#can be found in hotel RICHissime

[jadeazora]

You know tho, if all my speculation about ZA being set in the past turns out to be wrong and it's more slightly-pre/sometime-post-XY, I really just want them to finally explain what this was. Give her an entire side quest, I beg of you. (Bonus points if it's related to Team Flare like I always liked to headcanon, but not a deal-breaker if it isn't. I would just be happy with an explanation.)

[sweetwhitechoco]

Zai Namazaki

So we've done reference sheets for Loop and Zai, there's still more room to sketch out the Mewtwos' later.

Mi chan's done as well. Suzy, Chi and Anne left! :3

Hope you enjoy! ^^

(Lots of headcanons under the line.)

Her favorite type is Water, but has a closer connection with Dragon type Pokémon.

Her hobbies include tending to Berries, cooking, sketching, singing and playing games.

Likes junk food, especially wrapped food.

Zai hates fancy outfits, she tends to wear them as little as possible.

Zai's first adventure was in Hoenn, then all the way to Paldea. The region she stayed in the longest was Galar.

Sometimes she introduces her new Pokémon to family visits, but often tries to avoid increasing the times she comes over.

Her first partner was a Blaziken, but was lost to the first Sinnoh accident along with her older team.

Zai has a pretty random naming sense, her party Pokémon get either a cool nickname or a dumb one. Mi chan's an example of that.

Emotionally fragile, Zai tends to hide her feelings whenever they sound negative.

Works part-time jobs whenever she changes region. The best paying one was Richissime Hotel in Kalos.

Unbound form headcanons:

Multitype of Dark/Ghost/Psychic. Weak to Bug, Dark, Ghost and Fairy types and Resistant to Psychic and Poison types. Immune to Normal and Fighting types.

She tends to act more easygoing in this form. Despite the happy display, this Unbound form avoids crowdy places.

No Prison Bottle, Zai acts as the vessel for the Unbound form and its energy storage.

With enough focus, Unbound form can phase through and bend spaces to her will. Not as strong as Palkia, though.

Speaking of Palkia, her warping powers were a blessing given from said being. So it must be used responsibly if she wants to stay on their good side.

Overuse of her Unbound power will cause her serious effects depending on the duration and amount of energy.

Her fear of Bug Pokémon is only temporary in this form, because of Type matchup.

For some reason, the Hoopa ring is found on the back instead of the front.

Everytime they enter a new region, her powers are halted for a good month or two.

Base total stat of her Unbound Form is 700, with more balanced Sp. Def.

[i-write-boop-spoops]

Link Cable - Steven Stone x reader

just an angsty little fic i thought up the other day. just steven being sad and mad at himself for breaking your heart after seeing you again with your new fiancé, leon.

companion fic with the champions' roles reversed here

mild leon x reader but it's really more of a plot device. angst, self-hatred. delta episode spoilers??? Reader is gender neutral. 1.5k words.

summary: scared by the events of the delta episode, steven takes a leave of absence, only informing you, his partner, with a letter left at his house. upset by this, you break up with him. years later, he sees you again at a bar with your fiancé.

Enjoy!

In another universe, that would have been him

The man who’s by your side, the man who’s resting his hand so tenderly on the small of your back. The man who’s making you laugh so sweetly, the man who’s making you smile so widely.

The man who put that sparkling ring on your finger.

If he had been there for you, the gem he carries in his pocket would be on your finger right now. If he had been honest with you, if he had communicated better, if he hadn’t take you for granted, if he hadn’t run away after that whole metor-debacle, if he had been man enough, his heart wouldn’t be aching right now.

He is a little surprised to see you here, in Hotel Richissime of all places. He remembers taking you here for your first anniversary, he remembers how elated you both were the entire trip. He smiles sadly to himself, it’s a sweet, now bittersweet memory.

You look elated in the arms of your fiancé, Leon, the Galar Champion. He’s a good man, from what he can tell, a better man than he could ever be. Friendly and warm, handsome, good with children, a complicated relationship with the spotlight...

