#(⸝⸝⸝ -ᴗ-⸝⸝)♡ THANK YOU IRA FOR GIVING ME AN EXCUSE TO RAMBLE ABOUT THIS AU!!!

[maddymoreau]

@bunny-kisser In my Pokemon Mystery Dungeon AU Grant is a Shiny Fearow and my Self Insert is a Shiny Wurmple.

Rambling:

For context Grant's backstory is that he used to be in the Army until his Lieutenant made a bad call, resulting in all of Grant's Squad/Friends getting killed. The only survivors were Grant and his Lieutenant who he drifted apart from after the Army. When Grant left he moved into his parent's old log cabin. Later he sees the player in town, starts stalking them and eventually kidnaps them.

Instead of being in the military in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon AU Grant would've been part of a Rescue Team. Specifically a Hyper Rank on the cusp of becoming a Master Rank.

Things play out the same, Grant's Leader makes a bad call and all their Team/Friends getting killed in a dungeon. Grant stops being an Explorer, returns to where he grew up and notices a weak Shiny Wurmple in town.

The storyline plays out basically identical to my regular self ship lore. Except in the game Grant calls the player on the phone under the guise that he received a fake number. When in reality he's outside their window and gauging their reactions.

In the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon AU at night Grant would approach my Self Insert outside her home. His body would be completely hidden in tall grass, but he'd use his long neck to make his head hang low to appear smaller/at her eye level. She can't see what he looks like, but knows someone is there. Grant would talk to her and lie saying he was supposed to meet someone here.

The dialogue would be almost identical to what happens in the game. Except it says address instead of fake number:

Grant: “I just had to ask. Why would someone who was hitting it off with someone else turn around and give them a fake address afterwards?”

Player: “Lots of reasons. Maybe they didn’t know how to let you down? Didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Maybe they were afraid.”

Grant: “Are you afraid?”

During the kidnapping one of Fearow's Pokedex Entries would come into play: "It cleverly uses its thin, long beak to pluck and eat small insects that hide under the ground."

Funny enough a lot of Wurmple's Pokedex entries mention being preyed upon by bird Pokemon: "Often targeted by bird Pokémon, it desperately resists by releasing poison from its tail spikes."

My Self Insert would try to fight, fail and get kidnapped. Not long after being taken to Grant's home she'd evolve into a Silcoon. Her body reacts to this stressful situation by evolving as way to defend/protect herself. Since it gives her this silk barrier and increases her defense while still allowing her to move.

Off topic but I LOVE how the anime shows Cascoon move. I imagine Silcoon moves the same way:

Grant's motivation in the AU is the same, to have complete control over her to do whatever he wants.

To live the domestic fantasy he's imagined with her.

After almost a year has passed since being kidnapped my Self Insert stops trying to escape and evolves into a Beautifly. Even though she now has wings that would help her, she doesn’t try escaping. Also a fun little detail is that she goes from being just a Bug type Pokemon to a Bug/Flying type once she accepts her fate. She gains the Flying type that Grant has.

Visual Details:

Why I picked Fearow and Beautifly:

I wanted my Self Insert to be a Bug type. Very weak, with her main focus on surviving, never imagining herself being capable of becoming an Explorer. Behind on evolution compared to where she'd like to be, in this very awkward stage figuring out what she wants to do and how to connect with other Pokemon.

Compared to Grant who is at his final stage of evolution. Grant has lived a life with past relationships, friends, a successful career and knows exactly what he wants.

I really liked the contrast between the two, especially Grant being stronger. Along with the dynamic between a Bird and Bug type Pokemon since Grant enjoys having power over her.

I actually decided Grant as a Fearow first. From similarities in vibe/appearance and after reading Fearow's Pokedex entries.

Once I decided on Grant as a Fearow and thought of the Bird Bug type dynamic. I searched for a Bug type Pokemon I thought would suit my Self Insert.

Which Beautifly does especially this entry that make me laugh: "A colorful and incredibly beautiful but also greedy Pokémon. In an effort to keep its favorite food all to itself, it will chase away Combee as they try to gather nectar."

The tall grass idea came from Wurmple’s Pokedex: "It lives amidst tall grass and in forests. When attacked, it resists by pointing its venomous spikes at the foe."

Also they were slightly inspired by Team Tasty: