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1863-project · 4 years

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I’m at the end of my first-ever Omega Ruby run, and I’ve honestly had a great time getting to know Hoenn. I just have to evolve some Pokemon and catch the Regis and Deoxys before I move along (I’m waiting to trade with folks to finish the Dex properly, but I can do that at any point), but I think it’s worth doing a retrospective on the characters and Pokemon I met along the way.

As a region, Hoenn is unique in that it has a LOT of water routes. You spend a large portion of the second half of the game traveling via Surf. The Azumarill in my party, Pikablue, ended the game knowing Waterfall, Surf, and Dive (it also carries Play Rough), and it was one of the most crucial members of my party for transport purposes.

When I won the Hoenn League, the team May (named ‘Hatshepsut’ in my playthrough because we love cool historical figures in this house) had with her was her evolved starter, a Blaziken named Cluck You, along with Pikablue the Azumarill, Pangaea the Groudon, Charles II the Shiftry, Friendo the Latios, and the team anchor, Bastet the overleveled Skitty. I beat Steven because Bastet dodged a Zen Headbutt from Metagross and gave me the time I needed to revive both Blaziken and Groudon in the back, and their fire moves handled the rest. Bastet went on to become the first party member to reach level 100, way ahead of everyone else. She was absolutely incredible and I love her. Her final moveset: Heal Bell (surprisingly useful, especially in Doubles), Thunder, Ice Beam, and Play Rough. She’s a Dragon Slayer.

As soon as I got my hands on the Eon Flute I started running around to check every Mirage location that came up in the hopes that it would be a Mirage Cave. I knew that was where Tynamo was, and I needed Eelektross to complete the Submas team I was building (the other nine members are in SwSh at the moment; Eelektross will hopefully someday join them). On November 30th, my persistence paid off, and I went and caught three Tynamos so I could have the entire evolutionary line in my National Dex in Pokemon HOME. As it turns out, Eelektross still hasn’t been added to HOME because Third Rail has become a vital member of my party in postgame and I love him and he loves me. (I’m just Emmet, really.) The Eon Flute is also really nice in that using it allows you to literally fly in real time over the entire region, and I prefer doing that to using Fly because it’s just so aesthetically nice. Friendo just swoops down and picks me up, and we have a nice time exploring together. It’s especially pretty at night when everything is all lit up. It’s a lovely little feature exclusive to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and it’s so great.

Character-wise, Hoenn has produced some notables. Magma and Aqua are two of the most beloved villain teams in the entire franchise, and the reboots gave them so much more personality and gave the leaders and admins some excellent updated designs. (Years ago, when the remakes were first released, my dash was filled to the brim with Hardenshipping.) I had OR, so I had Magma to contend with, and one of the single most entertaining things in the entire game is Maxie’s losing animation. It’s perfect, it suits his character so well, and it’s just really funny. Also, shout-out to the Team Magma grunt that I met in the Extremely Obvious Hideout who told me how proud he was of kicking his soda habit whilst standing next to the vending machines. I love that guy. In terms of reformation, Magma and Aqua come around very easily when they realize that they’ve had a very bad idea - they ultimately were well-intentioned but made a really horrible mistake and set out to set things right (with the player’s help, of course). It ultimately makes both teams very likeable.

In terms of other characters, not every Gym Leader from Hoenn is a complete standout, but a few are very, very popular. Flannery is a perfect time capsule of 2003 fashion and I love that so much, and I don’t think I need to say much about Wallace. He’s just Wallace. He’s so freaking entertaining. Steven is also a very popular Champion, and he plays a pretty big role in the plot, so you see a lot of him throughout the game. (He and Wallace are also a very popular ship, with Originshipping - named for the Cave of Origin which Wallace has to grant you access to - actually being referenced in Pokemon Masters on, of all days, Valentine’s Day. Make of this what you will, but I’m here for it.) The Gym Leaders all received redesigns as well, with a lot of them benefiting greatly from it - I like Roxanne’s new school uniform so much better than her old one, for example, and once again, Wallace outshines everyone with an ensemble that would go wonderfully at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. I wish we got to know the Gym Leaders a bit more as people, because they don’t get to stand out as characters as much. Galar actually did this very well by allowing us a lot of interactions with the Leaders outside the Gyms and as teammates and rivals in the Galarian Star Tournament. A big part of the reason Wallace is so popular as a Gym Leader here is that you see him outside the Gym multiple times and can even compete with him in Contests. You get to know him as a person more and not just as the eighth Gym Leader, and it makes him a much more interesting character.

In short, here’s how the League stacks up for me:

Roxanne: Benefited massively from her character redesign, which gives her a lot more personality. Would like to see her and Steven interact since they’re apparently friends, which I imagine revolves around going out and licking rocks together or whatever geologists do with their geologist friends.

Brawly: He still isn’t very distinct. He’s a surfer who trains Fighting-types, which is a bit of a subversion since you’d expect Water-types from someone like that, but nothing about him really pops for me.

Wattson: Gives off Grandpa Vibes. Wattson actually gets a lot of expository development via his work on New Mauville and Sea Mauville, where you find out he halted the projects to protect the Pokemon ecosystems in both locations. A lot of employees were angry about this and he was even investigated briefly for stopping the projects, even being called a traitor to the company (which appeared to overwork its employees and prevent them from unionizing), but it was apparently evidently clear that he did things out of environmental concerns, and the employees were able to find work on other projects elsewhere. This actually slots nicely into the themes of the game involving environmentalism and how to ensure the livelihoods of people and nature both.

Flannery: Time capsule from 2003! I was, of course, around in 2003 (I turned 14), and Flannery was at the peak of fashion back then. Flares were in, and I miss that trend so much. For that alone, she’s one of my favorite Gym Leaders in this generation, but I also appreciate that she’s shown trying to find her footing and figure out who she is instead of pretending to be someone else. There’s a certain performative aspect to being a Gym Leader, but it needs to come naturally from them and be an extension of their own personality, not be artificial. I would, however, love to know who her grandfather is. It’s still never been confirmed. (As a side note, a lot of people headcanon her to be Kabu’s niece, since he’s from Hoenn, which is cute.)

Norman: A Dad. More specifically, the player character’s dad. There’s really nothing that stands out about him except for that damn Slaking, which gives a lot of people trouble. I did, however, appreciate the conversation he had with Wally’s father as Wally and the player character departed together, because I’m actually pretty close to my own father (who I’m very similar to in many aspects). I’m 31 years old and I still get emotional every time my parents tell me they’re proud of me. Notably, Norman is the only player character father we have ever seen in Pokemon, though, which is odd.

Winona: In-game, she doesn’t feel like she has much of a personality, although she goes off on aesthetics pretty well. It just weirds me out that that’s her hair coming out from under the helmet and not wings attached to it. She could have been really cool but she gets the short end of the development stick.

Tate and Liza: The two of them intentionally playing up the ‘weird twins’ angle by completing each other’s sentences actually comes across really cutely because they’re kids. You can also run into them in the Lilycove Department Store being children and buying toys, a good reminder that they’re still very young and evidently very skilled for their ages. Battle-wise, my Azumarill knew Surf by this point so I ended things quickly because I’m into Doubles as it is and like using spread moves when I can.

Wallace: I’ve discussed him a lot above, so I don’t need to say much else, but he really is the most notable Gym Leader in the region, and not just because he’s the last one you face. He has a lot of personality and development, you meet him outside the Gym several times, his niece Lisia is also out and about in the game and the family resemblance is notable, and you find an old magazine in Sea Mauville featuring a woman on the cover who looks like Lisia - likely Wallace’s older sister, Lisia’s mother. The entire family gets more development than a lot of the other Gym Leaders in this region.

Sidney: The first member of the Elite Four you face...I’d actually like to know more about him. He seems like an interesting person, and I personally enjoy Dark-types myself so I always appreciate seeing Dark-type users not being portrayed as evil. His upbeat nature is nice, and it’s a pleasant surprise to run into him at the Battle Resort, even if he was only there to track down Steven.

Phoebe: I love how much her appearance contrasts with her Pokemon typing. She’s a Ghost-type trainer and you’d never guess that from her outfit! Her grandmother is the old woman on Mt. Pyre, which is why Phoebe has an affinity for Ghost-Types, and I’d love to see more interactions involving them together. You can run into Phoebe on Mt. Pyre after you beat the League and talk to her briefly - she was likely visiting her grandmother - but sadly she doesn’t get much development outside of that.

Glacia: An Ice-type trainer who we learn next to nothing about. Glacia is mentioned outside of the context of the Elite Four by an NPC in the Mauville Food Court who says she was slurping down ramen so intensely that she broke a sweat, but that’s all we know about her aside from that she’s originally from a different region, and she tells us that herself. Not very memorable.

Drake: Yet another Dragon trainer late in the game, and not one of the more notable ones. Lance and Clair are remembered for being cousins and for being the first Dragon trainers you really come across in the series, and later Dragon-type trainers like Iris (who becomes Champion of Unova in B2W2) and Raihan are carried by their personalities and distinct looks. Drake is just an old sea captain with Dragon-types, and he doesn’t really jump out at me much either.

Steven: A major player in the plot - one of the most active Champions we’ve had in the franchise - and a perpetually popular character. I never minded running into Steven out and about in Hoenn, even if it meant I’d have to listen to an infodump about rocks, and his Champion battle was actually fairly difficult for the team I brought in despite having two team members with Fire-type attacks to handle the Steel. As I mentioned above, it was my Skitty that made the decisive dodge to allow me to bring in the team member I needed to deliver the final blow, meaning this is now the second time in my life I’ve beaten the Champion with an unevolved house cat. (Rick Pratt the Purrloin is a vital member of my beloved Young Ones Galar Championship Team.) Overall, Steven’s a very likeable Champion, and I did enjoy the little detail of the rocks on display in his home - he has them labeled so you can see where he found them, and they’re from every region featured in the games up to that point.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire also have the Delta Episode, which features Rayquaza (which you’re forced to catch) and a character named Zinnia, who isn’t in RSE at all and is new to ORAS. Besides being named after my favorite flower, Zinnia’s personality is actually very interesting because although she comes across as cheery it’s clear she feels the weight of a massive responsibility and that the cheeriness is covering a lot of pain. Her Whismur named Aster is evidently named after someone important to her who is no longer around, and it’s never revealed in-game who the original Aster was. Whoever Aster was, though, Zinnia misses her deeply. In a 2015 interview, Ohmori Shigeru stated that the original Aster was the person who held the position of Lorekeeper before Zinnia, but we don’t know anything more than that - a shame, really, because that makes for some interesting backstory.

Overall, I had a lovely time in Hoenn, and I’ll be moving on to Kalos in the next few weeks once I finish up this Dex business first. I just wish I got to get to know so many of the characters I’ve met a little better, but I adore the team I put together and I’m super proud of them and all they’ve accomplished.

#Pokemon #Omega Ruby #ORAS #Hoenn #Hoenn Retrospective

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nihilisme · 4 years

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y’all know what time it is. i can’t sleep so i’m gonna write

I talk about some pretty heavy shit later on - so don’t read if you get triggered by sexual assault/rape/abuse etc.

It’s nearing my period and every time it’s close to my period, my PMDD symptoms flare up. For those who don’t know, it’s PMS pumped to the max. You have extremely horrible thoughts, yes, at times, suicidal - you feel incredibly hopeless, and it’s basically just this guaranteed time slot every month of where you will feel like utter, utter shit. Without fail.

Funny enough I’ve never noticed that the horrible feelings are a recurring cycle until I met my current boyfriend. And to my horror, I realized my mom had been dealing with this for years. She’d have horrible fits of rage during this time, and I honestly feel so bad that her husband didn’t care enough, and was too stupid, to get her proper help. Yeah she’s fucking difficult. But if you enable abusive behavior you’re as bad as the abuser.

Never mind my mom at this point. But the PMDD symptoms are incredibly lessened when I am on birth control. I suspect if I were on other medications it would lessen the symptoms more, but birth control fucks with me enough already that I don’t feel comfortable taking other meds.

And yet I still cried so hard yesterday knowing that one of my friends is hanging out with somebody I had a relationship fallout with. It’s like - you can’t make everyone like you, I know that. And I am in pretty healthy relationships with other people. AND on top of that - I know that I’ve been relentlessly working on improving myself, really fighting very hard to not let my bad thoughts control my life.

I’ve been living in this constant limbo of working on myself, applying healthy coping skills, and improving throughout the month - and then hitting that period of PMDD and feeling like all I worked was for nothing. Like, it does get better on the long run - but the dips can be as debilitating as they are discouraging. It is... harrowing to describe how suicidal I can get during PMDD. And the worst part is, for many years, the feelings just made sense. And even yesterday, and now, the feelings make sense because I do have low self esteem still, something I work really hard on fixing every day.

Being a woman is hell, honestly. I’ve been constantly hounded and accosted for sex since I was 14. Part of it because my abusive relationship with my parents led me into chasing boyfriends at an early age - to replace my dysfunctional relationship with what I hoped would more stable - WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING I WAS DOING IT. Because I was a child. Just wanting stable, reliable affection lol.

I was raped when I was 18. When I confessed what happened to my parents, my dad told me I was asking for it because of what I was wearing. Because I was in his room - even though at that point, we’d been going out for 8 months. And I drew my boundaries clearly. I didn’t want to have sex. I gave him everything else. I basically let him use my body the way he wanted - because I thought if I let a man use my body, my emotional needs wouldn’t be too much. I thought it was a fair exchange, because at that point I hadn’t realized that being in a relationship wasn’t a fucking business deal. Because that’s all I’d been taught.

Even before that relationship all a guy wanted from me in the end was sex. And they were teenage boys - sure. It’s mostly hormones at that point. But I remember my second boyfriend spreading rumors in high school that I was a prude because I refused to have sex with him lol.

In college, I had a grad TA I worked under who would make me do all his work because I was a woman. This isn’t conjecture - he literally said it was a woman’s work to do the “admin” work. AKA - GRADING ENGINEERING PAPERS. WITH PHYSICS, CALCULUS, AND OTHER ENGINEERING SUBJECTS (this was an intro engineering class, it had all the flavors of engineering subjects thrown in). You’re really gonna sit here and tell me the subject of physics is just administrative work to grade. Ok pal. What the fuck ever.

I met another professor in college, when I was doing my final engineering project - it was a data science project, and at that point it was early on before Data Science was a big buzzword. So being seniors in college who were engineering students but not exactly comp sci students (hard to explain) we decided to go to an expert to help get us started. I went with a white guy with whom I was pretty friendly, acquainted with at the time. And then when we met this professor - he basically ripped me a new asshole because I wasn’t “prepared”. And he only yelled at me, and not the guy I was with. “Why are you even asking me such basic questions? Why are you not prepared?” But literally only directing those questions at me, the brown girl in the room. NONE of the hostility at the white guy.

I have other stories. Especially at my last work place - but there’s just a myriad of it and I kind of want to get back to the meat of my story again.

Realizing I have PMDD has just been the icing on the cake on the experience of being a woman tbh. On top of the emotional abuse I experienced my entire life, sexual abuse I faced when I was 18, the struggle of getting through an engineering degree, knowing that every month my struggles basically reset is kind of... wow. It’s almost too much honestly. Idk how I’ve been holding on all this time.

And maybe this is the time I should toot my horn, for the sake of my sanity. I’ve had some pretty cool jobs since I graduated college. Like, the type of jobs that make people IRL go, Wow, when I talk about it. The prestige that comes with it, I won’t lie, is like a straight shot of crack to the brain. I’ve never done crack so I’m sure that was 100% completely scientifically accurate.

But truly, I do wonder how the fuck I’ve made it through all of this. I’ve made it through all of it and I’ve thrived. And on top of it all - I am so thankful for my loving boyfriend who consistently shows me love. I love him so much. It’s easy to take things for granted now, when I feel more stable. Because when I don’t I feel like it’s literally magma trying to escape my pores. The anger, the horrible feelings, are crazy. Are too much.

I need to write about this shit to remind myself what I’ve gone through and what I’ve overcome. And I’ll keep accomplishing things, even when there are times when I don’t feel that way at all. When I feel like things are crumbling around me and it feels like nothing will heal, and nothing will get fixed.

They will if I just ride the feelings out, and know that it is my PMDD. As shitty and horrible as I feel, I know it’s the PMDD. And when I finally bleed, the feeling will pass. And then the cramps will begin lol.

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thebiasrekkers · 4 years

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Infinitatem Venatus

The Infinity Game

Rating: PG-13 // SFW

Genre: AngelsandDemons! AU | angst | romance | drama

Pairing: OT7 x [Reader/Layla/Saoirse]

Warnings: Strong Language, extreme angst, violence, Jin is Lucifer. Jin is the Devil. [just making sure that’s out there], religious undertones [things have been embellished/changed to fit the nature of the story]

Word Count: 4.3K

A/N: Firstly - there are bold and italicized phrases scattered throughout. That is meant to represent Hoseok speaking to [reader] as these moments are happening throughout the day! Second, shout out to @aroseforyoongi for requesting a drabble for the 100 follower special. If it weren’t for that drabble? I probably wouldn’t have mustered the courage to even pull this AU to Tumblr. And @moccahobi cause Hobi is a bad ass. Issa lot. Thanks to Admin E for the beta-panache! And to Admin L who wanted a saucier Devil Jin. Enjoy!

© thebiasrekkers ( Admin T). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

There was a line drawn in the sand.

Pain.

“Moloch, did you really think I’d let you have her?” Hoseok’s voice was a deep; raspy growl. A sound that you weren’t used to hearing. Not your Hobi. He couldn’t possibly sound like this. He wasn’t capable of such vehemence, right? But it was him. It was Hoseok hovering above you. His eyes blazing a fiery gold as his hands clenched and unclenched at his side. The air stirring with each flap of the large white wings protruding from his back.

The demon across from him smirked, tapping a finger against a bloodied lip. “If I knew she was the key to getting you to play with me, I’d have attempted to grab her sooner.” The sulfurous stench of the underworld was thick in the air, and it made you nauseous. Moloch’s blood-red gaze landed on you, causing you to back up just a hair more.

You didn’t care that your hands were shredded. A trickle of blood from your ears left you disoriented from the previous explosion. Hoseok snapped his fingers rapidly in front of Moloch. “Eyes here, asshole. I’m going to tell you one more fucking time, Moloch. If you risk the game, if you test me any further...I will kill you,” he hissed between clenched teeth.

Moloch looked taken aback by the words coming out of Hoseok's mouth. After a moment, he scoffed at the malevolence oozing from the archangel. “You love her.” The demon said, puzzled as a muscle ticked near Hoseok’s jaw. He looked down at you; just as bewildered at Hobi’s behavior. “I’ll be damned! You fucking love her!” Moloch pointed and howled his amusement, a devious glint sparkling in his crimson eyes. “She probably doesn’t know, does she ..Hobi?” The demon’s tone was smug.

Hoseok swallowed thickly, turning his gaze to you. “Moloch...leave before I make a scene.” Moloch held up his hands in mock defeat.

“Fine, Hoseok. Have it your way...” The large black wings spread as the demon hovered. “...you may love her, but her soul is still up for grabs. So you better let her know what’s at stake, Hoseok. The game is still afoot.” Moloch narrowed his eyes before shooting skyward with what seemed to be a mere quiver of his wings.

A game set in motion before the advent of humanity.

The scent of sulfur finally seemed to disappear as Hoseok descended. He had his back to you for a few tense, silent, moments. The wings disappeared as he turned to face you. He looked like himself, the deep brown of his eyes sad at the state of you.

“Oh, baby...” He moved toward you and you moved back. He flinched as if he was gut-punched. “Listen, I would never hurt you. You know that, right?” He held his hands up as he approached you slowly. Your eyes were wide and full of unshed tears.

“What are you, Hobi?” The first tears slid down your bruised cheek. He gasped kneeling down to wrap you up in the warmth of a honey-cinnamon scented embrace. “Why is this happening?!”

You clung to him. The only thing that you knew was safe. The only place you felt like home. You sobbed into his chest as he stroked your hair. Hoseok placed an arm under your legs, hefting you up against his chest. “Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

You nodded softly, sniffling into his shoulder. He turned to see the devastation from such a minor confrontation. You didn’t notice the pressure of his fingers digging into your skin.

They can’t hurt you anymore. Because he wouldn’t let them.

There was only us in the beginning. Everything was fine. Or so we thought.

“You don’t understand what you’re saying?!” A shrill voice seemed to rattle the glass around them. A set of fierce green eyes seemed to blaze in fury. Saoirse was vibrating as she stared down someone she once thought to be her friend. “You cannot mean that. Please tell me you’re joking?” Her gaze softened slightly, a hand reaching out to the immovable object before her.

“I-I can’t, Saorise. And I am very serious about this.” Soft, gentle, and too pure for this world. Layla, eyes full of unshed tears, stood in on the other side of the line. “I love Him, Saoirse. Even with what He is - I still love him.”

Saoirse felt her heart race again. It wasn’t supposed to be like this; at least that’s what had been explained to her. They were special - the Acquisitae. They were beings that carried the weight of many lives. Souls that existed rolled into one existence through time. Past lives? Deja vu? All of it flickered, bits of memory seeping into the consciousness of the current owner’s life.

There were few of them left undecided. Some refusing to be a pawn for either side; some choosing a particular side for one reason or another. But, in the rare instance, if a side was chosen, it was mainly because of hate or love.

In the scheme of things, there was nothing wrong with that. But, Saorise couldn’t fathom anyone in their right mind falling in love with Lucifer. He wanted to destroy the already tedious balance, splatter the land in chaos and strife - just because he could. “Layla, you cannot save Him. He is beyond it!”

“No one is beyond saving, Saoirse. You of all people should know that.” Layla’s demeanor cooled as the other woman flinched. “For all that you’ve done, you still were granted forgiveness for choosing to stand with the Caelestis. You made your choice. I’ve made mine.” She crossed her arms, posture straightening. “I believe I can make a difference in my own way. So until this thing comes to a head, This is goodbye. I’m with Tenebrarum. Period.”

But someone wanted more. He wanted more. None of us could understand it.

Saoirse’s mouth fell slightly agape as Layla dropped that finality. It wasn’t just about their friendship, mostly. It was about the fate of all of existence. They were in the final days and they needed to be together.

They should have been together.

The sound of cellphone ringing interrupted the heavy silence. Layla answered immediately. “Yes, Sir?”

The smoothe dulcet poison of Jin’s voice echoed into the open space. “Come to me, Layla.”

Saoirse couldn’t deny the prickles sliding against her skin at the sound of his voice. But she had enough willpower to deny the sensation.

“I’m on my way.” Layla hung up the phone, aware of the sway Jin could have on others. She turned one last glance to her friend. “Stay away from Tenebrarum - and me.” She pushed past Saoirse as a muscle clenched in her jaw.

The scent of sulfur lingered faintly in the air, causing Saoirse to wrinkle her nose. She left the building, yanking her cellphone out of her pocket. The phone seemed to barely get a full ring before a worried voice answered on the other end.

“Saoirse?” A sudden warmth filled with the scent of earth after a cleansing rain rushed over her.

“Jimin. She’s gone.” Her voice sounded weaker than she’d intended.

There was a long sigh. “Ah, love. I’m so sorry. You tried. Come home, okay? I’ll let the others know.” She could feel his disappointment on the other line.

“She thinks she loves him.” Her fingers tangled in the fiery red-gold strands of her hair. “She thinks she can help him.”

His way of thinking had always been different. But...we never thought that he would...

“It’s a part of his charm, love. It’s unfortunate, the spell that she’s under. But such is the price of those who choose him.” Jimin respected her desire to rescue her friend. He wanted her to try, because it would make the coming days easier had she come along. And now? “I don’t want you on that side of town too much longer. Please come home?”

“Yeah.” Saoirse nodded while turning to The Shard. It was one of the tallest buildings in London - home to Tenebrarum Acq. Ltd., the current residence of CEO Kim Seokjin. Only a handful knew the truth.

Hell was empty. Empty because the devils were all here.

Somewhere in the In-Between…

“Check.”

A Knight moved to capture a King. There was still a way. There was always a way out.

The opposing side chuckled while moving to a King-side castle. The King was protected with the Rook blocking the way.

They both sighed softly. “How long have we been at this?” Taehyung’s deep baritone echoed in the mystical space.

“Does it matter?” Jungkook smirked, retreating his Knight. He could swoop in to take the Rook, sure. But, losing his Knight to the King? Even he appreciated the role of smaller pieces on the game board. “Are you weary, Michael?” Jungkook crooned with his fingers clasped against his knee. “Maybe you should reconsider my offer?” He leaned forward so that the magma-lined ring flared in the depths of his dark brown eyes.

Taehyung’s nose wrinkled at the slight sulfuric odor. “Perhaps it is you that should reconsider, Samael.” The Angel was steadfast and unmoving in his conviction. “Come back to us. This is pointless.” Taehyung’s brow furrowed as he tried to reason with someone he once called Brother.

“Is it?” Jungkook’s eyes were ablaze. “We are pieces, Michael! We are nothing but showy pieces and for what?” He hissed. “To keep a world in order that thrives in disorder? LOOK AT THEM!” His hand waved to disturb the cloudy aura around them. The world flickered below.

Poverty.

Destruction.

War.

Greed.

We never thought he would Fall.

Taehyung stared at all the things that gave Jin power, establishing his reign in the mortal realm. A tear slid down his cheek without warning. Jungkook sighed, reaching forward to brush the sparkling drop away. “Hark, a tear for those who destroy themselves.” There was a fizzle against his skin - a reminder of the choice he made when he fell from Grace.

Taehyung grabbed that hand before it moved too far away. “Please. I don’t want to fight you.” Jungkook stared at the slender fingers wrapped around his wrist.

“It’s too late, Taehyung. What will be, will be.” He pulled away, leaving Taehyung’s hand hovering. “And when the time comes? I’ll make you change your mind.” Jungkook stood up, stuffing his hands into the pockets of pressed black slacks. That fiery ring flared in the center of his eyes as he walked away,his form disappearing into the thick hanging mist.

Taehyung watched the path for a few minutes before lowering his hand. His eyes wandered to the board locked in a stalemate. A deep inhale had his nostrils flaring before he slammed his fist against the board.

Smashing it, and the table, in two.

The balance has always tipped more one way than the other.

It was a stupid comparison, after all. Life being a chess game. Because while you could sacrifice plastic pieces, it was something far riskier to sacrifice pieces of flesh and blood.

Even heavier a price should this game be lost.

All the things you know about the Final Days are absolutely true.

Winter receded, leaving all the auction houses hungry to get into their season. Famous artists settled their wares, antique rarities were whispered among certain circles and the buys were ready to redecorate. The competition was fierce between all the art brokers. But none more fierce than the lasting feud between two of the oldest brokerages.

Caelestis Wares and Tenebrarum Acq. Ltd.

It was always a spectacle when the two vied for valuable pieces.

A lucrative one.

There were members of each auction house that were known to cause a scene. Imagine the hint of blood lust in the air when those two members were in attendance. The auction was abuzz because they were in attendance at the same time.

“Did you see them?” An overly-jeweled socialite purred to her circle of friends. A flutter of fans attempted to dry beads of sweat pooling atop their skin. “I don’t think I plan to do anything but watch.” Her eyes were wide and lust-blown.

The group of women swallowed thickly as their eyes hit the left side corner of the room. Kim Namjoon was one of the most seasoned brokers at Tenebrarum. He wore a suit of gray tweed that tucked and cut against his form. A lighter turtle neck stretched against a broad chest. A pair of glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. The silvery blonde of his hair was smoothed at the sides, settling against the collar of his jacket. His arms crossed, causing the fabric to stretch against the push of his biceps. A smirk lifted the corner of his lips as he spoke.

All the things you hear about the Supernatural? They’re real too.

They couldn’t hear what was being said, but they knew who it was being said to. One of the women let a small whine slip as they ogled his conversation partner.

Min Yoongi.

Yoongi stood a hair shorter than Namjoon. Even so, he still gave off an air of unmistakable authority. He wasn’t just the head broker of Caelestis Wares. He was the current CEO. There were a few rare pieces that both houses had their eyes on.

The whole room buzzed over which item it could be, let alone the monetary bloodbath that would ensue for either to acquire it. The prospect was more exciting than anything they would bid on later.

“Gabriel, it’s been a while since you’ve left the roost.” Namjoon tilted his gaze to Yoongi. “It warms my heart to see you using those old legs of yours.” There was that magma-lined flare in the depths of his eyes. “Things really are getting tight if you’ve come out.”

There was a weary sigh from Yoongi as he fingered the button on the black jacket he wore. A white button-down worn underneath, paired with pressed slacks. The clinking of rings against his fingers were audible as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You still have a big mouth, Mammon.” A side-long glance was given to the taller demon. Yoongi scoffed. “And you’re still expensive.”

Namjoon’s brow rose as he looked over his outfit. “Come now, Gabriel. You should know that these things are about status and expense. I must look the part, after all.” He placed a gentle hand over his heart - at least where his heart should be. “It’s all about playing the game, no?”

Nothing is safe from the Apocalypse. Everybody is choosing a side or being bribed into making a choice.

There was no mirth to be found in Yoongi’s narrowed gaze. “Namjoon, there’s going to come a day...” A muscle ticked near his jaw as he bit back his words.

“Oh, I’m aware, Yoongi. If I have my way...” He pushed off the wall to lean a hair closer to Yoongi. “...it will be pretty soon.” He patted Yoongi on the shoulder as he side-stepped away. “Good luck today.”

Yoongi watched Namjoon strut into the circle of women that had been staring them down. He rolled his eyes as one woman looked ready to melt to the floor. The vibration of his phone gave him a reason to step out of the room.

His brow furrowed as he saw Jimin’s name flash on the caller ID. He picked up and didn’t get a chance to greet the younger. “We lost her, Gabriel.” The sadness was palpable in his voice. “Saoirse tried to convince her, and she said she loved him. She doesn’t understand--”

Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose, cutting him off with a heavy sigh. “Breathe, Uriel.” There was a shuddering sound that slid into a soft sniffle. “We knew there was a chance for failure. We’ll figure it out, Jimin. Alright?” There was a sound of words that wanted to be spoken, but ultimately were held back.

“I’m sorry, Yoongi.” The remorse in Jimin’s tone only grated on his nerves. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. No one but his own.

“It’s ok, Jimin. Take care of Saoirse. We’ll regroup tonight.” A tone sounded to notify guests the auction was starting. “Look, I’ll be a little late tonight. Get everyone caught up and I’ll get there when I can.”

The tone sounded again. “Who is it, Yoongi?”

He gritted his teeth as a long silence followed. He considered whether he needed to answer. “It’s Namjoon.”

There was a hiss on the other end. “Shouldn’t we-”

“NO!” He flinched at the volume of his own voice. “No. I’ll be fine. Do as I asked. I’ll keep in touch.”

“As you wish. Good luck.”

The call disconnected.

It’s just that some of you are worth far more than you realize.

Yoongi rolled his head back against the throb in his skull. “Stubborn woman. So, g’damned stubborn.”

He stared at Layla’s contact fighting the urge to call her. The third tone sounded forcing him to let it go - for now. He walked into the auction space, his eyes landing on an 18th-century suspension lamp. It was rumored to be used by a pious man who made a deal to lend his soul to the benefit of Heaven. Remnants of his blood mixed in the oil kept demons at bay. A powerful relic that needed to not be in the hands of Tenebrarum.

He sat on the opposite side of the room from Namjoon. The auctioneer’s smile grew as he realized what was about to happen. They wheeled the suspension lamp to the front. “The first item up for bid, ladies and gentlemen, is an 18th-century suspension lamp from Italy. We’ll start the bidding at one hundred thousand dollars.”

Namjoon and Yoongi raised their paddles at the same time.

So what are we? What are the Acquisitae?

Layla arrived at the top floor exhaling softly before tapping softly on the large double doors of its current CEO.

“Enter,” came the smooth, buttery, poisonous silk of Kim Seokjin’s voice.

She pushed inside to catch him leaning, lazily, against the massive blackwood desk. The perfect petal pink of his lips tilted upward.

“Do you need something, Sir?” A brow arched as she closed the door behind her.

A long finger crooked in her direction, beckoning her to come closer to him. “I need you, Layla.” She stepped closer as his finger tucked under the point of her chin. “I need you to stay away from Calestis Wares.” The other hand slid into the niche of her waist, pulling her against his taller frame. Her lashes fluttered shut as a breath slid quietly from between her lips. “You’ve made your choice, haven’t you?” His lips hovered over the apple of her cheeks.

“Yes, Jin.” She had long gone nose blind to the scent of sulfur that surrounded the infernals. Being around Jin, in the beginning, caused her eyes to water. He gave off the strongest scent and she pushed through. Forced herself to endure, and now? “I told them I’ve chosen my path willingly. You don’t have to worry.”

You are precious. You are the key to saving all of existence.

Jin smirked as she tilted her head, exposing the tender flesh of her neck. His breath was like a handheld blow dryer focused in one spot too long. She flinched, and endured, as he purposely caused her discomfort. The fiery-red ring flared in his gaze and he managed to keep his irritation at bay. He watched as her skin reddened from exposure to the heat. “You really have chosen me, haven’t you?” The smile was lazy as he released her.

Layla’s fingers clenched into the fabric of her pencil skirt. The closer one stood to Jin, the more prone to loss of control. She gave another heavy swallow as she nodded rapidly. “Y-Yes, Jin.”

“I knew you were smart, Layla.” He clasped his hands together against his leg. Her eyes widened at the black nails and silver rings adorning his fingers. “Maybe you can help them be smart too, hm?” Layla looked up, confused. Seokjin smiled and he seemed too radiant. Her gaze lowered to the floor as he continued. “Why don’t you invite your friend, Saoirse?” A brow arched as her gaze whipped upward.

“Excuse me?” A breathless sound pushed from between her lips.

“Saoirse isn’t so saintly, we know this. I mean she used to…” Layla cleared her throat before Seokjin finished his sentence. He smirked at her sentimentalism. “...you know what she used to do, Layla. Doesn’t it make you curious why they even let her stay? All the sins that have permeated her whole life. I wouldn’t judge her. I feel like she could be who she really is here.” Liar. Snake-oil salesman. Seducer. It was all true. Jin was all of these things and his good looks were the nail in the convincing coffin that he backed many people into.

“I won’t do that, Jin.” Layla swayed on her heels before shaking her head. “I agreed to work for you. I have my own agenda and it doesn’t involve sharing.” She spoke through clenched teeth.

“Oh ho! Is that jealousy I smell?” He pushed off the desk with a flare of nostrils. “I like this scent on you. Maybe I’ll pull her in myself?” He loomed over her with hellfire blazing in his eyes. “Because last I checked, I was the one in charge.”

Layla’s posture straightened with no signs of backing down. “I know you’re in charge. I remember who you are, Lucifer, The Morning Star,” she spat, “and if you think I’ll let you hurt her, you do not know me very well.”

You are the key to saving us.

Seokjin clenched his hand at his side as she smirked up at him. “Go ahead. If that’s the best you can do to assert your will.” The red in his eyes turned an abyssal black that swallowed the whites of his eyes. “You realize it now, don’t you?” Her head nodded as he remained quiet. “It’s different when we submit of our own free will.” She smiled, magnificent, triumphant that her theory had proven correct. “We are on equal footing, Seokjin.”

Her phone buzzed. She retrieved it from her pocket with a soft sigh. “Your two o’clock is early. You should do something about your temper.” She turned on her heel and left his office. Letting the air hiss from her lungs as she practically jogged toward the elevator.

Seokjin stared at the door in utter silence. Others came to him with very little need to flex his powers of persuasion. But when Layla came to him from Caelestis, he was eager to get his talons into Yoongi’s most prized possession. Now he realized something he hadn’t before - and now he wanted to corrupt her even more.

His blood was running hot at the thought of the next Spring Gala. A plume of smoke slithered through his nostrils as he chuckled. He turned to check his reflection in the mirror. If you thought about some of the most favored songs in all of history that were named after a woman, you’d tend to wonder what sway that person had on the songwriter, right?

Seokjin chuckled, as he hummed that old Eric Clapton classic. “Laayyyla, you got me on my knees - Layla.” He adjusted his tie in the mirror, a full bright smile spreading across his face. “I’m begging darlin’ please, Layla…”

He whistled as he settled into the leather wingback behind his desk. “...darlin’ won’t you ease my worried mind?” The door clicked as Layla entered again and he clasped his fingers on his desk.

“Mr. Kim, your two o’clock is here.”

You listened to Hoseok explain what was at stake. He spoke of the real world and the creatures that existed just in the shadows. He brought all your nightmares to life and then said that some were fighting on your side.

Jimin and Saoirse showed up almost an hour after you. Luckily, you had a shower, a drink, and Hobi fretting over you for every breath you took.

Saoirse kept eyeing a bottle of whiskey, an internal struggle visible in the shaking of her eyes. She opted to stay next to you, especially after retelling her meeting with Layla earlier. The two of you watched Jimin and Hoseok in the kitchen, deep in quiet conversation.

“Does she know?” Jimin asked, pouring a cup of coffee. Hoseok stared off into space before Jimin spoke again. “Raguel. Does. She. Know?” A muscle ticked in his jaw as Hobi nodded, his shoulders sagging. “What happened?”

Hoseok let a trembling hand settle over his eyes. “Moloch.” Jimin’s wide-eyed gaze turned to him.

“Wait. Moloch came for her?” Jimin managed to keep his voice down.

Hoseok nodded, the exhaustion apparent as he leaned against the counter. “We leveled half a neighborhood, Jimin. He was dead set on leaving with her in any condition.” They slid a glance over to the ladies hugging on the couch. Jimin noted the purple-yellow bruises on your shoulder and a bandaged ankle.

The kettle was placed back on the stove before turning to Hoseok. “Yoongi is at the auction with Namjoon. Layla willingly gave herself up to Seokjin.” A bitter smile formed as he leaned next to Hoseok. “Things went from bad to worse, yeah?”

Hoseok’s eyes were on you this whole time. “I’m not giving up on her, Jimin.” They both looked over to the two trying to find reasons to smile. You held Saoirse through a sob as she fought not to sink into her old habits.

“I’m not giving up either, Hobi.” Jimin placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. They picked up steaming mugs of coffee to join the two in the living room. Hoseok sighed deeply, trying to feign a smile for you. “And now, I’ll tell you who We are.”

#bangtanscenery #bangtanscenerycollab #btswriterscollective #hyunglinenetwork #bangtanarmynet #bts ot7 x reader #bts ot7 fanfiction #angels and demons au #heaven and hell au #biasrekkers #bts ot7 x oc #bts fanfiction #thebiasrekkers

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pkmnsdarkqueen · 4 years

Text

Drabble-So calls my heart to bad decisions. (Hoenn)

Based on this , cause I can’t get it out of my head and I think it’d be funny to give mini versions of the crack ideas I said. The keep reading thing is broken so I’mma have to keep it long sorry.

Hoenn: (using some interactions with @cleverest-admin and @psychic-master-will for this.)

“It still hurts.” “Really I wonder why that might be. It’s not like you just decided to put your hand on a glass tube filled with lava or anything.” “Shut up it’s not my fault I want to touch glowing things that look like the most incredible lava lamps I’ve ever seen!” “No of course it’s not! It’s called genetics, and you getting the stupid gene.”

Karen snapped tilting her head back slightly as she made her jab. Catching the glare from Will she smirked returning to messing with the wires. They had run around the Magma base for awhile now having their fun dropping paper on the lava tubes to see how long it’d take them to catch on fire, snooping through drawers, and at one point finding some old uniforms and trying them on. Karen still had on the hoodie for the girl’s uniform. What? It was a comfy hoodie.

“Oh my genetics are bad miss ‘I learned how to square dance cause I enjoy country music so much, and you also confused the wires again. You sure you aren’t colorblind?”

Will snot right back at her. Karen felt the wires in either of her hands start to be tugged away by an invisible force, and knew exactly who was causing that. Giving him a dramatic sigh she stood up arms crossed to let him finish what she started. In all honesty she was thankful for the help, but the tone of mushy emotions were to be left out of these adventures.

“Alright now you’re done showing off let’s check out where this one goes. We have yet to get to Maxie’s room, or any admin, and the offices are always the most fun.”

She chimed refitting the cover on the teleportation pad. A part of her really did hope it was an office of some kind. These were usually where secrets could be found, and where they would spend the most time cracking jokes about the place. Sure it might be a bit mean spirited, but they ripped into their own actions as well. It kept things fun.

“Ladies first as they say.” “What? Afraid you got the wires wrong and are going to end up a mangled mesh of person on the other end?” “First of all, that is gross. Secondly, I never doubt myself-” “Yes you never doubt yourself when it involves something stupid.” “You are just as guilty of that hypocrite, but fine I’ll go first if you’re so scared.” “Real original!”

Karen had to yell the last line since he was already stepping on the pad and off to who knows where. As per with the other pads the person to go first would tell the other the coast was clear, so she waited. Then waited a bit more. Ok so far they had heard from the other within a few seconds of zipping off. Why was this taking longer?

‘Will, hey whatcha seeing over there?’

The woman thought to herself hoping he was tuned into her head. I mean he ought to be if he was going through. Silence. Ok this was getting concerning. Without a second thought Karen stepped on the pad herself feeling her feet quickly lift, and then land again now in a completely different room. Except it wasn’t a smooth entrance seeing as how Will hadn’t fully cleared the next platform and she crashed into him the two having to catch each other.

“Will! The hell?! You went radio silent you know this isn’t the place to-”

In the middle of her lecture she let her eyes look over the room seeing nothing of note. More red walls, a desk, Tabitha, a bed, wait Tabitha. Her head went from scanning the room to looking at the admin who was currently also staring at them mid way between wrapping a mug in some bubble wrap. Ok she was caught up now.

“So Karen this is Tabitha, nice fellow, we’ve chatted a few times actually before I found out he was with team Magma, but we’re still friendly with each other right?” “Uh....sure, I would like to know what you guys are doing here though. Hi again Will, Karen.”

Tabitha answered starting to break his frozen state and set the half wrapped mug down. He was clearly confused honestly having every right to be. I mean they were trespassing. Sure the place was in the process of being abandoned but still it was weird to see two elites from a different region just stomping around, one wearing a magma hoodie?

“Wait before we answer that I just want to ask why you said ‘again’, to us both. You two have also met before?”

Will addressed pointing between Karen and Tabitha.

“I mean yeah, a bit. Just casual stuff sorta.” “We went on a blind date with each other like a year ago. A good time, uh didn’t work out though.”

Tabitha answered filling in the gaps Karen wasn’t filling out. Behind the mask eyes went wide as the dark type user’s went down. Oh here we go.

“Wait a blind date!? I have been trying to get you to go on one for ages and you never will do them! Also a year ago! I knew you were sad about getting rejected by that other guy, don’t tell me that’s what drove you to finally go on a blind date!? Karen when things like this happed you gotta tell me so we can go get ice cream and rant about how awful boys are. I can’t believe this betrayal. My own best friend, a lying hoe.”

The psychic ranted crossing his arms in a huff as he glared at her. He wasn’t really as hurt by this as he was making it sound which is why Karen rolled her eyes to it. Tabitha though had no idea what was happening and just kept shifting his gaze between the two feeling rather out of place. In his own home too!

“Ugh, we’ll talk about this later. Sorry for bothering you Tabitha, we’re just...like....huh there isn’t a good way to put this. We’re trespassing for fun cause it’s a bad tradition we’ve developed, but if you want maybe we can help you pack up?”

Karen offered awkwardly not knowing what to do with her hands and giving him a double thumbs up of all things combed with a guilt filled smile. The pause wasn’t long, but the atmosphere had a way of making it feel so much longer. Tabitha sort of just shook his head and sighed.

“I’m good. I’ll be done in another hour or two I guess come back then to have you’re run of the place just promise me the most you’ll take is two partial uniforms. I’m not the only one who needs to come back and get stuff.” “Actually we’ll just only take the one I’m more team aq-oof! Magma, but I know better than to steal things.”

He answered cut off before he could finish his original statement by a jab in the side by Karen’s elbow.

“As he said we hear you loud and clear, bye Tabs!”

She called pulling her partner in crime back on the teleport pad leaving the baffled admin behind.

#drabble #for fun #cleverest-admin #(i'm thinking about doing all of them but we'll see)

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ameftowriter · 6 years

Text

Pokemon ORAS fic: The Oncoming Storm Chapter 1

Also posted on: Ao3 and FF.net

First (This!)|Last

EDIT: I made some changes to this fic, thank you to @chipsncookies for noticing my errors. It’s kinda minor but it is important to the story!

So here’s a fic that I’ve been working on since last year. I’ve just been busy at work and generally lazy and busy working on other stories. But since I realized I almost finished all of these, I decided to post them finally.

This story is born from the big question bogging down my head as to how could Maxie have ended up at the Seafloor Cavern to face Archie, when it was heavily guarded when us as the player had to go through so much of those grunts.

This fic is also full of my headcanons about Archie’s past.

This is probably the only Pokemon fic I’ll ever write though so yeah.

So here we go! I hope you all enjoy and please leave a like or comment if you can.

Have a nice day!

Just in case: italics are flashbacks.

Chapter 1: Tsunamigenesis

“I…. Uhh…. umm… Well… I wish you and I would be best friends forever!”

This is something I will regret one day… Ugh I can't believe I'm doing this!!!

But at this point I don't really have a choice now do I? Now that I'm surrounded by these Magma Grunts. Some even had their Pokemon out already!

What should I do now? I can't battle them all...

But I can’t just give up now! I have to do this for Archie. For the team! For the world…

But that wish...

“Oh? What’s this?!” I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me. Of course he’d be here, what else did I expect? “Ahyaya! What brings you here, Shelly?”

I didn’t reply, nor did I face him. I don't know why…

I guess, even how many years it has been….

“Ahyaya! That silent treatment of yours will not be effective, Shelly!” Man, his laugh can get annoying, “I, Tabitha, one of the great admins of Team Magma, will show you how to give respect, when entering an enemy base!”

“Ugh, to think you could even be more egoistic than before…” I finally spoke when turned around to face him, “It’s pitiful, Tabitha.”

Tabitha smirked at me. The nerve! “Oh? Pitiful is it? Is it any better than running up here in our base? At our common room no less! Ahyaya!” I grit my teeth, I can't admit to him that he has a point.

“Target. Acquired.” And lo and behold the other admin finally speaks, “Illogical action detected.”

“The same manner of speaking as always huh? Courtney?” I said it out loud to her.

“... You. Do not know… Anything…” She replied as she glared at me.

“Ahyaya!” Tabitha continued, “Let’s just get back to the matter at hand, shall we?” He walked closer towards me as I remained in my spot. “Answer me, Shelly. Why are you here?”

I paused for a bit, I can’t let him get to me. I have to remember what I came here for….

“Come on Shelly! Hurry up!”

“Wait! You don't need to hurry for this you know!”

“But, we can have more fun if we came there sooner!”

For what’s important…

“I need to talk to Maxie.” I replied firmly. “And I mean now.”

“Hey!” Is this grunt trying to berate me? “How dare you refer to our great leader like that?” Oh God, do they really call him that?

“Access. Denied.” Courtney surprisingly spoke first. And despite her robotic style, she's definitely angry at me.

“I don’t need your permission.” What am I saying?! I’m still surrounded with no way out! “I need to speak to Maxie! It’s important!”

“And what makes you think we’ll let you?” This is getting nowhere! “Ahyaya! If you are planning to defect to our team, then you are vehemently denied!”

I don’t need to turn around to know that the grunts are coming closer to me. If I don't think of anything soon…

“Oh! I know what I’ll wish for!!”

“Really, Archie? You do?”

“Don't doubt me!”

…. “It’s about Archie and Kyogre....”

“Ahyaya! Are you here to gloat to us about your victory of the Blue Orb?” Yes, I am here to brag while being surrounded by the enemy team. “Unfortunately for you, that won’t be necessary!”

“Illogical action detected.”

“Argh! I don’t have much time here!” I snapped at them both, “No! I am not here to brag about that...”

“We’re so close Shelly. We’re so close, I could just taste it!! Those Magma scum won't know what's coming to them!”

Why… Why would it had come to this?

“Look… Archie will find out I’ve gone missing and…” I shook my head...

Archie, I can’t let you do this. For your sake…

“It’s only a matter of time, until he uses the Blue Orb, and then… then…” Then… That dream…

“I’ll wish… I wish for all the candy and snacks in the world!”

“You moron! Don’t waste a perfectly good wish on something so stupid!”

“Oww… You don't need to hit me with that heavy book…”

Our wish…

“Then the whole world will be destroyed!”

“Well… What do you wish for then?”

It became quiet here…

Yeah I guess that's to be expected. It’s not like anyone could take a possible destruction of the world that lightly after all…

Even I’m still trying to take it all in…

“Are… Are you sure?” Did Courtney just spoke an entire sentence?

“Yes.” I don’t really have much time to understand her train of thought this time, “If Archie isn’t stopped. Then, every living thing on this earth will be underwater!”

“Really? That’s a stupid wish! Wait! Wait! Don't hit me with that book again! I'm sorry!!”

“Show me some evidence.” Typical Tabitha… always the analytical one, always covering every possibility, “Show me solid proof, that this isn’t some complicated trap!”

…. Yeah this does look like some trap huh?...

“Archie, would you listen to me for just a second! We can't just ignore this! We've got to make sure that we looked at every possibility before we go through this plan!”

“Yer late there, Shelly. I've looked into that already and ran through everything with the scientists again!”

“And?”

“And!? C’mon Shelly I've told ya already that them results are wrong!”

“What?! Are you sure? But that doesn't make any sense…”

“That report’s the one that don't make a lick of sense, Shelly!”

“... But…”

But… I guess… I don't have a choice anymore don't I?

I pulled out my Pokeballs and my bag and laid down on the floor.

“There…” I said as I saw everyone took a step behind, “That's all of my Pokemon and my bag has my communicator and PokeNav in it.”

“Shelly…”

“This isn't a trap I can assure you! I'm not here to fight or to provoke anyone!” I continued, “I just need to speak to Maxie right now! Please!”

Before it's too late…

“Matt, you have to at least understand what I'm telling you right?!”

“Wahaha! Come now sis! If Bro says it's wrong! Then it's gotta be! I mean he even went through all the possible scenarios including that right? Then there's no doubt that's wrong!”

“Matt…”

“Sis, we gotta believe in Bro and his dream! It's our dream too right?”

“Fine!” Tabitha whined. Thank God… “Fine. Fine! FineFinefinefine… Fine!! I'll take you see Leader! But I'm coming with you!”

“Tabitha!” Courtney berated but he quickly dismissed it.

“Courtney, she's defenseless! Which means she's risking herself and even her own Pokemon to come here!” He countered as he picked up my stuff. “Come with me then, if you're still that suspicious!”

She fell silent as Tabitha turned to the grunts. “And all of you, keep watch! Make sure she doesn't have any one following her!”

Everyone saluted to him, which I think is still so ridiculous, but I held my tongue. I finally got my chance. I'm not about to screw it up!

I finally arrived at Maxie's office, and I must say, it's been kept quite tidy and neat up here. But then again, that's how he's always been…

I turned to see Maxie sitting at this huge one person couch typing away at his laptop. Did he noticed us arriving?

“So…” and he did. “I received word of an intruder and surveillance showed it was you.” He kept typing and typing away, “Honestly, I thought you ruffians had become more organized, but it seems I was wrong. All of you are just as uncouth and rowdy as ever.”

Grr… I really wish I could tell him off. But I can't!

“Maxie…” I held my tongue again, “I… You have to listen to me…”

The typing stopped.

But he still hasn't turned to face me! The little-- “Archie… Before he wakes up Kyogre….” Calm down, I have to remember what's important, “Please… I’m asking you to stop him!”

“How… Dare You!” Courtney sneered at me, that's to be expected. “Request! Denied!”

“Courtney has a point, Shelly!” Tabitha would feel the same way, “You can't just beg for our Leader to stop your own!

“Now… Now…” Maxie? How are you so calm? “Don't berate the poor woman…” Are you… “After all, it is not every day we get to be a part of the Team Aqua Admin’s coup after all!”

“Y-You….” He just had to face me saying that. He, really, just had to! “You got it all wrong! I’m doing this to save Archie, Team Aqua, and the world as we know it!!”

“Oh, is that so?” Now I remember why, I didn’t like this smug bastard that much! “Then would you care to elaborate to The Great Maxie, as to why you would come to my presence, to give such a ludicrous request, to save your Team?”

“Fine!” I really wish I could punch him right now. “Courtney, in my bag that Tabitha has. There’s a big manila envelope in there. Can you give it to Maxie?”

At that moment, I could feel the intensity of her glare, as she kept silent.

“Do not fret, Courtney.” Now I don’t know if he’s just being smarmy about this, “Just hand it over to me.”

“Yes Leader Maxie” Is this a good thing or not?

Ever to this day, I'm still shaken from what I discovered. So much so, that I wasn't able to speak properly for days after that. I wasn't able to make sure of those results. After all, I had a duty… But, the fact that these existed…

Was everything that we fought for worth nothing?

“Shelly. Shelly!” Was Maxie just calling me, no it was Tabitha, “Are you listening to me? Leader Maxie was just calling you!”

“What is it?” I unknowingly raised my voice, why did I remember that moment?

I didn't notice that Maxie already stood from his seat and already stood in front of me

“Hmph, for such a proper woman, you have become just as boorish as your grunts. Unfortunate…” Shut up Maxie! “But to the matters at hand…” he looked down at those papers again… “Are these true?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I'm asking you if they are accurate, woman!” Maxie… “What you have pleaded to me is such a ludicrous request. DO you expect me to blindly agree on your terms without even a proper explanation!”

“Why do you think I'm here then, Maxie?!” I had just about enough of him, “Why do you think I'm risking everything just to come here huh?!”

“And so?... Are these reports true?” Why are you--??

“To tell you the truth.” Fine have it your way! “I don't know.”

“... Hmph…” he looked down on it again, what's he planning? “Shelly. You are not telling me everything.” M-Maxie… for some reason I can feel a shiver down my spine... “You have told me that you came here for a good reason. “I don't know” does not count. TELL ME!!”

Yikes! Getting him angry is not part of my plan!

“Look! What those papers are saying is that will happen according to a simulation! I've tried to confirm its truth but I couldn't---”

“Well, I've heard enough…” Wh-what? “I have heard enough from you. Leave!”

“Wait Maxie! Let me explain!!” I can't leave now! Now that I'm so close!! “This is a very serious issue, Maxie! You don't understand----”

“I do!” He rebutted, “Courtney! Please escort this ruffian out of my sight!”

“Yes Leader Maxie, sir!” I turned to see Courtney looking too happy that I can be tossed out.

“No! Please!!” I can't leave! I have no other choice! “Give me a chance!”

“Why should I?!” He demanded, I guess he has a point, “I asked for proof and you did not give me any! Why should I believe anyone from Team Aqua, especially from his own Admins, anything they would say!”

He's right…

But… “I may not have definite proof that these could happen, but the chance is still there!” I began explaining. “These results are also based on historical accounts and archaeological findings! What I'm afraid of is history repeating itself!”

I panted, I spoke my mind to Maxie hoping it would get through to him.

But it looks like I didn't, considering Maxie remained his calm expression… or is it still the same anger he displayed earlier? I can't really tell at times…

“Leader Maxie…” Tabitha? What is it now? “If I may? Mind if I ask what you have read there?”

Tabitha…

“Curious are we?” Maxie smirked, but now I can tell he's nearing his peak in his rage. “But of course with the commotion she has stirred, you and Courtney would have grown curious of the contents of these papers. Very well. I shall tell you what it says.”

I lowered my head as Maxie began telling everything. I… I can't bear.. to face them…

“Hey Jirachi! Now I know what I want to wish for!!’

“You do? It better not be something stupid like that candy!”

“Nah, it's the best wish ever! Jirachi! I wish…”

I turned to see Courtney. Her ever stoic face dropped and I saw her shocked beyond her belief. If that's the case, Tabitha would be…

Yeah he would be the same thing…

“Is this all correct, Shelly?” To think the “robot” Courtney, would speak first.

“Like I said before, I'm not sure.” I replied, “But from what it says, this will most likely that will happen. And if history will repeat itself then… then…”

“The world will drown. And all of us with it.” Maxie… how could you be so calm… no… you're shaking… you're putting up a front that you're not affected by it… even when it's just the four of us here.

“Yes.” I replied as calmly as I could...

“I wish…”

“This… this is not what we wished for! What we dreamt for!” I finally spoke up. Wondering why did we? “I… can't let Archie do this! He needs to be stopped!”

“Then why not simply ask your co Admin, Matt?” Maxie rebutted, why would he just--? “Or even that child, surely after defeating you and Archie, she would be much capable of stopping him.” You may have a point… but are you actually doubting himself? “Why turn to me?”

“Because…” Because… if history will repeat itself… “Matt is too loyal to Archie. He won’t listen to any reason but his. And as for that kid? Believe me, I’ve considered that already. But do you think he’d listen to her, if he didn’t even listen to me?”

“She… She’s right Leader…” Tabitha, thank you…

“That’s why, I have no choice but to beg to you for help!” I repeated, almost ready to kneel on the floor, “I know it's been so long since then. But…”

But…

“The only other person that Archie could listen to… is you Maxie.”

“Shelly!! Shelly! Do you know that I have a brother now? He’s a big bro too!”

Maxie’s gotten quiet. I wonder what's he thinking?

“Remember the nice old lady that saved me and Carvanha a while back! Well she took me in and she took in another boy, just like me, before! So now we’re brothers!”

“Maxie, Please…” I began again, “It’s only a matter of time until he goes to the Seafloor Cavern to use the Blue Orb to wake up Kyogre! But what he wants and what will happen are two completely different things! And just he can't see that!! If he won’t be stopped, then the world will truly return back to its Primal state!”

