#The reflection being looked upon|Pokemon

[galaxy-0f-muses]

@kitxkatrp asked: i couldn't help but feel so indifferent. Steven to Dianne (about his Dad maybe) 𝖝. 𝖆. 𝖓. 𝖆. — lyrics sentence starters.

"I. . . Can understand, to an extent." Not entirely, but she can comprehend the sentiment, at least. To not feel one way or the other about someone. . . She is so used to her mother's antics, that she felt similar. A sense of rage on occasion, perhaps, but mainly just. . . Nothing.

"I wonder what changes in a person to cause something like that. Such a feeling of. . . Silence and nothingness. Is it something that'll ever go away, do you think?"

[bluemoondust]

Can You Do Headcanon Yandere De N, Damian (Pokémon), Atsushi Nakajima, Odasaku And Marrow (RWBY) With A Motherly And Caring Personality Darling?, Thank You And Forgive My Bad English

A good chunk of these men are touch starved so this was fun to write 。^‿^｡ Also, no need to apologize! Your English is fine!

When it came to searching up Damian, this is who showed up so I hope I got the character right! Edit: My dumbass found out that Arven's name is Damian in the Spanish version of the game (plus he kept showing up when I searched up Damian). I hope I got this right so please let me know if I didn't!

✧Motherly Darling✧

✧Currently Playing✧: Lock Me Up by The Cab

Characters: N Harmonia (Pokemon), Arven (Pokemon), Nakajima Atsushi (BSD), Sakunosuke Oda (BSD), Marrow Amin (RWBY)

cw: fem!/gn!darling (implied, no pronouns)

Warning(s): Obsessive Behavior, Overprotective Behavior, Slight Paranoia and Stalking

✧N Harmonia✧

Instantly attached the moment you show genuine care for him. N had already heard from your Pokemon that you were a magnificent person. They would only speak praises upon praises about how you love them as much as family would. It warms his heart to hear such things. So when he interacts with you, learning that your kindness extends to people and not just Pokemon, he immediately wants to keep you around.

The man has never experienced true care outside of his caretakers (Anthea and Concordia) so he is incredibly touch starved. His lack of experience with actual human beings has distorted his views of humanity and the norm (especially with what Ghetsis has taught him), making him socially stunted. N, however, doesn't feel out of place when he's with you. He truly feels like an actual person and not a freak because of your patience and attentive nature. You were able to pinpoint his struggles and aid him when necessary, never chiding him for the habits he has (speaking quickly, his hyperfixations, the ability to speak with Pokemon, etc.). It was an issue he was facing with after Team Plasma dissolved, but now he feels a sense of security because of you.

That's why N isn't really fond of being away from you for too long. He's grown dependent on your motherly nature and refuses to let go anytime soon. As I mentioned before in his general yandere headcanons post, it's hard to say no to this man when he looks like a kicked Lillipup. You feel extremely guilty when you try to refuse his offers to hang out. He doesn't have anyone else and he finds comfort in you...maybe your friends can wait. N needs you right now.

✧Arven✧

This is the same case with Arven, but he's not willing to admit it just yet. Unlike N, he is not ready to be fully vulnerable due to the grievances he's faced as a child. As we all know, his mother/father wasn't around often and he became independent at a very young age. He is the type of yandere who will keep his feelings to himself as he admires you from afar. Your immense amount of love and affection was so...unfamiliar to him. Foreign. He didn't know how to deal with it at first.

Though one thing is obvious to him is that he can't get enough of it. You're always reminding him to take care of himself and helping out when you can. It was odd since he's used to doing everything on his own. It...it feels good to rely on someone else for once. Was he...missing out on this for all his life? Arven reflects on things before he becomes attached to you. It's somewhat subtle but at the same time obvious. He's always by your side and doesn't go out of his way to befriend others (not like he was trying to do that in the first place).

Arven is so protective over you. It may seem endearing at first, how he stands by your side whenever you're speaking to your own friends. He's like your guard dog or something like that. Holding your hand as he squeezes it gently (you've made it a habit to hold his hand and he certainly didn't object after a few times of it happened) as he glowers at your friends. You insist to yourself that it's just his usual expression, but it really isn't the case in this scenario. He can't fathom why you even need these people when he could obviously provide you with so much. His insecurities eat at him slowly everyday. Aren't you satisfied with having him around? You don't need them...

✧Atsushi Nakajima✧

From the moment you showed your unconditional affections and compassion, Atsushi couldn't believe you actually existed. Not only are you such a warmhearted person, but you don't even expect anything in return. His heart strings are pulled with every kind action and word you take/speak. Coming from a place of hardship and pain, Atsushi had to take some time to process the way you were. It was something he clearly wasn't used to but...he couldn't help but be drawn to it. It's odd to admit it but maybe, deep down, he craves this sort of treatment. Something you just can't get enough of once you have a taste.

Then there comes the fear. You're so precious and ever so kind. It's the perfect set of traits that horrible people like to ruin. The world is just like that; where awful human beings like to destroy the beauty of it all. You're no exception and Atsushi would be damned if he allowed you to meet the same fate. He becomes protective, and why wouldn't he? You're living in a city where danger seems to lurk in every corner. You...understand why he insists to walk you home, right? Not only to make sure you're safe, but also for peace of mind. Though, sometimes he finds himself searching (and following) around for you in secret whenever his paranoia strikes him.

Atsushi can't help it. He simply cannot lose you, a person who has shown his genuine care when no one else did. You are literally the light of his life. The very person who keeps him going. He'd do anything to ensure you are never in any danger. The thought of you dying out there frightens him to tears. Always holding your hand when when it's just the two of you, just to make sure you're still with him. He feels like it's his obligation to do all this. Otherwise...what good is he to you? There might be better people in the world for you but...but he wants you!

✧Oda Sakunosuke ✧

Congratulations, darling! You just earned yourself a protector who will stick by your side no matter what. Oda immediately could see how much you hold your heart on your sleeve (unless there's more to it as he observes you). He admires your personality and has no doubt that you're a light that shines brighter than most. You have his deep respects. The tenderness in your eyes and voice when you aid others is very evident. You're definitely too good for this world. He wonders if you ever have struggles of your own. Oda doesn't mind your care or concern for him, but do expect him to return the favor, no matter how much you protest against it. The two of you are both an adorable sight, honestly.

Still, as a yandere, Oda can be a bit protective but he isn't going overboard in his actions. He does work for the Port Mafia, so he does make sure you're under some form of protection in case of anything. I will say that he is the least yandere to concern yourself over due to many variables that keep it that way. His ability is incredibly useful if anything were to go wrong. However, even then, it doesn't get to that point unless someone really wants to seriously hit him where it hurts. Also, Oda doesn't get jealous often. He has faith in you, your kind hearted self, but he worries about how others can take advantage of your kindness. Oh, and he's honest about that. He sits down to talk to you about it and knows you'll listen, taking his words to consideration. What a lovely man he is.

Oda definitely introduces you to the orphans he's taken in. He knows you'll love them and in turn they'll love you as well. He believes they really do need someone with a motherly presence, given how they don't have that anymore. If he wasn't already obsessed with you before, watching you play with the kids certainly made him want you even more. You've been a lingering thought, a dream to be added to the one he already has. More than ever, Oda wants to be a novelist who writes with a view of the ocean...and you by his side with kids of your own (if you'd want that). His drive to leave the Port Mafia is stronger as he makes sure nothing from that organization reaches your senses. Don't worry...You two will have the life you always wanted.

✧Marrow Amin✧

Marrow is an open book when it comes to how he feels about you (for obvious reasons). However, he won't admit that outright. He has a reputation after all and he can't get mushy on the job. This is what he insists as he quickly grabs his tail to stop its wagging. A dead giveaway of course. Even if Marrow is an open book, that's only half of what's going on. He deeply appreciates your kindness and it's evidently in the way he looks at you when he believes no one is around. Unlike some of the other yanderes in this post, he doesn't have much insecurities. Sure, with his background as a faunus and the potential discrimination he had faced, it could brew about self esteem issues. However, Marrow does not dwell on all that, especially since he's made it this far in life. Even so, he really enjoys the way you treat him.

The man doesn't even have to ask for anything as you go out of your way to assist him. It's cute to him, but he presents his response as a smooth, "Oh, I had that covered" just to dismiss how much he appreciated the help. It's not like Marrow is undermining your actions...and he really does feel bad when he's alone with his thoughts. Especially when you're offering your help to others instead. A sense of guilt washes over him, but also jealousy. He honestly can't stand watching you give so much attention to the newcomers who General Ironwood made official huntsman and huntresses. Like, sure, they're young and impressionable (and he likes them too!) but aren't you supposed to be aid him? I mean, he's the rookie and all (something he doesn't say out loud a lot...). Marrow can't help but watch you longingly from afar.

He's come to be accustomed to your attitude, praise, and warmhearted behavior so it was a matter of time before Marrow became completely attached. He is now sticking by your side more, giving you puppy eyes for his morning coffee, insisting you check him for injuries despite the fact that he only got hit once while fighting some Grimm and much more. Heck, he even hopes you're watching him when training or fighting off Grimm so he can hear from you how amazing he is. It just feels special coming from you...There are times where you feel like all you see in your day is Marrow. It was if your schedule only revolved around being assigned to assist him. You don't question it too much, especially since Marrow was still new to the Ace Ops. He needed guidance and all the help he could get. Is that really true though?

[pumpkins-journal]

whaddup gaymers remember that pupy that was in one of the images taken with taicub? i looked more into it and found more info on the little guy!

Lupup

The Potential Pokemon

Type: Ghost/Fairy

Height: 1'08"/0.5m

Weight: 30.0 lbs/13.6 kg

Ability: Shadow Tag/Regenerator (HA: Reckless)

Lupup is a small, wolf-like Pokemon with dark blue fur. The beads around its mane clink gently as it moves, the sound sending chills through anyone who is around to listen. They are known to be aloof and serious, often keeping their distance and lurking in the shadows. Like most Ghost-type Pokemon, they can meld into the shadows around it, often using them as a means to get close and ambush their opponents. Lupup rarely attacks living humans and Pokemon, only doing so when they’re presented as a threat to its territory. Despite their stoic nature, they are fiercely loyal to those they care about and stop at nothing to hunt down those who bully the weak.

Lupup live in deep woods and forests, often keeping to themselves. Sometimes they watch Pokemon playing from atop tree branches and aren’t above joining in if invited to play. If a baby Pokemon is separated from its family, it will carry it on its back or keep it nestled under its wisp-like tail to keep it safe. It has a strong sense of responsibility and justice, and perhaps because of it, it can get reckless when in battle, often using the stronger attacks in its arsenal to ward off opponents, even if it exhausts them in the process. Because of its fierce loyalty, It has no regard to its self preservation and is prone to being mortally injured to keep its friends and allies safe, leaving behind nothing but a magatama-like stone from its mane, its will living on in the object and protecting its owner from beyond the beyond.

Accordingly to legend and fairy-tales, Lupups are known as heralds of the afterlife, and stalk their prey; other ghosts. They watch carefully as the deceased travels down its designated path, reflecting on their life. If they have done evil in life and regret their actions, Lupup will leave it alone so it will pass on. If the specter is rotten to its core however, this Pokemon will lunge, dragging it down to the underworld where it is tormented for eternity. If you get lost in a forest and feel a chill up your spine, Lupup is nearby, watching you carefully. If you are kind to its forest and its inhabitants, it will ward away potential danger until you’re safely escorted out of its territory. If you thank it as you leave, you’ll feel a breeze that carries its howl in response. If you are there with ill-intentions, however, Lupup will place a curse upon you, trapping you in its forest until you eventually perish, stalking your spirit until judgment falls.

This Pokemon has the potential to evolve into one of two types based on whether or not its friendship level is high enough at twilight or if its exposed to an item still unknown to us... I'll get back to you on that when I find out more about it!

Shiny Variation:

[lustrous-dawn]

The Fox of Gold

Zhen straightened up and made shapes with his hands. Using the dim light and the nearby reflective surface of the pool, he cast shadows with his hands, and the children’s bright eyes were immediately riveted by them, one being a lone man along the wall. 

“What if I told you kids, that this Ninetales was once a human?” 

“A human!?” The children had been told to keep far away from the humans for their own sake. But they were always curious about the creatures they lived alongside with.

“Yes! He lived on a small mountaintop. He was a farmer you see. His crops grew. He had a good harvest every year. Some would even say the best. Traveling merchants would always come to his small home on the mountain to get the best of the best. 

“But he never asked for more. He had everything he could have ever wanted. And it was all thanks to the Vulpix upon the mountain. They were fond of him.”

A glimmer of colors emitted from his hands, reflecting off the water. Foxes dancing about the human, the man crouching down to pet them. 

“He always took care of them. Sick, injured, or even to rest for a brief time. He offered his home to him and in return, they took care of his land. 

Then they started to disappear. One by one, they began to leave and with it, his crops started to wither. He didn’t understand. He thought maybe it was just the winter and the foxes had gone into hiding to sleep. 

Zhen’s tone became grave as he told the story, the children hanging off every word. Arashi bitting down on his lower lip, while Tora leaned in close, the glow in her eyes intensifying. 

“He saw then what was happening to the Vulpix, beneath the apple tree, their favorite.”

“They were…” Arashi didn’t want to finish the sentence. He rubbed at his cheek and his eyes as they lowered. 

“Yeah… The village around him. They didn’t like the foxes. They thought they were stealing from their storage during the harsh winter. The man felt like he lost his whole world then. His heart twisted with pain as he grieved. He cared for them like they were his own. Then the man looked towards the sacred mountain.”

Zhen paused, twisting his hands, the shadow making the grand mountain that stood over Johto this day. 

“He knew of the mystical Ho-oh who lived there.”

“Was it you?” Tora chimed in.

Zhen laughed. “It was way before my time, Tora. Also, it's too cold there. Why would I ever bother living there…”  Zhen paused, a whisper of thought creeping into his mind; of an image of the land that flourished and prospered, grander than the likes he had ever seen. 

He blinked. He had never been there. How… 

He shook his head, continuing as if there was never a misbeat, ignoring the strange squeeze around his heart. “That man was the first to climb the mountain. He did what no human has ever done. But he didn’t make it. Just before he could enter the Ho-oh’s domain, he crumbled into the snow, never rising.

“It was then, that Ho-oh saw him. She took pity on the human who had nearly made it to her. She bestowed him a new form to endure and brave the harsh winds and snow. One like the Vulpixes he looked after. But stronger. 

She had seen his compassion for the creatures of the land. His plight wasn’t one to be ignored. She wanted him to look after the Pokemon he loved but she gave him a rule. He mustn't use his fangs and claws against them, fearing he might hate for what they had done. 

“So rose the Fox of Gold, the Ninetales of the Golden Wind.”

[leggerefiore]

Red Chain

cw: angsty, Volo is being a bit creepy and manipulative but what's new, one-sided relationship (by Volo), love triangle

pairings: Cyrus/Reader, One-sided Volo/Reader

☄️ = Cyrus's ending, ⭐️ = Volo's ending

Volo had felt like a fool for centuries.

The one time a human stirred feelings within him, he had foolishly blind sided by his ambitions of claiming Arceus's power as his own so desperately that he lost you.

You opposed him fiercely. Your teams clashed at the ruined Temple of Sinnoh. Somehow, you overpowered his pokemon, which he had trained so competently. His rage swelled for but a moment as he called forth Giratina to put an end to your useless resistance to his goals. The choice of words he settled on did not reflect his true feelings.

Strike you down… That was the last thing he wanted. Volo wished you would stop going against his ideals and just let him force the deity down from its hiding to quell his curious mind and take its power as his own. Your death had no benefit to him.

Despite the strength of the Renegade pokemon, you managed to once again persevere and halt his ambitions. The legendary fled into its portal as he yelled curses and insults to both it and you. His feelings were an ocean of madness eating at his poor brain. He relented the final plate to you and watched as Arceus brazenly chose you over him.

Volo departed those ruins with a promise to see his plans to fruition, no matter the wait involved.

He had truly meant it.

Perhaps that was why Arceus had cursed him so.

It had been nearly a century and a half since he last laid eyes on you.

You had departed Hisui not long after you received the blessing of the deity to call upon it. After meeting it, your farewells had been bid to the people of the region as you decided to leave these lands and return to your own era. He had not even managed to see you leave.

Now, however, he stood in what used to be isolated cliffs and rocky terrain. It had been turned into a decent sized city in the now called region of Sinnoh. His feet carried him into the area with relative boredom. News about an organization attempting to call upon the legendary pokemon of Sinnoh to create a new world had called him here in bland curiosity.

There was not much he found enjoyment in any longer. He may have looked no older than a man in his twenties, but he was much, much older. A slight breeze moved his blond strands in its path as he stood in the street near a café. His heavy coat and brimmed cap made his face hard to see, annoyingly mistaken for his descendant a few too many times for his comfort.

It was supposed to be a relatively quick trip. Pop into Veilstone, check out this organization's building, see if any members would talk about how their plans failed, and leave. It was supposed to be easy enough.

You seemed to have a talent for spiting him, however.

Volo felt his feet come to an abrupt stop. Your clothing was entirely different from what he had observed you in during the Hisuian time period, but he could never forget your face. Before him, opposite of the street and pulling a man to a café, stood you. His heart raced. Had this been where you returned to, or was this you before having experienced the past.

The man you dragged caught his attention too, a notable resemblance to an old captain of yours, much too curious not to be acknowledged. Her descendant, almost certainly. You held his arm in your hand as you smiled brightly at him. His face was only stern at you. Volo felt envy boil inside him.

It was the way his body trembled at the sight which brought your attention on to him. Your grip on the man's arm ended as you gazed at him. Volo stared directly into your eyes. Recognition was instantaneous. You walked towards him in a trance-like state, clearly not wishing to believe it was truly him. Your partner caught on to your odd behaviour and reached a hand out to grab your shoulder.

Volo wanted to pout at how you stopped. Your attention went back to the blue-haired man. How could you fall for someone like him? His tenderness and discomfort ruminated in the open air. A whispered conversation was shared between you both, out of the blond's earshot. The man seemed even more unhappy after you finished whispering to him.

Before either of you could react, he pushed you behind him and stood in from of you. His blue eyes bore into Volo's form as he rested his hands behind his back. An obvious attempt at intimidation. Volo only rose to his full height to prove he was not even slightly threatened. The man's brows furrowed together as he closed his eyes. Your hand came to grip his arm as you peered up at him with big eyes.

Volo called out your name and forced your attention back onto him. “Who is this?” he asked, examining the stiff figure of the stranger. It was fairly obvious you both were closer than just friends. You nervously bit your lip.

“… My boyfriend, Cyrus,” you introduced him eventually, moving to stand on his side and lean into him. Cyrus opened his eyes again to glance at you and then returned a glare at him. The name instantly rung a bell in Volo's head. That was the same name as the leader of the team that had tried to use his plans but dumber. Rage boiled inside Volo at the idea that you were dating a zero charisma black hole who did his plans worse than him.

“Boyfriend?” Volo questioned, “… Pardon my memory, but I do not recall you mentioning one.” The blue-haired man stood stiffly.

You nodded your head before smiling in a gentle manner. “I saw no reason to at the time,” you explained, “But I did still consider myself to be in a relationship with Cyrus. It was simply easier to not explain it.” Volo wanted to snap at you both. He had come to love you over a century of life spent in mostly isolation, and you had been taken the whole time? Arceus was truly cruel to joust this fate onto him.

You three felt uncomfortable as pedestrians froze in their paths to observe the scene curiously. It must have seemed like some sort of lover's quarrel to outsiders. Cyrus shook his head. “... I'm still not sure that I believe your story, beloved,” he spoke to you in his quieter tone, “I am not privy to someone attempting to ruin the date you planned, however.”

