#Ash&Misty friendship

[originalwinnercheesecake]

What if Serena and Misty met during XY saga fanfic

So I made up a scenario about these two meeting that I am pretty thought was pretty cool a while back. With Rachel Lill's having recently passed and people talking more about characters she voiced (I had not known that she voiced at least 3 of my favorite anime characters from my childhood) I thought now might be a cool time to post it. Since I am not currently on A03 I am just going to post it here. This fic is written to be like an episode of the anime, but is told from the point of view of a narrator, because that is how I write. It contains both Ash&Misty and Ash&Serena friendships, that can be read as Pokkeshipping and Amourshipping if you squint hard enough. But I am not focusing on either ship, as Pokemon was first and foremost a buddy anime.

Things open with the four friends sitting a car being driven by Ash's mom Delia Katchem. We learn that her birthday was the day before and Ash, along with the XY gang flew back to Pallet down to celebrate it with her. They are now on their way to Cerulean city's airport to catch a flight back to the Kalos region. Delia thanks everyone for visiting and then does her whole fussy mom reminder to Ash about remembering to practice self-care. Ash blushes. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all laugh. After Delia drops the gang off they go to look at the flight schedule and discover that they got the date wrong and their flight actually leaves at this time tomorrow. Clemont says that they should go check into the nearest pokemon center for the night, rest there, and make plans for when they arrive back in the Kalos region. But Serena see's a poster on the wall Advertising that the famous Sensational Sisters are doing a show tonight at The Cerulean Gym. Serena says she has followed video's of the sisters online and really wants to go see a performance live. When Bonnie asks if any of the sisters are single and looking for a husband, Clemont starts insisting that just going to the pokemon center for the night is the better, more practical idea. Serena huffs and says she wants to see the show. Ash interrupts and says that he has an in with the Cerulean gym, and if they go before the show he can get them a tour of it. This decides it for everyone.

Cut to the group getting to the Cerulean gym. They come up to Misty who is out front, holding her Azurill, and practicing land fighting with her Gyarados. Misty has not noticed the group yet. Gyarados twists around does wrap, watergun, and flamethrower. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie are freaked out. Ash and Pikachu are impressed. Misty tells Gyarados it did great and they can break, putting it back in its pokeball. At this Pikachu jumps off Ash, runs up to Misty, climbs up to her shoulder, and starts nuzzling her in greeting. Misty, very surprised, starts petting Pikachu and asks him how he got here. Then she notices Ash and his new friends. Ash walks towards her saying hello and complementing Gyarados. They do that high five handshake thing where they lock hands in the air. Misty says she had heard from Professor Oak that Ash was traveling in a different region. He tells her that he has been in the Kalos region battling gyms and meeting all sorts of really cool pokemon. He tells her he has one new one she will love, and sends out his Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja. Misty immediately starts fawning over it, and suggests a battle of the frogs between it and her Politoad.

Serena, Clemont, or Bonnie one start to feel ignored and coughs behind Ash and Misty. Ash then turns and introduced Misty to all three of his friends from Kalos and vice versa. You see Serena get surpirsed when she learns that Misty used to travel with Ash. Ash says that he promised his friends that Misty would give them a tour of her gym. A nervous look crosses Misty's face as she stutters that she is not sure if she can do a whole tour. But upon looking back at Ash and Pikachu she concedes that she can at least bring them all in and show them her other pokemon. Pkauchu introduces Dedenee and Azurill and the three start to play together as everyone goes inside to the big pool in the center of the gym.

The Kalos crew take it all in. Bonnie asks Clemont if they can install a pool at the battle tower too. Suddenly Psyduck comes running up to the gang quaking hello to everybody. Pikachu greets Psyduck in pokemon, and Ash tells it it "Hey nice to see you again Psyduck". After this Psyduck goes over to the edge of the pool, yells very loud, before jumping in, and immediately starts to sink. Ash runs to the edge of the pool ready to jump in after it, but Misty gets in his way and holds him back. Ash exclaims that "it looks like Psyduck still cannot swim". Misty smiles and tells Ash "wait for it". A few seconds later Psyduck rises from underneath the water clinging to something blue in red. Misty proudly introduces her new Tentacool. She explains that Tentacool has one tentacle shorter that the other, and struggled to keep up with its group in the wild. But that since coming here it and Psyduck have become fast friends. It likes to build its strength by carrying Psyduck through the pool, and Psyduck is not scared to be in the water if it is with Tentacool. There is some collective comments of the group of "How cool" and "Friends helping friends".

As Tentacool swims off with Psyduck, Misty leans over the Cerulean pool and shouts to all her other pokemon "Come out everyone. Show them how skilled and wonderful you are." We then get a montage of Misty's remaining pokemon jumping out of the water to perform for everybody. Goldeen and luvdisc have a who can jump the highest contest. Staryu and Corsola jump out and takle each other in a mock battle. Horsee sticks its head out and Misty points to a tarp on the wall and tells it to use sludge bomb. It then uses sludge bomb to write "Hello" on the tarp in Japanese calligraphy. Then Starmie climbs up onto one of the floating slabs, and Misty says that "Pikachu was actually the inspiration for Starmie's newest trick". Misty first has Starmie use bubble beam, then to everyone's surprise she tells it to use thunderbolt, which pops all the bubbles. After this Misty says she still has one pokemon left, and calls for a Surskit.

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all watch the show in amazement. Serena however only in part watching the show, and is mostly watching her friends, particularly, Ash react to Misty and her pokemon. When Ash had said he had a in with the Cerulean gym she thought that just meant Ash had battled there once before, and still had respect of the gym leader. She had had no idea that the current gym leader was a former traveling companion and close friend of Ash's from before she and he re-connected. She also did not know that Misty was both a well known mermaid and a powerful gym leader. The other's admiration and Serena's feelings insecurity start to build on her face, and boil over after Starmie's, pikachu inspired, performace. She has no desire to meet surskit, or to see whatever no doubt high quality performance it can put on. She sneaks away from the group and runs down random hallways trying to catch her breath and quiet her thoughts. When she comes to a random blacked out hallway she lets out a loud gasp.

Then it cuts back to the others. As it has only been a minute nobody has noticed Serena is gone yet. She also was maybe a bit to quick to assume Misty and Surskit make a skilled team. Misty keeps calling for Surskit and is getting more visibly frustrated with it not showing up. Ash asks Misty "When did you get a Surskit, and isn't that a bug type? Misty confirms that Surskit is a water/bug type. Her sister's gave it to her thinking that it could help her overcome her fear of bug pokemon. Misty then goes on to say that she is not scared of Surskit because, as she claims, "it does not have any of the creepy bug parts, or move in a scary bug way", but that "It still frustrates her to no end because it seems to have no motivation to battle, and will not listen to her in training". Suddenly Serena runs back to the group yelling for everybody. Clemont asks her "Where did you go?" and Ash asks her " Serena what's wrong". Serena shrugs them off and tells Misty "You needs to come with me".

Serena takes them to the hallway she went down and shows them the previously blacked out hallway. You can now see that it has been trashed, T-peed, and their is graffiti all over the walls. Misty is now red-faced, eyes closed, and stomping on the ground as she seethes "Oh no, not again, Uuuhhgg". When Misty is able to calm down a bit she admits that this has been happening for the past couple of weeks. Some one is trying to sabotage her gym for some reason. Her and her sisters have tried to catch the person but cannot, Officer Jenny also does not know who it is. She tells everybody how that lately she has been training some of her pokemon outside the gym entrance hoping to scare them away, but it looks like that hasn't worked either. If Misty cannot figure out who is doing this, and put a stop to them, then she will have to close down her gym. Ash says "No. What about all the trainers who want to come here to battle" and Serena echos "and fans who come here to watch performances". Clement goes over to some of the graffiti and sticks his fingers to it, exclaiming that "The paint is still wet and this is all freshly done". Bonnie says that "maybe that means whoever did it may still be in the building and we can still catch them". All five trainers search the building , checking hallways, closets, and cabinets but they come up with zip. They conclude that that the vandals must have snuck in through a window while Misty was practicing outside, trashed the hall, and then snuck out while she was talking to them. Misty sighs defeated and says she'll have to close the gym down and cancel the show tonight, because she is not going to risk putting it on just so these mysterious vandals can show up and ruin it.

Bonnie yells "No!"this time, and suggests that they still do the show but set traps for the vandals, near where they have been sneaking in. This prompts Clemont to do his whole "The future is now thanks to science" gimmick, and bring out a new trap based invention bot thing that he assures everyone will defiantly catch the vandals when sprung. Misty argues that she still cannot do the show and be waiting by the trap for the vandals to step in. Serena quietly whispers "What if I do the show in your place". The others all hear and turn to her. Ash immediately say that that is a great idea. Misty is not convinced and asks Serena "Have you ever been a water ballet before?". Playing with her fingers and staring at the floor, Serena admits "No". Ash jumps in again saying "Serena knows how to swim and is an amazing dancer. This plan is our best bet for catching the vandals and keeping the gym open. Give her a chance". Ash's faith in her gives Serena the courage to stop playing with her hands and turn her head up to look Misty in the eye. "I know ballet" she says; "And while I have never been in a water Ballet before I have always been able to pick dances up quickly. Give me a chance". Misty says that her sister "Daisy will be here in a little bit do do a dress rehearsal before the show. If Serena can learn the dance to Daisy's approval, and we can get the traps set up in time then we'll go ahead with your plan". Outside Team Rocket are hiding in a tree, spying on the "Twerps" with their binoculars. Meowth comes up with the plan to steel all of Cerulean's pokemon, and Pikachu, by taking advantage of the fact that everyone will be so busy being on guard to catch the vandals that none of them will remember to be on guard for Team Rocket.

