#hozwer

[melymigo]

Friends and foes.

Watch the final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney plus.

[mertylmylove]

I can't shut up about , Why Mertyl character "fall off" IN OTHER WORDS "Lost potential as character"😭😭 ,Like can we just talk about it?????? IDC WHAT ANYBODY SAYS. SCREW YOU KING.

So can we talk about how this moved too fast after everything ,Like I mean King didn't even give a apologize, He acted like nothing happened?? LIKE EXUSE ME?? Right after you turned your son to a monster,Simply because you didn't tell him you were giving the the drug of yore ,And instead giving to your "gay ass son" ,GOD SAKE- KING, Think think!!!! , Honsetly I thought you were better than this.🙁 ,Tho things were sloved ,AGAIN Mertyl never got the apologize he dersved.

Now on a another thing.

WHY IS MERTYL STILL LEFT AT THE FAIRY REALM??? God this bicth is health may become worse ,Who knows???? ,Like this bicth coughing 24/7 😭😭😭 , Like babe?? Move out you don't to stay with "Mommy and Daddy" , YOUR HEALTH BICTH, You ruining your body....

Mertyl fignting style is amazing, This dude fougut Nasiens, And took him down, The crazy thing ,Being with no magic while Nasiens used his magic. This bicth has lots of physical strength which nasiens is missing and heavily needs. I think he could be stronger if he were to leave the fairy realm,Find something outside there,Go on adventure. ..I don't know do something, He already like 18 years old.😭😭😭

I also really wanna know of his parents too,We know of Nasiens parents, King and Diane, But how come we know almost nothing about Mertyl parents ???? ,That's shady for some reason 😭😭 ,Like nothing about Mertyl true orgin , Does he have any hidden power that he doesn't know of? Similar to Nasiens. Like nakaba give me answers!!!! Or....is nakaba saving his parents for something special..??👀👀👀👀, LIKE WTH IS GOING ON??????????,

Mertyl should be like Hozwer and Gilthunder ,Like the second main cast along with Sixtus, and mabye new characters???😭😭😭😭 ,It would be soooo cool, Having something other to focus on rather than Percival/tristan platoons.😭😭😭 ,I WISHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[thesilvertonguefox]

‘Infested’ Thoughts (and a Bad Batch Theory)

Did we get Crosshair?  No.

Did we get Howzer?  No.

Did we get anything that progressed the plot in preparation for the incoming finale?  No.

And am I disappointed?  A little bit, yeah.

But we did get Roland (who is *chef’s kiss*) and may have got a set-up for a death for Cid.  Hear me out.  

Hopefully we’ll get a season 2 and (with a miracle) get Crosshair back on the team (or at least saved) and hopefully the following seasons will have more character development.  This, however, means we are without the obligatory emotional gut-punch for the finale.  ‘Infested’ is really late in the season SHOULD, therefore, be setting up SOMETHING.  It was very Cid-focused and strived to show the connection between her and the Batch and may well be placed here to highlight this to make her incoming death more impactful and effectively raise the stakes for the finale.

Just a thought because I REALLY don’t want them to kill off Crosshair or Howzer or any of the Batch for that matter.

[zoeykallus]

Hi ZoeyKallus,I love your works especially My Beloved Enemy. Could you do a Hc on the Batch with Howzer as a bonus. On their first times with the reader for whom it is also his first time. PS: I don't see Crosshair as a bastard on the contrary I think that when he loves the reader it's entirely without showing it in public.

Hi! Oh thank you!

The Bad Batch x Reader - First Time HC's 2

Warning: Suggestive / Mention Of Nudity /Mentions Of Sexual Intercourse

Hunter

You are both virgins and it's time to make the first experiences. Hunter acts very instinctively, he is the type of man who does or decides a lot based on his gut when it comes to such things as intimacy. He may be a little clumsy at first like most, but unlike most, he learns very quickly and can improve directly during your first sexual encounter. His advantage; he perceives through his heightened senses much faster what you feel, what you like and what you don't and if you are enjoying yourself.

Basically, this gives him the opportunity to be much more sensitive than most men. He is quite passionate from the start, a wild kisser, a lot of physical contact, his hands are everywhere, he will probably automatically take the lead even if he doesn't really know what he is doing yet, but that comes automatically for Hunter. You could say he is a natural.

Echo

Things are very bumpy here. Echo is super shy and you are both inexperienced. The first touches are accompanied by little accidents and embarrassed giggles. It takes quite a while for things to click and for you to actually be at it. He will learn, you both will, but it will take time, Echo is way too shy and reserved and it is hard for him to let himself go, so the whole process involves a patience game.

But he tries hard and he enjoys your closeness, he just takes a lot longer than everyone else to get things going to some extent. His caring and loving nature makes up for it quite well. It is worth to have patience.

Wrecker

Unexpectedly, he is a real natural, also in terms of foreplay. Somehow you just fit together wonderfully, even intimately, there are very few bumpy moments, the whole thing actually works out almost flawlessly from the beginning. He is patient and very loving, you are almost not nervous, because he is so incredibly sweet.

Of course, the first time is not perfect, but much better than expected and Wrecker is very curious and ready to learn more and new, everything that makes you happy, shall be fine for him.

