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discount-shades · 2 years ago

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Sleepy Baby Part 12

a/n: This will make more sense if you have seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin X reader

Warnings: None, back to fluff

Word Count: 1400 ish

Summary: Jake is Lancelot and Kisses is Guinevere

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When Jake had said he only had twenty six months left in San Diego you saw two options, either end it then and there or go all in. The prospect of living the rest of your life without Jake was unimaginable so it had been an easy decision to bet it all. Even though neither of you are behaving differently everything feels like it has shifted.

Knowing that what you were feeling was real and had a future made everything seem easier. You had a goal. You and Jake were building a future together. While the relationship had started as a happy accident and a fun way to get back out there emotionally, it was now the foundation to your future.

True to his word Jake had become one of Grace’s biggest supporters, always encouraging you to spend time with her and the small group of friends you began to develop. When you brought it up to him he admitted that your not quite hypothetical future marriage was one of his reasons.

“When I’m deployed you need people in your life you can turn to.” He explained. “Any of my Navy buddies like Javy will help if they can, but you’re right, they would be helping you for me and it won’t be the same support system.”

You still saw the Dagger Squad often and that is how you ended up back at the Hard Deck clustered around the pool table at the back. Jake was playing and easily beating everyone. He finally beats Phoenix and casually walks over to you.

“You’re my good luck charm,” he throws his arm around you as you sit perched on a stool. You roll your eyes and grin up at him as he kisses you on your lips.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” you tell him. “At the risk of overinflating your ego, I have it on good authority that it's a game of skill.”

“No, it’s my love for you that lets me win,” he says with a false sense of confidence. “And to prove my love to you I shall beat Rooster next.” You glance over at Bradley and see him racking up the balls for the next game.

“Jake, you would win even if I wasn’t here,” you tell him. “If you love me you’ll lose.” You gaze at Jake with a forced innocent expression that is hard to maintain at the look on his face.

“No,” Jake's small response is confused and offended.

“It’s Arthurian Jake,” you say dramatically, “Guinevere asked Sir Lancelot to lose at a tournament to prove his love. Your pool cue will be your lance.”

“You’re Lancelot-ing me?” he says in disbelief. “If I am Lancelot and you are Guinevere our love is doomed and I don’t like that ending.” He is standing between your spread legs and his hands slide to your hips pulling you closer.

“We can rewrite that part.” you tell him with a kiss. “Now go out and lose for me, Sir Lancelot.”

He sighs in resignation, “is this what you really want my Queen Guinevere?”

“Sure is,” you grin mischievously. “But you can’t make it obvious you are losing on purpose.”

“Hangman, leave your girl alone and get over here and play some pool.” You peek over Jake's shoulder at Bradley’s words before turning back to Jake with a grin and raise your eyebrows in challenge.

“The things I do for love,” Jake’s breath moves over your neck as he whispers in your ear and you burst out laughing.

“No way,” Bradley calls out, pointing at you. “It’s like poker all over again. You are not allowed to talk to her while we are playing, and she is not allowed to talk to you.”

“Can I at least cheer him on?” you say indignation in your voice.

“Fine,” Bradley agrees, “you can cheer him on and console him when I win.” Jake glares at Bradley but agrees with a huff and they begin to play.

Bob ends up sitting beside you watching. Jake is playing poorly. He is not missing really obvious shots but he is not playing to the same ability that he usually plays at, only sinking one or two balls per turn. “What did you say to him to throw him off?” Bob asks you in confusion. “He is usually way better than this.”

“Uhhhhmmmm,” you tug on your hair. “I may or may not have told him to prove he loved me by losing.” you shoot a sheepish look at Bob.

Bob snorts, “You ‘A Knight’s Tale-ed’ him? Come on, did you really need to do that to know he loves you?”

“No, I know he does, and I’m pretty sure it is originally Arthurian.” You pause your conversation with Bob to console Jake after a shot bounces off the edge of the pocket and rolls back across the table.

“It’s OK, Babe, you nearly had it!” Jake glares at you with the tiniest hint of a grin on his face shaking his head and you smile back.

“Then why did you ask him to lose?” Bob is looking back and forth between you and Jake.

“I don’t know, I thought it would be funny,” you say with a grin at Bob. “Maybe it's a role play we like to do, you know, to spice things up in the bedroom.”

“Ew,” Bob looks at you with a wrinkled nose. “I do not want to hear about yours and Hangman's sex life.”

You just laugh before looking at the table. The game is almost over. “Quick you have to go tell Jake to win!” You say shaking Bob’s arm.

“Oh no,” he shakes his head, “I don’t want to be in the middle of whatever you two have going on!”

“Please Bob,” you say desperately as Jake chalks the tip of his cue. He has four balls left and to win he would have to sink them all and then the 8 ball without missing any. “Bradley won’t let me talk to him. Please be my fair maid and tell my valiant knight that if he loves me he will win!”

Bob looks at you in disappointment before sighing and going over to Jake mumbling, “I’m going to regret this.”

You watch eagerly as Bob walks over to talk quietly to Jake with a pained expression on his face and grin impishly when Jake jerks his head up to glare at you at Bob's words. Bob slinks back to your side and hangs his head in defeat. “I can’t believe I did that for you.” He shudders, “I feel dirty.”

“Cheer up Bob,” you nudge him with your shoulder. “I was joking about it being a sex thing.”

“That does make me feel a little better.” You watch Jake sink his final 4 balls with an intense look on his face.

“It wasn’t about sex when I said it originally, but that could change,” you eye Jake’s hungry look with a grin as he stalks over to you after sinking the 8 ball and winning the game.

“My Queen,” he says and pulls you to your feet before dipping you dramatically and kissing you.

“My Valiant Knight you have proven your love,” you run your fingers through his hair smiling and pull his lips back to you yours. You can hear Bradley arguing with Bob in the background over what he said to Jake.

Jake hums happily into your kiss before standing both of you back up. “I am your King,” he corrects before giving you another kiss.

“Well I didn’t vote for you.” Your attempt at a British accent is terrible.

Jake looks at you frowning. “I was rewriting us a happier ending.”

“Oh,” you say in realization, laughing and continuing to talk in the terrible accent, “oh King eh, very nice.”

You yelp and jump closer as Jake smacks your ass, “you’re a brat.”

“If you are spanking me that makes you Galahad and you are in terrible peril.”

Jake pulls you in close and you slide your hands up his chest and loop them around his neck so you are pressed against his hard body. “I’ll have to face my peril,” his words are spoken between heated kisses.

“You’re sure it's not too perilous?” you ask, grinning into his lips.

Jake drags his lips down your neck placing soft kisses as he goes. “It’s my duty to sample the peril.”

“Please go home.” Bob is still sitting in his chair next to your vacated one. Jake laughs and pulls you to the bar to pay the tab.

#jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman x reader #jake seresin/reader #jake seresin x reader #hangman #hangman/reader #top gun hangman #topgun #topgun maverick #hangman topgun #topgun hangman

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found-family-tournament · 1 year ago

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Found Family Tournament Round 2 Part 1 Group 2

Propaganda and further images under the cut

Quentin, Eliot, Alice, Margo, Julia & Kady

Idk man, they go through a lot of shit together. And, oh my god, I adore the musical numbers.

