#are we going to see more and more food pokemon become a thing?

[bunniesbearsandadventures]

Okay so like the more regions we explore and the more Pokemon we come to discover . . . how do food Pokemon work??

Like it used to be like food adjacent Pokemon like seedot or tropius were it was like "yeah OKAY its food - ish but its mostly supposed to be a plant"

Or it was pokemon that just so happened to look like food like vanillish where its clearly just ice that happens to like icecream

But then some of these newer Pokemon I'm just so intrigued by their existence. Like slurpuff, fidough, alcremie where its just straight up living food.

Like when in Pokemon history did food start becoming sentient? Did Arceus command this? These food Pokemon can't be super ancient they have to be within the realms of Human existence. Unlike Pokemon like Tsareena and Nacklstack where its clearly a living plant or rock formation that just so happens to be edible. There are no such things as Whipped cream trees or dough mines out in the wild were Pokemon can be influenced by their environment, and evolve(?)/change overtime.

Dough is a man made thing. Sure the ingredients probably existed before Humans but humans had to put the ingredients together to make dough.

Which begs the question of how and why did food, like cream and dough, suddenly have properties of creating Pokemon life.

I can only imagine the Poor individual who was trying to make some bread back in the day. They set their dough to rise only to come back a few hours later and they have a new puppy in the bowl!

Very interesting stuff all around.

[pokemonshelterstories]

You know how, sometimes, when you work with certain pokemon, they can sometimes imprint on you? And that leads to either the pokemon seeing you as a parent (if this happens while it's young) or seeing you as a potential mate (if this happens while it's older)? Well, I have a friend who is currently rehabilitating a dull and chronically rusty Skarmory, and this seems to have happened to him. Big ol' metal birdie has taken a liking to him.

Unfortunately, she has started getting aggressive whenever female staff members interact with him in her line of sight, doing things like flaring her wings and screeching. She hasn't actually attacked anyone, but the staff are worried nonetheless. Even dull, her wings have cut through whole trees in her enclosure before.

They have the equipment necessary to deal with a hostile Skarmory, but because of her dull and rusted state, some staff are concerned that it might just hurt her.

Is there anything you could recommend? Either a way to dissuade the Skarmory from its amorous feelings for my friend, or to keep her calm while she's being cared for?

this is something we see happen with human-raised skarmory on occasion. skarmory are not social pokemon by default and will typically only bond with other skarmory during mating and nesting season, after which they split off from each other and live solitary lives for the rest of the year.

this is about the time of year when skarmory begin breeding, especially in areas with warmer climates, so she's going to be hormonal and aggressive regardless. this is on top of her not feeling well, which often makes pokemon more quick to lash out.

for their safety and her emotional well-being, the best thing they can do for her is to really just. leave her alone unless she's actively getting treatment. don't let anyone linger around her enclosure. anesthetize her if they need to get hands-on. ball her if they need to enter to put out food or clean the enclosure. if he's the only person she'll tolerate for things like daily visual checkups, then assign him to focus solely on her as much as they can. for rehab purposes, skarmory is classified as an inherently dangerous pokemon (they fall under subclass Ib- pokemon with territorial aggression- and IIa- pokemon with whom physical contact can cause immediate harm), which means that she should not be handled in free contact unless proven not to pose a significant risk of danger. because of this, they should always have a barrier between her and staff unless she is under anesthesia.

you can't really argue with a skarmory's feelings- and it isn't safe to try, because it doesn't take much for a skarmory to cause severe injury to a human. even their bonding behaviors with their mates, such as preening and wing-slapping, are unsafe for humans because of how sharp their bodies are. hopefully as her hormones settle and as they lessen contact with her, she will become less aggressive. until then, though, the best way to prevent injury is to not give any opportunity for it to happen.

[kafus]

why dot & episode 41 of pokemon horizons means so much to me as a recovering social recluse

when i got into pokemon horizons i had no idea whatsoever that my favorite character would end up being dot, one of the best handled social recluse characters i've ever seen in a piece of media. pokemon places such a large focus on adventure and travel, meeting new people and pokemon, so really the idea of a respectfully handled social recluse character just didn't seem to fit in with the concept. but now that the environment travels with the characters in the form of an airship, dot was able to be created and my god i love her. as someone who's been a recluse most of my life, even as a child, (i would qualify as a hikikomori and/or NEET at different stages of my life!) who is slowly crawling out of that pit, dot means the world to me.

there's a lot of good episodes that have some level of focus on dot but episode 41 in particular really blew me away and for the sake of my autistic ass desperately wanting to tell people about it i'm going to explain that here in trademark rambling fashion. obviously spoilers ahead - though not just for episode 41, i'm also going to be talking about earlier episodes a little bit. you've been warned!! if you don't want spoilers don't read below the cut ty!!

so episode 41. we meet dot's mother as the viewer who is there to pick up dot from her "trial period" on the brave asagi, learn about how dot ended up on the airship in the first place, and then at the end dot gets to have a showdown against her mother's lycanroc essentially to prove that she wants to, and can, stay permanently on the rising volteccers crew instead of going home. this is a huge turning point in dot's development as a character - at first she was a complete unknown only audible through her bedroom door, irritable to anyone who tried to speak to her, then over the course of the show she's managed to make friends with liko and roy, become a pokemon trainer, enjoy food with other people for seemingly the first time, and even caught tinkatink on her own accord pretty recently. and now this episode allows her to say in her own words that she isn't just on the ship experimentally, or because of murdock, or any other reason - she is choosing to be there and is enjoying learning more about other people and experiencing the outside world. again, this is a huge leap for someone who refused to show her face to the main characters for the first half of the show!

this on its own is already a pretty admirable character arc, one i can relate to, but i am really impressed by & feel seen by the way the writing handles her and that's really apparent in this episode. first i'm going to focus on how the writing and characters in the show respect dot's feelings despite her introversion and reclusion here.

dot's mom (blanca) is introduced to us as incredibly overbearing, to the point of freaking out and sending a bunch of angry stickers when murdock and dot don't immediately respond to her messages. dot's first response to seeing her mom is frustration instead of any level of positive response or excitement, which implies they don't have the best history, even before she actually starts talking about her past. i'm not trying to make this a post about dot's family psychology, maybe another time, but similarly to liko her situation is a bit fucked lmao (though for opposite reasons!)

the thing is - the adults around her are ALSO uncomfortable, in particular murdock, blanca's brother, which conveys a lot about the situation. she's not just some stubborn kid, there's legitimacy to her feelings, because if there wasn't the mature figures in this situation probably wouldn't also be reacting negatively, especially not murdock, dot's other relative here. from incredibly personal experience, it is so easy to wave off the feelings of a child, especially one as "difficult" and reclusive as dot, as just being some sort of phase, but already the writers are directly contrasting murdock, an adult dot is comfortable with who treats her with patience and respect, with blanca, who she evidently is not comfortable with - and they're respecting her feelings by making the adults in the show respect her feelings, too. and they're about to do a whole lot more of contrasting her mother with Everyone and Everything Else!

dot is continued to be understood and respected by the people who know her best in the case of liko and roy choosing to approach her to talk first. dot has run off to her room, where she usually is to get away from people, a very clear sign that she's struggling. liko and roy recognize this and cut blanca off from making the situation worse. which, of course they would, they're her friends and they genuinely care about her and understand how she behaves! they even know how to get her to come out her room without banging on her door and continuously yelling or something like that - direct contrast to them struggling with this much earlier in the show, by the way.

dot is happy to see them and much more willing to talk pretty much immediately, because guess what, they're people who respect her space and her feelings!!!

and once again, when blanca tries to force dot to speak before she's ready to (i mean come on you literally jumped her with this massive thing out of nowhere), liko jumps in and cuts blanca off to defend her and once again respect her feelings in a way that blanca definitely is not.

and finally, when they end up having a pokemon battle with each other...

blanca says this, yet another invalidation of dot's feelings and the way she responds to situations. this line actually made me viscerally uncomfortable, i remember the bitterness and upset i felt when i was a young person and my feelings, especially my frustrations with my parents and the way they handled my introversion, were invalidated on account of my age. "oh, it's just a phase" or "it's just because you're a kid" - just so incredibly frustrating.

and you know what that's followed up with?

dot speaking her fucking mind and kicking her mom's ass baby!!!! get her ass!!! let's GOOO. this part of the episode is so fucking rewarding. it's so good to see this character who has grown so much finally stand up for herself. she still needed a little bit of a push but that's OKAY!! the important part is that she's doing it and the narrative recognizes that! having friends and loved ones to help you out is actually a very essential part of happiness and survival!

and before i delve too far into my personal feelings, i also want to talk about a second thing here; i just find dot's characterization really relatable, like i swear to god there's someone on the writing team who must have been a 12 year old autistic NEET or something. it's literally too fucking on point, it's uncanny, i swear there's times in horizons where dot is just a carbon copy of me when i was a preteen. i mean come on:

dot flopping face down into bed after being overwhelmed in an awkward social situation and being confronted with a situation she's been trying to ignore thus far... the amount of times i have done this in my life, holy shit.

the candidness in which dot speaks about being so interested in the outside world, but being unable to have those experiences for herself as simply a voyeur. the shot of her room being such a disaster because she rarely leaves it and stuff piles up in there, including food junk,

the way she spends all this time alone cultivating skills she's passionate about and then shrugs them off as "just something she likes" when an adult compliments her on her abilities, the contrast between her confidence in what she loves but her complete social awkwardness in talking to anyone about it,

her defining herself on the internet by being a homebody, hell even her cute little freakout about the streamer she likes noticing something she said,

waking up late and missing the activities of other people because her sleep schedule basically doesn't exist while she's at home,

even just her general body language of closing in on herself and holding onto something when she's nervous, hell even her clothing choices which are so obviously meant to be as comfortable as possible for her and easy to take on and off - i could go on forever even just with this episode alone but i think you get the point. i feel so seen by how dot is just in general and it's obvious from both the plot/writing and the way dot is portrayed and animated that the people making this show understand people like me, even the type of person i was as a child, too.

all of this means so much to me because like i said in the intro to this post, i was and still very much am a social recluse. i'm a homebody. even now i still rarely leave my room, i don't eat with family often, i struggle to do things in the "real world". growing up, repeated intrusions into my feelings and my life did not help me, they only made me whiplash further into feeling distant and not listened to by the people around me. they made me want to interact with real life less. finally, as an adult, when people started to give me a bit more space, when the ways i communicate began to be respected a little more, that is when i started making genuinely close and good friendships, that is when i began to venture outside of my room and partake in small joys with people, as a direct result of being given the space and time to do so, to have my own autonomy, to make my own decisions, to be myself. i think it's incredibly easy to see someone curling in onto themself and assume they need a fuckton of intrusive pushing, and sometimes they do need a little push, like how dot's quaxly pushes her to move forward in the moment sometimes, or how liko continuously tried to befriend her, but the important part is that by treading too far over her boundaries it is no longer a productive or respectful way of helping her - it's a balance, and a balance horizons always seems to get right, episode 41 included.

