#Day 1 - Charmander

[asterosea]

classic kanto starters to kick off the March of Pokémon! I'm planning on posting one little doodle everyday for the month of March, alongside regularly scheduled art. stay tuned!

[grim-grimmsnarl]

Blockbuster Pokemon Snap kiosk cards (1999)

In 1999, when Pokemon Snap was first released, the game had a short lived collaboration with Blockbuster Video. You could take a Pokemon kiosk card from the store, upload your game data to it, and then use their kiosk to turn your pictures into stickers. (As seen on the back of the final card)

(These images were scanned and cleaned up by me)

[the-little-robyn]

Happy pokemon day

[softservesoymilk]

Thoughts for the day: I listened to a video playlist titled ‘Sad Video Game Music to make you cry’ by omnistwo. Good mix, would recommend. Eventually though, I listened to don’t ever forget and thus, in my everlasting curiosity about the origins of said piece, came to know too much about pmd: explorers of time/darkness/sky. And I’ve come to the conclusion, reading the guides on gamefaqs, that Dism would score highly for the docile/timid/lonely traits in the personality quiz— so he’d likely be reincarnated into a little cyndaquil* :) So it’s little Dism the cyndaquil and his pikachu partner ^^

But knowing Dism, this game would probably be the closest experience he has to friendship during those 10 years of kidnapping. And combined with the tearjerker ending of that game, the pikachu plush he totes around as a kid is maybe, y’know, his way to cling to that semblance of companionship. Heartbreaking.

Other thoughts I also had about my son that are happier also include him demonstrating to Inigo how to cook so that he can nourish his body ^^ Because Dism is the No.1 Wonder Chef (heh) of YHNN and I think he should take some pride in his cooking abilities :) And also provided Cynthia has played one (1) other tales game (unlikely. her graces obsession is too strong) Dism might end up dressed as said wonder chef during the scenario. Average flower five interaction, honestly. Weirdos <3 (affectionate)

The second thought was brought to you by me actually nourishing myself instead of toddling biscuits to my room at 10pm because I forgot to eat dinner again. Look at my wonderful creation:

[pettyartist]

Pokemon A Day-- #4 Charmander So funny story-- I actually drew the wrong pokemon for today and then had to double-back because I want to draw them in order LOL.

It's why this guy is a bit simple and also being posted at 1AM my time WOOPS. And I call myself a gen 1 fan. I need to turn in my Pokemania card from the 90's u m u Also who's ready for s'mores season?

[fallloverfic]

2024 April Fool's Day art for My S-Class Hunters by 비완

The manhwa artist for My S-Class Hunters made some April Fool's Day art: "This year's April Fool's Day, the S-Class turned back time too much." The head of storyboarding for the manhwa, serikachan, explained the different animal choices in this thread:

Machine English translation: "Have a good April Fool's Day! This year's concept is around the N years of the characters, but if I vaguely turn back time, it seems like there will be a time before the regression or a future where only [Yoojin] becomes a grandfather, and that was so sad that I turned it around too much [dinosaur emoji] I'm going to follow the thread of the reason why I matched each dinosaur.

[Sung Hyunje] is the world's strongest character at the time of the story, so he naturally became a Tyrannosaurus. I wonder if only Jo Gu can swing the chain with his front paw… Me: How many claws did the Tyranno have? Who gets angry if you get confused? Biwan: I need to put three conditions on Yujin, so I need three fingers. ??? : Oh shit!!! This is an Allosaurus!!!

Yoohyun is Dimetrodon. Dimetrodon looks like a dinosaur, but it is not actually a dinosaur. It often appears as a fire attribute in other media (Hellfire Dimetrodon in WoW too…), so I thought it would be the best fit. At first I thought it was Charmander, but I couldn't tell it apart from Irene. [laughing face emoji]

Yerim was torn between Spinosaurus, which is very strong and lived a semi-aquatic life, and Plesiosaurus, a plesiosaur, but went with the latter for a more intuitive visual.

In many works, Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus are often paired 1:1, so I thought about having Director Song, who is currently fighting [Hyunje] in the free game, take on the role of Spinosaurus, but I needed a dinosaur that would give a presence in the distance, so I decided on Brachiosaurus. It is done. Chew the lettuce well and enjoy the huge brachio song director…

Hyuna is a triceratops. The horns remind me of a giant spear, and while I was looking for information, I saw several Triceratops taking up a defense position, and it really suited Hyuna's situation in the early stages of her awakening. It had three horns and somehow even raised a spear with its front paws, making it an even more powerful and kingly aceratops.

Noah chose Pteranodon, a representative pterosaur, and Riet chose Deinosuchus, which is said to eat dinosaurs. It looked so natural that it seemed like it had been like this from the beginning… I'll be happy if you enjoyed it! I give my love to Biwan, who even drew dinosaurs under a tight deadline. [face holding back tears emoji]"

[yoshi-self-ships]

Hundred Line stuff.

Context for each picture:

Doodle I made 10 days ago after barely being awake.

Eitaku that I started 10 days ago and took until a couple hours ago to be finished.

