#but with all of that said- now I'm gonna go find out what happened this chapter XD

[darkfictionjude]

Okay so I know this is a touchy subject already especially since certain people have already been bitchy about it before, but sometimes Crowny is genuinely difficult to play as. I feel super conflicted about them since they're the literal personification of "damn bitch you live like this?"

Realistically, progress isn't linear and different people get different results even if they do the exact same thing, but as of now it feels like they aren't really allowed to improve at all. If you study you're still mediocre leaning towards bad in terms of understanding. You try to workout you see absolutely no results, not even the tiniest bit. When it comes to the other characters, it's always one step forward and two steps back. When you give them a hobby or try to get them to pick up a skill they find little enjoyment. When people bother them they barely fight back or even argue, and when they do it's like a sarcastic quip or a grumble at most. By the end, they haven't even made a dent. These don't make them less of a person and it doesn't make them a failure since the world is quite literally out to get them, but it's like they aren't allowed any satisfaction in their life. (Yeah it's been like a month, maybe barely scratching two in the current timeline so maybe this contradicts what I first said about progress but I'm dumb as hell)

It's wild to go from the side quests, backstory segments, interactions with the ROs and then Crown family just for all the hype to fade when there's a segment with just Crowny all alone. I know that there's a reason for why they are the way they are, but I literally have to take breaks from reading their solitary moments sometimes because it seems to drag on. I know things aren't easy in this universe, I know the world is supposed to be cruel and unfair, but like can they at least get a cake for their efforts? Or a hug? Or be able to sleep through one night and wake up well rested?

I hope I'm not sounding like an asshole or a insane here. Personally, they're relatable in a lot of aspects. I may not have had supernatural shit going after me, but I had a lot of issues that many of their experiences brush way too close to. It's just the way it's presented that makes them feel like they're like the random piece of chewy cartilage in an otherwise perfectly cooked steak, unpleasant but I'm gonna eat it anyway.

I literally just wrote a whole ass book complaining, but I at least wanna say I do love your work, Crowny included even if my words seem to say otherwise, and I'm super excited to see what happens in the timeskip since i know this is like JUST the beginning. I'm like seriously praying my tone is coming off the right way if that's even possible. If you read through all this thanks. I'm not gonna hide behind anon because I at least wanna be able to explain myself if this comes across wrong.

but like can they at least get a cake for their efforts? Or a hug? Or be able to sleep through one night and wake up well rested?

Well no 😭😭

And that comes from the fact that they are self loathing, depressed as hell and have virtually no support system while dealing with things that they aren’t mature enough to handle, actually their mental health is getting far worse which is by design

I feel like perhaps some readers have not realized just how depressed crowny is. All the things you described about them finding little enjoyment, etc., are key markers of major clinical depression

I feel also people did miss the fact that crowny kind of exploded in the library they didn’t shut up, they didn’t let it go which I think is a positive because this is the first time they’ve have enough to say “enough”

Sorry but I like my things slow burn 💀 that Halloween party is meant to be a breakthrough for them and I think perhaps it’s been glossed over by some because what happened to James has gotten the most attention and the final moment in the woods. Crowny outed their “friends” for the first ever and fought back against their tormentor in only one single night. James for all his issues did the one thing that broke the camel’s back and pushed Crowny over the edge, all 7 episodes have led to this

Crowny is meant to fall before they come up that’s how I wanted it because realistically someone could not handle all of this without losing their mind. It has barely been two months, Crowny has only seriously hit the main plot in episode 4 which in the current timeline was about 3 weeks ago (from episode 7)

Truly the progress that crowny did make in episode 7 should have taken longer, people with crowny’s issues spend years in therapy before they feel they have the right to fight back.

There’s a reason episode 7 is the midseason finale. It’s not only about the plot but about crowny themself….

Dw you’re tune is fine I can usually tell when someone doesn’t think before they write 😭

[m4rs-ex3]

tdp instagram creators try not to shit on the show for no reason challenge!! (*IMPOSSIBLE*)

You all are just trying to find reasons to whine about the Stella plush.

“Guess she was just a merch plug all along.” What? You know how long it’s been since she was first introduced as a character? You think the only real reason they did was to merchandise her? Like they were just secretly plotting and planning this entire time for her to be merchandised 3 years later and that was her entire purpose lol.

Like, I genuinely cannot fathom how people could seriously be so upset over this. I mean, I’ve even heard a lot of people say the complete opposite and how they really wish TDP had more merch. This reaction I’m seeing is so weird and I cannot imagine it being anything other than forced.

“Maybe it’s just me.” No, the problem is that it’s literally not just you. Literally every major TDP artist I’m seeing on Insta except for one is saying stuff like this, and that’s why I feel like this is a forced reaction.

Also why is it weird to get merch directly from the show? Do you think it’s weird… to support a show you like?