it really means so much to me to see dot's journey into coming out of her shell treated with so much respect by the writing and other characters. so often recluse characters are the butt of the joke, are pushed out of their comfort zones unrealistically fast, or never actually receive the support and growth they need - but horizons strikes the balance of being candid about the type of character dot is and giving respect and space to her feelings so she can grow at her own pace, but still giving her support and little pushes when she needs them, and showing that it's possible to grow and enjoy the real world, even as a recluse. it's refreshing, especially with a character who is a child, and a girl, too! i can count the amount of times i have found a young girl character i relate to at all on one hand, and dot is the best one i've ever seen, personally! horizons has been really inspiring to me to continue to cultivate my connections with others and continue to drag myself out of my shell at my own pace with people who love me, during a really chaotic and transitional part of my life and i really love it for that. i'm glad this episode exists for an infinite multitude of reasons but i really just wanted to talk about this specific aspect for a bit and how it relates back to me as a recovering recluse.

thanks for reading if you got this far jesus christ i talk a lot LOOOL. and i might talk more about my feelings on this episode or dot in general later. i have so much to say about likodot and also about the family dynamics in this show i'm practically eating thru drywall thinking about it rn

[typenull]

on laios's approach to his consumption and desires

i am so sick of people making laios’s entire thing about “eating monsters” and turning him into someone that would eat a pokemon or whatever given the chance, when his entire thing is actually about both being the monster that’s eating, and the human being that’s getting devoured. because “monsters eat humans, that’s why they’re so cool (and everything i want to be).”

laios’s interest in eating monsters stems from his desire to understand the individual species, and has since he was a child reading about their taste in books. it most definitely isn’t from an innate fascination with their value or specific usage as food. laios doesn’t eat monsters the same way that a human eats animals! this is most obvious when you compare him and senshi, who is focused specifically on the usage of monsters as a food item, and a foil to laios - who is willing to eat whatever just in order to understand it a little more.

he may be curious how specific species taste - do walking mushrooms taste like regular ones? do nightmares and living armor taste like regular shellfish? - but these questions stem from a desire to understand them deeper and in turn get closer to a world of animality. personally, i think he would be offended at the idea that his desire to eat monsters stemmed from something so human-centric.

(notice how he seems to care significantly less about being a ‘murderer’ than a ‘dragonslayer’ lol. )

we know that laios has been curious about the taste of monsters since he was a child, but he still takes it seriously. the only reason he eventually resorts to eating monsters with his party in the first place is because they were in a situation of life or death - and laios, like a monster operating under the rule of ‘kill or be killed’, knew that they were going to need to do so in order to achieve their goal on such low supplies. but he isn’t a surplus killer, nor does he kill solely for the sake experimentation or pleasure! he's actually extremely respectful towards monsters, all things considered.

on top of everything... even though laios is clearly pleased about getting a chance to eat monsters initially, since he finally gets to fulfill a childhood desire - this actually sours for him fairly early on. in the monster tidbits page for the cockatrice, we see him lament on the fact that the information he'd idolized for so long ended up being totally fabricated, and doesn't seem too happy about pursuing his 'dream' of comparing the taste of cockatrice and basilisk anymore. i think this says a lot about his motivations and feelings when it comes to consuming monsters overall.

basically tl;dr - what i’m saying is - yeah, laios eats monsters, sure… but he wishes he was a monster too, and he wants his own human form devoured. with this idea in mind, you can consider that by eating monsters, he becomes closer to them, and a little less “human”. (even though he knows it isn’t that easy.)

this actually has A LOT of influence over late-game spoiler-related events - but i'll keep all late-game spoiler meta talk and panels under the cut:

even in death, laios's ultimate dream is to be consumed by monsters and become part of the natural world! but i think what's most indicative of this approach laios has towards consuming monsters is when kui kind of makes it incredibly obvious during the fight with the winged lion, lol. it's the definining point of the entire thing, isn't it?

laios, finally becoming his true monster form, is so overwhelmed by an unstoppable desire to consume his human self, erasing it from existence. he's so overcome with this desire to consume himself that on a surface level, it actually almost ends up becoming his downfall...

..but laios knew this would happen already, and with it in mind, he incorporated it into his ultimate monster self. he allowed himself to be able to consume other's desires - including the winged lion's. by consuming the demon disguised as himself, he's able to get to the core of the demon's appetite...

his same "kill or be killed" monster mindset is what allows him to win against something beyond human comprehension, something even beyond the human-monster dichotomy of this world. laios's existence as a monster and approach to life under these carefully considered rules of respect and curiosity are exactly what literally save everyone's lives, including himself and falin. it parallels all the way back to his initial decision to eat monsters at all as a last-resort decision of life or death to save someone he loves! laios saves the day by not being aligned with humanity at all!

through this laios gets to prove his love and devotion for those he cares about despite how far removed he feels from the human experience. he doesn't need to be understood by humans, nor does he need to understand humanity... as long as he has his strong desire to keep those he loves safe and love them with all his heart, it doesn't matter at all. this entire fight is one giant reflection of laios's inner workings throughout the entire series, and i don't see enough people view it through that lens.

laios is such an important character to me, and this wasn't even supposed to be a meta post, but i got so tired of seeing people make jokes about laios eating monsters nonstop!!! thanks for reading! check out my dungeon meshi tag for more long posts like this one :)

[genopaint]

Week 42 coming right at you!! LOOK OUT!!!!!!! OH MY GOD THEY HAVE THEIR EARBUDS IN THEY CAN'T HEAR US-

As always you can follow me on twitter where they’re posted daily

And read more info on each of them below the cut

Daily Dragon #294 - Golem Dragon

Man made dragons designed to complete particularly difficult tasks like mining or guarding treasures. Just slip a command on a piece of paper in their mouth and watch them work! They're powered by magic crystal held inside the rocks!

Daily Dragon #295 - Dragourd

These small cursed Jack-o'-lanterns are actually tiny fire breathing dragons! People will carve their pumpkins to look like them, but doing this often will attract the real deal! You dont want a crowd of them at your house.

Here's the concept art for this fella! I knew for a bit that I wanted to draw doing something where I use the mouth + eye pieces to make horns. Originally I was gonna do an ogre, but of course... Yknow... Dragons...

Daily Dragon #296 - Feral Gobold

Small and viscous creatures that love biting and scratching anything they come across. Trees and rocks near their nests are often covered in claw and teeth marks from top to bottom!

This is another redraw! Called the "Small Beast" from 2016 at the latest. It wasn't originally a dragon, and frankly idk if it was even a reptile. But it was some sort of Nidorina inspired creature because that Pokemon has one of my favorite small beast designs :)

Daily Dragon #297 - Galathia the Famished One

Galathia appears in the form of a massive dragon, the only vessel that can contain her power we can comprehend. While she's nice, the food she demands can be... drastic. A soul here, an eternity there. Maybe a whole planet?

ANOTHER redraw, this time of this old eldritch horror girl! I tried to make her a little more visually coherent, and while she's maybe a little less bizarre I think she looks a little more clean? Idk. The original is also from 2016 at the latest!

Daily Dragon #298 - Ba'ul

And here's another dragon I knew I wanted to do from the start! I was put off though for a bit because he's a little complicated and hard to find refs for. But ultimately I think he came out fantastic!! Please play Vesperia

I've also done a dragon from some of GOAT JRPG series but hadn't done one from Tales of yet. And I just couldn't let the challenge end without doing at least ONE and there's no one better than my beautiful baby boy Ba'ul

ALSO ALSO I HAVE to give the biggest shoutout to this artist who did an amazing study on Ba'ul's design. It's genuinely the best reference of him online and I could not have drawn this without making heavy use of it!

Daily Dragon #299 - A Dragon

Is something there? Can you see it? Did you lock your door? What was that by the window? Can you see it? It sees you

Just to not keep anyone in suspense, cause I dont think these things work that well with the whole transparency effect. Here he is :) what a lovely smile

I wanted to do this concept for a dragon basically all October but I couldn't make anything I liked that was actually unnerving. I still don't think this dude is that scary lmao. But yes his joints go backwards so he can walk on the ceiling and scare you

Daily Dragon #300 - Gorodin

A massive set of ancient bones that lie dormant in a valley. They become charged with cursed lightning, and start to swim in the sky. As it lets out a horrible cry sounding like a static whale call, it blows towns to cinders with powerful electricity.

And just like the last 2 times, this milestone dragon was made by combining YOUR ideas together! Thank you all so much for giving so many good suggestions on shorter notice than usual! As always I adjusted them a touch to make it all work, but thanks for your ideas regardless!!

And just like before, if I didn't use your idea, I have it written down so I can maybe do something with it later!!

BUT YEAH!! DAY 300!!! WE'RE ALREADY HERE! The end of the Daily Dragon Challenge is coming up quicker than I'm ready to admit!!

There's only 66 dragons left and as we move forward I may start planning them out a little bit. There's still a lot I want to draw, and a lot I know I won't get to in this time frame. But that's okay. It's not like I'll ever stop drawing dragons lol.

Thank you all SO much for your continued support and sticking with this whole big challenge even when I miss like, whole weeks at a time lol. Lets enjoy the rest of the year with lots of cool dragons :)

And of course, here's how it looks powered down!

[warden-melli]

So we know how big Melli is right? Well that just means that he has to eat either more or equal to what his stuntank eats. Also I think that Melli has burn scars/current burns due to working with things that will explode any minute and a ball of electricity that will shock him at any given moment that he disappoints it. Electric burn scars/fresh ones and straight(not in Melli's case) up burn scars from the explosions. I think that he hides them so that no one will see, which is why he's always covering up.

I’ve often thought about how expensive Melli would be to feed lol, especially in a place where food isn’t as easy to acquire and prepare like in modern times

And yes! Love this headcanon! I have very similar one actually. I think it would be pretty easy to look at a character like Melli and come to the conclusion that he’d be the type of person who wouldn’t like to get his hands dirty or put himself in any danger, but I disagree. He may appear foppish, but there’s many canon details that let us know that he’s not afraid of danger or physical exertion

To even perform his duties as warden, Melli must first frequently climb Mt Coronet, an extremely large and dangerous mountain, populated by extremely powerful and aggressive wild pokemon. Then after finally arriving at the hollow he has arguably the most dangerous job of any warden, taking care of Lord Electrode. Like you pointed out, out of all of the noble pokemon, Electrode is by far the most volatile. It’s also not alone up there, as we know it lives with a colony of voltorb too, so (again like you said) I think it would be extremely unlikely for him NOT to be scarred or burned in some capacity, wether that’s from just living in a wild place like Hisui, travelling up the mountain to perform his duties, or taking care of Lord Electrode itself, among other things. We also know he’s not scared of physical confrontation (he overpowered the security corps to get into the meeting) and he doesn’t shy away from battles either, choosing to investigate the mass outbreaks on his own. Melli seems to be in situations frequently where injuries seem extremely likely. I also think due to the frequent mountain climbing and the physically demanding job that is looking after lord Electrode, that Melli is likely more muscular and physically fit than most people would give him credit for, especially given his slim build and aesthetic.

