#But I just like a very large set of Pokémon

[lilybug-02]

Ideal pokemon team(doesn't have to be the strongest or have the best type coverage, just one you'd love the most, if that includes like 5 Klefki and a sunkern then that's fine and what not)

3

2

1

Go

Crobat is my Ace. The fact it evolves through friendship and is actually stong is so cool to me.

Porygon and its evolutions are just so cute to me. And it has many unique gimmicks I love.

Breloom is one of my first Pokémon in the games. A little weak but it’s very sweet.

Sawsbuck has a beautiful gimmick with the seasons. And it’s a surprisingly strong pokemon.

Spheal is Spheal. Baby.

Houndoom is a Pokémon that gets a lot of hate in the Pokédex. I think it would be an amazingly cool pet, despite its reputation. Give it love.

[icys-junkyard]

Unova Battle Subway maps

My personal preferred map of the railways (one with blue markers, one with color coded markers)

An alternate map, taking the in-game subway map slightly more literally. (Bonus map with a few non-canon markers I added purely to help myself make sense of the seemingly pointless shapes of some of the routes)

Bonus extra map of the routes taken by Ingo, Emmet, or both of them, for those who want a more specific visual of those routes on their own. (Of course Emmet's line goes through the Pokémon World Tournament lmao)

Misc notes/thoughts under the cut

I'm not a train person, take all these musings with a grain of salt lol

Canon map note: I imagine this map only shows the large, intercity railways. Cities like Nimbasa, Castelia, etc likely have smaller, more complex subway lines all over the city like we tend to see IRL.

Canon map note 2: In an IRL setting, these rail lines are likely far less straight and angular than on these maps and could probably make a lot more sense if drawn with a freer hand and consideration for the landscape, but I tried sticking somewhat close to how it's presented in the game.

International (wi-fi) line: In the game it's the wi-fi line. In a non-game context I imagine this line is one that actually leaves Unova and goes to a neighboring region.

Subwayness: While not all of these lines are 100% underground like they might be in the cities, I like to think quite a few of them are partially or primarily in tunnels. Many lines go across water without a major bridge* on the map, or straight through harsh environments like mountains or deserts, some of which may be more convenient long term to go under rather than through. With the technology of the Pokémon universe, I imagine large stretches of underground train tunnels are entirely possible. (*Maybe there's smaller unshown bridges for the trains, but at least the line that goes right through Castelia's port to an island I'd like to believe could be underground under water)

Battle Subway: The Battle Subway itself likely only runs on these intercity lines.Assuming IRL distances rather than in game walking distances, depending on the length of the line, a lap or two could be a full days work for the bosses. Non-battle trains likely use these same tracks.

Anville Town: The branching path on the Anville line is strange, as it doesn't seem to point toward any known location. It could be pointing toward some unlabelled town or landmark, though I've seen some people posit that it stops at the Celestial or Dragonspiral towers (though they seem too far away for me to agree). My personal headcanon is that rather than the large branch shown on the original map, it's actually two branches going to Anville Town; a large alternate rail to help with rotating/moving trains going in and out of the rail yard there.

Pokémon World Tournament: Located in or very near Driftveil City, it was added in BW2 by Driftveil gym leader Clay. Considering Driftveil is a city, it could have multiple subway stations, one of which just happens to be close to the PWT. Alternatively, it could be a bit of a distance away and thus have it's own station.

PokéStar Studios: Located in or very near Virbank City. As the major intercity lines don't quite hit Virbank itself, I imagine Virbank only has one intercity station near the studio if it's within Virbank itself. That, or it has no intercity stations and one must travel the distance between Virbank and the studio to travel further.

Unity Tower: Literally this train goes through a port and right into the ocean to reach an island. This island is only accessible by boat. I'm convinced this train goes under the seafloor. That or it has a super cool Marine Tube situation where it's a subway tunnel, but the tunnel is transparent and the ocean and water pokémon can be seen out the train windows.

[peachypede]

Au: What if humans had pokemon types?

The idea struck me after seeing some of @bluebellowl ‘s art of Ingo and Emmet wielding flames and electricity and I was thinking ooo what if humans had typings.

Then I made an au with a bunch of headcanons…

More below the cut

(Almost forgot to add that I took some inspo from @critterbitter ‘s Elesa hairstyle because I love how they draw her hair in the back all spiky, electricy like in some of their drawing just yes)

- most humans are purely 1 type, but a rare person may have a dual typing. (Ingo and Emmet are dual types that cover their least publicly liked typing with their more favorable type)

- Some types are more stigmatized and feared than others for have abilities/features that are frightening: Bug, Ghost, Psychic, Poison and Dark types are the 5 most stigmatized groups.

- Most humans have very small or weak abilities, but some are capable of amazing feats.

- Humans tend to favor pokemon partners that share their typings since it’s easier to connect and communicate but some people do like opposite or different typings.

- When babies are born, they’re given a test to see what type they are so their parents will know how to handle their abilities.

- Each types abilities include:

Normal - Sadly, this typing doesn’t get much special abilities. They’re normal humans. A very, very rare normal type can send a hyper beam out of their mouth.

Fire - Can control small flames and are fire resistant. They can warm their bodies up to feverish temperatures without being sick. Some can breathe fire and have flame like hair. Fire types often have irrational fears of water.

Water - They can control small amounts of water. Their skin gets dried out easily and they have to take showers frequently or have humidifiers in their homes. A few individuals have gills that allows them to breathe fully underwater.

Grass - They can breathe life into plants and cause flowers to bloom. If they have a garden, they’ll produce giant and delicious fruit. Some can make plants move on their own, but this is a rare ability. When happy, a lot of grass-type people will sprout plants on their heads. Some even have plant like hair.

Electric - Able to cause small electric shocks and store bits of electricity. Can turn off and on appliances without touching them. Those who take time to learn can communicate with electric Pokémon using the electrical language all electric types know. They can also talk to humans in electric language who are electric types as well.

Ice - Freezing to the touch and tolerant to below zero temps. They can freeze the surface of water by touching their hand to it. They’re a rare type that hardly leave frosty mountain cities and towns because they’re prone to overheating in warmer weather.

Fighting - Stronger than other humans, but few reach true inhumane strength. Rare individuals have an extra set of arms like Machamp. Most take pride in their strength and hone their skills their entire lives.

Poison - Immune to poisons, some even have poisonous breath or saliva. Most of them have to wear masks around people who aren’t fellow poison types. Some individuals have multicolored skin, like frogs warning others that they’re dangerous. People of this type like steel types, because they can remove their masks for once around these people who are immune to them.

Ground - Can feel vibrations in the ground and if they learn, can properly use this as another sense of sight and see things underground. Rare individuals can make the ground shake and have long claws for digging. Some families are known for living underground where they feel more at ease.

Flying - they have a very keen eye for long distance sight. Lots of people with this type have wings. Not all can fly, since one needs large wings and hollow bones to do so, but some can. Most however are gliders. Some have feathers instead of body hair.

Psychic - People with this type usually have one “talent” ability, such as levitating objects or seeing the future. It’s rare for an individual to have more than one of these talents but it has happened before. They’re seen as power houses amongst the other types for their special abilities and usually are seen offering their services in exchange for coin.

Bug - They can attract a lot of bug type pokemon to them via pheromones and with practice, they can even control them. Like ants, bug types can talk through pheromones like alerting to danger, creating trails, or even just generally talking like electric types do (its not all just attracting mates although bugs are more likely to be attracted to other bug people) Grass types dislike the smell of bug types, whereas flying types get hungry around them. Rumor has it that bugs can control others through their pheromones but its just a rumor. Pheromones make it easy to persuade, but can’t truly control people.