Tech

Be prepared for the fact that he wants to prepare everything. Your first time will definitely not be spontaneous. He plans the location, all the items you need, a time frame and everything else. He's read up on information, tons of it, because even if he doesn't say it and you might not see it on his face, he's super nervous.

But as soon as you start and he tries those foreplay techniques on you that he learned or read, he's all over it. He tries his hardest and he learns damn fast, he has stored every one of your movements in a split second and knows which touches you find the hottest. He knows all kinds of tricks so that you can have fun and reach your desired goal at the same time. You will spend a long time in the bedroom, but it will be hot and you can safely sit back, Tech has everything under control.

He won't admit he's a virgin, at least not right away. It will be feverish and bumpy and he will finish way too early. He'll be incredibly embarrassed, he'll expect way too much from himself.

Crosshair can't take this lying down though, he'll try his hardest to make you have fun before he tries another round. He will want to start over and over again until he actually manages to satisfy you at your merge. This could be a long first night.

Hozwer

The guy is super romantic from the get go, romantic and passionate. He will surprise you with rose petals in bed, fruits dipped in chocolate and moody background music. He tries hard and he is a natural when it comes to kissing. Somehow it is easy to let yourself fall with him, because he is demanding and gentle at the same time.

Maybe not everything works out perfectly, but he still ensures that it will be one of your most beautiful experiences of your life. He is very attentive and anything but selfish.

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

[rainydaydream-gal18]

Soooo like. I have a headcanon that Captain Hozwer along with the Syndulla’s speak French (or at least the Star Wars version of the French language)! And would love to request Reader hearing captain hozwer speak French to a little Hera and just *heart eyes! * maybe with a lil flirtation? 🥰

(The Bad Batch)  Captain Howzer x Reader: Language

Author's Note: OMGOSH THIS IS JUST-

This headcanon right here killed me. I've now adopted it as well. I’ve been excited about quite a few requests that have blessed my inbox, and this for sure is one of them!!!!

MY GOODNESS. The cuteness,

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

   “We will need to strengthen our offense if we are to drive the droids out for good,” Syndulla noted.  His gaze burned with passion at the thought of ending the long war in a victorious stand.  “Howzer.”  His tone evened as he addressed the captain.  “How are your men faring?  Perhaps we should take time to recuperate.”

   There was no complaint or veiled insult.  As much as liberating his people meant to him, Cham Syndulla wasn’t pushing.  He was a fighter on all fronts.  He was a revolutionary against the politics of Ryloth’s senator, and even resisted the Republic at first...But he did not hold these feelings toward the men he fought beside anymore.

   Appreciation flashed across Howzer’s features, and his tone was optimistic as he replied.  “It won’t take long to formulate an effective strategy, Sir.  We will make sure your people break through the clankers’ defenses.”

   Of course the men needed time to recuperate.  But they would organize that much faster for the twi’leks.

  Your heart burned with admiration at both parties present at the meeting.

   The soldiers and the twi’leks had formed a strong bond fighting alongside each other, and it was not something that either group took lightly.  Everyone was giving it their all and sparing no effort.

   “Well then,” Eleni spoke up, gently clasping her hands together in a concluding gesture.  “Why don’t we take a break?  We can meet back here to discuss strategy.”

   Cham nodded, giving the attendees permission to leave.  The briefing room cleared out, and you exited alongside Captain Howzer.  You found yourself drawn to him as the days went by.  As a representative, you were originally stationed on Ryloth to try cultivate the twi’lek’s hopes in the Republic and make reports to your superiors.  Over time, you began to understand their political position in the war and sympathized...  You also got a closer look at what exactly was going on in the galaxy, ending up in a few battles even.

   It was quite an adventure- one that you never expected when first setting foot on that world.  And you had not anticipated forming such close friendships that went beyond the professional capacity you were used to.

   “What do you think?” you asked, stealing a glance at the handsome captain who walked beside you in the hall.

   “I think we’re closer than ever to ending this war,” he replied.  His tone was calm, even - like his demeanor usually was.  Cool under the most stressful situations.  But one should never mistake Howzer’s restraint as indifference.  The determination was evident in his gaze as he exchanged looks with you.  “It’s only a matter of time before the people of Ryloth are free.”

   You nodded, joining in his hope.  Just then, you saw a familiar form come bounding down the hallway with the clunky, sassy droid close behind.  Howzer’s expression shifted into amusement at the young girl.  His eyes crinkled at the corners in a 

   “Woah, there,” he warned with a chuckle.  “Ralentis! You’ll get in trouble for running in the halls.”

   Your ears perked at the unfamiliar word thrown in there.  It didn’t sound like galactic basic, but perhaps you’d misheard?

   Hera was clearly out of breath from her sprint down the hall.  It took her a moment to utter a greeting.  "Salut, Howzer."

 Your jaw dropped as Howzer replied in the young twi’lek’s native tongue with a flawless accent.  "Salut ma grande. Quoi de neuf ?"

   "Rien!"  she exclaimed.

   He nodded as if considering her response with suspicion.  Then, he gently patted the top of her head and nodded in the direction where she had been running, a signal to continue on her way.  His smile was so gentle, affectionate, as if he were conversing with a child of his own.  “Reste hors d'ennuis, ma grande.  Eh?”

