#Johtonian general

[favouritepokemon]

An interesting bracket for the first Johtonian round, with heavy anime involvement on two absolutely sillies.

[solroskajan]

All sneasels use their claws to fight and be annoying. Except that one, it only bites.

[relicsongmel]

POV: you're Dena and your favorite teacher is trying to cover up the fact she's fucking your mom

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi there! So i hope you dont mind me requesting the BB league elite four members + Kieran with a disabled reader who used to be a former BB league elite four member themself (Romantic for Drayton and platonic for the others)

So basically, the reader used to be the fifth ranked member of BB league elite four but after Kieran became the BB league champion, they lost their rank to Crispin and now is the sixth ranked member. Though, they dont have any hard feelings and still see the elite four members as their friends

the reader had an accident when they were younger and now uses a wheelchair to move around. They have a gardevoir who they raised since she was a ralts and now helps her trainer with stuff (so maybe there’s something the reader needs but it’s on the top shelf, Gardevoir will then just use psychic and bring it down for them or maybe the reader wanted to try walking with a cane, if the reader fall, Gardevoir will catch them with psychic) and a Hisuian Braviary to help them get to places in the terrarium (if some hisuian pokemon still exist in this generation, who’s to say that Hisuian Braviary still exist as well)

With permission from the director, Gardevoir was allowed out of her ball to help the reader which then leads to a misconception where people think the reader is a psychic type trainer due to Gardevoir and Hisuian Braviary, when in fact they’re not. They are actually a ghost type trainer but they never bother to clear the misconception bc its funny to see people’s faces when people see their ghost type team.

Hope you have a lovely day/night btw!

- 🪷 anon

Oooh in regards to Hisuian Pokemon, I have a hc that they are extremely rare and got isekai'd to the present via space-time distortion bubbles (like opposite of how Porygon and Johtonian Sneasel were transported to Hisui)

Anyways these hcs sorta took off on their own haha, so they're under the cut!

.....

Drayton

Despite being wheelchair-bound for most of your life, that never stopped you from joining the BB Elite Four and becoming the fifth ranked member practically overnight.

Around that time, you and Drayton were dating, and during his champion days, he always tried to make time for you and put his duties on the backburner.

He knows you value your independence and will only help you out with stuff if asked.

But usually it's your two psychic types that assist you. They don't battle much, but rather work as your medical support Pokémon.

Gardevoir, a sweet lass you've raised since she was a Ralts, uses Psychic to retrieve things for you that are just a little out of your reach in the store.

One good days, you could walk around with a cane...but if they turn bad (ie your chronic pain acts up) she'll use Heal Pulse as a temporary remedy.

She also pushes your chair around in case your arms get tired, taking you around to accessible spots.

Director Cyrano gave you permission to let her stay outside her pokeball 24/7 so she can properly work.

You also have a Hisuian Braviary--who literally travelled across time and space to meet you--that flies you around the Terarium, letting you climb on their back while their talons securely hold onto your folded chair.

With those two often out and about, there's a common misconception about you being the Elite Four's psychic specialist...when in reality you have a ghost type team.

Many challengers find that out the hard way when they clear your trial and send their ghosts against you....only for you to reveal your own ghostly duo that hit back twice as hard.

Drayton loves watching your matches from the sidelines and laughs every time he sees their shocked faces.

He even proposed an idea that your team should remain a mystery up until the moment of battle.

All is well until Kieran comes along and dethrones him, which demotes you to the sixth ranking member..while Crispin takes your spot.

It wasn't exactly a position you liked, since it's on the cusp of disqualifying you as an elite member.

But you weren't mad at anybody over this...if anything you had to make sure Drayton didn't get too mad at Kieran.

Eventually, though, he learns that he could spend more time with you and has less responsibilities on his plate (ofc he's still petty, as we all know during Indigo Disk).

Despite his lax personality, he wants to do all he can to support you and defend you from harassment.

This man would definitely find excuses to carry you around.

"Oh why don't cha give your Pokémon a break and let me help you over here?" He suggests and you end up accepting his offer, letting him carry you from your wheelchair to the sofa in the club room...which is literally five feet away.

Still, you let him do what he wants.

Plus getting to cuddle is a nice bonus.

Kieran

You once knew him as this sweet shy kid who used to be scared of your Hisuian Braviary, always asking if they're gonna hypnotize him.

"No, Kiki..they just help me get around places."

"...a-are you sure? Because they're starin' at me kinda weird.."

"That's how they normally are."

Plus he (like many students) falsely believed you had a psychic team when you're actually the Elite Four's ghost-type specialist.

He admired that "element of surprise" you brought to the table and dreamed of the day he could challenge you himself.

But one trip to his hometown and back later...he's suddenly the Champion, a shell of his former self, who only sees Pokémon as tools for battle.

You wonder what happened to him, although apparently he had a bad falling out with some exchange student and took his angst out on everyone at BBA.

Getting you knocked down to the sixth rank was something he never really apologized for.

Despite that, he didn't tolerate people who talked shit about you, your ranking, your medical condition, or why your Pokémon get to roam more freely than their own.

"At least [y/n] is still out there training their team every day. At least they're turning their hardships into strength. What's your excuse?"

"I-I didn't mean any offense, Kieran! Listen, I'll apologize to them and-"

"Oh, you will...after we have a battle so I can assess your strength. No potions. No moves that boost attack, speed, or defense. If you lose, you resign. You have one hour to prepare."

Sometimes, you're not sure if he's genuinely looking out for you...or if he just wanted an excuse to bully club members around.

While he's aware that Gardevoir and Hisuian Braviary are mainly your medical support 'mons, he still thinks they can always try out battling.

"They could be the ones who help you climb the ranks again [y/n]. Surely you're tired of being in last place, aren't you?"

Yet the advice he believes is helpful is usually unwarranted half the time.

You could just be casually talking to a friend about how your opponent out-sped you and/or used Light Screen/Reflect...

Only for Kieran to barge into the conversation with "well maybe you should've taught Braviary Tailwind/Defog..but I guess you don't have the time for that" or something passive-aggressive that just makes you both uncomfortable.

Your psychic types are honestly annoyed by his new attitude..and you're just disheartened by how he acts around Drayton now.

You and him dating never bothered Kieran before, but now he just glares at your bf 24/7 and scoffs loudly if you're talking about anything except battling.

Despite everything, you knew he was going through something difficult, so you tried not to take his words to heart. You still saw him as a friend.

Someone who was just misguided in his ambitions.

After his humbling defeat and adventure into Area Zero, he comes back with extreme guilt, with you being the first elite member he apologizes to.

He especially feels shitty for distracting your psychic types from doing their jobs properly with his constant nagging to battle them.

But you forgive him, thanking him properly for all the times he's stood up for you.

And you do end up taking some of his unsolicited advice.

You invite him to a friendly double-battle when he returns from break and brought out Braviary and Gardevoir, using Tailwind and terastalizing one of them into a ghost type.

It turns out that whenever they're not working, they battle in perfect sync.

Crispin

In the beginning, this chef boi wondered how your two psychic types help you with your daily life, and you just explain everything as simply as you could to him during a picnic.

"So Gardevoir pushes me around, retrieves stuff I can't reach, and helps me manage my pain. Braviary just flies me around the Terarium....any questions?"