[storm-and-starlight]

farewell, wanderlust

I don't know if I'm ever gonna finish this fic or even even really post it, but just like Meteoric, here's a section that I think stands well alone and that I really quite like. Dick finds Jason post-Bruce's "death" in Final Crisis. Operates off of UTRH movie canon.

Dick had the courtesy to find him in person, plainclothed, appearing out of nowhere at a tea shop Jason still stops in at, sometimes. It's one of the places Alfred buys from, a sharply astringent Earl Grey -- Jason, he'd said, low and soft at his shoulder, and Jason had turned on his heel and left without paying, boots thumping oddly on the cobblestones (Old Gotham, god, he hates this part of the city, pretending like the battered streets and ancient buildings are somehow charming, pretending it's someplace sweet and touristy and safe, pretending like it hasn't got just as much rot as the rest of the place -- Scarecrow attacked this street six months ago, gassed half the market, and now all that's left of that is a handful of signs in various shops saying "respirators sold here!"), chilled to the bone even in the summer swelter. The city had already recovered from the alien invasion or zombie apocalypse or whatever-the-fuck-it-was that had the League all over the place a week ago; the rest of the world might still be reeling, but not Gotham.

Jason! Dick had said, loud and surprised, and then gentler, cut to carry, Jay, little wing-- and Jason had frozen where he stood, middle of the street, crowd splitting around him like a running river until Dick had found him again. He'd been dressed in civvies: black tee, battered leather, worn jeans, perfectly nondescript. Hair a wild tumbledown mess, windblown and ragged. Hadn't slept in at least three days, but he'd had a bright-burning clarity to his eyes; Nightwing, clinging on to sanity when the rest of the world's gone mad.

Jason hadn't seen him this close up in years -- he'd been a shadow at Bruce's heels, a bright figure against the skyline, always at least arms-length and the barrel of a gun distant.

He was-- so much shorter than Jason thought he remembered.

Don't, Jason had said, sharp -- there's a gun under his jacket and Dick's here in civvies and this is Gotham, after all, what's a little mid-street-weapon-pulling to a native, and Dick had said We need to-- we should talk.

So talk, and Dick had flicked a glance out at the heaving crowd around them and said not here. At-- do you remember Wilhelm? and Jason does, only a single bright flash of a memory but still there despite the holes the Pit ate in his head -- Dick, younger and shaggy-haired and larger than life, dangling one-handed from the talons of the saddest damn gryphon Jason's ever seen, grinning up at him; "second-best hiding spot in the city, little wing" -- and he jerks his head in a nod.

Midnight, Dick had said, and swirled back into the crowd before Jason could even acknowledge that, gone again in the current of humanity.

He'd paid for the tea, too, the bastard.

---

He arrives at Wilhelm's corner at sixteen minutes past the stroke of midnight -- there was a church here once that still rang the hour every hour, Westminster quarters marking out the passage of the night. It's gone now, nineteenth-century masonry apparently not up to the task of surviving an earthquake (a goddamn earthquake, what the fuck) but he can still hear the ghost of it, echoing over the years. All through this hour, Lord be my guide. Wilhelm's still standing, leaning gloomily over the street, but the gap between his wings is empty -- even the replacement's too big to fit, now. Nightwing's waiting on the roof instead, a dark shape silhouetted against the orange sky, lantern-light bleeding the color from his insignia. Batman's nowhere to be seen.

"Jason," Nightwing says when he lands beside him, heavier than any Robin has a right to be.

Jason snorts. "What happened to no names in the field? The old man leaves for a week and all the rules go out the window?"

Dick-- flinches.

Jason pauses. Bruce is still off on League business -- another day, another dollar, another planet-ending threat -- and he hasn't come back yet, leaving Nightwing and Robin to keep an eye on Gotham. He'd assumed it was just-- cleanup, like usual after shit like this goes down, or maybe he was off in space chasing down the guy who did it, but this is-- this is Dick naming him Jason, full-formal, not the name he took to scare the shit out of Bruce or the tattered remnant of a childhood he can't even remember.

"What happened?"

"Bruce--" Dick says, and falters, and stops. 

There's a siren in the distance, wailing away; the rattle of old and ill-maintained ventilation systems; the clacking rush of the train going through. The ghost of ringing bells, long-gone and buried; the salt-sting of the Pit in his eyes; grave-dirt under his nails and on his tongue -- all through this hour.

"How?" he says, and the helmet flattens it, turns it into just another electronic snarl, but he hears the scrape of a shattered voice anyways.

"Darkseid," and well, okay, Jason does have to admit that motherfucking Darkseid probably is one of the only people who ever could have done it. The Joker sure as hell wasn't fucking going to.

"Are you..."

"I-- saw the body." Jason's silent for long enough that Dick says "Jay," reaching out for his shoulder -- Jason twitches back and away, sharply, and Dick's hand drops limply back to his side.