Maybe that’s what drew you to the Galar champion, maybe that’s what drew you to him before that.

Something catches Leon attention, a gaggle of men in bleak suits. He knows them vaguely, they’re Lysandre Labs board members. He sees Leon pout, and say something to you.

You frown a little, he knows that frown. You used to make it whenever he had to be pulled away to network or deal with fans. It’s a bit nostalgic to see it again, worse now considering the circumstances. Leon says something else to you, a promise to be quick, he assumes. You nod solemnly, but knowingly, and he seals it with a kiss. You seem almost desperate to keep his lips on yours, it’s a sight that makes his heart twinge a little.

Left on your own, you check your Rotom Phone, it seems like the PokeNav doesn’t quite suit the new life you lead. It doesn’t seem to interest you much though, as your eyes start to wander around the bar just a minute later.

Your gazes meet. He can see those mesmerising eyes of yours flash in a whirlwind of emotions, surprise, sadness, and even a little joy. All he can do is stare back, expression a touch bewildered. You wave at him, perhaps out of politeness, smiling shyly. Wow you’re so cute. He waves back, compelled to walk over and talk to you, despite his better judgement.

“Hi…” you say as he comes up to your table. What a wonder to hear your voice again. You stay seated, keeping your distance, he respects that, though he wants to hold you so badly.

“Hello (Name)” he replies warmly. There’s silence, he should have thought of what to say to you. Running into an ex was certainly not something he was planning to do on his vacation.

After a moment, he clears his throat.  “I wanted to say congratulations on your engagement”.

That’s somewhat of a lie, there’s a dark part of him that despises the very notion, but he’s glad you’re happy, glad you’ve found someone who deserves you.

“Thank you,” you reply, nodding. Again there’s silence . He doesn’t want to end the conversation here, he misses you too much.

“What brings you to Kalos?” he asks.

“Oh Lee-” You have a nickname for him. Of course you do, he’s your fiancé. He has to keep himself from frowning, you used to call him ‘Stevie��� once upon a time. “-has some sponsorship stuff to do in Kalos, and he asked me to come along. He’s taken a few days off so we can go sight-seeing when he’s done”.

He’s given you his time, his attention, despite his busy schedule, he is putting you first. These are things he couldn’t do for you. No, that’s not true, he could have, should have, done for you, but his cowardice and selfishness won him over.  And now, rightfully so, you are marrying Leon.

“You?”.

He almost doesn’t register your question, his mind and heart are heavy with endless guilt and regret.

He can’t say rocks. He’s certain he can’t handle disappointing you again.

“Work for my father,” he says with a shrug, he says it so blankly he hopes you don’t catch the lie. You nod. “How is Joseph by the way?”

Still disappointed with him for throwing away what he had with you, for robbing him of the perfect in-law and grandchildren. He can still see his father’s forlorn, almost angry face in his mind’s eye, he’s never seen him like that before.

“He’s good,” he answers, unable to elaborate. The air feels tough as he breathes it in, his swallows are thick and uncomfortable. He reaches into his pocket and finds the smooth, cool gem, he rolls it between his finger, trying to think of a subject change.

“I have something for you”.

“Oh?”. You sound surprised, he is too, he had barely thought of his idea before speaking it. He pulls that very gem out of his poclet, it sparkles so beautifully in the light, and hands it to you. Your fingers brush, your skin is so soft. He wants to hold your hand and never let go.

Your eyes light up. You’ve always appreciated the gems he’s gifted you, even taken interest in them from time to time. Not to mention, it’s your favourite stone. It would have been perfect for your engagement ring.

“It’s so beautiful... thank you,”. No, you’re beautiful, and so kind, he wants to thank you for that. You close your palm, holding the rock in your fist. Maybe he couldn’t put it on your finger, but he’s happy you have it now.

“(Name), love!” Leon calls, waving at you as he struts over. You turn and grin. “Lee!” you say so gleefully. His stomach drops at the sight, it plummets when he sits beside you and you lean so comfortably into him.

