#my johto hot takes can get their own posts

[konotton]

I don't get how there are people who prefer Kirby Super Star to Kirby Super Star Ultra when the latter is just the same game but greatly expanded

Pokémon fans are known for being easily nostalgiabaited but man they're not the only ones

[dipplinduo]

1. What's your favorite Legendary Pokemon and why? 2. If you could Kieran any legendary (other than the Gen 9 legends), which would you give and why?

Omg a random ask for my personal opinions?? I'm touched B)

1. What's your favorite Legendary Pokemon and why?

(I'm using these specific classifications as I answer your question)

So hot take but I don't really feel too strongly about most of the legendaries 💀 I seem to be more of a sub-legendary and mythical pokemon fan by happenstance, so I'm just gonna expand my response with them since I'm more interested in them.

Strictly Legendary:

I like Lugia and Mewtwo because of their respective movies, but I honestly think I'm most attached to Cosmog by a long shot. I don't have too much of an articulate answer behind as to why other than Gen 7 really nailed the landing with creating an attachment to the curious lil' thing and I love it so much :') I just love its personality, and would 100% love to keep it as a little pet and yell at it to get in the bag. xD

Sub-Legendary:

THIS THING. THIS THING GAVE ME HELL CATCHING IT IN MY FIRST D/P PLAYTHROUGH AND IT MADE ME WANT IT SOOOOOO BAD LOOOL

I really, really, really loved the concepts behind the lake trio and what they represented, and was particularly drawn to Mespirit at the time (although Uxie lowkey has the best cry). Nowadays the trio is almost neck-and-neck even, tbh.

I also have thoroughly enjoyed Ogerpon - she's the only legendary I've actually opted to use in my main team throughout all the gens because I got attached and didn't like the other grass pokemon options.

Blacephalon is also a weird take I can't explain. I love the chaos and variety of colors in its design. It just seems very chaotic and strange as is. OH, AND THE DOG TRIO FROM JOHTO. AND LATIOS AND LATIAS. GOD I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM IN EVERY MEDIA.

Mythical:

OOOOH this one is VERY close because I love, love, love the mythicals apparently. Celebi's connection to time, the movie, THE GAMES, and the overall atmosphere behind it is just 110% my kind of personal aesthetic lmao. Like I'd love to have this little fairy are you kidding me???

Shaymin is a very very close second. I love how it has two forms and love its connection to nature. My connection to this pokemon in particular also grew because I associate it with the late memory of someone close to me who passed away. I think of them with this pokemon, so it holds an extra sentiment.

Otherwise I really really really also love Mew (fight me) and Jirachi is awesome because WISHES??? Bangers.

2. If you could Kieran any legendary (other than the Gen 9 legends), which would you give and why?

Lol you're so based for excluding the gen 9 mons, lets go.

Strictly Legendary:

Helloooo Gen 5 fans LMAO. I really feel like there's a lot of unspoken poetry between Kieran & the player with Reshiram/Zekrom parallels. I could honestly see Kieran holding either legendary relatively well from a symbolic standpoint, but Zekrom seems to fit him a bit more imo. He's quite motivated through his ideals to find a truth he wants to see - whether it be "the Ogre being misunderstood" before it was verified, his concepts for what makes a capable trainer and respectable or valued person, and his desires to prove himself. He gets a little too lost in his visions to the point where they cloud his perception and his judgement is ultimately soured; he's desperate to compete and externals it on the player, but in reality he's competing with the standard of an ideal he thinks he himself should be.

Sub Legendary:

I don't mean to pull too much from the lake trio with this post, but honestly, I feel like a lot of Kieran's journey and character arc can be summed up with his enduring willpower. Whether he's motivated through passion, spite and envy, or through his desire to correct his wrongdoings, Kieran really grows into his own because of how much he prioritizes his fire and determination.

Mythical:

Bit of an indescribable take for me but I'm oddly drawn to Marshadow for the mythicals - especially for Teal Mask Kieran. I think it just really symbolizes more of his timid dispositions and more gentle personality underneath everything his edgieness LOL, I guess? And there's something that speaks to me in terms of having him honor that side of him and learn to embrace it - especially alongside the other picks I listed.

This was fun!! I hope these answers were entertaining. :)

[sillysinnohan]

My Introduction

Greetings, everyone. I am currently making this account after my underling, Ares, had given me the idea. He had told me it would be good publicity. You may call me Silas. I own a small temple on the outskirts of Sinnoh. Please visit us if you need a place to share concerns, get a hot meal, or rest your head for the night. Or, you can stop by to leave an offering to one of the shrines we host. We have shrines dedicated to important Pokemon from all regions. I'll be waiting. ... Apparently I need to add more than that to my introduction- more about myself, according to Ares. Well... I am a young adult, and I originally was from Johto. I moved here due to circumstances that aren't necessary to share. What I do like to share, though, is love and joy. I believe strongly in the power of Pokemon- there is so much that we can learn from them, and I earnestly believe they are much greater than us humans. I take care of Pokemon residing around the temple, some injured, some just wanting a friend. I do not consider myself a trainer, though I have a close bond with a certain Chingling. ... I will ask Ares to include an image of the little one. I cannot figure out how, technology evades me. Ah, perhaps I'll take a photo with them! That way, you all will know of my appearance, and can recognize me when you come to visit. That is all. I will try to engage with you all on here as well, for those that cannot travel to my little neck of the woods.

Admin/OOC stuff below!

Hallo hallo! I am the admin! I'm an adult, and I haven't used this hellsite in like 8 years. I don't have a main tumblr, but feel free to check me out at scoresilver on toyhouse or dA! I have no clue what I'm doing. I'm just here because my friend was posting about it and I thought it was silly and wanted in. A couple things about Silas! The aforementioned Ares in his intro might make occasional appearances since lorewise he owns Silas' account lol. -He's... vaguely a priest? He's like the concept of a priest but mixed with like, the practices of witchcraft. Like he wants to be always calm and holy and is sometimes referred to as 'Father' by people that come by but, like, he has shrines for the pokemon he follow And like vaaaguely believes in/practices magic. I'm a witch projecting onto my silly Pokemon oc -He's gay but doesn't know it yet. I don't know if I'd have any interest pursuing romantic relationships or anything with him though. I love other interactions though :> The guy needs friends besides his singular employee. -He's a little mean sometimes, don't take anything he says too seriously :> He's usually not like... outwardly rude, but he says passive aggressive things with a sweet little smile. He's the living version of :) -Don't call him sillyass he hates it (do it call him sillyass its funny)

[encyclopika]

5 Fave Male Characters

Thank you for the tag, @pandoramusicbox09​...I needed a distraction for a hot minute and this works wonderfully.