I think the idea of him covering up to hide scars is an interesting one, but I’m not too sure Melli isn’t just freezing cold from working high up on a snow capped mountain lol. Apart from wearing his hood (which we do get to see down in the offical art book) he’s no more covered than most other wardens, and Hisui overall has quite a cool climate. It’s an interesting idea to explore though! I personally think it would be very interesting in that situation for him to hide scars not necessarily because he doesn’t like the look of them aesthetically, but because he’s worried that someone may see the scars and interpret that as a sign of a past failure, something that would be unbearable for someone who’s main goal in life is to be useful to his clan and it’s leader. Like, how great must the great Melli truly be if he allowed himself to become so carelessly injured in the line of duty? In reality I think it would be an irrational anxiety, and that they (scars) wouldn’t reflect poorly on his performance as warden at all, instead being a sign that he was actively engaging in his duties. To an insecure character like Melli whose image is an extremely curated defence used to mask his true shy/timid nature, any perceived threat to that persona would be very hard to manage, and I could see him going to the lengths of hiding his injuries in order to maintain his image. It’s a super interesting headcanon to think about, so thank you so much for sharing!

Oh btw have you ever heard of a Lichtenberg scar (caused after being struck by lightning)? Irl these don’t tend to be permanent, but I could absolutely see him having these after so much time working with dangerous electric type pokemon

(pic under the cut. It’s not graphic at all, just wanted to be safe)

[prof-peach]

How does a typical choosing event happen when a new trainer comes to Peach for their first Pokemon? Can someone adopt one of her rescue pokemon?

The island offers its sevices MOSTLY to older trainers, handing pokemon to kids has never really been the islands MO. It's not off the table, but also not the point of the facility, as many other more easily accessible locations cater to children. Most pokemon on Dotaku have pre-existing conditions, injuries, or behavioural ticks that need adjusting to, not all of course, but a good majority, so handing them to kids just isnt always so viable.

The island has two adoption days each month, scheduled where pokemon looking for a partner can dress up, staff usually get the resident groomers to give everyone a once over, and humans looking for mons are encouraged to come along for the day and take a peak. It is not very formal, a lot of games and events, food vendors and the likes. Staff work overtime to make sure people know about each pokemon, any really special or difficult mons will stick with one of the professors, and they'll explain their needs or personlaity type to interested parties. If nothing else its a very fun day out, where you get to meet a bunch of pokemon!

It's not a case of picking one out and being done with it, some pokemon require home visits before being OK'd for adoption, to make sure you have the right space and items in place to make for a good home. Other smaller pokemon can be adopted on the day, proven that you show a base level of knowledge for caring for living things. These tests are carried out by staff, be it a field worker, lab assistant, or a professor, and if you pass, you pay a small adoption fee, sign some papers, and the process is began. If you fail, you are given the option to reserve the pokemon, so no one else can come and adopt them, and return to take the test again once you are better prepared. This is usually only aplicable for up to a month. It gives people time to get ready for a new friend in their lives too.

Classes are offered to those looking to improve their level of care, and staff insist on these classes with some cases, especially children. in the case of a child finding a partner, we ask that parents come and discuss with us the quality of care that can be provided at home. Without an adult guardian, no child under the age of 16 can adopt from us, to spare pokemon any inadequate living conditions.

There is one golden rule that does dictate a lot of decisons made: Is the pokemon going to be happy?

If a pokemon does not like you, does not want to be adopted by you, is nervous about you, or shows any hesitation, their needs will come above and beyond that of the humans. We have no issue refusing an adoption based on a pokemons opinion, but people are welcomed to return, and try to form a stronger bond with an individual who is open to it.

Should you find a good match, pass our tests, and have adequate resources to care for a pokemon, then with some paperowork, youre free to leave with your buddy. Follow up visits will occur several times within the year to check see that each pokemon adopted out is happy and well cared for. You become an official member of the Dotaku labs clientel, can call for support, bring in any buddies for check ups, and our services are available to you should any illness or issue arise.

[leggerefiore]

cw: twin wardens au, pla ingo, poly (ingo/reader, emmet/reader), fluff mostly,

ughhh debating writing more here but idk where to go with it

---

It was astonishing how they never realised they were twins.

Certainly, their amnesia was at play for their lack of memories and understanding of their past lives, and you understood that completely. Naturally, they had ended up separated, too, when they had landed it the wilds of Hisui. Emmet taken in by the Diamond Clan and Ingo taken by the Pearl Clan. The care shown for both of them by essentially strangers was endearing, and definitely was how they ended up recovering from falling out of the sky as well as they did. This did, however, mean they were completely unaware of each other's existences before they took over their positions as Wardens in the highlands.

Emmet at first believed they should be rivals, knowing that while the tensions were low between the clans, there was a chance that this person could be a bad actor. Ingo simply wished to have a professional politeness with his neighbour. Needless to say, they were both absolutely shocked when they had finally encountered one another. It was like gazing into an oddly twisted mirror and seeing an alternate version of yourself rather than a simple reflection. Emmet became paranoid that Ingo had copied him, but the Pearl Clan Warden easily explained that he was stunned by their similarities, too.

They quickly found themselves spending most of their time together up in the highlands when they were away from their duties as Wardens. Even moving in together to help manage their food resources and guard themselves from the harsh wilds. Emmet's odd spider pokemon that had refused to leave his side since he was found had grown and evolved into another pokemon that proved itself useful for obtaining silk for fabrics of various use. Both seemingly found the electric type quite a familiar thing, but neither knew just what to call it.

Their respective clans had found their closeness a bit odd at first, yet easily accepted it as it proved beneficial to everyone.

You still were stunned after meeting them both that neither had come to the conclusion that they were brothers. Ingo had simply introduced Emmet as a fellow Warden, and Emmet solely referred to Ingo by his name, not a single 'brother' called out by him. It was odd, especially as you had known them before your time in Hisui. They were extremely close back in Unova, completely inseparable. It must have been obvious to them here, too, but for whatever reason it had simply never occurred to them.

The time for asking questions came as Ingo led you through a cave in the highlands. You hung close to his side as he claimed that it was difficult to navigate and becoming 'uncoupled' was not allowed. You giggled at his word choice. A cruel irony, as you technically had been separated from your relationship with him due to his memory issues. Still, just being around him helped relieve a lot of the stress you had been going through in Hisui. Both he and Emmet had certainly gone through similar situations to you. Though, their memory loss had likely made adjusting easier.

“So… How close are you with Emmet?” you asked, finally breaking the silence in a meaningful way, “You two seem like brothers.” The time to tell them about your situation simply had not come yet. The idea of suddenly bursting out that you knew everything about them just felt wrong. It would cause them much unneeded stress, and they seemed perfectly fine the way they are.

“Well, we have taken to sharing a residence for safety reasons,” he replied, “Emmet seems like a nice fellow. A bit too playful at times, but he takes his duties as a Warden quite serious. I respect him.” You nodded along. That almost sounded like how he would describe Emmet back home to strangers. Even calling him a fellow rather than his brother.

“Ah, well, you two looked like brothers to me,” you smiled at him, “You two are identical, you know.” He stopped for a moment and looked around the rocky walls of the darkened cave. It seemed that thought had occurred to him already, but he had chosen not to pursue that line of thinking for whatever reason. You wandered in front of him to look him in the eyes.

“... Is that so? Well, I suppose I do feel like I have known him for a while,” he stated and brought a hand to stroke his goatee, “I wonder which one of us was the older sibling in that case.” You wanted to laugh at his words. The thought of Ingo even viewing Emmet as the older one seemed like an impossible thought back in Unova. Of course, it was impossible to tell with them without prior knowledge.

“I'd say you,” you hummed, “You seem like an older brother.” Ingo once more nodded at your words and began walking once more. You followed alongside him, just as you had before, now wondering what was racing through his head. His guided trip ended, and you separated for now. It was strangely lonely leaving his side once more to face the wilds on your own.

~

After the Noble pokemon Electrode had been calmed, you crashed outside the arena with a feeling of electric surging still racing through your veins. Somehow, he had felt more threatening than the other three nobles had been. Even Arcanine did not hold a flame to the way Electrode seemingly went after you. You needed to rest for a moment, so you ignored the concerned questions of both Laventon, Adaman, and Emmet.

In your moment of just zoning out, you felt something being softly taken out of your bones. The electrifying feeling finally fading after so long. You turned your head to see an unexpected ally. “Galvantula,” you cooed of the pokemon, who stared at you with their big, adoring six eyes. You patted your lap, and the spider immediately crawled on and just purred. It seemed the other two men had since gone, too, leaving you alone with Emmet. The Warden sat down beside you with wide eyes as the spider nuzzled into your pets.

“... You know us, don't you?” Emmet asked with a tilt of his head, “He has been verrrry protective of me since I first woke up.” You smiled at the familiar feeling. If you closed your eyes, you could pretend to be back home on your couch, just spending time with Galvantula and the younger twin. “You also told Ingo we seemed like brothers,” he continued, “He said you told him he seemed like an older brother.” It appeared the twins had already gossiped amongst themselves. There was rarely anything kept from between them.

“You both look older, you know,” you leaned your head onto his shoulder, “Still identical, though. You two really are twins.” Emmet hummed at your words. A sigh came from you when he placed a hand on your head and softly massaged your scalp. “Yeah, I knew you two,” you answered him properly, “We… We were dating.” It felt bad going against your words, but you decided not to provide them any information that they did not ask for.

“Heehee, I told him that,” Emmet's voice was light and teasing, “Ingo did not believe me when I said you looked at him with pure love.” Your cheeks grew warm at your words. Irida had mentioned your gaze, too. Apparently, your expressions were obvious to everyone but Ingo. “So was it my brother and me you were dating?” he questioned again.

“Both,” you told him. His fingers froze.

“Wooow,” that information had actually caught him off guard, “Couldn't choose?” You wanted to lightly hit his shoulder.

“I'll pick Ingo, then,” you threatened him playfully. He feigned terror.

“Mmm, nope!” he cooed and nuzzled his cheek against your head, “Me.” You laughed.

~

You stared at the Warden blocking your exit from the cabin with heavy annoyance. Ingo did little to make his brother move, too, which worsened your mood.

While Ingo had seemed mostly indifferent to your exploration for the plates with Volo, Emmet had taken up an opposing position. He had been entirely against it. Something about the blond set off the younger twin to a point where he stood quite literally blocking your only way out to meet him. You had decided to stay with the twins after returning from your banishment from Jubilife simply because the tensions of living there had become too much to bear, but you were currently regretting that decision.

“Emmet,” you sternly spoke, “Volo and I are searching for something of great importance. If it works, I think we may have a way to go home.” Arceus... It was a word neither you nor the blond had said, but completely understood the legendary pokemon to be the final goal. Arceus had been who brought you here, so it was easy to assume that it would too be your way back home. This was your plan to return both you and the twins to modern Unova. Of course, this was currently at a pause.

“He is not trustworthy,” Emmet shook his head, “He's a liar.” Liar? Interesting choice of words, but you supposed he did always prefer honesty. Volo, however, had never really lied to you. He seemed like a kind and helpful person. Even being the only one to reach out to you during your banishment.

“Is this jealousy, Em? I understand if you're uncomfortable with me being alone with another man, but I have my reasons,” you tried to explain, but the younger twin only seemed more frustrated with everything. Ingo finally gazed up from the stew he was stirring at you both.