"So he's dead, then," and it rings flatly in the air, the blade striking, the hammer coming down. "The fuck am I supposed to do about it?"

"Jay--" Dick says again, but Jason's got salt under his tongue and the Pit in his blood and he can feel the anger rising. "What, I'm supposed to-- say I'm sorry? Sit politely at the funeral? Come home? Have you forgotten that I'm not fucking one of you anymore?" The warehouse, the Joker, the gun -- I would have done nothing but search the planet for this pathetic pile of evil, death-worshipping garbage and sent him off to hell! -- Batman, walking away.

"Jason," Nightwing snaps, sharp and furious and Bat-vigilante to the bone, and then he sighs and he's right back to Dick Grayson again, trying to carry the weight of the world and not quite managing. "Jason, I-- you deserved to know."

He can hear what Dick's not quite saying underneath: you were Robin, once.

You were still his son.

The silence echoes.

"Alfred?" Jason asks, eventually, when the seethe in his blood isn't quite so strong.

"He's... holding up," Dick says carefully. "Better than I was, at first, but..." He rolls his wrist outward, a restless motion. "You know how he is."

"Yeah."

The Gotham quiet -- which isn't actually quiet in any sense of the word, just a constant background hum of trains and traffic and police sirens and the odd intermittent scream -- filters back in. It sounds different than it used to, though maybe that's just the brain damage. He misses the bells, every hour on the hour -- he can hear Alfred's voice humming Big Ben's prayer along with the chimes of the Manor clocks. All through this hour Lord be my guide, that by Thy power no foot shall slide. A good prayer for Robins, he'd called it, if you're going to be running about on rooftops in the middle of the night, and Jason had never quite believed the way Catherine once had but he'd still sung along at midnights, fleet-footed and sure on the spires and skyscrapers.

"I'm sorry," he says, at last.

Dick doesn't look at him. "Me too."

---

The dawn finds him still awake, leaning over the chipped counter of his latest base with a mug between his hands -- Earl Grey with rosemary and rose, an indulgence, a memory -- the warm golden haven of the Manor kitchen with all the windows black-backed mirrors in the predawn darkness, Jason bleary-eyed and up entirely too early and Alfred as crisply put together as ever, pouring water over tea leaves and letting the steam curl sweet and sharp up into the air -- it had been special, somehow, though now he can't remember why. The smell of the tea Dick paid for is the same, even all these gaping years later -- black tea and rose and bergamot, sweet and sharp -- and he closes his eyes tight, trying to shut out the salt in them still.

[solaris-amethyst]

💫Eterna Forest💫

✨Pairing: pokemontrainer!Hongjoong x pokemontrainer!gn!reader ✨Prompt: Hongjoong and his partner pokemon Pachirisu has gotten lost while wandering around Eterna Forest and the two of them bump into you and your partner Piplup, who also, coincidentally, happens to be lost. The two of you decide to team up to try and find your way out of the big forest. ✨Genre: Pokémon au aka set in the Sinnoh region, non idol au, fluff, comedy? ✨Word count: 5.6k ☀️Authors note: As promised Mina! Here it is🥰 @hongjoongspoetry hope you enjoy it! It turned out longer than I had anticipated but it was so much fun to write this💕 I'm contemplating making stories for the rest of the members now as well😅

Hongjoong looked around the vast forest. All he could see were trees and greenery, no matter where he turned he could not for the life of him find the way out. It was as if the forest itself had a personal vendetta against him solely to make sure he couldn't get out. His partner, Pachirisu, was perched onto his shoulder also looking around with his big round eyes.

"Let's face it Pachirisu... We're lost... I got no clue where we are and my map isn't helping me at all." He sighs before wrapping up his map and putting it into his backpack.

His pocketch light up with a notification and it informed him of the time. It was 14:30. It was the time he had promised his friend Seonghwa that he would call him from the tvphones at the pokémon center so they could chat and catch up on how things were going.

Seonghwa would unfortunately have to wait until he found his way out.

"Pachiii." His partner said puffing out his cheeks when he was unhappy with the situation before Hongjoong felt the squirrel lean forward and nibble his ear harshly.

"Ow ow ow! Stop that! I'm not happy either that we are lost but that's just the way it is." He gently pries Pachirisu away from his ear and said pokemon huffs before snuggling up to him as if to apologize for what he just did.

"It's in moments like this I wish I had caught a flying pokemon then we would have someone who could guide us from the sky." He says looking around, hoping to perhaps find a starly or maybe even a hoothoot but to his luck there were no flying pokémon around. And if they were Hongjoong were certainly not spotting them.

All he could see was just a wurmple climbing up a tree and a kricketot running away once it realized he had spotted said pokemon. The two of them sighs before Hongjoong continues to walk hoping that he will somehow find his way out before the day is over at least.

