#there’s a gym leader for each type and then the elite four and a champion! he’s the ice gym leader c:

[tiredsadpeach]

I think we’re at a stalemate after that text which tbh is better than I tweet and then he tweets about being annoyed

[strawberrystepmom]

pokemon trainer au! gojo x f!reader. reader is a fairy gym leader and satoru is league champion and a flying type trainer. a bit of world building! we discuss fairy gym leader and satoru's first meeting and their future plans a bit. wc 2.6k

part one, part two (you are here), part three

divider by @/cafekitsune!!!! 🩵

Unsurprisingly, the news of the current League Champion stepping down spreads like wildfire and you chuckle while spooning cereal into your mouth and leaning against the counter in your kitchen, Skitty eyeing you desperately from the floor below begging for a bite.

You scoff at her and point toward where her bowl lies a few feet away, full to the brim, and she rubs her tail against your calves while you lean over the counter and narrow your eyes at the TV, chomping on another perfectly soggy mouthful while watching clips of Satoru’s recently televised battles as Champion flash across the screen.

“Damn he’s good,” you mutter to yourself as if it’s a surprise. You know very well how good Satoru Gojo is, it’s why you’ve spent the last three years refusing his requests to battle. He has no reason to battle you other than bragging rights and you know his ego to already be overly inflated even if it is rightfully so and you’ve been satisfied with your decision until now.

You’ve spent two days trying to figure out why he asked you on this journey in the first place, stuffing your long forgotten camping gear and various repel sprays and medicinal sprays in the largest bag that you own while pondering every aspect of why. Why you?

Thinking back throughout the years, you remember every interaction you’ve had with the man fondly. Perhaps it’s the teensy crush you’ve always harbored for him painting the memories as sweet or maybe he is simply sweet beneath the brash and arrogant exterior. People are capable of being more than one thing at once, an important lesson you’ve learned in your life. You met him when you were still going to school and he was a member of the Elite Four, your shock seeing the way he and his Sneasel worked together against a schoolmate of yours was enough to catch his attention.

The two of you were the same age back then, fifteen, but on two clearly different paths - he was destined to become Champion and your own future felt undefined but free, something you’ve always craved.

He winked at you that day in response to your wide eyes and parted lips and you’ve never forgotten it. Not that he’d ever let you, the starstruck look is something he manages to sneak into almost every conversation the two of you have had since. Clearly it had an effect on him too and you’ve been quietly smug about it for a long time.

“And now we have a few words from the Champion himself. Mr. Gojo?”

You nearly choke on the mouthful of cereal you’re working on swallowing, holding your chest while Skitty chirps happily at your near imminent demise. You’ve always been certain she’d be the first to eat you if you were to die so you glance down, shaking your head, before gluing your gaze back to the man on the TV with a glistening grin as wide as the screen he’s upon. It’s a surprise to see him, you were certain he’d let his spokespeople do the heavy lifting, and it does nothing to answer the question on your mind of why he picked you.

He would be infuriating if you didn’t find him so charming. His hair flops over his eyes, big and blue and beautiful as ever, and he is wearing a suit which is something you don’t think he has ever truly done before. You know the PR around this must be a nightmare if they’re hauling him onto daytime television in a suit likely designed by the finest designer in Johto and sheer amusement makes your lips twist into a smile seeing him nod politely to each question he has been asked. 

“Thank you for giving me the time to talk about my future plans,” he grins and you scoff, Espeon now joining you by hopping on the counter. You start to fuss at her but stop yourself as soon as Satoru begins speaking again, his head bowed humbly. Whatever he’s saying goes in one of your ears and out the other, your eyes trained on the way his pretty mouth moves instead of what he’s saying, and Espeon chirps at you. You toss her a glance and reach for the remote, turning up the volume to actually listen to the man on the screen.

“How can someone call themselves a Champion if they aren’t rising to every challenge they can?”

Nodding, you’re surprised that’s the public reason he’s giving. Perhaps he won’t mention the travels of the two of you at all and you are his mere escort, someone far more familiar with the routes criss crossing your home of Kanto and the other regions than he is, and if so, you’ll accept that although his pretty mouth looks a little less pretty when you remove the thought that he may have a thing for you as well from your mind.

“I need to challenge myself to be even better, to see this entire world, to experience every Pokemon I can and I’ve invited a friend along with me,” his words fade out when he says your name and mentions Camellia Town, the place you’ve called home for the last five years, and you watch the camera pan back to the surprised expressions of the show hosts. Despite their shock, he continues carelessly and your jaw drops as wide as it did the first day you ever met him.

“If you see us out there, don’t hesitate to stop and ask for a battle! My partner is capable of more than she lets on.”

Almost as if every one of your companions hears him, they all turn toward you and you sigh. Espeon blinks, Skitty begs at your feet, Piplup chirps enthusiastically at your snowy white Vulpix - they’re as ready for adventure as you are and you’ve taken it too easy on them.

“I know, I know.”

Throwing your hands up in surrender, you intentionally ignore the buzzing of your phone on the counter next to you. The screen lights up with messages from your friends and fellow gym leaders, one of your best friends’ names at the top of the screen. You read her messages and snicker to yourself, shaking your head.

Call me now. What do you mean you’re traveling with THE Satoru Gojo?????????

THE Satoru Gojo you’ve whined and pouted over for years?????

Oh this is delicious. I love you. Call me NOWWWWWWW.

Scoffing at the last message, you drag the device to your ear and listen to the dial tone on the other end, only to be met with screeching when she picks up.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” You groan at her words and hear her boyfriend chuckling on the other end, probably making her breakfast in his cozy little Dark type gym in the city. 

Some girls have all the luck and it comes in the form of raven haired gym leaders that think they hung the moon. Others get stuck with arrogant men that have the attention of the entire world on them at all times. You make a mental note to ask her for tips later but for now you play defense, shocked at the tone of your own very best friend in your ear.

“What was I supposed to say? This dude I’ve had a crush on for a decade asked me to go rough it with him?”

“That’s exactly what you’re supposed to say but you don’t talk to anyone about anything ever,” you let her go on a rant and you roll your eyes, pantomiming her words about needing to be better about telling everyone what’s happening with you. 

It’s true, you’re terrible about keeping everyone up to date even your own mother who you’re certain is calling you judging by the beeping you hear alerting you another call is coming through, but you figured by this point in your twenties everyone would just accept it. You’re old enough that you won’t be changed and it’s time for everyone to just accept it.

“Okay, well, next time the man you’ve loved for ten years shows up and asks you to run away with him you better call me. I love you!”

You return her admiration, smooching and making kissy noises into the microphone, before immediately ending the call and watching the screen fade to blissful blackness, no notifications for a moment. The television screen pans back to the newscasters who are still buzzing with your name and you know anonymity on this journey is a dream. 

Perhaps you should have known better from the start that it would be anything but a normal journey to travel by Satoru’s side but you have always been a little bit of a hopeless dreamer.

Your phone buzzes again and you sigh, looking down to see the name on the screen belongs to the man of the hour himself. Discarding your cereal bowl, you scramble to pick up the phone and press it to your ear.

“Did you see me?”

You snort, shaking your head while Espeon crawls across the counter to eavesdrop. 

“I did and you looked great. New suit?”

You swear you can hear how smug he sounds from the other end of the speaker and you roll your eyes for the tenth time in an hour, scooting back from the counter to bend at the waist and press your forehead against it. How are you still reacting to a crush this way at 25?

“Yeah somethin’ stupid they put me in to make me camera ready but I didn’t call for compliments although they’re appreciated,” you hum and giggle, wondering what he could have to say next. “Did you like my little shout out though?”

“No. I’ve been getting calls nonstop for fifteen minutes.”

Gojo chuckles and you want to wrap yourself in the sound like a warm blanket. It drips with his confidence but it’s the most beautiful sound you’ve ever heard and tomorrow’s deadline of his arrival to come get you starts to loom when your eyes fall on your half packed suitcase that is spread across the floor of your living room. To get your mind off of it, you switch gears and raise your brows, cheeks puffing out as you exhale.

“Satoru, can I ask you something?”

He hums affirmatively. His mind wanders a bit to what you could possibly ask or if you’re rethinking your commitment to take this journey with him. Was this morning too much? He has been reminded endlessly his whole life that he’s too much and from everyone else, it doesn’t bother him. From you, it would wound. He has always wondered what you really think of him, not just a fifteen year old version of you in a denim miniskirt with her mouth agape at his abilities. 

“Why did you invite me?”

He’s relieved you have no intention of wounding him after all and he plays off his relieved sigh with another chuckle, twisting his mouth to the side in the back of a car driving him from the PokeNews Network headquarters back to his high rise apartment in the city. The last two days have been a whirlwind of nonsense and he’ll be glad when the rush is over and the two of you are finally on the road to wherever the wind will take you next. The city rushes by outside of the tinted window and you wait for his answer, yanking your phone from your ear to scroll through your social media.

“Is it such a crime to want to get to know a pretty girl better?”

That’s the last answer you were expecting and it’s evident by the cough he hears on the other end of the phone. Espeon approaches you and rubs her head against your knuckles and you squint to read the name on the little dark screen.

“If you wanted a pretty girl I’m sure whoever @FlyHighGojo is must be pretty and would love to be by your side for the journey.”

Your eyes scan over the message in front of you eloquently listing out the ways you could never love the former Champion as much as whoever mans this account does and you laugh, swiping the app closed. He tilts his head, smiling despite himself. 

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Your rabid fangirls? They’re currently on my feed in droves and now they know what I look like so I’ll be shocked if I don’t have a crowd outside of my house by the end of the day.”

