#small enough to be contained in a pokéball or small enough to go up a fella's nose

[chamomileteainabuttercup]

would anyone like to hear about my feelings regarding Boba Fett's character arc and Cubone/Marowak's evolution

well I'll let some Pokédex entries (via Bulbapedia) do the talking (obviously you need to substitute "father" for "mother" in Boba's case) (and I am, of course, being selective with my quotations because there are other parts of the Pokédex entries that don't fit with this interpretation at all, but that's okay because this is not about real life and no real person will be harmed by my rascality)

Pokémon Red and Blue: "Because it never removes its skull helmet, no one has ever seen this Pokémon's real face."

This is the earliest version of Boba Fett known to fans, mysterious and badass.

Pokémon Silver: "It always wears the skull of its dead mother, so no one has any idea what its hidden face looks like."

Once we know what happened to Jango and the symbolism of his helmet, this heartbreaking view of Boba emerges.

Pokémon Moon: The skull it wears on its head is that of its dead mother. According to some, it will evolve when it comes to terms with the pain of her death.

A little hope is suggested, that Boba may not remain always locked in the same state of trauma and grief.

Pokémon Shield: This Pokémon wears the skull of its deceased mother. Sometimes Cubone's dreams make it cry, but each tear Cubone sheds makes it stronger.

Excuse me while I believe that the fluid in Boba's bacta tank is somewhat diluted by invisible tears shed as he lies dreaming.

But then we get to Marowak!

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire: Marowak is the evolved form of a Cubone that has overcome its sadness at the loss of its mother and grown tough. This Pokémon's tempered and hardened spirit is not easily broken.

This is the Boba that I feel emerged in The Mandalorian.

Pokémon Sun: The bones it possesses were once its mother's. Its mother's regrets have become like a vengeful spirit protecting this Pokémon.

Pokémon Moon: Its custom is to mourn its lost companions. Mounds of dirt by the side of the road mark the graves of the Marowak.

These entries refer to the Alolan form of Marowak, the one with a Polynesian design influence, which seems apt for a character played by a Polynesian actor who's been bringing elements of his culture into the role. Although Mandalorians don't believe in such things, I personally love the thought of some remnant of Jango's spirit within his armour - which at any rate provides real and practical protection to his son. While I detested the fridging of the Tuskens in episode 3 of The Book of Boba Fett, the Moon description tracks.

Referring to the standard Kanto Marowak again:

Pokémon Sword: This Pokémon overcame its sorrow to evolve a sturdy new body. Marowak faces its opponents bravely, using a bone as a weapon.

In this case, rather than the connection being to Jango, I see the bone aligning with the gaffi stick Boba carries. And his body sure is sturdy.

And this is why, if we are to imagine a Star Wars Pokémon AU, I would have little bereaved Boba finding a wandering baby Cubone in the arena on Geonosis, recognising it as a kindred spirit, and bringing it with him so they can grow up and ultimately evolve together.

[authorialarcanist]

Gracidea Blossom Chapter 7: In The Town of Incessant Rain

(Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum x Little Busters!)

Mirror Links: AO3, Pokécommunity, Spacebattles

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Previous - Next

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Meow?

“You can do it, Lennon! Reach for the stars!”

Meow!

With a determined cry, Lennon pounces at its target, white fur shining under bright ceiling-mounted lights. Its ambitions are frustrated as the fluffy toy jolts out of its way, leaving the Litten to hit the floor on the other side empty-pawed. With an agile hop, it turns to look for its prey.

“Keep going! Only by believing in yourself can you grow into a proper warrior!” Rin waves the toy - a simple stick with white fluff modeled after a Minccino’s furry, white-tipped tail on one end - and brings it back down into her Pokémon’s sights. Lennon makes another attempt to catch the toy, and yet another as Rin leads it on a merry chase around the room.

At the moment, they’re inhabiting a small side room in a Pokémon Center, one of several set aside for Trainers to battle or train their Pokémon. The ubiquitous Pokémon Center Theme can still be heard filtering in from the main rooms of the building, but it’s quiet enough to blend with the sound of rain pounding down on the roof and the roads outside.

After their meal, Rin had brought her and Riki’s Pokémon to be healed while Riki and Kengo ran for a store to grab more than a single umbrella’s worth of rain gear for the group. Masato vanished to who knows where for his muscle training and Kyousuke went to get a start on his advertising gig, leaving Rin to her own devices. After waiting a short while for the Pokémon to be returned in full health, she retreated to the training room to let them stretch their legs.

MEOWWW! Lennon cries triumphantly as it finally snags the Pokémon toy out of Rin’s hand with a flying tackle.

“Woah!” Rin’s jaw drops when she realized what happened. “Well done, Lennon! Could it be you’ve become a proper warrior already?” Lennon preens, only to hiss in surprise as the ground yaws beneath it. It scrabbles with its claws, finding no traction in moist soil as Terra dumps it off from where it had landed on the Turtwig’s back. Terra snaps at the cat Pokémon indignantly.

Lennon bristles, and starts to circle the Turtwig before being cut off by a sharp “No!” It looks back at its trainer, who continues, “I’m watching Terra and Sly until Riki gets back. You’re not allowed to fight them.” A minute passes, the Litten withering under Rin’s stare, until it finally gives up and slinks back to her side. “Good kitty.” Lennon arches its head up into Rin’s palm as she pets it. “Oh? Do you want a treat?”

Nya.

“You want some Mon petit?”

Nyaa!

“You’ve already had some today. You shouldn’t eat too much between lunch and supper, or you’ll get a bellyache.”

Nyaaa…

Rin shakes her head. “I’ll give you this, instead. You diddo well today, after all.” Smiling brightly, Rin pulls out a plastic container full of small, colourful cubes. She places a red one in the middle of her palm, offering it to the cat. Lennon sniffs the candy block and then laps it up, tickling Rin’s hand in the process. “You too, Santa. Come here.” This time, the Pokéblock she offers is pink, and the Chingling looks up from the other side of the room where it has Sly wrapped up in its tendrils. It lets go, (Riki���s Bonsly looks relieved at the release from its cuddling,) and wanders over. After a couple of tries, it gets its jaw around the Pokéblock and jingles happily at the sweetness.

Rin slips the rest of the Pokéblocks back into her bag. They’re not all that easy to find in Sinnoh, so she has a limited stock until her brother takes another trip to Hoenn. There are Poffins, of course, but… She glances at Santa as it tries to crunch down on its treat. When it comes down to how cute her Pokémon look eating them, Pokéblocks win every time!

“Hm?” Rin becomes aware of a gaze fixed on her, and turns to see Riki’s Pokémon staring balefully. “Ah…”

Terra blinks, first with one eye, then the other.

“I really shouldn’t… I mean, you’re Riki’s Pokémon, and he might have his own plans…”

Sly looks like it’s on the verge of tears.

Rin folds. “…Okay, fine. It’s our secret, alright?” She fumbles in her bag to pull out a couple more Pokéblocks, glances both ways to confirm nobody’s watching, and slips them to the Pokémon. “You’re not allowed to tell Riki, got it?”

Terra crushes one of the blocks with its beak.

“Woah!” A tugging sensation on her clothes draws Rin’s gaze back to Lennon, who is trying to climb her like a tree. One of its claws goes a little too deep, and nicks her skin for a moment. “Aah!” She jolts, and the Litten flops to the ground in surprise. “You have to be more careful, Lennon! People aren’t as tough as you are!” She pauses. “…Well, Masato might be.”

Meow~ Lennon rolls back and forth on the floor.

“You’re really brimming with energy today.” Rin watches Lennon roll around her in a clumsy loop. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

Roll… Roll…

“Did you have that much fun battling?”

Lennon comes to a stop once it’s right-side up and meows at her.

“What about you, Santa?”

The Chingling bounces up and down, its bell sounding every time it pushes off the ground.

“Hmm. Well, I’ll tell you a secret, then.” Rin leans in close to her Pokémon, and whispers, “I did, too!” She deftly lifts Santa into her lap, and runs her hands along its rope-like appendages. It cuddles up closer to her in pleasure, and she pats the smooth top of its bell.

“Hmmm…” Rin plops her chin on one hand and hums to herself, deep in thought. “Hmmmmmmmmmmm…” Her head tilts slowly to the side as she thinks, approaching a 90 degree angle. Once her head hits 45 degrees, she straightens up. “I’ve got it!”

Lennon sits and looks up at her, tail swishing on the floor.

Rin nods, filled with self-satisfaction. “Tomorrow, I’ll ask Riki to battle me!”

——

“I still don’t understand why I have to do this…”

The next morning brings with it the hustle and bustle of the big city. Businesspeople dash to their places of work, some with bagels dangling from their mouths. Children rush to their schools, chatting with friends as they do. Nearly everybody is carrying rain gear of some kind - while the rain let up overnight, the skies above the city are still cloudy and threatening.

Although the crowds disquiet Rin, she nonetheless pushes through, dragging Riki behind her until they near Jubilife TV. Across the street from the TV station, set smack-dab in the center of the city, is a refreshing spot of green that stands out amidst Jubilife’s rocky greys.

“It’s so we can fight,” Rin responds matter-of-factly. “Masato, Kengo, and Kyousuke are all too strong for a real match. If I want to battle someone, it has to be you.”

It’s not much compared to Amity Square, but Jubilife’s sole park - boasting wide stretches of grass, a fountain, and even several trees all scattered around a path dotted with benches - remains a popular spot for elders and children who want to be amidst living things without venturing into the wilder routes outside the city. Rin pulls her friend past several benches until they reach a dirt battlefield in the shade of the massive Global Terminal building.

“No, no, no, that doesn’t follow at all,” Riki sighs. “First of all, nobody said we’re the only Trainers in the world! I’m sure you could find someone who wants to battle at the Trainer School or the GTS!”

Rin glances behind her at the building in question. It’s a huge, multi-story cone of glass and steel, with a tower on the roof pointing satellite dishes in every direction. Originally called the Global Trade Station - the first in the world, Kyousuke once told her with a gleam of patriotism - over the years it grew beyond its original purpose as a glorified signal-booster allowing interregional Pokémon trades and became a general all-purpose gathering point for the region’s Trainers to communicate with both each other and their counterparts in distant lands. Even as far away as she is, Rin still gets the impression of hundreds - maybe thousands - of strangers crowding within, all shouting over each other, their shadows twisting and merging into a multi-headed beast—

The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. “Of course I can’t do that, dumbass!”

Riki steps back, hands in front of him placatingly. Whatever further arguments he was going to present die on his lips. “Okay, okay… I’m sorry. Still, are you sure you’re alright not being able to talk to strangers? You’ll have to manage on your own someday, won’t you?”

Rin shakes her head. “You and Kyousuke will be there,” she says simply.

“Ah…” Riki doesn’t seem to have anything to say to that. In lieu of further debate, Rin points her Pokéball at the ground in front of her and presses the button on front, causing it to shoot out a red beam that materializes into Lennon. Riki gives up and throws his own Pokéball, his eyes widening as Terra appears across from the fire cat. Lennon darts for its opponent, and Riki fumbles with his belt. “Crap! Terra, return! Go, Sly!”

“Lennon, use Lick!” Rin seizes on the opening without remorse, and her Litten lashes the Bonsly with its tongue before the Pokémon can get its bearings. “Now Roar!” Sly is still staggering back when Lennon lets out an intimidating yowl, and before Riki can react his Pokémon is hiding behind his legs.

“Sly—“ Riki grimaces, and after a moment he sends Terra back out into battle. The turtle Pokémon has no choice but to take an Ember attack head-on upon reentry, but it shakes it off and lumbers forward. “T— Terra, use Tackle!” With a determined cry, the Turtwig plows through a second Ember to ram into Lennon, sending the cat stumbling back. Lennon jumps out of the way before it can take a second attack, and readies another Ember, but both combatants are flagging. A third Ember should be enough to finish Terra off, but… its physical attacks are strong enough that it might be able to take Lennon out if it gets luck— “Come back, Terra! Sly, I’m counting on you!”

Rin clicks her tongue in frustration as Riki backs off, and switches Sly into an ineffective Ember attack. Even if the Bonsly has a better type matchup, Terra’s been weakened enough at this point that it won’t be able to recover from the tempo loss of switching back in. No matter how she tries to push, the spark she felt the previous day just won’t come. Riki is all over himself with hesitation and openings; she doesn’t feel an ounce of fighting spirit from him. “Charge him, Lennon!” Lennon darts for Sly, as Rin bets it all on getting in closer than Rock Throw’s effective range.

“Sly, use R— I mean--“ Riki hesitates just a moment too long. “Er, use Flail!” Paralyzed by its trainer’s indecision, Sly takes Lennon’s Lick attack before it can retaliate. The Litten goes down, but before Rin can switch in Santa to finish the job, she’s interrupted by what sounds like thunder rolling.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIIIIIIIIIIS!” Rin clamps her hands over her ears and screws her eyes shut at the explosive shout. When the noise dies down, she takes in the sight of a tall, wiry old man in a green robe. His mustache, goatee, and spiky hair have all gone white with age, and he’s glaring at the two of them with brown eyes. “JUST WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT DISPLAY?”

“…A Pokémon Battle?” Riki cocks his head at the old man.

“Pah! I’ve fought better Pokémon Battles than that in my sleep,” The aggressive geezer growls. “I’ve seen Pokémon Coordinatorswith more aggression than you, kid! And as for you!” He wheels on Rin, who steps back involuntarily.

Before he can advance any further, she settles on a preemptive strike! She bristles and shouts at him, “Nobody asked you, old man!”

The geezer explodes again. “WHO’S AN OLD MAAAAAAAAAN!?” His eyes flash with anger, and his shout echoes around the park. As though in response, the clouds burst open and rain begins to pour down once again. Quivering under the huge stranger’s shout, Rin kicks into fight or flight mode, and miserably succumbs to her only option.

“Rin! Wait up!”

She runs away.

——

Rin presses her back against the wall of a building, half-sheltered from the rain by the lip of the roof. Her breathing is slowing down again now that she’s gotten away safely, but… she’s traded in for a new problem instead. She’s lost and alone in the big city, surrounded by people she doesn’t know. Even now, strangers with ponchos and umbrellas rush up and down the street, causing Rin to flinch back whenever one passes too close. Occasionally a member of the faceless mass slows, as though debating whether to approach her, but they always pick up their pace when she hisses at them.

“Rin! Thank goodness, I finally found you… Are you okay?”

Rin jumps at the sudden voice calling out to her, and glances around wildly. Her body tenses up, ready to make one last desperate attack… and then she recognizes the voice as coming from Riki, standing in front of her with an umbrella. The pent-up energy transfers to her voice as she speaks a little too quickly. “I-I’m fine!”

“Are you sure? You looked kind of—“

“I said I’m fine!” Rin glares at her friend, daring him to contradict her.

“Ah… Alright…” Riki blinks first, averting his gaze. After fidgeting for a moment, he hands Rin a folded-up umbrella. “Oh, right. By the way, you dropped this.”

“O-oh. Thanks, Riki.” As she falls back into a familiar routine, Rin slowly relaxes. She unfolds her umbrella - courtesy of Riki and Kengo’s shopping trip - and steps back out into the rain. “…I guess we should meet back up with the others.”

Riki falls into step with her as she turns back towards the hostel where Kyousuke arranged for them to stay. “You’re not going to say we need to finish that battle?” he asks.

Rin just shakes her head. “No point.” The scary old man was right about one thing - she’s certain, now. She’s not going to get the challenge she wants from Riki.

“I see…” From the look on his face, Riki clearly doesn’t see, but he follows along nonetheless. Rin continues to glance around warily, some instinctual part of her still convinced that an enemy is going to accost her. In the end, however, she and Riki encounter nothing but puddles and thunder-cracks as they walk through the sodden city.

——

“You want us to what?” Masato’s jaw drops.

Rin stares at him unblinkingly. “Help me train,” she repeats, brooking no argument.

“Well someone’s had a change of heart. Didn’t we have to bribe you the last time we wanted you to learn something? Why the sudden change?” Kengo drums his fingers on his arm.

Rin had wasted no time in making her demands when she and Riki arrived back at the hostel. She’s not sure what’s so hard to understand about it. “I just want to. Riki’s not enough to give me an interesting battle -” she ignores his halfhearted ‘Hey!’ - “so I need to try something else.”

“Hmm. Well, I guess that’s reasonable…” Kengo plows over Riki’s murmur of ‘You too…?’ to give Rin a nod, but Masato interrupts him.

“Woah, woah, hold on! After all the trouble she gave us, Rin gets to just plow in here and demand our help like it’s a given?” Masato frowns and crosses his arms. “Shouldn’t we at least make some demands of our own?”

Rin glares at him. “Like what?”

Masato thinks for a minute, face scrunching up further and further. Finally, he gives a defeated shrug. “Heck if I know. Ugh, now I’ve got a headache…”

Rin looks on with naked awe. “What an idiot!”

“Uwoooh! At least don’t call me that when you’re asking for my help!” Masato covers his face with his hands and lets out a groan of utter despair.

Rin places her hands on her hips. She can’t help but feel that they’d strayed from the main point. “Anyways, help me train!”

“No, he’s got a point…” Kengo scratches his chin. “You really should be polite if you’re asking a favor.”

“Ugh…” Rin grimaces. The conversation is going off the rails, fast. She looks to Riki for support.

“…I’m sorry, Rin.” Riki shrugs helplessly. “It is important to know how to ask for help properly…”

Rin groans. She glances around, as though something in her surroundings would grant her an escape route.

The world is not so accommodating.

Finally, she clenches her fists, screws up her determination, and shouts, “Please, train me!”

She hears Masato’s astonished voice. “Woah… Did Rin actuallyjust ask us nicely…?”

Her eyes still closed, Rin half-bows to her friends. She’s certain that with this, she and her Pokémon will be able to battle and grow closer. This is how her story begins. “Please, help me get stronger so I can challenge the Gym!”

[readerficsbyhyaku]

On the verge of broken dreams (Hop x Reader) Part 1

summary

When you began your Pokémon journey with your best friend Hop, you didn’t think about what would happen. You didn’t think you’d have to save the world one day. You also didn’t think you had grown so close to him, your eyes trained on the challenge and missing everything beside it.

Timid times when Hop and you collided, before wandering apart again. You bear the burden of breaking his lifelong dream, but as kind as he is, he says it’s no big deal.

What happens when everybody finds their place in life and finally has time to think ?

author’s note

There’s not enough Hop x Reader so here is an attempt at one. This follows the storyline in game so don’t read if you don’t want to be spoiled.

You were born and raised in Galar, beautiful region adorned with greenery, wild areas and an array of different and exotic Pokémons. Though, you were a country bumpkin, so the only Pokémon you got to see on the regular were mostly Wooloos, save for the occasional Rookidee or Yamper, and those pesky Skwovets that always managed to eat part of the harvest, be it in the fields or in the bags.

You grew up with another boy, named Hop, and it happened his brother became the champion. Not just a champion, but THE champion of the league of Galar, the one at the top. He became very famous and busy, so you didn’t get to see him that much, and neither did Hop. But with a strong culture of catching Pokémon to train them to battle and being exposed to matches countless times on TV, seeing Hop’s brother, Leon, being so cool and all, it was obvious you’d want to become a Pokémon trainer one day.

And you did. One morning, Hop came to your house because Leon was coming back from Wyndon to visit him – and you ! So you dressed up, gobbled your breakfast as quickly as you could and rushed out to see Hop already waiting for you. The both of you rushed past his house and carefully tread onto the small portion of road that housed wild Pokémons until you were at Wedgehurst station. Leon was already there and a small crowd had gathered, cheering the Champion as he made his signature pose.

Seeing his brother, Leon had parted the crowd and greeted you both, a very kind smile gracing his features. And to be honest, he couldn’t be anyone else’s brother. They had the same hair color, eyes, and over the top motivation to do anything.

“So you’re the one Hop won’t stop talking about, right ?”

Hop excitedly interrupted.

“Lee ! She wants to be a Pokémon trainer like me. She’ll even take on the Gym Challenge ! “

Everything went pretty fast then. Leon gave you your first Pokémon, Hop got one too, you had your first battle with your childhood friend and beat him. And to top it all off, Leon endorsed you both so that you could partake in the Gym Challenge. To try and defeat him, the Champion.

One day, you were just a regular girl helping her mom with chores and feeding the Wooloos, and the next day you were on your way for a trip around the country, battling people and attempting to dethrone the national icon.

——————————————————————————————-

It had been a while since then. You were now 8 gyms into the challenge, having only the final tournament left until you could perhaps face Leon. Your progression was pretty uneventful, except maybe meeting Bede and Marnie, two other rivals that were respectively absolutely shit-mouthed and adorable. Your team was diverse and you grasped quickly the concept of type advantages, so beating a gym leader that only used one type was really no big deal. You did struggle a bit against Raihan, but then again he had the most annoying battling style you’d ever seen.

On the other hand, Hop had encountered some… setbacks. As enthusiastic as he was, he took everything very personally. His encounter with Bede didn’t go very well, as the arrogant boy won against Hop. And being the soft-hearted boy you knew, he lost in self-confidence. That one loss made him remake his team from scratch, a desperate attempt to change everything in hopes that it would be better. It was hard for you to watch, seeing your best friend questioning so much about himself, his dreams, his abilities. You wanted to help him, you honestly wanted to give him all the wins so that he wouldn’t seem so sad and out of it. But the challenge continued, and the tournament took place.

You beat him again. It was just the two of you, the last battle that would decide who would face Leon the next day. And you won, yet again. You felt so bad, seeing him sad but hiding it with his usual beaming smile. You knew that his dream was broken by you, and your actions. At the last moment, you had considered giving up, letting his team beat your own, anything so that he could fight Leon, but it wouldn’t have been fair. Not for your Pokémon who were giving their all, not for Hop who was doing his best and expecting you to do the same, not for Leon who was also going to battle the winner with all his might to keep the title of champion.

——————————————————————————————-

So you were stuck here, having the heavy weight of Hop’s broken dream on your mind as the crowd cheered you on.