I feel like I’ve seen one of these from everyone I know, BUT if you wanna do it and haven’t been tagged yet, pretend like I tagged you (and tag me back and everything, I got you, fam). 

1. Cal Leandros from the Nightlife Series

They don’t all have to be from animes, right? Because this is MY MAN right here. Caliban Leandros. I don’t know where to start with this kid...he’s half human, half Auphe (aka worst little homicidal gremlins the world’s ever seen) and he fights monsters with his big bro Niko in the streets of NYC. Cal is unapologetic, vulgar, and has more attitude than any other character that exists and I love him, okay? The thing that really drew me to this series of books (the Nightlife series as it’s dubbed, by Rob Thurman) is that Cal narrates them completely in his own voice, shitty opinions and everything. He’s hilarious, he’s fun, he’s tough as nails, and gives you as much information as he has at the moment to keep you aware of the situation. But many times, he doesn’t know what’s going on either, and it’s a wonderful ride of a dark urban fantasy through the eyes of a guy just trying to make it without getting killed by werewolves, boggles, and worse by his own Auphe kind. Gah, just read the books, it’s amazing, I can’t recommend it enough.  

2. Tenya Iida from My Hero Academia

Okay, we back to anime. See everyone posting Izuku, and while he’s GREAT, and I’ll let ya get back to it, let me tell you about Iida. I scream “BEST BOI” whenever he’s on screen chopping away, because, well, just look at him! He is doing THE MOST at all times. He is so animated! He is a big soft boi. He is an insanely good friend to everyone and cares about things running (haha pun) smoothly. He must uphold order! It’s funny for me to put him right after Cal because they’re polar opposites in this regard. But I can’t help loving Iida so much because like, he has the biggest heart and so much drive to be the best hero he can be in his own right. I don’t remember ever hearing Iida lament about hero rankings or if they’re important to him, he just wants to do the job and do it well, and GOSH, YES, BABY, YOU WILL! 

3. Drew/Shuu from Pokemon

Okay. Okay okay, we going back like ten years with this one, but let me tell you, WORTH IT. And not just because I shipped the hell out of Contestshipping, but just because I enjoyed this little snot during his whole run. He was what rivals in the Pokemon series were meant to do - antagonize the heroes, but never side with villains. Drew was such a multifaceted rival, after we just got done with Gary, and although he acted a lot like Gary, it was DIFFERENT. For all of us with eyes, you could tell he liked May right from the get-go, but that didn’t stop him from motivating her to do better in his own ways. He was also kind of a badass? He was never afraid of Team Rocket or Harley...shit, my man is taking a Razor Wind to the face up there for his Absol. Guy had ambition. So after all that build-up, when May FINALLY defeats him? It’s SO GOOD. And he isn’t a jerk about it! He wants her to have that win and then invites her to Johto with him, because AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. I’ll forever die on that ship.

4. Bolin from The Legend of Korra

Again, another big soft boy who is doing THE MOST and TRYING HIS HARDEST. I always felt Bolin got the short end of the stick, seasons 1 to 3 of Korra; just felt my man was there for comic relief and THAT’S IT. And honestly, I don’t think I’m wrong. But I’m not here to rant. Despite being relegated to the background in many cases, Bolin continued to be such an asset to the Krew, and goddamnit, the way he Earth bends is pretty incredible? I think I posted something about it ages ago, but seriously, his style is way different than other Earth benders - he’s way more fluid and quick on his toes. It’s kind of incredible, so explains the GIF I chose. But really, Bolin is such a teddy bear, big friend who will beat up the guy that made you cry or just take you out to dinner, whatever you need, he is there. I just enjoyed everything about him...made the first season debacle watchable tbh. 

5. Shield Hero - Naofumi Iwatani - from Rise of the Shield Hero

Mmmhmmmm...I clearly love big softies or total assholes. There is no in-between. Okay, just kidding, all the assholes are soft on the inside, and that goes for Naofumi. This poor bastard really goes through the ringer and even though he grows an attitude out of no where about it, I can’t help but be like “big same, me too”. I love how what happened to him doesn’t really keep him down for long and he’s like “if this is my life now, then I’ll make it a good one” and he really does. No joke, some of my favorite episodes are of just him, Raphtalia, and the big chicken doing stuff “around town” and selling shit or collecting stuff from the overworld. I love seeing my man getting his bread. I can’t wait for season 2 of this anime...Naofumi is definitely one of the more interesting isekai heroes and a husbando.

[ianmrid]

Pokémon!

Another pokémon generation, another great set of pokémon to choose from for my top ten. I really don't think that there are any pokémon that I think are awful - they all range from average to fantastic. Additionally, in Sinnoh, I loved the big expansion on the new evolutions to old pokémon concept - and I think this Top 10 reflects that. As is always the case, I have included both the original Gen4 sprite as well as the shiny sprite, with all sprites taken from Platinum for the sake of consistency. Gen4 also marked my first first shiny since Gen2, and although Bibarel didn't sneak into my list, I really just wanted to mention it again!

10. Roserade

The last slot on the list is always tricky as it edges out all your honourable mentions, but I couldn't have a list without Roserade. The first of several on this list that is a new evolved form of a previously establised pokémon, Roserade is a perfect example of how this can breathe new life into a pokémon family. I can't imagine ever bothering with Gen3's Roselia which was fine, but nothing too special. But with it evolving into the masquerade ball-inspired Roserade, it was always on my list. I trained one on my Pokémon Pearl team and I think it is now my favourite Grass/Poison type - sorry Venusaur! Also, the shiny is lovely; the blue and red rose-hands change to black and purple and it looks so good. If this was a top ten list of shinies, Roserade would be even higher up!

