#Pokémon GO park

[chiikawahypemomentsandaura]

Merry Christmas everyone!!!! And happy holidays to those who don’t celebrate!! I hope everyone’s having a good time with family and friends🫶🫶🫶here’s some stuff I got + a little bit of a room remodel after getting LED lights and getting rid of my bell collection (don’t worry, all 70+ bells are in boxes now)

[blackuigryphonvr]

🍁🍂🎃✨️🦌🪨 #Xerneas & #Sawsbuck in the Mossy Park #autumn #fall #foliage #AutumnFoliage #FallFoliage #NewEngland #NewEnglandFoliage #autumnwalk #MyPokemonGoAutumn #AutumnLeaves #AugmentedReality AR+

[alangdorf]

Oh ya speaking of sewing. Updates to old projects I forgot to post: new blouse & apron for the dirndl, and I added a smocked panel + some barely visible blue embroidery at the hem to Ephy’s pink dress

[nerdytreasuresbyamy]

Been wildly busy prepping for Pokemon go festival 2024! If youre in/around Nashville, ill be sat in the shade at Centennial Park with hats, come and see me :)

[deathbyclown]

Met a cute little feller today!!!! 🥺😩🥰

(Ignore my crusty hands!!!)

[goldensunset]

did you get the surf team yet in bw?? if you go back to your hometown area there’s a river area you can swim through that’s leads to a secret area. you can also find an npc there who you give you a rare egg of a pokemon you can only catch once. have fun!

i’m assuming you meant to say surf hm? i only have one hm so far i think which is kinda surprising. do i actually get surf soon? i only just reached castelia city

[pikanepgamer]

[kieraelieson]

Do I have any tumblr friends who play Pokémon Go and are not yet my friends? 👀

Here’s my trainer code, let’s play together~!

097038782954

[beingjellybeans]

Holiday Bliss in Hong Kong: Your Guide to a Festive Wonderland

Imagine stepping into a holiday postcard—twinkling lights overhead, the scent of festive treats in the air, and music that warms your heart even in the winter chill. This season, Hong Kong transforms into a spectacular haven of holiday magic, offering Filipino travelers a chance to create extraordinary memories with family, friends, or that special someone. From enchanting Christmas markets to…

[dreams-in-daylight]

.

[sibellaa]

Literally just want to drive around to fully take in my newly functioning AC but it’s 1 am and there’s no place worthwhile to go within a reasonable distance.

[reiyaus]

fem reader intended | part two of this

fratboy! gojo who meets up with you after getting your contact info the other night, laptop prepared to explain the important of card trading.

fratboy! gojo who, for once, finds it fun to converse with someone other than his small circle of friends. he can't deny the fact he finds you cute when you get confused- not like he'll tell anyone. (more under cut!)

fratboy! gojo whose friends are starting to notice that he isn't partying as much as he did before, but instead, actually attending his classes. to say that they were surprised is an understatement.

fratboy! gojo who walks with you during breaks only to hear you talk, whether it be about pokémon or whatever. with you, he can escape the frat-party life and settle down into a mellow, drunk-free personality. sure he can do that with his friends, but it comes naturally when with you.

fratboy! gojo who sets up chill hangouts when he realizes you aren't as interested in loud environments as him. from walks in the parks, a 1-hour pottery session, or cafe hopping around town- you find yourself enjoying every second of it.

fratboy! gojo who introduces you to his friends, embarrassed when they mention how he'd turn off dnd just to check if you replied. you laugh, comparing him to a clingy dog (which he is) and he feels himself dying even more.

fratboy! gojo who decides that he wants to properly confess his feelings for you during the night of valentines. take you out like normal and bring out the gift he prepared in his trunk. simple, right?

fratboy! gojo who couldn't stop cheesing anytime you looked away, yet acting flustered whenever you noticed. in his mind, he was the greatest at hiding his emotions- but you knew right away that something was up. considering how he asked to match with you, on valentines day.

fratboy! gojo who brings you to a secluded part of the beach where you could see the stars clearly, and has to calm himself down before making a fool out of himself (like he hasn't already).

fratboy! gojo who starts off by bringing up the first day you met, chuckling at how he found quietude in the midst of a party.

fratboy! gojo who takes your hands in his so gently, smiling at how well yours molded together. with one hand holding yours, he reaches into the back of his car and brings out the small basket he made.

fratboy! gojo who filled the basket up with your favorite snacks, a box of high-quality trading cards, a bracelet, and most importantly, a multipage, hand-crafted letter. stuck onto the back, was a candid polaroid he took of you the first time you hung out. aka, the day he realized he loved you.