He sighs, thinking quickly on his feet. There’s no regret about mentioning you, in fact he’s proud he was finally able to do so since he thinks about you all the time, but he does feel bad that the droves are out and seething over it.

“I’ll come get you before they have the chance. Be ready by 5.”

Looking back at your half packed suitcase, you groan.

“Really?”

“Really. We’ll start tonight instead of tomorrow.”

“Okay, but give my question a real answer first.”

Words dance in Satoru’s head yet he struggles to string them together. How can he tell you it’s because he has had a crush on you for ten straight years without sounding utterly pathetic? This is the most powerful man in the League and certainly a figurehead of the culture of your life and that of all humans who love Pokemon, who would he be if he admitted seeing the look on your face that day has haunted him since?

He was in love at first sight, he has just always been too preoccupied to worry about it. Now, it’s all he can think about.

“I’ve always wanted to get to know you better and I’m running out of time to do it.”

He has been League Champion for eight years, unstoppable in every single way, and he’s willing to walk away from it just to spend time with you. Your heart feels so heavy and light at the same time, a lead filled balloon, and his honesty seals the deal.

“Perfect. I’ll be ready for you at five.”

Amusement is all you hear from the other end of the phone, his laughter making you grin. You make him feel so blissfully normal that he forgets to be embarrassed by his slip of his true feelings.

“That’s all you have to say?”

You hum affirmatively, mirroring his own response to your prior question.

“I don’t want to make you sick of me before we even leave so yes, for now.”

Although he thinks it would be impossible for him to ever get sick of you despite the little bit of distance that still remains between the two of you, he appreciates your forethought. This trip is a means to finally win you over, uninterrupted.

“Alright. I’ll see you at five.”

He ends the call with your goodbye and confirmation of the plan and holds his phone to his chest for a moment, shutting his eyes tightly. Most of what he knows about you is secondhand information fed to him by the same friend who just accosted you for your plans with him, the two of them close thanks to her relationship with his best friend. She has filled in every blank he has ever had when it comes to you and he finds himself indulging in imagining you filling in the rest of it during his ride home.

Yes, this is a chance to get to know a pretty girl better but you aren’t just a pretty girl. You’re you. Patient, kind, funny, gracious…he could go on but stops himself, raising a perfectly arched white brow while he looks out the window and into the limitless sky, as blue as his eyes.

It’s time for him to figure out who he is if not Champion and he can’t wait to do it by the side of the most patient person he has ever met.

[1863-project]

I’m not so sure the younger players starting out with Scarlet and Violet will appreciate the nuance of a character like Larry, because they haven’t had to fight for their survival in a capitalist society yet - at that age, their guardians are still fighting the fight for them.

But as an adult in my 30s, that shit hits HARD. I remember my time in grad school, where at one point I was simultaneously a full-time student, had an internship, and was working a job on the weekends. I went literal months without seeing my friends that semester. I was lonely and miserable and kept getting sick. I was doing something I loved in grad school and at my internship - archiving - but the job (a gig as a tour guide at a historic site) was sucking the life out of me. When I finally got out of that job and started applying to archival positions, my parents actually commented on how the tour guide work had been slowly killing me.

Spoilers for Scarlet and Violet below the cut.

Larry has a job he absolutely despises, probably because he felt like he had to get one to survive, because being a Pokemon trainer often doesn’t pay the bills - in fact, we do frequently see Gym Leaders in this franchise (and even Champions, in the case of Cynthia - an archaeologist - and Steven - the scion to a business) working actual jobs. It’s not lucrative and it’s not necessarily something you can survive on doing alone. Even my favorite characters in the franchise, Ingo and Emmet, run a public transit system alongside a battle facility. It’s the former that’s likely keeping their rent paid.

Larry has distinct skill as a battler - indeed, he’s both a Gym Leader and a member of the Elite Four, specializing in a different type for each (though with a Staraptor on both teams) - and he also has a distinct Poke Ball throw reminiscent of a sidearm pitcher’s windup (see here and here for more on that). But he also talks about his actual job, which he distinctly hates, and how he hopes the player character doesn’t have to use Facade in real life. Larry’s passions lie elsewhere - perhaps in Pokemon battling, or perhaps even in a potential baseball career cut short, if his throw is anything to go by - but capitalism forced him to take an office job, and he is miserable. It’s a distinct misery you understand once you’ve had a job eat you alive and leave you next to no time for your passions - or if it does leave you that time, it exhausts you so much that you can’t do them anyway.

He hasn’t lost his kindness, though - he treats the player character to dinner, and when you battle Nemona on even footing once you’re both at Champion Rank and all the Gym Leaders come to watch, he’s in the back, but he still takes time out of his schedule to make it. He’s doing his best despite being broken down by his job. And so many of us have been there, especially now that those of us who have played since Red and Blue are now in our 30s and 40s.

The kids whose first game is Scarlet or Violet might not quite get it yet. But for those of us who wrangle with capitalism on a daily basis, Larry hits too close to home, and it makes him a great character.

(I also suspect he might be an allusion to Game Freak’s employees being overworked by TPCi, but that’s a post for another day.)

[askmerriauthor]

Regarding this post I made earlier examining Geeta's antics in Paldea.

In Defense of Geeta

I feel like Geeta absolutely was written to be the shitty boss she is intentionally. There's too many situations where attention is drawn to her bad habits, either as them being directly pointed out or indirectly referenced. But what I really hope the case ends up being is that she's not at all a villain. Pokemon has gone the route of the suspicious CEO-type character being the "twist villain nobody could have seen coming!" for several games now. It's getting pretty old and I feel like it would be a weak direction for S/V to take.

Interestingly enough, one actually can look at all of Geeta's actions and not really see anything nefarious about them. Discussion after the jump for the sake of spoilers and wall'o'text.

It's very easy to look at Geeta and think she's a Bad Guy, given her strange behavior and all the negative attention she gets among the fandom. I'm certainly not innocent of seeing her in a less than endearing light, given my prior post. But a lot of that view does come from real world parallels and comparing the game's presentation to past Pokemon games in which nobody ever says the slightest criticism of the Champion, which may not necessarily be fair.

One of the biggest justifications Players have to indicate Geeta is bad is the way she meddles with the Gym Leaders and how corporate she's made the League. I pointed that out myself. But to flip it around... maybe she behaves that way because it's what the Gym Leaders need?

We constantly see Geeta inserting herself into events throughout the game. She shows up at the Academy, pops up at Gyms seemingly at random, and is always talking about how she has other pressing business that pulls her away from lingering too long. The only way she gets time to participate in casual encounters is when others (usually Nemona or the Player, if not both) take some of her workload off her plate. While I criticized the way Geeta had apparently deeply intertwined the Pokemon League, the Academy, and the Paldean economy itself, it does stand to reason doing so puts a ton of work on her having to maintain it. That's her own doing though, so it's a case of her getting what she signed up for and she never seems to shy away from it despite her habit of recruiting others to help.

The Gym Leaders, though? While they do remark about Geeta meddling with them, giving frequent reviews, and otherwise sticking her nose into their business, they've also shown that they're all pretty flaky. Rather, they're a total mess both individually and collectively. It's possible that the reason Geeta is constantly keeping an eye on them is because they need that in order to fit the direction Geeta is trying to guide the League in.

When we meet each of the Gym Leaders both in our first encounter and in the rematch post-game, we learn a lot about their behaviors through casual exposure. All of the Gym Leaders have a job besides running a Gym and, with the exception of Grusha, all of them show that running the Gym is by no means their top priority. Nor are any of them especially reliable when it comes to managing their Gyms. Based on past games, we're accustomed to Gym Leaders taking a large amount of pride in their position and holding it in esteem even when they also had other simultaneous jobs. We've seen Gym Leaders and Elite Four who were also artists, performers, athletes, CEOs, and such before. That's not the case with Paldea though; to these Gym Leaders, it's just a job and not necessarily one they put a lot of personal investment into compared to their actual passions/careers. It's mentioned that Geeta "strong-armed them" into taking on the role, which can be read that she went out of her way to convince strong, capable Trainers to become Gym Leaders for the sake of Paldea and because she saw the potential they held but weren't utilizing.

Katy flat-out forgot that she was under review and only appeared for the rematch by pure coincidence because she just so happened to visit that day. When we first meet Kofu, he and his assistant are both a totally scatterbrained mess. Iono only bothers with being a Gym Leader because it gets her viewership for her streamer career; if something else better came along, she'd surely jump for it immediately. Brassius is very upfront about his artistic passions being the number one thing in his life and openly abandons his responsibilities as a Gym Leader to pursue them during the rematch. Tulip's modeling career keeps her busy and she only has just enough time to show up for a brief match before immediately leaving to get back to her work. Ryme is more focused on her music career and wasn't even the original Gym Leader; that position belonged to her sister, Professor Tyme, who left the role to become a teacher. Larry, despite being the most vocal about his dislike of Geeta's habits, is also the most distracted as he has three simultaneous jobs and constantly works overtime. Finally, Grusha doesn't have any job besides being a Gym Leader, but that's only due to an injury that has made it impossible for him to pursue his original passion. That same injury has likewise cost him his motivation and drive to improve; he's only hanging onto his role as Gym Leader because he doesn't think he has anything else going for him now.

With all that in mind, it makes sense a rigid sort like Geeta would want to keep a close watch and short leash on all these unreliable personalities, doesn't it? She has to keep tabs on them because they risk failing the various Trainers who hope to challenge them otherwise, along with squandering their own potential. Geeta is always very open about her desire to foster powerful Trainers out of Paldea, if nothing else. After the rematch, all the Gym Leaders express a level of understanding and even appreciation toward Geeta for what she's done for them. Grusha and Larry stand out in particular, as they both confess that her meddling has helped motivate them to go beyond what they've settled into. Where Larry mentions that Geeta will dock his pay if he wastes time, he also mentions that she insists he stop overworking himself with overtime hours. So it's possible she's simultaneously trying to keep him focused without letting him overdo it as well.