You watched in terror as Cyrus tossed out his Houndoom. Volo instantly retaliated with his Lucario. A fierce battle between the two was underway in the street by two people that really should not be bringing attention to themselves. It was intense and evenly matched; Volo's wizened years against Cyrus's complete determination.

In the end… Volo came out on top.

Cyrus looked mortified at his fainted Weavile as you rushed over to check on it. He moved almost on autopilot as he called it back to its pokeball. Volo stood distressed, too, by how he was down to his last pokemon. The poor Togekiss looking worse for wear as he carefully raised a hand to console it. Both men's perceived cruelness fading when forced to witness something they care about in pain.

Volo looked at you desperately. You were the only thing he had been searching for in this current era. His plans to force the deity into his bidding paused until he could finally share words with you again. Why did you have a boyfriend? He was in denial, nearly. You moved to comfort Cyrus, but Volo grabbed your wrist. Panting breaths came from him. Your eyes met his desperate ones.

“Please,” he begged, “Speak with me.” You gazed at him in suspicion. Volo was unsure how to prove his genuineness. Dropping your shoulders, you shot a glance back to Cyrus. He ready to interfere should he be required. Team Galactic was not truthfully disbanded after all. A few grunts could easily be among the crowd.

Should you…? You let out a shallow breath. It had been a century for him since everything, even if it was not for you. On the other hand, you truly wished for the quiet domestic moment with Cyrus, an adorable Rotom themed beverage having brought you here.

Hisui was something you wanted to put behind you as you focused on helping Sinnoh in the modern day.

You…

☄️ Shook your head at Volo and pulled your wrist away from him.

You stepped towards Cyrus, finding his arm around your shoulders protectively. It was obvious he was just distressed by Volo as you were. His usually logical train of thought as he acted emotionally to compensate. The blond's eyes were wide at your choice, seeing truly how uncomfortable he made you. He knew this was entirely his fault.

Volo had threatened your life. Even if he truly did not intend to kill you, his words still had a profound effect. He had lied to you and tricked you into doing his bidding before attacking you. It was foolish of him to think he could ever try to explain himself. Had Cyrus done those things to you? He had no way to be certain. His head was hung low as he silently turned away to leave you both.

His heart ached in his chest as he departed into the rocky cliffs of the neighbouring route.

You stood close to Cyrus as he left and the crowd finally dispersed. A few remaining, obviously looking at the Galactic Boss knowingly. He shot them a glare, and they, too, left. His hand took your own as he gently brought you into the café. The quieter, relaxed ambience was a needed change.

You perked up slightly as you ordered the Rotom cookies and teas for you both. Cyrus gazed at the confections silently. They were decorated with different berry flavoured icing depending on the form. The tea steamed from its cup as you were eerily silent. He sighed. You had been so happy to drag him here earlier. His hand clenched.

Cyrus hated seeing you upset.

“… Beloved,” his voice was as soft as he could possibly make it, “Are you alright?” His hand came to grasp yours on the table. It always felt strange for him to be so… vulnerable, but for you, he always felt so unfortunately tender. You let out a shaky breath and gripped his hand tightly. He watched as you looked up at him, your eyes were red, but a smile was forced on your face.

“I'm fine,” you attempted to reassure him, “I just… never expected to see anyone from Hisui again.” His eyes broke contact from yours to look at the cookies. The tale was nearly too fantastical for him to believe. You had appeared in an unfamiliar uniform while rushing into the Galactic HQ. It was much more believable as you told him of his ancestor who established his lineage in Sinnoh which you should have otherwise been unaware of.

“I see…” He nodded. Silence came over you both again. Conversation was never a talent that came to Cyrus. Your grip remained strong on his hand. “I cannot imagine what you went through, but I am grateful you made it back here.” You laughed weakly.

“I only wanted to come back to be with you again,” you admitted quietly and gazed at him with a loving expression, “Leaving you alone after everything was the cruellest thing I could imagine. I never want to put you through that, Cy. I love you.” He felt his chest grow warm. Did you truly come back just for him? Cyrus did not know how to respond. Returning after he lied to you about his actions and forcing you to learn of them as he committed them… You should have hated him.

“I love you, too,” the words felt foreign on his tongue but were spoken earnestly, “Thank you for coming back to me…” You smiled brightly, mood seemingly lifted. Freeing his hand, you picked up one of the cookies and held it out to him.

“Well… Let's forget it for now,” the wash Rotom cookie smelling heavily of Oran berries, “Aren't they just adorable? We should have brought Rotom with us!”

Despite the lightened mood, Volo remained heavy on both your minds.

⭐️ Nodded at him and politely excused yourself to Cyrus and followed Volo into a nearby alleyway.

The crowd was gone from you both as Volo took off his hat and looked up at the sliver of blue sky that shone above you both. His brain was obviously miles away from where you both were… Or maybe just years. Where did he begin? Would you listen to what he had to say completely? He wanted to just force you away from that Cyrus and pretend he did not exist. It had been that way never even twenty minutes ago for him, after all.

“I'm sorry,” he turned his gaze to stare into your eyes, “I know how I acted was unforgivable.” You wanted to jump back at his words, clearly not expecting an apology. “I am not giving up on my goals, let my clarify,” his eyes held the same corrupted devotion as they had at the Temple of Sinnoh, “My intentions were never to kill you.” You shot a suspicious look at him.

Naturally, you would not believe him. “I was single-mindedly focused on my goals,” he explained further, “I could not stand the idea that Arceus sent another to stop me, yet I was intrigued by whom it would dare choose over me.” Volo closed his eyes. The wound was still fresh despite the time it had been first inflicted on him. “I was infatuated with you,” his heart tightened in his chest, “I… I wished to seek you out after it all, but the guards were too suspicious of me, then you left for here.” Your cheeks grew warm at his words.

Still, you turned your head to the opening of the alleyway. Volo was much too late in this confession, for both himself and you. He should have told you before, claiming that Giratina would appear at the Temple of Sinnoh. What did this man have that he lacked? Cyrus did not seem to have any appealing qualities at a glance. A stoic with an unconventional attractiveness.

“… What do you want, Volo?” you asked him plainly, eyes piercing right through him. It was a reasonable question. What did he want? For you to break up with your established boyfriend and join him in his isolated cabin in the wilderness of Sinnoh? Yes, actually, but he did not dare reply like that. But, he could start smaller, certainly. His end goal would always to be to have you in his arms. Cyrus was not worthy of someone chosen by Arceus. Only Volo was.

“A friend,” it was not entirely a lie, “I'm terribly lonely. I barely get out of my home, and when I do, it's to explore ruins and archaeological sights. I get mistaken for my descendant and have no one to confide in.” You looked at him with a gentle expression. His smile had to be forced back. Hook, line and sinker. Your guard finally dropped.

“… I… I do miss the people of Hisui,” you admitted softly, “I left them all to return here. I... I feel conflicted about that decision.” Volo placed a hand on our shoulder amicably and grinned his normal smile. Perfect.

“Then let's keep in contact,” he pulled out his old phone, “I would love to speak about the past.” You gave him your number with a nod.

You soon parter from him to rejoin the blue-haired man, who had begun to look into the alleyway to check in you. He tried to ignore his upset as Cyrus bright his arm across your shoulders to lead you away.

Patience would win him this game, he felt certain.

[midwest-dex]

Piriette, the Balance Pokemon Piriette is the Messenger of Kings, a small Pokemon that balances the movements of the legendaries of Manaka. Piriette attempts a delicate dance of keeping the conflicting powers from coming to blows, but cannot do so with brute force. Piriette's comets can be seen streaking across the sky, traveling to or from Piriette and the powerful Pokemon it deals with. It's said wishing upon them can add your wish into Piriette's magic.

Types: Ground/Flying Ability: Harmony — Piriette's non-HP stats are boosted by 10% for each other stat they have that's the same value. Signature Move: Return to Roots | Flying | Special | Piriette deals damage to a foe or heals an ally, then resets that Pokemon's condition to its initial state. [leaving HP, but resetting status conditions, stat changes, and effects such as Perish Song, Skill Swap, and Disable. Does not reset field effects such as Reflect and Stealth Rocks.]

Piriette completes the trio with Virimite and Dirigen, as is common with trios acting as the balancing arm between the two more hostile elements. Unlike most of those, Piriette does not do that by being more physically powerful, allowing its balance to become disrupted despite its best efforts.

Design wise, one thing that you see tying trios together pretty often is patterning, and its something I tried with these three but think I undersold as part of the doodle-a-day limitations. My intent was to have the zigzag diamond pattern come across like an old woven rug in Virimite's coat, sharp machined scales on Dirigen, and symmetric feathers on Piriette's wings. I think there's a way to make those look pretty nice, but I just didn't really do it justice this time.

[hisuianhellion]

Thrown Asunder

The return to Jubilife took around a half-day's time. The collapse and sudden reset of the reality Rose could see didn't seem to have any adverse effects yet... But she couldn't really tell, at first, due to her singular focus on traveling through Hisui at a breakneck pace. Her claws gripped onto Lucien's mane, her eyes just as focused as his as the Luxray bounded and dashed through the gradually warming climes of the Obsidian Fieldlands as compared to the far more northern section of the region. Adrian was holding onto her back quietly and comfortably, and as the large cat came to rest above an overlook into the main land of the fields, she barked.

The Riolu clung onto Rose even tighter, settling into her mane as deeply as she could get. And the reason why began to make itself known. There was a... shift. A subtle one. Rose looked to the side, Lucien the other, as they tried to gauge what had just changed... there was... an almost dusk-like light about. An unnatural one.

A peer up. The sky. The sky was... why was it... almost... purplish? It should've been earlier in the morning, not close to the end of the day...

And where was the wind? It had just... stopped. No gust. No breeze. Even as high up as they were, a disturbing silence was gradually settling into the air.