fratboy! gojo who stumbles across his words, unable to properly convey the script he had in mind. his worry took over him when you didn't respond to anything he said.

fratboy! gojo who pauses after hearing your laugh, and looks up to see the same eyes he fell in love with staring right at him with such adoration. you're smiling. and soon, he finds himself smiling even harder.

fratboy! gojo who has to stop himself from cheering when you formally accept his confession. going as far as to exit out the car to give you the warmest embrace. melting in your arms, he finally has all the reason to kiss you on the cheek.

boyfriend! gojo who slowly retires from the party-life (and possibly playboy), and while still remaining in his frat- he'd very much rather spend his nights with you in his arms.

restful and content, satoru couldn't have asked for a better way to meet you.

a/n: for that one person who wanted it to be platonic... im sorry [sweat]... NEXT TIME! i really want to write "intimacy with platonic!gojo" or any other jjk character. also ignore how i portrayed gojo as a playboy (kind of) in the first part, i lowk forgot abt that when writing pt 2

taglist (only tagged those that asked) @ourfinalisation @cheriiepies @megumisthirdog @leabyjulia @blessingdancing @seternic @gojoscumslut @backinmyphase @cutieminaaa @wandabillywrites @shycreatorreview @bypanana @ilovemyhusbandnanami @l1v1ngzomb1e @raendarkfaerie @hellogojofan @exclusiverinaa @just-lilita @satorushousewife @jaeminaur @mjsjshhd @kaybug88 @minascasket @sapphireillusions @ravenbc @psoycy @juicus

[characterlimit]

thinking about Pokémon Go Summer (again) and how it likely blew up so much because adults finally had an excuse to Go Outside And Play in a way that met them where they are. Like, over time the ever-present threat of public humiliation/being filmed for some bastard's TikTok has done such a number on folk that some can't just relax and goof around and express themselves anymore, limiting their outdoor play to organised sports or maybe a yearly game of Frisbee In The Park. But to have an excuse to be playing outside on your phone? Something literally everyone is doing all the time? With a globally recognisable and easily accessible media property? Having a reason to be curious and explore your local surroundings, and talk to strangers in your environment, even if that reason is something as trivial as "there's a Dragonite over there"? Inspired. World-changing. Shame Niantic fucked it so hard

[woso-dreamzzz]

New Girlfriend IV

Lucy Bronze x Teen!Reader

Summary: Pokémon card trade night

"Don't," Lucy says as Ona watches her.

"I haven't said anything."

"But you're going to go."

"You're a good mum, Luce," Ona says earnestly," And I know she thinks so too."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with?"

"I just got off a plane. I'll stay here with Narla. Go and bond with your daughter."

"At trade night?" Lucy says in disbelief," And sweaty Pokémon fans? I'll try."

"Yes," Ona laughs," You're a real hero for that."

Lucy shoves on her shoes and coat, leaning up the stairs. "I'm leaving!" She yells," So you're either coming to trade night or I'm going to KFC!"

She waits barely a second before a thump comes from your room, sounding suspiciously like a game controller being flung at a table.

You come sprinting down the stairs, tying the drawstrings of the tracksuits bottoms that you've clearly just shoved on.

"I'm coming! I'm coming! Hi, Ona. I'm coming!"

Ona laughs. "Hi, y/n. Have fun at trade night."

"Mum couldn't convince you to come?"

"I think I'm happy getting over the flight."

"Your loss." You shrug, turning back to Lucy. "So, are we going or not?"

"I hope you're not playing on bringing that mouse with you."

You frown, looking down at the pocket at the very front of your jumper, where Ezio pokes his nose out of.

"I'll..." You laugh nervously. "I'll put him back. Don't leave without me!"

It's not often that you like leaving the house. For school and for Lucy's games and (more frequently now you're back in England) seeing your grandparents.

Most of the time, you don't leave the house because you want to, but rather because you have to.

Except for nights like these, at the local 'nerd shops' as Lucy calls them to trade some Pokémon cards.

"You've got everything?" Lucy checks as she finds a parking space out on the street," You didn't bring all your binders."

"I brought my trade binder and a few of my other sets that I need to fill up."

"Your...trade...binder?"

You roll your eyes, swinging your bag over your shoulder and slamming the car door shut. "Yes, my trade binder. It's got all the cards that are duplicates and I don't mind trading away for other ones."

"I don't get this," Lucy says, hands in her pockets as she walks up to your nerd shop," You don't even play the card game."

"It's not about playing the card game. It's...It's..."

"It's?"

"I just like it, okay? Is that too much to understand?!"

