#it got me thinking of pokemon again I guess

[chibishortdeath]

I was suddenly intensely compelled to draw Simon as a Pokémon trainer so this exists now d(•w• ).

I initially was going to make him a Dark type trainer since Dark is super effective against Ghost and most of what he hunts would fall under that I guess, also a lot of his designs have some similar color schemes as other Dark type things, BUT I realized that, surprisingly, Ghost actually fits wayyyyyy better. Ghost is also super effective against Ghost (I have always found this funny lol) and has both more Pokémon that make sense character wise as well as moves like “Curse”. Mimikyu’s whole thing is that it looks up to and wants to be just as adored as Pikachu and idk I think Simon would kinda vibe with that a lot. Also the whole Litwick line and like ya know Castlevania games and their candles, the chandeliers, it just fits. Simon’s Quest also has the Mysterious Woman who appears with the mist in a graveyard and may or may not be a ghost who helps Simon so that tracks too. He also just seems like he’d spend a lot of time hangin around in a cemetery idk how to explain that.

His design is mostly just an altered Simon’s Quest outfit, but I added elements of his other designs to it like bits of red in his hair, the cape from the manual drawings (and the smash bros teaser I guess lol), the fur and boots from Ayami’s design, a ripped skirt thing like the smash bros design (I’m sure other designs have had something similar too I just can’t think about which rn), the armband thingys and the headband from his NES cover and X68000 designs, etc etc. I imagine that he’d probably have the cape down most of the time and come off as a more brown focused design (I didn’t color them all the way cause I didn’t wanna get all my colored pencils out oof) and say things that kinda mislead the player into thinking he’s maybe a Fighting type trainer or something. Then when actually battling him he pushes the cape back and oh wow big reveal!

Yeah idk, this was fun tho. Maybe I’ll draw some other Belmonts as trainers too eventually, I have some ideas already hmmm. Also it is so so hard to remember what I have and have not posted here, especially since I know I’ve posted this elsewhere so I keep feeling like I’ve already written all of this before ｡(ﾟ´ω`ﾟ)ﾟ｡. So if I’ve already posted something please tell me, my memory sucks most of the time and I’d greatly appreciate that!

[sherokutakari]

•*☆ Cat Ownership ☆*•

[goldensunset]

everyone told me she was terrifying but they didn’t tell me she was so cool and nice

[cheesecake801]

Today is my birthday yaaaaay ! Have some dumb things I made about me being obsessed with Ingo and Emmet haha

On the last one it's me pointing at Cilan and basically saying "I wanna be in his shoes !!" (in french) because imagine being able interact with Ingo and Emmet just like he did omg. I would ask for their autograph ! (btw I love anime submas, and I was scared of how they would sound like but their french voices weren't bad !)

[waywardsalt]

small little thing abt botw/totk and the future of zelda games considering it seems likely that future zelda games might be in the same style as those two and how i feel like botw/totk don't actually feel like zelda games (kind of messy i just typed this out in a kind of informal or whatever way) (this post is long af btw so uhhhh yeah)

im part of the group that claims that botw/totk aren't 'real' zelda games but... i guess they are technically 'real' zelda games, but... they sure as fuck don't feel like it, and because of that, i'm not at all excited with the idea of future loz games being in the same style, especially with the pitfalls these last two games have fallen into having been things that past zelda games did especially well, it feels like things have been sort of flipped on their heads in terms of what's being valued or whatever

like... the best parts of older zelda games were things like the story and the characters and the puzzles and the dungeons and stuff like that... the best parts of botw/totk right now are just the gameplay. people enjoy these new characters, but they dont have the narrative backing that older games do, they don't have the same impactful arcs or roles allowed by a more linear story

the point i want to get at though is how botw/totk honestly don't feel like direct evolutions or steps up from past zelda games but rather just... entirely different game styles (open world games) with the zelda flavoring and worldbuilding and story styling slapped on top.

i mean... i feel like a half-decent example of some other well-known franchises that have jumped on this (honestly kind of thoughtless) open-world bandwagon are mario (mario odyssey) pokemon (sword/shield and scarlet/violet) fire emblem (kind of. with some free-walking segments in 3 houses and engage) and the soulsborne type games (elden ring), these are all other well known and storied game series' that have somewhat made the move to open world, and i think that switch was a bit smoother, kept the core and integrity of the games that came before much better than botw/totk did

elden ring is the easiest to explain- the gameplay loop and core mechanics are the same and build upon past games' you just have more room to run around and get killed in with some little open-world flourishes like material gathering.

fire emblem is... a bit less flexible in terms of changing up the core gameplay, and the addition of open-world segments are added to add bonuses to the strategy gameplay and allow for more support-building oppourtunities and little minigames, and its more or less evolution from echoes' dungeon-crawling bits and the customizable castle in fates. the core gameplay still effectively works the exact same, just with some little class or mechanic tweaks and additions.

mario odyssey, though each world was pretty massive, still had your typical 3d mario platforming, and the new hat stuff fit in pretty well with olderpowerups and gimmicks, and the boss battles feel and work pretty similarly to the way they used it- odyssey does feel like an evolution from past mario games (ps. playing two-player with one person as cappy snaps the game in half. its the secret easy mode lol)

the new pokemon games are pretty much just the same as past pokemon games, theyre just open world and buggy as fuck rip have extra little open-world flourishes that build on what past games set up. the battling works the same as ever and the progression is the same with a number of powerful trainers you have to battle to continue forward.

with botw/totk... the progression is dramatically different in terms of power-scaling, world presentation, item-gathering, puzzle-solving... pretty much everything in the established zelda format. i get that it was pretty much the aim with botw to have a fresh start and throw out a lot of the old standards but it just makes them feel so dramatically alien to past zelda games; theyre completely different experiences in pretty much every single way, and as such they dont feel like what we've (well, people who have started with and spent a lot of time with other loz games) learned to associate with the zelda titles.

with open world games in general it's a bit harder to have a truly impactful narrative akin to those in past zelda games, anyways. i will admit that botw was a good execution of trying out something entirely new, and the narrative and gameplay and world actually complement each other very well, so despite what i've said in the past I can't really fault it's narrative too much since it's a less traditional sort of narrative and effectively does what it aims to do very well.

totk, on the other hand, proves that this style of game does not mesh with the old style of storytelling at ALL. linear games can have proper narratives with coherent stakes, developing characters, twists and reveals and building emotion and mood- and all of that is thrown out the window with totk when they decided to try and have both a more linear story with actual reveals and development and emotion, while also letting you literally spoil it for yourself out the gate.

you can't really have a well-executed story when players are capable of doing things drastically out of order and of jumping into story beats without the prior buildup and straight-up ruining what could be otherwise emotional reveals, and players being capable of doing this is hard-baked in how the game fundamentally works. I honestly feel bad for people who found the fifth sage by accident before anything else.

you can't effectively have a linear story with character growth and plot developments and impactful moments while also allowing it to be experienced out of order and with massive time gaps in between; with this kind of stuff, you can't really have your cake and eat it too. say what you will about the linearity of past zelda games, but i bet you that midna wouldn't be as beloved as a character as she is if it weren't for the linear order of the story and its events. certain parts of storytelling may demand for a linear manner of telling that story.

botw's story works because none of the memories reveal anything groundbreaking taht you don't already know; they are optional and merely give you more information about these characters from link's past and simply inform you about the girl keeping ganon at bay. if you find a late memory first, that's fine- it technically doesnt reveal anything too important to you, it just fills in some gaps for you and your player character. it makes sense within the story itself for the world to be so open and for you to be able to do what you can; the story is not the focus, nor is it even needed to beat the game. the story was made with the gameplay and what you are allowed to do in mind, and as such doesn't include things such as in-depth character development or important plot-twists.

on the other hand, you can easily spoil totk's biggest plot twist in a handful of different ways completely by accident, just by getting curious about the world around you. this can shatter a lot of the mystery or tension in the plot and this can happen completely by accident to someone playing the game organically and blindly. the story itself doesn't take this into account, it reads more like a linear story that would be more suited to a linear style of play, coming across things in order to ramp up the stakes and let things be revealed at the best possible time. (tbh totk's story doesnt seem to take the player into account in general, if the game forcing you to watch basically the same long cutscene four fucking times says anything, jesus christ)

narrative pitfalls aside, botw/totk put heavy emphasis on gameplay, but not in the same way older zelda games did, and as such trade away the unique items and gimmick-y game-specific mechanics for a small toolset handed to you out the gate. what botw/totk do- giving you everything you need from the start and having very little true varation in the gameplay from then on out- make sense and works just fine for an open world game. there is, however, a lack of actual depth to that gameplay that other open world games do have (off the top of my head, the ability to unlock and upgrade abilities and have general character upgrades in fenyx rising as well as the impressive depths of elden ring's combat and character customization system). the most depth botw/totk has to the actual gameplay is just the fourish different weapon types and the ways you use your fourish abilities (saying fourish bc for real ultrahand and fuse are fundamentally the exact same thing). there is also just raising the little defense numbers on your armor and getting more stamina and health, but that does absolutely nothing to the actual gameplay but make link more durable.

i mean, sure, health in past loz games just makes link more durable, too, but thats how health upgrades in any other game work.

the gameplay switch makes sense, considering the switch from a linear puzzle-adventure concentric game to a more sandbox-esque open-world game, but it does not mesh with the former loz formula at all, so while the shift in style makes sense, it makes me think that you can't have a previous-style loz experience in an open-world sandboxish sort of game. especially with how in totk you can very easily bypass most of the fire temple just using the mechanics handed to you at the start. you can't have the same type of zelda dungeons in a game where you are allowed to do it 'wrong' and the game itself does not allow for the same kinds of puzzles.

i am of the opinion that so long as future zelda games work the same way botw/totk did, we will not get old-school zelda-style dungeons again.

the loss of a variety of items used for specific puzzles and environment switches is the loss of a varied dungeon experience and the loss of the same kind of world and character progression as past zelda games.

you are handed everything you'll ever need at the start of botw/totk. the only thing that will meaningfully change is how much damage you do. there are no alternate strategies opened up by new items that can double as weapons, no new traversal options or routes opened up by things such as grappling hooks or clawshots or whips or specific wands. even the battle system is drastically different, instead of being enemies that take specific amounts of hits to die while you can obtain progressively stronger swords, enemies are just damage sponges and you can get all kind of weapons that just do different numerical amounts of damage.