Silence… Maxie??

“His name is Maxie! Gave him that name! I mean it's much more fun that Maximillian right? Hehe!”

“Hmph, quite admirable of you...” Huh? What are you saying now? You were nervous before and now… “You are willing to sacrifice your own position and your team even, to rescue that reckless fool that you call a Leader.”

“I don’t know what you’re going with this, Maxie…”

“Hehe… You do realize, Shelly, that there is a possibility of you getting caught yes?” Yeah and so?! “Well, the mere fact that you are standing right here in front of me, already counts as treason. I am sure the Captain does not take lightly to traitors.”

“But I can't just sit idly by and do nothing!” I shot back, I have to keep pleading, but I don’t know if this will help anymore! “I may be his Admin, and his close friend. But I care for Archie more than just his ambitions! If I do nothing, then… then…”

“It may not be much. But I have a proper family now! Isn’t it great!”

“Then it is as if you’ve pushed him further into his own demise…” Why the heck are you laughing about, this is no laughing matter!! “Hah! Stuck in a conundrum now aren’t you? You either do nothing and continue to the path of destruction. Or try to save him and your team, and be branded as a traitor.”

“That answer should be obvious, Maxie…” I replied sternly, unwavering in my convictions

“It may look like it is.” He continued, I don’t know how long I could take more of this… “But let us see… Do nothing, not only will it lead to the apocalypse, Archie himself would be completely crushed to see his ideals gone to naught. But “betray” him, you may be able to save him, the team, and the world along with it. But then you realize, that either way, Archie’s ideal was doomed from the start, and after, you would all be seen as criminals. It is a lose-lose situation.”

“You keep telling yourself that with your nose up in the air, Maxie” I’ve already made my decision and considered everything, “But remember, it won’t be just Team Aqua that will lose. Team Magma will fall with us too.”

He quickly shot a glare at me. I know I’m right…

“And you’ve already known that haven’t you?” I taunted a little, “You really are as clever as they told you’d be.”

Judging by his reaction, I can tell I was right on the money.

“You witch…” There we go, “You have already laid us into a trap from the very beginning. Haven’t you?”

“No.” I responded firmly, knowing he’d react like that “This is not a trap. This is the truth that could happen, if we don’t stop Archie!”

“... How troublesome…” I hear Maxie mumble to himself, but then he faced me again “This situation would turn for the worst, either way. Would you be prepared for anything?”

“Shell, thank you… I… I couldn't have gotten this far, without you. You’re the most reliable friend I’ve ever had. I don’t think any of these would have succeeded, if it wasn't for you.. So thank you so much!”

“He’s so close, Maxie” I began “He’s so close that he won't stop at anything!”

“Archie saw it Shelly… Everything… The horror that he witnessed that day… If for nothing else, that is what is driving him to go alone. Driving him to take the extremes….”

“And yet you still want us to try? You are being paradoxal”

“I can’t just leave him be! This is not just about the team or the world anymore! As his friend, I have to do something! Anything! I don’t care what will happen to me! All I care for now is stopping Archie before he goes too far!”

“I wish to make a better world for Pokemon!!”

“Hmph, it seems even after many years has passed, your feelings for him has not changed a bit…” he chuckled. Did I hear him say that?

“Huh? What are you saying?”

“Ha! It’s nothing!” Now I’m curious…. “I must congratulate you on your efforts, Shelly.” Huh? “It is not everyday nor anyone could ever come close to convincing the Great Maxie to go along with your outrageous plan.”

You keep telling yourself that...

“Yeah… Thanks..” I replied, trying my damnedest to not sound sarcastic. Like I needed a backhanded compliment from you. “You need a better understanding of the situation right?”

“Anyone with some sense in their brain would need one.” Even then you still sound so snotty “I have to know what I am going to go into.”

I growled a little as I began my explanation, “Tomorrow’s the grand unveiling of the Submarine Explorer 2 at Slateport City.”

“Yes, that has been talk for many.”

“Archie’s gonna steal that and modify it with a drill so we could open a hole through the Seafloor Cavern!” I continued but he keeps on interrupting me!

“Preposterous!” He shot back,“That Cavern is sealed tight by Rayquaza’s power. Any man made machinery or Pokemon wouldn't even be able to make a dent on it, let alone something as flimsy as a drill.”

“Yeah… that's right.” I gritted my teeth and continued on, “Remember all those years ago, when you two first met again at Rustboro at Devon’s Head Office?”

“Yes… where are you getting at….?” Maxie looked intrigued, then his eyes widened, then his eyes widened, the realization must have hit him, “No… don't tell me…”

“You two were after the same technology. The infinity energy.”

“According to Devon” Tabitha added, looks like he’s shaken up. “it is the same kind of power that King AZ used to power his ultimate weapon over a millennia ago.”

“That's right…”

Maxie fell silent… He looks more shaken than Tabitha.

“Leader Maxie? What's wrong?” Courtney really does care for him huh?

“.............. I…. I can't believe it…” Huh?

“What?” I asked him, what is he thinking of this time?

“To think…. To think Archie and I… almost to the exact detail…” he said this as he leaned back to the chair.

“What do you mean?!”

“Stealing the information about the energy, then those parts, then if that failed, resorting to the submarine itself, then to modify it with a special drill, using the energy to cave in the Seafloor Cavern Entrance…….” Maxie… Are you? “... Archie… what were we thinking?!”

It didn’t take me long to realize what he was talking about, “Are you telling me, you and Archie….!”

He raised his hand to interrupt me, “I am not finished...”

“Maxie…”

“Shelly.” He began, I could hear the tremble in his voice as he combed his hair with his free hand. “Please correct me if I am wrong… But… As soon as he stole the submarine, he would have had the drill all ready to be attached to the front yes?”

“Wha--?” How did he know that?!! “H-how…?!”

“Then, he would even, just for the fun of it, paint it to look like a Sharpedo, yes?”

“How did you---?!” I managed to speak from this shock…

“Then he would bring out most of the grunts and one of your admins, you, with him to the Cavern. He would leave behind a a few grunts and, Matt for security. Just in case a certain… girl, would stop by to face all of you…”

I froze… I couldn’t say anything anymore… I just… I just can’t believe it...

“Upon arrival at the Cavern, at the Cavern he would command everyone including you to guard the place as soon as he arrives there. And he places you at the very last line of defense, expecting the child to come to face him one last time.”

He’s right...

“And despite all protests, he would use the Orb to Awaken Kyogre….” I could hear him gulp at the end.

“To unleash its full power…” We finished the sentence.

There was a heavy silence in the air. “Are you telling me…” I broke it. I just have to make sure... “You and Archie…. Both of you…?”

“We thought of the exact, same plan…” Maxie slammed his fist into the wall, I could hear the wall crack from the impact... “Right down to the damn detail!!!”

“Hehe, that’s why… That's why he and I are the perfect team! The invincible duo! Archie and Maxie! No one can stand a chance against us!”

“... Then…” I shake my head, then spoke up, “Then that's exactly why, You should stop him!”

“You don't need to tell me that anymore, woman!” Maxie… You sound more shaken than before now, “If this simulation is correct, then we must not waste any more time…!”

“I’m well aware. I helped him make that plan!” I grit my teeth. Archie...

“If that is the case… you want me to disguise myself don't you?” He catches on pretty fast, as expected.

“Yes. I have a spare grunt uniform for you.” I continued my explanation, “I also have a map of the whole base as well. Archie will come back there first after taking the submarine. Then he’ll start grouping people to those who want to stay or who wants to guard the base. Make sure to join them. But for nothing else, you can hide at the submarine. He asked me to design it for the modifications, so I'll be handling the reconstruction. I’ve memorized the blueprints, inside and out.” This is a both a blessing and a curse isn't it? “Once we arrive at the Cavern, I can sneak you in past the security. Being an admin, I can just let them believe me.” I tapped my ear in gesture of the next stage, “I have some extra communicators with me. I managed to have a frequency that you and I can talk to only.”

Silence again… “Very well…” Finally… “It seems either way, I would have had no choice.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Maxie!” I felt a great weight lifted off me. I couldn’t help myself to tear up in gratitude.

“Don’t shed your tears, Shelly. Now is not the time.” He interrupted again.

“Huh?” What does he mean by that?

“Go back already to your base and prepare yourself!” He barked. It seems he finally gets the gist of the situation. “ We’ll meet at the Slateport Market an hour before the Submarine will be stolen.”

“And you already know the day?”

“Date and Time. Right to the exact second. Archie may look like an idiotic fool, but he knows how to plan. I’ve taught him how to. Remember?”

“....Then I guess you already know the rest of what I wanted to say…”

“Correct, in the midst of the confusion, I will fly towards the base, sneak my way in as one of your grunts and meet up with you at your port.” I really have to give Maxie credit where it's due.

“At that point the submarine would have arrived at our base and I would arrive after distracting the kid.” I finished.

“As soon as the submarine arrives, I’ll help you with the construction and sneak in while everyone is distracted.” Whew… he really is right on the mark of this one. It's almost amazing, “Shelly…”

“What?” I turned, what else is there to cover?

“There is way too many flaws in this plan.” Huh? What?! “In fact, one terrible slip up would cost us the whole operation.” I couldn't reply back. I don't know what to answer him... “You wouldn’t be able to stop Archie when that happens. Do you understand this?”

“Yes.” But then, I can't let that stop me. I won't back down. “Like I said, I have no choice. In the end, whether is you or I, or even that kid, Archie must be stopped before he even approaches Kyogre.”

“Then that’s where you’re wrong.”

“What?!”

“As we arrive at the Cavern and you help me sneak in, I will confront Archie right there and now. Right in front of Kyogre.”

“Are you crazy?!” You literally contradicted yourself!! “If you do that, then either way, Archie would revive Kyogre, no matter what!”

“Then I will stop him myself!” Maxie shot back “You came here to beg me to stop him. And that is exactly what I will do! You, of all people should know Archie will stop at nothing. That includes you!” He adjusted his glasses and took a step back, “In odd twist of fate, it seems we will be facing for the first time in years, in front of the Super Ancient Pokemon. And I will make it the last.”

“What do you mean?” Maxie...

“Shelly, go!” He turned to me, “You’re wasting enough time as it is! I will have you escorted secretly out of here and you rush back to your base, before Archie finds out!”

“Maxie…” Heh, I get it now… “You… really cared for him, even after all this time.”

He didn't respond, and that's all the answer I need.

I managed to head back to the base without any problems. Good thing a little, “getting some fresh air at the beach”, story was enough to convince everyone.

I hope so… at least.

It was crazy that Maxie made very accurate guesses to our plan. Right at the exact time, just an hour before the submarine was planned to be stolen. I met him at the Market just as planned. We used the hustle and bustle of the market to hide ourselves and managed to communicate what else is there to do and I handed him the spare uniform and other equipment he needed.

And without anything else, the rest of the plan went smoothly, without anyone noticing.

That is until we arrived at the Cavern...

“Maxie! This is Shelly!” I said as I spoke the secret code. “Are you in there now? Do you see Archie?”

There was a slight static but he finally spoke in a hushed tone, “Yes. I can see him perfectly.”

“Good! Now you----”

“Shelly…”

“Huh?”

“You are still going to try to break this peacefully aren't you?” His voice wasn't as hushed as before…

“What?”

“I’m sorry but… I must break that plan of yours…” Break? What is he saying?! “Don't come after me! I'm going to finish this. Once and for all!”

“Wait! Maxie! Wa----” The rest was just the static noise.

“Maxie!!” I tried to reconfigure my comm, but still he didn't respond. I was only met with more static.

Maxie… What are you going to do?

“--- Big Sis Shelly!” Huh? What? “Big Sis are you there?”

It's one of the grunts, “Yes… I'm here. What is it?” I tried to cover myself for now, hoping he didn't sense what I'm feeling.

“I'm so sorry Admin Shelly! But…”

“But what? Spill it!”

“It's that kid again!” What?! She's here?! Already?! “That kid basically got through all of us. And she's heading right through ya”

“No way…” No way… It's like… like…

#aqua admin shelly #magma leader maxie #aqua leader archie #alpha sapphire #pokemon fanfic #pokemon oras #magma admin tabitha #magma admin courtney #aqua admin matt #trainer may #ame writes fanfics #fanfic #natural disasters #The Oncoming Storm #Tsuamigenesis #shivermetimbershipping

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themattress · 7 years

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Pokeani: The Evolution of the Villains

In the original Pokemon video games, the villains were Team Rocket, a criminal organization of thugs led by mafioso Giovanni who used Pokemon for profit and, in Giovanni’s case, attempted world domination. Their actions made the plot exciting, but their personalities were anything but - they were all the most generic of bad guys who were evil for the hell of it.

In making Pokemon: Indigo League, Takeshi Shudo naturally avoided doing the same thing. Instead, he kept Giovanni as a shadowy, distant force up until the last third of the saga where he came into play as the major antagonist of the Mewtwo arc, giving him more charismatic style and personality than he had in the games and even providing him with a backstory. The central villains of the show, in the meantime, were a duo of original creations within Team Rocket, Jessie and James, along with their talking Meowth companion. They ended up being very complex characters, running the gauntlet from being sinister, efficient and unlikable to being funny, incompetent and lovable, and somehow it all gelled together perfectly in a set of three-dimensional personalities. They even each had their own sad backstories explaining just how and why they came to join Team Rocket and why they are so loyal to their cause.

Occasionally, there would be other villains too: Sabrina the psychic and psychotic Gym Leader of Saffron City, Daario the cheating racer, Keith the young con artist, and even another Team Rocket duo, Butch and Cassidy, who served as rivals to Jessie and James.

When the Johto Saga (Pokemon the Series: Gold and Silver) came along, the usual Team Rocket trio, while still endearing, were beginning to wear out their villain cred, becoming totally harmless and much more predictable due to the new episodic formula that had been established. Shudo wanted to make a new story arc centered around Celebi that would have brought Giovanni back into prominence and potentially new Team Rocket agents along with him, but it was not to be, so he instead made a special concluding the Mewtwo arc which included a particularly cool new Team Rocket operative named Domino at Giovanni’s side. The anime also introduced a new set of silver-uniformed Rockets - the solitary Tyson and the duo of Atilla and Hun, all serving under the sociopathic Professor Sebastian. These villains would have been great lead antagonists for a story arc, but instead they only briefly appeared and then never showed up again, the threat they posed never being resolved to the point where one of the Pokemon movies showed that they were still at large in its opening scene.

In Advanced Generation (Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire), the show adapted Team Aqua and Team Magma from the current games and their storyline. The problem was that there was absolutely no passion in doing so. Usually we only ever got to see Aqua Admin Shelly and Magma Admin Tabitha, who were cool but not particularly well-characterized, and the leaders, Archie and Maxie, literally only appeared in the two-part finale of the arc, which meant that they had no memorable presence whatsoever. None of the other occasional villains were interesting either, and the Team Rocket trio now officially sucked as villains.

Diamond/Pearl (Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl) attempted to do better. Not with Team Rocket, they sucked ever harder now, but with the other villains. Team Galactic had more effort put into them and their story arc than Aqua and Magma did, and while all save for Charon were mischaracterized when compared to their game counterparts, it was at least some form of characterization. Less excusable was the group’s goal, which was just to destroy the world and make a new one for only them to be in, with the leader Cyrus actually wanting a new world for only him to be in. This is a severe misrepresentation of what their goal was in the games, which was far more altruistic and truly done for what they saw as for the good of everyone. The anime’s version is more like Team Flare in the XY games. And their three-part finale ended in a massive anticlimax, as there’s not even a semblance of a final battle, Dialga and Palkia are freed easily, Cyrus essentially kills himself, and the total destruction of Sinnoh is literally prevented by Ash, Dawn and Brock praying really hard.

Then there was Pokemon Hunter J, a recurring villain who got attention due to how purely evil and shockingly violent she was for the anime, putting Pokemon through some heavy torture and routinely trying to kill the child heroes - at one point, she set fire to an entire forest in order to burn alive all the people and Pokemon that were in it! She was so vile that she even got killed off in her final appearance, her airship sinking and then exploding! Damn!

The only major problem with this villain is that she was an absolute waste of potential. In a 191 episode series, Hunter J only showed up in 7 episodes - two of them being a two-part story and two others being the first two parts of a three-part story, so really she only showed up five times in total. There was no excuse for this - Hunter J was not in the games, she didn’t have a single evil plot to adapt, she was purely the writers’ creation and they were free to use her as much as they wanted. She could have made a great Big Bad-type figure for the DP series, but instead, she disappeared for such a long stretch of time between her third and fourth appearances that it was pretty easy to forget she existed. Worse still, her final appearance and death happened as part of the Team Galactic arc finale, and was treated as just a footnote. Ash, Dawn and Brock were not even present to see it happen, and nobody ever talks about it afterward. This was an absolutely criminal waste of a good, well, criminal.

Like with many things, I believe that Best Wishes (Pokemon the Series: Black and White) was where a big, important turnaround was made. First off, the Team Rocket trio received a promotion and new militaristic training in order to become a serious, competent threat and a bigger force within their organization - still the central villains as always but now operating on the scale that Aqua, Magma and Galactic did previously. As such, the writers ended up discovering something important, something that even Takeshi Shudo never grasped: you don’t need Team Rocket in every episode, nor do you need them in a major role if they’re in one. They now got to sit many episodes out, or they appeared in episodes for just a few scenes (sometimes even just one scene) where they made some small advancement in their current overarching plan. After so many years, a little Team Rocket can go a long way, and spacing out their appearances this way was something that was desperately needed.

Team Rocket’s story arc of attempted Unova conquest went through five different major operations: the mission to secure the Meteonite and combine it with Dream Energy to produce a threatening new energy flow, the mission to steal all the Pokemon from the Nimbasa City Pokemon Center and escape through the subway system, the mission to draw out the Weather Trio on Milos Island and capture them, the mission to resurrect a Pokemon fossil and use the revived Pokemon to open the Time Gate into the ancient past at Twist Mountain, and the biggest mission of all, “Operation Tempest”, to record Meloetta’s song and then capture it in order to unlock the Reveal Glass of Abyssal Temple that would grant Giovanni control over the Weather Trio. All of these were engaging and you could see a slow advancement of Team Rocket’s presence in Unova as a whole through each one, particularly due to the continuous presence of Giovanni and/or the stand-in Big Bad figure of Dr. Zager.

The evil team from the games, Team Plasma, didn’t fare quite so well. Intended to be a running presence through the show’s Myth Arc, the combination of an unexpected natural disaster and an unexpected development of sequels rather than a third, special edition of the games caused these plans to change, so Team Plasma only showed up as the villains of a 14-episode story arc after the Unova League, in their less ambiguous B2/W2 incarnations. The stories of the original B/W and B2/W2 were hastily cobbled together, and the team leader Ghetsis had an even more minimal presence than Cyrus did, being outshone by the more active Dr. Colress. With that said, the story wasn’t a bad one at all (it got especially good in its second half), Team Plasma was effective as a threat, and Colress was an excellent villain, maintaining his science-obsessed amorality from the games while having a hammier edge.

For the first two years of XY (Pokemon the Series: XY), there wasn’t much to talk about in the way of villains - various one-shot villains weren’t the worst but nor were they the best, and Team Rocket was schizophrenic: they still kept out of many episodes but were still in more than they needed to be, and sometimes they were competent threats ala BW while other times they were harmless villains ala AG/DP. The most intriguing villainous presence was Lysandre in the Mega Evolution specials, because he wasn’t portrayed as a villain, and thus gradually and successfully began to manipulate the hero Alain over to his side, and there was definitely the sense that he had big plans for Kalos that he was slowly but surely advancing.

