#hopefully my lilligant one will turn out just as well!

[dragonflyinnovates]

My plate is finished! By far one of my favorite pieces I’ve done recently.

Alolan Ninetales are such majestic creatures, I would love to see one turn up at the center at some point.

[echoeternally]

If Machamp Survives...

By selecting Machamp as part of the Hero’s Second Wind poll, these are scenes that will be included for him.

Brief descriptions and scene titles will be included below!

Fair warning: There is some content dealing with death below as well.

Second warning: This post is long to depict several developing scenes!

... ... ... ... ...

Machamp’s Survival

This scene depicts the direct events that lead to Machamp escaping from his near death experience, arriving in a cave with mysterious healing properties.

Machamp, sadly, does not arrive alone.

... 

Gasping, Machamp lurched forward, and coughed as he steadied his breathing. His eyes widened as he spun around, scanning the cavern around him, while his lower arms touched at his body below. No stab wounds.

“They can’t just be gone,” murmured Machamp, still searching the cave around him. “How did we end up here?” He blinked and smacked his head. “We, duh. Alakazam must have…hey.”

He spun around and spotted Alakazam on the land. His smile faded quickly, however, as he watched Alakazam clutching at his chest.

“No.” His eyes widened as he swam through the water. “Hang on, Alakazam!”

Forcing himself up on the nearest land, Machamp hurried over to Alakazam, as his partner collapsed. Machamp scooped him up and held him close.

“No, no, no…Alakazam, come on!” Tears lined Machamp’s eyes. “I’m ok, look! See?” One slipped from his eye as Alakazam’s body went limp in his arms. “Come on, please…I’m only here because you got me here…” He choked. “Why did you have to Teleport so much…?! Why did…why did I ever…? …Don’t leave me…”

... ... ...

Machamp’s Return

This scene sees Machamp returning to his friends, Chesnaught and Greninja. While they’re thrilled to see him, they’re confused about him coming alone.

...

“Hey!” Machamp beamed his usual smile, resting his lower arms on his hips and waving with his free hand. “How’s everything been?”

I blinked at him, and twisted around to look at Greninja, who gawked ahead at our friend. He smirked as I turned back and took a step over to him.

“You…you’re…alive…?” He nodded as I picked up my pace over to him. “I don’t believe this! Machamp! Is it really you?” My arms launched around him, and he laughed, hugging me back. “How are you here?!”

“Long story, involves me getting un-stabbed a bit,” joked Machamp. He pulled back, still beaming to me. “But yeah, here I am!”

“It’s so great to see you!” Greninja hurried over and hugged him quickly. He jumped back and glanced around. “So, where is…?”

Machamp’s smile disappeared instantly, and Greninja fell silent. I shifted my attention between the two as Machamp deflated. I caught his gaze as he lingered over my hand, with Greninja’s cupping it.

“What happened to Alakazam?” I should’ve held back on asking, but I was curious.

“It’s, uh…it’s just me.” Machamp lowered his head. “Alakazam didn’t…he’s dead.”

... ... ...

New Friends, Old Wounds

Chesnaught introduces Machamp to his friend, Lilligant, and they catch up a bit while learning about one another. Another friend of Chesnaught’s drops in, but is a little less warmly welcomed.

...

“This is my friend from back home, Lilligant,” I introduced. “Lilligant, this is Machamp, my friend from the Iceberg Empire.”

“Nice to meet you!” She bowed her head to him. “You look very strong!”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Machamp chuckled. “Anyway, pleasure to meet you too! You’re pretty!”

“Thanks! ...I get that a lot too, ha.”

“Of course you do!”

“Lilligant’s become a proficient dancer and mage too,” I expanded.

“Oh, Chesnaught, don’t tell him that.”

