#sootopolian wallace

[zeep-zorp-zop]

everyone shut up and

[might-be-mightyena]

Mossdeep city has been looking weird with whatever this weather event is from Mt. Chimmney. Me and my friends have been staying inside to avoid all the smog. I hope Groudon isn't awakening again. I trust Wallace and the Sootopolians but its looking really smokey here. Roulette my liepard is not very happy so I'm a little worried.

[permadesco]

personally i LOVE your wallace, and demand more of him. tell me more abt your obscure headcanons. i love him so fucking much and racists can die <3

THANK U….

You know what? I will :))

Wallace and his older sister, Raine lost their parents and we’re raised by Juan. Juan was a good friend of the family. Also Latino. Wallace’s parents were Latino.

Sootopolis has a lot of Latino architecture. Because I said so. There’s a lot of Latino culture there. ( I know hoenn is a part of Japan but. You know. Japanese e people live there too.)

Wallace is light skinned but he’s indigenous to sootopolis. Most indigenous sootopolians have the turquoise hair.

He’s distantly related to Kyogre. I’ll go more into this when I figure it out more but it’s a thing. I have a kyogre oc for this. Their human form has the same weird zig zag hairs as the Waters family. Kyogre’s human form wears Mayan clothing.

Wallace liked to affectionately insult steven in Spanish bc Steven doesn’t know wtf he’s saying.

[assistantdexio]

i love writing group chat fics

[horizonboundtrainer]

Most of Hoenn's people trace their ancestry from four different lineages:

1. The people of the land:

The original inhabitants of Hoenn who chose to settle by Mount Chimey and live off of its lush soil. Created the Regis and the Claydol line to acts as protectors / workers using techniques now lost. Also created a braille based alphabet system that still persists to this day. May and the Stones are the descendants of them, although May finds the very idea of identifying with them revolting.

This once included a nomadic group of desert dwellers who created the Mirage Tower around their primary water supply. They've all either died out or been folded into the other tribes living in the region.

2. The people of the sea: The second group to arrive in Hoenn after being led there by Kyogre. ( The price was, of course, paid in blood, for the leviathan is not a kind being. ) Split into two main lineages, one of which settled in Sootopolis and another who kept up their nomadic lifestyle.

Archie's descended from the latter and his people remember their oppression under first, the Draconids ( nobody likes pirates, especially not the people trying to bring some sense of order to the region ), then the Japanese government and now simply under the realities of global capitalism forcing many of them them to choose between working for corporations polluting their home and starvation. Their communities tend to be more insular than the rest of the region, with Dewford in particular being known as a place that adopts strange trends.

The Sootopolians have been much more successful at maintaining their presence in the region's politics, managing to keep the spiritual center of their people mostly independent from the League. They settled on top of the Cave of Origin and therefore control the region itself and no, I don't mean just on a religious and political level ( because both are 100% true ). Used to act as the region's kingmakers back when the Draconids were the ascendent power.

Note on the Cave of Origin: There's some weird shit down there that Wallace doesn't know about and May barely understands. If she were to go deep enough into the cave, eventually they'll reach a point where they should have breached the mantle but it just keeps going. The very walls are lined with raw mega stones, the only major source of them outside of Kalos. The Draconids had very good reasons for maintaining good relations with Wallace's ancestors.

The Alolans are a minority that consider themselves related to the other two. And they are right, given that they've historically intermarried with the others.

3. The people of the sky: Pretty much only the Draconids remain, and even then they're very different from their ancestors.

Arrived in the region 3,000 years ago. Found Rayqauza on death's door and nursed it back to health. Their relationship with Rayquaza itself is a much more complicated matter than even most Draconids realize with their pact having been broken ( often due to their hubris ) and remade numerous times over the eons. The current incarnation is bound to May alone and no, she isn't happy about it.