I've been doing Nuzlockes and I had a Zubat I named Eito in both FireRed and Crystal. He survived FR to become a Golbat. He didn't last long in Crystal. I thought about Eito having a Zubat that he loves to death(like how many evil team leaders will have a Crobat to show that they're not completely bad.) and once he becomes blind in routes 1, 2 and 3, it guides him with echolocation.

A continuation of 3.

More Nuzlocke stuff. Before I caught a Zubat, I thought about that, if I got a Pikachu that I'd name it Eito. There was no guarantee I'd even get one in the Power Plant so when I caught a Zubat in Rock Tunnel, I decided to name it after him instead. I still like the idea of Eito as a Pikachu though. Also, my starter was a Charmander named Takumi that became a Chameleon. Unfortunately, he was killed by the Lift Key Rocket's Koffing using Self Destruct.

[orkestrell]

Pokémonth Day 1 - Charmander

Commission me via my Ko-fi, link is in my pinned post :]

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Jake Jensen

Summary: Jake knows he's the luckiest man in the world and it's all because of you.

A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used.

Previous

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

"Y' see, Jake, a lot o' people in this department ain't exactly friendly to others," Sy tells him. "In fact, it can be difficult for me an' Pine to assign anyone to tickets that require interacting with others."

Jake nods, a little nervously. "IT generally doesn't draw the most charismatic people."

"Which is a damn shame because, more and more, it requires some decent people skills," Sy agrees. "That's why Pine an' I were thinking of giving you a promotion." Jake's eyes go wide with shock. "The way things are right now, we assign tickets kinda randomly. We're interested in putting you in charge of the tickets. You'd be takin' on a lot more of the people focused work, the level 1 support, and the others'd be pickin' up more of your programming work. But since we all know workin' with people can be a pain, Pine's made sure to negotiate some more money into our budget for you. If you want the job."

"By 'in charge of tickets' do you mean I'd be taking them all on?"

"No, no, no," Sy assures. "Just that you'd be making them your priority. And you'd be assigning the level 2 and 3 support tickets around the department as you see fit."

"Won't that cut into your work?"

Syverson laughs at that. "Given how much o' my day is puttin' out fires caused by one of ours bein' rude to others in the building, yeah. But that just gives me more time for actually managing y'all, keepin' us up-to-date on projects, security measures and other stuff."

Jake thinks for a moment. "Does this mean I'll also be responsible for Lloyd's complaints about not getting Maestro assigned to his tickets?"

"He has eased up on that," Sy counters. "But yes."

"But this promotion gives me the authority to handle him, right?"

"That's correct."

Jake nods. "I'm in. Thanks so much for this!"

It had taken forever to get the twins to sleep for their afternoon naps. Leia couldn't stop fidgeting, at least until you gave her the Charmander stuffie to hold as you rocked them. But then Luke wanted his Bulbasaur and you ended up with overfull arms. Some days you're surprised your own biceps aren't as big as Jake's!

Jake's performance review was today and you wanted to make sure to cook up his favorite foods. You'd already sent some of his favorite snacks to work with him. You chuckle thinking about how quickly he can down a bottle of Mountain Dew. The bag of gummy worms to go with the meatball sub were, hopefully, a nice surprise for him. Generally all the sweets in the apartment were homemade but you know how much of a comfort gummy worms can be for him.

And after all Jake has done for you, for the twins, how could not comfort him? Be there for him? Jake never once talked down to you. Never made you feel like your hobbies or interests were a waste of time. He always made sure you felt loved and appreciated. You'd been together for so many years but you still giggle like a teenager whenever you think of him. And you know he does the same. Heck, you giggle as you think of him blushing pink and smiling as he thinks about you.

He's been working so hard to make sure you and the twins were provided for. The budget was sometimes tight but Jake made enough and your commissions were a good supplement. It just made sense for your little family to have a stay-at-home parent. Childcare costs for twins could be rough. But you got more creative with recipes, clothing, toys; your families were happy to help with a lot of the baby supplies; all of it resulting in all of you being able to live a nice, modest but incredibly happy life.

As the twins nap you get to work on the 5-cheese mac you know Jake loves. You're positive his performance review will go well, but it doesn't hurt to have a comfort food ready for him when he gets home.

Jake was practically bursting with excitement when he came home. As soon as he walked through the door the twins held out their hands, smiling, "Dada! Dada!" It always made his heart melt that they looked forward to his coming home. He picked them both up and spun, making them squeal with laughter. He takes a deep breath and knows what you're cooking up for dinner, making him smile even more. He's almost tearing up from how loved he feels.

"Dinner's just about ready," you call from the kitchen.

Jake looks to Luke and Leia, "you ready for dinner? Smells like Mama cooked up some really good food for us!" They both start chattering and laughing as Jake dances them over to their highchairs and gets them settled in. He joins you in the kitchen to help you carry things out and greets you with a big kiss.

"I take it the review went well?"

He starts visibly shaking with excitement, "so well! Let's get dinner started and I'll tell you!"

"Tease!" you smile at him as the two of you take things out to the table, making him laugh. Seeing him laugh causes the twins to renew their laughing and your heart warms all the more for it.