When it comes to how corporate Geeta has made the League, that's not technically fair to say either. It's an easy shorthand but not entirely accurate. The goal of corporations is to make profit no matter what, but that's not really Geeta's motivation. She's not looking to get rich or powerful, but to rally as many genuinely powerful and talented Trainers up within Paldea as she can. That, in and of itself, isn't at all a bad thing and is commonly shared among all regions that have a League. While I criticize League Points as being company scrip, it does supply not just Trainers but all citizens of Paldea with an alternative way of funding themselves. This would include the Gym Leaders; despite common remarks (which I have made myself) about Geeta not paying the Gym Leaders a living wage, it's entirely possible they do indeed make plenty to thrive on and just have their non-Gym Leader job because that's their true passion that they want to put their effort into. Be it cash or League Points, they do have a salary. Larry himself mentions it outright, while Grusha and Brassius don't seem to be in any financial straits despite their unstable working conditions outside the Gyms. When it comes to the region's economy as a whole, subsidizing major commercial chains throughout the region just to make food and supplies more accessible can't be cheap; when you sell goods to the PokeMart for cash, you only get a fraction of the total value, but get significantly more (usually double) the value in League Points. Geeta's overall emphasis doesn't seem to be shaping the League and its sphere of influence within Paldea to make herself wealthy or powerful, but rather to make the whole affair as plainly efficient and self-sustaining as possible. In that regard, she's done a fantastic job.

When all is said and done, I genuinely hope Geeta isn't a villain but simply a boss with lofty visions, exacting demands, and absolutely terrible interpersonal skills. I feel like she'd be a lot more interesting that way in that she'd be a genuinely flawed person without her issues just being dismissed as "because she's the Bad Guy".

[loser-man-central]

Indigo Disk didn't go how it did actually it went like this

It starts the same up until we join the League we do have Gym Leaders and they don't have types as much as themes

Like

We have the art theme with Smeragle and other Pokemon known to be artsy

The Emo theme with Pokemon that just look cool

Stuff like that and they represent different cliches at school there is maybe 6 and they each give you BP like 500

Then the Elite four goes the same Kieran champion battle goes the same except at the end he's even more upset and storms off and when we're called to the office he just angrily glares at us until the prospect of a ultra powerful thing is brought up and then he's begging to come with

Drayton still doesn't come with but he does pull us to the side and says something like

"Im worried for Kieran he's

Not having fun with this anymore

I can't be bothered to come with but you

Watch over him will ya?"

Because I love Drayton I think he's silly (this is later going to be revealed that Drayton did wanna come but actually did business to do maybe through some random dialogue with some random kid saying "After you left Drayton sure did get busy trying to solve all the problems we have here at the League it was really shocking to see him be so responsible")

We go to Paldea and we should be able to see Kieran getting upset when we're asked to defeat the Stellar pokemon

Mrs.Briar keep pushing them to find that pokemon

That super powerful

All mighty

Pokemon

Which eventually leads to Kieran pulling it out maybe just a wittle bit getting overwhelmed with power and starting a Volo esque battle

That will make people cry and scream and kick

His Champion team but maybe like

Level 90 all terrastlized then Terrapogos Stellar Terrastlized of course

After beating him he gets super upset but collapses (maybe just a wittle bit hurts MC and Carmine not Mrs.Briar because she's more back) and wakes up later and starts to cry as even though he was obsessed with beating us he didn't want anyone to actually get hurt and gives up Terrapogos

He has the realization that no one can beat us because we're perfect in every way

That he doesn't need to have power to get friends he doesn't to beat us to have the honor of being close he and maybe the ending picture should include Orgepon also

This makes the game way longer and

A gateway drug to angst fanfics of Kieran still feeling the effects of having Terrastle energy inside him

I'm right Pokemon Co. Is wrong

[asterouslyaesthetic]

do you think the gym leaders+steven all text norman to let him know how his kid is doing

because norman is the only one with a kid among the gym leaders. wattson's got a niece but she lives outside of hoenn and drake from the elite four has grandkids but like he's not a gym leader

and it's just a way to bond with norman since he clearly loves his family and the only time he gets soft is thinking of them

like roxanne gets beaten by a lvl15 mudkip and nothing else, and when she asks why, the kid is like, "actually, i want to be a water type only trainer so that i can also be a gym leader"

she lets wallace know in the group chat that he has competition

steven casually drops the fact that his kid beat up a few team magma grunts and his dad is apparently very fond of norman's kid now to one of the others and it spreads like wildfire

brawly says that his kid's been camping out for like the past three days, trying to fish for a tentacool, and then they show up to battle with like 20 potions and their tentacool as their ace

wallace pipes in briefly to tell norman that he and his wife should turn on a specific channel and watch it together.

afterwards, norman jokes that his kid really is gunning for wallace's spot and thanks him for letting him see their kid branching out. wallace starts commenting more on them because lisia tells him a lot and he's kind of happy his niece has a good friend she can hang out with

wattson happily tells him about he caught them giving pointers to wally and how they gave their marshtomp bulldoze specifically for this match and won by the skin of their teeth

and also how they nearly got into a fight with the guy who gives advice because he was like "you can't fight with water types in an electric gym!"

flannery is oddly quiet when they come to town and that is because they end up befriending each other because they WANT to be a gym leader but they know they have to live up to their dad while flannery's already trying to live up to the sort of reputation one should have

all she says is "it's a secret"

norman shares a picture of him, his wife, and their kid at a restaurant he found specifically because they like that sort of food. in it, tentacool has evolved and they now corphish and surskit and a togepi

the togepi belongs to his wife now but he mentions that it makes for a great excuse for his kid to come home more often

steven says something about how they're very passionate and when prompted to speak more about the topic, he says they nearly fought with kecleon because it was preventing them from going into the gym

winona is grateful that they asked the kecleon to go away. she's the one who has the least amount of conversation with them but she does note them trying to convince gyarados to fly, then begrudgingly resigning themselves to being a land and water dweller

(steven has to laugh at that when wallace tells him.

he never says why but when he comes back from his travels, he has a swanna for them)

the twins hear about the kid being in town but the first time they meet is at the department store while they're arguing with a kid about the last slakoth plush. they pull the "my dad is a gym leader" card and when that fails, they end up resorting to a pokemon battle

everyone floods the chat with questions after the team magma/team aqua incident. norman shuts down the gym for a bit to be there for his kid and also do gym leader stuff and the only time the kid shows up on tv is a few days later when they're trying to get to the gym and a reporter stops them

they very confidently say they can be champion, but only if they can make it past through the reporter because they need their eighth badge

norman is SO proud

for wallace, he mentions how the first thing they say after beating him is asking him where he got his milotic from. they're actually extremely mad that they couldn't find any feebas and they didn't actually want to battle him without one but they also just want to head onto victory road

this actually jogs a memory of norman's, where he remembers that he took the family to petalburg before he moved to show them littleroot and just spend time with them while they're still in johto

and on one of the screens is wallace and milotic, and after that, the three of them decide to take some time to watch one of his contests on tv, which spurs a family tradition and the declaration that they will also have a milotic

he promised to get a feebas for them, but they turned him down so he kinda regrets not pushing it a bit more

so he like talks to his kid and they basically confirm his suspicions

milotic = happy memories so my own milotic = more happy memories and since i want to be a gym leader like my old man = water types only

it's all very wholesome

norman can't stay away from petalburg much longer and his kid doesn't want him to watch the matches because they're afraid of an ungraceful showing, but they do promise to send a photo with steven after the match and verbal confirmation from the latter that they won

also norman's kid just looks up to their dad so much, like the coolest person ever, and once they become champion, they go to him for advice on pokemon—it's a running joke in the family that it should be the other way around since they're the youngest champion in hoenn

as for the feebas, someone from the weather institute finds out that they want one so they call norman to tell his kid this secret for a guaranteed feebas

the next beauty master rank has people making the spiderman meme because wallace also enters with a milotic. he wins the battle, but they win the day because their parents come to watch them and they spend the entire day together

[your-dearest-sunshine]

Helllooo there!! I wanna rq a ingo & Emmett with a s/o who has a legendary? like any legendary (victini, dialga, palkia, articuno etc..) idrc what legendary I just want s/o to be very op :D

Ingo and Emmet x Champion!Reader w/ a Legendary

thank you for your patience mikki!! i love making the reader character OP so i’ll take every opportunity to do so…so in that case you now have a mega evolving legendary AND you’re the champion of a region :D (if anyone says that diancie is a mythical and not a legendary, i’ll go off istg) also, by writing this, i fell in love with diancie so tysm for making me appreciate a new pokemon!!

word count: ~1.3k for Ingo, ~1.6k for Emmet

//

Ingo ▲

Ingo wasn’t expecting an invitation to the Pokémon World Tournament. Usually only gym leaders were invited, but he received a notice with his name on it all the same.

Turns out, Roxie had an amazing opportunity to play a gig in Galar, so she had to pull out of her spot and they needed a replacement. While they couldn’t find another poison-type specialist, Ingo had a Garbodor. Apparently that was good enough for the tournament’s board.

Looking at the bracket, Ingo recognized many of the names: Marlon, Cheren, Lenora…but there was a name that stood out. It was the name of the trainer he’d be facing in the first round.

The name bounced around his head, never landing on a face or a title. He didn’t have the opportunity to search the internet to find out who it was because his team was prodding him, anxious to battle.

Before he knew it, Ingo was walking onto the stage, surrounded by screaming fans.