"Just one......do you use Braviary because the taxis here don't accommodate your wheelchair?" He assumes, already starting to fume. "How outrageous! That's not-!"

"Calm down, Crispy..they do. I'm just saying that I'd rather fly with Brave most of the time. It's not only convenient, but more fun for me."

"...o-oh, right. Sorry for getting all fire-up back there.." He gushes.

After learning how hard they work, he absolutely wants to make sure they're fed well everyday! Snacks alone won't sustain them. He knows this for sure.

So he's always cooking them up something, often wanting their opinion on the meals and sandwiches: are they too spicy or not spicy enough?

The same goes for your ghost types, too (especially if you have a Chandelure, Ceruledge, and/or Skeledirge on your team).

But after Kieran becomes the new champion and Crispin takes your rung on the League's ladder..he feels really awful and constantly apologizes for pretty much replacing you.

He should feel good about climbing closer to the top, but he doesn't, as he cried over the possibility of you hating him forever or resigning from the club because of him.

When you confronted him, he tried blaming the onions.

But your Gardevoir--one of the most emotionally-intuitive Pokémon out there--saw through his lie, and you had to reassure him he was still your friend.

You kept telling him you weren't mad....until you almost got mad fr because he wouldn't stop asking if you were 100% sure of that.

To prove it you, your psychic pokemon, and your ghost team all split one of the spiciest sandwiches he's ever made.

By the time it was finished, you were convinced you just learned the move Flamethrower.

Yet seeing that bright smile return to Crispin's face made it worth the agony.

Lacey

She loves hearing that you have a Gardevoir (or just cute ghost Pokémon in general).

If you have a Mimikyuu on your team, that's a plus in her book.

But regardless, she's the first to give you a warm welcome into the Elite Four, explaining the criteria and tests you had to pass in order to be accepted as a member.

Yet even outside of battle, she quickly discovers that your ghosts are still mischievous at best--always playing pranks on her fairies with moves like Phantom Force, Shadow Sneak, Astonish, and Poltergeist.

Ofc they never mean any harm, but when she hears Whimsicott squeal in fright, she's quick to come to its rescue and scold the perpetrator.

If you have a Gengar, it just laughs and mocks them both until it hears you roll up like "that wasn't very nice, y'know...apologize to Lacey and Whimsicott right now, please".

Even if it's a little defiant, a glare from Gardevoir or Hisuian Braviary is enough to make it relent and apologize.

Speaking of whom, seeing an ancient variant of Braviary did frighten Lacey upon first meeting them (especially with their hypnotic-looking faux flaming "eyes").

But over time she grows to like them, seeing how obedient and gentle they are with helping you get you around the Terarium.

If you have any decal on your chair, she'll suggest adding a few more things to make it "cuter". Like stickers of fairy types or a soft pillow for your back.

When you get demoted to the sixth rank in the League, she bought you those exact things to cheer you up, feeling bad that things turned out the way they did

But you expressed zero grudges towards anyone and appreciated her kindness.

Her Granbull always offers his tummy to you should you wanna rest somewhere--even though this makes Braviary a little jealous bc they're supposed to be your favorite resting spot.

Their rivalry is amusing, but Gardevoir often has to come to her fellow psychic type's rescue.

Meanwhile you're just sitting back and snickering at their banter, while poor Lacey begs you not to encourage this behavior.

Amarys

When you both first met, you found her personality rather off-putting, assuming she was doubting your capabilities of being an Elite Four Member despite passing all the tests.

She never seemed happy for you, her face always blank.

Growing up, a lot of people have pitied you, given you odd stares, or thought you would've given up being a Pokémon trainer...and some even asked outright insensitive questions about what happened to you--and seeing how Amarys acted kinda brought some of those ugly memories back to the forefront.

But once she realizes this, she apologizes straightaway for giving you such a bad impression, clarifying that she fully believes in your battling abilities.

Since then, you've formed a better friendship with her.

She asks you respectful questions about your wheelchair (ie if it's made from any strong alloys, how well it gets you around the Terarium's biomes, etc.) and how Gardevoir and Hisuian Braviary aid you in your daily life and listens well.

Learning that you actually battle with ghost types despite the misconception circulating around the school wasn't too surprising.

If anything, Amarys believes that was quite strategic on your part.

It's no wonder you have a lot of victories under your belt.

Even after getting demoted to the sixth rank, she's impressed you're still able to bounce back from such defeat..and that you didn't hold it against Kieran or anybody.

She believes he could learn a lesson or two from you and not take his loss against Florian/Juliana so hard...but knows that's not her place to speak.

[pokemonshelterstories]

Do you have any Pokémon at the shelter who are only there because they're just too stupid to survive in the wild?

I ask because my Meganium is like that. As a Chikorita, she was part of a rewilding program by the johtonian Rangers to rebuild wild Starter populations, but every time they tried to release her, she would have trouble finding food and preventing other Pokémon from stealing her food, all because she just has trouble focusing and is generally a bit of an airhead. When i found her, she was lying on the ground, beaten up, and so i took her to a Pokémon Center. While i was there, i met a Ranger who told me all about her and said "Yeah, this is the last straw, she's unreleasable.", then let me keep her at my request.

sometimes wild pokemon are declared unreleasable, yes. this is usually because of health complications, but every once in a while a wild pokemon that keeps getting brought back in will be taken permanently into captivity. i actually was in charge of the rehabilitation of one such pokemon- a talonflame who, shortly after her release, was brought back in. she now lives at the aviary i volunteer at!

unfortunately, this is why starter reintroduction programs tend to fail. we've generally bred starter pokemon to be too reliant on us to do well in the wild; when they are introduced, we can't really guarantee that the environment we're releasing them into is appropriate. we just don't know enough about what their lives look like in the wild. it doesn't surprise me that your meganium struggled to defend herself, since starter pokemon have long been bred for docility.

blueberry academy has seen some small measure of success in keeping "wild" starters, but their terarium is an artificial environment. they just don't do very well in the wild.

[p1nkc4lyps0]

ISAT PKMN trainer assignments

i've been having brainrot recently and i havent really seen people doing pokemon trainer aus, just a lot of pokemon mystery dungeon aus which i think require different perspectives for so i figured i may as well give it a shot.

with my assignments i was making sure to think about actual symbolism and tried avoiding the canon pokemon assignments for a] more of a challenge and b] i havent really seen all of them so if i have picked some of the same pokemon my bad.

SIFFRIN

gimmighoul: tried taking siffrin's coin once, failed, now just hangs around with him and has gotten quite attatched.

minior: a pokemon he's had as long as he can remember. gets a lot of weird looks about it though and has never seen anyone else with one.

chingling: the only pokemon caught in the castle. ding ding!

popplio: what a little clown! a fool! just a litter jester doing a preformance!

hisuian sneasel: basically siffren's dagger. i picked the hisuian one over the johtonian one because it's white.

absol: not a pokemon he had before the loops and has a sneaking suspicion those two facts are related since it seems to remember them to an extent.

