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owlhead650 · 3 months

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"The Devil of Darchlight Caves"

1012 word essay below discussing Erin as a character in Rejuvenation.

I find it interesting that in v13.5 Erin's first major appearance is in her Darchlight Form, as a devil. This is different to how in V13 her first appearance featured her normal design. It could be that this form, the one said to be 'the true reflection of your soul' is how Jan wants us to see her. Erin declared herself the devil who defies Vitus, a man that sees himself as God. Conventional myth portrays the devil as a prison warden keeping sinners trapped and punished. The devil also normally hates God, despite only punishing people God wants him to. Erin is a much stronger character than the classic devil, rather than punishing those God considers evil or unworthy she accepts them. We see this when she encourages Kanon to embrace his individuality and to reject the idea that he's less than human and only exists to serve. Rather than punishing people Erin liberates them.

This aligns perfectly with how she behaves in Darchlight Caves. The first thing she does is help Florin, Flora and the Interceptor escape confinement witin the glass boxes. During the rest of this sequence of the game we see her wit and cunning as we learn more about Bladestar and decide what to do with this information. I remember in v13 I exposed Flora during that playthrough, but I didn't make the mistake of sharing information with Cassandra because Erin beforehand warns: "Analyse the information, then make a decision. Don't you ever do it the other way around." To my memory that's how it was worded.

Erin's backstory also parralels the devil. She at first obeyed Vitus and basically acted as a spy in the drama between him and Anathea. She was basically parentified and forced to help mediate an unhappy marriage between two adults who weren't mature enough to settle their differences the correct way. Vitus superficially apologised for this and said it was because she was the eldest daughter. This is somewhat similar to how the devil was once a beautiful angel that served God but later wanted to be greater than God and was cast into hell as punishment. Erin eventually reached her breaking point and defied Vitus. She fought him with her archetype powers and was eventually dragged to the basement. Vitus banished her to the unknown dimension and left her there to be forgotten, along with the twins Alice and Allen, which is fundamentally the same as how the devil was banished to hell.

I would also like to comment on how Vitus and Erin fighting with their magic powers until Erin got dragged into the basement is essentially a glorified version of a father beating his daughter, physically disciplining a child and abusing them. When you examine the incident from a grounded domestic angle, that's all it is. Really of all the atrocities Vitus commits as Indriad, his treatment of his children is really the only one I feel personally motivated to make him answer for. I was delighted when I saw his name on M2's (S)hit list.

In future versions of the game I look forward to seeing how she handles the confrontation with Vitus/Indriad, most likely taking place after the Xen raid. Although Erin is resolute and clever, Vitus is still her biological father and the memory of his abuse and power over her isn't so easily forgotten. Defying her creator won't be simple and it will definitely be frightening. The renegade route parralels the paragon route in some ways, like how both routes featured a battle against Talon on top of his tower but in two completely different contexts. I'm excited to see how the confrontation with Vitus plays out on both routes.

I'm expecting Erin to triumph in either scenario, but the overall meaning of the outcome could differ. I wonder if we'll get to see a karma beast design for her like how we saw one with Talon. Talon turned into a Flying/Poison type bird monster, I think it's rather obvious what Erin would turn into. Her personality is subtly befitting of a dark type already, and if we want to take the devil motifs to their logical extreme then she should be a Fire/Dark type that looks like it crawled out of Dante's Inferno. The Infernal Field would be perfect for this battle. It's message is:

"The souls of the damned burn on."

In a worst case scenario like a fight between Erin and the Renegade Interceptor I think this field effect would suit her karma beast transformation. Before Karma turned Talon into a monster we had a trainer battle against him in which he used a Tornados and other strong flying types. I think that Darkrai and the Dimensional Field effect would be powerful buffs that could turn a fight against Erin into an incredible ordeal for the player, even some of her current pokemon like Absol have abilities and moves that the field empowers.

Returning to my more narrative focused predictions, we must consider how Alice being possessed by Vitus will influence events on the Renegade Route. In Paragon her new "Queendom" rose and fell within a day, but that's only because her siblings quickly mobilised to deal with the situation. In the Renegade route we never saw that incident resolved and Melia was swapped with M2, distracting Erin with other challenges. She considers Kanon family and managed to free him, will she achieve the same with her sister Alice? Or will Erin fail to liberate her and instead embrace a darker interpretation of her role as the devil? Erin has a logical mind but her temper can inhibit it. Maybe on the Renegade Route despair at the devolving situation will drive her to fixate on punishing evil rather than helping the innocent.

No matter what she does in either route Erin will always be the cunning, quick witted, candid and beautiful tactician that massively improves Rejuvenation's narrative and cast of characters. If you actually read my whole essay here's some extra pictures as a thank you.

I wouldn't mind going to hell if she's the one running it.

I can't be the only one who looked at Flora's sprite in Darchlight Caves and saw her in a Jotaro Kujo outfit. The true reflection of Flora's soul is that she's like a jojo character I guess. Go on, punch Cassandra for ten pages. Scream ora ora.

Florin is literally such a good boy that his soul is that of an angel. His design was a bit simple but I enjoyed doing the toga he seems to be wearing.

My personal Interceptor oc Asopo. I want to give him as many variants as Melia has, which will take time but I'll get there. This is his darchlight form. I saw how many Darchlight forms turned people into fantasy creatures/characters from general media. I decided that making Asopo a merman would fit in with the other Darchlight forms while being a nice nod to his backstory. His hair in this form is meant to look like the black void of space with some white stars in it. He has a celtic bracelet on his arm and a badge on the cloth that looks like The Core. I gave him that yellow cloth because I didn't feel like drawing him shirtless with nipples.

I hope you liked this artwork and essay, it's probably my most proud work I've put on Tumblr.

#pokemon rejuvenation #13.5 spoilers #noctor art #oc asopo #pokemon fan game #erin rejuvenation #erin theolia #flora grevillea #florin grevillea #did you realise i like erin?#noctor writes

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owlhead650 · 4 months

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Pokemon Rejuvenation - Asopo Interceptor of Persistence meets Lepidopterist Butterfly

This is a short story set in the world of Pokemon Rejuvenation. The player character is replaced by my interceptor oc Asopo who had Alain as his host. This story takes place during the month of .Karmafiles and in it Asopo meets another Pokemon trainer known as Butterfly. Butterfly is an oc created by @lemonade-juley and after looking at the art of her I felt inspired to write this story. The story is about 6180 words long. I hope you enjoy.