In the third and final year, XY&Z, we got the payoff. Team Flare, the secret criminal subsidiary of Lysandre Labs, launched a plan to capture an infant Zygarde and use scientific means (chiefly Mega Evolution energy that Alain obtained for them) to forcibly alter the state of its being and its powers. This resulted in an explosive, action-packed five-part climax immediately following the Kalos League, and Lysandre secured his place as being on par with Giovanni as the best major villain the Pokeani has ever had. His backstory, motivations and the tragic nature of his villainy was maintained from the games, but the forced sympathy other characters tried to get the players to feel for him was excised in favor of emphasizing just how far gone he truly is. And in the end, he actually gets killed off, falling headfirst into an explosion and being vaporized. It was a suitably epic conclusion to a truly epic villain.

Team Flare had the best regional evil team villain arc to date, with none of the issues that plagued Aqua/Magma, Galactic and Plasma to be found. They were also portrayed better than they were in the games - coldly scientific and believing that they were doing things for the greater good - basically, the anime swapped them and Team Galactic around in terms of characterization. My only minor quibble with their arc would be that it’s pretty obvious that head writer Tomioka tried to fit in stuff from B/W Team Plasma that he never got to do in the BW series: the evil team attacking right after the League transpires is straight out of B/W’s climax, and sometimes you might as well call Alain and Lysandre “N and Ghetsis.” Also, saving it all for the third year in preparation for the expected Z game ended up pointless, there was no such game. Other than that, the writers did an unexpectedly excellent job.

With Sun and Moon (Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon), Team Rocket has undergone a major return to form. Like in BW, they have a new status quo with new supporting characters (Mimikyu, Bewear and Mareanie all feel like unique individuals in their own right, and even Wobbufet feels like a character again and not a cheap joke dispenser) and a higher level of competence than usual, plus no more “blasting off” (thank you, Bewear!) But unlike BW, where their personalities were flattened into serious professionals in order for their villainous arc to work, this time around their personalities have been brought back to how they were in the Original Series! They’re not the exaggerated caricatures they were for most of AG and DP, nor the interchangeable zany lunatics they were for most of XY - they’re the three-dimensional characters they were when Takeshi Shudo was around, which is something I never thought would ever happen. I seriously feel like a kid again when watching them now!

Beyond them, we have Team Skull, represented in the trio of Tupp, Rapp and Zipp who, true to the games, are even sillier and less competent than Team Rocket ever was, and the two trios share an entertaining dynamic as respectful rivals. And in the Nebby arc, we get Aether Foundation Branch Chief Faba, a self-serving weasel who is usually pretty humorous but can occasionally be pretty twisted and despicable. He also has a great dynamic with Team Rocket, which may lead to some interesting things down the road if the US/UM games are of any indication. A source of contention is that he replaces the human Big Bad of the games, Aether Foundation President Lusamine, in the role, and Lusamine is portrayed as a good person instead. While that kind of sucks, thanks to Faba’s meddling it looks like we’ll be seeing Lusamine in an antagonistic role yet, even if not a truly evil one of her own choice.

In short, the Pokeani started off good with its villains, got increasingly bad with them, but recently has gotten back on track with them. Who knows what the future will bring? I don’t know, but personally I’m holding out hope that we’ll find gold at the end of the rainbow.

#Pokemon #Analysis #Pokeani Evolution

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gentleman-tanuki-blog · 7 years

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I’m BATTLING in the RAIN!

Team

Barbie the Cosplay Pikachu

Salty the Pelipper

Cupcake the Linoone

Tequila the Cacturne

Sardonyx the Golem

Sanderson the Blaziken

Having dropped Luster off in the PC back at Mauville, it was time for the team to keep on our path through Route 118. We took a detour on Route 123 before heading onwards, wanting to check out what kind of tough trainers called in home and to meet up with the Berry Master. This game doesn't have the convenient mobile berry planting like others do, so I've been stockpiling everything I ran into. I really can't wait to get the ability to use Fly out of combat, so I can start planting and farming these berries like crazy.

Route 119 proved no real threat to our intrepid team, with the Mimic Circle defeated handidly, all other opposing trainers crushed and a new friend picked up for the roster. It was then off to the Weather Institute, which was being besieged by Team Magma. Welp, time to make myself a monkey wrench in their grand design again. You think they would learn to place some better security at all their nefarious get togethers, seeing as I always just waltz in and ruin their day.

Suffice to say, I did ruin their day. Yet again. For not the last time. Tabitha's blabbering made about as little sense as I'd expect from him and just makes him come off as less competent as Shelly did in Aqua Sapphire. Not like the Team Admins really are suppose to be more than a complete joke, but you'd expect at least some coherency. Picked up another friend from the kind Director before heading on my way out.

Our victory against Team Magma was greeted by a downpour, which was a tad annoying. We didn't bring an umbrella and it's not like I have a Pokemon with Drought or Cloud Nine. Maybe I should have brought Lucy? Eh, nevermind it all. May was waiting for us on the other side of the bridge, ready to once again challenge us to prove she was a peer to us. I couldn't help but remember a discussion the Teamfourstar guys had about this, where in Hoenn, the rival relationship is switched. We play the part of Gary/Blue, since Birch's child is always playing catch up to us and we're the one going everywhere and accomplishing everything first. Come to think of it, that's also how things went with Hau in SuMo. Huh.

Oh...Varnish...you came so far and so close...we finally got a Leaf Stone...

#pokemon #pokemon omega ruby #pokemon oras #omega ruby #oras #hoenn #hoenn region #rival battle #nuzlocke #nuzloke challenge #pokemon nuzlocke

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fullmetal-ampharos · 7 years

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25: Which evil team would you join and why?

oh boi, this is another difficult one, I’d say either team galactic, team magma, or team skull?!!

team galactic is up there in my list because they’re located in my favorite region and also they’ve got that space aesthetic going on. I just love the overall feeling of seriousness they carry like yea our leader cyrus wants to destroy this world and just create a new one also we’re gunna trap some legendaries to aid us in our goals, also we go to pokemon hell too, like woah it’s awesome!!! just they way they were portrayed in the games probably made them the team that had left one of the largest impressions on me because I felt that they were written so well.

Team magma would also be an option because well I LOVE courtney!!!!!! she’s so adorable and I love her (also maxie is awesome too!) also I like team magmas overall goal of drying up all water to be pretty badass like that’ll basically kill everything so that makes them feel more like bad guys, ofc that’s not a good thing but it makes things feel more dire in the games and makes them seem like more of a threat! also have you heard the drought theme????!!!!! it’s ominous asf and really adds to how serious the situation with groudon is

And finally team skull would be another option because not only do I like how much of a meme they’ve become but also because if you were to become part of team skull it’s very apparent that many members are very close knit and both plumeria and guzma are shown to care for their grunts which is pretty unlike what we’ve seen of past relations between leaders and admins with their grunts. Not only that but team skull has completely taken over an ENTIRE CITY and turned it into their dwelling, like that’s pretty chaotic that they’ve literally torn apart a city and forced all citizens out so they can have it be their base. Just walking around and exploring po town is chilling!!! Also lastly I love how much we get to learn about guzma, about his past and how he has been hinted to have been abused by family, how he could have become such an outstanding trainer and aspired to become a kahuna but how he took the wrong path, how he has been described to have many issues, but despite all of that he is one of the very few leaders that actually recognize what they’ve done was wrong and actually change their ways for the better.

SORRY I WROTE SO MUCH I OVERTHINK THINGS HHHH ;v;

#kalos-pikachu #thank you for the ask!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️#THIS WAS SO HARD TO CHOOSE #probably team skull but idk????????#asks #ask me stuff #pokemon

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rhnuzlocke · 7 years

Text

Episode 21

Scene 15:

[The next day Ren and Steven arrive at the Mossdeep Space Center on his aerodactyl. A docent brings them past the museum on the first floor and up to the second where Cosmo and Keanu are waiting for them. They are both glad to see Ren again and congratulate her before starting the tour. They take her and Steven through labs and test rooms before stopping at central control. It is a large semicircular room with a clear view of the peninsula where the rockets are launched. A few people are working at the long tables, but most of the stations are empty while the scientists are out to lunch. In the center of the room is the dimensional shifter. The top of a device is a tightly packed thicket of rods and underneath it is a cylindrical base. Ren and company head over to it and the woman working on it pulls up a schematic that shows what it looks like open. The rods form a giant ring large enough for the meteor to pass through. A portal will open in the middle of it, sending the meteor far away.]

Ren: How the hell do you power this thing? Wouldn’t opening a portal that large require a massive amount of energy?

Cosmo: Yes, and all of that energy is contained within the meteorite you’ve kept safe all this time.

Ren: The meteorite? What on Earth is it made out of?

Cosmo: It’s not from Earth and we are not exactly sure what it is, but its composition is similar to that of a mega stone. Do you recall the incident in Kalos a few years back?

Ren: When those genocidal Flare maniacs made a super weapon and almost used it to blow up Europe?

Cosmo: Yes. We have developed a similar technology to extract energy from meteorites like this one, but they are extremely rare and the one in your vapor box is the only one we have found that is large enough to power the dimensional shifter.

Ren: But it’s not even that big. Well, it is pretty large but it’s just kind of hard to believe there’s that much energy inside.

Steven: You did witness a taste of it yourself on Mt. Chimney.

Ren: [remembering as it comes out of her mouth] When Magma tried to make the volcano erupt. [She nods.] Right.

Steven: And the parts you delivered to me when we met were crucial to the power converter for this device. You’ve helped save this project—hmm, let me see… five times now?

Ren: So Magma wanted the parts and the meteor power their eruption device. Everything is making so much more sense now.

Steven: I’m sorry for keeping you in the dark so long.

Ren: [weak laugh] It’s probably better I didn’t know what was at stake, honestly. All of that stuff seemed crazy enough at the time without knowing the fate of the planet hung in the balance. [to Cosmo] At least I get why you risked your life for it now. [suddenly disturbed] Wait, you don’t think Maxie knew about the meteor do you?

Steven: No, it was all very tightly under wraps. Devon has been working on this kind of power for years through some business connections in Kalos I helped establish. I don’t think he had any way of knowing we were using it for this purpose.

Ren: I guess he’s probably not that crazy. [Ren takes a deep breath and exhales. She turns back to Cosmo.] So this isn’t just a tour.

Cosmo: No. We can’t thank you enough for keeping the meteorite safe all these months.

Ren: I’m glad it worked out.

[Ren reaches into her bag for her vapor box when there is a crash outside the room. They all look towards the door and a moment later Courtney and a whole slew of pokemon come bursting through (mightyena, houndoom, camerupt, ninetails, torkoal, pyroar, 2 weezing, and 2 swellows). Ren and Steven go for their belts right away and send out their pokemon. Unfortunately, Steven only has three (sandslash, excadrill, and archeops) small enough to maneuver comfortably inside the room and Ren has her two weakest (Teka and Tarahau) with her for training. Cosmo and the other scientists dive for cover as the pokemon run at each other. The swellows fly straight for Taraki but Kotai knocks both of them away with smackdown and Taraki takes the opportunity to dodge past and slash the mightyena with x-scissor. Tarahau keeps the camerupt busy with illusions and Kata takes on the pyroar, while Ao and the houndoom exchange charge beam and sludge bomb across the distance. Teka dodges around all the engaging pokemon to attack Courtney directly only to be stopped at the last moment by a rock throw from her torkoal. The weezing belch smoke and Alwyn and Komatsu slash them with metal claw, stopping them mid attack. The smoke clears quickly since the weezing did not have time to release much, but Courtney’s ninetails has already slipped past all of the other pokemon and is almost to the dimensional shifter, flames already spilling from her jaws as she charges an attack. Liaoning downs her with a hail of rocks and lands on top of her a second later, pinning her head with a taloned foot. Courtney touches the keystones she has in bracelets on each wrist and they start to glow. Light arcs out of them and connects with the mega stone around the camerupt’s neck. Wind starts blustering around the room, grounding the swellows and throwing Tarahau back from the camerupt as it starts to mega evolve. Courtney’s face is twisted in a snarl and sweat beads on her brow as the rushing air tears locks of hair from the bun at the back of her head. The arcs of light flicker and warp before cracking like whips and becoming even brighter. The camerupt bellows distortedly as it transforms, volcano back expanding first with the rest of its body belatedly catching up. Everyone, pokemon included, stop what they are doing, transfixed by the uneven transformation. The camerupt trembles, blood vessels protruding across its face and Courtney pants raggedly behind it, hair wild and eyes blown wide.]

Courtney: You two are going to hand over your keystones or I’m going to blow this place sky high.

[Ren and Steven immediately move between Courtney and the dimensional shifter and Taraki steps between them and the camerupt.]

Steven: Dr. Kagari, you don’t know what—

Courtney: NOW!

[The camerupt’s volcano starts to glow, charging an attack, when someone grabs Courtney from behind, twisting her arm and pinning it against her back and putting her in a chokehold. Courtney struggles and Zinnia leans out from behind her a little to get further from her free arm.]

Zinnia: Fancy meeting you here, Courtney.

Courtney: Azalea! I knew you’d come for them. But I have keystones of my own! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill—

[Zinnia kicks a foot out from under her and bears her to the ground. Courtney lands on her face and the camerupt staggers and moans.]

Courtney: No—

[Zinnia jabs her in the temple and the camerupt bellows again, eyes drifting as pain blinds it. It begins to glow a bright orange, charging an attack.]

Zinnia: [tapping the pokeballs on her belt] Hellebore, Phlox, get the camerupt.

[A goodra and altaria spring out of their balls and use muddy water and dragon pulse on the camerupt respectively. The camerupt just barely weathers these attacks and is turning to face it’s new opponents when Taraki slices it across the shoulder with leaf blade. It falls and drops to its normal form. The rest of Courtney’s pokemon are already weakened and it takes less than a minute for Ren and Steven’s pokemon to subdue them. Meanwhile, Zinnia’s whismur has appeared and is prying the keystone bracelets from her wrists. Zinnia has Courtney by both hands now and the Magma admin writhes in her grasp. Zinnia responds by calmly digging a knee Courtney’s spine and a few seconds later, Aster has both keystones.]

Zinnia: Thanks, flower.

[Ren slumps with relief only to go ramrod straight again as a foreign presence assails her mind.]

Strange Voice: [telepathy] CHAMPION! Make that woman let my trainer go or I’ll use overheat!

[Ren touches her temple and looks down at the ninetails Steven’s archeops has pinned next to them.]

Steven: Ren?

Ninetails: [telepathy] I’m in range of that thing you’re protecting. I’ll melt it!

Ren: [telepathy] You don’t understand. If you destroy that, we’re all doomed. You’re trainer’s not well. If she asked you to attack it—

Ninetails: She just wants revenge on the lying woman! Let her go! We’ll leave you out of this.

Ren: Will you promise not to destroy the device if we do? It’s necessary for everyone’s survival.

Ninetails: If you don’t let my trainer go right now I’ll burn your other side and melt that metal thing to a puddle.

Ren: [clearing her throat] Zinnia, could you let Courtney up? Her ninetails in threatening to blow us up.

[Zinnia takes about a second to evaluate the situation and decides to let her up. Courtney looks around wildly, eyes full of rage and defiance. For a moment it still looks as though she may fight them, but she withdraws all of her pokemon except the ninetails. Liaoning tightens his grip on the ninetails’s muzzle as Courtney back up to a window. She opens it and sends out Maxie’s crobat, then withdraws her ninetails as she jumps out.]

Ren: [muttering] They always go out through the window.

Zinnia: Quickest route if you can hack it.

Keanu: Zinnia, I can’t tell you how glad we are you’re back. What made you decide to drop in?

Zinnia: [looking around and smiling nervously] Wow, everyone’s here. Hey, Sarah. [One of the scientist waves weakly from her desk.] This is going to be even more awkward than I thought.

[Without warning her altaria unleashes a flamethrower on the dimensional shifter. No one is in position to block and they all shy away as the altaria melts it. Just as the pokemon runs out of steam, the goodra uses an ice beam that tears the device apart from the inside as an ice crystal forms and expands out through the meteorite compartment. Everyone stares blankly at the twisted wreck that was supposed to save the planet from annihilation. Finally Steven gathers enough of his wits to ask the only pertinent question left.]

Steven: Why?

Zinnia: I had to stop you all from making the same mistake I did.

Ren: [total confusion] What are you talking about?

Zinnia: [looking at Cosmo] This plan of yours to warp the meteor away is just sacrificing the next world for this one.

Steven: Now just hold on a moment. We have no way of accurately predicting where the device will send—

Zinnia: [snapping] Don’t give me that! Where has every single portal we’ve ever opened in the entire history of our species led? [There is a beat of silence.] I’ll give you all a hint: I didn’t mean “next world” in the general sense, I meant it as in the one next to ours.

Ren: [trying to keep up] The Distortion World?

Zinnia: Exactly. [turning her eyes on Steven this time] And what exactly do you think will happen to the Distortion World when we launch a giant meteor at it? Do they have a fancy dimensional shifter and a hunk of energy from an alien world? Who will defend them?

Steven: No one wants to destroy the Distortion World. If there were some other way to—

Zinnia: But you’re willing to. That’s what it comes down to. You can live with that decision and that’s fair, but I can’t. The denizens of the other side are the souls of our departed. It is the place we pass through before we are reborn on this side. And even if you can close your heart to that, the fact remains that we are too intimately linked to think that their fate will not affect ours.

Steven: None of what you are saying has been thoroughly substantiated by science. It’s all theory and belief.

Zinnia: [anger breaking through once more] That device would have sent the meteor to the Distortion World and destroyed it! Everyone who’s worked on this project knows that. At least own up to the decisions you make! Don’t hide behind some imaginary veil of ignorance!

[All are cowed into silence. Ren looks around at the others, waiting for someone to refute her. Steven’s jaw works, but he says nothing, clearly unable to deny her. Zinnia takes a deep breath and leans down to take the offered keystones from Aster. Ren notices then that there are three keystones set into the coil of steel above her ankle rather than the one Ren is sure she has seen there before.]

Zinnia: I knew what would happen the day this project was proposed. I almost quit right then and there, but I decided to stay on because my solution failed. And even after I left, I decided to let you all continue because I was afraid of failing again. Somehow dooming another world became an acceptable back-up plan. But I always knew in the back of my mind that it wasn’t right and that conviction made me so desperate to succeed that I was willing to risk everyone’s lives in a different disaster.

[Things are clicking into place for Ren and her eyes unfocus as her brain rapidly recontextualizes the events that brought her here. She barely has time to get through before Zinnia speaks her name and calls her back to the present.]

Zinnia: Ren, I’ll never be able to thank you enough for setting me straight and setting right my mistakes. Because of you, I’m not afraid of failing anymore. Because of you, I can see clearly that there are necessary sacrifices, and there are unnecessary sacrifices. This is an unnecessary sacrifice and I won’t allow it. We will live by our own strength, or die by our own weakness, not survive by the sacrifice of others.

Ren: So, you have some plan to get rid of the meteor?

Zinnia: Yes. I will protect our world and the next by calling Atua Rayquaza down from the skies and ride out with them to meet the meteor before it strikes as the founder of my people did in ages long past.

Steven: And what do you want us to do?