He was a Unovan native, and the proximity between Driftveil and Nimbasa meant he was very well known here. The crowd cheered him on during his entrance.

But the crowd deafened him for yours.

There you stood across from him, the lights shimmering around your form. A steely frown sat on your face, eyes unwavering from his. It was as if you were trying to intimidate him.

It was working.

Of course, how could he forget your name? You were the infamous Champion of Kalos, the one who breezed through the region in two weeks. You had flown through all eight gyms in twelve days, taking a day’s rest before fighting the Elite Four and Champion back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back.

Turns out, you trained for years before ascending to Champion’s status. You were an Ekans lying in the grass, waiting for the perfect time to snap.

And so, the second you pulled out Diancie, the famed bejeweled legendary, Ingo knew this would be difficult.

Fairy types weren’t common in Unova, but Ingo was smart enough to know that Poison was super effective against it. He summoned Garbodor from its capsule, thinking he could get the upper hand.

However, after seeing Diancie Mega Evolve, Ingo knew he was mistaken.

Diancie ended the battle in three turns—one attack for each of his Pokémon. He didn’t stand a chance.

When Ingo tried to approach you in the center of the field to congratulate you, you just gave a simple nod at him and walked away. He was so busy staring at your legendary that he didn’t notice that your expression hadn’t changed. You looked practically emotionless.

Ingo ended up staying the rest of the tournament despite his epic crash-and-burn in the first round. You won the tournament soundly.

Now that he thought of it, he doesn’t know if he saw you use a single Pokémon other than Diancie. She was just that strong.

He wanted to approach you and ask about your team and how you trained them to take Kalos by storm, but there was so much commotion afterwards around your presence that he didn't bother.

Was he disappointed he didn't get to speak to you? Yes, but you were a revered Champion. Trainers like you don’t bother with people like him.

He should consider himself lucky to even have battled you—especially since it was under such odd circumstances.

As Ingo walked across Driftveil Drawbridge back to Nimbasa, he heard the shuffling of footsteps behind him.

“Diancie, please wait—!”

Ingo turned around to see you and Diancie running at him. Well, in all honesty, Diancie levitated quickly in his direction and pulled you along.

From the looks of it, you seemed to have no say in this action.

Upon reaching him, Diancie released your sleeve and spun behind Ingo. Her small hands then shoved him forward with a surprising amount of strength.

He’s sent stumbling into you, hands gripping your shoulder while yours found the fabric of his coat in an attempt to stay upright.

“Ah, dear Champion! I give you my sincerest apologies. Are you alright?”

Ingo’s silver eyes landed on your flustered expression. Your mouth quivered in embarrassment and you struggled to form a sentence.

“I, umm…I tried, well—Diancie, she, I didn’t mean…I’m so sorry!”

You released Ingo and stepped back. Heat flowed through your cheeks, completely embarrassed at the situation.

After hearing a soft cry from Diancie, you whip your head towards your legendary Pokémon. She’s holding onto Ingo’s arm and trying to tug him closer to you. You feel mortified.

“Diancie, what are you doing?”

You hissed the words through your teeth, but Diancie paid no mind to your scolding. Instead, she grinned at you brightly.

‘Trainer, look at this one! He’s perfect for you, trust me!’

Sometimes you loved Diancie’s telepathy, sometimes you didn’t. This was the latter.

Diancie had tried to set you up on dates in the past, but you were never good with people. Every one of these interactions left you red and flustered.

“Do not worry over this, Champion. I am very grateful to be in the presence of you and such a powerful and illustrious Pokémon.”

You nearly do a double take. How long has it been since someone put up with your stammering? Put up with your lack of charisma?

“Oh…I, well…”

“I am also very glad you came here. I was intimidated by your silence before, and then I didn’t get the opportunity to speak with you.”

Diancie laughed at Ingo’s words and your stomach successfully performed a summersault.

‘Intimidating? You’re mistaken, Subway Boss Ingo! My trainer here just isn’t as good at talking as they are at battling.’

Ingo should’ve questioned the fact that Diancie was speaking to him in his head, but he didn’t. There were always rumors that legendaries had abilities like this, and Ingo didn’t want to scare you both away by asking needless questions.

“You…run the Battle Subway in Nimbasa, right?”

You struggled to make eye contact with Ingo while speaking, but it was your only way to get him focused on you again. You could tell Diancie spoke to him, but you couldn’t hear what she said.

Surprised at your knowledge, Ingo stiffened and grabbed his cap.

“Ah, yes! My twin brother and I are the engines of Nimbasa’s Battle Subway. I am shocked someone of your stature knows about it and us.”

Your arms wrapped around your stomach and your eyes landed on Diancie, your beloved Pokémon brought you comfort. It was hard to make conversation with someone so attractive.

“I…I really love all the world’s battle facilities. I, um, I grew up in Kalos’ Kiloude’s city—”

“That’s where the Battle Maison is!”

Excitement filled your chest and you stared Ingo right in the eyes.

“Yes! Yes it is!”

You lit up at Ingo’s recognition. The Battle Maison wasn’t one of the world’s most well-known battle facilities like Sinnoh’s Battle Tower or Hoenn’s Battle Frontier. It felt amazing to be noticed.

“It would be an honor to have you battle in our subway, dear Champion.”

Your and Ingo’s hands are swept up by Diancie like a child between two parents. The Pokémon then pulled you and the Subway Boss towards Nimbasa City.

‘What are we waiting for? To the Battle Subway we go!’

Ingo wanted to tell you that Diancie is actually banned from participating in the battles at the subway, but your brilliant smile made him forget.

You looked much more relaxed now then you did at the tournament, and Ingo relaxes beside you.

People tended to judge your abilities as Champion after having a conversation with you, but you felt none of that criticism from Ingo.

Okay, maybe Diancie was right about this one…

Emmet ▽

Team Plasma was worse this time around.

Two years ago, when they spread their word through speeches and rarely acted with outward violence, it was easy to counteract them.

But now, things were not so easy.

This time, they were not held back by the members who truly cared about Pokémon, they did not hide behind a false and kind façade, and they did not follow a victimized and manipulated king.

Without their shackles, the rejuvenated Team Plasma pillaged and stole wherever they saw fit. They were feared across the region, and nobody knew where they would strike next.

Under Alder, the previous Champion, Emmet, Ingo, and countless other prevalent trainers in Unova were collected to form a coalition against Team Plasma.

But Plasma’s unpredictability allowed them to continuously slip through the cracks of the region.

Every day, their grunts grew stronger alongside the Seven Sages, who always seemed to have an escape plan. Even if someone on the Anti Plasma Coalition had anyone backed into a corner, the Shadow Triad was there to save them. Without Brycen’s expertise, they were impossible to see and track.

As much as Emmet tried to help, he was tied to Nimbasa City with his brother and Elesa. The other gym leaders had their responsibilities too. So, despite Alder’s efforts of uniting Unova’s strongest trainers, there was no result.

But then Team Plasma’s Frigate escaped Driftveil’s harbor, and Alder knew he had to call in backup.

Emmet was excited when Alder personally reached out to him to assign him to watch Opelucid City. Alder had explained that he believed Plasma was looking for the DNA Splicers and that he wanted a few extra trainers in the vicinity in case anything went awry.

While Emmet was eventually informed that he was chosen only because he wasn’t a gym leader and that Ingo could run Gear Station by himself, he was a little saddened. But, nevertheless, Emmet traveled to Opelucid.

Emmet was asked to patrol the city and keep an eye out for anything odd. He had Archeops in the sky and Eelektross by his side.

While Emmet could admire the mix of old and new skyscrapers of the city, he still couldn't help but think how much he missed Nimbasa.

Then, storms of Team Plasma grunts started marching out of side-streets in droves. From all directions, people clad in black with Pokémon by their side swarmed the center street.

Simultaneously, Emmet heard the deafening squawk of Archeops. Her voice carried clear through the chaos, making Emmet’s eyes turn to the sky.

A very familiar airship loomed in the distance, approaching the city at an alarming rate. It was Plasma’s Frigate again.

There were two events that needed his attention: Plasma’s oncoming airship and their marching wave of grunts. Emmet could only choose one. Without his twin by his side, Emmet started to stall.

Eelektross moved late, due to a lack of a command from his trainer, but still managed to shield Emmet from the oncoming sludge bomb from an opposing Garbodor. Emmet hadn’t even seen it coming.

Luckily, Eelektross didn't need to take a hit at all.

Within the time it took Emmet to blink, two floating figures stood between the sea of Plasma grunts and Eelektross. A shield of purple wavy light shimmered when hit by the sludge, but the attack fizzled out uselessly afterwards.

“You’re lucky we showed up when we did, or your partner would’ve been decommissioned before the battle even started.”

Emmet’s attention was dragged to the two levitating figures in front of him.

One of them was a lavender and orchid shaded Pokémon with deadly red eyes. Emmet was taken aback by how soulless they looked. It looked like a Pokémon he knew, but not quite.

Next to it, surrounded in an aura of pale pink, floated you.

Suddenly everything clicked.

Was Emmet informed that there would be another trainer in the city with him as backup sent by Alder? Yes, yes he was.

Was he informed that the backup trainer would be you, the acclaimed Champion of Kanto? No, no he was not.

“I am Emmet, one of the Bosses of Nimbasa Subway. And you are the Champion of Ka—“

“This is no time for conversation! Mewtwo, psystrike!”

Your voice cut him off before you ordered your legendary to summon pulsing energy into its palms.

Mewtwo sent his signature attack towards the swarm of grunts without remorse, carving the group down the middle like the Mauville Sea.

The explosion that followed deafened his ears, and the scared screams of the villains pierced his brain. You and your partner didn’t even waver.