“Why not? That sounds great!” Machamp beamed to her. “If you’ve got talents, you should flaunt them!” He folded his lower arms. “Feel proud of what you can do. If you’ve got someone else in your corner, so much the better, but you’ve got to own what you can first.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet. And smart too!” Lilligant bowed to him. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome!” He sighed. “Just looking out for friends that remind, uh...well, Chesnaught’s friends!” Quickly, he turned to me, before I could comfort him. “Greninja mentioned that you two went to one another’s hometowns before coming here, right?”

“Yep.”

“How’d that go?”

“Well, I think he liked my family. Folks at the Lotus Lake were pretty nice.” I rubbed behind my head. “As for his father...I’m not sure what to feel. Or, maybe what not to feel, honestly.”

“Ah, that doesn’t sound great. Hopefully you can win him over!”

“Somehow, I’m not sure he’s the type for that,” I murmured.

“Nonsense! You’re really great at gaining anyone’s heart,” determined Machamp. “Trust me, the Iceberg Empire went through loads of growth thanks to you. I’m sure you can get through to him too!” Machamp cracked his knuckles. “If you need any help though, I’m free enough for it!”

“Uh...thank you?” I nervously laughed. “Um...I’m not sure how Greninja would feel about that though.”

“Pretty sure I can get his permission.”

“And I’m pretty sure he’d grant it, but I really don’t think that’s the right way,” I assessed.

“Thank you so much, Machamp!” Lilligant gently touched his arm. “You have no idea how much I try getting those points across to Chesnaught.” She winked. “I’m glad he was in good hands up by you guys.”

“Ha, he was with me, and I was with him!” Machamp grinned. “Chesnaught and I became great buddies, after all.”

“Interesting.”

Lilligant soured immediately upon hearing Bisharp’s voice, and we all turned to him. He walked from behind a tree across the meadow.

“Chesnaught certainly picks stalwart companions,” Bisharp noted. He offered a hand to Machamp and looked across to him. “Like Lilligant, I’m glad to hear it. Name’s Bisharp.”

“Good to meet you.” Machamp reached over for his hand, but Lilligant grabbed at his. “Um. What is it?”

“She and I don’t particularly get along,” mumbled Bisharp.

“That’s because you’re a fairweather friend, and left Chesnaught alone after he came out with Greninja,” snapped Lilligant. “You were supposed to be his best friend.”

Machamp withdrew his hand and narrowed his gaze on Bisharp, while I stepped between the three. Bisharp lowered his head and turned aside.

“It was a stupid call on my part, I freely admit to that,” confessed Bisharp. He turned back to face me. “Whatever it takes, I’ll keep apologizing to you, Chesnaught. And I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

“Still waiting for you to prove that,” icily demanded Lilligant.

“Lilligant—”

“No, Chesnaught, she’s right,” chimed in Machamp. He glared at Bisharp. “Maybe you should go. Find some other time to apologize.”

“So I shall.” Bisharp turned away. “Take care, then. Good meeting you.”

“Wish I could return the sentiment,” snapped Machamp.

I sighed and scratched my head, as my two close friends fumed watching Bisharp disappear.

... ... ...

All Too Familiar

After a battle, Machamp is approached by Incineroar, who reminds him of another acquaintance that cost him precious time with Alakazam.

...

“Brawny, hold up!”

Machamp squeezed his eyes shut as Incineroar hurried over to us. He placed his hands near his fiery hips and grinned to Machamp as he eyed him up and down.

“Seeing you battle is second only to seeing you at all,” complimented Incineroar. “If you’re free for the upcoming performance night, maybe you’d like to share a table with me, huh?” He beamed and winked as I covered my face with my hand. “How about it?”

“…You sound almost like him.”

“Hm?”

“Listen, thanks for the offer, but I’ve got a slight grudge against flirty and muscular Fire Types,” spat Machamp.

“Yikes, that’s a bit on the nose,” complained Incineroar. “What’s wrong with my Type?”

“Sorry, it’s just…” Machamp groaned and rubbed behind his neck. “Bad history with a guy that cost me precious time with my…my…” He quietly stared off into the sky, not even flinching as I placed my hand on his back.