Zinnia: [raising her hands, palms open to the sky] I want you to send your pleas upward and pray that Rayquaza hears them.

[Steven is once again stymied and he lets out only a garbled noise as several different thoughts try to escape at once. He reddens with anger, but Zinnia ignores him as her eyes fall on Ren and she smiles softly.]

Zinnia: I am sorry Ren. Noho ake rā.

[Zinnia picks up her whismur and hops out the open window. They all stare out after her.]

Ren: What was that last thing she said?

[Steven takes a deep breath and sighs.]

Steven: Goodbye.

#pokemon #nuzlocke #oras #running hot nuzlocke #story #episode 21 #Ren #Steven #Cosmo #Keanu #Courtney #Zinnia #Aster #being champion is a fun job #I'll try and have 3 scenes out tomorrow too

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alolatrainersemina · 8 years

Text

(Hardenshipping/SMA) A Pokespe Weird Creatures/Monsters AU Idea

A headcanon discussed with my friend :D

*yay first post! *just jotting stuff down *SMA just means that this is pokespe Maxie/Archie, whilst SAM is pokespe Archie/Maxie *spoilers for the entire pokespe RSE arc are all over the place; please proceed with caution *alternate spe ending involved

——————————

So basically Archie is this sea monster creature with anemone/Nihilego-like white tentacles, but he keeps a human form and can hide the tentacles with his willpower. Being a sea creature also means that his sea/water related instincts, like navigating in the ocean and swimming, are stronger than others. Oh, and tentacles. They look and at most times are innocent (you can play with them *ahem*) but can also be very destructive.

Maxie is this Great Demon that can only be injured or killed by sacred Arceus things like holy water, blessed weapons, that kind of stuff. The basic requirement nowadays is to just avoid churches (sacred-ish places) and historic museums (where all the "sacred" things are stored now). If injured or killed by other methods, he'll just regenerate within minutes of time. He has a demon tail, wings, and horns that could release flames containing his own memories (i.e. memory lighter; plugging these spe settings in there right now). He can also manipulate flames to create mirages that affects sight (sorry Blaise).

The two of them start off as normal kids but realize that they're not human somewhere around their teens. Archie doesn't have anyone to trust in as he was growing up so he develops a calm and manipulative nature in order to protect himself. He tries to live off like a normal human. He does. On a side note, Archie has always had an interest in marine biology and ocean/water science related topics; it doesn't have anything to do with him being a sea monster but being one does help him a little as the affinity to water does exist. He forms Team Aqua sometime later in his adulthood. Everyone in Aqua thinks he's just a normal human that's kinda scary and strict. The grunts and the three admins are all human. Well, there might be a really minor grunt or two that's not.

Maxie hides his identity from the public too. Like Sea Monster! Archie's tentacles, demons can hide their horns, wings, and tail using will-power. Unlike Archie, he already finds some company during his teens, though, foes at first but friends after a fight or two later because he's the Great Demon and not just a regular demon so monster people are attracted by his aura or something.

(The Great Maxie used Great Demon Charm! The opponent monster has been captivated by his greatness! Would you like to nickname your new monster person? *no that's not what really happened*)

He gets to lead a bunch of people that secretly hide their monster-ness. As more and more monster people join along Maxie, he meets smaller demons Courtney, Tabitha and Blaise; this was probably when he was in his mid-twenties. Smaller demons can also use the memory and mirage flames (plugging these spe settings in again), but it takes a little more will-power and they regenerate slower. Somewhere around that time Maxie founded Team Magma, because now there's too many monster people around and they have to find a way to not look too suspicious, so why not just say we're this big secret organization thing that wants to expand land! (Maxie wants to do this anyway, being the land dork he is, and somehow convinces everyone that expanding the land and getting Groudon on their side will help.) They manage to design their uniform into demon-horned hoodies because it makes using will-power to hide their own demon horns easier. (I dunno, monster mechanics. Actually helps other monsters maintain a more human form too. Might be magic-cast hoodies.) ↑Spe has a lot of weird stuff (like the memory lighter and Guile's sword and armor), let's just add magical hoodies into the list too! It just works. I guess.

Then time passes, the RS chapter happens, Archie meets Maxie, and supposedly they develop an interesting relationship (*ahem*). And then stuff goes wrong, and the Sird Showdown happens. Archie unleashes his sea monster destructiveness on Maxie, revealing himself as not human thinking that this'll be over with anyways since it's him or Maxie, but to Archie's surprise Maxie doesn't budge at all when Archie proceeds to finish him. (The only thing Maxie tells Archie is to keep his Magma clothes.) Sird's like “this is interesting you are so much more evil than I thought!” and starts to do that voodoo thing shown in the Emerald chapter, when all of a sudden a Great (naked) Demon Maxie with horns and wings and his tail appears before Archie and behind Sird and goes "Guile Hideout sounds like a pretty badass name" (or, depending on when he revived, the line will vary - c'mon he's the Great Maxie he needs to show off), which shocks the other two people. (Whether it's the naked part or the "dear Arceus Maxie's not human" part...*and this is why you keep people's clothes*) Sird runs because it's just not wise to mess with what is apparently a demon even if you are a super cool and manipulative and evil villainess. Archie still has no clue what just happened. Maxie feels great because no more Orb Syndrome (you know, the haunting condition that plagues Spencer the old guy and Archie, mentioned in the Emerald chapter) after regeneration, and explains what he really is to Archie. (While getting dressed.) Archie is now kind of Guile and kind of not Guile; he hasn't gotten rid of the Orb Syndrome yet so he still has to be in that armor in order to sustain himself. Maxie reassures him that everything will be fine.

By the way everybody else recovers because Celebi is amazing to all the "good" people; the Three Fires are already reorganizing Team Magma. They still believe in Maxie because MAGMA IS FAMILY *no* (spe Magma feels like that though) Aqua on the other hand is thinking about disbanding. Archie has done some unthinkable stuff in RS after all, like betraying and dumping your admin into the sea *blame the spe author*

Meanwhile Maxie and armored Archie finds some discreet place to stay over the night (Great Demon Maxie used Flame Mirage! No one notices them). The two of them discuss futures and decides that they'll have to apologize to their team first about their plans to make the world a better place failing and destroying the world accidentally. Archie has to do a LOT of apologizing because of what he's done in the RS chapter. And then they'll figure out how to rid Archie of his Orb Syndrome. They also manage to blurt about their lives hiding the fact that they're not human and sympathize with each other.

And then they go through it all, Emerald chapter still happens because Archie needs Jirachi to recover. But instead of Guile Archie wrecking everything and summoning a demonic Kyogre, Sird does all the bad things secretly and frames Archie (FOR EVIL! *I'm sorry Sird fans*). Archie and Maxie and the entire Magma team's monster identities also gets revealed in the process - it was done to make them look really bad - and everyone is mind blown and falls for it for a moment. But Magma and Aqua have been doing good things contributing to the world lately; they decided to reform. So the kids believe that they mean no harm and ask them to be one their side; Sird has stirred some problems in the Battle Frontier secretly and now it’s affecting everyone. Archie and Maxie, along with the others, sort out whatever mess Sird was making to prove a point. Everything works out in the end and Archie recovers, (the protags get their wish too), the world is not destroyed, happy endings for everyone!

↑That's most of it.

Thoughts: This was such a long drabble… I’m sorry if you got here and had to read that much > < I hope you liked it. I really disliked the spe RSE ending with the whole “make Maxie and Archie super evil for no reason and then let them die” plot. The whole build up to it was just horrible - they weren’t like this in the original games - and my friend thought so too, so the two of us kinda made up an alternate ending where stuff does work out while adding some special touches to it. The main goal was to not let Maxie die when they fought for the armor and the sword. Archie would’ve been so much less crazier if Maxie haven’t died, even without the hardenshipping/weird creature settings. (cue Archie’s flashback in Emerald chapter) Having both of them alive also wrecks Sird’s plan in a sense that they failed to achieve "the full evil” that Sird wanted them to have. We need more happy endings with villains in pokespe ahhhhh this is why headcanons exist right? Gotta fix ‘em up!! I’ll probably come up with more cute things pertinent to this AU (this counts as an alternate universe, right?) sometime in the future; thanks again for reading all this! ;O

#pokemon #pokespe #maxie #archie #magma leader maxie #aqua leader archie #hardenshipping #weird creatures au #brainholes

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tumblunni · 8 years

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I wish I could hug y'all!

In fact I think I will make it A LIFE GOAL I really really wanna someday be able to visit all my friends who live in different countries! Its something good to save up for, even if it'll probably take years. So.. lets randomly ramble in a journal about Plans!! IDEA THE FIRST TRIP THE FIRST FIRST THE FIRST: THE SEQUEL I think it'd probably make sense to go to america first, since i have a lot of close friends living there and I don't need to learn another language. (I am notoriously dumb...) But then afterwards I could set another goal to save up and visit another friend in another country! IT WILL NEVER ENDDDDD, THATS WHY ITS CALLED FRIENNNNDDDDD So far all I have confirmed is that two of my friends would be happy to see me if I was able to visit america, @darkeiya and @summon-daze But its not like I've exactly asked everyone else, so I dunno really how many people I might be able to visit. And it depends on time constraints too, i might only be able to spend a full day or two with the closest friends and maybe then if there's more than three of us we could all meet up together and hang out en masse? Depends on how tricky it'd be for everyone to get to the same place! SO! PLANS AND THINGS I NEED TO PREPARE! workin to figure out a precise money goal im gonna save for * Become Fab * no but srsly i wanna look my best if im meeting friends in person for the first ever time. need to acquire Cool T-Shirts * figure out what exactly you can and cannot take on an aeroplane, and how to deal with anxiety if i cant take electronics. Nothing's as distracting as videogames when you're freakin out! * DO NOT SCHEDULE ANYTHING ON THE 11th-14th OF THE MONTH. i have a bad history of my period landing on these days ONLY when i have to do something important. Or when its my birthday :P I dont need even more reason to feel nauseous on a plane! * figure out how many days the stay will be, and how many clothes etc I need to bring. probably a basic thing, but this is my first time going on a holiday alone so i need to write stuff down to make sure i remember! * figure out how long exactly I want to spend with each friend, and how long I can afford in hotel fees. And does a plane ticket cos more if you're staying for longer? * find out what kind of luggages are easiest to carry and how to carry three luggages when i have two hands. Can you tie them together and make a luggages train??? * Find some sort of secure way to carry large amounts of money. I'm gonna have to do that since I need to get all my currency converted before I go. I was thinking maybe a little matchbox tin chained to the inside of my coat or around my neck? Something where you couldnt get it without roughhousing with me, and it'd still be hard to pull it off the chain. Gives me a precious few extra minutes to yell for help/possibly bludgeon a guy with a suitcase * Figure out hotel(s) in different areas of america, depending on how far I'll have to travel. And figure out affordable ways to travel the difference if its not a situation where the friend can pick me up. And make sure they are cool hotels, not just the absolute minimum! i wanna make a fun tourist experience of the hotels!! I havent been in a hotel since I was a kid! * Possibly schedule it like a 'safehouse' thing? Returning to home base! I need to make sure I schedule around the potential anxiety of doing so much travel in a new place. So maybe schedule it out so I have a period of me-time in between visiting each friend? Itd probably cost too much to rent a hotel room for an entire day in between so maybe just schedule it out so I have half a day at least. I dunno if hotels allow you to sleep in all day tho, are there rules about what time you need to be up and out? * I'm kinda looking forward to using hotel beds and showers cos theyre like luxury compared to my house XD man, I wonder if I could get a place with a hot tub?? or the fabled mini-bar?? (which i would drink nothing of, but it would be fun to take photos!) And it'd be so cool to see what american breakfasts are like! And lol all my friends have just been like 'YOU NEED TO SEE OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS' and im like... dude, i dont need to get fatter XD lets limit it to ONE! * I dunno if my friends would just wanna hang out in their local mall or something, or if I could visit their house and say hi to their family? that might be going too far. i'll still bring gifts they can give to their family tho, i wanna show my appreciation to everyone!! * are you allowed to bring extra empty suitcases onto the plane with you? I'm anticipating that knowing myself im probably gonna buy enough souveniers to need one. I'm planning to basically have half the money be for travel and then half again is just for buying NOVELTY HATS! * need to make sure to finally get a passport, and also consult heavily with my support worker and friends to make sure i have every form of travel documentation in order. I know stuff is... not good, in america right now. Thats probably why it'd be good that it'd take me years to save up for a visit, hopefully i'd be there after the next election. But I need to prepare anyway, in case border control is even more stringent. * Prepare the 'ol misgendering, because getting strip searched and treated as a suspicious threat is a very big reality for trans people. Having the wrong gender marker on your birth certificate is treated as 'this passport must be a forgery' rather than.. yknow.. transgender people exist. And then you need to be invasively handled by the guards to make sure you aren't packing explosives down your goddamn pants, they have to inspect the parts of you that you're most self concious about. *shudder* I've heard a lot of horror stories. I dunno if america is any better about it. But yeah I'm probably gonna have to just pass as female during boarding and hotels and stuff, and not wear my binder til i get to meet my friends. Saves trouble... Man, I might have to even go buy some more cliche feminine outfits or something, to make sure. Itd be fun burning them afterwards, I guess... * BRING GIFTS FOR FRIENDS N FAMILY! Figure out what is and isnt allowed to be transferred between countries. As far as I know I cant bring any form of food or drink right? I'm only allowed to eat the in-flight meals? Thats a shame cos I wanted to bring welsh cakes, theyre the only one of our local delicacies that's not a super acquired taste. (I tried bara bryth for the first time and DIED) And I dunno if anyone would be interested in silly souveniers of my country but I could get a pile of em if you are! Want an eight foot tall lovespoon? Want a giant inflatable daffodil? Want a bazillion ceramic dragons? * I am determined to bring at least one personalized super awesome gift for each person! It might just be an expensive merchandise of their fave show, it might be some form of handmade handicraft of one of their ocs! whatever I'm able to do! ^_^ * BRING SKETCHBOOKS SO WE CAN DRAW TOGETHER. LEARN THE WAYS OF THE AMERICAN MASTERS. * hey does anyone wanna trade trading cards yo. They'd be like the single easiest thing to bring with me, but I only have a handful of pokemon ones and i only really have one friend that I know likes yugioh. (And she's in england) * WE CAN FOOL AROUND LIKE DOOFS. God willing, if anyone wants to join me I will play water balloon tennis or jalapeno roulette or any sort of insane friend activity you can think of!! Gotta make up for the fact im a boring teetotaler. Tho lol I probably already act more drunk than the real drunks at a party XD * TAKE A LOT OF PHOTOS!! And possibly try and acquire a portable video camera? I'd only photo/video anyone if they gave me permission, and I wouldnt post it online unless I also had permission for that. I just wanna make a lot of memories and record them forever! Whenever I feel down, I can remember this amazing trip!!! * remember to get one of those plug adaptor thingies cos american plugs have one less prong. Gotta trade the pokeymons!! I know I can already do that easily online but BATTLING IN PERSON WOULD BE EPIC * ...bring an Ash cosplay? XD * no but seriously if i could schedule this right to coincide with an american convention or something that'd be awesome! EVEN MORE SOUVENIERS! And I could actually try cosplaying!! I'd have to find a character that suits me tho, I dont wanna get laughed at like everyone always does with fat people cosplaying thin characters. (Like... almost every character is thin, yo. let people do what they want) * possible idea: magma admin tabitha from pokemon? he's like the only fave I have who's chubby but not like... inherantly a comic relief ugly guy or a seventy year old grandpa. I wanted to do quina quen from final fantasy 9 but I dont think I have the charisma to pull it off. I'd get paranoid if people just treated the character how they treat the character, my brain would twist everything into an insult on my costume or myself XD also I kinda already look like tabitha, tho I'd either have to go without hairdye or like... wear a wig in my natural hair colour. Also his costume is super heavy and sweaty in a convention setting, according to what I;ve heard from other team magma cosplayers. (Makes you wonder how on earth they all wore it on a volcano!) * WHAT IS AN AMERICAN BISCUIT. They look like savoury welshcakes??? Learn about all the language differences! Man I wish I could bring food souveniers back with me, I'd never be able to try every single different foodstuff in america in one day without DYING. AND DYING AGAIN. * Collect product wrappers and advertisements! Its always really interesting to me to see the differences between countries! A friend mailed me an american cola once and the bottle was a whole different shape??? (he also mailed me a bunch of spent shotgun shells, which was kinda terrifying cos I was currently in a christian homeless shelter and I didnt exactly wanna cause trouble XD Apparantly it is totally legal to own unuseable bullets tho, as long as you dont have a gun.) * I dunno if any of my friends would be equally interested in similar things? i could take requests for weird british stuff to bring with me! * for summon-daze specifically: since we are both cuddly honest goofballs of childlike joy, maybe bring some of my plushie collection to show her? I'd usually just bring one as an emergency anti-anxiety measure. Tho the embarassment from having a full on meltdown in public and having to be seen hugging a plush toy to keep from crying means its not 100% effective. Only works good when I'm with people who arent judgmental. Secret pocket gengar plush is good for other times! (I've been squeezing that thing during doctors appointments and nobody noticed!) * extra reason why I'd love to visit my friends: visiting my friends's pets. I have been absolutely blessed by images of dazy's pet cat Pam, and apparantly her family has a few other cats and a dog! O_O WHAT AN AMAZING LIFE YOU LIVE. I always tell her to give pam a hug from me, and I know pam probably wouldnt like me very much when we first meet cos she's shy, but still I'd love to at least see her. I wish cats could somehow know that they give joy to people through the internet! * ...are you allowed to bring medications across the border? is there a procedure I need to go through to be allowed to bring my antidepressants? Would painkillers be allowed too? If not, is there anywhere I could buy plane-bring-onnable headache meds in the lobby or something? Just anticipating that I might get a stress migraine on the plane, cos it'd be my first time ever flying. * are you allowed to take photos out the plane window, if you use a non electronic camera? i know you cant really see anything but panning landscapes but it still sounds awesome!

#long post #sorry #FRIENDS COUNTRYMEN LEND ME YOUR EARS #i still have no idea wtf that means #the amazing america plan

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themattress · 7 years

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My Disliked Pokemon Adventures Arcs

I love Pokemon Adventures, but there are three arcs that I don’t care for at all: the Ruby/Sapphire Chapter, the Emerald Chapter, and the OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire Chapter.

In other words, all the Hoenn arcs.

Why I dislike the Ruby/Sapphire Chapter:

- The tone. It’s inconsistent - it goes from a children's version of "Around the World in 80 Days" to a political thriller based around Team Aqua and Team Magma to a freaking Kaiju movie as Groudon and Kyogre wreak havoc, and none of it really gels together or works well, and I feel that this arc is the only one to have this particular problem.

- Ruby and Sapphire. I personally don't care for Ruby and Sapphire's personalities here. I think Kusaka wanted to subvert expectations based on the characters' designs, but it's still done in a pretty hamfisted, over-the-top way, with Ruby being stereotypically feminine and flamboyant and Sapphire being stereotypically tomboyish and wild.

- The story's whole set-up is flawed. Ruby and Sapphire argue about which is better: Pokemon battles or Pokemon contests. They make a bet to see which one can master their preferred goal in 80 days. The problem is that this makes much less sense than an alternative bet: to have the one disparaging contests to try to master them and the one disparaging battles to try to master them. How much more interesting would that have been? That's why I'd have had Ruby be masculine yet still end up doing and enjoying contests, while Sapphire would be feminine yet still end up doing and enjoying battles. But if Kusaka really wanted to do them the way he did, then the contest-loving Ruby should have challenged the gyms and the battle-loving Sapphire should have performed in contests.

