#bw/bw2 rewrite Tumblr posts

[antihibikase2]

Art by @mhizzberryart.

Head cocked to the side, face pressed on his palm, an arrogant smirk with one leg crossed over the other- the perfect recipe for a photoshoot.

The shutters of the cameras were as dazzling as the city lights of Castelia- but they were far too bright, too blinding for a trainer of the dark like him.

(At least, that was what he was supposed to say in the script Shauntal had written for him.)

Regardless, he plays his part, as do the rest of the league- until he spots a familiar head of hair in the crowd, poorly attempting to catch a glance.

His instincts flare up- and now, he was no longer Elite Four Grimsley, the prodigal gambler and dark type specialist.

As he stands from his carefully curated throne of cards and makes his way to the crowd, parting them with just his presence alone, he morphs into something different.

"Giima!"

Now, he was Gavino- or Giima, the older brother of Cielo- or, as he would like to be called, Cheren.

Giima called him something else though- as most big brothers did with their little siblings.

"Cheri," He checks the crowd- far too big than expected. "Cheri, what are you doing here, this is dangerous-"

"Dangerous? It's a controlled crowd, Giima," Cheren huffs. "And my end of the photoshoot ended early."

"It did?"

"Yes, and it was mostly with Nate anyway- student and teacher, champion and gym leader,"

He crosses his arms, lips turning into a pout.

"..I was hoping we could get lunch together."

"Oh! That's-"

"Grimsley, take two!"

He glances back in annoyance- but when he turns to Cheren, there is nothing but a smile on his face, fond and loving.

"..I'll wrap this up real quick first, kid. Then I'll treat you to something, yeah?"

Cheren beams. "Okay. I would like that."

"I spoil you too much, don't I?"

When he turns away to continue the photoshoot, the mask slips back on almost seamlessly- but as Cheren watches from the back, eyes shining with a hint of admiration, the crown atop his head felt a little less heavy.

[antihibikase-archive]

Do we think maybe a little [ breaking out of the narrative cycle ] would cause less despair

[mhizzberryart]

An age-old rivalry.

Really proud of this one! Stills under the cut! 🔥⚡

[parasolladyansy]

PKMN Black - Ansy

One more highlights post before going back to our regular schedule of Diamond x Pearl REWRITE (& please excuse the slight style changes through these lol, as I made some of these a year or two ago, while others I made leading up to posting DxP REWRITE on my Instagram parasol_lady_ansy).

As I said on Ansy’s timeline, BW was a very coming-of-age story for Ansy, maybe the most impactful for her character as a whole. It was her first official Pokémon journey, as her very first one through Kanto was cut short (see timeline), leaving her with PTSD. Enter Rain, her then-service Eevee (now Vaporeon!) - she was given to Ansy right before she moved to Unova to help adjust to life there.

She met all kinds of friends, enemies, rivals, & even a mysterious Champion from another region. This is when she first met Ingo & Emmet (they were about 19, brand new Subway Bosses, while she was 15). Skyla was about 16, & still working on her pilot license where she can fly industrial planes (like she does in BW2), but can fly small recreational aircraft like ultralights. Cynthia was also aged down to a teenager, though older than Ansy (looking forward to when she appears in DxP REWRITE 🖤)

The last fight against N, then Ghetsis, was a big turning point for her, as that was the first time since the incident in Kanto that she finally allowed herself to be angry, synching perfectly with the fiery white dragon Reshiram. She & they have a very deep bond, & while she didn’t catch them (Ansy befriends Legendaries instead of catching them), they would come when called wherever she was in Unova. 🪽

—

Other comics:

Unovan Halloween /

[oneslimybastard]

Another underutilized aspect of N, Natural Harmonia Gropius himself, is that he's conceptualized as not just a Math Guy, but a Math Genius if we go by some interview trivia notated on Bulbapedia.

It clearly shows in the way he speaks since his (translated) dialogue (idk about the original japanese one) is full of hamfisted references to formulas and frustration expressed when the chaos of the world does not align with them — which to me is like, the core of his character, something that makes him both An Asshole to deal with but also a very intellectually curios and creative individual. It's just a brand of creativity not a lot of people can keep up with nor understand.

N likes math because a lot of math is about clearly defined variables and their relationship to one another. If you come across an inconsistency that doesn't fit any prior definitions, you iron out a new definition and suddenly the field has expanded upon itself tenfold. It aligns with how his Very Autistic Brain functions, x + y = z, if I do x to y then z will happen. If z doesn't happen, then that just means I have to identify the hidden variables within the exchange and rewrite the formula to be more accurate.

Black and White's quality of writing is. Like pokémon often is. Questionable at best. The foundations are there but the execution is dumbed down and corny because it's still aimed at kids, BW in specific really cutting the theme of pokémon trainer ethics short in favor of just "dang u beat me in the pogiebattle guess ur right!". How-ev-er. In my head, and the reason why I still find the plot of those games compelling (aside for my unhinged thirst for goth man-milf Ghetsis) is that to me they're about local cult-raised autist Normal Henry Gropus bashing his head against the world over and over to desperately try and make the formulas make sense, to distill it into variables he can understand and predict on a consistent basis, and failing miserably at it. Because even if the world is Technically made up of a bunch of chemistry that you could, in theory, predict, there's just a lot of random noise in there from microscopic complexities that fuck everything up.

Pokémon are simpler creatures (discounting the eerily intelligent ones) who will be nice enough to behave like math problems most of the time. Humans rarely extend that grace, the more N studies them like a science project the more contradictory variables pop up. They have a million thoughts in their head he doesn't have access to, that brew into feelings he doesn't understand, which leads to actions he can't do a proper traceback through. Which is frustrating, devastatingly frustrating. At least at first.

Due to how BW2 pans out and my own yearning for thematic mirroring, whereas Ghetsis gives in to the Autistic Bitterness over all these NTs he doesn't fuckign understand, I like to think N develops a sort of joy in studying people like the impossibly complex math problems we are. Because he likes math, he likes figuring shit out, he likes buying a nightmare rubik's cube and charting the squares out on a nightmare variable graph (listen i am not a math guy. i respect the hustle but my skill level is too low to accurately attempt to simulate the process in writing. im sorry math guys) so he has a home-made flexible cheat code on how to solve any possible mix-up of it. It's fun for him, it stimulates his brain and he is so stupid good at it that he can only share that joy with like a stray alakazam or metagross because he's a bit of a tarzan just hanging out in the wilderness, he doesn't know any high end mathematicians he can casually geek out about combinatorial game theory with, and the normies just do not get it .

I think this math enjoying is kind of a big part of his ~Innocence~ as well, since there's a lot of childlike glee to being a Math Guy. It's the love of problem solving as a process rather than a means to an end, it's playful, but severely misunderstood to the point where people kinda might assume things about you if you are a math guy.

N's love of math helps him love the world but it also isolates him. He's a genius, but since he can't communicate it in a palatable way it'll get overlooked in favor of him just being a loomy weirdo on the street chatting up the local patrats.

If introduced to DnD though he'd spend so much time on forging ridiculously optimized multiclass builds, then migrate to digging through old obscure sci-fi ttrpgs from the 80s with hellishly complex systems just for the funsies of learning how the presented variables behave within a variety of frameworks, but then if you actually invited him to play with your group he'd look at you like you'd just called his mom a llama.

He's a neat guy to me, STEM guy who's also one of those animal rights activists who's a little too PETA-coded, I like him :)

[marchy-emmet]

An angsty Submas AU concept...?

... this is based around semi-realism and reality breaking, as well as possible Unova remakes, so bear with me.

[And I must warn you: This may need a huge CW for derealization / depersonalization. Read at your own risk.]

Ingo's character is... admittedly much more developed than Emmet's is -- which leads to the self awareness of Ingo as a character.

He begins in BW/BW2, as cheerful and normal as can be -- and then he is rewritten into Hisui as someone that's not quite the same but not quite different either. He's no longer subway boss Ingo -- he's warden Ingo.

BUT the likelihood is that in the next remake games, Ingo will be "rewritten" once again as a subway boss -- as if Hisui didn't even happen. He notices that Emmet simply speaks the same lines only when the protagonist triggers his dialogue -- so essentially, Emmet will not speak to Ingo, nor acknowledge that he has "returned" from Hisui.