“Ok, ok, I get it.” Incineroar held up his hands and took a step back. “Can’t change the crap you’ve been through.”

“No one can…”

... ... ...

Under the Rain

During their ascent of the Mountains Monarchy, Greninja finds Machamp in a vulnerable moment, and tries to comfort him.

...

“Greninja?” Machamp hastily brushed at his eyes. “Ha, uh, hey!” He forced up a faulty grin. “What brings you out here?”

“I came to check if someone came back.” He shuddered as I rested my hand on his arm. “I wasn’t expecting that to be you.”

“Ah...ha, well...” He hesitated and his lips wavered. “I was, I just...”

“It hasn’t changed for me either,” I confessed. “I know it’s different for you, but I still miss him terribly.”

“...Uh, I should be crying on Chesnaught’s shoulder, not yours.”

“We’re both your friends, Machamp,” I reminded him.

“...Gods I miss him.” His expression fell and tears lined his eyes. “I can’t stop thinking about him. I keep trying to bury it, at least for now, but I...I miss him all of the time...”

Thunder boomed overhead, but that didn’t matter to us. I wrapped my arms around him and he pulled me close. For his sake, I tried to hold back on my tears, while his flooded out as the rain started. Neither of us were strangers to water, after all. Slowly, his grip eased from around me, and I pulled back as his arms fell.

“Hey!”

Twisting around, I watched as Charizard soared over to us. He touched down and slipped beneath the overhang.

“The rain’s supposed to pick up,” he cautioned. “We should get inside!” Charizard blinked and studied Machamp. “Hey...you ok?”

“I...might be...”

... ... ...

Vow of Vengeance

Confronting his would-be killer, Garchomp, Machamp vows retribution for Alakazam and intends to finish the dragon.

...

Garchomp shook his head and stumbled back, swiping blindly. He blinked himself back into an empty gaze, as his eyes barely focused on Machamp, who lowered his fist.

“This time it’s just me,” called Machamp. “He died trying to save you, and died saving me.” Pulling all four of his arms back, either to his waist or behind his back, Machamp kept his glare trained on Garchomp. “But you know something? I never wanted to save you at all. Deep down, I knew we should’ve killed you then and there.” Swiftly, he withdrew his blades, pointing them all at Garchomp. “So this time, I’m going to make good on that, and be sure to put you down, once and for all.”

... ... ... ... ...

(Remember, these are scenes in development. However, this is what you can look forward to upon selecting Machamp’s return for the stories!)

(Head back to the poll here!)

(Still not sure or want to read more? Check back here!)

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

love the idea that all three of the creation trio get created by arceus and given to the galaxy team but then you only take one and the other two are just. chilling. vibing with laventon. never getting stronger or realizing their divine potential. they just play with cyllene’s abra and beg visitors for snackietreats

THEM BEING THE SHINY VERSIONS... the creation trio have v good shinies (blue giratina!!) so this rules. love the idea that they’re like... new versions of the deities, who will hopefully be Better and not end the world or anything. this works especially in the giratina route. (then by defeating their frenzied adult forms do they like, claim the right to godhood and achieve their full potential? -again, this would work VERY well with that other version where adaman and irida wind up with palkia/dialga)

also THE ONE WHERE THE GOD JUST STRAIGHT UP DIES? AND GETS REINCARNATED? that would just make the giratina route even MORE complicated and off-route from the other two because now VOLO is dealing with the fact that his collaborator and apocalypse-shadow-deity is dead, and for some reason its incarnation showed back up with some random kid. would he assume this was part of giratina’s plan and try to get on your good side/convince you to work with him? or would he start trying earlier to sabotage you, knowing you’re an emissary of arceus and you’re gonna fuck things up if you keep the new giratina?

