#whew ok that's done

[doublebattled]

worldbuilding headcanon; I really need to make a banner for these. Anyway. Let's talk about pokémon leagues! We're going to discuss the general responsibilities of regional pokémon leagues, and then we're going to discuss the concept of the International League. Onward, unto the wall of text!

Regional Leagues

Note that all of this comes with a big asterisk as the precise details vary dramatically from region to region. Obviously, Alola, for example, is quite different from the rest, but that's neither here nor there. Broadly speaking, we can assume this applies to MOST leagues, and we can identify the exceptions and weird cases later.

So—the Pokémon League as an institution is more than just the gym challenge. I, of course, am not the first person to hold this headcanon, nor the first to write it out. Multiple generations of games have even begun to imply this now! Sweet, sweet validation! Now, the actual structure of the league as far as who's in charge and oversees what (is it a chairman like in Galar, is it a Top Champion like in Paldea, is it something else entirely like in Alola, etc.?) varies WILDLY from region to region, so we will not be getting into the particulars of that. But at the end of the day we can assume there's multiple levels involved in the whole thing, and we can assume going forward that when I say "the league" from here on in I mean the administrative part, not the front-facing parts.

So, broadly speaking, most leagues have some association with their regional government. It's not like you have to pay to do gym battles or anything, so we can probably conclude that it's publicly funded to some degree. In many cases, the league can best be described as its own department within the government, just as the FDA or DoJ would be. (I understand this probably sounds silly to many of my fellow Americans, but given how rooted pokémon are in society, it doesn't seem that far-fetched, at least for a world that broadly seems to have its shit slightly more together than we do.) That all said, yes, the league is—if not a governmental organization, then a private one that works closely with the government because Galar does appear to be alarmingly more American in that respect and handles quite a few things associated with that. So let's go through the list.

First, and most obvious: Trainer Cards! The league is responsible for issuing trainer ID cards, which are what permit folks to battle, trade, and breed pokémon (with some exception), and use the PC system. Now, battling and capturing pokémon without a Trainer ID isn't strictly illegal, but there are limitations. Possessing many pokémon without a Trainer ID is (typically, most regions define the upper limit as 2 per person, or one per person per household). And while engaging in trainer verses trainer battles without ID is technically illegal, usually punishable by fine, most regions will just look the other way as long as it's not actively harmful, disruptive, dangerous, or otherwise breaking any other laws. There's really no need to enforce it on the two six year olds having their caterpies fight on the playground. Trainer IDs can, of course, also be revoked for numerous reasons relating to past offenses. It is EXPLICITLY illegal to breed pokémon without ID, however. In addition, unsurprisingly, gym battles and other "formal" pokémon battling facilities cannot be participated in without a Trainer Card.

The PC System. Broadly, the PC system's servers are managed and operated by the Pokémon League. Since every trainer has their own set of boxes, these are associated with trainer ID. Basically, if you don't have a Trainer Card, you can't use the PC, wholesale. I could dig into this more but that's a WHOLE other headcanon so let's just not.

Setting and Enforcing Regional Battle Standards. Why do some pokémon "not exist" in certain regions? Why can a pokémon's moveset suddenly change between generations? Why are battles strictly turn based in the mainline games when they had additional speed components in Legends? Regional Battle Standards! The League is in charge of setting what pokémon, moves, items, etc. are permissible in official battle, which is the format used in gyms, e4, and to some degree in most battle facilities. They set restrictions on battlefield size, legal movesets, legal pokémon, and so forth. So if any of these things do or don't exist in a given region's game, it's not that they aren't present*, it's just that you're not allowed to use them in League-Sanctioned battles there. So you can technically own a Tepig in Paldea, you just can't use it at the gyms or league. Failure to follow these standards isn't a huge deal, at worst mistakenly breaking the rules may render a league battle invalid or failed and require a trainer to repeat a challenge. Taking a league battle outside of a designated field, for example, may result in automatic forfeit or a penalty of some kind. Knowingly breaking these standards by using unapproved, potentially dangerous moves or entering battle with unsanctioned pokémon can earn a fine or even a strike towards having a Trainer Card revoked, in extreme cases.

*Some leagues do restrict this further and forbid any battling with certain pokémon, including wild battles outside of emergency circumstances, largely due to ecological reasons. Galar is known for being heavily restrictive in this respect.

Public Research and Battle Safety Standards. Overlapping slightly with the above, publicly funded pokémon research is technically overseen by the league. The "Regional Professor" is typically the head of this particular division and assists in setting battle standards and battle safety regulations based on ongoing research, among other things. Of course, independent researchers still very much exist, as do researchers employed by specific organizations, and so on and so forth. You get the picture. Mainly, this feeds into the next one:

Enforcement of Battle Safety and Pokémon Care Standards. Again, a bit self-explanatory, but as the League sets the standard for regional law regarding safe battling, pokémon well-being, and so forth, they also ensure that their own facilities are following this standard and have sub-departments dedicated to investigating private organizations or other groups that may be violating these standards. Failure to meet these standards can be anything from having a trainer card revoked and fines to jail time if the case is extreme enough. By and large this is typically where a lot of a league's time, effort, and funding goes towards, as pokémon are critical to many aspects of life. Like. There are, presumably, pokémon labor standards. This is like OSHA for pokémon.

Ranger Unions?. While the regional Ranger Union usually isn't directly within the League, they are very intrinsically tied institutions and work closely with each other, to the point where most people assume that they are the same. This is not true, however! Ranger Unions deal with wild pokémon, conservation, and public safety. There is considerable overlap—both Ranger Unions and Leagues help to maintain the routes between cities, for example, and ensure that trainers passing through them are safe, but the Ranger Union is the one that actually dispatches rangers to regularly conduct searches and handle any particularly dangerous pokémon. The league deals with the trainers themselves more directly. The head of a region's league and the head of their Ranger Union are ostensibly partners and work very closely with one another.

Other Battle Facilities and Alternative Battle Styles?. Officially speaking, facilities like the Battle Subway, Battle Tree, Battle Tower, et cetera are usually overseen by the League in some capacity, though many are private facilities that are not necessarily owned by the League. They're subject to League Standards, but can enforce their own rules on top of them (such as further restricting permissible pokémon usage). Additionally, non-battle or battle-adjacent matters like Contests are considered to be part of the League, and typically have their own sub-departments for unique rules and standards applied there.

The International League

The International League, as it sounds, is an inter-regional organization that meets once a year. Representatives from each region—typically, league officials and champions (if they aren't the same person—so in Galar, both Chairman Rose and Leon would presumably be present), as well as the Regional Professor—meet and discuss regional standards, research, and other such concerns. The International League is a large part of why "new" regions appear—a new generation of games marks an introduction to the International League.

While International League standards do not necessarily apply to every region on a regional league level, and regional leagues have the right to enforce their own standards as they see fit for various events, tournaments, and so forth within their own regions. However, large-scale world tournaments typically follow International League rules. Likewise, Trainer Cards, PC systems, and so forth all carry over between individual regional leagues that are a part of the International League. So if you're a trainer in Kanto, you can go catch pokémon and challenge gyms in Unova without having to file for a new trainer card and all that jazz. Some leagues also have special provisions for challenging champions and elite 4 if you have the necessary badges from another league (or leagues), but this is usually a rare case, if only because it's much more common for trainers of that caliber to not bother with the official route and just do casual matches.

[useragarfield]

I know what it looks like when you’re in love with someone.

BILLY DUNNE & DAISY JONES Daisy Jones & the Six | “Looks Like We Made It” 1.08 (2023)

[roychewtoy]

WAYSTAR CROSSING

[finngualart]

[nectardaddy]

it's ok to be like "ugh why would they do that?" to a character in anything, trust and believe I do it too (TO MYSELF). but the point is to show human emotion, human actions (PEOPLE FUCK UP AND FUCK UP BAD). you only think "Ugh why" bc you're not in the moment. if that were you, what you truly do??? who knows!

but what I won't do is water down a character just for your enjoyment. I will not make a character more easily digestible just for you! roll with it or click off!

