#Yes i know a Victini

[hisui-apparently]

Finally someone says it!

Sure, in all of the possible multiverses, mayber there is one where Legends and Myths are a normal occurrence, but regularly? They're called "Legends" and "Myths" for a reason. Yes I'm a huge hypocrite-

Your average Joe is not, in fact, friends with a Mew. Someone may think that they are, but what's more likely is a Zorua having a laugh. Look.

<Image attached>

{Remy, deadpanning at the camera with what looks like a Victini sitting on their shoulder, holding out a peace sign}

Look how easy it is for Venom (my Zoroark) to look nearly identical to Victini. And theres more-

<Images attached>

{Various images of Mythical Pokemon, such as Mew, Meloetta, and Manaphy, along with some room-sized Legends, such as Mewtwo}

All Venom.

For Blue: What about, like, Groudon and Kyogre? Those two legendaries had a pretty significant and undeniable impact on Hoenn not that long ago. Do you believe in them?

I feel like I should say now: I don't think all legendary Pokémon are fake! I just think most people are lying about their experiences with legendary Pokémon. If they're real, they're rare, and I see dozens of people every day claiming they own one or that they have a special bond with one. It's not realistic, and people love lying for clout.

[whump-n-comfort]

i've for the most part moved away from doing fandom-specific things on this blog on account of my interests varying as often as the wind changes directions and also because i don't wanna alienate those who don't know a particular fandom (hurt/comfort is a cross-fandom experience after all) but one of my longest hyperfixations is in full swing and i just gotta say somewhere on here that at least 68% of my whump fascination has got to come from pokemon

[teshadraws]

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Seekers of Soul

[Chapter 56]

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-

Nia and Tobias fly across the Obsidian Sea, and reunite with a couple of familiar faces!

-

The next day dawns cold and clear. As Nia and Tobias make the walk to the flying outpost, Nia is quickly woken up by the delicate frost coating the leaf-littered forest floor and the foliage they have to pass through. Her fur feels soaked through within minutes and her paws are chilled, but the brisk pace of the walk helps to warm her up. Well, that and walking a bit closer to Tobias. The charmander seems equally disgruntled about the approaching winter, but he doesn’t snap at Nia for bumping into him once or twice as she leeches off his bubble of warmth.

The sun is just starting to cut through the trees in rays of orange light, melting the frost, when Nia spots the tall structure of the flying outpost ahead of them. She picks up the pace, trotting ahead until it’s fully in sight in the middle of a small clearing. Something like canvas has been tied down to block the open gaps of the structure, acting as makeshift walls to cut off powerful gusts of wind. They billow and blow in the breeze like sails, flapping loudly.

There are only a few Pokemon waiting near the bottom of the structure, but Nia’s eyes lock onto one in particular, large and maroon with a fluffy mane of white.

“Fliss!”

The braviary’s head lifts from where she’d been talking to a smaller, bright orange Pokemon. Even with the intimidating scar where her right eye should be, the way Fliss’ face lights up is nothing short of adorable. “Nia! Well, I’ll be! You looking for a ride?”

“Yes!” Nia slows to a stop in front of the braviary, bouncing on her toes. Both because she’s excited to see the large flying type again and to stay warm. “Are you flying today?”

“Sure am! A little frost ain’t gonna stop me. Where’s that partner of yours? You two still a team?”

Nia turns, just in time for Tobias to emerge from the brush with a sour look. He takes a moment to shake melted frost from his foot. “Here. Just hating winter.”

Fliss laughs and jerks her chin up at the pieces of canvas. “You ain’t the only one. Half our crew’s hiding away until the sun comes out to warm everything up.”

“They’ll have to face the winter eventually,” a new voice says, crisp and even. The bird Fliss had been speaking with before steps closer, and Nia can’t help staring at his feathers a bit longer than is probably polite. He’s a bright orange, the color ending in flame-like tapers and fading into a light gray underbelly. His wings and tail are a striking black at their tips, and streaks of bright yellow band his tail feathers and ring his eyes and beak. He looks like the embodiment of fire, just a head or so taller than Nia and Tobias.

“This ball of sunshine is Comet,” Fliss says, amused. “If you’re lookin’ for a long flight, then he’ll be joining us for the trip.”

Tobias frowns, looking between Fliss and the new Pokemon. “Why?”

Fliss and Comet exchange a loaded look. Then, Fliss sighs. “Was hoping you wouldn’t ask, little flame. We’ve just been flyin’ in pairs lately. Extra safety and all that.”

Nia blinks. “Safety?”

“The winds are more volatile than they used to be,” Comet says. “I promise you we can handle it. It’s just a precaution.”

Nia can’t help wondering what had to happen for such a precaution to be put into place. She shuffles worriedly on her feet, glancing at Tobias. He doesn’t look any more soothed than she feels. No wonder, considering they’ll have to fly over the Obsidian Sea again. An accident over the open ocean is basically a death sentence for a charmander.

“We need to head back to Ghatha,” Nia says, locking eyes with Fliss. “So we would need to go over the ocean. Are you sure it’s safe?”

Nia knows this is technically Fliss’ livelihood, but she trusts the flying type not to lie to her just to make some extra money. Not about this.

The braviary ducks her head in a bow. “I’m as confident as a victini in my flight. But if ya aren’t comfortable, you could always find some water transport.”

“Though the ocean is becoming just as unstable,” Comet mutters.

Tobias shakes his head. “No. No, we’re on a tight schedule. I’ll be fine.”

Nia wonders if he’s reassuring her or himself.

“Neither Felicity or I have had any incidents,” Comet says. “Going together is just extra assurance. New protocol.”

Nia exchanges an uncertain look with Tobias. Normally she wouldn’t want to risk it, but they don’t really have any other option. They need to talk to Will as soon as possible, and using water transport would take far too long.

“We’ll fly,” Tobias says, deciding for the both of them. “If you’ll take us.”

“Gladly!”

The cost for travel is a bit higher than it was before—to compensate two ‘mons’ time rather than just one, Fliss explains—but luckily August gave them more funds than he’d thought they’d need. Tobias splits the payment between the two flying types, dropping the coins into the little pouch tied around Fliss’ leg and the small bag tied to Comet’s back.

Finally, it’s time to fly.

“Welcome aboard!”

Fliss crouches low, belly brushing the grass, to let them crawl on. Tobias doesn’t hesitate before taking a firm grip of the bird’s feathers and pulling himself up onto her back. He offers a hand, and Nia gives him a smile of thanks before letting him help her up. She sits behind him, wrapping her arms around his middle and grateful for his sturdy warmth.

“Smoother start than last time,” Fliss teases. “Ready to fly?”

Tobias nods. “Ready.”

Nia takes a deep breath. “As ready as I can be.”

Fliss laughs. “That’s what I like to hear! Just hold on tight now. Promise we’ll get ya to Ghatha safely.”

With that, Fliss pushes off the ground with powerful legs, giant wings beating hard to get into the air. She bobs once, then slowly lifts up and up and up. They rise past the outpost and the trunks of the trees, until they’re surging past leaves and into a sky that’s a robin’s egg blue.

Immediately, the wind buffets them, cold and biting.

Nia feels her stomach drop. She ducks her head into the warmth of Tobias’ shoulder, clinging tightly to him. She feels more than hears him sigh, but he doesn’t argue, just patting her arm twice once before holding once more to Fliss’ feathers.

Fliss rises higher and higher until she catches the air current she wants, then levels out to ride the wind. While the bone-deep fear clutching at Nia’s gut doesn’t disappear entirely, it does ease a bit once their jerky flight smooths out.

Nia almost wants to peek out at the world, recalling the brief glimpses of gorgeous, breathtaking views from last time. Plus, Tobias clearly loves this whole experience. It’d be fun to share it with him.

But as soon as she squints open an eye and catches sight of the sprawling forest below, looking as small as a carpet of moss, and the sheer openness of the sky around them, terror grabs her again.

She buries her head back into Tobias’ shoulder, taking deep breaths of his soothing scent to calm herself.

Nia still can’t remember if she’d flown before as a human. She knows planes are a thing, but her memory has only returned in bits and pieces. Much of her history is still blank, like a tapestry that’s more moth-eaten holes than actual thread. Was she afraid of heights in the human world too? Or is her body’s fighting type nature really enough to put such fear into her?

It’s hard to describe the feeling, especially as it engulfs her and makes her feel lightheaded. It’s like as much as she knows they’re (probably) safe with Fliss and Comet taking care of them, her body trembles with the knowledge that if she fell from here, she’d likely die. Her chest feels tight, her heart pounding hard against Tobias’ spine, and panic simmers quietly in the back of her mind.

“You breathing back there?” Tobias asks, head turning enough for Nia to catch the words.

Nia takes a gulp of air. Then another, slower, to try and follow his unspoken suggestion. Deep breaths. Just don’t think about it. You’re fine. Tobias is here, and Fliss is here, and if something goes wrong then Comet is here too.

“C-Can you talk?” Nia asks.

“Uh. I guess? About what?”

“Anything. I-I just need a distraction. Um. What kind of Pokemon is Comet?”

“Oh. He’s a talonflame. Fire and flying type, like a charizard. I don’t know too much about them, but he’s the final evolution in a three-stage form, and I can tell he’s fast. He keeps having to pull himself back so he doesn’t leave Fliss behind.”

Nia can’t bring herself to answer, breath stolen from her chest, so she nods.

Tobias keeps talking. “Uh. I think the first form is called a fletchling? They’re little things, about Junie’s size. Don’t remember the middle form’s name, though. Um…they’re probably pretty warm, if they’re anything like other fire types. That’s likely why he’s comfortable flying so early in the day, when it’s still cold.”

Comet must catch onto what Tobias is doing and what they’re discussing, because when Tobias starts running out of tidbits to share, Nia hears the talonflame’s voice shout to them over the wind.

“Talonflame are certainly a warmer species. We even create fire with our feathers, rather than a flame sac like most fire types. We produce an oil that’s flammable, and generate heat and friction through flapping our wings to ignite.”

“Watch,” Tobias says, tapping Nia’s arm.

Nia whines, but peeks open an eye in the direction of Comet’s voice.

Comet is sailing easily along on an air current, framed by blue sky. Upon seeing that he has her attention, he flaps his wings—once, twice, three times—and small embers spark to life from his feathers, leaping behind him to be carried away by the wind.

Nia’s curiosity just barely wins out over her fear. She lifts her head to watch more clearly as Comet does it again. He flaps once, hard, and flames burst to life around his wings, hot enough that Nia feels a brief wave of warmth. Then he shoots forward, zipping past Fliss.

“Show-off!” Fliss shouts, laughter in her voice.

“She was curious,” Comet counters, voice now on their other side.

Nia turns to look at him, mouth open to ask questions about how they can choose when to ignite, and if fletchlings can do that too, and a hundred other things—

But she catches sight of the Silenfroar Mountains behind the talonflame, remembers where she is, and icy fear grips her again. She buries her face with a whimper, feeling pathetic.

Tobias sighs.

“Want me to take a turn on distraction duty?” Fliss calls.

Someone must give her the affirmative, because she starts talking. “Did ya know that there’s another variant of braviary out there? Psychic and flying type! I met one once, and he could blast enough psychic energy to knock out a wailord. I can pack a punch myself, so I was mostly just jealous that he could use his powers to write! This old gal is forever cursed with illiteracy.”

“You can read,” Comet says, dry.

“Half-illiteracy, then!”

“That’s not how it works.”

Nia giggles despite herself, grateful for her travel companions as they fall into more animated conversation. Like this, if Nia keeps her eyes closed and takes deep breaths, if she lets the breeze soothe her and imagines she’s just on a windy hillside rather than hundreds of feet in the air, it’s not too terrible. Although Nia wishes she could whip out her blanket without risk of it blowing away. It’s much colder than the last time they flew.

The three Pokemon keep the conversation flowing, shifting from one topic to another, until Fliss finally asks why they’re returning to Ghatha so soon.