The sky began shifting to a pinkish hue. Pokemon cries grew more sparse, quieting gradually. Lucien's fur was standing on end, and Rose reached behind her to gently place the Pokeball Adrian could rest within beside her. She took it without a moment's hesitation, fear overriding her desire to stay outside.

By the time the crimson shroud of that unnatural energy truly began billowing from the space-time rift, Rose was in front of the gate to Jubilife. Her illusions could still work, and she was stable within her human form... but her fur stood on end enough that the hair upon her arms followed suit in the illusion. Something was horridly wrong, and she returned Lucien to his Pokeball in tandem with her entrance.

The conversations that followed were a blur.

Akari was ecstatic Rose was alright, nearly tackling the woman in a hug. She took note of something, but didn't voice it, keeping to stating her relief. Cyllene was unblinking. Her eyes were focused upwards through the window until Kamado had called for her. Laventon quietly allowed his Galarian accent to push through ever more, wondering what could be done, what could've caused this, were the nobles truly in need of being quelled?

It was that last sentence Rose nearly opened her mouth to contest when Cyllene returned. "The Commander's office. Rose has been requested."

Again. Her fur stood on end. Stay calm. Stay. Calm. He probably just... wants to speak about solving the issue. Her eyes shifted to the ground at Cyllene's feet and a curt nod was given. Up the first set of stairs she went. Irida and Adaman's voices reached her ears. And a curt "You will wait until Rose is here" echoed down the second flight upwards, making her teeth grit faintly. He didn't sound happy, and her wince made her own anxiety spike harder.

Step... step... step...

... knock on the closed door. "Enter."

She obeyed quietly, closing the door behind her as Cyllene filtered in alongside. And Kamado, facing the display case a large, black stone was within, slowly opened his eyes. The reflection of his expression as Rose looked up conveyed plenty: he was furious, and the shift of his gaze to her own reflection was clear as day. Far clearer than the unnatural cover above them, and with a smooth turn around, his eyes focused directly upon the Survey Corps member.

"Explain this. Now."

Rose was a bit taken aback. No. Nonono. He wasn't blaming this on her, was he?! "I-I don't know, sir. I don't. Mutt and I appeased Avalugg and... and soon after, things started happening I can't explain...!"

"You are the only one who could explain it, being from the very rift this is coming from!" He grit his teeth, lowering his head as he glared in response. "Who or WHAT are you, Rose?! The very night you arrived, the Nobles had been frenzied! And the more you claimed to have calmed, the less stable both you and the land have become! Pokemon traits?! A walking, talking Pokemon that even calls himself Mutt?! What are you aiming to do?!"

It was the clearest accusation Rose could've heard. It was also the worst. Every little problem in this town was being blamed on her. Irida promptly stepped in front of Kamado, shaking her head violently as Rose stepped back in stunned, horrified silence. "How DARE you, Commander?! The nobles were harming even our own in many cases, and at great risk to herself she got them all calmed down!"

"And, let's not forget, Commander," Adaman promptly interjected, "there is the matter of who asked her to do it. The timing of this is a little off."

"Do not intervene on her behalf, either of you!" His teeth were grinding as he waved a hand. The jacket upon his shoulders shifted as he did so, but with a slow settling of his arm, it shifted to a stationary position. "Are you truly blind to the devil in our midst? Did you not feel the wind stop mere moments before she arrived? Did you not sense that the darkness this sky is creating could lead to every one of our demises?!"

Silence. Rose stepped back.

"Don't you dare flee." His eyes flicked to her. "You. Who had been wielding Pokemon to a degree I thought reckless and dangerous the moment you began giving them to the others in the village. Need I remind you of the ideal this village was built on? I seek to protect my people from Pokemon. If Pokemon are used to do that, so be it. But they must not become integral to our lives. The moment they do, all hope is lost." His arms crossed gradually. "... but I am not a senseless man. I am fully aware of the work they had been contributing to. The Construction and Security Corps alone owe you and Mutt great debts I seek to clear at this very moment."

"Commander--"

"Kamado, you--"

"SILENCE!" This time, his hand wave threw the jacket off, and the rage in his eyes was clear, directed at the two leaders of the clan. Both of them leaned back in shock, only for Adaman to begin gritting his teeth.

"No! I can already see where this is going! You want her to prove exactly what's causing this just to clear her in YOUR eyes, aren't you?!"

"Hmph! I suppose you aren't the clan leader for nothing." That comment had Adaman grip his head, shaking it as Irida stepped forward, in front of Rose. The poor Survey Corps member was slowly settling down, hunched and holding her head in silence as the other defensively made sure she had a buffer.

"You'd have the woman who's saved multiple lives and improved countless more solve a mystery just because you have a HUNCH it was her?! There isn't enough space in Hisui to show you how much she's improved our lives! Mutt, too! He's stepped into our village to give us the necessary help we've needed even while Rose was busy! Both of them deserve not just our thanks, but our respect!"

"And that is why I am not clapping chains upon her wrists as we speak."

Silence followed. Almost all eyes were on Kamado, though one pair was focused upon Rose specifically. Cyllene's. And she was the only one to break the silence with a sigh through her nose, which led Kamado to continue his thought. "I have every feeling in the world that you are connected to this. And until you can prove without a reasonable doubt that you were not the source of this catastrophe, I hereby banish you from Jubilife. Returning here will result in you being attacked on sight. But should you solve this conundrum? I will concede to the truth you present. Am I CLEAR?!" His finger settled upwards, and pointed right at Rose, Irida stepping aside to look back at her with concern at first. But... a pause settled. Another beat of silence. "... What...?!"

Rose was no longer human. The stress of the meeting. The accusations she had never once been expecting, but dreaded coming anyways. Months and months of waiting for the hammer to slam down upon her and take everything away... and it came true.

She was a small, curled up Zoroark, whimpering in terror and horror upon the ground. Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked up at Kamado with the look of someone who couldn't fathom having their entire world ripped out from underneath of them. Someone as strong her, as adept at navigating physical danger as she was...

... and she looked broken. But Kamado didn't see it as such.

Kamado saw it as a facade, and it was all the confirmation he needed.

"... I KNEW IT. The very sign of deception itself! Everyone, BACK!! I will handle this!" Kamado's command rang out as his eyes went wide with fury. A Pokeball was ripped from his belt. And as he pulled it back to throw it...

A claw cleaved it clear from his hand. Both his skin and the ball were intact, but the ball had gotten flung backwards, crashing into the display case the Dark Stone had been placed within. And right beside Kamado...

... was an Alpha Zoroark. Growling harshly. Staring down with the malice known for its kind. Massive. Barely even fitting in the room with them. And with a roar right in Kamado's face, shadows enveloped the room. Panic swept through the inhabitants, bangs heard against the door as the Security Corps attempted to get in. Irida and Adaman yelped as they backed away, and Cyllene quietly stepped to the side, eyes closing in response to this.

The roar came to a cease.

The shadows faded.

All that was left was the humans in the room. No Pokemon. Not even Rose.

A broken window was the only clue as to where they had gone.

[adobe-outdesign]

Anorith and/or Amaura lines, pretty please?

(I'll do the Amaura line for now, as I already reviewed 1/2 of the Anorith line here.)

I really like the concept behind this line. They're based off of the amargasaurus, a sauropod thought to have a sail-like structure along its spine, something that becomes more obvious once it evolves.

Instead of just being a straightforward version of an amargasaurus however, it gives it a concept in the form of having these really pretty aurora borealis-based sails and ice-typing to reflect how it's a phenomena that mostly happens in colder areas. It's simple and very effective, and really stands out amongst the other other fossil 'mons.

Anyway, Amaura itself is one of those pre-evos that technically doesn't have to exist, but it looks distinct enough to at least feel different from its evo. Aside from having a white underbelly and a lighter blue color, its frills are over its head rather than down its entire head. It's simple, but it differentiates it enough and looks nice visually.

My only real complaint is that I really dislike the head shape at this stage—the eye is absolutely massive, and the face is very rounded and flat. Something about those proportions make it feel very plastic-y to me, though granted, most people might not even notice.

And Aurorus is downright beautiful, gaining a darker blue color, an entire row of ice crystals down its side, and massive sails. The sails are the obvious visual focal point, while the shape of the underbelly markings is very "snowflake-esq" and works nicely with the crystals. I also have to give a shoutout to the artist for a fairly accurate depiction of sauropod claws and feet.

One thing I like about this line is how beautiful and elegant it is. Most fossils are either rough-looking, dull in color, or silly and goofy, so this is a refreshing change of pace. It also feels like it could almost be a modern-day Pokemon, at least more so than most other fossil 'mons.

I only have two nitpicks. First, the white around the eye is bothersome and creates a bit of a tension point. I think it would've worked better if the triangle was removed from under the eye and the white was changed to the light blue of the underbelly.

And secondly, the color of the sails. Amaura has these really lovely yellow and pink sails that are incredibly saturated, but for some reason Aurorus has these really dull looking ones. It's weird because they don't pop as much, and you'd really expect them to only become more beautiful and colorful as it evolves, given how stunning the aurora borealis can be:

Otherwise, I really like these guys, and they're pretty solid overall.

One final note: I think this line could desperately use something like a mega. First, while Aurorus is good as-is, there's definitely a ton of room to expand upon the design. Imagine a mega-ish design that uses a dark navy blue color with bright yellow/pink/green sails that go all the way down the tail, with the ice crystals being multi-colored to match the sails or something.

And secondly, they're extremely hard to use due to their horrific rock/ice typing—a new form could be drop the rock type due to being a more accurate reconstruction, and could be something like ice/fairy or ice/psychic. That would give these guys a much-needed boost.

But anyway, that aside, these guys are pretty great 'mons with a solid concept and theming. Probably my favorite fossil 'mons so far.

[savebatsfromscratch]

Windmills and Seabreezes - Palletshipping Week 4 (Coming Home)

Summary:

Ash returns from his final Journey. He can't seem to feel at home.