   Hera tried to shield her giggle from him with her hands, but there was no mistaking the glint in her eye as laughter escaped her lips.

  “À plus tard!“  With that, she scurried down the hallway.

   Howzer turned his attention back to you.  Your gaze was already shamelessly locked on him in utter fascination.

   “What?” he asked, though part of you suspected he already knew exactly what.

   You lifted a brow.  “I’ve been here long enough to pick up a few words and phrases, but that...”

   “Well, early on, there was a bit of a language barrier.  I decided it would be helpful if I learned the language for practical reasons on the battlefield as well as to relate better to the people.”

   “Captain Howzer, you are a man of many talents.”  You shook your head, smiling.

  “I’m glad to have impressed you, Ma dame.”

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

Translations:

Ralentis - “slow down”

Salut - casual greeting "hi"/"hey"/"hello"

Mon grande - "kiddo" “my big girl”

Quoi de neuf ? - "What's up?"

Rien - “nothing”

Rester hors des ennuis - “Stay out of trouble.”

À plus tard - “See you later”

Madame - my lady

[valkeakuulas]

For the fic prompts, Howzer/Echo + “I think you missed your calling.”

Howzer/Echo you say? This was a challenge, I admit that. I’m not sure if made it shippy enough. How Echo looks, it’s all up to the reader! Hope you still like it, my dear Anon.  -- -- -- --

“I think you missed your calling.”

“That was fourth one already,” Echo murmured, his tone somewhere between flabbergasted and grudgingly impressed. 

He watched the handsome Togruta with long dark and white lekku and dark blue skin give Howzer one last lingering look before walking away. 

On the other side of the small table, Howzer laughed somewhat sheepishly even as he quickly turned his back to the dance floor. The flashing lights of the 79′s bounced off his armor, coloring the white parts with multitude of colors but also leaving Howzer’s face more in the shadows. 

Even so, Echo could easily see the discomfort on the other man’s face. 

“I’m sorry. I really don’t know why they keep coming over,” he apologized, staring at his drink and started to play with the straw on it. “It’s not like I’m looking for company, I already got some,” Howzer added, glancing upwards and there was a small smile on his lips. 

Echo hummed, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling the words and Hozwer’s look created in his stomach. “I think you missed your calling,” he teased. 

“Huh?” 

“They should’ve roped you for the GAR’s PR team. One look at you and the galaxy would be awed by your handsomeness.” 

Howzer blink, straw dropping from his fingers. “You think I’m handsome?” he asked, breathless and eyes lit with something that looked like... hope?

Echo, startled, closed his mouth with a click before looking down at his drink. “Uh, yeah. Yeah I do.” 

He waited or Howzer’s reaction but all he could here was the deep bass of the music and the shouts of the beings at the club. Echo was just about to dash into the refresher when a hand slid over the sticky surface of the table, covering his.

 Swallowing, Echo looked up. 

Howzer was smiling at him, hopeful, and Echo felt him squeeze his hand. 

It was hard not to smile as well as Echo carefully slotted their fingers together. 

[barissoffee]

howzer calls cham “general” so does that mean howzer may also see hera as his equivalent to a padawan commander?? i am getting emotional thinking about howzer being like hera’s older brother… he didn’t want to report/arrest her and is clearly not okay with having to hunt her down. what if we scenes of him and hera that parallel rex fighting the chip/hunting ahsoka wait a minute 😭

hold on a second.....man I just know that I'll be crying next ep but for real you can see Hozwer cares about Hera and is protective of her I just know he's gonna sacrifice himself to save her 🤧

[bikananjarrus]

Fanfic: hey brother

here is the hera and howzer bonding fic that nobody asked for, but refused to leave my head anyway! @milf-herasyndulla , this one is for you bestie <33

fandom: the bad batch

rating: gen

warnings: none (some minor discussions of death, but nothing explicit)

wordcount: 2k

you can also read here on ao3!

::

Hera sat with her legs tucked up to her chest, one arm across her knees, the other halfheartedly poking a stick into the fire. Hitting a spot that shifted some of the coals, she watched glowing orange sparks dance into the air, bright against the star-filled night sky.

The one good thing about this new base—the rocky outcropping had a great view.

She could hear voices and equipment being moved around in the hangar behind her, and laughter floated to her from the other side of the outcropping, where a few other Twi’leks and clones were taking a break. With her father gone on another scouting mission, she knew she should be helping her mother hand out rations and supplies inside the base. But she was sick of handing out food and blankets. She knew it was important—every little bit counted, her mother often reminded her. And it was their job to help those in need.

And Hera wanted to help. But she wanted to do it out there. She wanted to fly. Or fight, or do something besides stay in the shelter of this base.

She felt helpless. And the last time she’d felt like this—no.

She squeezed her eyes shut, blacking out the stars and the glow of Ryloth’s moons as she inhaled deeply. She wasn’t going to think about that day. But the tightness in her chest didn’t ease, and she could feel her eyes starting to burn.

In through the nose, out through the mouth, slowly. In and out, she breathed. When her shoulders felt lighter again, she opened her eyes, focusing on the first star she could pick out on the horizon.

