#does that mean i just drew all the pokemon?

[onestepbackwards]

Hi hello hey

I really like ur writing and was wondering if you would like to write the player/player character being distraught that their partner Pokemon from wherever the player character came from didn't come with them and basically was just bummed put enough for arceus to go

"fine fine, geez, here's your dog..."

And then they're all happy with like, the biggest, scariest pokemon in the world

Being in a pokemon game should have been a dream come true.

And it was! It was so many people's dreams to be able to catch and interact with pokemon! Many people held this series near and dear to their hearts!

...Which is why you felt terrible for being so... upset.

When you ended up in the pokemon universe, one thing you always dreamed of was having your partner pokemon with you. One you always transferred between games, one you considered your good friend.

Sure, growing up, they may have been a set of pixels, but they always meant to you than that.

So to be in the pokemon world, and not have your partner pokemon?

It felt bittersweet.

Really, you felt bad for being upset. What right did you have to, when people would literally kill to be in your shoes?

So you tried to be optimistic, and you were still kind to any pokemon you came across.

But it wasn't the same.

Thankfully though, arriving here meant you caught different types of attention.

Include divine ones.

Arceus has been a surprise. You honestly had thought you were dreaming, but you suppose you shouldn't be too taken aback.

They were basically a god, and a cosmic being of sorts. Why wouldn't Arceus know of you arriving?

Though it's curiosity about you was a surprise, especially as it seemed content to observe your interactions with this world.

Arceus seemed happy though you were overjoyed to be here, though it seemed they noticed how you occasionally drew yourself back in when gazing at other pokemon.

Eventually, it grew curious enough to ask, sensing your sadness.

"Why does thou seem to lament seeing other pokemon? What bothers thou to bring such sadness?"

You jumped, not expecting such a question. After a moment, you sheepishly rubbed the back of your head.

"It's not the other pokemon that bother me, not at all! It's just..."

You were silent for a moment, a conflicted look on your face.

"I... Well... I had a partner pokemon, back in my world. Where this world is a game. A pokemon I traded across games. Or dimensions. Or whatever you want to refer to separate games as. I took them everywhere."

Looking down, you kicked a rock with your shoe.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, of course. I don't wish to complain. I'm quite literally living a dream here! I just..."

Taking a deep breath, you sighed while avoiding Arceus' eyes.

"I miss them. I wish I could have seen them at least."

Arceus was silent, noting the far off, yet fond look in your eyes. They could tell you clearly held this pokemon in high regard.

Eventually, you looked back up to Arceus.

"Don't worry about it. I promise to stop moping-"

"Doth thou really wish to see thy friend?"

Arceus' question caught you off guard.

"Huh?"

They tilted their head at you from above.

"The pokemon for which thou hath considered a companion."

You blinked.

"Uh...?"

Arceus put a leg forward, gently tapping the ground.

That's when you felt an odd, warm feeling in your chest, before a light was pulled out from it. A small orb of light floated in front of you, and you felt the urge to hold out your hands.

Slowly, the orb levitated into your awaiting grasp, and the light slowly dimmed, revealing a pokeball.

Looking up at Arceus in surprise, your eyes darted between the god and the pokeball in front of you.

You cradled it gently, almost unbelieving at what you were looking at.

"Is... Is this really...?" you tried to ask, your voice small, yet full of wonder.

Arceus made a noise that sounded almost like a hum, nodding at you.

"Perhaps... This shall ease thy sorrow, and bring thou comfort."

With shaking hands, you hit the button on the pokeball, releasing your friend from inside.

What followed was a loud cry as the ground shook, and you could only grin as the light cleared, and your friend was completely visible.

"Giratina!" You cried out in pure glee, running up to your partner pokemon with your arms in the air.

Giratina, your Giratina, let out a trill when they saw you. They shuffled on the ground to look at you, and made such a cute smile on their terrifying face.

The legendary pokemon leaned down, happily letting you run up and hug it's face while you laughed.

Arceus watched, keeping it's distance as you reunited with the pokemon you held so dear.

Perhaps this would change your mood, though Arceus hoped the locals wouldn't freak out by your giant friend who you no doubt would be keeping out of your pokeball...

[kuradex]

I wanna know about your art style. How you draw like that??

i tried putting down considerations as well as a (very) general step by step of what i do; if there's anything more specific you want me to explain lmk i guess?

first off, general (self imposed) constraints / purpose of project -- this informs what i draw & how i draw it

i.e. "kuradex" is pretty different from my normal art (my 5 latest rough illustrations):

or my monster hunter charms:

or my pokemon tcg contest illustrations that im not allowed to show until june (😉):

although i've said its for merch purposes, ive started drawing these because i wanted to practice conveying "liveliness" and noticing key features / nuances of a given design, but i didn't want to spend a large amount of time on each one.

so what i came up with is

i want to draw things on-model in terms of proportions ( + take note of weight / tapering of shapes / etc )

no backgrounds & minimal "props"

experiment with / practice line/texture/color/flow/rhythm/etc

spend <1 hr on each pokemon on average (this is a bit more difficult for me to track, but for example, the cyndaquil line took me less than 42min to color, combined, and means at some point in time instead of focusing on cleaning up the art as much as i can, i stop after cleaning up most of it)

that said, the pose & the rhythm/flow of lines are key in conveying liveliness, and if i have a concept in mind i usually end up going with it, but i may go thru a few if i dont.

i consider pokemon origin / lore or a key point in its design, and if i'm particularly stuck, i try looking up pokemon card illustrations for inspiration. (i noticed the research i do is essentially a truncated version of how Atsushi Furusawa does research before doing an illustration.

(& even despite all this i do get stuck sometimes and don't exactly understand a pokemon and just opt for "as cute or cool as i can make it i guess?", but i think it's part of the process...?) (theoretically things that are A Shape should be really easy to draw but with what i want to practice in perspective i find them difficult...)

this is from my latest paid req but these are my first sketches of chesnaught -- i was thinking of how one of its inspirations is a warrior / tanker from RPGs, so i drew a pose where it's shielding its face.

i do another pass and take note of details.

in general i draw overlapping shapes and erase (it's a bit visible on one of the spikes)

because i opt for quickness i start coloring at this point -- i just use a colored "color burn" sketch layer for the "lineart" & colorpick official art & lay down messy flats & set the color layer to 60%

60% multiply layer for shadows. i tend to use both hard and soft brushes

for bigger projects i would use 2-3 shadow layers to create more "layered" shadows

here i use overlay layer (60%). this is just throwing colors at it and seeing what works and doesn't work. i personally prefer to throw red under the eye and a yellow or blue near the top of the head. this is mostly done with a soft brush

before this point, everything is under the rough lines, but now i start drawing/painting over it

i just color pick the colors that have been laid down from the previous steps and clean up / render textures (making the green on its arms look fuzzy) / fixing anything that i forgot or looks too off (i.e. the spike on its shoulder and the way the tail curves)

I could potentially keep cleaning this up, but this is where i usually stop 🫡

[peachglumpear]

twitlonger doesn't work anymore so i've decided to compile my thoughts on tumblr.

there are two reasons why tvskyle being arrested for csem enrages me aside from the obvious of the matter.

tvskyle was a known predator for years. if you google his name and "callout" there are troves of information about his harassment and predation to women. back when i had a professional art account despite that i was not an animator or heavily in animation circles this was public knowledge even to me.