Librarians

Imagine a magic library appoints some guy to be its keeper, then after a while realises the task has made him a strange and lonely man whose only friend is a sentient sword. Aiming to fix this, the library appoints a gaggle of likeminded yet very different people for him to interact with. The cast consists of: Flynn Carsen, the afformented man whose best friend is a sword and who thinks a day without an Indiana Jones style adventure is a day wasted. Eve Baird, a woman raised to be a soldier suddenly thrown into a world of wonder, magic and dangers she knows nothing of, now tasked with keeping 4 eccentric, genius minds from being killed by their curiosity. Cassandra Cillian, a math whiz genius who's lived an isolated life from being put on a pedestal as a child, who has since been diagnosed with brain cancer and is desperately trying to live life to the fullest for as long as she can. Dresses like Ms. Frizzle. Jacob Stone, yeehaw cowboy dude who publishes his groundbreaking art and architecture history papers under a pen name because he knows his yeehaw cowboy family wouldn't approve. He's got the brains AND brawn. Ezekiel Jones, Australian techie and professional thief. The guy lived the Carmen Sandiego life before being recruited. Tries to act tough and morally grey but is genuinely the least selfish out of them all. Youngest Sibling Vibes are Off the Chart. Jenkins aka. the actual sir. Galahad from the Arthurian legend is here also. He's just some grumpy immortal grandpa don't worry about it. They're all just a bunch of nerdy adults who didn't have any friends or loving families growing up who find themselves living the life they dreamed about as children and it doesn't take long for them to consider each other, and the library, home.

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juniaships · 1 year ago

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As much as I want to ignore Shrek the Turd I think it's a lot rewarding to address its flaws than take the easy way out. So here us a list of what I would've changed had I wrote the movie.

Harold's death

- the choice of song is rather out of place

- only serves to push a dramatic moment/shove Artie into the plot

- I actually like Harold :/

How to fix it:

- Harold doesn't die. Instead he gets an old man crisis & Lillian decides to take him on vacation to recuperate; naturally leaving Fiona and Shrek in charge

- Harold does die but the moment is treated with actual respect.

- Harold doesn't die BUT there is a death: Artie's father. The Royal Family go to Camelot for the funeral and meets Uther's estranged son Artie. That way Artie's daddy issues has more purpose in the story bc he truly can't reconcile with his dad, and Shrek a more sympathetic reason to steps up as a father figure.

- Alternatively, Artie's mom dies and he is sent to live in FFW bc his father doesn't want custody. So Shrek AND Fiona has to deal with a teenager and both have fear of parenthood byt still wants to give Artie the best. This also allows Fiona and Artie to interact with each other

Artie

Problem: suffers what I call Chicken Little Syndrome, he's kinda bland and we don't know much about him. Also his bullied nerd background Only serves to make him sympathetic cuz everyone is so mean to him! Beyond being kind and kinda dramatic Artie doesn't have much else

How to fix it:

- Everyone has beef with Artie because of his father's reputation. Perhaps Uther had a bad spending habit which left Camelot in financial ruin or his habit of flirting with women left a lot of illegitimate children now they're all fighting over rightful inheritance and puts down Artie bc he's the youngest/weakest

- Camelot has a very warrior like society but Artie is more diplomatic/soft, which makes him look weak in the eyes of everyone else. Eventually his softness saves Camelot

- Artie has a legitimate flaw (his trust issues) which makes him unable to properly communicate with others.

- Artie has a few true friends who are outcasts like him. But their support drives him to pursue a career in politics so he can help them and ppl like them (giving his speech more credibility)

The Princesses

Problem: most of them were boring at best, unlikable at worst.

How to fix it:

- Give the princesses more likable personalities: say they WERE strong and capable but got so caught up in glamor bc they don't want to remember the painful past

Problem: Charming and Rapunzel

- Comes right out of nowhere

- doesnt make since given Charming's arc is all abput becoming villain why would he date ANOTHER princess?

How to fix it

- Rapunzel's new motivation is she doesn't want an ogre on the throne, or she got tired of the princesses bullying her for her baldness. Or that she's jealous the princesses still have their princes yet Rapunzel lost hers. Or maybe Charming DID save her and she's working with him as a favor.

- However she discovers Charming is not as cool as she thought bc he still treats her (and any princess) like objects and not their own person

- Keep Rapunzel in the princess group and create a new character from scratch

- this new OC is a part of the villains not because she is one herself but because they're the only ones who accepted her for one reason or another. This makes her a foil for Charming and Godmother's relationship. She's wants to help them & save the Poison Apple from closing.

- however Charming is very bad at being evil so she teaches him how to be more assertive and this sets up a romance.

Issue: Arthurian myth

Problem: Aside from being retooled as a school campus, the Arthurian mythos doesn't have much prominence in the story

How to fix it:

-change the main goal to finding Excalibur or the Holy Grail (kiddie Monty Python)

- or have it where Camelot is in a crisis of succession so an election or tournament is held to decide the new king. Noblemen from all over participate (introducing us to the Princesses). Shrek and Fiona helps Artie while Charming joins so he can finally get his own kingdom

- Artie turns out to have magic instead of Merlin (who is just a wacky alchemist/scientist) but he lacks confidence

- At the end have it where Artie forms the knights of the round table (with some of the characters and villains as members)

- Maybe make Charming "Lancelot"

Girl Power Message

Problems: They were sidelined most of the movie, preventing Fiona from truly delving into her responsibilities as Queen. Also most of the girl characters like the Princesses & Guinevere were portrayed as shallow b*tches or not having much relevance

How to fix:

- Make Fiona the focus character this time and her story is juggling queenly duties and her trauma in the tower

- Have the princesses be an underground guerilla force they help her take out Charming during the movie

- or have it where the tower was actually a school to train princesses-to-be and Fiona's Kiss was part of a sceret test of character to see if she really is fit to be Queen; accepting her ogress form means she accepts EVERYONE, so she passed the test

- Fiona demonstrates her leadership skills by planning and carrying out targeted attacks, & taking care of civilians

- MAKE ARTIE A GIRL it makes a cool twist fitting for a franchise like Shrek. Or give Artie a female companion/love interest who accompanies him on his quest (perhaps Guinevere or a new character)

- instead of Merlin they meet Nimue/Lady of the Lake who takes the role of the kooky mentor

- Like I mentioned, explore why Rapunzel betrayed the team; perhaps make her have a change of heart and help her ex friends escape.

- Or like giving Charming a new love interest one who is a caricature of the Evil Sexy Villainess or YA Novel Girlboss Protagonist (have her learn it's okay to be vulnerable)

- have Shrek puss and Donkey be the ones in danger and fiona and her princesses are the ones to go on a journey to save them

Puss and Donkey's subplot

Problem: it doesn't do much to serve the story but for cheap comic relief. Donkey is a father himself but doesn't seem to do much to help Shrek and Artie

How to fix it:

- make Puss absent of stay with the princesses to help them

- Donkey talks with Shrek about his experiences as a father

- Remove the body switch entirely

- or have a subplot where Donkey and Puss still aren't getting along and Merlin switches them so they can learn to see from a new perspective.