Notes:

Prompt: Coming Home Note: Btw I have NOT watched any of Journeys. This was just so clear in my head I had to spit it out. Apologies if it’s kinda wacky. This is intended to be a Palletshipping end game, but it’s rather convoluted and extremely open-ended. I still think it counts though, and it is my opinion that matters so… Cws: Post breakup whump. (Satogou for reference.) Mental turmoil. It’s NOT happy. Words: 1,518

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54897274

Ash dropped his bag onto his bed and sighed.

So that was really the end huh?

The sudden rush of tiredness wasn’t a surprise. It wasn’t at all unusual to feel a little sore after coming home from a journey, just like it wasn’t at all unusual to feel aches creeping into focus after actually getting a room in a hotel for once. It wasn’t even surprising to feel the ever present question of, “what am I even doing here?” spin inside his head.

No.

None of that was the problem.

He sat on the edge of his bed and tried to talk himself into feeling better. He had done it! He didn’t have to fight anymore, he had won. No matter how unlikely it had seemed, especially with his soul crushing defeat in the Kalos league, he had done it. For whatever reason, trainer critics never seemed to take his Alola win seriously, only reflecting on his loss in the Kalos semifinals, and he had to admit that it had got to him a little bit!

But this was not that!

This was something undeniable.

The masters tournament, something that was meant to be the best of the best, and he had won!

So… Why did he still feel so down?

Was there really nothing beyond this? Of course not! He still hadn’t won in most of the leagues he had been a part of, and there were missions upon missions to take on in any project he desired, if he chose to go down a different path. Heck, he hadn’t even given contests or performances a real shot, those looked fun, he knew for a fact that you had to be made of something special to do well there. Beyond that, he hadn’t even been to many regions, completely losing out on their styles of being a trainer.

He’d never tried wild pokemon photography, or card games, or research puzzles, or ranger life, or battle simulators, or capture contests, or any of the other things that he’d heard fellow trainers raving about on the roads. Sure, not all of those options really sounded like his style, but just the fact that there were so many of them clearly meant that there was more out there to do! There was more to learn, more to experience, more to grow in and with, why wasn’t he excited about it?

Of course, he knew the answer.

Duh.

Losing traveling partners always hurt him, but this most recent loss was on a level that Ash found almost completely unprecedented. …almost. There had only been one other abandonment that hurt quite so bad, but it had been years and years since that loss, and now his wounds felt fresh and reopened.

If he couldn’t look at someone he loved, hold their hands, and tell him they’d always been together, what did it matter that he was the champion? What did it matter that there was more to do? What did it matter that he was not yet perfect? He certainly hadn’t been perfect when he’d been unable to see anything but him.

Why had he come back?

Until that point, Ash had felt comfortable, even happy with Goh at his side. Until that point, he had finally thought he had found someone to whom a promise of “forever” wouldn’t be a dirty lie. Finally someone who could, and would, save him, make him clean and whole once more.

Someone who, funnily enough, was exactly the type of person who could make Ash break his promise.

That was his problem, he guessed. He never seemed to be able to pick one. Did he want to be a champion or a friend of Pokemon? Did he want to keep in one region, or did he want to head onto the next? What even was the next? Should he go left, or should he make the right decision? Should he try something new, now that it was over, that which he had spent, and on occasion, even lost, his life in order to achieve?

What about him made it so impossible to make a decision like this?

He forced himself to lay down in his bed, forcing his mind to calm down. He couldn’t risk accidentally stomping his feet and alerting his mother to his distress. He had just gotten home, as far as she knew, he had never even been dating Gou, let alone broken up with him, and he wanted to keep her shielded from his tears for as long as possible.

Ash stared up at the ceiling, eyes burning.

Maybe the problem was not that it was over, but that he knew it was for the best.

He had loved Gou, yes. 

But he had loved Gary longer, and seeing his former rival come back into his life had turned everything on its head. Despite everything, Ash still loved Gary, and, as it turned out, when choosing between the two of them, Ash would pick Gary. 

From an outsider's perspective, Gou and Gary may have appeared to be a sort of uncertain friendship, but Ash knew better.

But apparently not enough to save his relationship.

Forgetting all about not alerting his mom to his distress, Ash clambered to his feet. He had to get out of the house. He had to go somewhere else. The air, so clearly different from the winds that had blown through the trees on his many adventures, felt stuffy and all too warm. Even with the window cracked open, it was hard to hear the sounds of Pokemon around him, and the unnatural shape of rectangular shadows coming through the thin opening glowed with a very false looking sunset.

Despite traveling for so long, it seemed he was not quite ready to go back to a “normal” life, not quite yet.

He hadn’t removed his coat when jumping into his bed, but his bag and Pokemon were left behind as he left his room, crept down the stairs (past where his mother was cooking in the kitchen), and slipped out of the house. Once outside, he took a deep breath of air, but it was not quite right either. It was clean and cool, and tasted of a coming night time, but it was not what he was looking for.

Almost aimlessly, Ash began to walk. He walked between trees, houses, and occasional agricultural fields. The land of Pallet was nearly pristine, almost lacking entirely in pollution, and yet the air was not yet perfect.

He followed a small stream of water, not even thinking about where he was going as it winded down a hill, past the research station, past an old patch of red flowers, now mostly withered, and flowed into the sea. Ash looked up, as if only then he was realizing where his walk had taken him. The place wasn't the same as where his heart had longed to be, but the feeling of the wind over the huge expanse of water brought the very same feeling to his lungs.

He breathed in deeply, and let his mind run through memories.

As the sun sank, he remembered everything he could manage.

He had loved Gou, and though he knew it was going to be a while before those wounds stopped aching, he suddenly realized that he was feeling better in the presence of the air of the waterside. It was just as Gou had said, they would both be happier this way.

He had said it with a sad expression, and he had said it with a nod, when his group of explorers had walked back into view.

All the way home, Ash had wondered what he had meant, but now he knew.

This was not an ending, as the setting sun told him, but a new beginning. This was a chance to make his life good again, even better than what he had felt before. It had practically been a command, and who was he to disobey a former love’s last wish?

Ash turned to look behind him, looking up at the slow turning of the windmill of the lab. 

It spun calmly, unshaken by what he was feeling, a constant in his life of constant changing, it seemed to represent the endless cycles he so often found himself in. He felt a rush of wind come across the ocean, and he hugged his hands to his chest. No matter what his past threw at him, he was going to find a place in his future.

He continued to watch as the lights of the lab flickered on, inviting an occupant back home, back into the embrace of the clean walls and bookshelves. Ash stared into one of the windows, and suddenly he was half sure that he had seen a familiar explosion of brown hair look back at him.

As Gou had told him, it was time to live their lives the way they wanted to, a way that was safer. Maybe for Ash, who had been traveling for who knew how long, that safety was right there at home.

Notes:

???? Idk if this fits the prompt. Comments very appreciated!

[celestialholz]

Rock/Poison/Corrupted? (or 'is Geeta evil? Probably not, she's just a bit awkward, but here's why if she is')

... Huh. Are y'all good? There's a fair amount of evil!Geeta speculation online, and like... I can't honestly sit here and say to you that she isn't a little sus, but...

And I know that I've personally commented before on how the Elite Four are the AU Treasures of Ruin and that if they are, that must mean Geeta is their evil 'king' (because, y'know... Kingambit. Her name means 'heightened surface', like the stakes. She picked her own Elite Four. She runs several institutions, and she also just so happens to give you this.)

... But evil? Really? We actually out here assuming this woman's Volo incarnate for being a bit socially awkward and giving you a King's Rock? Yeah nah, sorry. You're going to need a little more than that to convince me, friends. At the moment, she just looks like a woman in a position of power who's a bit curious maybe but is slaying. When you write as much meta as I do, you need the good shit.

Except... I think we already have it, two generations ago. I'm sure we all remember this lovely lady...

Hello Lusamine, long time no see! How have you been, completely unhinged?

And what does this woman have in common with Geeta, aside from being a research-involved girlboss? (Because yep, we know Geeta was pals with the professors...)

Oh, now we're talking. This is the good shit. :D

There are only two Rock and Poison types available in all of the Pokemon world: one has a very close association with Lusamine, and the other is owned by Geeta.

And, er... we all know how well this ended for Lusamine...

Mmm. Purple, black, and gold accents... now where have I seen that before?

... Oh, yeah. Casually stalking me around Paldea after I bother getting a decent number of badges. Well, fuck...

The purple for the Poison, the gold for the Rock, and the black for... well, they do call the Dark type 'Evil' in Japan... that's my kinda colour symbolism. ;) And before you come at me and tell me the Rock type's more brown... not in Paldea it isn't, pals, because this is a Rock Tera den.

Now, whilst Lusamine had an emotional trigger that left her more susceptible to the neurotoxins Nihilego produces...

... Geeta is permanently walking around with this shit.

This is her day job, yeeting the sentient embodiment of poison at you in all its concentrated glory. And whilst I could make a good case for her having the exact same emotional trigger as Lusamine, I can't prove it, and I don't deal in pure speculation. :) But I can happily prove that she has own issues - issues that could quite easily be twisted to darker purposes, and perhaps already have been.

This is an excellent example of pure, and unrepentant, arrogance. She shows zero remorse in saying no one can get through her, and yet you and I know that she has very little on her team to back up this overconfidence. She's seen by most people as the easiest champion we've ever had, and... maybe this is why. Because she must have known at some point, right? No one gets this far without being damn good at least earlier in their life...

Maybe once upon a time, Geeta did know exactly how to construct a team. She knew to put Kingambit last, and she knew to put Glimmora first. But... well, I've analysed final slots before, with Larry and Staraptor/Flamigo, and concluded that the last slot in a trainer's party symbolises potential - what that trainer could be, for better or for worse.

And, well...

The 'Top Champion' can't be a Kingambit, because she already is.

(Hilariously, this is the Violet dex's version of Kingambit, which is also ringing a little bit close to home.)