The modern Draconids are the descendants of their people's royalty who fled when their kingdom was torn down by hungry peasants. Their bloodline has preserved their ability to control dragon types with anything from their words to a simple thought depending on the skill of the individual. A few have been born with the ability to use Dragon type moves; these individuals are seen as having the blessing of Rayquaza and as such, are often chosen as candidates for the position of Lorekeeper. Have actual, bona fide, dragon blood but unlike what their legends claim, aren't descendants of Rayquaza itself as that's physically impossible. ( Let's just say that the pool noodle has neither the equipment, nor the urge to procreate and leave it at that )

Note: Keep in mind however, that the Lorekeeper was always female before the modern understanding of gender rendered such things outdated. Not necessarily biologically female but their views on gender wasn't the same as our own.

Zinnia wasn't born with powers. Her grandmother had them but the recessive genes skipped a generation. She was never their first choice before Aster died in a horrific accident, leaving her protégé behind. Poor Zin was never anyone's first choice :')

The people of the sky have descendants all across Sinnoh, Johto and the eastern coast of Asia but they don't usually consider themselves as such the same way the Draconids do.

4. The people of the sun: Those from Kanto and Johto. No, they don't have any connection with Solgaleo or Lunala, the term is a reference to Ho-Oh. They used to be referred to as the children of the sun and moon before Lugia fucked off into part unknown.

They've had contact with the region since it was first settled. The Draconid writing system had major Kantoan influences during its evolution. The Japanese Empire annexed Hoenn under the threat of military invasion, using it as a source of natural resources for decades before the Great War blew them apart. The idea of a united Hoenn take shape under their occupation when groups who used to despise each other found a common enemy in those forcefully conscripting their children into a war nobody wanted any part of. Modern relations with Kanto and Johto are more relaxed although there's still some older folks who will break your ribs with the blunt end of a harpoon if you call them Japanese.

Everyone thinks wine from Johto tastes off and they're right.

The idea of Hoenn as a single political entity is an idea less than a century and a half old. The current incarnation of the Evergrande League is what happens when everyone decides that unity in the face of modern problems is more important than their divisions. ( It's also the product of generations of reform. The original version run by Devon Corp was downright oppressive to towards the working class. )

[beehyve]

Lisia 5, 9, 14

5. What sort of religion was practiced in their home? Did religion play a role in their upbringing?

The only religion that would have been brought up in Lisia’s life would have been the worshipping and praying for Kyogre to both bring fish to the lagoon and surrounding ocean to eat, rains for the crops, and to keep Sootopolis safe from the intense tropical storms that plauges Hoenn. Other than Mew, and it being the very first pokemon and the reason for all living things

9. If they were to make a timeline with their life events, which ones would they list? Which would they leave out?

She would have left out every time her parents leave her behind, and the day Wallace had her and her mom sent to move to Lilycove during the events of the game, to keep them safe, removing her from the chance to help Brendan and May.

14. Did they live near extended family in the past? How did this shape their environment? Are any of their relatives near their age? What are their feelings towards extended family in general?

The only extended family she’s ever lived near was her uncle Wallace, the gym leader of the Hoenn League, and her maternal grandparents all who live in Sootopolis. While her grandparents are very strict, and very purist when it comes to how they live and uphold ancient Sootopolian traditions, Wallace is not and had a huge impact on her life. Though she doesn’t really have anyone of her age in the family, Wallace was her best friend growing up.

She’s not as close to her grandparents.

[sangmer]

                          APPEAL  ---- Dionysus   (siebold dufour)

                                            ﴾    @wallace-cup     ﴿

   pokémon:: gourgeist  ||  empoleon  ||  bruxish                        || clawitzer  || aurorus  ||  honedge-->aegislash    items & props:: rare candy // dusk stone.    moves used:: 

    gourgeist -- ability: PICKUP       ( bullet seed, synthesis, grass knot, flamethrower, trick room )      empoleon -- ability: TORRENT       ( aqua ring, substitute, aerial ace, whirlpool, drill peck, iron defense )      bruxish -- ability: STRONG JAWS        ( synchronoise, bite, psychic fangs, telekinesis, attract )      clawitzer -- ability: MEGA LAUNCHER       ( heal pulse, waterfall, protect, ice beam )      aurorus --  ability: REFRIGERATE       ( light screen, sandstorm, aurora beam, magnet rise, echoed voice )      honedge -- ability: NO GUARD --> aegislash -- ability: STANCE CHANGE       ( sacred sword, swords dance, reflect, wide guard, slash, king’s shield )