This causes Ingo's awareness to break through the 4th wall essentially -- and a ton of strange occurrences hinting at Ingo's sentience begins within the remakes of Black and White.

He is confused, angry and afraid due to his back and forth toggle between a subway boss and a warden. To make things worse for him, Emmet's character hasn't developed enough for him to gain awareness -- so he's all alone with a brother he thought was real.

And so this leads to Ingo begging the player to help him out of this confusing identity blur when they visit the singles lines. He smacks his fists against the player's "screen", tears in his eyes, and his text box is faster than usual. It's now that the player can infer this isn't normal for a Pokemon game -- and that Ingo has truly gained awareness, and is suffering the distortion of living in multiple realities.

TLDR; The strange chain of rewrites in his character causes him to gain self awareness and essentially break the game's event triggers.

[I was cookin'... I was a-cookin', and now I'mma cookin' what the dialogue may look like. SO... you will inevitably see this concept return soon. VERY Ingo-centric AU, as Emmet won't be playing much of a role in it due to his lack of awareness.

And I'm very aware that this AU is very strange, but I am an oddball of a human, so it fits-]

[pokemon-blightblur]

🧶 Quick Guide to Blight / Blur

What is Pokemon Blight/Blur?

Blight/Blur is a rewrite of Pokemon BW and BW2 written by @antihibikase; Blight refers to BW (White, Upright), and Blur refers to BW2 (Black, Reversed). Blight/Blur and its arcs are named after the major and minor Arcana.

The story focuses specifically on Blur (BW2), as the events of Blight are explored through a series of flashbacks.

Where can I read Blight/Blur?

Currently, you can read the ongoing fic at ao3 or on tumblr.

ao3 : Pokemon Blight / Blur - Hero of Static

tumblr : bw2 arc

There are no differences between versions outside of spacing. The tumblr version is posted on my writing blog, @antihibikase2.

What is Blight/Blur about?

Blight/Blur follows the events of BW/BW2 with some changes- both protagonists are present, and Team Plasma's goal stretches beyond the supposed liberation of Pokemon and the eventual subjugation of the region.

There's larger emphasis on the legends; specifically, the dragon, the heroes, and the party that accompanied the heroes- as well as how these characters from the past affect the ones in the present.

Additionally, while characters from other generations/regions are specified, and may appear as major characters, Blight/Blur specifically only focuses on Unova's cast.

Currently, a masterpost is in the works; but you can find most of the things about the verse either in @antihibikase-archive (under the tag BW/BW2 Rewrite - Blur / Blight) or @antihibikase (under the tag blight/blur).

Are there any content warnings?

The main ones are death and religion- Blight/Blur has many religious themes (particularly catholicism) and symbolisms.

Additionally, certain drabbles written under the story's tags in my writing blog dabble into surreal imagery and dissociation.

Is everything in your main and/or writing blog canon to Blight/Blur?

Not necessarily! Some of them were written before Blight/Blur was changed/established, some of them are just dabbling in ideas that aren't part of canon, etc.

Additionally,

💌 I accept asks, inquiries, comments and the like, in both here and in my main!

🎨 All art in this blog is made by either @mhizzberryart or me!

[pnk-spiderr]

thinking of doing a little mini-rewrite of the pokespe bw & bw2 arc. i love the story and characters sm already so its nothing huge- it’s more rewriting small things like white’s involvement in the bw finale, and just adding a little more narrative cohesion to the story overall. if you want to ask me about it you can ig? idk

[notzilon]

muftiday replied to your post: I’ve been working my way through Ultra Moon and...

im pretty sure the game implies the pokemon are frozen alive?? thats how i always interpreted it, like being forced to forever be between life and death staring at this mad woman who obsesses over you, and i always imagined the pc was a place like its implied a pokeball is? if a pokeball has a comfortable environment for a pokemon to chill in the pc should too, and they have the company of the other pokemon right? especially with the poke pelago

I suppose at that point the ethics depend on if the frozen pokemon are conscious or not - if they are lucid, then it’s absolutely a hellish experience. If the crystal prisons function on modified pokeball technology where the pokemon are just on display but unable to move then yeah, it’s pretty horrific. From what I remember, her pikachu had closed eyed/seemed to be peaceful to me? But that doesn’t really mean anything. We frankly don’t know enough about them so interpretations depend on what side of Lusamine Discourse you fall on.