mirage is messy, we knew that from the beginning. humans are naturally going to mess up (especially when stressed)!!! and that's what I'm heavily leaning into, that's what makes it interesting. it shows that a lot of people, with the hate I've been receiving, put themselves on a very high pedestal where they think they never fuck up. please get off your high horse and realize "hey this is human. this is real" and fuck off <3

[hideyseek]

ok not to say i am necessarily ... writing again. (bc i do seem to still be surprising myself with how badly i dont want to write -- or more accurately, how absolutely meh i feel about it) but! i did pick up my docs for the sex intermediary fic to read through again and it was surprisingly enjoyable to sift through the down draft and go "oh wow okay, after guardian bingo i can do this a lot more effectively now" and scribble down a bunch more worldbuilding thoughts

[iamnmbr3]

Kate at the end of The Taming of the Shrew: Women are the weaker sex. Our purpose is to serve and obey our husbands, and only by accepting this can we find true happiness and peace.

Literally every other woman in every other Shakespeare play: lmaoooooo. couldn't be me.

[all-seeing-ifer]

Audio Drama Recs for Buffyverse Fans

Hey there, dear listeners! Are you a Buffy fan who’s been listening to Slayers and it’s got you interested in learning more about this whole audio drama malarkey? Are you a Buffy fan who’s not been listening to Slayers but are always interested in recommendations for new media to check out? Are you maybe even a Buffy fan who’s already listened to some audio dramas but want some ideas for others to check out? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then this is the list for you!

The world of audio drama is a weird and wonderful place where niche independent art can flourish. If you look close enough, there’s something there for everyone! It’s my hope that the release of Slayers can help bring this wonderful medium to more people’s attention, so I’ve compiled a list of a bunch of different audio dramas that I think will appeal to Buffy fans, whether that’s because they have a similar genre, similar tone, similar characters, or something else entirely. 

No matter what it is you like about Buffy, I can almost guarantee there’s an audio drama out there where you can also find those same qualities. And the best part? All of the following audio dramas are absolutely free. An important part of the culture that’s emerged around indie audio dramas is that these shows are pretty much always free to listen to - funded instead by ads and patreon support. So you can just hop on to spotify, apple podcasts, pocket casts, or your other platform of choice, and get some beautiful narratives written by (and I do sincerely believe this) some of the most talented and visionary creative voices of the past couple decades beamed directly into your ears for the low low price of nothing at all. You literally have nothing to lose except time!

So without further ado, on to the recommendations:

Wolf 359 

Listen if you like: Episodic/monster-of-the-week storytelling with an overarching plot, a tone that mixes comedy and drama, pastiches of popular genres (with heart), anti-authoritarian themes, stories about bands of deeply flawed misfits with interpersonal issues

Plot summary: Life's not easy for Doug Eiffel, the communications officer for the U.S.S. Hephaestus Research Station, currently on Day 448 of its orbit around red dwarf star Wolf 359. The Hephaestus is an odd place, and life in extremely isolated, zero gravity conditions has a way of doing funny things to people's minds. Even the simplest of tasks can turn into a gargantuan struggle, and the most ordinary-seeming things have a way of turning into anything but that.

Status: Finished

Episode count: 61 + minisodes and specials

Average episode length: 20-40 minutes

Why you should listen: I’m gonna say something that may be mildly controversial and say that Wolf 359 comes closer to capturing the Buffyverse’s tone and spirit than just about any other piece of media. A child of that mostly unfortunate period of time when every nerd creator on the planet wanted to imitate Joss Whedon’s style and it really does show (not least in the multiple direct references to Buffy the show makes). But while basically every other product of this writing style (including Whedon’s own later work) fell flat on its face into insincerity, Wolf, in a truly cosmically unlikely moment of lightning actually striking twice, just fucking nails it. It’s at once an ironic pastiche of science fiction serials from the golden age of radio while also being a serious and dramatic science fiction serial in its own right, and strikes the perfect balance between the two. While it starts out as more of a workplace comedy set in space, as the show goes on and the characters learn more about the company that sent them on their mission, the tone becomes increasingly serious and dramatic, without ever feeling like too much tonal whiplash. When it’s funny, it’s really funny, and when it’s serious and emotional, it hits depths of devastation few other shows can. While it may be science fiction and not fantasy, it shares the Buffyverse’s anti-authoritarian themes, as well as those shows’ large casts of flawed characters whose problems come just as much from interpersonal drama as from the speculative fiction elements of the story. If you ask me, it’s one of the greatest stories the 2010s ever gave us. But don’t just take my word for it, go check it out for yourself! Go meet Doug Eiffel, Renee Minkowski, Dr Alexander Hilbert, Hera, and a bunch more characters I can’t talk about without getting into spoilers. You can thank me later.