Asopo was walking the streets of Grand Dream City, shortened to GDC, and enjoying the sound of Thursday's rainfall. The dome around the city could simulate any weather, allowing the citizens to vote each morning on what they wanted. Yet no matter what it always rained on Thursdays, making it Asopo’s favourite day in the city.

He wore a black jacket with neon magenta lines around the sleeves and edges, a white shirt, blue waterproof runners, a blue skirt and fishnet leggings. His hair was long and vast, dyed blue and tied at three different spots to keep it in the strange shape that made Asopo feel beautiful. As much as he loved the feeling, the sound, the look of rain falling, Asopo knew it would ruin his hair so he walked along with a parasol balanced against his shoulder.

Eventually Asopo arrived at Somniam Mall, a bright towering glass structure that was wonderfully well stocked yet tragically gatekept and expensive. Asopo walked along the tiles of the shopping centre floor and searched for a shop he’d never been in before. It didn’t take long, as a hardcore Pokemon battler Asopo only used two shops on a regular basis. He entered a place called Ribbombee’s Raiments and saw many clothes with colourful patterns spread across the fabric. Most if not all of these clothes were made for women but Asopo was the kind of boy who wore fishnets and a skirt whenever he felt like it so there’s no chance that would stop him. He had closed his umbrella, now carrying it with his left hand. He reached out towards the ring of clothes hangers and let his fingers dance through the silk. Green, black, blue, a sun dress styled in the likeness of Araquanid. Asopo never trained an Araquanid yet he faced trainers like Crawli or Alain who showed him just how powerful it could be. He imagined himself wearing it during a visit to Teilia resort, laughing with his friend Amber under the sun.

As he lifted it up, he realised someone else had a hand on the dress. A girl his age marginally shorter than him with auburn hair and orange orbs for eyes. Her freckled face widened in surprise as she took a step back.

“O-oh! Hi there.” She had let go of the sundress. Asopo saw she already wore a dress of her own. It was light in weight and colour, with many shapes like butterfly wings. Dominantly white, with orange and black outlining the finer details. It revealed her shoulders and chest. She also had a black and white mothwing cape. Asopo wondered if she was a regular.

“Are you going to buy that dress?” She asked, lifting a finger to point at it gingerly. Asopo nodded.

“Good choice, I was planning on getting it for myself but I think it’d look great on you. Why don’t you try it on, just to be sure?” Asopo could tell she was hoping he would change his mind, but that wasn’t going to happen. Pulling the curtains behind him, Asopo sat on the stool and held up the sundress. He removed all his major articles of clothing except for the belt and its six pokeballs. With the sundress on he bundled his own clothes in a corner and pulled the curtain. The girl had been waiting and the first thing Asopo saw on the other side was her bright expression. “Hey, that looks really cute! You’re not as cute as me or my moths, but the sundress is still good on you. How does it feel?”

Asopo thought carefully for about three seconds, analysing his current physical and mental state. “I am comfortable.”

“Great, feeling comfortable is the most important part about the clothes you wear. You can’t run or hide if a dress hinders your mobility.”

Asopo reached under the skirt and pulled out a standard pokeball, allowing his trusty Swampert to emerge in a flash of light. Mud Splash looked Asopo up and down. “Swaammmp!” It cried with a glint in its eyes Asopo recognised as approval and happiness.

“I didn’t know you were a trainer. Do you battle?” Asopo looked back at the girl and nodded. He was proud of his Pokemon power, they always came through for him when it mattered most. “That’s good. Me and my moths are trying to get stronger too! Actually, let’s battle. I won’t be able to protect myself if I don’t stay practised.”

Asopo smiled and nodded. He felt the bond between himself and others was strongest when battling alongside them, and sometimes you get unique insights into the nature of your opponents. Seeing the way trainers speak to their pokemon, the way the pokemon behave and express themselves in the struggle, there’s nothing else like it.

Asopo and the girl took their places on the road in front of Somniam Mall, facing each other at a healthy distance. Despite what you would assume, a pokemon battle on the streets of GDC wasn’t particularly disruptive or dangerous. Ambitious trainers fought each other in public spaces all the time, the city roads were built specifically to resist pokemon attacks therefore accommodating this aspect of its culture.

“Okay Asopo, I can’t linger too long so let’s keep this as a quick 2v2 double battle. Frosmoth! Volcarona! Come on out!” The girl threw both pokeballs up in the air and with a flash of light the moths took flight. Volcarona looked about as if expecting to see dangers of some kind. It then thrusted itself towards its trainer, snuggling against her. “H-hey! Stop it guys, not now…” The girl rubbed Volcarona’s fur anyway, its six orange wings lit up with excitement. Frosmoth’s wings blew cold wind as the girl rubbed its head, yet this scene made Asopo feel warm.

“Go Mudsplash! Go Drizzler!” Asopo’s throwing arm was fast and precise. He had thrown Mudsplash’s ball before Drizzler’s yet they both emerged only half a second apart and quickly positioned themselves, alert and ready to face the moths.

Volcarona and Frosmoth were both satisfied with the attention from their trainer and now ready to battle. Asopo and the girl made eye contact, neither hesitated.

“Giga drain, now!” Volcorona flapped its wings and channelled powers of growth, ready to absorb the energy from its opponent like a tree with its roots in the ground.

“Protect.” Mudsplash braced itself and concentrated its move energy into a barrier that nullified what would have otherwise been a devastating attack. Drizzler flapped its wings and brought the rainfall back.

“Pelipper pel!” It chirped happily. “Hurricane.” As Asopo had asked it to, Drizzler sent a cyclone towards Frosmoth.

“Use stringshot on the wall!” Responding to its trainer, Frosmoth shot a sticky weave rope towards the side of a building and pulled itself away from Drizzler’s attack.

“Good! Now Volcarona, use sunny day!” Its wings shone with heavenly radiance, demonstrating the power that inspired worship from ancient Unovans and banishing the rainfall Asopo loved.