          song:: gods bound by rules.         Underneath the beams of Sootopolian sunlight that bask the many members of the audience, silence overcomes the area in an aura of anticipation. The atmosphere was reminiscent of the stages he could never imagine himself gracing back in Kalos. This particular field of performance was not exactly his forte, and was content as a mentor.   However, he was one to bring the utmost potential from pokémon, as well as his own skills. Under this name, DIONYSUS, it has grown as a mask itself, and allowed him to enjoy the untapped potential. Although, how would being this particular do just that? The masked performer had to wonder.

       And now, the stage was his. He steps into the arena on beat, solemn notes guide his way.

     A snap of his wrist throws the first pokémon onto the field.   A flurry of musical notes from the pokéball's seal dance  throughout the air, and reveals a ghostly purple and black GOURGEIST, adorned with a black mask and white cape, the grass-type lands right in front of Siebold, and he  plucks the strands of grapes from his costume, tossing it at the gourgeist. In one gulp, the pokémon enjoys them, and in an act of showing that these grapes were indeed real, she jumps high into the air, spitting the Bullet Seeds upon the grassy lands outside the outer area of the lake and platform. Then, a glow amasses the ground as the pokémon absorbs the light of the sun, nursing sustenance to the soil in the vast area with Synthesis. Plant life raises from the ground as the instrumentals intensify, and suddenly jut and grow at an enormous rate with the gourgeist's Grass Knot.

   [ 0:30 ]The sudden introduction of the orchestra. the plants grow and reach its vines to form thick pillars and throughout the arena, colors change from underneath the gourgeist's feet, and stretch to even the audience. Marble as an illusion is cast, thrones of seating masking the audience area.  A theatre has been crafted by the gourgeist's Trick Room , played in tangent with the Grass Knot. It was not just ANY theatre—NO, one fitting of the supposed name of the performer that now presents three more pokémon to the stage with a similar flourish. Empoleon and Bruxish both,in their own mask & trimmings, dive into the water on beat. With an immediate ring of matter forming from the vast lake around them, water encases vibrant color, Aqua Ring & Synchronoise respectively.     These rings of water and light travel upward, catching on the vines, causing some water to stream downwards towards the vines hanging around the audience, droplets dripping onto the grapes. Glistening fruits and droplets sparkle with many colors. Though from the vines and fruits, water is a constant stream, there is a small drizzle in the entire area. Except the circular platform in the middle. With four mighty pillars made of vines at four edges, the very middle lacked the treasure of water raining down within. 

        This is where Empoleon stands now, facing his opponent. A god before the royalty,  Siebold and the emperor pokémon diametrically opposed. Suddenly, a maddening aura of pink envelopes the area at the wave of the man’s baton. Both the gourgeist & bruxish descend to a frenzy of Attract in their ecstasy. They, on Siebold's side, charge at the empoleon. It was almost like a hunger for desecration, like Maenads. From the pillars of thick vines grown on the platform, smaller vines grow and jut towards the emperor pokémon with great momentum — Grass Knots. The empoleon deflects as much of the onslaught as he could with the protection of Iron Defense, only  to be caught by the bruxish's strong jaws with a Bite.  Attacks wither down the emperor pokémon, it seems. Though from the assault, beauty blooms with deflected knots forced every which way of direction, stretching back out to the water that surrounds the grass & marble platform they stand on.        Having weaved through the vines onstage, in comes Siebold, now wielding the sword pokémon. The blade glows a dim sort of blue, then charges when the two other female pokémon withdraw on the beat. Iron Head vs the empoleon's Iron Defense It instigates a flash of light that sparks from the clash, blinding the entire arena for a brief moment, dispersing the water rings and their light in one swoop. When sight is recollected, the empoleon had dissipated: it was a Substitute. The real thing suffered no pain.