There had been countless rumors over the past decade about Mewtwo’s existence and nature. After being mistreated by the scientists who created it, Mewtwo is said to have the most savage heart of all Pokémon.

And, from what he has just seen, Emmet doesn’t find it within himself to outwardly oppose that sentiment.

“You handle this crowd here, Emmet. We’ll take the airship.”

Mewtwo and you flew off towards the Frigate at breakneck pace, the path you took through the clouds is the only remnant of you Emmet is left with.

Revitalized by your powerful presence, Emmet unleashed all four of his partners on the oncoming Plasma grunts.

Halfway through the grunts, Emmet eventually realized that he wasn’t alone.

Five Pokémon autonomously fought Plasma grunt after Plasma grunt. They worked side by side with his own team.

A Venusaur took hits and healed itself back up time after time, providing support to a nearby Ninetales who held back any rogue trainers with flamethrower.

Then, back to back, a Kabutops and Nidoking slashed and swiped anyone in their way. They moved in sync and took everything down in one hit. Nothing more, nothing less.

And, only because he was trained to see it, Emmet saw a Jolteon who flashed through the field, sparking enemies left, right, and center. Emmet even saw it nuzzle his Eelektross and Galvantula to give itself a boost before it headed back out into the wave of Team Plasma.

Other than him, there was no trainer in sight. They all acted on sheer instinct. Emmet was smart enough to put together who they belonged to.

A siren pulsated through the air and all of Team Plasma turned tail and retreated. While Emmet could have pursued them, his goal was to protect Drayden and the DNA splicers, not follow Team Plasma.

In a moment of respite, Emmet started to treat his Pokémon with potions and snacks. However, before he knew it, the Subway Boss was feeding nine Pokémon, yours included.

“How did it go, Emmet?”

Emmet nearly jumped out of his shoes at the sound of your voice behind him. You watched him with careful, but kind, eyes as he was caught red-handed hugging your Kabutops.

“Hello, Champion! It is nice to see you again. Team Plasma was not a problem. Your Pokémon were verrrry helpful as well.”

You moved close to Emmet, grabbing his hands without words and positioning them on Kabutops in the places you know he liked to be petted. Kabutops sharpened his scythes together in glee.

As you situated Emmet with your fossil, Emmet’s fossil Pokémon perches on your shoulders. Archeops rubbed her cheeks against the top of your head. She let out a hum of content when you reached up and scratched under her chin.

After he noticed a few of Archeops’ feathers become dislodged from her wings and land in your hair, Emmet grinned even brighter than normal. You looked radiant, and he couldn’t help but notice how comfortable his Pokémon already were in your presence.

Your forwardness with contact before spurred Emmet onward as he stepped up to you. His fingers reached to untangle the colorful feathers.

‘Get your hands off my trainer.’

Emmet was stunned by two things. 

One, your Mewtwo, now back in its original state, spoke to him in his mind. 

And two, your Mewtwo threatened him. 

The Pokémon’s tone was generally neutral, but it was clipped with a small amount of malice.

However, Mewtwo didn’t know Emmet never backed away from a challenge.

“Well, Mewtwo, your trainer here seems to be enjoying it.”

You acted quickly after you noticed the way Mewtwo started to snarl. You scooped up Emmet’s hands into your own and held them in front of you while you maneuvered in between your legendary Pokémon and the Subway Boss.

“Please don’t provoke him, Emmet! Nothing good will come of it.”

Mewtwo gripped your shoulders and pulled you back from Emmet’s grasp.

‘We do not know who you are. Stay away from my trainer.’

You strained a laugh. Mewtwo took a long time to trust you and your team, so you are not surprised to see that he doesn’t trust Emmet.

However, Mewtwo was right. You didn’t know Emmet, but you would really like to.

“If you would like to see more of me, please visit the Nimbasa Battle Subway! I would be verrrry happy to see you and your team there.”

“We’ll take you up on that, thanks!”

Everyone on your team made noises of happiness, except Mewtwo of course.

‘I will crush you in your small, metal tube.’

Emmet laughed mockingly, smile becoming sharp as his eyes narrowed at your legendary.

“Funnily enough, you cannot! Legendaries are banned from Subway. So I’ll be seeing your lovely little trainer here all alone.”

The mega stone on your wrist warmed with Mewtwo’s growing anger and desire to fight.

Yeah, this relationship is going to be a work in progress…

//

y’all idk why but i started writing this in the past tense and once i realized it i was too far gone omg present tense my beloved i’m sorry i betrayed you this was so difficult for me. this is totally not beta read so if you see any mistakes, pls ignore them for my sanity. anyways, hope you liked it!! <33

[youllallriseintheink]

I feel like Nemona would want to be head champion, an elite four member, *and* a gym leader. She knows that it would be a little boring to see the same person three times on your journey, though, so she has the solution: a different name, type specialty, stage persona, and Clive-level disguise for each.

And yes, she would absolutely end up breaking character out of excitement.

[alolanrain]

(Ash is 24 and Raihan is 26)

Non-HAO!Au where Ash and Raihan finally decide to get a house because their adults have have been together for a while at this point. They decide to live in Galar, making frequent visits to Kanto when they can between both of their schedules, and Ash’s friends fucking corner him. Basically vomiting up information he should absolutely know to make sure he and Raihan get a good house. The do’s and don’t and all that.

Ash’s Unovian friends scare him with stories about HOA’s and evil neighbor Karen’s. Even though Galar’s neighbor hood’s are very different then Unova’s, Ash is determined not to fall in love with a house in an HOA. Despite how many times Raihan has told Ash that the don’t exist in Galar and that his fear is wholly unfound.

It’s already hard because Ash is picky about his house. He wants it out in the countryside. Wants a garden like his mom and room for their Pokémon to enjoy and tumble about to the full extent. He prefers a more older look. Brick houses, long gravel road and preferably plenty of trees surrounding the potential future house.

Raihan, the simp legend that he is, is on board but I’m one condition. He wants a more futuristic house. He’s tired of living in old buildings, he lives and works in the oldest gym in Galar already. He’s tired of this shit. So they settle on a compromise; Raihan gets to pick the house and Ash gets to decorate.

Of course their not monsters to each other. Each gets a say regardless as it’s both their future home. It’s lucky that Raihan prefers warmth and comfort over the cold sleekness of what designers dare to call furniture now. He grew up in that kind of cold home and refused to let it deep into his. Not when his love deserves the soft security he’s been denying himself these days do to stress of both their jobs.

It was almost an international league PR scandal since Ash is the Champion of Alola and Raihan is the strongest gym leader of Galar. It’s a rule that gym leaders and other league members like the Elite Four and the Champions can’t date each other, Steven and Wallace excluded because they were engaged before Wallace started going for Steven’s throat on the battle field, and ever more if it’s a colleague from across the pond. The kicker is that the last part is just unspoken. Ex-nay on the dating someone from a different league isn’t written in the rules. Just them coming out dating alone had caused such waves of support and backlash.

Another reason to move somewhere discreet so no one can fuck with them.

If people found out they were finally moving in together at the ages of 24 and 26 after a three year relationship after meeting each other in Unova during a drag type convention during Ash’s later travels in the region.

Low and fucking behold, the perfect house that they both love. It’s a 5 and a half acres in the woodlands that surround a medium sized town just between Hammerlocke and Turffield near the river. The gravel road does come into a more modern neighborhood. Besides the entrance to their property the street is a dead end to anyone else. They fully expect not to know their neighbors and Ash is fine with that. They have no kids and their friends are scattered across the continent and they could just call them. The time spent at their house is theirs and theirs alone with each other. It’s not going to be often with what their work demands of them.

The house is nice and more futuristic looking then modern but the space house design blends well with Ash’s choice of furniture and decorations. The most important part is that the real estate, that Leon recommends still he was blue in the face, took Ash’s fear in stride. Assuring both of them that she checked, double checked them triple checked their house wasn’t in an HOA. Raihan couldn’t be even more thankful for her and offers to pay more so she gets a bigger commission from the sale. It’s not like both Ash and him are even near strapped for cash after all.

So it’s just their luck when a person comes knock-knock knocking on their door as they were relaxing, finally unloading the last of their collective stuff into their new place. It’s a women, obvious Unovian descent and with an okay Galaran accent. Obviously learned through passing and not born with it. Before Ash or Raihan could even get a worse out, the woman let out the sentence that set Ash’s heart to his stomach and Raihan’s stress through the roof.

“Hi my name is Karen, I’m the president of the HOA here, let me be the first one to welcome you two to the neighborhood.”

Leon’s prized estate seller has some explaining to do.

[wingsofachampion]

OOC

Alright, this has been on my mind for several days now, and I need to say it.

I absolutely adore the gym leader/elite four/champion blogs on here. And they deserve more appreciation!

So I'm gonna go through them and shout out as many as I can!

My apologies if I miss some. Despite my efforts, I'm not following every single Pokemon IRL blog out there, and my memory isn't the best.

Shoutouts are under the cut!

@artyburgh - I had no idea who Burgh was before this blog, but I do now! I love his relationship with Grimsley, it's adorable! And I love how passionate he is about bug-types, it's lovely to see!

@grimsley-official - I love how this person writes Grimsley, he's so intriguing! I love how he still has a gambling side as shown by the dress betting, and I love his relationship with Burgh!

@underground-boss-clay - A lovely new blog with the gym leader of Tropius' new hometown! I love the shenanigans that happen here, and Clay is surprisingly sweet! The other characters here are fantastic, too. Mildred from PR is great.

@piers-official - I think this was the first of the League Crew (that's what I'm calling this group now) blogs I followed? And oh boy, what an introduction! I love learning about Piers and Marnie, and seeing the shenanigans they get up to.