Not too far away from where Hongjoong were wandering around were you and your partner Piplup walking around trying to figure out how to get out of this darn forest as well.

"Piplup I really don't think we will find our way out today..." You sigh and your partner looks up at you from your hold with concern in his eyes.

"Lup?"

"We're probably gonna miss the contest in Eterna City... I had really hoped for us to get there in time to register and compete." You say feeling down about potentially missing the contest being held there, especially since you and your team had worked so hard practicing the introduction and combinations of attacks to make them stylish and powerful.

"piplup, pip!" Your best friend and partner raises one of his little flippers towards you as if telling you that the two of you will find your way out of here and will get to the contest before it's too late.

"Yeah... you're right! There's no need for me to be so down just yet! We'll find our way out of here!" You say with raised spirits before hugging him. Piplup made happy noises as you hugged him tightly, glad to see your spirits up again.

"Hmm let's see.. I'm sure this is the way! Let's hurry!" You say as you blindly starts running in a random direction, running through the thickness of the leaves and such you did not expect to crash into someone causing you and said person to fall down.

Him on his butt and you on your stomach.

"Ow ow ow." The two of you mutter at the same time and you quickly look up, feeling mortified that you practically tackled someone.

"I'm so sorry!! I didn't mean to run into you!" You quickly bow trying to apologize to the man who was gently caressing the part on his butt where he had landed.

"No it's okay I wasn't looking where I was going either." He admits before looking at you with a chuckle.

"Sorry but you got something in your hair." He motions towards you and your hand quickly shoots up to where he was pointing to find a twig and some leafs stuck.

"Oh thank you!" You thank him as you carefully pick it out of your hair.

"Ummm... you don't happen to know the way out of here and to Eterna City do you?" He asks curiously and you look at him in surprise before shaking your head.

"No sorry... I got no clue where I am currently, I lost my map when a shellos attacked us two with a water gun farther down the river." You tell him with a sigh while pointing to where you had come from.

"So you are as lost as I am then?"

"Seems so."

"Pachi!!!" Suddenly a ball of white fur was in front of you causing you to lean back in surprise causing the man to make a face and quickly reach for his friend.

"Sorry! Hey Pachirisu! Don't do that it's not polite to barge up in strangers faces like that! I'm so sorry for my partner, he just loves to do everything I tell him not to do."

That causes you to chuckle.

"Don't worry, there's no harm done at all. He's a charming little guy, aren't you?" You say going to scratch its chin when your own partner practically shoves the new pokemon off your lap before climbing up with a jealous look.

"Piplup pip lup lup!"

"Piplup! It is not nice shoving people or Pokémon like that! I'm so sorry uhhh... I never got your name?"

"Oh! My name is Hongjoong and this is my partner Pachirisu!" He tells you with a smile and you quickly bring out your Pokédex wanting to know more about his pokémon.

The device speaks up in a robot voice as you scan the pachirisu: "Pachirisu the elesquirrel pokémon. It makes furr balls that crackle with static electricity. It store them with berries in tree holes. It makes electricity with pouches in its cheeks and shoots charges from its tail. It lives atop trees. A pair may be seen rubbing their cheek pouches together in effort to share stored electricity."

"Nice to meet you Hongjoong, Pachirisu! My name is Y/n and this is my partner Piplup!" You say motioning towards the little penguin pokemon who is still glaring daggers at the pachirisu, who uses it's little paw to drag down it's eye lid and stick out its tongue to infuriate your friend, which absolutely works as you can hear piplup getting even more worked up.

"It's nice to meet you two!" Hongjoong says as he brings out his own Pokédex. He had only ever seen a piplup on a poster but never seen one in real life.

"Piplup the penguin Pokémon. Because it’s very proud, it hates accepting food from people. Its thick down guards it from cold. It lives along shores in northern countries. A skilled swimmer, it dives for over 10 minutes to hunt. It’s a poor walker, it often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff up its chest without a care."

Piplup puffs up his chest hearing all the positive and impressive things Hongjoongs Pokédex says about its species and you can't help but chuckle finding him very cute every time he does it.

"Well it seems like you got a very reliable pokémon on your side." Hongjoong muses with a smile and you nod.

"Yeah, I can always count on piplup you know!" You pat your partners head gently.

"This might seem weird but were you perhaps heading to Eterna City as well?" He asks a bit slowly, hoping you will say yes and your eyes lit up at the mention of said city.

"We were until I lost my map. You were heading there as well weren't you? Perhaps we can try and find our way there together?" You ask hoping he will say yes because it had been some time since you traveled with another person and it was nice from time to time to spend time with other trainers and see what they've learnt so far on their own journey versus what you had learnt.

"I was just about to ask if you wanted to see if we could find our way together! I still got my map you know." He tells you looking relieved you said yes.