2. this is what happens when people refuse to acknowledge predators can and will co-opt GOOD GUY / BAD GUY language to infiltrate and stay in circles.

anyways, that is the short version. this is the long version where i get into topics regarding abuse and harm that may be triggering.

first off, let's get over how using the word "paraphile/paraphilia" has become fearmongering and taking the words away from what they actually mean. "paraphilia", at its most base level definition means "a paraphilia is an experience of recurring or intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, places, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals."

if you like BDSM, you're a paraphile. if you like bondage, you're a paraphile. if you like pregnancy, you're a paraphile. if you like fictional brothers kissing, you're a paraphile.

considering the DSM used to characterize homosexuality as a mental illness until 1973 (51 years ago, not that long in hindsight!) if you are not a cisheterosexual white man and like anything that is not cisheterosexual sex intended for the sole purpose of procreation with the intent to create children, you have a paraphilia.

paraphilia/paraphile in both proclaimed 'anti' and 'proship' spaces is becoming the new 'pedo', which is really just BAD PERSON. do not interact with me if you are a BAD PERSON who does BAD THINGS. BAD PEOPLE get away.

the reason why i do not have any disclaimers about "antis/pedos/zoos/etc dni" in my bio is because to me this is the same thing as saying "serial killers dni" ...i don't mean to sound snarky, this is just what it boils down to. if a person is out there harming someone, human or animal:

i do not know why they would proclaim this information publicly.

if someone is harming real beings, i do not think they would respect text on a screen if that very prominent line in the sand has already been passed.

tvskyle fits the mold for animation dudebro who was established in the industry of his choice despite the open knowledge of his predatory behavior. i cannot testify to if anyone knew he was possessing csem before he was officially arrested, but it was definitely open knowledge that he was the kind of man you wouldn't want left alone with female coworkers. some of this behavior was bad enough that even male coworkers would avoid him.

tvskyle also coopted proship/anti terminology.

this isn't me knocking on someone for their age, but when i first saw tvskyle posting about of all things, invader zim yaoi, my first thought was "why in the world would a 45 year old man who is an industry professional be so obsessed with arguing online about cartoon smut."

i guess you can argue about stupid things on the internet at any age at any level of industry success. but it was bizarre to me because it's not as though cartoon smut of any problematic variety should be news to someone working in animation in their 40s. The animators on the original Beetlejuice made jokes that BJ's fingertips were red from fingering Lydia on her period. The rugrats storyboarders drew horny jokes. There's infamous posts about animators finding the secret smut vaults for their shows. Cartoon smut has basically existed as long as cartoons have existed.

and then you find out tvskyle also drew pokemon porn that involved may (age 12), brock (age 15) and max (may's younger brother, age 8.)

wow, kyle! a threeway between a 12 year old and her 8 year old brother! that seems pretty problematic! incest and shota combo!

but i guess that's not an issue. it's not problematic when i draw it because i'm not a BAD PERSON.

tvskyle became weirdly obsessed with calling people out for cartoon smut despite that he drew smut you could categorize just as problematic in nature. and then he was found possessing some of the worst csem you can be found possessing. and he was found possessing over *600 images* of csem. that isn't something you gather overnight.

so there is the uncomfortable truth of the matter that predators can and will co-opt terminology to blend into any space. and this can happen anywhere. if someone wants to get under the radar in anti circles, they will rave about how bad cartoon smut is. if someone wants to get under the radar in proship spheres, they will adapt and use the appropriate terminology for that sphere.

and this is why to a whole, i find it incredibly reductive to use terms that reduce people into bad person / good person because at its most harmful, all it does is protect people who are continuing and perpetuating harm to real people.

i think everyone needs to acknowledge their capacity to harm as much as their capacity to heal. and before you think "wow peach that is a really wide assumption i would NEVER hurt someone like [x]" yes, i know, imaginary stranger in my head, this is not what i am saying.

what i mean when i say we all need to acknowledge our capacity to harm is because i believe the choice to be a good person or a bad person is a choice you make every day. if i am a "good person" my whole life and then one day...i don't know. i steal money from a homeless person, or i throw a drink made wrong in an overworked barista's face. all of the "good things" i have done would not cancel out that in those theoretical moments, i was not a good person. in fact, in these hypothetical scenarios, i was very nasty.

there have been days where i've had to be the friend who sits another friend down and talks with them about how something they said or did really hurt me. and likewise, sometimes i've had to come face to face with when i wasn't the good friend. it hurts both ways but let's be honest, someone hurting you doesn't come with the same fearful sting of "i hurt my friend. do they think i'm a BAD PERSON. am i the BAD PERSON now?"

and none of these conversations would have been productive or involved growth or greater understanding if they had come from the angle of YOU, a BAD PERSON, hurt ME, a GOOD PERSON. (on either end.)

i think acknowledging your capacity to harm simply means acknowledging you're human. you won't always be right. you will mess up and that's simply a part of the human experience. but being able to take accountability and examine when your actions have caused harm will be more beneficial to yourself and your loved ones in the long run.

the person who groomed me would not admit they had groomed and exploited a minor because in their mind, they are not a BAD PERSON.

the person who abused me would never admit to these things because in their mind, they are not a BAD PERSON.

to be a BAD PERSON is to lose everything because being a BAD PERSON is not to be any person at all.

of course these people never took responsibility for the harm caused to me.

only BAD PEOPLE do BAD THINGS.

the uncomfortable truth is there is no way to ping with 1000% accuracy someone intent on predation and harm. there are predators in white vans lurking outside of high schools, but the predators were also the charming and well spoken teachers who were very popular with coworkers, parents and their students. some people are simply better at adapting and blending in the system they want to exploit than others.

i think tvskyle fell somewhere in the middle. other inappropriate behavior of his was well known, but this wasn't enough for him to be blacklisted. as we all know, sexually harassing women is not a firable offense. for people missing the 50's, feel assured some thing have not changed. (<- very biting sarcasm.)

tvskyle is definitely not the last predator in animation, but what do you expect from circles that are essentially glorified high school cliques that only require ego stroking and circlejerking.

tvskyle may have been the most recent predator found, but he is definitely not the only one and anyone acting otherwise is just leaving the door open for these people to continue perpetuating harm.