   [ 1:28 ] The light is a transition with the rise of vocals, and during the entire time, the actors move quick, and the other pokémon are presented to the stage. The second half of the act begins as an aurorus takes center stage, as if birthed from the center of the spark. Things kick off with a screen of light cages the ice-type — a Reflect by the honedge in order to encase any matter within.  Aurorus, also with her form of protection, creates a second circle of clear, faint light even tighter around herself — Light Screen. The precautions out of the way, the aurorus creates a Sandstorm within this donut-shaped boundary. It completely hides her, and as particles build upwards and completely hiding the enormous pokémon's frame entirely, the gourgeist lauches herself into the air, landing upon one of the vines, and bounces off, spitting a furious Flamethrower directly to the storm of sand, directly to the ICE type! Thank goodness the pokémon was protected, or else that may have left quite the scar. It carried one for a mere few moment, and when it all ceased at once- A dome of glass is what is left entirely caging in the ice type pokémon.There are shapes within the structure that were rather irregular, points jutting into the space within the hollow area. The tundra beams many a color with Aurora Beam, revealing clearly what these irregular shapes truly were with edges sparkling — GLASS ROSES. Many, many glass roses shine as it refracts that colorful beams of colored light and sunlight.

       Empoleon takes advantage of an Aerial Ace, soaring highe, Siebold riding on the back of the pokémon as it ascends into the air at an incredible speed. The fourth pokémon is called out to the scene, the honedge, who introduces it self with a circling many blades — Swords Dance. At a point, Siebold jumps off, onto the very top of the glass dome, snapping a small, shining object his costume had been holding, and tosses it to the aerial dancing honedge to consume. The pokémon begins to shine a brilliant color and becoming a twinkling mass before shape-shifting, finally revealing that it has evolved into DOUBLADE. The many semi-translucent swords double in number. Then, a second flash: Siebold had thrown his baton into the air, which was carved from dusk stone. From here, the final evolution occurs, and the doublade evolves into an AEGISLASH, the swords dance then tripling into a faster pace spin, coming together and becoming one with the pokémon.  The pokémon grows in size, coming down to perform a deadly Sacred Sword in an improvisation, to demonstrate its new power. Straight down, towards Siebold, who was supposed to catch the hilt of the sword either way.                                ...

   [2:30] In one beat, it all pauses. It is as if time has slowed, almost to a standstill, until wide  rings of pink glow ripple out. Heal Pulse, the clawitzer's ability strengthens the move. It was absolutely out of place from what what they had been rehearsing for, the water-type pokémon had clearly panicked, having even broken out of its own pokéball. The next thing that is seen, the mask falls to the owner's  feet, bloodied and shattered along with bloodstained cloth. The aegislash in one hand, the performance has now taken a turn. The slight anticipation from even the pokémon who were startled risked much for the performance. They knew Siebold had NEVER meant to remove his disguise, especially his mask. However, it was reminiscent of death and revival, a theme closely tied to the character. A second panic move surfaces by the empoleon as the Aqua Rings that raised from the stage's water come closer to the center, and stagnates around Siebold, concealing him from the audience's eyes. He has words solely for the pokémon he tightens his grip on, something along the lines of ‘ no need to be wary, we act in pure fearlessness & ride the waves given to us.’        Siebold was barely phased, as if EXPECTING the failure. Driving the aegislash into the top of the glass dome, Wide Guard reflects the Heal Pulse and Aqua Ring outwards, into the crowd casting sparkles and water droplets as it simmers down. A beautiful display, and marks the beginning of the section of performance made of solely improvised moves.

     [ 3:04 ]"Show our audience the truth of your greatness with NO LIMITS!" Siebold’s voice booms for the stage actors to hear.

      An unrecognized command. From this, the pokémon realize what was happening. Their trainer was a natural at adjustment and fast decision, being a pokémon trainer of his caliber. He's also trained his own pokémon such quick decision-making. Diverging from the script was a sort of test for SIebold's pokémon. The mistake was in fact anticipated by Siebold, perhaps even meant to happen.  From now, the performance shifts into the unknown, directed by the man behind the mask, not some stage character. So, with overflowing confidence, Siebold begins to use the aegislash 's stored power to carve a circle around himself.

       "Allez, donnons eau!!" he booms to the pokémon below.