“Perhaps Emmet could go with you?” he offered, “I imagine it would make everything more bearable.” You sighed but agreed. Emmet being there would be helpful for any dangerous situations, and it would help mitigate his worries. The Diamond Clan Warden hummed for a moment before nodding.

Hopefully, Volo would not mind your new addition.

[scarvi-tealdisc]

Heya! So this is my first time writing a fic for these characters! Pokemon Scarvi has become one of my favorite games to date, with the latest DLC igniting a love for the BB E4 cast. Especially Drayton, seeing that he reminds me of another white haired character (Friede from Pokemon Horizons) that I love haha

This fic is inspired from this ask response by @cheemken! It's a self indulgent piece mixed in with doses of self projection, and I had fun writing it! I'm hoping to get a better handle of their characters as I write more stuff about these characters in the future!

Series: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet | Indigo Disc DLC

Characters: Drayton, Crispin

Warnings: Plot involving food, eating food, intentions of feeding someone food

---

Crispin knew it’d be tough going into this but someone had to do it.

“C’mon Drayton, we gotta move all of this to the storeroom or else Lacey’s gonna flip!” Crispin stated in exasperation. He had his hands on his hips, trusty frying pan set aside for once. Narrowed eyes settled on his friend, who barely moved beyond lifting their head. 

“But there’s just so much of it. Can’t we just pile it in the corner and call it a day?” Drayton whined, sporting a cheeky grin that got Crispin’s blood boiling. 

Argh, why can’t he understand that they should have done this yesterday? Crispin wasn’t keen in seeing Lacey’s angry, disappointed frown even if it wasn’t directed at him! Drayton should know that she’d be on their case again for slacking off!

“Nope! These boxes needed to be moved yesterday but you wanted to nap first! No napping now! Move first, nap later!” Crispin’s insistence eventually led him to straight up grab Drayton’s wrist, tugging him to his feet.

Drayton wasn’t expecting this so they had no choice but to get up lest they faceplanted on the floor instead. While his friend rubbed the back of their neck, grumbling about feisty peppers or something, Crispin stared quizzically at his hand.

Why was he able to…?

“If you’re gonna make me get up for this, don’t zone out now.” Drayton’s voice snapped him out of the brief trance he was in. Right, they had stuff to do now. He should focus on completing this task first.

–

Hours later, Crispin still couldn’t forget it. He stared at his hand, fingers curling and uncurling around an imaginary wrist. He gently circled his own wrist with a thumb and forefinger, frown deepening.

Crispin didn’t realize how skinny Drayton actually was. Was it their attire that gave them the illusion of looking more filled out? He supposed the jacket hid their upper torso, while the cape wrapped around their waist made it seem… fuller or something. He wasn’t sure the right terminology to use, only that it didn’t sit right with him.

With how often Drayton snacked in the clubroom, the idea that he wasn’t eating enough never crossed Crispin’s mind. Sure, Drayton laziness rivalled that of a Slakoth but he didn’t think his friend would be too lazy to eat… unless there were other reasons? 

It made his head hurt a little when he tried to think too deeply on it. Crispin can’t just go out and ask them anyway. Knowing Drayton as well as he did, they’d probably wave of his concern, claiming that he was seeing things or something. Yet Crispin just can’t forget how thin their wrist felt. He hated the idea that one of his friends might not be eating enough.

After a brief brainstorming session that would’ve caused smoke to leak out of his ears, Crispin came up with a plan. He wasn’t as good as Drayton when it came to sneaking around and cooking up schemes but he was good at actual cooking.

Let's see what he had in his recipe book…

–

When Crispin poked his head into the clubroom, his eyes quickly landed on Drayton's slouched form by the desk. They looked to be munching on some snacks, which was far from nourishing in his opinion.

“Hey Drayton, are you busy right now?” Crispin piped up, entering the clubroom properly. In his hand was a small box wrapped up in a checker patterned cloth.

Drayton paused in his chewing. Slowly raising his head, he cocked an eyebrow, lips set into a faint grin.

“Nope. I'm pretty busy right now quality checking these snacks.” 

Crispin playfully rolled his eyes at the response. Drayton's teasing tone meant exactly that so he simply took a seat on the other side of the table. Placing the box in front of his friend caught their attention at least.

“So I've been doing some recipe testing. I wanted to spruce up common sandwich fillings, see if the taste can hold up even hours later. I tried them out and it's tasty but I want a second opinion,” Crispin explained while he unwrapped the lunch box. Upon taking off the top, it revealed various sandwiches with the crusts cut off, shaped in rectangles.

“What, so you want me to be your test Morpeko?” Drayton asked, arms now loosely crossed over their chest. They seemed interested at least with the sandwiches, which Crispin took as a small win.

“What, like I'd feed you bad food? Spicy food doesn't count!” Crispin quickly added before Drayton made a sassy remark. “But yeah, I could really use a second opinion and I do trust you so…”

Someone once commented that he had ‘eyes that were hard to resist’, which Crispin took as a compliment, thinking that it was his fiery spirit coming through. In actuality, he looked more like a pleading Lilliput more than anything.

Drayton locked eyes with Crispin for all of three seconds before they turned away, sighing.

“Alright, I'll give it a try. Geez, you'd think that should be classified as a weapon or something…”

Crispin ignored the rest of Drayton's mumblings, simply pleased as pie to watch his friend pick up one of the sandwiches. Looking at the color of the filling, that one had smashed eggs with a sprinkling of curry powder to give it an extra kick of flavor.

Drayton took a bite of the sandwich, chewing slowly before swallowing. The brief silence genuinely made Crispin sweat a bit but eventually, he got some feedback.

“This one's not bad. I'm getting hints of… some kind of spice.”

“It's curry powder! Specifically a blend that's pretty popular in Galar. Figured it would add a bit of a kick.”

“It's tasty. Adds a pop of flavor to the eggs.” Drayton took another bite of the sandwich. “I'm getting like different textures too. Smooth and a lil chunky. I like it.”

“Oh that's from adding some soft scramble with cut up pieces of boiled egg before I mixed both together in the sauce.” While Crispin beamed at the positive review of his creation, he also took note of Drayton's comment to file it away for later.

He seems to like contrasting textures.

Once Drayton finished their first sandwich, Crispin wasted no time in encouraging his friend to taste the next one. There was a bit of mild grumbling but Drayton did pick up the one that had shredded Klawf Stick next. 

This went on until Drayton finished tasting all the sandwiches in the box. Swiping off a bit of crumb from their bottom lip, Drayton flashed Crispin a lazy smile, leaning back against their chair.

“I suppose being your test Morpeko wasn't all that bad. You've been upping your seasoning game. There were all home runs, no strikeouts.”

Crispin tried to suppress a goofy smile. “Heh, thanks! I really appreciate the feedback too. Out of everything you've tried, was there a favorite?”

“Hmm… guess I liked the first one the best. The curry flavor added a lot to the filling.”

He seems to like curry flavors. Should look into making actual curry.

“Noted! Say, mind helping me out again tomorrow? I want to try out more fillings, maybe switching the bread up too.” Crispin tried to keep it cool, gazing at Drayton with his fiery eyes again.

“... sure, guess I don't mind.” Drayton’s eyes flicker to the left, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sweet! I'll see you tomorrow then!” Crispin gathered all his stuff before exiting the clubroom. With the door closed behind him, he pumped his fist triumphantly, hissing out a delighted yes.

Success! Drayton seemed none the wiser to his plan from the way they ate all the sandwiches he made. Crispin got some good information out of it too. It was important for him to take note of Drayton's potential likes and dislikes. Making food more tailored to their tastes will make things much easier down the road. 

Now he needed to come up with more enticing sandwich fillings for tomorrow. With a pep to his step, Crispin made his way back to his dorm room, where he will test out new flavor combinations for the rest of the day.

[deareststars]

General relationship hcs for Morty, Steven, Wallace, and Volkner with gn s/o?

similar to the last one, i'll be splitting this into 2 parts. first will be morty & volkner bc i wanna keep our fave gen iii boys together :,)

characters: morty (gen ii/iv), volkner (gen iv).

content: gn reader, established relationship, feel-good stuff all the way through. reader is a pokemon trainer, but their full occupation is unspecified in both morty & volkner's hcs.

tw: none.

MORTY

the two of you meet in ecruteak city at the bell tower. morty sees how stunning you are, and immediately uses his world-famous pickup line: "i'm able to see the future, and what i see is the two of us together."

he's absolutely a cheerful, flirty partner who never relents on pickup lines no matter how long you've been dating. everyday is a new adventure because this man has so much energy.

"morty, where are we going?" you ask, exasperated as he pulls you along the cobblestone paths in ecruteak. it's autumn, his favorite season, and his partner pokemon, gengar, is running alongside you. he looks over his shoulder and grins. "there's a new place i want to show you! it's almost as stunning as you, my will-o-wisp!" as he watches your lips curl into a bright smile, he laughs and begins running faster, excited to see how you'll react to seeing this new place in person.

even though he's obvious with his feelings (the man thinks he's smooth, but when he's in love, he can never stop nervously laughing at every joke you make and always finds an excuse to touch you), you have to make the first move. i imagine his confidence is a facade; deep down, being groomed to take over the gym after his parents, and many people generally being suspicious of him because of his love for ghost-type pokemon, has left a lot of scars and trust issues.

but when you do start dating, physical touch becomes his go-to love language. draping himself over your shoulders, holding your hand, wrapping an arm around your waist—PDA has become an integral part of your relationship.

of course, tell him if it makes you uncomfortable, and he'll tone it down in public. but when you're in private, cuddling is a must.

gengar becomes an integral part of your relationship, too. the pokemon is actually more mischievous than his trainer, leading to more than a few...incidences.

you stand in the kitchen, humming to yourself as you cut up some vegetables for dinner. morty is directly to your right, boiling water on the stove and dancing to the song you're singing. a chill runs down your back, and you look down. you shriek as you see your shadow begin moving around, jumping back into morty, who catches you. "gengar!" you yell, scowling as the purple ghost-type leaves your shadow and appears in the kitchen, snickering and pretending to act innocent. morty laughs, and despite your annoyance (the surprise made you drop the knife, meaning you'd have to spend extra time cleaning it before you could finish dinner) you couldn't help but laugh, too. "one day, i'll get used to it!" you exclaim. "i mean, i don't mind being your knight in shining armor," morty teases. gengar makes kissy noises behind his stubby little hands.

VOLKNER

you meet volkner in the midst of his burnout. after a lot of prodding and poking, he finally agrees to battle you in a friendly training match—and is electrified by your presence.

he's not the most cuddly person in the world. PDA is incredibly limited, and when you're home, you have to initiate most of what you do. what he does enjoy, though, is taking care of you: cooking you food, giving you massages when you come home stressed, making sure laundry is folded and put away as soon as it finishes.

i imagine you have to pull him away from his work often. having made so many things in sunyshore, volkner is out late at night, making sure everything is still working.

you walk into vista lighthouse, and finally find volkner on the observation deck, overlooking the city. "hey, it's getting late," you say, coming over to him and putting a hand on his back. "i know," he replies. "just...thinking. i'll be back home soon." you shake your head. "no, sir," you tease. "'soon' is going to turn into coming back at sunrise. let's get you some tea and a good book to read, okay?" he stares at the moon, high above the ocean. "but what if something happens?'" he asks. "and what if i'm not here to fix it?" "dear, you've got to stop worrying about things like that. eventually, something will happen, but you can't fix it if you're not in fighting shape, right?" with that logic, he finally relents and lets you guide him back down. he kisses your cheek, apologizing and promising to make you breakfast first thing in the morning.

volkner is someone who appreciates intelligence. even if you're not as well-read as him, he likes talking things out with you: schematics for new projects, battle strategies, new inventions he'd like to make someday. listen to him ramble, ask questions, and give him your input if you feel confident. he'll appreciate it no matter what you do.

when flint comes by and they have their occasional battles, it's like a totally different version of volkner. he's energetic and passionate as he comes up with different ways to catch flint off guard, and every time he does, he immediately looks to you like he's trying his best to impress you.