Rock - They have skin as tough as rocks and most can dig through rock itself. Rare people look like a cluster of rocks themselves. They dislike water since it erodes away their skin, so they take mud baths and showers instead.

Ghost- Many can float above the ground and go through walls. Similar to ice types, They are cold to the touch. They can see ghost type pokemon even if they are invisible. Rare abilities are being able to see and commune with human spirits. (And only once a century is there an individual who has truly open eyes and can see the entire world of the dead walking amongst the living) People who fear this type spread rumors that ghost types are evil and can raise the dead to do their bidding, but these are only rumors.

Dragon - Noble types that are descended from long blood lines. A lot of individuals have scales and wings and claws. Rare ones can breathe fire. Once in every 100 years there will be a dragon-type who can communicate and wield their type’s pokemon with high efficiency, even mighty legendaries. Families of dragons can be very prideful and look down on other types. Noble families don’t like their children mingling or marrying other types.

Dark - A stigmatized group to the point that their typing is labeled as the “evil” type in some languages. Many have a bad luck effect on the people around them and some can sense disasters before they happen. Dark types often are lonely because of their bad luck charm abilities make other people wary of them.

Steel - Most in this group have skin that shines like a type of metal and are able to bend metals in their hands. They’re immune to poison and bug types abilities, and often are friends with these stigmatized types because of this.

Fairy - This group have small magical abilities and unluck the dark type, they have a lucky effect around them. Some individuals have wings, some have unnaturally colored hair. Fairies have a high social standings with other types because they’re thought to do nothing wrong, when fairies actually often have trouble makers in the midst of them taking advantage of this.

[aeromore]

META META META META META META META META. Old art dump from earlier this year, more under the keep reading thing.

RIDER IS THERE. That's just really a secondary name for Stanley to keep track of the guys (there's three of them, that's also why they're numbered). I meant to finish this drawing and have Aleph (another narrator... Specifically number 2) respond to Meta and have PK (Stanley-2) stand next to him, but I didn't have a design for that guy at this current point in time and just left it unfinished. Also, I love Rider. Rider is lovely and very kind, I hope he suffers very much Soon.

Ditto. Ditto's just happy to be here, Meta less so. Hates being proven wrong, too. It is SO hard to choose whether he'd be a Ditto or a Meltan as a pokémon, considering you CAN spell Meta with the letters in Meltan. I eventually went with the latter and had Ditto be on his team, like a constant mockery of him. <- That's how HE sees it. Ditto couldn't care less and just wants to have fun. (Also, he shapeshifted those eyes into existence by the way, he does not usually have eyes under his glasses. LET THE GUY EXPRESS HIMSELF.)

Vitan. (Character belonging to @mct421 / @a-game-of-beginnings) Sorry, I had and still have a crush on this idiot but also he's a very lovely character, please check 'em out on the second @. Meta is reasonably upset/peeved/mad about me turning him into a vertical pancake and also making fun of him for ... a large variety of things. I'll just say he doesn't get treated the best out of my narrators (it's a cuteness aggression thing, and also i hate him (affectionately)). SO, I let it slide that he's making fun of me by shapeshifting into my F/O or crush or whatever he is. Whatever it is, I've proposed to him (VITAN) three times at this point because I either keep forgetting I did or I just want to recreate the scenario since it's funny.

SOMETHING ACTUALLY INTERESTING OF NOTE: When Meta shapeshifts, the eyes always have this green color (not the green in the drawing, that was a lazy doodle, the CORRECT color is #70A083) and the hair is silvery at the roots.

Dumb idiot flawed shapeshifter, couldn't be me. <- Could be me. Is me.

Dressed him up in silly outfits, some of which he hates and some that he is fine with.

Was bought Webfishing by a friend of mine back in October, so I pretty quickly whipped a little complementary drawing of Meta as a fish (nice callback) and @nonsensechemicals's settings person as a lil fish too ":o" (it's a callback to one of their drawings but I don't really have it on hand right now). The guy in the middle was my sona at the time, now they look different. YOU try being a shapeshifter and see how long you can last being on one look.

Silly shitposts and whatnot. I love Meta, my idiot blob son, slime-like thing. Thank you, Rider, for showing him that sick skateboard trick in the parking lot (press conference/elevator ending reference for Those Who Don't Know).

The second image is a screenshot taken from that one art instillation with the jiggling things whatever they are. <- Quickly looked it up, "Graceful Degradation", a kinetic installation by Harrison Pearce at the GNYP Gallery. Wouldn't wanna leave you guys at the edge of your seat wanting to learn what that was.

The third image is me and MrPizzaDraws on twitter drawing our Favorite Blob ever. Check Pizza out, he's cool, especially if you're someone from the Object Show Community or like art in general.

Fourth image.... Not much to say here. Meta as those sticky hand things. I call it handslops. And the fifth image is him being slop in a red plastic cup. Wonderful.

And at the very bottom is an actually proper and simple drawing of the guy, of course. IF... IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, feel free to click on that funny questionnaero button. I'd love to bestow knowledge. This is ALL a heavy work in process, so be patient if my answers aren't that great, haha.

And if you're wondering (because I sure am), the three parable thing is really an AU in all honesty, since that's not how the actual Stanley Parable is built up, to our knowledge, but I like having fun and still try keeping it close to game lore and whatnot. I just find it easier to understand the game if I break it apart into smaller pieces/people, hope that's relatable.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hello hello! I just read your writings about Pokémon and it inspired me to make a request if that's okay!

May I request some fic with Raihan and Reader who has a team of, like, really intimidating Pokémon? But they are actually are big softies? Just a happy lil' Scolipede with a little bow munching some berries! Or even Slither Wing that crawls towards the toys like a kitten, pheh-

That's okay if you decline! Take your time, I can wait ^^

Have a good day/night!

-✒️ Anon

"C'mon, Rai! I have some friends from Paldea who are dying to meet you!"

"Oh are they, huh?" Raihan raised an eyebrow, exchanging a brief glance with his Duraludon. But they both did their best to keep up with you as you rushed to your campsite, excited.

For the first time since he's met you, he was finally going to see your main Pokémon team. You briefly mentioned having some from Paldea, but a few were from this region, as well as Kalos. Based on your history of winning lots of tournaments, Raihan could only assume you had a lot of very strong Pokémon with diverse typing to help you adapt to any situation.

You haven't battled anybody in Galar yet, so he wasn't sure what to expect. He was looking forward to today.

Upon arriving to the camp, however, he's....quite surprised.

All of your Pokémon were ones notorious for being highly aggressive and intimidating, but he quickly realized how tranquil and pacifist each of them seemed. They weren't sparring nor scowling at one another.

If anything, they acted sort of...cute?

He spotted a large Scolipede, the archnemesis of all Centiskortches...happily snacking on berries with a tiny Sizzlipede resting on their back, sharing the bowl. And amusingly enough, Raihan could see you adorned the vicious poison/bug's horn with a cute little bow, which it didn't seem to mind at all.

Then he saw a Volcarona...except it looked a lot fluffier and was crawling on all fours, its wings folded upwards like some sail. Not to mention it looked gigantic, as though it belonged to the same ancient time period as Tyrantrum and all the other fossil Pokémon.

"Is that some kind of Paldean variant?" The dragon tamer pointed to the Volcarona lookalike.

"Oh! Well..yes and no. That's my darling Slither Wing, a supposed ancestor of Volcaronas. They look scary, but they're sweet on the inside. Just watch this." Smiling, you took out the feather toy and shook it around, the tiny jingling bells making Slither Wing turn their attention to you.

With a happy chitter, they scampered over to you, before standing up on their hindlegs and towering over both you and Raihan. He jumped back with a small shriek, throwing his hands up in front of him.

"Woah what the-?!! Back up, buddy!!"