- Maybe have Puss admit he doesn't have a good relationship with his own dad or something, or is actually great with kids (stunning Shrek and Donkey)

Shrek's arc

- Issue: we don't delve much into his backstory, he only wants to shirk his royal duties instead of doing the smart thing and actually confronting them

How to fix:

- introduce more Ogres or Shrek's dad. Have it be a family reunion or Shrek's dad finds out he married into royalty and that sets up the overall conflict

- Have the babies born before the movie and the plot is spent with him being a stay at home dad or caring for them while in Camelot while Fiona is tbe working parent

- also sets up an arc where Fiona struggles to balance mother hood and her job

- artie gets more used to ogre (children) leading to a realisation he has to step up to make a better future for their sake (again a more sympathetic reasoning)

The Villains

Issue: Charming is just Farquad 2.0, the rest seem to be props in their own story, Rapunzel

How to fix

- Make a new character who represents the villain side we get an intimate look at how society treats outcasts

- Give the villains more screentime like say we follow a group of them during theur trip to capture Shrek. They eventually have a confrontation and in the fray Artie ends up helping a villain much to their shock. They realise Artie isn't a threat. Or have it set at the play

- give Hook or Doris a prominent role

- or a new major villain; make it Charming's dad who takes him under his wing under the guise of wanting to help his son but is just manipulating him for the throne

- Make Charming struggle how ti adapt to being a villain due to his upbringing

- make some of the villains less open to wanting him in his group or have it where they try to help him be more evil (setting up potential jokes)

- Have Charming and Fiona have an actual moment with Fiona pointing out she did dream of a prince but is happy with Shrek and warns Charming that he still wouldn't be happy even if he did get everything

- Give Charming an actual villain love interest as a foil to Shrek and Fiona

- Don't include Charming at all (marry him off to Doris even lol) and create a new villain inspired by Arthurian lore. Maybe the Black Knight? Mordred? Morgan le Fay?

- Or even Artie himself! he wants to use his new position to enact revenge on his bullies

- Instead of the villains taking over it's the other fairytale heroes led by a jilted Charming and Shrek teams up with the villains to save FFW

- Make Uther the main villain

#shrek #dreamworks shrek #shrek 3 #shrek the third #rewrite #fixfic

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oidheadh-con-culainn · 4 years ago

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Ulster cycle/arthuriana modern au where the characters are in two different HEMA clubs which are in a rivalry headcanons?

my immediate reaction upon reading this ask was an emphatically whispered “yessss” towards my computer screen, so those are my feelings, lmao

okay headcanons, bearing in mind that my understanding of the inner workings of HEMA clubs is those two longsword classes i went to in 2016 and the facebook posts of one guy i know who is a vadi instructor and does competitions and shit:

okay so on a practical level, the two clubs favour different styles. like... the ulster cycle gang are fiore and the arthurian gang are vadi. or something. these are the only medieval sword masters i know sorry (arthurian gang are vadi because he’s later than fiore and also wrote in rhyme)

nobody wants to fight cu chulainn at tournaments, not because they don’t think they can beat him (although they probably can’t) but because he’s an asshole in a fight

secretly he and gawain train together on the side tho. to confuse everyone they use liechtenauer*

(* i lied i know three (3) sword masters. also hilariously the person i know who does liechtenauer is called merlin. that’s his actual name. anyway.)

conall is trying to convince his lot to introduce mounted fighting (“fiore covers it!!”) and they are refusing on the basis that they practise in a school sports hall and they cannot get a horse in there, conall, please stop asking

galehaut was previously in a different club but joined the arthurian gang’s club after losing to lancelot at a tournament, bc he’s a gay disaster

by contrast, fer diad used to be the ulster cycle gang’s club and he and cu chulainn used to spar together all the time, but then he moved cross-country and joined a different club and the first time they fight against each other in a tournament is messy and there’s a lot of yelling

one time the arthurian gang held practice at yvain’s house because their hall was booked out for another event and they ended up with more injuries from his cat scratching people than from actual swords (the cat thought they were actually trying to hurt yvain) (it’s a maine coon so they basically just got tackled by like. 7kg of cat.)

fergus and kay liked to sit on the sidelines and heckle people about the size of their swords. nobody’s entirely sure what they get out of this

fergus’s steel sword got stolen so he only has a nylon practice sword now

guinevere is not allowed to come to tournaments after they realised lancelot’s losing streak correlated exactly with which times she was present

emer on the other hand is always at tournaments and she’s usually roasting everyone

also on the evenings when both groups are practising, emer and guinevere go for drinks. sometimes laeg comes too, when he can do so without arousing anyone’s supicions. (nobody knows they do this. nobody even realises they’re friends.)

scáthach and the lady of the lake were previously the highest-ranked female fighters of their generation. they’re retired from competing now but they still do demos sometimes

welp i accidentally got too invested in this and i’m meant to be writing an essay (an actual essay, not a tumblr post) so i will stop there before i fall down a rabbithole...

#please excuse any hema practicality errors #like i said i went to two practice sessions #or was it three? it was not many #they moved locations and the commute was too long #anyway i'm gonna tag this as #group chats of the ulster cycle #even though it isn't really #it has the same vibes #ulster cycle #arthurian #arthuriana #reynier

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hollyethecurious · 6 years ago

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CS AU: Huzzah!

CS AU: Huzzah! // Gifted to @pirateherokillian for the @csficformal.

Pip, I apologize for being a terrible replacement date. I know I never called reached out after our initial contact, and this isn’t at all what you asked for BUT… please don’t excuse yourself to the ladies room so you can sneak out the back just yet! Even though this isn’t what you initially pitched, I hope you enjoy it. I had so much fun writing (and arting) it for you!

I was inspired by my family’s recent trip to Las Vegas to write this. We went to see Tournament of Kings, and it reminded me of a Medieval Times AU I thought about writing some time ago. I’ve mixed elements from both experiences, and took some big creative license with the actual show in order to give Killian and Emma more interaction.

Much love to @kmomof4 and @artistic-writer for giving this a once over for me! *mwah*

Rated: Teen / ~2500 words / Also available on ff.net and ao3 (links to come)

“I told you we should have gotten tickets earlier in the week,” Ruby groused as they waited in line for the doors to open.

“Oh, cheer up,” Mary Margaret chirped. “This will be just as fun.”

“As fun as watching hot Australian men strip down to less than their skivvies? I doubt it,” Ruby grumbled.

“There are attractive men in this show, too,” Mary Margaret tried to appease. “And horses.”

“Yippee,” Ruby muttered. “I’m sure Ems considers that an even trade to oiled up hotties.”

“It’s fine, guys. Really,” Emma assured. “I’m sure this will be fun, too.”

“Absolutely,” Mary Margaret cheered. “None of us knew Thunder From Down Under would sell out, so I intend to make the best out of the option before us.”

The line began to move, and the three women were escorted to their seats in the front row of the arena. It was the final night all three of them would be together in Sin City, and they had wanted to take in a show. Ruby had suggested the male strip tease, but the performance was sold out due to a number of bachelorette parties that had pre-purchased group tickets. Their only other option, without having to leave their hotel, was the medieval themed dining experience Tournament of Kings; a live action production that included a three course meal - sans utensils - while audience members cheered for various kings competing in an Arthurian style tournament, complete with sword fights and jousting on horseback.

“Good evening, ladies,” their server greeted. “Welcome to the Ireland section. What can I get you to drink this evening?”

Emma ordered herself a glass of wine then took a moment to take in her surroundings as Ruby and Mary Margaret placed their orders. The arena was horseshoe shaped with a stage area located at the open end. A series of countries spanned the oval, with their section, Ireland, situated right next to the stage. Other countries included Russia, Norway, Spain, Austria, Hungary, and France as well as a section simply labeled Dragon.

Emma and her friends chatted as they enjoyed the soup course, reflecting over the week they’d shared together. Early the next morning, Mary Margaret would be on a plane heading back to Storybrooke, Maine, having flown in the week before to help her friends settle into their new life in Las Vegas. As their main course was served, Merlin took the stage to kick off the show with The Court Jester. Although the intro was a bit hokey, by the time the actors got the crowd huzzahing, pounding the counters in front of them, and toasting with a hearty here, here, Emma had to admit that she was having a good time. Even Ruby was smiling.