You and Jake alternate dishing out the food for yourselves and the twins. Even though it's certainly cooled down, Luke still holds out his spoon of mac and cheese for you to blow on it. Meanwhile Jake is helping to portion control Leia's ketchup for her chicken nuggets. Both of you are certain she'd drink the ketchup if left unattended so you've developed a system of adding a little dollop to each one as she's eating. Sometimes Jake thinks she views it as a game to play and he hopes she never grows out of it.

After the twins are sated a bit, you and Jake can finally dig in to your own plates. Jake gives all the appreciative moans he knows make you smile. It helps that your cooking is genuinely so damn delicious.

"Now will you finally tell me how the review went?"

"I'm getting a promotion!"

You squeal with happiness, causing a chain reaction with the twins. "A promotion! That's so wonderful! So well deserved!"

Jake blushes, "thank you, Sunshine. And it even comes with a pay raise! I think, after a few months, we can start looking at getting a bigger place!"

"Oh, Jakey! That's so wonderful! I really feel like we should celebrate!"

"I can think of a few ways to celebrate," Jake says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Definitely," you confirm with a giggle as heat rushes to your face. "I'm also thinking we should do a gaming night."

Jake's eyes go wide, "yes, please! Oh that would be so amazing! Not as amazing as you, but still amazing. God I love you so much, Sunshine! You're the best thing to ever happen to me---"

"I feel the same about you, Jakey," you say softly.

Next

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory;

@late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

[the-howling-wind]

@heropartnerweek Day 1: Accessories

Gurren the Charmander: A Rescue Team needs a cool outfit, don't thank me kiddo

Aquamarine the Eevee: Eeeer sure thing boss

[yutopia-eleftheria]

Hero Partner Week 2025

Last year, I learned about Hero Partner Week thanks to the account owned by @heropartnerweek , and I was absolutely thrilled to see that someone made a drawing week about the Mystery Dungeon Series !

These spin-off games are criminally underrated and they deserve more recognition ! ♥

So I decided that as long as this Week goes on, I will participate in every edition for each year, so the Mystery Dungeon fandom can live on ! ♥

So of course I'm participating in this 2025 Edition !

Last year I participated with my team from Explorers of Sky : Gwladys the female Eevee (now Glaceon), and Tonbee the male Shinx (now Luxray).

For this edition, I decided to go with my DX Team, since I decided recently to entirely restart the game. So guys, meet the Lacerta female Totodile and Ilyès the male Cubone ! ♥

Prompt List

There are multiple choices for each day so you can choose what you prefer for each of them. For this edition I decided to go with these themes :

Accessories

Species Swap

Recovery

Team Base (since it is a remake of the original game and this day's choices depends on the game you choose)

Folklore

Final Adventure

Previous Prompt (that I will talk about below)

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@heropartnerweek 2025 starts ... now !

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Day 1 / June 1st : Home- Feast - Accessories

I don't know why, but I like to think that they are the silliest team out of all the ones I've got. So don't mind me with some goofy ideas !

Sometimes, the duo likes to "play" with their badges, and despite being the formerly human one, Lacerta has the Totodile genes taking control from time to time, and she can't stop biting things up (just be careful not to strangle yourself dear !) Also Ilyès took the bag for a moment because of her teammate's silliness.

Day 2 / June 2nd : Genre Swap - Species Swap - Role Swap

What's even sillier than Lacerta biting her badge off ? Having the duo slowly transitioning to another species of Pokémon without being able to do anything against it !

For an unknown reason, Lacerta and Ilyès started to turn into another species of Pokémon, more specifically a Fuecoco for Lacerta and a Charmander for Ilyès Their body started to turn entirely. Lacerta's body became a bit shorter and chubbier, bigger dark claws grew, as well as a singular teeth coming out of her mouth, and two "tiffs of hair", strange... Some sprouts of pale yellowish grey are appearing into her head and lower body as well. All she could go was poutting at this weird condition...

On Ilyès's hand, he grew taller and a bit skinnier. His singular claws on his feet separated into 3 distinct claws. His tail grew longer and a tiny flame started to blaze on it, which scares him off, so he put on the skull on it so he would not see the flame on his back. However, the poor little Cubone-turning-Charmander was a bit uncomfortable, and all he could do was standing there, blushing and looking nowhere in front of him in despair...

Note : I love this frankly stupid idea of mine ! I thought it would look cooler to have them be in the middle of the transformation. I think it gives more opportunity to draw something unique, so don't mind me with that silly idea guys ! ...

Day 3 / June 3rd : Trust - Confrontation - Recovery

Sometimes, the mission is really tough... And let's not forget that Lacerta and Ilyès are still little Pokémon that have yet to evolve, so they may not be as bulky as their evolved forms. Thankfully, when they are injured after a rescue mission (strong opponents spawn in the DX dungeons, like Rapidash or Azumarill), they can count on their friends and teammates to comfort them. Magnemite, their very first teammate, brought some bandages for his friends. And even their idol Caterpie wants to help ! With his secretions, he is able to create strong bandages as well, and Magnemite tells him to to tie them up into their injuries. Team MisticXXX is so proud of their friends and teammates !

Day 4 / June 4th : Team Base - Beach at Dusk - Paradise - Hill with the Big Tree

Note : this was a pain to draw the entire base all by myself... But I absolutely loved doing this nonetheless !