- The whole Ruby vs. Norman conflict. It is so forced and so badly-written. It starts out as a thinly veiled metaphor for a bigoted father who can't accept his gay son (which is stupid since, when you strip the metaphor away, Ruby not being gay and being in love with Sapphire is kind of a big plot point later on), yet we're later expected to sympathize with Norman because it turns out he was going to allow Ruby to do contests before Ruby ran away and that he has been protecting Ruby more than Ruby knew for a long time, making him running away come off as particularly ungrateful. But is this really a good excuse for Norman outright beating his son in a physical quarrel in which Ruby is hopelessly outclassed? Yet Norman is still called a "good father" immediately after this! What!?

- Wally. All the build-up he gets to being the "Emerald"-representative Dex Holder, and it amounts to absolutely nothing because he ends up having to turn in his PokeDex back to its rightful owner, an actual character named Emerald who doesn't work nearly as well as Wally would have. What was even the point?

- Archie and Maxie. With Archie, Kusaka gives him an interesting position as the head of Hoenn's primary TV station and thus Ty and Gabby's boss while secretly being the leader of Team Aqua, but his personality is all wrong - he is now Faux Affably Evil rather than genuinely Affably Evil, ruthless to the point of discarding (even lethally) his own grunts in order to get what he wants, which Archie from the games would never do, ever. Maxie's personality is on point, but his position as a total shut-in at his cavernous lair undermines him as a character, since in the games he's a badass who is just as active with his team as Archie is because he's just as committed to his extreme vision of a new world. They get worse when they decide to team up to awaken Groudon and Kyogre, despite knowing the risks and the fact that they'll have to betray one another in the end, anyway. But then they get driven mad and even flat-out possessed by the Orbs they are holding and seemingly get killed. But then they show up still alive in the end for one pointless final battle, no longer possessed but evidently permanently insane and sadistic. They meet an unceremonious defeat within an electrical forcefield. This is a severe bastardization of the well-intentioned extremists from the games, who were the series’ first (somewhat) fleshed-out villains! Just what was Kusaka thinking?

- Tabitha's design. Seriously, wtf!? I get that Tabitha didn't exactly have the most interesting of designs in the games, but you could have come up with better than this!

- Courtney. When she first shows up, she's fine. But then she faces Ruby one-on-one, and we get a very uncomfortable one-sided flirtatious dynamic, with Courtney finding Ruby "interesting" due to him being an innocent, beauty-loving Coordinator like she used to be before becoming an evil pyromaniac (a backstory and transition which is never explained, btw!) She then gets so obsessed with Ruby that she looks up all sorts of personal info on him before getting called back on her mission, in which she takes innocent people hostage and threatens to kill them in order to avoid being defeated by Roxanne - a low, cowardly action. So we're supposed to dislike her, right? Well, apparently not, since she receives an abrupt redemption as she helps Ruby in stopping Groudon and Kyogre, even at the cost of her own life until the Celebi Ex Machina happens. Very little about this character adds up, yet she receives the most exposure and supposed "development" out of any of the villains in this arc. I was so sick of her at the end that I wish she'd just stayed dead in the Cave of Origins - or better yet, back when Ruby dropped her into a flaming inferno at Rusturf Tunnel!

- Shelly's disappearance. Shelly came off as more likable than Courtney, and yet not only did she not receive as much paneltime, but she also just disappears without explanation. Following her defeat at the hands of Winona and Flannery, who she had good adversarial chemistry with, she retreats on a Vibrava and is never seen again. She's the only villain to not receive a conclusive ending at the end of the arc, and that really bugs me.

- Matt. Apparently, Kusaka thought it would be too boring if he was just the generic tough guy he was in the games, so he made him more sensitive and accident-prone, which should have made him more sympathetic. But like Courtney, he really isn't, particularly when he attempts to drown Sapphire and Flannery and set a Sharpedo on them, grinning and laughing with maniacal glee while doing so. Kusaka must’ve realized this by the end, since he's ultimately left to die (by drowning, karmically enough) - and unlike with Amber, nobody saves him.

- Ruby crosses the line. Late into the arc, after Kyogre and Groudon are awoken, Ruby pulls a two-punch move that kills all likability his character had. First, he refuses to swallow his pride and call off the bet in order to join Sapphire in saving all of Hoenn when she pleads with him to, flat-out saying he doesn't care about what happens and just wants to keep doing contests. Sapphire is understandably pissed about this extreme display of selfishness. What's worse, afterward he blames his Feebas, whom it looked like he was coming around to liking for a while, for losing a contest and kicks it out of his party, yelling about how it's weak and ugly. Yes, Ruby played the "You're not beautiful enough for me!" card well before Lusamine did! How am I supposed to root for this guy after this? I don't care if he felt remorseful afterward, this was too selfish and mean-spirited for him to come back from.

- Ruby and Sapphire's backstory. OK, this was just stupid. Out of nowhere, it's revealed that Ruby and Sapphire actually knew each other as children and don't recognize each other in the present day. Even worse, we find out that the reason they developed the personalities they have was because of a misunderstanding - a Salamance attacked Sapphire, and Ruby viciously fought it off all by himself, at the cost of getting a scar. He and Sapphire were separated afterward, leading Ruby to think he traumatized her with his viciousness and becoming more gentle and feminine as a result, while Sapphire thought that Ruby must have gotten in trouble (in addition to getting hurt) because of her weakness and becoming more rough and tomboyish as a result. Really now? That's what we're going with? Ruby and Sapphire's romance, IMO, would have been much more engaging without this "bombshell”.

- Groudon vs. Kyogre. This starts with round 53, in the fifth volume. It ends with round 83, in the eigth volume. So that's 30 chapters of this big climactic event happening! It just goes on, and on, and on! What's worse, it keeps getting sidetracked by other things, like the Gym Leaders fighting the Aqua and Magma Admins, or Norman training Wally, or Ruby and Sapphire's quarrel and reconciliation and backstory reveal, or the introduction of Juan and his training program on Mirage Island, or Courtney's whole Redemption Equals Death...and then, even after Groudon and Kyogre are finally put to rest, we get another climax when Archie and Maxie turn up alive and ready for one more battle! It just never seems to end!

- Sapphire being locked in the car during the big climax. Fuck you too, Ruby!

- The infamous Celebi Ex Machina. So, after that prolonged climax, we have had three casualties: Courtney, Norman and Steven. That seems fitting - you shouldn't do such a huge, lengthy, perilous event and have no prices be paid at the end of it all. But nope - Ruby reveals that he's had Celebi all this time, and uses it to do some time mumbo-jumbo and resurrect all three characters. This remains one of the most criticized parts of the entire manga series, since it's such cheap writing and feels like a slap in the face to readers who read through this arc. It was completely unnecessary - Courtney never appears again and Norman doesn’t do anything that couldn’t have been done by another character, so it's fine for them to stay dead. And as for Steven, his father could just resurrect him in the OR/AS arc with the whole Infinite Energy / Ultimate Weapon ritual that he is canonly well-versed in.

- Finally, the arc's length and what came from it. This arc taking so long, particularly due to the Groudon and Kyogre battle getting so dragged out, screwed the entire manga's schedule over for the next decade. Gen IV started and Gen III was nowhere close to being wrapped up in the manga. Gen V started and Gen IV was nowhere close to being wrapped up in the manga. Gen VI started and Gen V was nowhere close to being wrapped up in the manga. Only with Gen VI have we finally gotten back on track, with the manga wrapping its Gen VI arc just as that generation came to a close - and even then, we still have yet to see Gen V's B2/W2 arc conclude. And it's all thanks to this one, long, BAD story arc.

Why I dislike the Emerald Chapter:

- Emerald himself. There is almost nothing likable about this guy. He's a battle fanatic who only cares about Pokemon as tools of battle, he's an insensitive jerk to everyone around him, he's got a very unappealing design, and he's actually freakishly short (and his sensitivity about this is nowhere near as funny as Ed Elric's.) The worst part is that Wally was supposed to have his role, but for some reason or other, Kusaka became convinced that he needed to pull a Yellow and create an original character with the game's name, and that Wally is too gentle to fit in the Battle Frontier...which is exactly why Wally would be so interesting in the role, and it would fit his development from the games (even more emphasized in OR/AS) and this very manga!

- The tone. It's by-the-numbers shonen action style. C'mon, Kusaka - you're better than this!

- The big twist. It turns out that Emerald is actually under hire from Professor Oak and Kris to catch Jirachi so that it can use its wish-granting powers to revive Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Silver from the petrified state they were inexplicably left in at the end of the previous arc. The problem is that everyone predicted this already, and it makes it seem like the whole reason that cliffhanger was even put in to begin with was to make the Emerald Chapter more "epic", like the Gold/Silver/Crystal Chapter. It didn't work, at all.

- Ruby and Sapphire return. As if things couldn't get any worse when it comes to the main character, he ends up having to deal with Ruby and Sapphire inserting themselves in as his teammates midway through the arc. Their already excessive stereotyped personalities are even worse here - they seem to have gone through Flanderization, and it’s annoying.

- Guile Hideout. Nothing about this arc's villain works. It's a lone man in knight-like armor with the absolutely stupid name of "Guile Hideout", who wants to capture Jirachi for his own evil purposes. Again, it's a blatant attempt to copy the epic quality of the Gold/Silver/Crystal Chapter and its Mask of Ice. They even throw in a red herring and make it look like Guile Hideout is actually the resident old man, Spencer, just as Mask of Ice was Pryce. But nope, the villain's true identity is actually....Archie!? And he's even crazier and more evil than before - the armor he's wearing is space armor that keeps him from dying as an aftereffect of his possession by the Orb and he murdered Maxie in cold blood to get it. And now he wants to create a demonic version of Kyogre and take over the world? Kusaka, just stop it, please! You've fucked this character up enough already.

Why I dislike the OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire Chapter:

- The Delta Episode. The postgame scenario of OR/AS is the basis for the arc. I did not like that scenario in the game, and while there are a good number of improvements made to it in the manga, I still can't say I like it. There is just so much about the plot that feels contrived, from the Draconid tribe we'd never heard of until now to the Grand Meteor Delta itself that we're supposed to believe is a threat to the entire planet even though the Pokemon World has survived worse before. Kusaka did his best, but he can't fully salvage this.

- Zinnia's Villain Sue-dom. I love Zinnia, but her use in this arc was iffy. It keeps in that she was undercover in Team Aqua and Team Magma, and that her guidance was crucial for Archie and Maxie to discover how to awaken Kyogre and Groudon...but without the stipulation the games had about it being in an alternate timeline, thus making Zinnia responsible for the villains' plans in the R/S arc. If this wasn't enough, it turns out it was her Salamance that attacked Ruby and Sapphire as children, caused the trauma that made them change their personalities, caused Ruby to get scarred, caused Rayquaza to escape and Norman to take the blame in order to protect Ruby...all of that (with Rayquaza escaping being retconned into being the goal all along rather than a freak accident Ruby caused, meaning that Norman did what he did for nothing). So Zinnia is literally responsible for everything that went wrong in the R/S arc. Every bad thing that ever happened in Ruby and Sapphire's lives can now be summed up with "THANKS, ZINNIA!"

- Emerald's new design. OK, I take back the criticism I had for his old design being unappealing. This one's even worse. Kill it with fire!

- Archie and Maxie. Didn't see this one coming - it turns out that Archie and Maxie's spirits were somehow transported to the Distortion World due to the supernatural nature of their deaths, merged together and then split apart, which cured them of their evil and insanity. Now resurrected into new bodies (their OR/AS designs), they are finally in-character and finally get to redeem themselves before dying again. While I should be pleased with this, and to some extent I am, the convoluted way it happens and that it had to happen at all only reminds me of how badly Kusaka botched these two in the first place. Sometimes I question if they weren't better off just being left dead and forgotten about.

- The Codenames. How does Kusaka work in the OR/AS designs of Shelly, Matt, Courtney and Tabitha? He has them show up as entirely seperate characters, and reveal that "Shelly", "Matt", "Courtney", and "Tabitha" are actually codenames that Admins of Team Aqua and Team Magma use, and that they weren't the real names of the originals either. Lame!

- Crazy Rayquaza. In the R/S arc, Rayquaza was unquestionably a heroic Pokemon. In this arc, however, it's suddenly prone to mood swings of psychotic anger, and it keeps switching from a protagonist Pokemon to an antagonist Pokemon at the drop of a hat. This, along with it eventually doing battle with Deoxys, calls "Destiny Deoxys" to mind - and I don't want to be reminded of that crappy movie!

- Needless Relationship Drama. For no good reason, Ruby decides to start keeping secrets from Sapphire, until he suddenly doesn't and starts being open with her. In between is all the expected relationship drama between the two, and it all feels so forced.

Now, let me say that none of these arcs are actually bad by regular manga standards, IMO, and there are also several things I like about each one. And Kusaka doesn’t half ass-it, he always tries his best. It’s just that the bad stuff overshadows the good stuff for me, and that by the standards of this usually excellent manga series, they fall disappointingly short.

#Pokemon #Pokemon Adventures #Opinion

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rhnuzlocke · 7 years

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Episode 21

Scene 14:

[A few days later, Ren and Steven arrive to her first League meeting as Champion. They are the first there and Steven pulls out the chair at the head of the large oval table for Ren. Steven heads off to the other end but stops when Ren kicks out the chair next to her. He turns back and she holds his gaze, jerking her head to the chair. Steven sighs as he sits down next to her.]

Steven: I just hope you know I'll be enduring Drake’s violent stare the entire meeting for this.

Ren: He'll have to adapt. At least for the first few meetings.

[The rest of the League starts drift in, starting with Senri. Drake stops dead as he comes in and glares at Steven before dropping into the chair opposite. He does not take his eyes off Steven, rage radiating from every pore. Steven does his best to ignore this, going so far as to turn and talk to Sidney who has sat down on his other side. Once everyone is there and the pleasantries are over with, Ren starts the meeting.]

Ren: So the first order of business is the keystone thefts. There have been four in the past month. Two are confirmed to be the work of Dr. Courtney Kagari, former Magma admin. We believe she is currently in possession of Maxie’s team, meaning that she could have up to eleven top battlers at her disposal. She also has a history of mental instability and willingness to use pokemon as weapons. I need all of you with keystones to exercise extreme caution. Keep your pokemon with you at all times and call it in as soon as you see her.

[Ren looks around to make sure she is understood and three of the Elite Four nod. Drake refuses to move his eyes from Steven and leans back in his chair in stony silence.]

Ren: The other two instances are unconfirmed but Courtney’s involvement seems likely. Maxie denied that Courtney was the one to take his keystone, but refuses to say who did. I'm not sure why he would give her his pokemon and not his keystone and thus far he has been staunchly protecting all former Magma members, so he has motive. The incident with Archie is a bit stranger. He is familiar with Courtney but insists another woman took the stone. The police currently suspect another trainer is in league with Courtney. We can’t be sure of Courtney’s motives for gathering keystones, but reportedly she is extremely loyal to Maxie and may be seeking revenge of some kind for his imprisonment. We all participated in the battle that led to Maxie capture and the dismantling of Magma, so for now it’s safe to assume we are all targets. Any sightings or suspicious activity are to be reported to the league and your local police department. I have sent all of you information on Courtney and the pokemon she is using for you to review. And now I’ll turn it over to Steven for the second item.

Steven: Thank you. The rest of you have been briefed on this topic already, but there are some updates, which I will incorporate as I get our Champion up to speed. A large meteor, just large enough to rank as a planet killer, was detected heading for our quadrant about two years ago by Dr. Keanu Pukui of the Fallarbor Observatory. Initial calculations of its trajectory estimated that it would miss us by a comfortable margin, but the Hoenn Aerospace Exploration Agency and other space programs around the world have since been working on technologies to destroy or redirect a meteor should it come our way. In the time we have been tracking Pukui’s meteor, its trajectory has been checked and rechecked. About a year ago it suddenly changed course and has been headed straight for us ever since. In addition to turning, it has accelerated, moving up the impact date to next Thursday.

[Ren’s face has become very twisted with the effort of not screaming. She glances away from Steven for the first time since he started talking to gauge everyone else’s reactions. They look tense but none are surprised.]

Steven: The good news is that the international community of space scientists have developed a device called a dimensional shifter that should safely warp the meteor away from us. This device will be sent into space via rocket and intercept the meteor shortly before it falls into our gravity. The HAEA just performed the final successful test and will be announcing the meteor and plan to deal with it to the public at a press conference later today. So, barring any drastic changes, we should all survive the event. [Ren is staring into the distance and Steven clears his throat.] Ren, Dr. Cosmo has requested that you come and personally tour the Mossdeep Space Center tomorrow afternoon. I can fly you there if you need transportation.

[Ren blinks several times to return from whatever plane of existence her soul fled to.]

Ren: Yeah, sure. Thanks.

[Ren slumps back in her chair, face slack and eyes still wide.]

Senri: You alright there kiddo?

Ren: [strained] Fine.

Phoebe: [chuckling] Yeah, you sure got a doozy of a first meeting.

Glacia: They won’t all be so bad, dear.

Wattson: [jovial] Most of the time it’s so dull I fall asleep!

Sidney: Yeah, don’t worry about it. I had kind of a rough first meeting too, though it was sort of the opposite problem. Pheebs, you weren’t there, but I bombed it. I forgot everything we were supposed to go over and I lost the itinerary and so I just sat there like “hi all, I’m your new Champion and a fucking moron, this should be fun!” And Glacia, you tried so hard to bail me out. She was sitting over there on the other end across from me and doing this crazy thing with her eyebrows, just trying to get me to remember one single thing we talked about right before the meeting and it was just blank, gone, all of it. So eventually she just had to prompt me. So really you did well.

Roxanne: Very professional up until the meteor thing. And goodness knows we were all a bit traumatized the first time it came up.

Flannery: I don’t remember a single thing we went over in my first meeting I was so nervous just being there. Did you all even tell me about the meteor then.

Lisa: We were going to but thought better of it.

Flannery: Thank you.

Tate: And let’s not forget the meeting where I had to come out to you all. That was a hoot.

[A muscle in Drake’s temple twitches.]

Wallace: Even better than when I joined up, right Drake?

[Drake does not respond but glares even more intensely at Steven if possible.]

Wallace: [turning back to Tate] Which reminds me, are you on for pride this year?

Tate: Conflict taken care of.

Lisa: We’ll be there.

Flannery: Ahh! I’m so excited! This will be my first time!

Brawly: Wait, what’s the date again?

Wallace: The fifteenth.

Brawly: Most excellent. I think I might get the whole crew over there this year.

Winona: Ren, Maia was wondering when we could arrange a joint practice.

Ren: Oh, uh, does Wednesday afternoon work for you?

Winona: Perfectly. We look forward to it.

Ren: Okay, if no one has anything else I think we can wrap—

Drake: [growling] I’m retiring.

Ren: Uh, what?

[Drake sits up straight and puts his hands on the table, still staring Steven down]

Drake: [more slowly and clearly] I am retiring and you are taking my place.

Steven: [disbelieving] What?

Drake: [spitting out one word at a time] I am retiring [pointing an accusing finger at Steven] and you are taking my place.

Steven: Well, I’m not sure that’s going to be possible. You know I don’t think being an Elite Four member is for me.

Sidney: Why not?