Cut to the dress rehearsal with Daisy teaching Serena and Bonnie the routine. A few of Ceruleans pokemon are there as well. Dewgong is Bonnie's new friend. Daisy praises the girls dancing. She believes they will do well in her show. Bonnie happily throws her arms around Dewgong. In the corner of her eye Serena see's a small figure peeking out from behind a corner. She crosses the room and kneels down in front of the corner and gently says hello to whoever is hiding there then asks it to "please come on out. Would you like to dance with me?". Out crawls the same Surskit that Misty was looking for earlier. Daisy see surskit and loses her smile. She tells Serena that "Surskit does not know the routine", and "Misty has already told me it is a bad listener and I do not allow those in my performances". Serena is now standing up, holding Surskit in her arms. She tells Daisy to "let Surskit try dancing in the rehearsal and that if it does not listen than you do not have to let it dance again". Cut back to Ash, Misty, and Clemont. They are going through the gym setting up noise based alarms at various windows and other secondary places the vandals could be breaking in through. They also assign pokemon at these spots to act as watchmen. Once they are done they go to lay Clemont's big trap out in front of an old back exit that Misty believes is probably what the vandals go through most of the time.

As they walk away Team Rocket (who have painted themselves the same color as the gym walls and are holding paintings and potted plants over their faces) sneak past them the trio and head to a room in the at the other end of the a long hall to try and start nabbing whatever pokemon they can. They step over the noise alarm and grab Misty's Nemo Tentacool from a fish tank it was sitting watch in. Tentacool calls for help and Psyduck comes running in, it trips the trap. Psyduck charges seemingly at Team Rocket but misses completely and rams itself into a wall. Jessie and Meowth both laugh at it. James tells them "Hold on. That is the original twerpets Psyduck. Why do I feel like their is something we are supposed to remember about its head?" Wobbuffet goes "Wuba wuba". Meowth more confused translated "Headaches make it stronger?". They all turn to Psyduck who's eyes have turned blue and its body is gathering strength. Suddenly it lets lose a massive confusion attack that picks all four of them up and throws them out the window and blasting off again. After this Ash, Misty, and Clemont run in, to see what all the noise was. They find Psyduck trying to put Tentacool back in the fish tank with a piece of the alarm stuck to its foot. There is no sign of team Rocket having been there , and all three think that Psyduck must have just tripped when coming to visit Tentacool.

Now Flash to that night. The crowd is starting to come in and fill out the seats. Misty's other two sisters, Lily and Violet are taking tickets up front and keeping a look out in case anyone suspicious is tries to come in form the front. All the alarms and traps are set, and pokemon lay in hiding places all throughout the gym ready to battle for its defense if the need comes. Currently the whole group is behind the curtain waiting for the show to start. Serena, who's is dressed as (not a mermaid) a Princess, is watching the crowd spill in and is starting to get butterflies. She tells Ash "I wish you could stay and watch the performance. I always feel better when I see you in the crowd". Ash reassures her that"You'll l do great, and I promise that we will catch the vandals really quick. Once that is done they will come right into the audience", he points to some empty seats near the top, "and watch You and Bonnie dance". Daisy calls for "everyone who's not in the show to get out and everyone in the show to take their places".

After this Ash Misty and Clemont, Pikachu, and Clemont's Chespin all go to where they Misty thinks the vandals are most likely to be getting in through and they set Clemont's big bot trap. Clemont is hides behind the his invention so he can activate it if/when the vandals come. Chespin and Pikachu are with him. Ash and Misty are behind a corner in case there are multiple vandals and one slips through. It is very dark in the hallway. Suddenly they hear the sound of the lock being jiggled and the door being banged on till it opens. Footsteps come in and a smug voice makes comments at how "stupid" and "flimsy" Cerulean's locks are. Another voice laughs and chims in that "it's like they want to be broken into". Suddenly pikachu lights the room up and Clemont pulls the switch for his Trap bot. Because it was built by Clemont is of course malfunctions completely and traps him, Chespin, and Pikachu instead. Pikachu is still admitting sparks from its cheeks to light the room and in the light you can see three intruders trash bags and spray paint. It is actually Kim, Kail, and Kai

Misty fuming storms into the light and yells "You creeps again"

Ash following Misty "You know these guys Misty?"

Misty "Unfortunately yes. They call themselves "The Invincible Pokemon Brothers. They tried to take control of the gym when I first started running it. But they failed big time".

Kim: "Well if we can't take the Cerulean Gym from you, then we'll make sure your unable to stay open". With that he and his brothers each bring out a pokeball and send out Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop. "You have no hope of defeating us. We out number you three to two."

Ash: "We may be out numbered but you are outmatched." With that he takes out a pokebell and turns to Misty. "It looks like our battle this time will be us vs them. Are you alright settling for that".

Misty has out one of her own pokeballs and smiles as she replies "This is just like old times".

Ash throws out Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja, and Misty throws out Politoad. So the battle of the frogs becomes the battle of the frogs vs fighting types. The frog duo make short work of the three fighting types , and send them and their trainers blasting off into the night.

With that done we cut to Clemont, Ash and Misty now taking here seat to watch the remainder of the show. They are sitting near the top of the bleachers and look down to the stage. Serena is dancing around on one of the starmie water platforms, with Surskit as her dance partner. Dewgong is swimming circles around it, and Bonnie is riding on his back and using her arms to dance. various cerulean pokemon are either jumping out of the water around then, or using watergun and bubble beam to create special effects. Clemont and Ash start clapping. Ash even calls out "Go Serena, Go Bonnie!". Misty watches Serena and Surskit and she gets a look of realization that morphs into hesitation, that then morphs into reassurance after she glances back at Ash.

Now we cut to early the next day with Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and their pokemon set to leave and head to the airport. Azurill is crying over Pikachu and Dedenne having to leave, which makes Dedenne start crying too, and Pikachu is trying to comfort both of them. Dasiy gives Bonnie some flowers as a thank you for being in their show. Bonnie tells her "Being in your show was a lot of fun. When I get older I am going to be in lots of battle, and lots of shows too". Clemont tells Daisy was overall very impressed with the Cerulean gym, but he thinks they can upgrade its tech. He tells Daisy to please call him sometime and he would be happy to send over some of his inventions that he thinks they would get optimal benefit from. At this Bonnie is side eyeing Clemont with big eyes because she thinks he may have a crush on Daisy. He does not. He is just being nice. Daisy chuckles awkwardly and, clearly lying, says that she will make sure to do that sometime. Misty then comes out to say goodbye. Ash and her do another high five- handshake and lock hand in the air. Misty wishes Ash good luck in his upcoming gym battles. Ash wishes her the same, then promises that he will come back again soon and they can have another battle against each other then.

Then Misty walks toward Serena. Serena is a lot more comfortable around Misty than she was the morning before. She tells Misty that she is glad the Cerulean Gym will be able to stay open, and that she really admires that Misty is able to juggle battling challengers as Gym leader and being in the Cerulean performaces. Both seem like such big roles, and Serena isn't sure she could manage a double load like that. Misty remarks that Ash told her Serena competes in showcases in Kalos, and that those involve lots of dancing and performing right?Serena tells her that is right, and that her dream is to one day be a Kalos Queen. Misty then tells Serena she has something for her as a Thank you for being in the show and reaches into her pocket to bring something out. Serena holds her own hand out , expecting at most to get a piece of paper with all four Cerulean sisters autographs. She is very surprised when Misty drops a pokeball into her hand. Serena presses the button to open it and out comes Surskit. "Surskit? Whhaatt?" Serena stammers looking at Misty.

Misty looks at the ground and Answers " I have spent weeks trying to get Surskit to train for gym battles and never cooperates. I thought it had no motivation for anything but last night proved it does love dance. The thing is that performing in the plays is only my side job. I cannot keep a pokemon on my team that won't also battle." Misty looks back at Serena and "So I think the figure the best thing for Surskit wold be to go to the Kalos region with you and work to become a Kalos star." Serena hold Surskits pokeball to her chest. She promises Misty that she will train with Surskit as much as she can and that one day they will both be Stars.

The End

Epilogue on how this would effect both Serena and Misty's stories (Because it would not really effect Ash, Clemont, or Bonnie's).

If I had written Serena's character in the XYZ series she would have had the same number of pokemon as May and Dawn ( I say that three pokemon is to little for a lead character who competes in tournaments). Another pokemon I would have given her is Kalos's regional butterfly (If that is not a thing I a making it one): Vivillion. Pokeball forum Vivillon to be specific I imagine Surskit would become good friends with Vivillion. Surskit would also evolve into Masquerain pretty fast with Serena, since it was finally training for something it was passionate about. After this Serena would use Vivillion and Masquerain together in showcases and they would flutter around her while she dances, using moves for special effects The crowds would eat it up. I also imagine that as a more experienced dancer, who shares its love for the craft, Masquerain might also develop a bit of a mentor type role to Sereena's eevee when it first joins the team, and is working on overcoming its stage fright.