[starabsol]

cs pride headcannons

happy pride month! this is to the gays, lesbians, queers, transgenders, nonbinaries, bisexuals, everyone!!!!! (except homophobes, get away) happy pride month and good job being so fruity! we love u ^_^

ok so basically i have headcanons for my fav pokemon characters, may drew harley n solidad but i never really did much with them but since its literally pride month right now i thought why not draw them? theyre more like chibi attempted weird ass doodles butttttttt

first up, of course, our baby drew.

theres smth about him that just screams transgender.. hes ftm (female to male) since he didnt feel right in his body, but doesnt mind presenting himself in a feminine way. demisexual also because i dont feel like he randomly falls in love with people unless they know them well and have a good bond! and he obviously doesnt care about anyones gender whatsoever, doesnt have a preference either.

he goes by he/they pronouns and would rather not be regarded by feminine names, though he himself doesnt really care about how he appears to others

if someone comes out to drew:

someone: “drew, i have to tell you something.. im lesbian.”

drew: “thats nice”

drew is neutral about this stuff. he simply doesnt mind that much. though inside, secretly, he is pretty proud of whoever comes out to him; he does care.

next up, may!

may is an ally, no doubt. she loves everyone as they are! i debated making her asexual for a hot second, but scrapped it later as i didnt really liked that for her :P

she goes by she/her! she respects everyones pronouns, and if unsure if what pronouns to use she always uses they/them to avoid mis pronouncing. always shows up at pride conventions!

if someone were to come out to may:

someone: “may.. i have to tell you something. im non-binary”

may: “OMG THAT IS SO COOL I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND PROUD OF YOU!!!!”

next up, our cunty harley!

hes bisexual and non-binary. he loves both women and men, and simply doesnt give a fuck about (his) gender. he goes by she/he/they pronouns since he really doesnt care what people regard him as. “gender doesnt matter honey!”

he doesnt mind looking feminine or masculine at all, so sometimes u see him skipping around in skirts and the other moment you see him in a suit. and honestly? we love that for him. pop off harley

if someone were to come out to harley:

someone: “hey, harley? can i tell you something? im gay.”

harley: “OOOOOO! so proud of you honey! welcome to the gays!”

and lastly, solidad!

shes a lesbian. i dont care what you have got to say, solidad is a lesbian. she loves women, she loves feminine people. shes also aromantic because i can make her aromantic. she naturally loves platonically, but she can love (and feel) romantically, just not that often.

she herself is also an ally, of course, everyone in these headcanons are, but she is an ally. she supports everyone the way they are, no matter their sexuality, gender, race, background, whatever. she loves everyone. n that goes for may drew and harley also! solidad would probably be the most calm if you were to come out to her, though.

if someone were to come out to solidad:

someone: “solidad? i wanted to tell you that im bisexual..”

solidad: “oh, that’s wonderful! congratulations. i am so proud of you for telling me.”

———————

happy pride month! make sure to love everyone the way they are. love isnt a choice, neither the way you were born or how you feel in your own body! youre good as u are!

im pretty much questioning myself, i mean, im sure im aroace but beside that? no clue. for now id just say im heterosexual, but i havent really fallen for people romantically or sexually so i dont know at all lol

school still isnt over, still have about a month left 💔 i hate the netherlands vacation time so much only 6 weeks for summer break is crazy

[rindragon-from-twewy]

Y'all never guess who the brainrot's been about today boiiiis-

Headcannon dump incoming; (spoilers for the ending) (I'm writing these from a post game perspective)

1: the most grandpa pyjamas you've ever seen. Wears his mask to sleep but wears one of those girlie-pop eyemasks with the big fake lashes over top so people know he's asleep (or at the very least, can't see)

2: Rollerskates round his penthouse to pass the time (occasionally), often blasting music through large stereos and his playlist is a terrible mix of classical orchestra and pop from between the 1970's-2010's

3: other hobbies include balloon crafts, card/magic tricks and decorating new masks <3

4: Ofc ik this one isn't real the way I drew it here but I like to think that he was sort of... cattle branded? With the 0001, a forever mark that he is the first and only 'successful' homunculus. Maybe I'd re-place it on the back of his neck? Since we never see there, canonically.

5: His favourite Pokemon is Mewtwo. He cried when he watched the first pokemon movie, balling at the "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are". Like he called up Yuma right after fully sobbing about how "Mewtwo's just like me fr-" and then didn't shut up about it, so much so that Martina got him the shirt I drew him in

6: I feel like he wants friends but is just... deeply socially awkward. Now that all the secrets are out etc etc, he has no real reason to hide anymore but... there's just no real way for him to get out and socialize. It ends up with him considering Yomi's ex-lackeys to be the closest things he has to friends, since I like to believe they all work directly under him now.

7: Coming off number 6, I imagine him going to Yomi's jail cell to vent to him and then intentionally take the opposite of any advice Yomi gives him. This ultimately backfires as sometimes Yomi does actually give good advice simply in hopes it'll stop Makoto from coming back.

8: He doesn't actually know how to look after himself very well. Beyond keeping himself clean, that is. He has people clean his house and do all his cooking, he's got a decent sense of the value of money but doesn't really mind throwing his own saving's about on random whims. Does this mean he tries to buy people's friendships through gifts? Occasionally. Does it work? ...... sometimes!

9: Ok so I assume we're all in agreement that either Makoto or Yuma had to die their hair- I think it's safe to assume Yuma was the one to cut his hair short but I think maybe Makoto's the one to dye it. I think No.1 wouldn't have been dumb enough to go "I know, I'll dye my hair purple, nobody will notice the roots showing and come to the conclusion I erased my memory on perpous!" Cuz he's not that dumb- (I hope-) So, you may be asking. Why blonde? Cuz he's a barbie girl in a barbie world, obviously.

10: So I spent the whole time playing raincode like "Yuma's so kirigiri and naegi's kid or something-" And ofc I knew it'd stay a headcannon and not be real cannon but it's stuck. So yeah, Makoto named himself after who he remembered to be his father. I think, since Makoto wants to be a good person, he called himself after the good-est person he knew at the time.

This isn't all the rot but if u read all that then just know this is all eventually gunna be included in fanfics I plan to write-

I am a writer I promise I just don't have the movitation rn-

[minnlahzz]

drew x male photographer.

requested

— FEMALE READERS DNI WITH THIS POST.

this guy was ass, and i hated him in the anime! the only thing enjoyable about him was the fact that i liked his roselia!! his thing with may was also funny to watch, but he's yk he's drew... i wrote these as headcanons, but since i barely know what this guy does (i suck at remembering) i made a scenario with 'em at the end!

— LOWERCASE INTENDED.

hmm, when thinking of drew he'd be pretty sassy and smug. when drew first spots you snapping photos of wild pokémon, his first thought is something like, “does this guy think he’s going to catch their best side?” he’s a bit smug, assuming you’re just another weirdo or somebody who only cares about fame. but when he notices the concentration in your eyes and the careful way you frame each shot, he starts rethinking things.

as he watches you photograph pokémon with genuine focus, he can’t help but be a little intrigued. drew thinks, “alright, maybe he actually knows what he’s doing.” this little realization sticks with him, and he becomes curious about what you see through the lens that makes you so passionate. he'll probably introduce himself in a weird way, like it sounds mean even though it's not. he'll even do a hair flip.

someone who does not wish to follow their dreams, or isn't confident in their talent is not worth his time. drew prides himself on his aesthetic sense, so when he sees your photos, he’s secretly impressed. “he captured roselia’s petals perfectly,” he thinks, starting to admire your talent. seeing how passionate you're to your hobby, that's probably what made him soften up to you and then start liking you.

drew will join you on your photo excursions, claiming he just wants a break from the contest scene. but it’s obvious he enjoys seeing your enthusiasm for photography. he’ll occasionally even point out great spots for capturing pokémon, trying to act like it’s no big deal.

when he’s practicing with roselia or flygon, you can’t resist snapping some shots. drew pretends he doesn’t notice, but he always tosses his hair or makes sure roselia is angled perfectly. your camera makes him feel like a celebrity, and though he’d never admit it, he loves it. this slowly grows into a habit, and drew starts standing around a little longer whenever you’re nearby with your camera, pretending he’s just hanging out. but he always makes sure to pose just right when his pokemon are with him, making it easy for you to take amazing shots. he’d deny it if you ever asked, though.

you have a few shots of drew when he’s genuinely smiling—no arrogance, no pretense. those moments are rare and precious, and drew will give a soft, appreciative smile when he sees them. It’s a reminder of how your love for photography brings out the best in him. he's not bothered that much with those hidden shots you made. like what i've said before, this guy loves to pose and his ego is high enough to support all of this.

whenever you’re unsure about a shot or want feedback, drew tries to support you in his own way. “it’s almost as good as one of my performances,” he’ll say with a smirk, but his sincerity shows through. drew would also totally brag about you to others (others being may and her gang) , even if he’d rather do it behind your back to save face.