MIRABELLE

morpeko: i think mirabelle would like form changing pokemon and also. near the end of floor 3 mirabelle gets like, really annoyed and then eats and is fine. thats what morpeko does.

furfrou: a pokemon with plenty of styles to choose from! she hasn't been able to get it styled recently and while she is getting nervous of it not changing, she has noticed it's happier staying as it is.

indeedee: indeedees are helpful pokemon! often used as servants, i feel mirabelle would relate with this

palafin: a hero capable of change! and paladins tend to fight for a cause, often a religious one like who mirabelle is fighting as a maiden of change.

escavalier: we don't have a fencing pokemon but we do have a lancing pokemon! also the fact a shelmet has to be traded with a karrablast is something

ISABEAU

mimikyu: isabeau is constantly putting up a facade of being a bit air headed, disguisigng himself. i also think with mimkyu wearing a cloak with him being a fashion designer would make this the most stylish mimikyu the world has ever seen

leavanny: this pokemon is known for making clothes from it's silk and any leaves it finds, making it into a clothing maker of sorts, they're also super protective.

bewear: what a big sweetie! aw it loves hugging people, it can also snap your back in two... i feel like this the most fitting attacking pokemon isa with it's bulk, cuteness and hidden scariness [something we see from isabeau when he gets... very protective of the sif nickname]

ODILE

carbink: this was my first thought for an odile pokemon, it's a little rock! and with it's links to diancie, a perfect red herring for what she's studying, they're just native to ka bue. she hardly uses it in battle.

steelix: now this is her attacking pokemon! i know it doesn't cover her primary paper type technically but it does cover her use of rock and scissors type by being steel/ground. i also think she mega evolves it from time to time, for the gems theming.

relicanth: i tried to go with the theme of old pokemon for odile, not generations wise but in the way that relicanth hasn't changed in a millenia. it's also a map, which could be interesting with the island siffrin is from.

bronzong: i can't really explain this one i just think it fits with her character? maybe it's the shape language but it is another old pokemon, showing up in the ruins in arceus so once again, more red herrings for her research.

sinistcha: ka bue is very implied to be japan or at the barest of minimums asia. odile is absolutely a tea drinker to me, this might have been one of her earlier pokemon that came with her when she left ka bue. they also have similar hair

drampa: hahahahah funny grandpa dragon joke~ drampa is reported to burn down the houses of any bullies the child they've befriended, odile has said that she would do horrible things for the party. im not fucking with you. think is not just a odile is the grandma of the party joke. i am dead fucking serious when i say this is her most in character pokemon.

BONNIE

applin: i think bonnie tried to gather apples at somepoint and it turned out to be an applin, they kept it. they seem like the type of kid to enjoy bugs [im counting the none apple bit of applin a bug cause it is to me fuck off]

alcremie: a pokemon evolved completely by accident. their milcery took a strawberry from them while cooking and in an attempt to get it back, span around enough to where it evolved. just some complete loony toons bullshit

yungoose: their first pokemon! caught back in Bambouche and their main defence between themselves and sadnesses when they left. i picked yungoose over some of the other early route mammals because a] tropical and b] i fully believe that bonnie bites people.

unovian darumaka: potentially a gift from the party, more specifically odile who was curious of darmanitan's zen form. it's obviously not a darmanitan yet but it is very useful for lighting fires to cook with.

kantonian farfetch'd: it's basically THE food pokemon being a duck carrying a leek and i opted for the kantonian form over the galarian form since the galarian form is far too cool, bonnie is cringe [/pos]

smolive: cooking oil is a crutial part of cooking are you insane and olive oil is some of them best! very useful pokemon to have on hand and it's slightly more emotionally and nervous natural creates and almost parrallel to bonnie where both end in the same outcome of tears since both are young and not yet capable of fully handling their emotions.

LOOP

gimmighoul: somehow the only pokemon they kept when they gave up on the loops, unsure if it actually remembers the loops or is just a clone...

natu [multiple]: loop can't actually catch any pokemon since, no pokeballs and they'd lose it at the end of the loop. so they've been slowly learning how to befriend all the local natu in dormont, secretly on the hunt for the roundest one. they've found shinies before and would usually be more snappy and blunt after all of those loops due to loosing them. they've gotten good at befriending them all too, being able to tell them apart and what they like. they would never admit any of this though.

[bearimba]

Johto Culture/Worldbuilding Headcanons

Since the New Bark Town kids are out of the way, I figured I'd do some basic worldbuilding stuff before we start covering more characters. There's more I'll cover later on, but to start off with, let's go over the general culture of Johto!

As a whole, the people of Johto lean towards more "traditional" values such as putting family first, a sense of obligation towards their communities (national pride/patriotism is very strong in older populations), an emphasis on respect towards elders, etc.

That being said, Johtonians are also very private---typically, what happens behind closed doors stays behind there for better or for worse. That doesn't mean people aren't extremely nosy, just that they wouldn't actively disrupt the public peace with their gossip.

Joint families are the most common form of family unit, though nuclear families have become more prevalent in cities such as Goldenrod due to limited living space. Houses tend to consist of one main living space (usually living room/kitchen/dining room combined) with bedrooms and bathrooms accessed through either a side hallway or a second floor. Sometimes (usually in downtown areas), a family business may be on the first floor while living/private spaces will be located on the second floor.

Similarly to Sinnoh, Johto's history is considered very important and conservation efforts are taken very seriously across the region. However, those efforts are mostly aimed towards preserving current knowledge instead of actively discovering the past, meaning there is still information that gets forgotten and lost to time.

Due to this (and also partially because of the burning of Brass Tower), Ho-Oh receives much more reverence than Lugia. Before, they were considered the twin guardians of the region and protected the balance between people and pokemon, but now, Ho-Oh has been deified while Lugia is sidelined and nearly forgotten.

Johtonians have a very distinct accent, mostly since they're a bit more secluded compared to other regions. Goldenrod and Saffron City have a stronger mix of Johtonian and Kantonian accents mostly due to tourists and commuting workers on the Magnet Train.

Johto exports a large amount of artisanal and handmade goods, especially woodcrafts such as cabinets or other large furniture (it's much more heavily wooded compared to other regions), but the region also has a very successful maritime industry that could almost rival Hoenn's.

Johtonians receive their ID card on their 13th birthday. At that point, they may opt in to take the gym challenge. If they do, they will receive a trainer card that contains information pertinent to the gym challenge on the back, which is then updated with every gym the trainer beats. They will keep the same ID their entire life regardless of whether they complete the challenge.

On a similar note, the age of majority is 20, which is a bit older than most other regions (Sinnoh/Kanto are 18, Hoenn is 17, etc etc.)

Children typically get their first pokemon (also referred to as their starter pokemon) at a very early age. This is to help teach them responsibility and respect for pokemon, and it provides them protection when they're unsupervised.

Public schooling is free up to 13 years age, at which point they can choose to pay to go to a private school, take a break to go on a pokémon journey and take on the gym challenge, or quit altogether.

Far more often than not, children will take about a year to go on their journey and then go back to school. Upon their return, they generally have the option to skip certain classes (both the ones they missed and future classes) if they're able to put together a decent report detailing their experiences and what they learned on their journey.

Nontraditional scenarios include students returning from their journey earlier or later than a year, students going on their journey and not returning to school, or going on their journey/dropping out of school at older than 13 years (there is technically no upper age limit at which the gym challenge can be started).

Crime rates are pretty low (especially major crimes such as assault, burglary, kidnapping etc.), which is part of the reason why children are allowed to roam the region unsupervised. This is mostly due to heavy restrictions on which/how many pokemon are legal to own, with and without certain permits. Additionally, the maximum number of occupied pokeballs a person is allowed to carry at once is six, although the average person will own at most three pokemon. Such laws are common in other regions, but Johto is more strict about their regulations.