“Hey, kid.”

Hera tried not to scowl at the familiar voice sounding behind her. Whoever said all clones sounded the same clearly hadn’t spent enough time around them. She would recognize Howzer’s low, gentle tone blindfolded.

Sure enough, when she turned her head, the clone captain was taking a seat next to her, leaning back against the wall of the outcropping. His helmet was off, and the longer curls on top of his head stirred in the slight breeze.

“Hi,” she responded, a little more sulkily than she’d meant to. She buried her chin into the crook of her arm, trying to hide her frustrated frown. Ever since the day of the attack a couple months ago, her parents were checking on her constantly. And they’d definitely told Hozwer to do the same, because he came to see how she was doing at least once a day when he wasn’t out on the front lines. And he always spoke in that gentle voice, like he was trying not to spook a wounded blurrg.

“Hungry?” Howzer asked, offering her a ration bar.

“Nope.”

“Suit yourself.” His armor creaked as he shrugged his shoulders. “More for me then.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, Howzer chewing quietly beside her.

Hera sighed.

Relenting, because she actually was hungry, she said, “What kind do you have?”

“Just the boring regular ones, unfortunately. But I do have half a chocolate bar left, if you’d rather have that.”

Hera turned her eyes on him. “Really?”

Howzer gave her a little smile, the motion tugging at the scars on his jaw and chin. “Won it off Skipper in a game of Sabaac. Already took a couple bites out of it, so I hope you don’t mind.”

She shook her head and took the chocolate from Howzer’s outstretched hand. She took a bite, humming as the sweetness coated her tongue. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

“Sure thing, kid.”

“Don’t call me that.” When he called her kid it made her feel like he was trying to be her brother. But she didn’t need another brother. She had a brother, and he was perfect, and he was—

Gone. He was gone.

The chocolate suddenly tasted bitter in her mouth.

“Sorry, Hera,” Howzer replied, in that same, stupid quiet tone. Like if he spoke any louder he would scare her or break her or something. “Say, where’s that droid of yours? Some of the boys were saying he ran over their toes earlier for calling Y-Wings shitty ships—oh, kriff—oh, no, I mean—shoot. Uh. I meant bad ships…”

She barely heard Howzer stumble over his words. It was automatic as she said, “Needed his power cells recharged.”

“Ah, gotcha.” A pause. Then, “Hera? You all right?”

She shot to her feet, dropping the chocolate and glaring at the captain. “Stop talking to me like that! I’m so sick of everyone treating me like I’m just a little kid who can’t handle anything!”

A few nearby Twi’leks paused what they were doing to stare, but Hera didn’t care.

Howzer raised his hands in surrender, but didn’t get to his feet. “Hera—”

She pressed on, cheeks hot. “I’m sure my mom sent you up here to talk to me and make me feel better or whatever, well guess what. I’m a big girl and I can forget about what happened just like they did. No more dead brother if we don’t talk about him, right?”

Silence.

She vaguely saw Howzer wave off any onlookers, barely heard the crackling of the fire or bustle of the camp past the roaring of blood in her ears.

It was suddenly hard to breathe, which reminded her all too much of that dusty caved in cavern after her father’s last base of operation had been shelled by Seperatists. She still remembered how hoarse her voice had gotten as she’d screamed for help, screamed for her brother when she spotted one of his shoes next to a giant pile of boulders blocking an exit tunnel. Her brother had been nowhere in sight.

Hours later, after Commander Ponds’ and Captain Howzer’s units had rescued the survivors and gone through all the rubble, she’d seen the limp body of her little brother cradled in her father’s arms. When she’d heard her mother scream—a wailing, broken sound Hera had heard before on Ryloth during the war, but never from her own mother—that’s when she’d known.

Since that day, maybe four months ago now, her parents had barely uttered a word about it. It was like her brother had never existed.

“Hera.” Howzer’s voice floated to her through the haze of memories. It was that same gentle tone, but it was—clearer, somehow.

It worked. Her anger flowed away like water down a mountainside. In its place—an aching sadness.

Tears sprang to her eyes, hot and burning. She slumped back down to the ground, once again tucking her knees up and crossing her arms on top. Forehead falling against her folded arms, she started to cry.

For a moment, there was nothing except the echo of her sobs down into the canyon.

Then, Howzer placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave a comforting squeeze before letting go. “I’m not trying to replace your brother, you know,” he said quietly. “I know it might feel like it, me checking in on you and all. But I’m doing it because I care. Not because your parents are making me.”

She sniffled, wiping the back of her hand across her nose and lifting her head. “They didn’t ask you to come check on me?”

Howzer shook his head. “Nope. I’m just checking in on my friend. We are friends, right?”

Hera wiped at her tears some more, and smiled. “Yeah. We’re friends.”

“Then here.” Howzer reached over and picked up the remainder of the chocolate bar she’d dropped. He dusted it off as best he could, before giving up and breaking off the part with dirt on it. “The last little bit was inside the wrapper, so it should be fine.”

She took it gratefully, popping the last bite in her mouth, and giving Howzer a quizzical look as he opened his own mouth to eat the rest.

“What?” he shrugged. “A little dirt never hurt anyone.”