Perhaps it will be easier together he hopes.

The two of you get up off the ground, dusting yourselves off. Pachirisu makes sure to get up on Hongjoongs shoulder as Piplup awaits you to pick him up, making a pleased noise when you do.

"Do you think you could show me your map?" You ask and he nods quickly bringing it out of his backpack and holding it out for you to look over.

"Hmmm it seems we are somewhere around here." You motion to a spot on the map. "I think we should head in this direction." You point and your new friend nods since he has no clue where to go and your confidence makes him think you know where to go.

As you two walk you chat together talking about yourselves to become more acquainted.

"So what do you do? Are you a pokemon gym trainer or a pokemon coordinator?" Hongjoong asks you curiously and you beam at him.

"I'm a pokemon coordinator! I haven't been in many contests yet, I've mostly focused on journeying, finding new friends and practicing so when I do go to contests I do well." You tell him fondly and he nods, his eyes crinkling as he smiles a soft smile.

"Have you earned any ribbons yet?"

"I have!" You fetch out your ribbon case from your backpack and opens it to show him. Inside are two ribbons so far, one is purple while the other is green.

"I only got two so far but we worked hard for these two, they will always be super precious to me." You tell him and he marvels at the ribbons.

"They're so pretty! Much prettier than the gym badges if I'm honest!"

"Do you compete at gyms to later try your hand at the Sinnoh league?" You ask curiously, he didn't really strike you as the gym person type but you could be wrong.

"I started off at the gyms but I only got three badges so far. Then I realized my true passion is exploring Sinnoh and discovering beauty I've never seen before." He admits before continuing "So now I only do gyms if I happens to pass one by and feel like competing."

"That's so cool! I also understand you, it's not easy knowing what you want to do at the start of your journey. Like gyms, contests, performing, just traveling. There is so much growing and learning as you go and I think that's wonderful." You tell him with a smile and Hongjoong can't help but grow a little red in the face.

"You're like one of the first ones to think that way. Many think it's weird I'm not charging ahead with all the gyms. But I don't know. I'd rather travel with Pachirisu and find new friends and see where life takes me." He says as his partner snuggles its face to Hongjoongs cheek.

"How did you two meet?" You wonder out loud.

"Ah." He chuckles "We've known each other since I was four. He obviously didn't become my Pokémon until I was ten but I met him whilst playing outside. We'd play with a ball I had passing it back and forth and then when we got tired I'd share my snacks with him. We became inseparable very quickly and when I turned ten all I asked for was a pokeball so I could go out and ask if he wanted to join me on my journey and I am so incredibly lucky Pachirisu wanted to join me."

"Pachiii!!"

"I see he agrees." You say as the squirrel cutely asks Hongjoong for a snack.

" Mhmmm I'm very glad he does otherwise I'd be very sad." He gives his partner a poffin that he got out from his pocket.

"What about you? How did you and Piplup meet?"

"Oh we met at Professor Rowans lab when I went there to get my first pokémon! I just saw Piplup and knew, knew that that was my partner. It just felt right and I can tell you he felt the same way." "Pip! Lup!" Piplup agrees with that.

The two of you continues to wander around in the dense forest. The deeper you go in the forest you notice that fewer and fewer pokémon seems to appear the further down your path you get. Which is weird because earlier you saw bidoofs, buizels, starlys and burmys.

But now it was as if every single pokemon had disappeared.

"That's weird... Where did all the pokemon go?" You mumble looking around worriedly.

"I'm sure they're all just... sleeping?" Hongjoong says putting a hand on your shoulder to try and calm you down.

In reality he was a bit freaked out as well at the fact that everyone had just suddenly disappeared.

"You don't think we should turn back?" You ask stepping closer to him for safety.

"I think we should be good right? It can't be that bad." He says urging you two to continue to walk.

Oh how wrong he had been.

It only took you three minutes to reach a part of the forest where you could suddenly see more and more weedles. Even your pokémons started to become unnerved at the sight of so many weedles as the two of you come to a stop.

"I'm starting to think we should have turned around when you suggested it." Hongjoong whispers holding your arm to try and stop his trembling at the thought of potentially having wandered into a nest.

As you go to respond a bunch of kakunas starts to hang down in thin threads from the trees surrounding you causing you both to tense.

"This is really bad Hongjoong." You whisper hoping that what you think might happen won't actually happen but of course it's not your lucky day and what you wished not to happen happens.

A beedrill flies up from the bushes in front of you.

The giant bee is flying above it looking at the two of you intensely and the four of you freezes, all breathing stopped as if that would help.

It's just at the moment you think it might buzz away and not bother you that Hongjoongs pokédex decides to pipe up, having scanned the beedrill.