“Tailwind. Rockslide.” Drizzler flapped its wings and gave its team a favourable air stream. Mud Splash clenched its fists and slammed the ground sending dozens of stones into the air. Volcarona was hurt, badly. “Oh no! Frosmoth use blizzard to protect yourself!” Frosmoth twirled in the air and sent frigid gusts every direction, deterring the stones from harming it and momentarily blinding Asopo with the sudden burst of snow.

“Volcarona we can’t give up! Use morning sun!” Forcing itself upright the moth absorbed strength from the light.

“Mud Splash. Together.” Asopo pulled back the purple sleeve of his dark coat. The key stone shone from his mega ring, reacting to Mud Splash’s Swampertite. Their souls connected. Asopo saw the world as Mud Splash and Mud Splash saw the world as Asopo. They were one, they were two, they were strong. Mud Splash was enveloped in light and changed, its arms getting thicker, its muscles getting stronger. Mega evolution.

“Hurricane, behind. Liquidation. Volcarona.” Drizzler flew behind Mud Splash chirping about how it was going to win. Carefully it surrounded Mud Splash with a cyclone, propelling them forward. Mud Splash channelled water energy through their fists and became a blue torpedo crashing into Volcarona.

“Well crap! Return!” Volcarona was lying flat on the ground with a dizzy look on its face. The girl returned it to the pokeball. “It’s all up to you now Frosmoth. I know we can still do it! Icy wind!” A chilling gale lashed at the legs of the opposing pokemon, slowing their strides and hindering their dexterity. “Rain dance.” Drizzler looked up at the skies and imagined a happy world where it could create puddles all day. “Pelipper Pel!” In the rain Mud Splash could move faster than a jet ski. With a tailwind behind it and lashing rain above it that icy wind meant very little.

“Liquidation.”

“Use feather dance!” Frosmoth blocked the heavy blows with a thick cushion of feathers. What followed was the prolonged struggle of a desperate bug and persistent sealife clashing their moves and running around the streets. Frosmoth kept blocking attacks and pulling itself out of danger. Occasionally Frosmoth would find a way to disappear from view, but Asopo and his pokemon remained alert, tireless. Never to be taken by surprise and rushing to corner Frosmoth until it ran away again. This girl was such an expert at escaping and hiding that the Frosmoth she trained was never caught by any of its pursuers. Instead it simply grew exhausted, struggling all on its own.

“Fr-frosss…” Fromoth collapsed to the ground and the girl recalled it. “Ugh, I want to get better at battling, but maybe I should just stick to running away…” Both trainers were exhausted, but the girl looked gloomy. She crossed her arms and sulked.

“...Are you okay?” Asopo readjusted his umbrella and shared the shelter with her.

“Y-yeah. I’ll be fine. It’s just that my favourite dress is all soggy now, and obviously I’m disappointed I lost. But stuff happens, right? You’ve got to keep going. Even if I only enjoyed the first half of that I still think you’re a really great trainer Asopo. I can see why everyone in this city likes to talk about your battles.” She looked back at her dress and felt the fabric drenched in water.

“Do you need a spare?” Asopo knew how much it sucked to be stuck in wet clothes, but he loved swimming anyway.

“No, no, I just need to dry it. I should be going now.” She let go of the umbrella they were both holding.

“My apartment has a dryer. We can feed our pokemon too.” The girl had made a move as if to walk away but stopped just as abruptly. She looked thoughtful and stared at Asopo. Everything about her at that moment seemed uncertain, nervous. She was struggling with a choice. She put her hand back on the umbrella handle. “Good idea, I’ll go with you for a little bit then.”

Asopo and the girl went for a long walk through the city, crossing roads and passing through parks. She told Asopo an anecdote about how she met her Snom who became Frosmoth. “Then I said, it’s ice to meet you! And I caught them with my pokeball.” Eventually they arrived at the Residential District and found the massive apartment complex where Asopo had been given a room by Rhodea.

Asopo showed the girl where his room was and then he went to the kitchen while she changed. She seemed so sad. Her pokemon adored her and persisted as much as they could for her sake. This girl was a good person who had to endure a lot, maybe even fended off some dangers. Probably with little or no protection from her parents. So really she seemed just like a lot of Asopo’s other friends. He realised he just acknowledged her as a friend and smiled.

When she came out of his room the girl was wearing the red and white dress Asopo found on Terajuma. It looked the same as the one Tesla wore, only fitted for Asopo instead. What was she doing? Hadn’t she learnt time and again that trusting strangers or getting close to other people endangered her? What if Asopo called the police? To escape from this building she would need to jump out a window and get one of her moths to catch her. Insane.

She could hear the hum of the drying machine, the repetitive sound of it functioning. It was dark outside but brightly lit within. Through the windows you could make out only your own reflection and some distant city lights. She could smell something too, a sweet warm scent. Asopo was making tea. “Huh? Asopo you didn’t need to do that.”

He slid the miniature plate along the counter to her side. “Here. Drink it, if you want.” Asopo picked up his own cup and sat down in front of the TV. The girl picked up the plate and slowly stepped over to the couch, nearly tripping over a pool noodle on the way. Mud Splash was chewing on it like a dog with a toy in its mouth. “Swammmp…”

She sat with Asopo and prayed he never watched the news. Turns out he did.

“Hello everyone~ It’s me, everyone’s favourite Gardevoir here with the latest and greatest in Breaking News!” The girl was relieved, somehow Asopo had tuned into the Reborn region’s news channel. It’s unlikely that Gossip Gardevoir would be covering stories of the wanted criminal who had fled to Aevium. She would’ve been really scared if Volta was the one on screen.

“Today I’m here in Calcenon City to interview the smouldering beauty famed for the flames– Charlotte Belrose!” The Gardevior was standing next to a woman with long pink hair and a red leather jacket.

“Yes it's nice to see that you kept your introduction for me consistent, even years later but I’d prefer if you toned down the peppiness for this one.”

“Oh? And why is that?” The girl noticed the indignation in Gardevoir’s voice, all but buried by her peppy mask. The passive aggressive smile on Gardevoir’s face unpleasantly reminded the girl of her own mother.

“Because. Look.” Charlotte gestured to all the burnt buildings of Calcenon city and her ice pokemon suppressing the last of the flames. “Hey, um… Asopo?” Asopo looked at her. Silently awaiting the rest of her question.