Sensing its trainer's distress, Duraludon hissed at the potential challenger.

Yet Slither Wing seemed blissfully unaware of the threat they posed, their focus being fully on the feather dangling in front of them. They gently batted it with their front paws, delighted at the jingling noise the bells made.

"Sorry." You laughed a little, feeding them a berry before setting the toy down. "They get excited easily." Then you rested a hand on their fluffy chest, to which they flopped to the ground, allowing you to rub their belly. "Awwh, who's a good Slither Wing? It's you~!"

Raihan blinked several times, awkwardly putting his hands back down as he stared at you, watching you baby this fierce-looking Volcarona. He would've thought you were talking to a Yamper or Growlithe.

Looking elsewhere, he saw a Pokémon who appeared similar to a Bisharp, except it was bulkier, resembled a samurai, and was....somehow sitting on its own hair???

Upon closer examination he could see it had some flowers in said hair, put there by the cutesy wild fairy and grass Pokémon that have gathered around it. It seemed to be telling them a story, smiling all the while...which was very unlike the serious Bisharp lineage.

You noticed where Raihan was looking and smiled, whistling for Kingambit. It glanced over and headed to you, being able to move without standing up at all.

"King?"

"Your majesty." You stood and bowed to it in respect, before turning to your friend. "Rai, this is Bisharp's final evolution, Kingambit He had to best three other Bisharps wearing leader's crests in order to evolve, so he's pretty strong."

"It took beating three?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's pretty specific. How didja figure that one out?"

"....well how did you figure out how to evolve a Galarian Yamask into Runerigus?"

"...touché." He clicked his tongue, before glancing at Kingambit again, who seemed to be admiring the flowers in its hair. Then he slowly took out his rotomphone to snap a picture of it--

"Gamb.."

Tensing, Raihan saw the dark/steel type glaring daggers into his soul, and he gulped, nervously put his phone back into his pocket. "M-My bad..uh...I just...."

However, Kingambit's menacing look suddenly vanished, replaced with a cheeky smile as it chuckled. And only then did the dragon tamer realize the fairy and grass Pokémon were gathered nearby, giggling as well.

"Awh, did King scare the "almighty Dragon Tamer"?" You teased, seeing how flustered he was getting.

"What? Of course not! What are you talking about?" He quickly shook his head, offering you a sharp-toothed grin of reassurance. "I don't fear anything!"

"..Tyran!"

Raihan turned his head to see a Tyranitar stomping on over to you, wearing a mega bracelet similar to yours. He recalled you mentioning that you've mastered Mega Evolution.

But of all the Pokémon to choose from, it just had to be his ace's number one natural rival??? He'd hate to see how that would go down on a battlefield..

'Mega Tyranitar against G-Maxed Duraludon...sounds like a good movie title..' He mused, before snapping out of his thoughts and sighing, watching you coo over the dark/rock type--just like you did Slither Wing.

His concerned looks caught your attention, as you just huffed in growing annoyance, cradling Tyranitar's head in your arms. "Rai, relax. My friends here don't have a single mean bone in their bodies."

"I find that hard to believe. Plus my Duraludon hates Tyranitars...isn't that right......?"

However, he trailed off upon realizing that his trusty Duraludon was no longer by his side, instead hobbling over to greet your Tyranitar. "Du....Duraludon?" He blinked stupidly.

"Tar!!"

"Ludon!!!"

Raihan could only gawk as the two gently butted heads, amazed that they weren't at each other's throats. Instead, Tyranitar encouraged it to come play with the bouncy ball near the curry pot, and the steel/dragon followed them without hesitation.

Soon enough, Scolipede, Slither Wing, and Kingambit went to join the fun, leaving the dragon tamer utterly speechless as he realized his initial assumptions about your team were wrong. "Wow...."

"Yeah." Laughing softly, you patted his back as he stood there, shoulders still slumped. "So do you believe me now?"

"...I do. I'll never doubt you again."

[dailypokemoncrochet]

I really understand your take on sharing amigurumi patterns. I crocheted A LOT about 10 years ago, I crocheted Pokémon plushes, wrote the patterns, and sold both for a bit. But the patterns were just a PDF with plain text telling the reader the stitches for each round with a quick note partway through each piece to advise them when to start stuffing. Free patterns on like Ravelry from 2005-2015 are also like this, it’s my normal. Fast forward to last year. For the first time, I buy a pattern on Etsy. It’s FULL of photos and diagrams and custom fonts and intricate page borders and decorative doodles and excruciating detail, none of which I need. So now like, hooooly shit, if I ever start selling patterns again, do I have to get professional photography setup and a graphic designer??? To make 5 freakin bucks???????? My patterns might just have to remain a trade secret. 😬

Yeah I definitely feel like expectations for patterns have just risen unrealistically. I only freehand so I don't buy patterns or even look at them, but whenever I see people talking about them, there's always so much- neediness? about them. People will complain about FREE patterns if they don't have pictures or explain how to attach things or is formatted differently from what they're used to. FREE PATTERNS. The entitlement and lack of appreciation is just so jarring to me. And then the same group of people will act like they are so generous for throwing a dollar your way for such a pattern, maybe $3 if it just looks nice, maybe even $5 if they like you. Very often you'll see PACKS of patterns, sets of 3 or 5 or 10 or 12, each with, like you said, photos and diagrams and excruciating detail, and that's the only time people will think it's justified to pay up to $10 on them. It makes no sense to me. Personally all I need, and the way I write my patterns is mostly like this Fomantis one I put out years ago with basically just the colors needed, and the actual stitches needed in each row for each part. That's it.

And then when people would tell me they'd gladly pay for my patterns however they were formatted just because they liked the crochet- that is simply not true by and large. Most of the people saying that kind of stuff did not subscribe to my patreon when I had it, and I just made myself miserable putting out slightly more refined versions of my pattern notes. I don't like to think of it as keeping my patterns as a trade secret like you said, but it kind of feels that way sometimes because I just do not want to put any kind of effort into typing up a pattern that people won't even use and will only complain about.

I would want minimum $50 for typing up just one set of notes as is because it took me more than 5hr to crochet the thing and it'd take another hour to type up the rows and I hate it and people just are not here for that, not hearing it at all. "Well it's only for one Pokemon? You already have the notes written can't you just snap a pic and share those? [Some bullshit about potential passive income so the price should be pennies]." You cannot give give an inch or they will demand a mile. So no patterns of any kind at all ever for any reason.

[strawberrystepmom]

pokemon trainer au! gojo x f!reader. reader is a fairy gym leader and satoru is league champion and a flying type trainer. fluffy fluffy. couldn’t have done this without my beloved @moondust-lore so thank you as always nesi 😚 wc 1.5k

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

divider by @/cafekitsune

All good adventures start with two rivals.

At least that’s what you’ve been told your entire life, your own mother regaling you with tales of her rival for as long as you can remember, long before your now full grown Lapras was even developed enough to sing her song.

Your Lapras was a gift to you from her rival and your first Pokemon, gifted to you by a man she grew up several houses away from that was once a wide eyed boy with big dreams of opening a Pokémon academy to encourage the study of these creatures in their natural habitats. He successfully opened said academy, you even attended it for several years of your life, but your rival never came along through the years that passed.

The children in your neighborhood paired off quickly, setting their own parameters for their journeys and leaving you on the outside. Your schoolmates paired off and most of them have opened their own gyms, just like you, or settled into other aspects of their lives with or without their rival.

You never really minded and still don’t, though, pleased to enjoy life flat on your back in the grass of the surprisingly large meadow that backs up to your gym, gazing at the clouds floating overhead. A rival isn’t a necessity and you’re glad, honestly, that the stress of having to keep up with someone else is something you have been able to dodge for the most part.

“Hey!”