As for Misty well Surskit was originally given to her to help her overcome her fear of bugs. But that did not happen then. She would need to catch a different bug/water pokemon. I think that when she visits Alola in Sun & Moon the gang would tell her how Lillie used to be afraid to touch pokemon for a while, but that raising her from an egg helped her bond with her, and her bond with Snowy helped er stop being afraid. On the island Ash takes everyone to Misty would find an abandoned Wimpod egg, and Lillie's story would encourage Misty to keep and try to raise it. I would also have Brock and Misty show up as background characters in exactly one episode of Pokemon Journeys (which both are surprisingly absent from) Season 25, episode 22 "Helping the Hometown Hero". That is the episode where Ash and Lilli's family bring her father back to Alola and the town throws a party for it, as well as the fact that Ash made it into The Master's Eight tournament, during which he was representing Alola as their first Champion. Brock and Misty would attend both and while they would not play more than background roles you would maybe see Brock try to give Olivia some flowers at the party, then sit next to her at the battle brawl, to show he is still trying to get her to date him. Misty meanwhile would have Psyduck next to her and her Azurill and a shiny Wimpod would either both be on toddler leashes that they were holding (Misty holding Wimpods and Psyduck holding Azurill's), or if Japanese culture does not do toddler leashes Misty would have both her pokemon babies in a stroller.

[love-is-a-pearl]

you heard about Ash not aging and I raise you: he just cant count

[love-for-burgundy-blog]

So, here is my take on Ash's relationships with his traveling companions.

Misty: I don't ship them, but I do think that they have a really strong bond!! I actually headcanon that Ash didn't really enjoy Misty's company untill they parted ways, and that's when he started to miss her. It could go the other way around too. Unfortunately, this relationship is faltered by the fact that Misty and Ash clearly didn't like each other in the beginning and said some pretty nasty things to each other. To end on a positive note, pokeshipping is not my favorite, but I think Ash and Misty will always have a strong relationship with each other!!

Brock: I think Brock and Ash have a pretty good relationship, kinda like Brotp except for the fact that I don't ship them romantically. I think Brock was necessary for Ash's growth and I think Ash's company softened Brock up, he became nicer in other words. They are close friends and nothing more or less. Brock is an excellent older brother figure to Ash and he has been with Ash the longest out of his traveling companions so that also earns their relationship points.

Tracey: Yeah, this might be controversial but I think Tracey was the third wheel in Orange Islands. He practically invited himself into the group and Ash and Misty could both be pretty rude to him at times. Tracey and Ash are friends no doubt, but I wouldn't say that they are super close or anything.

May: So I think May and Ash helped each other out a lot but I don't think Ash is the closest to May because if I remember correctly, he was rude to her a lot of the time, they also don't have much in common, Ash is into battling and May likes shopping and contests. So yeah, I obviously don't ship them, Contestshipping is clearly superior!! I think Ash and May are good friends, especially after Ash mellowed out, but I think Ash has a closer connection with some of his other companions.

Max: I am not going to say that these two have a super strong bond or anything but I do think they bonded somewhat over the fact that they aren't into the the girly things that May is lol. Also, Max is a few years younger than Ash so the age gap kinda prevents a close bond from happening. Still, I think Ash and Max are friends regardless and always will be.

Dawn: She and Ash are besties!! There, I said it. I don't ship them since I'm more of a Dawn x Zoey person but I love these two as friends. Who could forget their iconic high-five and these two serve as great protagonists for DP. I love how much these two work off one another, they give sibling energy for real.

Iris: Speaking of sibling energy, Iris is like the twin sister Ash never had!! Iris is also the only female traveling companion that I ship Ash with romantically. I will argue that Iris is one of Ash's closest friends. They also work so well because they are exactly alike in terms of personality. They are both hyper, stubborn, love food, and care for their friends and pokemon deeply. And who could forget that one episode where they went sightseeing in Nimbasa city together. I love the duo of Ash and Iris and I wish people would stop undermining their relationship.

Cilan: So, Cilan tended to act like a father figure to both Ash and Iris. Sometimes, I tend to get the impression that Cilan was like the "Tracey" of the BW Trio, However to a MUCH lesser extent. Since Cilan at least had a lot of nice and heartwarming moments with Ash and Iris both individually and together. It's pretty obvious how much Cilan cares for Ash and Iris since he is always super sweet and patient with them. Ash along with Iris looks up to him for advice and guidance and he also admires Cilan's cooking. The only thing holding Ash and Cilan back from being super close is that Ash and Iris seem closer to each other, both in age and personality. Regardless, Cilan and Ash are still good friends and I think they always will be.

Clemont: If there was a male companion that I would ship Ash with romantically, it would have to be Clemont. Diodeshipping for life!! Ash and Clemont have been spotted touching each other several times, like putting their arms around each other while walking. It's also no surprise that Ash admires Clemonts inventions and Gadgets more than anyone else hence "Science is so amazing!!" Clemont and Ash also have never argued, at least to my knowledge. To conclude, I think Clemont is the closest to Ash out of the male traveling companions, Probably tied with Goh.

Bonnie: Unfortunately unlike her brother, I think Ash and Bonnie have the least amount of connection out of his traveling companions. (Besides maybe Chloe, but I don't count her as a companion and I haven't seen JN) I say this because I don't remember any significant interactions between Ash and Bonnie. But on the bright side, it's not like Bonnie and Ash truly need each other since Bonnie has both her older brother and Serena (who she has a much stronger bond with) to look out for her.

Serena: Alright.... These two are friends and nothing more. Yes, Serena has a crush on Ash, but Ash clearly doesn't feel the same way about her. If these two ever got together, their relationship would probably only last a few years max since they both have entirely separate interests and goals. I would even go and say that Serena and Ash have the least amount in common out of the traveling companions. Ash and Serena did help each other out a lot, but I think at most, they are good friends. Sorry Amourshippers.

So I am not fully done with my binge watch of Sun and Moon, but when I am done, I will make a separate post like this for the SuMo companions.

[anotherworldash]

Day 4 : Ash's Hat

Watched OPLA months ago and reminded of this moment

Straight redraw parody except... nothing will happen if Ash poke his hat cause his hat's not made from straws

[pokeblorbos]

Watching the first season of pokemon. Togepi with Misty IS very cute, but I also feel like a pokemon that evolves through friendship would be perfect for Ash

[koeniginderskizzen]

Okay, so like, I guess because I'm a Pokémon Anime Fan or whyever, YouTube started to recommend me a bunch of kids fighting over who is the best pokegirl/girlfriend for Ash/ Character in general.

I usually don't engage with that because I just find it annoying, but recently I found these fights to be so stupid that I thought about just posting cute art (be it shipping or friendship) of the two characters that are being put against each other to spite the whole thing. In a 'countering hate with love' sort of way.

This would be just for fun, since I kinda want to start using my Tumblr for art, and it wouldn't do that much within the debate itself since this fighting seems to take place on YouTube.

Anyway, if there is anyone who feels just as annoyed by the toxic fans as I do, you are welcome to tell me about the characters in question so I can add them to my collection of wholesomeness.

So far I've encountered:

Serena and Koharu, Serena and Max, Serena and Sophocles, Serena and Koharu, Koharu and Serena, and lastly Serena and Koharu.

Funny, you'd think I would've stumbled over more Serena and Misty, oh well, they'll come soon enough...

Like right now!

[mezamun]

In relation to another post, I think I'd like to give my basic thoughts on ships; Ash ships in particular to start with because that's easy.

Poké- Childhood mutual crushes. The sillies. AU Notes — Ash got burned by Misty leaving and ignored love for a while. Misty moved on. By the time the subject came up again, she gently rejected him. They tried dating as adults but it felt awkward and weird. They think the other is attractive but it just does not work. They'd rather give each other noogies and dead arms than date.

Advance - Not my favorite, but charming and cute. AU Notes — They're both committed to their primary partners, but they do casually date as adults. They grow up to have a lot in common and have nice chemistry. That said, you'd hardly notice that they're not just BFFs unless you see them kiss or something.

Pearl - OTP! They're so perfect. Made for each other. Endgame. AU Notes — Endgame. They're married. Ash and Dawn start dating a year after Diamond/Pearl and they support each other more and more; Dawn is the perfect emotional confidant for Ash and vice versa. Lacking a lot of his inhibitions for sharing his grief and worries, and not one to criticize him much, she's a great match for him. Likewise, Ash is a bit more emotionally in-tune and is good for her!

Negai - Conceptually great, but canon sours this one for me hard. The mean-spiritedness of BW makes me resent a lot of their interactions. But on paper, I think it's a great ship with some tweaks! AU Notes — Their friendship is a lot closer to my ideal, here. Fellow hard-headed trainers turned Champions. There's just a touch of chemistry here; they comfort each other and hug things out in private and share a lot with each other emotionally. But, as far as most of the world is concerned, they're just tight friends.

Amour - My second favorite ship for Ash in canon. I do wish it got more buddy-buddy moments in the vein of Pearl, but I really appreciate their story and influence on one another, it's very cute. AU Notes — Part of my OT3! Serena and Ash become quick emotional confidants in Kalos, with Ash in heavy denial about his budding feelings. Dawn's arrival throws them for a loop, and only wants what makes all three of them happiest, once she too falls for Serena. They all date, and later get married and have a family.