09. Honchkrow

Honchkrow gets into this list head of the regional bird of Sinnoh, Staraptor (which I also think is great), for a couple of reasons. I think Staraptor is great, but the type combination Normal/Flying just isn't as interesting as the cool Dark/Flying type of Honchkrow. Additionally, as with Roserade, I love how it takes the previously average Murkrow from trickster crows to a group of lackeys who surround the Mafia Boss that is Honckrow. It's a great evolution concept. I also enjoyed training my Honchkrow (again on my Pokémon Pearl team) to combine it's Super Luck ability, the Scope Lens held item, and the high critical hit chance move, Night Slash, to dish out a crit every three attacks or so. I don't hate the shiny either, although I wish it was a bit of a deeper purple as it does stray dangerously close to hot pink. Still at least it isn't yet another blue pokémon turning to this colour!

08. Lopunny

I feel like Lopunny isn't a pokémon that would be on many people list of favourites, and I totally see why. It is weirdly sexualised - not too surprising given it seems to be based on a Playboy bunny - with the way it hold it's arms in front of it's chest to give the impression of cleavage (which it thankfully doesn;t actually have) and the 'wolf whistle' cry that cannot just be a coincidence. I never planned to use one but I needed a male Lopunny to help hunt for a female Combee, and he ended up sticking around on my Pokémon Diamond team. A big part of this was the headcannon I had that given it is a pokémon with such a feminine design, my Lopunny was a bad-ass pokémon drag queen! I also really like the shiny with the (thankfully not hot) pink highlights. YAAASSS!

07. Floatzel

I'm not even sure exactly why I like Floatzel so much - but it really appeals to me all the same. I like the animal it is based on - the Weasel presumably, although it could easily be a stoat, ferret, or otter - and think the design with the dual tails acting as a propeller is really cool. I also like how the rubber tubing element of it's design doesn't make look clumsey or inept like a Water-type pokémon, with what is essentially a flotation device, could easiy end up. Floatzel is another pokémon that I trained on my Pokémon Diamond team and it is both quick and relatively hard hitting on both the Attack and Special Attack sides, which makes it nice and versatile, especially when playing through and requiring it to learn both Special and Physical HM moves. The shiny is nothing to write home about though, essentially a more washed out orange. Maybe they were going for a gold colour, but if so it just looks kinda off. I'll stick with the original, thanks!

06. Mismagius

After two original pokémon lines, I'm back to new evolutions to old pokémon, and also my second drag queen pokémon! Another feminine-styled pokémon, my Mismagius is male earning it the nickname Ru Pol (because Ru Poltergeist was just a little too long). Evolving from the very overlooked Misdreavus, I always planned to use Mismagius on a team and he becomes the third member of my Pokémon Pearl team to get into the Top Ten. Really great Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defence, combined with a really good movepool for great type coverage makes Mismagius an excellent pokémon that I was a big fan of before even playing through the Sinnoh games. I'm also a fan of te mustard-coloured shiny, but if I had to choose between the colour options, I think the original is slightly better suited to a spooky Ghost-type.

05. Hippowdon

This is the first pokémon in my top ten that I didn't actually train in Gen4. This is odd because if I had produced the list without playing the games and the chance to bond with various other pokémon, then I think Hippowdon would have been in the top three. Part of the issue here is how difficult/late in the game you can get one. To catch it's pre-evolved form, Hippopotas, you need to capture a certain number of Unown in order to get into the tunnel where it lives. Since I had all the Unown forms in Emerald, I was never going to do this again, so I never caught it. The fully evolved for is available in the post-game, but this is far too late. Even so, I still love it as a pokémon. I really like the design of a scary looking, Ground-type hippo with sand pouring out of it and I think the sexual diamorphism in colour between the male and female forms helps make up for the fact the male form's shiny is rather lackluster, being just a more washed out beige. One day I will definitely train a Hippowdon of my own!

04. Mamoswine

Sinnoh certainy introduced some cool (Ice-type pun not intended) Ground-types, as this is the second of three in this top ten, as well as the fourth out of five that evolve previously established pokémon. Interestingly, after Swinub appeared in my Gen2 top ten, this is the first time two members of the same evolution line have been in a list of my favourites! Mammoswine was a key member of my Pokémon HeartGold team and is such a great addition to the Swinub/Piloswine family. According to in-game cannon, it is essentially a pre-historic evolution that only happens in certain circumstances in the modern day which makes it feel like a fossil pokémon, but without the need to saddle it with the Rock-typing. Unfortunately, on the shiny side it draws the short straw of the family as it just looks a bit weird compared to Swinub's aquamarine or Piloswine's lovely golden coulouration.

03. Vespiquen

Moving into the top three, Vespiquen is another pokémon that I liked before I ever played through Sinnoh and was very keen to use on a team. It's not hard to see why I like it; it is a fearsome-looking Queen Bee with a great honeycomb design, and the fact it can be a bit of effort to obtain since it only evolves from female Combees makes it feel like a prize when you finally get one. I had earmarked Vespiquen for my Pokémon Platinum team but it ended up missing out as, despite being part Flying-type, it can't learn the HM Fly. This caused me to drop it out for Drifblim in the end, but it is another pokémon I would love to train someday. Although I definitely prefer the original colouration, the more angry-looking orangey-red of the shiny is still a great look, but the idea of shiny hunting a female Combee doesn't sound like fun at all!

02. Yanmega

Yanmega was a late choice for my Pokémon SoulSilver team, but using it there rocketed it into the top ten, as I hadn't really ever considered it muc before using it on that team. It actualy combines everything I like about my previous two entries; it is a bad-ass looking Bug-type with an amazing design, and it is also a pre-historic evolution, based on the huge dragonflies that lived back then and evolving in the same way as Mamoswine. Since it is a new evolution to Johto's Yanma, it made sense to use it in the Gen2 remakes over and above Vespiquen, which share the same typing but only really has ties to Sinnoh. Finally, Yanmega has a realy excellent shiny with the blue version looking so good and it right up their with Roserade for best Sinnoh shiny!