"luxray, use thunder fang on magmortar's arm!" flint's eyes widen as volkner's partner pokemon grabs magmortar by the arm and crushes it between its electrified fangs. magmortar grunts and tries to throw luxray off. "now, throw him to the ground!" luxray goes back onto his hind legs, managing to pull magmortar with him, and throws him down. the force is enough to crack the floor, and flint chuckles. "you never run out of ideas, do you?" volkner's not paying attention to flint, though. he stares off into the stands, making direct eye contact with you, and grins. you roll your eyes and cup your hands around your mouth. "pay attention to the battle!" "right, right," volkner says, turning back to the field as magmortar gets back up. "don't worry! i'm just getting started!"

[pokemoncaretips]

The seviper

A classic poison type and a sharp jump in challenge for those looking to take their poison type keeping to the next level.

General notes: The seviper is fairly common in grassland areas and savannahs. In Hoenn it is commonly located in the foothills of meteor falls. Before we move on to the rest of the care guide, let me be clear on one thing:

No, your seviper is not stretching out to measure you before it eats you.

This comes up ridiculously often. Though the seviper is both a poison hunter and a constrictor, it is also an ambush predator. Stretching out to measure its prey in the wild would wind up with it either starving to death or being attacked when it's noticed. If you wake up to find your seviper stretched out in bed next to you it's because you're a steady source of warmth. Too many friendly sevipers get rehomed because of this belief.

General care: Seviper need whole prey and can't eat kibble. They lack grinding molars to break it down. As live prey can defend themselves and potentially cause injury, frozen thaw is the best way to feed them.

A meal should be no more than 10% of your sevipers body weight, and no larger than the widest point of its body. Seviper have slow metabolisms, and can go months between meals in the wild. However, there is a difference between surviving and thriving. Here is a rough table for how often you should be feeding it:

Newborn-6 months: every 10-12 days

6-12 months: every 10-12 days

12-18 months: every 12-14 days

18-24 months: every 2-3 weeks

2-2.5 years: every 2-3 weeks

2.5-3 years: every 3-4 weeks

3-4 years: every 4-6 weeks

4+ years: every 4-8 weeks

If you're worried about it starving, don't be. Remember, it has a slow metabolism and doesn't process food as fast as us. It's actually healthier for a seviper not to eat too often. And as a fun bonus, this chart also applies to a fully evolved arbok as well!

There is significant wiggle room in these times, allowing for individual differences, seviper who battle frequently and need a bit more food, gravid seviper, etc. Keep an eye on its condition and don't be afraid to ask for advice. If the spine is easily visible, it isn't eating enough. If the spine is rounded and gently triangular, that's generally a good indicator of health. If you cannot see the spine at all and the seviper is round, it's overweight.

Seviper need warmth, as they can't thermoregulate. Seviper are most active around 32 degrees C, but what is equally as important is shade. A warm basking spot is great, but they also need somewhere dark to cool off. As they grow, a terrarium becomes impractical. Remember, these pokemon can be over 8 feet long and are SOLIDLY built. You may need to consider adapting part of the house to suit its needs.

A sevipers fangs are on a hinge. When hunting or fighting, those sabres are present. When at rest, they tuck into the jaw for safety.

Seviper need a whetstone for their tail. Keeping it sharp is important for their enrichment. Provide a large stone for it to use.

Around two or three times a year, seviper shed their skin. The indicator for this is a dull look, a lack of appetite and their eyes taking on a blue cast. It's tempting to help, but the new skin under the old one is still delicate. Only offer assistance once the skin is actually being removed, and avoid handling until then. If your seviper is approaching you and rubbing its snout against you it's asking for help. Hold the ends of the old skin steady and allow the pokemon to slide out at its own pace. It will likely need a big feed after, and will be perky and cheerful.

Serpent pokemon have a lot of care requirements to consider, but large communities means there's always people to ask for help. Care rating: Orange

Training: Seviper take to training well, and are generally good battlers. A note of warning, though.

This pokemon cannot be allowed in the same room as a zangoose. It doesn't matter how well it's trained. It doesn't matter how well the zangoose is trained. Once they spot each other, instinct kicks in. All of their training and restraint will be gone. They will just try to kill each other. Any good gym will step in if they see you have these pokemon on your team and will stop the battle from happening in the first place. If they do see each other in other locations, pokeball it immediately and leave. It may try and force it's way out of the pokeball. Just keep recalling it. DO NOT PHYSICALLY INTERVENE.

Other than that, the most important part of its training is "the dry bite", where you teach it when to release its venom or not. Having a seviper that knows this makes it safer to battle or even just to have roaming about. The process is pretty long, involving training dummies and food rewards. You're better off looking up guides on line or contacting your nearest poison gym. They can advise you the best and safest ways to teach this. Honestly, if it weren't for their venom, I think you'd see more sevipers around. They learn pretty well. Training rating: Green

Safety: It's a poison type. And a pretty nasty one at that. Though an adult seviper with years of good training under its belt can in theory be safe around small children and even small pokemon, you won't find any responsible trainers who will allow that to happen. Even if it doesn't feel inclined to bite, the blade on its tail is razor sharp and often carries traces of venom. It's strongly advised to cap it when out in public.

They are most dangerous when they're hatchlings, as they lack ANY training about dry bites. Though many pokemon have vastly different personalities, you have no way of telling the difference between an anxious newborn who will nip if you move wrong, and a chill calm little guy who will curl up and nap in your palm. Consider any and all newly hatched seviper "hot" and pick them up only with serpent handler tongs if you ABSOLUTELY must. Once you start getting a feel for their personalities, you can graduate to a thick glove. Any that are too nervous or aggressive should be rehomed. Many cities have facilities that "milk" seviper, ekans and other venomous pokemon to make antivemon, and they have a pretty good life there. Any hatchling too nippy to safely handle should ideally be sent to these farms.

Seviper venom affects the bloods ability to clot. If nipped or scratched, IMMEDIATELY seek medical aid. Safety rating: Red

Overall ranking. Though seviper have cool personalities and are often quite friendly, they need a LOT of safety precautions. Ideally, they should be kept by poison type keepers with the needed experience, and are considered to be of medium difficulty, and a step up from beginner level poison types.

[em-marti-capstone]

Week 2 - September 20

For this week's research, I narrowed down my topics to Comfort Food and Childhood, but overall focusing on the overall theme of Nostalgia. From this research, there were a few other categories of nostalgia that I found interesting, like nostalgia and marketing, the early historical context of the term, and some other details that I'll talk about below.

I started off by looking into comfort food and wanting to understand why it is so important. Why has comfort food become increasingly important over the years?

In the last few years, that has been more due to the pandemic and the emotional stress it caused everyone. Comfort food makes us "feel safe and in control," and during times of uncertainty, it is something that makes certain that we can be happy, even if temporarily (I say this as I drink an oreo milkshake for some temporary serotonin) (https://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2020/12/10/84906/ ; https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2024/07/18/Comfort-food-and-beverage-trend#).

Nowadays—well, some people still drink or smoke to de-stress—my generation at least loves to turn to comfort food, whether by making it ourselves or buying it, as a coping mechanism. We worked hard on an assignment? We deserve a sweet treat. We dealt with an annoying customer? We deserve a sweet treat. We're stressing over adulthood? Sweet treat it is.

Anyway, one of the other articles I looked into discussed gender and our overall social lives in regard to comfort food. For gender, women go more for sweeter foods while men go for the savory. Additionally, "women tend to look to comfort food when they are feeling lonely or sad, whereas men seek comfort food as a reward. Women associate comfort food with negative emotions, while men associate it with positive emotions" (https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2019/02/25/the-importance-of-comfort-food/). People also associate comfort food with other people (like caregivers, friends, etc.) or memories/good experiences to make us feel less lonely. A quote from this article: "nostalgia can evoke a sense of belonging."

Then my research brought me down the lane of nostalgia and marketing/branding. A quote from this article, https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2024/06/24/Nostalgia-food-trend, "Everything old, is new." Brands have seen the power of nostalgia, and whether it's in a manipulative way or a genuine way to make people feel nostalgic about the past, it works. There are some negative nancies (sorry Nancy) who say things like "It's not like it was in the good old days" (aka the customers at my job complaining about their sweet treat that they've had everyday since they were tiny). But overall, most consumers love the familiarity. Even some consumers who didn't experience something from the past still enjoy the vibes. According to this article on how the marketing works, https://sproutsocial.com/insights/nostalgia-marketing/ , "Campaigns that incorporate nostalgia marketing aren’t limited to the people who have those emotional heartstrings attached to a memory. They have an opportunity to use nostalgia as a mechanism for brand storytelling and longevity by nurturing long standing fans while also attracting new prospects, especially from younger generations." We see this in social media all the time where people are doing fashion and makeup trends from the early 2000s, even decades before they were born. For more recent generations, it's fun and refreshing and 'new' to us, and for the older generations, nostalgic brands enable people to reminisce on the 'good ol' days'.

A quote from an article on Pokemon Go and how successful it was a few years ago (https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurenfriedman/2016/08/02/why-nostalgia-marketing-works-so-well-with-millennials-and-how-your-brand-can-benefit/) : "How do you identify those special moments in time, those unique cultural events from the past that millennials crave? Nostalgia-centric marketing succeeds when brands keep a finger on the pulse of modern culture, listen to what people are talking about, and plug into those ideas to create new marketing campaigns. Monitor #TBT (throwback Thursday) on social-media channels and take advantage of trends."

Now, people aren't just posting TBTs on Instagram and Snap, they're also recreating those old pics, which I love and have done myself.

While researching, I went down a little rabbit hole of why internet cookies are called cookies because of the amount of times I had to click "accept all cookies" on these sites, but it had me thinking about how we name so many things food names to make us feel better about them. For instance, people were more likely to buy a cookie called "Grandma's Cookie" over one called "Premium Cookie," mainly because the term "grandma" made them think of warm and cozy and more comfortable for them (https://healthmindbodycare.medium.com/the-psychology-of-food-names-0b6b0a39d3d5). Many restaurants do the same thing with many items, tweaking the names of them to help customers think of their establishment as more welcoming and homey (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278431920300852).

I also enjoyed a Reddit thread of just people talking about things with food names that aren't foods. https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualConversation/comments/18612v4/me_and_a_friend_were_having_a_fun_conversation/

Fun little thread, but yeah more research!