Phoebe: Yeah, you already only use two types and you were literally just the Champ. What’s the problem?

Steven: I was considering trying something else for a while.

[Ren pulls back a little, brow furrowing and head shaking slightly as if she is trying to shake something out of her ears. Everyone else looks almost equally confused except for Drake who has returned to irate stillness.]

Steven: Maybe going on a world tour: train in different regions, collect rare stones, catch up with old friends—

Ren: Excuse me?

Steven: Well—

Ren: When exactly were you planning on this taking place?

Steven: If the meteor business goes well, I was hoping in another month or two.

Ren: NO! Absolutely not! First of all, I am the youngest Champion in over a century, no way are you blitzing off without training me. Second of all, you’re contractually obligated to stick around for at least a year. Third of all, you promised me! We talked about this and I gave you plenty of outs. You insisted you were staying! I knew something was up! [hurt] Why not just tell me?

[Steven opens his mouth but nothing comes out and he swallows.]

Ren: [She sighs.] But even putting all of that aside, as your friend I am not gonna let you run from your problems like this.

Steven: [a touch defensively] I’m not sure how this is—

Ren: You love pokemon and you love training. I know you do. Listen to me: you’ve been here before and that’s why you came back. What good did leaving it all behind do?

[Steven looks away and Ren reaches out and puts her hand on his.]

Ren: I understand. I’ve been there too. You hang everything on one part of who you are and then when you can’t live up to that vision, everything starts crumbling away. It’s easier to run and it can even feel right—hell, maybe it is right now and then—but you’re never going to find who you are by turning your back on who you were. And I know you. You’re going to hate yourself if you drop all of your responsibilities.

[Ren lets go of Steven’s hand and he pulls it back toward himself, still unable to meet her eyes.]

Ren: I don’t mean to make you feel guilty and I don’t want to trap you here. If you still want to do all of that after your year is up, I won’t stop you.

[Steven looks up at her again and his lips part for a moment as if he is about to speak, but in the end he still can’t quite say anything.]

Drake: [clearly done with this drama] I. Am. Retiring. [He stands and looms menacingly over Steven] And you. Are taking. My place.

Steven: I, um—[He clears his throat.] I don’t know what to say. I always assumed one day you’d drop dead and that’s how you would retire.

Drake: [staring into the distance] We all would’ve preferred that.

Asuna: Retiring before me, eh?

Drake: [not looking at her] You’re semi-retired, Asuna.

Asuna: And I’m five years older. Looks like I get the last laugh.

Drake: [whipping around to face her] No, I’ll have the last laugh when Sal and I DANCE ON YOUR GRAVE!

[Drake storms out and Asuna laughs and laughs. Her cackling is literally the only sound in the room.]

Asuna: Best joke he’s ever told. As if I’d ever let myself die before the old bastard.

Ren: So was that his two weeks notice? Is that a thing?

Roxanne: He can’t retire until we select a replacement. That’s why he went after Steven.

Glacia: Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to him.

Ren: Thank you, Glacia. And sorry about that everyone. We’ll discuss this more at the next meeting. Dismissed.

[Everyone gets up except for Ren and Steven who are still reeling from the whole affair. The rest of the League chat among themselves as they file out and a few of them give Ren consoling pats on the shoulder as they leave. Senri pauses and gives her shoulder a squeeze. Ren taps his arm with her head an he leaves. Ren and Steven just sit in silence for a few moments until they can no longer hear anyone in the hall outside.]

Ren: I’m really sorry, Steven.

Steven: It’s okay, I deserved that. Well, maybe not the Drake part, but I shouldn’t have sprung that on you. I just— I panicked. I’m sorry, Ren.

Ren: Thank you.

[She looks at him hopefully, but once again he can’t meet her eyes. He stands, face tight.]

Steven: [haltingly] We’ll talk, okay?

Ren: Okay.

Steven: Do you need anything?

Ren: No, I’ll be alright. See you tomorrow.

[Steven head for the door but pauses for a moment with the handle in his hand. Ren waits, but he exits without saying anything. Ren waits again until she is sure everyone is gone and then face-plants on the table.]

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rhnuzlocke · 8 years

Text

Episode 13

Scene 6:

[Soon enough the island comes into view and Latias angles down toward it, slowing so as not to crash. She lands in a clearing on the north side of the island. Steven slides off her back and holds out a hand to help Ren down. She wobbles and grips Steven’s hand for support, laughing at her own unsteadiness and the residual high of the flight. Steven looks at her. Her hair is wild, face flushed, eyes bright, and smile radiant. He can’t help but smile too, though much more reservedly.]

Steven: You alright?

Ren: [recovered and straightening up, but still a little breathless] Yeah! I’ve never flown before!

Steven: Quite something, no?

[Latias looks amused. Suddenly there is a loud bang from nearby and their heads all whirl around, smiles dropping off their faces.]

Latias: We must hurry.

[She zips off towards the noise and Ren and Steven run after her. They race down a path through the trees which soon opens out into another far larger clearing with a waterfall at the back. Latios is there doing battle with Courtney’s torkoal and Blaise’s weezing. He is clearly weakened and being slowly backed up against the falls. He fells her torkoal but she just replaces it with a ninetails. The ninetails aims a flamethrower at Latios, but Latias is in front of him in a flash and throws up a protect. The flamethrower bounces harmlessly off the shield. The Eon Guardians glare down Courtney and Blaise as Steven and Ren rush between them. Behind them, Latias checks over Latios, running her paws through his fur and feathers and carefully moving his limbs with her arms to better evaluate his injuries. He is covered in various burns and scratches and it looks as though one wing shoulder has been dislocated.]

Latios: [to Latias] Why did you bring another human?! Steven and I could have handled it!

Latias: [as she uses heal pulse on him] I think you mean Steven and I could have handled it. Besides, it's that attitude that got us into this mess in the first place.

Latios: No, it was playing our hand too soon that brought these humans down on us.

Latias: They already almost made a volcano erupt. [cracking his shoulder back in place] Is that really not large enough of a disturbance for you? [He snorts from the pain but does not cry out.] It's well past time we got involved.

Latios: Whether or not I agree with you is no longer relevant. You’ve left us no other option. We are too exposed now.

Latias: Good. Then I'm sure you will also agree that it is time you made a pact.

Latios: [grumbling] Yes.

Latias: Well Steven and I found you a candidate.

Latios: [bristling] You can't just bring me the first strong trainer you bumble across and expect me to accept them!

Latias: [calm and confident] Just touch her mind. You will see.

[Meanwhile Ren and Steven, unaware of the argument taking place behind them, are busy dealing with the two Magma members.]

Steven: [sending out Bessemer] Dr. Courtney Kagari. Maxie still sending you on errands even though you failed to get the parts from me?

[Courtney bristles and Ren sends out Tāraki.]

Blaise: Latias must have brought them.

Courtney: [eyes fixing on Ren and her pokemon] Ren Kosugi? We have to terminate her.

[Tāraki bristles and growls deep in his throat.]

Blaise: [looking askance at Courtney, clearly startled] Do we really—

Courtney: [screaming] SHE’S ON TABITHA’S LIST! [Blaise shies away from her. Courtney calms just a bit but grins wickedly.] As co-admin, I must respect her decisions. [She laughs.] Ninetails, melt that metagross!

Blaise: Sludge bomb, Smog!

Steven: Earthquake!

Ren: Slam!

[The ninetails moves first but only by a second. Bessemer blocks the brunt of her fiery onslaught with a wave of earth that rushes towards her and sends her sprawling. Tāraki rides the crest of the wave and whirls, roaring as he slams the weezing with his tail. The weezing hits a tree and stays imbedded in the trunk. Blaise's hand shakes as he withdraws his weezing and sends out a darmanitan. Courtney seems unfazed and sends out a camerupt.]

Courtney: Eruption!

Blaise: Fire punch!

Steven: Iron defence!

Ren: Tāraki, get behind Bes!

[Tāraki leaps back to Bessemer's side as he projects a silver barrier around them. The darmanitan rushes forward with a roar of it's own and molten rocks shoot out of the camerupt's back. The combined fire attacks smash into the barrier at the same time and shatter it. The fiery remains rain down on Bessemer and they groan.]

Ren: Keep that darmanitan off them!

[The darmanitan comes in for another fire punch, this time swinging at Bessemer's leg, but Tāraki parries with dual chop. We can see Ren moving in sync with Tāraki as he pushes the darmanitan back with one arm and punches it in the face with the other. Bessemer uses earthquake again, but fails to fell the camerupt. Tāraki trades blows with the darmanitan, clearly weakening.]

Steven: Meteor mash!

Ren: Get down!

[The darmanitan cocks back a flaming fist for the final blow and Tāraki ducks. Instead of knocking out his foe, the darmanitan himself is taken out as Bessemer nails him in the gut.]

Courtney: Lava plume!

Ren: Mega drain!

[The lava erupts right under Bessemer and they totter backwards. Tāraki retaliates with a mega drain, bringing himself back from the brink as the camerupt falls to its knees. Courtney withdraws it and sends out a golbat and Blaise sends out a swellow. Steven pats Bessemer fondly before withdrawing them and sending out his Alolan sandslash.]

Steven: Avalanche, Alwyn!

[The swellow dodges the wall of ice but the golbat is not so lucky and Courtney growls. The swellow dives and catches Tāraki in the shoulder. Ren goes to withdraw him but he stops her.]

Tāraki: No, please don’t! I have to be here.

Ren: Okay, tiger, but at least tap out for a bit.

Steven: Icicle spear!

[Alwyn launches icicle after icicle at the swellow but it dodges expertly. Courtney sends out a pyroar.]

Courtney: Fire fang!

[Now it is Alwyn who is forced to dodge as the pyroar runs at her, jaws burning. Courtney cackles and Ren sends out Kōtai.]

Ren: Sand tomb!

[The pyroar’s legs are bogged down, leaving Alwyn open to go after the swellow once more.]

Ren: Dig!

[Kōtai dives into the ground as one might into water and disappears from view. This time Alwyn is more clever about her onslaught and manages to outplay the swellow’s maneuverability. It takes a direct hit and it goes down.]

Alwyn: Ha!

[However the pyroar has gotten behind her and readies a flamethrower. Kōtai bursts from the ground just in time and uppercuts it in the jaw.]

Kōtai: Oh no you don't.

Ren: Brick break!

[The pyroar falls over. It tries to get up only to have Kōtai pounce on it and smack it in the forehead.]

Kōtai: You just stay down now.

[Courtney and Blaise withdraw their pokemon and the sandslash tap claws in their version of a high five. Courtney sends out her weezing, face wild with rage.]

Blaise: We can’t take them. We have to get out of here!

Courtney: [She ignores him] Flamethrower!

Blaise: [calling someone on his nav] The situation has gone south. We need to get out now.

[Kōtai jumps in front of Alwyn, taking most of the flamethrower himself.]

Steven: Metal claw!

[Alwyn jumps up from behind Kōtai and slashes at the weezing. She only strikes a glancing blow and it readies another flamethrower, floating higher.]

Ren: Smackdown!

[Kōtai runs forward and Alwyn holds out her claws. He bounds into them and she launches him upward. The combined force sends Kōtai high into the air above the weezing and he strikes it down. It smashes into the ground and begins to float away again when Alwyn darts in and slashes it with metal claw. It sinks down again in defeat. Ren and Steven glance at each other and smile.]

Courtney: GET UP!

[The smiles fall off their faces at this horrific treatment of her pokemon.]

Blaise: Let’s go!

[He grabs her by the arm and pulls her away. She growls but follows, only withdrawing her pokemon as an afterthought. Steven makes to go after them.]

Latios: Let them go. It doesn't matter.

[Latios's presence is very similar to Latias's but slightly weaker, less comforting and more dangerous. She meets his eyes and his mind presses into hers. For a moment thoughts and feelings and images rush by in a flurry, some hers and some his. A second later, he pulls back. Ren lets out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.]

Steven: Are you alright, Latios?

Latios: I’ll live.

[Ren looks out over the clearing. What was once a beautiful, verdant glen is now burnt and scoured almost beyond recognition. The tree that the weezing was thrown into is cracked and a limb is partially down. The ground is heaved up and scored and littered with rocks and cooled magma and melting ice.]

Ren: I'm so sorry about your home.

Latias: Nonsense. It wasn't really your doing anyway.

Latios: [dryly] I call that a generous assessment, but nonetheless I much prefer this to being imprisoned or enslaved by those idiots.

Latias: Worse things have happened on this island. This damage can be repaired.

Kōtai: I can help get that started at least.

Latias: How very kind of you. Thank you, sandslash.

[Kōtai dips his head and dives underground. Alwyn starts hauling the rocks away to the side.]

Latios: [to Ren and Steven] And thank you two. I and my soul dew would have been lost without your help. [He dips his head.]

Latias: Yes, thank you.

Ren: You're welcome.

Steven: [bowing] It's been my honor.

[Ren glances at Steven, feeling that she has perhaps addressed the legendary pokemon a bit too informally after that display. She looks around again, unsure what to do now that the danger has passed.]

Latias: You probably have questions.

Latios: [wryly] Humans usually do.

Latias: We will answer what we can.

Ren: Actually, if you don't mind my asking, what is a soul dew?

Latios: It is our one and only possession. [He reaches into the pool, pulls it up and holds it out in his paws so that she might look at it. It is about fist sized and very like a blue gem. It is perfectly smooth and spherical and glows with an inner light, not unlike a nebula.] Mine was created when the first Latios died and hers when the first Latias died. They give us power in times of great need.

Steven: They are actually mega stones, albeit unique and powerful ones. Latias allowed me to run some tests on hers.

Ren: Thank you for showing me, Latios. It's beautiful.

Latios: Of course. [He puts it carefully back, then stares into Ren's eyes with his red ones for a moment.] What is your name?

Ren: Ren Kosugi.

Latios: Hmm… I wonder if you would help me and my sister with something.

[It sounds as if he is unsure rather than asking for her help, but Ren tries to answer anyway.]

Ren: If I can.

Latios: You can, but first let me explain. Then we shall see if you will. As you may have surmised, my sister and I have not been dubbed ‘guardians’ by mere chance. We, like the other so-called ‘legendary’ pokemon, have been given a purpose by the great lord Arceus. When the balance of the cycle is threatened, it has always been our duty to set it right. Though we were granted great power with which to complete our task, we sometimes require help. Almost since humans appeared on this planet, we have sought them out as allies for their ability to share power and make us more than ourselves. In this cycle, Latias has chosen Steven. So I ask you, Ren Kosugi, would you be my partner and help us prevent the terrible disaster Magma intends to unleash on us all?

[Ren does not immediately respond. There are far too many thoughts and emotions swirling through her mind to make proper sense of them. She tries to keep a lid on it which only makes her face redden before she eventually blows her top.]

Ren: [yelling at Latios] Why now?! After all the shit I’ve been through! After I finally decided what to do with my life! How can you—ARGHHH!

[She turns around and storms off, but doesn’t go all that far. She crosses her arms and huffs, but already a lot of the wind has gone out of her sails. Behind her, Steven looks sympathetic more than anything else. He shoots a reproachful glance at Latias, but the Eon Guardians seem quite unaffected by the outburst. Ren tears up just a little, her back still to them, and sighs. She watches as the two sandslash clear and level the battlefield to much the way it was. Tāraki walks up to her and rubs his head on her shoulder. She caresses him gently with a hand.]

Tāraki: You know I’m with you no matter what, don’t you?

Ren: Yes, and I know what I have to do too. It’s just… a little frustrating, you know?

[He burbles and leans into her. She smiles and wipes her eyes. She turns around and walks back up the the Eon Guardians with Tāraki at her side.]

Ren: I'm sorry. That was childish. Of course I'll help you. [Steven’s surprise and confusion at the sudden change is evident, so she explains herself.] You two are Guardians of the Eons. If this wasn't super important, you wouldn’t have asked me. It's also inescapably obvious to me now that Magma will come after me and my pokemon. I may as well give them a reason.

[She shoots a sort of lopsided smile at Steven and he smiles faintly back.]

Latios: Thank you, Ren Kosugi.

Ren: Are you sure you want me though? I’m not exactly… perfect.

Latios: You are young and a little rash, but also wise and compassionate. And your strength runs deep, deeper now than it ever has before. I am quite sure you will be up to the task ahead of us.

[Ren smiles a little wider and more sure. Latios extends a paw and she places her hand against it. She looks deep into his eyes and his mind once more presses powerfully against hers, but less guarded this time. She allows herself to be enveloped by it. The world around her disappears, replaced by the endless river of his consciousness, but she is not afraid. She lets the thoughts and images and emotions flow freely around her until she is almost unable to tell which are hers, where she ends and he begins. On the outside Latios’s eyes glow and hers unfocus. After a few moments, her green eyes flash red and a rounded red triangle (Latios’s mark) flashes on her forehead. The next moment she blinks a few times and comes back to herself.]

Latias: [smug] A fine choice, Latios. [He rolls his eyes.] Although, I’m not sure she is quite as good as my chosen. He is the Hoenn League Champion after all.

Steven: Don’t brag Latias.

Latias: And why shouldn’t I? [She strokes his hair.] I picked the strongest and most beautiful human in the world! [slyly to Ren] Wouldn’t you agree?

Latios: That is your opinion. Personally, I find they all look a bit funny.

Ren: [going a little red] I don’t think it is an opinion. He is the Champion, which means he is the strongest. And empirically he is attractive.

[Latias laughs, though it sounds nothing like human laughter. Still, it is a merry, ringing sort of sound. Ren laughs too. Steven jerks away from Latias’s continued ruffling of his hair and bats at her, which only incites more laughter. Even his sandslash chuckles a little. He smooths himself out, trying very hard not to smile himself, but not really succeeding. He clears his throat and fixes a sterner expression onto his face as they gradually quiet.]

Steven: If you are all quite done, I think we have a little business to take care of. The soul dews cannot stay here. It’s only a matter of time before Magma tries to take one again. I think Ren and I should hold onto them until we can get collars made so that you two can wear them. That way they will never be unguarded and you can call on their power at any time.

Latias: A fine idea. Thank you, Steven.

[Latios merely nods in agreement.]

Steven: And Ren, I think we should exchange numbers. We can communicate through the Guardians, but it would probably be best to have a back up.

Ren: [remarkably calm considering Steven is asking for her number] Alright. Makes sense.

[She pulls out her nav and hands it to him while he gives her his. After they enter their contact info, they trade back.]

Steven: And there is something else I should probably give you. [He pulls out his vapor box and and a small rainbow colored gem materializes. He hands it to her.] It’s a keystone. You may need to mega evolve Latios or one of your other pokemon at some point. And you are responsible enough to have it.

Ren: Steven, thank you. I don’t even know what to say.

Steven: Not at all. We should probably head back though. Now I actually am late for something.

Ren: O-okay.

Latias: I will take you.

[Ren looks over at Latios.]

Latios: I think I shall stay here a while and recover. I will come and find you soon.

Ren: Okay.

[By this time the sandslash have done a remarkably good job of clearing and tilling the battlefield so that it looks more like a garden ready to be planted. Ren and Steven withdraw their pokemon and climb back aboard Latias.]

#pokemon #nuzlocke #oras #running hot nuzlocke #story #episode 13 #Ren #Steven #Bessemer #Taraki #Kotai #Alwyn #Latios #Latias #Courtney #Blaise #fun fact Courtney is the only character introduced so far that hasn't named her pokemon #lol Ren you thought you were gonna get out of this somehow

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