OH MAN what if the pearl line noble order changes too, and you wind up unfrenzying lilligant later in the order, because arezu managed to hide the truth/the entire clan was helping her so as to not show weakness? and the only reason they do eventually ask you for help is because lilligant is hurting or outright killing them? (toxic spores... poison in the rivers... her grass-type powers causing all the edible/medicinal plants to disappear, or worse turn poisonous themselves)

ooh wyrdeer coming last is fuuun. or maybe the pearl clan thinks this round of sinnoh’s judgement against wyrdeer/basculegion/braviary is like, condemning them for serving the diamond clan, and so won’t interfere? and they are whistling and ignoring that two of their nobles are also frenzied. also re: ingo going behind irida’s back to ask the diamond clan for help unfrenzying sneasler: irida and the clan probably aren’t gonna be. happy about that when they find out what he did. especially if they think the frenzy is a blessing. that might have some Consequences for ingo...

hell yes bigger settlements!! this is my biggest gripe with 1800s pla theory lmao, like if it’s that late why are the clans so tiny?? maybe there’s more of the clans we just don’t see in the game—but when you’re welcomed in and it becomes like a base of operations, you see way more of it. (this is almost shaping up to be some kind of au where you wind up falling into/working with one of the clans instead of the galaxy team... which is itself very fun... hmm)

ooh maybe ingo is your practice partner for the double battle, after the sisters show you how to do it, and after you beat him he congratulates you and says that “your technique with multiple partners is unrivaled, E-” and then catches himself and uses your actual name. but... what was he about to say? and why did he speak as if it were completely unsurprising and expected? 

tbh i’m really in love with the idea of the miss fortunes being your “clan” in the giratina route. honestly anything that expands on their game role from “people who show up when we need a battle to pad things out” and also does something with the fact that apparently they’re all three from a different hisui faction?? as in, there’s a diamond and pearl clan and galaxy team member??

OKAY OKAY OKAY first thing! First most important thing is that orginal creation trio are all big, large, in charge 12+ft tall big guys. Baby creation trio are all little small lads. A foot tall at most, and they looooove cuddling and sitting in the protag's lap.

Secondly! okay, you know in PLA the *only* player choice that matters is who helps during red sky event and even then it *only* decides which is frenzied out of dialga and palkia? Well in this fangame, which one you pick as your starter *changes the entire fucking game*

Red Sky Event, you *can't* chose between the Clans, you automatically get helped by

Chose Palkia: the nobles who get frenziedi n cnaon still get frenzied. However, while Pearl Clan is immediately in support and trusts you with anything, Diamond Clan outright hates you and will do anything they can to stop you. (With the notable exceptions in Adaman and iscan) you have to do long subquests to get Diamond Clan to even consider letting you calm their nobles. Red Sky Event, you imediatly and automatically get helped by Pearl Clan by being taken to their settlement. Diamond Clan is now threatening war as they are attemptign to get their leader replaced as Adaman refuses to attack you the player. You have to calm frenzied Origin Dalgia at the Temple of Sinnoh

Chose Dalgia: The five *ride* nobles get frenzied and while Daimond is super supoortive and loves you, Pearl Clan outright hates your guts and tries their best to stop you (With again two exceptions: Ingo and Palina) You have to do long increasingly hard subquests for Pearl to grudgingly allow oyu to even attempt to calm their nobles. Red Sky Event, you *can't* chose between the Clans, you automatically get helped by Diamond, full on support by getting taken to their settlement. Hisui is also now at the brink of War as Irida and Kamando *both* fully believe you are here to destroy them and they need to defend themselves. You calm frenzied origin Palkia at the Temple of Sinnoh

Chose Giratina: ALL TEN FUCKING NOBLES GET FRENZIED. And while neither Clan hates or loves you, there keeps being weird... *things* that happen when you (think you) are alone in the wilderness. Red Sky Event, war is being threatened as *both* rida and Adaman stand by your side and said fuck off, Player isn't evil to Kamado. Can you guess who you have to calm at the Temple of Sinnoh? If you guess both Origin Dailga and Origin Palkia *at the same time* then you guessed right!