“My Lords and Ladies,” Merlin announced. “It is now time to welcome your kings!”

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd. Emma found herself joining in, pounding her palms against the counter in front of her as she yelled huzzah with the rest of her section when the King of Ireland was announced.

He rode in on a black horse and circled the arena, ending his triumphal entry in front of his section as he waved and nodded to the crowd. Emma nearly choked on her chicken at the sight of him. Dark disheveled hair, much shorter than his competitors’, but still with a wisp of bang swept over his forehead. Piercing blue eyes and expressive brows accompanied a dusting of auburn scruff that highlighted his lopsided grin. In a word… the man was gorgeous, and Emma had seen her fair share of attractive men since arriving on the Strip. The Irish King met her gaze and his eyes widened with interest before he offered a wink. Emma suddenly felt rather warm and flagged down their server to ask for some water.

“Holy shit, he’s hot!” Ruby declared appreciatively as he rode to the center of the arena to await the other countries’ kings. “I’lI take it all back if the rest of them look as good as he does.”

The rest of kings were announced, many of them very attractive in their own right, but Emma didn’t think any of them could really compare to the Irish King. Especially after she heard him deliver his lines.

“Oh, my god. Is that real?”

Although each actor spoke with an accent that represented his country, the Irish King’s sounded like the only genuine one. Emma was barely paying attention to the lines being delivered, too caught up in studying her section’s champion to actually follow the story, so it caught her off guard to see him riding towards her.

“Good evening, fair maidens,” he greeted with a quirked brow. “Might I have the honor of your golden haired companion’s name?”

Emma was staring. And she was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open. And it took her a minute to realize that she was the golden haired one among them. What was her name again?

“Emma,” Mary Margaret offered enthusiastically. “Her name is Emma.”

Emma snapped out of her stupor. “Um, yeah. Emma Swan.”

“A pleasure, My Lady Swan,” he replied with a somewhat courtly bow from his saddle. “Would you, fair Emma, offer me a token of your esteem, so that I might have favor in today’s contests?”

Emma stared into his too blue eyes with furrowed brows. She had no idea what he meant.

He leaned over and whispered, “Just a simple trinket I can use for this next bit. You’ll get it back when the show’s over, love. Promise.”

Emma felt her cheeks burn at the endearment, and she wracked her brain for something to give him.

“Oh!” She pulled her new apartment key from her purse and removed it from the compass keychain it had come with. “Will this work?” She set the compass in his gloved hand and worried her lip as she awaited his response.

“Aye, love,” he replied with a broad grin before projecting, “Not only will this cherished token surely bring me favor in the matches, it will also guide me back to you.”

Emma could practically hear Ruby and Mary Margaret swooning beside her (along with every other woman in their section), and she rolled her eyes at his over acting. The Court Jester appeared along the wall of the arena, and Emma was suddenly blinded by an intense spotlight.

“I say, Your Majesty,” The Jester greeted, his voice booming out into the arena over his lapel mic. “Have you succeeded in wooing a fair maiden for her token?”

“I have, indeed,” the Irish King answered. “It will be my honor to fight in Good King Arthur’s tournament with the favor of My Lady Swan to guide me!”

The Irish King gave Emma a devilish grin as The Jester announced, “Let us raise up a Huzzah for the Lady Swan!”

As the rest of their section cried out Huzzah, the Irish King removed his glove and extended his hand. Emma placed hers within his strong, calloused grip, and her breath hitched slightly when he bent over it, placing a soft kiss to the back of her knuckles.

Meeting her eyes he offered her one last smile, twitched his brows at her, and huskily whispered, “Huzzah” before lining up to wait for the other king’s maidens to be announced so the tournament could begin.

“That man just devoured you with his eyes the same way I devoured this chicken,” Mary Margaret sang while fanning herself.

“Hot. Damn,” Ruby murmured in agreement.

“Guys,” Emma exasperated. “It’s just part of the show. He was acting.”

“No one’s acting is that good,” Mary Margaret argued.

“Whatever.” Emma tried to keep her voice light and her expression nonchalant, but she wasn’t feeling bearlyl as calm as she wanted to appear.

It was ridiculous. Emma didn’t go all gaga over men. She didn’t let pretty faces, and smooth lilting voices, and bright dreamy eyes that crinkled in the corner when he smiled at her like he knew all her secrets… Seriously, Emma?! Get a grip!

Although she knew the tournament was staged, Emma couldn’t help but appreciate the Irish King’s physicality and skill as he raced his horse around the arena, jousted with the other kings, and wielded his sword with enough precision to lend to the believability that he really was a well trained knight. Each time he won a round he would ride by the section to accept the crowd’s cheers and huzzahs while throwing a wink her way. Each wink would earn her an elbow in the side and a knowing look from Ruby or Mary Margaret… or both.

When the field narrowed itself down, just the Irish King and the Russian Czar were left standing, Emma found herself on the edge of her seat. She excitedly cheered with the rest of her section for her king’s success, pounding on the bar top in front of her and booing the dirty tactics his opponent was employing. Her huzzahs might have been some of the loudest when he was declared the tournament victor, and she’d been so caught up in the moment she almost didn’t noticed one of the dancers trying to get her attention. Excusing herself from Ruby and Mary Margaret, Emma made her way to the aisle to meet the beckoning actress.

“Hi,” the bubbly, redhead greeted. “I’m Ariel. Emma, right?”

“Yeah,” she replied self-consciously, unsure what she was about to get roped into.

“So, what’s about to happen is, there’s this ceremony honoring all the kings, blah, blah, blah, then Killian will be officially named Tournament champion and-”

“Killian?” Emma interrupted.

“Oh, I mean your King. Ireland’s king. His real name’s Killian. Anyway, there will come a point when he’ll ride over and you’re gonna be here on the corner platform to greet him since you’re his fair maiden.”

As Ariel explained the role Emma was expected to play, she’d walked them over to a small jut out on the side of the arena.

“Now, there’s a line where Arthur says something about you gifting your king with a kiss. It’s just a quick peck on the cheek, but if that makes you uncomfortable tell me now and I can signal him to skip that part.”

Emma felt her pulse tick up a notch. She was on edge enough just knowing she was going to have to share such a small platform with the man who made her heart skip every time he winked at her. Now she was being asked to kiss him?

“No, that’s fine,” she blurted out. A little too eagerly, if Ariel’s expression was any indication.

“Great,” the redhead giggled. “Just wait here and play along.”

Ariel left Emma alone on the platform to wait for her knight, king, in shining armor to make his approach after the pomp and circumstance of the next scene was over. She remembered to smile through her nerves when the spotlight illuminated her again, and worked to keep her breathing even when the Irish King, Killian, dismounted and stood before her.

“My Fair Lady Swan,” he began over his mic. “Were it not for your generous token, I may not have found such favor in today’s contest. I thank thee, my lady.”

He gave her back the compass keychain and bowed before her, then King Arthur’s voice rang out.

“Perhaps the fair maiden might reward her valiant king with a kiss?”

Performers around the arena began leading the crowd in a chant for the kiss. Emma could hear Ruby and Mary Margaret’s shouts, egging her on. Her cheeks flushed as she rose herself up on her toes to place a chaste kiss at his cheek, earning a mixture of awws and claps from the crowd. And one boo that sounded exactly like Ruby.

Killian smiled down at her, a cheeky glint in his eye as he asked, “Is that really all my victory today is worth to you? Perhaps a bit more gratitude is in order.” He tapped his lips playfully, as if he were daring her.