Auriela - Not a fan whatsoever. Feels very much like Ash is just there to coddle and rescue her. Does nothing for me at all. AU Notes — Even more of a no; Ash meets her as a young adult when she's 10 or 11; he's damn near a parental figure to her, while co-boarding at Kukui's lab after she runs away from home. During my later USUM arc, Ash is the experienced mentor to her and Selene.

Aloha - Who picked that name. Anyways. It's fine. Shrug emoji AU Notes — Not a thing in my canon, though Ash and Mallow are friends from when he took part in her trial.

Blueangel - It's the one S/M ship I liked. Super cute chemistry! AU Notes — It's canon to my AU. They hit it off during/after Ash participated in her trial. They have similar senses of humor, wanderlust, and strong personalities in general. Ash ultimately introduces her to Misty, who she ends up marrying. Misty likes to joke that he has visitation privileges in their prenuptuals.

Bloombolt - I've seen people make it work! That Ash isn't even really Ash to me anymore, so whatever. AU Notes — Absolutely not. Ash is Chloe's godfather in this canon. They mean a lot to me platonically. He was friends with Prof Cerise growing up, and ended up being asked for that blessing. He's a major source of encouragement and wisdom for Chloe, despite the window of estrangement they go through when she closes herself off.

Pallet - I can definitely see why people ship this, it's good. AU Notes — While there's nothing that really makes this impossible, I don't see it in my canon. They're BFFs, it's not like that.

Coma - I like it. They're just kind of funny together. Disaster gays. AU Notes — I definitely could picture Ash having some feelings for him that he didn't realize or vice versa, but it doesn't end up happening. That window of time that'd set it off never happens. Paul would never care to entertain all the noise and relationships in Ash's life, and they work just fine as friends, anyway.

Z-Ring - I can see why people ship this in canon, it's cute. AU Notes — Nah. They're friendly rivals. Kiawe strikes me as very stern and do-it-by-the-books. He's monogamous with Mallow.

Journeys - Again; that Ash isn't the Ash I know. In isolation, it works. AU Notes — Very similar big no to Chloe; Ash is a mentor to Goh and actually encourages he and Chloe to pursue each other when they both confide in him separately. They're close, platonically.

Alto - Heroes made me a big fan they are so CUTE. AU Notes — They're together. They reunite some years after Johto, during a time where Ash is pretty down on his luck and could use the company + support. He reciprocates Latias's feelings after spending their short journey together and she joins him for good. She continues to use her human form to blend in alongside him.

Poffle - I really just believe Miette was using Ash to get Serena's goat, but it's an amusing thought anyway. AU Notes — She's something of a package deal with Serena. I think they're funny as a throuple.

That's it, for now!

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

Random pokemon episodes i got to watch as a kid bc my neighbor had them on VHS and i still vaguely remember them

1.) kid gets lost is adopted by those dino kangaroo pokemon and then his family finds him and ends up in the kangaroo pouch too. found family!!!

2.) this rock is HAUNTED! and STRAIGHT!!! team ash brock misty and the rockets (buy our talismans!) go to a festival (buy our talismans!) near a rock overlooking the sea (buy our talismans!) that has a shrine dedicated to the girl who supposedly (buy our talismans!) turned into the rock while waiting for her lover to (buy our talismans!) return and now she's a GHOST (buy our talismans!) and brock and james get seduced by her (buy our talismans!) but not ash bc he's like 10 and not misty or jessie bc (buy our talismans!) the gastly pretending to be the maiden is sticking to her character traits (buy our talismans) of being straight while using her story (buy our talismans!) to get tourists to buy it's anti-ghost talismans, which the real ghost doesn't mind at all bc they are besties (buy our

3.) ponyta is so cool and rapidash is EVEN COOLER ash tries not to get burned to a crisp alive while riding them during a race

4.) jessie and james pretend our heroes just won a lottery by being the number whatever people to enter a city, james is in drag for this of course, they capture our heroes, get ignored by them via security cameras, and pikachu hurts them. there was probably more to the episode than that but i can't remember what

5.) this is mankey. he likes "jelly donuts" and ash's hat, which ash sent in like a million postcards to win. this is primeape. primeape is gonna kick your ass forever

6.) uhhhh abracadabra this girl is turning people in to dolls, also she's not real, also we need a ghost pokemon for this, also suddenly i feel like im in an indiana jones movie. also. "it's a STAR~" "ARGH!!"

7.) let's go get some ghost pokemon! Ash and Pikachu are dead now. let's cry over their bodies a bit. no wait. they're back

8.) butterfree goes free and im crying, im crying into the sunset as my tears glint in the last light of the sun and our friendship i just found out about bc im not watching this show in order. the music in this scene is very of it's time and also it's killing me, it's ripping my heart out. is the pink butterfee a shiny or just Girl? there are too many air balloons here. brock ships the pokemon

9.) we're back at the girl who makes people into dolls and it turns out she just needed to lighten up and laugh at bit. I think there's a fairytale about that. anyway, congrats on freeing this place from cosmic horrors or whatever, ash has a new badge which is all we care about. on to the next gym!

10.) get in the pokeball psyduck. stop having headaches psyduck. psyduck sucks. psyduck uses ELDRICH BLAST. misty loves her psyduck and wouldn't trade it for the world (now it can do murder) also i think there was some really weird architecture in this one

11.) can we all be nice to ditto....? can we all PLEASSE be nice to ditto and their eternal ._. face they are TRYING THEIR BEST!!!!!

[goggles-mcgee]

Ashes of Rage: Act 1 - Pick Me Up As I Fall

Chapter 5 of the story for @miner249er

Ao3 Last Chapter

Summary:

Roger rarely had to take himself off of a case he so fiercely wanted to solve, but there was only so much he could handle. All he ever wanted to stand for was justice, but when justice came at the price of a child? That's something he never expected, nor wanted.

Pick Me Up As I Fall:

Roger had always wanted to be a cop ever since he was a little boy. It had surprised his parents that his interest hadn’t waned over the years but they had been overall very supportive of him. They celebrated when he got accepted into EOGN and they celebrated when he graduated. Roger had loved every minute of training and after training, working. It was tough, he would admit that, but it was something he loved and that kept him running on his most difficult days. Then he had Sabrina and his focus shifted for a while. No longer was his entire world his wife and work, his entire world became his daughter. He took time off work to help his wife after Sabrina’s birth and he loved it. He loved holding her in his arms, he loved the little gummy smile she would give him when she saw him, he loved the smell of her baby lotion and detergent that filled the house, hell he even loved how her little nose would get red when she had soiled a diaper. He loved everything about her. 

Then his wife passed and it felt like his world would forever be darker and broken with no means of repair. He felt like the rug had been pulled from under his feet over and over again with that sickening sensation of a big drop ride accompanying it. But from that darkness and falling sensation, he found his footing in his baby girl. His baby girl who really hadn’t understood what was happening but knew her Papa was sad, so with her chubby little hands wrapped around his fingers she would pull him from his worst thoughts. She was his little light, she was his purpose and she was his world. Roger couldn’t let the grief suffocate him, for his baby girl he had to mourn and grieve and pick himself up again. His mother and mother-in-law had both been pillars of support he had desperately needed. He worked as hard as he could to make money and when he was home he spent all his time looking after his daughter. 

Things got easier as Sabrina grew, but time had passed by fast, too fast for Roger. In the blink of an eye his little girl had grown, it seemed like forever ago when he first heard her say Papa, since he saw her first steps, from the first day of school. It made him misty-eyed to think about it too long. She was so close to graduating, that also made him misty-eyed if he thought about it. She was such a smart girl but she had a habit of being a follower and that scared him. How would he protect her if she moved so far away? But at the same time he didn’t want to be a helicopter parent and restrict her or hold her back. Ultimately all he could do was be there for her, but he knew the fear would never go away. After seeing how her friendship, if you can even call it that, with the Mayor’s daughter had gone and how she had latched onto another powerful classmate, the thought of her leaving out of his reach made him uneasy. He had nothing against the Rossi girl, she sounded nice despite all the influence she had, but he hated how all the kids in her class followed her. 

It was more than a little disturbing and reminded him of some very unpleasant cases he had read about, heard about, or even seen, where a close group like that is susceptible to the ‘mob’ mentality. But despite his worry, the group was as close knit as they had been in collège and hadn’t gotten in any type of trouble. Sometimes he felt like he worried too much but with Hawkmoth still around and his helper Mayura he felt like he was entitled to worry. Especially about his daughter, she had already been akumatized about 4 times now and he just could not stand seeing her go through another. He just didn’t want her friendship taken advantage of again so maybe that’s why he always asked about her and her classmates. So he wasn’t all that surprised about a call coming for something happening at the Agreste Mansion. Though he would be completely transparent and say he thought maybe Adrien snapped and hurt his father or Adrien ran away or something like that. Sabrina had really worried about her model classmate and constantly told him how Adrien slipped some info about his home life to the class and how it worried her. 