Until today.

You sit up, brows furrowed, and that’s when you see the man who may very well be the rival you’ve been looking for.

Satoru Gojo, current Pokémon League Champion.

His starlight colored hair flops over his eyes that are covered by glasses but you know what they look like behind the dark frames because they’ve been plastered on every magazine for several months. You know his name, everyone does, and it’s hard to truly imagine why he has come back after your many declinations of his requests to battle.

“Satoru,” you huff, his name leaving your lips with a tinge of amusement as he approaches with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He grins at you and it’s cheeky as it ever has been, glistening teeth tucked between pretty mauve lips and topped with dimples.

Infuriatingly charming and handsome, as always. It isn’t enough to be powerful, he hit the lottery in more ways than one.

“Ah, is that any way to speak to an old friend?”

Snorting, you slowly rise from your spot on the ground to your feet, your beloved Espeon bounding to your side to look up at you quizzically. You shoot a wordless glance in her direction and she wraps her twin tail around your legs, looking between you and the man.

She wonders if today will be the day you give in and finally say yes to his requests for an actual battle. It has been a long time since you’ve utilized her in any sense beyond as a companion and while she doesn’t ache for battle, there are times she wishes you’d push yourself and the rest of your Pokemon a little bit harder. Less leisure, less tenderness, less lazing around.

But she also knows you, her trainer and friend, and knows this is the life you’ve chosen for all of them out of compassion so her eyes flit expectantly in Satoru’s direction while you stroke between her ears.

“We’d be friends if you would learn to take no for an answer but until then we’re just acquaintances.”

You smile and it’s sweet, no bite despite your sassy words, and the man shakes his head. He finds you equal parts fascinating and amusing, the tales of how fiercely you and your team used to battle on your own journey to become a gym leader spurring him in your direction two years ago.

“I didn’t come to ask you to battle today.”

Despite your firm no’s, he keeps coming back for no other reason than being around you. You are refreshing, unaffected by his power and status, something he has longed for since becoming Champion. It’s just you and your companions and he can never shake just how happy all of you look when he stops by impromptu.

“Then what can I do for you?”

He shuffles closer to you and reaches down to run his finger over the velvety ear of your Espeon who remains still as ever, her eyes shutting. You scoff and roll your eyes.

“Don’t mind her, she’s shameless.”

Chuckling, he shrugs and looks around the meadow to spot who else you are spending time with out here. Your Lapras floats on the small pond, blinking slowly in Satoru’s direction. A Grookey ruffles the grass a few feet away from you, ears poking out between pastel colored flowers and your Skitty shakes her tail in his direction, an invitation to play.

It’s so unlike his own former gyms which confirms he made the right decision. The decision? Well, he already anticipates watching your jaw drop before he speaks the words aloud for the first time.

“I’ve decided to vacate my spot as Champion to go and travel.” Your jaw does drop, eyes widening in shock.

“Can you even do that?”

He nods, thumb still pressed to the Espeon’s velvety ear.

“Not without a lot of argument but yes and I’ve already done it so there’s no changing my mind.”

You understand, approaching and placing a hand on his shoulder. The touch isn’t unwelcome and he plays off the pink on the tips of his ears, glancing down at you through white lashes.

“I wouldn’t ever try to change your mind but will you tell me why?”

Gojo sighs and it’s almost concerningly heavy for a man who is so light as air he even partners with Flying type Pokémon specifically. You feel for him, certain the pressures of being Champion can be enough to get even the strongest of them all down, and you keep your hand pressed to his shoulder.

“When I was working toward becoming Champion my focus was so singular I missed out on everything. I only did what had to be done to get here and now I’ve realized I haven’t experienced, well, anything. I want to enjoy the journey and not simply the destination.”

Your heart beats hard in your chest, moved by his honesty. You’ve always been friendly with the man and it’s not a wonder that he’s Champion, he is the strongest, but you do wonder why he came here to tell you this.

“I want you to come with me.”

Breath catching in your throat, you are shocked by the words.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. If anyone can show me how to slow down and enjoy it, it has to be little miss on her back watching the clouds roll by.”

The nickname is a bit of a mouthful but you smile anyway, looking up at him and twisting your mouth to the side.

“Let me ask the council,” you shoot and he nods understandingly, watching you sink to a squat beside your Espeon.

“What do you think?”

She chirps excitedly and you sigh, hoping she’d be on your side for once, but her thirst for adventure is bigger than her loyalty to you by some strange miracle. It has been too long since you and her and your friends have been out on the routes and she hungers to roll around in new grass. You pet her again and nod, rising to standing.

“Okay. I’m sure I’m the last person you asked and the only one to say yes and I’d hate to leave you lonely.” He chuckles and shakes his head. “You were the first and the only one I wanted to ask.”

Espeon chirps again at your feet and you toss her another glance, forgetting how astute your partner truly is despite the separation of Pokemon and human between the two of you.

“I’ll be back in three days to pick you up so make sure you have everything you need.”

Your traitorous heart pounds even harder knowing what’s to come. Traveling, alone, with Gojo sounds undeniably thrilling and you will ponder later when you’re alone what’s to come.

For now, you smile and nod.

“Okay, champ. But know I won’t make the journey easy on you.”

He grins once again, pearly whites gleaming while Grookey hops out of the grass a few feet away from him and clings to his leg, the large man kneeling slightly to pet the creature.

“Which is exactly why I invited you.”

The words are so loaded even you catch the weight and you shuffle from foot to foot, Espeon still wound around your calves. The sun blazes overhead and clouds continue to pass and in an instant you realize that you may not have gained that rival you’ve been dodging but perhaps you’ll yet gain a friend.

“I won’t keep you for any longer but be ready for me, okay?”

You nod and try to hide your grin by tucking your chin against your chest and glancing at the ground below.

Perhaps you’ve gained something more than a friend, even.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Would Nincada be a good pet?

As seems to often be the case for bug pokémon, nincadas are a curious case. On one hand, nincadas are pretty low-maintenance and safe. On the other, adopting one as a pet comes with a pretty heavy commitment, and they won’t provide the social element that many owners are looking for in a pet. Whether or not a nincada would make a good pet really depends on the owner.

Nincadas may be larger than real-world bugs, but they are the perfect size and weight for a pet. Their housing needs, however, are a little more complicated than some pokémon. Nincadas live almost their entire lives stationary and under the ground in burrows (Ruby). In order to care for one, you would need to provide them with a safe burrowing place where they won’t be bothered by any natural predators. You won’t have to worry about your nincada wandering off, thankfully, so long as you provide what they need for their burrow so that they don’t feel the need to scavenge for food or water. Wild nincadas make their homes in the roots of large trees, using their claws to dig into them to create shelter and acquire both moisture and nutrients (Sapphire, Emerald). If you already have access to a satisfactory tree, then you’ll already be all set. It’s possible that an artificial analog, with a means to provide the nincada with the nutrients they need, could provide them with a sufficient habitat, but a tree seems to be the most straight-forward option when available. Since nincadas get everything they need from their tree-burrows, caring for one is as simple as keeping their tree happy and healthy. Because of this, their ease of care after the initial introduction to their new habitat is very low.

Like I said before, nincadas aren’t very social pokémon. They live nearly their entire lives underground, since bright sunlight makes them uncomfortable (Sapphire). Over time, this species has become almost completely blind, relying on their sentisitve antennae to feel their way around in the dark (Emerald, FireRed/LeafGreen, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum). If their needs ar being met, you’ll probably rarely see your nincada, let alone interact with them. This will be a deal-breaker for owners that are interested in friendly, sociable pets, but that’s not all pet owners! If you are fascinated with bug-type pokémon, or enjoy caring for pets for the routine, a nincada might be great choice for you.