In terms of if pokeballs/PCs are a place - I think prior to SM it was only addressed in the anime/manga? All of Ash’s pokemon are kept on Oak’s ranch, and in the manga pokeballs are less a “place” as much as an easy way to transport your pets. In the games I believe the official line is that capturing a pokemon in a pokeball converts the animal into data that can be reconstituted at will, and the process of capture actively brainwashes/rewrites the pokemon’s behavior patterns to be obedient to their master. Which sounds really fucked up, but it’s just instant domestication. That’s why pokemon are loyal/follow your orders as soon as you catch them. I think SM was the first situation where your pokemon actually lived somewhere in-game? Prior to the Pelago, they’re just stored as data, which is why Lusamine makes a big deal out of trainers keeping collections, etc. I think it comes down to what you consider “canon” out of the games/anime/manga. (Note: my memory is garbage and I may have missed something in the other games, especially bc I pretty much skipped BW/BW2.)

[antihibikase2]

He cradled him in his arms just as he did the day he was born. A small bundle, wrapped in the softest of fleece- it made no difference now, he thinks, as he brings him close to himself in an effort to warm him, fingers running through the fur of his cardigan.

His eyes were shut tight as they were back then. It was all too similar, the anticipation that came with waiting for them to open. Big bright eyes would have greeted him before, full of wonder and innocence. Now, if they were to open at all, even with the slightest tinge of life- it would be a miracle.

His skin, once pink and cheeks flushed red like apples- now it was deathly pale, almost undistinguishable from the Light Stone clasped into his hands. There was no movement from his chest or a breath of air from his lips; he was completely still, like one of the dolls he was given as a child.

At eleven years old, Grimsley had held his newborn sibling for the first time, snarking at his father for the choice of name- now, at twenty seven, he found himself muttering that name like a prayer, as if he hadn't turned his back to the gods a long time ago.

"Please, please, Cheren- Cheri, Cielo-"

He brings his head close to his chest, lips brushing against his forehead.

Knelt in the entrance of the Giant Chasm, atop a stone pedestal surrounded by ice, it was no different from when Grimsley had carried his sibling by himself in the lonely winter his mother had died, begging for his father to come back.

Except, he knew this time there would be nothing to wait for.

"Kuya's here, please, wake up."

[antihibikase-archive]

Save me gay people in my verse

[mhizzberryart]

The gang's all here! ...except for two more of the main cast 👀

From @antihibikase's Pokemon BW/BW2 rewrite! I also drew the antagonists here!

[parasolladyansy]

Ansy PKMN Timeline

When I started posting Diamond x Pearl REWRITE on my instagram, I did quite a bit of set up for new readers, including a full timeline for both Ansy & Ikrit. The mister & I (the players behind these characters) have been playing Pokémon since very beginning (though I had a very long break between Blue & Black), & now we play Pokémon together! 🩵

Ansy was born in Kanto, had a very coming-of-age story in Unova (following an attempt at a journey that didn’t end well), & considers the latter her home region. It’s where Ikrit & she live to this day when they’re not running around other regions (maybe in Nuvema Town, moving from Undella in favor of a little town still near the ocean but more affordable & quiet). She isn’t the strongest battler, but she’s definitely gotten better since Ikrit started training with her. Strange things seem to happen around her though…

Her design is often inspired by the female PC, though she’s often holding an umbrella as her trainer class is usually Parasol Lady (she likes rain teams, mostly Water PKMN). 🌧️ Exceptions are in Blue (Lass) & Sword (Gardener).

PS: So I got confused with which Legendary you got in BW & BW2, so while I just played Black when I realized that’s the one with Reshiram lol, I just rewrote White 2 - I didn’t realize the Reshiram you help in the game was N’s Reshiram, so I pretended it was Ansy’s Reshiram instead (as my hc is that players more befriend Legendaries than catch them like in the anime). 😅

PPS: the time skip between BW & BW2 is officially 3 years, but since I didn’t really want to jump from 10 (when I played Blue) to 22 (when I played Black), I made it about 9 years.

[antihibikase2]

Hi! I’m not so sure if you do requests in terms of writing but, can you write about Cilan x Cheren? Maybe it can be about that Cheren asks Cilan out on a date? :)

If you don’t do requests then that is perfectly okay! Have a good rest of your day/night! :D

Hello! I take short requests in terms of my verse; that being said, Blight/Blur has temporary Cilan/Cheren (along with Cress/Cheren and Chili/Cheren), so I'll be willing to write this for you.

Cilan is actually the one who asks Cheren out- as well as mostly everyone else who became Cheren's partner; mainly because Blight/Blur verse Cheren has .. some things going on (missing someone so badly it's killing him) and as a result, he's unable to .. completely commit to a relationship, especially if he feels like they like an idealized version of him. He gets better eventually. <3

Post-BW, pre-BW2; takes place before Cheren becomes a gym leader. Dynamic name for Cilan/Cheren (BlightBlur) is pending, so I'll add that eventually.

As he slipped the ribbon under his collar, delicately tying it into a bow, Cheren found himself choking- and it wasn't from how tight the ribbon was, nor was it from how high the buttons of his polo were.

He hears Cilan inside the condo; Grimsley had dropped by, and had offered to stay the rest of the day with his brother- completely oblivious to the fact Cheren had found himself a date.

No doubt Grimsley was grilling onto Cilan now about his intentions- if not for Cress and Chili, who were also in the condo, grilling onto Grimsley for only being present now.

"What do you like about him?" Was what his big brother asked his date.

"I like him for who he is," Cilan reassures. "That's the truth."

And Cheren was certain he was being honest.

But the thing is,

Cheren didn't know who he was; or if it was him at all.

He's not sure who was the Cheren that Cilan fell for, or who was the Cheren that he asked out on a date.

Surely, it wasn't the Cheren that was shaking in his bedroom, meticulously fixing his destiny knot- one that tied him to his grave.

But, Cilan was here, Cilan was here with his brothers and with Grimsley, Grimsley who also came here to look out for Cheren- a Cheren that had died over half a year ago, a Cheren he yearned to come back home to; but couldn't.

He might as well be polite.

Slipping on a soft cardigan, adjusting the sleeves so it hid his hands, Cheren opens the door and forces a smile on his face, choking on his guilt as Cilan offers him a hand- and all he could do is place the paw of his sleeve atop it, the fabric in between their skin.

[antihibikase2]

Pokemon Blur - Prologue : The Fool

In the lively city of Aspertia, there was a boy that dreamt of being a hero.

Divine dragons of Truth and Ideals, heed the prayers of a foolish heart.

Before we embark on this dangerous quest, shower us with your grace so that we may have a safe journey.

...

The coming of spring is where many dreams would blossom alongside the flowers- following a harsh winter, the people of Flocessy wasted no time in tending to their lands and ranches, eager to see what the rest of the year will bring.

"February was colder than other years," Muses the town mayor. "I hear it was as cold as Sinnoh on a hot day."

From behind her teacup, a blonde laughs.

"Yes! That's what I've been telling Professor Juniper! We're experiencing temperatures never before seen in Unova- I wonder why that is?"

"It's easy to chalk it up to the times, little lass-"

He leans over to refill her teacup.

"-but the youth of today isn't gonna take that for an answer."

"And why would we? If something's up, we ought to be the ones to figure out why; not when you old folks are sitting about."

The blonde's companion, a girl with a massive ponytail, speaks from the window- she does not join the other two in their warm conversation, content with merely listening and occasionally quipping in every now and then.

"You have a point there,"

The mayor laughs.

"Ah, it's good to see you haven't lost your spark, Hilda. Still as abrasive as ever- it's a shame you've taken a break from the subway, Emmet thinks you're a wildcard."

Hilda rolls her eyes- but her companion smiles even brighter.

"Oh, she's been a delight to have around! I make sure she gets plenty of training done even while she's acting as my bodyguard in the field,"

"Bianca,"

"Sorry, sorry- that's for another time!"

Bianca giggles, setting down her teacup and tapping her fingers against the book on her lap.

"It's really nice to catch up with you, Mr. Alder. It's been, um, two years?"

"Two years."

Though the hue of the leaves remain the same, the winds have changed- his guests remain as they have, but the light in their eyes are different.

And speaking of guests.

"Where's your other friend? He was here a few minutes ago, wasn't he?"