“Please,” she scoffed, hoping her tone would mask how flustered he made her. “You couldn’t handle it.”

Impossibly, he stepped even closer before declaring, “Perhaps, you’re the one who couldn’t handle it.”

The pop of the t is what sealed her decision. Without taking a moment to really think it through, Emma grabbed him by his armor and pulled his lips to hers. It took both him and the crowd a moment to respond, but once they did, it was quite enthusiastic. Catcalls and whistles rang out from the audience as Emma kissed the holy hell out of her king. It wasn’t until the spotlight moved off of them and Emma heard the show continuing towards its finale that she came up for air.

“That was,” Killian muttered in a completely wrecked (and now distinctly British) tone, that fortunately was not picked up by his mic, which had mercifully been switched off.

“Probably not the best idea,” Emma panted. Killian’s face fell slightly at her response, so she hurried to add, “I mean. Isn’t this supposed to be a family show?”

Killian chuckled, his beaming grin back in place. “You forget this is Vegas, love. It would take more than that to scandalize this crowd.”

“Like finding out you aren’t as Irish as your name. Killian,” she teased at his still shifted accent.

“I’m not really a king either, though the armor is real enough.”

“It looks pretty heavy, too.”

“This?” He looked down at his costume, then back up to meet her eyes. That cheeky smirk and brow returned as he confessed, “It’s nothing compared to the pirate costume I had to wear at Treasure Island. The Captain’s duster alone weighed upwards of fifty pounds.”

Emma narrowed her eyes and wet her lips. “You in head to toe pirate leather? I would have liked to have seen that.”

“Well,” he drawled seductively. “Come have dinner at my place some time and you can. They let me keep the costume.”

Emma accepted his dinner invitation. A week later she had to admit, he looked pretty damned spectacular in that pirate costume. Almost as good as he looked out of it.

Huzzah!

Tagging the crew! (If you’d like to be added to my tag list for all my fics, just let me know!)

@artistic-writer , @kmomof4 , @winterbaby89 , @onceuponaprincessworld , @snowbellewells , @branlovesouat , @snidgetsafan , @golfgirld, @aprilqueen84 , @mezzanottecaffe , @daeneryskairipa , @jsilva0117, @teamhook , @sherlockianwhovian , @jennjenn615 , @deathbycaptainswan , @wyntereyez, @teamhook, @emmythedaydreamer, @its-about-bloody-time-cs, @amorecolorfulmoniker, @allofdafandoms-blog, @bmbbcs4evr

Also tagging those who were a part of the initial idea post from last fall:

@yayimallamaagain @whimsicallyenchantedrose (sorry is I missed someone. It was a long time ago!)

Interested in reading more from me? You can find a complete list of my fics here.

#csficformal #cs ff #csff #cs au #cs fic #actor!killian #knight!killian #medieval tournament #tournament of kings au #las vegas #pirateherokillian #words by hollye #art by hollye

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sleeppaw · 5 years ago

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Pokemon X and Y vs Sword and Shield

I feel like “Pokemon Sword and Shield” doesn’t deserve the backlash it gets from the fandom, and I feel that the fandom praise “Pokemon X and Y” too much.

The music: Compare the Gym Leader theme from “Pokemon X and Y” to the GL Theme from “Pokemon Sword and Shield”; the latter sounds far more epic and fits the overall theme of the game; the former sounds more like a “Electronic soundtrack”. Outside the Gyms, “Pokemon X and Y” only has three themes I love (Route 15, Pokemon League and Ambrette Town). The themes from “Pokemon Sword and Shield” I truly love are: Slumbering Weald, Wedgehurst, Motostoke, Route 3, Hulbury, Wild Area North, Bede’s Theme, Marnie’s Theme, Hop’s Theme, Hammerlocke, Circhester, Eternatus 3, Piers’ Theme, Spikemuth, Route 10, Wyndon and Battle Tower (Seriously, “Sword and Shield” has some of the best themes in any Pokemon game) Score: 1 to “Sword and Shield”

The Rivals: I admit, I prefer the “Sword and Shield” rivals over the “X and Y” friends group. On paper, the “Friend Group” concept does sound interesting: Competitive Rival, Contest Rival, Pokedex Rival and Rival who just wants to do her own thing. Sadly, they were executed poorly (Calem/Serena remains stagnant after the Post-game, Tierno is wasted potential in a game without “side activities” such as Contests/Musicals and Trevor just stays at Geosenge Town and asks the same questions every time. The only character that shows potential is Shauna.) In “Sword and Shield”, Hop, Bede and Marnie all have character and story (Hop starts off with a goal; to beat his older brother. A loss to Bede becomes a deep cut for him. Despite all this he is still determined to defeat his brother; only in the Knock-Out round of the Champions’ Cup does he realise that he won’t be able to achieve his goal, and only in the Post-Game does Hop finally discover a new goal; to be a Pokemon Professor. His and your story paralells Sonia and Leon respectively; Sonia became depressed after she lost to Leon until Professor Magnolia gives her a task; to research what really went on during “The Darkest Day” 3000 years earlier. Bede starts off arrogant as he was Sponsored by the top guy of the region, until he is removed from the Gym Challenge for vandalising a mural; the vandalism reveals an ancient statue of two people and two Pokemon, which led to Sonia to think about “which version of The Darkest Day is true? The one recorded in the History books or the one that is rarely talked about”. He gets put under “Fairy Type Boot Camp” and only appears in the “Gym Leaders” Tournament of the Champions Cup. Under Opal’s Boot Camp, Bede is no longer arrogant and starts becoming a lot nicer, even saying in the Champions Cup rematches that “He enjoys battling you”. Marnie is a Trainer who just wants to put her hometown on the map, and the only way she can do this is by being the Champion. She is a lot kinder and doesn’t take any nonsense from Team Yell. She doesn’t achieve her goal, however, and ends up succeeding Piers as a Gym Leader.) Hop, Bede and Marnie are far more fleshed out than the “X and Y” Rivals, and even though they never achieve their goals they end up becoming natural successors to their predecessors. Total: 2 to “Sword and Shield”