Leon was facing you, but as he was unclasping his cape before battling, the big screens all around Wyndon stadium lit up to display chairman Rose’s face. He had freed Eternatus. The Darkest Day was taking place right now in Galar, and you didn’t know who the heroes that had saved the world were. You had only hints, suppositions, even Sonia didn’t know for sure. But there was no time to think, as the sky turned red and ominous, swirling clouds were gathering to the south, where Hammerlocke and its power plant were. Leon said he was going to meet with chairman Rose to try and contain Eternatus, and Hop arrived to get the both of you to the Slumbering Weald.

After a short ride beneath an agitated – to say the least - Corviknight, Hop and you rushed inside the dark, misty forest. If there was a hero, a legendary something that could help you save the world, it was there. You hadn’t forgotten your strange encounter earlier during the year.

As you progressed through the maze of trees and Pokémon, the mist became clearer and you saw a small stone bridge crossing a small stream and its muddy banks. As you got over it, you saw some kind of altar in front of which Hop was already standing. After the arch was a sort of tombstone facing a lake, light pouring from the clearing in the trees there. The place had a very soothing effect, even if it was the end of the world.

Near the tombstone were a rusted shield and sword, and you took one while Hop took the other. It was your only clue, and you hoped very, very hard that something magical would happen with those artifacts because the clouds were growing thicker as you exited the Slumbering Weald to head towards Hammerlocke Stadium.

Once you were there, Sonia hijacked the doors to an elevator leading to the power plant. When you entered the room where chairman Rose stood, you were astonished. A gigantic, broken Pokéball, and weird bulb type structures that must’ve been the dynamax energy collectors or something. All doused in red, rubble on the floor and Rose looking not one bit sorry for what he did. What a foolish man, still thinking he could harness the power of something as destructive as Eternatus. You settled things quickly with a fight, while Hop rode another elevator to the top, where Leon already was.

When you finally joined them, you were greeted by the sight of an enormous, skeletal and angular dragon all of purples and reds, hovering above the ground. Leon was facing it with Charizard, but your arrival distracted him and Eternatus fired a blast directly from his ribcage. Leon and Charizard were sent tumbling away, the champion being knocked unconscious on a larger piece of rubble scattered on the roof.

Hop and you scuttled to cover, shocked that Leon was already out of the game.

“That’s crazy !” you muttered to Hop while crouching behind some kind of parapet. “What are we going to do, Leon was wiped out in one blow !!!”

“Don’t worry, mate !” Hop said while smiling as best as he could. “As far as I know, you are the one that can whip Lee’s ass, so that Eternatus should be no big deal.”

You stared into his eyes, unsaid words making you remember Hop would never have that chance because of you. Right now, you were unsure of a lot of things. You were not sure you could beat the beast of a dragon waiting behind the wall. You weren’t sure you could protect Hop, and why he trusted you so much when you had been the worst to him. You tried to find answers in his amber irises, when he spoke softly.

“But in case you can’t…”

And he pressed his lips against yours, gently. If your heart wasn’t already pounding because there was the fucking dynamax god right out there, Hop’s kiss would have made it go to 100 real fast. Time seemed to stop for an instant, when it was rushing between your fingers moments before. He tasted like Pomeg berries, enticing sweetness and a bit of spice. You started to think you didn’t want this moment to end, didn’t want to face whatever came after.

But Hop broke the kiss quickly and, rising to his feet, took your hand and nudged you towards Eternatus, a sheepish, blushing, sorry smile on his face.

Thank Arceus he had kissed you, because the adrenalin rushing through your veins made you capable of facing the maddened dragon and bringing him down. Once. And then the second time with Hop by your side, as Eternatus gigantamaxed himself and the two heroes that had saved the world came back to help you. Everything was a blur of sensations, fear and hope mixing together, the air saturated with dynamax energy as the giant clawed hand of Eternatus glared down on you. The sword and shield you had taken from the Slumbering Weald rose into the sky and fused with Zacian and Zamazenta, adorning them with a sword and a shield-like breastpiece, making them resemble chivalrous knights.

In the end, you caught Eternatus. The end of the world being averted and chairman Rose being arrested, life suddenly went back to normal, as abruptly as everything had went sour. Well, it seemed very mundane and normal to you, after defeating the source of all dynamax energy and saving basically thousands of Pokémon from dynamaxing and wreaking havoc around Galar.

You had to face Leon the next day, to try and become champion in his stead.

[arahul-abyssia]

An Old Memory

As part of @starprincesshlc and @jklantern ’s Nintember event, celebrating the founding of Nintendo, I’ve decided to try writing some stories, each based around five of the prompts (since I can’t write complete mini-narratives every single day). This one is based off the first five! (Note: I’ve hidden most of it under the cut, because nobody needs to have to try to scroll past it on mobile) 

~~ Hero, Speed, Home, Friendship, Journey ~~

“Awwwww, why can’t we play outside?”

“You know very well why, Abby. It’s too dark for that right now.”

“But Daniel gets to!”

“Well, when you’re as old as Daniel is, maybe then you’ll get to run around outside in the dark. But until then, Elly, it's inside for you two.”

“Uuuuuggghhh… fiiiiiiine!”

“Good. Now, run along to the living room; your grandmother has something she wants to show you.”

The two children ran into the room to find their grandma sitting on the couch, looking at them with eyes as sweet as ever through thin glasses. She motioned them to sit on either side of her. Whenever the twins’ Granny Eva came over, she always had something cool to show them or some amazing story to tell, and they were sure that this time would be no different.

As they got seated, Granny Eva reached behind her and pulled out a large book, full of pictures nearly falling out and bulging in the middle. They had seen this particular volume many times before; it was her scrapbook, her pride, joy, and treasure, containing countless pictures of all the adventures and events that had happened throughout her life. She could recount even the smallest details about each and every image on its pages, and the twins were always invested in the stories each picture told.

“Alright, Abby, Elly! I’ve shown you two plenty of photos from when I was an adult, but have I ever told you about what I did when I was a little girl?”

Their eyes immediately widened, practically sparkling in the lamplight, as they let out a resounding gasp and subsequent “No! Tell us, tell us!” in perfect unison.

Granny Eva chuckled; they always were so easily invested in her stories. “If you insist…! Let me tell you girls… about my Pokémon journey.”

She pulled open one of the first pages and pointed to its first picture, showing her with a Pokémon held in her arms in front of a house. “This is the picture my mother took of me at the very beginning of my journey. I was only 12 years old then, quite a bit older than you two now, and this here is Sal, back when he was only a Sobble.”

“Why’d you choose a Sobble, Granny? Who else was there?”

“Well, my other choices were a Cyndaquil and a Turtwig, and it was a tough decision. But I think what ultimately got me was that look in Sal’s eyes, like he was nervous, unsure of himself, about to burst into tears. I guess I wanted to be the one to help dry them, and help him become strong enough that he’d no longer be constantly sad.”

She looked up as the shadows in the room shifted, and smiled. “And I’d like to think I succeeded. Wouldn’t you agree, Sal?”

Standing at the threshold to the living room was her long-time friend and partner. The years had taken just as much a toll on him as they did on all creatures--the vibrant yellows of his crest and cape membrane were faded and he occasionally struggled to walk without assistance--but his eyes were as sweet and bright as ever, just like hers. He smiled and nodded in response.

“Would you like to join us? I’m telling my granddaughters about our first journey together.”

In a flash, Sal climbed onto the couch and draped himself across its back, his head resting on Eva’s shoulder. She knew that probably wasn’t the best for his physical conditions, but she had long since given up trying to get him to stop it.

The four settled in once more as the former Trainer moved to the next pictures and pages and explained each one. Most were pictures of the first landscapes she saw or the first cities she visited. One depicted her and a young boy, her first opponent in a Pokémon battle (“I won easily, of course.”) and the Nurse Joy of the first Pokémon Center where she healed her Pokémon (“I learned later that her real name is Lucy. ...You didn’t think they all were actually named Joy, did you?”).

Another page turn gave way to a small poster, one that barely fit on the page, of the first Gym she challenged and beat. “Sal and I beat them alone; just us two! The attendants weren’t sure if I’d do well with a one-Pokémon ‘team’, but we proved our strength!”

At this, Sal let out a breath of agreement.

“And over here is me with the first Gym Leader I beat. Poor Clifton… Most new Trainers challenge him first, since both Water and Grass do very well against his Rock- and Ground-types.”

She turned to the next page. “Oh! This here is Lexa’s newly sealed Pokéball, and here she is outside of it, back when she was still an Electrike. She was the very first Pokémon I caught in the wild. You’re supposed to catch a few before you challenge your first Gym, but as you just saw, I didn’t. She was a bit unsure about me at first, but we quickly became close friends.”

“Ta!”

“Yes, of course, Sal, you’ll always be my best friend…! No one could replace you. …Y’know, girls, Sal actually had a bit of trouble with the battle with Lexa, since he’s weak to Electric-type moves and all--don’t give me that face, you know you did!--but we pulled through and became all the stronger because of it.”

“Wow…! I hope I can be as strong as you someday!”

“Yeah… me too!”

As the girls piped up, Eva heard the hints of sleepiness creeping into their voices, though if she brought it up, they’d deny it. Deciding to quicken the pace of the story, so their mother could put them to bed properly afterwards, she skipped ahead a few pages, quickly describing the points when Sal evolved into a Drizzile and then an Inteleon, then stopped on one with several photographs of individuals dressed in grey and orange uniforms running out of a building. “If you want to know how strong I was, look at all these people running away. They were members of an Evil Team that used to operate in this Region. I don’t know if they ever gave themselves a name, but they were trying to take over the area, starting with the Broadcasting Center in Noctrin. I beat every single one of the team members there, and even two of their Admins. They really didn’t like me after that.”

“Whoa… what happened to them then?”

“Why did they disappear?”

“Oh, it’s quite simple. After I had gotten all my Gym Badges and set off to challenge the Pokémon League, their Leader and his personal entourage blocked my path to try and… well, to try and teach me a lesson. Of course, they all completely underestimated my and my Pokémon’s strength and bonds, and we quickly beat all of their teams. In their shock, they let me proceed, and I heard later that the law caught up to them and they were quickly dismantled, never to return.”

Abby and Elly stared at their grandmother with eyes wider than ever before. “You took down the leader of an Evil Team?! You’re the coolest, Granny! That musta been the best part of your whole journey!”

“No way, silly! The best part was beating the Champion and taking their place, right, Granny?”

“Nuh-uh! Beating an evil person is so much cooler than beating some stupid government people battles!”

“You’re some stupid government people battles!”

“Hey!!”

“Now, now, girls…” Eva pushed apart the twins, who were leaning over their grandmother’s legs, practically at each other’s throats. “While both of those were very fun experiences, the truth is, the best part of my journey was neither of those things.”

“Really?” they shouted in unison. “Well what was it then?”

She turned the pages a few more times, slowing on her pictures with the Champion and her winning team, then turned over one last leaf, revealing two pages even more cluttered with photos of the landscapes of the Region, the Pokémon she saw and caught, her team playing and fighting, and the many people she met on her trips between cities. “It was the sense of adventure of it all… going out into the wilderness, seeing everything the Region had to offer, letting me experience what was out there beyond our little hometown and the towns around it, feeling the wind in my face as I sped through nature on my bike, playing with and caring for my Pokémon… It was… magical. Sometimes, I feel like it all passed by too quickly.”

Her granddaughters faces remained painted with wonder and imagination. She longed to go on about every minute aspect of her journey, but as she looked up, she realized that their mother was waiting in the doorway, their bedtime rapidly approaching. “Oh, my! Look at how late it is! Run along with your mother now, it’s bedtime for the both of you.”

“But—!”

“No buts about it. I’ve kept you two up late enough as it is. If you don’t get enough rest, you won’t have enough energy for tomorrow.”

The two looked at each other for one more moment, a million thoughts running through their minds, then sighed in defeat and slid off the couch to follow their mother upstairs. As they passed her, she turned to Eva and mouthed “Thanks, Mom,” before ushering them away.

She leaned back in her seat, the scrapbook still turned to the fully-covered page, as Sal slid down from his perch on the sofa’s back to the cushion beside her. For once in a long while, tears were welling up in his eyes. “So all that reminiscing got to you, old friend?”

He nodded.

“Well, I don’t see why we can’t continue looking through the book; ‘bedtime’ doesn’t apply to us. Would you like that?”

Another nod, stronger this time.

And with not another word of anticipation, Eva turned to the next page and began to recount its events, her partner Pokémon watching and listening as intently as her granddaughters only moments ago.

[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.”

[aufanficfanatic]

BNHA Pokémon AU Part 1: Kirishima Eijirou

II. LYCANROC

--------

"Riot, use Crush Claw!"  

Twelve-year-old Kirishima Eijirou watched with a critical eye as a little tan canine slashed at a Geodude with extended claws, cracking its outer defence and leaving it vulnerable for further physical attacks. Geodude tried to curl its body around the vulnerability to compensate, but Eijirou and Riot were too quick. With a toothy grin, Ei shouted, "Riot, show Geodude some love!" With a cute little bark, Riot ran right up to the curled Pokémon and began vigorously rubbing his rocky collar along its body. The rocks' sharpness proved to be the end of the match when one stuck into the crack previously made by Crush Claw. Geodude fainted and was recalled by the Pewter Gym Trainer.

"Way to go, Riot! Yeah!" Eijirou cheered, running to give his Pokémon some pets. The Rockruff's blue eyes shown with affection as his Trainer rubbed between his ears, and he barked just as loudly as Eijirou cheered.

"Eiji-kun, please call official Pokémon moves when you're in a proper match, okay? That kind of improvisation is all well and good for wild Pokémon tussles, but as a Gym leader I could disqualify Riot for something like that outside the registered moveset."

"Aw, Brock-ojiisan!"

The Pewter City gym leader was thirty-seven and had been training Eijirou since the boy had turned ten. Every weekday, after he got out of school, Eijirou would run to the Pewter Gym and train with Brock and his subordinates for a few hours. Brock-ojiisan was a great teacher, knew all the tricks and tips for raising rock-type Pokémon, and was strict but fair with Eijirou and Riot. Case in point—

"Sometimes it really sucks being limited to Riot's moveset. I get lots of ideas during a match, and I wanna try them all! Why does it have to be like that, Brock-ojiisan?"

Brock tousled the boy's chin-length black hair, sighing in that particular way that meant Eijirou probably learned about this before but had forgotten. "For the same reason a Pokémon Trainer can only utilize up to six Pokémon at a time. It keeps matches fair and balanced. To even the playing field for all different types of Trainers, the rules need to be standardized across the Regions."

"I guess that makes sense. Playing fair is manly! I'll only use Riot's registered moveset next time, I promise!" The boy turned to Kanta, one of Brock's gym trainers, and bowed in apology. "Thanks for the match! Sorry for the unregistered move! It won't happen again!"

Brock chuckled, smiling warmly at the boy who's become like a nephew to him. He never quite outgrew speaking in exclamations. "And how is Riot doing compared to the timeline you drew up? Is he on-schedule? It's going to be soon, right?"

Eijirou grinned again, showing off his shaper-than-normal teeth. "He's officially level twenty-four, as of yesterday. I'm observing his experience growth... I've got it timed to Friday at 5pm on the dot! He's gonna be an even prettier Dusk colour than kaa-san's!" Eijirou was bouncing now, too excited to contain his energy. "I'm gonna have a Lycanroc! Are ya excited, Riot? Are ya, are ya?" His energy overflowed, spilling over to Riot quickly as the Rockruff bounded in circles and barked incessantly.

Brock laughed. "Alright, kid, calm down. So just a couple days, huh? And are you prepared for the aggression spike? I've noticed that Riot is already a lot rougher than he used to be ... he won't hurt you on purpose, I know that, but you've gotta prepare for an adjustment period. Have your moms walked you through everything?"

Eijirou's laugh turned into a pout. "Hey, Brock-ojiisan, I grew up on Rockruff Ranch! I've taken care of loads of Lycanroc, I can totally handle it!"

Well, that was probably true. Brock thought that he was perhaps the one who wasn't ready to handle the aggression of a Lycanroc in his Gym every day.

Suddenly, the doors flew open, banging against the wall as another gym trainer ran into the building. "Brock-sama! Pewter's downtown is under attack! Its Team Rocket!" The other gym trainers erupted with shock and anger, turning to their Gym Leader to wait for instructions.

Brock leapt into action, racing over to his bag to switch out his weaker gym Pokémon for his personal team. "Grab your teams and get to the Pokémon Center, quickly! Protect the nurses; don't let any grunts steal injured Pokémon!" The Gym emptied out quickly, and soon it was just Brock and Eijirou.

"Brock-ojiisan ..." Eijirou murmured fearfully, clenching a fist in Riot's ruff. "What should I do?"

Brock tossed a Pokéball out the door of the Gym, and Eijirou saw Brock's favoured Onix appear in an explosion of light. "Stay here, Eiji-kun, and stay safe. I'm locking you in—don't answer the door for anybody, okay? Keep Riot close, and protect each other." With that, Brock was gone, and Eijirou was left in the empty Gym alone.

"Be safe ..." Eijirou murmured, and Riot butted his head against Eijirou's hand, whining softly. "I know, boy—this is really scary! I can't believe Team Rocket would attack Pewter City in broad daylight. I feel like I should be with Brock-ojiisan, helping protect everyone ..." Riot cocked his head at Eijirou, yipping almost in admonishment. "No, Brock-ojiisan told us to stay here, Riot! Sorry boy, but we can't go." He sighed, sitting down cross-legged on the floor. "When you evolve into a Lycanroc, Riot, we'll have all the strength we need to protect everybody! Even Brock-ojiisan! So let's keep working hard when this is over, and get you your Dusk form!" His beloved partner yipped in agreement, and then settled down by Eijirou's side, blue eyes focused on the glass doors.

Nothing happened, for a long while. Eijirou couldn't sit still, opting to stand up and pace over by the reception desk to try and relieve some of his nervous energy. He tried not to worry about Brock-ojiisan, but it was proving to be difficult. "What if they gang up on him," he asked Riot in desperation, the Pokémon cocking an ear in Eijirou's direction. "What if they have lots of water and grass Pokémon and Onix gets hurt? What if—"

"Hello, hello? Is anyone there? Brock-sama? Please, let us in! Help us!" Eijirou froze in his tracks as two girls suddenly ran up to the Gym doors, one of them banging a fist on the glass while the other had her back turned, focusing on something in the distance. Eijirou recognized them from school, though they weren't in his class. What should he do? Brock-ojiisan told him not to open the door for anyone ...

And then, a Rocket grunt stepped onto the path behind the girls. He was a mean-looking brute, all muscles and small squinting eyes. He had an equally mean-looking Raticate beside him, drool dripping down its wicked teeth. He couldn't hear what the grunt said to the girls, but it was clear he was after their Pokémon.

Eijirou's heart leapt to his throat. He should do something! He and Riot had been training for two years now, surely he could handle one Raticate? His legs wouldn't cooperate. His chest hurt with how fast his heart was beating. The girls were trembling, and the grunt was getting closer to them. Why wasn't he doing anything?! He was so scared, but the girls had it so much worse. He could help them! Why couldn't he move, was he really so pathetic? Yes, he was. He was just a stupid scared loser who didn't have the right to call himself a Pokémon trainer—

"Ruff." Riot was suddenly there, nipping at Eijirou's fingers and dragging him out of his own head.

"Ouch! Riot?" Startled red eyes stared into solemn blue. Eijirou had never seen Riot look so intense before like he was staring through him. There was a determination that filled Riot to the brim, making his fur stand on end and his eyes gleam with sharpness, muzzle lifted proudly in the air.  

"Ruff, ruff!" His Pokémon's presence filled the space around him. He butted his head sharply against Eijirou's hand, chasing away the anxious, buzzing thoughts and giving Eijirou clarity for the first time since word of Team Rocket had first reached them.

"We ... can do this. We can help those girls," Eijirou said, hesitation slowly leaking out of his body and voice as he spoke. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer. My Pokémon is standing strong, so I will, too! I gotta be manly—to be anything less would be an insult to my Pokémon's hard work! Yeah! C'mon Riot, let's be heroes!"

"Ruff, ruff, ruff!" Riot barked loudly, spinning in a tight circle and then facing the glass doors with fangs bared. The grunt was leaning over the crying girls in a position of power and intimidation, one hand resting on the door over their heads and the other held out for their Pokéballs.

Eijirou's legs didn't freeze up this time. He sprinted to the door, Riot on his heels, and threw it open. The grunt was thrown off-balance and stumbled to the ground with an expletive. Eijirou used the distraction to push the girls behind him into the safety of the Gym lobby. "Close the doors behind me, don't open them for anyone except Brock-ojiisan or Officer Jenny!"

Riot had already tackled the Raticate, sending it sprawling a few feet away. The grunt recovered and narrowed his eyes at the interloper standing between him and his prey. "Who do you think you are, punk? You think you can just step in and interfere with Team Rocket? Fine, I'll take your Pokémon first! Raticate, Bite that stupid dog!"

Eijirou had never been a part of such a high-stakes Pokémon match. But strangely, all he felt was confidence as Riot dodged the Raticate's teeth and regrouped in front of his Trainer, snarling and baring his fangs. "I won't let you take their Pokémon, and you won't have mine, either! I'll stop you right here and now!"

The grunt backpedalled away from Ejirou, regrouping with his Raticate a safe distance away. "Think you're some kinda hotshot, punk? We'll see which is stronger—your rocks or our teeth!"

He sent the Raticate forward with another Bite. Riot attempted to dodge, but the vicious teeth caught one of the rocks in his ruff with just enough leverage to drag the littler Pokémon closer. Eijirou had a move ready to call out as soon as the Raticate finished its turn and withdrew—but it didn't, just held Riot between its teeth, and before Eijirou could do more than blink in confusion the Rocket grunt yelled, "Hyper Fang!" The stone between the Raticate's wide, flat teeth chipped off with the force of the bite, causing the Rockruff to yelp.

"Riot!" Eijirou shouted in shock and then turned angrily on the grunt. "You used two moves in a row, that's against the rules!"

The Raticate withdrew and hopped back towards its Trainer, who scoffed out a laugh. "What are you gonna do, punk? Call the League on me?"

Eijirou grit his teeth. Man, he hated this guy! "Riot, you good?" he asked his partner, who shook out his ruff and then barked affirmatively. "Awesome! Okay, boy, it's our turn! Looks like that Raticate wants to chew on some rocks—let's give it a whole buffet! Rock Throw!"

Riot's bright blue eyes blazed keenly as his tail began to glow, ejecting sharp stones that hurled themselves at the opponents. There were too many to dodge, but the rocks were small, and Raticate was able to take the attack standing.

Eijirou and Riot settled into the battle with tenacity and focus. Eijirou decided on a long-range battle style, determined to keep Riot away from Raticate's teeth and tail. Riot danced evasively around the increasingly-frustrated rat, picking away at its HP with Rock Throws and using his fluffy tail to sweep a few Sand Attacks into its eyes. Even so, Raticate was a vicious opponent, and its Trainer didn't follow League rules at all—Eijirou had counted six different moves used against Riot so far, often in succession instead of turn-based.

After a few successful Fury Swipes that sent bits of Riot's fur flying, Eijirou decided enough was enough. It was time to end this, the way Eijirou and Riot preferred—up close and personal. "Good boy, Riot! Now, use Crush Claw!"

Riot rushed forward, leaping in the air over the tail that had whipped around in an attempt to trip him up ("Seriously, dude, again?") and landed claws-first on the Raticate's back. Though he was the smaller Pokémon, he was still a rock-type—and therefore weighed enough to flatten that Raticate right out on the ground.  

Surprisingly, it didn't faint. It was close, though, and Crush Claw had lowered its defences even further. Riot, on the other hand, had incredible stamina and could take a few more Bites if Eijirou followed the rules; if he allowed Riot to wait his turn and end this the League way.

But the grunt had made Eijirou realize that this was no proper Pokémon battle. There were no League officials to call fouls, or Gym Leaders to disqualify him. There were no rules and regulations, other than to make sure he and his beloved Pokémon partner got out of this fight in one piece. So Eijirou was going to finish it now, his way. He grinned widely, and peripherally he could see the grunt flinch at the sight of Eijirou's sharp teeth.

"Hey, Riot! Show that Raticate some love!"

Riot nearly howled in delight and nuzzled his jagged rocks into the Pokémon beneath him in aggression more than affection. With a pained cry, Raticate fainted, and then it was finally over. Riot ran barking over to Eijriou and leapt into his arms, and Eijirou was so proud of him he couldn't contain it, laughing and spinning him through the air. "You did it! We did it! We were awesome, yeah!"

The Rocket grunt recalled his fainted Pokémon with a snarl. "You brat. You think you got the best of Team Rocket? You better think again. We got admins here, and you can bet they'll crush that stupid Gym Leader and his rock-type Pokémon to gravel! And you'll be next, I'll make sure of that."

Riot leapt out of Eijirou's hands, snarling viciously, and his tail glowed up for another Rock Throw. The grunt quickly turned tail and ran, cursing as he got pelted with small stones on the way. So unmanly.

Eijirou's Pokédex chirped with battle results and an updated account balance, but Eijirou ignored it. He paced, his victory grin fading into a nervous frown. "I'm kinda worried about Brock-ojiisan. What do ya think, Riot? Should we go find him? And maybe kick more Team Rocket butts along the way?"

Riot full-out howled, claws digging into the earth and hackles rising as he cried out his battle lust to the darkening sky. His eyes almost looked red in the light of the setting sun. Eijirou stared at his Pokémon partner in awe, suddenly understanding Brock-ojiisan's concerns a bit. "You really are getting pretty aggressive, aren't ya little man? Aw, it's kinda cute!"

That had earned him a nipped finger or five.

--------   (-o-) --------

It was a long evening. Eijirou hadn't come across Brock-ojiisan right away, instead diving in to help the ordinary citizens of Pewter City, whose homes and businesses were being looted and their Pokémon stolen by Team Rocket grunts. But Pewter people were tough as nails, and often they dove right into the fray to help each other out, double and even triple battling to send grunts packing. Riot was a force of nature, fast and vicious and tenacious. Eijirou couldn't believe he'd ever doubted this, their strength and their bond, as they won battle after battle.

By the time he found Brock-ojiisan, Eijirou was covered in sweat and dirt, had a lump in the back of his head where he'd been nailed by a stray Bullet Seed, and was having the time of his life.

To his credit, Brock-ojiisan wasn't at all surprised to see him. He just rolled his eyes, tossed Eijirou a Super Potion, and went back to soundly thrashing the Rocket Admin before him. Brock's slightly-psychotic Steelix was out to play, and Eijirou felt bad for the guy, villain though he was—there were definitely broken bones in his future.

He spared a few moments to watch Brock-ojiisan be manly and cool, and then he turned back around. "Alright Riot, let's go towards the school and make sure all the ... students are ... safe?" Eijirou blinked, spinning around and searching the ground around his feet. "Riot? Where are ya, boy?" He stuttered forward a few feet, looking around at the various battles and chaos ensuing around him, trying to catch a glimpse of tan fur. Did that rock-brained dog really just leave to fight without him? Man, he was going to be so aggressive as a Lycanroc ...

But as Eijirou finished a lap around the plaza without a sign of Riot, panic began to set low in his belly. "Riot? RIOT, WHERE ARE YOU?" He'd only taken his eyes off his partner for a second, how could he have lost him? There was no way a Rocket grunt could've snuck up behind him and taken Riot without a sound ... right?

Oh, Arceus. Eijirou broke into a sprint, picking a random street and running past Rocket grunts and Pewple alike. "RIOT! RIOT!" he called over and over, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as all the terrible scenarios played in his mind. He was laying in a ditch, fainted and hurt. He was abducted by Team Rocket. He was lost, searching for Eijirou just as desperately ...

Out of nowhere, down some side street that Eijirou didn't know the name of, something collided painfully with the back of his knees, and he ate the pavement. It hurt; tears poured down his cheeks as he sat up and spat blood onto the street; his sharp teeth had bitten deep into his tongue. But it didn't matter, because all he could feel was joy and relief. "Riot, thank Arceus I found you—huh?" He looked up into narrow, black eyes and wide, drooling teeth, and that joy died viciously in his chest.

"Well, well, well ... just the brat we were looking for, eh Raticate?" It was him, the grunt from the Gym! But ... why was he here? Eijirou had already defeated him, he wasn't supposed to come back ...! Eijirou scrambled to his feet, mouth full of blood and heart full of fear.  

"Aw, did you lose something, Sharpedo-boy? Why don't I help you with that, huh?"

That paralyzing, choking feeling from the Gym lobby was filling him again. His body trembled. His heart throbbed in his throat, and his legs went numb. What should he do? He'd already decided to never to feel this way again, to doubt in his and Riot's bond—but Riot wasn't here. He'd left Eijirou on his own, with no other Pokémon, to face a villain who so clearly wanted to hurt him.

The grunt's eyes matched his Raticate's, black and small and vicious. "Not so tough without that yappy dog at your heels, slinging its pathetic pebbles, are you brat?" Eijirou stumbled backwards, some sort of flight instinct trying to kick in through the numbness. The grunt stayed still. "Let's see if we can make you faint this time. Raticate, Tackle."

Eijirou barely had time to throw up his hands in a defensive manoeuver before he was thrown off his feet by what felt like the force of a small train, knocking all the wind out of him and laying him flat on his back. Wheezing, Eijirou tried to scramble back to his feet, but he felt uncoordinated and dizzy.

The grunt was drawing closer. His face was so blank, and his eyes were so cold. "Quick Attack." Raticate moved so quickly Eijirou didn't have time to flinch before his body skidded across the ground and his head smacked painfully into the wall behind him. His gasp of pain made him choke on the blood that had been pooling in his mouth from his cut tongue, and he coughed. It hurt. It hurt. He wanted his kaa-san.

The grunt was standing before him now, watching him with a smirk. "That's the problem with these young Pokémon trainers, Raticate. They go traipsing around the region throwing Pokéballs at all sorts of people bigger than them, convinced that theirs is the only kind of power in the world. But take away that Pokéball and all you have left is some snot-nosed brat peeing his pants and crying for Mummy."

Eijirou coughed and spat out more blood and tried not to puke the rest of it up. "W-where ... is h-he?" he gasped. He couldn't sit up, lead lolling uselessly against the wall. "Where's ... Riot ...?"

The grunt shrugged. "Dunno. Shoved in a sack in the back of a van? Kicked into the gutter like old rubbish? Suffocating in some Muk's body? Who knows. Don't really care, I only came here because of you. I owe you." Eijirou had encountered evil for the first time in this world, was looking it in the face, watching as it looked back. This man ... this evil man looked at a little twelve-year-old's bruised and battered face and only said, "Try for a critical hit this time, Raticate. Faint him good and permanent."

Raticate shifted its weight to its back feet, ready to strike—

And then, a howl sounded through the narrow street, so deep and loud that it made the bricks beneath Eijirou's head resonate with the timbre. The Rocket grunt's head whipped around, but by then it was too late—in an explosion of rock shards and a streak of deep red, the Raticate was flung thirty-odd meters down to the other end of the street, crashed into a rubbish bin, and laid still.

The grunt had tripped backwards in shock, falling on the ground and banging his elbow against the cobbles. "Ow, what the f—" he looked up into glowing red eyes, and the curse died on his tongue.

A Midnight-Form Lycanroc stood in front of Eijirou like some avenging angel—no, an avenging devil—muzzle full of sharp teeth and wide paws tipped with wicked claws and glowing red eyes that promised nothing but complete and utter destruction.

The grunt had fear in his eyes, for the first time. He leapt to his feet and ran as fast as he could, fumbling for Raticate's Pokéball to collect him on his way out. But then four massive boulders slammed into the ground around him, boxing him in, preventing escape. Eijirou gaped. Rock Tomb, had to be, but so incredibly powerful ...! And then a fifth boulder, not nearly as large as the others but big enough to get the job done, fell right on top of his head, and the man crumbled and didn't get up again.

Eijirou was too dizzy to move, could only stare incomprehensibly at this strange Lycanroc that had come to rescue him out of nowhere. Really, it was a wonder he was still conscious at this point, so he could be forgiven for the absolute delusion that spilled out of his lips when he looked at this fierce, protective Pokémon—"Dad?"

The Lycanroc whimpered, curling into Eijirou's side and licking his cheek. Suddenly different than before, the Lycanroc curled tightly in a ball, almost in shame, and whined on every exhale.

Eijirou hurt all over. He wanted his kaa-san, but this strange Lycanroc was warm and soft. He closed his eyes, laying his aching head down onto soft scarlet fur, and let himself drift for a bit. He thought at one point maybe he'd heard the Lycanroc barking, and someone calling his name, but Eijirou decided he'd deal with it later. He slept.

--------   (-o-) --------

[seidossecondbase]

❄❄❄❄

Headcanon Meme { Not Accepting }

❄ - 4x AU headcanon

     So, I started typing this a long time ago. And by long i mean... really long. But since I found this post in my drafts and I still like most of the ideas, I thought why not just share it? I never got to finish this but I think 3 fresh AUs are good enough, since I’ve got a ton of AUs on this blog anyway. 

     Cause this post ist pretty long, I’ll post everything under the cut. Note that the mentioned AUs under the Keep Reading will be a Hogwarts au, a Vampire au and a Pokémon au. Oh. And thanks @mochi6 for asking back then. Thought I’d tag you since I kept you waiting for so long to read all of this. ;)

Hogwarts AU

   Not that surprisingly, the sorting hat decided that Ryosuke best fit into Ravenclaw, the house who cherishes knowledge the most. He got to share a dorm with Chris, who got to be one of his closest friends since his first year.

     Ryosuke liked Quidditch since his dad introduced him to it in his early childhood, though he never really played or practiced much until he learned to ride a broom in classes and saw Chris already joining the Ravenclaw Quidditch team in their first year. He joined the Quidditch team rather late in his fourth year - but he is a rather good seeker and makes good use of his small and fragile looking frame.

 Speaking of his body: Ryosuke does look somehow feminine in general and it caused many rumors to spread. There was a rather silly rumor telling that Ryosuke was actually born a girl and his parents transformed him into a boy because they didn’t want to raise a girl. These rumors became even louder once his younger brother Haruichi came to Hogwarts two years later, but eventually went silent after he took care of those he caught making silly comments about them.

   Still, there’s a certain secret Ryosuke’s family never shared publicly: Ryosuke’s motherly side consists of a row of veela ancestors with his mother being a quarter veela herself while his father is a muggle-born wizard. It never became evident to others since it’s only known that the veela gene is passed to any female offspring, not male ones. Ryosuke and Haruichi both originally got the stature and the light blonde hair from their motherly side (which Ryosuke started to dye soon into a rather dark pink like his mother did - but it turned out to be a rather girly pink since his hair seems to bleach out parts of the color naturally).

   Ryosuke’s best subject is Arithmancy but he’s rather good at Transfiguration too. His weakest subject is Potions. However, everything related to theory is where Ryosuke’s good at in general - since he learns facts very quickly and knows much despite not spending too much time with learning. Luckily for everyone in his house (or even at Hogwarts), Ryosuke never got to be Prefect - which is actually something really good since he can be really nasty and cruel if someone tries to mess with him.

Vampire AU

   – Note ! This AU contains rather classic vampires. Meaning they can’t go out in the sun or they’ll turn to dust if exposed too long to sunlight, they can’t see their own reflection in the mirror and they have to feed on human blood every once in a while. Additionally, their regenerative powers are inhibited when wounded with something made out of wood, but they don’t react to garlic nor crucifixes. (If anyone knows the Vampire Files Series… they’ll resemble the vampires from there!)

    At a very young age, Ryosuke was bitten by a vampire but didn’t turn until right after high school graduation when he was hit by a car and got deadly wounded. He can’t remember how he got away from the accident - but woke up in a small back alley just before dawn. His family never saw him after the accident again and had been told by the police that Ryosuke had gone missing; with Ryosuke being the one who stayed away from them once he realized what he had become.

   He moved from Kanagawa to Tokyo, feeling like chances were smaller to see any familiar faces there, but saw himself forced to live a life he never wanted. He took small jobs, all of them at night and fed on humans as rarely as possible once he was able to control his urges.

  But the longer he lived between humans, the more Ryosuke wanted to be human again, missing the small comforts of taking a walk in the sunlight, playing baseball again or be able to taste any other food than blood. But most of all: He missed being able to look in the mirror and see his own reflection - which pushed him into the idea of working as a model for art students at night school.

   Not gonna lie, this AU is mostly an idea for KuraRyo fanfiction with art student!Kuramochi and vampire!Ryosuke (although Ryo is still a rather young vampire bec wtf everything else is weird af).

Pokémon AU

— His parents own a large area with berry plants they take care of and sell. It’s because of this that Ryosuke knows much about berries, Pokéblocks and Poffins.

— He was never interested in collecting badges since he thought it was a rather silly and easy goal to achieve (yeah, he kind of was so confident it would be a piece of cake that he didn’t even bother considering it). In the end, he got invested in Pokémon Contests, feeling like it was more diverse.

— Ryosuke’s team consists of Skitty, Gengar, Marowak, Mismagius, Murkrow and Typholsion. He prefers ghost and dark types most, but generally likes pokémon who are quick and are known to be somehow shady.

              Skitty was Ryosuke’s starter and actually isn’t in a pokéball most of the time. Despite its small state, it’s pretty fast and strong - mostly surprising his opponents with both traits. Why Ryosuke never bothered to evolve it, is something only he knows, but it’s most likely because he just got too used to it the way it is.

              Ryosuke got his Gengar when it still was a Gastly - and it actually lived at the same cemetery as his Marowak when it used to be a Cubone.  They always shared a close bond and were known to chase any intruders away, including Ryosuke, who wasn’t really affected by their attempts to scare him, but rather fascinated by them. Once they were more around him, they developed a very twisted humor, often scaring people on purpose whenever they get the chance to (which - to some extent - Ryosuke really enjoys watching).

             Murkrow used to be a petty thief who stole from trainers as they weren’t paying attention to their surroundings. When it tried to steal from Ryosuke though, it soon realized that instead of the little bag full of delicious Poffins he had seen him carrying around, it stole a bag of pebbles. Hurt in his pride by being tricked for the first time by a human, it followed Ryosuke to the nearby wood, trying his luck again as soon as possible. It got tricked again and eventually got hurt by Skitty and collapsed before it could escape. Ryosuke didn’t try to catch it at first, nursing it back to health before asking if it wanted to be set free or join him.

[horsegirlhob]

Dan and Phil are actually outside for an extended period of time cause Pokemon

Summary: When he was 18, Phil Lester decided not to go on a Pokemon journey. But now he's graduated university and he has no idea where his life is headed. So he decides to get a starter Pokemon and fly to the Kalos region to collect all eight badges and maybe figure out what to do with himself.

Dan Howell just graduated from high school and is not hesitating to start his Pokemon journey. He just wants to escape the little town he grew up in and maybe actually become something worthwhile.

Lets see what happens shall we?

Word count: 2050

Warnings: None for this chapter I don’t think

a/n: This is gonna be multi-chaptered so if you actually enjoy it and want updates you can ask me to tag you and stuff. Huge thanks to my betas @shrugs-are-kinky and  @skytlake for making this readable. 

ao3

Phil Lester had run more in the past 5 minutes than the last 22 years of his life. And it showed, as he arrived at Professor Rowan’s lab sweaty and gasping for breath. The large and rather imposing building was in the middle of Sandgem Town, a fair distance away from Phil’s house.

        A research assistant glanced up from his clipboard and briefly inspected the flushed visitor, quirking a disinterested brow. “Kath’s kid?” he guessed, gazing at Phil through bleary eyes. Trying not to take offense at the researcher’s dismissive tone - as he clearly hadn’t slept properly in weeks - Phil replied with a cheerful “Yep” between puffs of air before finally managing to catch his breath.

        “I mean, yes, I am Kathryn’s son. My name’s Philip, uh, Philip Lester. But I just go by Phil though so you can call me that if you want.” He smiled, extending an arm in attempted greeting.The researcher regarded his friendly gesture with disdain and Phil dropped his hand, brushing it awkwardly against his pant leg. After a moment’s pause the man reluctantly replied “I’m Rob,” before gesturing vaguely at Phil and heading for the central laboratory. .

        Phil trailed uncertainly behind Rob as he made his way confidently through the lab, struggling to take in the labyrinth of desks and machinery while still keeping up with the older man.

        Finally, after enough twists and turns that Phil doubted he’d be able to find his way out of the building, they arrived at what seemed to be the central research area. “Rowan’s in there. He’ll talk to you,” Rob dismissed before turning on his heel and marching back down the hall.

        Phil took a moment to reassess his life choices as he scanned the room. There were a lot of people. And Phil wasn’t 100% or even 50% sure about what exactly Professor Rowan looked like.

        Timidly, Phil made his way further into the room, feeling wildly out of place among the haggard yet professional looking scientists. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his white hoodie trying to make himself as small as possible. Which wasn’t very small mind you, as even with his hunched posture, Phil stood at about 6’2.

        “Philip!,” Phil startled, almost knocking some complex looking machine, earning himself unamused looks from several scientists. Luckily they were quickly distracted by the approach of a very stern looking bearded man in a lab coat.  “Your mother told me you would be coming today,” he said, giving Phil a look that might have been reassuring were Phil not completely terrified of this man.

        “My mother? Oh, oh you must be Professor Rowan. I’m so sorry I was just kinda brought here by this guy named Rob who I think needs to sleep more- and he just like left me here on my own and I didn’t know what to do and-“

        He was cut off by a somewhat bemused chuckle from the professor, and he went silent, feeling even more self-conscious than before.

        “Well, luckily you made it here in one piece. Please, follow me,” The professor beckoned Phil, who had to hurry to catch up to the professor’s confident stride.

        “As you probably know already, normally when a child turns 18, they can choose to become a pokemon trainer. I provide these kids with their first pokemon,” Phil made a noise of confirmation. He had considered becoming a pokemon trainer when he first turned 18, but he had eventually decided to go to university instead. But now that graduation was finally over he wanted to at least give pokemon training a go.

        “Now here in Sinnoh you have three choices,” Rowan came to a halt in front of a small metal canister containing three poke balls. “I presume that you know them but just in case you’re still making your final decision,” Rowan opened the canister, tapping the buttons on each of the pokéballs.

        Phil was actually having a bit of trouble deciding which pokemon to pick. Chimchar was a great option of course but Phil had ruled him out before even getting to the lab. He wouldn’t be unhappy with a Chimchar but he just didn’t think that the fire line was the one for him. This left the other two.

On the one hand Piplup was adorable and Phil had always had a soft spot for water starters. But on the other hand Turtwig had a plant on its back, which was very appealing given Phil’s love of houseplants.

Ultimately he decided it would be best to meet the pokemon before making his final decision.

The three pokemon stared up at him, clearly anticipating his decision. Phil felt kinda bad picking between them; he never liked choosing favourites and this was literally all about choosing favourites. And what happened if he chose wrong? What if he regretted his decision later? This was the start of his journey and if he messed up now then what did that mean for the future of said journey? What if-

“Go with your gut son,” Phil snapped back to reality at Rowan’s words. His gut? He wasn’t good at that. But he supposed he didn’t have a choice if he wanted to get out of here within the next ten years.  And honestly, if he were to go with his gut… “Piplup,” Phil tried to sound sure of himself, but he probably just came across as nervous and loud. That didn’t seem to matter to Piplup though, as the little penguin made an excited cheeping sound and jumped right at Phil’s chest.

Flailing a little bit, Phil was luckily able to catch Piplup before the poor bird hit the floor. Rowan laughed a little, and Phil couldn’t help but join in. Piplup certainly seemed like he would be an energetic companion.  Phil only hoped that he would be able to keep up.

“Piplup seems like an excellent choice for you Philip,” Rowan encouraged, returning the other two starters to their respective pokeballs. Phil nodded in agreement.

“I think so as well. And I hope that the other two will be able to find good partners as well,” Phil glanced nervously at the two remaining pokeballs, still feeling bad about the pokemon he was leaving behind.

“Oh don’t you worry. They’ll find good homes. For now, however, we should get you and piplup on your way” Rowan turned to another desk and riffled through a few drawers before turning back to Phil with a handful of pokeballs and a pokedex.