Lucy's teasing smile is wiped off her face. "Hey, no, wait. I'm so-"

"Leave it," You say, shoving past her," I wish Ona were here instead!"

Lucy watches you go in, hand still out and reaching for your shoulder.

People have told her so many times how good she's done at raising you. Your teachers have nothing but glowing remarks. You're smart and studious and you didn't interrupt in class. Perhaps you could talk more but that's not a life ruiner.

Her friends have always said you're polite and you speak well and you don't purposely try to get under their skin. You're nice and you're sweet and you're friendly with everyone.

But Lucy can never fully understand you.

She's always been moving, even as a child. She'd played football for as long as she can remember, always high energy, always going-going-going until she had no more energy to go any longer.

You're not like, not in that way anyway.

You're more reserved and solitary, happy to sit in your room with your gaming consoles and your YouTube videos and your mice.

This card collecting thing had happened when she was still with Keira and away for the weekend. Keira had bought you a pack while at the store and you'd been hooked ever since.

Lucy can't even remember the last time your allowance hadn't been spent on those dumb plastic booster packs. She's never understood it.

Keira used to take the reins on this kind of thing while they were still together so Lucy's way out of her comfort zone when she finally steps inside of the nerd store.

It's more packed than she thought it would be, with people of all ages.

She catches sight of you up ahead. It's hard not to when you're wearing the Assassin's Creed coat she got you for Christmas last year and your binders are kept safe in the Mario Kart backpack you usually use for school.

Lucy fights the crowd to get to you.

"Whoa. Are you Lucy Bronze?"

There's some little kid staring up at her, clutching a binder with wide eyes and their mouth hanging open.

"I am."

"Wow! Can...Can...Mummy! Mummy can you get my Squirtle? I want Lucy Bronze to sign it!" The kid turns back to her. "I don't have my Bronze shirt with me but can you sign one of my cards?"

It's not the weirdest thing Lucy's ever had to sign but it's certainly the weirdest place she'd ever signed anything.

"Sure, kid!"

"Thank you," The mother says as Lucy grabs a pen from a random table. "It means the world to him."

"Mum!"

The pen has just been uncapped when Lucy looks up, stopping everything she's doing to respond to you.

"Yeah, what's up? Are you okay?"

Her eyes rove over you, checking for bumps and bruises but coming up empty.

"You can't sign that!"

"What?"

The little boy's bottom lip wobbles and you nearly push Lucy out of the way to kneel down in front of him.

"You don't want her signing a common card," You tell him," Get her to sign this instead." You produce a card from your trade binder.

It's an illustration rare Squirtle from your Scarlet and Violet 151 set.

The little boy gasps, reaching for the card your offering but his mum stops him.

"This is trade night, Micheal," She reminds him," Give her something in return."

You gave him a grin, sitting cross legged on the floor.

"You got a binder for me to look through?"

The boy nods hurriedly, prying it out of his mother's hands to flip through.

"Which one do you like? Why don't you pick me one out?"

You give the little boy your 151 Squirtle Illustration Rare and he gives you a Paldean Fates common Fidough.

Lucy signs the new Squirtle card with a little frown, waving as the boy and his mother head off.

"Why'd you do that?" She asks, arms over your shoulder so you can't escape again.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid," Lucy says," I know that was a rarer card. I know you've already got like twelve of the card you got in return. Why'd you do it?"

You shrug. "I don't know. It made him happy. Does it really matter?"

"Yeah but..."

Lucy goes quiet, glancing back at that little boy.

She made him happy by signing his card. You made him happy by giving him one.

You've never asked her why she signs people's jerseys.

Lucy glances back over at you as you trade away cards for new ones and open packs amongst people that are just like you.

Her hand itches to open one with you but it's just a twitch in her fingers. She keeps it by her side though, refusing to interrupt this safe space you've built for yourself.

The staff here know you by name and Lucy doesn't want to ruin that for you.

So, she stays in the background, looking through the shelves and through the bulk items and holding some of your half finished binders of sets that you're yet to complete.

"You looking for anything specific?" One of the staff members asks, leaning against the table as Lucy looks up like she's just been delivered a fairly painful electric shock.

"No!" She says hurriedly, hoping to fade into the background like she's been doing for most of this evening. "No, I mean...er...My kid...?"

The woman laughs. "I get it. First trade night? Kid's excited? You have no idea what's going on?"

"Something like that," Lucy says," My-My ex-partner used to take her to these and my new one's waiting at home for us and I-" She sighs. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"I get it. First time for anything. So, you looking for yourself or for your kid?"

"For her," Lucy says," I don't know. I'm just looking."