“Can we watch something else? This is a bit uncomfortable for me…” Asopo changed the channel. “Welcome to Gearen News. I’m your host, Volta!”

“UM! Can we change it again?!” Asopo changed it again. The next show was a true crime tv show hosted by a retired officer Jenny. They were about to interview a famous detective named Elaura.

“HUH! FUNNY HOW NOTHING ON TV TODAY IS REALLY MY CUP OF TEA!” Asopo turned to the girl, a humorous yet deadpan expression on his face. “But of course. Your cup of tea is right there.” The girl snatched the remote out of his hand and turned it off.

“...Okay. Sorry about that Asopo, it turns out I’m just not in the mood for this right now… I really hope I didn’t bother you.”

“Everything’s fine.”

“Nice. Thanks for having me, but I think I should probably just leave now. Thanks for the tea, you’re really good at making it.” The girl stood up and turned around to make sure she didn’t leave anything on the couch.

“Mom Tesla taught me how. I mean Tesla. That’s what I call her.” Asopo was good at concealing it when he felt embarrassed, but she saw the cracks, yet decided not to pry. “Well Tesla taught you well. This is goodbye Asopo, thanks for being so nice to me.” The way she said that bothered Asopo. It sounded too dramatic, too definitive. At that moment Asopo finally realised he neglected to ask her name. He chased after her, looking through the hallways of the apartment complex, yet she was nowhere to be found. Already gone.

The next day Asopo had a wonderful time exploring the city with his friend Ren. A gym leader named Talon had set up some ‘mysteries’ for them to solve. The truth behind the mysteries is that they were either some dull tourist attractions or actual insanity. No in between. It culminated with a thrilling pokemon battle against Talon atop one of the highest buildings in the city.

As Asopo was walking away from the match with Talon, back towards the Residential District, an adult woman who looked the same age as Tesla approached Asopo. She had a heavy black coat and short brown hair. A Stoutland dutifully followed after her. “Excuse me! Are you Asopo?” He wasn’t expecting this woman to be dangerous, but instinctively his throwing arm adjusted itself over Mudsplash’s pokeball.

“Yes.”

“Wonderful. You have quite a reputation in this city you know, while I was gathering information I came across your fan club in the Scholar District. Everyone I’ve asked about you claims you’re a powerful defender of the Aevium region. You’ve fought evil in many places, haven’t you?” This woman didn’t sound like she was praising Asopo, the tone was very as a matter of fact.

“Definitely.”

“Good. Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Elaura, Detective Elaura to you. I’ve come to bring another villain to your attention. One that I believe has recently entered the city. The fugitive, the renegade, the notorious and diabolical arsonist Butterfly!” Elaura held up a wanted poster. It was her, the girl Asopo met yesterday, who he had battled with, shared tea with and talked to.

“Hm? That’s an interesting expression. Asopo, do you know anything about Butterfly?” Asopo put on his best poker face and started weighing his options. The last time Asopo held his tongue and hid information about a criminal was with Flora. He knew Flora was dangerous and for that exact reason he thought reporting her immediately was too risky. Flora went on to bomb the GDC ball event and tried to seize the jewel of life on Eclysia Pyramid, nearly killing several of Asopo’s friends. He did not regret his decision considering the likely alternatives if Asopo had reported her after all, but clearly protecting a criminal like that could have destructive consequences.

Alternatively Asopo could report Butterfly and confirm that she was somewhere in this city. If he shared that information then he would need to commit to helping Elaura corner her and seeing that she faces the full consequences of every crime on her record. On paper helping the authorities catch an arsonist sounds like the right thing to do, but despite being an interpol agent Elaura would first need to bring Butterfly to the GDC authorities before returning her to the region she came from. Asopo knew that former mayor Cassandra wasn’t the only member of Team Xen in GDC’s government, so he felt they weren't trustworthy.

That’s what this choice came down to, trust. Did Asopo believe that Butterfly was a good person who shouldn’t be caught, or did he believe she was a threat?

He thought all of that in five seconds.

“Unfortunately I don’t know anything about her. I was just surprised that someone like her could be so dangerous.” Proper eye contact and a steady voice.

“I see where you’re coming from Asopo. It would shock most to learn that such a cute face could hide such a dark heart. Did you know that her first act of arson was an attempt to kill both of her own parents? Only one of them survived.” Asopo felt his chest tighten, but he didn’t change his mind.

“Well, you’re free to go Asopo. I simply thought it best that you should know about this, the city has been through enough this year already and I would hate to see anything worse happen. Goodbye.” Elaura walked off, though her Stoutland lingered for a moment to stare at Asopo.

Butterfly had found her way to The Underground, a separate city beneath the city in which many criminals and outcasts found a sanctuary. She felt as though she didn’t fit in at all. Everytime a person got near her she walked to the other side of the street. You could do so more safely and quickly in The Underground than you could above due to the total lack of automobiles. Butterfly had found a hotel run by people who seemed relatively sane and normal, but she was restless. She had that quiet impression of sadness that made her chest feel empty. She needed to talk to someone or do something. She was grateful for the company of her pokemon but she needed another person.

In The Underground city centre Butterfly saw a one storey building with lots of flashing lights around the corners and around the door. Next to the entrance was a small black sign with red writing that said ‘Madame Peony’s Fortune Telling’. Butterfly had never been the type to go to mystics and psychics for life advice, but since she had nothing better to do she may as well try it for fun.

Butterfly walked through the neon archway and pushed open the door beneath it, hearing the jingle of some shop bells and enjoying a break from all the bright flashing lights of the city. Instead this shop was lit only by candlelight. The actual interior made Butterfly uneasy, it looked like an abandoned casino that had been trashed, with many broken slot machines and some thrown on their side. “W-why is everyone down here so weird? I’m a bit different myself, but still…”

Someone coughed and Butterfly noticed the short old crone who probably owned this dump. “Hello there young lady, what are you doing here?” She had wild red hair tied into banana shaped knots around her head. She wore these comical round glasses, held a walking stick and her black dress had a green skirt that dragged on the ground with the effect of concealing her feet. Madame Peony looked ridiculous.