He kisses you, perhaps with a little more passion than the situation requires. Maybe he’s trying to establish dominance, it’s ridiculous. He’s the only one who’s suppoused to be jealous right now.

Ah, he’s probably overthinking things, so he can distract himself from all the aching. There is no way Leon could be jealous of him.

When you part from your fiancé, you have the most fantastic smile. He remembers when he was the one who would kiss your soft lips, and give you that smile. He would do anything to be able to do that again.

Nobody says anything. It’s getting awkward now. This entire exchange has been awkward. Maybe he shouldn’t have even come over in the first place. He clears his throat and pretends to have felt his PokeNav buzz, proceeding to check it.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” he says curtly.

“It was good to see you Steven,��� you say, he can tell by the softness in your voice that it’s genuine. It makes him so weak to hear you say his name like that, it makes him hurt even more.

“It was good to see you too”. It’s true, despite all the pain, seeing you again, speaking to you again, touching your hand again… it makes a part of him so very happy. You smile at him. Even as Leon pulls you in closer, your gaze remains fixed on him.

“Congratulations again on your engagement,” he says, he finally gets a response from Leon, a nod. “I wish you well”

“You too…”. You’re being polite, he thinks, you don’t mean it, except of course, you do. You’re too nice. He doesn’t deserve it one bit.

That’s why you’re not marrying him.

He nods, and gives you a wave. “Bye (Name),”.

You wave back. “Bye Steven,”.

Hearing that hurts. This might well be the last time you ever speak. Why couldn’t he have been stronger, better? He hates that he has turned the love of his life into a distant acquaintance.

He turns and starts walking toward the elevator, trying to keep his stride at a casual pace, even though he wants to run as far away as he can. As he presses the up button, he glances back. He knows he shouldn’t, but he can’t help himself from seeing your smile again. A smile that widens as your fiancé leans in for another kiss.

He turns back before he sees your lips meet, feeling his heart ache, and tears sting at his eyes. The elevator chines, the doors slide open. He hurries inside, and presses the button eluding to the top floor. He needs air, he needs quiet, his room’s balcony is his only escape.

He catches another glimpse of you again as the doors slide close, gazing so fondly at your husband-to-be as he kisses your forehead.

He sighs, and sheds a tear in the silence of the elevator, accompanied only by his pathetic reflections in the chrome paneling.

In another universe that would have been him.

[vermillioncrown]

what's your favorite soup to make?

i have a top 5 soups to make (which doesn't form a perfect circle in the venn diagram w top 5 soups to ingest), if made to choose absolute favorite it would make the other soups cry and i don't want that

- western chicken soup

necessary: carrots, onions, celery, chicken thighs, salt, pepper, water, oil

fun: dill, parsley, lemongrass, ginger, a carb

starting off with a very simple, cost-efficient boy. mirepoix base (onion, celery, carrots), brown them in oil + salt + black pepper, then throw in bone-in chicken thighs w skin, cover w water, let simmer.

easy to jazz up if you want to get extravagant: give the chicken a bit of browning on the skin and underside first before putting in the mirepoix mix, add dill + fresh parsley + lemongrass + ginger, eat w noodles or rice, get less sad

backstory: from my undergrad crush's roommate, who taught me this for tutoring him in intro to programming (as in i was simping for this guy enough for him to outsource me to tutor his friends). great cook/bartender, horrible coder, hope he found a better major

- bastardized provençal garlic soup

necessary: garlic, sage, olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, water, egg

fun: potatoes, bread

this one has more steps. grab a big tub of pre-peeled garlic from the asian supermarket (or peel it all yourself, you masochist), and some fresh sage.

chop up a shitton of garlic, heat butter/flavorful oil, cook garlic in it, after a few minutes (make sure you have enough oil that you're not crisping the garlic instead) toss sage in. let the sage bring its flavor, then add water. the garlic + sage makes a very umami base that's reminiscent of a nice chicken broth.