—

you’re out exploring a grassy field at sunset, hoping to get some unique photos of pokémon in the golden light. drew tags along, claiming he’s there to “see what all the fuss is about.” but as usual, he’s subtly angling himself, making sure he’s ready in case you snap any pictures of him or his pokémon.

you spot a beautiful butterfree resting on a flower, wings catching the light perfectly. as you line up the shot, drew moves closer, watching over your shoulder. he’s clearly trying to act disinterested, but he can’t hide his curiosity.

just as you’re about to capture the perfect shot, drew (purposely) nudges your arm slightly, making you accidentally snap a picture that’s a little blurry. “oh, come on!” you complained, hitting him on the head.

“what?” drew says, grinning with a shrug. “i was just… helping.” he crosses his arms, trying to act innocent but clearly enjoying the reaction.

but the butterfree flies away, leaving you with just the blurry photo. determined, you turn your camera on drew instead. “fine, if you want to be in the spotlight that bad.”

drew was caught off–guard "HEY, THROW THAT AWAY."

[charbon-et-feu]

I got this ask on my art blog within minutes of posting that Hoenn boys bunny art so I'm pretty sure that's what prompted it. I don't want to clutter my art blog with this nonsense, so I'm not going to answer it there, but I do want to dissect it a little bit.

"You're not even trying to age him up or anything"

It's fascinating (and sometimes a little concerning) to get a glimpse of what people's standards are for what makes a fictional character look like an adult. I can usually see where people are coming from when they assume that a character is young based on their appearance, but it's annoying when people confidently say that a character must be a child if they're drawn a certain way, and then go on to assume the worst of an artist if they draw something a little spicy. It's already difficult to guess most people's ages irl, so it's silly to think you can reliably guess the age of a fictional character drawn in an anime/cartoon style.

People come in all shapes and sizes. People from some East Asian countries tend to be shorter and younger looking, and then you have people from Scandinavian countries who are typically super tall. Idk where anon is from, but a lot of the people who like to fuss over the ages of fictional characters are from the US. This is crazy to me because the US is such a diverse melting pot, so you would think that someone living here would understand that there's no one-size-fits-all definition for what an adult looks like.

And none of this even really matters when you're talking about fictional characters. They're not real. They're objects, dolls that we play dress up with and smush together and use to tell stories. We throw them on a stage to entertain us. Sometimes, it's heartwarming or funny or sad, and, sometimes, it makes us uncomfortable. Oftentimes, we put them through hell, but no matter what, they can't hurt us, and we can't hurt them. So, it's a safe way to explore our ideas and try to understand ourselves and our world a little better.

It's so strange when people judge someone based only on what they enjoy in fiction and art. It really doesn't matter how I draw Brendan or any other character, so I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing. But I do want to try to dig into why anon thinks that I'm not aging up Brendan at all, because I think it's interesting to analyze and try to understand the thought process behind comments like these. Feel free to take this next bit of rambling with a grain of salt. I'm mostly just speculating based off anon's ask and similar arguments that I've observed from people who try to argue that a character looks too young to be an adult.

For reference, here's the art that (most likely) prompted the ask:

When I draw Brendan, I'm usually going for older teen/young adult. I did make him a little skinnier than I would have liked here, but he still looks like he could be anywhere from a teen to a baby-faced adult. So why does anon see a child?

I'm guessing one of the main reasons is that Brendan is short. And since Wallace is super tall, it makes Brendan look even smaller. Most of the characters don't have canon heights, but I've seen people estimate Wallace's height at a little over 6'(183cm) by comparing character models in Pokemon Masters, and Steven is a few inches shorter than Wallace. I go with 6'2"(188cm) for Wallace and 5'11"(180cm) for Steven. I think most of the protags are under 5'(152cm), but I make Brendan at least 5'5"(165cm). Even with the extra inches, Wallace still makes him look small lol. Here's a little chart I made for myself a while ago so you can see what I mean.

Could I make Brendan taller? I guess I could, but I'm not going to. The height difference is part of the appeal for me. It's fun to draw, and with certain poses, it can be an interesting challenge. Also, short men exist, and they're valid.

I'm guessing the other reason anon sees Brendan as a child is because I drew him pretty cutesy and baby-faced compared to Steven and Wallace. In the bunny pic, Brendan's bashful expression and somewhat feminine pose and outfit also add to the cuteness. I like to keep the somewhat big, rounded eyes from his canon design, but I do the same thing when I draw Akari/Dawn, and I haven't gotten any angry asks about my volokari art. I just like to draw Brendan cute. Is that the problem? Can someone not be perceived as a man if they give off too much cute, feminine energy? Hmm... That kinda smells like toxic masculinity.

I can't help but wonder if anon is letting common stereotypes rooted in traditional patriarchal USAmerican gender norms poison their perception of what a man should look like. "Real" men must be tall, strong, rugged, etc, and if they don't meet those strict standards then they must be either a boy or a woman. (Similarly, women must be short, dainty, soft, have big boobs, etc, but this is about Brendan so we won't get into that.) If you transfer this mindset to stylized art of fictional characters, I can see how anon arrived at their conclusion. But this way of thinking is close-minded and objectively wrong because the average, white USAmerican's view of the world is not universal. What about short, feminine men? Flat chested women? Trans men? Are we not allowed to draw and sexualize these types of characters? Kinda sucks for all the short kings and petite women out there who want to see a character that looks like them get railed by their favorite blorbo of the month. Sorry guys, you must be this tall if you want a fictional character with your body type to be sexualized. No fun allowed.

Maybe I'm wrong and it's not that deep, but this is how ridiculous people sound when they start breaking out the rulers and measuring the art of fictional characters to determine if it fits into their (often inconsistent) standards of what an adult looks like. Now, I do understand that certain types of art can make people uncomfortable, and that's perfectly valid. I also have a certain threshold for when a character starts to look a little too young and I'm no longer comfortable seeing them depicted in certain ways. When I come across art like that, I just unfollow/block/mute and move on. It's not that serious and definitely not a good reason to jump into some random person's inbox to harass them.

Also, I don't want to get into this topic too much (since this is already really long) but I think it's worth noting that these types of comments usually only start popping up when the art has sexual elements to it. Young Shounen Anime protagonists experience varying degrees of violence regularly, but I can't remember the last time I saw someone question the morals of those creators. Why does the pearl clutching only happen when creators try to dive into sexual territory with fictional characters? Just something I wish these people would take the time to think about.