“You might want to put Piplup down before I hand you anything else,” Rowan recommended, nodding towards the little penguin that Phil was still clutching to his chest. Phil deposited piplup back on the table and turned back to Rowan, almost running into his outstretched hand.

“In a rush are we?” Rowan said, keeping a firm grip on the pokedex he was holding out to Phil.

“No sir! I just didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Phil explained, feeling his cheeks reddening as he tried to explain himself.

“No need to panic son, it was just a joke,” Rowan assured as Phil took the blue pokedex.

“Oh right, sorry” Phil smiled awkwardly. Now he was in a bit of a rush to get out of here. Though that was due more to embarrassment about his apparent inability to take a joke than anything else.

“I hope you know how a pokedex works already?” Rowan asked as Phil inspected the machine in his hands.

“Yeah, I’ve read about them before. But I’ve never actually held one, so this is pretty exciting,” Phil explained before slipping it into his pocket. He would be able to check it out in more detail after Rowan was done with him.

“And of course you know how these work,” Rowan continued, handing Phil five pokeballs. Phil nodded, clipping them onto his belt so he could get at them easily if need be.

“This is Piplup’s pokeball, but you can keep him out of it of course.” Rowan handed Phil one final pokeball, this one full sized, as it had recently been used.

Phil glanced at Piplup “You wanna go back into your ball, or would you rather stay out with me for a while?” he asked. Piplup cheeped again, and while Phil didn’t exactly speak pokemon, he was pretty sure Piplup was indicating the fact that he would rather stay out for a little while. So Phil shrunk down his pokeball and put it alongside the others.

“Is that all?” Phil asked, picking up Piplup and turning back to Rowan. Rowan nodded.

“That should be it. Unless you wanted some information about where you should go next?” Phil shook his head.

“Actually I wasn’t going to stay in Sinnoh.” This made Rowan raise an eyebrow.

        “Is that so? Well in that case, what region were you thinking of exploring instead?”

        “I was planning on making my way over to Kalos actually,” Phil admitted, hugging piplup a little closer to his chest.

        Phil’s parents had desperately wanted him to stay in Sinnoh. It was easier for them to visit each other if Phil was in the same region as them. But ultimately they had supported Phil’s decision. He had always stayed close to home, and if he was going to go on this grand journey or whatever it was supposed to be, he wanted to go all out.

        Phil still wasn’t quite sure as to why he chose Kalos specifically.  He had spent months going over his options and he couldn’t even narrow it down to three, but about a month ago he had decided that Kalos was the way to go, for no reason in particular other than it felt right. Maybe he was better at listening to his gut than he thought.

        “Oh, I’m actually good friends with a professor there. Professor Sycamore is his name. It’s a fascinating region. Good choice Philip.”

        “Thank you sir,” Phil’s grip on Piplup relaxed a little bit at Rowan’s approval. It was comforting to know that Rowan knew people from that region and still thought it was a good choice. Phil figured that was a good endorsement.

        “Well then, you’d best be on your way. Remember to call your mother from time to time okay? We don’t want her to worry about you.”

        “Oh I don’t think that’ll be a problem sir. If I didn’t call my mother on a regular basis I’m afraid she might skin me alive.” And even without the incentive of keeping his skin, Phil still wanted to keep in touch with his family. Especially his brother, who was moving to Kanto a few weeks after Phil was to arrive in Kalos. Martin had scored some kind of paid internship in Professor Oak’s lab, and Phil desperately wanted to know how it went.

        “I’ll be off then,” Phil put Piplup down so that he could shake the professor’s hand, “It was very nice to meet you Professor Rowan.”

        “Likewise Philip. I wish you all the best in Kalos.” Rowan’s handshake was firm and a little bit intimidating, but Phil tried to ignore it and returned the shake best he could. “Though, before you go, I was wondering if you could do me a quick favor.”

        “Yeah, of course. What is it you need?” Ronan released Phil’s hand from his death grip and walked over to his desk. When he returned, he was carrying a sealed envelope.                 “Could you deliver this to Professor Sycamore when you arrive in Lumios city? His lab is there, so it won’t be out of your way. And I’ll let him know you’re coming.” Ronan handed Phil the letter, which he tucked into his jacket pocket.

        “No problem. It’ll be nice to meet him anyways so this is no trouble. Thank you again for, y’know, the pokemon and stuff.” And on that awkward note, Phil walked back into the main room of the lab, leaving Rowan to get back to whatever it was that pokemon professors did.

        Phil was shown out of the building by a different, yet equally sleep deprived, scientist. Making his way back home, Phil looked down at Piplup, waddling along happily beside him, and couldn’t help but smile a little bit.

        “Let’s hope this isn’t a disaster.”

Tag list: @burnt-sienna-soup-ladles @ocotopushugs @phanunsolved @secret-society-of-bread @dans-mistletongue

[city-writes]

untitled

They've met many people on their travels, but no one's intrigued the Kamishiro twins as much as the young man riding atop a shiny Rapidash.

Warnings: Pokémon Trainer AU Pairings: None

Read it here on AO3!

After a day's worth of walking, the scent of sea water began to fade from the air, replaced by the heavy aroma healthy foliage as Rio and Ryoga Kamishiro walked along the path leading out of Vermilion City, heading eastwards towards the Kanto Region's east coast. The rustle and bustle of wild Pokémon always lingered, never truly fading from earshot, and the twins wouldn't have had it any other way.

"What's the map say, Rio?" Ryoga asked, not looking at his sister. His attention was more focused on polishing his shiny new Thunder Badge, nestled snugly in its case next to the Cascade Badge he'd won in Cerulean City.

"Well," Rio began, her eyes fixated on the map as they walked, "There's no city or town directly east of Vermilion. Once we hit the coast, we can either go back up north and re-visit Lavender Town, or we can go south, the once we hit the south coast, go west to Fuchsia City."

"I vote south." Ryoga looked up from his badge case then, closing it and tucking it back into his duffel bag, and turning his attention to Rio. "Fuchsia City has a gym, and it'll give me time to think about how to deal with the gym in Celadon City. Lieutenant Surge mentioned that the gym there specializes in Grass type Pokémon, and my team and I barely got by with an Electric type gym."

Rio gave a cheeky smile at that, folding the map as she spoke. "Maybe half your team shouldn't be made up of Water Pokémon."

"Says the one with half a team of Ice types." Ryoga muttered, only to receive a thwack on the head with the folded up map for his remark.

"I think we should have bought those bikes back in Vermilion." Rio said, placing the map in the side pocket of her backpack. "We could have gone up northwest to Celadon, gotten the gym out of the way, and then ride the bike path down to Fuchsia, and back up afterwards in case we needed to restock on supplies at the mall."

"You just wanna go for the mall, don't try and trick me."

"I just want us to have whatever we need! Those bikes would have helped!"

"We have bikes back home in Hoenn! We don't need to buy another set of bikes!"

"And what good are they doing us there?!"

The two began bickering back and forth for some time, and only stopped when they were interrupted by the sound of rustling coming from the underbrush that lined the path they were on. Immediately, they stopped, hands at their Pokéballs, which rested on their belts. At the muffled sound of voices they eased somewhat, but were right back on guard again when the voices became clearer, enough so that they could make out what was being said.

"The boss is gonna love this li'l guy, ain't he?"

"He better. Snatchin' him from them ranch folk was harder than I thought it was gonna be! My Golbat needs time to rest."

"We'll be good once we get back to Headquarters. We'll probably get a pretty penny for this Pokémon."

Rio and Ryoga shared knowing looks with each other, before turning to face the direction the voices were coming from. 'The Boss'? Stealing Pokémon? Those voices had to have belonged to Team Rocket, a criminal organization the twins learned about when coming to Kanto.

They each grabbed at a Pokéball from their belts, prepping themselves for the gang members that were approaching. After a moment's wait, two members of Team Rocket made their way out of the undergrowth of the path, one member holding a glass dome-like container which housed a small, bipedal feline-like Pokémon, one neither of the twins had ever seen before. The Pokémon in the container was clearly wailing, and pounding against its constraints, but there was no sound coming from the container. The grunts locked eyes with Rio and Ryoga, before one spoke.

"I dunno what you're thinkin' 'bout doin', but don't." The taller of the two - a slender woman with short pink hair - warned.

"I'm thinking about beating the crap out of some Team Rocket punks." Ryoga said with a smirk, as he tossed his Pokéball up in the air and caught it as it fell. He ten turned his attention to his sister. "What do you think, Rio?"

Rio gave a light 'hmph' before clicking the center button on her Pokéball, so that it enlarged to its full size. "Funny, I was thinking something similar, Ryoga."

"Dammit." The shorter of the two grunts, a stockily built man with lime green hair, cursed as he shifted his hold so that he was holding his captive Pokémon in one hand, and reached for a Pokéball with the other. "Go, Raticate!"

The female grunt followed suit, grabbing a Pokéball. "Go, Golbat!"

The two Pokémon emerged from their Pokéballs, Raticate landing with a solid 'thud' on the path, and Golbat screeching as it kept itself airborne, the latter of the two visiby worn out somewhat.

In return, the twins sent out their Pokémon in unison.

"Have at them, Garchomp!"

"Come on out, Froslass!"

Their two Pokémon landed on the path as well, Ryoga's Garchomp landing with a heavier 'thud' than the male grunt's Raticate. The two grunts shared a concerned look, but stood their ground, intent on somehow getting out of there with their newly acquired prize.

"Raticate!" The male grunt commanded, "Use Crunch on that Garchomp!"

The female grunt was quick to follow up after her partner, "Golbat, use Poison Fang on Froslass!"

Rio smirked, and lifted a hand. "Use Icy Wind, Froslass!"

Before either Team Rocket grunt could land their attack, Rio's Froslass used its commanded attack, the span of the attack hitting both the Raticate and the Golbat, the latter of which it was super effective on. While it made the Golbat stop in its tracks, the Raticate fought through the wind, and landed its Crunch on Ryoga's Garchomp, only to squeal in pain and jump back.

"R-Raticate? Are you ok?!"

"Your Raticate got a mouth full of my Garchomp's Rough Skin." Ryoga explained, as Garchomp quickly recovered from the attack. "You can't land any physical attacks without hurting yourself as well."

Before Ryoga could continue and call out an attack of his own, the sound of galloping began to become make itself known from far off down the path, faint at first, but rapidly approaching. It wasn't long at all before a figure made itself known at the far end of the path, outlined by the setting sun, and as it grew closer, all parties realized it was a young man on a Rapidash.

"Shit!" The female grunt cursed, "We gotta move! We can't take all three of 'em!"

The male grunt looked at his partner, eyes wide. "But the Pokémon--"

"Just leave it 'n run! Ranch boy'll catch up t'us if we keep it!"

Seething, the male grunt placed the container holding the captured Pokémon on the ground, before the both of them recalled their Pokémon and high-tailed it into the woods. The young man and his Rapidash nearly moved to follow them, but upon seeing the container on the ground, the Rapidash skidded to a stop and let the young man off. Hurrying towards the container, the young man called out: "Espurr!"

The Espurr was still visibly wailing in its confines, not seeming to calm down, even as the young man approached. Rio took one look at the Pokémon and shook her head, moving to hide behind her twin brother. Nope, it looked way too feline for her liking. "What kind of Pokémon is an Espurr?"

Ryoga took out his National Pokédex, scanned the Espurr, and listened to the entry:

Espurr: the Restraint Pokémon. Espurr fold their ears to cover the yellow, ring-shaped organs that emit its intense psychic powers; so intense, that Espurr sometimes have problems controlling it.

"I can't get her out!" The young man exclaimed as he strained to pull the glass casing off, "This case is stuck on tight!" He looked around the base of the container for any buttons or switches but found none.

Rio and Ryoga recalled their Pokémon back into their Pokéballs, and Ryoga rushed towards the young man, Rio staying behind. She admittedly wanted to help, but was terrified of cat Pokémon. Ryoga looked at the glass dome, frowning as he nor the young man found any sort of release mechanism to free the trapped Espurr.

"We might have to break the glass," Ryoga suggested.

"You might be right," The young man said, "I just don't want to accidentally hurt Espurr in the process."

"I might be able to help." Both males turned to look at Rio, who was reaching for another Pokéball. She released the Pokémon inside: a Weavile. "Weavile's claws are very sharp; If he's quick enough, he should be able to slash through the top of the glass and slice it clean off, without hurting your Espurr."

Both Ryoga and the young man shared a look and nodded, the young man placing the container on the ground and stepping away to give Weavile room.

"Ok Weavile," Rio said, watching as her Weavile stood in place and looked back at her, "Use Slash on the across the top of the glass!"

Weavile nodded and sliced a claw across the top of the glass, slicing the top of the container clean off. The minute Weavile did, however, the wails that had been previously silenced were let loose, the Espurr wailing so loudly that the three of them had to cover their ears, and Weavile was visibly hurt.

"I think she's using Disarming Voice!" The young man yelled, trying to be heard over the wails of his Espurr.

Recognizing that as a Fairy type move, Rio quickly recalled her Weavile, not wanting it to be hurt any further from the Espurr's wailing attack. "Is there any way to get it to stop?!" She yelled in response.

The young man winced as he put his hands down, reaching down to grab the feline Pokémon, "Espurr!" He yelled, trying to get through to it. "Espurr, it's ok!"

At the sound of his voice, Espurr turned, looking at the young man, but kept wailing. It wasn't until the young man gathered the small Pokémon in his arms that it began to quiet down, its wails dying into small mewls. "There we go, it's ok..." The young man held Espurr up to his chest, the cat-like Pokémon nuzzling up against his shoulder. "I've got you, Espurr."

The twins pulled their hands away from their ears once they were sure that the Espurr was done, and shared a look before turning their attention to the young man before them, looking him over. His face was framed by gray hair that nearly matched the flames on his Rapidash, similarly colored gray eyes framed by glasses. He wore a puffy white shirt, which was tucked into his jeans.

It was then the young man looked up at them, and sighed. "I'm sorry about my Espurr. Are you both alright?"

"I might be deaf in one ear," Ryoga quipped, folding his arms, "but yeah, I think we're fine."

With a sigh, the young man shifted so that he was holding Espurr with one arm, freeing the other and extending it. "I'm Durbe. And you are?"

Ryoga walked to meet Durbe's hand and shook it, nodding slightly, "I'm Ryoga."

From behind them, Rio stayed firmly in place. "I'm Rio."

"Don't mind her," Ryoga said as Durbe gave a confused look at Rio for staying far back, "She doesn't like cat Pokémon."

"Oh." Durbe frowned slightly, looking from Espurr to Rio, "Sorry, I have her Pokéball, but I don't think she'd be willing to go into it right now from the looks of it." In response, Espurr shook its head, nuzzling its face into Durbe's shoulder with a purr. "And honestly," he said, using his free hand to gently scratch at her head, "I don't blame her."

"Well I'm glad she's back where she belongs." Rio piped up, still keeping her distance.

"I am too," Durbe agreed, smiling softly down at Espurr before looking to the twins. "Thank you both, for stopping Team Rocket."

Rio and Ryoga both nodded in response, before Ryoga spoke. "Those goons mentioned a ranch that they attacked, is that where you came from?"

Durbe nodded. "Yes, I live there with my moms, we run a Ponyta and Rapidash ranch. Those Team Rocket members have been at our place before, trying to steal Mach, but this time they changed tactics on us, and got away with Espurr."

Ryoga arched an eyebrow, "Mach?"

Durbe looked at Ryoga confusedly, before blinking and realizing he needed to explain himself. "Oh, sorry, Mach is the name I gave my partner." He motioned to the Rapidash waiting patently behind him, "Team Rocket's been after him since he was a Ponyta, because he's shiny."

"Well the name fits," Ryoga replied with a smirk, "The way he barreled down the path took us all by surprise."

"Thanks," Durbe smiled at that, looking over at Mach, "I've been taking care of him since he was born, and I've done all I can to make sure he's been raised healthy."

The hooting of a Noctowl flying by overhead caught their attention, and Rio frowned. "Its getting late."

"Well," Durbe began, "If its ok with my moms, I'm sure the two of you can sleep at our place for the night, in thanks for helping me and Espurr."

Rio smiled gently at that, "We'd really appreciate it, right Ryoga?" She turned to look at her brother then, who nodded in response.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Well then, we better get going." Durbe said. "Its not too far from here, but we'll have to walk. Even if Mach let anyone other than me ride him, he wouldn't be able to hold all three of us."

With Mach leading the way, the three of them walked together along the path back to the ranch, into the setting sun.

Once they arrived at the ranch, the twins were greeted with the sight of droves of Ponyta and Rapidash, with a Stoutland amidst them, the glow of dozens of fiery manes illuminated the ranch against the early evening sky. Being back at the ranch seemed to allow the Espurr in Durbe's hands to calm finally, and she squirmed in Durbe's hold, wanting to be put down. Durbe complied, and the Espurr made her way back towards the house on the hill overlooking the fields.

Watching over the Ponyta and Rapidash from close by was a stout older woman, with braided graying black hair, who at the sound of Mach's hooves treading along the path, turned to see who was there. "Oh, Durbe!" She rushed over, hugging him close, "I'm glad you're alright! Your mother and I were worried when you didn't come straight back! We--" It was then she noticed Rio and Ryoga, and let go of her son to properly greet them. "Why, hello! Who are your friends, son?"

Durbe chuckled, straightening himself out after his mom's crushing hug. "Mom, this is Ryoga and Rio Kamishiro. They helped me retrieve Espurr from Team Rocket."

"Oh, they did?" A bright smile graced the woman's face, "Well thank you so much!" She hugged the two of them as well, Ryoga yelping in surprise as she did. At that noise, Durbe's mother pulled back, a sheepish look on her face. "Sorry kids, I'm a hugger."

"Mom's originally from the Kalos region," Durbe explained as Ryoga and Rio straightened themselves out, "and they're very... openly affectionate there."

"What can I say? It's in my blood." She said with a smile. "My name's Haruka, it's a pleasure to meet you both. Thank you again for helping my son."

"It was no problem," Rio replied, smiling back at Haruka, "We overheard them saying they stole a Pokémon and couldn't just stand by and let them make off with it."

"Plus it was a chance to let my Garchomp have some fun after he missed out on the gym back in Vermilion." Ryoga added.

"Oh? You're doing the gym challenge?" Haruka asked.

"Yeah, we're originally from Hoenn, and we started there, then went to Alola, and now we're in Kanto doing its gym challenge." Ryoga explained.

"Oh how wonderful!" Haruka exclaimed, her hands going to her cheeks as she gushed over their travels. "Being a traveling trainer was the highlight of my childhood! Its how I met Durbe's mother in Unova."

"Mom!" Durbe groaned, embarrassed at his mother's gushing.

"Well it's true, Durbe!" Haruka turned to look at her son with a bright smile on her face, "You know the story: Your mother was in a forest, researching the seasonal conditions of Deerling, I was a traveling trainer trying to complete the Unova Pokédex, I accidentally caught the Deerling she'd been observing from a safe distance, and she absolutely hated me for it!"

Haruka turned to look at the twins, who had been amused by Durbe's embarrassment. "I apologized and immediately released the Deerling back into the wild, but the damage was done, and it fled immediately. I spent weeks at the laboratory she was working at helping her relocate it and in the process, she ultimately forgave me and we grew closer and--"

"We get it, Mom." Durbe said, his cheeks flushed as he cut her off.

Haruka let out a hearty laugh, her hands going to her hips as she turned to look at her son again. "Durbe, are you worried I'm going to embarrass you in front of your new friends? Because if that's what you're worried about, I could easily tell them some stories about you when you were a baby, and--"

"Actually," Rio interrupted, wanting to spare the reddening Durbe any more humiliation, "Durbe offered us a place to stay for the night as thanks for helping him, so long as it was ok with you."

That managed to pull Haruka's attention off her son and back onto the twins. "Well of course that's fine with me! You'll have to check with my wife Maria, however. She's out in the barn checking on some of our Ponyta that were injured in the frenzy those Team Rocket rascals caused."

"Thanks Mom." Durbe said, before motioning to Rio and Ryoga. "Let's go."

The twins followed Durbe to the ranch's barn, passing by a field of Ponyta and Rapidash in the process. It was quite the sight, seeing a plethora of healthily raised and cared for Pokémon all kept in one place. Upon reaching the barn, Durbe opened the door for them, letting them in before himself. Once they were all inside, they were met with the sight of an older woman with long dark violet hair tending to a poisoned Ponyta, no doubt a victim of the female grunt's Golbat.

"How's she looking?" Durbe asked, walking towards his mother, the twins not far behind.

"Poison Fang hit her hard, but she'll recover." Maria looked over at Durbe, not noticing the newcomers behind him. "Could you grab me the mortar and pestle? I have some Pecha berries here but she's not wanting to chew."

"Yes ma'am." Durbe moved then, going into a nearby stall and re-emerging with a mortar and pestle, handing it to his mother.

"Who are your friends?" She asked, nodding in Rio and Ryoga's direction while keeping her eyes on mashing the berries in the mortar.

"They're a couple of traveling trainers who helped me get Espurr back from Team Rocket." Durbe explained, watching as his mother grinded away at the berries. "I offered them a place to stay for the night since its getting late, and Mom said it was ok with her as long as it was with you."

"That's fine." Maria quickly said, putting the pestle in her lap and feeding the Ponyta from the mortar. "They can stay for the night."

Rio and Ryoga looked at each other in slight amazement. This woman didn't even ask their names and was ok with them staying in her house?

Durbe noticed the look the twins shared and laughed out of awkwardness. "I apologize for my mother, when she focuses on something, its kinda hard to pull her out of it. I promise, she's more mild mannered than this."

"It's ok." Rio reassured, "We know she's just worried about the Pokémon she's looking after."

"Is the Stoutland out in the fields hers?" Ryoga asked.

Durbe nodded in response, and nodded to his mother. "Yeah, that Stoutland was my mother's first Pokémon when she was in the Unova region, and its been her partner ever since. My mom, on the other hand, has a pair of Meowstic she brought with her from Kalos, and thats how I got Espurr."