01. Torterra

As we reach the number one slot, it shouldn't come as much surprise to see a member of a starter pokémon line here. The starter lines are always among the best designed pokémon of any region and my favourite from Sinnoh is easily Torterra. It has an excellent design concept; a Grass/Ground-type tortoise with an entire eco-system on it's back, my Torterra was an integral part of my Pokémon Diamond team. Given how much I like a lot of starters families, it is interesting that this marks the first time a fully-evolved starter has made the list, although the first-stage evolutions have been well represented with Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, and Mudkip all previously representing their various regions. The only downside to Torterra is that I don't love it's shiny. It certainly isn't bad, but the variation of green used just can't hold a candle to the original.

Wow, I can't believe that I am finally at the end of Generation 4. As always I will be posting all the lovely art that I had commissioned of my Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver teams before I move onto Gen5. I know these upcoming games are often considered rather devicive within the pokémon fanbase, but I also think this view has softened over time so it might actually be more of a case of fans of the franchise not enjoying new things. Eiter way, I'm excited to see how I fare with Pokémon Black and White!

[kbmercer]

Ch.1, Part 1: Encounter

My Heroic Pokemon Squad (A Pokemon/My Hero Academia Crossover)

Summary:

After receiving an emergency call to assist in sedating the legendary pokémon of time and space, Top Ranger (Y/n) (L/n) gets caught in the crossfire of their rampage. Sent barreling into a world unknown, (L/n) must now navigate her new surroundings and somehow find a way home. Yet, the aftermath of a momentary rift between dimensions carries drastic repercussions, especially considering that pokémon had never existed in this place to begin with. Not only that, but it seems humanity here have powers of their own, not unlike that of the creatures she has grown to love.

“In today’s news: ‘International Turmoil’.

It has been 48 hours following reports of a spike in supernatural activity occurring all over the world leaving countries on high alert. According to the investigations currently underway, it is said that all instances appear to stem from the creation of portals. The portals have since disappeared, yet the aftermath of this phenomena has resulted in a noticeable change, specifically in the wildlife. ‘Quirked animals’ are said to have begun inhabiting the areas where the portals had manifested. In Indonesia, pictures posted on social media show a group of mole-like creatures with steel claws drilling into the earth; and in Canada a video from a wildlife researcher spotting a dog-like creature with a pointed tail and curved horns spitting fire from its mouth...”

To say that (Y/n) was frazzled by this information would be an understatement. The young Ranger stood on the pavement of an unknown street within an unknown city listening to a broadcast presented by people unknown to her. She was one person within a crowd of many, watching the grid of televisions displayed at the window of a small tech shop. The air of uncertainty was palpable within the people surrounding her. Conversations about animals having “quirks” was the hot topic. Words of fear, anticipation, and curiosity fly from the people’s mouths, intertwining into a tangle of chatter.

“Oh my goodness, look at them! I would’ve never thought it to be a dog if I wasn’t told.”

“Man…I guess if humans can have quirks, animals gaining some of their own was kinda inevitable, yeah?”

“Don’t say that! This has to be some sort of mistake…”

“This isn’t good! We’re already dealing with the fall of All Might and now we have to deal with this?!”

The commotion had gotten louder and incomprehensible leaving (Y/n) to stop listening. She separated herself from the crowd. Taking a deep breath, she adjusts the red duffel bag she carries with her, keeping it close to her body like it was her lifeline. It might just be, considering the circumstances. She had no shelter apart from a makeshift tent she possessed, and the food she had been eating upon arrival two days ago had since depleted. She wasn’t only feeding herself…and while (Y/n) was sufficient in money, the girl highly doubted that this world’s currency was the Pokémon Dollar. Pokémon had never even existed here.

If the commentary wasn’t clear enough, in this world, Pokémon had never existed until those portals had opened.

             Perhaps the extent of how big of a problem this was didn’t catch up to the young ranger until she thought about it in further detail. Perhaps the shock of waking up on some random beach with minor injuries and a wet uniform took all of her attention. It’s entirely possible that all her time and energy was focused on making sure she and her pokémon party who suffered the same fate could effectively recover. Though, she neglected to consider the bigger picture – the grand question: What do I do now?

Panic began to overwhelm (Y/n) but she suppressed thee tears that threatened to spill. Pokémon are especially perceptive to their trainer’s emotions both inside and outside their capsules. Her companions were a rather rambunctious and protective bunch know to break out of their pokéballs to aid her, but she couldn’t risk that. Instead she mulled over a potential plan of action as her feet carried her any which way. Down streets and past crosswalks, (Y/n) took in her surroundings: skyscrapers as tall as the eye can see, bustling city folk, narrow alleyways, advertisers and advertisement posters, vending machines that light up when anyone happens to walk near them, stairs to the subways. Despite the location being different, the girl couldn’t help but draw similarities to all the cities she had traveled to back in her own world like Rustboro City in Hoenn or Goldenrod City in Johto. Both were just as busy and energetic, complete with districts lined with stores and fast-food spots with corporate buildings being just around the corner. Though, it was by no means as Castelia City in Unova. That was a completely different beast.

By the time the top ranger had collected her thoughts, the sun had since set over the horizon casting a warm yellow-orange glow through the metropolitan, welcoming shadows to form underneath the feet of passersby. (Y/n) had her head lowered (e/c) eyes trained on the asphalt beneath her. After weighing her options, all she could think of was either settling for another day of living under her tent or simply searching for enforcement, the only viable option of helping her. The caveat to that decision, however, was that her lack of identity could possibly garner suspicion and make her situation worse than they already are. She was at an impasse.  The young Top Ranger had never been stuck with so little options and it was upsetting. With a stamp of her foot she settled on taking repose in a café within her vicinity, unintentionally ignoring the welcoming words of the employees stationed behind the counter in her frustration and taking a window seat. (Y/n) failed to notice the inquisitive looks she received as she kept her eyes out the window, especially the person she had unceremoniously sat in front of.

“Well, if you’re going to take a seat there, the least you could do is acknowledge my existence,” (Y/n)’s eyes widened as her head snapped to the woman sitting opposite of her in the booth that she had sat. With bright blue eyes staring at her past the bangs of her deep purple hair, her upper body clad with a red camisole reclined in the place she sat. It was clear that she was mildly displeased at what happened. The girl sputters abashed by her lack of awareness before bowing her head.

“Sorry! I d-didn’t mean to not notice you. I just have a lot on my mind I guess…” Her eyes averted from the woman, she wanted to look anywhere but towards her pointed stare.