But if the final slot is potential...

... Oh. Oh, hell. The genuine definition of 'toxic' there...

It's also very worth mentioning on the battle front that whilst Lusamine is also a powerful trainer, her AI is... questionable when you face her, to reflect her erratic nature under the influence of Nihilego. I don't know man, it's almost like there's a link here... /sarcasm

And although the anime's a separate canon, the idea is very much the same.

So, whilst I'm not expecting some weird Glimgeeta fusion-ha! shit going on here, if you take the already-present social curiosities of our Top Champion, throw in the arrogance and the power she holds, and combine it with sentient venom...

Is Geeta evil, friends? Pffft, still not convinced. The great majority of her in-game time is spent being (seemingly, anyway) genuinely supportive of you, Nemona, and anything you both do to achieve greatness. Even those gym leaders who have a problem with her - Tulip, Katy, Larry and Grusha - all have their reasons, but they spring from a place of circumstance. Larry admits later she was right to ask him to use a new type and broaden his horizons; Grusha is afraid of her because she could fire him, and yet he's still gym eight; Katy understands that she can't go all out because of where she is, it just frustrates her... the only one with a truly viable case here is Tulip. Because if the Psychic-type gym leader thinks your vibes are off... your vibes are probably a bit off. But, despite all of that... I can't ignore the sus here. I can't ignore the Glimmora; I can't ignore the potential, whether it's been realised yet or not.

And so, if Geeta's evil... it's not because she's a woman, or a bad champion, or a tyrant, or whatever the hell else. It's because she shares a luxury apartment with a Hell Crystal.

... a Hell Crystal that doesn't tera Poison. Maybe, so far, the Rock's been strong enough to hold out... let's see if it stays that way in the DLC, shall we?

[antihibikase2]

Burn Heal : Prologue

Ice Burn : The turn after using this move, the user surrounds the target with an ultracold, freezing wind to inflict damage. This may also leave the target with a burn.

Five consecutive knocks in a rhythm against an aging wood, followed by two quieter ones.

"Hijo? Are you done?"

Cheren Slater takes one last look at the tall mirror, glass decorated by once vibrant, now faded stickers of Pokemon in cartoonish masks and outfits.

The big bow settled in the center of his pastel pink smock top was a lovely touch- it looked heavy at first, and he initially worried that such a large accessory would weigh down on the delicate fabric.

But no, it stayed in place like a little Ribombee would to a flower- just like he himself had, a fragile creature in wait.

"Hijo?"

The door creaks open, and the familiar bun sitting atop Marian Blake's head comes into view. She gives Cheren a few seconds to think before she allows herself in the shared bedroom of her child and her ward.

Though, he might as well be her child at this point, shouldn't he?

Empty indigo eyes blink at his own reflection, before a thin smile stretched across his lips.

"Sorry, I was just, ah, making sure I looked presentable."

"Prese-?! Hijo, you look more than presentable! Look at you, you're going to steal the spotlight away from the Pokemon in this outfit!"

Like an actor with a script, this was Cheren's cue to let out a shy little laugh from his throat, no matter how much it stung.

"You're quite the flatterer, Miss Bla-"

"Oh, we've talked about this, hijo. As long as you're under my roof, you're not just Nathaniel's teacher, okay? You're a child under my care- call me auntie."

Not even a second passes when another thought comes to her mind.

"Better yet, call me tita. It's not too late for you to familiarize yourself with your Hoenn roots."

How optimistic of her, for her words were true; Cheren Slater was still youthful, mere months away from turning seventeen.

If he so wished, he had his whole life ahead of him to further his connection with his Hoenn roots, especially as he had earned himself a seat at the league, who would always be so kind as to send him on a research trip to his desired region if he just asked.

Unfortunately, Cheren Slater was an emptied vessel, whose life had ended just weeks ago in the coldness of the Giant Chasm.

His dream of basking under the Hoenn sun was purely out of reach, and to think otherwise would only be lying to himself and the people around him.

Still, he was quite the liar- he pleases her attempts at reassuring him of his place in her home, hoping it would be enough to deter her from worrying even further.

"I'll think about it."

Thankfully, she's not pushy.

She is, however, observant.

What Cheren was wearing now was noticeably lighter and looser than the semi-formal uniform he had taken to wearing when he accepted the offer of being Aspertia trainer school's teacher

Realistically, it shouldn't have taken him almost half an hour for preparations, especially with how responsible he was with every second of his time.

But then again, even when kept out of the loop, her son had told her enough of what she needed to hear- that the poor child standing before her now was undergoing a crisis of his reality, and would spend hours upon hours gazing into his own reflection to confirm his own existence.

If she hadn't checked up on him, Cheren would have lost himself in his own dreams once more, a sight that she, as a nurse, had seen quite often during her days of work.

She may not fully understand what he was specifically going through, but-

"You seem to be ready now, aren't you? Why don't you head downstairs with the kids, I'll give your Hilda friend a call and tell her you're all set to go,"

"Oh, I can-"

"I'll do it, hijo. You make sure Nathaniel doesn't forget his tickets- he's league champion and he's still quite irresponsible with his things."

As Cheren grabs his things, the moody little Minccino that had been sleeping on a bed by the foot of the mirror scampers after him, climbing up his back and settling into his shoulder.

Just as she's about to take her aged Xtransceiver out of her duster's pocket, she couldn't help but notice the lingering smell of white jasmines in her son's room.

"Strange," There was a small chuckle in her voice. "Was there a funeral?"

[vixletserenity]

She had been hearing his voice in her head for some time; only getting more intensive recently.

Alexandrite was trying to communicate to her. The Terapagos needed something of her and it could no longer be ignored. He wanted Celeste to go back into the Underdepths; where the tree covered in crystals was.

This was a part of the Underdepths that just never had an answer. A landmark that stood there for who knows how long but seemingly had no significance.

The Terapagos came out from the Beast Ball he was kept in; changing his form to the Terastal form as the Pokemon approached the tree. As if he was capable of doing this whenever he wished; and not just at the start of battle. "I am aware it has been some time since either of us have been in this chamber." He turned to face Celeste slowly.

"The reason I have been wishing to return to such a place, is to present you with a gift. One that only you; the human I have chosen after millennia of observation, can possess And you, Celeste, have proven yourself worthy of it."

Alexandrite had begun taking branches off the seemingly ancient tree with his tail; magically regrowing what had been torn as if he had never touched it in the first place. Celeste watched in awe of the action, how such a creature placed its trust onto someone like her.

When Celeste had seen this tree the first time, its beauty had mesmerized her for a moment. Before remembering the mission and pushing forward.

"These are needed for part of the gift. You may remain here as I go to the place where I once rested; as it is not necessary for you to accompany me for it." Alexandrite spoke as Celeste nodded in reply before vanishing into the crystals.

Most likely being able to go anywhere if they were present. And she knew that the deeper in the Underdepths were Terapagos had been, the abundance of the crystals increased.

She was still unsure of what Alexandrite was planning to do with this gift being created; much less what he wanted to do with her. But thankfully, before too much anxiety came in, Alexandrite had returned. And in his tiny hand was a shard of the bed of crystal where he laid dormant.

His tail wrapped around her head; measuring it before weaving the branches together and placing Tera shards in occasionally.

"This tree was once a place where my kind would do ceremonies; such as when one had full control over their power. Thus, unlike other structures you humans had made, has been perfectly preserved despite the crystals surrounding it.

So it would be natural for one to receive a gift from the Terapagos to have it be done here. This is one rarely ever done to another Pokemon or a human; as we had been very distrustful with overt desire to satisfy their greed. Whether that be for fame or knowledge."

Alexandrite explained while continuing to weave what looked to be a circlet. Much like the crowns that Terastilization took form on Pokemon.

"But you had no intent of such a thing. Even when you had been forced to hide what information you had learned by those who had such greed. You feel burdened by knowing what you do; some of my kind long ago would have said you knew too much."

The large shard that came from further down was attached to the circlet and placed on her head; that piece being in the dead center of her forehead as Alexandrite gave a small push to the stone. It looked near identical to what was inside a Tera Orb.

"May you use my blessing to protect yourself and those you care deeply for in this world."

It felt gentle like the light entering the room as sunrise or sunset came close to its end. This feeling was only for a moment as it became painful; feeling the branches that were the circlet quickly entering the gemstone similar to that of a tape measure recalling the ruler it contained inside. All for an even sharper pain as the gem somehow went right into her forehead.

Celeste could feel her body shaking as she tried to look for a crystal she could see her reflection in. Upon finally finding one, the circlet she had been wearing vanished! Moving her bangs, she froze in shock to see a small mark right where the centerpiece of the crown was.

It took form of the very shape at the top of Terapagos's Stellar form!

She was speechless while staring at Alexandrite; what kind of gift was this?! "You now have the Blessing of Terastal." The Terapagos explained as he slowly started changing back into the normal form that Celeste met the Pokemon in.

"And unlike the robot that Professor the region above praised so much, you will not experience any growth of crystals onto your body."

Why of all things did he need to remind Celeste of that happening? It still horrified her that such a thing could occur; perhaps with how Alexandrite phrased things, it was a punishment for continuing what Professor Turo wanted. Even if it was coding a robot couldn't disobey.

"Thank you..." Celeste spoke as she started making her way back to the main Area Zero and to the surface. She couldn't be ungrateful for receiving something like this from a Legendary Pokemon.

"I'll do what I can to best use your gift."

[ghostsandtoasts]

The Murkrow Incident (Pokemon Ranger)

Pokemon Ranger Mission 6: The Wayward Wanderer

Once again, images and dialogue were taken from this Let’s Play Archive.

Gordor: *Grumble* I come to this infernal place... The legendary Pokemon... *Mutter* ...All Hastings's fault... *Grumble* ...Get their comeuppance... just watch me... *Mutter* 

Gordor, upon noticing the player: Ugwah! You startled me! You should no better than to sneak up on someone like that!