“We’re actually going to Stonebrook, a bit south of Ghatha,” Tobias says. “We’re meeting someone there.”

“Oh, Stonebrook!” Fliss crows. “Nice little place. Quaint. We could drop ya off there if you’d prefer, for a bit of extra poke to compensate our time.”

Tobias makes a thoughtful sound that rumbles in his chest. “How much extra?”

“Let’s say 150.”

Tobias mulls it over, and Nia can feel him turn his head as if to get her input.

“Whatever you think is best,” Nia says into his shoulder.

Tobias hesitates for a moment longer before turning forward again. “100 poke and you’ve got a deal.”

Fliss laughs, loud and booming even as the wind snatches the sound away. “Haggler, eh? You know what? Sure. I like you two, so 100 poke it is. Comet, you can have the larger share since I took the lower deal.”

Comet doesn’t answer, so Nia assumes he agrees with those conditions.

Time passes in a blur after that. Nia knows that they have at least a few hours until they reach the land across the sea, but she tries to distract herself by listening to the snippets of conversation around her and thinking about what they have waiting ahead of them. They’re going to find Junie! And see Will again, as well as his human settlement. Excitement mixes in with the nerves in her stomach.

However, it's hard not to let her mind drift to more panic-inducing thoughts too, like their current situation in the air, or their mission from Giratina, or even how much she misses her family in the human world when she has the time to think about them.

Nia wants them here. She wants her mom to stroke her hair and soothe her fear. She wants Clay to make stupid jokes to distract her. She wants Toni to stick her obnoxiously large headphones over Nia’s ears to drown out the quiet roar of the wind.

She misses them so much. Longing aches like a bruise inside her chest.

Nia sniffs and hopes that Tobias doesn’t notice her shaky breaths. Tears prick at her eyes, hot and insistent.

Nia misses them, and she doesn’t even have the full story. She’d hoped that after getting sick and remembering some of her life as a human, the rest of her memories would follow. But after the initial deluge, they’d slowed to a stop. She knows she’s still missing a lot, still has giant gaps in her memory that feel impossible to focus on for too long. What was the last thing she even did with her family before showing up here?

Nia is pulled out of her thoughts when Tobias speaks up, tapping her arm. “We’re at the ocean.”

Nia doesn’t think he means for her to look up, just to update her, so she nods her thanks into his shoulder.

After that, Nia tries to let the loud howl of the wind and the roar of the waves drown out her thoughts and anxieties. Tries to let the sensations surround her in a fuzzy haze.

She’s snapped back to reality by the sudden tilt of the world.

Nia squeaks, clinging to Tobias as Fliss’ considerable mass is knocked sideways by a sudden gust of wind. The braviary flaps wildly to correct herself, and Nia’s stomach flips. Oh, they’re gonna die they’re gonna die they’re gonna die—

Fliss finally manages to catch a gentler air current, leveling out her erratic flight. Nia keeps her face hidden away, focusing on her death grip around Tobias’ ribs and the way he’s clutching at her arm in return.

“Are you two all right?” Comet yells, sounding more tense than Nia would like. His voice is closer too, as if hovering near enough to catch them if they fall.

Tobias squeezes Nia’s wrist, whether to reassure her or himself that she’s still hanging on. “I don’t know if I’d say all right, exactly, but we’re still here. What was that?”

“Rogue wind,” Fliss calls back. “I’ve sailed these currents for more than twenty years, and I’ve never seen anything like ‘em. They like to pop up out of nowhere and throw us off course.”

“A symptom of the increasing natural disasters, as far as we can tell,” Comet adds. “It certainly makes travel more difficult. Dangerous, particularly for the smaller flyers.”

Nia’s heart sinks. This is just one more reminder of what they’re trying to stop. Of what will come to pass if they don’t fix the world. Nia can imagine the winds growing untamed enough eventually to ground flyers completely, whipping up storms and typhoons to wreak havoc alongside earthquakes and droughts.

Nia takes another deep breath to ward off fresh panic. This is why they’re going to see Will. They’re going to fix this. All of it.

“Don’t you worry—I’m much tougher than any rowdy wind!” Fliss calls, trying to sound upbeat. “You two just hold on tight and we’ll be sure to get you to Stonebrook safely.”

Tobias nods, but doesn’t respond. Nia, still trying to calm her racing heart, simply holds onto him tighter. She already didn’t like flying, but the thought that the world could suddenly flip and toss them into the ocean at any time is ten times worse. Not that she doesn’t trust Fliss, but she distrusts the current state of nature even more.

“I’ll scout ahead to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Comet calls, just loud enough to hear, before Nia feels another burst of warmth from his flames. He must’ve jetted forward to fly just ahead of Fliss.

Unfortunately, conversation stops after that as Fliss and Comet focus on navigating the rough air currents. Time passes in tense quiet, aside from the rush of the wind and the roar of the waves. Every time a gust of wind shakes up their flight even the slightest bit, Nia’s heart jumps into her throat.

When Tobias finally speaks again, it’s quiet and almost to himself. “Huh.”

Nia tightens her grip on her partner. “W-What? Is something wrong?”

“No. I don’t think so, at least.” Tobias leans slightly, as if peering over Fliss’ side. “Giratina’s following us.”

That’s interesting enough to make Nia look up. She debates with herself for just a moment before steeling her courage, tightening her grip, and following Tobias’ gaze down, to the choppy ocean below.

Sure enough, Nia spots Giratina’s giant, serpentine shape in the broken reflections on the ocean’s surface. He’s following alongside Fliss’ quick pace, winding like a snake through black water.

Fliss notices the legendary’s presence, but she must think it’s another Pokemon because she just gripes about nosy water types before flapping higher to catch a different current. Nia stiffens at the reminder of how high up they are and burrows back into her safe space.

“Surely he has better things to do than follow us around,” Tobias says.

“Maybe we should give him an update?” Nia suggests. “To be fair, he doesn’t know what we’re doing. We could try talking to him through a reflection later?”

“Maybe.”

And with that, they fall silent again.

____________________________________________________________

It’s late morning when they finally make it back to land, and almost noon by time Fliss calls out that they’ll be landing in Stonebrook in a few minutes.

The rest of their flight had been uneventful after that first incident. Comet had successfully steered them around any other severe turbulence, and the cold weather had warmed with the sun beating down on their backs. Still, Nia is beyond relieved to have the end of their flight so near, and she manages to lift her head and take a peek at where they’re going.

The forest below looks different from the one in Bethoc’s Haven. The trees back home are a range of species, mostly deciduous, with spreading boughs and wide leaves that change colors and wither away with the seasons. These trees, even from a distance, stand tall and pointed, a rich palette of greens despite the approaching winter. Evergreens?

Fliss and Comet aim for a notable gap in the trees. As they start to descend, Nia realizes they aren’t just settling in a small grove or clearing, but instead at the edge of a tiny village nestled amongst the trees. There are small buildings scattered throughout the space, built from boulders and slabs of stone propped against one another. Other than a few purposeful openings that are clearly windows, any gaps are filled in with smaller, carefully stacked stones. A stream winds through the town, stepping stones bridging its two halves, and even this late in autumn the whole place feels green and lush, each building topped by a grassy roof. They must be farther south than Nia had realized.

Pokemon are scattered around the village, going about their day. Children are chasing each other down dirt paths, shrieking with laughter, while a couple of adults talk and watch the kids from outside stone homes. Others appear to be doing chores or running errands. One building is seemingly the home of a merchant, and a few Pokemon are crowded around the little window where he’s exchanging goods. Smoke rises from another building, and Nia catches the savory scent of something cooking. Some Pokemon are even riding a cart out of town on the main path, heading who knows where.

Fliss finally touches down, and Nia wastes no time in sliding off her back. The cool, pine needle-strewn dirt below her feet is blessedly solid.

“Oh, thank God,” Nia breathes, sinking to the ground. Her legs are somehow both stiff and flimsy as jelly.

Fliss laughs, lowering herself so Tobias can slide down much more gracefully.

“You good?” He asks.

Nia groans, leaning forward to press her forehead against the dirt. Tobias gives her a patronizing pat on the back.

“Apologies again for the rough flight over,” Comet says, stepping closer.

“But we did get you here in one piece!” Fliss says, giving an exaggerated wink with her one good eye.

Tobias helps Nia to her feet. “That you did. Thanks.”

“We’re planning to head to Ghatha right away for our next job, so you may need to make the journey north on foot if you need a return flight,” Comet says.

“That’s fine!” Nia says, giving Comet a weak smile as she starts stretching out her stiff legs. “We probably won’t need a flight ‘mon for a while, anyways. We need to find someone here in town, and then we’re heading south.”

“Fair enough,” Fliss says. “Well, it was good seeing you two again, despite the rocky weather. Be careful on your travels and be sure to find us again if you need a flight! It’s always a pleasure having you as riders.”

“Thanks, Fliss,” Nia says, smiling warmly at the braviary. “I can’t say it’s been, um…fun, exactly, but I appreciate you doing your best to make it easier for me. Both of you.”

Comet dips his head. “Of course. It was nice meeting you both.”

With that, Fliss and Comet step back and take flight again, flapping up and into the sky. Nia waves them off until they’re out of sight.

Then it’s just Nia and Tobias standing at the edge of the village. Stonebrook is absolutely tiny, maybe ten or twelve small buildings in all, and Nia can see clear to the other side of town from where they’re standing. While the inhabitants of the village aren’t approaching them, there are one or two Pokemon watching them curiously, clearly wondering who they are and why they flew to Stonebrook of all places.

“Well, we’re here. Now what?” Tobias asks.

“Well…” Nia trails off, looking around. “I guess we just ask around until someone can point out where Junie lives? It can’t be too hard to find her in a town this small.”

Tobias shrugs, clearly not thrilled about socializing with a bunch of strangers, but follows as Nia wanders into the village proper, towards the merchant shop she’d spotted earlier.

“This place is nice,” Nia says, smiling as one of the children she’d seen before runs past her. The kid, a brown chipmunk Pokemon with a leafy green bonnet, does a double-take at the two strangers in his village, and skids to a stop. The Pokemon that had been chasing the little guy slams into him, and the two fall into a squirming, squabbling heap.

“It’s definitely not where I expected Junie of all Pokemon to settle down,” Tobias says, stepping around the kids. “It’s too…”

“Peaceful?”

“I was going to say boring, but yeah.”

Nia elbows him to be polite, still looking around as they approach the merchant’s shop. The village is open to the sun, but it’s surrounded by a thick wall of pine trees. Nia can’t decide if the forest feels reassuring or confining. Then again, she lives inside a giant tree, so she doesn’t really have room to talk.

“Nia?”

Nia stops in place, ears perking at the familiar voice. She spins to find it, beaming when she sees Junie stopped mid-step mere feet away. The rookidee is clearly shocked, beak open and wide ruby eyes flicking between Nia and Tobias in disbelief.

“Junie!” Nia says.

Junie blinks once. Twice. Then she finally seems to register that this is really happening. She tweets an excited, shrill noise before rocketing into Nia’s open arms. Nia falls to the dirt and moss, laughing.

“What’re you doing here?!” Junie says, nuzzling into Nia’s fur. “Where did you even come from?”

“We flew!” Nia laughs, hugging her. “Did you not see us? Half the village has been staring at us since we landed.”

“I just got into town!” Junie leans back just enough to meet Nia’s eyes, feathers fluffed with excitement.  “What’re you doing here?!”

Nia feels her smile falter a bit. She sits up, and Junie resettles in her lap. “We have business south of here, so we thought we would stop by and visit you on the way.”

“I’m so glad you did! I missed your adorable face.” Junie’s gaze flicks behind Nia to where Tobias is standing, and she perks up all over again. “And Toby’s here too!”

“I told you not to call me that,” Tobias growls.

“Good to see you haven’t lost your charming personality!”

Nia giggles, while Tobias just rolls his eyes.

“Ahem.”