the bosses themselves- big staples and draws of zelda games- also work extremely differently. instead of having to leverage specific items to expose weak spots or having to fight in a specific manner to do damage, you are just asked to... do damage. even in totk's bosses, where sage abilities are most certainly helpful, the only boss i found to truly require a sage ability was the lighting temple's boss; the others i either hardly used the sage at all (i didn't use yunobo at all in the second phase of the fire temple boss and hardly had a need for tulin with the wind temple boss [esp considering i was using a 3-shot lynel bow to make the poor fucker a cakewalk]) or found that alternative solutions felt better, like resorting to splash fruit on repeat water temple fights instead of wrestling with having to activate and use sidon's ability. the sages are honestly fairly poor replacements for dungeon specific items.

this kind of causes botw/totk to play more like a poor man's dark souls or just like any other open world rpgish game. i don't play botw/totk for the experience of a zelda game, i play it because it's an open world game that i can walk around in for five minute before switching to something else because i liked something in that other game better.

the combat in botw/totk isnt designed in such a way that makes it feel good. mineru's mech is fucking dismal, but since it's just either shooting with a bow or attacking with one of three types of melee weapon with some timing for a dodge, it can get stale fast. it doesn't necessarily even feel good, since there's not enough variety for it to get really engaging. (this is def an uneven comparison, but elden ring's combat feels considerable better with the different dodges you can do and the amount of attack options you have with just one weapon, not to mention the amount of control you have over your general fighting style.) combat in botw/totk at hour 1 is the exact same as combat in botw/totk at hour 100, the only different being the amount of damage you do or how much of a beating you can take.

it just... the styles of botw/totk can't allow them to feel the same as older zelda games. the shift in style was clearly a good move to draw in series newbies and shake things up, but it comes at the caveat of making them feel distant from their predecessors and uncomfortably similar to other games like them. it's hard to avoid comparisons with elden ring when on the surface they are very similar games, one just feels more true to its core identity

this all is said without mentioning the way in which botw/totk lore feels almost dismissive of past series staples and seems intent on not looking back while also taking every fucking attempt to nudge you and say 'hey, remember that zelda game' and honestly all that shit does is make me want to play a different zelda game.

botw/totk seem altogether very desperate to distance themselves from past zelda games while also being unable to really tear itself from what came before and it just culminates in me spotting linebeck island on the map and going 'damn i miss linebeck' and turning the fucking game off to play phantom hourglass instead. say what you will about phantom hourglass, but it certainly handles its story progression and character development infinitely better than the game that lets you accidentally shatter the impact of the story by deciding to check out that cool temple in the distance of the depths

[demonic0angel]

Pokemon x DP

Also on AO3

Danny sighed. Tucker nudged him gently as he said, "Hey! You'll be alright, it's no big deal not to get a Pokémon at 14."

"Yeah, but this is my fourth time visiting the center and this time, none of them liked me! I think they liked me less!" Danny protested.

Sam shrugged. "It's fine, stick it to the man and all that. Reject social norms. Pokémon are everywhere, maybe one of them will come to you later."

All three of them were walking to his house, because tomorrow would be the first day of school and they all wanted to have a game plan for the following years of pain and suffering.

Danny kicked at the ground, launching a pebble onto the road.

"Easy for you guys to say," he scowled. "Both of you found Pokémon from the center on your first try. And Sam, you get Pokémon from your parents.”

Tucker and Sam winced. It was true. Both of them had almost instantly found their Pokémon when they first turned 10. Sam herself had two Pokémon, an Ivysaur that she evolved on her own from the Pokémon center and a Flabébé that she got from her parents. 

It was only Danny who seemed to be struggling.

When children turned 10, it was expected that they would go to a Pokémon center to pick out their first. There were the basic starter pokemon as always, such as Bulbasaur or Pichu or Scorbunny or Piplup. If children didn’t feel a connection to any Pokémon or none of them were chosen, they could usually come back again and find another.

If that still didn’t work, then a parent or relative or someone older could always give them one or help them catch it. If they had money, they could even buy a Pokémon from a Pokémon breeder, like Dash Baxter did, who got himself a Druddigon.

For someone like Danny, who didn’t have money or any starter Pokémon, getting one on his own would be difficult.

After all, another Pokémon was needed to catch one. Otherwise, a normal person would have to fight a Pokémon with their own bare fists.

Which was unfortunately looking like what Danny would have to do if this kept going on.

Ivysaur poked her head out from where she had hiding in the backpacks and gave a soft rumble, reaching out with her vines to rub Danny's hair comfortingly.

Danny sighed and took a vine in hand, twining it around his fingers with a small smile. "Thanks, Ivy."

"Ivy!" The Pokemon chirped.

"At least your Pokémon still like me," Danny went back to grumbling. "The others seemed really afraid."

He recalled the horror and apprehension the other Pokémon had felt around him. It made him feel… sick. Seeing how they reacted, it was like he had truly become something monstrous.

"Hmm. It's probably because our Pokémon grew up around you," Tucker said with a nod. “My Pichu doesn’t react badly to you either.”

Sam's eyes widened before she leaned in closer. "Do you think it's because of... your new thing?"

Danny nodded miserably.

He had come into his ghost powers just a few weeks before the school year began, and now everything was messed up. Ghosts and ghost Pokémon had now infiltrated Amity Park and he himself had turned into some sort of unknown hybrid of both human and spirit.

He didn't know what to think. Controlling his powers were already a struggle and now he was starting high school too! In the same school as Jazz!

It was going to be torture, he already knew.

There was a tapping noise of footsteps and Danny sighed again.

Speak of the devil and she may appear.

"Danny!" A sweet voice called and Danny barely even blinked before he was pulled into a hug. Ribbons wrapped around him similarly and Danny choked as he was pressed against his sister's chest. "Did you get a Pokémon? Who is it? Let me guess, a Snivy? No, a Charmander? Maybe a Fuecoco?"

"Jazz!" He struggled and turned red as his friends all giggled under their breaths. "I can't breathe! Sylveon!"

Jazz and Sylveon both pulled back, looking down at him. Sylveon was perched on her shoulder, ribbons flowing around them both as two of them reached down to smooth down Danny's hoodie and press down his ruffled hair.

Danny glowered as both mother-hens cooed over him. "I didn't choose one."

"What!” She cried out, shocked before she quickly schooled her attention and tried to smile. Her eyes, however, were filled with pity. “Well— actually, it's fine. You still have time and I'm sure that mom and dad can get you a Pokémon too, if you'd like… it might take a while though."

Danny's eye twitched.

"Maybe I'll just catch one," Danny grumbled, tensing as his hand accidentally went through one of Sylveon's ribbons. Sylveon paused and tilted her head at him and Danny tried not to show his panic on his face. "Uhm! I gotta go! To the arcade with Sam and Tucker! So, uh, see you!"

He quickly darted away.

Jazz blinked after him and then called, "I'll let you borrow Chansey and Sylveon if you need them to catch something!"

Danny grabbed Tucker and Sam by the straps of their backpack and yanked them away.

“Change of plans!” He immediately hissed.

His friends, however, started protesting.

"Ow! Cool it, dude! Pichu is in here!"

"Hey! Calm down!"

Danny turned red again as he slowed down away from Jazz. "I think my powers showed up again. Sylveon noticed."

His friends' ire immediately turned into worry. "Oh no. Do you think she could tell Jazz?"

Danny thought about it. Sylveon was extremely loyal to Jazz, but she had also been in the house after Danny had changed and she had supposedly evolved shortly after the portal had turned on. It was like a sign of some sorts, her turning from an Eevee to a Sylveon when he had become something else too.

Jazz had been overjoyed and thankfully, did not question why Sylveon had suddenly evolved while watching over him.

Danny shivered and his breath turned into a cold mist.

“Oh no.” He looked up, where a ghost had suddenly appeared and was now terrorizing some random people. He looked at his friends, who were already staring at him with wide eyes. “Can you guys cover for me?”

Sam nodded and Tucker gave him a thumbs up.

Danny ducked into an alley with his friends, handed them his backpack, and quickly transformed before going out to fight back the ghost.

The ghost looked like some sort of zombie figure with green skin and dead eyes. It did not speak, not even making quips as it darted at people and tried to scratch them. It growled and acted viciously, trying to hurt as many people as they could. People, thankfully, were dodging or using their Pokémon as defense, but the ghost didn’t relent, even attacking the Pokémon.

“Not cool, dude!” Danny said, floating in the air. “Don’t attack other Pokémon!”

The zombie ghost looked at him with a glare but then darted off to swoop at another civilian.

Danny tried to focus on his powers, hoping to aim at the ghost and blast it out of the sky. Instead, he accidentally struck the ground where the civilian was already dodging the ghost’s attacks.

“Hey! Watch it!” The guy cried, clutching his Snubbull.

Danny winced. “Sorry!”

The guy scrambled away and the zombie ghost turned back at him again, its expression even darker.

It still didn’t approach or engage, instead, merely turning around to harass other people.

Danny scratched at his head.

Did he have to be the one to come over and attack them first?

He sighed but then flew over to try and blast it again. His powers fizzled out of control but it was too late, Danny was now in front of the zombie ghost, blocking it from attacking a small family that were still trying to escape.

“Run!” He said. “I’ll hold it back!”

Just as he shouted that, a blast of ghost powers hit him and threw him back. Danny was thrown against a tree, but somehow managed to phase through, tingling with pain but otherwise unharmed.

Danny shook it off and glared at the zombie, who was now looking at him warily.

“Oh no, you don’t! Don’t attack innocent families, or you’re going to be dead meat! Permanently!”

Danny flew back and aimed a punch. The zombie ghost dodged and then they were fighting, with Danny going on the offensive and the zombie dodging his every attempt.

Danny frowned.

Why was the ghost still not speaking? And why did it only keep dodging too?

This was unlike any other ghost he had fought.

Danny raised his hand and with a sudden burst of anger, his powers surged and then struck the zombie ghost out of the sky.

There was a very distinct, high pitched yelp that did not belong to a zombie ghost before it suddenly faded to mist, revealing something else.

A small figure dropped towards the ground, spinning out of control.

Danny’s eyes widened and he immediately flew down to catch it. When it landed in his arms, it was squirming weakly and growling at him, twisting to bite at his fingers and hands.

It was a Pokémon, one that he didn’t recognize.