The Legendaries: Xerneas and Yvetal doesn’t really play a role in “X and Y” apart from being used as a battery for an “Ultimate Weapon”. The Legendaries in “Sword and Shield”, Zacian and Zazamenta, appear as ??? early in the game. When you and Hop tell Leon and Sonia about the “Mysterious Pokemon” in the Slumbering Weald Sonia is intrigued, and she decides to research what the two Pokemon are. Only towards the end of the game do they actually appear to help you and Hop in fighting Eternatus (another paralell to the “Darkest Day” 3000 years earlier, confirming Sonia’s theory that “Two heroes and two Pokemon” stopped the Darkest Day and not one hero as the History books recorded). The scene after you capture Eternatus has them leaping into the sky and returning back to Slumbering Weald. In the Post-Game, the Legendaries trust you and Hop and they allow you and Hop to catch them. Zacian and Zazamenta, by the events of “Sword and Shield” are mysterious, and that is because they have been sleeping for 3000 years, so gradually, over time, their role in the “Darkest Day” eventually got covered up in history. The pair sleeping is justified, as they were badly injured in the original “Darkest Day”. It also makes sense meta-wise, as Shield’s Pokedex entry for Zacian states “Some believe Zacian is Zazamenta’s elder sister, other says the two are rivals”. In Arthurian Myth, depending on version, Morgana is said to be either Arthur’s sister or rival. There is also a reference to Roman mythology in the designs: The twin brothers Romulus and Remus were said to be the sons of Mars, the war god. The ruler of the land ordered the twin boys to be abandoned on a hill. The boys were found by a wolf, who raised them as her own, eventually the boys grew up and founded a city; however, they got into a quarrel with each other and Romulus killed his twin brother. The wolf element in the designs is inspired by the female wolf in the story. There is a Greek myth about twins Castor and Pollux: one of the twins was immortal, the other wasn’t. When the mortal twin died in a battle, the immortal twin begged Zeus to join his brother; Zeus decided to place the twins in the sky as the Constellation Gemini. A similar story is said to have happened in 5th-Century Kent, when the warriors Hengist and Horsa fought in a fierce battle against a rival tribe; in the battle, Horsa is killed, and after the battle Hengist retrieved his brother’s corpse and buried it in nearby woodlands. He marked the grave with a white stone, which later became known as “White Horse Stone” after the brothers’ personal banner. Soon after this battle, Hengist was named as king of the new kingdom. One version of this story states the two were twins, while another version states that Hengist was the older brother. A final inspiration for the Legendaries is found in Norse Mythology; after Baldur is killed, Raganork starts and a pair of wolves break out to chase the sun and moon (In Norse Mythology, the sun is female while the moon is male) before catching and killing them; Fenir, another wolf from Norse Mythology, also breaks out and kills Odin. Even History tells us of sibling warriors (Edward and Aethelflaed, a brother and sister who helped unite the seven kingdoms in the 10th Century following the Viking Raids. The Eleventh Century had famous sibling warriors: Norwegian rulers Olav and Harald, earls Edwin and Morcar (yes, really), Tostig (yes, seriously, the 11th Century had some unique names), Harold, Gyrth and Leofwine, Danish warriors Beorn and Sweyn and then there’s Normans Odo and William. The 15th Century had king Edward IV and his brother Richard, and two centuries later the future kings Charles II and James II even found themselves on a battlefield when they were 15 and 12 respectively. But sibling warriors wasn’t just restricted to Europe; Vietnamese history states that there were two sisters who fought in battle.) Zacian’s and Zazamenta’s designs are inspired by Arthurian Mythology (Zacian and Zazamenta sleeping for millennia), Roman and Norse Mythology (Wolves), Greek Mythology and History (Twin warriors or sibling warriors). Eternatus is based on Thanatos of Greek Mythology, who is the personification of Death (In Greek Mythology Thanatos is a Primodorial God that emerged from Chaos). Eternatus’ design is inspired by the Xenomorph (The film “Alien” was filmed in the UK, and there are many legends of “mysterious objects” appearing in front of monks in history; one of the famous legends from the UK is “The Green Children of Woolpit”. Many people today believe the story is an early example of a story about aliens; the girl and her brother came from a “far-off land”, described with green skin, appeared in a flash of light, wore strange clothing, only ate one type of food (beans), strange behaviour and the girl, in the story, eventually lost her green colour and settled amongst humans; the boy became ill and died. This ties into Eternatus’ otherworldly origins). Eternatus’ design is inspired by Thanatos (Primodorial being), Xenomorph (Design wise) and the legend of “The Green Children” (Unknown characters with an extraterristial origin). Calyrex, a Legendary Pokemon due to be introduced in the Crown Tundre DLC, is inspired by a deer. The White Stag appears in Celtic and Arthurian myths and was later on adopted by King Richard II as his personal symbol (Ancient and Medieval kings had personal emblems that was used as their standard in battle). As well as that, but it is also based on a Wolpertinger, a cryptid from German Mythology. When the Roman Empire fell, the Romans abandoned Britannia and invited a tribe from Saxony, in what is now Germany, over to fight the northern tribes (Germany was once a part of the Roman Empire). Eventually, the Saxon tribe took over, forming into various kingdoms (Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Kent, Essex, Sussex and Wessex). During this era the kings of each kingdom battled over dominance of the country (Bretwalda was the title that was given to the kings that managed to achieve this; there was seven kings named by Bede as “Bretwalda”, however in total there were sixteen kings that had the title between the 5th and 10th Centuries. The only Kingdom that never had a Bretwalda was Essex). At the same time Christianity was expanding over Europe, and in the year 597 pope Gregory sent a priest, Augustine, to the Kingdom of Kent. The Kingdom was ruled by a man named Ethelbert, who was pagan but his wife, Bertha, was a Christian. Augustine arrived at the court and eventually converted Ethelbert and his court to Christianity; Augustine established an abbey in today’s Canterbury and eventually converted the Kingdom of Kent. Two of Ethelbert’s daughters married the princes of East Anglia and Northumbria and the two kingdoms eventually converted to Christianity (In this era, East Anglia was ruled by Saebert, whose brother Seaxa is known as “The Aldi Prince” after the discovery of his grave outside an Aldi supermarket in Prittlewell made headlines, and Raedwald, the king who is believed to have been buried in a ship burial at the now famous Sutton Hoo site. Northumbria was ruled by Edwin, Osmund and Oswin). Northumbria, with it’s Christian kings, would be at war with Mercia in this time, a war that only ended when Penda, the Mercian king and a pagan, was killed in battle. A century later, the three dominant Kingdoms were Mercia, Wessex and Northumbria (Kent and Sussex had lost their power) and the Venerable Bede started to write about the seven kingdoms and the Bretwalda. Later that century, the Viking raids started. By the 9th Century there was four powerful kingdoms that was dominating the country (East Anglia, Mercia, Wessex and Northumbria). In the late 9th Century, the Vikings launched the “Great Heathen Army” to conquer the remaining kingdoms. The first of the kingdoms to fall was Northumbria, which at the time, was in a civil war between Osbert and Aella. In a battle, Osbert was killed and Aella was captured before he was tortured and killed by the “Blood Eagle”. The Vikings then procceded to conquer East Anglia, which was ruled by Edmund. Edmund was captured, tied to a tree, then shot at by arrows before being decapitated. His men tried to find his head, but a week after that they found the head with a starving wolf. The head was intact, and the men decided to carry their king’s head to where the body laid. As they returned the head the two was reunited as the wolf vanished; the city of Bury St. Edmunds is named after the king. Eventually, the last of the kingdoms left was Wessex, which by then was ruled by the last son of Aethelwulf, named Alfred. He would go down in history as “Alfred The Great”. So anyway, Alfred managed to fightback against the “Great Heathen Army” and in the Battle of Edington,he managed to beat them. A peace treaty between him and the Vikings was done, and gradually he decided to encourage learning amongst the population, and started the foundations of unifying the country; his son Edward “The Elder” and grandson Aethelstan “The Glorious” achieved this, with Aethelstan being called “King of England”. What does all this have to do with Calyrex? Calyrex is described as a “King that ruled all of Galar in the past”. I think Calyrex plays the role of a Bretwalda in the Crown Tundra, a role it played prior to “The Darkest Day”. So Calyrex’s design is based on the White Stag (Celtic Mythology and Arthurian Legend, also historical), Wolpertinger (German Mythology, reflecting Saxon mythology after the fall of Rome) and Bretwalda (The Seven Kingdoms era). Kubfu is based on a bear cub,while Ushifu is based on a bear. The two unknown Regi may be based on “Dark Ages” and possibly “The Industrial Age” (”The Dark Ages” occurred between the 6th and 11th Centuries; most of our knowledge about those five Centuries came from Britain from the writings of Bede and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the latter recording events and people by year and kept by monks until the year 1154; the very last event that was recorded in the ASC was the death of King Stephen. The “Industrial Revolution” got it’s start in the UK in the late 18th Century and was driven by a growing population). Zarude is based on the Shug Monkey, a cryptid from Cambridgeshire folklore. In comparison, Xerneas and Yvetal doesn’t have much to fall back on, Zygarde is wasted potential and the Mythicals doesn’t have much lore. Total: 3 to Galar (Creative Legendaries in respect to the history, mythology and folklore).