“Uh, nothing in particular really. I just read the sign that said you were a fortune teller.”

“Ah very good, but are you sure that’s what you want? Looking into the future has its consequences. You peer into a world that was not meant to be seen.”

“Well having a ball with you sounds better than having a bawl by myself in the corner somewhere, so I may as well.” The woman Butterfly kept internally calling an old crone didn’t have the lively reaction she was hoping for. “...A joke. I was telling a joke. Nevermind. If you aren’t going to tell my fortune then I’ll just leave and find something else to do.” Madame Peony straightened up with a crooked smile. “I like you, girl. I’ll tell your fortune for free, just because you put me in a good mood.”

Madame Peony stared into the crystal ball, the mist inside was moving about. Eventually they cleared and both of them could see Butterfly’s future…

Butterfly was old, as old as Madame Peony and about as strange looking. She was utterly alone, without any people or pokemon anywhere in sight. That quiet feeling, that absence in her chest which Butterfly knew too well, was intensified. It hadn’t gone away, not for any significant amount of time in her whole life. Butterfly had spent her entire life on the run. She had experienced minor misfortunes at every turn, sometimes with dire consequences. She had always been an unlucky person. No one had ever accepted her, no one had ever understood her. She was living in some remote mountain range in a wooden cabin as she waited to die. She had released her pokemon into a thriving forest she researched for ages. All types of bug pokemon lived in peace there. They would be happy. At least happier than they were the day Butterfly released them all.

She pressed her dirty blanket against herself while trying not to think about the sounds her moths made when she was leaving them behind, or the things she had to do and say to them so they would finally accept that she wasn’t their trainer anymore.

But Butterfly knew it was for the best. If she brought her pokemon to this place where she was dying and kept them linked to her pokeballs then who would release them afterwards? How would they survive this environment so unsuited to them? It had to be this way.

Butterfly stared at nothing and went to sleep for the final time.

Butterfly stumbled backwards and realised she was in tears. The vision had felt so real, so sensuous, as if she had actually gone through it. Madame Peony looked shocked and ashamed. “Oh, ummm… wow, that was worse than I thought. I’m very sorry, child.”

“I-I-I, what was that…?” Butterfly was pale, she felt weak.

“Well unfortunately that was your fate. The visions I allow my clients to experience are absolutely unchangeable and inevitable. Maybe you should visit my friend Sienna. She’s very wise and she might have some advice for you, or maybe…” Madame Peony paused, Butterfly could see behind those sunken eyes that she was weighing the odds on a sudden thought.

“Um… maybe what?” Butterfly sounded so small, she felt so small.

“...Maybe you should become acquainted with my other friend Asopo instead.”

“A-Asopo?!” It couldn’t be true, surely not the same Asopo.

“Yes. I’m familiar with a trainer named Asopo who doesn’t talk much, loves the rain and has frequently visited The Underground over the past few months while keeping it a secret. He’s also interested in fashion like how you seem to be. Maybe you’d get along.”

“Uh, yes. Maybe we would. I think I actually spoke with him before, but I never told him my name.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah he was nice to me and I was jealous of how his hair had grown out longer than mine.” Butterfly ran a finger through her own auburn hair.

“Heh, well I know this restaurant that’s also connected to a casino. It’s a great place to chat so how about I send you both over there?”

“Yeah okay.” Butterfly had dried her reddened face and steadied her breathing.

Asopo was walking back to the residential district after the talk with Elaura, but then his Rotom phone started buzzing. Madame Peony. He had exchanged contact details with her and Particia so they could alert each other if they learnt about the whereabouts of Dylan, V or Ana.

“Hello.”

“Ah hello Asopo. How are you today?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good, good. I’ve met someone I think you should come see. It’s this girl who visited me. She had a… misfortunate experience looking into the future with me and I think she needs your help. If you’re willing then you can meet her at the same pub in The Underground that you’ve visited with Dylan and Patty before.”

“I’ll go.”

“Thank you very much Asopo. Bye for now.”

He turned back the way he came and went to the night market. He located the elevator and held onto one of the bannisters. Metal grates of the platform descended. He felt the shift of his weight, the cool air of the ventilators on his face and listened to the machine function, it sounded like a heavy lifting machine. For a couple minutes he was in darkness, with just enough light to see the walls around him. Then the flash of The Underground and its neon colours. The elevator came to a halt.

Butterfly pushed open the doors and entered the building. The ‘pub’ looked like the people building it couldn’t decide on creating an actual pub or a 1980s Unovan restaurant instead. Butterfly arrived just in time to catch the tail end of a waitress screaming about Broadway or something. Butterfly glanced about and decided on a large cushioned chair in the corner where most people wouldn’t notice her.

Was this going to be alright? What if Asopo learnt she was a criminal? It’s so strange to think that Asopo and the old crone were on friendly speaking terms. How would the two of them have even met? How does Asopo even know about The Underground? Despite feeling uneasy, Butterfly had no intention of running from this chance. She just saw what a life of running would do to her… she had to take the risk.

The door opened and she glimpsed blue hair with patches of purple. The black and magenta jacket, the white shirt. It’s Asopo. He noticed her and approached. No backing out now. “Hi there.” Butterfly said, trying her best to sound casual. Her best wasn’t always enough.

“Hello.” Asopo sat down opposite her. Silence. They just stared at each other. Strange. Normally when Asopo stared at someone in silence they would just start talking at him and he could respond if he wanted. He’d need to take the lead this time. “So how long have you been on the run?”

Butterfly did an ever weary sigh. “...So you know. I’ve been running for too long. When did you learn?”

“A few hours ago. A detective named Elaura told me you were dangerous. She wanted to know if I knew anything.” Asopo saw Butterfly’s face pale.

“Oh… and what did you tell her?”

“Nothing.”

“H-huh?” Butterfly had this deer in headlights expression. Then she coughed. “So… what does that mean?”

“It means that Elaura doesn’t know where you are.”

“But why? Why would you lie to her? Why would you say that if she told you I was dangerous?”

“Because I’d like to decide that myself. Tell me everything so I can figure out what kind of person you are.” Asopo didn’t really trust the authorities to know the difference between good and evil. He just didn’t believe all the things being said about Butterfly.

“Well I didn’t have any clue what we were meant to talk about anyway. Explaining how I got into this mess is as good a topic as any I suppose. But I’ll only do it if you tell me about yourself as well, deal?”

“Yes.”

“Right. So I’ll start then.” Some colour had returned to her face by now. Maybe this would be a nice evening.

“It started with my parents. I guess you could say that about my entire life in general but at the start they were the only ones I wanted to run from. They despised me. They couldn’t stand who I was becoming or who I wanted to be. I really can’t bring myself to tell you the details but I had no choice other than to run from them. Staying with them would’ve been suffocating, miserable. I wouldn’t be able to live in a way that matters if I stayed with them.” Asopo could sense Butterfly’s resentment. It’s the kind of anger, the kind of grudge that someone holds onto when they feel powerless. Then she looked expectantly at Asopo.

“Your turn. How did your story start Asopo?”

“I was a disembodied spirit from another world that was called to take the place of a person named Alain who rejected their role. I think it’s beyond the scope of this conversation for me to fully explain this ‘role’ but I’ll answer further questions about where I came from.”

Butterfly had a strange smile. “Ahah, what? That’s a joke right?”

Asopo didn’t laugh. “Oh shit you aren’t joking. So can you elaborate on the whole ‘disembodied spirit’ thing?”

“I don’t fully remember but I have memories of swimming around somewhere. I think I was a magic fish. Sometimes I get dreams about another life where I was human. I think I came into existence as a fish spirit then born as a human but then back to being a fish. Maybe this sounds like madness to you but it’s the truth.” When Asopo was finished Butterfly nodded like she understood.

“I think I believe you actually. It’s just something about you that makes me think you wouldn’t lie about that. Your turn.”

“Butterfly, is it true that you tried to kill your parents?” Asopo didn’t sound accusatory or suspicious, he was just genuinely asking.

“No. Never. I don’t think I have it in me to hurt someone like that. Even if I’ve done it by accident once or twice. People think I tried to kill them because my home caught on fire at the same time I decided to leave for good. Also because the one who survived knew I had a larvesta and assumed I was to blame, which is typical of them actually.”

Asopo thought back to how his mother died.

Nancy never would’ve blamed him for anything, certainly not for her death. Regardless of what Nancy was or how their relationship started, Asopo knew they were mother and son. They loved each other and that bond was real.

“So Asopo, why did you start fighting Team Xen? I heard about your reputation. I suppose Elaura went to you because she knows you’re Aevium’s most prolific vigilante. I’d say it in a way that sounds less cheesy but isn’t that basically accurate? How did it start?”

“The S.S. Oceana bombing. Team Xen kidnapped everyone aboard other than me. I started fighting them to rescue my mom, but when I finally found her their leader killed her in front of me.”

“O-oh god… I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. Even if our time together was short it felt very special to me and I’m proud of her. She only died because she sacrificed herself to give everyone else more time to escape. Halfway through the sacrifice she realised she wanted to live after all but at that point it was too late. Some people might think her attempt to escape showed weakness and a failure to remain resolute, but I think it makes her even greater. She valued her life, she wanted to keep living but she risked it anyway. I’ll never forget that. My mom Nancy is my hero.”

They lingered on that thought.

“Asopo, normally I’d say that you have my sympathies, but you don’t. -What I mean is that Nancy sounds like the most wonderful person, I’m happy for you. Oh yeah, uh, your turn to ask a question.”

Asopo composed himself, then asked “So what’s it like being on the run? Do you think there’s any chance we can exonerate you?”

“It feels nice to know that someone wants to help me but I’ve already been on the run for years. At first I really didn’t know what I was doing, only escaping through dumb luck. By now though? I’d say I’ve gotten pretty good at running away. I’ve got lots of techniques for hiding and fleeing using my pokemon. But it’s scary. I always feel isolated because there’s no one on my side, everytime I’m out in public I worry about someone recognising me. Also Elaura won’t stop chasing me. She’s getting good at it. As well hidden as The Underground is, I’m sure she’ll find it. Even though it’d be nice to get proven innocent I think that I’ve committed enough minor offences as well as accidental manslaughter that I’ve lost hope of that ever happening.” Butterfly sounded so defeated, so tired. It reminded Asopo of his own experiences of futility.

“Never lose hope. As long as you persist there’s always the possibility.”

“I guess, but what’s even supposed to happen? What can I do? I’m getting sick of being alone.”

“You won’t be anymore. I want to be friends with you, and there’s some people I can introduce you to.” Those words reduced her to tears. Asopo didn’t try to quiet her. Crying was good. Asopo enjoyed a breakdown when things were overwhelming.

“Asopo. I can’t remember the last time anyone said that to me. I don’t think anything made me that happy in a long time. Who are these other people you know?”

“My friends Erin, Melia, Ren, Aelita, Venam, Kanon, Amber and some others. That reminds me, we’re going to be really busy for the rest of the month because we’re preparing to raid Team Xen’s base and stop them for good. We’re working with the Champion of Aevium and some other elite trainers. I’ll contact you from time to time but I’m busy.”

“Yeah and I’m tired, but even something like this means a lot to me. Thanks for giving me this chance Asopo. Even if I’m still on the run, knowing that someone like you believes in me makes everything feel much better.” Butterfly stood up and walked towards the door, there was a spring in her step. She was happier. She looked back at Asopo one more time.

“By the way, if you’re ever stuck for a good outfit come find me and I’ll stitch something together for you. Just try to keep it out of the rain!”

And that's the story. @lemonade-juley I hope that I potrayed Butterfly accurately. I educated my interpretation of her by reading a lot of the asks you received about her and reading the stuff you included in your posts on the character. I just thought that the character was such a funny and interesting premise that I wanted to create a longer story about her. To anyone else, thank you so much for reading this entire fanfiction about a pair of obscure pokemon ocs.

#pokemon rejuvenation #pokemon fan game #oc asopo #noctor writes #oc: butter #it's going to be a long time before I write another fic this long so if you're into that I hope you enjoy it

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owlhead650 · 5 months

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Pokemon Rejuvenation - Interceptor Asopo

This is a Pokemon Rejuvenation fanfiction that's roughly 2850 words long. This story will be like Asopo is writing diary entries about what he experiences. I don't make any alterations to the plot but I instead share my interpretation of what the main character would have been thinking at different parts of the early game. The protagonist in Rejuv goes through a lot and I wanted to explore that.