"A pair of Meowstic?" Rio asked, already inching behind Ryoga.

"Ah, don't worry, they won't be anywhere near you in the house." Durbe said in an attempt to reassure her. "They don't like new people, so they'll just hide in other rooms, I promise."

It was then that Maria stood from her seat, mortar and pestle in hand the Ponyta having drank the mushed berries. "Durbe, take these with you and place them in the sink inside the house." Before Durbe could muster a response to her, she looked over at Rio and Ryoga and blinked, adjusting her glasses. "Oh, that's right. I haven't introduced myself, haven't I?" Extending a hand, Maria spoke again. "My name's Maria, I'm Durbe's mother."

Ryoga shook her hand, preferring this greeting much more to the more 'enthusiastic' greeting Durbe's mom gave. "I'm Ryoga Kamishiro, and this is my twin sister Rio."

"Hello," Rio said, shaking Maria's hand.

"Thank you for helping my son save his Espurr. Those Team Rocket members were crafty this time and would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you, so thank you." Maria then left the stall the Ponyta was in. "She drank the berry mash, so she should be fine with a little bit of sleep." She then looked to Durbe and smiled gently. "I'm glad you you're safe."

"Thanks, Mother." Durbe said, "I owe it to Rio and Ryoga."

"Well, that Ponyta was the last of the ones I needed to check up on." Maria mentioned, beginning to walk towards the barn's entrance. "Haruka's probably gone back to the house to start dinner by now. Let's all go see if she needs any help."

With that, the four of them left the barn, and made their way into the house on the hill. After helping prep and eat their dinner, Haruka and Durbe showed the twins to the front room, where the couches had folded out into beds for them to sleep on. They thanked Haruka and Durbe for their hospitality, and began to get ready for bed.

Early that next morning, Rio and Ryoga found themselves awakened by Haruka, who apologized for the crack-of-dawn wake up time, but explained that breakfast was ready for them in the kitchen. Reluctantly, the twins rose from the surprisingly comfortable couch beds and proceeded to clean up after themselves, folding their blankets, putting the beds back into the couch, and straightening the pillows they used. They then took turns in the bathroom to get ready.

Once in the kitchen, Haruka served them their plates, and the twins couldn't help but notice that Durbe wasn't downstairs with them. Upon questioning Haruka, she simply smiled and said, "Don't worry kiddos, he'll be ready soon." With that vague answer, she left the kitchen to go work on the ranch, apparently having eaten already.

It was silent as the twins ate, the two of them still somewhat groggy in the early hours of the morning. The silence was broken after they had put their dishes in the sink and began gathering their stuff, by the sound of the stairs creaking from the weight of someone coming down them.

"Durbe?" Rio looked over at the bottom of the stairs, noticing Durbe there with a white shirt, black sweater vest, and green scarf around his neck. He wore gray pants and long tan brown boots, that looked unfit for being a ranch-hand. On his back was a green backpack, visibly stuffed to the brim, and around his waist was a belt, holding two Pokéballs.

"Well, I was thinking, I owe you both for stopping Team Rocket for me, and helping me get my Espurr back." Durbe began, shifting to steady his backpack, "And it's been a while since I really left the ranch for something other than shopping with my parents in the next city over. I was thinking, I could join you both on your journey, that is - if you'll have me."

Rio and Ryoga looked at each other, then back to Durbe, Ryoga speaking up, "Won't your parents need you to help on the ranch?"

"I talked to them about this last night," Durbe said, "And they said they'd be ok without me."

"And Team Rocket?"

"Well, they only attacked because of Mach," Durbe explained, "and I'm bringing him with me. So theoretically, they shouldn't attack the ranch anymore. Even if they did, my parents have their partner Pokémon with them to protect the ranch."

"Well, I'm more than happy to have you along, Durbe." Rio admitted, smiling gently. "And I know Ryoga is too."

"I'm just glad there's someone else to back me up when I say we don't need bikes." Ryoga said.

Rio frowned at her brother, her hands going to her hips. "Don't start this again, Ryoga, we've already been over this."

"I'm just saying--"

"Well don't!"

Durbe laughed sheepishly, wedging himself inbetween the bickering twins in an attempt to separate them and stop their arguing. "Why don't we start heading out now, and you can tell me about this thing you guys have going on with bikes?"

"Well," Rio began, "It all started while we were in Vermilion City..."

As Rio and Ryoga began telling Durbe about their run-in with the bike shop in Vermilion City, the three of them left Durbe's house, Durbe closing the door behind him as he ventured out with his brand new friends into the parts of the Kanto region any of them had yet to tread.

[letswritefanfiction]

Pokémon Alphabet Challenge: R is for Return

Also: Pokéshipping week day 5.

Post SS036 and M17. Not quite canon; the characters have aged and Ash and Misty are teenagers.

“Wow, I can’t believe it’s been so long since we’ve been here.”

“And I can’t believe that you’re actually traveling to the same place more than once.”

Ash cast Misty a heavy dose of side-eye as they continued pushing through the throng of people, like them, just getting off the boat. “I’ll start rechallenging Leagues after I’ve gone through all of the existing ones once.”

“And lost.”

Misty couldn’t hide how pleased she was with herself as Ash nearly knocked Pikachu off his shoulder in order to look at her again. “What are you talking about?”

“You mean,” Misty clarified, looking at Pikachu apologetically, “you’ll start rechallenging—which I don’t think is a word, by the way—after you’ve lost all the existing ones once.”

“Hey!” Ash cried out, still fresh off his loss at the Kalos League. “I…I won the Orange League!”

“Pics or it didn’t happen,” Brock said, pressing past people in order to sidle up between the two of them. “I find it suspicious that the one League Ash supposedly won is one of the few I wasn’t there for. And it wasn’t televised.”

“Okay, no, Brock; I will testify that not only did he win, but there is a concrete cast of his Pokémon’s footprints in a hall of fame. When Ash decides to revisit a place again—in another five years—we can go and see the proof.” While the boys stared in confusion at Misty’s sudden defense of Ash, she continued, “I’m just shocked that you’re even talking to us, Brock. Last time we were here, you were freaking out about girls.”

Brock blushed. “I was at a very insecure point in my life there, and I’d like to think that I’ve grown beyond, er…”

“Openly weeping every time bathing suit season is over?” Ash completed for him.

“Uh, yes,” Brock said, scratching the side of his nose. “And, considering how things went last time we were here, I’ve decided to keep Croagunk here in case things get…out of hand.”

“Oh, really?” Misty asked. “Where’s his PokéBall?”

Brock stared at Misty, confused as to why she would challenge him on that. Nevertheless, he pulled Croagunk’s PokéBall off his ‘Belt and showed it to her. He only had it in his palm for a moment before Misty pressed the button on the ‘Ball and released the Pokémon into the mass of people. As the Pokémon materialized, Misty bent over him to ensure that he wasn’t stepped on by any of the many passersby.

“It’s preemptive,” Misty explained when she righted herself, Brock’s bemusement toward her only deepenening. “Just because things got so out of control last time.”

“Hey, I wasn’t that bad!”

Ash and Misty both scoffed.

“Brock. You literally started to float away,” Ash reasoned.

A pause and then: “…Yeah, okay.”

“Hey!”

The trio stood on their tiptoes to see over the forest of people to the familiar, nasal voice yelling at them. Fortunately, Gary Oak’s spiked hair added enough height to his already tall frame that he wasn’t hard to spot.

“If Gramps is this far ahead of you, then you know you’re dilly-dallying. Shake a leg, guys!”

Misty looked around, tumbling into Brock a bit as someone knocked into her backpack, throwing her weight to the side. “I don’t know how were supposed to push through this crowd to catch up. Why did we have to come on the day of the maiden’s festival again? I mean, weren’t you run over the last time we were here?” Misty asked of Brock.

Pikachu nodded that he remembered, answering with an earnest “Chuu.”

“We’re here for the maiden’s festival,” Brock reminded, “because Ash told the Oaks that we’d seen a talking, shape-shifting Gastly last time we were here.”

By this point, the trio—plus Pikachu and Croagunk—managed to push onto the main boulevard for the street fair, new smells of popcorn stands and cotton candy overtaking the briny smell of the water and the boat.

“Oh man, can we get some food?” Ash asked, beginning to salivate. They’d taken a boat straight from Pallet Town earlier that morning to the small port village where the annual festival was held. It was now late afternoon, and Ash’s stomach was reminding him that he hadn’t had a full meal since breakfast.

“Later,” Gary said, hearing that particular request as the trio finally caught up to him and the professor. “Right now, we wanna see that statue before it gets dark.”

The walk through the entirety of the street fair without being able to stop at one of the pop up tents was torturous. Especially since the truth was that this was a ‘summer’s end festival’ and the sun wouldn’t set for a few more hours, despite Gary’s worries. But the group managed to make their way up the hill—slowly, to account for Professor Oak—and over to the familiar statue of the maiden on the cliff. Fortunately, it seemed as though the rest of the revelers must have been waiting for the presentation of the painting before making the hike, as there was no one else on the cliff for the moment.

The maiden didn’t become visible until you got right up to the railing, separating tourists from the waves below. She was hidden behind the cabin that Misty and Ash had found Brock and James in all those years ago.

“Fascinating,” Professor Oak said once the maiden came into sight. “It’s perfectly preserved.”

“Somehow it’s remained while the rest of the cliff has been eroding away,” Gary agreed. “Totally untouched by the weather and the sea.”

Professor Oak and Gary went right up to the railing, looking up at the beautiful structure of the maiden in the sea. Misty and Ash, however, couldn’t be bothered to give it more than just a cursory look—they’d seen more than enough of the maiden the last time they were here. Misty, at least, was content enough to lean over the railing and look down at the sea, taking in the sound of it crashing against their cliff-side and the maiden’s pillar.

“That’s exactly what Professor Sycamore’s photos showed us of the Kalosian maiden. He suggested that perhaps the stone had some sort of staying power that natural rocks do not contain.”

“It’s possible,” Brock added. “Rock Pokémon can live underground or in mountains, grinding their bodies against other stones and never change in size. Perhaps it’s the same phenomenon.”

“Perhaps…” Oak intoned as he stroked the silver stubble on his chin. “Do we know how old is this statue said to be?”

“Two-thousand years,” Brock answered quickly. Ash and Misty sent him a look—neither of them had remembered the number. Apparently, it had been engraved in Brock’s memory, a reminder of the tragic distance between him and the lavender-haired maiden.

“Did Professor Sycamore have any idea how old the maiden statue in Kalos was, Gramps?”

Ah yes, that was how this whole adventure started. Professor Oak, as well as other renowned Pokémon professors, had recently attended a symposium at which Professor Sycamore and Alexa had spoken about the recent discovery of a maiden statue, about which a legend had been circulating in Kalos for centuries, at least.

“They’re not sure,” Professor Oak answered simply. “Since the statue was moved, they can’t accurately date what’s around it to estimate her age, and they’re hesitant to take samples from the statue itself at this time.”

“What information do they have?” Brock asked.

Brock and Misty hadn’t been present for the conversation that Ash had with the Oaks. Ash had just recently returned from Kalos and Delia had invited the Oaks—and Tracey—over for dinner when talk of the symposium had come up. And, well, now here they were.

“It seems that maiden was turned to stone by the Legendary Pokémon Yveltal many years ago.” Oak gazed at the different maiden in front of them, so beautifully frozen for eternity, waiting for her love. “I wonder if that’s what could have happened to this poor soul.”

“Would Yveltal even come to the Kanto region?” Misty asked.

“It’s impossible to say,” Oak replied. “Theoretically, the aura trio—Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde, that is—are supposed to keep the balance in Kalos. But there have been many recent sightings of Zygarde Cells in the Alola region, so perhaps they go wherever they are needed.”

“If a war was being fought here like the legend says, maybe they felt things were out of balance and came to fix it,” Brock suggested.

Professor Oak nodded. “Might be.”

“They say that when Yveltal reaches the end of its lifespan, it takes the life energy of everything around it and sleeps for one thousand years,” Gary quoted. “If we knew the age of the Kalosian maiden, then we could see if the numbers line up.”

“They do!” Ash suddenly piped up. “My friends and I met Yveltal not too long ago. He almost turned Pikachu to stone! Right, buddy?”

Pikachu nodded his head reluctantly, hardly seeming as excited by the memory as Ash was.

It was at that moment that Misty spotted Brock starting to edge closer to the edge of the cliff in the direction of the stone maiden. With a strong eye roll, she was all ready to grab his ear and keep him from falling over the railing into the gulf—and taking Gary, who was still trying to get a closer look at the statue for research purposes—with him.

However, it turned out not to be necessary, as Croagunk came it at just that moment with a right hook, knocking Brock back and into a tree.

“Yup, okay, thanks, Croagunk” Brock groaned as he clutched his abdomen. Croagunk folded his arms and nodded approvingly.

Gary and Professor Oak looked back in shock, but Ash couldn’t be bothered, now having to pacify Pikachu, who was quite offended by the callousness with which Ash had spoken of one of his deaths.

“You’re not supposed to be in love with her!” Misty reminded Brock, who was crawling back towards the group. “Gary is.”

Gary ran his fingers through his hair, mussing up the spikes in front. “Oh, right,” he said, not sounding at all enthused.

“Why is that again?” Ash asked as he scrounged through his backpack, presumably looking for a treat for Pikachu.

“Because that’s the best way for us to meet that Gastly again, Ash.”

“This is completely unprecedented,” Professor Oak exclaimed, repeating some of what Ash had heard over dinner when he’d brought up the talking Gastly the first time. “A Gastly that talks, shapeshifts, and seems to have monetary interests. Why, it reminds me of that talking Meowth friend of yours, Ash.”

Ash frowned. “We’re not friends.”

Oak was unfazed. “I mean, it’s not surprising for a Psychic Type to communicate via telepathy and sometimes Ghost Types show similar traits, but if it does what you say and actually speaks…”

“You know, Professor,” Brock interrupted, “we should probably be making our way over to the shrine. They’ll probably be showing the portrait soon.”

“Ah, that’s right,” Professor Oak said. “Gary, are you prepared for your role?”

Gary shook his head at the thought of having to be lovesick over an ancient painting but said, “As ever,” and the three of them started hiking over to the shrine.

Meanwhile, Ash—who had no intention of seeing the painting again, no matter how magnificent it was—looked over at Misty and said. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Street food?” Misty asked hopefully.

Ash pumped his fist in victory, he and Pikachu giving a little whoop as they imagined all the different fried foods that were just a few dollars away from them. “Brock!” he called out. “Me and Misty are getting some food! We’ll meet ya up here later!”

“Don’t return Croagunk for a second!” Misty added.

Without waiting for a response, the two of them began to race down the hill with Pikachu hanging onto Ash’s shoulder for dear life.

“What do you think Gary’s doing right now?” Ash asked, laughing and trying not to choke on his snowcone.

“I think,” Misty began, taking a nibble from of her own cone, “that he is crawling on all fours toward the painting, and,” she held up a finger to the air, “Croagunk is presently having to jab Brock to keep him from doing the same.”

Ash held his cone up to Pikachu to allow the Electric mouse a lick. “Hah, I be you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Misty replied with a condescending look and a flick of Ash’s nose. “I always am.”

“Sure, Mist,” Ash said with an exaggerated eye roll.

The two of them walked down the concrete path, stopping at any stand that caught their fancy. Ash wanted to look at all of the Pokémon-related products and Misty liked all the cutesy collectibles. But they both stopped for food. Any time they ran out of something edible in their hands, they stopped at the nearest stand and tried something new. They’d already had lemonade, kettle corn, kabobs, and cotton candy, and then more kabobs because Ash “Growing Boy” Ketchum said that he needed to make up for the lunch he had missed.

Misty took a couple thoughtful licks of her snowcone before asking, “Do you really think that Yveltal turned the maiden to stone?”

Ash didn’t answer for a moment, taking care to scratch Pikachu behind the ears when he tensed at the mention of Yveltal. “I don’t know. I mean, what are the changes that it’d only hit that one girl?”

Misty shrugged. “Maybe it hit more but they’re at the bottom of the gulf now.”

“Maybe…” Ash agreed. “Or maybe it didn’t want to hit anything and it was trying to get as far from the land as possible and the maiden was the only one it still hit.”

“Hmm, hard to imagine a destruction Pokémon being so magnanimous, though.”

“I don’t know,” Ash shrugged. “It did some of the worst things I’ve ever seen a Pokémon do, but I still like to think the best of it. It probably had a reason for doing what it did, right Pikachu?”

It took a moment, but eventually Pikachu smiled and nodded his head, squeaking out a little, “Cha.”

Misty shook her head and smiled, feeling warm in the face despite the ice that she was currently snacking on. That was such an Ash way to look at it.

They continued to lick their snowcones until their paper cups were filled with nothing but syrupy liquid in colors that had stained their lips and tongues. They’d checked out most of the stands and had circled almost all the way back to the trees. Some stands had already packed up, knowing that the height of their sales had been earlier in the day and wanting to restock their inventory in time for tomorrow. The street was less full of people, but there were still kids running around, musicians playing, strangers meeting. But now you could speak quietly and expect to be heard.

Ash and Misty found a trashcan, dropping their cones in and searching for their next treats. They soon spotted a spicy noodle stand and that was that.

“I’ve missed this, you know,” Misty said once they had sat down on a curb, realizing that noodles weren’t a great food to walk with. The concrete poked at her bare thighs, but was cooler than expected and felt nice nevertheless. “Traveling with you and Brock. Actually, traveling at all, I guess.”

“Well, I’ve been traveling a lot,” Ash said, not bothering to avoid speaking through a mouthful of noodles. By this point, he and Misty had no façade of manners with each other. “But, I don’t know. I didn’t expect it, but there’s something really nice about traveling through a familiar place with familiar people. But still on a new adventure.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to know that you can spend so much apart and then come back and find that nothing’s changed.” Misty turned away from Ash with a slight blush and looked back to her noodles. “Even things that you thought maybe had.”

“Aw, Mist,” Ash said, patting her on the back. “Nothing could ever change between you and me! We’ll always be best friends!”

Misty smiled ignoring how her face continued to grow redder. She’d blame it on the heat o the noodles. “You’re so right, Ash.”

At that moment, Ash looked up and noticed the cotton candy clouds in the sky. “Oops, the sun is setting. We’d better get back to the shrine before we miss Gastly!”

Devotedly, Ash shoved the rest of his noodles into his mouth and Misty did the same, neither one of them able to bear the thought of wasting food. On their way back, they made sure to get another bag of kettle corn for Brock and the others—Misty got a little Pokémon treat that Pikachu had liked for Croagunk. As nice as it was just to hang out, they knew it was back to the task at hand.

Using Gary as bait for that dang Gastly.

When Ash and Misty made it back to the shrine—much slower than the first time, as both of them had huge and terrible combinations of food in their stomachs—they found Brock and Professor Oak, but no sign of Gary.

“Don’t tell me he chickened out,” was the first thing Ash said after bestowing his friend and mentor with their kettle corn.

“He’s sitting by the statue,” Brock explained as he ripped open the plastic containing the sweet popcorn. “Just like I did. We figured it would be the best way to show that he was committed to his infatuation with her. There were a couple other guys there as well, but we thought we’d just leave them be.”

“Probably for the best,” Misty said after feeding Croagunk his treat. “You were insufferable to deal with in that state.”

“Hey!” Brock shouted, clutching his wounded heart. “I was not…! Yeah, okay.”

Misty nodded, casting a glance at Ash. “See? Always right.”

“When should we expect the Gastly to appear?” Professor Oak asked.

“It was pretty late last time,” Brock said. “If I recall, I saw the ghost of the maiden maybe close to midnight.”

“Then what would be the most productive thing to do in the meantime?”

Ash could barely hold back a snigger as he suggested, “Make fun of Gary as he’s stuck sitting there for the next few hours?”

“Ash,” Professor Oak chastised.

Ash cleared his throat. “Sorry, Professor.”

“We should go to the cabin and figure out a way to surreptitiously keep watch,” Brock said, completely ignoring Ash’s shenanigans. “Maybe try and get to sleep early in shifts so that we won’t be exhausted come midnight.”

“That’s a good idea,” Oak agreed.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay doing that?” Misty asked Brock sardonically. “Being that close to the statue and all?”

“Of course,” Brock answered reasonably. “After all, Croagunk will be here.”

It was nearly pitch black when Misty felt herself being shaken awake by gloved palms and calloused fingers. She yawned and asked: “Is the ghost here?”

“No,” came a raspy whisper. “I’m getting tired and you have to help me stay awake!”

Misty rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and glared at Ash. “And why couldn’t one of your Pokémon do that?”

“Well,” Ash reasoned, “Pikachu needs to sleep and I thought the light from a PokéBall might wake everyone up.”

“So you thought you’d just wake me up.”

Ash grinned. “Yeah!”

“Okay, well keep your eyes on the window, hot shot. I wouldn’t want you to claim that you missed the ghost because I distracted you.”

“Alright, alright,” Ash said, shifting his body back towards the window.

The cabin actually provided a really beautiful view. It was fully dark outside, with no streetlights, but the moon and the stars were bright, reflecting off the gulf and casting the whole evening in a gauzy silver film. Then it broke into shades of gold in the distance, where there were still lanterns lit by the port and the long boulevard where there were only cadaverous remains of the street fair. The sea was visible in the distance, but up close there were just woods and the sheer edge of the cliff into nothingness. They could easily see Gary—who was still awake, God bless him—and the other men, but the statue was out of sight by this window.

“I’m glad the festival goes on for a few days,” Ash stated abruptly.

“Hmm? Why’s that?”

Ash shrugged. “I get to hang out with you guys longer.”

Misty laughed a little. “You know, Ash, you could visit us sometime. You don’t need ghost hunting as an excuse to see your friends.”

Ash’s cheeks turned a little ruddy, either with embarrassment or guilt. Maybe both. It faded quickly, however, and then he came back with, “You guys could visit me too, you know! You’ve done it before!”

Misty raised her brows at the challenge. She hadn’t expected that one to come back and bite her in the butt. “Okay, sure, Ash. Next time you choose a region that’s a little closer than Kalos or Unova, I might think about visiting you.”