         The first to respond is Bruxish, swimming with ferocity underneath the platform, then, with her psychic abilities, saws a hole in the stage under the aurorus with Psychic Fangs,  pieces fall away, and suddenly the clawitzer comes afterwards, a grand burst of water shooting from underneath with Waterfall, filling the entire glass marvel like a water tank, and completely submerging the ice type pokémon. Sparks are produced by the aurorus as he raises himself up the stream of water in a Magnet Rise. The moment the channeling fo electricity is visible, the clawitzer is quick with with the Protect, light shining on the walls of the  glass as it is bestowed to the emperor pokémon below the surface, keeping it from getting shocked by the electricity as it intensifies. Sacred Sword had carved the hole wide enough for the large tundra pokémon to fit through. Yes, the strong current of water bursts from the top, the section of carved out glass elevated upwards , sending Siebold and his aegislash upwards, high into the air, landing on top of one of the vine pillars with a bit of ease. The recovery is quick by the decisiveness of aegislash, who changes forms quickly to create a protective, hexagonal-patterned barrier with King’s Shield, avoiding a hard landing for the both of them.

    [3:48]The music swells, and the aurorus surfaces in the waterfall, and at that moment, a sweet voice rings alongside the eerie chorus. A beautiful Echoed Voice accompanies flecks of ice and cold mist. This was due to the tundra pokémon’s Refridgerate ability, creating an ice-type move from the formally normal type. Below, the empoleon takes advantage of the protection from the electricity, he begins to spin, creating a Whirlpool that creates a vortex within the glass water tank, leaving the aurorus legitimately floating.     With then spiraling current , the emperor pokémon continues to spin, and utilizes Drill Peck to break the glass  roses away as he makes his way up the whirlpool. These roses travel downwards, flushed out by the current. Below is the bruxish this time to witness this act, who, with the move Telekinesis,  brings the glass creations out of the lake with an idea of her own. She sends the flowers into the lap of various members of the audience. At the same time, the mist masks the platform almost entirely, Clawitzer making use of said water to freeze in an Ice Beam in secret along with the aegislash who Slashes at the created mass of ice.    Aurorus goes silent, icy mist and all clears out, revealing the art piece that has been creates. Glistening under the sun as it already begins to melt and smooth sharp corners slightly: ivy leaves and narcissus flowers crown the rim of the glass water tank and trails out, entangling into the vines from the prior battle, water that overflows and rolls  over the ice as well  as the water that now expels from the center of the flowers. Simply, it was meant to mix the two leaders of the performance with symbols that are closely represented of the god and mortal. At least, what was seen by the eyes of the cocky artist who carved the decoration.  Grapes had bloomed on these vines as well, adding even more to the scene.

And so, the music comes to a conclusion, so Siebold walks with precision and caution atop thick vines, coming to the middle of one side, and bows.

[rebornregionace-archive-blog]

10, 20, 30.

10: Have you ever been caught masturbating?"Not really? I know I'm the living incarnation of thirst, and not exactly known for restraint, but I ain't gonna whip it out and start getting my stroke on like I'm on the PGA Tour. I've had a couple close calls with noise from sex, but just masturbating? Nah."20: If you could have sex with anyone right now, what would it be?Slight blush. "For the sake of being honest, I'll just say you, @divinaemater, and DEFINITELY @hisvanity. Especially Wallace." Lick of the lips, he's really after that Sootopolian booty.30: Do you watch porn?"Unless it's animated or something like that, no. Unless it's something I've done, because if you look hard enough, there's probably a sex tape or two of me online."

[ofcoralbones]

♡ u should gush about sootopolis

Send me ♡ + a word, and I’ll write a headcanonstatus || always accepting fuq me UP wit them hcs

SOOTOPOLIS.

aogiri always felt a sort of connection to the ancient place, even if his home had never been carved out of the dormant volcano.drawn as he was to myth & legend, especially to that of their grand creators of land & sea, it is sootopolis, the origin of all, that he oft finds his eyes turning to upon the horizon when traveling past.for it was there that man & god made contact, there that the ancient people who had been the true, original hoennians made home.their lore & tales were oft passed down even in households that did not bear their bloodline, but respect ran deep for the ancient lorekeepers of sootopolis who had saved their region from demise.wallace was one of those sorts, & among those in the league, it was he that held the highest level of respect.he stuck true to his ancient duties, & despite his choosing to ally himself with what aogiri saw as wretched, his respect for the gym leader was undeniable.