Ars Paradoxica

Listen if you like: A tone that mixes comedy and drama, anti-authoritarian themes, female-led shows, stories about bands of deeply flawed misfits with interpersonal issues

Plot summary: When an experiment in a time much like our own goes horribly awry, Dr. Sally Grissom finds herself stranded in the past and entrenched in the activities of a clandestine branch of the US government. Grissom and her team quickly learn that there's no safety net when toying with the fundamental logic of the universe.

Status: Finished

Episode count: 36 + specials

Average episode length: 20-40 minutes

Why you should listen: Ok, let’s say Wolf 359 appeals to you, but you’d prefer your semi-ironic semi-serious speculative fiction dramedy show with anti-authoritarian themes to have a female lead. I mean I’d still recommend listening to Wolf because while Eiffel may be the protagonist you still get to meet Renee Minkowski and Hera and [OTHER CHARACTERS REDACTED], but you could also try out Ars Paradoxica! Another child of the Whedon-influenced era that produced Wolf 359 with a similarly Whedon-influenced tone, I think Ars is a lot messier, tone-wise, but it’s worth working through that. While it starts off quite goofy and irreverent, as the show goes on it really matures and grows into itself and becomes something very special. It becomes the rare time travel story that actually engages in a meaningful way with the political dimension of the time period its characters’ travel to. It’s about the paranoia of the final days of WWII and beginning of the Cold War, it’s about the bigotries that shaped mid-20th-century society, it’s about war and scientific ethics and the desire for progress and what we’re willing to sacrifice for that progress. But despite its often dark themes, it’s also not as heavy as I’m making it sound, with all of its lofty ideas and high concept science fiction being anchored by a cast of highly flawed yet endearing characters, including the inimitable Dr Sally Grissom herself. Compared to other 2010s audio dramas, it’s fallen into obscurity into recent years, and I think it’s about time we bring it back into the light!

The Silt Verses 

Listen if you like: Horror/fantasy, episodic/monster of the week storytelling with an overarching plot, anti-authoritarian themes, female-led shows

Plot summary: Carpenter and Faulkner, two worshippers of an outlawed god, travel up the length of their deity’s great black river, searching for holy revelations. As their pilgrimage lengthens and the river’s mysteries deepen, the two acolytes find themselves under threat from a police manhunt, but also come into conflict with the weirder gods that have flourished in these forgotten rural territories.

Status: Ongoing (on its final season)

Episode count: 33+

Average episode length: 40-60 minutes

Why you should listen: It’s my favourite audio drama, hands down. More than that, it’s one of my favourite pieces of art, ever. Do you have even a passing interest in horror as a genre? If you’re a Buffyverse fan, then I assume the answer is ‘yes’. In which case, you should listen to TSV. Of all the horror podcasts I’ve listened to, I think TSV is far and away the most genuinely terrifying (I’d definitely recommend checking out the content warnings before listening) as well as having the most unique, well-thought-out, and generally interesting horror concepts and worldbuilding. It also plays with classic horror tropes in a way that feels vaguely reminiscent of BtVS at times, but its tone and atmosphere and writing style is all entirely its own. Despite this far darker tone and approach to horror, it also shares many of the Buffyverse’s themes. It’s a story about broken systems: living in them, dying in them, striking back against them, trying to fix them, burning them to the ground, all explored through a horror/fantasy lens. If you like how the Buffyverse explores its anti-authoritarian themes, you will probably also enjoy TSV’s approach. If you love the various complex fucked up little guys that make up the casts of the Buffyverse shows, then you’ll probably also love the various complex fucked up little guys that make up the cast of TSV, especially Sister Carpenter, the female lead of the show as well as one of the few characters in existence whose greatness rivals Buffy herself in my mind. And if you love the Buffyverse’s outlandish and often formally-inventive monster-of-the-week style episodes, then TSV’s own experimentations and propensity for bizarre fantasy concepts will likely also appeal to you. Really there’s very little else I can say without you experiencing the show for yourself. Do you like good things? Do you like things that are good? Go listen to TSV. Again, you can thank me later.