“You seem to forget that some people have Gym’s to keep,” came a tired voice from a few feet away. Ash and Misty looked at each other with wide eyes. Neither of them ever had been very good at keeping their voices down.

“Well, at least we didn’t wake Professor Oak up,” Misty said with a shrug. “Or, God forbid, Pikachu.”

At the sound of his name, the Electric Type rolled over and let out a sigh, but remained asleep. In the meantime, Brock crawled over to the window, joining his two companions.

“You don’t have a Gym anymore, Brock,” Ash reasoned.

Brock bowed his head in acquiescence, “No, but I do have classes to take. I’m still training to be a doctor, remember?”

“I remember,” Ash came back with indignantly.

“Guys, guys,” Misty hissed, pointing to the window. “Is that her?”

Well, it must have been, because like a blast from the past, Brock’s face immediately went slack.

“C’mon, let’s go!” Ash called, this time trying to wake up Pikachu and Professor Oak as he ran out of the cabin.

Misty followed behind him, calling out, “Croagunk, you know what to do!”

Neither of them turned back when they heard a thud followed by Brock’s whimper.

Once they stepped outside, Ash enlarged a PokéBall that he’d just gotten from Professor Oak the day before. He called out, “Noctowl! Use Foresight!”

The maiden was indeed before them. Her ghost was sheer lilac, hovering a foot or so off the ground. The three men, including Gary, began crawling toward her, zombie-like expressions on their lovesick faces. But as Noctowl’s eyes began to glow, sending a maroon cast over the night, and the maiden’s form began to change. The lilac bloomed, losing its womanly shape and becoming an amorphous gas, while the center formed a large, black sphere, fanged and looking confused.

“What’s going on?” it asked, looking around confused at the men who had all recoiled back in shock.

“It does speak!” Gary cried as he scrambled begin filming the encounter. He tried to push himself to his feet, but after sitting for so many hours, his legs were asleep and wobbly.

By that time, the Gastly had turned around and seen Ash’s Noctowl, and his gaze fell to Ash and Misty. “Oh, you again. Come back for more?”

Pikachu ran out of the cabin, Brock, Professor Oak, and Croagunk following behind. “Pikachu!” the mouse called out as he leapt onto Ash’s shoulder.

“Ah, yes,” Gastly sighed, almost seeming bored. “I remember this working out quite well last time.”

With a pop, Gastly abruptly turned into a mousetrap, and headed right for Ash and Pikachu.

“Nice try, Gastly, but we’re not beginners this time!” Ash shouted out. “Thunderbolt!”

Fearlessly, Pikachu jumped off of Ash’s shoulder in the direction of the mousetrap and shot off a bolt of electricity, illuminating the night. Everyone looked away momentarily as the attack burned their retinas, turning back to find Gastly in its ordinary shape again, shaking off the hit.

“Strong attack,” Gastly groaned, the purple gas around him popping and sizzling with leftover electricity. He backed away, eyes widened when he saw Ash and Pikachu staring up at it, ready to go another round. “Hey, hey, what’s the big idea? I’m just trying to carry out a tradition. Is that so wrong?”

“I’ll take it from here, Ash,” Professor Oak said, stepping in front of him and Pikachu. “Gastly, have you always known how to speak, did you teach yourself, or are you using some sort of telepathy right now?”

Gastly’s head lolled to the side within his purple cloud, eyes tilted and mouth pulled down as all he could say was, “Huh?”

“Well, I’m glad Professor Oak and Gary got all that they needed out of that Gastly,” Ash said as he and Brock walked up to the festival clearing.

“Yeah, it seemed a lot more willing to cooperate once they offered it some cash.”

The two of them had changed into kimonos, new ones, as they had long outgrown the ones they’d worn last time they were there. To be honest, Ash didn’t enjoy walking around in the traditional sandals, but he didn’t mind the kimono. It was nice to get dressed up sometimes. Just so long as he didn’t have to do it all the time. Although, Pikachu didn’t seem to be much of a fan. Ash felt his claws digging into his shoulder to try and maintain purchase on the slick fabric. Eventually, Pikachu just gave up and walked beside him.

When they got to the clearing, they looked up at the structure where the musicians were playing and more people were dancing. Brock, having missed this part of the festival last time he was there, gasped at the tower. Lanterns were strung all around it and, of course, there were beautiful girls dancing all around.

“Hey, there’s Gary!” Ash pointed off to the side where Gary was approaching a girl dressed in shiny plum colored kimono. He bowed and took the girl’s hand, and the two of them went off to dance.

Brock was shaken.

“H-How did he do that so easily?” Brock cried, jealousy spilling out of him. “Gary!”

Abruptly, Brock ran off, presumably to accost Gary and his new lady friend, leaving Ash alone. But not for long.

“Sorry I’m late!”

Ash felt a flash of déjà vu as he turned around and saw Misty dressed in a furisode, her hair down and fan in hand. The furisode was ornate, being mostly navy blue but hosting a whole illustration of an ocean along the skirt and the long sleeves. And while her hair was still bobbed, it looked…different.

Misty blushed, looking down at her get up. “I’m just so used to it taking only a minute to get ready that I always seem to underestimate how long it’ll take when I’m dressing up. I know it’s a little much, but my sisters insisted I get this one and Violet just taught me how to curl my hai…what?” She hesitantly touched the little ringlets of her hair. “Does it look that weird?”

“Misty…do you wanna dance?”

All confusion immediately fell off of Misty’s face as she lit up at the suggestion. “Of course! You don’t mind, do you, Pikachu?”

Misty looked down to check with him, but he only shook his head and bounded towards the tower to dance without them. Laughing, Ash and Misty followed in that direction and began to dance. Ash remembered struggling so much with dancing back in Kalos that he was relieved when he was able to easily fall back into the traditional Kantoan steps.

“You know,” Ash began, “I never told you, but you looked really nice last time we were here.”

Misty ducked her head, shrouding her face in her hair, glad Ash didn’t have to look right at her for this style of dance. “Oh, uh, thanks, Ash.”

“And, erm, you look really nice tonight too.”

“Don’t tell my sisters that,” Misty responded with a laugh. “They’ll wanna play dress up with me all the time.”

Ash laughed in kind and said, “You got it.”

There was a beat of silence between the two of them barely breaking through the revelry before Misty said quietly, “You look good too, Ash.”

“Thanks, Mist.”

And it was true. In the time since she had last seen him, Ash had grown quite a bit. It was almost as though he had stretched out, leaner now than she’d ever seen him. He’d always been kind of a squat little kid, not fat, just kind of stout. But now…

Misty swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “You’re welcome.”

And then they just danced. They could have talked about the adventure they just had, the chances that Brock was being shot down by a girl at right that moment, or they could have said that they had missed each other. Not because the other didn’t know, but just to say it out loud.

But they didn’t. And…that was kind of their style.

Some point after they had fallen into a good rhythm, sweating a little and really having fun, Brock came running up to them huffing as he doubled over.

“Okay,” Brock wheezed once he got his breath under him. “Not only did Gary ask a beautiful girl to dance and get her to say yes, but even Professor Oak is dancing with someone!”

“And we are too, so I guess that leaves you all on your lonesome,” Misty said without an ounce of sympathy.

Ash held back his laughter, instead saying, “I thought you were gonna ask Gary for tips?”

Brock pouted, growling, “He only said to just go up and ask them.”

“Worked for me,” Ash said with a shrug, gesturing to Misty. “Did you give it a try?”

That question sent daggers Ash’s way before Brock withered and gave a pathetic, “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“It’s okay,” Misty said, cutting between them. “I’ll dance with you Brock, and you’ll be so charming that every woman at this festival will be waiting their turn to line up after me, okay?”

Brock hung his head, defeated at the idea of his first dance being out of pity, but took her hand and led her to a new spot. Ash called after them, “Hey, make sure to give me my partner back, Brock!”

A smile tore across Misty’s face at that. She was his partner. As Misty danced with Brock, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Ash patiently waited, not bothering to find another partner in the interim, even though he surely could have gotten one. No, he just found Pikachu and picked him up, stroking him as he waited for her to come back to him. And it set Misty thinking that maybe Ash had been wrong the day before. Maybe things could change between them.

Maybe they already had.

[thehusbandmen]

Stations of Passion, I.2

The Husbandmen, Stations of Passion. Book I, Chapter 2. [Go to Previous] [Go to Next]

Mildly adult for nudity and the nature of the dysphoria described, I suppose. Technically some nonviolent self-harm, too. Uh

Erroll awoke in a small, dim bedroom. He opened his eyes and reeled a bit at how well he could see despite the light only coming from around the edges of the curtain. A small drawers-vanity, a wooden chair, an oddly patterned rug, and the bed where he lay. Surveying the room confirmed he did not know it, and he did not like the metallic smell masked poorly by obviously recent furnishings. He rose from the twin size bed to part the window treatments, and squinted at the daylight. He aped at his throat to scratch, to find it tangled in thick fur, and lucidity slapped him wide-eyed as he glared in shock at his hands.

The meteor shower, he recalled. That had to have been a Warp Point, but--

Soft, brown fur covered his otherwise naked body, save the bushy vulpine tail behind him jerking in erratic swishes and the thick cream colored mane. His legs seemed far shorter, and his feet far longer, than before. He ran his tongue along the insides of his sharper teeth and sensed his face had elongated from the arrangement he traced. His paws went to his face, and he shut his eyes in indignity and bewilderment to caress it at length. When his hands wandered backward from the muzzle, he laid hands on the long, sweeping ears, which folded against his skull. He let out a small moan of alarm.

“Are you seeing this, Loren? I’m awake, right? Look at this--”

Not awaiting any response, he held his palms in front of him again. He inspected his hands all over, noting the thickened, soft pads of flesh. Curiously, he straightened his fingers out fully, to discover each now terminated in a small, sheathed claw. Staring, unblinking, a delirious grin washed across his face, and his brow knitted as he admired them. Chuffing, he dragged an unsheathed paw down the curtains with a ragged satisfaction, leaving long rips in the thick fabric. Cathartic and physical, slow, repeated, and deliberate, he dragged his claws down the fabric, eventually becoming entangled as he drunkenly sank to his knees in a bubbling persistent chuckle.

Petting the fabric, tipsy on confusion, a panel of curtain came unfixed and fell over his head. He draped it about him in a mental slurry, and rose to regard himself in the mirror. As he sat in the chair, he tucked his tail to one side along his thigh. He turned his head this way and that, his wavy blond hair falling loose in front of his ears. That he still had his human hair despite all this surprised him. Though still ringed green around the pupils, his entire eyes had become black, save the very fringes of gold around the waterline.

“These are... Eevee features.”

He squinted at himself, and leaned nearer his reflection to bare his teeth at himself. His lips curled in a tickled snarl, and he snapped his jaw at his reflection before sitting back again. He let out a long, pleased sigh as he ran his extended claws along both wooden arched arms of the chair. The pit of his stomach nipped at him, and he winced in recognition.

“--Loren, the brooch.”

Erroll stood in a panic, circling the room trying to determine if any of his personal effects remained. Tugging each of the drawers of the vanity open, hyperventilating bested him. His clothing had been folded neatly in the top drawer, and he snatched the jumpsuit into his lap to rifle through the pockets. His PokéGear, a few spare hair elastics, a melted mess of chocolate in a sandwich bag from a cargo pocket, a small sketch pad and pencils, his billfold, the PokéBall which contained their partner. None of these, the object he sought.

Trying to steady his breathing, Erroll stared at the engraved acrylic Trainer ID card through the clear window of the trifold wallet. The photograph captured Loren’s dumb, crooked smile, and the anger and fear softened. He focused on the unspoken reassurance of the warmth in Loren’s consciousness.

It's still in its safe place in our bedroom at the dorm room, Loren insisted through emotional connection alone. We’ll figure out where we are, figure out how to get home, and it’s going to be all right. I’m here.

The irony of Loren soothing him stung, but still Erroll welcomed it. The ridiculousness that neither of them any longer resembled the form of identification got him laughing outright again, and he put up the wallet and zipped the pocket shut again.

Exhausted from the emotional turbulence, he could feel Loren compelling their hands down his chest. He eyed his reflection as Loren did so, and admired his other half finding his own understanding of the body, even if groggily. Perfectly flat, lacking even nipples. They both supposed Eevee of neither gender stored fat pads in their chests. Erroll could get used to this nudity, and he could tell Loren could, too. Eyes shut in comfortable gratitude for this bizarre new form’s features, his controlled hands wandered to his crotch to find a single orifice, only for him to squirm in revulsion.

To put speculation out of his mind what one orifice could have remained, Erroll supposed that he ought to dress himself, pretend that there was cause for such pretense. He tried to put on the jeans, but couldn’t pull them up far enough to fasten them due to the girth of his tail base. Discarding them, he stared at the jumpsuit again in thought. It wouldn’t do, to just cut a slit in a garment to slip the tail through, would it?

Loren posited the suggestion, Slip the jumpsuit on backwards.

When Erroll objected to the mental visual of such a thing, Loren fronted just enough to do what he fell short of articulating. He pulled them up, backwards, still halfway as he tended to do of the thing, and left the zipper completely down. Through the unzipped back he let his tail hang out, and then he tied the sleeves above it, around his waist. Loren slipped his hands in what would have been the butt pockets, and slouched in satisfaction to look himself over in the mirror.

“Front pockets,” Erroll quipped.

With a detached smile, Loren laid a hand on a hair elastic in one pocket, and he carded his hair back to fasten it into a ponytail. With them both conscious, Loren could feel for himself that the sharp stony sensation in Erroll’s gut had not wavered. He pursed his lips together and returned to the bed to lay back down.

I’m not hungry, but I’m... hungry, Erroll began.

“I don’t think there’s a way to deal with it here,” Loren replied. “At least, not at the moment.” As Loren spoke, Erroll pulled Loren’s forearm to his face, and ran his wet nose along it. “The clothes were folded and all the stuff still accounted for. There’s a conscious effort to us being in this place. Whoever has us here has to be rational enough to... do you mind?”

Can I...

“Eating isn’t going to make it hurt less. If anything, that’s going to make both of us hurt more. Why don’t we try the do--”

I... His eyelids fluttered shut as he more forcibly gripped the wrist, to snuffle of it. I have what I want right here. Why would the door be unlocked, anyway?

A gurgled mess of relief and pain came from their nostrils and the corners of their mouth in Erroll’s lack of self-control. Erroll clamped down on a meaty bit of forearm, savoring the force in his jaw as well as the metallic taste dripping into his mouth from it. Flinching in the Bite, Loren relented to him for a time, straining to manage his stress and discomfort while his other half derived what he needed from... whatever this was.

You just wanted to use your teeth, Loren chastised, almost playfully.

The Needfulness wanted to.

They fell asleep with Loren’s arm in Erroll’s mouth, both too run down to argue or cooperate. Before passing back out, Loren mumbled, I just hope Rabbit and Dinah got home safe...

Go to Next »»»

[blightarts]

POKÉMON SUMMER VERSION CHAPTER 12: Interlude

Previous Chapter: The Ones on Top!

Next Chapter: You Looked Very Sad to Me.

Disclaimer:  Pokémon is a property of Game Freak and Nintendo, while Endless  Summer is a property of Pixelberry. I do not claim any rights here.

Author’s Note: The next few chapters will be start to have scenarios similar to the Sports Festival Arc in My Hero Academia. I just want to disclaim that I do not own the rights to My Hero Academia. Kōhei Horikoshi does.

If the “Keep reading” doesn’t work, go here for the full post.

@princesstopgun, @mechaspirit, @lovearyn, @kaitloyalist, @choicesmarvel, @sceptilemasterr, @hey-its-vy, @skyila, @choicesyouplayandmore, @mysteli, @helentwombly, @scgdoeswhat, @choicesaholic, @caroonfire, @not-so-freshman, @jakemckenzietrash, @xo-endlessmayhem-xo, @abhirio, @diego-vii, @daniela2510, @izzycheeese

During lunch break session of the Pokélympics, an Arachnid soldier is cornered by Reginald, Blight, Estela and Jake.

Blight: Let me handle this.

Arachnid Soldier: Those who get in the way of the Arachnid shall be punished.

Blight: Bring it!

The soldier grabs his pokéball and calls out his Pokémon. Blight grins and does the same.

Arachnid Soldier: Crabominable, time for your mission!

Blight: Let’s do this, Steelix!

Recommended Music: Rival (Sun & Moon)

Two tough Pokémon are called out in the battlefield. Jake asks for reassurance.

Jake: Blight, are you sure about this? The Arachnid are relentless.

Blight: I’ve handled worse in Aryndelle.

The Arachnid soldier scoffs.

Arachnid Soldier: Do not underestimate me, simpleton! Crabominable, use Focus Punch!

Blight: Steelix, use Iron Tail to block it!

Energy is gathered in Crabominable’s clam-fist. Once charged, the Woolly Crab Pokémon tries to punch Steelix with all of its might. But before it could, Steelix hardens his tail and swings it towards the incoming attack, eventually blocking it. Although Steelix is hit, the damage is only minimal.

Blight: Alright, time to use it. Combination #5, Flame Tail!

Everyone around Blight is confused at what he just said.

Reginald: Combination #5?...

Arachnid Soldier: What is this nonsense that you are spilling?!

Fire starts to surround Steelix’s fangs while his tail starts to harden. He then bites his tail, engulfing it with flames. 

(Like in this manner)

Everyone stares, dumbfounded. 

Jake: Woah. I’ve never seen that before.

Estela: How is it not in pain after being hit by a super-effective attack?

Arachnid Soldier: What is this?!

Reginald: I’ve seen combination attacks but this is just... Wow...

Blight grins and delivers his command.

Blight: ATTACK!

Steelix charges forwards and slams his inflamed tail down at Crabominable. Still confused by Blight’s battle tactics, the Arachnid soldier is caught off-guard and was unable to command Crabominable fast enough to avoid the attack.

Arachnid Soldier: Wait! No!

It was too late. Crabominable was struck by a combination of Steel and Fire attacks. It instantly faints from the strong attack. The fainted Pokémon is then returned into its pokéball on the soldier’s hand. The Arachnid soldier kneels down in defeat and raises his arms.

Arachnid Soldier: I... surrender...

Blight: Hmph. That’s right.

Blight grins as Estela restrains the soldier while Jake calls for the Vaanti Police Force. After the Arachnid soldier was taken into custody, Blight approaches Reginald.

Blight: Good work chasing down that Arachnid soldier.

Reginald looks away.

Reginald: I didn’t do much.

Blight: No, but you did enough. We couldn’t have caught him without you.

Reginald: Yeah...

Reginald walks away. Blight looks at him with concern. A few minutes later, Reginald is seated on a bench. He is approached by Taari, who is holding two bags of chips

Taari: Hey, Reginald.

Reginald: Oh. Hello, Taari. 

Taari sits down beside Reginald and hands him one bag of chips.

Reginald: Look, about my behavior earlier...

Taari: You don’t need to apologize. I just want to ask; are you going through something?

Reginald: It’s just...

Reginald sighs and looks away from Taari.

Reginald: You already know who my father is.

Taari: Yeah. Uncle Aleister...

At the mention of his father’s name, Reginald snaps.

Reginald: Don’t say his name!

Taari flinches.

Taari: I... I’m sorry...

Reginald: He’s nothing but a liar to me and a traitor to his friends. He’s merely just a a lighter version of my grandfather, what you call, “the Hydra”. As much as I want to forget it, people around me just keeps talking about everything that they’ve done. I can never get these out of my mind. That is why I have decided that in my path to victory, I will cut ties with my father.

Reginald pockets his hand and pulls out a ring containing a Mega Stone, one that belonged to his Metagross.

Reginald: You may not know this, but... I can actually use Mega Evolution on my Metagross. But I chose not to use it. No... I have decided to reject my father completely by winning the La Huerta League without using Mega Evolution.

He closes his fist and clenches it. Taari looks at him with so much worry. Seconds later, Reginald stands up and walks away.

Reginald: I’m sorry that you had to hear that Taari. I should not have talked to you about this.

He stops short in his tracks and looks back at Taari.

Reginald: Mark my words, Taari. I will win the Pokélympics and the La Huerta League.

Reginald turns away and continues walking. Seconds pass and Taari starts to chase after him.

Taari: Wait!...

Reginald stops but doesn’t look back.

Taari: All my life, I have always been helped by others. That was the case earlier too. I am here because of the people who have either saved, helped or supported me.

Taari slightly raises his hand and stares at it. He starts to remember his past; Seraxa taking care of him after losing his parents to Cetus, Tyler and Taylor working together to save him from Cetus, all of the support he has gained from others during his adventures from Elyy’stel to Orderve city. Taari looks back at Reginald.

Taari: Tyler and Taylor... I want to be like them. In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become a champion. 

Reginald eventually turns to look at Taari.

Taari: My motivation might seem trivial compared to yours... but I can’t lose, either. I have to live up to the hopes of those who supported me. Elena isn’t the only one declaring a war against you.

Taari balls his fist.

Taari: I will beat you.

Reginald considers Taari’s words and gives him a nod before walking away. Meanwhile, hiding behind a tree, Elena eavesdrop on their conversation.

Lunch break has ended and everyone is gathered back in the stadium. In the announcer booth, Aryn and Blight are seated, currently absent of any quarrels.

Aryn: Now that lunch is over, it is finally time for us to move on to our last round of the Pokélympics!

Blight: The last round is composed of a regular Pokémon battle but with a special twist. Health points of Pokémon are disregarded. You cannot force an opponent’s Pokémon to faint in order to win.

Aryn: And to prevent that, we have our expert Pokémon doctor, Michelle Nguyen and her Aromatisse to make sure that the Pokémon of two competitors fighting do not faint.

Blight: There are ways to win a battle in this round; one is that you must push the opponent’s Pokémon out of bounds; or you must completely immobilize the opponent’s Pokémon; or you could tire out the opponent’s Pokémon to the point where they run out of stamina.

Aryn: And lastly, you can only use ONE Pokémon throughout the whole tournament.

Blight: Now, we move on to our umpires, Estela and Jake.

Everyone’s attention is then directed to Estela and Jake, one of them is holding a small box of folded papers.

Jake: What I have here in my arms is a box of names of the eight competitors who made it to the final round.