"He went out for some fresh air," Hilda replies. "He's taking his Pokemon for a walk."

"The ranch outside of town is lovely- he told me he spent a good quarter of last year's spring season over there."

Alder's mouth makes an "o" shape as he recalls.

"He did, he did- how has he been, by the way?"

For all that she's chatted about today, Bianca finds herself unsure of what to say.

Finally, she picks a word.

"Different-"

And as predicted, Hilda immediately adds "-but better than before."

That's all Alder could ask for- and it was far better news than what he was expecting.

"Okay, that's good. I admit, I wasn't sure what they were thinking when they told me they wanted him in this position, but-"

He glances at the framed picture on the wall- one of him with a group of four youths, wide-eyed and brimming with potential.

"Perhaps you kids can dream of things us grown-ups can't."

He himself hadn't lost the will to dream- but with the reality before him, he had to set aside certain expectations.

That's what it meant to be the Pokemon Champion after all.

An air of melancholy hovers over them as the conversation takes a more somber route- Bianca looks down at her teacup, smile still present, but stiffer than what it usually was.

And Hilda, looking outside the window, speaks up again.

"Guess we're gonna lose that ability soon in a couple of years, huh, Beebs?"

"Oh, hopefully not, Hilly- not with the research I've been doing."

Alder spots an opportunity to talk about something else- this quiet, tense atmosphere was something he didn't want in his house after all.

"Oh? Working hard with Fennel too?"

"You bet! Say, do you wanna know about the effects of Dream Mist- beyond what we know now?"

As the conversation picks up again, Hilda sighs, back leaned against the wall as she gazes out into the blue sky.

They had a few more hours to kill before they were expected to head to Aspertia- and it wasn't like she hated hearing Bianca's voice anyway.

...

"I'm all set, mom!"

She hears the excited footsteps clamoring downstairs, the clicking of plastic and jingling of bells- a collection of keychains.

She exits from her chores in the bathroom, removing her rubber gloves- and is horrified to see the atrocity standing before her.

"Bye bye! I'll make sure to give you a call!"

"Now, wait just a minute!"

She grabs him by the scruff of his jacket, just as he's about to pass by her- and stares incredulously.

In the home of Marianne Blake, things were in an uproar- the day had finally arrived, when her only son would receive a Pokemon of his own from an esteemed professor.

Or at least, the professor's assistant- she was quite a busy woman, she could not be blamed.

Such should be a cause for celebration- but here she was, arguing with her child before he even stepped foot outside.

"Anak, you can't be serious," Marianne takes a good look at him, head to toe.

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"What- anak,"

She rubs her temples, sighing deeply.

"What even are you wearing? There's a spare backpack for you to use, a much more protective cap- and is that a rash guard you're wearing under your clothes?!"

"I might want to take a dip! You never know!"

"Nathaniel, you better not be leaving the house like that!"

Through the argument, the small boy grinned mischievously at his mother's exasperation, his little cat-smile never leaving his face.

"Crazy, because that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

"Nathaniel!"

"Mamaaaa, who cares what I wear out there? This classifies as acceptable travel gear, you know!"

"Just because it's acceptable- go change into something else before you're late!"

Now came his whine- and his Lillipup eyes.

"You're making me run late here! What will Ms. Alabaster say? That I kept my future partner waiting because I was busy coordinating my outfit?"

She opens her mouth to argue- but groans.

"Ugh, fine, fine. Do whatever you like. I suppose if you think that's fit for travel-"

She looks down at the worn pair of crocs.

"-but at the very least, take these."

Her son tilts his head like a confused dog, wondering what else she has to give besides an additional scolding- but to his surprise, she digs out a box from underneath the staircase.

"I was saving this for your birthday, but since your journey is starting today, you might as well make use of it now."

Opening the box, she reveals a pair of red running shoes, ankle-length- the same ones she knew her son had been eyeing.

"Happy early birthday, Nathaniel- now put these on and go look for Ms. Alabaster."

"Mamaaaaa, thank you!"

He wasted no time settling into his shoes, tapping them against the floor as he felt himself almost standing in the air.

They were a perfect fit.

"Now, remember what I taught you-"

"Yeah, yeah! I get it!"