Nia and Junie look up to see a pink cow Pokemon standing over them, a basket full of linens held against her hip.

Oh. They decided to have their reunion right in the middle of town, didn’t they? And right in the middle of one of the walking paths, too.

Junie laughs and flaps her way out of Nia’s lap. “Sorry, Marie!”

Nia scrambles to follow. “Sorry, ma’am!”

Marie shakes her head, but she’s smiling as she passes. “Good to see you so happy, Junie. Just keep the paths clear, all right?”

Junie salutes the Pokemon’s back, sending Nia a wry smile.

Huh. Nia had gotten the impression back in Ghatha that Junie didn’t talk to her neighbors much, but that was a pretty casual exchange with Marie. Maybe she’s grown more comfortable with them since then?

Once the cow Pokemon is out of earshot, stopping outside of her home to hang the linens on a makeshift clothesline, Junie turns to Nia. “Come on, we can go back to my place.”

“Oh, sure!”

Nia and Tobias follow as Junie hops down one of the village’s dirt paths, then leaves the trail entirely to head into the woods.

Nia hesitates at the tree line, watching Junie’s dark feathers get nearly swallowed up by the forest’s heavy shade. The three of them are dwarfed by the tall evergreens here.

“You don’t live in town?” Nia asks.

“Nope! I live with Bo now! He should actually be stopping by the house soon with some lunch.”

Nia’s brows rise at the bird’s easy answer, but she dutifully follows before she can lose sight of the rookidee.

Junie had seemed so stubbornly independent back in Ghatha. When did that change? Nia did tell her she should try connecting more with her neighbors, but this feels like a big step.

“Bo?” Tobias asks when they catch up.

“Yeah! He’s a dork, but he’s the best. A real metal guy.”

Nia tilts her head, hearing the joke in Junie’s voice but unsure of what to make of it. A pun, no doubt.

“Is he your, um…”

Junie must pick up on what Nia is asking, because she scrunches up her face and sticks out her tongue. “Ew, no, gross. He’s like. A dad. Or an older brother, maybe. Oh! No, wait, he’s definitely an uncle!”

“How do you just decide that someone’s an uncle?” Tobias asks.

“When they have uncle energy, duh. Keep up, Toby.”

Tobias sends Nia a look that makes it clear he’s already done with Junie for this visit. Nia bites back a laugh.

The rookidee leads them farther into the forest than Nia expects, until Stonebrook is out of sight behind them and they’re surrounded by the quiet of the trees. It’s heavily shaded here with the canopy of evergreens so thick, and the air cools notably. At first, Nia almost finds it unnerving, used to the dappled sunshine of the forest in Bethoc’s Haven, but the peaceful quiet and gentle, dark colors grow on her quickly. The ground underfoot is a soft mix of dirt, moss, and soft pine needles, and the air is fragrant with the scent. The trunks of the pines tower above them. There’s less foliage to wade through, which is nice. It’s not bad, necessarily. Just…different.

Finally, Nia sees something up ahead, an out of place gray amongst the cool browns and greens of the forest.

“This is where we live!” Junie chirps, hopping ahead to present it with a wide flourish of her wings.

It’s a small abode made of stone, much like the homes back in Stonebrook proper. One of its walls seems to be made up of the large tree it’s propped against, and its roof is a grassy slant of soil atop a slab of stone. The other walls are made of smaller, carefully stacked rocks, with only two rectangular gaps left on either side of the wooden door—windows, most likely, seeing as they’re currently covered by leafy blinds. There are a few flowers and paint doodles decorating the outside, almost certainly Junie’s doing, that brighten the gray exterior. The little house is cushioned by moss and framed by more giant pine trees, but there are a few slices of sunshine in this part of the forest, making the whole place look homey rather than unwelcoming.

“It’s lovely!” Nia says, charmed.

“You sleep on the ground?” Tobias asks, sounding more confused than anything.

“Hey, what’s wrong with that?” Junie asks, giving him a glare. “You sleep on the ground!”

“We literally live in a tree.”

Junie stops mid-retort, blinking. “Huh. Guess you do. Still! Lots of Pokemon sleep on ground level!”

“Not flying types.”

“We’ve had some rough storms around here, okay?” Junie huffs. “Besides, I used to sleep in trees before moving in with Bo, and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I kept falling out, and it got so drafty! This is much cozier.”

“Or maybe you’re just a weirdo.”

“Maybe it’s just your human side talking,” Nia suggests, biting back a laugh at the cross look Junie sends her partner. “Humans do like being cozy.”

“Because it’s the best!” Junie says with a decisive nod. She opens her mouth to say something else, then pauses, glancing up through the trees as they rustle with the wind. “Oh! I think Bo’s home!”

Nia peers up through the pine branches and the slivers of sunlight, but she can’t see much of anything through the thick boughs.

“I’d step back if I were you,” Junie says, hopping back against the house. “I’ve been knocked over by his tailwind more times than I can count.” 

Finally, Nia sees him: a silver bird diving through a gap in the evergreens. He flashes bright when he cuts through a ray of sunlight, like the sun reflecting off a car, and the undersides of his wings are a scarlet red. As he descends, Nia realizes just how big he really is, and scrambles back to make room, Tobias right on her heels.

The bird slows down with a few powerful flaps right before he meets the forest floor. The gust created from his wings makes Nia brace herself against the house and squint her eyes shut as he settles heavily onto the mossy ground.

Nia blinks grit from her eyes and trails her gaze up from huge talons and a bulky silver body until she finds the bird’s face. He’s gotta be over two times their height, and he’s seemingly covered in…metal? The wings he tucks against his sides almost seem to be tipped in blades, sharp as they are, but they don’t cut through the satchel strapped around his body. His head is an equally sharp thing, with a wicked beak of sharp teeth and a spike of metal atop his head, almost like a helmet. He meets Nia’s gaze with keen yellow eyes.

“You didn’t tell me we were having visitors, Junebug,” the bird says, voice more playful than Nia expects. “I would’ve cleaned the place up a bit. Now I just look like a bad host.”

Junie laughs, hopping forward to gesture with her wings. “I’m just as surprised as you are! These are the friends I told you about, from Ghatha! Nia and Toby.”

“Tobias, actually,” Tobias corrects. It’s halfhearted, though, as he sizes up the Pokemon in front of them.

Nia gives the large bird a smile and a shy wave.

The bird squawks a laugh. “You two are just like Junie described! Nice to meet you. I’m Bolat. Local mail ‘mon and self-appointed wrangler for this little impidimp.”

Bolat reaches out a taloned foot to nudge Junie, surprisingly gentle. The rookidee trills an annoyed sound as she’s still nearly knocked over, but she’s smiling.

“I keep your life exciting and you know it!”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Nia says, bowing lightly. Tobias doesn’t say anything, but Nia sees him give the bird a respectful nod.

“You too.” Bolat tilts his head, looking at them consideringly. “Do you two plan to bunk with us tonight?”

“Oh! I-I mean, we can find somewhere else to sleep if it’s any trouble, but—”

Bolat laughs and shakes his head. “No no, you’re fine. We have room. We’ll just need to get you some bedding for a proper nest. Guessing you haven’t done that yet?”

“They just got here!” Junie says. “Gimme like an hour. There’s some decent stuff in that glen west of here, right?”

Bolat hums, eyeing the two of them again before turning back to Junie. “How about I just grab some bedding for the night while I’m out on my second run? I’m sure you want to catch up anyways.”

Nia almost protests out of pure politeness, but glances at Junie instead. This is her home, after all. Even if Nia is surprised that the little bird isn’t immediately insisting she can do it herself.

After a moment of thought, though, Junie just nods. “If you don’t mind, that’d be awesome! Thanks, Bo.”

“Eh, no big. It’s a slow day anyways. Ah, here.” Bolat lifts a wing to dip his beak into the satchel looped over his body, rummaging around through…letters? He finally re-emerges with a small sack, which he drops in front of Junie. “Grabbed some lunch. Make sure you eat a few of the chestnuts and greens—you need more bulk if you want to carry more than a letter at a time.”

Junie groans and butts her head against Bolat’s leg with a thonk. “I know, I know! I’ll eat my stupid veggies. Thanks.”

Bolat laughs again and looks at Nia and Tobias. “There should be enough in there for all three of you, if you haven’t had lunch yet. I’ll pick something else up for myself.”

“Are you sure?” Nia asks, ears lowering. She can’t help feeling like they’re imposing, showing up so suddenly and making Bolat do so much for them.

“Of course!” Bolat waves them off with a giant wing. “Any friend of June’s is a friend of mine. Make yourselves at home.”

“Well…thank you, then.”

“’Course.” Bolat squints up through the trees at the midday sunshine. “I’d better get going if I don’t want to be late, though. Can you hold down the fort until I get back, Junebug?”

“Aye aye, cap’n!” Junie says, saluting with her little wing.

“In that case, I’ll see you all this evening with bedding in tow. See you!”

Bolat barely waits for Nia and Tobias to say their own goodbyes before he’s flapping hard at the ground again and lifting up into the air. Nia watches, kind of awestruck that a bird seemingly made of metal can appear so light and graceful as he flies up between the trees and out of sight.

Then Nia squints, looking down at Junie. “’A real metal guy?’”

Junie chirps a laugh. “I wasn’t lying, was I?”

Tobias snorts. “A skarmory’s about as metal as a flying type can get.”

“Exactly! Now, come on in. I can’t make you guys proper nests until Bo brings back some fluff, but we can still catch up and eat!”

Junie grabs the lip of the sack of food and drags it along behind her, flapping furiously against its weight. Nia holds open the front door so Junie can get inside, watching as the little bird pulls open the blinds on the two small windows to let in some fresh air and sunlight. Then Nia follows her, surprised by how the inside of the little home feels both cozy and more spacious than she expects.

It’s clearly a space built for just one or two Pokemon, but it’s organized. There’s a small basin off to one side of the room, with bowls, cloths, and other supplies resting near it on a small, flat boulder. On the other side, there’s a larger slab of stone, where two nests sit. One is clearly Junie’s, a tiny bowl of moss and pine needles perfectly sized to cup her body. The second nest is much, much larger, and Nia has to stare at it for a moment to try to understand what she’s looking at.

Are those…thorns?

Junie notices Nia’s expression and twitters a laugh. “Yeah, Bo sleeps in a nest of brambles. Apparently lots of skarmory do it to protect their chicks and toughen up their feathers or something? Or he’s just a freak, I dunno.”

“That’s, um…really intense,” Nia settles on.

“Right?! I’ll stick with my soft, squishy nest, thank you very much. I’m a delicate lady, after all.”

Over near the table, Tobias snorts.

“Oh, what?” Junie says, playfully challenging. “Something you want to say, Toby?”

“Lots of things. But then Nia would scold me for being rude.”

“Like that ever stopped you before.”

Nia smiles as the two go back and forth. She trails closer to the nests, which are sitting right next to one another, almost touching.

“You two seem close,” Nia says, glancing back at Junie.

“I mean…I guess? I haven’t really been here that long.”

“Yeah, but you seemed really against letting anyone help you back in Ghatha. So I guess I’m just glad you found someone here you trust.”

“Yeah…” Junie starts preening her wing, visibly embarrassed. “I was being kind of dumb about that, in hindsight. Like. Bo can be ridiculous, but he’s super nice, y’know? I really like living here. He’s been teaching me a lot, too! Like getting me to fly higher without freaking out.”

Nia turns to look at Junie. “Really?”

“Yup! I can even fly above the trees now! Not by much before I panic again, but I’m definitely better than before. Bo thinks he can get me over my fear of heights in under a year!”

“See if he can teach Nia, too,” Tobias jokes, picking up a bowl to inspect it.

“This…seems like a big deal to you,” Nia says slowly, a little confused. “I-I mean, don’t get me wrong! It’s great! But your fear of heights didn’t seem to bother you that much before?”