Taking some time to rest...

Building up the team base was very long and tiring. But once again, Lacerta and Ilyès can be very thankful of their friends who helped them build it (even the stubborn Mankeys !) With their new base finally built, Lacerta and Ilyès can rest in a peaceful place, with the sound of water flowing around them (after all there's water all around and inside the base).

Honestly though, I want to be in this place !

Day 5 / June 5th : Seasons - Gifts - Folklore

The folkloric Legend of Ninetales...

You heard about this legend when going to the Pokémon Plaza, like every single day. It was your routine. But today was different. You hear 3 Pokémon, Snubull, Lombre and Bellsprout talking about an uncanny legend that gives shivers in your entire body. When you talk to them about their topic, they redirect you to Whiscash, who knows everything about this legend. When you go talk to the fish Pokémon about this legend, you'll never believe how much more frightened you'll be after hearing his tale.

Once upon a time, there was a Pokémon named Ninetales. This Pokémon possesses multiple tails that contains mystical powers, and whoever would dare to touch even a single one of its tails would be cursed. One day, someone dared to touch one of its tails and would have been immediately cursed by it. The person who dared to do this was a human being. But right before the curse was upon the human, a Pokémon named Gardevoir stepped up between them and took the curse instead of what appears to be her trainer. As Ninetales felt pity for this Pokémon, it wanted to ask a question to the human, but the latter already ran away, leaving Gardevoir behind. Shocked by the human's behaviour, Ninetales unleashed another curse upon the human being, turning it into a Pokémon, which will break the balance of the World...

This completely broke apart the duo for quite some time... And Lacerta had nightmares of it, thinking she was the human in the legend (turns out she's not but Oh My God !). This drawing is the personification of her dream... Spooky isn't it ?

Day 6 / June 6th : Final Adventure - Alone

One last mystery dungeon exploring... Just so they can reach out the top to meet the God of the Sky itself : Rayquaza.

Their sole purpose is to tell Rayquaza of the upcoming danger. A huge meteorite is aiming straight to their World, and Rayquaza is the only one who can destroy it before their World will be completely anihilated.

However, things did not go really as planned. When they reach the top of the dungeon, Rayquaza does not believe these little Pokémons' words, and considers them intruders.

The duo had no choice but to face the Legendary Pokémon, but they have to do it quickly, as the meteorite will strike them very soon...

A last battle for team MisticXX in order to save the World !...

Day 7 / June 7th : Free Day - Previous Prompt

(Hero Partner Week 2023 ; June 7th : Festival - Legends - Memories)

One of the major threats our team has to face off : the three Legendary Birds !

Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno are fought in that order by our rescue team. One to save a fellow rescuer, and the others to escape and find the truth about Lacerta's origins and why she was sent here as a Totodile...

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What a journey it was ! I was so happy to participate for this 2025 Edition ! And everyone did amazing drawings as well ! Love you all guys ♥ And I can't wait for Hero Partner Week 2026 ! ♥

[sage-nebula]

hi! what's your favorite pokemon! and do you have a dream team if you were a trainer/gym leader?

This is hands down one of the best questions I have ever been asked in the nearly 13 years that I have been on tumblr. Thank you so much for my life.

Okay, so! There are technically three answers for my favorite pokémon, because I love them all in different ways and so they all qualify. Those answers are:

Charizard: Charmander was my very first partner pokémon way back in 1998, and so the bond that I have with that species -- and in my particular with my main charizard partner, Nova -- is really special. Whenever I step outside on a sunny spring day with a nice breeze, I can't help but be filled with this intense feeling in my chest that it's a perfect day to go flying on a charizard's back. And I know that's silly, but I think it's because I used to pretend I was doing just that when playing at recess way back in the spring of 1998 (and 1999 and 2000 tbh, lol). I actually have a stylized Charizard tattoo to represent my love for Pokémon as a whole, but especially that one, because it'll always be special to me.

Mimikyu: If I picked a pokémon purely on its lore / design alone though, with no prior attachment involved, it would be Mimikyu! I adore absolutely everything about Mimikyu. I love how simultaneously goofy yet unsettling its disguise is. I love that it's an eldritch abomination that causes anyone who looks under its disguise to die a painful death. I love that despite looking like it was just going to be a gimmick pokémon at first, it is actually incredibly viable in competitive play. My favorite memory with my own mimikyu, Lilith, was when she used the Let's Snuggle Forever Z-Move on Archie's Kyogre during the Rainbow Rocket segment in Ultra Sun, and just YEETED that entire Kyogre hundreds of feet away. Truly magnificent. I love her.

Dreepy Line: But my favorite evolutionary line is the Dreepy line, because I love how Dreepy is involved at every single stage. I love how Dreepy looks as though they have no thoughts behind their eyes. I love how Drakloak panic if the Dreepy on their head goes missing and they frantically try to find some other pokémon to put there. And I love how Dragapult shoot babies at mach speed at their opponents. The entire line is just fantastic. 10/10 pokémon for sure. My Dragapult is named Mercury, and she's an angel.

