#Jounouchi's energy might be a bit Much for Alan after a while

[sage-nebula]

Def Jounouchi and Alan, as other ppl have already pointed out x)

I am immensely proud that this is my legacy, and I say that genuinely.

[sage-nebula]

4 7 and 10 please!

4.) describe your favorite character or characters

Well, I’m pretty sure we all know who my favorite character is. 

(Have you ever seen a more perfect expression on any boy’s face than the expression on Alan’s right now in this gif? Asdfdsafldsjfdfdjsalfdas ♥ It’s honestly an expression of pure love, my heart can hardly handle it)

But of course I can talk about both of these beautiful boys. ♥

Though that said, it’s a bit hard for me to describe Alan because every time I want to talk about him, I end up having the thought equivalent of a keysmash in my head. There’s just so much that I absolutely fucking adore about him (and so much that I relate to) that it’s hard for me to even know where to begin. But to try and find a place to start off from …

I’ve realized recently what, specifically, my “type” is when it comes to fictional characters, and that “type” is “Determinator.” I love characters who are, as Undertale so memorably put it, “filled with Determination.” In my mind, there’s a difference between determination and Determination; standard determination is … well, standard. Most people are determined to do different things at different points in their lives. Most people can be persistent. But Determination is something different altogether. Determination is a refusal to quit no matter how insurmountable the odds. Determination is a refusal to run. Determination is a spirit that cannot be bridled or shattered. Determination is an unbreakable will. A Determinator may be wounded, may be splintered, and at times it may seem as if they are breaking, but they never truly do. They’re going through Hell, probably several times over, but they keep going. They claw and scratch for every inch. You don’t stop them until you stop the very last beat of their heart (and in the case of some, such as Jounouchi Katsuya from YGO, not even then). As TV Tropes so helpfully puts it:

“There is no stopping the Determinator. They do not know when to fold ‘em, and it’s a waste of time to tell them the odds. No one can reason with them. They’ll do whatever they have to without question. No price is too great to pay for success, up to and including their own life. Do not expect them to realize they might be better off letting it go, even if they can barely stand. If you’re ever kidnapped or lost with no hope of rescue, they’ll be the one who will find you. Their adversaries will shout, in exasperated rage, “Why won’t you die?!”

This is Alan. He may be quieter about it than some (most of the time, anyway), but we see time and time again in canon that he doesn’t quit, he doesn’t back down, and he doesn’t give a damn what the odds against him are. When Siebold, the water master of the Elite Four, questions the wisdom of using a fire-type against him—pointing out, truthfully, that the odds are severely stacked against Alan in that case—Alan admits that he is right … but then says that he and Lizardon are going to battle anyway, because “the bond between [them] will overcome reason.” Alan, in his own words, specifically intends to overcome reason (at least, he believes the bond between himself and Lizardon will). It doesn’t matter that good sense says that he’s at a severe disadvantage against Siebold. He’s going to do it anyway, to hell with the odds. In all honesty, it was a waste of time for Siebold to point that out.

And it doesn’t end there! When Mega Rayquaza attack, does Alan try to duck for cover? No. He tells everyone else to duck for cover, but then he and Lizardon fight. When Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre are threatening the earth, he goes to fight them. He insists he has to. When Lizardon is struck down and almost killed, Alan immediately goes after him. He faces the legendaries and only tries to get out of the way himself when Kyogre is literally thrown at him, and even then he has to be knocked unconscious to be taken out of the fight. He faces ten mega evolution users, including another member of the Elite Four, with nothing but sheer determination and his belief in Lizardon to get him through it, and they win. Even much later on, when he confronts Lysandre and finally learns the truth, although he does have a (very understandable) emotional breakdown when the weight of what he unintentionally did hits him, all it takes is a few words from Ash for Alan to be able to shelve his issues for the time being and keep fighting. Alan goes through absolute Hell both before and during the series, and yet he keeps going, regardless of the risk to his own life, regardless of what he suffers. It doesn’t matter. He sees what has to be done, and he does it, and he has the Determination to do so. This, combined with the fact that he’s pure-hearted, is exactly why Lysandre chose to employ and use him the way he did (i.e. this is what Malva determined during her battle with him in TSME 4, I’m certain of it).

Building on that, Alan is pure. Malva calls him “a pure boy” in TSME 4, and she’s not wrong. Alan is pure in the sense that he genuinely wants to protect people. He genuinely wants to defend them. He genuinely wants to work for the betterment of the world, and the people in it. This is how Lysandre pulls him in; not only does he tell Alan that Professor Sycamore needs to be protected (and Alan cherishes Sycamore and, as such, will do whatever it takes to protect him), but he also tells him that the mega evolution energy will be used for “peaceful purposes,” for a better world. This is something that Alan cares about. Yes, he specifically wants to protect his loved ones as well, but as we see time and again, Alan doesn’t only care for his loved ones. He cares enough to help save Pikachu from Team Rocket the first time he meets Ash. He cares enough to face two primal legendaries to try and save the world. He cares enough to question Lysandre about all of the people when he confronts him, and to feel open guilt and despair over how many people and pokémon were hurt during the Flare crisis when talking to Ash in the garden. Although he was used and manipulated by Lysandre, Alan’s intentions were always, always pure and good. He was striving to help and protect the entire world, because that’s something that matters to him. He was very earnest about this, and always has been. And that, along with the fact that he was young and innocent, allowed him to be completely taken advantage of by Lysandre.