I looked into the historical context of Nostalgia, where the term came from, and different variations of the term in other countries.

Early history of 'nostalgia' was pretty dark. Some quotes:

"The term 'nostalgia' derives from the Greek words nostos (return) and algos (pain). The literal meaning of nostalgia, then, is the suffering evoked by the desire to return to one's place of origin. The term was coined by the Swiss physician Johannes Hofer (1688/1934) to capture the adverse symptoms displayed by Swiss mercenaries in the service of European monarchs.”

"While sending the afflicted home was recognized as the best cure for nostalgia, scaring it out of them was also a popular treatment plan. In 1790, French doctor Jourdan Le Cointe administered the strategy of “inciting pain and terror” by threatening the sick with a jab from a “red-hot poker.”

Nostalgia was seen as something completely negative in the past, a disease, a form of depression, and only until the 20th century did it change to something a little lighter, longing for the past (depending on the person). The etymology article above also has other ways that nostalgia is translated in other countries, which was pretty interesting.

I briefly looked at Sonnet 30, a Shakespeare poem that discussed the bittersweet feeling of finding comfort in the past. Pretty sad, feeling heartbroken but yeah I can't remember why I ran into that. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45091/sonnet-30-when-to-the-sessions-of-sweet-silent-thought

Then of course I took some time throughout my week to enjoy Tiktok videos and Instagram reels, 1) because I just do that all the time, 2) to look at videos that show or discuss the increase in remakes and reboots of old shows/movies, the growing love for period pieces or shows taking place in the 80s like Stranger Things, and more. Some reboots and all just feel forced, but sometimes it is successful in bringing in older crowds to reminisce on the past. Social media platforms also LOVE to resurface old memories, like Snapchat sending me notifications saying 'On this day, 4 years ago..." and then I either laugh or cry at what I'm seeing. But woooo nostalgia.

Every generation also just has a different idea for what "simpler times" means. I think of simpler times as playing with my American Girl dolls with my sister, watching Blues Clues, and the only stress being my sister and I hiding our DSs under our pillows when we were supposed to be asleep for school. My dad's idea of a simpler time was when he and his brother would slide in the fire hydrant water while music was playing on a radio nearby and everyone was out on the block having fun, no internet or cellphones, just fun.

I had some trouble trying to make something for this week because I just was learning a lot of information and trying to see what other people's idea of comfort or nostalgia was, but I want to possibly get more responses maybe through a survey for this upcoming week, not sure yet. I made a pretty simple 'timeline' of starter packs (just a few photos that define a group of people basically), so nothing crazy, but hopefully whatever I make next week is stronger.

I feel like this week was more for me to gain a better insight on nostalgia, and the main conclusion that came from this (thanks to Nancy) was the strong relationship it has with power. I'm not totally sure what direction I will be going with this for this coming week, but I will figure it out. I did enjoy this week's research more than last week's though, so hope to see it go up from here. I feel like I have more to write but I'll just update the post if anything or save it for next week.

UPDATE: forgot to mention that so many customers came in to my job on Thursday and kept saying the same thing like “I remember these from when I was kid!” Or “This place is so nostalgic” (I did a double take hearing her say the word of the semester for me). Someone else’s grandma used to work at the bakery too and it’s just crazy. Anyway I came home yesterday and saw this on the fridge and it’s so interesting to see that “C” or “Correct” mark has not changed. I have so many tests and quizzes from when I was my brother’s age with that same mark and it’s always the same. Maybe I should try to get in contact with my old teachers sometime soon? We shall see.

[kelpiemomma]

I find it great that a lot of the fandom looked at two out of time, out of place characters. Ingo and Protagonist, two characters with similar origins and have so much to relate to and thus fans agree that it is criminal and inexcusable that Gamefreak barely interact in Canon.

Everyone literally said "Screw Canon, These two are found family, train guy is dad/uncle/friend now

Love your PLA fics of that dynamic. I don't know if you're still open to prompts. You don't have to do this if you don't feel it but here's a prompt I got for you.

Explore Ingo's and Akari's relationship that develops post-game.

Many fics have them bond during the main plot but not much do post game events.

(You could touch events that occured preplot or during plot and explore how characters felt before they met)

Ohhhh interesting interesting interesting..... I think that's because most of us find it easiest to maneuver them around in-game events, and I don't think I've done too much post-gaming myself (easily distracted, started two other playthroughs)

I am definitely intrigued by this idea though. Do you mean they have their basic interaction in canon, but the further relationship develops post game? And what are we counting as post game- calming all the nobles & fighting palkia and dialga, but pre-volo? Or is Volo still part of the main playthrough?

Because I can see (rolling in the dad direction, as I do, in various directions) Ingo being distantly friendly with the protagonist (let's say Akari, as is my usual :,D sorry) He provides training at the dojo with Zisu, sees Akari there mostly, but doesn't much interact with her otherwise. I truly can't imagine him seeing her kicked out of jubilife and not doing anything- moral-wise, at least, I feel like he would say or do something. Even if he felt it wasn't his place as someone not of Jubilife, I think that he (and most of us, I would hope) would protest kicking a kid out of a safe area. It's possible he either wasn't there (returned to the Highlands for a time) or saw it happening, but didn't see Akari's face and assumed she was just going out for another mission. By the time he does hear about it, or understand what happened, and goes looking Akari has already been picked up by Volo. Ingo asks Irida if she knows where Akari can be found and Irida promises she's somewhere safe but can't say more. So until she returns, all Ingo can do is be satisfied that Akari is safe. He no longer trusts Jubilife residents as he did, especially Kamado, and spends less time there. When Akari returns having tamed the two gods, Ingo decides that maybe it's a little fucked up that this kid has done all this on her own. She's still just like 15 at most, right?

He attempts to strike up conversations at the dojo without being creepy, because some part of him is well aware how it might seem if someone of his age shows too much interest in a teenager (the very thought turns his stomach in disgust. He feels regretful that he couldn't help earlier.) but thankfully Akari likes to talk about the Pokedex, and Ingo is a walking Pokedex as well in a way. There's no one able to battle quite like him, which actually helps Akari with her research. She starts searching him out more because he never requires anything or expects anything of her, and they can talk about pokemon or item crafting or food easily. In fact, she starts going to him when she finds strange pokemon in space-time rifts because Ingo almost always finds them familiar and has something to say about them. Sometimes they'll run into each other in the highlands and Ingo will take her somewhere cool, or just take her to a neat little meadow and tell her to chill out because she's spiraling in anxiety over the work she still has to do. They end up bonding over little things and helping each other, with Ingo gradually becoming the first person Akari goes to when she has news because his enthusiasm is always genuine and a little extra but it's nice.

They bond further after Akari battles Volo and comes down from the summit looking absolutely wrecked and in tears. She's been betrayed and had what she thought was a dear, close friendship destroyed. Ingo doesn't pry as much as he wants to- he's upset that she's upset, and he wants to know what happened because this time they're friendly. He cares for her as family and wants to hurt whoever hurt her. But Akari comes first, and so he takes her to his home and lets her wallow in her misery until she can tell him what happened. He asks if she wants him to track Volo down and take care of him, but Akari denies it and says he doesn't need to act like her dad when he isn't. Which kind of makes Ingo stop and think bc... Well. He doesn't have kids. Has never had much interest in having kids. But he likes Akari, and he thinks that she could use a father figure, and he wouldnt mind filling those shoes... So he accepts her request, but he tells her then and there that he doesn't mind acting as her father (figure) because he does genuinely care for her and her well being. Which isn't something Akari was expecting and she kind of stammers... Declines... Takes off. And it hurts but Ingo lets her go. It's her decision to accept or not, and he won't force her one way or another. He appreciates their friendship too much.

Akari avoids him for a couple weeks, which sucks but Ingo stands by his decision to not push. He continues his work in the Highlands, continues training at the dojo, until one day he finds himself standing in front of the photo parlor. He's gotten a picture of himself before, but he was alone and it didn't feel right. It felt like something was missing. Someone should've been by his side, at his back. He's lost in thought until he feels the wristband of his coat get tugged on and looks to see Akari standing beside him, shifty. She apologizes for running off and avoiding him, explains that she had to think, and he accepts her apology. Says he understands, because it was something he'd gradually come to realize and that he shouldn't have sprung it on her. And Akari is clearly Not Of This Time because she gets quiet and then asks him, really fast and kind of quiet, that he meant like being her DAD and not her DADDY right, because she REALLY didn't see him like that and- and Ingo immediately says NO ABSOLUTELY NOT. Just... Dad. Acting as a caretaker. Keeping her safe. Being a place of refuge. Platonic father feelings ONLY. And Akari looks relieved, and Ingo is also relieved because he definitely doesn't see her that way and is glad she now understands that. He shudders at the thought, and she laughs at him, and Ingo pretends to glare at her and scold her but she settles in a little closer.

She looks at the building with all the photos and paintings and asks what he was up to. He explains that he was wondering if he should try getting another picture done, that he'd had one taken before but had needed to throw it away because looking at it made him feel uncomfortable. Akari asks if he thinks it has something to do with the man in white and ingo... nods, because now that she mentioned it, yes. Because the man in white is not here, and Ingo is alone. Apparently he says that out loud, and Akari's face flushes as she takes his hand and drags him inside. Because Ingo's not alone anymore, she says, because they're family. So until the man in white is back, she's going to be where he was. And they take the picture, and it's not exactly perfect... She doesn't fit like he thinks she should, and the pose is weird and not quite correct, but as he looks at the photo she handed him before going to grab some of her gear to take up to the Highlands - there's something she needs to check on, she said, and since Ingo has decided she's his responsibility obviously her DAD needs to go with her! - he feels... Better. Not fixed, but still... Complete. He's not alone. He has family now.

He tucks the photo into his coat for safe keeping, and when Akari returns to his side (she said she'd see him as her father, would she call him dad? Should he call her his daughter? They'll need to talk about it.) he smiles, and she smiles back, and for now everything will be okay. He is not part of an incomplete set anymore.

[moonxpalace]

Do you have any Mom-Iris headcanons? Oliver and Lillian are so cute!

Sure!

Iris grew up without a family, so the parenting role was a huge ?? for her. She is very grateful to have Ash and Delia beside her, and of course her pokemon for support when things get tough

Iris prefers fresh ingredients when cooking to her babies, or simply serve hand picked berries/ fruit

We know how Iris is able to make her own home made remedies/ medicine? She has medicine against ANYTHING! They work, but the taste is awful. Oliver and Lillian never fake being sick because they know Iris will whip up some medicine for them

Iris loves her babies to bits ... But sometimes hearing the word "mom" being repeated 4532 times in an hour drives her mad.

Ash has some awful habits, like scarfing down his food when he's excited. Oliver and Lillian will copy his manners, which Iris finds annoying, since she wants her kids to have good manners.

