randomly thinking about pikachu's popularity as a mascot but also like in-universe imagining how many little kids would see ash and pikachu win the world championships and decide that they simply Must have a pikachu. you could take this from the angle of like, ash's championship win indirectly dramatically changes the viridian forest ecosystem and other pikachu habitats, but also, imagine how many young trainers + pikachu partners ash starts encountering on his journeys after that who are all clearly awestruck by him. i like to think he would be like "huh weird we've been battling a lot of pikachu lately" and not make the connection that this is His Impact
i'm OBSESSED with this concept and if i had more time/energy i would have immediately written a fic when you sent this because it's so funny to me but alas :p but i'm seeing this with like...all of the above implications like
ash visiting home sometime down the road and crossing paths with gary or tracey maybe, who is/are currently trying to figure out why there's a sudden influx of rattata in the viridian forest area. ash might even help them investigate a bit, you know, 'cause he's helpful like that. he doesn't get the implications. he hears "pikachu and rattata don't tend to make their homes in the same areas" and thinks the reason rattata are popping up suddenly is just that they've gotten over some territorial difference. "i mean obviously there are still pikachu in the forest - we just fought like three of them!"
so he leaves his friends at the oak laboratory absolutely flabbergasted and moves on. he keeps seeing trainers with pikachu, which is great. they ask for a battle and he obliges and it never even registers to him the starstruck look in those trainers' eyes has anything to do with him. he's just like, yeah my buddy's great, isn't he? your pikachu's great too! keep training! :)
when he hears from misty about all these new gym challengers with pikachu, he doesn't think too much about it. i mean, come on, it's a water-type gym. of course they're gonna bring an electric type. when he hears from brock that his brother said the same thing is happening in pewter city, well, that's just new trainers trying to think outside the box. forrest is probably exaggerating a bit anyway, maybe he's just embarrassed that his rock types got beaten by a pikachu? there are simply no dots to connect
of course, this isn't only happening in kanto, though. he hears from cilan about seeing more pikachu than usual in unova, a concerning trend considering pikachu aren't exactly native to the region. ash figures it's just more visitors from outside regions, like he was. it's so cool to see more people embracing inter-region travel! that's probably the one thing he does know he motivated others to do - i mean, surely being the kanto-native champion of alola would inspire a few trainers out there to tackle far-off leagues of their own? he inspired his friends to do it, so it's only fair that trainers who caught his big championship win on tv might have felt similarly!
except he's got the whole thing wrong, of course. one of his more research-oriented friends (i'm betting sophocles) has absolutely been crunching numbers and can 100% confirm that new trainers taking on the league challenge in most regions are about 20457x more likely to have a pikachu in their active roster this year than any year before. ash doesn't have a response to that one, because he's simply too baffled by the metrics of this study to digest the implications of it. he's really hung up on the idea that somehow sophocles met all these people as opposed to acknowledging the more likely scenario that he hacked into the league's database, because how would he even do that? ash isn't thinking about ethics or anything. he's just wondering how he can meet all these trainers too because he'd really like to battle them all, wow!
so basically, everyone else has figured it out...except for ash. he keeps getting approached by strangers asking him about training methods specific to pikachu, which he has no answer for other than "uhh rubber gloves don't really work i guess?" (and then ofc he'd say something very Ash about how no matter what kind of pokemon you're training you just have to believe in them etc etc) because the thing all those people don't realize is he never set out to train a pikachu in the first place. arguably, his pikachu trained him. and that pikachu? absolutely knows what's going on, and finds it hilarious. but he won't tell ash. he's having fun meeting all these different pikachu, anyway :p
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The years go by. The retail jobs that Steve thinks are temporary keep piling up, but he has no idea what else to do with his life so he just keeps on keeping on.
Until a large tree falls on the lawn of the little house he managed to buy and he gets the quote on removal and the number literally hurts his soul.
He buys a small chainsaw instead. Over the course of a few weeks, he gets most of the branches cut up. He collects some large rocks from down by the quarry and digs out a fire pit in his backyard. On his days off, his friends come over and they sit out back and have a few beers. The pile of wood dwindles.
The giant trunk is another story though. His chainsaw isn't big enough for it. Burning it would take forever, and Steve's terrified he'd disappoint Smoky the Bear. He's at a loss.
Until he sees another giant trunk in someone's yard carved into a bear.
He knows what to do then. Not a bear, but something else. Through trial and error, the trunk becomes the rough shape of a woman, the remnants of the branches like a crown on her head. It's not as amazing as the bear he saw, but it's his. He finds he loves the smell of sawdust and the feeling of creating something.