"Well," The woman replies," I'm happy to help any parent out of their depth. Any specific sets or Pokémon?"

Lucy tries to rack her brain for anything you've mentioned specifically before, coming up short for a little while before:

"Eevee?" She asks cautiously," No, not Eevee. The evil Eevee? You know, the black one with the ears and the rings?"

"Umbreon?"

"Yeah, that! She's trying to collect all of them."

"Ah, now that I can help with."

Lucy's hands shake as she approaches you.

You've found a little corner to sort through all your new cards, slipping some of them into binders waiting for only a scant few more.

"Hey," Lucy says, uncharacteristically nervous as you look up at her.

"Hey?"

"I...er..." She clears her throat. "I got you a gift. A few gifts, I guess."

She places her offerings in front of you and you shuffle through them, eyes getting wider and wider.

"You got me a Moonbreon?!"

Lucy finally makes eye contact, alarmed. "No?! I promise I told the girl Umbreon! I'll get you a new one. Crap. I didn't mean to make a mista-"

You crash into her, arms curling around her as she cautiously puts her arms around you as well.

"It's the nickname of the card, Mum," You say," I've been looking for one for ages. It must have been expensive. Thank you."

"Of course, pumpkin," Lucy says," Of course."

You look up at her, searching for something that Lucy hopes she's showing in her eyes.

"Do you...Do you want to open some packs with me?" You look hopeful and Lucy's throat goes dry as she nods.

It's late when you finally look to be winding down and people finally start looking like they're leaving the store.

You snag Lucy's sleeve.

"I..Can you open these for me?"

You hand over two packs.

One's in English.

One's in Japanese.

Lucy frowns.

"These look...old..."

"They are," You admit," It's the base set. Like, first edition."

"These must have been expensive."

You bite at your lip. "I traded away my completed Brilliant Stars set. These are probably worth more but I think the guy who had them just wanted them gone. I..I can't open them myself. Can you?"

"I can. Don't worry."

Lucy fights to keep her hands from shaking as she tears open the packets.

She swipes through each card. They're completely meaningless to her but you freeze.

"Is this good? Godzilla?"

"Charizard."

"Huh?"

"Godzilla's a movie franchise, Mum. That's Charizard."

"Oh, is it?"

You shakily offer her your Japanese packet. "Mum, here."

The second Charizard is in your hand a moment later.

"Whoa!" Lucy laughs," What's with all the hugging today, huh?"

"You're the best," You tell her earnestly," I don't tell you enough but you're the best, Mum."

Lucy smiles at you, kissing the top of your head. "Just want to make you happy."

[snoopychris]

nerd!matt and cheerleader!reader headcanons

warnings: very cheesy romance stuff, light smut near the end, mentions of masturbation

nerd!matt who... walks around with his headphones in all the time (he’s listening to clairo and beabadoobee.)

nerd!matt who... has always lived in his brothers shadows, he had a presence hardly ever mentioned by anyone at the school.

nerd!matt who... spends his free time building legos and playing nintendo games

nerd!matt who... loves taking late night drives and sitting on the beach, even when it’s snowing.

nerd!matt who... has had the same pokémon backpack since middle school 

nerd!matt who... eats lunch in the science room so he doesn’t sit alone in the cafeteria 

nerd!matt who... has a diary where he writes he writes about his days 

nerd!matt who... has been pining for cheerleader!reader ever since chris threw a party at their house while their parents were out of town

nerd!matt who... held cheerleader!readers hair up while she was throwing up at said party 

nerd!matt who... kind of begs Nick to take more pictures of cheerleader!reader for the yearbook

nerd!matt who... claims to go football games to cheer on chris but is really cheering on the cheerleaders

nerd!matt who... comes into close contact with cheerleader!reader often but always seems to struggle saying anything more than “how are you”

nerd!matt who... has a playlist of songs that make him think of cheerleader!reader

nerd!matt who... gets extremely flustered when he has to sit next to cheerleader!reader in any situation

nerd!matt who... he could trade lives with chris for just one day so he could have a chance with his cheerleader

cheerleader!reader who... first noticed nerd!matt when her parking spot was assigned next to his but first really noticed him at her birthday party 

cheerleader!reader who... doesn’t have romantic interest in any of the football players, despite everybody thinking otherwise 

cheerleader!reader who... is the first to defend nerd!matt whenever anybody talks about him

cheerleader!reader who... wore a pokémon shirt to “dress like your young self day” in hopes that matt would talk to her

cheerleader!reader who... lowers her voice when talking to matt so he doesn’t run away