As for my dream teams, you bet I do!! I have both my main six, as well as my Ghost-specialist team. (There is a bit of overlap because I do love those ghosts.) Those teams are:

Main Six: 1.) Nova the Charizard -- Adamant nature. She can mega evolve into Mega Charizard X, she can Gigantamax, and she has a Dragon Tera Type. Her current attacks are Dragon Claw, Thunder Punch, Flare Blitz, and Roost.

2.) Lilith the Mimikyu -- Naughty nature. She has a Ghost Tera Type. Her current attacks are Shadow Claw, Swords Dance, Play Rough, and Shadow Sneak.

3.) Luneth the Umbreon -- Sassy nature. He has a Dark Tera Type. His current attacks are Wish, Swift, Crunch, and Moonlight.

4.) Mercury the Dragapult -- Jolly nature. She has a Dragon Tera Type. Her current attacks are Phantom Force, Dragon Dance, Dragon Darts, and Psychic Fangs. (That last one is temporary until I find something better.)

5.) Artemis the Corviknight -- Quirky nature. She can Gigantamax, and has a Steel Tera Type. Her current attacks are Drill Peck, Iron Head, Bulk Up, and Roost.

6.) Rachel the Ursaluna -- Adamant nature. She's an Alpha Ursaluna and has a Ground Tera Type. Her current attacks are Rest, Swords Dance, High Horsepower, and Hammer Arm.

Ghost Team:

1.) Lilith the Mimikyu -- Same as above

2.) Mercury the Dragapult -- Same as above

3.) Hinoki the Hisuian Typhlosion -- Modest nature. She has a Ghost Tera Type. Her current attacks are Flamethrower, Will-O-Wisp, Calm Mind, and Infernal parade.

4.) Superman the Golurk -- Rash nature. They're shiny! Their current attacks are Dynamic Punch, Earthquake, Shadow Punch, and Stealth Rock.

5.) Nightshade the Gengar -- Lax nature. He's shiny! His current attacks are Venoshock, Dark Pulse, Hypnosis, and Shadow Ball.

6.) Fi the Aegislash -- Brave nature. Her current attacks are King's Shield, Swords Dance, Shadow Claw, and Iron Head.

Once again, thank you so much for asking this, and I'm sorry if I talked too much! I just really love talking about Pokémon, and especially my pokémon in particular . . . particularly since I've had some of them for over a decade now (Nova and Luneth in particular -- they were bred back in X! and I caught Lilith in Sun!), I'm just really attached to them. 💜 Thank you for asking!!

[ask-scribblecop-tlm]

Good grief what’s been going on? We’ve only been offline for a day to take a holiday break, and: 1. Someone from the emmetverse now has a charmander? 2. That anon is still bothering people. 3. Bad cop in another universe got a lightsaber! And 4, probably lots of other stuff I’ve not mentioned or seen yet. Anyways, I know I was only gone a day, but I am back now so..idk hi

[defire]

Back to the Dregs Part 10

Part 1 Next

Content: flashback to child abuse, cutting, escape attempt, forced drug use

"Hold still, Michael." Mr. Huer gripped the base of his head so tightly he could feel his heartbeat around the fingers. "Now tell me what you did."

"I... made a friend?" Michael's fifteen-year-old voice was timid and shaky.

Mr. Huer's response was to bang his head against the wall of the telephone booth.

"No." He said. "Try again."

Michael's ears rang with the harshness of the impact.

"I... talked to someone outside the family?"

"You did more than that."

Michael heard the click of a knife being opened behind him.

"Please, sir, please, I don't know what I did," He stammered. "Just talk to me, sir, I'll be better, I promise."

The sharp metal pressed against the nape of his neck.

Michael stared through the blurry glass, hoping against hope that someone would come into the street and stop Mr. Huer. But there was a Huer "uncle" watching that street.

"You talked." Mr. Huer growled. The knife split his skin open and Michael hissed in pain, pushing against the glass. "What did you tell her about us?"

"Nothing, sir, I--ah!" Michael winced as the knife dragged and twisted at the nape of his neck, bringing tears to his eyes.

"You're only making this worse for yourself."

"Sir, please, promise me you won't kill me." Michael begged. His stomachalways turned at how easily he'd betrayed himself that day.

Point still at his neck, Mr. Huer simply waited.

Maybe if he told him, it would stop.

Blood trickled and itched down his neck and back, and the wound stretched a little when he spoke.

"I just... All I said was that I was scared of you sometimes."

Mr. Huer inhaled and Michael braced himself against the glass.

"Michael?" He said into the boy's ear. "You're not scared of me. Why did you lie to her?"

A shiver ran down Michael's spine at that low, gravelly tone.

"But I wasn't--" Michael broke off into a cry as the knife cut him again and he clenched his teeth hard.

"I lied, because I..."

"You wanted to leave the family?"

Michael trembled.

"I would never want to leave this family, sir." He whispered. "It's good. You're a good man. I guess I just..."

Slice.

"Aah!" Michael's breath frosted the window a little as he cried. "Please sir, I'm sorry," he sobbed.

Slice.

"Never forget whose property you are, son. I never want you to forget that you have a family."

After the wounds becaem scars, Michael traced them with his finger, and his eyes widened. They weren't just mindless cuts.