sootopolis brims with an ancient energy nigh upon tangible to aogiri, perhaps due to his contact with the blue orb & kyogre’s presence having briefly pulsed through him.every bit of the city is reminiscent of times long gone, from the architecture of their homes to the old traditions they perform like clockwork.were it not for their modern clothing & language, easily could any sootopolian be mistaken for ancient ancestor.ever since the beginning of his decision to have the world be reborn, always had he desired it all to end in sootopolis.as hoenn, no, the world had begun in sootopolis, such would it end the same, the cycle concluding at its origin.

[avinrydarchive]

‘Round About We Go

Author: AvinRyd Fandom: Pokemon Rating: G Pairing: Female Player Character/Zinnia. In the true tradition of Pokemon fandom, I have dubbed this ship “LoreShipping” Tada! Side Pairings: Steven Stone/Wallace Word Count: 1480~ Series: Painted Upon the Walls of Our Hearts

""Waiting for someone?"

With a start, Cora turned. Steven Stone stood behind her, pale eyebrows raised in curiosity. With a slight smile, he offered her a glass of something gold and bubbling. She took it and nodded.

“Thanks.” 

Taking a sip of her drink, she offered no more in answer to his question.”

--

A New Year's ball.

Read on AO3: link

Glittering crystal and shimmering satin, all lit by the glow of obliging Volbeat, sparkled in blue irises. Even after years of attendance, the Pokemon League’s annual New Year’s Ball still managed to surprise Cora with its opulence. The air was filled with the hubbub of chatter and laughter over the orchestra’s music; the buffet table’s many aromas tickled her nose. However, the League Champion registered little of this. Her focus was strictly trained on the mass of people in the room.

“Waiting for someone?”

With a start, Cora turned. Steven Stone stood behind her, pale eyebrows raised in curiosity. With a slight smile, he offered her a glass of something gold and bubbling. She took it and nodded.

“Thanks.” Taking a sip of her drink, she offered no more in answer to his question.

Steven’s eyes slid skyward in a moment of playful exasperation, but he accepted her reticence with good grace. Together now, they watched. On the dance floor, couples twirled, their outfits sparkling as though studded with jewels. Cora smoothed her midnight-blue skirt with her free hand, uncharacteristically self-conscious in her formal gown. Still, her attention remained far away.

The song of the moment came to a close. As the opening strains of the next sounded, Steven took Cora’s empty glass, handing his and hers to a passing server. Cora eyed him as he extended his hand.

“Would you do me the honor of a dance, Cora?”

The light that danced in the former Champion’s eyes was not altogether familiar, but they’d been friends long enough to quell Cora’s initial distrust. With an answering smile, she took the offered hand and allowed herself to be swept onto the floor.

A career of these sorts of events had Steven leading her expertly across the room. Despite Cora’s stumbles, they weaved through the other dancers with grace. Every once in awhile, he would lean in close to comment on one or more of the dignitaries without being overheard. His commentary was, as usual, hilarious, and Cora found herself grinning as they whirled about. That was, until she saw a pair of vermilion eyes, wide and confused, over Steven’s shoulder.

With no care to the music, Cora stopped. As if reading her mind, Steven stepped back, hands falling to his sides. Cora stayed long enough to give her friend a look of shocked betrayal before she was gone, chasing after a retreating dark braid. Turning away, Steven made his way off the dance floor as well. Halfway through his second glass of champagne, Wallace appeared at his side.

“That was cruel, Steven.” The Sootopolian said, face grim.

Steven nodded in response, staring into the sparkling depths of his glass, “If they want to survive, their relationship must be strong. You and I both know this society will break them, otherwise.”

“Still.” As the taller man turned to go, his hand brushed Steven’s. Then he was gone, leaving the other alone with his thoughts.

~Ɑ~

“Zinnia! Zinnia, wait!”