The Magnus Archives

Listen if you like: Horror/fantasy, episodic/monster of the week storytelling with an overarching plot, anti-authoritarian themes, stories about bands of deeply flawed misfits with interpersonal issues, fighting the apocalypse

Plot summary: A weekly horror fiction podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organisation dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. Join Jonathan Sims as he explores the archive, but be warned, as he looks into its depths something starts to look back… 

Status: Finished

Episode count: 200

Average episode length: 30 minutes

Why you should listen: One of the more well-known audio drama podcasts, and definitely the most well-known of the recent audio dramas! A lot darker, more depressing, and heavier on the horror than the Buffyverse shows, but there’s still a lot that Buffyverse fans will enjoy, from the anti-authoritarian themes to the multiple apocalypses the characters face. While TMA starts off as an anthology series, with each episode being a self-contained horror story, as the show goes on recurring characters start to appear and an overarching storyline begins to emerge. The later seasons of the show really display a similar ethos to the Buffyverse shows when it comes to taking their characters to very dark places, and the way that the show plays with horror tropes will likely also appeal to Buffy fans! Prepare yourself for some truly creepy storytelling and truly heartbreaking emotional moments and give it a listen.

Janus Descending 

Listen if you like: Horror, female-led shows

Status: Finished (sequel series ongoing)

Episode count: 13

Average episode length: 15-20 minutes

Plot summary: This limited series, science fiction/horror audio drama podcast follows the arrival of two xenoarcheologists on a small world orbiting a binary star. But what starts off as an expedition to survey the planet and the remains of a lost alien civilization, turns into a monstrous game of cat and mouse, as the two scientists are left to face the creatures that killed the planet in the first place.

Why you should listen: While it’s probably the least similar to the Buffyverse shows of any of my recommendations, I think Janus is still worth looking into simply because it’s a really great “starter podcast” for those who’ve never got into audio dramas before. It’s a limited series of just 13 episodes, each episode is only around 15-20 minutes long, and it uses the audio format in a really unique and interesting way. While it does now have a sequel series called Descendants, the original show works very well as a standalone narrative. The horror and tension and tragedy of the story is really well done, and despite how relatively short it is you still get to feel very close to the two protagonists. Another really underappreciated show that deserves more love.

Old Gods of Appalachia 

Listen if you like: Horror/fantasy, female-led shows, anti-authoritarian themes

Plot summary: A horror-anthology podcast set in the shadows of an Alternate Appalachia, a place where digging too deep into the mines was just the first mistake.

Status: Ongoing

Episode count: 54+ (not including specials)

Average episode length: 30-40 minutes

Why you should listen: Another dark and gorgeously atmospheric horror podcast (you may be starting to sense a theme here), this one based around an alternate history version of Appalachia where eldritch gods and monsters inhabit the mountains and hills. Much like TMA, Old Gods is primarily an anthology series, consisting of a wide variety of different horror stories set in the same world. These stories range from one-off episodes to season-long arcs, and cover a broad spectrum of horror sub-genres. While I do find it a little hard at times to follow all the different connections between the different stories and arcs, I think it’s still absolutely worth listening to for its tone, storytelling, social commentary (plenty of “fuck capitalism” stories here), and well-written and complex female characters. Definitely a must-listen for all the horror/fantasy fans out there (and I know for a fact that’s a lot of you).

Hi Nay 

Listen if you like: Horror/fantasy, female-led shows, stories about bands of deeply flawed misfits with interpersonal issues, episodic/monster of the week storytelling with an overarching plot

Status: Ongoing

Episode count: 32+

Average episode length: 30-60 minutes (not including specials and minisodes)

Plot summary: A supernatural horror fictional podcast about Filipina immigrant Mari Datuin, whose babaylan (shaman) family background accidentally gets her involved in stopping dangerous supernatural events in Toronto. 