They were the initials, J.H.

"It's nothing." Michael told Chris, and adjusted his ponytail to cover it more completely.

[Note: I don't smoke so if this is inaccurate, please let me know because I'd like to be accurate.]

The pain was subtle by the time Chris left, bearable as long as Michael didn't move a muscle.

That was hard to do when Jordie blustered in, clomping up to the bed and taking Michael by the wrist.

"That was some fucking display," Jordie maneuvered the cuff around Michael's wrist.

Michael looked away to wince as it clamped down.

"Ey." Jordie slapped the bruised side of his face with a backhand. "Ey, look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Michael hunched his shoulders and looked cautiously at Jordie.

"You cried like a little bitch!" Jordie said. "You miss wittle charmander, don't you."

Michael shook his head.

"What?" Jordie laughed. "Embarrassed of your 'ashtray' arms?"

Michael lurched forward and jumped out of bed toward Jordie, who caught his other wrist, and seeing Michael's flinch, squeezed it hard.

"Ugh--" Michael cringed, trying to keep his weight off his shot leg, realizing how stupid and worthless he looked.

I have my shirt on, He reminded himself.

"Oh, what's this?" Jordie yanked at the cuff of the oversized shirt he'd been given, revealing a dozen or so scars marking up his arm there.

"Oh, it's missing one. That needs to be remedied. There's this, empty space," He was jerking Michael's arm in response to his struggles, touching the burning marks.

Fighting didn't work with Jordie. What had worked? Michael thought carefully. Yes.

He lowered his head and stopped struggling, masking his enraged heavy breaths with a pretense of fear. The shame was real.

"That's right." Jordie said. "Now climb into bed like a good little kid while I light up."

Michael's hard work exploded in an instant.

"I'm not a kid." He snapped. "Stop calling me that!"

The last word was muffled by Jordie's hand over his mouth and the other hand on his balls. When he reached to stop him, Jordie twitched his hand tighter.

"Uh-uh-uh." He said. "Or I crush the grapes."

Michael ground his teeth and put his hand on the bed. Jordie's thick fingers pressed just tight enough to hurt.

"Sit." Jordie said.

Michael did very slowly, trying to hide all of his rage under a stony poker face. But he never was a good actor.

"Look at you," Jordie said. "All tragically fucked up and angry. You and your collection of scars, each with their own moment of agony. I would now." He added. "The difference is, I was being abused. I have no shame about it. You... that's just who you are."

Maybe once Michael would've felt that, and taken it in. But he'd had years of therapy.

The words now finally said out loud--the exact words he'd been thinking for years--now sounded crazy.

Michael felt a chuckle start deep iin his chest as he slowly looked up at Jordie.

"Who I am?" He siad. "Do I actually look like a literal ashtray to you?"

Jordie considered a moment, looking at Michael's body.

"No," He said. "You look more like a punching bag."

He crushed in and Michael gasped, clutching reflexively at Jordie's hand as if to tear it away from his crotch.

"Jordie don't." He wheezed, looking up at him pleadingly.

Jordie let go, grabbed his left wrist, and fished around in his pocket for a smoke.

Michael's heart started to pound and tighten as Jordie backed up, lit the cigarette, and watched as if he expected Michael to squirm.

"Camel greens, huh." Michael said softly.

Jordie exhaled slowly, raising his eyebrows at Michael.

"I prefer the red." Michael breathed in deep, feeling a mixture of anxiety and bliss at the familiar smell.

"You smoke?" Jordie's eyebrows raised a little higher.

"Well..." Michael shrugged. "I've been clean for two years."

Jordie laughed, looking at the ceiling.

"Clean?" He said. "We'll have to fix that."

Michael licked his lips. He wanted one. Very much.

"Here." Jordie tumbled one out for him. "Come on. No such thing as quitting. You want it or not?"

No, Michael thought. I've been clean for two years, and I am not going to ruin that just because I--

He had looked up resolutely into Jordie's face, ready to refuse, but when he saw Jordie's expression, he clenched his teeth and hesitated. There was a dangerous calm glitter in his eyes.

"Go ahead." Jordie shook it a little, not smiling. "Take one."

Michael's breath shook on the way out.

"...Thank you." He said. He took the cigarette and let Jordie light it for him.

The taste was bitter, familiar, and slightly disappointing. And then his eyes closed as he savored that calm euphoria. For a moment he wondered why he'd ever quit.

Because COPD, you fucking idiot. His mind responded.

A bit of nausea came up in his gut. Maybe it was because he hadn't eaten, not to mention the injuries.

He held the cigarette in his fingers, watching two years' work vaporize in his hand.

It was a bad day.

And Jordie was laughing a little.

"You should see your face," He chuckled. "It's like a gave you your pet's eyeballs or something."

Chills ran over Michael's arms again as he watched Jordie's own cigarette dwindling up toward the filter.

The two of them smoked quietly for a minute. It was almost a nice, conversational silence, with the edge of dread that always came when Michael watched someone else smoking.

Michael watched Jordie draw another puff, and his own fingers trembled as he saw how close Jordie's coal was to the filter.

Jordie smirked.

"So, which are you, an ashtray or a punching bag?"