Just like that, Steve realizes what he wants to do. It takes several months and a lot of yard sales, but he scrounges up the tools he needs to start woodworking. He learns to measure twice and cut once. He makes tables and chairs and carves them with art and designs that get better and better the more he learns. Shockingly, people actually buy his pieces.
Even more shocking comes the realization that he's making enough money to do it full time. He puts in his two weeks notice at Melvald's and hands in his assistant manager badge.
He's not sure he's happy, but he is content. It feels good to work hard and actually have things to show for it. It also feels good to work muscles he hasn't used since high school. He carries on for a few years like that, creating and learning and creating some more.
Then Eddie Munson blows back into town. Invited back so Hawkins can have their most famous alumnus sing the national anthem at homecoming. Steve's honestly surprised he shows at all.
"Can't believe you didn't tell them kiss your hairy ass," Steve says. Because of course Eddie ends up around his fire pit, sipping on Steve's cheap beer like he doesn't have three Grammy awards on his mantel. The years fall away with each drink, reminding Steve of just how much it had hurt when Eddie left. He'd wanted Eddie so bad back then, more than he'd ever wanted anyone. He can feel the echoes of that deep ache across time.
"Pfft. Don't you know all famous people wax our asses now? All the rage in LA." Eddie cuts a look at him and smirks when Steve rolls his eyes, grateful for the lighthearted moment to snap him out of his maudlin nostalgia. "Really though I thought about it, but then I thought it would be way funnier to donate a metric fuckton of money to Hawkins High with the stipulation that it go to the theater and band programs. Kind of bummed they couldn't honor my other request though."
"Which was?"
"My old Hellfire throne. I miss her, but apparently she's not around anymore. Something about water damage."
"Oh yeah. Water main busted a few years back and flooded the theater. I remember that."
"Yeah. Had to settle for the promise they'd make a game lounge and stock it with all the supplies a budding young nerd needs."
"That's really nice, Eds."
Eddie shrugs. "I've been known to be nice on occasion. You'll come to homecoming, right? Moral support?"
Steve hasn't been to homecoming in years because he sees the other people who stayed in town all the time, and he has no interest in seeing the people who didn't. He can only answer the same questions so many times. Oh, I'm doing woodwork now. Yep, I still live right here. Nope, still not married, no kids.
He goes though, and he answers the uncomfortable questions. Because Eddie asked him to. Because no matter how long it's been, Steve can't deny that some part of him still...
He says goodbye after, and Eddie leaves again, and Steve tries not to think about that too much in the following days.
He's halfway into the project before he realizes what he's building. He'd seen Eddie's throne quite a few times back when. What he doesn't have memories of, he makes up. He adds his own touches too, making it a throne fit for a rock star, a nerd, a friend.
He carves ornate patterns, he creates scenes of dragons being beaten back by a man with a guitar, crowds of people that could be knights or concertgoers.
It's his favorite piece he's ever done, and his hands are shaking when he dials Eddie's number. He gets an answering machine and stumbles through a message.
"I made you something. I guess it's kind of silly, but it's here in Hawkins if you want it. Or I'm sure you can afford the shipping if you don't want to come. Just, I made you a chair. It's more of a... Well, you'll see. Unless you don't want to... It's Steve by the way." He hangs up before he can embarrass himself even more.
Eddie doesn't call him back. One day passes and then another. Steve tries not to let it get to him. He works on orders and new projects. He enjoys his little backyard oasis. He rents a few movies and thinks they're okay.
He's debarking some wood in his driveway when the rental car pulls up, Eddie stepping out in ripped jeans and an old Metallica tee. "Hi again, Stevie."
"Oh." Steve clears his throat. "The thing's in the garage. I'll..."
Eddie doesn't say anything for a long time, circling the throne, running his tattooed fingers over each little detail.
"You made this whole thing?"
"I did."
"For me?" Eddie looks at him then, one hand still touching the wood like he doesn't want to let go. Even under the harsh lights of the garage, his eyes are such a warm shade of brown that Steve forgets to breathe.
He nods. "For you."
"Why?"
There are a hundred answers Steve could give, but he spent so long not knowing who he was or who he wanted to be. Too long. "Because you'll always be the one that got away. Because some part of me will always want to make you smile no matter how long it's been."
Eddie falls into the throne like he just got the wind knocked out of him.
"You don't have to respond to that," Steve says. "You can just say thank you and take the chair."