[ scribeprotra: Additional thought to Giratina path: The long 'befriend the enemy Clan' subplot is replaced with a long 'befriend the miss fortune sisters' subplot, who then teach the Player how to field multiple pokemon at once. Meaning only the Giratina Starter Protag can do the Hisui 'send out three mons at once' thing, which is very helpful at the Origin Frenzy battle! ]

OOH OK OK OK

ok but what is like. the Lore here. is arceus like, giving you a copy of the creation trio's mortal forms without the literal god part, because it wants you to have enough strength to stand a chance against the other one? is this some sort of spacetime shenanigans where the actual deity has been removed from its position and turned back into an infant to give to you? (also, YES 100% on them being itty bitty. just little guys. kitten mode, they stumble around all awkwardly and trip over things and investigate by sniffing. one day they will rule all creation but right now they monch berry from your hand)

the clan you choose immediately respecting you because you're literally blessed by their god?? YES. meanwhile if we carry out the idea that there's a myth of sinnoh and its shadow in hisui, as referenced in giratina's dex entry, would the clan that distrusts you naturally assume that you're some kind of like. vassal of the shadow's will, since you have their enemy clan's deity? that you and it are a harbinger of the apocalypse?

anyway- the clan settlement becomes like a second home to you even before being outcast, maybe it even changes slightly the order you face the nobles in since you can sort of start from there? and you're given more lore and backstory on their clan's version of the creation story as they try alongside you to raise this god-kit.

how's arezu's questline change in the pearl clan line? her reluctance to accept help suddenly being SO MUCH MORE: lilligant would be the first diamond noble you've ever faced. for all she knows you and your false beast are going to kill her lady. (sidenote: how's mai react to you in the pearl timeline? does she just not engage? is she, with adaman, one of the few who don't outright hate you because wyrdeer vouched for you? (i imagine as you progress through the regions, you maybe win more wardens to your side as you help them)) + i dunno if there's ANYTHING that would get melli to respect you. do you and ingo just have to completely go behind his back to unfrenzy electrode?? (unless we go back to the idea that melli's some kind of secret heretic bc of the "ten nobles" thing in which case lmao). you meet lord avalugg very early when you visit the pearl settlement (maybe right after facing kleavor?) but it's impossible to actually do anything because you need sabi's help, and she's forbidden to aid you.

vs. the diamond line- FRENZY SWAP RETURNS! in this scenario i imagine it would be calaba that you wind up having to face last, because no way in hell is she ever going to give you the time of day, with braviary perhaps coming very early on? because sabi's baby and in very active danger and you're gonna need braviary to get around in absence of the currently-mad lady sneasler. or possibly she's just trapped in the settlement until you make it to the icelands and calm her lord. (i imagine ingo still doesn't come in until after you've unfrenzied one or two, but this time it's because he's desperate to help his lady and honestly he truly doesn't know who's right about the sinnoh thing regardless just please help her-) 

and then giratina and ALL TEN NOBLES OH SHIT- this is going to be fucking hell for the clans: not only have they lost their main transportation method, they’re now surrounded by incredibly strong dangerous monsters who all want to murder them with no protection. ...and, yknow, this happened days after this mysterious stranger appeared, carrying a pokemon that looks suspiciously like a shadow. hmm. (maybe in this case both of them start warming up to you slowly, as you figure out how to calm the frenzied nobles? with the wardens themselves having varying opinions on you, some like ingo’s in the diamond line- they don’t care if you’re a harbinger so long as you help their beloved noble- whereas others tilt even stronger to the “frenzy is a blessing” side and actively think you removing it is somehow going to make things worse, maybe by giving your false god more power.)

and then HISUI INVENTS TRIPLE BATTLES?? maybe the miss fortune sisters replace the clans as your field allies as you unfrenzy the nobles, until you earn some of the wardens’ respect, because it’s hard to do bandit things when there’s a bunch of fuckoff powerful nobles constantly hunting you! 

(...secret fourth path arceus egg)