But although he was innocent and taken advantage of because of it, Alan is far from stupid. In fact, he is incredibly smart. He is one of the few (and the only one I can name off the top of my head) to use actual competitive strategies in canon. Despite how young he is in the flashback in TSME 1, we see Sycamore discussing mega evolution with him on equal terms, not simplifying or holding things back out of concern that Alan won’t be able to keep up with the conversation. Alan is quick on his feet in battle, he’s observant, he helps teach and instruct Manon on multiple occasions (in TSME 1 he helps her catch a flabébé, and in TSME 2 there’s the explanation he gives her about what Steven and Lysandre are talking about when they’re discussing foundation / roots as it pertains to the Megalith). He’s able to pick out exact angles at a glance and knows exactly how to take advantage of that in the heat of battle. In all honesty, his intelligence was probably another appealing factor in Lysandre’s eyes; not only does he have a pure heart that can be easily taken advantage of, but he has a sharp mind that can be put to good use! What more could Lysandre ask for? (God, Lysandre was such a prick.)

Alan is unbelievably, beautifully brave. Setting aside all of the obvious danger he faces despite his own fears (and we see his eyes widen in fear and panic on numerous occasions—he just faces the danger anyway, because that’s what real courage is), he’s also able to stand up to and confront his abuser during the Flare arc, in a moment of true crisis and revealed trauma. That is huge. Yes, he does need some emotional support from Ash, but he still does it, before and after said support! It was so unbelievably brave for Alan to be able to do that, but courage—real courage—is a shining quality of his. You better believe it is.

And he’s compassionate and affectionate in his own way as well. He’s beautifully sweet with Lizardon (look at the gif above!). He watches out for others, especially those younger and less capable than he is. He’s protective and caring. He can be snarky and likes to tease sometimes, but it’s never cruel (well, he might be cold to people he doesn’t like, such as Louis, but even then it’s pretty mild). He has a sense of honor, too; after his second battle with Ash, wherein Ash collapsed in the middle of it, Alan refused to accept it as a victory on his part because the battle ended prematurely. Ash felt that Alan won, but Alan didn’t want to see it that way. 

This is ��� such an essay … but god damn I love Alan so much, I could talk about him for ages, as you can see, hahaha. But I want to talk about Lizardon a bit too, so with regards to Lizardon I will say:

While we’re never told this specifically in canon, I feel that it is absolutely, 100% fair to say that Lizardon’s nature is Adamant, because he is every bit as much of a Determinator as his trainer / partner / best friend / platonic soulmate is. Lizardon, like Alan, doesn’t quit nor give up until he’s actually dying (or the battle officially ends, as in TSME 1 against Siebold). Primal Groudon has to nearly kill him for him to stop in TSME 3, and he wins that gauntlet in TSME 4 fair and square. He never looks reluctant, either; as much as Alan presses forward, Lizardon is pressing right along with him. They believe in each other, they support each other, they fight together. Lizardon will never give up, not so long as Alan doesn’t. He has an Adamant nature, absolutely. There’s no question.

As much of an Adamant dragon as he is, though, Lizardon is also a big sweetheart. He’s a big, cuddly dragon who absolutely loves snuggles, who is very often on the receiving end of pettings and hugs from Alan (as seen above) and loves it. Hell, after the League victory, he even leans down for a proper hug rather than just a pet! He snuggles closer of his own volition! Sweet, snuggly boy. ♥ As fierce as he is in battle, Lizardon is quite friendly, and enjoys meeting and befriending new people and pokémon. Funnily enough, however, something I was thinking about the other day … I’d have to rewatch all of the episodes to make sure (darn), but I’m pretty positive that Lizardon never directly interacts with Lysandre, even when they’re in each other’s presence. At the least, he never emotes positively, unlike how he does with Sycamore (wherein he cheers when Sycamore congratulates him on evolving into charmeleon, and is so happy when Sycamore compliments him in XYZ036). That aside, Lizardon is very friendly and sweet. He’s just also fierce af in battle. ;)

And I love, too, that as much as it’s obvious that Alan loves Lizardon, that it’s obvious how much Lizardon loves and cares about and protects Alan—and also that, as much as they love and care about each other, they have actual conversations, Lizardon sometimes catches Alan off-guard with the things he says (showing that, yes, Alan understands him!!), and sometimes they disagree. They’re equals, they treat each other as such, and as a result Lizardon is not afraid to speak his mind to Alan, not afraid to show how he feels. They’re partners, two halves of a greater whole. They trust each other implicitly, completely, unspeakably, without question or hesitation. They never cease to amaze. ♥

Anyway, this is an actual essay, but I just love these two beautiful boys. ♥ The love between them is unconditional. The bond between them overcomes reason and surpasses its limits. They were the best thing to come out of the Kalos saga (and the anime in general imho, though to be fair they do tie with Ash and Pikachu), and I will love them ‘til the end of days. ♥

7.) would you want to live in the world of your current work?