"I can." Eddie blows out a breath. "But that would be incredibly stupid considering half my early ballads are about you."
"What?" Unfair. Steve doesn't have a chair to fall into.
"Oh sure, I changed the hes to shes for a while there because..." Eddie waves his hand. "But they're about you, Steve. God, I should've asked you out. I just thought..."
Hearing those words is a lot like seeing that carved bear all over again, something clicking into place that wasn't quite right before.
"Go out with me now then," Steve says. "Or stay in. I've got a frozen lasagna and I rented Contact."
"Steve Harrington? Asking Eddie 'the Freak' Munson on a date? Did hell freeze over?"
"Pfft." Steve takes a step closer toward what he wants most. "Hell froze over in 1986, Eddie. You were there."
Five months and a lot of long distance phone bills later, Steve opens Harrington Woodworking in Los Angeles. That same day, Eddie takes photos for Rolling Stone posing in an ornate throne in his living room. He tells the reporter exactly who made it and what he means. At concerts, he starts singing those ballads the way he always wanted to. More often than not, Steve stands in the wings singing along.
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love in a bakery ~ mick schumacher
instagram au
synopsis: Mick falls in love with a beautiful young baker and doesn’t shy away from showing her off to his fans.
my masterlist
♡♡♡♡♡
liked by mickschumacher, francisca.cgomes and 103,594 others
yourusername ahhhh!!!! a dream come true!!! my very own bakery, my dream ever since i was a little girl!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
view all 29,184 comments
francisca.cgomes sooooo proud of you babe❤️❤️❤️
yourusername ugh i love you !!😭😭
mickschumacher seeing you in your element has been my favorite thing to see. forever proud of you, liebling❤️
yourusername i love you mickie 🩵
mickschumacher i love you more
user1 YES FINALLY!!!!
user2 half of her sales are gonna be generated by me🫠🫠🫠🫠
user3 i just went there this morning!!!!🤭🤭
user4 OMG HOW WAS IT?????
user3 ugh she's so sweet. her pastries are the best thing i've ever tasted. it was packed even this morning, but she took time to make small talk with every single customer and was overall really nice and thoughtful🫣❤️
user5 was Mick at the opening?
yourusername he was!! albeit very hidden away because he "didn't want to steal the spotlight away from me", but he was there!!🥰
user5 we love a supporting Mick🥹🥹
user6 is it normal to feel jealous of Mick for bagging her?
mickschumacher yes.
user6 BAHAHAHAHA MICK
landonorris where is my package? 😔
yourusername almost finished, slow your horses
landonorris i thought you'd forgotten about me
yourusername you spam mine and Mick's phones every day. i couldn't forget if i wanted to
landonorris 😁😁😁😁
corinna.schumacher so proud of you, dear ❤️
yourusername you’ve been the biggest help, thank you for everything that you’ve done for me ❤️❤️❤️
corinna.schumacher you have a gift, people will be lucky to have a taste of your pastries ❤️
yourusername 😭❤️❤️
mickschumacher added to their story
caption: woken up with a lot of love this morning <3
liked by yourusername, estebanocon and 2,194,582 others
mickschumacher special guest in the paddock with me today ❤️
tagged: yourusername
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yourusername i love you🫶🏻🫶🏻
mickschumacher i love you and your pastries🫶🏻
yourusername is that why you keep me around?
mickschumacher basically
user1 OMG DID SHE BRING PASTRIES TO THE PADDOCK?🫣🫣
user2 I'M DEAD she's so precious😩😩😩😩
landonorris thank you for the package😁😁😁
yourusername i'm glad you liked it
landonorris my trainer might want to have a word with you later😆
yourusername thanks for feeding me to the wolves
mickschumacher don’t worry babe, i’ll protect you
charles_leclerc Y/N should receive an award for baker of the year👏👏
yourusername thank you, charles. did you like the eclairs?
charles_leclerc i did...
yourusername wonderful😋
user3 not y/n making fun of charles' name😭😭
user4 i need to taste her pastires. IT'S A MUST🫠🫠
lilymhe she's an absolute goddess🩵🩵🩵
yourusername you're too kind lils🩵🩵
kellypiquet P is in love with Y/N now🫶🏻
yourusername precious little P🥹🩵
maxverstappen1 you're gonna get all of us fat🫣
yourusername don't blame this on me. i just brought them, i didn't make you eat them
maxverstappen1 but they looked so good...
mickschumacher stop attacking my girlfriend😠
user5 mick's instagram is slowly becoming a fan page for Y/N and i'm here for it😩😩
mickschumacher can you blame me?