"Beedrill the poison bee pokemon. Its best attack involves flying around at high speed, striking with poison needles, then flying off. It can take down any opponent with its powerful poison stingers. It sometimes attack in swarms."

The noise from the device seems to agitate the beedrill and suddenly more and more pops up buzzing angrily.

"I think we should run Y/n." Hongjoong whispers and when he turns to look at you slowly he realizes you are no longer beside him but running away from the place causing him to start sprinting after you.

"YOU REALLY LEFT ME THERE?!"

"I'M SORRY BEEDRILLS SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME!!" You scream back at him as the beedrills buzzes after the four of you hot on your tails.

"AHHHH I REALLY WISH I HAD A FIRE TYPE NOW." Hongjoong yells and you can hear Pachirisu laughing loudly, finding his friends scared face hilarious.

"CAN YOU NOT LAUGH AT ME RIGHT NOW PACHIRISU?!?!?!" That causes his partner to laugh even louder in glee as you continue to run.

"P-PERHAPS AN ELECTRIC ATTACK MIGHT STUN THEM ENOUGH FOR US TO GET AWAY HONGJOONG!!" You yell before looking over your shoulder and screeching loudly when you realize how close the massive bees and their giant stingers are.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! PACHIRISU PLEASE USE DISCHARGE! Hongjoong tells his partner who lights up as he starts to charge up, lighting sparkling from its cheek pouches and Hongjoong hastily adds "NOT ON ME ON THE BEEDRILLS!"

Pachirisu jumps up from Hongjoongs shoulder and lets out its attack, discharging electricity towards the beedrills hitting them all with its powerful move. It momentarily stuns the beedrills who twitches and convulses from the electric shocks they took and you and Hongjoong takes this as the time to get out of there safely without worrying about being followed. Pachirisu runs after the two of you and climb up on Hongjoongs shoulder again once the two of you have stopped finally feeling safe enough.

“That was terrifying… and I was the one who said we should go that way after looking at the map.” You say defeated, your chest heaving from all the running, as you realize this could have been avoided had you looked a bit longer at the map.

“It’s also my fault because I said we should continue when you said we should turn around.” Hongjoong pants trying to catch his breath as his partner nuzzles him, making sure that the leftover electricity makes his hair go static, standing up in all directions.

“Well, we should look at the map once more and make sure we go the right direc-oh ummm Hongjoong.” You stifle your laughter “nice hairdo.” You point at his hair snickering and he glances up to see what you mean and let out the loudest groan which tells you this isn’t the first time this has happened.

His partner is once again laughing at him and you and Piplup can’t help but giggle but at least the two of you have the decency to try and hide it as he fixes his hair back to normal whilst scolding his friend.

“He does this every time if he got leftover electricity after an attack. I’ve even made a habit of always having a hat with me just in case I can’t get it down again.” He admits shaking his head.

“Oh wow I can’t imagine how annoying that could get sometimes but I do think it’s kinda cute, like you look cute with your hair all over the place.”

“You think I look cute?”

“Yeah.”

You smile liking the fact that you can see how the blush creeps up on his face once more. You hadn’t spent that much time with him yet you felt like this was someone you wanted to spend more time with, it was fun traveling together and you two seemed to be on the same wavelength when it came to Pokémon’s and traveling in general.

“T-thank you.” He clears his throat before clumsily bringing out his map again. “Shall we take a look once more?” He says and you nod but this time you bring out a pokéball as well.

“Yes and this time I got an idea to ensure we will be on the right path and not get too lost.” You tell him before throwing the pokéball up in the air.

“Mismagius please come out and help me!”

Your beautifully haunting Mismagius comes out from her pokeball and she floats above the ground looking at you curiously before floating up to you to greet you warmly.

“Oh wow! A Mismagius!” Hongjoong says in awe stepping closer to you, that’s when your Pokémon notices the new person. She immediately hides behind you, still shy when it comes to new people and hiding behind you was a habit she had had since she was a Misdreavus before she had evolved.

“Yes Mismagius these are my new friends Hongjoong and Pachirisu!”

“Piplup, pip, lup pip.” Your Piplup seems to be encouraging her to come forward to say hi and it works because she floats out from behind you and up to Hongjoong. She circles him a few times before she seems to introduce herself to him by holding out one of her ‘arms’ and he takes it shaking it and giving her a kind smile.

“It’s lovely meeting you Mismagius.” Your friend turns shy again quickly hiding behind you as she giggles and you can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah it’s easy falling for that charming smile isn’t it?” You say looking back at her and she nods before giggling again.

“Okay! Now let’s check the map again all five of us and when we figure out where we should go I was wondering if you could use your psychic powers to help lead us as far as possible to Eterna City Mismagius?” You can hear her agree as she floats closer to the two of you who are now huddled around the map. The two of you discuss for a while where you could have possibly ended up after the mad dash to get away from the angry squadron of beedrills.