@rockstar-roxie - I haven't seen this one around a lot, but I gotta shout this one out for starting the music ask games. Thank you, I've had so much fun with those!

@prestigepreceptcenterpregym - Doesn't quite fit in with the rest, but that's perfectly fitting for Justy, the sole gym leader of Orre. This blog is absolutely hilarious, and Justy is such a magnificent jerk.

@a-real-champion-time - Leon! A newer blog, with Tropius' favorite champion, the one she got a plushie of months ago! I literally laughed in glee when I saw that this blog existed, and I adore the shenanigans Leon has already been up to.

@darkpunkrocker - Another blog I haven't seen around too much, but I love the interactions Sidney and Tropius have had so far, and I enjoy whenever he pops up on my dash.

@stow-on-side-ghosts - Oooooh, spooky! Love the air of mystique with this blog, and the air of dread that's simultaneously welcoming and friendly at the same time.

@legendsobsessions - Cynthia! Probably my favorite take on Cynthia, by one of my favorite authors! I love her and Tropius' interactions, each teaching each other so much.

@ballonleastadiumofficial - Saving my absolute favorite for last! I ADORE this blog! I could not care less about Bede before, but this blog has made him one of my favorite mainline Pokemon characters, and I love how much extra character you've given him, with his conflicting feelings about Rose and all! Aaaaaaa!

Thank you all so much for running your blogs, and I look forward to many more interactions with you all!

[mochamoth]

I'm bored so here's my favorite type of each pokemon character (I will probably draw these later!)

By "type of character" I'm referring to story wise. Examples are Rivals, Professors, Gym Leaders ect!

Professor🌱:

Probably going to have to go with Juniper! I don't care much for the professors but bw2 were my first games so strong bias towards her!

Rival💥:

This time it's not bias, I just adore Hugh. He's a stern mess and I love it. Made him and my insert oc besties because again bw2 were my first games!

Gym Leader💪:

This one was a bit tougher. I have a few. If I had to choose I do adore Roxie's aesthetic, that and Scolipede is my 2nd favorite bug type. Runner ups would be Skyla, Valerie, Piers, or Gordie.

Trial Captain🐾:

Mina hands down. No explanation.

Kahuna🌺:

Hapu surprisingly. Nanu is close but I just adore Hapu and her Mudsdale!

Evil Team Admin🥀:

Another tough one 😭 I can't pick between Plumeria and Tabitha. I love them sm equally so I'm gonna let this tie slide.

Evil Team Leader☠️:

... Guzma. Duh.

Elite Four Member💫:

None of the elite four members really stick out in my mind. Drasna is probably my favorite, she reminds me of Hiccup's mom.

Champion✨️:

I might get backlash for this but Iris. I'm a little gen 5 bias I'm sorry, but like Iris is adorable and silly. Cynthia and Diantha are close runner ups though!

Main Protagonist❤️:

Selene, mostly because I had a huge sun and moon phase in middle school and Selene's blank stare was just funny to me.

Sorry if I missed any character tropes in pokemon 😭 I didn't know what category to put them in!! And my tastes change a lot so who knows, maybe this will be outdated soon lol.

[foxoftheasterisk]

hi y'all want to hear about this pokémon challenge run i made up? yes you do

it's significantly more complicated than a Nuzlocke (not hard given that has literally two rules) but i feel it wins out on Feel, style of challenge, and which parts are most challenging

so anyway i present to you:

The Average Trainer challenge

(This is best played with the use of a randomizer, but rules for vanilla are also provided)

Rule 1: Normal Starter

Instead of the regular starter, you start with a Normal-type pokémon.

If using a randomizer, you should replace the starters offered with random first-stage Normal pokémon. Lists for each generation follow:

Otherwise, as soon as you can obtain poké balls, go to the first route, catch the first Normal-type pokémon you encounter, and release your starter.

Rule 2: Party Loyalty

Once you catch a pokémon, you cannot remove it from your party.

... except if it dies. Also, deliberately killing your pokémon to remove them from the party is strictly forbidden.

You also can't catch excess pokémon and store them in the PC.

Rule 3: Only the willing

You may only catch Pokémon that seek you out.

(Ok, that's not really the rule, but i couldn't make this one pithy, sue me.)

Only the first pokémon you encounter in an area may be caught. However, this resets after defeating a gym leader or losing one of your pokémon.

(In Alola, both types of trial reset this.)

Also, you may never catch a second pokémon of the same evolutionary line, even if the first has died. (If the first pokémon in an area is a duplicate, that still uses up your opportunity!)

Also, you may not accept gift pokémon, trades, eggs, or fossil pokémon, nor may you catch legendaries or mythicals. Other static encounters (such as voltorb or drifloon) are allowed.

Rule 4: Rules of Battle

In battle against other trainers, you have a limited number of items or switch-outs to use.

This is the complicated one.

A bailout is defined as use of an active item or switching out a usable pokémon.

Using held items—even single use ones like Berries—does not count as a bailout. You may also withdraw a non–fainted pokémon without counting it as a bailout if it has less than 50% (yellow or red) health or a non–volatile status effect, but if you do, you cannot use it again this battle.

Different types of trainers have different rules of engagement.

League battles, like those against gym leaders, elite four, champions, and kahunas, are the strictest. You may only use as many pokémon as your opponent, and you may use a number of bailouts equal to half that number, rounded down.

Battles with most trainers are civilized. In such battles you may use all your pokémon, but only a number of bailouts equal to half your opponent's number of pokémon, rounded up.

A brutal battle, such as one against wild pokémon or villain teams, has no limits to the number of bailouts used.

Rule 5: Less rules, more risk

The looser the rules of engagement, the greater the risk of death.

Brutal battles carry a high risk of death; if your pokémon faints in a brutal battle, and a single turn of battle passes, that pokémon is dead. (Any amount of time outside of battle is fine, but if another battle starts, the pokémon will die.)

This includes a turn in which you run away! However, if you run before sending out your next pokémon, your fainted pokémon is safe. (For now.)

In civilized battles, trainers make some effort not to kill their opponents. However, it's not foolproof, and if your pokémon faints in a civilized battle, it will die if you enter another battle.

League battles are highly regulated, and pokémon who faint in a league battle have no risk of death.

Rule 6: All battles matter

If you lose any battle, you lose the game.

Rule 7: Limited supplies

You may never buy revival items, nor may you obtain more than one by any individual renewable means.

Revival items include, but may not be limited to, Revive, Max Revive, and Rare Candy.

Rule 8: Battle experience only

You may not use the Daycare, Exp. All, Exp. Share, or any other source of non-battle experience.

Rare Candy is the one exception.

Also, you may not use experience boosters such as the Lucky Egg.

One last thing...

These rules are not meant to restrict your use of HMs. Pokémon you use only as HM slaves may ignore all of these rules; however, you may never use them in battle.

Also, randomizer restrictions!

These rules are designed for the normal distribution of wild pokémon; therefore, if you wish to randomize wild pokémon, you must use the "global 1–to–1" and "similar strength" options. (If not using the Ultimate Pokémon Randomizer, these may have different names.) However, you may also play with only the starters changed. (I tend to find a trio of runs with each set of wild pokémon—including the vanilla set—is a reasonable number to use and not get bored.)

I usually also use the "change impossible evolutions", "use time based encounters" and "don't use legendaries" (for wild pokémon), and "national dex at start" options. You don't have to use these, but I recommend it.

I tend to find that randomizing wild pokémon but not trainer pokémon makes the game a little easier (at least at the start), so you may want to randomize trainer pokémon to avoid that. If you do, I strongly recommend also using the "similar strength" and "type themed gyms" options.

I don't recommend randomizing items or pokémon traits, but you do you.

That's it! Go play!

[nyaagolor]

SV PMD AU!

A few people asked for more details on this so I threw down some basic plot stuff

Some context up front: My version of the SV protagonist is a girl named Violeta who happens to be a Faller, so this is not the first and not the last dimension she gets yoinked into. Other than that it’s pretty standard fare for a PMD protag— she wakes up as a Pokemon (Sprigatito) with no memories except her name, finds another Pokemon (the ‘raidon) and is tortured with assorted visions as she levels up her exploration team and achieves various plot related milestones

The ‘raidon has a past / future way of speaking and is embarrassed about their accent— combined with the trauma of being attacked by the other ‘raidon leaves them selectively mute and extremely shy. I haven’t really thought of much beyond that for the raidon so uh. That’ll happen eventually

In terms of worldbuilding, there are actually two guilds instead of just one. The first is for kids / novice adventurers (aka a parallel to the academy) and run by Clavell (a drampa). The “teachers” are just upper level guild-members who spend time with and train new recruits. They’re all capable in their own right and often team up to go on missions and whatnot, but feel strongly about teaching and want to help nurture the new generation of explorers, so they’re full-time guild employees / members. 

By contrast, the second guild is a parallel to the League, and consists exclusively of high-level adventurers who have proven their worth and gotten admission approval from the guildmaster Geeta. Most (the gym leaders) are part-timers, doing their regular jobs in the town for most of the time and going on missions when instructed to by the League. The strongest among them are the Elite Four, who also run a gauntlet of battles to test whether an explorer / team can reach “champion rank”. They have considerably more work than the gym leaders and go on way more missions, being practically full time

Just like SV I imagine this AU having three “storylines” corresponding to the three paths you can take in the game:

Victory Road is all about the protagonist trying to keep up with Nemona, a champion-ranked Pawmi explorer who strangely doesn’t have a partner. She begs the protagonist to join her exploration team, which everyone around them seems weirded out by, and after talking with Clavell you learn Nemona hasn’t been able to keep a team member for more than like A Month because of her… everything. She’s extremely powerful, but also reckless and oblivious, so every one of her partners has either gotten overwhelmed by her and quit for gotten injured while they tried and failed to keep up with her, quitting afterwards. She’s more or less cycled through everyone in the academy, unable to hold down a proper team because everyone thinks she’s Too Much. Also she’s an electric type so she zaps everyone and everything around her if she gets too excited which is always. Clavell expresses hope that the protagonist can match her pace and maybe bring the both of them to greater heights— if the protagonist doesn’t get fed up with her and quit like everyone else. 