Additionally, since taking care of children is often a community undertaking ("it takes a village to raise a child"), many adults will keep a close eye on nearby kids and keep them out of trouble regardless of whether they're related.

Since traveling trainers can’t hold down a steady job, a common way to earn money is just to pop into local businesses and ask if they need help. It’s not guaranteed to work, but most businesses will either find something small for them to do or recommend a different business to ask.

Pokemon centers will often allow trainers to sleep overnight in the lobby, though it's frowned upon to stick around for more than a day or two---camping outside or getting a room at an inn is better for longer stays.

Also, because pokemon centers are so widespread and well-recognized, they're often used as a meeting spot for social gatherings (though again, loitering inside isn't welcome. it's like meeting up with friends in a hospital lobby). As a result, many businesses---mainly third spaces such as restaurants and recreational spots---will compete to establish themselves as close to pokemon centers as they can.

Live performance tends to be the most popular form of entertainment across the region, including traditional/ceremonial productions, theater, and music. Historical enactments are also very popular during festivals. This is in part because oral storytelling used to be the region's main form of chronicling its history. (There are a few exceptions, such as the Dragon's Den containing extensive records of the Dragon Tamers and the local area, but unfortunately, access to those records is generally very limited.)

Slowpoke tails are somewhat of a local delicacy, but because Slowpoke farms are few and far between (there's strict laws on humane treatment such as how many Slowpoke can be kept on one farm, the space and amenities required to keep them, harvesting methods, etc.), they tend to be quite expensive and typically have to be sourced from the farms themselves. Trying to export them in large enough quantities is even more expensive, especially before the shipping methods are modernized, so for a long time the tails remain purely a Johtonian cuisine.

[wishing-stones]

So, I've been replaying Pokémon games(FireRed and Emerald, specifically) and thought I could try and make up a team that resembles the R&R boys.

I came up with this:

(If Ren was a Pokémon, in my opinion, they would be an Aegislash)

I like these selections! I can see why you picked them all. I especially love the use of megas here, and Alolan Marrowak for Dust. Choice! Nightmare as a Tentacruel made me giggle and I adore the idea of Gallant Mega Gallade as Axe.

You inspired me to do my own take!

Nightmare is naturally Darkrai, because, let's face it, it's a perfect match. Darkrai's realm is of dreams, and it can inflict terrible nightmares onto others. It doesn't always do this maliciously, though, and it's generally used to chase people away from its territory. Humans are flighty creatures, though, so they villainize poor Darkrai for what it does. Darkrai's Shinny palate is purplish with teal eyes, too.

Killer fits Bisharp especially well. They generally command larger groups of Pawniard to do their dirty work for them, and will concede control to someone stronger if defeated. Killer is a competent leader, but bows out to Nightmare as the boss. Bisharp's shiny palate is also blue and yellow, which fits! Bisharp can also evolve into Kingambit, but I feel like Killer would purposefully not do that, even if he met the criteria for evolution. (Completely as an aside, shiny Bisharp was the first wild random shiny encounter I found in Scarlet! I think mine's a girl though. I'll have to check.)

Dust I thought would be nice as a Hissuian Typhlosion. Generally calmer than their Johtonian counterparts, they space out a lot and are thought to be watching the flow of life energies and looking for lost souls to eat. Kind of disturbing for such a placid-looking Pokemon, even if that process is said to purify the spirits as well. They're especially dangerous if they lose their temper, though, and their ghostly flames will burn everything and everyone around them until there is nothing left. Definitely sounds like someone we know.

Axe was tough to settle on, but I decided Kleavor would fit him well. They're generally rough, strong, brutish Pokemon... but at the same time, there's one that inhabits the forests of the Obsidian Fieldlands, and its caretaker is a small boy. Presumably, with socialization, these often violent Pokemon can be fairly tame and helpful to allies. The entire Scyther line gets a lot of bad rap for their appearance, and Kleavor is no exception... But, if you take the time to get to know them, they're loyal and steadfast.

Cross was perfect for Mega Absol, absolutely brilliantly done. Absol by itself is said to predict disasters, and its appearance is perceived as a bad omen. Mega Absol's very aura is so intimidating, it might kill the fainthearted from shock, and according to its Ultra Sun Pokedex entry, it hates this form because it doesn't like fighting in the first place. Cross isn't a huge fan of fighting generally, only if it's unavoidable, and he's good at it anyway, despite not enjoying it most of the time. He also absolutely sees himself as a bad omen, and tends to keep to himself.

Baggs was similarly a brilliant choice for Malamar. Not only are its hypnotic powers said to be the strongest of all Pokemon who possess them (yes, even the Pokemon deliberately named for it), but it has reportedly influenced historical events with them, and people don't often recall time spent under its control. This has been utilized by people, but for such a self-aware Pokemon (who often uses these abilities on its own for its own gain), it's up in the air whether or not it was the trainer's idea, or the Malamar's. Also, its pre-evolution is downright adorable. For something so calculating to come out of such a cute Pokemon is oddly fitting.

I also agree with Ren as Aegislash, or even Zacian, who requires its sword to achieve its true form and potential.

[red-rose-corner]

Some of Goh's Pokémon that Serena Could Own

Going in regional order...

Pinsir: Like in canon, she's a gentle soul. If she had a Nature, it'd be Timid. She falls for Ash's Heracross, but Heracross is more interested in plant sap.

Butterfree: He would become her main Gigantamax Pokémon if I let her have one instead of Vivillon.

Raichu: Yes, this is cliché, but I like the idea of a Raichu starring alongside Ash's Pikachu.

Misdreavus: Random fact of the post: before Mystical Fire became a TM in generation eight, Delphox and Mismagius were the only two Pokémon that could learn the move.

Absol: Serena owns one in the games. Her manga counterpart also owns one.

Altaria: Serena owns one in the games, and they were one of the Pokémon I can picture her using back then. These days, they don't Mega Evolve due to Lisia's Altaria.

Lilligant: Lilligant I consider a Pokémon Cilan would own, but I prefer Serena having the Unovan form rather than the Hisuian variant. However, I'd prefer her to have a Whimsicott.

Frogadier: Mostly due to Pokémon Masters EX and the manga letting Serena have a Greninja of her own.

Galarian Corsola: A call back to Serena missing a Johtonian Corsola in the anime.

Falinks: This one's strange, but I like the idea of her having Pokémon that don't fit the feminine or cute mold. I can see her bonding with them and helping keep them in line before catching them.

Alcremie: This is a Pokémon I wanted Serena to have before I chose Butterfree as her Gigantamax Pokémon. One of her passions is baking, so I thought she could help her out.

Cinderace, Inteleon, and Grookey: I once talked with a friend on Discord, and they pointed out that all three of the Galar Starters fit Serena in some way. Were it not for me choosing Swampert and possibly Grovyle to complete the Fire, Water, Grass trio, I'd go for it.

[interaction-lane]

// Language Headcanons!

These mostly have to do with Johto, Kanto, and Hoenn, by the way!

Johtonian and Kantonian are two very similar languages, to the point that it’s been argued that they are in fact just different dialects of the same wider language, which is typically referred to as “Kanjoh”, much like how the two regions are.