The Region: Kalos is beautiful, but that’s as far as it goes. The choice of picking France as the first 3D region sounds good on paper and at the time, but looking back at “X and Y” in 2020, Kalos’ beauty pales in comparison to Alola and Galar. Some things seem copy-pasted (Santalune Forest is a carbon copy of Viridian Forest while Unknown Dungeon is a copy-paste of Celadon Cave). Galar, on the other hand, has a diverse varieties of landscapes (Glimwood Tangle and Balloonlea is hands down the most gorgeous locations in any Pokemon game.) The cities and towns are places you would love to live in or visit (Postwick is your typical village, Wedgehurst is a small town in the middle of nowhere, Motostoke is a bustling industrial city, Turffield is a farming town, Hulbury is a port town, Hammerlocke is a city that is proud of its’ history as a former capital, Stow-On-Side is a town in the mountains, Balloonlea is a town with a fantasy theme, Circhester is a spa town while Spikemuth is a town whose best days are behind it and Wyndon is a modern city.) Kalos feels more like a “Tourist’s Guide to Poke-France” while Galar feels like home. Total: 4 to Galar

Customisation: Kalos introduced customization, however, in comparison to Sun/Moon/UltraSun/UltraMoon and Sword/Shield, customization in Kalos changed daily or had certain restrictions (Looking at you Lumoise City Boutique). In Sun/Moon/UltraSun/UltraMoon/Sword and Shield you can access the boutiques when you visit a new town and are mainly found in towns and large cities (Wedgehurst, Motostoke, Hammerlocke, Circhester and Wyndon all have boutiques; Wedgehurst having a boutique makes sense as it’s based on a small town in the UK which can have a local boutique especially since the nearest large town could be twenty miles away. Motostoke, Hammerlocke and Wyndon are major cities while Circhester is a popular tourist destination. Circhester’s inspiration, Bath, has boutiques which the country’s elite would go shopping while on “Rest and Relaxation”.) Alola has boutiques due to it’s relaxed and tropical atmosphere,and Hawaii is known for it’s peaceful atmosphere. The clothing choices for both Alola and Galar reflects their real-life basis; most people associate Hawaii with flowers, while casual is a popular fashion choice in the UK. Another thing about Alola and Galar clothing vs Kalos is while Kalos is restricted to a limited amount of colours, Alola and Galar have variety on their colour choices (Sun and UltraSun had Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow and Beige while Moon and UltraMoon had Green, Blue, Navy, Purple and Grey. Both versions had black and white. In Sword and Shield, you can purchase all these colours without being restricted to a specific version.) In terms of colour, Galar gets a point, but in terms of style, Kalos gets a point. Total: 5 to Galar, 1 to Kalos

Pokedex Diversity: In terms of Pokemon in the regional Dex, Kalos wins on that front, but in terms of access, Galar wins on that front (Ice Types can be caught before you even reach Motostoke if there is an area where it’s snowing).Ice, in previous games, was usually found in the late game areas, but Sword and Shield made it possible for the player to get an Ice-Type Pokemon early. Total: 6 to Galar, 2 to Kalos (Galar for making it easier to get late-game types earlier, Kalos for regional dex)

Gyms: The first five Generations had Gyms that was exciting (Generation 1 introduced the basics while Generation 2 used the Flying, Bug, Normal, Ghost, Fighting, Steel, Ice and Dragon Types for it’s Gyms; Generation 3 had the first Double Battle in a Gym in the series, while Generation 4 had challenging puzzles. Generation 5 gave Gym Leaders personalities and made them characters in their own right) but by the time Kalos appeared on the scene it was clear the “Battle the Gym Leaders, Fight Evil Team, Challenge the Elite Four and battle the Champion” formula had gone stale by the time Kalos was introduced; to the player who had played previous entries, there was nothing that really stood out with them; the only one that Mega Evolved their Pokemon was Korrina. Even their designs were mismatched. That was why in Sun and Moon they got rid of Gyms for Trials (Gyms wouldn’t have been possible in Alola as Alola is supposed to be based on a traditional Polynesian culture; kids go through Trials to prove that they’re ready for adulthood, and the Trials in Alola is inspired by the “Coming-of-Age” trials). Galar’s Gym Challenge fits in with the lore of the region; unlike previous regions, where Trainers receive their Pokemon and then challenge the Gyms, you had to be endorsed in order to participate due to how challenging the Gym Challenge is. The Gym Leaders are not just celebrities in the region, but they are also major participants in the Champions’ Cup. Even throughout the Gym Challenge the number of competitors start decreasing (It is stated that most Gym Trainers either lose to Kabu or they have their endorsements revoked in the case of Bede). Even Marnie says later on that there are a few people left in the Gym Challenge, and Raihan mentions there are “Less than 10 Competitors left” by the time you reach him; indeed, by the Semi-Finals only you, Hop and Marnie are left in the Challenge. It also helps the Gyms are set in a specific pattern: First three Gyms are the basic Starter Types, the next Gyms are uncommon Types (Ghost, Fighting, Fairy, Rock, Ice) while Piers’ Gym is based on the traditional Gym battle from Generations 1-5 and Raihan’s Gym is based on Double Battles and Weather Conditions. Total: 7 to Galar, 2 to Kalos

Gym Leaders: Like Kalos’ Gyms, the biggest problem is that after the memorable Gym Leaders from Unova, Kalos’ Gym Leaders had nothing memorable going for them; their designs are either over-designed or under-designed and forgettable. Galar’s Gym Leaders are certainly memorable, they have a specific theme and they have personalities and backstories. In Kalos, how many times in the main story do you see the Gym Leaders outside of the Gym? Two, and that is Korrina and Wulfric (Korrina on Route 5, Wulfric in Pokemon Village). In Galar, you meet Milo on Route 4, Nessa at the lighthouse in Hulbury, Kabu in Galar Mine number 2 and Opal and Raihan in Hammerlocke (Opal when the player enters and Raihan at the vault); the only three you don’t see outside their Gyms is Bea/Allister, Gordie/Melony and Piers. That’s five out of eight Gym Leaders who are seen outside the Gyms in the course of the story. Personality wise, the Gym Leaders have individual personalities but at the same time they are very competitive and even when they Dynamax/Gigantamax their Pokemon shows hints of their personalities: Milo pats his Pokeball, showing us he is quite kind to others, Nessa swirls the Pokeball around before throwing it, fitting for someone who is quite serious in her work in modelling, Kabu holds the Pokeball low with his eyes closed as if he is focusing befitting for someone who is passionate when it comes to battle; Allister lets the Pokeball grow before nervously throwing it (Allister is quite timid). Opal throws the Pokeball in a showy way, a hint towards not just her eccentric personality but her flamboyant personality. Melony cuddles her Pokeball before she throws it, showing her motherly side and Raihan takes a selfie before throwing it, fitting for someone who is obsessed with Social Media (Shield). Bea is stotic, Gordie is short-tempered and Piers feels like a failure as a Gym Leader and wants his sister to succeed him; when Piers steps down as Gym Leader he is able to go back to his true passion and even aided the player against Swordward and Shielbert. It also helps that Galar’s Gym Leaders are very diverse (in ethnicity and body shape). Milo is muscular, Nessa is black, Kabu is stated to be from Hoenn, Bea is toned, Allister is short, Opal is elderly, Gordie and Melony are big-boned, Piers is skinny and Raihan is dark-skinned. Out of Kalos’ Gym Leaders, only Grant, Olympia and Wulfric are diverse (Grant and Olympia are both black and Wulfric is fat). Total: 8 to Galar, 2 to Kalos.