He opens the screen door with a bang- and promptly terrifies his family's pet Delcatty and her Skitty, awakening them from their slumber.

"Be wise with money, avoid shady characters- and have fun!"

"And come home when you're lost," She reminds him. "If you can't find your way forward-"

"Then I'll retrace my steps back from square one!"

Looking up at the big blue sky, he felt the first page of his journey being written for historians to see.

"Just my style!"

Sprinting out of his house with a loud cheer, Marianne leans against the doorframe with a look of worry- one that quickly melts once she realizes who exactly she is being fussy over.

Still.

From the distance, she hears him yelling.

"Look out, world! Nate's gonna take you by surprise!"

"Dragons,"

She shakes her head.

"Please make sure he doesn't get himself in trouble."

...

The bell of Floccesy Town tolls, it's chimes echoing throughout the area.

The Mareep bleat at the sound, and nearby Riolu peer front underneath the tall grass.

From within a hidden grotto, a figure wrapped in a gray cardigan prays in the shade of the trees-

And a gust of wind overtakes them, as the nests of Pidove and Tranquil resting on the branches soar to the skies.

They cover their face, steadying their ground,

And the ribbon wrapped around their collar unravels, carried by the wind.

[antihibikase2]

Pokemon Blur - Chapter 2 : The High Priestess

At a ranch in Floccesy, a bleeding heart is found.

Divine dragons of Truth and Ideals, heed the prayers of a foolish heart.

Give us the strength to seek hope in despair, to unite when divided.

...

It was already nearing noon- but Bianca knew that she would have a long day ahead of her regardless, so she took what little rest she could in-between, savoring the quietness of the Pokemon Center; even in a far-away place like this, far from her home of Nuvema, there was at least someplace familiar.

The quietness doesn't last long, however- not when the shrill voice of a young girl rings through the air, disrupting the rest of the patrons.

"Hey, hey! You're miss Bianca Alabaster, aren't you?!"

Bianca readies herself mentally with a sip of her hot chocolate- this conversation could go two ways.

Either this was a young girl who had seen her league challenge two years ago, or she was one of those studious children that had taken note of Bianca's recent appearances in television as she climbed her way into the ranks of the scientific community for her recent discoveries.

No matter what, Bianca remained cordial- and forced a sweet smile on her lips as she lifted her head. "Oh, what can I do for-"

A hand is lifted out in front of her.

"You gave Natey a Pokedex, didn't you? I want one too!"

..or perhaps, it could go a third way.

"Rosa!"

A boy comes running in through the doors, bowing his head and apologizing to those he meets- and grabs the feisty girl by the ear, cheeks flushed red.

"Rosa, that's rude! I told you to wait until she came out!"

"Ugh, but she's taking forever! Hugh-"

Quickly, she assesses the scene happening before her; a girl with a pair of buns atop her head, a shiny new Xtransceiver on her wrist, and a hastily clasped Pokeball strap around the handle of her bag. The boy behind her, slightly taller but just as baby-faced, had hair like a Qwilfish and eyes as piercing as a Gigalith's.

Seeing their muddied shoes and matching jackets- one from an outdoor brand, she recalls from one of Hilda's magazine, she comes to a conclusion.

"Oh! You two- are you Pokemon Trainers?"

The boy- Hugh, was caught off guard by her question. Rosa, however, shoves him off of her and squeals in excitement, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes we are! Well, we just got our licenses last winter, but-"

Now she holds both of her palms out.

"We heard you were coming to give our friend his first Pokemon and a Pokedex! We figured you'd be willing to give us some too! The professor needs all the help she can get, right?"

Straight to the point; so unlike Bianca when she was her age.

She liked this girl.

"Rosa!"

"Come on, Hughy! It's not that bad to ask!"

"We can just share Nate's-!"

"Is that all you need?" Bianca interrupts. "If that's the case, I can just ask the professor. She's not really too strict about who gets one and who doesn't- truthfully, it's rare when trainers approach us, so we'd really appreciate all the help we can get when completing the Pokedex-"

"Oh, I don't really care about that part."

"Rosa!"

Bianca blinks.

"Maybe Natey does, and so does everyone- but I wanna use the Pokedex to, you know, learn about Pokemon and their moves. And Hughy here wants to-"

"That's enough!"