Kantonian and Johtonian share a lot of words, but there’s enough difference, specifically in pronunciation, that they’re generally thought of as different. If you put two people, one who only spoke Johtonian and one who only spoke Kantonian, in a room together, they could hold a conversation. It might be a bit like speaking to a toddler in terms of using complex words, but the conversation is still generally understood by both. Someone who doesn’t speak either likely couldn’t tell the difference between the two, though to native speakers it would be immediately obvious. Johtonians have a specific way they twist the endings and middles of words, and which syllables they stress. Kantonian has a harsher sound, with a sharper pronunciation of words.  Johtonian is generally considered the “Older” of the two, with Kantonian being the break-off.

Sinnohan and Hoennian are also fairly similar to the Kanjoh languages, though not nearly as much as they are to each other (Real world example: They’re similar the way French and Spanish are similar; sharing basic words like ‘what’, quoi in French and qué in Spanish, but not mutually decipherable). They are usually able to get across basic ideas, but a full conversation will probably not happen. Other than what they share with Kanjoh, Sinnohan and Hoennian are not similar. Part of this goes into how environments shape languages, which is something very interesting to learn about.

Hoennian has a lot of loanwords from Kanjoh in the general language, and the language has overall changed to become more like those “modern” languages. It is more similar to Kantonian than Johtonian, having the same sharper pronunciations and heavier enunciation. There is a specific dialect that is far older than Modern Hoennian, and commonly considered the origin of the language, known as Roeni (Pronounced Ro-eh-ni) or Root Hoennian. It isn’t widely used, and you likely won’t hear it spoken outside of the Draconids and older Sootopolitan families. Sootopolis in particular is interesting, because while Roeni isn’t “spoken”, many of the words still appear and are used as slang. This mixture of Modern Hoennian and Roeni is sometimes called ‘Sailor Hoeni’, though this is considered mildly offensive.

[meu-meu-kissy-ceutie]

Whether you read the read more or not, feel free to reblog or comment with your reasoning. Ultimately the last decision will be up to me and this is more to get an outside perspective, so if you have one you'd want to share let me know!

Here's little personal thoughts on why any of these favs of mine might fit me, as well as little blurbs about what i like about them.

Cyndaquil Family: Cyndaquil was my first pokemon of my first game and its still my fav. I like cyndaquil because im a shy person, and its a bit of a timid mon only pulling its fire out in certain situations, but grows into a fierce pokemon. I liked the idea as a partner cyndaquil could help pull me out of my shell a little, i think that could fit for a sona too. (Note this is the johtonian line, i prefer it to hisuian)

Popplio Family: Popplio is my second favorite pokemon starter, and the only starter to rival my love for cyndaquil enough to make it in my top favs (still waiting on a grass starter to help me make a trifecta). Popplio is one of the many claimed trans pokemon (one of two water/fairy types), which is a little on the nose but works just fine with me. Being trans is a huge part of who i am. What really sets it above is the combination of that with music, i love music and in general voice work, and that more than anything had me fall in love with this pokemon. I named myself euphony, and the popplio line with its special move sparkling aria works great with that!

Wimpod Family: If you know me and pokemon you knew there were gonna be bug types, and so here is wimpod! I love wimpod, a little darling baby so weak, so scared,only able to learn two moves akin to a magikarp, but with hard work wimpod gets stronger! Evolving into the huge, strong, and intimidating golisopod! With a signature move (upon release) and signature ability (still one of a kind) i think golisopod gained some courage with that strength, even if it still wont stick to a losing battle. I think theres also to be said about golisopods intimidating stature that iv often felt i had, even if i was more prone to an emergency exit underneath the surface. Like with the cyndaquil line, i feel a kinship do to my own timid nature, and the hopes i can move beyond it.

Hatenna Family: The second pokemon claimed by trans folks, the hatenna family! From the color scheme to its true frame hiding inside its hair to its witchy aesthetic, thats transgender, but not what drew me to it as a pokemon or a pick. Growing up in my household, showing strong emotions was generally not a good thing, parents didnt like dealing with me if i was sad or two excited. I feel a connection to hatenna in that way, like if i grew up in the pokemon world maybe learning to keep calm could have helped me meet this pokemon, and they could have spent that time with me when i had to push emotions away. I would also sometimes found myself overwhelmed during confrontation as a child, which im working on still today but is another mark in hatennas cap.

Fomantis Family: Fomantis marks the third pokemon from alola to make it onto this list, which should go to show you what a fantastic entry it is, at least imo. Fomantis is, surprisingly, not the second bug type in this list, contrary to its appearance it is a mono grass type. That is the euphy connection! Growing up, both for transgender and other reasons i often felt iv had to pretend to be something im not. My default coping mechanism is fawning, if a situation gets tough the easiest way out for me is to play along until i can get outta there, and fomantis is much the same using its appearance to fool bug types. I'd say our main difference is i simply love the bugs!

Goomy Family: Goomy, the weakest dragon type! The minute I read its pokedex entry it became my favorite dragon, favorite in all of kalos! I have a thing for taking weak pokemon, working with them and getting stronger together in the games, goomy, wimpod, and a hand full of others fit this bill to me! Goomy's also just wonderful! Soft, squishy friend to hug, the kindest eyes in its final evo, but dont be fooled this is the pseudo legend of kalos, strength is its middle name! Like with wimpod or cyndaquil, the idea of going from shy and weak to something stronger appeals to me, and, i am also a little softer than a typhlosion or a golisopod in reality. (Once again this refers to the kalos line not the hisui)

Larvesta Family: A late entry and our true and final bug on the list. If im being honest, the larvesta line made it on this list more for its connection to my sona than myself. I love larvesta, it was actually the second bug type pokemon i truly fell in love with (right after heracross, fitting slither wing would steal its typing). In truth i dont have a lot of connection with this pokemon, theres the bug and moth aesthetic (moths and beetles are my go to's for bugs), the fact that similar to many of the above its a weaker pokemon with a long road to get strong, a slight connection in the way i can sometimes feel hazardous, but thats about it. As for my sona though, you know she is a moth, you know she deals in the radiation of the sun (you knew that right, fusion not fission, for the most part neway) you know shes got a main white color scheme, and pulling from volcarona and slither wing i can get both some fun green eyes (shiny rona) and some nice green stars speckled on the wings. Its interesting that, while i do think i have a strong enough emotional connection, its probably the greater design connection that won this family a spot here.

[adobe-outdesign]

have you reviewed the non-hisuian sneasel line?

Sneasel has an interesting history, because the original Spaceworld beta design was like this:

Which then got updated AGAIN to this design before they settled on the final version:

I gotta say, final Sneasel was definitely the best design. The first design is cute but generic, having no real personality or any traits to make it stand out. The second design has more personality, but a generic body shape and lack of detail. The final design has both personality and some interesting elements in addition to the claws, namely the red feathers—an unexpected but welcome addition to a weasel monster. It's also asymmetrical, which is somewhat of a rarity in Pokemon designs.

It's also worth noting that Sneasel is likely based off of a kamaitachi, a type of Japanese weasel demon (there's a fun set of words) associated with cold weather, hence the dark/ice typing. I do kind of wish the ice typing was represented more visually—I feel like it's easy to forgot unless you're familiar with the yokai in question—but I appreciate the folklore behind it.