It was gray with white fur on its tail and neck, wispy and tinted with red. It had yellow eyes that glared hatefully at him and despite how it wriggled and tried to get away, Danny didn’t let it go, even as it sank its fangs into his hands.

Without thinking, Danny pulled the Pokémon close to his chest and then flew over to where his friends were.

Sam and Tucker were hiding in an alley, holding onto his backpack and their Pokémon. They all stared at him when he arrived with the Pokémon in tow.

“Can one of you scan this? I don’t know what it is,” Danny said, showing them the strange creature. It was kicking at his hands and scratching and biting, but Danny didn't let go.

It didn't hurt as much as he had expected, now that he focused on it anyways.

Tucker immediately pulled out his PDA and scanned the Pokémon.

“Danny, did you catch that just now? Was it the zombie thing attacking people?” Sam asked, looking at the snapping, growling creature warily.

Danny nodded, just as the Pokédex finished the scan.

“Zorua: the Spiteful Fox Pokémon. A once-departed soul, returned to life. Derives power from resentment, which rises as energy atop its head and takes on the forms of foes. In this way, Zorua vents lingering malice,” the electronic voice monotoned from Tucker’s Pokédex-PDA combined device.

Tucker hummed and added, “It says that it’s a normal and ghost type.”

Sam gasped. “A Zorua! I know those! They’re usually called the Tricky Fox Pokémon though, and they look different.”

“It’s a ghost,” Danny said with a sudden smile. “That’s why it’s different.”

Like him, this Zorua was different. White from black, ghost from living, this Pokémon was just like him.

Suddenly, Danny knew exactly what he wanted.

“Hey,” he said, addressing the Zorua as he raised it to meet his eyes. It tried to scratch at his face but he held it slightly out of reach. “Do you want to be my Pokémon?”

The Zorua stared at him in shock, stiffening and freezing in place. Its eyes were large like dinner plates.

“I don’t have one yet, but I promise I can be a good trainer. I’ll give you food, pets, a place to sleep. I promise to treat you well.” He tried to sound as sincere and truthful as possible.

The Zorua continued staring at him.

Danny silently glanced at Sam and she wordlessly retrieved a Pokeball for him.

Danny slowly released one hand from him holding the Zorua. It didn't jump away, only staring at him as he raised the ball upwards for the Zorua to see. “If I catch you and it works, can we be partners? If it doesn’t, I’ll take you to a Pokémon center to heal and then let you go. Would that be okay?”

The Zorua didn’t say anything. It just glanced between the ball and him with a strange look. Not really knowing what to do but incredibly eager to catch it, Danny then tapped the Pokeball on its forehead and a red beam zipped out, capturing the Pokémon.

In an instant, it disappeared into the ball.

The ball shook left and right, glowing for a long, long while.

Danny held his breath. Sam and Tucker grabbed at each other in anticipation.

And then with a soft noise, the Pokeball stilled and dinged.

They all cheered like their team won the Super Bowl.

“I did it! I did it! I caught my first Pokémon!” Danny cheered, almost crying. His entire body felt limp like he had finally been released form a burden.

“You did it! You caught a Zorua!” Sam slapped his back with a grin.

Tucker whooped. “Heck yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! Dab me up!”

He and Tucker did a congratulatory handshake, grinning like maniacs. Danny then opened the Pokeball again and released Zorua, who shook its fur out with a soft, disgruntled expression.

It licked its paw and didn't meet his eyes, but Danny grinned hard enough for his face to hurt at the sight of it.

His first Pokémon.

One he caught all on his own!

He knelt on the ground, opened his arms, and said, “C’mere, boy! C’mere!”

Zorua, like before, just stared at him for a long time. And then it slowly approached.

After what felt like an eternity of anticipation, it carefully brushed against Danny’s hands.

Danny beamed and picked it up, holding Zorua close.

“I’m glad you chose me, Zorua. We’ll be the best partners ever and fight all of the ghosts!”

Zorua huffed.

Tucker remarked, “It’s kind of cute. Though how will you tell your parents? Don’t they hate ghost Pokémon?”

Sam also frowned. “Yeah, and this one looks really unique. What if someone connects the dots between you and your ghost form?”

Danny paled. He hadn’t thought about that.

His parents hated all ghosts, ghost Pokémon included. It was why Jazz had normal type Pokémon (until Sylveon evolved, at least) and why his parents had a lot of dark types, all to combat most effectively against ghosts.

It was why he hadn’t told them a thing either.

Danny nibbled on his lip in thought, his friends similarly focused on finding a solution.

But once again, Zorua seemed to be the perfect solution.

With another huff, Zorua let out a white flash and then a black with red accented fox-like Pokémon appeared.

Sam gasped, looking impressed. “Oh! It transformed into a normal Zorua!”

“Zorua are dark types, aren’t they? I think Zorua just solved your problems for you!” Tucker smirked.

Danny stared at Zorua, who looked back at him with narrowed eyes. Danny couldn’t help the slow but wide grin that spread over his face again before he reached over to pull Zorua back into a hug.

“You’re perfect,” he said, unable to help the awe in his voice as he rubbed his cheek over the tuff of fur on Zorua’s head.

Zorua growled and wriggled once, but didn’t bite or scratch him again.

Danny then de-transformed.

Zorua stared at him for a long time, studying him. Danny allowed it to look for as long as it wanted. A light filled its eyes and with a small coo, Zorua climbed onto his shoulders, where it sank its claws into his hoodie to stay on.

Danny grinned at his friends.

“Want to go to the arcade? For real this time?” He said.

“Yes! Let’s go!” Tucker cheered.

“I’ll pay for half of the coins, you pay for the other half,” Sam said with a smirk.

Danny smiled again, reaching over to stroke Zorua’s head again.

He got his first Pokémon! A Zorua, just like him, ghostly and hidden and powerful.

Best. Day. Ever!

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

I still can’t draw lmao, so have this short DP fic.

Ahhhh I've been obsessing over Pokémon on and off for a while now, which is fun since my sister is also getting back into her Pokémon phase as well. (I handle the anime and books, she handles the games and cards 💀)

Things to note about this pokemon AU: + This is a DPxDC series. However, I probably won't write a DC Pokémon fic on its own, only either DP or DPxDC…. Probably. + I do not focus too hard on pokemon regions + I choose Pokémon based on a mixture of backstory, vibes, power, and aesthetic. As such, it's probably not entirely accurate to the character, but I like my choices + The DP and DC world are separated with different cultures, politics, etc, but the pokemon are the same, just in different varieties or rarities. + I tried my best to choose pokemon based on my own ideas and not others, but I unfortunately had the same brain worms as mizartz (it is only unfortunate bc I didn't want to copy them but we had the same thoughts and I was screaming crying throwing up bc I didn't want to change my choices either so fuck it), so there are a few similarities. I did try my best to be different though but if I really didn't want to change it, I just didn't. + I also try not to repeat the same Pokémon bc there are over 1000 Pokémon, if I can’t find a unique one to give to a character, frankly, I expect you guys to be disappointed in me 💀 + The characters will continue gaining more Pokémon over the series! :D Everyone gets (at least) 3 Pokémon, but some people will have 6 or more!

[itzy-bitsy-spidey]

"Pokemon collection (pt. 7)"

Or "something made a hole in my backyard pt.7"

Shadow The Hedgehog x reader (platonic)

Notes: Happy Valentine's day!! If you're feeling nice leave a comment, they are hugely appreciated!

Part 6

Fainting was a weird sensation. It´s like when you stood up really fast and you get dizzy, except instead of going away the dizzines just makes you fall to the ground and hit your head.

It was the waking up part that was higly confusing. Mainly because the first thing you saw was a yellow-orangey creature.

"AHHHHH" Yeah, probably the whole neighborhood heard you scream.

And then you heard multiple voices at the same time from which what you understod was: "Hey, there´s no need to scream" from what sounded like a child, "You´re not dead!" from an older child, "This one is weird, she is silent and then loud" that sounded like a grown ass adult. And there was also Ozzy barking.

"Okay everybody, move aside, give her some space" Now that voice you did recognize, that was your aunt Maddie.

Only when she sat next to you did you register that you were laying in the couch. How long had it been?

"Hey sweetie" She started as she gently laid her hand on your arm as though you were a scared animal that would run off at any moment. "I´m sorry this all came as a surprise to you, we didn´t mean to..."

"I´M BACK, WHO SCREAMED?" Tom interrupted her as he appeared out of nowhere, or maybe he had come from upstairs, you didn´t know, you were sooo confused.

"What happened? And why is there a blue hedghog here?"

"We were going to tell you, but then you showed up with Shadow and we didn´t want to..." Once again your aunt was interrupted.

"Hi! I´m Sonic! Your super awesome cousin you didn´t know you had" The hedgehog practically screamed on your face.

"I´m sorry, did you just say cousin?" You asked at him, but you didn´t even let him speak as you turned towards your uncle "Is this why you said kids? Are these... things..."

"Rude" Said, well, Sonic, you guessed.

"...Your kids? And you didn´t tell me?" You couldn´t quite tell if you were feeling offended or confused, there was a sort of thightness on your chest, as if you were hugely overlooking a very important detail.

"Why did you not tell me? And why are there so many of them? What, do you collect them like fucking pokemons or something?" Now you did know what you were feeling.

Angry, hot with anger. You could feel it in every vein on your body, your eyes couldn´t focus on anything, until you found a victim, still sitting right at your side.

"I asked you for help! I thought he was dying and you didn´t even think about telling me that you had seen others like him?!" you screamed at your aunt Maddie as you got up from the couch.

"I didn´t know what to do, he is dangerous!" She quipped right back.

"That´s not your call to make, I would have handled it if you had said something" that was probably one of the first times in your life you had disagreed with your aunt.

Shadow wasn´t dangerous. Sure, he was hurt and he didn´t really trust you, but that didn´t make him dangerous.

"HE TRIED TO KILL TOM!"

...

...

"What?"

Your voice had came out so low you weren´t sure the words had actually left your mouth at all.

"He did, that´s why he has a broken arm" Maddie explained as she grabbed your hands on hers.

"But he´s not bad..."

"He has the ability to be..." she stated as if it was an unmistakable truth.

"Maddie that´s enough, we talked about this" Finally Tom approached the two of you, he put his working arm in between you and stared sternly at his wife. Yet she kept looking at you in your eyes.

"But it doesn´t matter anymore, he´s gone" She tried to smile reassuringly.