She giggled. He grinned back at her, eating the chocolate with only a slight grimace on his face.

For a few minutes, they sat in comfortable silence. Hera started poking at the fire with her stick again, trying to get rid of the sadness in her body through sheer force of will.

Suddenly, Howzer said, “I’ve lost brothers, too.”

Hera turned her head to look at him. He suddenly looked much older than he ever had before. The sadness on his face seemed to match the sadness she felt on the inside. She scooted back, copying his posture and leaning against the wall.

“You have a lot of brothers, though.”

One corner of his mouth twitched, like he wanted to smile. But his eyes stayed fixed on the sky. “I do have a lot of brothers, yeah. But losing one doesn’t mean he’s replaced with another. We’re all different. So when I lose a brother, it hurts just as bad every time. Worse, sometimes, because I’m their captain. I’m supposed to protect them, and it hurts when I can’t.”

Hera looked up at the sky like Howzer, thinking about that. She only had one brother, and it hurt more than anything ever had before to lose him. She couldn’t imagine having to feel that kind of hurt and sorrow the way Howzer did every time one of his brothers died.

Digging into the inside pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a multicolored bracelet made of woven leather. She studied it in her palm for a moment, blinking away the memory of her mother gingerly taking it off her brother’s wrist so Hera could have it.

“Here,” she whispered, tapping his arm. “I want you to have this.”

He reached for the bracelet, then hesitated. “What is it?”

“It was my brother’s. I made it for him.”

“I—I can’t take that, Hera. It’s too important to you.”

“But you’re important to me, too,” she insisted. “My brother will live forever on our Kalikori, so I want you to have this.”

Still, Howzer hesitated. “But—why?”

Hera grabbed his hand and dropped the leather bracelet into his palm. “Because we both know what it’s like to lose a brother. This is a reminder that we still have each other. Right?”

Howzer stared at the bracelet, then at her. She swore she saw tears shining in his eyes as he smiled at her. “Right.”

She helped him secure the bracelet below the armor plate on his forearm, where it would stay safe.

Hera leaned her head against Howzer’s shoulder. “Sorry for yelling at you.”

“Apology accepted. And I’m sorry, too—I need to be better about reminding myself that just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean you can’t handle yourself.”

“You know what would really make it up to me?”

“Hm?”

She tilted her chin up at him, grinning. “Taking me flying.”

Howzer chuckled. “Oh, absolutely not. Your parents didn’t send me to come talk to you, but they would most certainly have my shebs for that.”

“Ugh, fine.” She jutted out her bottom lip in a pout.

“Maybe one day, vod’ika,” he promised. Hera wasn’t sure what that last word meant, but it sounded nice.

“I’m gonna be the best pilot in the whole galaxy one day,” she told him earnestly, leaning her head back against his shoulder.

“I bet you will, kid.”

This time, she didn’t bother correcting him when he called her kid.

Maybe, if Howzer could have more than one brother, she could too.

[dindjarin98]

Star Wars Masterlist

Started: 22/01/27

Last Updated:

OG Character

Luke Skywalker

Leia Organa

Han Solo

Prequels era/Clones wars era

Obi-wan Kenobi

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Padme Amidala

Ahsoka Tano

Commander Cody

Captain Rex

Fives

Commander Wolffe

Commander Fox

Jesse

Kix

Tup

Kix

Hardcase

Hozwer

Waxer

Boil

Comet

Sinker

Boost

Tech

Wrecker

Echo

Hunter

Crosshair

Bounty Hunters

Din Djarin

Boba Fett

Jango Fett

Pax Vizsla

Rebellion era

Cassian Andor

Jyn Erso

Sabine Wren

Hera Syndulla

Kanan Jarus/Cabel Dume

Erza Bridgers

Agent Kallus

Zeb

Grand Admiral Thrawn

Jedi Order

Qui-Gon Jinn

Plo Koon

Kit Fisto

Siths

Darth Maul

Savage Orpess

Sequel era

Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

Poe Dameron

General Hux

Rey

Finn

[marvelmymarvel]

I was wondering if you were going to continue the Estarossa x Reader x Hozwer? Not trying to push you

Oh goodness you're fine! It didnt seem that popular so I moved on. Plus i learned something new about him and uh *cough* who hes slightly obsessed with... so my story wouldnt work 😅

[galfridus1]

Have some Pokemon fun for the content creators server’s NNT AU day. Thanks @nerroart for collaborating on this with me and producing this amazing art here! It was so much fun working with you. Let’s do it again!

For @princessfroslass and @okamideimos - your enthusiasm for the NNT Pokemon AU is infectious.

The sun shone warm, golden rays heating their backs and the skin on their arms. It had rained overnight and the world smelled fresh, everything practically bursting with colour. The sky was bright blue and the cobbled streets shone a little as they wove through the legs of the buyers and merchants, laughing as they dodged the citizens of Liones. It was a nice day at the very peak of midsummer, and Howzer and Gilthunder felt happy to be alive.