Path of Legends is about Arven, a (shiny) Poochyena trying to heal his uncle figure, Mabosstiff, who was hurt protecting him when the two went into a dangerous dungeon called “Area Zero” looking for Arven’s missing parents. The protagonist soon learns that Mabosstiff is a former outlaw who has since retired, so Arven can’t risk asking anyone in the guild for help without Mabosstiff getting arrested or worse. He enlists the protagonist to travel with him to dungeons and fight the Titan pokemon guarding the Herba Mystica on each dungeon’s final floor so they can hopefully heal his buddy. As they travel with the ‘raidon and eat the delicious sandwiches Arven whips up from the herbs, the ‘raidon gains more abilities and the protagonist gains more memories as the visions get clearer. ~The Plot Thickens~. I have literally zero ideas about The Way Home or how the professors fit into this so not sure what those visions or plot things are quite yet

Starfall Street is all about the protagonist taking on outlaws from the devious Team Star, a group of unknown criminals named after constellations who take over mystery dungeons, steal jobs, and snag items before guild members can get to them. A mysterious newcomer named Clive joins the protagonist along with Penny, a strange vigilante Eevee who isn’t part of the guild but wants to provide support to the protagonist in the form of items and other goodies. When the reach the first outlaw, however, and “Segin” is revealed to be a Murkrow named Giacomo who is no older than the protagonist and Penny, Clive and the protagonist starts to wonder what exactly is going on with these strange band of criminals— or if they’re even criminals at all. To get to the bottom of it, they vow to defeat and get the real story from each of the five bosses, untangling the mystery and making it all the way up to the Big Boss themself, Cassiopeia. 

I have no ideas for No Way Home ngl. Wishes are going to be a big part of it I think but honestly I got nothing atm. No idea how I’m going to incorporate the gym leaders into Nemona’s plot or how I’m going to end that either. Gyms don’t really lend themselves well to PMD so I’m at a bit of a loss with her. I’m also not super sure if I want the rivals to be present for just their storylines or not. On one hand the ‘raidon being the partner kinda works and the rivals shuffle out to keep from crowding things but on the other it might be cool to have all of them join so the protagonist has this big ol RPG party. 

The only route I have an ending for is Starfall Street. It’s revealed the now-admins of Team Star used to be part of the guild, but bullied a lot but other members. They eventually dressed up in their silly little costumes and challenged their bullies to battle in a whole theatrical performance, but the bullies were so scared they abandoned the guild to move to another, stealing / destroying some things on the way out and pinning the blame on the admins as a last-word kinda revenge. Team Star was accused of driving out the missing members, property destruction, and theft— and as such were ousted from the guild and labeled outlaws. The previous guildmaster eventually did realize Team Star was falsely accused, but fearing the truth would destroy the academy guild’s reputation, he erased all records of who Team Star was outside of species / hideout location and then resigned, leaving the new staff and guildmaster clueless as to what was really going on with Team Star. Clavell and the rest of staff didn’t realize that the admins’ “takeover” of different areas was just making the dungeons into a place to sleep, and that they were actually doing the “stolen jobs” to make money and get food so they wouldn’t go hungry. When Clive finally gets to the bottom of it all, he reinvites Team Star back into the guild and shares the truth with the rest of the guild’s students and staff to help make up for it. 

This is super open-ended so I’m very open to suggestions about it :) 

A very unsure pokemon list atm:

THE IMPORTANT ONES

Protagonist: Starter (I have my protag OC Violeta as a Sprigatito but tbh it doesn’t matter much)

Nemona: Pawmi

Arven: Shiny Poocyena

Penny: Eevee (debating on making her shiny as well bc of the grey)

Sada: Mightyena

Turo: Houndoom

TEAM STAR

Giacomo: Murkrow

Mela: Charcadet

Atticus: Grafaiai

Ortega: Dedenne

Eri: Riolu

TEACHERS

Clavell: Drampa

Dendra: Mienfoo

Raifort: Zoroark

Miriam: Audino

Salvatore: Alolan Raichu

Tyme: Midday Lycanroc

Saguaro: Granbull

Jacq: Xatu

GYM LEADERS:

Katy: Ribombee

Brassius: Servine

Iono: Minun

Kofu: Whiscash

Ryme: Midnight Lycanroc

Tulip: Meowstic

Grusha: Alolan Ninetales

ELITE FOUR:

Rika: Krokorok

Poppy: Mawile

Larry: Pidgeot

Hassel: Druddigon

Geeta: ???

[askmerriauthor]

Pokemon Violet - The Paldea League and Geeta

Man, Geeta has turned Paldea into kind of a shitshow, hasn't she?

Discussion/stream of thought rambling on elements of the game's story after the jump. Spoilers ahoy. This is about the story and lore implications, not about the combat-based mechanics of the Pokemon League.

The actual purpose and function of the Pokemon League throughout the various incarnations of the Pokemon franchise over the years have always been a little muddy. That's on purpose, I believe, as it allows more creative freedom for each version to define itself. In the earlier games, the Pokemon League was a sort of trial to prove one's worth as a Trainer exclusively. It had no impact on the lives of anyone other than combat-focused Trainers. As time went on and the stories became more complex, we saw the League turn into a more public element that had a greater impact on its setting. The Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and the League Champion became public figures of renown and respect. It varied from being local celebrities to even being something akin to vigilante superheroes. By the time we got to Alola (Sun/Moon), it was shown that establishing a Pokemon League is both A) something a region does entirely on its own for its own purposes and B) something that will put a region on the map. Having a League brings prestige and value to the area. This is never more overt than in Galar (Sword/Shield) where the entire Gym circuit and Pokemon League is a heavily commercialized professional sport that directly parallels fútbol here in the real world in terms of its popularity, scope, and money-making. As time has gone by, we've seen the Pokemon League become less of a rite of passage and more of a business.

The Pokemon League in Paldea, meanwhile, cranks that up to 11 and breaks the knob off. And that is to the utter detriment of literally everyone.

As has been frequently observed, the Gym Leaders of Paldea don't actually seem to like being Gym Leaders and certainly don't like the Champion, Chairman, and Creator of the Paldea League; Top Champion Geeta. She's their boss and behaves as such, keeping a professional and detached attitude toward them and everything else she does. The various Gym Leaders discuss how much she micromanages them and puts pressure on them for performance. On one hand, she enforces performance reviews several times a year that risk a Gym Leader losing their role if they don't meet her standards. On the other hand, Geeta ordered Katy - the Bug Gym Leader - to hold back and go easy on Trainers who challenge her because her Gym just so happens to be near to the academy where newbie Trainers might be discouraged if she was too tough. Geeta even controls what teams of Pokemon the Gym Leaders use. Larry is a Normal-type Trainer by his own preference, but Geeta forces him to use Flying-types later in the game.

We can be generous when we examine these behaviors, given how the Gym Leaders themselves offer a more gracious view of Geeta's behavior after you defeat them. They give the impression that Geeta's meddling is the result of a genuine, if poorly implemented, desire to encourage them and young Trainers to achieve more. I don't necessarily disagree with that, but it's also abundantly clear that Geeta is running Paldea into the ground and actively abusing everyone around her in the process. Young Trainers included.

Despite the Gym Leaders having that as their job, it's also a point worth noting that it's not their only job. Every Gym Leader has another job - they run a bakery, are a professional artist, a livestream internet celebrity, or pull double/triple duty within the League itself. Larry is simultaneously a Gym Leader, a member of the Elite Four, and some form of administrative agent within the League. And, yes, he is exactly as exhausted, over-worked, and spiritually beaten down as one would think. It's never explicitly stated why this is the case, but it's clear that being a Gym Leader doesn't pay the bills. As in, Geeta is not paying her employees sufficiently to make a living in the amazingly generous and socially supportive world that is the Pokemon Setting. Larry makes mention of how Geeta likes to rope people into doing her work for her, or just working for free, which we not only see but experience ourselves firsthand.

At the beginning of the game, the very first time we meet Geeta, she's talking Nemona - a teenage student who is not her employee - into doing work for her. At the end of the game, Geeta volunteers the League to aid in setting up a tournament, but immediately puts all the admin work on Nemona - to the point that Nemona can't participate in the event, despite battle being the one thing she loves most in the world. When we the Player become a Champion (not The Champion, A Champion - Geeta never surrenders her title as Top Champion and just bestows a lesser title on those who beat her), the first thing she does is rope us into doing her performance review of the Gyms for her. She also blackmails Penny into doing free programming work against her will to help the League. Arven, meanwhile, is not given any task because Geeta doesn't see him as useful, so he's specifically ignored as comedic relief.

On top of all this is the fact that Geeta is also on the Academy's board. She has a massive amount of influence over the school, its staff, and its students. This becomes a particular issue given how Geeta has fully integrated the Pokemon League into the local economy.