I would be remiss when discussing nincada to not bring up a big wrinkle: adopting a nincada means, inevitably, adopting a ninjask (and, provided they have sufficient space, a shedinja). Nincadas are a pokémon species whose entire lifestyle is geared towards evolution. Due to this, I would not recommend giving a nincada an evolution-preventing stone, as it may be detrimental to their long-term mental health. Of course, this is a complicated issue, so I would recommend consulting with a pokémon veterinarian should you adopt one. Generally, however, every healthy nincada owner should be prepared to care from a ninjask somewhere along the line. This is not always a quick process. According to the pokédex, some nincadas spend upwards of a decade preparing for evolution (HeartGold/SoulSilver). This means that caring for a nincada is a big commitment that should not be taken lightly.

In an effort to keep this already too-long post as brief as possible, I’ll just say that nincadas aren’t very dangerous. While moves like Metal Claw can really pack a punch with their tree root shredding claws, their lack of vision and underground lifestyle means that they pose very little threat to humans, so long as you keep your distance and handle them sparingly and carefully.

Overall, a nincada’s viability as a pet depends on the potential owner. If you are interested in a low-maintenance pet that keeps to themself, they might be just right for you. Just keep in mind that adopting a nincada is no small responsibility! While it can take up to ten years, your nincada will someday become a ninjask (and, quite possibly, a shedinja). I haven’t covered ninjasks on this blog yet, but I have covered shedinjas (linked below), and I think it’s fair to guess that the intensity of care your pet will need along the line will be far greater than it is now.

The Shedinja Post:

[alpaca-clouds]

What the fuck?

Ao3 wants to remove the "all media types" fandom tags, and just that... it is such a horrible idea? Like, there are some fandoms for which it might work, but there are also a log of fandoms, where this will not work at all.

Please @ao3org, don't this. It will mess up the archive big time.

I have already seen some posts explaining it with the Sherlock Holmes fandom and the Transfomers fandom. But let me explain it with two fandoms in which I at times upload and read: Digimon and Pokémon.

Both are multimedia franchises with a lot of different fandom tags associated with it across several types of media (mostly anime and games, in the form of Pokémon also movies). For Pokémon there are also really a ton of fanfics, for Digimon not quite as many, but also enough. And sure, many of them can be sorted into some actual subtag for a specific game or whatever. But here is the thing: Many others cannot.

Because in both fandoms it is quite popular to write stories where original Digimon Tamers or original Pokémon trainers will have their own adventure in a completely original version of the Pokémon/Digimon world. Original seasons in some way. With DIgimon it is often very much completely original - with Pokémon they might travel through a known region, or through one established. But even in the latter case you cannot just say: "Oh, actually this is Pokémon Gold/Silver, because they travel through Johto", if there is nothing else connecting it to that. Because maybe it is another time where different characters live there and what not.

Those kinds of fanfics are completely misplaced in any tag but "Pokémon/Digimon - All Media Types", because they are a fanfic about the fandom at large and not a specific entry within that fandom.

Now, those are the fandoms where I know this specific thing will happen, but I can in fact also imagine it happening with a lot of other fandoms.

I know there is quite a bit of fanfic there for stuff like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, where people are writing about original characters within that setting, without really referencing anything specific from the movies or books in question. Because it just happens so far in the past or the future of that world, that it really does not matter which "universe" it is set in.

According to you, how is someone supposed to tag something that takes place in the world of Harry Potter, but in Japan of the 18th century, if not "Harry Potter - All Media Types"? Especially as... Look, I am not sure how to even deal with this. Like, there are clear differences between books and films in HP, but most people will still treat it as one and the same.

I am sorry, but this is just a shitty change that is making life a lot harder, ESPECIALLY for people who write mainly OC-centric fanfictions or stuff that is more concerned with worldbuilding than anything else.

People have already explained why this is an issue for other big fandoms - even outside of OC-centric stuff. But when it comes to Fandoms that spawn a lot of OC-centric stories, this change is a nightmare.

And that is without going into the weirdness of having two different tags for an anime adaption and the manga original, where there is near to no difference storywise between the anime and manga.

[dragon-master-clair]

Ethan said I should make a blog, so here I am.

I'm Clair. I'm the Gym Leader in Blackthorn, a member of the Blackthorn Dragon Clan, and the best dragon master in the world.

If you have something to say, my ask box is open.

My team:

Asterope (kingdra)

Matcha (shiny dragonite)

Ryoko (charizard/garchomp hybrid)

Zaffre (druddigon)

Cobalt (baxcalibur)

Heliotrope (dragalge)

Original Content | Reblogs | Answered Asks | Pictures | Pelipper Mail

Event: Dragon Care

//howdy. this blog is set post-soul silver in which ethan was the protagonist and caught lugia. there is a large degree of canon divergence in that blog, but for this one, soul silver happened very close to game canon. this blog does not share a continuity with any other pokémon irl blog other than the ones i run.

//this blog is headcanon-heavy about things like sapient pokémon, pokémon variants, and pokémon crossbreeds. for example, clair's charizard is a non-mega fire/dragon garchomp crossbreed.

//magic anons are off; pelipper mail is on for things that can reasonably be sent via mail. if you're unsure, feel free to dm me. pelipper mail responses will be written ooc as prose. anyone can interact, including sapient pokémon, but please bear in mind this blog is low-stakes when sending asks.

//if you want to set up a story beat/event, want to check to see if an ask is okay to send, just want more info, or would like something tw tagged, feel free to dm me.

//this character is an adult and sometimes discusses adult topics. if you don't want to see this content, block the tags "tw sex mention", "tw dick joke", and "suggestive".

this blog shares a continuity with:

@may-maple-blog, @lavaridge-gym-official, @lorekeeper-z, @sceptileguy, @team-magma-official, @official-team-aqua

[nartothelar]

you should do a submas fic rec post o7

Ooo good idea! Here's a few fics I adore to pieces and have reread more than a few times:

we'll build a bridge (An incomplete collection of unconnected one shots)

Summary: The only constant is this: they find each other. The how might change, but the why doesn’t, and the why is what matters, here. (The why is this: one never stops searching, and one never stops hoping.)

(Made me cry multiple times. Happy endings and heartfelt reunions: it's got everything you need to feel good inside. My favorite chaoters are 3 and 8)

Ounce of Prevention (incomplete)

Summary: If one suspects strangers of causing the apocalypse, one generally should not allow them to continue to roam free. They should ideally be restrained until their innocence (or guilt) can be proven. Even if one of them is a child and openly sobbing at the thought of her only family hating her. Even if the other one's absence is probably going to be noticed by a very large, very dangerous Pokémon.

Elsewhere, the rift spits out a man in white. He's not her Warden, but Sneasler will take all the help she can get in finding him.

(ABSOLUTELY INSANELY GOOD like this is one of my favorite submas fics. Just thrilling and had be binge it in a frenzy. Awesome action scenes, cool plot, and badass Emmet, like seriously Emmet's characterization here is god tier and I think about it constantly. I actually drew a comic based on a scene from this fic here. )

In Tandem (Incomplete)

Summary: Or in which Arceus calls upon two pairs of twins to stop two doomsday plots simultaneously.

Ingo and Emmet are summoned to two different Jubilifes, to two different teenagers to aid them in their seemingly innocent journeys for reasons they do not fully understand. Dark machinations are at work though, and if everyone wants to get home safe at the end of the day it will take every ounce of strength, conviction and courage to brave the trials set before them.

(A verrrry good story: good plot (like you'll get invested), good action, good pacing, and good characterization! I haven't read many fics with Lucas and Dawn and this ones just amazing. I wait patiently for its updates)

The Hand (Complete)

Summary: It was something Ingo always wondered about.