Anyway, anon can think I'm weird if they want, but I think the assumptions they're making say a lot more about them than they do about me. I'm just here to have fun and draw cute anime boys, and Brendan just happens to be my favorite doll rn. I enjoy playing dress up with him, and sometimes that means he's gotta get in the bunny outfit. It's fine. He's having fun. He told me himself.

I didn't mean to ramble this much, and I don't usually like engaging with discourse, but I had some thoughts, and I wanted to get some of them out. I love art. I think creators should be free to make whatever beautiful, weird art they want, so I think it's important to push back against this behavior when we can. But if I get more asks like this, I promise I won't respond to them often.

If you made it to the end, thanks for taking the time to read all that. I don't usually talk much, so when I do, it's nice when people listen. As a reward for your efforts, please accept this unfinished Steven art.

[kopathefox]

This isn’t a Sorrel ref sheet but this is a cute picture i drew, i drew Sorrel over an image of a kitten, we could imagine the one’s holding him is Aster

+ fun fact: did you know? Every title of an pokemon au in the arsism au MUST include something either with dark meaning or with lore-related stuff (for example: Violent instead of violet, Broken shield instead of shield, ultra blindness instead of ultra sun & moon, greedy platinum for platinum, broken heart & dying soul instead of heartgold & soul silver, Xenophobia instead of X, and all that), and so does the xenoverse title does, but you won’t understand it without my help, so i’ll tell it to you, i replaced the “Ad” and “per” with “Lech” and “Tizdayen”, Lech Tizdayen means “go fuck yourself”, its in Hebrew, it started when i wanted to change the quote of “ad aspera per astera” into something full of bad words & literally vulgar just for the joke but nothing sounded right so i just pushed the lech tizdayen, also, off topic, if you spell Astera but remove the last a its Aster

[infoglitch]

Imma talk about digimon for like a minute so bear with me because uh...

Cringe ahead.

Digimon is a very.. interesting series which I have had a long relationship with. You see "I'm not like other boys" (god kill me PLEASE!) because I just didn't care for Pokemon, I liked shit like Yu-Gi-Oh (cause I just couldn't be anymore lame) because the monster designs were awesome to me. I didn't like Pokemon because it felt so.. cutesy. I'm not saying that's a problem I just at that point in my life found any pokemon remotely interesting... Maybe infernape and emboar because those designs were cool as fuck (I'm not gonna talk about the fire fighting debacle because I'm sorry I just don't get it. Yes without hindsight it seemed like a trend pokemon was going down but outside of that there's nothing wrong with that.) but when I saw digimon I didn't feel that disconnect, yes by all accounts digimon does try to be a little cute but to me it didn't feel like 100% of the monsters were there to be cute and marketable. I thought kabuterimon was cool as shit because of how ugly it was, it wasn't human but it didn't matter to me because it looked like an actual monster. I Loved skull greymon because it was so fucking intimidating, I was literally skeleton of a dinosaur back from the dead with a missile to its back and a second ribcage attached to its back, that was metal as shit and I was all for it.

.. we are not going to talk about angewomon.. we are not going to talk about her... I don't wanna be bullied by the Internet.

A lot of the digimon designs I loved and while I could never keep up with the anime I still loved it.

Og adventure while a product of its time is still fun and I enjoy watching through it. Seeing T.K. grow and becoming more than just Matt's little brother, I loved seeing Izzy connecting with the group and also his interactions with tentomon because those two understand eachother.

Mimi.. look imma be honest I didn't get Mimi and I never got to be able to really connect with sora.

I liked how it was a little more mature especially later on, it wasn't dense in meaning studying the characters but it still felt.. real. T.K and Matt's parents not being Together and T.K being confused on why his family just can't be whole is real, while I couldn't relate to it at the time fully I felt it.

Now I can't say I got tai but I was enjoying Matt's character (what can I say even Young I liked characters who acted more mature.. I'm not bi though I just respect Matt's care for his little brother... I feel like that will get taken out of context.)

Adventure 02 kind of clicked with me, I definitely liked Cody and surprisingly yolei of all characters. I couldn't connect to Davis because much like tai I respected him but I couldn't relate to him.

Now I unfortunately don't have a lot of opinions on 02 because I didn't get to watch almost any of it which sucked.

As for tamers? Oh god where do I begin? Look I'm not gonna be the first to say that tamers has good writing but honestly.. I don't think it's as good as a lot of the fandom says.

It isn't garbage, hell no. But I just don't enjoy it as much. I enjoyed impmon as a character but he was the only character I had strong opinions on.

We are not talking about Renamon. We are NEVER going to talk about Renamon. Moving on.

Frontiers is a oddball, because.. I love it, it is not by any means ground breaking, as it felt somewhat like a soft reboot. But honestly the one thing that drew me into this show was the spirit evolutions, and imma be honest I think once I finally get the chance to rewatch the first four installments of Digimon I'm gonna be locking in on digimon frontiers because I genuinely want to talk about this anime.

But then.. then there's digimon data squad... Now blame it on me liking burst modes and actually liking Marcus as a character.. but like

Digimon data squad is my everything. Primarily it's burst modes that is just always a cool concept because I'm a sucker for mode changes.

You have to have no whimsy in your heart to look at the concept of punching a digimon in the face while yelling "it's fighting time" and not find it baller as shit.. and also just so dumb, and so funny. You have to have no sense of whimsy and if that is the case.. we can't be friends.

As for fusion.. oh god digimon fusion.

Look I hate digimon fusion.. so much,I like a lot of the digimon designs but the anime just grinds my gears with how much it just is a KIDS show. And I mean that in the most insulting way imaginable and specifically mean digimon fusion, not xros wars. Because when it comes to fusion a lot of the story and the characters are just lame. And it feels like I'm watching something that has no respect for its audience.

I understand if people like fusion.. I cannot enjoy it because I think its focused audience.. is for kids specifically.

But why do I talk about digimon? Why do I dedicate an entire post to it?

Because ladies and gentlemen one it is cool as shit and two there are so many stories that can be told using digimon. I love this franchise because It appeals to every neuron in my brain, it scratches an itch I have for monster design and a lot of the stories that it tells are just so interesting and/or very ent, I've especially been reading a lot of Digimon liberator and it actually got me interested in the card game of all things. I've been playing digimon survive and I've gotten invested in these characters (I know I'm going to have to go down wrathful and harmonious I just need to prepare myself for the fact some of my favorite characters are going to die.. oh god I don't wanna see Ryo die AGAIN!)

Digimon means something to me because one it appeals to me in terms of monster design (I will always prefer more monstrous digimon but I'm not gonna bitch about it.) but also in terms of the stories you can tell with the setting. Digimon can be used as a metaphor for human psychology (hell digimon being influenced by their partners, that has so much potential to dive into) digimon has a lot of value to me because it's a lot more open for interpretation and allows it to be more mature with the stories.

But that's my rambling. I apologize to everyone that this is nonsense but I felt like talking about something from my childhood that means a lot to me.

[love-is-a-pearl]

wait, in one comic where you drew Ash around 5 years old (The one where he got the Z marks on his cheeks) he was already masc presenting there. Does it mean he had been trans since he was a toddler or something? That's highly critical to me, good for him if he really is trans but it seems like Delia really wanted a boy if he'd been trans for so long

is more like.. for me in pokemon universe people just leave their kids go ungendered until they're 10? Kinda?