The Champion: In X and Y, you only interact with Diantha once in the whole game, so the impact of the fight with the Champion doesn’t have a huge impact; in the Generation 1 games, your rival becomes the Champion and loses to the player; in Generation 2, Lance aids the player against Team Rocket before you battle him; in Ruby and Sapphire, Steven helps you a fair amount, while in Emerald, Wallace takes on this role; in Sinnoh, Cynthia acts as a “big sister” to the player, while in Black and White, Alder acts as a mentor to the player and Cheren; Black and White 2 had Iris, who helped you quite a few times before you battle her, and in Sword and Shield Leon is your rival’s older brother and the person who endorsed you and Hop; in these cases the Champion Battle has a huge impact on the player, as you are basically fighting someone who has a shared history with you; whether that is a rival, friend or mentor. You didn’t have all that with Diantha, so the Champion Battle didn’t have an impact as it did with Gens 1-5 and Generation 8; instead, the battle with Diantha felt more like a Gym battle than a Champion battle. In Sword and Shield, you start off watching a video of the Champion’s Cup before you and Hop go to Wedgehurst to meet up with Leon (Despite being the Champion, Leon has a tendency to get himself lost and is a bit of a cloudcuckoolander), before he gives you and Hop a Pokemon; until you visit Professor Magnolia, he stubbornly refuses to endorse you and Hop. Magnolia calls him out on it. You run into him quite a few times (in Hammerlocke, he asks the player about Hop following his defeat to Bede; he also says that he and Raihan are rivals, however they respect each other.) Leon’s relationships with Sonia, Raihan, Hop and the player is one of the many aspects to the character; he also deals with problems in the region and the only time he failed was when he tried to stop Eternatus. Leon is a peacekeeper, a skilled trainer and the greatest trainer of the Galar Region. When Team Flare decides to use the Ultimate Weapon, Diantha was in Lumoise City minding her own business. Lance, Steven, Wallace, Cynthia, Alder and Iris at least helped the player against the villainous team. You barely felt anything by beating Diantha as you barely interacted with her, while in Sword and Shield, you felt a sense of achievement when you win against Leon; beating the “Greatest Trainer” and the “Unbeatable Champion” is a far bigger achievement than just beating someone you barely interact with. Even after losing, Leon wants to continue his dream of encouraging Galar’s Trainers to reach their potential. In the DLC’s we will be meeting Mustard, a former Galar Champion. We never seen former Champions before Blue, Steven, Cynthia, Alder and Diantha battled them or knew about them. All we know about Mustard is that he was Galar’s Champion for eighteen years and that he was the one who mentored Leon; since losing to Leon he has decided to run a dojo and act as a teacher. Even though as Champion Leon’s outfit choices was a bit eye-rolling, his Battle Tower outfit makes him more “regal” and more mature. Diantha does have a sense of style though. Total: 9 to Galar (Leon’s backstory, relationships with the other characters and his post-game attire), 2 to Kalos

Villainous Team: For this comparisons, I will be comparing Kalos to Alola instead, as there isn’t a Villainous Team in Galar. What was Team Flare’s motivation again? Unless you count “Wiping out everyone bar the elite” as the motivation for Team Flare, they really don’t have anything to fall back on. Team Skull, on the other hand, are deliquents who have suffered poverty and abuse and have little confidence in themselves. The Aether Foundation have the right intentions, but took things too far. The games imply that Guzma, Gladion and Lillie have been abused (Guzma was beaten up by his father as implied by the golf clubs; Gladion and Lillie were both treated as objects by their mother, one of the signs of mental abuse). Team Skull and the Aether Foundation are memorable (Ya Boy Guzma, big sister Plumeria and rebellious Gladion for Team Skull, kindly Wicke, wicked Faba and brainwashed Lusamine for the Aether Foundation). Team Flare, I can only remember two people from the group (Malva and Lysandre). Total: 9 to Galar, 2 to Kalos (Galar’s Villainous Team, Team Yell, are merely an annoyance than an outright Villainous Team)

Relevancy in succeeding generations: In the Alola games, the only references to Kalos is the fact Ilima studied in the region and Sina and Dexio visiting Alola. In Sword and Shield, there is only one reference to Kalos. In fact, Unova and Alola have far more references in Galar than Kalos. It’s quite telling when even after two Generations after it debuted that a region is fast being made irreverent. It’s because there is nothing memorable about Kalos (As I said about the region, Santalune Forest and Unknown Dungeon are copypasted from areas in Kanto)

Mechanics: I have to admit, I don’t like Mega Evolution at all. It should have been Kalos only, not added to Hoenn. Some Pokemon do need a boost, but it shouldn’t be with something as temporary as Mega Evolution. Anyway, the lore behind Mega Evolution doesn’t add up: First, why is Diancie the only Generation 6 Pokemon that can Mega Evolve? Secondly, Mega Stones are often found in nature, so why is Mewtwo, a Pokemon created through science, have two Mega Stones? Thirdly, the debate whether Lucario or Rayquaza was the first Pokemon to Mega Evolve. Fourthly, if it would make weaker Pokemon more viable in battle, why was 80% of Megas given to Pokemon that was already viable in battle, and finally, Mega Evolutions basically killed off “Cross Generation Evolutions”. (Only Eevee got a Cross-Generation Evolution, while Generations 5 and 7 didn’t have Cross-Gen Evolutions; Generation 8 brought Cross-Gen Evolutions, but only for Galarian Forms. I hope that in Generation 9 they have a Pre-evolution for Tauros and Miltank, as the two Pokemon are connected.) Z-Moves, on the other hand, wasn’t forced into Kanto and stayed in Alola as it’s own thing, and fits in with Alola’s culture being focused on traditions, plus every single Pokemon can be able to use Z-Moves if they hold a Z-Crystal. Some Pokemon have their own Z-Crystal (Starters, some Alolan Pokemon, Pikachu, Snorlax, Eevee and the Legendaries: these Pokemon can also use the other Z-Crystals as long as they have moves of that type; seeing someone with a Porygon-Z use Z-Conversion is quite hilarious) Z-Crystals are used by Trial Captains, Kahunas, Team Skull and Hau. In Kalos, the only Trainers who use Megas are Korrina, Lysandre, your Rival and Diantha (OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire was better at ultilising Megas than Kalos). Any Pokemon in the Galar Dex, bar the wolves and Eternatus, can use Dynamax and it is restricted to certain locations; Stadiums, Rose Tower and Wild Area are the only places that allow Dynamax; as well as that, the only major Trainer in Sword and Shield that doesn’t use Dynamax is Piers (Milo, Nessa, Kabu, Bea, Allister, Opal, Gordie, Melony, Raihan, Oleana, Rose, Hop, Bede, Marnie and Leon can use Dynamax; in the Post-Game, Swordward and Shielbert Dynamaxes Pokemon to cause chaos.) While Megas were given to Generation 1 Pokemon (Some of which you needed to trade to evolve them, which is a problem for those without internet that wants to use Mega Gengar), Dynamax has been given to Generations 1, 5, 7 and 8 (Plus it is easier to get a Machamp or Gengar in raids; difficult in one aspect but easier in another; I once had a Rhyperior Raid on Pokemon Sword. Unfortunately, I was blown out of the den)

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