(Unexpected premise but I really like it for some reason and have reread it multiple times)

Give Not Into Sorrow (Complete)

Summary: Something strange is going on in Hisui. There are reports of a man in white roaming the wildlands while leading a pack of Pokemon . Some say they're a mix of Pokemon, some claim they're a pack of zoroarks. Some swear that the man is none other than the amnesiac warden of the Pearl Clan. One thing is certain. Those who meet the man in white all report the same thing: He is looking for his brother. And he will not rest until he finds him.

(Absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching. Deal with grief, with anger and with holding on and letting go. Drew a comic for this just yesterday too)

Conductor of Stone (Completed)

Summary: Ingo was not alone when he woke up in the region of Hisui.

There was a man next to him who shared his face. With a body as cold as ice.

Who are you?

A Land of the Lustrous au! Cool concept and excellent writing that sucks you in. This is actually part of a series which is also very good. The author, PerpetuallySleepy, is a favorite of mine too and they have a bunch of other ones shot fics I recommend checking out!

Intermittent Retention (Complete)

Summary: In theory, the space-time distortions should not overly effect Ingo's daily routine. They certainly wouldn't, if he could remember what happens after he steps inside of them. Even that could be overlooked, reluctantly, if Ingo weren't overwhelmingly drawn to them despite their amnesia-inducing properties. Or if anyone else had this problem. Something happens to Ingo when time and space break down around him, something that leaves him with fierce joy and crippling grief he cannot find a source for, and he's going to figure out what in the world is going on.

(Sweet and sad and beautiful.)

Diamond Crossing (Complete)

Summary: So, here’s the thing. Elesa’s best friend is a little…weird.

She means it in the nicest way possible. But there’s no getting around the fact that Coop is weird.

Their mood swings are all over the place, very serious at one moment and unhinged child at the next. They sprouted train facts at the drop of the hat, insisted on not only being in charge of Gear Station but taking it a step further and turning Gear Station into the Battle Subway. They’re honestly crazy for that alone.

Elesa does her modeling career on top of being a Gym Leader and a lot of people think she’s crazy. She will argue that it’s nothing compared to Coop running the entire transportation system for Nimbasa City on top of being a Battle Facility.

She adores Coop though. She really means it when she says Coop is her best friend. And no matter how crazy Coop comes across as, she knows Coop won't hurt anyone.

("Well, there are exceptions, of course," Coop says, tone serious and expression set to a frown. "We don’t allow unruly passengers for starters." They then smiled, brightening. "And anyone who makes Elesa cry will be tied to the train track and run over." )

(A super interesting concept and I love fusion aus! It's actually part of a series that are loosely connected together. Fun times galore)

Emmet wasn't scared (Complete)

Summary:

Emmet knew his brother will be alright since they were fourteen.

Or: Emmet wasn't scared when his brother went missing. He already knew he would

(Short and haunting)

[splicedskies]

Planned Starter for @venalos

It was a little rough when it came to camping in Alola.

It wasn't the weather, the people or just the general demeanor toward a trainer with no home. It was the locations.

Rocky terrain made for terrible camping grounds, as with the more densely wooded areas. But the beaches? They were often perfect, so long as it wasn't outside of Po Town with it's constant rains or if the tide ran too high.

That is if you were a fan of the water, and didn't mind constantly brushing sand out of the fur coats of your often very fluffy partners. Thus was the case with Altra. He had the Gengar tent set up on the longer strip of beach on Melemele Island. A blanket down to at least stem the sand from getting IN. Though it wouldn't stop his Zigzagoon from dragging as much in after chasing the receding waves, but it helped.

And for now, it was easily nearing midday. A few passerby's coming and going along the beach but it stayed relatively empty.

Thus it was go time for the tiny Galarian Zigzagoon. Plenty of room to run, dive into banks of sand left over my tourist-y folks..

Or in the case of Altra's eternal headache, into the water itself.

'AAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Come on lad! Ya' got ta' be faster than that!'

"Desmond can you.. will you not- I.. uhhggg..!" He huffed angrily, arms slumped at his side as he watched as the little black and white racoon plunged into the first wave to crash onto shore. Laughing his little head off.

'Ooohhhh scary water! Ooohhh no! Ahahahah!' He paddled around, short little legs only barely grazing the sand as the surf caried him just a touch closer to his trainer. And it was always a point of teasing at the teens aversion to it all.

"I don't want you to get my clothes soaked.." A huff as then Altra.. paused. Normally he'd continue scolding the Zigzagoon but something caught his attention.

'Haha.. eh.. eh-? Lad?' The sopping wet little racoon shook off his fur before padding over to his Trainer's side, noting that the teen was looking out over the water.

'See somethin'?'

".. Yeah.. I see something moving out there." Altra blinked, eyes squinting just a bit to try and get a look at what looked to be a large figure moving under the waves.

'Oh? Might be some water Pokémon, it IS the Ocean.'

"No no no.. like.. something big.." How big, he couldn't tell, but he could see something at least peering out from the water. Maybe it was distance, but it looked rather large.

'Oh... eh? Huh-'

[mr-president]

*Crashes into whatever space you are living in and plasters the hole with duct tape.

Tell me about your Marxist analysis on pokemon XD

:3

i live in a college dorm please pay for the wall or they’re gonna charge me $10000+ please please pls pl

anyway.

I’d like to first establish that the Pokémon in Pokémon XD are something akin the proletariat—the working/laboring class. Pokémon XD and Colosseum introduce the mechanic of “shadow Pokémon,” where Pokémon are literally manufactured in a factory that “closes their hearts,” turning them into nothing but mindless battle machines. Shadow Pokémon are aggressive, may attack opposing trainers, and hurt themselves in their rage.

This is all for a pokémon that is nothing but a mindless battle machine—it is literally separating pokémon from their labor. The Pokémon’s personhood (Pokemonhood?) is dismissed simply for the value they possess in exerting power. in addition to the fact that shadow Pokémon are both laborers and products that are sold and distributed, and this echoes how the labor of the proletariat are devalued, seen as “lessers” merely to be used. They are just as much products as they are the means of production.

There’s also the fact that shadow Pokémon aren’t created from conception however—they’re pokémon that were stolen from their trainers and turned into shadow Pokémon. So, in a sense, Pokemon XD comments how the modes of production require foul play in order to sustain constant productivity, and the proletariat are then manipulated and morphed by the bourgeoisie, stolen from their homes, and have the burden placed on their shoulders. Of course, I’m going very surface level with this analysis but you can read the stealing of Pokémon for shadow Pokémon production in other ways.

Anyway, what makes Pokémon XD, and the GameCube Pokémon games in general, different from most other Pokémon media is just how different the orre region is because orre is uniquely low-income.

This is more apparent in the first game, Pokémon Colosseum, where every location is rife with some level of crime and poverty. The buildings are often dated and worn down, there are no established roads between areas (you have to motorbike/scooter through barren desert), the land is so dry and barren that no wild Pokémon exist within the region, and—importantly—the people of orre are rude.

This is less apparent in XD because Michael is a literal child, but in Colosseum, a large portion of NPCs insult and belittle Wes or Rui. In a sense, Colosseum comments how people in poverty can’t afford to be “nice”—niceness itself is a luxury, and this is also highlighted in the high crime rate in Orre. Even Wes himself is a thief and probably murderer, even if the game never explicitly shows anyone dying.

But the brunt of Orre’s poverty however is how a massive global corporation such as Cipher can operate and fly under the radar in orre. Orre does not have the means nor power to stop Cipher from setting up their main base of operations there because unlike every other pokémon region, there is no established “league” or “government.”

So of course the people of Orre buy into Cipher’s plans and often propagate shadow Pokémon because there is nothing else they can do. It’s them versus this massive corporation that suddenly started taking over and buying up land and stealing their Pokémon if they don’t comply (they do this with Duking).