So when the call came, Roger hadn’t been surprised, but as more details came in and when he and many others arrived, the surprise kicked in. Where the once impressive Agreste Mansion stood there, in its place, looked like what could only be described as a crater. No one really spoke for a bit and honestly if they had been Roger wasn’t sure if he would have been able to hear them. All he could think about was the fact he was most likely going to have to see more dead bodies and one of them would be a kid his daughter’s age. Cases that involved kids always hit him the hardest and he didn’t know if he would be able to do it. Miraculously no one had died…or at least that is what he thought in the beginning. The days seemed to pass incredibly slow yet somehow simultaneously in some kind of hyper speed. It was disorienting. 

The Agreste men and Mlle Sancoeur were in and out of consciousness but Roger had overheard some doctors discussing the merit of inducing comas. The winning side seemed to be no since there was surprisingly no traumatic brain injuries. Though the actual amount of injuries each received was staggering and nearly made him lose his lunch when he also overheard the surgeries and possible surgeries that were on the table. It was because of that, and the fact the heroes of Paris had been really quiet since that night, that Roger vowed to find the answers to this awful situation. The people of Paris were rallying in support of a speedy recovery for the Agreste men and Mlle Sancoeur. Some of Roger’s colleagues ended up being assigned as bodyguards for the three given how many times they had to escort fans of Adrien off the property. Somehow they always found ways to slip past the hospital’s own security. 

It was more than a rough time, those folks deserved their time to heal and recuperate and Roger thought that by solving what happened the night of the tragedy, he would at least be able to bring them some slight relief. Though he would be lying if he said he wasn’t also motivated to see what happened just to find out for the sake of finding out. It was a mystery, one that had everyone in a chokehold, not just the station, it was all of Paris. The Miraculous Team was all but missing, they hadn’t said anything about that night, not even on their official blog. Ladybug hadn’t been seen since, there was talk of some news segment that had happened that night but Roger had yet to see it. He had been so focused on the family that Nadja’s report had slipped his mind but it was placed in a folder on his computer to view later as it was considered evidence. The crime scene hadn’t been touched since but the fact that there had been so many people there that night that had no idea what they disturbed and what they hadn’t. So Nadja’s report was very important and Roger was going to start his investigation by watching that. 

“Lieutenant!” Or maybe it would have to wait. 

“Officer Allard.” Roger said in greeting.

“Sorry to interrupt but we got something big.” That had Roger’s attention immediately. 

“Is this for the Agreste case?” He had to know. 

Officer Allard nodded immediately, he looked breathless but excited. “We were able to recover video footage from the Agreste Mansion security cameras. We’re lucky that all footage was backed up.”

“We have footage?” Roger asked, he felt his hope rise. 

“We have footage.” Allard confirmed. 

It wasn’t long till they got everyone on the case in one of the meeting rooms in order to watch the footage. It was a mix of Roger’s department and the judicial police, who had let them work with them given all that had happened in Paris. They had the authority and definitely could have kept them out of the investigation but this had shook Paris to its core. This wasn’t an akuma attack, that they knew of anyway, this was an unknown attack and it scared everybody. They were so used to being terrorized by Hawkmoth and Mayura that they forgot that non-magical crime existed for a while. Though, there was no saying if this was magical or not, this just seemed so different than what they were used to. It wasn’t just the attack that had everyone on edge, Hawkmoth had been quiet, even before the attack he had been quiet. It was like the calm before the storm and it raised the people’s anxiety. 

“I got it connected to the projector, I’m going to play the day of the attack and if needed, I’m ready to view footage from other days if we need them.” One of the judicial police personnel announced. Roger felt a bit ashamed that he didn’t know all their names yet. 

���Sounds good!” Allard, ever the friendly one, said with a thumbs up. It had Roger huff out a quiet laugh. 

Everyone watched the screen in anticipation as the video started. It was odd to see all the different rooms at once but as soon as they saw someone enter the frame, the man who was at the computer made it so they only saw the one screen of the room. Everything looked fairly normal for the family, though no one really knew what normal was like for them but overall, it looked like a normal day one could imagine the little family had. They watched who they found out to be, the Agreste Family’s personal chef’s. The two, a husband and wife, were seen entering the house and quickly making the familiar path to the kitchen. It was honestly kind of boring so all those in attendance voted to rush through until more people came up. From there they saw the family eat, Adrien leave for school and the chef’s leave until they were required for lunch. More fast forwarding to lunch when Adrien arrived back home, Adrien, Nathalie and Gabriel seemed to request lunch in Gabriel’s office. 

Maybe that wouldn’t have been so weird if the chefs hadn’t looked so shocked. It wasn’t hard to guess that that wasn’t something that normally happened, or happened at all before that day. With no sound they could only guess at why this was so weird as they saw the chefs talking about it. Body language at least made up for the lack of audio. Lunch was served and it was obvious that the chefs had been dismissed, but they looked a little shocked to be dismissed so hurriedly. Roger made a mental note to invite the two into the station for an interview. They had a list of employees that the Agreste family knew and those who had been seen going in and out of the house, but with how hectic everything had been, they hadn’t gotten around to interviewing everyone. Time in the video went on and it seemed like the Agreste Family, and yes Mlle Sancoeur was included in that, had had a meeting of sorts that day in M Agreste’s office. It seemed to be about something serious. 

It also looked incredibly suspicious. Now, there was nothing wrong with having family meetings, but this felt wrong, their body language was odd and the way they kept looking at the portrait of Emilie Agreste was weird. “Why are they looking at the portrait so much?” Allard murmured, most likely he thought the comment wouldn’t have been loud but given how everyone present had been silent, the words had seemed like a shout. 

“I would say perhaps they were grieving her disappearance anniversary, but it is nowhere near the anniversary.” One of Roger’s oldest friends in the force, Agent Martin Darcy, pointed out.

“Is that something that is public knowledge?” One of the judicial team members asked in confusion. 

“Oh yeah,” Agent Durand sighed. “It was a big thing. The investigation had been overall short but felt like years. It’s still an open case and M Agreste calls for any new info every month like clockwork.”

“Hm…” Was all that was said as they all focused on the screen once more. 

Things passed and Roger had started to grow bored but he persisted in watching, it didn’t matter if it was mind-numbing to watch M Agreste take an hour just to decide which shade of yellow he liked for a design, Roger vowed to get them answers and answers he would get! More time passed as they watched and…they got answers, but it wasn’t anything they had expected. It left everyone speechless. Roger himself felt like his chair had been pulled right out from under him and he just kept falling and falling. He didn’t want to believe it yet the evidence was right in front of him. Gabriel Agreste had been Hawkmoth, Nathalie Sancoeur was Mayura and…Adrien Agreste had been Chat Noir and he had betrayed their beloved spotted hero, Ladybug.

And Ladybug…

Ladybug had been a child. 

Ladybug had been as old as his daughter when she…

Ladybug had been one of his daughter’s classmates.

Ladybug was Marinette Dupain-Cheng and she had saved them all at the cost of herself. There had to be something in the now destroyed Agreste Mansion that would point to what happened to her. She couldn’t just be gone. There had been that bright red light and then she was just gone and the camera’s shorted out. Roger had to…he needed to…he would find her justice. He had thought the Agreste’s needed his help, he had given them his sympathy and his time. Roger was enraged, he had barked out orders to get a squad together so they could all go investigate the Agreste Mansion. Everyone had acted swiftly and sooner than he had thought, they had arrived at the crime scene. It felt like forever before they were able to secure a safe way down. And down, down they went. It was eerie, no one spoke much as they investigated the place but then there had been that awful scream from Agent Fontaine. He would never forget her scream.

There was a rush of activity, they all rushed toward her, weapons drawn. There was no danger…well physically but the moment Roger realized what she had screamed at it felt like he had had years of his life ripped away harshly. He had seen enough crime scenes to know what blood looked like, even in its charred state. And there next to the charred body of blood, it really couldn’t even be called a puddle with how much there was, there was a piece of what looked like a cuff of a jacket. It was white with pink polka-dots…or at least it had been at one point. Flashes of the surveillance video abruptly crashed into the forefront of Roger’s mind and all he could see was a struggling Marinette who had been wearing her signature jacket. Oh god…her jacket. That was a piece of her jacket . It hit Roger like a freight train. He knew that jacket and he knew that little girl who had been struggling and fighting till her last moments. 

His legs gave out and he found himself on the ground, distantly he could hear panicked voices and felt hands try and help him up or check him over. “I can’t…”

“Lieutenant!” 

“I…I can’t be on this case. I take myself off the case.” Roger blurted out in a rush, almost as fast as the tears that fell from his face. “I knew her. Oh god…I knew her.” 

___________________

Officer Lucas Allard didn’t know what to do with himself. His colleague and superior Lieutenant Roger Raincomprix, someone he looked up to had taken himself off the biggest case they had ever had and it wasn’t like he didn’t understand why, but he found himself feeling lost. They had, all those who had gone back to the Agreste Mansion, had found one comatose Emilie Agreste in a hidden basement level no one had known about. They all had thought that the, what could only be described as a lair, in the videos had been the only hidden room but it felt foolish to believe that now that the evidence had been shown to them. Now, instead of them trying to find justice for the Agreste’s, it turned into a case against them. Someone had to go through all the available footage and Lucas had been the first to volunteer.