A shadow fell over them and Howzer looked up, the grin sliding from his face as he saw the Magical Research Building. It was so huge, a towering structure that dominated the skyline. His father had said something about how you could tell who was in power from the height the buildings. First the guild headquarters had soared over the huts and cottages of Liones, then the churches had risen with enormous spires that dwarfed these buildings. Now it was the mage who scared almost everyone, her massive laboratory drawing the eyes of all who walked through the streets of the kingdom.

“I hear she does weird experiments in there.” Howzer puffed up his chest, pleased for once to have intelligence to share with Gilthunder. As the lowly son of a struggling blacksmith, Howzer did not often get to know the court gossip which his friend seemed to come across almost constantly. But the previous day he had been… borrowing a bun from the kitchens and had overheard the cook discussing the mage with the butler. “She even has demon artefacts,” he said with a whisper, glancing eagerly at Gilthunder to watch his reaction.

He found the other’s unimpressed look extremely disappointing. “Of course she does,” Gilthunder said with a shrug. “She’s the mage. Lady Merlin has to carry out research into everything. She even has a collection of Pokémon…”

“She does?” Howzer interrupted, incredulously. “Wow! I bet she has some real rare ones. Do you think she has a Mew, or a Yvetal, or…”

“How do you know so much about Pokémon all of a sudden?” Gilthunder stopped in his tracks and it took Howzer a few seconds to also draw to a halt. He turned a little nervously to see his friend looking at him with an unnerving interest, piercing blue eyes peering into his own.

He decided to tell the truth. “I… have a team of Pokémon,” Howzer admitted as his eyes dropped to the floor and he shuffled his feet on the stone path. “I’ve been collecting them for a few months now.”

“No way! So have I!”

Howzer looked back up at Gilthunder in surprise. A soft wind was blowing, bringing with it the scent of rosemary and thyme and ruffling his friend’s mop of magenta hair. The small boy continued, a gleeful grin on his face, “How about a match? I’ve got a new Pokémon I want to try out. Think you can take me on?”

Howzer swallowed hard. Truth be told he did not relish the prospect of a fight whatsoever. The fun of Pokémon was collecting and caring for them, finding the rare ones in the long, swishing grass and carefully catching them in red and white pokéballs. He did not enjoy seeing them fight. In fact, he only really used one of his partners, and that was so he could weaken the wild Pokémon he came across so that they could be caught more easily. But Gilthunder was looking at him so eagerly that Howzer felt he could not refuse.

“Um… sure. Why not?”

Gilthunder whooped for joy and grabbed Hozwer’s arm, pulling him towards the gate in the city walls, jabbering nineteen to the dozen as they sped through the streets. “I love how they change when they get stronger,” Gilthunder enthused. “I’ve been training my Helioptile for ages and I think it’s about to evolve! And you wouldn’t believe how cool my Dedenne is now. It just learned Volt Switch, which is such a great move! The one I’m going to show you today is just the best…” Howzer bit his lip, hard. Evidently his friend had been really training his Pokémon hard.

Eventually the boys slipped through the gate, giving a cheery wave to the Holy Knights as they passed. They made their way towards the neighbouring fields, the chirp of birdsong and the rustling and buzzing of insects growing louder as they moved away from the city. The animals were joyous, celebrating the good weather and the abundance of food, but Howzer could feel his heart growing heavier which each step they took. Gilthunder was practically skipping as their feet left stone for dirt, kicking up dust with their shoes as they neared the clearing where Pokémon fights took place.

Panic gripped Howzer’s chest. “Say, Gil?” he called to the boy who had hopped to the other end of the field and was detaching a pokéball from his belt. “I looks close to noon already. Maybe we should each fight with just one Pokémon, yeah? That way we can get back for lunch.”

“Awww!” Howzer hardly dared breathe. Gilthunder sounded pretty disappointed. “I wanted to show you all of my party,” the boy added with a bit of a pout. “But yeah, I guess you’re right. And I wanted to train with Sir Meliodas this afternoon. He told me yesterday he’s got a Rayquaza! I can’t wait to see it! Well, alright. Here we go. Mareep, I choose you!” As Gilthunder spoke, the pokéball in his hand opened a crack, red mist rising from the depths to pool and swirl round his legs. Howzer watched as the vapour started to take shape, forming an animal with four, stumpy legs, a fluffy body and two pointed ears. The sheep stood squarely on the ground, looking at Howzer with daggers for eyes, blue flashes of lightning cracking over its pelt.

With difficulty, Howzer took a pokéball from his own belt, his fingers fumbling with the clasp. Sweat beaded his hands, impeding his movements and he cursed under his breath as he nearly dropped his prize. He snuck another quick look at the Mareep standing opposite and could see from its aggressive stance that it meant business. His own Pokémon did not stand a chance.

“Farfetch’d, I choose you.” Once more red mist crept over the battlefield, crimson whorls swirling in the air. As his Pokémon materialised, shaking itself, chest puffed out with pride, Howzer heard a snort from the other side of the field. He looked up to see Gilthunder clutching his sides, face bright red as he attempted to stifle his laughter.

“What is that thing?” his friend cried as he broke out into fits of giggles. “What even… I mean… it’s carrying a leek! Is it telling us what to eat with it for dinner?”

Howzer felt his face flush red as the laughter continued, the blush pushing down into his neck. “Your Pokémon looks pretty stupid, too,” he muttered angrily as the laughter continued.