“Well…” Junie hops over to fiddle with the tie on the sack of food, clearly looking for something to keep herself busy. “I couldn’t help you in the fire at Ghatha because I was too scared of flying, and I only ended up living with Bo because I was too weak to navigate a storm. So I guess I just want to get better at being a flying type so I can actually do things and not be scared all the time. Plus, I’ll need to be able to fly for real if I want to have a more exciting job than just running errands around Stonebrook.”

“A job?” Tobias asks, frowning. “Like as a Seeker?”

Junie bursts into laughter. “Absolutely not! Fighting’s the worst. Don’t know how you do it, Nia. And dealing with clients and guildmasters? Ugh. No thanks.”

“What’re you hoping to do instead?” Nia asks.

“I’m thinking a mail ‘mon like Bo!” Junie says. She abandons the sack and hops up onto the windowsill to better meet Nia’s gaze. She looks excited, chest puffed and eyes bright. “It’ll take me a few years to learn the landscape well enough to find my way around, and I have to build up enough strength to actually carry a few letters long distance—especially since I have to stay a pipsqueak forever—but I think I’d really like it! Bo’s let me tag along on a few of his runs and it’s the best. He gets to go everywhere and he meets so many funny people!”

Nia blinks at Junie’s enthusiasm, surprised. That’s…quite the long-term goal. Without thinking, she says, “Years? But what about getting back home?”

Junie seems confused for a moment, but then she pouts. “Oh. Right. You still want to be human again, don’t you?”

Nia jerks back. She remembers Junie mentioning something like this in Ghatha, but— “You don’t? You want to stay here? Like this? Forever?”

Junie’s pout deepens into something more genuinely troubled. Her eyes flick to Tobias before resettling on Nia. “Yeah? Just because you want to go back to the boring old human world doesn’t mean everyone does.”

“But…” Nia trails off, at a loss for words. She looks at Tobias, wondering if he’s as surprised as she is. He’s pointedly fiddling with the bowl in his hands, not meeting Nia’s eyes. Oh. Right. Leaving would mean…leaving him behind. And everyone else, too.

But even with that in mind, Nia still can’t help her shock. When she thinks of the human world, she doesn’t think of how boring it can be. She thinks of her family, of going home and reuniting with them. She thinks of her brother pulling her into a crushing hug and lifting her off the ground. She thinks of her mom crying and cooking a big meal for the family to eat together. She thinks of Toni refusing to leave her side for a week straight and catching her up on everything she missed.

Does Junie not have people like that to go home to?

“Do you not remember anything yet?” Nia asks. “About your old life?”

Junie hops down to the soft dirt of the floor and back over to the sack of food. “No, I remember. Not a lot, but enough. It just isn’t good enough to convince me to go back.”

“Wait, doesn’t Will have some theory about humans having to get close to death to regain their memories?” Tobias asks, narrowing his eyes at Junie. “Did you get your memories back after the fire in Ghatha?”

“Nope! Not there. I got pretty hurt right after I got back to Stonebrook, so it must’ve been then. I didn’t know about the whole near-death thing, but it did happen while I was recovering, so.”

“You got hurt?!” Nia asks, alarmed despite knowing that Junie has been totally fine the entire time they’ve been talking. She still can’t resist stepping closer and crouching to scan the delicate little bird’s body. “It had to be serious if you remembered something.”

Junie chirps a laugh. “Sure was! A nasty storm hit the woods and a branch fell on me. Almost flattened me like a pancake! Funny how that’s almost happened twice now, huh? Anyways, that’s how I met Bo! He helped me get back on my feet. Oh! And look at this!”

Junie ignores the distress surely painting Nia’s face to hop back a step. Then, with a furrow in her little brow and a few moments of quiet, a bubble of bright orange energy flickers to life around her.

Aura. Junie’s aura. Nia can sense it immediately, even if she hadn’t been able to see it herself. Her jaw drops.

The bubble around the rookidee only lasts for a second or two, weak and faint, before vanishing again. Junie pants, clearly exhausted from the little display, but beams at Nia and Tobias’ gobsmacked expressions.

“I used protect when the branch landed on me! Though apparently not very well, since I still fractured some bones. Definitely not as strong as the one you used in Ghatha, Nia. But still! Isn’t that cool?!”

“You can use aura now?” Tobias asks, looking horrified. He’s probably thinking about Junie possessing all of the intimate soul-reading powers that Nia has.

Junie shakes her head. “Nah. Just this one move. But I still thought it was neat!”

“It is neat,” Nia offers a beat too late, feeling off-kilter. That one book in the archives did mention that all humans could use protect, but it’s still strange seeing it in action.

Junie puffs out her little chest, proud, before realizing something. She glares at Nia. “Wait, you also got some of your memories back? That means you almost died again, too! I thought I told you guys not to get into any more trouble!”

Nia winces, holding out her hands in a placating gesture. “T-To be fair, I just got really sick?”

“That’s an understatement,” Tobias grumbles, walking over to flick Nia with his tail.

“Oh.” Junie’s irritation deflates. “That sucks.”

“A little,” Nia laughs. “Although…Junie, do me a favor and promise to go to a doctor right away if you get sick, okay? It can get pretty serious for humans.”

Junie opens her mouth to make a lighthearted quip, but something about the expressions on their faces stops her. She tilts her head, clearly curious, but eventually chirps, “Yeah, okay. I promise.”

After that, they settle on the ground outside to eat, where the dirt and moss has been warmed a bit by the sun. Tobias opens the sack Bolat brought back, where a small feast of berries, veggies, and some spiky chestnuts await them for lunch.

Junie gets to work carefully cracking open the chestnuts with her beak while Nia and Tobias divvy up the rest of the food for their impromptu picnic. It’s still chilly out, especially in the shade of the forest, but it’s not as cold as it was while flying over. The wind smells like fresh pine as it rattles through the trees, and dappled sunlight plays across the ground.

“I still feel bad eating the food Bolat got specifically for you two,” Nia says as Junie passes them some of the unshelled chestnuts to add to their meal.

“Don’t be. Bo’s really generous, and he finds lots of food while he’s out on the job. He took me in when I got hurt and took care of me without a second thought.”

Nia smiles as she takes a bite of a carrot-like vegetable, crunching away at it. Bolat does seem awfully nice, and Nia’s beyond grateful that Junie found someone like him to take care of her when she was so injured. She doesn’t want to imagine what would’ve happened otherwise.

“So, catch me up,” Junie says around a mouthful of food. “Any leads on the whole ‘returning to the human world’ front?”

Nia feels Tobias’ eyes on her, and tries not to look too eager at the prospect. “Um…a few? I have some ideas, but nothing solid yet.”

Junie hums, clearly sympathetic but not at all upset on her own behalf. “That sucks. Sorry, Nia. Let me know if I can help, okay? Although I don’t know what I could add that you and Will don’t already have covered.”

Nia slowly puts her own food back down. “Junie, you…you really don’t want to go back home, do you?”

Junie shrugs, looking uncomfortable. “I mean. I miss some stuff, I guess, but most of my memories are just…blah, you know? And I’m happy here! Even though I’m gonna be a little shrimp forever, I’m much happier here than I ever was as a human.”

Nia sits back, torn. On one hand, it’s not like she can argue with Junie’s feelings. And just because Nia wants to see her family and friends so desperately doesn’t mean everyone does. But to just abandon her old life entirely? Just like that?

“You aren’t worried that somebody will miss you?” Nia can’t help asking.

“Not really. They aren’t my problem anymore.”

What in the world does that mean?

Nia tries not to visibly slump, and starts picking at her food again. She’d been so excited to share her recovered memories with the rookidee, but now she isn’t so sure she wants to. Would Junie even want her to, or would it just be awkward?

“So is that the mission you’re doing south of here? Figuring out human stuff?”

“Um, no. Not really. We are going to see Will, but not about that.”

“What for, then?”

Nia glances at Tobias. He’s munching on a chestnut, and gives Nia a wave of his hand that clearly says it’s Nia’s prerogative how much she wants to share.

“Okay, your little telepathic communication thing is adorable, but what’s with the serious face?” Junie asks. She looks between Nia and Tobias. “You’re not telling me something.”

For a moment, Nia considers brushing off Junie’s concerns. She hadn’t told Xander’s team or Andyn’s team about the whole “world ending” thing, but…well, quite frankly, she doesn’t think Junie will let it go now that she’s picked up on it.

Plus, she’s human like Nia, as much as she apparently doesn’t want to be anymore. She didn’t have a life here before all of this started happening. It feels right, to let her in on the secret too.

Nia puts her food down again. “You’re right. Sorry. We, um…we found something out recently. Something big.”

Junie frowns. “Bad big?”

“Certainly not good big,” Tobias huffs.

“We met Giratina,” Nia says. “He—"

“Wait, back up. Giratina? The scary nightmare creature that Will explicitly told us not to talk to?”

Nia winces. “Yes? He’s, um…actually pretty civil. If a bit of a grouch.”

“So like Tobias, then,” Junie says. She doesn’t even bask in his reaction, adding, “Okay, hold up, start from the beginning. I need the whole story.”

Nia hesitates, but crumbles quickly under Junie’s insistent gaze.

So Nia tells the story yet again, from the moment when Tobias noticed Giratina following them, all the way up to their talk with August when they returned to the guild. She’s getting better at summarizing after telling the story twice before, but Tobias still jumps in occasionally to add any important details that she forgets. Junie is surprisingly quiet for most of it, aside from when she chastises them for being idiots, jumping down into dangerous mines with criminals and meeting up with crazy bugs who want to send them to the distortion world.

Finally, voice raspy and meal still only half-finished, Nia says, “And that’s the gist. This world—the Pokemon world—is basically in danger of falling apart entirely if we don’t do something to stop it. And the human world will go down with it.”

“Nia thinks Will might have some human connections who can help us find Xerneas, so that she can strengthen the barrier,” Tobias adds. “Or fix it afterwards, if it’s predetermined to break. Either way, we don’t have much go to go on, so we’re checking with him just in case.”

Junie’s expression is somber when they finish. She stares long and hard at the dirt, clearly deep in thought. Finally, she sighs and looks up. “Well. That’s a fine pickle. And just when I was getting comfy here, too. I guess we’ll just have to see what Will has to say, right?”

Nia blinks, then echoes the little bird. “We?”

“Well, yeah! I’m coming with you two to Will’s place, of course.” Junie says. “I just got you back. You aren’t ditching me again while you go off to save the world!”

Nia straightens up, heart lifting. “Really?”

Tobias groans. “Really?”

“Yup! You’re stuck with me, lizard-breath.”

“Greeeaaat,” Tobias drawls, using his flames to char a pecha berry cupped in his palms. 

“But what about Bolat?” Nia asks.

Junie waves Nia off. “He’ll be fine! He was on his own forever before I showed up. As long as I come back eventually to show him I’m not dead I’m sure he’ll be cool about it. And I can keep training while we head south so I’m not slacking!”

Nia smiles, something in her relaxing. “That’d be great, Junie. We’d be happy to have you.”

“Happy is a strong word,” Tobias says.

Nia glances at him, afraid for a moment that she’d just made a decision for the both of them that he’s genuinely upset about, but he doesn’t actually look bothered by this development. He bites into his berry with a casual movement, his tail flame its usual calm flicker and his expression even. Just their usual banter, then.

“Aw, c’mon! I’m excited to be traveling with you guys again! I guess we should leave right away tomorrow morning since this is kind of time-sensitive, huh? We’ve got mysteries to solve, worlds to save, eldritch horrors to meet—oh! Nia!”

Nia jumps, nearly dropping the peeled chestnut in her hand. “Y-Yeah?”

“I wanted to ask earlier, but I didn’t want to interrupt. If you can communicate with Giratina through reflections and he’s on our side now, could we like. Call him?”

Nia stares at Junie, chestnut forgotten. “You want to talk to him? He’s…kinda scary.”

“That’s even better!” Junie says, hopping up excitedly. “It’ll be like we’re trying to summon demons at a sleepover. Wait here!”