“Oh yeah? Then I’ll bite. If you’re gonna keep me company I’ll settle for a little small talk.” The woman takes a sip of the coffee in hand, but the hesitation from the girl across from her gets her guessing. “School trouble? Family issues maybe?” She gasps. “Is it about a boy?” (Y/n) shakes her head profusely.

“No! Nothing of that sort!” Oh Arceus, is she really the person she has to air her troubles out to? A brief moment of pause results in (Y/n) deciding to take the opportunity. This woman is just a regular civilian. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s not really like she had any better options. Under the blue-eyed woman’s expecting gaze (Y/n) shifts in her seat.

“It seems that I’m kinda lost…I don’t know where I am or why I’m here…” The woman’s gaze appears to transition into a deep frown and (Y/n) gets progressively nervous but resists the urge to clamming up. “I…washed up on the beach near here…and I don’t really have a home to go back to, if that makes any sense…I’ve been deciding on whether I should talk to law enforcement about my predicament, but I just feel that nothing good will come of it…y’know.” The steel grip (Y/n) kept on the duffel next to her doesn’t evade the eyes of Kayama. The words spoken from the teen were undoubtedly distressed, the contained uncertainty shown in their eyes coupled with the tenseness of their body supported that. It’d be foolish to dismiss and turn a blind eye to this. Yet, the reason to why she hadn’t already risen from the booth to take the girl to the police department was because of her last phrase. “I feel that nothing good will come of it.” Is (Y/n)’s relationship with authorities a sour one, or is there something else that she’s deliberately not telling her? Kayama let out a hum before viewing the skyline. The sun had taken rest for the day and streets of Musutafu were dimly lit by the various streetlamps and remainder of open shops on the strip.

“I know talking to authorities isn’t really a thing people like to do. But if you are is in as much of tough spot as you say you are, don’t you think it’s at least worth a shot?”

“If I may be honest, at this point I don’t think I have much of a choice,” with up-turned brows and a embarrassed scratch of the cheek, (Y/n) sighs in resignation. “I just don’t know where to start, I’ve basically been wandering all day.”

“Well, lucky for you I know exactly how to get you there.” Downing the remainder of her caffeine, Kayama motions (Y/n) to follow suit to which the young ranger obeys, securing her crossbody comfortably.

“Thank you, Ms…”

“There’s no need for the formality. Just call me Midnight for now.”

[pokeshippingflashfic]

Hi! Someone sent this request to mythgirlimagines and I loved what she came up with. Could you come up with something else or expand on her idea please? :) link: mythgirlimagines(.)tumblr(.)com/post/190057630070/hello-could-you-do-some-hurtconfort-for-ash-and

(I went to ask @mythgirlimagines for use/expansion of her headcanons before writing this. Here’s hoping I do it justice for everyone. Not really sure what to expand on but I don’t mind fleshing out the situation in prose. PS: User @nebli suggested the stories Ash tells of his younger!childhood. I’m bad at headcanons so I asked for help.)

You practically bite into your own arm to muffle the deep inhale of brisk late night air as it filters into your lungs, bracing yourself stock still behind a grand oak with easiest access to the stream nearby your group’s campsite.

Your redheaded companion is sitting with her back to you at the edge of the water, unoccasionally sniffling and shoulders heaving in a motion you’re semi-familiar with because, hey, it’s not like you’ve never cried before in your life.

Oh. Misty’s… crying? 

That’s… that was new. Or rather, new-ish. You could scarcely remember her shedding a tear or few during the last few years on the road, though you think there was something back in the hidden village where you met Bulbasaur, and then there was the Lavender Tower… (How do you even remember any of that anyway?)

You shake yourself from your reverie, returning to present thought process.

You’d wondered why she was missing from the campsite. And yet you told yourself you were only getting up to use the nearest foliage as your bathroom and not to search for her in the darkness while all other companions (your Pokemon as well as resident caretaker Brock, returned to your group after his temporary departure in the Orange Islands) slept the night peacefully away… but here you are almost ten minutes later after walking obstinately farther than was needed to relieve yourself.

You should have remained wrapped up snug in your sleeping bag.

After all, what are you supposed to do with this? Though you loathe to admit it, you can barely handle Misty’s ire and passion and weird girly personality in any other instance; what are you supposed to do with a Misty who’s crying alone in the middle of the night?

You sigh as faintly as possible, a few memories fluttering to the surface of your consciousness in response to that question.

Misty following you out to the deck of a large cruise liner and begging to know why you look so troubled, offering you rather obvious advice in hindsight… but it sure helped to know she understood. 

Misty reminding you that Butterfree is leaving to start a family of his own with his new mate and you’d better take this chance to say your goodbyes while you have it… because that was more important than sulking over losing a friend.

Misty stalking rigidly into your assigned guest room at Indigo Plateau after your loss in the league, strong-arming you out of your brooding state.

Misty appearing over you after your hometown battle with Gary, a faint expression of sympathy flitting across her face before she points out that you’d better get a move on and start your trek to Johto if you don’t want to fall even further behind your childhood rival.

You roll your eyes so intensely in response to all these rather telling signs that you feel a bit dizzy a moment later.

Misty is crying alone in the middle of the night… and you know what you have to do.

But how to go about it? By the grace of all gods, it seems she hasn’t noticed your presence yet (though it’s assumed that she’s rather preoccupied). However the last thing you want is to set her off down the path of righteous fury and end up her victim.

Tsking to yourself, you squint your eyes shut again, brow creased in frustration. You’re thinking too much into this. It’s not like you to dedicate so much time to mollifying Misty of all people.

Instinct takes over and you bungle your way loudly through the foliage, sure to get her attention, making it look like an accident.

“Oh, uh, Misty. Funny running into you here.”

Stellar improvisation from the future number one Pokemon Master in the world. 

However if she senses anything amiss in your approach, she doesn’t address it. Perhaps because she busies herself instead with wiping furiously at her splotched red cheeks, hiccuping and doing her utmost to rub the dry red from her eyes.

“I was just going to the bathroom,” you continue, “I didn’t know you were up too.”

Despite knowing your best option is to play innocent bystander… a twinging pierce briefly tugs in your chest over the thought of lying to her. But there’s no time to dwell, nope, gotta dig in whether she catches on or not.