As the years pass, Iris becomes more comfortable with the mom-role. She loves spending time with her kids and play with them. She also isn't afraid to act all silly and childish to make them laugh

Iris doesn't like to use make-up (she only wears it when she has to, like when she is appearing on TV or have Champion duties) Iris has learnt to hide all her make-up in the highest shelf in the bathroom, or else Lillian will paint the walls with them (and put a bit on her own face, too)

Iris is all about spirituality, so she doesn't tolerate cursing in her home. This is the only thing she is strict about (other than that, she is a pretty chill mom)

Iris' Dragonite is still all about acting tough. Iris will never not swoon about seeing Dragonite act gentle with Oliver and Lillian, like letting them play with his tail or cuddle with him

Iris has always woken up early, while Ash sleeps in whenever he can. Their routine is abruptly changed when they welcomed Oliver and Lillian into the world. Every morning, they are woken up by their kids jumping on their bed like a trampoline, while cheering and laughing. And then one of them will accidentally fall on Ash's stomach and knock the wind outta him.

Iris don't feed Oliver and Lillian a lot of junk (candies, chips etc.) But you can bet Ash and Iris has a hidden shelf full of candy that they eat when their kids go to bed 😇

Iris doesn't like to read. But she definitely will read a goodnight story to her kids when they ask her to do so. And then she ends up falling asleep with them

After months of trying to teach baby!Oliver to say "mama", competing against Ash trying to teach him the word "papa", Oliver's first word ended up becoming "pika". Pikachu was very proud 😭

Iris is not sure how she ended up with two kids who love ice and fairy type pokemon ... Oliver tends to catch ice-types, while Lillian adores fairy-type pokemon

Iris is careful not to dote too much on Oliver and Lillian. Sure she is a champion and a dragon master, and therefore money is never an issue, but she doesn't want her kids to become spoiled. Iris always makes sure to let them choose their own path

Iris learns early on to be careful about what's said in front of her kids, because Oliver and Lillian have nooo issues talking about her business at daycare

Cilan is still a close friend of Iris' and she appreciates him ... But she doesn't appreciate him influencing Oliver and Lillian to become mini-Cilans after he babysits them. Often Iris will have to listen to her kids lecturing her about trains, old-school movies, fishing etc. in great detail. Ash finds it hilarious, though

[poliwhirl42]

For the character ask game: Burgundy on questions 2, 6, 9, 21, and 25 (or Cilan if most of the questions I sent have already been answered for her).

I can always count on you to spur my Sommelier fix. 😂

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Burgundy: I think just how different she is from a lot of other characters. And her complexity, too. Burgundy wears her heart on her sleeve. I love her snark, I love her ambition and drive (even if it’s rooted in a desire for revenge), and I love the subtle way the writers show her love for her pokemon. I just wish we’d gotten more of her, and I wish more of her rivalry with Cilan had been explored.

Cilan: He is unabashedly proud to be himself, even in places he probably shouldn’t. He gives 110% in everything he does and always seems to make things fun for everyone around him (the Mistralton contest, Tepig “court scene”, and movie episodes instantly come to mind). I love how he has so many fun hobbies and is super knowledgeable about a lot of things, and is continually curious to learn more about others and the world. I think that’s what makes him an excellent Pokémon Connoisseur.

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

Burgundy: Sadly, I think one of the traits I have in common with Burgundy is a negative one- but, hey, that’s life, right? I think we both have a lot of deep-rooted insecurities that have unfortunately landed us in hot water, either with others closest to us or even with reflecting on our own self-worth. This is something I’ve been aiming to work hard on, and I think it’s something she’ll eventually overcome, too.

Cilan: I think I’m easily excitable like Cilan is! It doesn’t take a lot to impress me, I love finding little details in everything and learning more about people and the world around me. I think also, due to my upbringing, I’m a bit similar to Cilan in terms of wanting to strongly follow my morals and follow the rules to a literal T. Sometimes I wish I could loosen up a bit about that though.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Burgundy: LOL, I honestly don’t know how that would go. I could see Burgundy getting easily irritated at little things, but I could also see us having a lot of fun together as roommates? I imagine we have similar taste when it comes to decor- kind of a shabby-chic aesthetic. And it would be fun to kinda just do life together and to live with someone who’s not afraid to be completely honest with me, for better or for worse.

Cilan: I think I’d be living in the lap of luxury if I were roommates with Cilan! I’m a pretty clean person but I have a feeling Cilan is the type that likes keeping everything pristine 100% of the time, so I could see him chiding me if there are a heap of unfolded clothes on my dresser or something. I’m sure he’d make some incredible food though (and of course I’d offer to help buy ingredients and help prepare meals and clean up), and I could see us having a lot of fun exploring our mutual hobbies and perhaps sharing them with each other, especially having movie nights!

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

Burgundy: I think, self-indulgently, my favorite thing to do is explore all of her feelings about Cilan. In my mind Burgundy is all over the place with her thoughts, words, emotions, and actions, and admittedly it’s a lot of fun to put all of these complex traits onto paper (er, a document lol). But I’ve learned over the years that in the fic I plan to write, much of the development I want Burgundy to have has little to do with Cilan (although, like most rivals in the anime, Cilan is both a catalyst and eventual support in spurring her to be a better Connoisseuse) and more with her internal goal to decide if becoming a Connoisseuse is something she really wants to do, for the right reasons. I love the thought of her growing and maturing, even if it means having to go through a variety of obstacles first.

Something that’s really not my cup of tea in fic is just making her too nice(?) and too lovey-dovey when it comes to Cilan, or like, she confesses her feelings all at once and they’re together at the end of the chapter. I think their relationship is very much a slow-burn. People refer to her as one of the biggest tsunderes in the Pokémon anime for a reason, and it’s satisfying when I see Sommelier fics done right when she’s especially characterized well. I don’t mean that she has to be an asshole 100% of the time though. I guess I just feel like she, like Paul, and Drew, and Trip and others, they have the clear capability to show love and affection, but some characters need a lot of time and development to get to that point. That’s just my opinion and my two cents though- I encourage anyone who loves this character to write what they wanna write and characterize Burgundy the way they see her!

Cilan: I’m so excited to explore sides of Cilan we didn’t get to see in the anime. I have two scenes in particular that I’m REALLY excited to write, because it’s Cilan at his most vulnerable. I feel like Cilan- though we see him comedically emotional in the show in certain cases- definitely puts up a front and wants to maintain a mature stance with things and be the voice of reason. But Burgundy, and other factors, they’re catalysts that break down those walls, and I’m very pumped to explore all of that.

The one thing I have difficulty when it comes to writing Cilan? It’s HARD. I love using fancy words and phrases, but dialogue in general for me has always been a bit of a challenge when writing, so I hope I can do Cilan a justice when aiming to make him sound exactly as he would in the show and to showcase his character decently.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

Burgundy: If I remember correctly, it was a cross between annoyance and intrigue. I think Burgundy was sadly set up as an easy character for viewers to initially dislike, mainly because her debut centered around Ash and irrationally goading him to change his entire team of pokemon. But as time went on and she made reoccurring appearances in the battle club tournaments, she REALLY grew on me, and more and more I was hoping the writers would explore her history and rivalry with Cilan.

Cilan: Contrary to popular belief- because Brock is my absolute favorite character in the series- I actually liked Cilan a lot and found him incredibly entertaining! As much as I was heartbroken to see Brock leave after DP, I think it was a good move on the writers’ part, and I was satisfied with his conclusion of aiming to become a Pokémon Doctor. Cilan felt like a much-needed breath of fresh air, and I absolutely loved the dynamic he had with Ash and Iris. I just wish he’d been fleshed out a bit more, because he had immense potential, and unfortunately due to many factors the writers just decided not to capitalize on that.

[arcanarix]

The Plot Thickens! // CONTESTSHIPPING / SHUUKURA

AO3 || FFN 

Harley taps onto the mic and cringes from the sharp feedback. “Testing, 1, 2, 3! Testing, 1, 2, 3! Ugh! This sounds awful! Someone fix–!” 

–his wish is granted, as the sound check folks do their jobs. One of them casts a thumbs up as a queue for him to start over.

He clears his throat, eyes scanning the impressive size of the crowd. If he has to guess, the amount of people who have arrived for this heist may fill up the entirety of the Indigo League stadium up to five times! Might he be exaggerating–he often is–he doesn’t really know or really care. This is not just a publicity stunt, you see. As always, there are ulterior motives in the world of Harley Davidson. 

“Excellent!” For emphasis, he clears his throat once more, shielding his mouth with a balled fist. “Welcome to the Slateport Grand Heist! I know the Ribbon Cup season has ended for the Hoenn region yet again, and things have gotten far too quiet to our liking. So let me set the scene–you are all cordially encouraged to embark on a scavenger hunt for a rare breed of a shiny Zorua. Its beauty is unmatched, and it’s a perfect addition to your team if you’re needing a new teammate! Not only are you going to win that Zorua to add to your party, you also win a delicious sum of cash! Don’t miss out! Sign up here! And please welcome my dear sponsor, Maybella Maple!” 

He gestures wide, loud, and proud to her as she steps onto the podium. Behind her, a huge projection screen to showcase her true ethereal beauty. She has grown well into herself in the last decade, establishing herself as a five-time Ribbon Cup winner and even upstaging Soledad and Drew! In this moment, she looks like a Queen gazing down at her subjects with a softness in her eyes, and a twinkle of that fiery, lively energy she has always possessed in her soul.

She has never dimmed in her light–not even when Harley tried to before.

Harley can’t help but respect that now.

May beams at the crowd as they roar and cheer, even earning a few wolf whistles which makes her blush just a bit from embarrassment. She lowers the mic to her level. 

“Hi everybody! If you do decide to enter this exciting heist, then we’d be more than honored to have you here! This Heist is also here to help fund for future Ribbon Cup seasons and local Pokemon Centers in the region. We hope to enhance the experience for new and old coordinators and the care which is provided in Pokemon Centers which has helped us for centuries! This is a great cause, and we wholeheartedly accept any additional donations!” 

As she steps away, Harley takes the spotlight once more, not without mouthing a ‘thank you’ to her as she gives him the space he requires to spread his arms out wide, like he’s giving the crowd a big bear hug for showing up for them. 

“We sure hope you’re ready! Sign up ends at 5PM sharp! The scavenger hunt for the Zorua begins tomorrow morning at 7AM sharp! Don’t miss out on the fun! Toodles~!” 

Harley steps away and takes in the applause, as he’s always lived for it. That’s the whole reason behind becoming a coordinator for him–the applause! The adoration! The admiration! The fame! It’s all important to him to a certain extent. It’s not as prominent of a desire now, but he still loves to gloat and showboat whenever he gets a chance to soak it all up like a sponge.

The roaring of the crowd dies down and soon they are dismissed to take care of sign ups and registration, which are held at the Pokemon Center here in Slateport. It’s good to be home. He’s forgotten what peace and relaxation is like. But he’s reminded every time he relaxes at the local beaches here. 

Harley and May retire to the back of the stadium, where they share some of the confection foods available. 

“Thanks for doing this for me, sugarplum,” he says from the bottom of his heart. This time, his sincerity is genuine. Well it has been for a long time. They’re no longer enemies or frenemies or whatever the heck people call it. “I can’t believe people actually showed up.”

“Well, why not? You’re a hot shot,” May teases, “It’s not like you to play humble.”