Day 1

I’m overwhelmed. My mother, Nancy, got kidnapped by this group called Team Xen. I was nearly captured too but mom tried really hard to save me. She held off the purple haired woman long enough for me to escape to the deck, but I was cornered there anyway. I thought it was over for me, but then a large flying Pokemon named Talonflame grabbed me and carried me all the way to land. It has a human partner named Tesla. She said she was doing her best to save people from the sinking boat. She left to go help more people after asking me who I was. She seems very nice, I hope I see her again soon.

I honestly felt so lost, walking into Gearen city this morning, but the sound of the rainfall felt calming. I like rain. I also think the ocean looks beautiful. That’s why when I reached the lab in the city centre, the first Pokemon I chose was a water type called Mudkip. It looks adorable and I bet it’s really good at swimming. It also has these orange things on its cheek which remind me of the hoodie Mom bought me when we visited a shopping centre together. The professor who gave me my Mudkip friend is named Professor Jenner. He seems okay, but overall I don’t know what to make of him. He was talking to this red haired woman on his TV when me and the league scout Amanda walked into the room. He acted a bit suspicious and suddenly turned the TV off.

Me and Mudkip explored the city and battled many trainers. We came across some dirty puddles and Mudkip really enjoyed splashing around in them. He got my legs dirty when he splashed about but I was still happy to see him having lots of fun. I checked the pokedex that Professor Jenner gave me and apparently Mudkip’s later evolutions can live easily in muddy water. That’s when it dawned on me that there are thousands of Mudkip all around the world, and that everybody just calls all of them Mudkip. My Mudkip feels special to me so I think I should call it something different. I then named my Mudkip ‘Mud Splash’. Mud Splash the Mudkip. Me and Mud Splash seem to make a good team. I came across this place called ‘The Help Centre’ where you can help other people with their problems. I really want me and Mud Splash to get strong enough to help my Mom escape Team Xen, so hopefully if I practise helping people at the help centre then I’ll be able to do it. There was this girl I met called Sasha who was missing her own mother. I decided to help because I knew how scared she must have been feeling. I hope that because I helped her then that means I’ll find mine someday soon too.

After we found her mother, they offered to give me a free haircut because Sasha’s mum is a barber. I asked to have my long hair cut a lot shorter. They were upset at first because they thought my long hair looked really nice, which I appreciate, but I explained to them that my whole appearance feels wrong to me. I told them that I feel like my body wasn’t really made for me, if that makes any sense. I’m not against having long hair but I think I want to try to make myself look as different as I can for now.

After doing lots of different help requests, I took a break and rested at the Pokemon centre. Pokemon centres are a good idea, anyone can go there to have their Pokemon friends given medical treatment or physical maintenance after battling. At that point Mud Splash wasn’t my only friend, I found Chrpy the black fletching. I used the pokedex so I know that the Talonflame bird that helped Tesla save people was once a fletching. I even learnt that the reason Chrpy is black is because it’s shiny! I also met Wake the Buizel who was being neglected by this other mean trainer who abandoned it. One of the help requests was from a travelling girl called Novae who gave me a Pichu when I defeated her. I named the Pichu Thunder Tail and it turns out she was another shiny! There’s Paddle the Psyduck and Captain the Nidoran. Nidoran was the third shiny that day, and I thought the pokedex said they were rare.

By evening time I walked past a house with loud music blaring out the window. Two people seemed to be arguing inside, until one of them was literally thrown through the roof! A girl my age with long purple hair, a black tank top and a short white skirt landed in the yard in front of the house right in front of me. I checked to see if she was okay, but she told me she was dying. I got really upset, all she did was play music too loud but now her own mother threw her out of the house and fatally wounded her! Of course, I learnt later that it was just a prank. The girl was taking advantage of my desperation to trick me into bringing her a free berry. Turns out she does this a lot and the berry salesperson was getting sick of her. This girl was called Veronica by her mother but says that she would rather be called Venam. Despite the fact that she gave me a fright, I actually quite like her. She introduced me to her two friends Melia and Ren who I had coincidentally met earlier before Venam. I think… I’m friends with them? We had an adventure in the sewers together and Venam was impressed by my battling skills so she challenged me to fight for her Gym badge. She’s a gym leader, I know the Aevium league has eighteen strong trainers called Gym leaders and Venam is the first. It was getting late so after our adventure in the sewers I told my three new friends that I was going to wait until tomorrow to challenge Venam.

I guess you could say that I had a good day? My first day in Aevium was scary and lonely, but also fun and welcoming. Everything started looking up once I got my first Pokemon, I was able to help lots of other people and make new friends. Pokemon are beautiful, awesome creatures. Lot’s of other trainers are nice too, but not all of them. This world uses the power of Pokemon to create a strong and comfortable society for humans to live in. This benefits Pokemon too, but not every human is grateful to Pokemon. The boy who had Wake before me said that Pokemon are only for fighting. I know he’s wrong, but it’s sad to think that there are normal people like him who think that way and it’s sad to think that there are scary people like Team Xen who use the power of Pokemon for evil. Overall I’m finding the world to be a place of mixed emotions and concepts, it’s not simply one thing or another. My Mom, before she was taken away, told me to find new love and happiness. She wants me to be happy, but that might not always be easy. I’ll do my best regardless.

Day 2

I’m overwhelmed, again. My best friend Melia died today. My second day in Aevium started off good. I had some nice breakfast in the pokemon centre and started to prepare for my gym battle against Venam. I went to the library for the first time because I wanted to see if I could find a book about how to beat gym leaders, instead I found Ren. Ren knew lots about pokemon attacks and he gave me some tips about how to counter Venam’s battle style. When I went to the gym it had a really unique atmosphere. It was dark inside but also well lit up with these flashing, colourful lights. I think it was meant to be a sort of disco club place, which is fun because I’d never been anywhere like that before. While I was exploring the gym I found a secret room that led to a junkyard. Venam explained that the junkyard is where she keeps all her scrapped gym ideas, one based on Seviper, another on Whirlipede and even this abandoned factory gym. Seeing that really helped me realise something important, nothing lasts forever. Change is inevitable and even if you really like something, such as a building, you’ll need to leave it behind or change it one day. After seeing all that, I battled Venam and won. Even though Venam was clearly super strong, I actually didn’t allow more than one of my pokemon to faint during the battle. Venam, Melia and Ren were all very impressed. That made me happy. I think the win was partly thanks to the training me and Ren did. Ren actually challenged me to a battle afterwards and I won that as well.