“So anyway… Uh, is something wrong?” Yep, that sounded natural. Well, it’s not that it didn’t but you are suddenly overtly aware that you’ve never honestly asked this question of her since the start of your journey together. Instead the question was always a condescending rebuff in the middle of a fight.

Lips pursed, gaze averted, “�� Of course not, Mr. Pokemon Master,” she responds in a brusque yet weak murmur. It’s not the least bit convincing. Well, you weren’t exactly expecting the confrontation to be a cakewalk…

Your initial approach had been sudden - element of surprise enough to distract her from her potential mortifying rage at being discovered in so compromising a demeanor. Over the past minute or so, you’ve cautiously edged yourself across the clearing, eventually coming to a stop just behind her before easing yourself into a sitting position at her side.

Welp… here you both are, you couldn’t help thinking warily, fingers drumming softly against your own knees, waiting for something to give.

Oh, and give something did as the redheaded girl beside you, in a much too far removed reaction compared to her previous attempt at concealing her despondence, suddenly leans forward, presses her rather wet and beet-colored face into your neck, one hand curling loosely around the hem of your sleeve to keep you there as she releases a sharp bawl.

Whoa, wait, mayday! you shriek internally, eyes wide and scalp and ears flushing uncomfortably hot. Alarms are ringing in uproarious, disorienting fashion and the panic sets in so instantaneous and intense that it’s enough to make you feel positively ill.

This doesn’t happen. This has never happened before between you two! What’s she thinking? What’re you supposed to do?!

It’s life or death, you know, as your instincts kick in, the hand closest to her reaching up and brushing the back of her neck, grasping her opposing shoulder and pulling her ever so slightly closer to you while she continues weeping.

It’s hard to tell if this is the right move or not. True, Misty hasn’t made any negative maneuver against you but she also hasn’t given you any signal that her mood is improving. Doing your best to smother your impatience, you internally count the seconds, minutes as they pass, staring vaguely into the dimly lit distance while the teenage girl beside you carries on grossly using your sleeve as her new personal tissue.

Ick, the thought crosses your mind before you push it aside and barrel forward, unable to take the awkward tension anymore… But what to do about it?

“Ya know, when I was a kid,” there’s a brief pause when, bless her, Misty offers a skeptical glance between sniffles, “Uh, a younger kid, Gary and I were racing around the outskirts of Pallet and I tripped over him and landed in this lake nearby. There was a school of Magikarp swimming by and one of ‘em stopped to slap me in the face with its tail ‘cause I disrupted their formation.”

Despite her gloom, you hear a distinct snort in response to your story. Feeling invigorated by your success, you continue with your distracting babble. At the same time you bide your time coming up with your next contribution. You want to help her but you also don’t wanna offer her any ammunition she can use for blackmail later on.

“Once, there was this time when my mom was super busy with work and I was worried she was gonna get sick so I tried to make her some homemade juice using fruits and veggies from our garden. It, uh… I wasn’t paying attention and it ended up all over the kitchen,” you finish rather lamely, wistful as the memory came to mind.

This time you’re rewarded with a faint, faltering giggle. It impresses you just how much making someone - Misty - feel a little better can fill you with so much pride.

Still, though the actual crying begins to subside, her features are contorted with a sense of mourning.

“So…” you try again apprehensively, “are ya ever gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

She stiffens, shrugging then shaking her head. A fleeting question crosses your mind. What’s more important; your curiosity over what may have happened or the intent of encouraging a friend when they’re feeling low…?

Of course, you know the answer in a heartbeat.

“Okay well… are you ok - uh, will you be okay?”

A pause, one final brush between her face and your sleeve before she pulls a few inches away with a sigh.

“Nngh, yeah… I’ll be… I’m better now. I mean, not one hundred percent,” she elaborates at the sight of your raised brow, “but better than I was b - before you came along.” She finishes her statement with her facial features arranged in a complicated expression.

“I guess I should thank you, Ash.” And, unable to help herself, she adds, “Who woulda known you’d be good company in an emotional crisis?”

Ah, well if she can throw out a line like that then she must be telling the truth.

“Well, you know…” you reply almost bashfully, puffing up your chest before sobering up. “But I’m glad… that you’re okay. So wait, I guess you’re heading back to bed now?”

“Oh, um…” She appears slightly troubled over such a probing suggestion, buying time, focusing on wiping her cheeks dry. “I still feel a little restless. I’ll probably just stay here and stare out at the water. You know how much I love this kinda view.”

“Then I’ll stay too,” you reply automatically, so much so that your eyes widen, shocked at what your mouth had decided to commit you to without conscious thought. “I mean... if that’s okay.”

She blinks, gaze never leaving your person, though she moves her cursory glance up and down as if checking for remorse or bad intentions behind your offer. And yet, notwithstanding your awe, you find you don’t regret your decision. Finally her survey softens and, taking things a step further, she resituates herself so that she can rest her head against your shoulder again.

The initially jarring predicament lulls into acceptance. You find that you rather like don’t mind relaxing with Misty in such close proximity, especially when she’s in a good mood though, in retrospect, you wouldn’t mind it if she wasn’t either, provided you were in the process of helping her. 

You won’t talk about it tomorrow but you also quite enjoy the way your arms bump together before she laces her fingers with your own, spending the final twenty or so minutes of your time together wordlessly holding hands.

Some say love is truest when you know as much as you can about the other person… but on this night, in this instance, love is respecting a boundary and offering whatever support you can when it’s needed despite your ignorance.

(Yeah, by the time the two of them do head back to the campsite, Ash is practically ready to wet himself. Lol. And, as a reminder, this blog is currently - and always but definitely currently since I’m trying to get back into writing - accepting new requests via ask! Please view the rules and FAQ as needed!)

[baconpal]

pokemon isn’t for us anymore

ya that’s right it’s time for a daytime juvenile rant cus i’m angry and finally think i can put my thoughts to words, 

if you like the new pokemon then this isn’t really for you, cus pokemon is still for you. enjoy it while you can. otherwise click that read more

i’ll start by making my opinion and background immediately clear, so you have something to compare to and such. I loved Pokemon as a child, and for a long while afterward. I think the series’ highest moment was black and white in terms of art and story, and the gameplay was at its best in black and white 2. Gen 5 is also the gen where I have the most competitive experience. 