Junie darts inside her and Bolat’s home, and Nia looks at Tobias, bewildered.

The charmander shrugs, apparently more or less unphased. “You did suggest we get in touch with him so he knows what we’re up to.”

“I…guess?”

Junie flaps out the front door in an unsteady bob, a small stone bowl barely gripped in her tiny claws. She drops it on the ground in front of Nia, then lands clumsily on the other side.

“There! Will that work? You can use your canteen water, right?”

Okay, guess they’re doing this right now. Nia sighs, once again putting the last of her food aside to grab her canteen and pour an inch of water into the bowl. Sunlight bounces across the water’s surface as it settles. The whole thing is about the size of Nia’s hand, just large enough to see faint reflections of the trees above them.

“Now what?” Junie asks, practically vibrating. “Do we have to chant or something?”

“I don’t actually know,” Nia says, frowning. “We haven’t tried to call him like this before.”

“He can’t be far,” Tobias says, leaning closer to the bowl. “He was following us on the trip over.”

Just as Nia’s about to try calling for Giratina, Junie shouts, “Hey, lord of nightmares! Get your butt over here!”

“Junie!” Nia hisses, wide-eyed.

“What?! You said he’s on your side now!”

“He is, but he’s also a god with a temper!”

“Uh, hey,” Tobias says, pointing. “He’s here.”

Nia looks down, surprised. Sure enough, she can see the faint reflection of Giratina’s silhouette in the surface of the bowl. Just his head, really, the rest of his body likely unable to fit into view.

“Whoa,” Junie breathes, feathers ruffled but expression delighted.

Giratina’s eyes narrow slightly, as if to ask what they want. Nia can practically hear his rapidly thinning patience.

“W-We saw you following us earlier, over the ocean,” Nia explains. “So I thought you were maybe wondering what we were doing? I figured we could give you an update. I-If you’d like.”

“We also wanted to see if we could contact you,” Tobias adds. “Which I guess is a yes.”

Giratina nods, looking back at Nia. Waiting.

She jerks. “O-Oh! Okay. Um. So we’re looking for a friend of mine, a human, who has been gathering other humans. We think he might have an idea of where to find Xerneas, since I know he’s been researching a lot of stuff and talking to a lot of people. So that’s why we’re, uh. Here. And traveling.”

Giratina seems to mull that over for a moment, before nodding his approval.

“Can he not talk?” Junie whispers, loudly.

“He talked to me in his dimension,” Nia says, feeling weirdly rude speaking about Giratina in the third-person when he’s right there. “But I don’t think he can speak to us through reflections?”

“But what if he has something important to tell you?”

Giratina shifts, catching their attention before Nia or Tobias can answer. He brings up a tendril-like wing, the giant talon at its tip settling close to the surface of the reflection and blocking out Giratina himself.

“Does he want you to…touch him? E.T. style?” Junie asks. “Can you even do that?”

Nia frowns, staring at the talon seemingly right on the other side of the water’s surface. “I…don’t know. He did pull me through a reflection in Shivergleam, but I kind of assumed that was like…a special ritual that Edme set up?”

“He did it at the river near the guild too,” Tobias grumbles.

Huh. He’s right. Which means…

Curious, and knowing that the legendary would have been able to kill her easily last time they met but decided not to, Nia lifts her hand and holds it over the water.

“You sure?” Junie asks.

Tobias reaches out and grabs Nia’s free arm, as if to make sure he isn’t left behind this time if she’s yanked through again.

With a deep breath, Nia dips her finger gently into the chilled water, trying not to disturb the reflections on the surface. Sure enough, after an inch or two, she hits not the smooth stone of the bowl’s bottom, but the dulled point of something else, ice-cold.

Giratina.

Nia’s brows raise. Curious, she dips the rest of her hand into the bowl. While she can’t wrap her hand around the sheer size of the claw, it’s undeniable that she has surpassed the depth of the bowl itself. Like a magic trick.

“Whoa,” Junie murmurs again.

Satisfied for now, Nia pulls her hand free, amazed to realize her fur isn’t even wet. She blinks down at the water as it settles. Giratina has pulled away so they can see his face again.

“So when you’re around, you can make any reflection into a portal to the distortion world?” Tobias asks.

The legendary nods.

“Does that only work for Nia? Or for anyone?” Junie asks.

Nia doesn’t know how Giratina does it, but she can practically feel his exasperation through the reflection.

“Oh, r-right. Yes or no questions, Junie.”

“Fine, fine! How about this—can anyone go through a portal you open?”

Giratina nods again.

The three of them sit back as one.

“Huh,” Nia says. “I’m not sure that really changes anything? But I guess it’s good to know that we can check in with you any time if we need to.”

“Could be a helpful escape route in an emergency,” Tobias muses, hand at his chin. “As long as we find a reflection large enough.”

Giratina suddenly jerks, looking off to the side. His eyes narrow. He looks back at them, as if asking if they’re done here. There must be another one of those rumblings in the rift that Nia had experienced while there. A sign of the coming disaster. He probably wants to check it out to make sure it’s nothing more serious.

“I think that’s all we know right now. Um. Thank you for answering?” Nia says, feeling awkward about how exactly she’s supposed to sign off with a legendary.

Giratina nods, then slips out of sight. The reflection of the trees overhead and Nia’s curious face, leant over the bowl, flicker back into sight.

The three of them are quiet for a moment, digesting that experience.

“Okay, so. World-ending terror aside, that was pretty awesome,” Junie says. She hops up, looking all too excited. “We should try to summon more horror monsters before we have to get on the road tomorrow! Bo told me about this Pokémon called Darkrai who gives you nightmares. I don’t think he does it to mess with people, but let’s pretend he does because that’s much scarier.”

Nia can’t help laughing. The tension that had settled over them breaks instantly.

“Darkrai’s a legendary, feather-brain,” Tobias says. “He’s probably already dormant.”

“But he’s the god of nightmares or something! So maybe he’s immune to sleep stuff!”

Nia relaxes and finishes the last few bites of her meal as the two of them start up another silly argument. The exhaustion of the flight and the day’s antics are finally starting to weigh on her, but for at least tonight they can rest here with Junie and Bolat.

Suddenly, with just one more friend at their side, everything ahead doesn’t seem quite as scary.

[mimiblue64]

Hey, I'm MimiBlue and I love pokemon, the anime and the games, I love the plot they have created and of course legendaries and singular pokemon 😊.

Months ago, I came to tumblr and saw a lot of blogs of Mew and Mewtwo, I have always been interested in those pokemon, so it was like I have found something cool to enjoy 🤩, and the best of all were the admins of those blogs, they are so caring and treat the anons in a super good way 🥰, they have lead me to a desicion.

I always loved drawing, but some years ago I had developed a neurological disease that makes my hands shake uncontrollably, so I stoped drawing. But now, since I saw the blogs of those admins, they have inspired and encouraged me to start drawing again, even with all the difficulties I have, so I will start the journey to draw again 😎.

I decided that my first drawing has to be Victini doing the pose of victory, is a pokemon that gives strength to others when they more need it, so I hope Victini will give me the willpower to not give up in this journey, and of course, lead me to the victory of this great mission I have 😁.

I have to thanks to @mewtwoandme , @xxtc-96xx , @dxzziie , @loupy-mongoose , @phlurrii , @pokemon-ash-aus , @penumbramewtwos , @ask-mirage-mews and @blues-sues for inspired me with your drawings, you all are awesome guys ���.

P.S. (yes, I'm left handed and I don't know how to paint, but I guess I will learn on the way...oh, and by the way, english isn't my first language, so if I have some grammar mistakes I'm sorry 😅).

[guppyfish77]

Another year Another summary of Art! An Entire Year of Submas lets gooooooooooo!!!! This year I feel like I really pushed myself when it comes to illustrations and I feel like I've learned a lot! But at the same time I feel a little tired, next year I think I wanna relax and experiment a bit more, I gotta learn to loosen up! Might get more art out if I do :p

I also feel the Submas grip ever so lightly relaxing (unless they decide to do Unova remakes haha XD), so I might introduce some of my numerous ocs in 2024! I'll probably start with the conductor oc ;]

Thank you for all your support! (you are all very nice! ToT), I still have a good amount of submas stuff planned in the works so look forward to that (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

If you are interested, I also have some commentary and behind the scenes for some of my submas illustrations! I wanna talk about it and now seems like a good time to do so now that the year is over! (Beware! its going to be long!)

All titles are linked to the original post

Lunch Break

hoho! This one is the sort of AU thing in which the only thing that changes is that I give Emmet a Victini friend (not a part of his team, I dubbed them the "victory duo" because Emmet likes winning and Victini is the Victory Pokemon), I planned out a few wordless comics regarding the idea, they were all very lighthearted slice of life kind of stuff, usually Victini causing some mischief and the brothers having to deal with it

and here's the thumbnails for this piece! I played around with various angles but decided to keep it simple and choose a straight on angle. It was originally a snack break and Emmet sharing a granola bar with Victini, but as I was planning it, submas unexpectedly showed up in the Pokemon Anime where they were serving ekiben, after learning about it it quickly turned into a lunch break! (how fun when new information lines up with an art piece you are working on hoho! ^ ^) After studying what foods Ekiben usually have in them (there was quite a variety!) I took what I learned and try to make the food look like the gear station logo :D

In the background there are children drawings because in the battle subway one of the trainer classes you can face off against are preschoolers, and I thought at least one of them would share their drawings with the subway bosses (and of course why wouldn't they hang it up?), there is also a trophy in which you can get in the players room if you beat the subway bosses on the super trains (one day, battling competitively is not my forte), I did my best to make Emmet's office feel lived in by adding a little bit of clutter (like adding a note) but overall very organized

(hey hey that joltik mug looks familiar in the corner there, its the same one Rei is holding in the christmas drawing)

Bonus Emmet and Victini Drawings

aw come on dude, not on the trains!

ah this one, it gave me quite a bit of frustration! This piece I used to challenge myself on perspective, and challenge me it did! The version you see now is I believe the 6th iteration of this drawing! The reason for restarting so many times is because I originally wanted it to be in 3 point perspective, but I couldn't get it to look right so its now in 2 point... Haha Some valuable lessons learned there!

This illustration was inspired by the history of New York Subway Trains and Graffiti! I read about it when I got to visit the New York Transit Museum and found it super interesting!! Then I went I gotta do something with this! Since Unova is based in New York after all!

I got so many subway surfer comments, they don’t know I forgot subway surfers existed while making this and that I am a huge nerd lmao

I had a lot of fun designing the graffiti on the train (yes it says among us) stylizing the fictional letters was so fun! I studied some graffiti to see how they do it, I could've pushed the graffiti style more but then it would be illegible! I also mixed in elements of Grafaiai graffiti, and trainer that is running away is the artist trainer class in SCVL because they are graffiti artists! And the train that got graffitied is the Wifi Train, due to BW (and the DS) servers being shut down, I doubt that train gets used much anymore, which makes it a perfect target!

Derailed!

hohoho! This was a fun one! I'm not sure how many of you guys read my tags, but in there I did state that this piece was based off the fact that model trains are powered by electrifying the rail it runs on (very low watts mind you) and the fact that Joltik eats electricity, but thats not the only inspiration, it was also inspired by those videos of cats laying on the layout and derailing the train!

Theres quite a variety of thumbnails for this idea (including a comic!), and the idea was there in 2022, but this year I decided to fully commit to it! I started rendering the top right one and almost finished it, but it felt really boring to me, so I switched it up and made some thumbnails in a new perspective and viola! thats what ended up being finished!