"What?" Suddenly the hold on your hands felt restrictive "What do you mean? What did you do?!" you ripped your hands of of hers.

"I-I, nothing, I didn´t do nothing, he was gone when I went looking for you" She seemed shocked at your harsh reaction.

Dread filled your entire body, it had drenched you in an awful way, freezing you from head to toes. A sound left your lips, it wasn´t quite a word, more like a strained gasp.

And the you ran.

You didn´t hear your aunt calling for you as you left the house, or the little yellow fox asking "What is going on?", all you could be aware of was the blood pumping through your legs and your heart beating wildly in your chest. There was a ringing in your ears too, that damned type of ringing that appears when the world is too quiet.

The run to your house felt awfully longer than the walk you had taken that morning, and once you finally arrived your brain was working too fast, trying to focus on everything at once.

From afar the house had looked normal, but the door was open, the lock busted. Your heart had left your chest altogether and was then beating on your throat.

You walked in slowly, the speed you had taken on the run dead as you had stepped on the welcome mat. A voice came from the living room, so you went there first.

The wooden floor creaked with every step you took, and anticipation built in your chest. But there was no one there, only the TV on, broadcasting a Mexican novela.

With every second you gained speed as you ran all the way to the bedroom you were staying in, the one Shadow had taken as his own while he healed.

The bed was neatly done and everything was on place, except the window, which was wide open

"SHADOW! SHADOW WERE ARE YOU?!" you screamed through the window, looking for signs of him on the backyard.

Something warm dripped onto your hand, and, as you touched your face trying to figure out were the liquid had came from, you felt traces of tears painting your cheeks.

You kept calling out his name as you searched around the house, your voice growing weaker and more broken as you didn't find him.

Finally you reached the living room once again, and you collapsed on the couch. You tried to hold your hands together so that they wouldn't shake.

A creak sounded from the window behind you; you turned around.

There he was standing, looking straight at your eyes with his usual frown. He exchanged looks with you for a few seconds and when you finally moved he was too confused as to move.

You jumped over the couch and hugged him. The hard floor digged onto your knees and your body felt tired, but he was alright which was what mattered.

"Where where you?" You questioned him.

"A woman came by, I did what you told me, I hid". His frown looked almost concerned then, as if he was worried he had done something wrong.

"Yes, you did well" You laughed and broke the hug, choosing to keep your hands on his shoulders instead "Maybe a little too well".

"I'm..."

"The ultimate life form? Yeah, yeah, I know"

"No, I'm... Sorry, that I worried you" he stared at the ground.

You almost choked on a sob at his words.

"It's okay, I was just worried you were hurt, there's nothing to apologize for sweetie" you explained as you held his face in your hands.

What a twist your life had taken.

Taglist:@boogiemansbitch@vxllys@whoisgami@baby-bloos@sapphireravensworld@mothmanperson@4rm-the-mf-concrete@eliknowsnothing@pooplyface1423@kyouzki@moon-trash1507@shadowforlive

[dreamescapeswriting]

A Gamers Apology ~ HJS

WORD COUNT: 0.9K (I’m so sorry its so short T-T)

GENRE: Angst? Fluffy, reader and Hannie in their own bubble, non idol au, han being cute af, established relationships

PAIRING: Jisung x GN!Reader

⤜Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - March 2024

⤜MASTERLIST

You sat cross-armed on the couch, your eyes fixed on the television screen where your boyfriend, Han, was engaged in a fierce battle on COD. Your character lay motionless on the virtual battlefield, a victim of Han's relentless skill and precision. You clenched your jaw, your frustration growing with each passing second. How could he do this again? Every time you played the game he would only think of his own missions and take over yours, killing all of the enemies you'd done all the damage to and taking the points for himself.

"Seriously, Hannie? Again?" You finally blurted out, breaking the tense silence that had enveloped the room. Han turned to face you with a puzzled expression, the game playing in the background as both your characters died and it went to a game screen. 

"What's wrong, babe? Did I do something?" Your glare intensified. 

"Did you do something? You stole all my kills! I was this close to completing the mission, and you swoop in and take them all. It's not fair!" Han's eyes widened in realization and a slight blush began to settle on his cheeks, he hadn't realised until it was too late. 

"Oh, is that what this is about? Come on, Yn, it's just a game. I didn't mean to—"

"Just a game? You don't understand," You interrupted, your frustration bubbling over. It wasn't that he'd done it just this once, it was all the times you played together he would do this shit and it was starting to get under your skin.

"You always do this. You always prioritize your own score over everything else, even if it means ruining my experience." You realised you probably sounded childish talking about it but you didn't care.

"Like Pokemon last week, you kept stealing every fight and every Pokemon I wanted and didn't care that I ended up with nothing," You mumbled under your breath, getting up from the chair and heading to the kitchen, needing some space. Han sighed, following after you and reaching out to gently place a hand on your shoulder. 

"I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to upset you. I guess I got carried away in the heat of the moment." You shrugged off his touch, your expression still icy as you slowly turned around to face him.

"That's the problem, Hannie. It's always 'heat of the moment' with you. You never consider how your actions affect others, especially me."

Han hung his head, feeling a pang of guilt wash over him. He hadn't realized how much his behaviour was affecting you until now.

"It's just a game." He grumbled at you, you scoffed a little and turned around to face the window ignoring him. Clearly, he didn't care but you did. 

Your frustration boiled beneath the surface as you began to give Han the silent treatment. Despite his attempts to apologize and make amends, you couldn't shake off the lingering feeling of resentment.

Han watched you from across the room, his heart sinking with each passing moment of your icy silence. He had hoped that your argument would blow over, but your continued distance only made him feel more helpless. As the tension in the room became unbearable, he stood up slowly, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to break the suffocating silence, but the words caught in his throat. You stared at him waiting for him to say anything but he just sighed and made his way to the door, pausing for a moment, his hand hovering over the doorknob, but he couldn't bring himself to turn back to you.

Without a word, he walked out of the door.

Later in the day, Han returned to the apartment, a sense of determination guiding his steps, he'd been thinking of a way to make it up to you all afternoon and he knew how he was going to do it. You'd been begging to go to the Pokemon store for almost a month now to get the new Vulpix plushie they bought out but you'd never had enough time so he bought the biggest one they had. In his hand, he carried a plushie alongside it a bouquet of flowers, a small token of his affection.

You were sat on the couch, your gaze fixed on the television screen but your mind still lingering on the earlier argument, you began to feel guilty, after all, he was right it was just a game but everytime you tried to call him you'd chicken out of it. You were flicking through the channels when you heard the door open, you glanced up, your expression guarded.

"Hey," He smiled at you, walking in your direction and grinning,

"I bought these for you," Your eyes softened as you took in the gifts he was holding, your guilt only weighing you down more.

"W-What for?" Han took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to say. 

` "I understand why you were annoyed earlier," he began, his voice filled with sincerity. 

"I was selfish and thoughtless, and I hurt you. I'm really sorry." You whimpered a little, tears springing to your eyes as you shook your head.

"I overreacted a little. B...But I appreciate the apology." You sniffed as he sat down beside you, your hands clutching onto the plushie as Han smirked at you.

"I did good?" He arched a brow at you and you smiled,

"Baby, you did more than good. I love this," You whispered before kissing him softly.

"I love you, I'm sorry I overreacted Hannie," You breathed out, his arm wrapping around your shoulder as he brought you closer to his chest.

"It's in the past." He promised you, both of you relaxing completely on the sofa together.

@chiisaiblog @sw33tnight @kaitieskidmore97 @laylasbunbunny @stayconnecteed @saymyspringrain @toplinehyunjin @just-aelia @choisoorin @straykids5star @midnightfrog625 @beccaskz @scarletemeterio @halesandy @junhannies @gothic4under4lord @lixie-phoria @soulphoenix1618 @aerastus @jin-from-the-block @lenfilms @elizaschuyler18 @piratequeen-impact @kpopsstuffs @chaeyoungs @delulu18 @xyahrinx @katsukis1wife @anthropologymajorkpopmultistan @blairscott @4-chan-inpadella @niktwazny303 @moonlight-the-writer @armystay89 @hadassahchan @yxngbxkkie @myyouthdonut @extrhotjne @ca11me3mily @elissasimp @xakx @sleepb @kittymaryam-thebrowniefairy @kpopmenace143 @minhosify @loveforred @b1nn1e-1s-cut3 @royallyjjk @parkjennykim @piercedddriver

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH38

Rip to these promising mages. I assume they will not survive this massacre.

IS that where her lungs and kidneys are? Because like. She's huge. Her entire body is behind her. Do you really think she'd keep her vital organs in the little human bulb on the front?

I mean, he has a point. What are you going to do? Fight off more hoardes of dragons?

oh noooo, Kabru.... too bad. That's so unfortunate.... anyway.

It's curious that Laios only got knocked away. He was just as likely to have had his head squished like a grape.

Guys, this is absolutely not the time to be concerned for her privacy.

Yes, queen. Free the tiddy. Murder everyone in this dungeon. I support women's rights and women's wrongs.

.......that's. One way to do that. I guess.

.......what's that rock about.

Oh, I see. That's convenient.

This guy dungeons! Maybe he even dragons.

So we got north (tallmen? dwarves?) and then the easterners.... and now the elves of the west?

He's going to give her to the Americans?! ಠ_ಠ

To be fair, at least they HAD a plan. And they executed it. It's more than you did. I don't mean to point fingers but... at least they... ya know... did something.

Kabru's like 'no, no, hang on, I need to hear what batshit fucked up thing this dude is going to say next, this is important'

Laios is so stressed he broke character.

Then again, maybe it's healthy to let them slug it out a bit. Get it out of their system.

It's true. They wore fitbits and everything.

...hey, hold on a second.

Now hold on a minute.

Damn, this is. Kind of even worse because. I guess I could have guessed that Toshi was just pretending to be polite, like you do. Cultural differences.

But the painful thing is, Laios doesn't seem surprised. He just seems resigned. He's been told before that he's difficult to get along with. To the extent that he doesn't even consider Marcille and Chillchuck his friends? Even though they arguably both care about him? But because Toshiro didn't bother to be deadpan about him being a bit odd at times, Laios thought it meant that was fine.

And that kinda hurts. Like damn. Laios just wanted to make a true connection. And I can't really blame Toshiro either, he was just trying to keep the peace but. Damn.

Free her! Let her do her illegal magics! She deserves it! （︶^︶）

Thoughts:

Senshi just being annoyed about that one last harpy looking for scraps.... like "shoo, this ain't the time"

That gnome seems genuinely nice. I'm sorry Falin squished his pet undyne.

Kabru hugging his..... mage? Girlfriend???? Seems very...one sided. Kinda feel bad for her.

Laios and Toshiro still going at it, I see. Get it allout, boys.

Uhhhhhhhhhh ninja girls.

Aww, doggo.

Last question: Where did the cat go?

Senshi: I can fix that.

Are you all worried because he's finally making sense?!?!

Laios and he punched their singular braincells into several new ones, it seems.

F./....Falin... please give the caterpillar some privacy........

My man, maybe lead with that............

I can't believe Marcille was potentially more forward about her feelings.......

"his pupils are dilated" yes, thank you sherlock. You've finally realized what everyone else who meets Laios feels almost immediately. he's a monster freak club card carrying member. Welcome.

p.....pubby......

As long as he was also inside the dungeon with them.... yes.

The issue with Kabru isn't that he isn't trying his best. It's that Laios isn't trying at all.

On a scale of one to Kabru, how badly do you react to being offered a food you don't want to eat?

......oh no. He's so pathetic it's funny. He's growing on me.

Absolute morons, the pair of them. Immovable object meets unstoppable force. The funniest combination ever. Ghost type and normal type pokemon, forever throwing moves at each other that will never hit. Laios thinking he's made a friend. Kabru just barely stopping himself from killing Laios. Best comedy pair. Tom and Jerry in a can.

Anyway. What a great manga.

[electricpurrs]

Making gender experiments in animal crossing new leaf has been quite fascinating so far. let me lay out my discoveries:

First of all, while the game does lock into into playing binarily as either a boy or a girl, it does not ask you directly. unlike pokemon, by asking "are you a boy or a girl", instead your gender is assigned by Rover in the initial cutscene through dialogue choice. first, Rover asks your name. then upon writing your name, Rover compliments it, and then you're given the dialogue choices of saying "It's cool, right?" and "It's cute, right?". you're not told explicitly but that's an inherently gendered choice. if you say "its cool" Rover replies "you seem like a pretty cool guy to me", and upon saying "its cute" and Rover says "its a cute name for a cute girl like you".

However, you are allowed to disagree and correct him. when he says his line you're given the option to say "i'm not a boy/i'm not a girl", on which then Rover apologizes and assigns you the other gender (aka if you say youre not a boy Rover assumes you're a girl, and vice versa). i find the inherent gendering of the words "cool" and "cute" to be weird, but i appreciate that it is not definitive and you can correct Rover in his misgendering(?) of you, and be just a girl who thinks her name is cool or a boy who thinks his name is cute.

I chose to play as a boy, which allowed me to find more stuff out. one day, when visiting the Able Sisters store, they were selling a cute dress. upon interacting with the dress Mabel said "Oh, so you're looking to buy a gift?" and for a moment i believed clothes were gender locked in Animal Crossing just like they are in Pokemon, and you could only get girly clothes to give as a gift to a girl, but not wear yourself. however i got to pick "i want to try it on first" and wear it. Mabel first did a shocked animation, but then said something along the lines of "Well, i guess it's ok to be a little adventurous sometimes" and i was in fact allowed to buy it and wear it.

So while the assumption Mabel makes and the "shock" she displays upon the idea of gender non conformity isn't great, i was quite surprised i was allowed to do so without any actual barriers. after this initial interaction, the game doesn't make any further comments when i buy other dresses or skirts.

But wearing the dress lead me into Another discovery: the game has gendered run animations, and the run animation is more strongly associated with the clothes you're wearing than the gender of your character. immediatelly upon putting on the dress, my animation changed from the "boy run animation" (which is just a regular run with your arms swinging besides your body) to a "girl run animation" (which has both your arms up like an "anime girl late for school" vibe). the change occurs when wearing a dress or skirt, but reverts back to the Boy Run™ if i wear pants or shorts. i shall assert that the game still treats me as a man, the characters still refer to me as such and i'm called "Mr. Mayor", but as long as i'm wearing Girly Clothes™ i'm banished to Girly Running™

WHICH leads to my most recent finding. one day in the Able Sisters store, they were selling two items, one was labeled as a skirt, and the other was called "a kilt". i bought both, and found that while wearing the skirt, i got the Girl Animation™ as usual, but when wearing the Kilt i still got to do the regular run. so the gendering of the clothes goes as deep as individual pieces, and even though the kilt is exactly the same model as the skirts except with a red checkered pattern, because kilts are regularly culturaly worn by men i still get to maintain my "masculinity" when wearing what is, again, no different at all from the regular skirts.

What does all of this say about how Animal Crossing views gender and therefore the people who made it and the society and time it was made in? no idea. but it has been fun to test how far it goes

[pikachic]

Hi it's me again. TMA/POKÉMON AU??? YES HELLO PARDON ME I NEED TO THROW MYSELF AT THIS OCCULUS AU YOU'VE GOT GOING ON IF YOU DONT MIND

*BUSTS DOWN THE DOOR* I’M SO GLAD YOU ASKED

I’ve had this AU simmering away for a while and but haven’t posted that much about it, so thank you for the excuse to scream about my extremely self indulgent Pokémon x The Magnus Archives AU

*ahem*

Introducing:

POKÉMON OCULUS

(Here’s an illustration I did after getting your ask - Champion Jonathan and his ace Pokémon, Vigitera!)

This AU is set in the Ervenis Region, a relatively small island region off the coast of Galar. It closed its borders two years prior to the main storyline, shortly after its Champion went missing during a series of attacks in its major cities and his predecessor was found murdered. Since then, an acting Champion has been instated and the borders have been reopened, but the Champion still has not been found. Most Ervenisans believe he is dead.

However, the Ervenis Champion isn’t as dead as everyone thinks, and his disappearance is only the first in long chain of events that will shake Ervenis to its very core, orchestrated by a man who aims to rule over a ruined world governed by nothing but his own will and the fear of people and Pokémon alike, and who will stop at nothing to bring that goal into reality.

More lore under the cut!

(Some of the AU-specific names and terms might be placeholders in that I haven’t been able to come up with anything better lmao)

(Also some of the art might be a bit old)

General Lore Stuff

Jon is the Champion who went missing, and Gertrude is his murdered predecessor.

Martin is Ervenis’ Pokémon Professor

Martin being the Professor is literally perfect.

Be. Because.

All of the Pokemon Professors (except for the newest ones) are named after trees.

And Martin’s last name is BLACKWOOD. Which is an ACTUAL TREE.

(My first rough attempt at drawing Jmart in the Pokémon art style)

Also jmart are extremely married

They’re Ervenis’ favorite power couple

(Professor Blackwood for half of the main plot: *sighs.* …I miss my husband. I miss him a lot. I’ll be back.)

Their Pokémon ship name would be Londonfogshipping

Martin has a Galvantula (most likely a regional form), a Sinistea, a Frosslass, and a Togekiss

Jon, in addition to AU-specific Fakemon, has a Gardevoir and a Luxray

Jon also has a shiny Appletun on his team and Martin has a Flapple. Make of that what you will :D

Also yes there are Fakemon in this thing

I have never designed any Fakemon before except for one thirty-minute period of time from when I was ten but I’m not going to let that stop me

(Initial Fakemon sketches! Three guesses as to which characters get Sqwyrm and Manickregus and the first two don’t count)

(Also Ervenisan Yamask has another form, which evolves into Ervenisan Cofagrigus which is inspired by the Do Not Open coffin)

(I have a whole list of Fakemon designs I want to make but 90% of them aren’t fleshed out at all)

Tim and Sasha are Professors in their own right, and also Martin’s assistants/fellow researchers

Tim has a Houndoom because I saw another TMA Pokémon AU that gave him one and I really liked the idea, he also has a Ludicolo because I lost a debate with my friend who is also into both TMA and Pokémon

Sasha has a Dartrix and a Meowstic

Most of the Avatars are gym leaders

(Yippee gym leader designs!)

(Not pictured because I ran out of steam before I could draw them: Michael and Helen, who run a double Electric-type gym; Daisy, who runs a Dragon-type gym; Karolina, who runs a Ground-type gym; and Jared, who runs a Normal-type gym)

Elias is the acting Champion in Jon’s absence and the secret leader of Team Chrysalis

The current Elite Four consists of Peter, Simon, Maxwell, and Annabelle

You might have noticed that Jon and the gym leaders are all wearing (mostly) black pendants/brooches

This is part of the Ervenis’ region’s “gimmick:”

Metafestation (which is. Almost definitely a placeholder name)

Skilled trainers can use special items called Metalenses to tap into the psyches of Pokemon and Trainer to manifest the shape of their desires and the power of their emotions in reality.

You basically give the Pokémon a JoJo Stand

Each Metalens must be specially shaped and cut to suit unique trainers and Pokémon, and since using poorly made Metalenses may have disastrous consequences on its users, only a handful of people have the qualifications and legal authorization to do so

(Gerard Keay is one of these people!)

Metalenses are usually worn as pendants or brooches so they’re close to the user’s heart

For the Metafestation power-up to be strongest, the trainer and Pokémon must have a shared goal/desire and a deep bond

(This bond does not have to be a positive one. It just needs to be strong.)

These Metafestations have their own typing system, though no one’s been able to figure out exactly what it is yet.

It’s the Fears. The Fears are the typing system.

Though most users of this system aren’t aware of it, Metafestation comes from achieving a delicate balance of both desire and fear.

When I first came up with this idea, it was JUST Fear, but I felt like that was a bit dark for frickin POKÉMON so I added the desire aspect

After all, what we fear and and what we desire often go hand in hand

You desire safety because you fear its absence, you desire light because you fear the dark, you desire freedom because you fear being confined, etc.

For example, Professor Blackwood desires companionship, and fears being forgotten. Most of the Metafestations he and his Pokémon create are foggy and cold, but in a way soothing at the same time.

Though a small handful of them are spindly and laced with puppet strings and reflect his desire to wield his cunning for good.

(However, he hasn’t been able to properly use his Metalens in years. The first and only time he tried after his husband vanished, it backfired horribly, consuming both him and his Pokémon in a chilling fog and sending them spiraling into unconsciousness. It took weeks for them to recover, and Professor Blackwood bears a physical scar of the incident in the streaks of stark white in his hair.)

Of course, most people don’t have just one desire/fear. The Metalens just channels the strongest ones, and most users don’t achieve more than three separate tertiary types of power-ups.

One of the biggest exceptions is Jon.

He desires many things: Safety, love, knowledge. He also fears many things: Being manipulated and controlled, abandonment, the unknown.

When he was a child, something happened to him that scarred his psyche in such a way that he could channel all of his desires and fears.

It’s what makes him such a potent conduit for the power-up system, and what makes him a prime target for:

Team Chrysalis

Team Chrysalis is a criminal organization/sort of cult disguised as something innocent: The Magnus Institute, the region’s main research institution that Professor Blackwood works at

The AU’s main plot gets kicked off when Professor Blackwood finds evidence that his husband, the missing Champion, is still alive

If this were a real game, the main story on the side of doing the gym challenge would be helping Professor Blackwood look for clues about Jon’s whereabouts and about The Magnus Institute’s hidden goals

Professor Blackwood also figures out that it’s very likely that Elias had a hand in Jon’s disappearance

(Professor Blackwood for the other half of the main plot: *slams down the Do Not Open coffin in front of Elias* It’s a coffin. There’s a name engraved on it. “WHORE!” IT’S EMPTY!! *grabs Elias by the collar* AND YOU’RE GOING IN IT!!!)

The Elite Four are also part of Team Chrysalis and fully on board with its plan

Though Annabelle might have her own machinations going on

Team Chrysalis plans to reshape the world as they see fit by summoning a Legendary Pokémon that’s a warped physical manifestation of the fears and desires of all living creatures, and simultaneously embodies and feeds on those fears and desires

(It’s basically all the Fears mashed into one eldritch monstrosity)

(I’m mildly worried this sounds too similar to some existing legendaries but at the same time I’m just spitballing and having fun here)

To summon this Legendary, they need a lynchpin capable of channeling all of those fears and desires

This lynchpin is Jon because of course it is.

Team Chrysalis’ whole plan actually only serves to grant Elias immortality and make him king of a ruined world but shhh none of the team members know that

I have zero idea what the Legendary would look like, I just have the fact I want it to have “Pan” in its name

The climax of the story comes when Team Chrysalis starts their ritual and the end of the world. In order to stop them, their Vessel and the Legendary must be defeated.

You are challenged by The Archivist!

The Really Self Indulgent Part

I started working on this at the same time that my friend was watching through XY for the first time

So at some point when coming up with all of the story stuff my brain went “what if I stuck Ash Ketchum into the story?”

So Ash is there now. For some reason lol

He’s 19 now and is just doing his thing and traveling the world

As usual, he takes on the player’s role, challenging gyms and helping Professor Blackwood in his investigation and eventually helping him take on Team Chrysalis

(I made this shitpost in like. Less than an hour lmao)

Ash is so done with these evil team leaders trying to destroy the world

Greninja is also there because tHIS IS MY AU AND I DO WHAT I WANT *MANIACAL LAUGHTER*

And I think that’s it for an overview of Pokémon Oculus!

I have a bunch more stuff for this AU, mostly spitballs and WIP writing snippets, and I do plan on making more art and Fakemon designs eventually (especially now that I’m getting better at emulating the Pokémon art style)

Thank you for reading this far, and feel free to ask me anything about this AU! :D

[deliciousangelfestival]

Curses from Ex-Boyfriend || Oneshot

Character: Artist!Bucky x Reader

Summary: Y/N navigates humorous breakups and manages an art gallery. A reunion with first love, Bucky, at an exhibition ignites a whimsical love story woven with unexpected enchantments.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

Y/N sunk into the barstool, her eyes telling tales of another failed relationship. Yolanda, the supportive friend, encouraged Y/N to share the latest misadventure in her love life.

Y/N sighed, "Okay, get this. The first one, Mike, broke up with me because he claimed my choice of pizza toppings was a reflection of our incompatibility. Apparently, pineapple lovers and non-pineapple lovers are destined to fail."

"Then there was Mark," Y/N continued, a smirk playing on her lips. "He couldn't stand the fact that I had a more extensive collection of pokemon than he did. He said it was a sign of divergent life goals."

Yolanda raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Tell me more."

"James, number three," Y/N chuckled, "Simple, he doesn't like dog."

"Alex was next in line," Y/N continued her tone a mix of disbelief and amusement. "He called it quits because he believed my excessive use of emojis in texts was a clear indication of a lack of emotional depth. Can you imagine?"

Yolanda laughed, "You can't be serious! What about the fifth one?"

Y/N sighed again, "Oh, Tom. He said my insistence on arranging our bookshelf by color instead of genre was a deal-breaker. Apparently, a good relationship requires organized literature. Can you believe these reasons?"

"Bucky was the longest, wasn't he?" Yolanda mused, a smile playing on her lips.

Y/N nodded, "Yeah, high school sweethearts, you know? We were the classic emo couple, complete with matching black outfits and moody music playlists."

Curiosity flickered in Yolanda's eyes, "So, why did you guys break up?"

Y/N chuckled, "Dead serious. Bucky was deep into it. I remember one day, he used a spell to try and cancel a math quiz."

Y/N grinned, "Oh, maybe because I'm over with emo and I think because Bucky got into magic, like, real magic. He bought this ancient-looking spell book at a flea market."

Yolanda's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, "Magic? Seriously?"

Yolanda burst into laughter, "Wait, what? A spell to cancel a quiz?"

Y/N nodded, "Yeah, he was convinced he could influence the universe with his newfound magical prowess. The thing is, our math teacher did cancel a quiz that week, but I later found out it was because he had a stomachache."

Yolanda's laughter faded into a look of realization, "Wait, are you saying Bucky's spell worked, or was it just a coincidence?"

Y/N shrugged, "Who knows? But I guess that was the beginning of the end. Bucky's magic phase and my inability to take his magical ambitions seriously eventually led to our breakup."

Yolanda winked, still teasing, "Maybe he enchanted you with a love spell, and that's why your relationships have been so... uniquely challenging."

Y/N rolled her eyes, feigning exasperation, "Please, if Bucky had any magical influence, it would've been to summon more black eyeliner or something."

Yolanda joined in the laughter, realizing the absurdity of her own suggestion. "I guess you're right. Love spells and high school relationships don't really go hand in hand."

As they clinked their glasses together, Y/N couldn't help but feel grateful for Yolanda's light-hearted humor.

Y/N groaned as she woke up with a slight headache, the remnants of the drinks from the previous night's escapade still lingering. Despite the throbbing in her head, she dragged herself to work at the prestigious art gallery where she served as the manager.

As Y/N settled into her office, her boss, the eccentric Madam Madeline, swept in with her fur jacket and oversized glasses, an aura of sophistication surrounding her. Madeline, always on the lookout for the next big thing, had an uncanny talent for discovering hidden gems in the art world.

With an air of excitement, Madeline announced, "Y/N, darling, I've found the next big artist during my travels around Europe. A true visionary! Prepare yourself; this is going to be huge for the gallery."

Y/N, still nursing her headache, tried to focus on Madeline's words. "Really? That's fantastic news. Who is this artist?"

Madeline beamed, "Oh, you'll see soon enough. I've arranged for the gallery to showcase their artwork. We need to get everything ready for the grand reveal. This could be a game-changer for us, my dear."

Despite the pounding in her head, Y/N felt a surge of adrenaline at the prospect of introducing a groundbreaking artist to the gallery's patrons. With a nod and a determined smile, she assured Madeline, "Consider it done. I'll make sure everything is prepared for the big showcase. This artist is going to leave a mark on the art world, and our gallery will be at the forefront."

As Madeline left the room, Y/N rubbed her temples, contemplating the exciting challenge ahead.

The day of the grand art exhibition arrived, and the gallery buzzed with anticipation. Y/N couldn't help but be excited about unveiling the mysterious artist's work. The moment Madam Madeline revealed the artwork, gasps of awe echoed through the gallery.

The paintings were truly impressive, capturing the essence of emotion and movement in each stroke. Yet, as Y/N studied the intricate lines, a sense of familiarity tugged at her. It was only when Madeline dramatically unveiled the artist's identity that Y/N's surprise reached its peak.

"Bucky?" Y/N muttered under her breath, disbelief washing over her. She couldn't reconcile the image of the once-emo high school boyfriend with the sophisticated artist standing before her.

Without the signature eyeliner and long hair covering half his face, Bucky had transformed into an entirely different person.

Madeline, reveling in the dramatic revelation, announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the brilliant artist behind these captivating pieces is none other than Bucky!"

Y/N's eyes widened as Bucky approached her with a confident smile. "Hey, Y/N. Long time no see."

It took a moment for Y/N to process the situation. "Bucky? The Bucky from high school?"

He nodded, "The one and only. Surprised?"

Y/N couldn't help but laugh nervously, "More than you can imagine. I didn't know you had this side to you."

Bucky chuckled, "Life is full of surprises. Just like art."

As the reality of the situation sank in, Y/N couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected twist of fate.

Intrigued by the transformation in Bucky's life, Y/N couldn't help but ask, "Bucky, where have you been all these years?"

Bucky grinned, a twinkle in his eyes, "After high school, I decided to pursue art more seriously. I entered art school, but it turned out the formal education wasn't for me. So, I packed my bags and hit the road, traveling around the country to draw inspiration from different landscapes and cultures."

Y/N listened, captivated by the adventurous turn in Bucky's journey. "And then?" she prompted.

Bucky continued, "I found myself in Europe, sketching the beautiful landscapes and immersing myself in the art scene. That's where I crossed paths with Madeline. She saw something in my work, and the next thing I knew, I'm back home."

Y/N couldn't hide her amazement. "That's incredible, Bucky. I had no idea you were out there making a name for yourself in the art world."

Bucky smiled modestly, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and gratitude. "Yeah, life has a way of surprising you," he remarked. "Art became my language, and every stroke on the canvas felt like a piece of my soul. Little did I know it would lead me here."

As Y/N continued to admire Bucky's work, a comfortable silence settled between them, punctuated only by the soft background hum of the art gallery. The familiarity of their shared past mingled with the newfound understanding of the paths they had taken.

Bucky broke the silence, "You know, Y/N, seeing you again brings back a flood of memories. The art, the laughter, the quirky moments—some things never change."

Y/N smiled, "Indeed, some things don't. Life has a funny way of circling back, doesn't it?"

As Madeline enthusiastically dragged Bucky away to meet other attendees, Y/N found herself momentarily alone, surrounded by the captivating artwork.

Observing Bucky engage with the crowd, Y/N couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for the once-emo high school boyfriend who had evolved into a renowned artist. The whimsical nature of their teenage years seemed worlds apart from the sophisticated individual now navigating the art world.

Y/N strolled through the gallery, and she noticed a subtle but significant detail in each painting – a delicately drawn flower nestled somewhere within the vibrant strokes. The realization struck her like a soft breeze, and she couldn't help but smile. It was her favorite flower, a subtle signature Bucky had left in each masterpiece.

Bucky, engrossed in conversation with other attendees, glanced in Y/N's direction. Their eyes met, and in that fleeting moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them. Y/N felt a warmth spreading within her, realizing that the flowers in Bucky's art were more than just a visual motif.

The language of art spoke louder than words, and Y/N interpreted the message within those flowers in the quiet exchange of glances. It was a silent acknowledgment, a whispered confession that transcended the boundaries of time and distance. Bucky's subtle gesture conveyed, "I still think of you."

As the art gallery hummed with admiration for Bucky's creations, Y/N couldn't help but feel a connection rekindling.

After the event, the air crackled with anticipation as Y/N mustered the courage to approach Bucky. "Bucky, would you mind grabbing a coffee with me? It's been so long, and I'd really like to catch up," she said, her heart pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement.

Bucky, meeting her gaze with a warm smile, replied, "Absolutely, Y/N. I'd love that."

As they sat in the dimly lit cafe, the atmosphere seemed to thicken with unspoken emotions. Conversations veered into shared memories and life's twists and turns. Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that, perhaps, this was a crucial moment—a juncture where destiny hung in the balance.

Later, in the intimacy of Bucky's hotel room, he opened an old sketchbook. Pages turned with a whisper, revealing an old photo of Y/N. Intriguingly, on the adjacent page, a spell was inscribed—an enchantment woven into the fabric of their shared history. The room seemed to pulse with an energy that felt both familiar and intense.

Bucky's chuckle was dark and enigmatic as he muttered, "Damn, it works."

The revelation left Y/N completely unaware. Little did she know that the seemingly whimsical magic from their teenage years had woven a thread connecting their souls, guiding them back to each other after years of divergent paths. As they continued to share laughter and stories, the magic of the past lingered in the air, creating a subtle but powerful force that bound them together.

Author Note:

Hey friends,

If you've been enjoying the content, I've set up a Ko-fi account. Your support through tips would mean the world and help me keep creating. Only if you feel like it!

Here's the link: Ko-fi

Thanks a bunch for being fabulous followers!

Join the taglist? 🩷💙🩷

@bagoffeelings

@darkofimagination

@starsofcloud

@cherrybubblebullet

@winterslove1917

@thezombieprostitute

@namoreno

@sagebarness

@tenaciousathleteoperatorgarden

@unaxv

@missvelvetsstuff

@kjah97

@hopeful-daydreaming

@freshlemontea

@eat-limes-bitches

@kandis-mom

@scott-loki-barnes

@winters1917

@differenttyphoonwerewolf

@arunabraganza

Hey everyone! 🌟 Your input means the world to me.

@ordelixx

@pigeonmama

If you've got any cool ideas or prompts, whether for this fluff series or any other series, feel free to share them with me!

Just drop them in my ASK/SEND REQUEST box.

Can't wait to hear your awesome suggestions! 🚀💬

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 2/18/2025

much like phil, i feel like i cannot quite ever get physically comfy this week. something is always not quite right.

listening: god save the queens by vienna vienna

reading: love's harvest by peggy j herring

watching: cinderella

playing: pokemon

making: return of the baby blanket

listening

im going to start out a little bit mean and say that this self-described glimmer rock song, God Save The Queens by Vienna Vienna, really shone in the ten-second social media clips i saw of its live version. the actual studio version sucks so much. and even the full version of the live version, i want it to me slightly different but in a way i cannot articulate. i am excited to see if other people start covering this in fun ways and maybe it'll be the rare song where i like the cover much more than the original.

I saw a man out in Hollywood He carried a sign that said he hated me I said, "Please, get in line" He stopped to ask me a question He said, "Do you know Christ?" I told him, "Maybe I do, does she work the nights?" He said, "No, I mean Jesus" I said, "That guy was tight But I'm not living in a city built upon your lies" He tried to save me, but somebody already did last night They said their name was Alex, baby, and they showed me the light

like here's the studio version. give us nothing i guess??? i think if you are going to sell merch with GOD SAVE THE F*GS censored out maybe you should say that in the studio version of your song. this is probably a label decision but i want this song to be about 15% less corporate sponsor of a pride parade than it is. i feel like this song got heavily edited from a first draft and i would have liked to hear that probably much angrier first draft. hell of a hook though.

-

reading

this gay and/or lesbian romance and/or erotica project is turning into a little bit of a slog, so with the gentle encouragement of @sybilius going "what if you read good books you enjoyed?" going forward we are going to try a novel of dubious quality from my shelf and an acclaimed queer novel from history in the hopes that one of them will be tolerable. so next week we have the dubious pairing of a mob girlfriend in WITSEC romantic thriller from my shelf, and Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe has just come off hold.

last week's assigned book was Heart on Fire, which was supposed to be even!! better!!! than Naiad Press's previous bestseller Curious Wine by Katherine V Forrest. so of course we had to detour to Curious Wine, which had a very short hold time.

reader, i did not finish this book. seven (7!) different women are introduced in the first chapter with almost no physical or clothing descriptions. they are all extremely mean to each other in the way older women who are dissatisfied with their life often sabotage all their relationships. i didn't have it in me to make a cheat card for myself with who the fuck each woman was, bc i expected somewhat lighter going in a contemporary romance with no extra genres tacked on top.

i am glad i did not continue bc while reading reviews everyone mentioned the Graphic On-Page Sexual Assault??? and this is still somehow every older lesbian's favorite book??? truly the times have changed.

Deep in the heart of France's majestic wine country, the sun drenched hills and lush vineyards of the Jeton family estate seem like the perfect setting for a passionate affaire de Coeur. But the life of workaholic winemaster, Nicole Jeton, is anything but romantic. From one harvest to the next, she runs the world-renowned winery, cares for her invalid father, and bails her no-good brother out of trouble—never stopping long enough to consider her own needs and desires. Until she meets the lovely Camille Cartier...

thank you girls. Love's Harvest by Peggy J Herring is one of the books acquired by Bella when they bought out part of Naiad Press. originally published in 1997, this 156p book was reprinted in 2007 with no additional changes or author's notes. it is the same quality as all the Bella reprints: a kind of terrible to hold perfect-bound softcover. i am beginning to suspect i simply do not vibe with the naiad and/or bella publishing market. i may not be their intended reader. im not really sure who their intended reader is, except maybe the 1997/2007 version of people who patiently comb through self-published kindle ebooks? what is the point of having a physical press and an editor if you can't make the line breaks and the quotation marks correct?

i couldn't find out much about Herring except that she died last summer and was part of her own tuesdaypost endeavor:

To further enhance communication within the women's community, [WomanSpace San Antonio] newsletter staff initiated a regular event known as Tuesday Night for discussing topics affecting women's lives. Topics ranging from real estate law to rape/incest were prepared for each Tuesday session. As ties to related community resources and events increased, the Tuesday Night events were superseded in 1995 by other events and meetings for the lesbian and gay community.

i did not like this book. such a wild amount of somewhat disjointed events take place during this novel and i really wish it was good. there is a for-real ghost, her great aunt killed by her grandfather and everyone just kind of shrugged about it??? that can dramatically interact with physical objects and STOPS A MURDER??? people are so calm about this ghost as a daily fact of life when there is exorcist level shit going on in the foreground. nicole has to cancel one of their weekend getaways bc the ghost is simply too on one and she can't figure out how to explain the ghost to camille, a presumably more normal outsider who presumably did not grow up with a ghost. the ghost is not the focal point of this book but it is by far the most interesting thing in the book.

this book felt like a barely fleshed outline. they go here. they do this. they see that. here is a great example of a section where i would have loved more elaboration in literally every sentence. the build up to this call and the call itself could have been a full chapter instead of half a page.

the least amount of dialogue i have maybe ever read in a book, and even fewer thoughts or feelings or interiority. the sex scenes read like stage direction. which is crazy bc they start fucking on page 42 and keep fucking every time they meet. they do NOT waste any time which was really refreshing. if only it was hot.

things mostly seem to happen to vineyard owner nicole— taking care of her dad (who dies quite early in the book) and the vineyard, her brother randomly shows up instead of her summoning him back to get some emotional closure (he doesn’t even show up for their father’s funeral), her gay bestie summons camille back after the third act breakup instead of nicole doing any emotional work and reaching out herself. everyone has at maximum one thing going on at a time that is neatly wrapped up before the next thing happens.

i think the 3.3 on goodreads is overly kind, but people seem to really love her other books so what do i know. maybe all these books ended up at the thrift bc their original owner was unlucky enough to somehow pick the worst book from each author and had to unload them.

-

watching

Cinderella (1950, dir. Geronimi, Jackson, and Luske) was on in the background while i was wrangling my bestie's children. probably the least scary (if you are not quite six or not quite two) disney princess movie. the bubble sequence makes me insane in a good way. i think this sort of thing is so easily replicated digitally that it looks unimpressive in 2025 but this shit is 75 years old!!! we were nineteen years away from landing on the fucking moon with a computer outpaced by my current microwave!!!

-

playing

having a real brain time with pokemon. i was gently bullied into playing the app two weeks ago by my best friend's husband after trying and failing multiple times to get into the actual video games, but after getting the 45 wins i needed to get the fanciest current event emblem i went ok great! i won pokemon! i am done with pokemon! and have sort of mentally checked it off in my head. anyway i loved my murkrow/toxicroak combo. loved to flip a coin. loved my darkness deck apparently.

the deck autobuild feature is really great bc i am able to basically hold my own while knowing nothing about pokemon other that what ive culturally osmosed. im assuming this is a pretty fun app if you like this sort of thing and your brain chemicals are balanced without outside assistance.

-

making

the baby i started this mint green baby blanket for is about to turn two in a couple weeks. better late than absolutely never i guess. my original notes called for 10 repeats but i think we're going to up that to 12, just finished the ninth repeat.

[kyushiblast]

⤷ 〝 don’t fret. 〞

➞ pairing : grusha x gn! reader

➞ summary : you’re a pro electric guitar player and grusha just so happens to catch you playing one of your songs to his cetoddle.

➞ genre : fluff

➞ cw / other : nothing

➞ a/n : small idea

you’d beat your last gym with flying colors, the snow in the air flurrying around as if makeshift confetti for your win.

grusha was a little cold with his words. but that didn’t stop you from befriending him and inviting him to hangouts even before you’d decided to battle him.

“feel free to stop by again …if you don’t mind the cold, that is.” grusha had offered before walking away, his cetoddle in tow. or so you both thought.

once you’d finished waving goodbye and had calmed down a bit, you went over to the pokemon center close by. the warm aura of the lights and healing presence felt enveloping in the frigid air of the glaseado mountain.

you set down your guitar case, the weight making you stretch as it was lifted off.

a noise caught you off guard from behind you. when you turned around, you came to realize that a stray cetoddle had followed you, reminding you of the one that grusha owned as his companion.

actually, it was his. but neither you nor him knew that yet.

you collected your pokeballs from the attendant, tucking them into the inside pockets of your jacket. you’d noticed the pokemon in front of you hopping around, seemingly interested in your instrument case being hefted back onto your back.

“curious, are we?” you chuckled. “eh, guess i’ll let you come with us, at least for a bit …” the cetoddle chirped back in reply, trodding behind you.

you got an idea as you headed down the small downhill back near the gym battle grounds. “you know, i’ve got an amp, wanna hear me play something?” you asked the pokemon, even if it did seem a little silly. it seemed to say yes, so you went to go look for a place to sit and set up a picnic.

you found a perfect spot, a plain of white and the gym still in sight, but far enough so that you wouldn’t disturb anyone.

sending out your pokemon, you attached the amp and started checking the tuning as they rolled and rampaged on the snow with the cetoddle as a visiting playmate.

strumming a short tune, the wild pokemon around started turning towards your starting performance. the cetoddle sat down with your other pokemon who were busy making sure the other outsiders didn’t threaten to be a possible attacker.

playing the first few lengthened out notes, you gave into the performance and started delivering some sweet music. your audience started dancing along to it, just like how people would bob their heads to a good rhythm.

and when you picked your final chord, you looked up and saw amongst the crowd of pokemon the one and only gym leader you’d just beat. grusha.

“hey, long time no see.” he stated. you smiled a bit at his words.

the cetoddle ran up to him, happily cheering. “there you are! i should really start putting a tracking device on you or something …” grusha looked over at you. “ …it followed you here, eh? figured. it seemed interested in you when you arrived.”

“yeah. thought it was a wild pokemon.” you started to put away your guitar, the pokemon around you cheering once more before playing with your own.

grusha lifted up his scarf. “nice performance, by the way.”

“oh, thanks! when did you arrive?”

“about halfway through. you know …if you keep your dream up, you’ll probably be able to play abroad …not just here in paldea.” grusha turned around. “anyways, it’s a bit of a long journey back down. my home’s pretty close, you can stop by if you’d like.”

“ … oh, really? sure, i’ll take the offer,” you smiled. grusha could feel his face heat up a bit. “as long as you have a heater in there. it is freezing out here.”

“of course i do, now come on, before it starts snowing.”

you collected your pokemon and followed behind, thinking that it was sweet that he cared.

work of kyushiblast , please do not translate , copy , or repost here or on any other platform !!

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

#23: “The Miraculous Ladybug Movie May Give You What You Want, but My Show Gives You What You Actually Need! You Don’t Work in Television, so You Wouldn’t Understand.”

I've been running this blog for almost three years at this point, and I've seen Astruc talk trash about various things while claiming his show is better, like Winx Club, Paw Patrol, Pokemon, and Pixar as a whole. I never thought I'd see Astruc act like his show was better than a movie based on his show though.

For those who don't know (and you'd be forgiven, seeing how Astruc has barely talked about it on his Twitter), there was recently a movie that hit theaters based on Miraculous Ladybug called Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie. Supposedly, it's meant to be a retelling of how Marinette and Adrien met as civilians and as heroes. While I haven't seen it, it seems to be getting good reception, with some saying it's better than the show it's based on.

Of course, Astruc had something to say about this.

Okay, I sort of get what he's trying to say here. It's hard to compare the experience of watching an hour and a half long movie and a TV show with five seasons under its belt, but at the same time, the way Astruc phrased it still made it seem like he was trying to say the show was the better option because it “gives you what you need”. Nobody was expecting the Love Square to be resolved in a few episodes. Most people at least wanted more stories about the two to be told that don't involve constant padding. Astruc also acts like the Love Square is the only draw for the series instead of, oh, I don't know, the superhero action? You're really telling me they couldn't have tried focusing more on that after resolving the Love Square? I'm just saying, if The Office can continue after Jim and Pam got together, you can at least try to actually write other stories after the Love Square becomes canon.

One user in particular had some things to say in response to Astruc's claims, and you can guess how well Astruc took that.

Again, nobody is saying that working in television is all sunshine and rainbows, Astruc, but just because someone isn't familiar with dealing with network constraints and test audiences, it doesn't mean that they're unable to provide any meaningful criticism.

Also, Astruc is once again using a psychology term, in this case, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, to act like he's smarter than the critics. This man took psychology as an elective in college, didn't he?

But then again, this is coming from someone who doesn't think constructive criticism is a real thing.

Funny how he once again acts like anything that isn't positive feedback of his show is delusional, isn't it?

Eventually, this devolved into Astruc posting a little tangent about how fandoms have only gotten more toxic, which would have been a decent point... it if didn't come after all the things he said about fans not being able to criticize his show.

Again, there's nothing wrong with what he's trying to say here, but it feels less like a critique of how fans have become more toxic with the advent of the internet, and more like he's complaining about how mean people have been to him lately.

And, of course, this led to the usual fare of people calling out Astruc for his close mindedness, and Astruc once again saying how people aren't allowed to criticize his show in any way that isn't blind praise.

And here's the thing. We're still not done yet. This little tangent only warranted more comments about how Astruc handles criticism, only this time, it's also about calling out the people who think they can do a better job handling the show.

First, do you mind giving us an example of what kind of constraints you have to deal with, Astruc? We all know that TV executives suck, but I think we'd have more of a reason to understand your struggles if you actually explained some things that needed to be changed because of executive meddling.

Second, nobody wants a beach episode, Astruc, especially after that one issue of the comic you're choosing to ignore. We just want a more consistent story that doesn't rely on endlessly padding out the Love Square.

And finally, did you just say you have to be French if you want to rewrite Miraculous Ladybug? What does being French have to do with any of this? I remember seeing a little tweet a few years ago suggesting you would be a good choice to write a Superman story, but last time I checked, you aren't American.

Let's review in case you got lost. Someone tweeted that they thought the Miraculous Ladybug movie did a better job at the story it set out to tell than the Miraculous Ladybug TV show, Astruc tried to explain how his show is still good in its own way while justifying how long it's been going on for, he ranted and raved at fans for daring to criticize his team's writing before going on a tangent about how the internet has made people more hostile over the years, and when people still weren't happy with him, he claimed that you could only criticize or rewrite the show if you're an experienced French TV writer like him.

So just keep that in mind, fanfic writers. Unless you're French and have experience writing for television, you don't have a chance in hell to successfully write your own version of Miraculous Ladybug.

[the--rebel--fae]

Ask: Hello! Can I request a headcanon?, the theme is that Sanji and Your/name meet after the events of Cake Island. (They dated before this)

A/n: I hope I did this ask justice! This is my first time writing for Sanji, and doing a drabble, but I like how this one turned out! I hope you enjoy it!

@kihauk

WC: 470

Spoiler Warning: Cake Island Spoilers

TW: None! just Hurt/comfort

Lost Love Comes Again

You never thought that you’d see Sanji again if you were completely honest. After he left The Thousand Sunny, you thought you’d never see him again. 

His welcome back was a big thing with the crew, but you felt too conflicted to join in the festivities.

You loved him and still did. And you understood why he did what he did, his family was awful. But it didn’t change the fact that you were hurt that it seemed so easy for him to break off your relationship.

You just wish you knew if the relationship ever meant anything to him.

“Hey hun, you haven’t been that cheery since Sanji got back. I would have thought that you’d be the happiest that Sanji’s back.” Nami said as she came over to where you were sitting on the upper deck of the Sunny. 

You lifted your head off of your hands from resting on your legs to turn your gaze up towards Nami. “Hmm? Oh hey, Nami. Yea, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Sanji is back I really am, it’s just–”

Nami lifted you up from your stoop and pulled you into a tight hug. “I get it. It’s because of the stupidity he pulled before Cake island huh?”

Pulling back from the hug, you gave a small chuckle at her observation. “Yea, I guess it’s because I still have feelings for that idiot. Even after he broke things off. Pretty stupid huh?”

“Not to me it isn’t. You should go confront him, tell em how you feel. He’s no doubt in the kitchen as usual. But I can make sure the two of you have your time alone.”  

A soft sigh falls from your lips, but you nod nonetheless. “Alright, thank you Nami. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime, hun.”

***

“Hey Sanji, can I talk to you?” You ask, entering the ship’s kitchen. 

The blonde puts down his cutting knives and turned to face you with a soft smile. “Hey (y/n). I was wondering when you would come around. I haven’t seen you since the end of the whole Cake Island ordeal. Would you like something to ea–”

“Do you still have feelings for me?” You cut him off. Your gaze determined as you look up at your once-boyfriend. “Did you even feel anything for me at all, Sanji? Or was I just some fling?”

“Oh mon cheri,” he stepped forward and suddenly wrapped you in a sweet embrace. “I never meant to make you feel that way. I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go. I didn’t think that you’d feel that way. Can we start over my dear?”

Your eyes start to water and you lean into Sanji’s warm embrace. “I’d like that a lot actually.”

Maybe their love was worth fighting for after all…

A/N: Well, I hope you liked the drabble/HC! It was a fun write! Feel free to request something again soon! And if anyone wants a personalized fan fiction story of their own from One Piece to Pokemon and more! I have many options! And I’d be happy to write y’all a story that you’d love! Just click this link below! And if you wanna keep up with what I’m doing with stories and updates on my shop feel free to follow me here on Tumblr and on Instagram under Rebel Fae Productions