Like, think homestuck "you only get a name at 13" kinda deal and the whole "what's your name?" and "what do you look like?" that the professors ask in pokemon games intros.

I like to think those are not by accident, they're more like a way to make sure kids are being gendered in the way they prefer once they become "working class", "official adults" or whatever being a pokemon trainer means in pokemon society.

Is more like.. up to the point they get a starter, kids are free to do what they want, go by different names every other day and just have fun exploring that shit yknow?

And when they get their starter, they get to make a BUNCH of important decisions, like picking their forever partner, the name that will go in their ID, their pronouns, all that shit, yknow? So, most parents will raise their kids taking that into account.

(changes can happen of course, I mean I LOVE the idea of gender fluid Ash but that's something i cant say its "canon" in my AU since I havent explored that idea in detail yet)

Is not really "he always knew he was a guy deep inside uwu" but more "kids in pokemon universe are raised in environments that just lets them test this shit out" kinda deal.

And like, I favor drawing the characters close to how they look in the anime cause I prefer that for continuity sake, but since they are cis in there they will never look too different, but I will always try and tweak some small things here and there (like, giving Ash longer hair in that comic) to imply something more.

(also Ash was canonically bullied by his peers because of the issue with his father so.. i wouldn't put it past him to dress up more "boyish" or even using his father's clothes to prove he would go and be like him but better yknow? before realizing that "Hey, is not that I wanted to be like dad. I just wanted to be a dude" lmadopaspd)

...

But for real... sometimes... is just not that deep? People will give sonic top scars and he is like.. 9? and a hedgehog asopdjasiodj

pokemon is just my little escapist solarpunk utopia and I like pretenting it is a better place than real life even with the smallest little things QwQ

[legendarceus]

can you tell me more about your pokemon horizons OC, Cadence? I really like their design and they're cool :]

YES OFC :D !!

their role on the airship is to keep track of where they're going and to make maps of the places the crew has been which specifc labels pertaining to the people on the ship rather than for worldwide understanding. they also double up as the bookkeeper ! i vaguely mentioned it in the other post about them but like. half of their wallspace is just bookshelves. and they also have one of those sliding ladders :) oh and they do have like a library system. you do have to check out books and return them once you're done. the books are for the whole ship after all. they're really strict on that policy and they emphasize it a lot when they meet new people who join the crew on the ship for an extended period of time which makes them seem kinda :/. doesnt help that they look tired due to limitde amounts of sleep (damn you perfectionist with making maps)

on the brightside they get a lot more approachable when they smile, which. doesnt happen much because like. visually they arent great at expressing stuff but it DOES happen, especially when theyre like mapping out constellations or talking about space and stuff. i realize i only drew them frowning or being neutral in the previous post WHOOPS,, i swear theyre not upset all the time. again just not great at facial expressions.

they're kinda indifferent to liko and roy once they join the team honestly. they don't MIND having them around but they'd prefer to be alone at first imo, at least until they manage to either 1. warm up (takes a while) or 2. infodump (which they can do fairly easily if given a proper oppurtunity to). they end up befriending the two by the second option after roy asks about the stars at one point or something lmao

speaking of that they kinda?? don't get social cues that well?? i mean kinda. it's mostly in like situations where there will be a massive fight with like people with malicious intent or something. they understand that those people want to attack them and stuff but they just. they don't get it. because of that they'll end up giving out lots of information (usually about really unimportant things) but it gets... its like. candence what are you doing. they're not our friends. and they know that but like ... wdym. they said something slightly incorrect about our current location i have to fix their mistake. they do not take things as threats until its too late and that will ultimately probably be their downfall

their pokemon. their ace is a milotic (the pokemon they fight alongside, the one whos usually out and hanging around, etc.) which they recieved as a feebas when they were young. only evolved recently. their other two pokemon, lunatone and solrock, are pokemon they've gotten to help around in their little space on the ship if that makes sense (like, organizing books and maps and whatnot) and they usually never leave their room :)

they're also like. 19. so theyre younger than the adults but older than the kids and theyre in the weird grey area which blehh. working through the issues that come with being fresh into adulthood or something. except i have no damn clue about that so just trust or something idk whoops

if you have like any specfifc questions i would love to answer them so!! i like talking about my ocs (too bad cadence is the only one i have posted rip)

heres some doodles !

[kiawren]

hi wren !! what first drew u to kiawe, and vice versa? :o did u ever talk abt these aspects/moments w each other? (@dmclr)

Helloo Claraaa

What first drew me to Kiawe irl wise was from the anime when I saw it in 2022 the first episode that he appeared, he seemed really cool lol that's about it actually.. then I watched more and he seemed so funny but also a genuinely nice caring character. Honestly his pokeani character is more light hearted, less aloof, more emotive.

Now I ship with his game character (with some aspects taking after the anime like he has a younger sister and late grandfather), it feels more mature and solemn at times when he talks about realistic woes like worrying about affording his studies abroad. And being able to go up the volcano to see him and run around him in-game makes me feel more connected to him LOL

Lore wise. They first met up the volcano when my s/i wanted to find a nice vantage point to view the sunset. They strike a conversation and Wren learns of his trial captain status and I guess from that initial meeting was already drawn to him. Wanting to know more about him and what he does, and cuz he seems like nice person. He talks in a stern sort of way but he's just kinda awkward. and he showed care for Wren. Cuz coincidentally becuz I Willed it some pokemon were blocking the path down slope and it was getting dark. So kiawe said I'll walk you down after the sunset. And Wren just. Romanticises things so he's like Damn I'm gonna start having an infatuation on this guy. I mean it really is that easy for me irl 😭

Like there was no complex reason why s/i me started liking him. Since they're basically a copy paste of me they just like him easily and simply LOL.

Kiawe was mostly indifferent to a lot of trial-goers and other people in a romantic sense. He wasnt looking for anything. He likes getting to know people and their pokemon but he doesnt get infatuations.

So when he saw Wren that evening up at that volcano, who wasn't even there for the trial, he was just curious why someone would hike all the way up for a sunset.

And cuz he said he'd walk them down for their safety and the safety of the pokemon residing there when the sky got dark, he sat down with Wren and he were 'forced' (by me. by fate) to talk.

Wren shares they're here on a conservation programme and will do some research on alolan ecology and how to conserve it. In particular some of their fieldwork will be done at the volcanic area (with some other Aether foundation researchers or Prof Burnet) and Kiawe's interest was piqued becuz that seemed like a great cause.

I'm not sure exactly how much they talked that first evening they met, but it did spark interest in the other's role.

For Kiawe, he appreciated the company. and it was Wren who first asked whether he could come up here more often to talk to him, so he looked forward to it. Since Wren's disposition was so easy-going and lighthearted he wanted to get to know them more as a friend.

Basically. Ultimately when they first meet, only Wren started getting intetested in Kiawe on an attraction and infatuation level. Kiawe was only interested on a platonic level. Which makes The Realisation™ all the more better. (While Wren never misses a day of Pining)

Did we ever talk about these moments Hmm Yes Kiawren talks abort a range of things and Wren's the kind of person to be like "You know actually When I met you that day..."