It was tedious and menial like all other video footage they had to comb through but with the context of what they could find it became so much more important. It was important to his Lieutenant, to the police force, to all of Paris and Lucas was determined to slap any and all charges he could uncover on the Agreste Family. There were many moments of watching Gabriel Agreste monologue to himself in his lair or talking to his victims and there were many moments of Adrien Agreste sneaking out as Chat Noir but it was noted that the times he left were considerably later than when he was needed or contacted. It just added more credit to the ongoing theory that Chat Noir had always been meant to betray Ladybug and the rest of Team Miraculous. It made Lucas unbelievably angry. 

Ladybug had done her best to protect them, then the team she put together did the same. They were all so dedicated and determined, it made it hard not to be motivated to be the same way in his work. He may not have been a hero in the magical sense, but Lucas had vowed to be his own kind of hero. So yeah, his eyes were stinging from his infrequent blinking, he was probably getting a headache from staring at the screens for so long and so intensely, but he refused to give in. He felt almost manic searching through each video they had and trying to find anything that could be important. He was so close to giving in to his fatigue when he saw it. A girl walked in and from what Lucas could remember, she had been in Adrien’s class.

They were going to eventually talk to the rest of the class to see if they noticed anything off about Adrien but hadn’t gotten around to it but they all knew who was in his class. That’s why Lucas recognized her as someone from Adrien’s class, he paused the videos to grab the file next to him that had people of interest and there she was, Lila Rossi. Why was she visiting the Agreste Mansion when Adrien wasn’t there? It was strange, more than actually so he watched as the girl greeted Mlle Sancoeur and then waited to be escorted to Gabriel’s office. From there it seemed they were having some sort of meeting and Lucas had been ready to dismiss it as a meeting about her modeling but paused when he saw Gabriel pull up a picture of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Ladybug. His heart dropped at the way Lila Rossi’s face twisted into a sneer before she schooled it into a look of resignation. 

When Mlle Rossi finally left Lucas saw Gabriel save what had to have been a video of his meeting with the teen into a folder on his computer. Lucas burst into action, they had the computer with them, they were able to save some of the files and Lucas needed to know what it was. He heard some people shout in shock at him but he paid no attention. He sprinted out of the room he had been working in, the room the team had been in before, and grabbed the flash drive that held the contents of Gabriel Agreste’s computer. Lucas knew others from the team were following him now but he did not stop. He connected the drive and did his best to rush to the folder he had seen on Gabriel’s computer. Thankfully the laptop he was using was connected to the projector still so everyone who followed him saw what he was doing. 

Once the seemingly innocuous folder was opened they all saw documents on top of documents, videos on top of videos and voice recordings on top of voice recordings instead of design ideas meant for Lila Rossi. Lucas clicked on the top file which happened to be a voice recording. “ Hello? ” The room was filled by the voice of who could only be Lila Rossi. 

“ Miss Rossi .” Gabriel’s voice came out of the speakers, but it sounded deeper. Lucas did not fail to notice how some of those around him flinched at the sound, they had all been akumatized at one point he noted. 

“ Hawkmoth .” Lila greeted in barely restrained glee. It made Lucas’s stomach drop. “ Do you need my help again? Do you need me to be an akuma again?”

“What the fuck…?” One of the judicial police, Carmen Fortin, murmured in her shock. 

“Did she just say, again?” Agent Darcy growled.

“ Eager as always, Miss Rossi. ” Gabriel stated like it was the most normal thing he had heard. “ But no, no akuma this time. While I am aware you are…skilled in projecting your anger when the time needs, I am calling to see what progress you have made on Miss Dupain-Cheng .”

Everyone was quiet. 

“ I’m doing my best .” Lila gritted out in false cheeriness. “ I’ve isolated her in class, I’ve spread rumors, I’ve had her pathetic friends wrapped around my finger and had them denounce their friendship to her. I don’t know what more I can do. Why do you even want her to be akumatized? What do you and Gabriel Agreste see in her? She has no potential! She’s a lame goody-teo-shoes and- ”

“ Rossi .” Gabriel barked and everyone in the room flinched. “ Leave your inferiority complex at the door. I have explained time and time again why Miss Dupain-Cheng is imperative to our success. ”

“ Well then what do I do? ” Lila asked, obviously irritated. 

“ Do I have to have ideas for you too? Get creative Miss Rossi, if you can spin a web as…well as you do, this should be child’s play. I want Dupain-Cheng broken…I want her angry, I want her to be so impossibly lost that she won’t even think of denying Hawkmoth’s hand for help. ” 

“... I understand. I won’t fail you. ” It sounded like every word brought Lila pain.

“ No. You won’t .” 

The call ended then and still no one knew what to say. Hawkmoth had another accomplice and it was a teenage girl, and by the look of the absolute depth of the possible blackmail folder had, she had been an accomplice for a long time. Lucas didn’t call people evil lightly, but looking at the size of the folder he couldn’t help but think Lila Rossi was evil. How could one teen hate someone so much? How deep did this go? Just how many other people were involved in the attack on one Marinette Dupain-Cheng? On Paris? Lucas was scared to find out, but first, they needed to track down Lila Rossi and her mother.

Next Chapter

[friendship-showdown]

Round of 64: Battle #21

Propaganda:

Pat and Ink (Bad Buddy): Look they might not count because Pat did in fact have a crush on her for a bit BUT it's a relatively minor aspect of their relationship that gets resolved early on. Pat liked her in high school but we only really see them when they're in college and when he tries to confess to her in like episode 5 I think (out of a 12 episode series) she says "why do I feel like you didn't really confess your feelings?" which is the last piece to jump start his bisexual awakening and made him realize that he was actually in love with his childhood rival. And also Ink is a lesbian and dates his sister instead. But anyways after his little "confession" that made him realize he doesn't have feelings for her anymore, they still remain best friends and we see them more as besties than any romantic thing

Ash Ketchum and Misty (Pokemon): no propaganda submitted

Wander and Sylvia (Wander Over Yonder): These two fit together like perfect puzzle pieces. That's not even an exaggeration- their character designs were literally made with the intention of their silhouettes fitting together perfectly whenever they hug, which is often. With the kind hearted and optimistic Wander always offering a helping hand, it's Sylvia who's the one looking out for HIM when he's too busy looking out for those around him. In turn, Wander is nothing short of absolutely supportive of Sylvia and her ambitions, willing to try and see things from her perspective while staying true to his own beliefs. They are truly a friendship that will last through the ages, bringing out the best in them both.

[chelseahotel2004]

give us some headcanons for your favorite pokemon anime ships!

OKAY!! my main pokemon anime ship is contestshipping because of course it is. it was literally made in a lab with the specific purpose of making me insane. anyways 99% of my contestshipping headcanons are centred around the fact that drew is canonically from vancouver (larousse city) which is just so so funny to me?... like lol. hes from vancouver. anyways what this means for the non-canadians is that i headcanon drew as being a vegetarian and really annoying about it. considering may is such a foodie i think this has potential for the most stupid date situations possible like i think they try to go out for dinner early in their relationship and it just ends so badly because drew keeps sulking about the menu and making pointed holier-than-thou comments about ethics or whatever and may is just so bothered by his whole deal that she cant even enjoy the meal. this is eventually resolved later in their relationships (mostly by drew mellowing out and them agreeing to disagree) and may makes an effort to find nice vegetarian restaurants to try.

this isn't exactly a ship headcanon (#1 aroace ash truther) but i think misty and gary are both into ash but are SO deeply in denial that it literally takes them into their twenties before they come to terms with it. when they do recognize their true feelings they are both content to just keep things as they are and happily cherish the bond of close friendship. platonic love you know. that being said i totally think that the two of them end up getting really drunk together one night and just spend it bitching about ash. they both share ridiculous stories and whine about how frustratingly stupid he is and reminisce over his many achievements and how proud they are etc. etc. anyways they forge a warriors bond over both being into the same idiot

[danwhobrowses]

Now that it's been a week since Ash's okay finale I'm just gonna say it's still a travesty that the anime will never get to pull the trigger on the following things

Main villain Giovanni and his defeat

Team Rocket departure and redemption

We'll never know what happened to Team Rocket's Domino, Pierce or Dr Zager

Butch and Cassidy never resolved their rift

Misty getting a water-type starter (no seriously the audacity of the anime to tease giving Misty Totodile, back out, and then give Brock a water-starter the first series she wasn't in!)