Gordor: Hm... I see. You're a Ranger from Ringtown. It took you long enough to get here. Of course, I suppose I expect far too much of a Union Ranger. Let me get a closer look at your face... Hah! A mere child! The union sent a pip-squeak for me! Classic, I say! Classic! Ah, but, child, this is no fault of yours. For it is I, Gordor, who lost his bearings in this forest and called for help. Now, return me the courtesy of telling me your name. ...I see. [Player] it is. Now, guide me out of the forest.

Gordor: Hm. Not too shabby. From what I understand, that device- Styler, was it?- is not something that just anyone can use. For a capture to succeed, the Ranger using the Styler must have "the spirit of justice," was it? But- [Player], was it?- what exactly is "the spirit of justice"? Or, indeed, what is justice? Who is to say what is considered justice now will be the justice of tomorrow? *Snickers* Perhaps that was too difficult for a child like you to grasp.

Yes, this is the introduction of this game’s main antagonist, yes, he got himself lost in the woods and yes we have to help him get out.

I am normal about the fact we literally hear him talk about Hastings before we even learn his name.

It begins...

Gordor: That Murkrow... Does it dare mock me for losing my bearings in the forest? Grrr... You Murkrow! How dare you heckle me! I won’t take your insolence! You, you, you... Useless! Contrary! Meaningless! Crass! Bombastic! Buffoon of a Murkrow!

*Murkrow runs off*

I could put something insightful here about how Murkrow can only repeat things back, even able to Mimic voices, so Gordor is literally yelling at himself. Or how this scene could be reflective of how Gordor inherently feels like he needs to defend himself from mock and ridicule even when it doesn’t exist, like a constant need to prove yourself. But this is literally “Old man yells at cloud” turned into an entire scene.

Gordor: It appears that "crass" got to that insolent bird. That whole exchange has given me heartburn. Get me out of this confounded forest immediately!

*The player uses a fire type to clear the log Murkrow was on*

Gordor: Hoh! Impressive. Perhaps your talents are somewhat wasted escorting this old man!

*We briefly see Murkrow before it runs away*

Gordor: Is that the heckling Murkrow? Being called a buffoon must have stung! Did we not pass this spot earlier? [Player], was it? Surely you're not suggesting that you've lost your way? Aren't you Rangers trained for this sort of thing? Do something useful!

*Lost woods theme plays in the distance*

*Murkrow hides in the tree*

Gordor: That wretched Murkrow again? It bears a grudge badly. Impressive. But what is this dark haze? Why does it cling so? Get me out of this dank misery of a forest!

*Attempting to progress will loop you back this room*

Gordor: What is this? We've returned to the same spot! And that Murkrow... Hear it cackle at us ominously...

*The Player needs to knock Murkrow out of the tree*

Gordor: What the...? It dares to impede us? Well? what are you waiting for? There's your cue! Capture that irksome Murkrow already!

“It bear a grudge badly”? Buddy just indirectly explained his own character.

Gordor: That dark haze lifted upon your capturing that Murkrow... Was it creating that haze? But it annoys me to no end to be toyed by such a wretch... Enough! Release the vile thing! How much of my time must you waste? Get me out of the forest once and for all!

*The Grunt quickly flees*

Gordor: Hm, that was the Go-Rock Squad... I've heard they are roundly reviled and ridiculed as wrongdoers. However, how much of that reputation is fair or warranted? Perhaps they are merely and grossly misunderstood? Why, they may be more useful than some worthless Ranger who can barely manage the simple task of a guide. Ah, I see where we are. I can manage on my own from here. I should say that you were successful, for what it's worth. I enjoyed our time together, you Union Ranger. Fufufu... Fufufu... Fwahahahaha!

Thus concludes The Murkrow Incident.

[misdreavusmishap]

⚡️⚡️ RO-TO-TO! VIDEO INCOMING. ⚡️⚡️

Derek is hunched over behind some brush, the video panned up at him from behind some leaves. He winces, an orange glow reflecting off of his face, assumed to be from the clearing we’re spying on. He opens his eyes again, squinting down into the midst of charred grasses and angered chirping. The camera turns down, moving through the bush in front of us, struggling to focus with so much surrounding the lens. Beginning to get frustrated, I fully entered the clearing, still backed up against the small barrier we had. As soon as it begins to emphasize the mysterious third creature this expedition, I’m forcefully pulled back through the leaves.

“Duh- HE-”

Derek shushes me, covering the speaker of the Rotomdex with one hand. He pushes away another group of branches, trying to get a better distanced look while I try to twist free from his grasp, muffled yelling attempting to break past his hand. Instead, he lifts me up, just enough for the lens of the camera to be over the brush. In its view, finally, there stands what seems to be a Charcadet; but much like whatever else we’ve seen in this forest, there’s something slightly off.

It lifts up what looks to be a spiky fur coat, fluffing it before taking a stance, the flame above its head and unnaturally long tail growing in intensity as it does. The surrounding Kricketot are backed up against the surrounding trees, their dotted eyes scowled, legs rattling much louder than usual. As the Charcadet approaches them, they try to inch back just as much to no avail. The fiery creature puffs up its chest, hunching back over once it draws out what looks to be a red hot knife. As it rushes forward to take a stab at the bugs, they all dart in different directions around the clearing, still not able to find a proper escape.

“.. Huh, so that’s where the fire was coming from.”

“MMHMHmmHM.. mMHMm!!!!”

Derek averts his eyes from me again, looking down at his pockets. He pats them a couple times, looking back up at the mysterious Charcadet. Keeping his eyes locked on the pokemon, he pulls out a dive ball, pressing the button, the ball jumping in the air slightly from expanding. As he’s focused on something else, I manage to break free of his grip. As angry as I am, I try to keep my voice in a shouting whisper.

“DEREK… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS THING IS, YOU CAN’T JUST-”

Before I can even complete my sentence, he rears his arm back, aiming directly at the back of this thing’s head. In response, I cover my eyes, groaning and turning the other way. After a few quiet seconds, a rush of wind is heard before the sound of the pokeball activating makes itself present.

1..

2..

Agh! Almost had it!

FWOO!

The camera faces the field again, seems just right before it was captured, the Charcadet was planning on using Flamethrower, which was now fired out upon breaking free from the Pokeball. In its wake, quite a few Kricketot are set on fire, but most of them seem to successfully put themselves out, scattering into the woods after they’ve now been set in front of a clear enough path to escape from. The fire type spins around, glaring angrily at Derek as he ducks back down below the bushes, another Flamethrower just missing the top of his hair bun.

“Tik, flee.”

“OH, SO NOW WE’RE BEING THO-”

“I SAID FLEE. BACK TO THE SITE. NOW.”

The camera starts backing away from the scene as Derek sends out Lotus once more. Though he does command him to use Bubble Beam, the Charcadet seems to shake the move right off, having covered the flame above its head with its arms. The video ends as the Charcadet begins to pull out its knife again. Is… is that even an actual knife? You can see right through it at times..

⚡️⚡️ RO-TO-TO! VIDEO END. ⚡️⚡️

[kat-and-their-cats]

Bokuaka Week 2020 Day One: Bookshop/Coffee Shop AU

Also Available on my AO3

It started off as a normal day for Akaashi. He woke up, got dressed then walked downstairs into his cafe and bookshop to set up before opening. Akaashi looked up as he heard the doorbell chime and Kenma walked in, “Have you had any sleep Kenma, your eyebags look worse than mine?” Kenma looked up tiredly at Akaashi before continuing around the counter. “Sorry, Kuroo bought me the newest Pokemon game as an apology for his last prank and I lost track of time while playing it.”

Akaashi put the last of the cakes into the display case while Kenma set up the register. They were opening soon and Akaashi still had to bake a few more cakes but he had the first batch out and ready. Kenma had finished setting up the register and had gone over to the coffee machine and started to brew two coffee’s. He pointed at the clock on the wall before gesturing to the door letting Kenma know that it was almost opening.

It was around two when things started to go crazy. Kuroo entered at his normal time, sitting at the table in the back as people began to vacate the cafe, before it closed so that Akaashi and Kenma could have lunch. Akaashi flipped the sign to shut as Kuroo bookmarked and closed a short novel, with an orange paw print on the front of its otherwise white cover. It was only upon turning around that Akaashi noticed that Kuroo wasn’t alone at the table. A tall man with spiky grey-white and black hair was sitting across the table from Kuroo looking around the small bookshop cafe with his golden eyes.

Kenma looked over at where Kuroo was sighing as he made coffee for the four of them and grabbed the lunches out of the backroom. Akaashi moved over to the counter and grabbed the coffee’s putting them down at the table, noticing that there was a hot chocolate there that he assumed was for the owlish man. Kenma walked over to the table with some sandwiches, a medium apple pie and a piece of chocolate cake.

Kuroo was the one to start the conversation, asking Kenma and Akaashi about their day, Kenma seemed to know the owlish man and talked about irritating customers before asking him how training went. Akaashi started to feel more and more awkward as the conversation continued, the owlish man was gesturing in wild movements how volleyball practice went while Kuroo was listening intently, cracking jokes and asking questions. Kenma was distracting himself from the wild conversation by playing on his DS, it was probably the new Pokemon game that Kenma had mentioned Kuroo buying him earlier. Akaashi half listened to the conversation having lost interest in volleyball during middle school declining recommendations from Fukurodani and Suzumeoka in favour of Nekoma’s closeness to home and high level literature classes. By the end of the conversation Akaashi had discovered that the owlish man’s name is Bokuto, that he played volleyball against Kenma and Kuroo in high school and that he is a pro volleyball player for the local division 1 team the MBSY Black Jackals. Akaashi looked over at the clock as he gathered the dishes from lunch taking them over to the sink behind the counter signalling for Kenma to flip the sign on the door back to open as Kuroo and Bokuto leave the cafe, the owlish man still gesturing wildly. Akaashi notices that he has a small smile on his face in his reflection.