And my opinion is that every single thing that’s been shown of pokemon sword and shield is really, really bad. Not even as a hyperbolic statement of “wow i hate new thing!” but as a fan who wants nothing but for the series to realize its potential, not one thing they’ve done has made feel anything besides disgust and disappointment. But this is not a normal thing, this isn’t what everyone thinks, i’m not preaching to the choir by saying i hate sword and shield. I’m the contrarian, i’m the one whose saying shit nobody agrees with, and I’m the voice who will be ignored. And that’s because pokemon is no longer being made with someone like me in mind. 

The question then becomes, what is pokemon now? What did it used to be? What should it be?

POKEMON AS A BRAND

Pokemon today is not a game series. It’s a brand, a franchise, something that has weight simply by existing. Of course pokemon has been more than just games for forever, the shows, the toys, the side games, everything about it is marketable and marketed. But the main line games were separate from that to an extent. They were the new bits of source material thrown out into the world without concern for how it would all fit together. A video game was made first, and was then marketed to whoever would buy in whatever form hey wanted.

Today pokemon games themselves are a tailored product. People of today don’t care about the actual video game, many wont play it, and many won’t even realize when it comes out, but gamefreak doesn’t need the game itself to sell (though it will), they just want everyone on earth to know about pokemon and to be excited about it, it’s advertising for their brand. As long as people know pokemon exists and is out there, it will make money. 

So instead of holding their cards and releasing a video game to let people mess around in, the entire game is drip fed to us on social media before it’s even out. The days of korokoro leaks and blurry photos of pokemon are over, the discussion of what they might be or do is over, and a joy in the exploration of the unknown is gone. Instead, a trailer will be split up in to a chain of individual tweets, all tailored to be as easily digestible as possible. Videos or photos that require seconds of attention, and descriptions of characters and pokemon that make it easy to form a shallow attachment, enough to repost it and say “oh that’s so me” or “love this kind of character”, and that’s free advertisement. the kinds of people who live on social medias will translate genuine advertisements into a form of speak their friends will appreciate and thus engage with the advertisements further. The job is done and pokemon is making more money than ever. 

POKEMONS ART DIRECTION

Again, something many disagree with, the art is fucking awful in the new games. But that’s because its not art meant to impress me, an artist with his own design sense and standard of quality, the art only needs to be serviceable, enough for someone who can’t draw to appreciate. The standard of what will be accepted is never actually very high, but pokemon no longer makes any effort to exceed passable. Fanartists will be essentially forced to draw better versions of all their characters since pokemon is once again the hot new thing, so the actual quality of the original art will not be reflected in peoples perception. The model quality as also awful, every design manages to look even worse in motion and in game. But since the goal is not to make an enjoyable game, this is again not a problem. 

POKEMONS SETTING

This extends to the clothing the characters wear as well, but pokemon no longer is its own universe. It is doing all it can to act as if it takes place in the real world, and making the clothing its characters wear bastardized versions of modern aesthetics, instead of the unique and simple sudo-sporty aesthetic the other games had, where clothing was cohesive and sleek, looked fit for various kinds of weather, and seemed generally comfortable. The new gym leaders for example, wear horribly messing and unneeded sportswear based mostly on real life soccer clothing, but without any of the benefits, as they are also loaded with unneeded accessories that go in direct contrast to what they’re supposedly doing. Nessa is the worst offender to me (and what do you know she’s the most popular), compared to misty’s attempt at being part time swimmer part time trainer, nessa looks absolutely ridiculous, and not prepared to do either swimming or pokemon battles. She wears a swimsuit, but not an actual swimmer’s suit, and she’s covered in jewelry, accessories, makeup; things that would ruin any attempt to go swimming even casually. And yet she doesn’t look like she could comfortably go on an adventure or catch and raise pokemon. She is a bland aesthetic mess of what people want a cute swimmer girl to be.

Custom trainers are a whole different problem in that no game with custom characters actually has good ones. The best result you can have is funny looking characters, which is actually a pretty good goal, but gamefreak still wants everything to be samey and appeal to broad aesthetics so people can post their own characters and share some feeling of attachment. 

POKEMON THE VIDEO GAME

the quality of sword and shield from a technical standpoint is clearly very low, and this is one of the few things people have been willing to call out. The model quality hasn’t improved, the animations are sparse and bad. The wild areas are a mess and run terribly, the game crashed trying to handle multiplayer bosses live on stream. The national dex has been removed for literally no reason. The gyms have been completely gutted and reduced to just the fights (which are still nothing but bland checks for type advantage) and the new gimmick is just “make your guy strong” and is obviously best used in response to the opponent using it. the pokemon wonder around the open area and yet wild grass is still there, there’s no option to approach pokemon peacefully and capture like in let’s go, so even the few out there things they’ve tried aren’t going to be used in any meaningful way. But repeat after me, the game doesn’t matter! As far as gamefreak is concerned, the game could crash 40 minutes in and they would have done all they needed to do.

THE GOAL IN POKEMON

so i’ll end this stupid rant with something the new pokemon games don’t have, even the ones I really like don’t have em. Multiple goals to achieve, multiple ways to approach the game. Even the originals didn’t truly have multiple ways to play, but they started you off by presenting you multiple goals, which were tangled together to start but by the end of the game would become 2 very seperate things, becoming champion and completing the pokedex. Johto did it best, to complete one goal, you had to make a pretty good chunk of progress on the other, it was impossible to not “beat the game” if you actually wanted to accomplish either goal, but after that you were free to tie up whatever goals you had left. It was primitive and mostly meaningless, but it was there. The shows and the manga also put a lot of emphasis on the fact that every trainer can do something different, and their own ultimate goal is completely different from everyone else. 

The closest the games come now to this idea is having your rivals go off and do something else other than fight the elite 4. Some of them aren’t even actual rivals and just like pokemon, like lyra from HG/SS. But there is no pokemon game in which you, the player, are presented a goal other than to beat the game, winning the elite 4 and defeating some evil plot along the way.