cheerleader!reader who... asks matt if he has a spotify one day and gets really sad when she sees a playlist who she thinks is about another girl

cheerleader!reader who... tries to convince chris to throw more parties at his house (matt won’t be seen at a party otherwise)

cheerleader!reader who... always invites matt to play party games with them even though he always denies it

cheerleader!reader who... begs nick to let her come over sometimes so she can see matt

cheerleader!reader who... makes sure she always makes matt feel welcome

cheerleader!reader who... tells the science teacher all about nerd!matt in her free time during his class because no other teacher will listen 

cheerleader!reader who... keeps an eye on the music nerd!matt is listening to and wears band tees the next day

cheerleader!reader who... always tries to talk to nerd!matt about his interests and truly is interested

cheerleader!reader who... wishes that she could just for one day not be a cheerleader so she could talk to matt normally without him freaking out over it

cheerleader!reader and nerd!matt who... mutually pine over each other without even knowing it

nerd!matt who... is most definitely still a virgin but “doesnt really care about that stuff”

cheerleader!reader who... would probably give anything to sit on matt’s lap 

nerd!matt who... would be lying if he said he had never thought of ruining the short cheerleading uniform with his own cum

cheerleader!reader who... sometimes listens in on matt’s whimpers through his door when she’s spending time with nick and chris

nerd!matt who... hates to admit that he sometimes looks at pictures of cheerleader!reader on instagram while jerking off

๋࣭⭑ dividers by @bernardsbendystraws !

๋࣭⭑ taglist(reply or message to be added!) : @sophand4n4 @mattssslutbby @frankoceanfanpage

๋࣭⭑a/n: thank u so much for the support omg?? i was actually not expecting that at all but had this already ready so here i am! i love u all so much! kiss kiss - gen.

[holyblonded]

up in the mountains | something blue

pairings: alexia putellas x teen!reader, barcelona femeni x teen!reader

summary: as team captain, alexia plans a bonding trip… to the mountains

warnings: fire

notes: this was requested and unfortunately i lost the request but i am so happy it was omg 😭

“Nature disgusts me,” you announced with pure venom, glaring at the stretch of green grass like it had personally offended you.

Vicky, crouched beside you and holding her phone to the sky like it was a lifeline, muttered darkly, “Blame Alexia. No bars. I repeat, no bars.”

Just ahead, the team was unloading from the cluster of black vans parked along the gravel road, suitcases being dragged, doors slamming, voices rising in excitement. The older players, Alexia, Lucy, Marta, and Irene, were already oohing and aahing over the “fresh air” and the “majestic silence of the mountains”. Even Sydney was smiling like she was in a tourism ad, hands on her hips and soaking in the view like a very relaxed puppy.

Meanwhile, you and Vicky were two gremlins hunched over your phones, trying to find a single signal bar like it was a rare Pokémon.

Frido tried to snap a picture of the valley and accidentally caught you flipping off your phone. Then Alexia marched over, wearing sunglasses, a whistle around her neck, and holding a clipboard like she was organizing the Olympics.

“Phones. Now.” You and Vicky both recoiled.

“I just got to 1% of an Instagram—”

“Don’t make me take them out of your hands,” Alexia said in that terrifying mom voice.

You sighed dramatically, handed yours over like you were giving away your firstborn, and glared at her.

Alexia turned to the group. “You have ten minutes to put your bags away, change into hiking clothes, and meet back out here. We’re doing the trail to the lake before it gets dark.”

Groans filled the air. Yours was the loudest.

“Oh!” Alexia added with far too much joy. “Room assignments. Vicky, Sydney, and Azulita, you’re together.”

All three of you high-fived like you’d just won the Champions League. But the celebration was short-lived. You grabbed your rolling suitcase, dramatically dragging it like it weighed a hundred kilos up the rocky path to the cabins. That’s when you felt it.

Squish. You looked down.

“Is that…?”

“Ew,” Vicky confirmed, gagging.

“Why would any creature just… go right there?” you yelled to the heavens, foot frozen mid-step.

The rest of the team burst out laughing as you angrily scraped your shoe on a rock, declaring loud and clear, “I hate nature. I will never love nature. This is my villain origin story.”

Inside your cabin, the room had that weird old-wood smell that made you feel like you were going to inhale a splinter. You kicked off your desecrated shoes, set them outside on the balcony, and collapsed onto the nearest bed.

“This room needs air,” Vicky coughed, yanking open the sliding door.

You squinted at her. “You know a bear could walk in.”

“I would welcome the bear,” she said, dramatically flopping backwards. “Let it put me out of my misery.”