While I might be in the minority here, I would generally say I like Johtonian Sneasel more than the Hisuian version. It's not that the Hisuian variant is bad, but I feel like classic Sneasel just has more focus and better colors; a nice dark blue body for contrast and some bright red accents to make it pop, without extraneous markings or detail.

With that said, I do feel like the little gemstones over the body are a bit out of place. I get wanting something there, but they just feel very "random"; it's also bothersome to have another color in there (I feel like the gems could've been red and the eyes yellow, as the eyes are what you really want to pop). That's a minor nitpick, however.

(For some reason Weavile's official art shows it as being purple in color, but in all other appearances it shares Sneasel's blue. For the record, the blue is better; no reason to change it out of nowhere.)

Much as I'm more of an original Sneasel person, I also prefer Weavile over Sneasler. Outside of it being more of a kreature(TM), I also feel like there's more of a logical progression here. Sneasel's thing is its claws and its feathers, so giving it an extra claw on each limb and then expanding the feathers to encompass both ears, a collar, and a "headdress" of sorts feels like a very natural extension of Sneasel's design.

I do feel like the claws could've been a bit longer on the front limbs and I kind of wonder if the tail feathers were even needed at this point, but for the most part, it's solid.

Another little thing I like about Weavile is that it has high intelligence and hunts in packs. It's just a neat little biology detail; a lot of Pokemon don't specify what kind of social interactions they have, so I love the extra thought put into here.

Overall, some pretty solid weasels with quite a few interesting details that help spice up with would otherwise be a plain design.

[which-is-the-very-best]

★This is for a larger poll! Matchups are chosen at random. Choose your favorite, whoever wins moves on to the semi-finals!★

(yes regional variants are going to be part of the polls! Form changes sadly will not be. Variants will show up in their respective generations!)

[pokemoncenter]

Hi there! I have a service swinub, Fractal, and I’m wanting to make sure I’m not hurting him at all by keeping the everstone on him. I’d be fine with letting him go to piloswine, which I’m assuming is fine to stay as for a long time given how most Johtonian swinub never take the final evolution step, but he wouldn’t be able to keep doing his job as a mamoswine - he’s also never shown any specific desire to evolve. Which of the stages is the safest for him long-term?

@absol-lutely

//full well aware Astra breaks your canon, but I kept the parts that do so out of the ask, so please just treat her like a random sinnoh gym worker if possible

You are not harming him.

If a Pokemon feels a desire to evolve, they will generally make this very clear. They will begin acting out, becoming rambunctious, and generally try to accumulate the requisite experience to evolve.

Some Pokemon can even resist evolution without an Everstone if they do not desire it, but this is not reliable, so keeping an Everstone on is good.

He does not have to evolve if he shows no wish to. If he is intentionally attempting to remove the stone, then that will be a sign he wishes to evolve, or if he starts causing problems for you in your home, or acting distressed for no reason.

It is safe for him to stay the way he is until he wishes otherwise.

[youllallriseintheink]

One For All, Chapter Five

In an AU where the protagonist never fell from the sky, the Survey Corps will have to pull together and make use of every resource at their disposal to face the challenges present in Pokemon: Legends Arceus. There will be surveyshipping.

This is the second-last chapter.

---

The silence in the cave was deafening. Cyllene stepped forward. “Very well,” she said.

T e l l   m e,   h o w   d i d   i t   f e e l   t o   l o s e   y o u r   p a r e n t s?

"Telepathically?" Cyllene asked. She hadn't seen reason to think about that in ages. But as much as she didn't like where this trial was going and feared what else Mesprit might ask her to recount, Hisui needed the red chain. And if she could do it without tarnishing her image to the others, it would be for the far better.

E v e r y o n e   h e r e   w i l l   h e a r   y o u   e i t h e r   w a y.

Cyllene hesitated.

I f   y o u   c a n 't   t e l l   t h e m,   I   c a n   s h o w   t h e m.   B u t   y o u   m u s t   s h a r e   y o u r   e m o t i o n s   t o   p a s s   t h e   t r i a l.

"Show them, then."

The cave walls gave way to an illusion of a house in the countryside surrounded by farmland. The illusion of a tall, armoured man walked through the group and knocked on the door, which was opened by a nervous-looking girl of about twelve with long ice-blue hair.

"Hello? Who is this?" the girl asked.

The man shifted uncomfortably. "My name is General Kamado," he explained in a somber tone. "I've heard that your parents went missing."

The girl nodded. "They've been gone for two days. Have you seen them?"

Kamado hesitated. “In a sense, yes.”

The girl seemed to see the writing on the wall. She let out a nervous laugh as her eyes went wide. “They’re alive. You saw them alive, right?”

Kamado said nothing, but his pained look said everything.

“No. No… No. How…?”

Kamado took a deep breath. "They were found impaled and their bodies dragged into the underbrush. Most likely a random act by Johtonian ninjas. I'm sorry."

For a moment, the girl was in shock. And then she burst into tears and started crying into her hands. A wave of panicked distress hit Cyllene, and, if their faces and wet eyes were any indication, everyone else in the cave. Mesprit was making them all feel how she'd felt.

"Do you have any relatives that would take you in?" Kamado asked. "I'm sure there must be neighbours, at least."

The girl didn't even look up. Kamado took her in his arms and brought her in close, allowing her to bury her face in his chest.

"Come with me," Kamado said. It was something that Cyllene understood as an adult to be a more self-driven act than she'd known back then. Kamado and his wife had been unable to have children, and it would not have been difficult for him to find another place for her. Still, it had been the best thing he could have done for her. She'd needed the oasis he'd provided.

N o w   w e   w i l l   s h o w   t h e m   w h y   y o u   j o i n e d   t h e   w a r, Mesprit explained, and the scene shifted to show an only slightly older Cyllene looking out the window, the deep bags under her eyes visible even in the early morning light.

Cyllene shut her eyes tight. Rei thought of her as so brave and heroic. This would change that. More importantly, it was treading far too close to things she did not want any of them to see.

A woman entered the scene and sighed. "I wish you'd at least try to sleep," she said. "I worry about Kamado not coming back, too. But he's survived every battle he's been in so far, and he's seen a few!" The woman smiled in a weak attempt to be comforting.

Cyllene turned to the woman. "How old do I have to be to help out at the camps?"

"You'd be old enough now."

"Then I want to be where he is as soon as possible."

The scene shifted to Cyllene sitting with a group of soldiers, comically small next to most of them. Kamado was amongst them, and being able to see where he was served as an immense comfort. "Hey, wanna learn how to fight, pipsqueak?" asked a large, red-haired young woman.

"Sure," Cyllene said. Before long they were squaring off in a field, swords in hand. Metal clashed against metal, and Mesprit allowed the others to feel her excitement. Zisu was clearly holding back, but not as much as she was expecting to for a beginner. It had given Cyllene the idea that maybe she could do more than keep Kamado in her sights- maybe she could take revenge on Johto.

The scene shifted again to her and other soldiers in armour, marching toward a similar group of Johtonians in a field- foot soldiers and archers to the front, with the samurai vanguard close up behind them. Thankfully, Cyllene couldn't find herself in their ranks, so it was unlikely anyone else could. But she could feel bloodthirsty excitement in her chest, another emotion forced on her by Mesprit.