Confronting the debacle of how Misty would react to a Water/Bug type

Ash never gets to fight Nemona, even though the whole Paldea multi-path storyline is tailor made for him, Nemona, Penny and Arven to adventure through the 3 layers of Ash's core personality (love of battles, love of Pokémon, love of friendship)

Rematches with Tobias, Alain (properly, not that bullshit with Leon), and Harrison

May and Max meeting Clemont and Bonnie

Ash's Primeape never came home from the war of Pokémon pro wrestling, even though a fresh new evolution was waiting for him

Misty never reunited with Togetic

Brock never reunited with Vulpix

We never got a full episode of Ash reuniting with Butterfree, 147 episodes of Journeys including fillers of Ash and Go getting high on Slowbro/Slowking shells and having a curry fight but we couldn't fit room for Ash to reunite with his first capture

Ash meeting his dad

Ash meeting Ho-oh

As much as I'm content with how it ended, never forget what they took from us

[hanzajesthanza]

one of the best parts of regis' character is his unwavering role as a protector of women and girls in particular.

from when he's introduced, one of his roles is to immediately assist the refugee women and children of their party:

‘(...) a physician may come in handy. We have women and children in the party. Among the stinking medicaments I can smell about you, would you have a remedy for blisters?’ ‘I ought to have something,’ the barber-surgeon said softly. ‘Glad to be of assistance. (...)’

and only decides to join their company after he has examined them and ensured that they have been treated well by the company:

‘And we, although you don’t know us at all, look like people you could travel with safely. Was one glance enough for you?’ ‘Two,’ the barber-surgeon replied with a faint smile. ‘One at the women you’re looking after. And the other at their children.’

then we have the 'pet the dog' moment of the horseshoe, in which he steps in, unrequired, to save the girl:

‘One moment,’ Emiel Regis said, placing a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. ‘Please withhold your prayers.’ The barber-surgeon walked over to the fire, bowed to the priest and the audience, then stooped rapidly and put his hand into the hot coals. The crowd screamed as one, Zoltan cursed and Milva dug her fingers into Geralt’s arm. Regis straightened up, calmly looked down at the white-hot horseshoe he was holding, and walked unhurriedly over to the priest. The priest took a step back, bumping into the peasants standing behind him. ‘This was the idea, if I’m not mistaken, your reverence.’ Regis said, holding up the horseshoe. ‘Baptism of fire? If so, I believe the divine judgement is unambiguous. The girl is innocent. (...)’

an act which geralt reflects on as honorable:

‘(...) He didn’t hesitate to act during that girl’s trial at the camp by the Chotla. Although he knew it would unmask him.’

and later, treats this same girl's burns, with gentleness and the best skill, using his powers for good:

Nearby, a young woman with an arm wrapped in none too clean rags was playing with two children on the sand. As soon as she raised her misty, blank eyes to him the Witcher recognised her. ‘We untied her from the wagon, which was already in flames,’ the dwarf explained. ‘It almost finished the way that priest wanted. You know, the one who was after her blood. She passed through a baptism of fire, nonetheless. The flames were licking at her, scorching her to the raw flesh. We dressed her wounds as well as we could. We covered her in lard, but it’s a bit messy. Barber-surgeon, if you would…?’ ‘Right away.’ When Regis tried to peel off the dressing the girl whimpered, retreating and covering her face with her good hand. Geralt approached to hold her still, but the vampire gestured him to stop. He looked deeply into the girl’s vacant eyes, and she immediately calmed down and relaxed. Her head drooped gently on her chest. She didn’t even flinch when Regis carefully peeled off the dirty rag and smeared an intense and strange smelling ointment on her burnt arm.

he forms a great friendship with milva, and is quite respectful to her. even when he gets a little short with dandelion, cahir, or geralt, his speaking to milva is always very patient:

‘We can solve this amicably,’ Regis said in a kind voice. ‘If I understand rightly, Miss Milva is reluctant to hand over her horse to a stranger…’

especially when he's explaining something to her, aware of how she depreciates herself for being uneducated:

‘I don’t understand fuck all,’ Milva announced calmly, brushing the hair from her forehead with an arrow tip. ‘I hear you’re talking about fairy-tales, and even I know fairy-tales, though I’m a foolish wench from the forest. So it astonishes me that you aren’t afraid of the sun, Regis. In fairy-tales sunlight burns a vampire to ash. Should I lump it together with the other fairy-tales?’ ‘Of course you should,’ Regis confirmed. ‘(...) We, higher vampires, have also moved some way from our primeval crypts. We have appropriated the day. The analogy is complete. Does this explanation satisfy you, my dear Milva?’

he provides care for her when it comes to her pregnancy,

‘Wholesome, regular meals,’ Regis began to list. ‘No stress. Sufficient sleep. And soon the end of horseback riding.’

‘(...) Milva’s condition, which is neither an illness nor a disability. The girl must, of course, take care of herself, but she is utterly healthy and physically fit. I would even say more than fit. The hormones—’ ‘Drop the patronising, superior tone,’ Geralt interrupted, ‘because it’s getting on my nerves.’

it is on his demand that geralt consoles her and lets her know she has a choice in the matter. ("total unanimity" = ensuring that milva is sure about her decision of abortion, and does not feel coerced by their rough circumstances)

‘What’s this all about then? Unanimity? Total agreement? Is that what you’re expecting?’ ‘You know very well what it’s about,’ the vampire answered. ‘You sense perfectly what ought to be done. But since you ask, I shall tell you. Yes, Geralt, that’s precisely what it’s about. Yes, that’s precisely what ought to be done. And no, it’s not me that’s expecting it.’

and in the end, saves her life when she miscarries.

‘You lugged me from that ferry and that bridge on your back,’ Milva began softly, ‘when infirmity robbed me of my legs. If there’d been a coward there, instead of you, he’d have left me and fled. There was no coward, though. Only you, Regis.’

he constantly stands up for her and looks out for her interests:

‘It turned out that Milva was well,’ said the Witcher pensively, ‘although she still had a bandage around her ribs. She remained in her chamber, though, and refused to leave, not wanting at any cost to put on the dress she’d been presented with. It looked as though there would be a protocolary scandal, but the omniscient Regis pacified the situation. After quoting a good dozen precedents he made the chamberlain bring a male outfit to the archer.’

and past her, he also gives respect to angouleme, respect that perhaps the little criminal snot doesn't deserve, even when she is disrespecting him, but he grants her respect anyhow.

he's familiar and amiable with them, coaxing them as his friends out of arguments:

‘Shut it, you brat! And don’t call me aunty!’ ‘Come, come,’ Regis interjected placatingly. ‘Girls, take it easy. Milva, Angoulême. Let there be concord. United we stand, divided we fall. (...)’

but nimue, you're saying, this is all just in broader service to humanity. and it's not a very high bar to cross, it's simply good deeds and friendship. what does it matter that these are women? that he's trustworthy and upstanding?

because the myth of the vampire involves a predatory aspect to women and children. something which he actually discusses and expertly dissects:

‘I left this myth until the end,’ Regis said, looking him up and down. ‘I would have tactfully passed over it, but since Geralt has challenged me, I won’t spare you. Humans are most powerfully influenced by fears with a sexual origin. The virgin fainting in the embrace of a vampire who drinks her blood. The young man falling prey to the vile practices of a female vampire running her lips over his body. That’s how you imagine it. Oral rape. Vampires paralyse their victims with fear and force them to have oral sex. (...) You have turned it into a baleful myth. You unconsciously dream of something like it, but shy away from offering it to your lovers. So it’s done for you by the mythological vampire, who as a result swells to become a fascinating symbol of evil.’

because we see 'the vampire that lives in this burial ground' get blamed for the slaughter of a woman and child, which he did not fucking do:

‘Who saw the vampire?’ Geralt asked, hushing his companions with a telling glance. ‘Why do you think you should be looking for him here?’ The peasants whispered among themselves. ‘No one saw him,’ the peasant in the felt cap finally admitted. ‘Or heard him. How can you see him when he flies at night, in the dark? How can you hear him when he flies on bat’s wings, without a sound?’ ‘We didn’t see the vampire,’ added another, ‘but there are signs of his ghastly practices. Ever since the moon’s been full, the fiend’s murdered one of our number every night. He’s already torn two people apart, ripped them to shreds. A woman and a stripling. Horrors and terrors! The vampire tore the poor wretches to ribbons and drank all their blood! What are we to do? Stand idly by for a third night?’

just another way he entirely, satisfyingly turns his trope upside-down, by being the very antithesis of predatory.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb:

A spooky yet heartwarming adventure about one girl's journey into the land of the undead, and the unexpected family she finds along the way. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor and the hit series Wednesday.

On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself. Throwing caution aside, Eve accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take everything from Eve unless she can stop it. From debut author Steven Banbury comes a cozy, magical adventure sure to delight anyone who loves the tricks of Halloween as much as the treats of autumn.

Review:

When a young orphan girl runs away, the last thing she expects is to be adopted by the Pumpkin King and move to a whole new magical place. All Eve has ever wanted was to have a family of her own but after so many rejections because of er night terrors, she's given up and just wants to escape the orphanage. Yet on Halloween during her latest escape attempt she runs into a talking Pumpkin man, the fabled Pumpkin King himself. When he offers to adopt Eve as his own daughter and make her the pumpkin princess, Eve has nothing to lose and accepts. Soon she find herself whisked away to Hallowell Valley, home to witches, vampires ghosts, and ghouls and all sorts of paranormal creatures. Yet not all of them are happy to have her there and if she wants to stay she'll have to convince them that she is meant to be part of the community. With sinister plots against her and her new father, Eve also finds friendship and family for the first time in her life. Can she protect them or will she lose them all? This was such a sweet and adorable read and I absolutely loved the quirky world that was built. The father daughter relationship in this book was so charming and I found myself smiling over how heartwarming this book was. It's the perfect mixture of found family, spooky season, and friendship. It's a wonderful read for fans of the Addams Family and Nevermoor!!

Release Date: September 3, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[rfurny]

Setting aside all of the character interactions and the dynamic I love so much, there are four outside reasons I believe Pokeshipping is meant to be canon.

1. That unreleased ending. I know the writers claim the orange haired woman was not meant to be Misty... but seriously? I believe it was meant to be Misty with her daughter and Ash's Pikachu. Not sure who the other lady was though. This was a potential wrap on the entire Pokemon anime, but obviously that didn't happen. They had to backtrack and claim the woman wasn't Misty so they could continue the show.