Ten minutes later, you, Vicky, and Sydney headed back down, all in hiking gear (reluctantly, in your case). The rest of the team was gathered at the trailhead, already stretching like this was fun.

You found yourself walking next to Lucy on the hike, which was unfortunate because Lucy was being… Lucy.

“Those shoes aren’t even good for hiking,” she said, nodding at your backup sneakers.

“Says the woman dressed like she’s going to scale Everest,” you shot back.

“At least I look prepared. I bet you didn’t even pack sunscreen.”

“I did,” you sniffed. “I just didn’t pack the will to live.”

“You should really work on your attitude.”

“Oh I’m so sorry, let me knit a gratitude journal out of moss.”

The bickering continued until a blur of movement on the trail made you stop short.

“Was that—?”

“A frog,” Lucy said, squinting into the bushes.

“Gross. Nature is trying to assassinate me.”

“Relax. It’s probably more scared of you than— wait, where’s the path?”

You both looked around.

The trees all looked the same. The rocks all looked the same.

“YOU got us lost,” you snapped, spinning in a circle.

“Me? You’re the one who screamed and ran when the frog hopped.”

“That frog jumped with intent, Lucy. It had murder in its eyes.”

“Aren’t teenagers supposed to be resilient? Use your energy and figure it out.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Aren’t old people supposed to be wise? Use your wisdom, Lucy.”

She glared at you. “I’m not old.”

You glared back. “I’m not resilient.”

“STOP ARGUING,” someone shouted in the distance and then, through the trees, came the sound of footsteps, laughter, and Vicky yelling, “There they are! The Chaos Twins!”

Frido, laughing, pointed her camera phone at you both. “This content is going straight to the team group chat.”

Alexia looked like she aged five years in two minutes. “I leave you alone for ten minutes.”

“I’m blaming Lucy,” you said.

“She screamed at a frog!” Lucy shouted.

The team howled with laughter as you and Lucy marched… sulked back into the group like two feral children returning from war.

As the hike continued, you turned to Vicky and muttered, “This is why I don’t touch grass.”

And she patted your back solemnly. “Never again, my friend. Never again.”

You’re standing in the foyer of the Airbnb, soaking in sweat, covered in dirt, and deeply questioning why you ever agreed to this “team bonding” weekend. Your backpack is half unzipped, Vicky’s is leaking trail mix for some unknown reason, and Sydney’s holding up a leaf like it’s evidence in a crime scene.

Alexia stands in front of you like some camp counselor who’s clinging to the last threads of her sanity. She claps her hands once, sharp and authoritative. “Alright, listen up! Showers. Now. Then get dressed, we’re leaving for lunch in an hour and heading into the city. You’ve got thirty minutes, let’s move.”

You’re already planning your tactical shower-to-food route when Vicky sidles up next to you with a stupid grin on her face.

“So, Azulita… is San Francisco, like, basically LA with fog?”

You stop walking. “What?” you ask flatly, blinking at her.

“I mean, NorCal and SoCal, it’s all California, right? Like cousins?”

You stare. “No. NorCal and SoCal are not cousins. They’re enemies. Sworn enemies. Like Barça and Madrid.”

Vicky tilts her head. “So what you’re saying is, I should wear my Dodgers hat in SF?”

Sydney chokes on a laugh. You, however, are this close to throttling her.

You’re about to tell her to shut up, very politely, of course, when you open the door to your room and freeze.

There’s a goat. A whole live goat. Standing in the middle of the room, chewing on a pillowcase that definitely didn’t come from IKEA.

The three of you stare at it. It stares back. You close the door slowly.

You, Vicky, and Sydney exchange a silent look like you’ve just walked in on a horror movie in progress. Then, because you’re a masochist, you open the door again.

The goat is still there. It baaas at you. Loudly. No one moves. Not an inch.

And then, of course, Vicky sneezes. Because Vicky’s allergic to everything that breathes and/or grows in nature. Her dramatic head-whip sends you all crashing inside the room.

The goat goes absolutely feral. It leaps over the bed like it’s training for a Spartan race, knocks over someone’s suitcase (yours), and tries to eat one of Sydney’s socks. Everyone starts screaming. You scream the loudest. You’re from the city. You were not built for this. There’s a thunder of footsteps down the hall and Alexia, Lucy, and Irene burst into the room like some kind of elite goat removal squad.

“What the—” Irene starts.

Alexia just points at the goat, dead-eyed.

“Why is there a goat in your room?” Lucy manages, blinking.

“I DON’T KNOW!” you yell as you dodge a flying flip-flop.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Jana, Salma, Pina, and Ona are doubled over in laughter. Phones out. Recording everything. You already know your screaming face is going to be the next viral meme.