The train that is being derailed are Sanriku Railway Type 36s, based off a model train I have in my collection! (While sharing this fact on the original post Haiku Bot detected it as a Haiku?! and this art went out of my target audience, that certainly was a day (⊙□⊙;))

Also I straight up put a picture of Thomas the Tank Engine in the background, I'm not sure if people noticed cuz its quite blurry, the fact that nobody said anything means I probably would’ve gotten away with it before sharing this fact, so hehe :3c

Unexplained Melancholy

eyy! this one! It started out wholly different

It was originally me dropping Warden Ingo in various natural landscapes around Hisui as I didn't feel like drawing anymore linear perspective (ah, but heres the thing, all environments require a little bit of perspective lol), and it was just going to be Warden Ingo hanging out in a lush forest, specifically by the train rock that was shown in his concept art! but after sitting on it, I realized I could do something more with it! by making it a snowy environment I could make callbacks to Emmet's coat being white! hence the "SNOWY!!!" being scribbled there, that was added like weeks afterwards, Then I realized I could push it even more by making the whole environment about Emmet's colors! So the new thumbnail is in color because thats whats its about!

The moon smile thing was stumbled on by complete accident, while working on it it felt empty there and I added Emmet's smile to fill the space before going "moon!!!"

The piece is also a sort of a parallel to last years piece “I am Emmet, I wish for Ingo and I to be a two-car train once more” composition wise, sort of, I tried to at least 👍

Black Tower and Whitetree Hollow

Ah! I was quite proud of this one! Black City and White Forest are some of my favorite places in Unova mainly because the parallels are so very cool!

As the thumbnails suggest it was all going to be in complete black and white, as I was working on it though I could not help but add some values in there so yup! I quite like both compositions but the perspective won me out, plus that one focuses more on the characters than the other one (as much as I love backgrounds, it really is supposed to be about Emmet and Ingo U_U)

Being places of duality and having a battle challenge in there, it really fit them!

Emmet drops the hottest single of all time 🔥🔥🔥

Not really much to say about this one since it was very much done on a whim, but

its not the first time I drew Emmet with his hat backwards, I did this little doodle around the same time I did the train graffiti piece, been wanting to do something with this silly idea, and when I heard that audio, I went :o

Following Some Rumors of a Time Machine

the finale! I decided to choose Area Zero because its a very cool place! I am inspired by cool places! and I decided to give it my all for this one!

The thumbnail I made was more for jotting down the idea, and the landscape was going to be more eyelevel? Later I decided to make it so you were looking down into the crater and you get to see the fog blocking the crystal caverns, to show that Emmet was going deeper into Area Zero and the Deepest part is his destination (the time machine, not the underdepths, I didn't know about that yet haha!) I was always going to make Emmet encounter a Slither Wing, with it being based off Volcarona, a gen 5 pokemon :]

Anyways, That's all I have to say! I hope you found it interesting! (and enjoyed my varying quality in sketches and thumbnails XD) Thanks for listening! see you in 2024! ✌

[eldragon-x]

PMD: Gates to Infinity Timeline

Rescue Team

I wanted to document the in-universe timespan of the story of every PMD title in detail and originally make it all into one post, but decided to split it into four instead. Every PMD timeline post will have links to the other titles as I progress with this little project.

Know that I'll count vague timeskips to the best of my judgement, the one dungeon = one day rule doesn't strictly apply (yes, even with the V-Wave mechanic in gti), and I document every game up until the hero and partner reunite, though I might make additions for post-game story later on.

Introduction Arc

On day 1 the hero meets the partner after landing in the Pokemon world, and on day 2 you play through Gurdurr's arc to get him to build your house. The construction starts on the evening of day 2 and is said to last a few days. Not counting day 2's evening, I'll make it three days, making day 5 the day where the house is finished.

On day 6 you meet Dunsparce, Emolga, and Virizion who join your team by the end of the day. The team is officially established on day 7.

Gurdurr's store is established on day 8 and he asks you to bring him materials which you give to him on day 9. Gurdurr opens his store on day 10. Nothing happens on days 11-12 but on day 13 Victini arrives in Paradise and the hero has a dream the following night. Day 14 is uneventful, the fata morgana of the Great Glacier appears on day 15, and day 16 is uneventful again.

Umbreon and Espeon Arc

On the night before day 17, the hero has another dream and Umbreon is approaching Post Town. A warning about a dangerous Pokemon in the area goes out in the morning. The following night, Umbreon comes closer to the town and on day 18 Swadloon disappears to Inflora Forest where the team picks him up. Umbreon arrives in Post Town on day 19.

On day 20, Umbreon demonstrates the summoning of a Magnagate and the team takes off to rescue Espeon. Umbreon and Espeon join the team on day 21. Virizion and Dunsparce have a conversation on the hill the following night. The next morning, on day 22, Quagsire tells the team that one Pokemon has to stay in Paradise and can't go to the expedition.

Great Glacier Arc

I was debating on wether to apply the one dungeon = one day rule in this arc since technically we don't get any indication that a night passes during the expedition but I decided yes, both because its supposed to feel long and for another reason*.

That being said, day 23 marks the day the team make their way to the Great Glacier via a Magnagate dungeon. They arrive and make their way through the glacier on day 24 and take another Magnagate dungeon on day 25. Day 26 is the day they make it through the Glacier Palace for the first time and return home in the evening.

On day 27 Emolga uses the Frisms to mess with the team before telling them that during their absence, floating lights that could be seen from the hill appeared. The hero has another dream and on the morning of day 28, the partner asks the hero to promise them to stay in this world after fulfilling their duty. On day 29, one floating light can be seen from the hill. *If you talk to Ducklett, they'll say the lights first appeared about a week ago which adds up the best if you assume the expedition took four days.

Munna and Hydreigon Arc

Munna finally manages to make contact with the hero via their dreams. On the next day, day 30, the hero and partner take a Magnagate to Kilionea Road. They plan to sleep over the night outside the dungeon, but are alarmed by Munna, prompting them to make it through the Forest of Shadows at night. They get ambushed at Mount Kilionea afterwards but escape.

The hero makes it to Daybreak Ridge on day 31 where they're attacked by Toxicroak and saved by Hydreigon. When they wake up, Hydreigon says they've been out for a while, possibly making it day 32. Hydreigon and the hero team up and make it through Ochre Quarry and in the evening, Hydreigon explains the situation.

On day 33, the hero and Hydreigon make it through Withered Savanna where Purugly confronts them and tells them that they've got the Partner as a hostage. Presumably on day 34*, the duo makes their way to Holehills to rescue partner. On day 35* hero, partner, and Hydreigon make their way through the Scorching Desert. They're attacked by Kyurem in the evening and hero and partner are found and rescued by Emolga and Dunsparce.

*Withered Savanna, Holehills, and Scorching Desert could all be happening on one day but I decided to apply the 1d = 1d rule because otherwise it'd last as long as the glacier expedition and based on how long the arc feels, how the road takes up a chunk of the map, and how Emolga says they've been searching for hero and partner because they were gone for so long and started to get worried despite Mount Kilionea being established as a far away place, I think it makes sense that it lasts longer.

Finale Arc

The hero recovers from their injuries and wakes up on day 36 as the team decides their next course of action. They explain the situation to Post Town on day 37 just before Glacier Palace rises into the sky. Umbreon and Espeon make their way to Great Glacier that night and the team follows on day 38, on which they make it through the palace and destroy the Bittercold. The hero leaves the Pokemon world the next morning on day 39.

Worldcore Arc

A vague long timeskip happens, but if you look at the story summary by either exiting and entering the game or switching between Friend- and Hero Mode, it says months have passed, so we'll go with three months here.

On the evening of day 1 post-skip, Dunsparce and Emolga talk to Hydreigon in the Inn while Virizion and Keldeo have a conversation on the hill. Dunsparce approaches Hydreigon on day 2 and Hydreigon disappears the next day. He returns on day 4 to tell the team about the Worldcore where the partner manages to make a wish and be reunited with the hero.

Conclusion

The main story lasts 39 days while the post-game story lasts 4 days. Counting everything together with the time skip and assuming the timespan includes two 30-day and two 31-day months, the entire story of Gates to Infinity lasts 134 days or 4 months, 1 week and 5 days

[heavenlyhoundoom]

Me roasting Unova.

Victini: Despite being the victory pokemon, you seem to have a lot of weaknesses.

Snivy: Remember smug leaf?

Servine: Enjoy having limbs while you can.

Serperior: I'm a snake, slithering in your garden.

The tepig line: Who wants pork dinner?

Oshawott: Ash's most useless pokemon.

Dewott and Samurott: Have a biped evolve into a quadruped, and no one bats an eye, but have a quadruped evolve into biped and all the fans go wild.

Patrat and Watchog: Have you two been skipping sleep? I mean just look at those eyes.

Lillipup: It's funny how Gamefreak indirectly admitted they think dogs are smarter than kids.

Herdier: You're not a pokemon. You're just a cartoon dog. Don't lie.

Stoutland: This pokemon has shed a lot of tears.

Purrloin: The Angelica of the pokemon world.

Liepard: Galarian Articuno, you are not.

Passage: This is most likely what inspired Grookey.

Simisage: Hello, Johnny Bravo wannabe.

Pansear: I wouldn't be able to guess it was based on the hear no evil monkey if it didn't have its hand by its ear.

Simisear: How does it feel to be one of the most hated pokemon?

Panpour: It's not even trying to hint towards it being the see no evil monkey pokemon!

Simipour: Props to this pokemon for not conforming to toxic masculinity.

Munna and Musharna: I'm creeped out by these pokemon looking like fetuses.

Pidove, Tranquill, and Unfezant: I feel like these have to be some of the most unnecessarily hated pokemon.

Blitzle and Zebstrika: I thought we were in America, not Africa.

Roggenrola: So is this supposed to be a rock eye?

Boldore: It's really forgettable outside of being one of Ash's pokemon in the anime.

Gigalith: Just Golem 2.0.

Woobat and Swoobat: Zubat and Golbat but fluffier.

Drilbur and Excadrill: These guys hate when you reset before saving.

Audino: I love this pokemon, but its name is just a corny pun.

Timburr, Gurdurr, and Conkeldurr: Were the vains necessary?

Tympole: I always forget that this is pure water type.

Palpitoad: Don't worry, you'll get arms eventually.

Seismitoad: Are those giant warts heavy?

Sawk and Throh: Insert Muppet joke here.

Sewaddle: Its mouth looks like a fortune cookie.

Swadloon: It looks like it was forced out of bed.

Leavanny: Dem legs.

Venipede: This pokemon is pretty forgettable if I can't think of a way to roast them.

Whirlipede: 360!

Scolipede: The bug centaur

Cottonee: How does it feel to be just a head?

Whimsicott: I saw it without hair, and it looks like a gingerbread man.

Petilil: Why would people just eat their leaves?

Lilligant: This pokemon is way too high maintenance!

Basculin: Mmmm...fish fry....

Sandile, Krokorok, and Krookodile: Again, I thought we were in America, not Africa.

Darumaka: What sick people would put this pokemon's shit in their clothes!?

Darmanitan: Look at that thousand yard stare.

Maractus: Why does it have an OwO face?

Dwebble and Crustle: So crab = water type, but hermit crab = bug type? Seems about right.

Scraggy and Scrafty: The fact they wear their dead skin is kinda gross.

Sigilyph: Ah, yes, biblically accurate pokemon...

Yamask and Cofagrigus: It goes from having a sad story to being another disturbing ghost type.

Tirtouga and Carracosta: These two are overshadowed by their bird like counterpart.

Archen and Archeops: The most crippling ability besides Slow start.

Trubbish and Garbodor: They're literally garbage pokemon. Need I say more?

Zorua and Zoroark: The edgy fur bait pokemon.

Minccino and Cinccino: I don't know if these pokemon would love or hate that I'm messy.

Gothita: Stop staring at me with those soulless eyes!

Gothorita: Are the weird growths on your head supposed to represent earrings?

Gothitelle: The goth gf pokemon.

Solosis, Duosion, and Reuniclus: So we're making cell pokemon without considering the implications?

Ducklett and Swanna: Actual ugly duckling pokemon.

Vanillite, Vanillish, and Vanilluxe: Mmmm...icecream...

Deerling and Sawsbuck: To bad you were made for a feature that was removed the next generation.