No, not this. Not in front of the clan leaders, Cyllene thought as the apparitions of archers and footsoldiers phased through their group. She didn't need them to see her bloodlust.

D o   y o u   w i s h   t o   t e l l   t h i s? Mesprit asked.

Just as Mesprit finished its question, a Johtonian samurai broke formation- perhaps out of panic or suicidal impulse- and ran, pushing through the Hoennian ranks. On instinct, Cyllene drew her sword to defend herself from the attacker, but the apparition faded right through her and attacked instead a Hoennian soldier with a stance almost identical to her own. The soldier struck the sword from the Johtonian's hand, knocked them down, and lowered their blade towards their throat. A distinctly female scream came from the armored figure, whose face was hidden by a helmet. Cyllene was momentarily stunned. She wasn’t expecting a woman. But there was no room for hesitation. She slit the Johtonian’s throat, stood up, and fell back into formation.

I killed a woman. Why does it matter that it’s a woman? Many of us are women, too. Why did that catch me off-guard? Cyllene thought, numb as she marched forward and arrows from the archers began to rain.

Suddenly, Cyllene felt a hard tug at her hair. Mesprit was right in front of her, trying to get her attention.

I   a s k e d   t h r e e   t i m e s   i f   y o u   w a n t e d   t o   t e l l   t h e m   i n s t e a d   o f   s h o w   t h e m, Mesprit explained.

Despite herself, Cyllene took a moment to respond even as the cave once again became a cave. She glanced back at a horrified-looking Rei. She could have saved him from seeing this.

“What is the next question?” Cyllene asked, returning her attention to Mesprit and sheathing her sword.

Y o u 'v e   k i l l e d   p e o p l e, Mesprit stated. H o w   d i d   i t   f e e l?

"The only people I killed were enemy soldiers. It was my duty to Hoenn."

N o t   w h a t   I   a s k e d.

"It... does no good to think of that... but you leave me no choice. I expected to enjoy taking revenge on Johto. I… did, at times. I don't know how many people I killed and how many I merely wounded, but severe wounding isn't always an improvement on death. I've caused screams- men, women, boys, children so young I'm not sure whether they were girls or boys. I hated Johto, but I did not enjoy that. But it was necessary whether I enjoyed it or not. My actions were correct. It shouldn’t matter if my feelings were."

B u t   i t   d o e s,   t o   y o u.

Cyllene remained silent.

T e l l   t h e m   h o w   t h e   w a r   h a u n t e d   y o u, Mesprit ordered.

Cyllene closed her eyes and tried to put it into words she’d be willing to say. It was impossible. "Show them," Cyllene said. It was the only way she was going to complete this.

Cyllene turned her back and walked past the others. She could hear memories play out behind her. The first one was one in which, during peacetime, she’d thought a Johtonian was attacking and Kamado had to hold her down to keep her from hurting anyone. The jolt of panic that Mesprit forced through her shook her up so badly that nothing she heard registered after that. She was a trembling mess, hoping that the others didn’t look back at her. She wanted to tell them that that had been years ago, that she wasn’t like that anymore, that it had only caused her to be dangerous once. But there was only so much faith she could inspire in this state, and regardless, the damage was done. The damage was still being done. And she was too keyed up to even know what it was.

O n e   l a s t   q u e s t i o n,   a n d   i f   y o u 'r e   h o n e s t,   t h e   t r i a l   w i l l   b e   c o m p l e t e.   H o w   d o   y o u   f e e l   a b o u t   t h i s   t r i a l?

Cyllene turned back to face Mesprit, back to her steely professionalism. "It is an appalling waste of time and of my usefulness as a captain. The Survey Corps needs to think of me as a strong and infallible leader, and our allies need to see me as impartial and reasonable. You have helped us to save the world, but there was no reason for the cost."

W e l l   t h e n…

Mesprit plucked out one of its plumes and handed it to Cyllene.

"Thank you," Cyllene said, taking it. Thankfully, the loathesome creature faded away after that.

"Our next location is in the Coronet Highlands. We'll travel on our flying Pokémon and stay low enough to find the rest of the Survey Corps. With any luck they will be gathered at the ruins Cogita described," Cyllene commanded the others, voice steady. She turned to exit the cave and began walking past the others, averting her eyes from whatever reactions they might have had. "Do what you will after the sky is fixed, so long as you do not breathe a word of this to anyone. But until then, you will follow me." There was a moment of uneasy silence as the group left the cave. “Please,” Cyllene added.

"Y-you got it, ma'am," Rei replied, "None of it leaves this cave! And we’re right behind you."

Cyllene didn’t look back.

Outside the cave, the red sky persisted, painting the landscape in its oppressive gloom. It was all the reminder Cyllene needed that now was the time to focus on the immediate.

The flight was short, and before long the six landed in front of Cogita and around two dozen Survey Corp members.

"Ah, there you are," said Cogita. "Did you bring the keys from the lake trio?"

"Yes," Cyllene replied, digging out the plume as Rei and Laventon did the same with their respective supplies.

"Perfect. While you were gone, I led the Survey Corps to harvest enough origin ore to make a few pokéballs from the red chain. We decided that would be the best use for it."

Cogita took the three items and carried them to the center of the Celestica ruins, the Survey Corps as well as the six following along to watch what was sure to be a mystical process. Once she was there, apparitions of the lake trio appeared and levitated the items from her hands. The items spun, bathed in red light, and then transformed into a beautiful chain of red gems that fell back down into Cogita's hands.

Cogita turned back to the group. "There. Now, what do you say, Survey Corps? Shall we do the crafting ourselves and allow these six a chance to rest? The lake trials aren’t easy. And lord knows that you have quite the challenge ahead of you."

"Thank you, Cogita,” Cyllene said.

It wasn't far to the Galaxy Team's nearest encampment, where the group started a fire and put on some food. The cries of Pokémon filled the air as the less intelligent ones played outside their balls and the cleverer ones bayed at the foreign sky. It was loud enough to save the six from attempting to make awkward conversation to distract one another from the reality of facing their allies or fellow Galaxy Team members. The group especially gave Cyllene her space, sensing that she was in no mood for casual interaction.

Laventon sent out the strange trio of Pokémon he’d brought- the specimens he called a rotom-mow, a porygon-Z, and a bronzong.

“Alright, you three,” Laventon called out over the noise, “If you have any special world-saving powers you’d like to share with me, now would be the time! Because time really is of the essence right now, and, well, um… I’m afraid it’s been hard to figure out exactly what you do or how you work biologically, or, well, anything about you, really.”

The three Pokémon looked at each other and appeared to laugh at him before joining the other Pokémon in the encampment at their play.

While Laventon watched the strange Pokémon, he felt someone grab his shoulder. It was Adaman, and Irida was standing beside him.

“You need to talk to Cyllene,” Adaman said.

Irida nodded in agreement. “It makes sense that the trial would shake her up, but she can't lead the mission while she's this fragile. You’re closest to her. You need to either comfort her or make her step down.”

Laventon looked back at the captain, who was tending the fire, apparently deep in thought. “I’ll talk to her,” he said.

Laventon sat down next to Cyllene. “Perhaps bringing those enigmatic creatures wasn’t my wisest move. But I couldn’t have forgiven myself if I found out later that they could have saved us!” he started, trying to keep the tone light.