Eventually, after much cursing and impressive upper body strength from Irene, the goat is wrangled out. Everyone exhales. You lean against the wall, panting. Sydney lies face-down on the floor. Vicky sneezes again and mutters, “I think it peed on my hoodie.”

You think it might have. Then, because of course, the peaceful silence is shattered by a high-pitched scream from downstairs. Everyone sprints down the stairs like the cast of a bad sitcom. Smoke is curling into the air like someone summoned a demon with a burnt offering. Frido is under the smoke alarm, waving a towel so frantically it looks like she’s trying to take flight, while Ingrid spins in frantic circles shouting, “Where’s the extinguisher? WHERE’S THE EXTINGUISHER?!”

You grab it from behind the kitchen island, mutter “Jesus take the wheel,” and put out the tiny stove fire like a seasoned firefighter.

Alexia pinches the bridge of her nose. “What the hell happened?”

Frido looks sheepish. “I turned around for one second to ask Ingrid about sourdough and… boom.”

Alexia flips her clipboard over, glares at her detailed, laminated itinerary, and with a sigh so deep it feels spiritual, she says, “Okay. Change of plans. Everyone shower. Get ready. We’re going into the city now. I don’t care if you’re still wet from the lake, I need functioning adults in one location and no more livestock.”

There’s a collective groan, but you trudge back up the stairs, muttering under your breath.

You’ve come to believe that as much as you have nature, nature hates you.

You should’ve known it was gonna be chaos the second your foot hit Market Street. The team had barely walked three blocks into downtown San Francisco when someone yelled your name from across the street.

“YO, AZULITA! I SEE YOU!”

You turned, sunglasses sliding down your nose like you were in a movie, to find a random dude on a Bird scooter doing a full 180 mid-glide, nearly crashing into a trash can as he whipped out his phone to snap a photo of you like you were a rare Pokémon that had spawned in Union Square.

Frido blinked. “Did that guy just… recognize you?”

“Yep,” you said coolly, adjusting your hoodie like a celebrity trying not to be spotted… while very much enjoying being spotted. “I got clout here.”

You didn’t mean for it to sound cocky, but you’d played plenty of games in the Bay growing up. You had fans here. You were a LA kid, sure, but San Francisco knew who you were. Legends FC never lost a game up here. You used to eat NorCal teams for breakfast, and the tournament MVP plaques currently lived in Olga’s office right next to her garden tools and your old cleats from U14s.

Still, now that everyone had witnessed it, they decided, without discussion, without a single group vote, that you were now the official tour guide of the Bay Area, to which you groaned audibly.

As the group walked past the Embarcadero and down toward Mission, Vicky jogged up beside you, frowning at a mural.

“So… San Francisco is part of LA?”

You stopped dead in your tracks.

Everyone else kept walking for a full five seconds before realizing you weren’t moving. You turned to her slowly.

“Are you serious right now?”

She blinked. “I mean… they’re both in California, no?”

You sighed so hard your ancestors probably felt it. “We are in Northern California. I’m from Southern California. It’s a totally different culture. Different vibe. Different energy. This is Warriors territory. I’m Lakers. We have two football teams, they only have one, the losers. They put pickles in burritos up here. It’s lawless.”

Vicky turned to Sydney and whispered, “I think she’s making it up.”

“I heard that,” you snapped.

Sydney shrugged. “She does sound dramatic about it.”

Eventually, thankfully, you made it to your lunch destination. A small, tucked-away Dominican spot in the Mission District, decked out in Caribbean flags, painted in bright turquoise, and smelling like someone’s grandma had just smacked a pot of habichuelas on the stove.

The second you stepped through the door, the owner gasped.

“AZULITA? DIOS MÍO!”

“¡Tía Ana!” you beamed.

Tía Ana practically flew over the counter, wiping her hands on her apron, then hugging you so tight your teammates thought she was about to lift you clean off the ground. She started muttering in fast Spanish, “tan grande estás, mírate, por fin te crecieron las orejas,” and “tú sabes que eres bienvenida siempre, mi niña.”

(You are so big, look at you, you finally grew into your ears. You know that you are always welcome, my girl.)

You melted. You hadn’t seen her in years, but it felt like home instantly.

The rest of the team just stood there blinking like they’d been hit by a rogue piñata.

“Wait, what’s happening?” Lucy whispered to Sydney.

“I think she’s related to everyone here,” Sydney answered.

You switched straight into Spanish, your Dominican accent thick and fast, your words sharp and dancing with speed. The staff lit up and started talking back just as fast. Vicky tried to keep up. She failed within the first five seconds.