Michael grimaced, putting his own cigarette out on the bedframe and tossing it away. Clearly he had no good option here.

Another beating would cause damage his body may not be able to handle. If his internals were already damaged, this could make htat damage irreversible.

But... His mind raced him through the process of the cigarette pressing into his skin and the pain, but most of all, the shame of every other time being reinforced right now, after all that work, after all that therapy...

"I provide the shirt on your back," Mr. Huer had said. "I wouldn't want to have to take it, and let the world know what you are. I'd rather protect you from that, son. Come here, roll up your sleeve."

Michael, every time, had told himself it wasn't that bad, it was just a cigarette, at least he wasn't putting out his cigar on him again. He'd tug up his sleeve and turn away his face as he acted as his father's "ashtray".

"I don't want you to forget your place in this family." Mr. Huer had said.

Michael clenched his teeth and raised his eyes from the glowing cigarette to Jordie's expectant smirk.

He couldn't take another beating.

He swallowed, eyes on his lap, and held out his wrist.

Jordie grabbed his hand to keep him from flinching away. Michael grunted through his teeth as the coal pressed into his skin with a little hiss, and he tugged at his arm, groaning through his teeth. His hand shook in Jordie's grasp.

"Who's my little ashtray?" Jordie grinned.

Michael gave one last yank and got his arm back, covered the wound loosely with his sleeve, and then gripped the wrist just below it and huddled over it.

"It's gonna be fun having you around." Jordie said, standing up.

"Tasteless." Michael hissed.

"Wait till you see my next one." Jordie scoffed, and left.

It had been five horrible days. It wasn't that Jordie bothered him that much or that Chris kept freaking him out--he would've preferred that.

He'd entertained himself to disgust.

He'd bitten his nails down till they bled, three times. He'd bitten the skin off from around the nails. He'd picked off every piece of lint from the blanket. He'd spent three hours pretending the toilet in the corner was a shrine to the toilet paper god. And speaking of that, he'd run out of the hand sanitizer Chris had given him by trying to clean every stain off his bed frame and mattress. He was going out of his mind.

He was hardly sleeping, in constant increasing pain from not being able to stretch and exercise, and he'd started hearing voices. Like Morgan's voice, instead of just mouthing the word, actually saying, "Sorry, Michael."

The charmanders on his pj bottoms had started talking to each other as well.

By the time Chris came in with his dinner on the fourth day, he was literally in tears begging him to let him out to see the others.

"But Jordie's out there, man." Chris had said. "You don't want to go out there."

"I have ADHD, man, this is killing me, please," Michael had begged, almost in tears.

Chris' eyes had narrowed with suspicion--as if he didn't believe that someone could go insane with boredom--and had left with a muttered apology.

And the whole time, there were increasing sounds of construction and people outside.

It was on the fifth day that Michael, dissociating as he stared at a hole on the ceiling that looked like a spider if he blurred his vision a little, heard the door open and vaguely felt someone walk in.

"...Hey..." He said his programmed response.

And then a punch hit him.

"Ghuh--" He gasped, coming back to the present. "Oh, fuck, it's nice to see another face."

Jordie's response was to slap him harder in the cheek.

Michael, slow on the uptake this morning, only managed to barely block a second slap.

"Have--have I done anything in particular to--"

He had to block another slap, at which Jordie growled and grabbed his forearm. The scars burned at the touch. They might be years old, but somehow his arms still remembered every single mark.

"Jordie, man, come on."

The left-handed slap hit this time, bringing tears to Michael's eyes.

"...Whatever I did, I'm sorry." He blinked, feeling his cheek begin to puff up and redden.

Jordie took him by the chin, fingers squeezing into his forearm in a vice grip, slamming his head back into the metal bedframe bar.

"Do you ever shut up?"

Michael winced and gritted his teeth. He hated that a sense of rejection was twisting with the nausea in his stomach. Shutting up wasn't too hard for Michael. After all, he'd had an instinctive freeze response for years.

Having to do it again was like going back to that old, haunted identity.

The one before he made himself. Before he became the unfairly-promoted, lowest-performing detective in Cleveland.

Sinking into that self without the defense of "worrying" about everyone else was crushing.

It was worse than the physical pain. But there was only so much he could take before his body made the choice for him.

Just coming down from an injury-induced fever, Michael was weak and vulnerable.

"That's better." Jordie said, surveying his face. "Nice and scared and quiet. Now if I take you to sit out with the others, will you be good?"

Michael closed his eyes, trying not to be irritated at the condescension, and nodded.

It was nearly night when Pete came back.

He was not alone.

"You told me you'd have him begging. A full week!" --the sound of a blow strikign somewhere hard, through clothes, made Michael's senses pop to full alert and set his heart beating hard and fast-- "A full week! And you don't report this... this failure!"

Michael heard a muffled yelp from Pete as he was dragged into the room, arm twisted over his head at an almost deforming angle.

His eyes darted over to Michael and a dark flush settled over his cool complexion. The man slapped Pete.

Pete blinked, bowing his head in obiescence.

"You think they'll come for the brat like that? They screamed at each other, Pete!"

Pete said nothing, bowing a few times.