2. MangaPokeshipping is canon to an extent with some slightly inappropriate jacuzzi references. Also, Red (Ash's game counterpart) had a close friendship to (game) Misty as well.

3. The Queen of Hearts Card. Why would they create a theme opening with Misty on a queen of hearts with Delia? These writers weren't dumb! They knew what that meant. A woman represented by a queen of hearts represents the man's future partner. Like if they didn't intend to give us these HUGE Pokeshipping hints, then they WOULDN'T.

4. Red String of Fate. How many times can they possibly mention fate between the pair?? And why would it come up so damn often if it wasn't meant to pair them together? Ash talked about their friendship not being coincidence in Misty's final episode of her original run, while Misty referred to 'the Red String of Fate' in her return as a companion!

(Bonus) 5. Baby's breath. As I said in a previous post, the baby's breath flowers at the end of Kalos were strategically placed. They had other choices, but the writers chose to use the flower synonymous with Misty's Japanese name! If they didn't want to push Pokeshipping they should have chosen a different flower!

The writers are sly! They were all about Pokeshipping until they had to move on from Misty. Then they distracted everyone with small hints here and there with other girls. Of course, Serena came along later, and all hell broke loose. Suddenly, we are back to Ash traveling with Misty and Brock and it's like they never left - they are so natural together. It feels like once again the writers are pushing Pokeshipping. It's truly like this was what was always supposed to happen.

[kalosleaguesofficial]

Ash Ketchum Becomes Reigning Champion During World Coronation Series

Above: Ash Ketchum holding the World Coronation Series trophy after defeating Galar's champion Leon in the finals of the Master Class.

By: Admin | 31.12.2023 | 1.5k words

Introduction

Finally, young Ash Ketchum has reached the top during the recent World Coronation Series after his several years of defeats from the many Pokémon Leagues he participated in.

Ketchum has not only participated in seven Leagues aside from the Coronation Series, but also actively contributed to the formation and organisation of the Alolan League (of which he fought in and became Champion). Ketchum is revered by many from all walks of life and all ages, and seeing his track record of saving the world, he truly deserves the praise and admiration he gets.

The Journey: Boy to Adolescence

Kanto & Johto

Although most of his badges were rumoured to have been obtained through means other than battling, he still got to Top 16 in the Indigo League, and Top 8 in the Silver Conference. No one can deny his love and kindness towards his Pokémon and friends alike is something not many have.

During the Kanto and Johto periods of Ash's journey, his main rival was Gary Oak. Yes, the Gary Oak. Sources say that Ash and Gary used to be childhood best friends, before something unfortunate happened that caused their friendship to sour. Many times did they butt heads, but many times too did they work together to thwart the plans of evil organisations such as Team Rocket. However, Gary later decided to change paths to work towards following in his grandfather's footsteps. Today, Gary is a renowned researcher in Project Mew, coincidentally alongside Ash's recent travel companion Goh.

Ash travelled with Gym Leaders Misty and Brock of Cerulean and Pewter respectively. The same team carried into Johto, and Brock following Ash all the way to Sinnoh. I interviewed Brock about the young boy, and his experiences seemed quite...chaotic.

"Ash is an enigma. Sometimes, you know exactly what he's gonna do, but you can never seem to figure out his way of thinking. He started off as a really naïve and temperamental boy, but at least he's grown and matured while keeping that same mentality."

"And what would you say was his most redeeming quality?" I asked.

Brock smiled, "His personality. Even though he was easily annoyed, the sheer amount of times he brought the mood up for everyone when we were busy saving the world is...Ash is special. Special to many. He lives in all of his companions's hearts, that I can say with confidence."

"How lovely. Would you say he deserved the title of Champion?"

"I think, in many people's minds, he's already their Champion."

Hoenn

"Ash is a like a very annoying big brother."

May is a famous coordinator who has travelled with Ash during his Hoenn days, along with her little brother Max and Brock. She notes that Ketchum destroyed her bike on the first day of her Pokémon Journey.

"Apparently, he did that to Misty's bike too. I think he still owes us those new bikes."

Old 'grudges' aside, Ash once again placed Top 8 in the Ever Grande Conference.

Ash's save-the-world-meter in this era was slowly turning up, with Team Aqua and Team Magma standing in his way, both with malicious intents to wipe out/take over the world respectively. Sightings of Rayquaza, Groudon and Kyogre were noted by locals.

Sinnoh

The daughter of famous retired Coordinator Johanna, Dawn, followed Ash on his Sinnoh Journey accompanied by Brock once again. Some may come to think that Brock must've wanted to travel a lot since young and kept that in until he was free to travel without worrying about his many brothers and sisters.

Ash's encounters in Sinnoh were by no means normal. The Lake Trio was the least of it all, with the most jaw-dropping information having revealed to us by Ash Ketchum himself.

"It was a whole thing with Arceus, Dialga and Palkia! I don't really remember it though. It's been so long!"

This explains many things about Ketchum, of which I will let you decide what it exactly entails.

Ash finally climbed to Top 4 in the Lilly of the Valley Conference.

Unova

Ketchum is undoubtly more relaxed in Unova. Maybe it was due to the carefree-spirited people and Pokémon of the region, but Ash noted that he felt like he felt freer.

This time, Brock took a backseat in accompanying Ash and went back to Kanto to become a Pokémon Doctor. Ash's companions in this region is, funnily enough, someone also in the Master League. None other than the Dragon Princess herself partnered up with Ash and Cilan, another Unovan Gym Leader, through the region.

Kalos

And alas, home base! Well, my home base anyway. Many say that the Kalos region was where Ketchum's fashion sense peaked, it turns out that he had many girls his age turning heads to see that blue jacket with those baggy pants.

His companions in Kalos consists of our very own Kalos Queen Serena, along with the siblings who manage Lumiose City's gym, Clemont and Bonnie. Quite the adventurous group!

Ash managed to clinch the runner-up place in the Lumiose Conference, only second to one of our Champions, Alain. However, Alain had refused the position and had gone off to spend time with his sister.

The epic final battle that happened between Ash and Lysandre was truly a sight to see. I could still remember everyone's eyes glued to the television, and everyone who had met Ash or at least heard about him had their hands clenched together, all wishing him the very best to be able to defeat Lysandre.

Special mention to Ash's Greninja, who could Mega-Evolve without a Mega Stone. This phenomena is still being researched by Professor Sycamore to this day.

Alola

If you thought that Unova Ash was laid back, wait til' you hear about this one. This era was truly his peak RNR time.

His companions during his time in Alola would be everyone in the Pokémon School that he attended, run by Professor Samuel Oak's cousin.

"This was an entirely new experience for me! I've never consistently hung out with so many people before, and I've never been formally schooled since I left for my journey so early. It was pretty eye-opening, but also led me to realise that I had some issues with staying put in one place. I got bored pretty fast. Not saying that Alola is boring - it's just...I can't really sit still if you get what I mean."

It was something everyone around him worried about, but nevertheless, he somehow still managed to help organise the Manalo Conference AND reach the top as Alola's first ever champion.

Galar

Ash's time in Galar had been an eventful one, battling trainers left and right from the World Coronation Series. It seems that he enjoys Galarian recipes as well, with people flocking to Galar just to eat their well-known scones that Ash had popularised.

Ash's acts of bravery to defend peace were more well-known during this era due to the globalisation of Rotom devices such as Rotomphones and Rotompads. His courage being shown on screens worldwide had made him climb in popularity.

Ash travelled to Galar with a fellow Kantonian, Goh, as research fellows for Cerise Labs. As previously mentioned, Goh eventually joined Project Mew alongside Ash's old rival-turned-good-friend Gary Oak on a journey to find Mew. The two however, only parted ways before Ash's Master League battles.

"Goh is truly a one-of-a-kind friend you don't really get to see anywhere. He's all the science-y and tech-y part of being a research fellow. I'm the more curious one!" Ash smiles, nibbling onto the scone from the café we were at.

"Both Gary and Goh are amazing. They know so much about Pokémon too!"

Future Plans

This young boy, however, seems to think that the Leagues and battles he participate in are a smaller slice of what he wants to be in the future. In an interview with the Pokénews Network, he mentioned that his true goal was to become a 'Pokémon Master'. He himself has said that he does not know what it means to be one, but that's probably why he's on a journey.

Despite the lack of answers to his goals, Ash said that he would be settling down with his mother back in Pallet Town for a while. "I just feel like I owe it to her, y'know? She's been supporting me in whatever I do back at home, ever since I left for my Pokémon Journey when I was ten. The least I could do was indulge her in the last few years I get to be a kid and maybe help her out at home."

"Although - my Pokémon Journey is by no means at its end. I'm still gonna venture out there someday to see more Pokémon, get to know them, maybe battle a lil' here and there! But for now, I feel like I should give back some years that my mum lost from my journey."

Mother to Ash Ketchum, Delia Ketchum, shares a similar sentiment. "Ash has very much grown into a big boy now. I'm grateful to everyone who was able to support him while I wasn't there, and to the many people and Pokémon he befriended over the course of his journey. But I do miss having Ash around in the house, it gets a little too quiet for me."

"Do you regret letting him go on his journey?"

"No. If he wants to be the very best like no one ever was, who am I to stop him?"