And when confessing their crushes on each other he'd also point out how they liked Kiawe since like. Almost the beginning LOL😭

I guess it's also nice to think about Kiawe saying my interest for conservation was felt for his first impression of me talking about doing the conservation programme on alola. Becuz that aspect of my personality would the the best I hope people might notice about me.... 😁

[letstalkwhump]

Let’s Talk Whump No.3

Welcome to Let’s Talk Whump!

I’m Malice, from @whumpers-inc and today I’ve got the fabulous @brutal-nemesis in the house to talk about her experience with and love for whump!

Let’s talk about you! Tell us something about yourself :)

Yo, I'm Nemi, I'm in my 20s and a whumper all the way, baby. Outside of whump, I like rocks (like have an entire degree in geology like rocks), video games (Octopath Traveler, Pokemon, FE, Nancy Drew PC games...), anime (don't ask me about Chainsaw Man, I won't shut up), and hiking (rocks but in their natural habitat).

What does “whump” mean to you?

I get to stab men and laugh about it. I love violence, I am very sadistic

Your fearsome reputation is something of a legend around here. How did you find whump and what made you want to join?

Very long rabbit hole but to be less long about it, I saw some whump stuff on the blog of a pokemon tumblr I stalked (because I didn't have an account) and I was like, Hey This Is The Shit. I lurked for a while but as time went on, I wanted to talk to people about whump and share my own shit cuz I've never really had anyone to talk to about that sort of stuff (at least not without making them really concerned lol).

Being able to talk about wanting to beat up/stab/restrain a guy without concerned looks and questions is so therapeutic, honestly. Do you have a favourite(s) whump trope?

Gore, noncon surgery & body modification, vivisection, female whumper w/ male whumpee, and just general depravity!

Female whumpers, my beloveds! Speaking of favourite pieces, tell us one that you’ve written?

Uhhhh what have I written at all...mmm, well, as far as Castys things, if I had to pick one, it'd probably be Cycle-stys of Yikes . Basically it's a nice little overview of Castys losing his damn mind while he's stuck in a lab for like 240 years. It's probably one of the darkest things I've written as far as, uh, what happens, and that's saying a lot. Idk I just feel like I did a good job with describing these really fucked up actions as...whatever the hell he thought was happening.

For Erebus and Terror...it's hard. I'm really proud of the whole series, tbh, just how I've been able to develop both Erebus and Neteri over time as they change each other, but for a standout chapter...Maybe Chapter 14, Red, White, and Blue , cuz I really love the way I wrote Erebus's panic and what was happening to him from his POV without explicitly describing what was happening. And what's not to love about how upset he is in that one :)

Damn, Red, White and Blue! You’ve definitely earned your reputation..that was brutal! Is there anything new you’re working on at the moment?

Yare yare...I should get started on the next chapter of E&T at some point, shouldn't I? I mean, I have a huge AU stockpile that's basically all between me and one person and we just sit on them, so probably nothing from there for the people...So yeah, probably the next chapter of E&T whenever I get around to that and then I'll probably try to come up with something for Castys since I'm sure people miss him.

Take it from me, the people definitely miss Castys! Care to share what your writing routine usually looks like?

Hahahaha who knows, man. Back before my lil hiatus, I used to write every day whenever I had time and felt like it, but then I became Gamer Mode for a few months and I'm still working on getting out of that habit. But usually just on the couch or in my room with either my video game/anime OST playlist on shuffle (she's 59 hrs long!) or my weeb playlist (anime ops and whatnot) because if it's English words then it's harder to focus on writing,  y’know. Usually I jump around in whatever chapter or piece I'm writing, writing the scenes or bits of dialogue/description as they come to me, and slowly stitching the whole thing together until it's one whole blanket boy.

Is there an easy thing for you to write, something the words just pour for? Anything you struggle with writing?

The easiest thing in the world is whatever bullshit thoughts Castys is having. He is incredibly easy to channel. Any of his dialogue or what he's thinking about comes without much thought. The words also usually flow for my classic™ incredibly long run-on sentence paragraphs that have like no breaks in them cuz it's all go go go, baby. Erebus and Neteri talking isn't too hard either, especially if they're bickering. As far as hard, probably descriptions of pain because it can hard to say how much a thing hurts over and over without being repetitive. I am also not a researcher.  I will just be out here making shit up because it's MY fantasy world so I can have whatever bullshit I want!

Do you have any words of wisdom or writing advice for us?

Well, my old habit that worked for me was to try and write every day, for at least half an hour. If I end up going more, great, but if it's not working at least I tried. That and inspiration is everywhere. Steal whatever shit you like and cobble it together into something unrecognisable. It's not plagiarism cuz you're making something new. Like, E&T came from Stephen King's Misery and a magical girl anime. Go crazy, go stupid.

Go crazy, go stupid. I love it! Let’s give a shout out to your favourite writing/whump blogs, bffs or people who've inspired you. We're hyping everyone up here!

Can't not shout out the bestie @galaxywhump who has impeccable taste and bomb writing and we talk a whole lot everyday and yeah, queen shit. @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifih-wifi is another good friend and amazing writer and she's got so many different stories that everyone can find something they love. Ugh, there's a lot of other people I could talk about, but I'll give the last shout-out to @whump-side cuz her art just always hits the spot for me, so fuckin good.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today. Is there anything you like to add?

Don't be afraid to be a little bit silly, lads, we're here to have fun and it doesn't have to be the most serious shit in the world for it to be good whump. we love being silly and crazy.

Thanks for dropping by @brutal-nemesis ! 

And to all the readers, have a whump-derful day!

[nimbasa-librarian]

A Friend In Need?

Most other teenagers were straight up afraid of Piers, and he liked it that way. 

No typical high school drama bullshit and no distractions from his music. He had his friends. He didn’t really need anymore. Anya had been a welcomed surprise, frankly. 

But no one was scared of Anya, despite her stature (She was the tallest girl in the school, but not that tall, all things considered). She was quiet, wore multiple shades of pink and orange, and even on the most humid of days was in a long sleeved shirt or sweater. Her head was always in books, she did her school-work program at the library, and of all the pokemon to have as a partner, she had a damned Yamask. 

Half a semester into the school year, Piers had taken to keeping an eye on his new friend. He saw those familiar stares - as in, he knew what people were thinking. He just hoped that no one would be stupid enough. 

But halfway through another long evening at the library filling out endless paperwork, Piers heard the startling sound of books falling onto the carpeted floor. 

“... oops” 

Piers stood up, a sinking feeling gathering in his chest. 

“... I’s alright” A slightly sheepish voice reacted. Anya. Her tone gave away that she knew it wasn’t really an accident. 

Piers started walking towards the conversation, slowly, quietly. 

“You’re in the AP English class, right? Anna?” 

“Anya” 

“Okay Emma” 

Well, that was a predictable dig

“I’s Anya. I’s pronounced-” 

“I know how it’s pronounced, mumble-mouth” 

“... if a’m mumblin, why’re ya understandin’ everythin’ I say but mah name?” 

Oh, sassy. Nice. 

“You’re the one with the accent here. Talk like you have a brain and I’ll think about saying your name correctly” 

“Ah sure hope y’never go north’a Wyndon with tha’ attitude” Anya responded. Piers cautiously watched a row away, looking between some books “According to you, there’s a whole lotta “no brains” up there. Y’ain’t even got the Spikemuth accent, an’ y’r tryin’ t’tell me that i’m brain-dead jus’ cause I don’t sound like you? Tha’s not fair t’anyone!”