Answered here!

10.) what song sums up your current work the best?

Ooooh, it’s hard for me to pick one song. Generally I have several songs that either fit particular scenes, or else encompass different parts of a fic, like a soundtrack of sorts.

As far as To Devour the Sun goes, I have several (in no particular order):

“Envy Revealed” - Senju Akira — This is the song I’ve always associated with the scene in chapter five when the massive chimera makes its appearance (and things go very, very, very south for Alan and Lizardon). 

“Don’t Give Up” - Toby Fox — Going along with the fact that Alan is a Determinator, as outlined above, this is a song that I rather associate with him in general, but in particular I imagine it going along with one particular scene … which won’t happen for another few chapters or so. Stay tuned.

“Alan’s Theme” - Miyazaki Shinji — That’s not the actual name of the track, but it might as well be for how often it was used as Alan’s leitmotif in the anime. Regardless, not only is this literally always relevant, but there is one scene in particular in which I imagine it playing during much later on in the fic. I can’t say what because of #spoilers, but I imagine it fitting perfectly nonetheless. God, my boy. I love him so very goddamn much.

“Megalovania (Vocal Piano Cover)” - Adriana Figeuroa — It’s more the sound of this one that works, as well as the overall intent, rather than the specific lyrics (because after all, the one that this would be directed at is neither human nor a child—though she does have quite a lot of L.O.V.E. to go on). However, it’s these lyrics that stuck out to me the most in regards to this:“So now you’ll stand and answer for yourself—prepare for a living Hell.The time has come.Nowhere to run.”It’s fitting (and “you chose to have LOVEd and lost” is fitting as well) … though I can’t say how or why at the moment.

“…” - Symphonic Evolutions — This is relevant battle music for later on. I won’t give any more details right now … but just trust me when I say that it’s relevant. And for that matter …

“Megalovania (Metal Cover)” - RichaadEB — So is this. (So as you can tell, someone gets very, very, very angry … Well, actually, multiple people and pokémon do, but in particular …)

And that’s all for now! As you can tell, it’s usually soundtrack music, haha. That’s often how it goes with this. On the other hand …

For the long one-shot I’m writing in response to the ficlet meme I reblogged a while ago (which is unnamed at this point in time), I do have several songs that I associate with that as well:

“Let it Out (English)” - Adriana Figueroa, original by Fukuhara Miho — I can’t link this one, unfortunately, since YouTube took it down, but this fits one of the relationships in the fic, and as such I’ve been thinking of this fic in particular whenever this song comes up. After all:“Through pain and fear, and rain and tears,we will hold on to the light.We’ll chase the dawn that waits for us beyond the darkest sky.Keep following that distant star, never walk away from who you are.Never forget that your future’s waiting up ahead!“As seasons change, and rearrange,and the sands of time descend.As all your hope starts vanishing, you’ll always have a friend …”

“Wouldn’t it Be Nice” - The Beach Boys — One of the characters sings this—or at least the first verse—at one point. I won’t say who; you’ll see when it comes up. He was just being cheeky, honestly, and he gets called on it. In case you don’t want to listen, the first verse:“Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older?Then we wouldn’t have to wait so long.And wouldn’t it be nice to live togetherin the kind of world where we belong?”

“Pokémon Theme Song” - John Loeffler / Billy Crawford — It’s also possible that the same character will sing the second verse of this one, and will pull in another character (the one who called him on the last one, actually) in for the chorus. But this one is less decided. (Either way, it’ll get a reference in another form, so …) And in case you’re not familiar, those lyrics that he’d be singing are:“Every challenge along the way, with courage I will face.I will battle every day to claim my rightful place.Come with me! The time is right—there’s no better team, yeah.Arm in arm we’ll win the fight that’s always been our dream!“It’s you and me. I know it’s our destiny!Oh, you’re my best friend, in a world we must defend.A heart so true, our courage will pull us through!You teach me and I’ll teach you …”(Note: He’ll modify it slightly. It should be “I know it’s my destiny,” but he changes it to “our” because he wants it to be a duet. =P And to be fair he gets his wish, as the second singer joins on “in a world we must defend.”)

And that’s all I have for that one for right now! Thanks for asking! ♥