Covering her mouth with a gloved hand, he locks her head in his arm and tries to drag her out of Bianca's sight.

"Wait, wait, wait-"

And obediently, Hugh stops in his tracks, while Rosa struggles to break free from his grip.

"It's- it's alright, Hugh was it? It's fine, I promise! It's true the professor markets the role of a Pokedex holder for data completion, but-"

She digs out her own Pokedex from her bag- an older model from two years ago, with a cracked screen and a few bumps and bruises.

What stood out to the two kids, however, was the lower part of the Pokedex- slightly charred, and not from a simple fire-type move.

"-really, it's.. more of the professor's own way of getting kids to set out on a journey, especially those who don't plan on taking the league challenge."

The two kids look at each other for a bit.

"Oh! But of course, it's for learning too! You don't need to complete the Pokedex if you don't want to, but-"

"Then that settles it!"

With a wide grin, Rosa closes the space between her and Bianca, pushing herself up on the coffee table as Hugh tried to yank her off by the hood of her jacket.

"Please, please, pleaaaaaase Miss Bianca! I'd really like a Pokedex of my own, and Hughy does too-"

"Shut up!"

"-so can we please have one? We'll make sure Natey completes his, I promise!"

Most of the patrons seemed to have gone back to doing their own thing. Bianca could only assume that whatever was going on, and who these two kids were, it was a normal occurrence in the city of Aspertia.

She couldn't help but laugh at the familiarity- almost two years ago, she had done the same over Professor Juniper's desk, as her friends tried to pull her away and apologize for her enthusiasm.

"Well, as the professor says,"

She takes out a couple papers from her briefcase, where two of the remaining Pokeballs resided.

"The more the merrier!"

...

Another Lillipup falls to the power of his starter's Ember, something that Nate had been cheering over a few battles earlier.

But, as his Tepig gets stronger and learns more moves, Nate finds himself in a dilemma in the midst of his training in Floccesy Ranch, something that Bianca recommended he do first as a bonding exercise with his starter.

"Hey, Tepig,"

The little Pokemon snorts up at him curiously, wondering why it was no longer basking in praise as it was over an hour ago.

"I don't think we're gonna catch any Pokemon like this."

It doesn't seem to particularly care, however- it's too busy celebrating its consecutive victory, and Nate would too, if he could use any of the Pokeballs that he had been given.

..well, he had, but-

"Missed shots. And if they did land, the Pokemon would break free," He groaned. "And when we try to weaken 'em up, you end up going all out!"

Tepig raises its nose out at him.

"Don't sass me! Miss Bianca asked us to catch Pokemon too, you know! Winning battles ain't the only thing a trainer can do!"

"Bwark!"

Both trainer and Pokemon turn their heads to the sudden noise, much bigger than the cries of other Pokemon they've heard in the ranch.

Not too far from where they were was a Herdier, its posture alert, but not quite hostile.

"Wait, a Herdier?"

He glances at his Pokedex's habitat feature for a second.

"They're not common 'round here. You're not a wild Pokemon, are you?"

The Herdier glances at him almost expectantly. Nate would know if it was expecting a treat, or even a pat.

But with the way it was waiting, it seemed to be calling Nate over for something.

Nate and his Tepig glanced at each other for a moment with the same dumbfounded expression- but Tepig returned to sniffing the tall grass for more opponents to fight, eager to stroke its ego.

With a sigh, Nate rose from his spot on the grass.

"Alright, you stay there. I'll go help this little guy out, alright?"

And as expected, as soon as Nate started making his way to the Herdier, it turned around and started trotting deeper into the ranch.

...

Somewhere in the ranch, a figure clad in black- a shadow with no vessel, stands before a sleeping body in the grass.

Hands on their chest, their skin deathly pale, a red ribbon on their collar blowing in the wind- they looked like a corpse.

The shadow crouches before them, eyeing the pin they wore on their cardigan- the pin of a league member, specifically, a gym leader.

"It would be easy to just grab you like this, but-"

Almost on cue, their Xtransceiver begins to ring- and he hears the sound of a ship from the distance, all the way at Virbank City.

Glancing at the body one more time, they sneer as they disappear in a puff of smoke.

"-you'll find your way back to us, just as the legends foretold."