Emolga: Why did they made this pokemon a gluttonous bitch in the anime?

The Karrablast line and the Shelmet line: You think these two would be next to each other in the pokedex, but no.

Foongus and Amoonguss: Based on a stupid pun.

Frillish and Jellicent: These pokemon are total psychos!

Alomomola: I feel like not making this the evolution of luvdisc was one of the biggest missed opportunities.

Joltik and Galvantula: Stop stealing my phone energy, damn you!

Farroseed: Deadliest egg ever.

Ferrothorn: Deadliest plant.

Klink, Klang, and Klinklang: Lamest pokemon ever.

Tynamo: It looks like a certain hygiene product.

Eelektrik: Laziest name ever.

Eelektross: Now the only pokemon with no weaknesses outside of certain pokemon holding a balloon.

Elgyem and Beheeyem: More ultra beast before ultra beast were a thing.

Litwick, Lampent, and Chandelure: These guys have some of the most fucked up dex entries!

Axew, Fraxure, and Haxorus: Do you guys need braces?

Cuchoo: Someone give this pokemon a tissue!

Beartic: Is that a snot beard!?

Cryogonal: Why does this pokemon learn attract?

Stunfisk: The punching bag pokemon.

Mienfoo and Mienshao: 🎶Everyone was kung-fu fighting!🎶

Druddigon: This looks over desined.

Golett and Golurk: I swear these pokemon are in every region after their debut.

Pawniard and Bisharp: These pokemon make more sense in Galar than Unova.

Bouffalant: Disco tauros.

Rufflet and Braviary: Now we have some actually american pokemon.

Vullaby: Is that skull diaper uncomfortable?

Mandibuzz: Another unfortunate japanese name.

Heatmor: Only created to eat another pokemon.

Durant: How does that 4x fire weakness feel?

Deino: How can you see?

Zweilous: How awful would it be to have another head that enemies with you?

Hydreigon: Why would anyone want to obtain such a destructive pokemon in the pokemon universe?

Larvesta: I bet this used to be Snoop Dogg's favorite pokemon.

Volcarona: The hardest bug type to evolve.

Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion: The three musketeers.

Keldeo: And the forgotten forth member.

Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus: Why is Landorus after the box legendaries instead of being next to the other genies?

Reshiram: Were the crotch feathers necessary?

Zekrom: It kinda reminds me of shadow lugia.

Kyurem: Can you pick up anything with those tiny arms?

Meloetta: Look at this Miku wannabe.

Genesect: Another cautionary tale of trying to tamper with the forces of nature.

[princess-of-the-corner]

MHA Pokémon Trainers: Katsuki (mostly)

So, this Would Not leave me alone, so! Some general thoughts on Pokémon I think Katsuki could have! (I’m assuming this is TransFem Katsuki, so, working with that!)

Mankey > Primeape > Anniliape - This one, I actually see as her starter/first partner. Like, she WANTS one of the kick ass, fancy starters other people get, but she ends up with a Mankey. I can see it’s honestly what her parents get for her OR before she’s officially old enough to have her own Pokémon, she befriends a wild Mankey … by beating each other up. Keep in mind, in Pokémon world, humans are more durable than we are (due to genetics, cartoon physics, also shit like Aura, and psychic powers), so little Katsuki fighting a Pokémon to a standstill is not ACTUALLY out of the realm of possibility. They end up fighting a lot, and eventually develop mutual respect and friendship. There’s probably some middle bits, but basically, Katsuki comes home one day with a Mankey - “Hey, Mom, Dad, this is Nukey, short Nuclear Disaster, he knows Fire Punch and Overheat, and he’s staying with me.” (Yes, those are moves they can eventually learn)

Typhlosion - Katsuki’s starter, is she doesn’t have Mankey. Or maybe she has both? Mankey she just brings home one day, Cyndaquil she gets from the Professor when she’s old enough (Sidenote: Who’s the Professor? My immediate thoughts are Nezu, but I actually see him as a Mew masquerading as a Human … which, never mind, maybe it is Nezu. Or maybe the Shields.)

Voltorn/Electrode - This just feels too obvious, almost. Though, you could make it interesting, by having them maybe be the Hisuian versions?

Magikarp/Feebas - I can definitely see Katsuki eventually getting one or both of these. The Magikarp/Garaydos I feel is obvious, but the Feebas/Milotic I feel could work too, especially because Milotic is a fairly “Feminine” Pokémon, but still kicks all kinds of ass. Not sure, though. Especially because, compared to Magikarp, Feebas are extremely hard to find, train, and evolve, so by comparison, it would be easier to get a Magikarp.

Eevee - I want to give her a Flareon, but then, I feel like Eevee probably isn’t really Katsuki’s style? Plus, I see it as too Shoto (Kanto Vulpix, Alolan Vulpix, Glaceon, Flareon, that sort of thing)

Togepi - I am deeply, DEEPLY tempted, to have Katsuki hatch a Togepi, and raise it all the way to Togekiss. Don’t know how that would work out, but I have the image, and by god, it is glorious.

“Transport” - so, I have a thing about “Transport Pokémon”. I feel all trainers should, if they travel a lot, have a Pokémon they can ride in an emergency. So far, the ones I’ve found that fit Katsuki (also Pokémon he could have in General, but I don’t want to put them twice): Rapidash, Charizard, Arcanine, Tauros (any work, but Fire Form works best), Basculegion, Braviary (either form).

Pokémon Katsuki Could Have (General): Magmar, Machamp, Weezing, Wobbuffet (borrowed from Kirishima, for training), Forretress, Snubbull/Granbull, Houndour/Houndoom, Blaziken (Speed Boost, possible replacing Typhlosion), Numel/Camerupt, Zangoose, Crawdaunt, Salamence, Infernape, Staraptor, Garchomp, Riolu/Lucario, Croagunk/Toxicroak (traded from Tsuyu), Gliscor, Heatran, Victini (kind of? I can definitely see her with one, but I can’t see her using it much, cause she doesn’t want people to say she won just because she had Victini…), Simisear, Basculin, Darmanitan, Scrafty, Frillish/Jellicent (don’t know why, but I can see it), Volcarona, Talonflame, Aromatisse, Clawitzer, Toucannon, Salandit/Salazzle, Turtonator, Kommo-o, Blacephalon, Armarouge, Mabosstiff.

Other assorted thoughts:

Tetsutetsu - Purrserker

Monoma - Smeargle, Meowscarada,

Uraraka - Clefariy, Deoxys

Iida - Boltund, Rapidash, Arcanine

Jirou - Jigglypuff, Toxtricity (Low form), Skeledirge, Rillaboom, Meloetta, Gardevoir, Whismur

Kaminari - Pikachu, Pawmi/Pawmo/Pawmot, Toxtricity (Amped form), Kilowattrel, Morpeko, Emolga, Pachirisu, Plusle, Minun, Magnemite

Momo - Tinkatink/Tinkatuff/Tinkaton, Gallade, Indeedee (F&M), Sinistea/Polteageist

What do you think? Any you could see DEFINITELY not work?

-

I love all of this but wow ya girl has so many options!

I think I’ll give Katsuki the Cyndaquil as a starter, but she def gets a Mankey that keeps trying to pick a fight with her and she’s like ‘hey let’s keep this up actually’.

I like the idea of the Magikarp/Feebas thing, but that would probably be a later thing because early/pre-character development Katsuki wouldn’t have the patience for them even if she knows they’ll eventually be the powerhouse Gyarados/Milotic. Maybe we could force it early by combining it with what was suggested with the Togepi thing? Like she gets an egg and it hatches a Feebas and that both makes her more determined to see this through but helps in teaching the patience.

You’re right on Flareon feeling too Todoroki. Like the other Eeveelutions are up for grabs for everyone else, but Flareon and Glacion are being yeeted at the Todorokis

I think an Arcanine works best on transport I like the vibes.

I gotta keep the Riolu/Lucario because of the Mystery Dungeon tho.

[harukadrawsthings]

Here's the first story of 2023! This has got to be the most difficult comic strip up to date I've ever created for Soul(mate)s of Light. Not technically speaking but yes due to the subject itself. This idea has been in my to-do list since early 2021 but I've kept pushing it for later. I partially regret to not have done it earlier, perhaps it would have been emotionally easier to create it. I was far from imagining the scenario we already know from the latest weeks (I'm still not fully recovered from the news that are being so difficult to digest).

Destiny was already aware of Goh's job due to staying most of times at Cerise Laboratory since a baby, but she wasn't quite certain about Ash's work. She now finds this out at her four years old, thanks to her pa's bedtime story!

[✨☀️Soul(mate)s of Light Pokémon AU Master Post🌕✨]

Do not repost. Do not modify. Always credit me!

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Twitter || Ko-Fi

Commissions now open!

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Destiny ©  HarukaDrawsThings

Ash, Goh, Substitute Doll, Mewtwo, Celebi, Victini, Arceus, Volcanion and Magearna © Nintendo/TPC

[love-is-a-pearl]

Alright, I will be honest:

I don't like Black&White saga cause it feels like flopoed retcon/reboot of pokeanime. Like, in the beginning it cut ties to previous sagas and regions. Like, after whole THE BUILD UP in Sinnoh, it felt like Ash got robbed. Also doesn't help that in beginning they isolated Unova pokemon from previous generations. And the thing is, is that 5 gen pokemon design already stylistically different from previous ones: more round, simplified.

Also, it didn't help that relationship with rivals are less close and tense than in Diamond&Pearl. Like, all other characters beside main trio feels shallow and caricatures. In Sinnoh, both Ash and Dawn learned something from their rivals, Paul and Zoe were REALLY IMPACTFUL to them. But when we compare Iris and Dragon huntress (yes, I don't even remember her name)... That's basic. Like, Iris's rival surved as plot tool few times at best.

But second part of saga is better (*cough - cough * cause Cynthia and Dawn came back *cough- cough*) : old pokemon are back, we see mythical pokemon in action. Also, I enjoyed Decolora arc!

Good points of BW:

I like Cylan and Iris. For Iris in particular... She feels like Misty's other version, but in a good way. I also like her story arcs with her team, like damn, homegirl got her own Suicide squad in pokeworld 😂.

Also, there's Team R... One one hand, it's was hard for me to see them drop comedy tone. On another hand, they demonstrated us how much dangerous they can be! Like, they got their business! Our trio was more menacing than whole Team Plazma, honestly 😅.

All in all, my main issue is that Black and White drop most of connections with Diamond and Pearl. Like, transition was too DRASTIC. But I do understand, that there ate people who adores 5 gen. I mean, I heard that 5 gen games was top tier. It's just, unfortunately, I stsrted to dwell into pokemon games since 6 gen, so I was unable to even play Black and White. Maybe in that case I watched anime in different context.

Also, I really like movies in that saga! Like Keldeo and Mewtwo (or Newtwo ( if you know you know)) put everything in their movies, and Victini's one with TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS was low-key something in cinematic universe level.

... That was looong ask, but I really need that out of my chest 😅

Nah, dont worry, go and vent its the first step to overcoming trauma lol I joke but seriously, if everyone sat down to understand what they dislike and like about a season like that, things would be so much simpler :v

BW is totally an attempt to a soft reboot! But there's one thing I feel folks often forget: The games themselves were that too!!

The lack of pokemon pre gen 5 was something that came from the games, as unova was the first region outside of Japan. Pokemon company was trying to start anew from all sides and that ended up affecting the anime the most because for some reason, it was decided that they would star anew, but keep a familiar face in Ash.

And then we have the fact that the BW games got a sequel immediately after, Black and White 2, and the story on those was directly connected to the first games, showcasing an Unova 2 years after BW1 (highly reccomend them btw, some of the best overarching story in pokemon games ever)

And like, the anime started with the narrator just saying Ash was still 10!! Someone surely made that a rule in the background, so how could they tell the story of a Unova 2 years later with a main character that just couldn't age?