Suddenly three more hard punches, which he didn't attempt to block, took his wind, took him to his knees, gasping with a strained mutter of apology, more bowing, face utterly full of shame.

Then the man wheeled on Michael.

"You." He snapped. "Strip this guy. Who's up for a little fun?"

Michael dissociated as they came for him. Pete had, for just a moment, looked exactly like Morgan that day in the rain at the bus station.

Michael had run all the way there, then realized he had no idea where to go, or how, and then leaned forward and idd something he never did–prayed to fate or God or whatever.

"Just get me out of this. If there's any care in you at all. Please."

A sense of his own tinyness in the middle of existence overwhelmed him, and he huddled n against a monstrous cold front of November.

And then he heard it--the skittery footfalls of Morgan Huer.

He flinched and huddled in.

Don't see me, don't see me.

"Michael." Morgan said, and Michael jumped. "Dad knows."

Michael cursed and cringed away from Morgan, expecting to be dragged out of the booth, through the rain, and back to Morgan's father, who would already be waiting with the poker.

Morgan was watching his reaction with what Michael interpreted as sadistic enjoyment.

"Don't torture me, Morgan." Michael said. "Just do it."

"Then come willingly," Morgan said.

"You know I can't do that. I don't know how to be good. I've tried. It's pointless. I just... I can't go back,"

And he watched Morgan's face go from calm, to twisted up and working. Then the shame, the dread, fixed on Michael in a confusing stare.

"I'll... tell him I found you in the yard."

Michael couldnt' believe his ears. Morgan had never offered something like that before.

There was a long pauseas Michael's eyes widened, realizing Morgan was serious.

"You better listen in, so you don't lie wrong if he sees through me." Morgan added. "Come on, let's go."

Morgan got his jaw broken for that.

He never stood up for Michael again.

Michael's brain reeled as he watched hte gang surrounding him. A hundred variations of one idea with no end in sight punched through his brain at once, all-encompassing one idea--stop them.

Every placating response he'd crafted fell to the wayside in a burst of strength as he ducked forward, not even feeling the ripping in his wounded leg as he hit Jordie with a kick to the crotch. He dropped straight ot hte ground with a loud curse. Michael punched, shifted and swung again at anyone who dared grab him, nknocking down three and throwing them behind him, getting closer to the stairwell. Three steps away.

But Pete was in between him and his goal, walking closer and raising a gun with two gangsters at his sides.

Michael roared and ran at him, splitting his lip back open in his desperate attempt to escape or die.

Then a hit from the boss's palm smacked into his forehead in a concussive strike that rattled his brain.

His consciousness blinked out momentarily and he awoke right before his head hit the ground, this time falling on his back.

"Well," Pete's boss smirked grimly as he sauntered toward Michael. "You just had to make this hard on yourself."

That was when Michael recognized the tattoo on his chest under the loose tank top. It was a very stylized version of the word "United". Michael had heard of the guy with this specific tattoo. This was Psycho, leader of the Westside Kids.

Michael blinked at him, trapped on the ground with Jordie's heavy boot on his chest. He was grinding the heel into his bruised ribs for good measure, probably enjoying Michael's winces of pain that he tried not to show.

He could've tried to fight, but that would mean another beat-down. Maybe broken bones this time.

His mind was fuzzy, but he remembered the thought process for tihs. They needed him to genuinely beg Morgan for help.

"Just--just--" Michael tried to speak, but the man carried such a powerful presence that his teeth chattered and he couldn't think, or breathe.

"We could have made this a bit less painful for you if you'd just cooperated, but you had to be a fuckin idiot."

Beg. They wanted him to beg.

Michael grimaced, knowing what that would do to him. Then he took a breath and said,

"Pleaes. Please, guys... I can't... Don't hurt me anymore." His voi e pitched upward.

And there it was--the flashback he knew was coming even as he thumped his aching leg on the ground to try to stay in the moment.

Most of what came back to him was the sound. The thunk of a piece of kindling hitting his legs hard enough to leave blackish bruises.

The words "if you run, you'll only make this worse."

The sound of teenage Michael's screaming, begging, the sound he was making right now as he knew they were going to strip him and do god-knows-what to him.

"Please, no, please, no," He was running his mouth like it would do him any good.

"Hey Pete," Psycho said, "You know that old cord I had you save from the AC?"

"Yeah." Pete's swollen eyes glinted coldly.

He crossed the room to rummage in a pile of junk behind Micael's cell.

"No," Michael's eyes were running freely with tears, equal to the shame he felt for crying in the first place. "Fucking please." His voice was cracking all over the place.

"Hey Jordie?" The boss said.

"Yeah?"

"Give 'im twenty."

Tag list:

@fleur-a-whump @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees @whumped-by-glitter @whump-writings @mimostic @tildeathiwillwrite

[wishingtwilight]

Wishing Twilight Master Post

Main website

Synopsis: A day comes and goes, between it a twilight. A jaded Shinx and an anxious Charmander find that their world is being engulfed by an unknown force. They maybe the key to saving their world.

Chapter 1: Foundations Page 1 / Page 2 / Page 3 / Page 4 (wip) Refrences: Team LightningFire | Theodore and Leonus

Art and OCs belong to: @mansa1212