Estela: We are going to draw the pairs of competitors who will go head-to-head in the first four matches of the Tournament Round.

After a few minutes, the bracket based on the results of the drawing is shown on the stadium television.

Jake: Here are the results, with our first match being... Taari versus Zh’en! Two Vaantis, head-to-head!

Taari looks at the bracket and thinks to himself.

Taari: So, I’m one of the first to fight. After my battle, it’s Reginald’s turn. Which means that if both of us win our matches, then we get to fight each other in the next bracket. But first, I have to worry about...

 Before he could finish, he is cut off by a voice.

Voice: It’s been a long time, Taari.

Taari is caught by surprise and turns to see his former childhood friend, Zh’en.

Taari: Zh’en... yeah. It’s been too long.

Zh’en: How have you been? I’m sure you’ve gone through a lot, especially with those so-called “Catalysts” and their children.

Taari grits his teeth.

Taari: Don’t you dare address them like that.

Zh’en scoffs and walks away.

Zh’en: If you want to express how you feel about what I said, then settle it with our match.

Meanwhile, the rest of the final round competitors consider their opponents.

Reginald: I didn’t expect to be able to face Taari after my first match.

A voice calls for Reginald and he turns to see his opponent, Perry.

Perry: Hey. You must be Reginald. I’m Perry, your opponent.

Reginald: Yeah... Huh? Aren’t you the contestant who won third place in the Metropeal City Contest?

Perry: Yeah. That’s me. I guess we’re going against each other. Let’s do our best out there.

Reginald: Agreed...

Perry grins and waves at Reginald before leaving him. Reginald looks back at the stadium television, ignoring what he and Perry have just discussed.

On the other hand, Kaitlyn feels uneasy because her opponent just so happens to be Mika. Kaitlyn looks at Mika, who looks back with determination in her eyes.

And lastly, Elena is too fixed on the bracket, ignoring the calls of her opponent.

Back in the announcer booth, Aryn and Blight move on to the consolation event for those who did not make it to the final round.

Aryn: Before we could proceed with the final round, we will be going for an interlude first. For those of you who did not make it into the final round, you can still compete in the recreational games.

Blight: That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Before we could move on to our final round, we have to first witness the other skills of those who were not able to make it. 

Aryn: Competitors who did make it into the finals can still participate in the recreational games.

While the eliminated competitors have fun in the recreational games, the finalists couldn’t relax. Some polish their skills and strategy against their opponents. Some try to keep their presence of mind. And some try to relax their nerves.

And before they knew it, the final round is about to begin. The finalists have gathered at the center of the stadium with Estela and Jake.

Estela: We will now move on to the final round of the Pokélympics.

Jake: You guys better clear the scene.

The finalists look at the umpires with confused faces. Estela looks at the announcer booth.

Estela: Blight, do it!

Back in the announcer booth, Blight pulls out a remote with one button.

Blight: And now, it’s time to raise the stage!

Blight pushes the button and a small tremor is felt. The finalists flinch and start to clear the center of the stadium as it opens. A flat battlefield rises from the ground. Afterwards, Michelle and her Aromatisse arrive at the center of the stadium approaching Estela and Jake.

Michelle: Aromatisse, use Heal Pulse.

Aromatisse raises her arms as continuous pulses of healing energy come out of her. Estela calls on the first pair of finalists.

Estela: First two finalists, please take your positions on the battlefield.

Back in the announcer booth...

Blight: And here they come, ladies and gentlemen! For match number one...

Aryn: Residing from the city of Elyy’stel, a Vaanti boy who has shared adventures with the Catalysts and has fought his way up to the top of the Pokélympics, Taari!

At the mention of his name, Taari walks up to the battle field.

Blight: Next, also residing from the city of Elyy’stel, a Vaanti girl who has secretly reached the top with the other finalists and is a complete mystery, Zh’en!

Also at the mention of her name, Zh’en steps onto the battlefield.

In the announcer booth, Blight sighs and speaks to Aryn.

Blight: Alright, Aryn, go all-out.

Aryn: Wait... Really?!

Blight nods and Aryn’s eyes light up as she smiles.

Aryn: BRING OUT THE BLOODSHED! THROW OUT ALL OF YOUR MORALS AND ETHICS AS YOU BEAT THE LIVING SH!T OUT OF YOUR OPPONENTS!!

Blight: Of course, life-threatening actions would lead to disqualification.

Aryn looks back at Blight in disgust.

Aryn: Boo!

At the battlefield, Taari and Zh’en call out their Pokémon.

Taari: I’m counting on you, T’kal!

Zh’en: Go, Hypno.

T’kal the Incineroar comes out from Taari’s side, while a Hypno comes out from Zh’en’s. Estela raises her hand.

Estela: Let the match...

Before Estela could initiate the match, Zh’en attempts to provoke Taari.

Zh’en: You know, maybe Uqzhaal was right...

Taari is caught by surprise at the mention of the late-shaman’s name.

Zh’en: ...Maybe the Catalysts can never be trusted.

Taari grits his teeth and clenches his fists.

Estela: ...BEGIN!!

Not even a second has passed and Taari has already started giving his order.

Taari: T’kal, use Flare Blitz!!

T’kal shares Taari’s rage and engulfs himself with flames. He charges towards Zh’en’s Hypno. But not before Zh’en could stop him...

Zh’en: Use Hypnosis.

Zh’en’s Hypno swings his pendulum as hypnotic waves are fired towards T’kal. Once struck by the status attack, T’kal stops and remains in place. Taari is shocked at what is happening.

Recommended Music: The Hunted (ES)

Taari: T’kal?! What’s wrong?! WHY DID YOU STOP?!

Back in the announcer booth...

Blight: Ladies and gentlemen, even though T’kal has the type advantage, a simple Hypnosis was able to turn the tides.

Aryn: Boo! Cut that hypnosis crap, Zh’en! BEAT HIS ASS!! Taari, get your f!cking Pokémon together and SEND THAT MOTHER F!CKER TO HELL!

Blight does a facepalm at Aryn’s behavior

Back on the battlefield, Zh’en delivers his next command.

Zh’en: Tell it to turn around and walk out of bounds.

Hypno points to Taari’s side and T’kal nods. The tiger-like Pokémon turns around and starts to walk towards the off-bounds on Taari’s side.

Taari: T’kal, no. WAIT!

Zh’en closes her eyes in confidence.

Zh’en: I win, Taari.

Will Taari be beaten this easily on the first match? WHAT?! PFFT! Of course not! He’s the protagonist. He has plot-armor. Just wait for the next chapter of Pokémon Summer Version to find out how he wins. PEACE!

[turnaboutwriter]

Safe Travels - Part 1: In Abundant Relations, Chapter 1

Surprise! Happy Ikarishipping Day! 

Pairings: Paul/Dawn, May/Drew, Candice/Zoey, Steven Stone/Cynthia, Wallace/Winona, and a lil Togekiss/Honchkrow

Rating: General

Summary: Paul loses to Brandon at their rematch in Snowpoint City and intends on challenging him once more in Hoenn. Dawn, who intends to participate in Hoenn contests, runs into him on the ship ride to Slateport City. Paul seeks Dawn’s coordinating expertise for a contest that Cynthia tells him he should participate in, and so, while Dawn is puzzled as to why Paul has to partake in the contest, so begins their journey together — ikarishipping.

This can also be found on AO3. (Please note: This will not be posted on Ffn until I finish it posting the first part completely on AO3 or until I decide how to approach posting the multiple parts on Ffn, since it doesn't have a series grouping system like AO3.)

Notes: I'm not done with this series yet, but I wanted to post at least the first two chapters of the Part 1 in celebration of the ikari revival! I will also post the remaining previews left on Tumblr soon, so be sure to check them out! From what I have planned, the setting of this fic is not just restricted to Hoenn, but will feature other regions as well. There will be A LOT of characters, needless to say, and I’ll probably squeeze in a few implied or minor ships in there, too. There are quite a few twists that I’m excited but also nervous to write and put out there, but buckle your seatbelts, guys, because from here on out, it's going to be a very, long ride.

“Pip, piplup!”

Dawn’s Piplup races to the other end of the outer deck, nearly tripping on his way there.

“Hey!” Dawn pants out. She is crouched down, with her hands on her knees, trying to recover her breath. “Slow down, Piplup!” With a final huff, she straightens up and continues running after her Pokémon.

The ship that Dawn is on has only left Sandgem Town a few hours ago. Things have moving in such a whirlwind that she still can’t believe that she is on her way to Hoenn – the land of the birth of contests. She is overwhelmed and is nervous to be traveling far from home, but also excited to see what new adventures she will embark on.

When she finally catches up to the Penguin-like creature, she is surprised to see the familiar, purple-haired boy Piplup is pointing to.

“Pip, lup!”

“Huh? That’s Paul,” Dawn states in surprise. “Hey, Paul!” she calls out, waving her hands. Piplup waves and cries cheerfully as well.

He turns around at the sound of her voice and meets her face. His eyes light up in recognition and he raises his hand slightly. “Hey.” He’s quiet for a moment while Dawn walks up to him.

She grins. “Remember who I am this time?” she teases.

He ignores her words. “Is Ash with you? I’d like a battle with him.”

Her elated smile falls into a frown, though not by much, because he does remember her as Ash’s friend. “Oh, I’m sorry, Paul, but he went back to Kanto last month . . . though, I think he’s in Unova now.”

“I see . . .” he trails off, as his eyes inspect her face, struggling to remember.

You’ve got to be kidding me! Dawn scowls, feeling the annoyance bubble in her chest. He really doesn’t remember her name. She opens her mouth, ready to shout. ‘Excuse me, Sir Rudeness, it’s Dawn! D-A-W-N!’

“Dawn. The coordinator friend.”

Her eyes widen in surprise, before her lips curl into a smile. “You do remember!”

He says nothing, but stares at her smiling face blankly for a few moments. “See you,” he finally says, before walking away.

Dawn’s smile slowly fades away, and then she sighs to herself and shakes her head knowingly, as Piplup cries in confusion.

“Pip, pip?” That’s it?

“No need to worry, Piplup. That’s just Paul for you.”

“ . . . and I have to show you all of the best places to eat in Petalburg!”

“Only in Petalburg?” Dawn teases the girl on the screen in front of her. “What about the rest of Hoenn, May?”

On the screen, she sees May smirk. “I’m going to give you a list of the best restaurants in Hoenn before I go back to Johto, silly!”

She smiles back at her friend cheerfully. “I’ll hold you to it!”

Dawn is about to ask May about Professor Birch, but she swears she sees a flash of purple from the corner of her eye. She turns her head from side to side, as her Piplup, who is in his usual spot in her arms, questions her.

“Pip, pip?”

“What’s wrong, Dawn?”

She shakes her head. “I thought I saw something, but I think I might have just imagined it. No need to worry. What were you going to say?”

“I was going to tell you that Drew and I talked to Professor Birch and he’s more than happy to give you one.”

“Awesome!” She looks down at Piplup. “Did you hear, Piplup? We’re getting our first, new Hoenn Pokémon added to the team!”

Piplup chirps back at her happily, “Pip piplup!”

May goes on to explain the three Hoenn starters Pokémon to Dawn, and they chat a little more until Piplup’s stomach growls loudly, much to his embarrassment. With a laugh, Dawn decides to bid an also chuckling May goodbye and head down for dinner.

The trainer’s dining area is not so shabby, though it is not too formal, either. It’s a huge, bustling auditorium where trainers partake in a buffet, sit together and dine; because of the ample space, they are able to let their Pokémon out of their Pokéballs and feed them as well.

Dawn’s eyes scan through the hall to find a place to sit. Though she doesn’t mind sitting with strangers, there aren’t a lot of empty seats in the first place. She did not realize that she was on the phone with May for so long.

“Piplup!”

“Huh?” Dawn glances to where her Pokémon points. She smiles at him graciously. “Thanks, Piplup! I can always count on you!” She pushes the cart of her and her Pokémon’s food hurriedly to the table before someone else can take the unoccupied seat.

“Hey, Paul,” she says, as she approaches his small table, where he and his Pokémon, on the ground near him, eat, “ do you mind if we sit here?”

His hand, holding a dinner roll, pauses in the air. He seems mildly annoyed but shrugs anyway. “I don’t care.” He takes a bite into the bread.

Dawn turns to Piplup. “Alright.” She takes out her Pokéballs and throws them into the air. “Time to eat, everyone!”

A chorus of her Pokémon’s cries is heard as they’re released from their Pokéballs and cheer in happiness.

She then pulls the Pokémon food from the cart and sets each bowl down in front of her Pokémon, the biggest going to her Mamoswine, of course. She then rummages through her backpack and pulls out her big container of poffins (and though it doesn’t look that big, it holds a lot more than one might think, which is why Dawn loves it so much). She puts a few poffins into each of their bowls as well.

When she gets to Togekiss’s bowl, Paul’s Honchkrow comes forward to them.

“Hey, Honchkrow!” Dawn smiles warmly, petting the top of his head lightly. “Would you like a poffin?” She holds a pink one out for him. He sniffs it hesitantly, but Togekiss reassures him that it is good. To Dawn’s surprise, Honchkrow has a sudden infatuated look in his eyes, and opens his mouth wide for the poffin. She giggles knowingly and feeds him, and then stands up from her crouched position, stretching as she does. She then walks over to the table so she can sit down and finally eat.

“What did you do to my Honchkrow?”

Dawn looks up to meet Paul’s narrowed eyes. “I fed him a poffin,” she informs him innocently, deciding to withhold that his Honchkrow has a crush on her Togekiss for now. “You don’t mind, right? They’re supposed to be good for Pokémon.”

He looks displeased, and opens his mouth to say something, but she beats him to it.

“Reggie would approve of them. They’re not store-bought or anything – I make my poffins myself using different types of berries. No need to worry, Paul!” she assures him.

He turns his face away and grunts before answering, “Fine.”

Dawn is satisfied with his answer, and quickly digs into her food. Arceus, she’s starving.  

“Fros, froslass?”

Dawn looks up from her meal to see Paul’s Froslass in front of her. It looks like Honchkrow has spread the word. She holds back a giggle at the thought. “You want a poffin, too, Froslass?”

“Froslass,” Paul warns, giving her a steady glare. “Go eat your food.”

“Fros.” Her little shoulders slump, as the Pokémon turns around.

“Hey,” Dawn exclaims, grabbing Froslass’s shoulder, feeling the Pokémon’s cold skin beneath her fingers, and then turning to frown at Paul. “Don’t do that. I have more than enough to go around. I made a fresh batch last night before we left Sinnoh.” She passes the open container on the table to Froslass, who takes it hesitantly from her. “Here,” she says softly. “For you and for the rest of Paul’s Pokémon, too.”

“Lass?” Froslass gives her trainer a questioning stare; Paul nods curtly.

After Froslass drifts away, he glares at Dawn, who resumes eating. “Please, don’t spoil my Pokémon. I’ve worked hard to get to where I want them to be, and I don’t need you to ruin it for me now.”

“Now, hold on, Paul.” She puts her fork down and her eyes meet his. “There’s a difference between taking care of your Pokémon and spoiling them. I understand them you feed them regularly and all, but, sometimes, it’s good to treat them for all of the hard work they’ve done, you know?”

Paul sighs. “I already told you once that I’m not like Ash. I’ll admit that I’ve learned some things from him . . . but this pampering . . . it’s just not my thing.” He looks up at her, and, for the first time ever, Dawn sees uncertainty in his eyes.

Dawn smiles softly, almost in reassurance. “You don’t have to do what Ash does. And no one said you have to pamper your Pokémon, either.” She turns around to see his Pokémon eating the poffins happily, while they also talk and play with Dawn’s Pokémon.

“They work and train hard to fulfill your desire of getting stronger and stronger, and they don’t mind that you may get a little too hard on them – you can tell that they love you a lot. All they need in return is just a little love from you, too. Maybe playing with your Pokémon isn’t your thing, but a little treat now and then, a little break every once in a while, or even some words of encouragement from you . . . it would mean the world to them.”

She looks back at Paul’s pensive face. “And with that, your bond with them will grow stronger. You and your team will grow stronger, as well.”

It’s quiet for a moment before Paul shrugs, and then resumes eating. Dawn sighs in defeat, as it seems that her words probably haven’t gone through his thick skull, and goes back to digging into her food.

“Which starter are you picking from Professor Birch?”

Dawn’s eyes widen and she then sets her dinner roll down onto her plate – she’s never going to be able to finish this meal. “Aha!” she cries out triumphantly, pointing at him. “I knew I saw you! You were eavesdropping on my conversation with May!”

He narrows his eyes at her. “And? You once eavesdropped on my conversation with Reggie.”

A warm blush rises to her cheeks. “A-Ah! Right. I forgot about that.” She scratches the back of her head and smiles sheepishly at him. “Let’s consider it even, then.”

“Whatever.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Answer the question.”

Geez, he’s so bossy. “I . . . I don’t know. They all sound great, really.”

“Pathetic.” He sighs and rolls his eyes. “I should have suspected as much from someone like you.”

Dawn narrows his eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Exactly what I said.” His smirk is taunting, causing feelings of impatience to arise within Dawn.

“Oh, yeah? What Hoenn starter would you choose?”

“I didn’t get a chance to receive one, so I haven’t given much thought to it.”

“Huh.” That causes Dawn’s annoyance to cease. “You know, I can ask Professor Birch to give you a Pokémon as well,” she offers, but the words surprise her. She doesn’t know where that came from – hell, she doesn’t even know if the Professor would be willing to give him a Pokémon as well, since May was the one who asked him to give Dawn one. She begins to anxiously pick at and rip apart her dinner roll as she waits for his answer.

“No, thanks. I’m not interested.” His voice is curt. Dawn looks at his plate and realizes that he has finished eating.

“Why?” she questions, twisting the bread further in her hands. “You can train it up to participate in the Hoenn League!”

He exhales sharply in frustration, the fork in his hand dropping onto his plate with a loud clank. Dawn takes the moment to munch on the deconstructed roll. “I’ve already beaten eight gym leaders, and have fought and lost in the Ever Grande Conference.”

She swallows down her food before speaking. “Oh. I forgot you travelled through Hoenn already.” She rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. “I figured you caught some of your Pokémon from other regions, but I wasn’t able to tell if any were from Hoenn.”

He nods. “Hoenn was the second region I travelled through. I caught my Hariyama, Froslass, and Aron there.” He reaches into his pocket to grab his Pokéballs and recall his Pokémon.

“I see. Is there a reason that you’re going back again, then?”

“Hmph.” He stands up from the table, empty plate in hand. He reaches down to pick up the bowls his Pokémon ate from, stacking them one on top of the other and carrying them effortlessly, and it makes Dawn slightly envious of how easy he makes it look. “That’s none of your concern.”

She feels irritation rush through her once more – Paul has a talent for stirring such feelings within her. “Well, excuse me for trying to make small talk,” she grumbles scornfully, as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“There’s no need for that.” He exhales sharply. “What a troublesome girl,” he mutters to himself as he walks away from Dawn’s fuming figure.

Her eyebrows shoot up to her forehead, gone from irritated to furious. “What did you call me!?”

He smirks, tilting his head slightly to the left so it is angled towards her. “Hm, like I said – troublesome girl.”

And then he walks away, leaving behind a fuming Dawn.

Dawn and Piplup are enraptured by the lights.

Being from the small Twinleaf Town, Dawn never got to see the city lights often, until she travelled through cities with Ash and Brock. But none of those city lights compare to what she sees now – not even the gorgeous Valor Lakefront, where Dawn had participated in the Wallace Cup and Sinnoh Grand Festival.

“Look at all of the lights, Piplup!” she tells her penguin companion, as they marvel from the upper deck of the cruise liner. “That’s Pokétopia! It’s where really powerful trainers go to participate in coliseum battles.”

“Piplup, piplup!” Her Pokémon points to one of the skyscrapers and puffs his chest out proudly.

Dawn follows where Piplup is pointing to and gasps. “There’s a Piplup on the top of that building!” She points to the other buildings with widened eyes. “Ahh, there’s a Toxicroak, Turtwig, and Chimchar, too! Oh, and look at the Bronzor Ferris wheel!”

“Pokétopia has a lot of Sinnohan influence, since the head architect who designed the buildings is from Sinnoh.”

A “Huh?” slips out from Dawn’s lips, before she turns to her left to see Paul standing next to her, staring at the Pokétopia Skyline intently. When did he get here? She’s not mad at him anymore, of course, but she is surprised that he is voluntarily approaching and talking to her, without her prompting him to.

He moves to look at her, his onyx eyes boring into hers. It takes her a moment to realize that he has his finger outstretched towards a pink building and is talking.

“See that skyscraper?”

She snaps out of her trace and glances at the structure in question. “Y-Yeah, it’s a Lickilicky.”

He nods as his eyes leave hers to look at the building once more. “Look at its tongue.” His finger trails the length of the slanted line. “The yellow line in its tongue is actually the transparent roof of the escalator inside the building.”

Her eyes widen as she sees “Oh, wow, I didn’t even notice that!” Dawn pauses for a moment before she gathers the courage to ask him a question. “Hey, Paul, how do you know so much about this place anyway? Have you been here before?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Dawn huffs at him, and puts her hands on her hips. “Well, your rudeness, I’m sorry for trying to be friendly.” Oh, well. She knows she wouldn’t be able to get Paul to open up so easily, but it was worth a shot.

And so they stand next to each other in silence to stare at the bright, flashing lights of the buildings of the lively city and the spotlight beams waving around in the night sky. Dawn enjoys the night breeze and, surprisingly, Paul’s company, while Paul appreciates the silence between them contently.

After that, they – Paul with his hands in his pockets, and Dawn not having Piplup in her arms for once, since he was sleepy and was put back into his Pokéball – walk back to their rooms together.

Dawn is surprised how pleasant Paul has been. His final battle with Ash must have changed his demeanor significantly.

“Oh!” Dawn suddenly exclaims, as she stops walking. “Ash told me you were going to battle Brandon again. How did your rematch with Brandon go?”

He stops walking as well, and turns to face her. “I lost.”

She frowns, suddenly embarrassed to have asked him at all. “Oh . . . I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I don’t need your pity. My team just wasn’t strong enough.”