Why you should listen: A very fun urban fantasy monster-of-the-week style show that pulls from both classic horror tropes and Filipino folklore. While I haven’t listened to much of this one yet, it’s a really engaging and often emotional listen with a very fun framing device that uses the audio medium in a clever way!

Of course, this is only a small fraction of the wealth of audio drama podcasts out there. I'm only one guy and I can't listen to all of them! If any of you have any recommendations for other audio dramas you think Buffy fans will enjoy, feel free to add them on! And if you're interested and have any questions feel free to send me a message - I always love talkin' audio dramas!

[muzzleroars]

[persona 5] [bad end au]

can you hear church bells ringing?

[snapbackslide]

LMAOOOO no fr everyone kept saying "watch out for pickpockets !!!!!!!!!!" had me so nervous ...... not a single person approached me 💀

[greenapel]

my designs of donnie and horseshoe crab (+ a funny) !!! ^_^ i love them so much .. sillynation is coming together ...

[t00thpasteface]

(through gritted teeth) i love drawing hands actually,

[carcarrot]

hollywood bowl btw. if you even care

my most expensive event ever??? no one ended up buying my extra tickets. and i flew here and got a hotel room and the shoes and etc but concerts are forever!!!!! especially this one

friend and i worked HARD to nail our ron and russ looks. so many people complimented us and took our picture

got TWO official sparks shirts and the socks. they didnt have the pins :(

also got a hollywood bowl christmas tree ornament :)

tmbg show was SUPER FUN. but also very loud and a little harsh sound wise. they thanked sparks twice for having them open for them

sparks don't address tmbg at all when they come out lmao

the energy for the sparks show was insane from the start they were really giving it all

really hoping theres video of this little hip sway move russell did near the end of so may we start. really enjoyed it

he did a similar move during the groovy instrumental part of when im with you think. he was selling it

unlike ny this time i managed to remember to watch for russells shirt unbuttoning during shopping mall of love. all thoughts are redacted

the concert goes by so fast!!!! but what a time

stood up for music that you can dance to and just kept standing/bouncing for the rest of the show

no escalator :((((((

russell's weirdly long intro to we go dancing. thanks for the intricate context abt north korea

russell saying 'that looks beautiful!' in between lyrics of all that when everyone held up their phones w the flashlight on

edgar taking the band photo :)))))

weird al was also allegedly there (did not see him) and christi haydon was there (i was too shy to talk to her but she looked so fab)

just a general incredible energy of the show you could tell they made the hollywood bowl show so special

got a weird bootleg sparks shirt after the concert from a weird guy

[shilohgreen]

in the green machine there is no mercy; we MAKE mercy, manufacture it in the parts that have overgrown our basic reptile brain.

independent rp blog for will graham of nbc's hannibal. 21+ only. written by audrey, they/them, 24. carrd.

[link-sans-specs]

It's a weird kind of milk that's not normal milk.

I've had every milk on this show. That's a privilege.

We know. Ahem.

GME

[unproduciblesmackdown]

winston sees it coming b/c he's been around here for at least 5 sec which is enough &/or half is deliberately baiting everyone as another parting flipoff and he suffers through & is upset by all the measures taken but is then just ready like oh we'll just put it All out there, his shit sure but then also an exposé on any & everyone's bullshit that he's been aware of, which seems to be aplenty, and you know, like has a lawyer ready and shit but like yeah deal with (a) that PR where [also if he can include the exposé on what they've been doing to him / are trying to do to him Right Now] plus all that other bullshit is shockingly going to be what any randos & third parties care about rather than "but...he's sooo annoying :(...but we refuse to fuck him :(...but he could be taller :(..." and then (b) we could have Themes where Everyone has to still deal with even the potential consequence of their own actions that is looking in a mirror for a minute while they try to take down prince (plus another potential shakeup to those efforts in this, besides those of just waiting around on / letting wendy & etc take their shots at it) but instead of that it is more important to billions that we get an episode about how fun it is that wags is so cool