Kuroo and Bokuto walk down the street towards the professional spikers house talking about how excited they are of Hinata's return to Japan and the upcoming game against the Adlers. The conversation turns from volleyball to Kenma when Kuroo says he’s going to be watching the game with Kenma. Bokuto asks how Kenma is going about working at the cafe as well as having a large following on his gaming channel on youtube.

“It’s easy for him, Akaashi lets him work at the cafe whenever he wants for as long as he wants, he knows how lonely being at home without anyone can be and he’s known us since high school.” Kuroo sighs looking upwards at the clouds, “I wish that Akaashi had someone sometimes, he just seems so lonely all the time.”

Bokuto looked at Kuroo, eyes wide with shock at the revelation that Akaashi, the pretty, petite, pale cafe/bookstore owner, was single. “Bro, Akaashi is single, I assumed that he was dating someone, he looks so nice and is so polite.” Kuroo sighs at Bokuto’s sudden outburst coming to a stop at the crosswalk.

“Akaashi is seen as too introverted for most and those who find him nice often don’t mesh well with his ‘serious and emotionless’ self. He also has issues with anxiety that causes him to avoid people for the most part.” Kuroo took a step forward crossing the road with Bokuto slightly behind him on his left, processing what Kuroo had just told him.

“Do you think that I could have a chance with him, Kuroo?” Bokuto questions, shocking Kuroo with the abruptness of the question. “Well it depends on if he finds you interesting or annoying, he quit volleyball at the end of middle school but was willing to give Kenma pointers with strategy and tactics cause he found that Kenma was nice to talk to but he disliked me at first. It really depends on how you act, I don’t think he likes being around loud people a lot but is more used to it than he was in high school.”

Bokuto looked over at Kuroo with pleading eyes, “Could you please be my wingman on this one Kuroo?” Kuroo looked at Bokuto’s puppy eyes before nodding slowly in agreement “I’ll be your wingman but you're going to have to be the one to talk to him once I get the conversation going okay?”

Bokuto nods as they round the corner to his apartment and continue up the stairs to the elevator inside. They ride the elevator in silence, Bokuto thinking about what he was going to talk about to the beautiful man he had met earlier that day, Kuroo’s talk about how he had quit volleyball was probably a sign that using that as a conversation point was probably off the table. He looked over at Kuroo, a moment of decisiveness coming over him. “Do you know what his favourite book genre is? I could read some books then use them to have a conversation with him.” Kuroo looked over at his longtime close friend, shocked that he was willing to read after having to fight with him to get him to study for exams.

“He likes lots of genres but is currently reading lots of short novels about teenagers, sport and crime. I’ve almost finished the first book in a series he’s recommended. I'll lend it to you once I finish it.” Kuroo said, gesturing to his bag which had the book from earlier in it as they exit the elevator and continue towards Bokuto’s apartment.

The following week Bokuto was finishing up the final book in the All for the Game series as he waited for Kuroo so they could head to Akaashi’s coffee shop for lunch. He was nervously tapping his feet as he read the final chapter of The King’s Men. He was surprised by the theme of the book and how it went from lighthearted to dark then back to lighthearted as the characters' moods shifted. Bokuto jumps and closes his book as Kuroo enters his apartment, slightly slamming the door shut as he yells. “Hey, bro are you ready to see Akaashi?”

Bokuto paused at the corner of the street from the cafe, he was clenching and unclenching his fist nervously as he waited for the lights to change. Kuroo looked over at his best friend who was clearly nervous. “Dude, chill, the worst thing that could happen is Akaashi gets nervous around you. Kenma has told me that Akaashi has asked him to be his wingman.”

Around the corner Akaashi and Kenma sneeze as they close the shop for lunch. “Akaashi are you sure that you are comfortable with this, you have only known each other for a week.” Kenma looks worriedly over his longtime friend. “It’s okay Kenma, I’ll give him a chance, thanks for talking Kuroo out of his original plan, that would have been awkward.” Both Kenma and Akaashi shiver at the thought of a picnic double date in the current chilly weather.

They look up from their usual lunch table as Bokuto and Kuroo enter the cafe, walking past bookshelves and other tables as they make their way towards them. Akaashi started to nervously fiddle with his fingers under the table as Bokuto sat down on his left. Kuroo sat on Kenma’s right smiling at Bokuto as he reached for Kenma’s hand under the table. There was a short bout of awkward silence as they all started to eat. After a few minutes Kuroo finally decided to break the silence, “Akaashi, I finally got around to finishing the All for the Game series a few days ago, I must say that I was surprised that you were interested in it considering how sports focused it can get.”

Akaashi looked elated at the prospect of talking about the series as he quickly replied words seemingly flying from his mouth, “On the surface it can seem to be focused on sports but the real pushing factor is everyone's mindsets from the trauma that they had gone through in their childhood, Neil wants to play exy not only because it's fun but because it’s something that he was told he couldn’t do by his mother due to his circumstances with his father. Andrew is playing exy cause it gets his family into a University and allows him time off his meds at the beginning then we see him become more and more attached to Neil…” he drifts off realising that he was ranting about a book series that half of the table probably haven’t read yet.

Bokuto took his silence as an opportunity to jump into the conversation, “I think that Akaashi is right Kuroo, the book series used the Foxes playing Exy as a parallel to Neil and Andrew facing their trauma and identity and overcoming the habits that their parents had trained them into.”

Akaashi looked at Bokuto surprised remembering what Kenma had told him about the man Bokuto had read a book series that he had enjoyed and had analysed what the true story going through the series was when he was rarely able to sit still and was training to play on the Japanese Olympic team. “It also shows all four responses to threats, Neil being flight, Andrew being fight, Kevin being freeze and Jean being fawn.” Akaashi added onto Bokuto’s previous statement, eyes shining with excitement behind his passive facial expressions.

The two continued to talk about the book series with Bokuto getting his number and several book recommendations so they could continue to converse about them. It wasn’t a surprise that within a month of them exchanging contacts they had told Kuroo and Kenma that they were officially dating. It was more of a surprise for Kenma that Akaashi could deal with Bokuto’s high energy and mood swings as though he had been doing it for years.

They were perfect for each other, Kenma mused, he was happy that he had asked Kuroo to bring Bokuto along that day.

[arcstral]

ooc; TOA Anniversary Munday!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is. Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing! Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Soji

Pronouns: She/her

Birthday (no year): October 14

Where are you from? What is your time zone? United States. Both my parents are from South Korea. East coast resident (EST)

Roleplay experience: A little over 13 years of roleplay experience

Got any pets? One chinchilla affectionately dubbed Souji Man and a 'Shavanese' dog (short-haired Havanese) named Happy

Favorite time of year: Autumn

Some interests and things you like: The holy trinity of cosplaying, writing, and drawing

Some fun facts & trivia about you:

— I joined TOA during the peak of Covid quarantining in 2020 when there was a huge convention dry spell. The indie roleplay scene for Fire Emblem during this time was uneventful too. Having no productive outlet for cosplaying or writing, it lead me to join my first RP group which was (jazz hands) TOA

— My zodiac animal is a rabbit

— I have hundreds upon hundreds of hours clocked on Super Smash Bros from Brawl to Ultimate. You'll never guess who I main.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Final Fantasy XIV, Project Zomboid, Phasmophobia, Touken Ranbu, and Stardew Valley in order of frequency.

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: I like bug types; my favorite Pokemon is Scizor. While not Pokemon my favorite Digimon, Kabuterimon, is also a bug. Honorable mention goes to Greninja.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? Saw Shadow Dragon in my local Gamestop one day and didn't buy it even though it stuck out to me with its somber and less colorful boxart. Next time I saw a Fire Emblem game in the store, i.e., Awakening, I bought and played it. The rest is history.

What Fire Emblem games have you played? If we're talking start-to-end I've played and finished FE1, FE3, FE7, FE9, FE11, FE12, Awakening, SOV, 3H, and Engage. The remaining games in the series I've played to either early or mid game.

First Fire Emblem game: Awakening

Favorite Fire Emblem game: FE11 Shadow Dragon

Any Fire Emblem crushes? FE7 Rath was my first and only concrete FE crush. Marth was initially more of an aesthetic source of admiration though knowing his character better he likely exemplifies the ideal partner. Similar to Marth he's not really a crush, but right now I think a lot about Rafal, ironically less in the realm of looks or perfection and more at his attractive hot-and-cold personality.

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? - Awakening: Chrom - Fates: Kaden was my forecast - Three Houses: Dimitri - Engage: Alfred

Favorite Fire Emblem class: Dracoknight

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? Archer. My first class in FFXIV was an archer and my FE tastes will reflect that too.

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Blue Lions

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? Marth. Need me a princely ghost boyfriend I mean advisor with a good head on his shoulders.

How did you find TOA? Through Fire Emblem roleplay related tags

Current TOA muses: Marth and Rafal

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? Marth is my ride or die Fire Emblem character and that extends to him as a muse.

Have you had any other TOA muses? Besides Marth and Rafal I've also written Xane. Though there isn't a lot of data, my second muse slot historically (and presently) being reserved for dragons tickles me a lot.

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? Not really. My tastes are unexplainably versatile. I can favor the sweet and friendly golden boy type characters, or the less pristine and morally ambiguous "bad boy" types, and everything in-between. This isn't just true for TOA but also for characters from different series. My friends have a lot of trouble forecasting possible favorites for me because of it.

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? Emotions. Conflict with those emotions. Mwahahahaha

Favorite TOA-related memory: The first few months into my TOA debut when everything was bright, fresh, and new. Meeting new friends and forging bonds with other characters was super fun and I still remember who was around me during that time. Farina (written by Maxie) is the closest muse to Marth in terms of when they joined TOA and who has stayed to this day.

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day in TOA that you’d like to share? I tend to be very stable, loyal, and proactive in my delusions. If they're strong enough I pursue them, like Xane and Rafal. Rath would be among them if I ever replayed FE7 and if I determined having three muses wouldn't make my performance suffer over all.