user5 absolutely not. completely valid
yourusername i'm just too perfect😋🥰
mclaren we'd like to submit a request to have your pastries at our motorhomes from now on
mecerdesamgf1 so would we
redbullracing same here
astonmartinf1 put us on the list
mickschumacher OKAY WE GET IT
yourusername that's a whole load of pastries to bake
user6 every team on the grid has fallen in love with y/n and her baking
user7 watch y/n dominate the entire paddock from now on
liked by mickschumacher, lilymhe and 392,185 others
yourusername my forever favorite company❤️ (look at my precious pookie angie😭😭❤️❤️❤️) also taking a little break from baking because Mick thinks i'm too involved or something
tagged: mickschumacher
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mickschumacher i sometimes think you love Angie more than you love me
yourusername that's because it's true
mickschumacher ......
yourusername love youuuuu
mickschumacher you do bake too much lately
yourusername my demand is high. i'm just that good
mickschumacher ugh
lilymhe you’re so pretty 😭😭😭
yourusername staaaawp you’re gonna make me cry😭❤️❤️
landonorris how are my croissants doing?
yourusername you realize i do have a life, right?
landonorris i do. now, the croissants?
yourusername ….
yourusername almost ready
landonorris 😁😁😁
charles_leclerc we cannot wait to see you at the paddock again, y/n😃
mickschumacher are you using my girlfriend to get sweets?
yourusername be nice, mickie
yourusername charles_leclerc don’t worry, i’ll bring you the eclairs as soon as i get there
charles_leclerc you’re the best☺️☺️☺️
user1 the drivers being obsessed with mick’s girlfriend was not on my bucket list for this year 😅😅
user2 she’s being so sweet to the entire grid 🥺🥺
maxverstappen1 P can’t wait to see you either
yourusername my precious sweetheart 🥺🥺❤️
user3 at this point, everyone loves Y/N more than they love Mick🤣
alex_albon that dog is really cute
mickschumacher she is a beauty, isn’t she?
yourusername do you think your pets would be up for a play date?
alex_albon we can arrange something. as long as you bring some cupcakes 😁😁😁
yourusername deal
user4 they look so cute together 😭😭😭
user5 that dog is their child, nobody can change my mind
lilymhe i miss little angie so much😭😭
yourusername she misses auntie lils as well 😭
alex_albon we have so many pets and you're missing someone else's dog?
lilymhe YOU DON'T GET IT ALEX
yourusername MEN.
mickschumacher you messed with the wrong people Alex
alex_albon 😟😟
liked by yourusername, mickschumacher and 493,185 others
mercedesamgf1 Very big thanks to yourusername for providing us with the best pastries in town!!!❤️
tagged: yourusername
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yourusername always happy to provide for the team❤️❤️
mercedesamgf1 ❤️
mickschumacher this is getting out of hand
yourusername relax mickie, it's my job, you know
mercedesamgf1 yeah mickie, don't interfere with the job
landonorris you made mine with papaya cream
yourusername extra special dose of love and kindness for the team
georgerussell63 MINE WAS SO GOOD
yourusername i’m glad you liked it georgie 😁😁
lewishamilton Roscoe was so happy when he saw the cupcake of himself
yourusername his was made with an extra dose of love 😭😭
mclaren thank you yourusername for the delivery!!! you can mark us down as regular clientele from now on 🥰
yourusername of course you guys 🥰🥰
mickschumacher you people do realize she needs to breathe, right?
mclaren no
redbullracing no
astonmartinf1 no
mercedesamgf1 you have a problem with us?
mickschumacher …no
maxverstappen1 P cried from excitement when we showed her the cupcake with her 😩
yourusername 🥺🥺🥺baby P is my favorite client
mickschumacher didn’t realize i would have to share my girlfriend with the rest of the grid…
mercedesamgf1 make peace with is, Mick. your girlfriend is now our girlfriend
yourusername ☺️☺️i love it when you fight over me
user1 this is actually so sweet of her 😭😭
user2 the fact that she spent so much time making these for them just proves how perfect she is ❤️❤️❤️
user3 how did her and Mick get together?
user4 hahahaha funny story. they actually met in a little bakery in Mick’s hometown, ordered the exact same order and then started talking and here they are almost 3 years later
user3 that is so sweet and so fitting for Mick 😭😭
user5 if Mick doesn’t marry her, i will
user6 mickschumacher can you fight?
mickschumacher for her, yes. bring it
user7 mick willing to fight over Y/N’s pastries 😭😭
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