She is pensive for a moment, before realization hits her like a brick. “Is that why you’re going to Hoenn? To train more?”

“Among other reasons,” he answers, his face impassive once more, and Dawn feels happy that he’s finally revealing some information about his plans. “Brandon is in Hoenn to work on the Battle Frontier Project. After training my team more, I’ll challenge him there.”

She furrows her eyebrows. “Isn’t the Battle Frontier in the Kanto region, though?” she questions, recalling that Ash fought Brandon in Kanto.

“They’re planning on moving it to the Battle Resort island area in Hoenn.”

“Oh.”

They don’t continue walking to their rooms. Instead, Paul just stands there in silence, lost in thought, while Dawn watches him, pondering as to what he’s thinking about.

“Let’s battle,” he suggests suddenly, causing Dawn to let out a gasp. Did she just hear him correctly?

“Uh, a battle!?” she sputters out. Paul is surely going to win – he is a more powerful trainer than her for sure.

Paul shakes his head. “A contest battle.”

She blinks. “Huh? A contest battle?” It’s nearly 1AM in the morning, and he wants to have a contest battle with her? Is she so tired that she is starting to imagine things? What business would he have in a contest battle with her, anyway?

He groans and slaps a palm to his forehead – he seems to be frustrated by her response. “Forget it.”

“W-Wait, no – ”

Her arm stretches out, trying to reach for him, but he’s already walking away.

[readerficsbyhyaku]

On the verge of broken dreams (Hop x Reader) Part 5

author’s note

So, what do you think ? Also, i think i'll keep this fic very fluffy and sfw but i had an idea for another fic that would relate all that's untold in this one, like reader's life as a champion with the other gym leaders and such. And it would be pwp. Would you like to read that ?

As time passed, you slowly settled into your new job as a champion, because that was what it was, a job. The thrill of being at the top was soon eroded by all the mundane tasks you had to do, even the exposition matches and tournaments became a bore. Because your team only grew stronger, nobody could challenge you. Even Raihan, supposedly the strongest after you, was barely interesting battle-wise. His style was just annoying. Not hard to take into account, not hard to counter. Just an annoying little itch.

The most interesting part became the surveillance of the dynamax dens, in the wild areas. Being alone, in the wild, made you think about your journey to the top. It had been some time… With your small tent, crock pot and Pokémons, you felt so tiny and insignificant to the world; but it was what you felt right. There was so much more to everything than being “the best”. The title felt like such a façade in comparison to what it really was. Sometimes, you really aspired to do something more meaningful. Even herding wooloos seemed more purposeful than being you, a champion that people would try to beat but to no avail. You felt like some kind of artificial being, that the world could get rid of and still manage to come by. Your legacy was nothing tangible and some days, you felt useless.

When you were feeling bummed and overworked, you came back to Postwick to see your mom, and just for a day live in something that had a human scale. You also went to the Pokémon Lab to see how Hop and Sonia were doing. Thinking about it, being a Pokémon professor was way more useful than being the champion, so you tried your best to help them.

Today was one of those days. You had reached the end of your rope and it had been a while since you’d seen Hop, so you called a flying taxi and went back home. You dropped your bag, kissed your mum and walked back to Wedgehurst. There was something very soothing about walking in the grass, seeing the wooloos frolicking around, the small gardens around the houses.

Not even bothering to knock, you entered into the lab, looking around to see if anyone was there. You couldn’t see Sonia, but Hop was reading a book up on the staircase. When he saw you, you heard the book shut and Hop rushed down the stairs, almost falling, to pull you into a hug.

“It’s been so long !!” he said while holding you.

The first thing you noticed is how he had grown. When you had started your journey he was about the same height as you, but now he was a good head taller. His hand was on the back of your head, gently stroking your hair as he savored your reunion. He was engulfing you in his embrace and you would be lying if you said you didn’t like it. It felt so safe.

The second thing you noticed was when he let you go. His face had also grown more mature, and with the addition of his lab coat he really looked like a proper Pokémon professor. It had really been a long time…

“Yeah, sorry, I’ve been busy. Sonia’s not here ?” you asked.

“Nah, she’s out for some field research today. C’mon, aren’t you at least glad to see me ?” Hop pouted.

You lost all your means trying to justify why you didn’t come sooner, and that you were indeed very happy to see Hop.

“I’ve had a lot of work, uh, the dynamax dens are pretty active and I’ve camped outside all week long. And before that I had interviews and the week before it was the exposition matches…” you babbled before Hop ruffled your hair with a grin.

“I know, it’s okay. Just teasing you a bit.”

 He placed his hands behind his head, as he always did, and started walking around the lab.

“So what do you wanna do ? Sonia’s not here but I can show you our research !”

“Sure, show me !”

 As you followed him around the lab, you couldn’t help but notice how broad his shoulders were beneath his coat, how he strode with confidence while still looking out for you. The place was crowded with piles of books, plants, wishing stars, Pokémon artefacts, Pokéballs, machines and equipment, so it would be easy to knock things over. As he showed you around, he often held out his hand for you, or placed it around your waist to guide you through some particularly hazardous piles of documents. You couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. You tried very hard, but it had been so long since you’d seen him you were almost discovering him all over again. His touches burned and tingled, made you dizzy, his smile was blinding and you couldn’t get your eyes off of him. He had gained a lot of assurance since you had beat him to the championship, and it relieved you so much to see him so happy again, so himself. Without the pressure of the competition, there was only kindness left and it washed over you like a gentle, soothing warmth.

The relief you felt as you saw him healed was so intense you almost cried. As you wiped the discreet tears that had clouded your eyes, Hop asked you if everything was okay, brows slightly creased.

“I’m fine… I’m so happy to see you like this, Hop” you blurted out, not noticing his ears getting very red at your words.

Looking a bit bashful, he murmured

“Yeah, I really like what I’m doing here. Maybe even more than battling with Pokémon”

But quickly continued with

“Hey, I actually wrote an article the other day on our research. It’s a bit technical but I could explain it to you !” he gestured widely to the couch on the other side of the room while rummaging through what looked like his desk. So you sat and soon after he plopped down next to you, opening a folder that contained his work.

He started talking about it, explaining some of the subtle terms so that you could understand globally what the article was about, and how it could change the perspective on dynamax and Pokémon. At first, you were attentive, nodding in agreement and smiling back at him, fond of seeing him passionate and at peace. But feeling him so physically close made your barriers fall down a bit. He was warm and sturdy, you had to lean a bit on him to get to see some pages and graphs. The feeling of security you had felt in his embrace earlier was oozing out of him and you started dozing off at the sound of his voice.

 When you woke up, you were leaning on his shoulder and you sensed his warmth around you. As you rubbed your eyes free of any fatigue, you noticed his arm was around you and that your fingers were feeling a bit numb. Looking around, you saw a part of his lab coat all crumpled and tattled. Some of your anxiety must have shown on your face because you heard Hop’s voice say

“You grabbed onto me while you were asleep. You looked pretty tired so I didn’t want to wake you up.”

He smiled and leant a bit closer to you, your foreheads touching.

 “It’s been ages since we were able to spend some time like this together. You should come by more often” he murmured.

 Your heart jumped around in your chest as you struggled to get an answer out.

“Yeah” you utter almost inaudibly, your voice drowned in the sound of your blood pulsating in your ears.

He rose again and meeting your eyes with a slightly worried look, he brought his hand to your cheek and stroke it gently.

“Are you getting enough sleep ? You were out like a light”

By that point, you were sure you looked like a red mess, but oh how you didn’t want him to stop. His thumb was a bit rough, almost sending shivers down your spine, and you had to use all your will not to lean in his hand a bit more.

You looked down and said sheepishly

“I’ve been up all night because of dynamaxed Pokémon. Couldn’t sleep much and then I came here.”

His hand made you look at him again, your heart fluttering and you felt like out of your own body. You still looked to the side, unable to meet his eyes or else you would get drowned in them. His finger under your chin was the tiniest bit of contact between you two, but it was a tantalizing presence you both hated and loved, for it made your heart ache.

“Hey, look at me” he said softly “You have to promise me to take better care of you”

You let out a strangled “yes”, gaze wandering on his face but unable to fixate on something. You avoided his eyes but instead got caught on his lips and you had to refrain from staring at them for too long or it was going to be the end of you. Being near him really did bring some of your walls down and you were terrified of doing something rash. Looking at him in this light almost made a memory resurface from your foggy brain, but Hop interrupted your train of thought.

 “Or else, I’ll have to come to Wyndon to make sure you get your 8 hours of sleep” he smirked, full of mischief. “You wouldn’t want that, would you ?”

Feigning anger, you replied with a playful grin

“Oh nooooo, Hop get away from me ! I don’t need a babysitter !”

You both laughed, and it had been a long time since you’ve laughed to sincerely to something.

“Before I forget, I’ve got something for you”

“A present, for me ?” Hop mused while pretending to be very surprised and honored.

“For your research, idiot !” you chuckled and threw him a ball from your bag.

“Oh, a Pokéball ! Never seen one before, I’ve heard they can catch Pokémon ?” he continued.

“My Arceus” you scoffed, grabbing the ball and placing it onto a computer to show him what it contained. “I can’t with you !”

“You can’t what ?” he smirked while wiggling his eyebrows extravagantly, getting closer to you and pressing his chin on your shoulder.

 And at this point you didn’t really know if he was still joking or not. A discreet blush spread on your face and you turned towards the screen to show him the Pokémon. As expected, he was overjoyed at seeing the new gigantamax you had caught, since those were rare and the lab only had a handful to study.

 After many thanks and a few jokes here and there, you grabbed your bag to go home, as it was getting dark outside.

“How long are you staying ?” Hop asked when you were about to leave.

“Just this night, I have an interview at 10 tomorrow”

“You’ll be at your mum’s ?”

“Yeah, she’s making me my favorite food ! So excited after a week of eating curry !” you smiled, beaming in excitement.

“’Right, be sure to sleep enough, ok ?” he ruffled your hair.

“Promise, Hop” you answered, touched by his attention.

 As you said, you spent the night at your home and went back early to Wyndon with a cab, in the morning. It was only a day and a night, but you felt lighter, better, happier. Like Hop had said, it had been a while, but now you were all charged up and it would be some time before you would feel the need to get back to Postwick. You enjoyed the day you had spent with him deeply, maybe even more than you admitted to yourself, but a part of you also told you to not pester him by coming too much. So you didn’t.

Only once in a while, when you couldn’t take it anymore.

[breegullbeakreviews]

Summary: At last we all live in a Pokémon world and you can be the greatest master of them all. Explore the real world catching and battling Pokémon in the seminal mobile game based off that one franchise with the yellow mouse.

Overall: While certainly a better experience in more urban areas, it’s free and worth trying out if you somehow haven’t already, and with all of the updates since launch it’s absolutely an experience worth coming back to if you left it behind.

Pokémon Go is hard to talk about for me. It’s a systems driven game with a lot of systems I don’t fully grasp, but I guess that’s Pokémon in a nutshell and always has been for me. If you played Pokémon Go at launch and fell off then the picture in your head of what this game has grown into is probably really dated or off. A lot has changed in two years and I’m going to try and convince you that it’s worth coming back to now.

First off there is now a main quest of sorts. Research comes in both field and special varieties. Field research is gained at Pokéstops and you can have up to 3 tracked at any time. These challenges have a lot of variety and offer some much needed structure to the game. Maybe you simply need to battle in a Raid. Maybe spin ten Pokéstops. Each nets you a small reward items it’s Pokémon encounter. There is no time limit to these tasks and you can remove tasks you don’t want to complete. Completing one a day though adds up. Doing tasks on seven different, but not necessarily consecutive days nets you a reward. You get a bundle of items and exp along with a shot at catching a Legendary Pokémon. This cycles occasionally. It’s a relatively new feature but it seems like it’ll be once a month.

Special research is essentially a main quest line. You currently can’t opt out or skip these at all. These longer and more time consuming tasks come in sets of three, each of which gives you a big exp boost. Doing all three in a level nets you an even bigger exp bonus, and a set of items usually hidden behind a pay wall or raids along with the next set of tasks. Now why do all of these hard tasks? Well currently at the end lies Mew, and that’s a goal worth working towards as Mew is not available by any other means.

Gyms got a massive overhaul in time for the one year celebration of Pokémon Go. Gyms now can only hold six Pokémon max, and you can only have one Pokémon of each species, so you can have just one Blissey in the gym. You no longer need to earn spots in the gym, as long as it isn’t full or under attack you can slide your Pokémon in. Instead of earning coins while holding a gym, you get a max of 50 a day for losing the gym. The actual amount of coins you get vary based on how long the gym was held. Gyms are also now Pokéstops with a bonus for players on the team holding the gym. Along with the update you get badges for each gym you hold. It’s basically a way to say how much effort you’ve put into the gym with stats for how long you’ve held it, berries used to heal it’s Pokémon, and how many battles you’ve won here. Basically the new systems promotes gym turn over as opposed to keeping it on lockdown.

Now for Raids. Of the post launch features this is the one I’m least over the moon about. In fact I’d say I’m not actually a fan of it at all. Pokémon Go’s raids are an attempt to realize that initial reveal trailer where hundreds of players swarm a single area to catch Mewtwo. In hindsight that trailer is hilarious. A maximum of 20 players can battle a single Pokémon and if they beat it in three minutes, they get some items and a chance to catch it. No hundred player epics. These pop up at gyms with about 40 to 60 minutes of heads up and another 40 to 60 minutes in which you can start the battle. The big problem with raids is that unless you have an active community of players you will never complete the higher level raids, and sadly, at least up until the research update, this was the only way to catch any Legendary Pokémon. Battling in a big group is fun, but it’s certainly not the norm. I’m lucky that my college campus has an active Pokémon Go scene, but before I started there I’d just see a Lugia raid and think “well I’ll never get that”. Raids feel really exclusionary, especially EX raids, which reward those who do a lot of raids with a ticket to a special raid to catch Mewtwo at a predetermined time and gym. It’s a special club and it makes me feel like I’ll never complete the Pokédex. Oh and you only get one free raid pass a day so if you want to spend the day chasing a Legendary be ready to spend some of those Pokécoins or some real money on them. Oh and the real kicker is that you need to be trainer level 25 to get into raids. This was dropped from the ridiculous 35 when this feature launched, but that level is still to damn high. Trainer level 5 was fine for gyms, but considering how much of a grind leveling becomes that means not a lot of people are going to ever get the chance to try this out.

Both Raids and Gyms will damage your Pokémon, but there are no Pokémon Centers. All healing is still item based which can get real tedious real fast. Along with better Pokéballs, higher trainer levels net you access to better potions and even max revives. Every increase to your trainer level increases the maximum level you can power up your Pokémon to with the current trainer level capping at 40. I’m not a huge fan of how the better stuff is gated off.

Catching Pokémon hasn’t changed much since day one. You touch the Pokéball and swipe up towards the Pokémon. The speed, angle, spin, and when you release the ball determine the arc and distance of the throw as well as if it’s a curve ball. Pokémon no longer sit still. Pokémon will occasionally move around. Every Pokémon has an attack animation that will deflect a Pokéball while it’s running and depending on the Pokémon it could jump, dart around the screen, or move about in other ways. That’s where the berries come in. Razz berries will make the next Pokéball to hit a Pokémon more likely to be successful and a Golden Razz berry does the same but better. That latter is only a reward for raids and some research. Nanab berries slow the erratic movement down and Pinap berries increase the amount of candy you get from catching the Pokémon. Note that all of these effects only apply to the next successful throw and only one can be applied at a time. This means you can run through them rather quickly and that you’ll likely favor certain berries depending on the situation.

There are over 300 Pokémon now with Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Pokémon all in the game. It’s a massive amount of variety to catch and train, but I’d imagine it makes early days for new players a nightmare. With the addition of Hoenn a weather system was added. Like a real weather forecast it’s not always accurate, but weather it does impact the game. Visually it changes up the game with different textures and effects. Gameplay wise certain types of a Pokémon will appear more often, be stronger, and even earn you more stardust for capturing them. And of course in battle these same types of moves get a boost. This goes beyond just water, fire, and ice types. Every type of Pokémon fits into at least one weather type so everyone gets a shake at showing up more.

I’ve brought up Pokécoins, this games premium currency, but I guess I’ve eventually got to talk about what you can spend it on. Besides extra raid passes there is quite a lot. Special bundles of items are offered for limited times containing a lot of these, but I’ve never bought any of these. All I’ve ever bought was Pokémon and item storage upgrades. Each costs 200 coins a piece regularly and each upgrade increases the storage capacity by 50. There is a hard limit for each, I believe 2000 each, but it’s grown from the 1000 each it use to be. Temporary experience boosters called lucky eggs can be bought alone or in bulk. Same goes for lures and incense. Both lure Pokémon for 30 minutes but the latter needs to be applied to a Pokéstop but everyone can share while the other is for just the one player but can be used on the go. Standard Pokéballs and Max potions can be bought as well, but the only other item of any real interest is the Egg Incubator. While it’s only got three uses before in breaks unlike the infinite one you start with, it increases the value of just walking.

Pokémon Go also has a big cosmetic shop for decking out your trainer. I understand the appeal, but the prices are pretty ridiculous considering I don’t often even look at the trainers at all. It’s all about the Pokémon. Some items are barred behind the in-game medal system which means not everyone can dress up as a Fisherman, but you still need to buy the items afterwards which isn’t ideal.

And lastly back to walking. This is more a personal thing, but I actually lost weight playing this game. I’d go on daily walks just to hatch eggs and hit a few Pokéstops. As far as exercise games go, Pokémon Go might secretly be the best in the genre. While my experience can’t account for your living space nor can Niantic when adapting the world as is to a functional game space. If you are lucky enough to live in an urban enough area you’ve got an excuse to get up and go everyday.

[ianmrid]

New Rivals!

One of the worst things about the leap from Gen2 to Gen3 was the fact that transferring between the Gen2 Game Boy Colour and the Gen3 Game Boy Advance was impossible. Although this was understandable at the time due to hardware changes it definitely generated some fan backlash, not just because it meant having to catch the ever-increasing number of pokémon all over again, but because you team members were consigned to your GB cartridges, with their old fashioned batteries unlikely to last forever. Although this problem needs a bit of attention if I ever want to see my Gen1 and 2 teams again, Game Freak listened to the feedback, and despite the upgrade to the DS in Gen4, the same mistake was not replicated between this time around. This is how I intend to solve my Munchlax issue.

Once you complete Pokémon Diamond, there is an area at route 221 that was previously ‘under construction’ but can now be accessed with help from Kanto’s Professor Oak (he gets everywhere!). This area is known as Pal Park.

In the game, Pal Park is described as an area that ‘attracts rare pokémon from other regions’ and is a small, self-contained area, akin to the various Safari Zones, within which you can perform ‘Catching Shows’ of six pokémon at a time, that you need to first ‘stock’ into the park. Pal Park has multiple biomes; Field, Forest, Mountains, Lake, and Sea, with different pokémon species appearing in different biomes as you traverse through them. When you encounter a pokémon, you can capture them with one of the six Park Balls that you are given upon entry, which are 100% effective at capturing but can only be used here in Pal Park itself. This whole process is carried out in front of a viewing gallery of NPCs who are all excited to see all the rare pokémon and how skilfully and quickly you can capture them all. After the show you are awarded points and prizes based on the rarity of the pokémon and the speed at which you complete all six captures.

Outside of the game, this is the mechanic by which your can transfer your pokémon from the Gen3 Hoenn and Kanto remake games into Gen4. As long as you are using a Nintendo DS or DS Lite to play the games, there is a slot in the console that allows you to enter a GBA cartridge. When a copy of Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red, or Leaf Green is in that slot, an additional option appears on the main menu of the Gen4 game saying ‘Migrate from <game title>’. When you select this option you are presented with all the PC Boxes of stored pokémon from the Gen3 game, from which you can select six with which to ‘stock’ Pal Park. Aide from having to first use the Move Deleter in Gen3 to get rid of any HM moves (Strength, Surf, Fly, Cut, etc) from the pokémon you are migrating, you are free to choose any six that you wish - Legendaries and Mythicals are perfectly transferable - and when you return to Pal Park in the Gen4 game, these are the six pokémon that you will encounter in your Catching Show. After the show, they are transferred to you PC Boxes and are now yours, retaining the original Trainer Name, Trainer ID, Originating Region, and Pokéball (despite having re-caught them in a Park Ball) from Gen3. Neat!

This is going to obviously save me a lot of time when it comes to fleshing out my Pokédex later on, but right now it’s gonna help me get a Munchlax. First, I stock up Pal Park with six pokémon, including both the Ditto and Snorlax that I have in my Pokémon Emerald boxes, the latter of which was traded in to complete my Hoenn Pokédex from either Fire Red, Leaf Green, or maybe it was even the purified Shadow Snorlax from Orre (logged as ‘distant land’ when transferring for some reason), since Snorlax was not native to Hoenn at all. Next up is a trip to find the Full Incense in Veilstone City.

Since, upon introduction in Gen1, Snorlax had no evolution or pre-evolution, when the breeding mechanics were introduced into Gen2, a Snorlax bred with either another Snorlax or a Ditto will always produce an egg that hatch into another fully-evolved Snorlax. Incenses were items introduced that the breeding pokémon can hold that will ensure that egg produced will hatch into the pre-evolved form. There are a few in-game hints about this but it is not very clear how it works without reading about it online (like a lot of things in Pokémon) and it is even less clear which incense works with which pokémon species. The Full Incense refers to making the holder ‘bloated and slow’ which is obviously enough of a reference to Snorlax, in the developers opinion at least, to be the one that works for this family line.

From here on out, it’s pretty straightforward; leave Snorlax, holding the Full Incense, alone at the daycare with that sexy, sexy Ditto and pretty soon they will generate an egg (much the continued astonishment of the elderly couple who run the daycare). This will hatch in pretty short order into a Munchlax - especially with a pokémon like Camerupt or Magmortar in the party, using its Flame Body ability to reduce the number of steps required to hatch an egg. Once it does hatch; BAM! Munchlax! This was all achieved in about an hour instead of potential months of Munchlax hunting. 

Phew!