality is using canon details to shed light on the fridge horror canon implies but sweeps under the rug. Bonnibel is a good trainer and she’s having a great time. And lots of snacks. A misery tour of Alola with delicious darkness.

[icelyrev]

PMD: Abyss (Teaser)

(Trigger Warning: The following content contains sensitive themes that are not suitable for all audience.)

On the rooftop of an eight-story high building stood a frail young man preparing to jump off its edge. He shivered when a gust of cold wind kissed his bruised face as he stared down at the street below him. It was late, clouds covered moon dimming his surroundings with only a few street lights illuminating the pavement that was soon to be his grave. There were no signs of life walking nor driving by, he slowly crept nearer the edge of the building showing no fear and regret. Tears flowed down his swollen cheeks, breathing heavily as he weeps.    

‘You useless brat! We should have aborted when we had the chance!’ He recalled his own father screaming at him, ‘You fucking piece of shit!’ punching him on the face ‘You’re nothing but a nuisance to this family!’ He cried harder losing every ounce of hope in this world, ‘I never wanted you so kill yourself!’ And he did, lifting his right foot forward tipping himself off balance, falling down head first. He never felt loved from his parents everything he did was a mistake, he was a mistake, this world never felt home to – SMASH!

“AHHHH!” the boy screamed bolting upwards in shock, “What was that…? Huh… where am I?” he said frantically looking around beside him. He was laying on a patch of grass and was surrounded by tall dark trees, realizing he was alone in the middle of a forest at night.

The moon hardly brightened his surroundings because of the thick leaves and branches above him, “This can’t be right, I’m supposed to dead” he wailed, “I’m dead… am I? I can’t remember what happened… Who am I?” He was confused, rubbing his aching head trying to remember how it happened, but he felt something was wrong, he felt claws against his forehead instead of fingers.

He gasps looking at his hands were now paws resembling of a small bear, “What! Where are my hands!?” THUMP!  He stood up too quickly and stumbled back down to the ground. “How did this happen?” looking down at his small feet “I’m supposed to be human.”

The boy tried to stand up again slowly while grabbing the trunk of the tree beside him. Trying to rediscover his sense of balance and started walking wobbly, he walked in a straight line learning not to trip and fall. He went towards the center of the patch of grass and surveyed the area, looking around the dim forest for a safe place to stay until the sun rises, he then felt his throat was dry in need of something drink, “I need water and food, maybe I can find somebody for help.”

He turned around and looked for a source of water, it was too dark to see through the thick trees of, so he tried to listen for rushing water and walk towards the source of the noise, he walked quietly through the murky forest to avoid attracting any unwanted threat. The forest was eerily quiet, he could only hear crickets and the snap of twigs beneath his feet. ‘This isn’t working the way I hoped’ he thought to himself, while walking he noticed something shining to his far right of the forest.

He walked closer to the source hoping it was an open lake that people lived nearby, he was getting nearer, the light grew brighter and his heart was beating faster and faster with anticipation. “I’m almost there!” he said as he was practically running towards the light and forgetting his dark surroundings. Hope was surging through him, ‘maybe this is his new life’ he thought as tears flows down his eyes, ‘I want peace, I need peace!’ He gradually quickens his pace towards the light moving away from his fears, leaves and twigs shuffles loudly as he steps, panting heavily as he runs closer and closer…

“I’m here!” he screamed, as he burst out of the forest and his breathe hitches “I’m…” sniffs “here…” He was standing near a huge pond with less trees covering the moon, the boy gazed at the pond longingly, the water was clear and had a perfect reflection of the moon shinning above him. He walked closer and kneeled over the edge, he looked at his arms and saw he had orange-brown colored fur with stubby paws and small claws, he looked further down and saw he had a small lean belly, and a short round puffy tail behind him. He leaned slowly toward the pond and saw a familiar bear with crescent moon on his forehead, round ears, a black nose and eyes. He was a Teddiursa.

(Hey thank you for reading m first fanfic on PMD, It’s still a work in progress and will update as soon as I can.)