Something exclusive to Paldea is something called "League Points". This is a digital currency in-universe that can be used to purchase various goods and services from League-sponsored sources. That is to say, literally every market in the entire setting with the specific exception of individual auctions of rare items outside the standard economy. Even the student store and cafeteria use League Points. To be blunt, it's Company Scrip. The Player does things that the League wants done (combating Pokemon, trading in useful materials, challenging Gyms, doing research on Tera Raids, etc), they're given Company Scrip, and they then spend that Scrip at vendors the Pokemon League owns or subsidizes. Anyone with even a hint of common sense or a knowledge of history knows how this is an EXTREMELY BAD THING as a practice. Made all the worse by the fact Penny is able to very easily hack into the system and illegally produce/distribute all the League Points she likes, meaning it's not even a particularly well-designed system.

Going to the "villain plot", despite Geeta absolutely not being considered a villain and the story technically not having a villain at all: there's allusions in the game lore that Geeta is directly involved in the Tera outbreak plaguing the region - that is to say, a massive environmental threat endangering the entire population and region itself - and that she helped set it into motion for how it would empower the League. Tera Orbs - the proprietary and exclusive technology needed to use this game's gimmick - are held only by the League, Gym Leaders, and specific Trainers approved by Geeta. Using them is ultimately detrimental to Pokemon, Trainers, and Paldea as a whole, but that doesn't stop Geeta from distributing them as suits her needs.

Even going back to the earlier notion of looking at Geeta's actions with a generous gaze and giving her the benefit of the doubt, I'm left unable to reconcile that given the outcome. Geeta herself says everything she does is for the sake of making Trainers stronger and encouraging others to achieve great things. Yet her actions - both as a League member and personally - weaken and hinder everyone around her. The Player becomes stronger despite everything Geeta sets in place and for their own reasons. It's stated in-game that the vast majority of Trainers in Paldea never get more than three badges, and Geeta herself states that she's unable to hold back against anyone who challenges her because she enjoys the thrill too much. As a result, Nemona and the Player are the only other Champions to exist in Paldea since Geeta's been running the show. Also, not even beating all the Gyms is enough to qualify one to challenge the League; Geeta enforces an interview and, if you don't answer questions to their satisfaction (specifically to their satisfaction - if you just answer earnestly and not say what Geeta wants to hear, you fail), then you're denied access to the League outright.

On top of all of this? I know I said I wasn't going to talk about the combat mechanics, but it is relevant in this case. The Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and Top Champion Geeta herself are... well, to be completely frank? They're weak. Like, laughably weak. Geeta has a team composition that doesn't make any sense and is designed in a way that intentionally sabotages her combat viability. I wasn't even significantly over-leveled or relying on clever strategies, and I utterly steamrolled every single challenge with just my Grass-type Starter Pokemon and the occasional swap to my Salazzle when I was feeling bored. I didn't even bother with type match-ups or using the Tera gimmick. Amusingly enough, Larry gave me the most trouble - he got two whole hits on me in the midst of his steam rolling. The Gyms and League are simply... weak. All because of Geeta's endless meddling. And even the characters themselves seem frustrated and resentful about it. For all of Geeta's talk about wanting to make Trainers stronger, everything she does actively weakens everyone around her and herself.

What we end up with is a Pokemon League that's centered around one person's goals and ideals, that's forcing everything and everyone around it to bend to that person's whims. All in a way that's actively undercutting those desired goals in the process. If Geeta is trying to make the Paldea League a major player for the sake of gaining a better standing for the region, she's doing a cataclysmically bad job of it. I really hope we get a lot more lore in the upcoming DLC expansion because Geeta's left all kinds of questions that really need addressing.

[ghostly-shenanigans-in-progress]

Facts and Junk for the Ghostly Pokémon au

Because making character designs and stuff for about 8 gym leaders plus Danny and co. are understandly taking later than expected.

The Amity region is well known for its phenomenon with shiny Pokémon frequencies being higher than any other region to date. It’s high for all types except for ghost types of which hold a significant meaning to the folklore of this region. As the stories tell, those shiny ghost type Pokémon are considered to be the reincarnations of previous loved one and ancestors that actively search for their descendants that have become trainers in order to protect and help them achieve their dreams through their journeys.

Those of note with shiny ghost types on their teams are Danny, Tucker, Sam, Valerie, the gym leaders, elite four and other side characters of note I won’t reveal just yet.

Due to the shiny phenomenon, this has obviously made the region a popular target for Pokémon poachers, and other illegal gang activities to visit, displace or destroy the environment these Pokémon reside in to make bank.

As a result, entry for any outside trainers and tourists is limited and extremely difficult to receive due to the extensive rules enforced by Amity’s game wardens and guys in white. Secondly, the severity of Pokémon attacks and frequency of mass outbreaks in this region are also tied to the security of this region being so tight as this region is very dangerous for newcomers who have not been raised and taught how to deal with this environment.

To improve safety precautions and travel between cities, the Amity region has massive national parks built near each major city or town that’s overlooked by the game wardens and park rangers. Trainers are able to transverse as they please but off the trail areas are off-limits unless the trainer has ranger status or earned the equivalent with earning all the gym badges or receiving the required number of bounties that are enforced by their boards in each park.

Danny’s Ace partner is a shiny Mimikyu he named Phantom or Spooky. He’s had him before he started his journey at age 13 after his parents’ strange machine of which would harness the power of space time distortion portals which naturally occur in their region popped this little guy out. Since he felt bad for displacing Mimikyu from its place, he promised to do the means necessary to return it back to its home. (But in the end Danny realizes he gave Mimikyu its home here with him than to his previous trainer in the future *wink* *wink*).

The most popular gym leader is Ember in the region. Her concerts are always sold out in her city and getting past her in the gym leader test takes forever to schedule.

There’s actually a former monarchy that is in charge of the elite four isle and grounds for the area. These people are Dorathea and Aragon but also the champion, Godric Pariah, who are the last of the royal dragon trainer lineage.

Clockwork is the professor you meet in your journey but is unknowingly the past champion of the region years back. He collaborates with the Fentons in their ghost Pokémon studies and their connection to the recent frequency of the space time distortion events and sleeplessness among the region’s Pokémon as of late.

The enemy/antagonists of this series is Team Nocturnal. The group has a front through a company of which helps trainers treat the recent sleeplessness issue that’s been affecting Pokémon and now people too. Supposedly, the success rate for treatments have been high but the frequency of previous patients coming back to the facility is oddly high despite it. The CEO of the company hasn’t commented on the success but rather insists that routine treatment is what helps prevent a relapse into the sleeplessness disorder.

Another gang you could run into in the region is team Shadow. A biker gang ran by Johnny 13, and Kitty which travels throughout the cities to cause havoc and fun whenever they feel like it. Oddly, they are more benevolent than aggressive with their actions. Usually, helping trainers through government roadblocks set by the national parks or giving them items to heal Pokémon’s status conditions and such. Despite this, they’re often the headache for the head game warden who has struggled to bring them to justice. The team gets their name because of Johnny’s Gengar, Shadow, who is their mascot next to Kitty’s smoochum.

The alliance with Team Shadow is one of several ways trainers can proceed to all park areas without having all badges in tow or escorts. Another is through collecting bounties and earning a ranger rank through the national parks’ system that allows trainers to help conservation and protection of the ecosystem under the surveillance of the park rangers. It’s a faster but more dangerous route to gain full access to the areas. Though, those who take this path eventually become park rangers in the future.

[pokemoncenter]

On referees

In any official Pokemon League battle, one of the most important roles is that of the referee. In Gym matches, the referee often stands around near the entrance of the Gym to observe the challenging trainer's battles, and is colloquially known to young trainers as 'The Gym Guy'. Said referee often will assist young Trainers in maintaining their health by providing them with water or other refreshments if it seems they need it.

In televised or publicized battles, a referee is often hated. However, their role is incredibly important, as it is ultimately their job to ensure a battle proceeds in such a way that no Pokemon are truly harmed.

A referee has many duties, and the mental taxation and work of a referee cannot be overstated. For example, a referee must be knowledgeable in all Pokemon moves. It is the referee's job to enforce the four-move-per-Pokemon-per-battle limit, so they must not only be able to keep track of what moves every Pokemon they see has used in each battle, but they also must be able to ensure the move is what the Trainer claims. This means, as an example, a referee has to be able to tell the difference between a Thunderbolt and a Thunder, even if the Trainer themselves call them both by the same name.

(The attempts to cheat the four-move rule have been endless, and it is a testament to the referees' skill and training that the rule functions as well as it does.)

While, generally, each Gym Leader and Elite Four member, and of course the Champion, are all trained and qualified to act as referees in their own right, they do not do so for their own battles, for obvious reasons. What is worth noting is that, in League-sanctioned matches, a referee outranks all active participants of a battle, no matter who that battler is. A referee outranks a Gym Leader in their own gym, as long as the battle is going on.

There are fundamentally two types of refereeing "styles". The first is the more hands-off type, who simply observe and react to the battle, allowing greater freedom and flexibility of the battlers. The second is a more active type, who will step in to ensure the smooth progression of a battle and maintain the safety of the participants.

For example, the 'active' type may declare a Pokemon as 'unable to continue battle' when the Pokemon is still fighting fit. Years ago, there was an example when a Boldore and an Emolga battled, and the Boldore's Rock Throw simply grazed the Emolga. Despite the Emolga's health, the referee declared the Emolga as 'knocked out' for purposes of that battle. Upon questioning later, the referee justified their choice as saying that a direct hit by that Rock Throw would have caused permanent harm to the Emolga, if not worse, and so he chose to end the battle there. The more passive type of referee would have likely waited until the Emolga was, in fact, unable to continue before ending the battle.

Though they are often hated and perform a thankless job, when they are acknowledged at all, the referee is the most important duty of the Pokemon League. To any young Trainers out there who may read this: Even if you disagree with them, please respect their judgment. Everything they do is for the sake of the health and safety of your Pokemon.