At once, Gilthunder’s face turned dark. “How could you?” he yelled as the Mareep’s fur sparked angrily. “This beauty,” he emphasised, his voice laced with hurt, “evolves into an Ampharos. An Ampharos, Howzer,” Gilthunder added as if he were talking to an imbecile. “It is one of the rarest and most powerful Pokémon in this part of the world. And this Mareep is going to show your bird what for! Why have you been bothering with that thing anyway?”

Howzer grit his teeth and did not respond. Farfetch’d was the most useful Pokémon he had. He had been overjoyed to find a TM, conveniently hiding in a log in the woods. The Technical Machine would teach a compatible partner to use False Swipe, the best move available for catching wild Pokémon. At the time, the only companion he had who could learn the technique was the Farfetch’d he had managed to trap down by the river. Once the duck had mastered this move, Howzer had used it and it only in every single fight, deploying False Swipe time after time. The move was perfect for catching as it ensured that he drained the health of the opposing Pokémon without causing them to fall into a faint. He had been so very pleased, his eye on the prize of completing his pokédex, but it was perhaps not the best strategy to prepare for trainer battles.

“Let’s go. Mareep, use Electo Ball!” Gilthunder smiled as huge spheres of light flew from the sheep. The fast, golden orbs raced over the field, the static charge causing the hairs to stand on the back of Hozwer’s neck. But he grinned broadly as Gilthunder yelled in surprise, biting back laughter as his friend’s head jerked left and right, searching in vain for the odd-looking duck.

But of course it was nowhere to be seen. A moment later, a feathered bomb fell from the sky, dropping like a heavy stone. The Farfetch’d hurtled through the air, aiming straight for Mareep’s head. Under his breath, Howzer had ordered it to use Fly, and it had immediately soared upwards, avoiding the sheep’s electric attack. As the duck’s palmate feet made contact, Mareep bleated in surprise, and it fell to the ground with a bump as its legs slipped from under it. Gilthunder practically roared, but then regained his composure as the sheep got hesitatingly back up onto its hooves.

“Are you okay?” Gilthunder asked softly, and his jaw set with determination as the sheep gave a defiant baa in return. “Great. Then use Thunderbolt.” At once, sheets of electricity rolled across the field, zapping the Farfetch’d before it could dodge. The duck gave an indignant quack as the lightning hit, and Howzer squeaked, wincing as he smelled burning feathers.

“Farfetch’d!” the duck croaked. It waddled back towards Howzer, its eyes seeming to glow red. It was livid, furious, beyond peeved. The wild Pokémon round Liones were not a high level and the battles the duck had experienced did not usually leave much of a mark. It was clearly not happy with the current arrangement, and Howzer could practically taste its anger on the air.

“It’s okay, I’ve got an idea,” Howzer whispered and, grudgingly, the duck moved closer towards him. As Howzer explained, it nodded its head, then turned to face the Mareep once more. “Use Double Team,” Howzer commanded and Farfetch’d quacked with joy as it duplicated itself. Soon there were dozens of birds on the field and Howzer felt his spirits rise. “Deal with that!” he yelled in triumph over the noise of the ducks, who were all quacking loudly as they swished their leeks back and forth. “You won’t find the real one.”

But Gilthunder did not look as if he had even broken a sweat. “We got this! Mareep, use Discharge!” Tens of little bolts shot from the Mareep’s fluffy coat, each one aiming for a different duck. As the rays hit their targets, one by one the bodies of the false birds flickered then faded to nothing. The Mareep was relentless, sending flash after flash towards each of the clones until there were only a few Farfetch’d scattered across the field. With a baa of triumph, the Mareep sent another handful of bolts over the terrain, one smashing into Howzer’s partner with an almighty crack. The duck screamed in pain, flapping its wings furiously and throwing its beak into the air and its leek unceremoniously onto the ground.

Howzer ran to his Farfetch’d at once. “I’m sorry,” he murmured as he tried to stroke the duck’s feathers. But his Pokémon was having none of it. With a huff, it tried to snap at Howzer’s fingers, before stomping towards its end of the battlefield, its tufted tail shaking from side to side as it moved. “Farfetch’d,” Howzer called desperately as his duck kept walking away, “come back! We have to finish this fight!” Howzer felt his heart sink as Farfetch’d ignored him, pointedly. He turned reluctantly back to Gilthunder, who stood with his back ramrod straight and his hand lightly resting on the Mareep at his side.

“The match is over,” Gilthunder gloated as he looked over at the duck, which had its back turned to the rest of them and was clearly in a black sulk. “You know what your problem is?” the boy continued to explain. “Your Pokémon is too powerful for you. It’s too high a level for a trainer who hasn’t beaten any gym masters. If you want it to listen to you, you need to earn its respect.”

“What do you know?” Howzer pressed his lips together, taking deep gulps of air to try and calm the sudden lump that rose in his throat. He loved Farfetch’d, really and truly. They had spent so many months together catching Pokémon, delving into tall grass and fishing in the river, and he had assumed the bird felt exactly the same. Now, he was faced with a painful alternate reality, one that he was totally unwilling to accept. “We’re still in. Both of us,” Howzer declared as he stared at Gilthunder with determined eyes.