You both eventually agrees that you’re probably very far from Eterna City and where you originally started when you bumped into each other.

"Mismagius think you can create something that would guide us?" Hongjoong asks your friend and she looks intently at the map before her eyes start glowing blue, a telltale sign that she is using her psychic powers and after a while an arrow pops up in front of you.

"Oh that's amazing!" You hug her happily and she turns shy and bashful at your praise.

"This will make our journey much easier, thank you." Hongjoong also thanks her and she hides behind you once more. It's very clear she likes Hongjoong and it does surprise you a little bit.

She had always been shy and hesitant and mistrusting of people so seeing her actually like someone that wasn't you was a big feat. Perhaps it was Hongjoongs kindness that had won her over or his very kind eyes and that pretty smile?

He ends up laughing a little at her reactions.

"Shall we continue our journey? See how far we get today? I'm not so sure we will reach Eterna City before the day is over." He admits looking up to the sky where the sun sits lower than it had done earlier in the day.

"Don't worry about that, I got a sleeping bag and some food in my bag for situations like this." You tell him motioning towards your backpack trying not to feel disappointed about how you will miss the registration for the contest.

"Great, I got a sleeping bag as well!" He tells you as the two of you start following the arrow with Mismagius floating around you two making sure the arrow will not lead your group astray.

"So where are you from Hongjoong?" You question curiously.

"I'm from Twinleaftown!" He tells you. "It's a really small town near Sandgem town where Professor Rowans lab is."

"Oh! I think I know where it is then! You'd continue down the path through a small forest right? It's close to Lake Verity right?" You ask wanting to know if your memory served you correctly.

"Yes! I can't count all the times us kids would head to Lake Verity in hopes of seeing the mythical being said to live there! None of us had any luck when we were younger. Perhaps it's just a fairytale but it was fun going there with the hopes that you would be lucky enough." He chuckles at the memories and you nod.

"That sounds like something fun! I'm from Floaroma Town and the most exciting that happened there is I guess all the flowers planted there? Or perhaps the Valley Windworks... We didn't have any mythical beings to look for." You pout thinking how it would have been fun to chase that dream of seeing a rare pokemon as a child.

"I've heard Floaroma is beautiful during summer with all the flowers coming to life and blooming at the same time. I hope I get to see it one day."

"I can take you there if you'd like? I know exactly which time of the year is the best one for the flowers to bloom! And if we're lucky we get to see the roselias dance around the flower beds happily!" You tell him, already planning on when the best time to travel back home would be.

"I'd love that! Honestly I think we would make a good team traveling throughout the region together!" He admits shyly and you nod agreeing.

"We could see the world and perhaps you could help me when I practice for my contests as well! I always find it hard to figure things out when it's just me and my Pokémons working on it together." You tell him with a sigh.

The two of you continues to chat learning more and more about each other. You learn that Hongjoong has a friend who happens to also be a coordinator named Seonghwa and that they grew up together in Twinleaftown and left on their respective journeys around the same time. At first they had traveled together until they had decided they wanted to try traveling solo for a while to see how that would work out for them.

He tells you how he was actually scheduled to have a call with Seonghwa at the pokémoncenter but that he will probably have to call tomorrow instead.

"I just hope he won't be too worried that I didn't call him you know." He tells you as his shoulders sag lightly.

"I'm sure he will understand why you couldn't call him today. Things can come up when you're traveling the world alone and as long as we get there tomorrow and you can call him, then he won't be too worried." You assure him, patting his shoulder lightly.

"Yeah you're right about that. Thank you." He says earnestly, happy he could actually tell someone other than his pokémons about his worries.

To distract him a bit from what had him worried you proceed to tell him about the time you had by accident entered a cooking competition where you and your pokémons had to work together to create a dish which would be judged by the chefs in the village. Hongjoong had laughed loudly at that and asked how it went and you told him it was a disaster, your team which consisted of Piplup, who was too proud to realize he could not do everything he wanted and refused to back down, your then Misdreavus who kept on hiding behind you because she was so painfully shy around all these people watching you with curious eyes.

Mismagius had made an embarrassed noise at that, she was probably not overly fond having to remember that day and then of course your third and currently final pokemon on your team, Leafeon.

Leafeon was probably your biggest help as she cut up the veggies using her tail somehow but she was also at first not careful enough and had burned herself when she got too close to the fire. The contest had ended with you finishing last with a burnt meal and two pokemons you needed to nurse back to health after they had hurt themselves.

"Even if it was a disaster I had lots of fun actually. It was a good team bonding experience." You admit snickering at the memory of everyones shocked faces at the burnt dish you had so proudly presented them with.

"So your final Pokémon currently is a Leafeon?" He asks curiously and you nod.

"Yeah, I will let her out once we set camp and get ready for dinner." You mused.