“You have your typhlosion. That will be enough if you are separated from the group.”

"Do you want to go for a little walk, captain?"

"No," she said firmly, still looking to the fire.

"Please?"

Cyllene sighed. "Fine," she answered, getting to her feet.

Cyllene led the way into the pines, eyes forward.

"You know, you're nothing special to me," Laventon said. "Er, um, I mean, you're nothing different to me. Um, wait." Laventon sighed heavily. "What I mean, captain, is that I studied in Johto. My work had nothing to do with the war, but I met plenty of people who were affected by it.”

“And you can use that information to decide whatever you please once the world is saved. Until then, you follow me regardless of how it bothers you that I could have enjoyed hurting some of those people.”

“That isn’t what I meant at all. You're not anything I couldn't understand. Even if you were, you've proven yourself as a leader. And you didn’t do anything wrong during the war. Your feelings may have been complicated, but-”

Cyllene stopped dead. “I killed people. I chose to fight as soon as I was allowed because I wanted to kill people.” Her hands were balled into fists, and they were shaking. “I allowed Rei to witness a person bleeding to death. I don’t even know what else Mesprit showed you. And the clan leaders- what were they saying to you?”

“That you’re reasonably shaken up. I promise that’s all. None of us fault you for that, I’m sure of it.”

Cyllene looked back at Laventon. At very least, she knew he could trust him on that. Laventon knew how others thought. He was far better at that than she was. If that's what he saw, and if he were telling the truth, then he was probably correct. “Thank you,” she said.

“Do you need a hug?” Laventon asked, opening his arms.

Cyllene stepped into Laventon’s embrace, returned it, and cried, just like she’d cried in Kamado’s arms so many years ago. She’d lost her parents, lost her innocence, and then forged herself into a good and strong leader, both in action and in appearance. But it still felt so good to get the comfort she would have moments ago said she neither needed nor deserved.

After a while, the two separated. "Thank you," Cyllene said, her breathing returning to normal.

Laventon flashed his goofy smile. "Of course. We need you clear-headed for what's ahead, after all! Do you think you’re ready to lead?"

“Yes,” Cyllene said. Laventon could see the fire returning to her eyes.

“Jolly good! Shall we return to camp?”

“Yes.” There was a pause. “No. Before we return, there is something I’d like to tell you.” Cyllene looked Laventon directly in the eyes. "Laventon. You are my subordinate, and as such I wanted to keep an image to you. But, now that there are no secrets... I want you to know that I..." Cyllene squeezed her eyes shut as though bracing for something painful. "I love you. If we survive this, and you feel the same way, I would like to be with you."

Laventon crossed the space between them and kissed her on the lips, to which she immediately reciprocated. 

[bethanythebogwitch]

In a previous post I shared some of my fakemon for a hypothetical region based on Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Specifically I shared the starters, based on a wombat, dingo, and platypus. While I was brainstorming classic Aussie animals to Pokemonify, I thought of the echidna. But of course, there's already an echidna Pokemon, Cyndaquil. However I was always a bit disappointed that Cyndaquil's evolutions went down the badger line instead of staying as echidnas. So I got the idea for a regional Cyndaquil variant that does just that. Then I realized that the Totodile line also works in Australia thanks to saltwater crocodiles. And the Chikorita line is generic enough to fit anywhere. So yeah, regional Johto starters. If this were to be a game, I'm imagining you'd pick one of them partway through, like how you can pick a Kanto starter in X and Y. The first form will be the same as in Johto, the second will be a regional variant, and the third will be a unique Pokemon. As before, I'm proving my own illustrations and I am a terrible, terrible artist. I recommend wearing eye protection so you don't have to look directly at the awful art.

If you pick Chikorita as your second starter, it will evolve into [regional] Bayleef. The Eucalyptus Pokemon, grass/fire type. It's based on eucalyptus trees, which are known for their highly flammable sap. The sap is so flammable that some say a burning eucalyptus tree can actually explode. I would mixed accounts on whether or not this can actually happen while I was doing my research. Bayleef shares the highly flammable sap of eucalyptus, which it can use to create fire attacks. It has to be careful though, as using too much sap can cause an explosion. It's design is pretty similar to Johtonian Bayleef, but the buds on its neck have been replaced by curled leaflets and its head leaf is now a eucalyptus leaf with one central branch and many smaller leaflets.

[Regional] Bayleef evolves to Ieucrackle, the Eucalyptus Pokemon, grass/fire. The name from from IED (improvised explosive device), eucalyptus, and crackle. I'm not super fond of the name and if anyone has any better suggestions I'm all ears. It is still based on eucalyptus, specifically rainbow eucalyptus, which has very colorful and patchy bark. Meganium's neck flower is still here, but now it looks like a eucalyptus flower. In place of the stamen antennae is a small flame. It is now much better at controlling its flammable sap than when it was a Bayleef. This allows it to explode while not fainting, and it will do so to spread the seeds of the trees it lives with. I based this trait off of the fact that sme tree species need fire to release their seeds. It now has the ability "Blastproof" that allows it to use moves like Explosion and Self-Destruct while remaining at 1 hp instead of fainting.

If you picked Cyndaquil it will evolve into [Regional] Quilava, the Volcano Pokemon, fire/ground. Unlike Johtonian Quilava, it remains as an echidna. The skin on its back has hardened into a shell of packed earth. Craters in this shell release jets of flame when it is startled or fights. The people of this region claim that is is the original form of Quilava and the form found in Johto is a mutation.

Quilava evolves into Volchidna, the Volcano Pokemon, fire/ground. Its name comes from volcano and echidna. It now truly lives up to the name "Volcano Pokemon", as the shell of earth on its back is home to a volcano. It constantly produces magma within its body, which causes pressure to build up until it erupts, scattering ash and magma all over the place. Despite this, it is not considered a destructive force as the places where it erupts see greater plant growth afterwards. This is based on how volcanic ash is very nutrient-rich and encourages plant growth.

If you picked Totodile, it will evolve into [Regional] Croconaw, the Crocodile Pokemon, water/dark type. It is much more wild and unruly than its Johtonian counterpart. It lurks in streams, ponds, and billabongs with its tail curled up in the shape of a spring and pressed against a rock. When prey passes, it uses its tail to shoot forward in a powerful attack. It will be slightly disoriented upon doing this, so any prey not defeated by the first attack should take the chance to flee.

Croconaw evolves to Sarviyip, the Bunyip Pokemon, water/dark. Its name from from Sarcosuchus (a massive prehistoric crocodilian), leviathan, and bunyip. It is based on saltwater crocodiles and the bunyip. The bunyip is a creature or spirit in aboriginal Australian mythology that lurks in the water and drags passersby to their doom. This is very similar behavior to how crocodiles hunt. Just about every depiction of the bunyip has it look different, so I feel safe turning it into a crocodile. Sarviyip is the apex predator of the shoreline and can hunt in fresh and salt water. It can sit in place for up to a month while waiting for prey to pass. It will then lunge forward and attack with a massive bite capable of shredding boat hulls. Any prey not defeated in the first strike will be dragged underwater, never to be seen again.

Someday I would like to c0m1$$ion art of these so they don't look terrible, but today is not that day. I am having fun doing this and would like to draw more of my ideas.