Gilthunder hesitated, then took several paces across the field. “Howzer,” he said gently, “are you sure about this. It’s okay to give up, I promise I won’t make fun of you,” he added seriously.

“No! We’re still in. Farfetch’d use False Swipe,” Howzer yelled in the direction of the duck. The bird spun around, then stalked towards him and Howzer felt relief flood his senses and blood pound in his ears. His partner was going to listen to him after all.

Seeing the duck’s movement, Gilthunder exclaimed, “Use Confuse Ray,” as he ran back towards his Mareep. The sheep stood up on its hind legs and opened its mouth, just as the Farfetch’d sat in a heap on the ground, its leek lying on the floor beside it. “No stop!” Gilthunder screamed on seeing the bird’s disobedience, but his command came too late. A stream of purple shot from the sheep’s mouth, lighting up the surrounding grass with a mulberry haze as it headed straight towards Farfetch’d at a frightening pace.

Howzer acted without thought. Quick as a flash he dived between the pulse of power and the duck. The beam of light hit him square in the chest and Howzer staggered back, shaking his head as he tried to stay upright. The world was suddenly blurry and everything was wrong, the sky shining vermillion below him as he stumbled on magenta cloud.  

“You’re not allowed to do that!” Howzer heard the voice through a bank of fog, and he strained to understand the meaning of the words. “You’re not allowed to take hits for your Pokémon!” the whiny voice continued, but Howzer found he did not care what it was saying. He stood up on shaky legs, tilting his head up to the sky as familiar objects floated down towards him.

“Cakes!” Howzer jumped up and down trying to catch the confections which dropped like rain through the sweet-smelling air. “There’s strawberry! My favourite,” Howzer said enthusiastically, his mouth watering as he spied piles of cream and fruit. Farfetch’d liked cream, too... This last thought brought Howzer back to himself a little. “You’re wrong about Farfetch’d,” he slurred through his daze. “It’s an amazing Pokémon and I love it and it’s the best partner ever so there!”

As Howzer stumbled over the ground, his tongue lolling slightly and his eyes glazed, the Farfetch’d heard his defiant words. Slowly, carefully, the bird got to its feet, dusting itself off and retrieving its leek, tucking the prized vegetable under its arm. It waddled towards its master, purpose in every step, until it was close enough to peck at the boy. Then it launched itself into the air, landing a hard hit on Howzer’s head with the green end of its leek.

Howzer groaned, cradling his head in his hands as the world righted itself. He felt dizzy, sick and shocked, as if he had been doused in cold water. A quack of “Farfetch’d!” brought him back to his senses. He looked down as his vision stabilised to see his partner standing before him, its beak apparently curved in a smile.

“You want to fight?” Howzer asked and the duck quacked in response, waving its leek in the air to show its agreement. Howzer looked over to Gilthunder, whose head was cocked to one side, and grinned to see his friend’s answering nod. “Okay then!” he exclaimed. “Then would you use False Swipe, please?” he asked the duck, which flapped its wings and rushed straight towards the Mareep.

The sheep gave a bleat as the duck’s blow landed, and it wobbled unsteadily on its feat for several seconds. When it had steadied itself, the sheep pawed at the dirt and sent out the energy of Thunderbolt in response to Gilthunder’s command.

“Dodge it!” Howzer yelled, and he felt his heart sing with joy as his Farfetch’d listened to him without demure. The bird rose into the air, weaving easily through the streaks of power as the lightning tried to catch it, effectively evading the Mareep’s attack. “You’re awesome!” Howzer called and the bird nodded in response, saluting the boy with its leek as it flew past its master, not even one feather out of place.

“Now hit it with Fury Attack,” Howzer commanded. Instantly the bird rounded on the sheep, smacking its leek over and over into the Mareep’s body. Of the five blows it landed, two hit with incredible force. “Critical hit!” Howzer yelled as the duck let forth a quack. The Mareep staggered, then fell, it’s legs sprawling under it as its eyes were replaced with swirls of black. The sheep was out cold, and unable to fight. Gilthunder murmured softly as his Pokémon returned to its ball. Against all the oods, Farfetch’d had won the match.

“You did really well, both of you.”

Howzer straightened up from where he had been kneeling so as to spray Farfetch’d with a hyper potion. Gilthunder held out his hand, a happy smile on his face, but Howzer hesitated. As if reading his mind, Gilthunder continued, “It doesn’t matter that you took the Confuse Ray, I think you won fair and square. And you’re right, Farfetch’d is amazing. I’m sorry I was rude. The match is yours.” Gilthunder stretched out his hand a bit more, and this time Howzer took it, the pair moving their arms up and down in celebration of their friendship.

“You were right too, I need to respect my Pokémon,” Howzer said as the boys walked back to the city, Farfetch’d marching along at their heels. “I’m going to train and battle and win them over.” The bird squarked at this and tapped Howzer’s leg with its leek, and the pair exchanged glances, understanding passing between them.

“Then come and battle Sir Meliodas with me,” Gilthunder urged excitedly. “We’ll get stronger together.” With a whoop, the two boys ran back to the city, Farfetch’d flying behind them as they chattered and laughed.