"So is this story your way of telling me to do the cooking?" He jokes and you laugh loudly.

"I've become much better I promise but if it makes you feel better you can totally do the cooking." You say and the two of you joke back and forth for a while.

It is when you realize that the sun has almost set beyond the horizon that you two decide to stop and set up camp. The arrow Mismagius had conjured disappears as she allows herself to float around happily as you work on setting up your portable stove to cook some dinner. Piplup runs around checking the area curiously as Pachirisu follows him, probably to see if he can annoy Piplup some more.

"Is it okay if I let my other Pokémon's out as well?" Hongjoong asks and you let him know that he absolutely should as you let Leafeon out.

As Hongjoong throws up his pokéballs three new Pokémon's appear. A Riolu, a Snorunt and a Cranidos comes out and you marvel at his pokémons all of them looking so well cared for and happy to see their trainer.

All running up to greet him warmly.

"Oh wow you got such a variety! That's so cool and I've never seen a Cranidos before! Isn't that actually a fossil pokémon?" You ask as you stir the pot containing your food.

"Yeah it is, I found a skull fossil when I went to visit the Orburgh Mines and did some digging around there for fun and then at I think it was the museum they offered to revive it for me which I thought why not?" He told you as he petted said pokémons head.

"Oh wow that's amazing!" You marvel.

"Thank you."

"Ri-olu?" You hear next to you and that's when you notice his Riolu checking out the food you were cooking.

"It's almost done so if everyone get their bowls I will be able to serve food soon." You announce and suddenly you have all seven pokémon surrounding you holding their bowls eager to get some of the delicious smelling food.

Hongjoong laughs loudly at everyone's eager displays to get some food and jokingly runs to get his own bowl and get in line. You make sure to serve everyone including Hongjoong before filling up your own bowl and getting up to sit next to Hongjoong who is sitting near the crackling fire he had made earlier when you were setting up your camp.

"This is really cozy, I'm glad I ran into you earlier today." You mumble whilst blowing on your food to make sure it's not too hot before eating it.

"Me too, it's been a wild day today but I've enjoyed it so much and traveling together will be perhaps a little chaotic but fun." He admits before eating some of his food and making a pleased noise at the taste of it.

"This is great! I was a little worried after your story about the burnt food earlier but this is amazing." He tells you and you can feel your cheeks heating up.

"Oh it's nothing." You bashfully say trying to deny his praise but he shakes his head.

"No I'm serious it is great! You did such a good job!" He wouldn’t stop until you've agreed that yes you did a good job with the food.

“Thank you, it’s very sweet of you.”

The night sky is twinkling beautifully with stars and the moon is shining brightly above the two of you. Your Mismagius is floating around happily enjoying the night a lot as your other Pokémon’s start getting drowsy, most of them finding a place to lay down to sleep. You and Hongjoong makes sure to cover them all with blankets so they won’t get cold during the night before you both climb into your sleeping bags. You’ve placed them next to each other so you can easily communicate if needed.

Your friend Piplup wiggles into the sleeping bag so he can snuggle with you during the night, preferring the heat and the coziness of it all. Pachirisu does the same making sure he's on Hongjoongs stomach curled up nicely before promptly falling asleep.

“Goodnight Hongjoong, sweet dreams.” You mumble closing your eyes.

“Goodnight Y/n, sweet dreams.” Hongjoong mumbles back before falling asleep.

-the very next day at the Pokémon center-

“Finally you call! Do you know how worried I was when I called the Eterna city pokémon center five times at different times and you still hadn’t turned up there?!” Seonghwa berated Hongjoong through the screen of the tv and Hongjoong looked everywhere but at his friend who was scolding him harshly.

“Bun! Bun-neary!” Seonghwas partner Buneary was also on screen scolding him and Pachirisu and he let out a sigh before trying to explain.

“I’m sorry Seonghwa but we got lost, I couldn’t find my way out and then I bumped into my new friend here, Y/n!” He drags you into frame so Seonghwa can see you. “And they helped me out of the forest today! We got lost at first but then their Mismagius came and rescued the day.” He says and he can see Seonghwa relaxing a little bit.

“Okay fine but don’t do that again!”

“I won’t I promise I promise!” Hongjoong holds up his hands to show how serious he is and you decide to glance towards the tv to catch a glimpse of Hongjoongs friend and when you see him you gasp dramatically.

“Hongjoong you never told me you were friends with THEE Seonghwa!! He’s super famous in the contest world!!” You say before you turn to shake Hongjoong demanding answers how he could hide this from you.

You hadn’t understood that his Seonghwa was thee Pokémon coordinator Seonghwa that you were looking up to and Hongjoong tried to get in a word but he couldn’t due to how violently you were shaking him.

Seonghwa couldn’t help but laugh at the display he was seeing.

It served Hongjoong right for scaring him so much yesterday.