The inhabitants of Orre then too must operate within Cipher outside their own volition. It’s akin to how the bourgeois in the real world occupy low-income areas, buy out every other property, and eventually take over every aspect of a region. When more rural land owners don’t comply, the bourgeois will develop as close to their property as possible and drive them out of their conformity.

Even the location of Phenac City is a literal gentrified area, the only city in the deep desert that has water and literally housed the region head of a global organization. For what is the most “developed” modern city in the game (that isn’t built into a fucking tree), it makes sense that it would be run by Cipher in this way. It allows Cipher to operate on a level of plausible deniability—haven’t they brought this wonderful city to Orre? Haven’t they helped its people? Perhaps corporations can be good for “helping” people via charity.

All they gotta do is give a Pokémon or two (or steal a Pokémon or two) to Cipher and never say anything about their rulers.

This is the Orre region. It isn’t just one city taken over by a big bad—this is an entire Pokémon region and its main trade being completely at the mercy of a global corporation.

It’s important to note just how wealthy, then, Cipher is. Specifically, its CEO—Grandmaster Greevil. Also known as the wealthy philanthropist—Mr. Verich.

Michael meets Greevil as Mr. Verich, whose bodyguard saves him from a street thug. This is painted as an act of kindness or charity—like kissing a baby on camera—but this deed becomes much more insidious when it’s revealed that Mr. Verich manufactured the whole situation in the first place. That street thug attacked Michael because he wanted to show off a shadow Pokémon. Mr. Verich only saved Michael so that the presence of shadow Pokémon wouldn’t alert the public.

Billionaires perform acts of charity as a smokescreen for the actual harm they may cause, whilst endearing themselves to the public eye. For Greevil, saving Michael just so happened to coincide with his intended goal that doubled as a means to increase his public image.

Greevil is also very well liked by the people of Orre, especially in Gateon Port. The sailors at the diner all cheer his name because Mr. Verich will often pay for all of their tabs, letting them eat free for the day. The novelist, a friend of Michael’s, calls Mr. Verich interesting and intends to write a book idolizing the man’s good deeds and character. There’s an old woman who’s in love with Mr. Verich—people fucking love this guy for existing and being rich.

The bourgeois’ charity is not only celebrated but idolized—worshipped, but this “kindness” is merely an act to further their control. Mr. Verich isn’t merely doing this out of the kindness of his heart nor as a smokescreen for his more nefarious side—it’s so he can gain control over the only means of trade Orre has so that he may distribute shadow Pokémon globally more easily. The rich can not only “afford” niceness, but this niceness itself is a commodity that can be bought using wealth to gain more capital.

So in XD, Michael essentially acts as a “union man” by unionizing the pokémon in an act of ideological un-brainwashing via “purification”, which “opens the heart” of a shadow pokémon. The act of purification in XD is interesting because it emphasizes community between pokémon, synergizing their strengths and weaknesses into something impenetrable, and healing them from being mindless laborers for capitalism.

Michael is uniquely free from capitalistic forces for two reasons 1) he’s a child and therefore able to “imagine a world without capitalism,” and 2) he kinda grew up in a commune. Like, if you think about it, the purification lab is a self-sustaining commune that supports its inhabitants and encourages gradual but effective scientific progression in the Purify Chamber. Michael is the “big Communism builder,” and the Purification Pokémon lab is the commune.

I think the difference in scientific progression of the Purification Lab compared to Cipher’s Shadow Pokémon Lab also needs to be stated:

The creation of XD001–Shadow Lugia—and the mass production of shadow pokémon also illustrates how science and scientific “progress” is largely determined by what the top 1% will put their money into. How streamlined scientific progress is for the Pokémon equivalent of mass bioweapons.

But, in the uniquely communist society that Michael grew up in, Pokemon XD reveals that communism is not a stalling of scientific progress but simply a change in the intentions of it. In a capitalistic society, science is driven by capital and the bourgeois. In a communist society, science is driven by a mutual interest in a common societal “good.”

tldr;

[user211201]

A day at the beach

--- Originally posted by unknown on 2009-02-09 ---

--- Note: Kyogre (Pokémon) TF ---

The sun was setting in the sky as a lone man sat at the side of the beach. He stared into the water, the surface sparkling as the dying rays of the sun touched its surface. As he sat there, he had no idea of what was going to happen.

While he was deep in his thoughts, a lone creature was swimming underwater. It was heading towards the beach, slowly and silently.

Still looking at the beach, the boy checked the time on his watch, getting close to 6pm. "I think I should make my move..." He said to himself as he got up from the ground.

In that exact moment, the creature swam towards the surface, and jumped out of the water.

As the boy turned away, he felt the cold water splash against his body. "What was that?"

The creature landed on the beach, and raised its head to look at the human in front of it. The creature was a female Kyogre, a water legendary creature from a well known videogame. But unlike the game, she was more anthropomorphic looking, with strong muscled legs and arms, a more humanoid looking head, and, surprisingly, a pair of perfect sized cup-d breasts.

"Holy...." The human looked on at the creature in awe.

She stepped closer to him: Every step she took was a pure expression of elegance, and her skin shining in the sun was more than enough to qualify her as a true beauty.

He looked on at the creature, still in awe. "H..hello there"

She was now right in front of him. She was indeed taller than him. She smiled at the human, and put her hand on his face. The hand felt very cold. "What's your name little one?"

The human gulped. "Peter. And yours?"

"Alice...nice to meet you Pete" she said, as she shook hands with him.

He shook her hand, his human hand easily dwarfed by the size of her hands, large white digits holding it tightly. "That 's a nice name for someone like you"

She went down on her knee, so that she could look at him in the eyes. "You've never seen someone like me before, right?"

"Well, to be honest, no. I've only seen creatures like you in their more natural forms" Peter explained. "So seeing one like this is quite a surprise"

She smiled at him. "Mind if I sit down with you a for a while?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. In fact I'm honoured to be in the presence of someone like yourself" He smiled warmly to her

She sat down next to him. "Such a nice guy" she said, as she wrapped her left arm around him.

He blushed a little bit as he returned the gesture, wrapping his right arm around her. But due to the size of her, his hand was instead near one of her large breasts rather than her shoulder She didn't seem to mind.

She sighed, and started rubbing her hand on his back. Peter felt something weird happening as she did so...it felt like cold water running down his back. He squirmed a little as his back was rubbed, the females thick digits feeling soft and rubbery against his flesh

She kept doing so. He didn't notice that the skin on his back was slowly turning into a rubber-like skin, just like hers. Also, his shirt was vanishing, as if someone was pouring acid on it.

After a few seconds, he suddenly noticed that his shirt had almost disappeared, and he leapt up "What the heck?!"

"Hey, relax...I'm just making you more...comfortable" she said, as she stood up.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, still half shocked.

She put a hand on his chest, and the shirt completely vanished, while more of his skin turned rubbery...white on his chest, and blue on his back, just like Alice's.

"What 's wrong with my body?" He asked, feeling it

"I'm just giving you a more...interesting body" she said, as she stepped behind him, and wrapped her arms around him. "Think about it: Taller, stronger, cooler...everything you desire"

"Really?" He said as he relaxed into the morphs hug

She giggled. "Yeah...now relax" she said, while rubbing her hands on his legs, making his pants disappear, changing his skin more and more.

He relaxed a little, squirming again as he felt the cold wind blow against his now naked form

She kept massaging him. With his skin now fully transformed, new changes started to occur. His body started to get bigger, muscles swelling and giving him more strength.

He let out a few soft groans as his body enlarged, watching as his chest grew more defined, several rows of muscle bulging under the skin. "Woah..."