Cora was running pell mell after the other woman, not easy in the heels she’d chosen for the night. Zinnia had a clear advantage in her slipper flats and she abused it until they both were on the balcony outside the ballroom, far from the other guests. She came to an eventual standstill, back to Cora, and clasped her hands behind her. The other woman stumbled to a halt a few paces behind, the heels kicked off in case Zinnia took off again. Silence settled thick about them; even the noise of the party was muffled.

“He’s grown into quite the dashing prince. ‘Course, he’s always seemed that way.”

Cora flinched back at the biting tone. Suddenly, she was glad they weren’t facing each other.

“It’s not like that. He- Honestly, I don’t know what that was about. We’ve never- He’s always been-”

A sigh, and Zinnia turned. “Why did you invite me here?”

In spite of the situation, Cora’s cheeks heated and she could barely meet the vermilion gaze leveled at her. “I- I just wanted to dance with you…”

Silence again, but of a different sort. It hummed around them with one party’s shock and another’s regret. Trying not to stare or look as desperate for a response as she felt, Cora finally got a good look at the other woman. Her dress was in a style that she must have run across while traveling. The Champion had never seen anything like it in Hoenn. Black silk wrapped close to Zinnia’s every contour, embellished with gold and red flowers, trimmed in gold ribbon, and overlapping close about her pale neck. With only short sleeves, the garment couldn’t hide the Draconid’s fidgeting fingers, nor when she reached to grasp her wrist with the opposite hand.

“Dance? That’s it?” She finally managed. “Why?”

Cora’s face colored further. “Erm… When I was a kid, I had this book of fairy tales. And they would always end with the prince and princess dancing at some ball or other and- And I always thought I’d want to do that with...well…” The words wouldn’t come and she couldn’t even bring herself to look up. Eventually though, the soft shhh-shh -ing of silk on skin brought her eyes from the ground.  

Zinnia had a hand pressed to her mouth with eyes wide in endearing surprise. Twin smudges of color flushed those pale cheekbones, as well as a streak of...was that paint? Cora felt her mouth twitch up in a smile as she closed the few feet of distance between them, fingers coming up to brush the yellow smudge on her companion’s face.

“Did you come here straight from the tower?”

A nod, and Zinnia’s blush deepened under the paint stain. “I lost track of time, that’s why I was late. Had to clean up…”

Cora gave a cheeky grin and rubbed the smudge out with a spit-damp thumb. “Missed a spot.”

Neither spoke for a moment. Then, through the quiet, the strains of the orchestra beginning another dance drifted to fill the void. Carefully, giving Zinnia every chance to pull away, Cora reached out, placing one hand on silk-clad waist, the other clasping Zinnia’s hand.

“Please?”

“I-” Zinnia’s eyes darted, trying to break eye contact but not quite able to. “I don’t know how to dance. Not the traditional Hoenn dances, anyway…”

Cora released the other woman for a moment to guide a pale hand to her shoulder, then pulled Zinnia close once more. “Relax, this one’s easy. Three steps: one in the direction I lead you, then two in place.” And without further ado, they were off.

Their waltz was stumbling at first. Zinnia had never danced before and this was Cora’s first time leading. Regardless, both were grinning, laughing through stepped-on toes and letting out surprised breaths when the other decided to changes directions on them. So preoccupied were they that neither noticed the curtains being drawn between them and the ballroom, nor Steven’s shadow visible before the fabric dropped closed. It was only when the music faded into the night that the women realized just how bright the starlight had gotten.

Cora reached out to brush a silver-highlighted strand of hair from Zinnia’s face. She marveled at the contrast of star glints in vermillion eyes, unaware how those same lights set off her own sea-blue orbs. Zinnia, however, was transfixed.

“Can I hazard a guess as to how your fairy tales ended?” she breathed, moving just the slightest bit more into Cora’s space.

Cora’s answer didn’t even make it past her lips before they were kissing. Her head spun in the best way. It was like hurtling towards the stars once more,  but instead of leaving her other half behind they flew together, stars and moon blurring together in a shimmering veil of silver mist.

It couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds, Cora mused as they pulled apart. Still, it felt as though she was looking at a completely different person. Zinnia’s eyes were lit up in a way she’d never seen them before, embarrassed flush gone away in the rush of the moment. A half-grin pulled on her lips, (lips that now had a trace of Cora’s pink lipstick overtop their red,) that then morphed into a full smile as they both laughed, breathless. Unbidden, their hands found their match with the other and fingers laced together tightly.

“I know I just showed up,” Zinnia murmured, “but do you wanna get out of here?”

For one painful moment, Cora looked back at the drawn curtains. By all rights she should be at the party until midnight, advertising the league and mingling with up-and-coming trainers. It was one of the many duties a League Champion was saddled with.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Cora turned back from the window, pulling out a pokeball from her tiny wristlet. “Do you mind flying?”

“Not at all.”

[permadesco]

RELATIONS TO KYOGRE—

It’s not something that is really known to anyone. Unless you’ve been able to convince him (which is doubtful) about his family history, then nobody except those in the Waters family ( and Juan ) know that Wallace is a descendant of the CREATOR OF THE SEA: Kyogre.

Now first of all, Wallace is not a Pokémon—even though if he were to have a DNA test, it would show that he shares similar strands of DNA to Kyogre. Kyogre has a human form like most legendaries do, and had fallen in love with a human woman thousands of years ago. From there, the woman had given birth to a turquoise haired baby—hair the same colour as crystal clear waters around hoenn—which was the beginning of the indigenous people of Sootopolis. This child was Wallace’s ancestor; and from then on those in the Waters family had been born with turquoise hair as it was passed on from his ancestors.

Though Wallace’s DNA connection to Kyogre is very minimal (it’s been thousands of years, the bloodline diluted, though not enough for his father, sister, niece and himself to have turquoise hair of indigenous sootopolians), that doesn’t really stop him from being related by blood to the legendary pokemon. He doesn’t possess any special powers or anything, and his youthful appearance for a man in his 30s might stem from his relation to Kyogre.

Wallace knows he’s related to Kyogre—he has not told a soul about it. Kyogre seems to come to the estate on the weekends; but he plays it off as a coincidence if the Pokémon is seen in its whale form. Sometimes they will be visiting Wallace in their human form—a tall man with long, turquoise hair that looks like water flowing from his scalp.

SIDE NOTE: I’m going to make it VERY CLEAR that this has to do with my own personal lore In correlation to my Kyogre blog, @prataneptunia and that I will not force my lore on any other kyogre. If another kyogre is interested in this then that’s great; but any kyogre I mention in regards to Wallace’s family history will automatically go to my kyogre blog.

[horizonboundtrainer]

Projecting our own ( very America-centric ) societal problems 1 to 1 onto Hoenn ( or most fantasy settings is kind of pointless because it isn't our world. And 75-80% of its people aren't Japanese. Or white ( just ignore the absurdity of whiteness meaning anything in the Pokemon world. Call yourself white and May will make vampire jokes because she isn't from our world and wouldn't understand )

Hoenn has outdated gender roles. It has religious and ethnic tensions. But it isn't our sexism and racism. Like... there's Draconids who still believe that men shouldn't be in leadership roles because they've never been a mother in a matriarchal culture. ( If they're really conservative, they might even believe that non-single parent men shouldn't be allowed to write at all. ) And there's places where barren women are ostracized due to being precieved as having been rejected by Groudon.

And there's those who want their own ethnostate—Two of the people who collectively raised Zinnia were pretty much a Draconid supremacist who wanted to turn her into a sacrificial messiah. ( ...Zinn being alive throws a wrench into those plans. ) And there's also Maxie who still occasionally entertains the idea of ousting Wallace's people from Sootopolis so humanity could finally make use of the wellspring underneath the Cave of Origin. He knows it'd be a gross violation of the Sootopolians' spiritual beliefs and doesn't care. May is quick to call him an idiot ( even if she agress that Wallace is a failure of a guardian... and a failure at everything )

( This was actually inspired by a post I saw on reddit. I also think how certain published writers just dump our own racism, sexism and homophobia into a setting with dragons ( as if it'd be the same in a world where marginalized people can have you burnt alive for treating them like shit ) is boring asf. I love dark fantasy but at least make it interesting. )