Melia had invited me to Goldenleaf Forest for a trip with her and I accepted. That was when I met Tesla again, she gave me a lifetime free pass for the train ride and checked in on how I was feeling. I was reminded again of how kind she is, after that me and Melia had a really fun time exploring the forest. We went through this cave and stumbled upon some ancient ruins. After we got through the ruins we found a place that wasn’t on the map and Melia named it the Silent Grove. I thought it was a nice name, but what was nicer was the picnic we shared. We sat down eating sandwiches, surrounded by these beautiful Vivillion with translucent wings. Melia told me they were known as ‘The Butterflies of Fate’ which is very dramatic for some bugs but I guess their rarity makes them deserving of it. During that picnic, I think I realised what Melia was to me, she was my best friend. I know that only knowing somebody for two days might not be long enough to really be able to call them a best friend, but that’s just how I felt. Being with her put me at ease, I was able to talk about all the really hard things that had been weighing on me. I told her about my Mom, about Team Xen and about how I generally felt lost. Melia was a good listener and she challenged me to a pokemon battle afterwards. My winning streak continued, despite the fact that Melia herself was preparing to become a gym leader like Venam. Yet no winning streak could save me from the awful loss I was about to experience. Team Xen attacked. A man named Zetta brought loads of Xen grunts to help him capture Melia. He even transformed lots of poor small Magikarp into a big monster to attack me, fighting the so called ‘Rift Gyarados’ took everything I had. I was barely able to push it back. After that me and Melia were able to escape the forest and get back to the city. I thought we were going to be safe but Melia’s adoptive father, Professor Jenner, had dealings with Team Xen this whole time. I don’t think it’s as simple as Jenner betraying Melia because he desperately asked me and Melia to help, but Melia was super angry at him. A red haired woman from Team Xen was there, I think her name was Madelis, she fought Melia to capture her. Melia did a really good job fighting back and managed to knock out her Houndoom but my own pokemon were too tired from fighting the Gyrados. The final time I ever saw Melia was when she tried to escape Madelis by getting her Togepi to use teleport. She asked me to grab onto her but I was too slow. What would have happened if I were faster? Would Melia still be alive? I’ll never know, me Ren and Venam all ran to Amethyst Cave because we believed we could save Melia if we caught up with her. We were too slow. Just like the woman with the Gothitelle said, Melia was dead before we stepped inside that cave.

As I write this I’m at Venam’s house, staying the night. It was nice of her mother to let me and Ren stay because I really didn’t want to be alone. I also didn’t want to talk, most of the time I don’t want to anyway, but especially not then. Convenient then that Neither Ren or Venam had anything to say. Is this how life will be for me? Mom, Melia… I formed a strong bond with both of them in a short time, yet soon after both of them were lost. I don’t want my whole life to be like this, I don’t want to keep gaining things that are precious to me only for them to be ripped away soon after. My Mom and Tesla would both say I need to hold onto hope, but how can I do that…?

Day 4

I’m still at Venam’s house. We say little and do little. That’s all.

Day 7

I’m done mourning. So are Ren and Venam. Ren encouraged me to continue with the gym challenge and I think he has the right idea. I need to get stronger, strong enough to save my Mom and stop Team Xen. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but that’s okay. I know that wherever I go I’ll do my very best to find hope and make a difference. I’ll start by doing some more help requests. It's fulfilling to help others so maybe when I help other people I’ll also help myself.

Day 14

After spending enough time off course I went through Amethyst Cave and befriended a strange girl named Nim. Apparently she’s known about me for a little while and wanted to be my friend. That sounds innocent enough, but she’s been watching from afar for the past couple of days and she was rather pushy about the whole becoming friends thing. I appreciate her lively spirit but she comes on very strong. She also claimed she was my ‘guardian angel’ which was probably a joke but it’s still very sweet of her to say something like that. Overall I find Nim to be a very pleasant individual but her eccentric behaviour might take some getting used to. Right after finishing things with her I arrived in Sheridan Village and met another girl called Aelita. She wants my help getting the gym leader to return to his senses and stop locking himself away. The way he hides himself away reminds me of how I was just after Melia died. Maybe this sensei is going through something similar to what I did? Either way I know that it’s important for me and Aelita to help him.

Day 15

We helped Keta open up to his people again and stop hiding himself away. But guess what? He died right after! Why do I keep watching people die?! Is this normal?! Better yet, I was forced to murder a pokemon today, just like how I had to murder the rift pokemon the day Melia died. Team Xen had set up this big underground lab because Keta had dealings with them. He sacrificed himself to stop a shadow Mewtwo from attacking me and Aelita, he said he was doing it to atone for his sins but honestly I wish he could’ve atoned by surviving instead. Honestly the idea of someone needing to die for a cause or hurt themselves for ‘atonement’ or whatever is sickening to me. Why does the world demand sacrifices from people? Why is there always such a devastating cost? After we escaped Team Xen, Crescent’s Gothitelle teleported me to another Xen base. I was terrified because I was suddenly surrounded by a bunch of strong enemies. I was worried that maybe that was going to be the end, but the Gothitelle teleported me back to Sheridan. I wasn’t able to catch the shadow Mewtwo because the Xen Admin Madelis activated a machine that broke my snag arm I got from Melia. Me and Aelita are going to Akuwa town to find an engineer called Saki Blakeory who might be able to fix it. At this point. I’m going to stop numbering my diary entries with the number of days I’ve been here because inexplicably I disappeared for a whole week. I honestly cannot tell you why I was gone for a week or what I was doing for that time, but according to Aelita that’s how long I had disappeared for. My life is insane, Aevium is insane and I just wish people would stop dying every time I start to understand them a little bit.

#noctor writes #oc asopo #pokemon rejuvenation #pokemon fan game #pokemon fanfiction

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