"Better, uh?" She asked, backing off a little so that he could examine his new muscled body.

"Oh yeah" He chuckled as he flexed his new muscles playfully

"A tail, hands and feet, and the head...and you'll be a perfect creature, just like me" she said, giggling.

Peter turned and smiled at the morph, noticing that the two were now eye level.

"Shall we continue?" she asked, stepping closer to him.

He just nodded eagerly as a response. She took his hands in hers. His hands quickly got bigger and larger, with massive fingers, probably good for swimming. She did the same with his feet, quickly turning them into massive swimming tools.

He looked on at them with a grin. "Let's be honest here for a moment. You aren't just giving this to me out of the blue, I know there's a hidden incentive"

She stepped behind him, and...she literally pulled a tail out of his tailbone. She admired the new tail for a little before answering him. "Yeah...I was wondering...if you could...you know...stay with me, once I'm done with...this?"

"Stay with you in what way" Peter smirked

"As...well...mates?" she asked, blushing a little.

"Mates?" He chuckled for a moment. "That can be arranged I guess..."

"Really? Really? Oh...thanks!" she said, as she jumped and hugged him.

He smiled and hugged her back, nuzzling her face softly

As they did so, he felt the final changes taking place. His face slowly pushed out, forming a small muzzle. His eyes growth a little bigger, and turned a deep blue. His ears growth longer and pointed, while his hairs fell off. It was almost a 100% morph.

"Grrrgg..." He gritted his teeth together as they elongated into sharp fangs

She gave him a quick kiss. "It's okay...it's almost over now"

He looked at her, blushing for a moment as he was kissed, and then returned the kiss"

As they kissed, his brain got a quick reorganisation...new instincts replacing the old ones, and a n immense knowledge being inserted in his memory. His body truly became his own in that moment.

He smiled a bit wider as he leant into the kiss, looking deep into her eyes. It was done...he was a Kyogre, just like her.

She broke the kiss, and stepped back. "So...wanna go swimming now?" she said, as she walked towards the water, looking more beautiful than ever.

"I don't think I could resist that" He grinned, rubbing a hand softly against her lower back

She giggled, and jumped straight into the water. She quickly dived underwater, and just floated near the bottom.

He dived in too, quickly catching up to the morph. "This is easier than it looks!" He grinned, putting his altered limbs to good use

"I gave you the body, and also the knowledge...you are a natural born swimmer now" she said, as she took him by the hand, and guided into the deep waters.

He just chuckled, looking at her whilst he was guided further into the sea After a while, they reached a small underwater cave close to the reef.

She sighed. "Welcome home"

"This is where you live? Looks cosy" Peter said

She swam inside the cave, and just lay down inside a giant Clam. "It's not the best thing you can find...but it's what I call home"

"Well I think it's kinda cute" He smiled to her

"And you know what's even better?" she said, smiling in a very seducing way.

"What's that?" He smirked

She pulled him inside the clam, and she hugged him very tight. "Take a guess"

[yharnamcrow]

[A video.

Eileen is wandering through the flower fields of a large clearing. The sky is slowly darkening, the sun setting. Here and there, Pokémon jump through the flowers, then disappear from view again.

In the distance, there is a slight dim glow amongst the flowers. A different kind of them, one that shines in the dark. A soft, nigh teal glow in the growing darkness, pale like the moon. Eileen's steps hasten. Someone is there, tending to the flowers. When they hear Eileen, they look up. Silver hair tied back with a ribbon, stuffed under a somewhat scuffed tricorn hat. Her face is tired, and very, very familiar. And it is painted brightly with shock.

"Eileen?" Her voice is quivering.

"Maria." Eileen's voice wavers just as much, before she surges forward to grab the woman by the wrist. She is fast enough to grab the taller woman before she can dart away. "Please don't run. Please..." She pulls Maria closer, then envelops her in a hug tight enough that one can practically hear the creak of leather and bone. "Please stay."

"I..." Maria's hands shake. "If you wish..."

"You have no idea how much I do." Eileen's hug becomes even tighter. "No idea at all."]

[vickyvicarious]

I so badly need to play this hack rom of pokemon where you play through a pokemon version of the story of the dracula novel and where you kill him with the power of love and violence

Pfft, it would be really fun I admit.

okay now we got to pick the pokemon the other characters would be

Admittedly I'm not the best at this. Also confining it to the first couple generations (mostly 1-3), as that was what my dream was set in and also the ones I know best (though I still heavily consulted Serebii for this). But here's kind of what I'm thinking for the team...

Jonathan (THE): already assigned, with art and everything! Shiny Magikarp, later evolves into a white Gyarados. As a bonus, the Sapphire description reminds me of him in the castle too: "MAGIKARP is virtually useless in battle as it can only splash around. As a result, it is considered to be weak. However, it is actually a very hardy POKéMON that can survive in any body of water no matter how polluted it is."

Mina (POWER): Despite the name suggesting Fighting-type, I really wanted to do Psychic because that's what makes sense for her. I thought about the Gothita line but not only are they not present until Gen 5, but the descriptions don't fit her as well. I also liked the idea of the Ralts line particularly as Gardevoir has text about knowing the future and sacrificing itself for its trainer. But I think overall I prefer Eevee at the start (super adaptable and interested in lots of things)... and then teetering on the edge between Umbreon and Espeon near the later stages before finally evolving into Espeon just in time. We get the affection+daytime evolution which seems fitting for her, and again the description emphasizes Espeon's loyalty which also works well.

Jack (OF): Got so stuck on this one. I was drawn to mostly Electric or Bug types, but nothing stuck out to me as perfect. Venonat line is kind of fun. Nocturnal is a nod to his poor sleeping habits, big eyes because he's always looking and noticing stuff... Still not so sure on for him.

Arthur (LOVE): So I obviously want a dog. And I think Normal-type fits him. But there are no Normal-type dogs until gen 5. I thought about going with either a different type or an earlier dog pokemon, but honestly I think the Lillipup line works for Arthur too well so I'll break pattern and pick that. The whole line is about herding dogs who want to help keep other pokemon safe and I think that really suits him. Plus, moves such as Helping Hand where he boosts another pokemon's abilities, or Odor Sleuth that allow a Ghost-type to be hit with Normal/Fighting moves are perfect for him. That said, my second choice is Growlithe because they're also dogs who can have those moves, and are friendly/loyal with a good sense of smell that can pick up emotions. I just think the Fire-type and the Arcanine are a little less of an overall match.

Quincey (AND): He's generally quick to act and observant, so I was thinking some kind of bird for him, maybe. I like Ground-types for cowboy vibes but I think overall Pidgey line fits best for him. Quick, alert, large territory, beautiful plumage, a classic. I kind of feel like both he and Arthur would already be on their second evolution when you catch them, so he'd be a Pidgeotto already.

Van Helsing (VIOLENCE): The first thing I did was look up who can use Confusion or Supersonic, haha. I did consider Abra line but other than the super high intellect of Alakazam I don't think it fits best. And honestly... I know it's kind of a weird choice but weirdness itself feels fitting for him: I almost picked Lickitung. Abilities being Oblivious or Own Tempo works, the whole 'licking everything new to memorize it' kinda could go along with him having a million degress, and some of the moves work pretty well. Supersonic, Knock Off, Wrap, Disable, Refresh... I think overall I might lean towards Mr. Mime, though. Also an odd one, but the description mentions its ability to convince people of imaginary things which then become real and that seems fitting for him. Also the various Barrier/Light Screen type moves make sense for him always warding away vampires, and he's got Confusion and Double Slap too. Him being personally weak to Dark/Ghost types might make sense in some parts and make others more difficult, admittedly.

That's the best I've got for them all, at least! Feel free to suggest others if you like.

When you get them:

At the end: