#i think that the hisuians have something going for them too

[pcktknife]

Back on that damn zoroark wiki page

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

So, now that the DLC is out, I was wondering if I could request a part two to the pokepasta trainer reader? Like them and their team meeting Carmine, Kieran, and Perrin?

Oooo yeah!! I'm guessing you meant this post (being part 1). I'm honestly impressed by the notes ghshghsh but I'm glad ya'll love the pokepasta!reader <333

Gonna format these as hcs if that's okay

.........

Carmine

She's seen tourists bring in weird Pokémon, but you brought the scariest ones she's ever seen in her life.

She sends out her Poochyena to do battle, thinking she can intimidate you....and she SCREAMS when your Freakachu comes out to play.

It's loud enough for all to hear and for the caretaker to arrive and prematurely end the fight.

Well, at least she finally got off your back before things could get too heated.

Kieran was shocked though bc his sister was usually so brave.

During your time in Kitakami, she's just going to,,,,stare at your Pokémon team, especially when you introduce her to Purin and Disabled (she definitely thinks they're some weird gray regional variants and nothing more)

She's extremely confused as to why you named your Wigglytuff after a status move.

And Missingno.....is something she can't even begin to wrap her brain around, but she buys the story of it being from a really old Kantonian myth. That's something she can 100% believe.

After meeting Ogerpon and learning she's been misunderstood all along, Carmine slowly realizes she may have treated your Pokémon the same way.

They've been through some horrible things, and she was quick to judge them, so she apologizes for that.

Although Freakachu's smiles still creep her out..she's friendlier towards Purin and Disabled (not that she'll ever admit this, ofc).

Kieran

Like Carmine, he's gonna be pretty spooked by how your Pokémon team looks, at first.

But considering he never thought the Ogre was scary. he's nowhere near as judgmental.

During your walks together and at dinner, you explained where your 'mons came from--or at least the short and least terrifying versions of those tales so you didn't freak him out too much..

He's just fascinated that you've gone out of your way to help them despite their reputations as "monsters".

He hopes to one day have a strong bond like that with his team, or Ogerpon.

Tbh he found it really sweet when you purchased a Pikachu mask for Freakachu to wear so he could visit the festival of masks without scaring anybody.

Missingno was, understandably, the most bizarre Pokémon Kieran has ever seen, but once you explained how it's an old Kantonian myth...he's like "wowzers..that's so cool!!"

He genuinely believes you and him have a lot in common: being outcasts and adoring Pokémon most people were afraid of.

So it's even more heartbreaking for him when Ogerpon ultimately chooses to go with you instead of him.

Despite your team being utterly terrifying, she felt more comfortable being by their side...and it doesn't make sense to him at all.

It just doesn't seem fair.

He envies how your Missingno can pretty much give you whatever items you wanted--and an infinite number of them, too.

You warned him that it's not something you messed around with (plus, it corrupted an old friend of yours long ago), but he didn't care about any of that.

He wanted to know how to harness that power.

Maybe when he becomes even stronger, he'll challenge you again...

And the winner got to keep Missingno.

Perrin

She thought the Bloodmoon Beast was a terrifying and ominous force to be reckoned with, especially in the photograph she obtained.

But what you had on your team was nothing short of both amazing...and downright horrifying.

She assumes Freakachu, Purin, and Disabled are some Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Wigglytuff variants she's never heard about or have gone extinct.

Maybe like Bloodmoon Ursaluna, they were from a distant land or some time period.

So she keeps an open mind and convinces them to do some cool poses (despite her Hisuian Growlithe always hiding behind her, tail tucked between its legs, and being certain that Purin's stare is gonna haunt her dreams now).

The only one she's heard of before was Missingno, having once believed it to be a myth from Kanto...and now she can see that it's real! And it's in your possession!

She wants a photo of it. Not for any sort of recognition or accolade, but as proof in the books that it's legit.

Unfortunately, while she can see it glitching, changing forms, spawning items for you, etc. right before her very eyes...it never shows up on camera.

Every photo she attempts to take gets corrupted or lost in the developing process.

You politely have to ask Perrin to stop before she breaks her camera.

She is, however, free to photograph your other Pokémon as they are in their natural state (aka acting like their normal counterparts and not creatures that really should've been dead long ago).

[faislittlewhiteraven]

So seen a few 'What if the ISAT cast were in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon' posts...

And I'm gonna put my hat in the ring because darn it I've been thinking about this for over a week now and I want to infect others with these ideas.

Siffren: Hisuian Zorua - White, adorable AND comes free with a neck ruff to hide their face in, but well, doesn't it fit Siff extremely well lore wise too? Just a cute little guy that's a remnant of a home and life forcefully taken away, Normal enough to be among the living with no issues but also Ghost because there's something missing... Something lost that shapes them, tears at them but they just can't let go... Also they eat a lot, have a good amount of mischief in their nature and use 'illusions' for self protection so like. It's a perfect fit really~ XD (Also the 'red' aspects during the Vs Friends fight makes me wonder if in the PMD version of ISaT Siffrin is evolving so wrong somehow that the universe is breaking and a huge chunk of the fight is the party basically mashing B button in utter terror~ XDDD)

Isabeau: Ditto - No joke, Isabeau had me really stumped for ages because what kind of pokemon species goes from nerd to buff to eventually somewhere in the middle during their evolution line but then I realized 'Wow I'm an idiot. There's a pokemon all about Change that can be any form right over there!' and thus Isa-Ditto was born in my mind. I like to think he's almost always in the form of a Marchoke, Zangoose or Scrafty or something that to the others is big and buff but Isa's warm smiling ditto face always stops him from ever looking intimidating, and back in the 'nerd' days Isa probably stuck to being a Gothita/Gothorita, if only because they're about the only mon I can think of with braids and they do seem like a good form if one wants others to stay away so they can focus on studying and stuff...

Mirabelle: Minccino/Cinccino - Ok, most of my reasoning for this one is because Mira visually reminds me of the Minccino line (those eyes <3 And her ribbon! <3) but like, she IS pretty studious and helpful and probably cleans up after everyone and that's Cinccino as anything to me, plus the sheer way this mon blitzs with Skill Link... IDK I just really feel the line suits her.

Odile: Kanto Persian or Purugly - After realizing Siff, Isa and Mira were all Normal types I decided to make it a thing and since under this logic Odele couldn't be a Kadabra (as was my first instinct), the idea of her being this big old book reading cat affectionately rolling her eyes at everyone else's nonsense just had so much appeal <3 Leaning Persian if only because its design matches her visuals better but the thought of her as a Purugly feeling comfortable enough around the others she doesn't puff up her fur via her tail around them is pretty cute/very 'seems standoff-ish but is secretly affectionate Odile' so I'm still struggling to choose between them.

Bonnie: Zigzagoon - Bonnie was probably the hardest to pick out because there were so many possibilites (Aipom for the mischief? Munchlax for the cooking/food vibes? Oh but what about Meowth for their weird hug face???). But then I realized pokemon of all sorts could do all of those things and what really stands out about Bonbon is their 'NPC somehow on the big adventure and doing their best' vibes so a spunky little Zigzagoon using their 'Gluttony' expertise in food to 'Pick Up' the party's sprits felt really fitting (also they way they dart in and out of combat with their Quick Feet just. It works you know? XD). Not sure which Zigzagoon form would be most fitting for them but currently leaning Galarian if only because Siff being weak to Bonnie fits hilariously well, it matches with Bonnie's 'desire to be edgy despite still being adorable' vibes and the mental thought of them far off in the future, all grown up and protecting their family as a big bad Obstagoon gives me a ton of warm fuzzies so yeah~ <3

Euphrasie: Lopunny - Look, it's just the hair, the affectionate personality and her being really really tall compared to the others alright? Only the party is actually Normal locked to me! X'D (I could see her as an Altaria or a Mega Ampharos as well but Lopunny just feels more 'right' somehow.)

The King: Hisuian Zoroark - . . . In my defence, he's an incarnation of malice born from the loss of his home/life with long long hair who acts as Siffrin's foil, pushes them towards 'discovering the red' and yoyos between tragically lamenting and being a ruthlessly, cruel monster who would hurt a child. There was no other option.

Loop: currently torn but leaning Cosmog/Cosmeom or Mimikyu for most of the game and Necrozma/Ultra Necrozma for the Act 6 secret fight - Finally the one non Normal type! And the fact it's the eldritch feeling Loop is kinda perfect? Helps them stand out more at least, and well you really can't beat Ultra Necrozma for 'star shaped thing that is both terrifying, potentially world ending and in immense amounts of pain'. (...Also its weak to Siff's H!Zorua and Bonnie's potential Dark type so it fits type wise also XD).

Change God: Mew - Do I really gotta explain why? (Legendary, has Transform, cute and sweet but also a little bastard, etc- It ticks all the boxes XD

So... Yeah. Those are my In Stars and Time 'what Pokemon would the main cast be' thoughts.

[lavender-bundle-blithe]

BSD + Pokemon Pt. 1 (ADA+PM)

And by this, I mean- like- each character I know well enough, I give them a Pokemon (singular or else I'll be overthinking it all) =w= It's just a thing for myself to scratch that part of my brain. Assigning them a single Pokemon that compliments them. Which might lead to some vagueness.

Other than that! Lets go-!

ADA

Fukuzawa: Kleavor (Not my greatest idea, I kept thinking about "It either has to be about something similar to katanas/swords, or make it cats". Which I cheated at because Kleavor has axes for goodness sakes. If I were to give it the option, I would have given him Aegislash or a freakin *Litten.* "But Lavender, there's Kingambit-" YES. I KNOW. BUT TRUST ME, THAT ONE HAS OTHER PLANS. *cough- fukuchi- cough-*)

Ranpo: Skwovet (Snacks. Just... snacks. Ranpo can deduce cases just fine, but ohs to the woes, he needs more places to stash his snacks. Bam. These babies. But if he wants a Pokemon to enjoy snacking with, Morpeko is the second choice. It's either stash is or eat it, bois.)

Yosano: Blissey (Blissey knows your location. Blissey is approaching your location. Blissey is at your frontdoor. Blissey offers you an egg in these trying times. [ . . . ] Look it's either Blissey incoming or Hattrem incoming, an egg or an smack, pick your poison.)

Kunikida: Indeedee (This one took me a second to figure this one out. But after thinking of a small few, Indeedee was what I chose with the idea of them helping him and his work. The other two were Espeon, Minccino/Cincchino, and Meowstic.)

Dazai: Absol (Now I hate reusing the same Pokemon [I wrote this stuff out of order hhh], but without spoiling too much, while Absol is known for sensing danger, in Dazai's case it would be that they "bring forth" danger. But other than that, if I did go with my unwritten rule, I would have given him Alolan Ninetails because ahahahaa kitsune dazai agenda)

Tanizaki: Hisuian Zorua (Illusionssss. Illusion buddiessss. And to make it a play on words with snow, I made it be Hisuian form because they spawn in the icelands.)

Kenji: Gyrados (I was planning on giving Kenji Sunflora because he is sweet summer child, but at the same time... my boi can hit like a semitruck. Not to mention the cute story that he caught this very weak Magikarp in his village, took care of it, and the next thing you know this kid is giving their [looks at pokedex] "the literal embodiment of tsunami if angry" on a walk. The absolute humor, guys. The *hinjinks*. That or I go with the trend of him bringing a cow to the agency and give him a Miltank.)

Atsushi: Growlithe (Surprise, we have a Growlithe. This is the closest thing we have to a tiger in Pokemon. Unfortunately, its shiny isn't white but yellow. You can decide whether or not this little Growlithe ir a normal or shiny, but in my hc it's just a white tiger variant of Growlithe LET ME LIVE MY DREAM-)

Kyouka: Froslass (All I could remember before looking at the Pokedex entry was that it has something to do with a soul of a woman, and jus- *Gestures vaguely at Froslass, Demon Snow, and the fact that Demon Snow was previously Kyouka's mother's ability)

PM

Mori: Ursaluna (This one gave me MAJOR trouble trying to figure out. My guy's a doctor, but at the same time is the big mafia boss man. The only other Pokemon I could think of were either Bewere, Drampa, or Dragapult, I don't know why I thought those Pokemon specifically. So I just threw everything out, looked at Fukuzawa's Kleavor, went onto the Hisui Pokedex, grabbed Ursaluna, and yeets it at the man. Ursaluna. God-)

Chuuya: Midnight Form Lycanroc (Angry red pupper, emphasis on red. Yeah, I had to, I am not sorry.)

Kouyou: Milotic (Powerful but also very beautiful ◡‿◡ . But at some point, I thought about Lurantis. )

Akutagawa: Mimikyu (This was in my notes before, but yes! Mimikyu. The popularity battle of Mimikyu v Pikachu is similar to Aku v Atsushi. Other than that, Mimikyu was the closest to being compared to Rashomon, with their shadow arm.)

Higuchi: Heliolisk (Unfortunately we are still unsure of Higuchi's Ability, if Asagiri does intend to give her an Ability. For now, though, I had to go off by her appearance. Simply grabbed black, white, and yellow. Looks at all the Pokemon, and decided on Heliolisk. And to be honest, I like it. Dunno if it's just me, but this Pokemon and Higuchi with her sunglasses on? Heck yeahhhh.)

Hirotsu: Meowstic (A secondary option to Kunikida, I decided to give Hirotsu Meowstic because I think the Pokemon and his Ability are similar. In my head, Hirotsu's Ability is basically an impact or what it is explained, "repulsion". And with Meowstic, it holds their physic power back by their ears. But if provokes and have those ears raise up, it'll unleash that power that it "powerful enough to obliterate a 10-ton truck or tanker to dust.")

Gin: Ceruledge (I wanted Gin's Pokemon to match Akutagawa's in some way but have there be blades. Took a look at Mimikyu's typing which was ghost and fairy. In fairy, Iron Valiant. In ghost, Ceruledge. And while, yes, Iron Valiant looks pretty like her, Ceruledge takes the cake.)

Tachihara: Steelix (Is the only reason I give Tachihara Steelix is because he can manipulate metal, and Steelix is... s-steel type? Yeah I'm not that creative. But if it makes ya feel better, I instantly thought of Onyx or Steelix for this guy.)

Q: Banette (One, it's a doll. Two, similar to Q [in a sense-], Banette was previously a doll that was abandoned. I was thinking about giving this one to Lucy, but I think I could find a Pokemon best suited for her. So Banette for Q!)

Kajii: Voltorb (The only reason is explodey bois. Anyways-)

[quillpokebiology]

Do you happen to know facts about Porygon-Z…

Porygon Z Facts

(Art by inyo 24 on Danbooru)

-The scientific name for Porygon Z is "Fractis Polygonus" which roughly translates to "Broken polygon"

-As of now, the Porygon line is one of the only Pokemon the public is aware of that was made in a lab. They also have a copyright, so other companies can't make them

-Porygon Z is also the newest Pokemon evolutionary wise due to the fact that they have no ancestors or relation to other pokemon whatsoever. They were just made in the early 200s

-While Porygon Z are very strong, they are very weak and have sacrificed their stability for strength, which is why they are so glitchy and have erratic movements

-There is a theory that Porygon Z were made to travel to different dimensions, however, this theory has not been confirmed. The Pokedex talks like it has been, but when asked about it, Silph Co. denied anything

-But, Porygon Z do very well in space because they don't need to eat or breathe. Many Space Organizations will send Porygon Z into space due to their unique abilities as well

-Porygon Z also don't feel any pain, but they can feel when something is wrong. To them, it just feels like an unscathed itch

-Porygon Z can't die of old age or illness. BUT, they can die from computer viruses. If your Porygon, any member of the line, gets a virus, take them to a computer specialist, not the vet

-The entire Porygon line is able to breed asexually. I'm going to be honest, I don't fully know how they sexually breed with other Pokemon because their genes are entirely code. Researchers at first thought it'd be a ditto situation, where crossbreeds are impossible, but they are able to crossbreed. Now, they think it's something about the code potentially editing their sperm to fit their mate if it's a different species, but I'm still confused about it myself

-Porygon Z and the rest of it's kine can go in phones, but they prefer computers (this is why I plan to get a rotomphone soon bcuz I feel bad using a poryphone). Porygon Z are known for doing terrible in phones however, because their glitchiness constantly makes the phone break

-Despite first being made in the 1990s, there are some old Hisuian texts depicting members of the Porygon line. Researchers believe that this is due to the Space-Time distortions that plagued ancient Hisui

-The entire line don't have hearts. Or internal organs. I genuinely don't even know how this thing is alive

-Porygon Z do have a brain, but it's code and is scattered across their body and moves around constantly, making their behavior and psychology difficult to study

-Their antenna can pick up on radio waves which help them find technology

-Porygon Z can injure themselves if they glitch out too much, so be prepared to put them into their pokeball if this happens. Their glitchy nature can also damage code, so be weary of that too

[casualsnickers]

Month of Emmet Quick Write #5

Prompt #5: Forest

Too much work and too few maintenance checks resulted in Emmet being forced to take a little vacation. The location? Undella Bay. But it seems there's something odd under the waves this time of year.

*inspired directly by @irononyx32 from their artwork of the prompt. Go look at their work first, please and thank you.

Read the whole thing under the cut.

               Emmet was careful to keep a firm grip on Eelektross’s neck as they descended through the water, his other pokémon- an Araquanid he had gotten in a trade from an Alolan trainer- careful to follow along as it too crept along the shallow sand beds. It had been based off of a whim to take a small vacation in Undella. Too much stress and too many migraines had gotten Ingo onto Emmet’s case, both him and Elesa derailing his schedule so that they could all take a day off and relax. Emmet had had the choice of selecting where they would be going and with Eelektross’s influence and shining eyes, Emmet had selected Undella Bay without much of a fuss.

               That was the reason he was currently a few meters beneath the ocean’s surface, his eyes catching on the beds of waving kelp that grew like trees under the water. He couldn’t speak underwater but that was fine; both of his pokémon could understand him anyway. Emmet gently tugged on Eelektross’s dorsal fin, his ace pokémon nodding before it began swimming into the kelp forests. Araquanid followed, sneaking close to refresh the oxygen in Emmet’s air bubble before skittering away to hunt something.

               This was mostly Eelektross’s sort of vacation. Emmet rarely ever chose to visit the ocean despite Eelektross being a pokémon that thrived in deep water. It was the only resource- the only home expansion- that Emmet couldn’t afford. Not like Ingo had when his Hisuian Sneasel had started climbing the house and Ingo had been forced to relocate her to their shared home back in Anville where there were plenty of tall cliffs. Eelektross didn’t have any such allowances. Either Emmet had to manually take him to a deep body of water and supervise him for a few hours or the gigantic eel pokémon was without water until the weekend arrived. It was even worse during the winter.

               Emmet only smiled upon seeing his ace pokémon so giddy and excited, recognizing other Eelektross and Eelektrik as they slithered in the sand, their glowing eyes seeming to follow Emmet as he floated alone in the current. Emmet’s own Eelektross amiably swam closer to the shoal, almost dwarfing them with its size as it communicated with its wild friends using the bioluminescent scales along its body.

Don’t wild Eelektross regularly hunt giant prey? I hope I’m not giant prey. I should be fine with both Araquanid and Eelektross, but I should move closer just to be safe.  Something soft touched his leg, Emmet only having a minute to think before being drawn into an air bubble squarely atop his Araquanid’s back. No longer suspended in water, he carefully saddled his pokémon’s back. “Thank you!”

               Araquanid waved its mandibles and then began to pick up the pace, its long legs easily finding their way as they slowly but surely entered the depths of the kelp forest bordering the Undella Sea.

               The stalks of golden leaves rose high in the water, allowing filtered summer light to shine upon the sandy sea floor where both Corsolas and Shellders crawled around, their tough exoskeletons seeming to glitter as they moved between the columns. Emmet sighted a pack of Frillish floating at the top of the kelp, shoals of Luvdisc darting through their outstretched legs as if racing. Emmet even got to see a massive Mantine glide along the seafloor, waving one flipper at him as it passed by.

               It was quiet under the water, the only sound being that of bubbles rising from the sand and of the kelp sliding against one another, muted by the air bubble around his head. He couldn’t go too deep; the pressure of all the water on top of him would hurt him if he went any deeper, but Emmet relaxed, knowing that his pokémon were already keeping a watchful eye on him in case his protective diving suit wasn’t performing correctly.

               As Araquanid crawled over an outcrop of dark rocks, Emmet gasped, leaning closer to stare at the mystical silhouette that was the Abyssal Ruins.

               The Abyssal Ruins were old; older than Unova as a matter of fact, allegedly built by an ancient civilization that worshipped a particular king. At least, that’s the story that archeologists, divers, and anthropologists had come up with after a team of divers had resurfaced with pictures of dust-covered ancient artifacts and sunken walls containing lines upon lines of hieroglyphs. Emmet had no particular desire to get closer.

               The ruins stuck out along the seabed. It was a long slab of rock with a central ziggurat just barely tilting to the side. Decrepit stone houses littered the top of the rock face, it being the only part of the seafloor that didn’t have an obnoxious amount of kelp or coral growing on it.

               And the longer he looked, the more Emmet began to notice that he could hear music. Lulling music. Music that sounded awfully like an orchestra coming directly from the ruins. He tried to think of any ocean pokémon native to Unova that could project their voice underwater, unable to think of anything. The music- it was more like singing- seemed to float into the kelp forest, a few of the Jellicents and Frillish floating off toward the ruins as if enticed to find the source.

               It was a soothing noise. A peaceful song. One that Emmet sworn he had heard before when Ingo had once taken him to visit Celestial Tower back when they were kids. It was the same song that Chandelure often hummed late at night from her perch on the ceiling, the same one that almost always put the brothers to sleep after a long day at work. A horrible chill like being submerged in ice encased Emmet’s body. He shuddered. Time to leave.

               Emmet tapped his Araquanid three times on the side of its head- the signal to resurface. It then called out to Eelektross who had immediately swum back, something large caught in its mouth- probably prey. Eelektross flashed the bioluminescent spots on its body. Two flashes on the side of its face, one on its tail. Resurfacing?

               Emmet nodded, pointing upward. He was grateful when Eelektross swam up to him and wrapped its hands around him, allowing Emmet to take hold of its dorsal fin as both it and Araquanid began to float upwards. And as he rose higher and higher, Emmet chanced a glance back down at the fading ruins.

               He saw what looked to be a shoal of small Basculins swimming toward the walls of the ruins, a much bigger, sleeker-looking Basculin leading the pack. Emmet squinted. No. No, that doesn’t look like a Basculin. Maybe an evolution? But Basculins don’t evolve… Emmet blinked. Ingo had mentioned that the place he had been- Hisui- had featured new evolutions of certain pokémon. Basculin… Basculin was one of those noble pokémon, wasn’t it?

[artsy0wl]

A Series of Random Jacq and Volo Headcanons (Pokemon Masters EX)

Pokémon Masters EX is such a fun little thing. One of the dynamics I ended up liking (and kind of shipping) is Volo and Jacq. So I thought I'd throw in some random headcanons. They can be read as platonic or romantic, or as Volo going along with Jacq because of how useful he is. However you want to interpret them.

They Bond Over Arcanine: They both love their good boy (and girl), and since Jacq studies "ecologically similar Pokémon" (aka Convergent Pokémon, though I feel like this would also include Regional Forms and Paradox Pokémon), Volo trusts Jacq's expertise. Volo may or may not use this as a way to manipulate Jacq, however, his H. Arcanine does trust him (Jacq). Jacq thinks Volo's Arcanine is adorable and loves spoiling her.

Volo Sympathizes with Jacq's Need for Validation: Jacq's not the hardest person to praise, however, the fact that Jacq takes complements and praise so easily does worry Volo. The need for validation is something that Volo can understand and is all too familiar with. Volo just has the impression that Jacq was validated/praised so negligibly that he will take any form of it, no matter how big or small. As such, Volo can sympathize with Jacq in that regard.

Not Wanting to Lose Volo Due to His "Obsession": When Jacq finds out about Volo's plans and how far he's willing to go, Jacq tries to talk him out of it. He's seen what can happen when someone takes their interest to the point of obsession and how far an obsession can get (i.e. Turo/Sada and how that effected Arven). He believes that there is still good in Volo and that he doesn't have to go to such an extreme to encounter Arceus.

Jacq's Arcanine is Cautious of Volo, His Mudsdale Likes Him (Volo): Arcanine is hesitant to trust Volo, feeling that he's hiding something. He can't quite trust Volo as easily as Volo's Hisuian Arcanine can trust Jacq. Jacq thinks it's because Arcanine is protective of and cautious for him, and speculates that part of it has to do with their region/environment. Jacq's Mudsdale, on the other hand, likes Volo. She can sense his confidence and will let him get close to her, and occasionally ride her.

Volo is Hesitant to Accept that Jacq is "One of the Good Ones": Because he has a hard time believing that anyone can be truly trustworthy, Volo can't bring himself to admit that Jacq is one of those people. Part of him does want to, but because he's been burned too many times before, he isn't sure if what he's feeling is genuine.

Jacq Reminds Volo of Laventon: A reason why Volo would want to trust Jacq is because Jacq reminds him of Laventon. And out of everyo e in Hisui, Laventon was the only person he genuinely liked.

Clavell Doesn’t Want Jacq to Have a Relationship with Volo: While Clavell wants Jacq to have good relationships, platonic and romantic, he doesn’t like Volo. Mainly because he worries about Jacq’s and suspects that Volo is taking advantage of Jacq’s kindness. Clavell also worries that Volo would manipulate Jacq into a sinister plot (especially after the whole Raifort scheming to use Jacq as a sacrifice thing).

Jacq Learned How to Bargain and How the Charms He Found Were Actually Valuable: Jacq will go to local flea markets and auctions and started bringing Volo along a week after they met. Volo helps him bargain for the best deals. And when he found out that Jacq had found and gifted a Shiny Charm and Glimmering Charm, he can’t help but chuckle at the fact that he gave away two pretty valuable charms that he successfully bid for. Volo also thinks it was really sweet. Puzzling, but sweet.

[humming-pokemon-helpers]

Finally got the go-ahead to post about this… so, with the growing visibility of hybrids in the public eye, I was offered the opportunity to interview with RIME Magazine! (Capitalizing the name properly was part of the deal.)

I’ll be pasting the text of the article below for anyone without a subscription (to be fair, it’s also posted online, and I have permission), but before that… I also got a cover photoshoot! I wound up touching up my ears with my illusions… and some of the burn scars… but I’m quite happy with how it turned out, still. Wolfy couldn’t make it, so I took the photo with Chiru that day! Anyways, hope you enjoy. :)

(//Art is a commission by @/RhymeWithRay here or mostly on Twitter! They make amazing Pokémon-style work, worth a look for sure!!!)

But without further ado, the interview!

RIME Magazine sat down for an interview with Vanilla Cress, a Hisuian Zorua hybrid, human and Pokémon psychologist, Champion-class trainer in Paldea, Galar Champion Cup semifinalist, and hybrid model and activist, in early February. Topics discussed varied widely, from Cress's own experience growing up as a human-Pokémon hybrid, understanding Pokémon, Cress's recent modeling and activism, and future plans. What follows is a condensed and edited transcript of the interview.

That's quite the list of accolades you've accumulated along the way. What do you think has led you to achieve so highly?

Well, for one, I think you're giving a lot of this more credit than it's worth, [laughs]. I'm not sure being pulled off of the street because I look like a walking ice-cream cone is much of an accomplishment, personally. Nor do I do much activism apart from this interview now, apparently.

I think I understand the answer you're going for here, though. I would say that my hybridity's a large part of what brought me as far as I've come. Not only in having the gift to talk to our partners in life--which is an incredible gift--but in that there's this drive to prove myself. Or maybe to redeem myself. I'm not really sure which, personally. Doing things has just filled all of the gaps in my life, until now.

Right, and you only publicly "came out" as a hybrid less than a year ago.

Yes, less than a year ago! It's been a huge adjustment, but I have so much more energy these days, not having to worry about being discovered by hitting something with my tail, [laughs].

While my experience hasn't been entirely positive after "coming out" myself, and I realize that even being able to hide is a privilege many hybrids simply don't have, I will say that generally speaking, the public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Say, for every enemy I've made, I've made ten more friends in their place. And from so many different walks of life, too!

You say your experience wasn't entirely positive. Could you elaborate some on your negative experiences as a hybrid?

Well, if I have to. Which I suppose I don't, but it seems rude not to. There are, of course, people out there who view you as subhuman, when you look like me. Or in maybe a less extreme sense, people who have a tendency to see all of the fluff and decide "Oh, this person--I should talk to this person like they're a child." But those are really quite few and far between, at least in my case. I'm more likely to scare people, with the teeth and the claws. [They make a pose showing both off.]

My main negative experience, though, was something more personal and targeted.

Yes, there was the news earlier last year about the Dreamyard Laboratory...

"Earlier last year" doesn't feel right, somehow. I won't go much into detail, but yes, I was taken against my will for the purpose of illegal research on human-Pokémon hybrid power, by Colress Achroma. It was only due to the efforts of my dear friends that I'm here now. I cannot express my gratitude to them enough, if any of you are reading!

Thank you for sharing. To turn back the clock a bit, what was your childhood like, being half-Zorua?

Well, for most of that time, it was like paradise! When I was a young child, we were quite isolated, so I never got the sense that my life was "off" or "strange". I thought for the longest time it was normal to have a family like mine. My older sibling, Wolfgang, a Zorua then--we were just "W" and "V" at the time--he and I would just run wild and play in Lostlorn Forest for hours while the rest of the pack hunted. And then they'd come back, and they'd start in on whatever they'd caught, and my mother would swoop back in to make me something completely different. And teach me the alphabet. [Laughs]

Was there a time, when that facade cracked?

Oh, there was this time, right when I had gotten used to using my illusions, that my mother brought me to the grocery store with her. And that's when I learned a lot of facts about the world very quickly. And then I had to learn those facts all over again, a few years later, when I rejoined the human world with my adopted family. Everything had to be hidden after that, or else. It was dangerous, not knowing what sort of person you'd meet, or who'd want to hurt you just for existing.

You say you were also adopted?

Right. There was... a forest fire, at one point. Intentional. And I lost everyone dear to me but Wolfgang. And I became the sort of Zorua you see here now [a Hisuian Zorua]. And after a few years of... homelessness and what not, I was taken in by the Cresses. It was a chance encounter. And it was a major culture shock! Going from streets to high society parties. It was thanks to them, though, that I managed to find something to do with my life and graduated from Naranja-Uva.

And in between that, the Galar gym challenge...

[Laughs] I'm sure you have a clip of that somewhere. I'd rather not talk about it, that was... a strange period of teenagerhood for me.

How do you feel about your childhood, on reflection?

That's tough. That's something I believe I'm still working out, myself. It was positive moment-to-moment, but considering what I know, now, I would say... to some degree, I resent it. It's hard not to resent being born in a position where it feels like, for so long, nobody understands you. I wouldn't trade Wolfgang for anyone else, but otherwise, I do wish, sometimes, I was "just" a human.

I can imagine. At the same time, talking to Pokémon is quite the advantage, right? What is it like?

Depends on the Pokémon! Some of us are more talkative than others, and of course, there's a range in how sophisticated Pokémon communication is too.

The difference is something like... imagine two Pokémon asking for pizza. In my experience, a Solosis would usually just beam the word "PIZZA" right into your mind. A Sewaddle might be coherent enough to say "Pizza, please". And a Zoroark... probably something along the lines of "give me the damn pizza already," [laughs].

So sometimes you can get a lot across by understanding Pokémon, but that doesn't mean they're all speaking in the same way as humans still. Understanding those individual differences goes a long way in my line of work, too. It's a bit easier than reading behavior, anyways!

As a Pokémon psychologist, what's one thing you think more people should understand about their Pokémon?

More than anything... it sounds cliche, but most Pokémon truly view humans as their partners, just as we do them. As much scientific proof as has gone into the question of proving that Pokémon love us as much as we love them, in my experience... that's absolutely true.

At the same time, even as partners, Pokémon think quite differently from humans in their daily life. I think in order to create the most balanced world possible, where both can coexist, it's key to consider the Pokémon's perspective more too.

What's one thing you'd like to impart about hybrids to people who don't know much about them?

Every hybrid's experience is different, firstly! Some, like me, are born, but others are created through science or magic we still don't know about. Some may look almost identical to humans, and some may have appearances considered frightening or unusual. Some of us have long-standing health problems. Some of us can use moves, or speak in Pokémon language, or access abilities, whereas others may be more limited. There's no one experience that I can really label as "the hybrid experience".

There are people who might think we're dangerous. Or inhuman. But whether you consider us 'human' or not... like any living being, we still deserve respect and a voice. Maybe that's obvious, but I think it still rings true.

Finally, what are your plans from here?

I'm hoping to finish my Unova League challenge together with my traveling partner! I certainly don't intend to become the Champion, but if I can say I challenged every member of the Elite 4, I'd be happy.

From there... well, there are a few things I'd like to resolve otherwise, but I think I'll return to my day job as a therapist, and hopefully, my own personal sword training. I'd also like to spend more time with my friends, my traveling partner, and my family in Lostlorn! My brother, Wolfgang has four incredible kits, and they're the absolute most adorable--

I'm afraid we're out of time for today, Mx. Vanilla.

Ah, yes. Thank you for having me!

[peccaberry]

what are your headcanons for Volo, Rei, and Akari??

Great question, thank you anon! Obviously a lot of this is also gonna be stuff I've included in my fanfic but I'll go ahead and put it here too for those who haven't read it djdjdjd.

Rei (MC): He misses home a lot and copes by the huge cultural shift of being stuck in the past by trying to cling onto what he remembers of the future. A lot of this would be things like memes and songs that he could repeat verbally which is a big reason I love him having a Chatot. It would probably be soothing to have something familiar like that while in a place where he has so little of what he remembers with him.

He was around 15-16 during the events of PLA. Late growth spurt which is why he looks so tiny for his age.

Rei is gay and being closeted in the Hisuian Era has been really hard for him. He misses the internet where he could talk to other queer people and find support. He had a HUGE crush on Volo and considers him his first love although he never told Volo that. Volo never had any idea bc let's be real he had Arceus blinders on.

He had to grow up really fast due to the situation he was put in and carries a lot of the trauma of too much responsibility too early on him. He feels like it's his responsibility to fix everything because he's quite literally been expected to from a young age. It would be important to him healing to unlearn that.

He feels incredibly heartbroken over what happened with Volo. He both misses the friend he lost and feels incredibly hurt by the enemy he gained. Both these feelings exist within him at once and it's very confusing to deal with.

Rei does not like Kamado or Cyllene after the trauma they've caused him. He's made more peace with Cyllene than Kamado although he doesn't trust either very much.

Rei loves Akari very much and her constant friendship and support is a big reason he's been able to keep it together after everything that happened to him. They are pretty inseparable.

Volo: This mfer has autism. He's not super popular because a lot of people think he's "off". He doesn't particularly care and spends most of his time on his special interests (history/mythology). His closest (platonic) relationship is with Cogita and she is easily frustrated/annoyed with him.

He's pansexual and how attracted he is to someone correlates more to how interesting he finds them than gender.

He was a teenager during the events of PLA (around 17-18) and hit a massive growth spurt earlier during puberty (13ish)

There is no "real/fake" Volo. Both the Volo you originally meet and the Volo on the mountain are just him expressing different emotions/sides to himself. The only real difference is that he's probably not as genuinely happy as he could be so it's more of a mask at this point to cover up trauma/rage. If he was to recover more from his issues he would probably still act silly and friendly but it would be more genuine and the rage/hate would subside more.

Volo never stops asking questions and is way too curious for his own good. Whether you consider this annoying (Cogita) or charming (Rei) is up to the individual person.

Volo's trauma and worldview has something to do with growing up in a region where there was a lot of war and fighting between clans. Since peace was only more recently established it's not his "normal". He doesn't have any faith it will last and believes humans don't have the capacity to get along with each other without being forced to.

If something catches Volo's interest he will pursue it relentlessly until he understands it.

Volo is really good at the Celestica flute

Akari (NPC):

Akari snuck onto the Galaxy Team Expedition ship when they were docked in her home region because she wanted to join them. Laventon was the one who found her and advocated for her to be allowed to stay and help him as his assistant. Kamado allowed it and she had been there a few months before Rei, trying to get the basics down.

Akari isn't just good at crafting, but doing art as well. She's amazing at painting and it's her favorite thing to do when she has time to herself.

Akari still has a fear of Electric types (especially the shinx line) after being struck down by one. She's come to peace with Pikachu and is learning to get along better with him as time goes on but still struggles from time to time.

Akari is Aromantic and Asexual. She loves Rei Queerplantonicly and he feels the same way about her although she feels confused about these feelings since there's not a lot of cultural understanding about them in her time period.

Akari enjoys listening to Rei when he talks about the future. As long as he doesn't seem to be doing anything that will put him in any danger she will watch him be as weird as he wants and egg him on because it makes him happy. They both know she doesn't really understand what he's doing/talking about but Rei appreciates her being willing to pretend to make him feel less alone.

[faller-of-kharbranth]

Okay… Pinned:

I’m Malkah. She/it/fae, feminine terms.

You can also call me Lilith, Zora, Sathona, or Aurash! (Nicknames are fine!)

Use whichever one you’d like to refer to me by, or use them interchangeably, I don’t particularly care, to be honest. Kon kon.

All of them are Me.

21 years old.

Fell in Nimbasa.

I’m a Luxray hybrid now because of Ultra Radiation-induced Agony.

Edit: I’m a Zork now! (Zoroark/Mimikyu, mostly Zork, Hisuian.)

I have a tail!!

I’m Shallahi @shallahi-and-snowflake’s other younger sister, so I’m a member of Bridge Four!! That’s a sentence that I didn’t think I’d say…

Am I also a middle sibling now?!

Also I think I just reverse-adopted @suddenlyauntiemaya as a big sister. (22 June 2024)

Also Konnie @abyssanon is also my sibling!

My girlfriend Dahlia (she/her) is a wonderful friend and a floofy werezork!

I’m also an Honorary Incursionist!

The Radiant Order that I think I’d be is probably a Lightweaver!! I took the test and got that…

Here’s my Trainer Card!

Rivka is my starter kit, and an absolute babey of a floof!

Harmoniah was my Saltid Galvantula, and is an adorable little bean! She’s currently living with the other Saltid Tikkitiks that came along with me, just outside the Center I work at!

Chiri’s my anxiety service ‘Mon!

Teru-Bozu is… a fairly quiet old man. He’s nice.

KZZKT!!

I’m Telamon! I live in her phone!

KZZKT!!

I sign my asks with -Malkah!! or -מלקה

HELLO!! I AM SATANAEL, A GIRATINA! I USE IT/SHE PRONOUNS, AND I’M A FRIEND OR SOMETHING TO THIS FUNNY FOX GIRL!!

Pelliper Mail is ON, but was formerly off due to far too many instances of HM: CUT being sent than reasonably tolerated. DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN.

Mystery Gifts are ON

Pelliper Malice is OFF

Magic Anons are ON

Musharna Mail is ON

Musharna Malice is OFF

No NSFW, please.

//No OOC anon hate. And don’t go too far with IC anon hate.

//that’s the hard rule.

Arcs:

Previous Arcs: arc: Castelia trip!! arc: bitter repercussions (HEAVY), arc: bitter keening (HEAVY).

//So:

Malkah here is a character rather heavily based on me but is decidedly also not me.

She is literally a trans-species Therian Zork-girl trying to live her life along with the general shenanigans of Rotomblr.

She wasn’t always this way though! She does have a past, character-wise, of being a self-insert faller, thus the tags, but she’s changed a lot since then!

Usual DNI applies.

PFP is by @/stereo-sys.

Background is by @/blaiddraws.

[adobe-outdesign]

thoughts on the voltorb line?

There have been a lot of various mimic Pokemon over the years (Foongus, Gimmighoul, etc.), but Voltorb is the OG. As a mimic, it's not a bad concept: it's known for being perpetually angry and having a penchant for casually exploding. There's something really interesting about the idea of a mimic not being a camouflaged predator but more akin to a living bomb that goes off if you fall for its disguise.

Which is really the only problem with this line: I think they're too big. The only reason they ever worked as mimics in the original games is because of the simple sprite view; in-universe, no one would ever mistake them for pokeballs, and this is an issue that immediately crops up in open-world Pokemon games as well. It feels self-defeating to have a mimic that can't ever trick anyone, let alone the player.

That aside, there's obviously nothing wrong with the incredibly simple design; just a pokeball with a face and no circular button area. I like the general shape of the eyes and eyebrows, and I really like that it has no mouth, just one kind of implied by the position of the divider line.

I will admit, however, that I'm not a huge fan of Electrode. I guess the idea of flipping Voltorb's colors upside-down has some merit—it's kind of like the polarity of the electrical charge getting reversed—but it just feels like a rather bland evolution that doesn't differentiate itself enough from its predecessor. It's not like it would've been hard to come up with a more unique concept for this line. It could have easily become a better type of pokeball, like an ultra or great ball, or maybe it could've opened up a little in the middle to reveal teeth or something.

It does have one unique thing going for it other than the colors flipping, which is the face; it now sports different eyes, a more smirk-like expression, and a mouth. Honestly, I kind of feel like this is a downgrade; I like that it has more personality besides just being angry, but the eyes feel drawn-on and less organic than Voltorb's, while the mouth feels unnecessary.

It's not really terrible or anything; but it does feel unnecessary, and I do feel like this line could've gotten away with just being a one-stager.

Also, side note: can we talk about the fact that Electrode can float for some reason??

PLA brings us Hisuian Voltorb, which I like quite a bit. It works perfectly with the historical context and different Pokeball designs of PLA, and making it grass/electric only makes logical sense with Pokeballs being made of wood during this time. I also think this has some interesting lore implications, as it indicates the line started off mimicking apricorns and probably evolved into being more like pokeballs over time as a form of mimicry. Granted, I do wish they explained why it had the half-and-half coloration, however. Some form of countershading, maybe?

Anyway, lore aside, the design is pretty solid. The texture of the wood on the bottom half adds a little bit of detail without being too much, and the subtle curve of the dividing line reflects its newfound personality: it's actually extremely jolly. This makes it really endearing, and serves to further differentiate it from its original design.

The hole at the top mimics the same hole in the old-school Pokeballs used in this game, and I think it's neat that it can release electricity from it, mimicking the firework effect after you catch a Pokemon in this game.

The only thing I'm not sure about is the very angular brow; it feels more metallic in nature than wooden, and overall feels less natural than original Voltorb's brows. I do love that the pupils are hollow, however.

And Hisuian Electrode... exists. Technically speaking, it has all the same elements as Hisuian Voltorb—the wood patterning, the inverse expression, the carved eyes (which, as a side note, I do like more than regular electrode's—they feel like they're actually part of the body here instead of drawn-on). And, in that respect, it's fine.

However, it suffers from the same blandness problem that regular Electrode has. Regional lines have worked to different too-similar evolutions before—the Alolan Grimer line is a fantastic example of this done perfectly, so I had high hopes for this evo. Instead, we got the exact same thing again, with the exact same changes made to it.

Here's a few designs that I thought were really interesting, creative, and still similar to Electrode while giving it more of a unique flair:

This one, based off of firecrackers:

This one, which takes the idea of it having seeds and gives it a Bonsly to match:

And another one based off of firework bombshells:

All of these designs are so fun! They keep the general idea of Electrode but actually do something with the new typing and concepts in a way that differentiates them from Hisuian Voltorb. What we got was more standard—but was pretty disappointing in my opinion.

So overall: Voltorb is a solid Pokemon with a good design, hampered only by being too large to be a successful mimic. The Hisuian version works perfectly as a regional and changes up the design in a way that makes sense thematically. Electrode, however, has always been a bit too similar to Voltorb even if it has some fun expressions, and the Hisuian version unfortunately doesn't fix that.

[askthechronoverse]

Last Chapter •||• Next Chapter

The investigators took a seat at the largest booth in the cafe, the Pokemon with the sombrero almost instinctively bringing their drinks to them after they settled. Tim thanked the Pokemon, which he called Ludoculo, before pulling out his notebook.

“All right. According to the testimony I've gotten: the curator was the first to leave that night. He had a fundraiser to go to to get funding for renovations to the museum. The janitor had been the last to leave, but he cleaned that room prior to the curator leaving. The owner of the plates, a woman named Akari, had left with the curator, since they were going to the same fundraiser. She was considering donating the plates full time and the fundraiser was going to be where she was going to announce her decision.”

“Did the janitor or Akari notice the smell in that room?” Vito asked, taking a very large gulp of this coffee, then sticking his tongue out because it was still way too hot for his consumption.

“Akari was the one who designed the layout of the display. It's one of the most accurate displays for the Spear Pillar that has been created by a museum to date. That accuracy was all the way down to an authentic Hisuian cake, which would have been created as an offering to the Pokemon Arceus.” Tim flipped through his notes. “The janitor does remember smelling that type of sweet smell, but assumed it was the cake on display doing it. Akari doesn't seem to remember an actual cake being used or anything being sprayed on the cake to make it smell, but the curator said he specifically asked for the cake to smell as realistic as possible. He even found a baker that was a descendant of a very well-known chef in that period of time who still had the recipe, which was passed down to them.” Vito hummed.

“I think you said that there was a Pokemon that was hard to see. Was there any other unusual activity on the cameras?”

“The camera did seem to glitch after the kecleon appeared, but other than that there wasn't anything unusual for the rest of the night.” Tim shrugged. “I've seen the tape and I didn't see anything too noteworthy other than that.” His eyes lit up after a moment of thought. “Actually. I saw about 5 minutes after the glitch that there were berries in front of the altar. The curator told me that those berries came off of the cake. Kit and Bellamy: do you remember if the cake had berries on it?”

“The cake wasn't decorated. It just looked like a very sticky rice cake.” Bellamy spoke faster than Kit could.

“Huh. I wonder why he said that the berries were part of the cake.” Before anything else could be discussed, a sopping wet headband was thrown on the center of the table. It was dark blue and had lightning bolts on it. The table looked up and saw a very perturbed and flustered Ken.

“I finally found my headband. I think that squirrel is out to get me. I opened our door and it stared at me and coughed it up. It never broke eye contact!”

“Can you describe what you saw for me?” Tim pulled out a pen to take notes.

“It had a long bushy tail and big cheeks. Reminded me of something I saw in the Real World. I'm not sure what it's actually called, but it shouted the word “Vet” several times!” Kit gestured for Ken to sit down, which he did.

“Vet… I think you're talking about the Pokemon Skwovet. I think it was attracted to the smell of your…” Tim sniffed. “Hair gel? I think. They like berries and your hair smells strongly like them.”

“I can understand why. That's Hair Surprise Barbie’s famous berry sweet gel! All the Kens have been using it! It makes us look our best for our Barbies and it smells so good you could eat it. But you really shouldn't eat hair gel.” There was a period of silence as Tim watched Pikachu pace, then strike a pose. Pikachu spoke excitedly and frantically.

“Can you show me where that Skwovet is now?” Tim asked calmly. Ken looked at him like he had three heads but slowly nodded and led the group out of the cafe.

Ken stormed into a park and pointed to a small squirrellike Pokemon. It was too busy to notice them, choosing to stuff its little face with so many berries, Kit was worried it was going to burst. The skwovet looked up at the humans and chittered. Pikachu walked up to the other Pokemon and the two began to converse in their own language. Kit watched the exchange, mesmerized.

“How do they talk like that?” Kit asked Tim. “How do they understand each other?”

“I think Pokemon have an understanding with each other. They sound different, but it's a common language.” Tim took his eyes off Pikachu to address Kit. “I feel like that's the same with humans, in a way. We may all speak different languages, but we do understand each other sometimes on a more emotional level.”

“That's pretty deep.” Kit said in awe.

“I have my moments.” Tim chuckled. “I wonder where they're going.” As he said this, he followed the two Pokemon. The rest of the group followed suit. Eventually, the Pokemon led them to a pile of leaves, which the squirrel Pokemon dug through to expose a simple wooden box. Pikachu opened the box to reveal the heavy smell of milk and honey. There was nothing in it, but it was clearly sticky.

“Interesting.” Tim completely uncovered the box, which was revealed to be a modified crate with “Gold Lapras Shipping, from Sinnoh to You!” stamped on it. It was addressed to the museum. “Wait… I think I know who the culprit is. Why didn't I see that before?” He turned to the others. “I'll explain everything on the way over. Come on! We have to get to the museum!” The group followed Tim and Pikachu as they rushed for the museum. Kit stopped as she saw a shadow behind a tree. She approached the silhouette, seeing his cape billowing in the wind.

“Hey! You need to explain yourself! What's this about a war? How are we soldiers in this supposed war? How do you know my dad?” Kit demanded while the being folded his arms.

“Out of three questions, you only asked one that matters. So I guess I'll answer it because apparently your parents lied to you more than I thought. I know who you are. Catherine Brickowski. Only daughter of Rex Dangervest and Richard Brickington and I can't even tell you which of your parents is the worst.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Tell me: what happens to the Unikingdom if both Unikitty and Puppycorn step down? You have to know that by now, surely.”

“I hate thinking about that.” Kit stepped back, shaking her head.

“But you must for this to work. Because of your lineage, you would become the queen. I don't think even your fathers thought that through when they agreed to be parents. Maybe they thought you would never have to worry about that. After all, Puppycorn is young and has plenty of time to make sure the crown stays within his direct bloodline.” The stranger tapped his claws against his arm. “You were probably raised with that distant possibility in mind. You became a pawn of the kingdom the second you drew your first breath. Same for me. The Unikingdom and my side have been locked in this game for years. But maybe you need to ask your father, the one who didn't decide to attempt genocide on his own people for childish reasons.”

“My uncle said he was in pain and thought-!”

“Well that's a nice way to sugar coat it. Your dad destroyed the universe because he spent five years in isolation. He was angry because he thought his friends abandoned him. So instead of asking them why they didn't come to save him like an adult would do, he decided to go back in time and manipulate himself into ending everything.” The stranger sounded impatient. “Of course your Uncle Emmet would put it that way. He was probably asked to in order to keep you under your dad's thumb. Keeping you in the dark as much as possible to make sure you do anything he asks you to. Are you in contact with them? It would be easier if you told me what your orders were.”

“I haven't talked to any of my family since I started this whole thing! They didn't tell me to do anything! They don't even know I'm here!” Kit was starting to sound upset, tears beginning to pour down her face. “I just want my dad back! That's all!”

“So you are doing this just for your father. You're selfish as he is. Don't worry: once I get the foundation elements, you don't have to worry about any of this. You probably won't have to worry about anything ever again.” He turned to leave. “I have to go. The great detective is about to reveal who has what is mine by right.” He vanished through a portal, leaving Kit stunned. She steeled her gaze and ran toward the museum, hoping she could get there faster than the stranger.

She stopped when she got to the entrance, where a portal opened within the doorway. Tim pointed to the curator, who held the Legend Plate in his arms.

“... Used the honey to lure Skwovet to the spot! He shoved the plates in his mouth one by one and ran to the crate in the park to drop them off. Meanwhile, the camera was focused on Kecleon! The only thing I don't understand is why you took them.”

“My plans don't matter much now. I'm- Hey!” Clawed hands reached through the portal and grabbed the Legend Plate out of his hands. The stranger poked his hooded head out of the portal.

“You're right. It doesn't matter. Only mine does.” Almost immediately, he disappeared through the portal and it closed.

Kit put her head in her hands, letting hot tears flow down her face.

[average-bb-poke-whisperer]

Hey, hey... Kieran, it's okay... Remember me, the one with the Hisuian Zoroark? I made it here in time. It's me, Dusk. You're not a monster, bud. You're just... different. And being different doesn't make you a monster, doesn't make you something to be feared. It just makes you your own person. It's all okay.

So what if you're a Pokémon who can become a human? You're still a great friend to everyone you care about. Juliana would tell you that, wouldn't she? You're okay.

Y'know... I... kinda get how you feel. Not entirely, of course, I'm a regular human! But... I get how it feels to feel like others see you as a monster. When most people saw me with Thanatos, back when I was younger, they were terrified of me. Hated me for having him, for giving him a chance that, in my opinion, all People and Pokémon deserve at least one of.

I had... far too many moments like this, where I started to think they may be right. Started thinking I may be what they said I was. A confused Zorua. A trickster. A lost child. Why else would I be so drawn to the Baneful Fox of Hisui?

But you wanna know why I kept going, despite all that..? My sisters. They were always on my side. And now... I'm on yours, little Ogre. You're gonna be okay. Even if everything seems like it’s crashing down around ya. As long as one person believes in you, keep going, for them. Can you do that? For me? Oh shoot Than's taking my phone to talk to you, THANATOS I SWEAR-

Thanatos here, Dusk's Zoroark. Listen, kid. Don't listen to those other people, the ones who are calling you a monster. If there's one thing I learned from that kind of situation... it never ends well if you do listen. Don't end up like me, cold and full of anger at the world. You're a better 'mon then I ever can be, and don't let these guys tell you otherwise!

I get it, being a feared Pokémon SUCKS. It makes people wary of you, of those you're close with. But y'know what? Keep going, just to spite them. Did you hurt Crispin, Lacey, and Drayton last semester? Yes. Do you regret what happened? Also yes, if your actions here are any proof. That's the difference between you and a real monster. Monsters don't regret their actions. They find joy in doing them, even. You... you're just a scared little Ogre, trying to live his own life. Don't let these guys bring you down with them, okay?

//I'm sorry I just do not have it in my heart to be mean to the poor boy hasn't he suffered enough???? aaaaaaaaaaaa

"Couldn't've put it better myself."

"...y..yeah...you guys are right. I...Im. Im not a monster. im not a monster, not a monster. Thank you...all of you."

[meu-meu-kissy-ceutie]

Whether you read the read more or not, feel free to reblog or comment with your reasoning. Ultimately the last decision will be up to me and this is more to get an outside perspective, so if you have one you'd want to share let me know!

Here's little personal thoughts on why any of these favs of mine might fit me, as well as little blurbs about what i like about them.

Cyndaquil Family: Cyndaquil was my first pokemon of my first game and its still my fav. I like cyndaquil because im a shy person, and its a bit of a timid mon only pulling its fire out in certain situations, but grows into a fierce pokemon. I liked the idea as a partner cyndaquil could help pull me out of my shell a little, i think that could fit for a sona too. (Note this is the johtonian line, i prefer it to hisuian)

Popplio Family: Popplio is my second favorite pokemon starter, and the only starter to rival my love for cyndaquil enough to make it in my top favs (still waiting on a grass starter to help me make a trifecta). Popplio is one of the many claimed trans pokemon (one of two water/fairy types), which is a little on the nose but works just fine with me. Being trans is a huge part of who i am. What really sets it above is the combination of that with music, i love music and in general voice work, and that more than anything had me fall in love with this pokemon. I named myself euphony, and the popplio line with its special move sparkling aria works great with that!

Wimpod Family: If you know me and pokemon you knew there were gonna be bug types, and so here is wimpod! I love wimpod, a little darling baby so weak, so scared,only able to learn two moves akin to a magikarp, but with hard work wimpod gets stronger! Evolving into the huge, strong, and intimidating golisopod! With a signature move (upon release) and signature ability (still one of a kind) i think golisopod gained some courage with that strength, even if it still wont stick to a losing battle. I think theres also to be said about golisopods intimidating stature that iv often felt i had, even if i was more prone to an emergency exit underneath the surface. Like with the cyndaquil line, i feel a kinship do to my own timid nature, and the hopes i can move beyond it.

Hatenna Family: The second pokemon claimed by trans folks, the hatenna family! From the color scheme to its true frame hiding inside its hair to its witchy aesthetic, thats transgender, but not what drew me to it as a pokemon or a pick. Growing up in my household, showing strong emotions was generally not a good thing, parents didnt like dealing with me if i was sad or two excited. I feel a connection to hatenna in that way, like if i grew up in the pokemon world maybe learning to keep calm could have helped me meet this pokemon, and they could have spent that time with me when i had to push emotions away. I would also sometimes found myself overwhelmed during confrontation as a child, which im working on still today but is another mark in hatennas cap.

Fomantis Family: Fomantis marks the third pokemon from alola to make it onto this list, which should go to show you what a fantastic entry it is, at least imo. Fomantis is, surprisingly, not the second bug type in this list, contrary to its appearance it is a mono grass type. That is the euphy connection! Growing up, both for transgender and other reasons i often felt iv had to pretend to be something im not. My default coping mechanism is fawning, if a situation gets tough the easiest way out for me is to play along until i can get outta there, and fomantis is much the same using its appearance to fool bug types. I'd say our main difference is i simply love the bugs!

Goomy Family: Goomy, the weakest dragon type! The minute I read its pokedex entry it became my favorite dragon, favorite in all of kalos! I have a thing for taking weak pokemon, working with them and getting stronger together in the games, goomy, wimpod, and a hand full of others fit this bill to me! Goomy's also just wonderful! Soft, squishy friend to hug, the kindest eyes in its final evo, but dont be fooled this is the pseudo legend of kalos, strength is its middle name! Like with wimpod or cyndaquil, the idea of going from shy and weak to something stronger appeals to me, and, i am also a little softer than a typhlosion or a golisopod in reality. (Once again this refers to the kalos line not the hisui)

Larvesta Family: A late entry and our true and final bug on the list. If im being honest, the larvesta line made it on this list more for its connection to my sona than myself. I love larvesta, it was actually the second bug type pokemon i truly fell in love with (right after heracross, fitting slither wing would steal its typing). In truth i dont have a lot of connection with this pokemon, theres the bug and moth aesthetic (moths and beetles are my go to's for bugs), the fact that similar to many of the above its a weaker pokemon with a long road to get strong, a slight connection in the way i can sometimes feel hazardous, but thats about it. As for my sona though, you know she is a moth, you know she deals in the radiation of the sun (you knew that right, fusion not fission, for the most part neway) you know shes got a main white color scheme, and pulling from volcarona and slither wing i can get both some fun green eyes (shiny rona) and some nice green stars speckled on the wings. Its interesting that, while i do think i have a strong enough emotional connection, its probably the greater design connection that won this family a spot here.

[colorful-bees]

Ahhhh, my doodles for my N in Hisui AU are finally done! (More info about the AU and the individual drawings under the cut)

I've been thinking about this AU for such a long time, I'm glad I finally got something about it put down visually.

So, this is my N as the P:LA protag AU. Don't have a solid title for it yet. The basis of it is that he's yoinked from Unova in the middle of B&W, so he's still King of Team Plasma and still wholly believes in their cause.

Why he was called there is much of the same as the original protag; Arceus just chose him this time instead. And, oh boy. Does he have some thoughts about being forced to complete a Pokedex of all things. And these Pokeballs? Not a fan of them.

He also greatly dislikes the Galaxy Team and their goal of documenting all the Pokemon in Hisui but he begrudgingly works with them, as it's the only way to complete the Pokedex. That's the only way to get back home, back to Team Plasma and liberating the Pokemon of Unova, after all. And when the creator of all calls you to do something, you can't really not listen.

But what he does like? He loves how little humans have touched the past. Besides Jubilife Village and the Diamon and Pearl settlements, it's all wilderness, Pokemon living free. (He also greatly approves of the Clans' decision to not use Pokeballs and really thinks the Galaxy Team could learn from them.) Hisui is definitely giving him some ideas for what he wants his ideal world to look like.

Across the way, N meets a Hisuian Zorua that he quickly befriends. He's very saddened at the state of them and how bitter they've become towards the world. And the fact that they're ghosts doesn't help...

Past or present, no matter what, N's dislike of Pokeballs remains the same. He is however intrigued at the idea of handcrafting them. At least then, it feels a little more personal when you catch a Pokemon. He's a bit confused about the latches though.

Hisui is still dangerous and no amount of being able to talk to Pokemon is going to save you from the harsh world beyond Jubilife's walls. N quickly learns that not all of his friends are too keen about him.

N still wears his goofy little necklace tucked safely under his Galaxy Team uniform (that he hates wearing but he can't deny its comfort). A little piece of home carried with him. (Not pictured: His puzzle cube that he made extra space in his bag specifically for. Too dangerous to let that thing being hanging out of his pocket in the environment he's constantly in.)

Unfortunately, having hair as long as N's is a bit of a liability when you're doing survey work and he reluctantly gets it chopped off when Arezu comes around. He very much misses it and vows that he'll never cut it again, even if it's inconvenient. He feels a lot lighter now though. It's a weird feeling.

(Also. If anyone is interested in this AU, please, please send me an ask about it. I love answering questions, especially about the stuff I create and I really like this AU so don't be shy. I would love to talk :)c

(Masterpost for this AU)

[opossumonashelf]

Finally finished my pokemon self-insert ref. Sorry for the wait.

A word for word down under the read more. Includes Legends Arceus spoilers and Violet Spoilers, for those who have not played the games.

Name: Ella

Height: 4'11

Age: 18 to 19

Pronouns: She/They

And for the little information on the side.

-Battle Subway Regular

-Galar Champion (split title)

-Student Rank: Champion (Paldea)

-Pokemon artist.

Backstory:

Born in Unova, she lived with her family in Nimbasa, didn't really make friends alot before having to move to another region and another. Eventually family settled down in Galar, Ella took on the gym challenge and made friends with those she met, won the championship but split the title with Gloria and Victor, creating the champion trio. She traveled around to Johto and Sinnoh before going back home to Galar for a Event Match but before stepping out into the field, a rift pulled her in and throw her into the past. She learns that she wasn't the only one to be cursed by this, becoming a somewhat sister like figure for Akari/Dawn. Headaches seem to plague her whenever something seems familiar. When meeting Warden Ingo, a memory is knocked loose as if she had met him before. During the Electrode fight, both Akari/Dawn and Ella tag in and out and take turns attempting to calm the frenzied pokemon. After the battle Ella explores and discovers a broken down subway car, she thinks it could possibly be repaired. During the red sky, She snapped when Akari/Dawn was accused of being the reason the rift was worse then it was, being exiled along side her, she became very suspicious of Volo, and kept an eye on him. When all the plates were found Akari/Dawn went off to face Volo alone, but after hearing some pretty concerning roars from the mountain, Ella books it to the Mountain to intervene and defeats Volo in a fit of rage. After these events, Zamazenta somehow finds its way to hisui, A huge Lugia causes a storm that nearly floods the land, and other stuff. More stuff happens and Akari/Dawn, Ingo, and Ella are able to go back home, but Ella ends up stuck in Unova after being reunited with her pokemon. Akari/Dawn is able to go home with the help of Cynthia, and the Twins are reunited. They offer her temporary stay until she can manage to get back home. She eventually becomes a regular on the battle subway, even giving advice to trainers. After a few months she goes back to galar and learns that she was accepted into Uva Academy, and then the whole plot line of Violet plays out. I mean I could write more but I that would take too long.

Pokemon used (not all of them but some)

Buttercup (Flareon) ♀

Silbee (Inteleon) ♂

Queen (Noivern) ♀

Raze (Hisuian Zoroark) ♂

Cakepop (Mew) unknown

Tonk (Zoroark) ♀

Moriarty (Lucario) ♂

Sherbert (Goodra) ♀

That's all I can put in for now.