because i'm an enemy of the french (according to all my int'l friends), i add diced potatoes so there's substance. be generous w the salt and pepper, potato absorbs a lot of flavor. as things finish boiling, either crush the garlic into paste and mix into the soup or leave it, fish out the sage so you don't eat bitter leaves

finish by serving w raw egg + beaten w olive oil + tempered w soup (it should be a nice, milky soup, not eggdrop), eat w bread.

backstory: "aigo bouido" was mentioned in pkmn x/y, in hotel richissime of lumiose city. a google search later while starving in my apartment, decided "why not"

(speaking of pkmn, i was done from day 1 w xy. paid no attention, got through it against my will (only bc i loved my chespin and wanted an aegislash), and when the big bad said "i will destroy kalos" i wanted to help)

(prissy uni student gary oak was almost enough to make up for my suffering)

- cantonese borscht

expensive bc of the oxtail (you can just use a big cut of roast w/o bone, but holy fuck you are missing out if you don't use oxtail itself)

http://yireservation.com/recipes/cantonese-hong-kong-style-borscht/ <- can't go wrong w this recipe, love things that are just "throw everything into pot and cook"

backstory: i was meh about this in childhood bc i preferred soup bones w lots of marrow. it's a very cha chaan teng (hk-style cafe) flavor, and when i moved across the country w no access to that style of eatery and home, it is the simplest way to capture it

- slavic borscht

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252414/borscht-with-beef/

my added suggestions are: - use canned beets. it will save you time and frustration, and use the beetwater in the can to make your broth - buy the jar 'better than boullion' beef paste + the beetwater to make the broth (also, it's easier to keep and use than canned/carton broth) - let it cool a bit and add salt to taste. salt (judicious use of it) will bring out the other flavors - can eat cold, puree the soup without mushrooms and beef first and add them back in (or without the meat and shrooms)

backstory: the intersection of me playing the ace attorney series obsessively + having a hungarian roommate in undergrad made me mad curious about this pink soup, and she was down to teach me. great for your digestive health. like... really great

- bittermelon pork bone soup

necessary: pork spare ribs, dried or frozen mussels/oysters, dried soybeans, bittermelon, chicken broth, ginger, salt, water

if you hate the fishy stink of mussels and oysters, you can prob substitute w dried shiitake. or if you are a fancy rich bitch, try dried scallop (but at that point why are you doing that? use it to make fried rice!)

rinse the dried soybeans and then soak them for at least an hr.

if the mussels/oysters are dried, also rinse and soak.

chop up pork ribs into smaller chunks. salt it generously, mash around, let sit for 10-20 mins in a pot. boil water at the same time, then pour it over the ribs when it's done salting. turn on the heat and keep it at a boil for about 1-3 mins.

remove from heat, drain the pork into a sieve, use cold water to wash the meat and bones. you want the extra gunk and myoglobin out (it's not blood), use your hands and get in there. let rest.

prep your bittermelon by chopping in half like a loaf of sandwich baguette. use a spoon or knife to dig out the spongy white part, all the way down to the green rind. then chop into smaller sections.

chop a thumb-size knob of ginger, you don't need to remove the skin. slice the knob into actual slices.

start boiling the broth, put the meat and ginger in. reduce to simmer, add the soaked soybeans and sea meat, and then the bittermelon. once it's all cooked through, salt to taste, eat w rice

backstory: it's the chinese kid way to fucking hate bittermelon. and then at some time between the age of 21-30 an internal switch flips and it becomes acceptable. idk i got used to bitter stuff (black coffee, dandelion greens, chicories) so it's actually a refreshing flavor now

[wroammin]

PokéSides AU

because i’m a nerd and i can do whatever i want okay (also i can’t draw so you get headcanons instead)

Virgil

Age: 18

Region: Kalos (but was born and raised in Kanto until he moved out of his parents’ house)

Pokémon: He has a Gastly that used to follow him around as a kid and wouldn’t let anyone but Virgil see it, but then it became his partner when he turned ten.

Story: Virgil moved to Kalos with no real idea of what he wanted to do. He sent in an application to Professor Sanders’ lab to be sent on a journey, but he didn’t really expect to be accepted. No one really knows how he affords to live in Kalos in a small apartment in Lumiose, and he refuses to say. Not that he has many friends to tell, anyway.

Roman

Age: 18

Region: Lived in Kalos his whole life.

Pokémon: Roman has a Jigglypuff that was caught as a gift for him on his tenth birthday. To the dismay of his parents, however, Roman didn’t want to go on a journey. Roman just wanted to compete in contests and win.

Story: Ever since Roman was young, he wanted nothing more than to compete in contests, never showing any interest in battling. Not wanting to disappoint his parents (who wanted him to be a trainer), Roman applied to Professor Sanders’ program, and was accepted. Now, all he wants is to prove that he can be good at something, even if it isn’t what he wants to do. Before being accepted, Roman had a job in Lumiose at the Hotel Richissime.

Logan

Age: 19

Region: Has travelled all over many regions in the span of a year, but currently resides in Kalos. He was born in Unova, however.

Pokémon: His parents found him outside once, an Abra by his side. They initially thought it was trying to hurt him, but found out that it was just drawn to Logan for no reason. It eventually became his partner, and it enjoys travelling with Logan.

Story: Logan is extremely interested in finding out more about pokémon. He got into trainer school when he was little, learning everything he could, then took up an apprenticeship under his region’s Professor. When he turned eighteen, he left Unova and began to take apprenticeships all over the regions. He has very good connections with many Professors, and came to Kalos to study under Professor Sanders and learn about Mega Evolution. The Professor, however, believed that Logan needed to go out and socialize more, so he sent Logan out with a new group of trainers his age to hopefully make friends and still conduct research.

Patton

Age: 19

Region: Lived in Kalos his whole life, and was a neighbor to Roman.

Pokémon: Patton’s family isn’t wealthy, so they can’t afford any of the gear necessary for Patton to become a trainer and catch pokémon. Patton did find an egg in his house’s backyard one day, though, and has taken care of it since. It has yet to hatch, but Patton can feel that it will hatch soon. Patton has also found that pokémon seem to take an instant liking to his warm and nurturing personality, and he has many pokémon friends that he’s had since childhood.

Story: Patton was best friends with Roman until Roman’s parents isolated Roman, preventing his wild dreams of competing in contests from coming into fruition. After that, Patton spent a lot of time outside, finding wild pokémon and befriending them, but never catching them. His parents couldn’t afford to send him to be a trainer, so they applied him to Professor Sanders’ trainer program. He was accepted, mainly due to the fact that Prof. Sanders was interested in how Patton seemed to attract many pokémon to him. Patton would love to become a trainer, just so he could make more friends and finally have pokémon of his own.

tell me if i should actually explore this idea, because i do have a lot of plot ideas and tidbits to add here and there!!

tagging my generals because i might(??) write this?? so what do you guys think??

@ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @aurinkari @lamp-calm-sanders @heretoreadmyfics @fangirl-328 @friezan-is-tired @i-really-dig-the-purple @5notbrokenjustbent5 @princess-novalin @snazzy-weird-person @shaeshaetheravenclaw @punsterterry @xxladystarlightxx @4amanxiety @ughthatsprettygay @crownswriter123 @sympathetic-deceit-trash @happyxstrawberry

[nutsandlightningbolts]

maythehoennsapphire:

May nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I get it. Medication isn’t something someone should be relying on in order to sleep.” A giggle escaped her again. “Caffeine is caffeine, right? Maybe your body won’t figure it out. Your next journey? Where are you going?” she asked curiously.

The hotel drew closer to them, and May found herself slightly disappointed that they were going to be ending their interaction… or were they? She looked over at Clemont and smiled, a blush rising to her cheek when he called her charming. “You’re very sweet Clemont. I’d like to continue our conversation, actually,” she said, looking up at the hotel. “Let me just go check in and I’ll meet you back in the lobby, how does that sound?”

“Hm?” she said, tilting her head. “Not really. I was just going to wander around and see what I can find. So I’ll be right back, okay?” May said as she approached the door.

Clemont offered a chuckle to her quip about caffeine. True enough, caffeine itself was a drug and was present in both drinks.