It’s not like her to be that observant . . . Harley only hopes she hasn’t figured out another underlying scheme of his. He may have spread a little rumor to the male identifying coordinators that winning the Zorua and the money also includes a date with this four course meal and dessert just before his eyes. If she isn’t going to date Weed Hair, then he may as well try to up the ante a little by forcing them into a little tight spot. Drew has refused to confess his feelings for the last decade or so of them all knowing each other and Harley’s grown exhausted from all of the dancing around the rosy bushes between them or whatever.

He’s had to take matters into his own hands. This time as a friend and not as some insecure POS who can’t accept there’s always going to be someone better or more talented than he is. Yes, he friggin’ says it! Leave him friggin’ be. 

Bringing a powdered donut to his lips, he hums in agreement. “No kiddin’. I’m not! So who do you think will be joining the heist?” 

“Probably everyone and their mothers,” May laughs earnestly. “It seems so fun too. I kind of wish I could enter to win that Zorua, but that doesn’t seem right since I’m helping to sponsor this event.”

“You’ve already got a golden team, hon. But I can always find a way to get another one of those Zoruas from a breeder if that’s what you want.”

“You don’t have to, but I appreciate the offer.” May sighs, bringing her glass of water to her lips. “I can’t believe how far we’ve come together. I’m really glad we became friends, Harley.” 

Harley lifts his own drink, offering a toast. “To us, hon.”

She giggles, raising her glass as well. “To us.”

Their drinkwares join together and clink, the sound seemingly reverberating through the room like a windchime. Maybe a spell has been casted–a blessing. This friendship is a blessing to them both.

Drew does learn of this Heist Harley’s hosting. He has to admit his interest is piqued. If not for any other reason, than the fact that it’s someone like Harley hosting it. 

Anything involving Harley is often a prescription for disaster in Drew’s world. He doesn’t trust that someone like him can change. Call him a skeptic. Call him a hard-ass. He doesn’t give a single crap. He’s always going to have May’s and Soledad’s back, and he’s always going to keep Harley at something much longer than an arm’s length. But no amount of space between them will ever be enough. 

Anyway, what leads him to sign up is because he’s been brought to light by an underlying motive in Harley organizing this event. Because that’s how he’s always operated before, and he’ll continue to operate that way for the rest of his life. Drew’s been raised on the philosophy of trusting patterns of behavior over someone’s words. 

Words themselves don’t sell someone’s character, after all. Anyone can say anything they want. 

Everyone with even the teensiest bit of critical thinking ability can come up with that conclusion on their own. 

Unfortunately, upon learning May is assisting him in sponsoring this event, and given May’s history of often giving Harley the benefit of the doubt in spite of knowing better . . . no one can blame Drew for wishing to investigate this event further. He’s putting on that tin hat. There’s never a pure reason behind Harley’s intentions, and those suspicions have been confirmed on his way to the Slateport Pokemon Center!

“I can’t believe Harley admitted we can ask May on a date if we win,” one contestant exclaims as he walks with his group of friends, just within earshot of Drew, who happens to be scrolling through his news feed. 

‘Old habits die hard,’ he thinks, scowling. Does he really have to rescue May AGAIN?

“Yeah, it’s not an official event but who cares? Gal’s single, gal’s famous, gal’s hot . . . “ Jackass #2 numbers off the merits of dating someone like May with those grimy probably oily as fuck disgusting fingers of his, and Drew can’t help stewing in pure agony at the thought of someone OTHER than him dating May. 

Especially if they don’t know how to treat her or appreciate her! 

“Whatever helps advertise the heist, I guess,” Jackass #3 comments, “I might decline, if I win, though.”

May not be that much of a jackass, with a little inkling of common sense and dignity! 

“Hello Drew. Good to see you again. Are you here to register?” Nurse Joy greets upon approaching the counter. 

“Yes, I’d like to enter the Slateport Heist.”

“Excellent. I have you all set up. If you’re looking for your friends, they are staying here, so you’ll run into them soon.”

Drew nods. “Thanks.”

He accepts his token and retires to his cabin. 

Yes, let the games begin, indeed. 

7 A. M. the following day comes along, and everyone’s gathered around the small stadium the city put together for Harley’s event. In the center, a medieval inspired gong, which Harley strikes to initiate the beginning of something either grand or something anticlimactic. 

Watching the contestants scramble around like headless chickens for the Zorua has been nothing short of entertaining for the Cacturne trainer, and he sits back and enjoys the show while May’s fucked off elsewhere for the time being. She monitors other areas of the city to make sure no one’s up to mischief. 

Speaking of May, she’s giggling at the prospect of all these younger trainers arguing over who deserves that Zorua. With its perfect IVs and fully trained EVs, its shiny new color, its cloaking ability . . . Zorua’s likely hiding in plain sight and these trainers are too busy arguing to see what’s right in front of them. 

She strolls through one of Slateport’s main streets and swears under her breath when she catches a familiar flash of green. A particular mossy shade of green. 

Approaching him from behind, she addresses him. 

“ . . . Drew?” 

Whipping around, Drew’s eyes widen for a brief moment before they soften immediately upon realizing that it’s her. Perfect. Just the girl he’s been looking for all of this time since the heist began. 

He needs to get her away from Harley’s scheming, grimy hands! 

“I take it you’re here because you really want that Zorua.” 

“An excellent guess, but no,” he replies, and May can’t help picking up on how his usually tense expression fades into one of pure softness. For her? Why, though? “I’m actually here for you.”

“Me?” May’s tone indicates incredulousness. Even after all of this time!? “What do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Um, why are you working on this with Harley?” 

May frowns. “We’ve established that we’ve outgrown that weird frenemy stage we had. We’re really good friends now, Drew. What’s going on?” 

Drew sighs, deciding against telling her the truth. Collaborating with Harley–or even being within Harley’s proximity–is never any good. He offers her a rose from seemingly thin air, which May graciously accepts.

“Never mind. Anyway, what’s in it for you?” 

“Nothing! It just seemed like a fun way to raise money for the Ribbon Cup.”

Things fall silent between them, but it’s comfortable. They decide to look for that Zorua together. 

They find themselves near the Slateport beach, close to where they first met. Drew looks off at the private beach area where he found May, and he can’t help but chuckle to himself. 

“What’s so funny?” May then picks up on it. “Oh. You’re thinking about how we met, huh?” 

“Yeah. On this very beach,” he says, “Hard to believe how far we’ve come.”

“Hard to believe we can stand to breathe the same air as each other.” 

Drew splutters, “I more than can just tolerate breathing the same air as you.” 

In fact, he dearly wishes to be with her for the rest of his life. He’s damn sure of it. He’s not going to admit that to her yet because he doesn’t want to scare her off.

A splash of salty water on him catches him off-guard. He turns to ese May with a mischievous grin on her face, and Drew shakes his head. 

“You rascal,” Drew teases as he joins her by the water, splashing her back. 

Suddenly, in the sand, Zorua pops out from hiding under it. Once he notices it, Drew’s mouth falls open. 

“Oh! There’s the gorgeous Zorua!” 

Zorua hops right into Drew’s arms upon recognizing him. 

Drew and May exchange a look. 

“Uh . . . do we go back to the stadium, then?” May inquires. Drew nods and they walk off, ignoring the icky wetness of their damp clothes. 

Eh. They’re going to dry off, they think. 

When they arrive back at the stadium, Harley’s relaxing on a lounge chair and enjoying the sun shining down on him. His goal must be a tan, as he’s angling a mirror to have the sun hit on his body. 

He hears the rustling of their footsteps, and he raises himself from his seat, resting his sunglasses over his head to get a view of them. 

“Oh! Excellent! Just as planned, Randy, you found Zorua!” Harley exclaims. “Well, I should say Zorua found you guys. I told it not to appear to anyone else except Drew. No one was going to be able to find Zorua by the end of the event.”

“Huh?” May cuts in, placing her hands on her hips. “Then what was the purpose of this heist anyway?” 

“Yeah,” Drew adds, “Why were you getting the male winners the opportunity to ask May out if they won?” 

“What?” May glares at Harley. “You conveniently left out that little detail! What in the world?!” 

“Sounding a bit envious there, Randy,” Harley snorts, “If you must know, I knew you were going to sign up for this heist if I put May in a jeopardizing situation. Of course nothing life-threatening. She’s just been single for too long after that jackass Brendan dated her. Lo and behold, you do enter the hunt, and not only do you earn the Zorua and the money, but you’re the one getting to ask May out on a date.”

“What were you going to do if the winner was a girl? This wasn’t well thought out,” May says, “Which is a first, coming from you.” 

Harley steps back, striking a defensive pose. His tone does indicate some sincerity but there’s no telling with Harley quite literally ever. 

He shakes his head as he vehemently disagrees. 

“I only told the men about that little addition. No girl was going to ask you out. And by the way, it wasn’t going to be a bunch of random guys, just the winner of the heist,  and I orchestrated everything so that Drew would win anyways. Like I already said, Zorua was not going to be found. Not easily. Zorua’s great at keeping itself hidden. Everything’s worked out in favor of you two finally biting the bullet and just going out already. We’re sick of you two dancing around the bush.” 

“I–!” Drew can’t even begin to express himself at that moment. He has to admit–he’s been fooled. Maybe Harley has changed for the better, in some aspects. In others, that’s still up for debate. 

Despite this, Drew may never completely warm up to Harley. 

Not even the fact that he’s dating Soledad. 

“So, Randrew Gayden, aren’t you going to finally roll for initiative like this is DND and finally give May the lovin’ on she deserves?” 

“Uhhhh . . . “ Drew’s brain may have short-circuited at that point. Picking up on that little brain fart of Drew’s, a rare moment for him indeed, May takes charge like the woman she always is because she always feels like she has something to prove. 

“Drew,” she begins, twiddling the rose he gifted her just moments prior to this interaction. “Will you take me to dinner?” 

Yep. That brain fart then escalates to a complete meltdown. His circuitry is failing him. There’s probably steam out of his ears from that system overload. 

System overload! 

May’s forehead creases. “. . . Drew? Do I have to do everything around here, or do I have to drag you to the nicest restaurant in this region?” 

“No! No, I, uh . . .” Taking a deep stabilizing breath, he finds that confidence he works so hard to fake the majority of the time. Yeah, you hear him right–fake. He’s not the sauviest of the suave, he has come to accept that. 

Especially if he can’t ask the most beautiful girl in the world out and she has to make the move first! 

He clears his throat, and meets her eyes, careful not to get too lost admiring how much those sapphire eyes resemble the deepest depths of the sea. 

“Yes, I’ll take you to dinner. Only if you let me spoil you rotten.”

Harley grimaces. “Damn, you really are living up to the name, Randy.” 

“Stop calling me that,” Drew counters.

“Over my dead body!” Harley then approaches May. “Don’t I get a thank you, hon?” 

“I’m not sure if I should thank you or slap you, but I’ll let you get away with it this time. Thanks, Harley. Now if you’ll excuse us, this is long overdue.”

“Of course, of course! Have fun ye hooligans! Farewell now!” 

Drew hooks May’s arm around his. “Where to? We’ll take a ride on Flygon.”

“I can go for something exotic and new, so surprise me, Mr Fancy Pants.”

“Anything for you.” Drew casts a dirty look at Harley over his shoulder, as if to say, ‘I’ll deal with you later.’ 

For now, he’s going to enjoy a wonderful date with a wonderful girl.