“She’s just saying words now,” Ona mumbled.

“I think she just ordered a car?” Salma added.

“Is this even Spanish?” Pina questioned.

You laughed with the staff, kissed cheeks, and then pointed at your group. “Yo ordeno por todas. No confío en ellas.” (I’ll order for all. I don't trust them.)

“Did she just say she doesn’t trust us?” Frido asked, clearly offended.

“Yeah,” Vicky said. “Probably because we thought San Francisco was in LA.”

You ordered everything. Mangu. Empanadas. Arroz con pollo. Tres leches. Tostones. Passion fruit juice. You were feeding a freaking army. Even picky Ona was licking her fingers and leaning back in her chair like she was ready for a nap.

Before you left, you snuck behind the counter, slid a thick wad of cash into the tip jar. Tía Ana caught you mid-slide.

“¡No necesitamos propina!” she hissed. (We don't need a tip!)

“Y yo no necesito reglas,” you grinned, dodging the flying handkerchief that came at you. (And I don't need rules.)

Back on the street, the whole team wandered through the city in a collective food coma. You found Frido with her hands tucked into her hoodie, staring at a sea lion plushie in a window display.

“You good?” you asked.

“I would die for plantains,” she whispered.

You kept moving. Taking selfies on cable cars. Debating if Alcatraz was haunted (Vicky said yes with too much confidence). Daring each other to eat sour candy so intense it made Salma cry a little.

And then, of course, because your life is a sitcom, you stumbled across a local park having a football tournament.

It was full-on community chaos. Kids in oversized jerseys. Teens with glitter on their cheeks. Loud parents yelling things like, “¡PONTE LAS PILAS!” and “RUN, KEVIN, RUN!”

There was even a hand-painted sign that read: Bay Area Community Cup.

You should’ve kept walking. Instead, Frido looked at the pitch and muttered, “Bet we could win that.”

Lucy squinted. “You’d sprain your hip.”

Frido scoffed. “At least I didn’t tear my ACL in ‘09.”

Gasps all around. War declared. And that’s how, ten minutes later, you had two teams:

Old School: Frido, Lucy, Ingrid, Irene, Patri, Gemma, Alexia (coach), Marta (holding a burrito in one hand and a cone in the other).

New School: You, Vicky, Sydney, Salma, Pina, Jana, Ona, Ellie. Caro (forced to be the coach) Aitana (volunteer to be the assistant coach)

Alexia flat-out refused to play. She stood on the sidelines with a clipboard she found in someone’s lawn chair. Marta wore sunglasses and yelled tactical advice between bites of her burrito.

Caro was basically forced into her position, but took it extremely seriously. Next to her, Aitana was drawing up battle plans.

The local organizers looked like they were going to faint.

“Is that… is that Barcelona?”

“IS THAT AZULITA?!”

Within twenty minutes the park was packed. TikTok lives. Kids screaming. Someone was selling elotes now. A local dad was narrating the match on a microphone like it was ESPN.

The final match came down to Old vs. New.

3–3.

So you went to penalties.

The tension was so high you could taste it in the air. Sydney was pacing. Vicky was stretching like she was about to do yoga, not take a pen.

You were last. It was down to you.

If you scored, New School won.

You stepped up, spun the ball in your hands. Frido shouted from behind the line: “You better not miss, LA!”

You turned slowly. Gave her the most disrespectful wink in history.

Deep breath. Run-up. Boom. Top corner.

The net snapped.

You ripped your shirt off like it was the World Cup Final, sprinting around the pitch screaming, “CALIFORNIAAAAAAAAA!”

People were cheering like you’d just won Olympic gold. Sydney chased you with a water bottle. Vicky dove on your back. You ducked her and started windmilling your arms like a helicopter.

Yes, there were medals. Cheap, plastic, probably from Party City, but you wore yours like it was pure gold. There was a trophy, too. It looked like it used to hold lemonade. You kissed it anyway.

Alexia took at least fifty pictures. “For Olga,” she said with a smirk.

You posed dramatically, medal in mouth, trophy over your head. “Tell her I’m the Bay’s MVP.”

“She’s gonna cry-laugh when she sees this,” Alexia said.

Later that night, back at the Airbnb, you sat on the couch like a god. Medal on your neck. Hoodie off. Hair wild. Eating a bag of Hot Cheetos like you’d earned every crumb.

“You know,” Vicky said, “Northern California is not that bad.”

You crunched loudly. “Still smells like fog and tech bros.”

But you smiled anyway. Because this was the most fun you’d had in a long, long time.