As she broached the topic of his next journey, Clemont grinned excitedly, “I’m going to Alola, actually! I’ve solidified my knowledge on the phenomenon of mega-evolution, but recently, I’ve heard about the recent advances in the research of Z-Moves from that region. I’m curious about what that entails, and how I might be able to incorporate it into my training and battle strategies!”

Before they knew it, they’d arrived on the doorstep to the hotel. His embarrassment still permeated his being, at least until she completely surprised him and she voiced her interest in continuing their conversation. His eyes brightened immediately, the haze of regret for his previous choice in words evaporating from his body.

“Oh! T-t-that would be... great!” again, he had a hard time choosing his words. The situation seemed unprecedented to him and he wasn’t sure how to react properly. He simply did his best and finished, “G-good idea... I’ll wait in the lobby... as you said!”

He wished he could mask his excitement better as he stepped into the lobby, watching May go sign in as he took a seat on the fancy leather of one of the couches adorning the opulent architecture of the Hotel Richissime.

He hadn’t had much cause to come in here before. Prior to this, he’d only set foot in the fancy hotel to help them conduct repairs after the Lysandre and Avarice Incidents. The scene then was a far cry from the fancy and luxurious impression it gave now.

But it wasn’t so much that which caught his eye as it was May in the distance. Already she proved to be someone who captivated his attention more than most, and it wasn’t just because of her achievements. She was quite relatable and down to earth, and had a seemingly generous spirit. Even her standing as former champion seemed to be overshadowed by just how well they got along, at least from Clemont’s standpoint.

He wondered if she would consider him a friend after this encounter. He was already quite willing to call her one, himself.

[jadeazora]

Really tho, WHAT even was the explanation for this? Like, would we have finally found out if Z became a thing?

It feels like a lot of the other ghosts have explanations towards them or some decently-concrete enough theory: Paula in SwSh got sick and died, the bridge ghost girl in Unova was unable to wake from her Darkrai-induced nightmare, the Old Chateau ghosts may have been poisoned (you can find an Antidote in the trash can), and the ghost of the little girl you see in Phoebe's room in ORAS maybe her grandmother that just appeared in a younger form or something.

Then all we get really with this one is unusual appearance in ORAS, the Hex Maniac that appears in the Hotel Richissime (which may or may be not be her) telling the player to be quiet or she won't be able to hear the elevator, and a message on the back of the train schedule timetables telling someone to go "wait in the usual place, that someone is going to go for help."

I mean, I posted on my headcanon that she was a member of Flare who got cold feet on what they were going to do and was gonna go public, only for her supposed ally to betray her, and to later be ambushed and killed by Arran (a guy with very assassin-ish dialogue you meet in the Battle Chateau. He's a butler, but given the wealth of the people visiting there, it wouldn't surprise me if a few had Flare connections. You can encounter Malva there after all) or even Lysandre himself, tho I kinda like to think his initial intention was to just bring her back to Flare until it became clear that wasn't going to be an option. But that wouldn't explain her appearance in ORAS.

[jadeazora]

It still kinda bugs me we never found out who the Lumiose ghost girl was. Like, all the other ghosts have explanations: the Chateau ghosts were likely poisoned (you can find an antidote in the trash), the bridge girl succumbed to an endless nightmare, and the ghost in Phoebe’s room may have been the spirit of her grandmother, just taking the appearance of her younger self.

All we have for the ghost girl is a message at the Lumiose train station that’s been theorized to be about her (“I’m going to go for help. Wait in the usual place.”), her reappearance at the Hotel Richissime, and her appearance in ORAS.

(I theorize, and this wouldn’t explain why she was in ORAS, that considering the city she’s in is also home to Lysandre Labs, perhaps since she’s the ghost of a wealthy girl who may have been silenced by TF/Lysandre since she found out too much? I have also speculated Arran from the Battle Chateau is tied with Flare, since the manga shows they have their agents everywhere, and how he attempts to attack you under the command of his mysterious master, so could see her falling victim to a similar situation.)