Piers wondered how she could sound so sincere saying something that anyone else might have said with sarcasm. Hell, she did sound offended - but did she not know that she was deliberately being mocked?

On the bright side, it seemed to take the bully - a piss-poor battler Piers recognized from the after school battle group - completely off guard, as Anya adjusted the books in her hand 

“If y’ll ‘scuse me. I have these pulled f’r a book pickup comin’ up soon.” 

And she abruptly pivoted and left the blubbering buffoon standing there. 

Piers decided he needed to assist - if only in the aftermath, and turned the corner 

“You’ve got some fukin’ nerve, Herbert Shrew” 

“Wah - wuh - Cadell??” 

“Y’ know she’s my friend, right?” 

“What - well - I mean-” 

In what he knew was a rather pompous show, Piers put his hands in his pockets and walked up to the other teenager, leaning forward right into the man’s space 

“You talk to her like that again, an’ I’ll make sure you can’t sit right for a week, got it, ya belland?” 

“G-Got it!! Crystal!” And the coward rushed out the back door of the library

“Right fuckin wanker” Piers grumbled. 

“Mahsk?” 

Piers looked up, seeing that Drew - Anya’s Yamask - was floating a few feet away 

“Uh, hey, Anya back at the desk?” 

The yamask nodded, giving him an interesting look 

“What?” 

Drew motioned over towards the desk. Piers furrowed his brow.

Did he… want him to check on her? Piers supposed that made sense. 

“Is she not doin’ great after that?” Piers asked the pokemon. 

Drew’s expression was telling. 

“Hm, alright, come on. Does she like coffee?” 

-

Anya had never gone to the principal’s office before. 

But then again, she’d never had to wrestle someone to the ground before - she was stronger than she looked, dang-nabit. She hated even touching people most of the time, but anger and determination can cloud that shit real quick. 

Piers was sat on her left, looking a little exhausted, black eye partially hidden by his makeup. 

The fight had been sudden, and hilariously unprovoked. At least, that's what Anya had assumed before Piers had admitted to threatening them. 

“They’d been talkin’ about wrecking the library to make your life harder an’ I told ‘em I’d get m’friends and I to wreck them if they did that” 

Anya was a bit too emotionally detached to speak, but signed a simple '... Why?' 

“It seems they didn’t like that you were beatin’ ‘em at wrestlin’” 

Anya’s scowl deepened, but she didn’t communicate further. 

“... They were wailing on me” Piers stated “Why’d you barge in?” 

Anya looked at him, and signed quite succinctly 

‘Friend’ 

Piers took in that simple sign, and the seeming weight it held coming from a person he knew didn’t have many friends, period. 

“... Can I have your hand?” 

His palm was up, an offer as casual as he could manage it given his emotions.

She stared at the hand for a while, eyes not staying focused on any one thing, but falling back on the hand again. 

Her hand grabbed his, and the two of them sat in silence, ready for the scolding they’d be getting from the principal. 

At least they were doing it together. 

[kohakhearts]

Appealshipping for the ask game!

appealshipping: ship it!

what made you ship it?

they are honestly probably the most baited wlw ship in the whole show like. it's all there. every interaction. i can't help thinking it was intentional (especially as the successors to the contest dynamic i mean.............after establishing contest Rivalry is all about The Romance with may and drew. how was i not supposed to assume zoey was courting dawn shjdfghjdk)

what are your favourite things about the ship?

honestly this isn't a ship i'm like, deeply invested in by any means, but they always just felt like they worked well together in that they never had a moment where they felt like they wouldn't, if that makes sense? they have that mutual admiration, a genuine desire to like. interact with each other and learn from each other. i think something i like about them that's unique to other rival dynamics is that they're really upfront about wanting to see the other improve (especially zoey to dawn, like...really, zoey butts head more with ash than she does with dawn, lmao. zoey's dawn's number one supporter! she doesn't push her to improve by tearing her down the way certain other more emotionally repressed pokemon rivals tend to do (i'm not naming names but you know exactly which rivals i mean lmaooo))

is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

i........don't really know what the popular opinions on the ship are tbh? it's not my favourite dawn ship and i don't necessarily have Strong feelings about it so i've never like. actively searched it out. so idk

send me a ship!

[cursedmystic]

The canvas that drew you over was blank at first, void of any thought, logic or reasoning. An empty slate. However the longer you stare, the more it comes to life and the more you are drawn in...

What do you desire? That was what was being written before your eyes.

The message bled, swirling over the canvas, overtaking your gaze until it is darkness.

You are in its hands. That thing from a time immemorial. A thing so powerful in its nameless was, that mankind had to drain some of its power by giving it a name.

The Black Fog. A god in its own right. A monstrous being that was now causing untold death and destruction. You are practically helpless in its grasp. There is nothing you could do...

What do you desire....? It's a creeping voice, a resonating sentence that echoes sweetly and poisonously.

A bright light saves you, freeing you from the monster. Cutting it's sinking claws into your body, your very soul. Claiming you, but no more.

Rainbow feathers now curl around you as an ethereal light emanates and blasts the darkness away, like something out of mythology. You are living them now, becoming part of it. Chosen by the golden bird of eternal happiness....

What is it that you desire...?

You...have to give this up. At least for now. It was a good dream, but that's all it is. An illusion. A mockery of one of your wishes. Not even Yuri had ever gone as far as do this to you, despite her powers. Empower you, yes. Pep you up. But never do something like this.

The empty promises of someone who did not know you invading your mind is a gross feeling, and you toss it off at the same time you toss aside the canvas, not containing an image. It depicted you and Ho-Oh standing together against the darkness.

What is it you desire? I can give it to you.

The voice is enticing, but false. There are others around you still trapped in the thrall of whatever was behind these canvases.

--thescarletmansion

This place knows what haunts him. The art room opens and everyone scatters to investigate -- and what draws him is a canvas of deepest inky black, like a hole in the world a person could climb through.

It drags him in like a claw, like a tongue lolling out of an infinite, infernal maw. An eye the size of a building turns to look at him and he's caught in a waking nightmare all over again. None of his Pokemon can stand against this thing older than time that has seen fit to claim him.

He can feel the stinging nettles of Jellicent's limbs in the exposed skin of his arms and neck, where the jellyfish tries to pull him from the vision, and all it does is remind him of the poison that had seeped through Saffron City.

As the nightmare sets him to trembling, there is a different sensation of claws digging into his shoulders and then lashing through the shadows in a bright spark of golden light. The wings overhead are a brilliant red and green and flash an array of colors impossible anywhere else in nature.

It's the brightening dawn overtaking the endless night. It makes him weak in the knees to see it and he staggers, which takes the canvas off the wall before him.

The image is empty. It's just black paint smeared across the canvas, with no meaning behind it, and he throws it to the ground.

It is something he wants, desperately and without relief, but it's not something he can count on in this case. He just. . .can't.

Jellicent warbles, frightened, and he insists the Pokemon let go of him. It leaves rash-like marks across his forearms and his neck, which he tightens his scarf to cover even as numbness spreads through him.

He should wake the others.