For me, an ideal pokemon game would be about giving complete freedom, start off with some explanations of what all the possible goals are, completing the dex, becoming champion, winning all the contests, defeating the evil organization, exploring the world, anything. And once the player gets an idea of what they want to do, they’re set free into a world where they can find pokemon and do whatever they want, working towards whatever goal they want. Other aspects will naturally come into play, battling pokemon and making them stronger would help you catch more pokemon, learn moves for contests, explore more dangerous areas, beat stronger trainers. So no matter what goal you have, you’d still interact with many of the systems and areas in the game, and make progress on all goals at the same time, but ultimately feel satisfied when you accomplish your own, personal goals, instead of following the straight line gamefreak set for you.

Obviously that sort of thing will never happen. That’s just what I think pokemon has the potential to become, but pokemon isn’t made for me, anymore.

Thank you for reading.

[pokemonruby]

so i hear you have a fanmade pokemon region... 👀👀👀

this has been sitting in my ask box for… several weeks, and i apologize that it’s taken me so long to reply, love! i’ve been nervous about sharing my fan-made region simply because… well, i thought no one would be interested. but you know what? it’s important to me so i’m going to talk about it anyways! 

i won’t go… too into depth or else this will end up becoming a novel. but i will cover the basics! the region itself, gym leaders, the elite four, and most importantly: story! which i’ll briefly sum up, since it’s very lengthy and complex in comparison to the usual stories told in pokemon. except for like, b&w…. truly, that’s what i’m going for. those games were a masterpiece. 

the region has gone through several name changes, but right now it’s known as the “fairel region”! why? well, the region is inspired by popular fairytales and myths.. while the landscape is comparable to that of a studio ghibli film. vast, and needless to say – breathtaking the fairel region is known for its immeasurable species of pokemon, a majority of them ones that are considerably “rare”. i’m still working on the various towns, cities, and other locations… but i assure you, i’ll make them as unique as humanly possible. after all, the region itself is like magic – it’s even believed that it could be on another field of existence, due to the limitless phenomenons that occur on this, specific soil. but i’ll get more into that later… 

meanwhile, the… hypothetical player characters would be lydia and jack respectively – at least, those would be their canonical names. like x/y, they would be a tad older than your usual protagonists… around 16-17. their adventure begins in a seaside town known for its hospitality and love of the neighborhood pokemon, except for the player’s foster father… who, because of trauma, hasn’t allowed them to own one yet. in the meantime, however, they’re the assistant of the local professor, professor evergreen. her research lies in, you guessed it – the myths and legends surrounding the pokemon world, as well as the fairel region’s own unexplained phenomenons. one day, her research notes are stolen by whom the town considers a “delinquent”: finn, the rival, who’s basically a combination of silver and hugh… as finn also happens to be the player’s best friend. at the moment, it’s unknown why he took the professor’s notes … and he isn’t willing to give a straightforward answer, either. instead, after the player has obtained their starter (an eevee, since i’m not the best at creating fakemon & it’s a suitable starter imo) and defeated him, finn will simply leave, saying, “i hope you’ll understand one of these days, (insert name).” 

afterwards, the player’s guardian obviously learns that they obtained a starter… however, he’s not angered. instead, he apologizes… because it was wrong for him to have kept them from their long-awaited journey. once professor evergreen entrusts them with the pokedex, the player is tasked to unravel the mysteries that surround fairel… as well as record every rare pokemon living within it! of course, they’ll also take on the fairel region’s league… which is much more challenging in comparison to the norm. 

i’ll be brief with the plot from here on out, since it’s still in development! as the player travels throughout the region, collecting badges here and there… they eventually stumble into main conflict: a team, known as “team relic”, is attempting to reawaken perhaps… the most destructive, most powerful pokemon in history – you guessed it, the one and only “arceus”. how? well, in my world… which is different from the main series, i can already tell you… the azure flute can only be played with a specific melody, comprised of four tablets. the tablets, in which, are guarded by the members of the elite four… but as for the azure flute itself? i now introduce, the fairel region’s champion…  victor! a famous explorer/archaeologist who aids the player on their journey, all while trying to put a stop to team relic’s nefarious scheme. 

for now, i’ll hold off on explaining the rest of the plot… unless there’s people who are actually curious to know how everything plays out. let’s talk about the gym leaders now, instead! in order, it’s… grass, water, steel, ghost, ground, fire, dark, and flying. i’ll also put off describing the gyms themselves, or else this will become exceptionally long… perhaps i’ll make a seperate post about it! at the very least, i could give a bit of insight as to whom the gym leaders are. 

wisteria is the grass-type leader, a kindhearted, older woman who cares deeply for pokemon and is the caretaker of an immense garden. clarissa is the water-type leader, the youngest and a bit cocky, but has a soft spot for her fish companions. arthur (who’s my personal favorite) is the steel-type leader, who is passionate about theater and is quite literally, dramatic, but also strong-willed and mature. the ghost-type leader is geoffrey, a seemingly gruff, unsoicable older gentleman who not-so-secretly cares for the town’s children and even tells them folktales from time to time. the ground-type gym leader is nala, a headstrong and independent person who usually lets her fists do the talking. adrian is the fire-type leader, a hot-tempered and competitive, young man who’s always up for a challenge. pandora is the dark-type leader, a soft-spoken and somewhat aloof individual who is a good friend of victor’s, because of their shared love for myths. and finally, makani is the flying-type gym leader… who is a bit flighty, but also sweet and lovable. 

and now, the elite four! aka victor’s self-proclaimed “squad”. olivia is a psychic-type specialist who is fun-loving and a bit eccentric, but is very stragetic – making her a tough opponent. raymond, on the other hand, is a normal-type specialist that’s described as unwavering and tough, a fatherly figure, as the eldest there. juno is a fairy-type specialist, a bit socially awkward and isn’t taken seriously due to their “cutesy” team… but trust me, they’ll quickly have you in a tight spot. finally, there’s hawke – a dragon-type specialist and the son of johto’s very own champion, lance. now, his pokemon are simply brutal… when hawke himself is actually timid. hawke is also victor’s boyfriend so jot that down. 

okay, well! i’m going to end this explanation of my region here, for the meantime – but seriously, if anyone is interested, please feel free to ask more about it! it’s very dear to me & i’ve thought of a thousand things for it, trust me.