So the writers just had to do their own thing. And probably made up so much of it halfway and also explain why they just scrapped so many characters of the day post league. They just wanted some time for people to forget the first half of BW to try and implement things from BW2.

And that's the thing, this issue is not from BW only. We know for a fact that there were plans for Ash to leave the anime during Johto, but they couldn't just say goodbye to him, so he stayed. Black and White was just the culmination of that decision. And I feel like hating on it alone is just… not aknowledging that pokeani is flawed from the get-go yknow?

What made BW that weird is what made Ash and Serena and the Kalos loss weird, what made journeys weird and what made 2beamaster miniseries that FUCKING WEIRD.

BUT GOSH TRIO!! Now the way those 3 were handled in the season is one thing I can't excuse lmao

People love to talk how out of character Ash acts this season, even though is not even that OOC when compared to pre DP, but TR were the ones that felt like complete different characters! And while I enjoy the whiplash of Ash gang doing silly things overlapped with very serious evil dutiestm, I feel like that that was a bad decision throught and throught. I get that at first they wanted a Team Rocket vs Team Plasma situation, but doing that with the TRio is just so weird.

HELL YEAH, I LOVE THE NEWTWO MOVIE! It makes no sense but gosh Mewtwo2 and genesect's relationship is just so ADORABLE i love them so much. Is those kind of stuff that makes me sad about BW, folks see a mewtwo that is not the main one and they dont give it a shot, but is such a heartwarming story in the end.

[casteliacityramen]

Munday Tuesday Lore Post: Humanity - Threat Assessment REBUTTAL

Scribe and Artificer J., I am writing to further inform you of our opinions on the subject of your most recent letter. Yes, your 'e-mails' did go through. Stop sending them. No, we will not accept the "good old-Unovan values of one on one combat" on the issue, no matter how many "fite me" messages you send. I am aware that this 'e-mail' is a lot more convenient than our courier system, but perhaps you are spending too much time on this "internet" that you so adore. This new messaging system of yours is enough to handle, as is. I feel that I must, at the very least, clarify our reasoning behind our verdict. For the most part, the council agrees with your assessment. Yes. Humanity is destined for greatness. Yes. Humanity shows limitless promise. Yes. We do take inspiration from their innovation (it'd be strange not to address this due to the way we talk to each other now). But humanity is an abnormality to the point of absurdity. They are our precursors, long before His Majesty Arceus gifted us with life, yet they still show signs of incremental growth. They repeat mistakes. They are prone to infighting. Their restrictive age keeps them from making wise decisions. For Arceus' sake, they only recently realized that it may be important to write things down. They are too unpredictable. Worst of all, they possess a power far greater than you give them credit for. Their abnormal power to persuade. Like you say, they have made complex societies, and have even gone as far as to borrow pokemons' powers for a mutually beneficial gain. What's mind-boggling is how oblivious they are to their power. No one is arguing with you that Humanity has cemented themselves as the top sapient life on the planet. Our scholars still debate on whether or not they should be classified as psychic-types due to this feat and the discussion is far from resolved. Perhaps this discussion would have been finished were it not for the fact that they are constantly changing, as you have mentioned in your assessment. Frankly, my dear friend, if I may be honest, humanity terrifies us. Imagine, if you will, the Order brought into chaos because we were convinced to make a decision without careful deliberation. Like you say, humanity barrels its way towards greatness. However, we cannot afford such rashness due to the gravity of our work. Which brings me to our next point. I understand your frustrations in our decision-making process. In comparison to mortal life, you are right in that we take too long to make a decision. This is an issue we hope to address in the future. However, these rules are written in blood. Yours included, if I'm not mistaken. We guide the entirety of existence in their path--there is no margin for error. You, of all people, should know this, given your current assignment. Your mind seems cluttered. Perhaps you need a reduction in your duties. As scribe, artificer, and now warden of some… particular probationary members, you seem to be spread thin. Do let me know if it's too much for you. Kindly, Head Scholar and Council Member Lok P. S. Are we still on for Dungeons and Dragonites? Steward Lia would like to join us. P. S. S. I know I've been pencil pushing for the past couple thousand years, but I bet I could kick your ass. Even with your blessing from Lady Victini.

[kuravix]

In your PokéPiece AU, can any of the other Pokémon in the Strawhats' teams use Haki? I know that Nami's Luxray can use Observation Haki, so I wanted to ask if any of the other Pokémon were able to use Haki (Observation, Conqueror's, and/or Armament Haki). Thank you for your time & have a wonderful rest of your day @kuravix!

Yes they can! Luxray has the most powerful Observation Haki and naturally had the ability at a young age. Luffy's Victini and Chopper's Blissey know Conqueror's Haki. All Unown have very weak Conqueror's Haki which becomes more powerful the more of them there are together. All of Luffy's, Zoro's, Sanji's and Jinbe's know Observation and Armament at varying degrees. None as skilled as their trainers though. Robin's Absol knows both, Sigilyph and Claydol know Observation. Franky's Golurk knows Armament. Armarouge knows both.

[askbookwormflareon]

Heron@Honey's Group: "Er- sorry, if this is stuff I shouldn't be asking about, but... the name 'Pollux' has been brought up a lot now- he was Uxie's patron before Honey, right? I know he's no longer here, but he's... surprisingly involved with all of this. Is it possible he knew- or learned- something important, or dangerous?"

Honey: Oh, we met before, didn't we? Back at Psystrike City, right? I hope you've been well! As for your theory, I think that's exactly it.

Honey: Obviously, this is all conjecture, but I think it makes the most sense. I saw Pollux talking to Victini back when I fell into the Fogbound Lake, and then after... He was dead. Oh! But I don't think Victini is the one who did it, Victini was warning him not to reveal whatever it was.

Alice: Have you tried asking Rosie about it? Was she in the memory you saw? She was at that counsel as I recall.

Honey: ...yes, she was there. But I didn't ask her about it, I saw Uxie open his eyes to her. I think he did it to protect her.

Erin: ...That would make sense, Arceus was particularly incensed during that counsel.

@skittyanswers

[pinkpoweredpunk]

[ATTACHED: A recorded conversation.

Blake: You said your name was… M, right?

N: Er… No, N.

Blake: Oh! Uh, sorry- it’s literally one letter, how did I mess that up-

N: Haha, it’s fine. Blake, right?

Blake: Yeah!

N: It’s nice to see you again. If I’m being honest, ever since our last battle, I was hoping I would.

Blake: You were?

N: Yes. Your Snivy, she- I mean, Servine- she said some intriguing things back in Accumula Town.

Blake: She- huh?

N: Oh, r-right… I forgot to mention this earlier, but… I can understand Pokémon.

Blake: …

N: I know it probably seems hard to believe, but-

Blake: …Ohh! I know somebody else who does that!

N: Y-you- what?

Blake: Yeah, it’s like this whole story about how his mom gave him this magic feather I guess, I don’t really get it but it’s cool-

Blake: But what did King say that had you so interested?

N: It’s, um… it’s just that she seems to like you a lot. She said she seemed a bit confused by you, but I could tell she wanted to stay by your side.

Blake: That’s… good? I think? I’m glad she wants to stay with me, at least.

N: Indeed. I’m impressed she’s evolved under your care. In the short time since our last encounter, anyway.

Blake: Thaaaat was a bit of a funny story, actually, but-

Blake: …

N: …Something the matter?

Blake: N-nothing. I just- what’s this white stone over here? It doesn’t look like it has a description like the other displays.

N: …That…

N: I’m… not sure what it is. The painting over it is interesting, though.

Blake: Yeah, looks like it’s of the two legendary dragons and the ancient twin heroes. No clue what they have to do with the rock, though.

N: You know that legend?

Blake: Yeah. I live in Galar, but I actually grew up in Unova, so I know all about the dragons and stuff. My dad’s side actually worships them along with Victini.

N: Ohh. That… explains why you have a Unovan accent.

Blake: Haha, yeah, it throws people for a loop a lot. But I- ahem-

They clear their throat, before speaking in a rather convincing Galarian accent.

Blake: -can do a pretty good impression o’ one, though! Sometimes I switch t’ it, just to mess with folks. Keep ‘em on their toes, you know?

N: Oh! Impressive.

Blake chuckles and switches back to their normal accent.

Blake: I also know a fair bit of Kalosian, but I’m not super great at pronouncing it yet.

N: You’ve been to a lot of places though, huh?

Blake: Ehh, just Galar, Kalos, and here. And Paldea once for a champion conference, I guess, but that barely counts…

N: Still, that’s more than most people can say. I’ve never been out of Unova. I have heard about your feats in other regions, though…

Blake: Oh! Yeah, most people know about those… It was nothing, just- you know, standing up for what’s right and all…

Blake: Hah…

N: …Was any of it scary?

Blake: Wh-what?

N: I mean, the… the Darkest Day, and the crisis with those Team Flare people. You saved- countless lives, and people rightfully deem you a hero for it, but- wasn’t it… terrifying? Having that much responsibility on your shoulders, especially when you were that young?

Blake: I… I mean…

N: I… Sorry, sorry, that’s probably not my place to-

Blake: N-no, it’s… it’s fine. I’m just not used to… I mean, I’m so used to people just praising me for the good I did, which- eh- is great and all, but…

N: …No one ever seems to consider how intense it must’ve been?

Blake: Yeah…

Blake: It’s been… especially hard lately… the um, the person I helped stop Team Flare with, they-

Blake: …

N: I… believe I heard about that, also. I’m terribly sorry. I do hope they manage to find your friend.

Blake: Thanks… I do too…

N: …A-and everything else you went through, too. It’s… it’s inconceivably unfair that the responsibility fell on you to stop those horrible men. No child should ever have to be faced with evil like that…

N: I’m… a-apologies, I know I’m probably speaking out of line, but- I just, I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I understand what it’s like to have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, and-

Blake: H-hey, it’s fine. Really.

Blake: It’s… it’s nice to hear someone acknowledge how hard it was, for a change. Everyone’s always telling me how strong I am, and- I know they mean well, but I- I don’t always… feel like it. Some days it’s like I have to… pretend to be as strong as they think I am…

Blake: …S-sorry- I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t be getting so worked up in front of a stranger like this, haha-

N: You don’t need to apologize. I, um, I don’t mind.

There’s a heavy silence between the pair for a few minutes.

N: …Do you want to go check out the gift shop? I think it’s still open, we can go look around. Maybe buying a-a souvenir will cheer you up? I can pay for it.

Blake: Wha? Oh, N, you don’t have to do that-

N: No, no, it’s not a problem, honestly. I want to. You seem like a kind person, and you’ve been going through a lot. I know it’s probably not much, but you’ve been kind enough to accept both of my battle requests. I’d like to, um, thank you somehow.

Blake: Ha… I guess I can’t convince you not to. You’re a really nice guy, N. Thanks…

N: It’s my pleasure. U-uhm, with that said… shall we?

End recording.]

———

[aura-acolyte]

oh yes sorry I forgot. MARE DOTH THOU FEELETH VICTINI AS OF CURRENT

I do feel Victini, actually! Victory is within my grasp! Do not ask me what I am winning, I do not know!

[hisui-apparently]

I just finished my first day of classes at college.

I have learned that, while I may be immune to fire damage, I am not immune to heat from the sun. It gets to be as high at 100 degrees F this week, and even just today I am sweating and tired.

But I had a good time. Classes are fun- I'm taking a class in Urban Legends and snickering because clearly this lecture hall does not even know about Rotomblr. We're gonna talk about various Mythicals and Legendaries later this semester and I'm over here knowing Victini, the three Sinnoh Lake Spirits, Giratina, and other Giratinas. And also Pokemon that are literally from the times of Hisui (because yes, even though they hatched a few months ago, they were still born in Hisui. And also Volo's team).

I'm sure I'll learn some new stuff too, but I may mention it to my professor, if he'd like actual Legend/Myths to visit momentarily during that class.

Gonna chill in the Distortion World for a bit, though. Where temperature isn't really a thing.