Tumgik
#just want all that new pokémon content
chefpookardee · 2 years
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vibrating until i can leave work tomorrow to play pokémon
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trying to build a team ahead of time and it's just all dogs
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I feel like I’m falling in love with Jaiden all over again. Shoutout to the ones who were there in her animations days! But also a huge welcome to all the new fans of her new content. Like it is unbelievable that a childhood hero is still reaching new audiences and people, I am so happy.
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If I say this enough it will speak it into existence: being a Pokémon master does not have to mean being the strongest battler. I’m sure being a strong battler comes with the territory but there are still regions Ash hasn’t been to and Pokémon he hasn’t met. He’s going to keep traveling until he’s seen them all.
#listen I am just nervous#I love ash so much I don’t want this win to be the reason I don’t get to go on adventures with him anymore#actually I would kill for an older-geared story where they let Ash age and take on high stakes battling#but only if it was written well#mostly I am content to watch ash battle his way through new regions#and his new team would be entirely new Pokémon except hos broken Pikachu so#even if ash and Pikachu are the strongest battlers alive give ash an entirely new young team that doesn’t buy into it yet#make him work around more temperamental Pokémon#or let him take a job working for the leagues as a special third party who they send in to handle the big stuff#while simultaneously mentoring a newbie#like maybe ash is on legendary patrol kind of like his current gif with professor cerise just higher stakes all the time#or he’s a junior champion to Lance who manages home base things and send ash off to handle things overseas#like he’s sent tonpaldea specifically because of the time shenanigan rumors a few years after being world champion#maybe he battles regularly in the PWC on the side but his only challengers are gym leaders#elite four and champion level trailers and battle facility masters#ash battled well but he is still so young#and Leon really did have control of the field until Pikachu came out#if you put ash in a higher stakes league on the regular you could still see exciting battles throughout a new story#he doesn’t have to do a gym run#but he could still battle gym leaders on the reg#just maybe not in the leagues themselves#idk I feel like there are so many ways to keep ash around from here#he still has so much to learn about battling#and having 4 uses of gimmicks to Leon’s two definitely helped him#though Leon asked for that tbh so I wouldn’t say it’s unfair#he’s just a kid#let him keep working towards his dream#his journeys goal has been reached but that doesn’t mean his overall dreams are achieved#anipoke spoilers#anipoke
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rainnotliam · 2 years
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Casually buying every single Percy Jackson book from Uncle Rick to understand everything in the fandom
Mainly because I want to understand their world… andpartlybecauseofNicoandmaybeabitofSolangelo
But tbh I’m very curious, only read House of Hades, ToA, and the Lightning Thief (long time ago for Thief tho may reread)
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asmolvaporeon · 6 months
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Reminder: Nintendo Network Shutdown and Discontinuation of Online Services for 3DS and Wii U
It's going to happen on Monday 8th April, 4pm PDT. That's just a few days from now.
What this entails for following games and software (amongst other):
Pokémon: No more online trading and battling on Pokémon XY/ORAS/SUMO/USUM. So get those last trades in!
Splatoon: No more online battles, which is the main part of the game.
Mario kart Wii U: Obviously no more online races.
Nintendo Badge Arcade: Will be completely unusable. I recommend people to go over their badge box and carefully sort what they want to keep, as those badges will stay on your system. Everything else will be lost.
Animal Crossing New Leaf: No more visiting each other's towns. However the QR code designs should be unaffected. You can still create and read those.
Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer: I'm quite sure that you won't be able to upload or see other people's creations.
here are things I'm unsure of:
Friend list: You cannot add friends through the internet (I think, I have no confirmation for this)
Spotpass: Will not work. I unfortunately don't know much about Spotpass and what this means.
EShop:
-There is a small set of free themes that you can download for free right now (at least in the PAL region). I'm not sure if that will be possible later.
-According to the Nintendo website "For the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and downloadable content from Nintendo eShop." Interpret that as you want.
Other: I also called Nintendo's support to ask if it still will be possible to log into the Wii U if you use a NNID password to sign in (because I'm a paranoiac), and the answer was more or less "Yes I'm sure". Not sure how long this will last though. Most likely as long as the point above.
That's all I can remember at the moment. I'll probably add more later.
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lowkeyremi · 9 months
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Hi there!! I’ve read some of your works I they’re really good- you’re so talented and amazing 😭✋🏾
Bakugou x reader where he slips reader a letter telling her to proofread his letter to Santa and she’s like:??? but doesn’t judge bc she loves him, and it says that he’s asking Santa for a wife 😭🥰 and then when she looks down he’s on one knee 🥺
All I want for Christmas is You k. bakugo x fem!reader
a/n: THIS IS SO CUTE OMG IM GIGGLING STOPPPP i was about to say at his grown age he got a santa list but it made more sense after I read the rest :3
content: fluff, established relationship, bakugo is silly
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The old grandfather clock that Katsuki insisted he needed chimes loudly to announce the arrival of the next hour. You were in the kitchen getting a little snack before winding down for bed.
As you continued preparing your snack your boyfriend made his presence know in the kitchen with his humming.
"What's that?" He asks looking over your shoulder.
"I'm trying something new." You explain, taking a look at it for yourself. Honestly, you don't know what to call it. His eyes travel down to your feet where he can see you aren't wearing socks or your house slippers.
"How many times do I have to tell ya to wear something on your feet? You'll get sick." He complains for the umpteenth time this week.
"Mhm I know. I need you to be quiet you're breaking my concentration." He finds it cute how your tongue is slightly poking out as you try to frost this.. interesting looking cupcake.
"Doesn't look like ya put much effort or thought into it but okay..." He clicks his tongue and you elbow him in the stomach. Of course it doesn't hurt though, because he's built like a marble statue.
"Anyways, I need you to read over this when your done. It's my wish list to Santa." You don't respond right away, waiting to see if he's going to say he's joking or something, but he doesn't. You put down the frosting bag and stare deep into his soul.
"Are you serious? I thought Santa wasn't real. At least that's what you told Denki and ruined his Christmas." You recall last year's Christmas party when Katsuki harshly broke the news to Denki. The blond had a mental break down.
"I've reconsidered what I'd said before. He's real 'n I've been real good this year so hopefully I'll get what I wished for." He emphasizes that for some odd reason.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that. Remember when you verbally assaulted that kid who said you look like a mean Pokémon character?" He grumbles something that you don't quite catch but you get what he means.
"Just read it." He says with a roll of his eyes. You stare at him once again.
"Ughhh be happy I love your ass. I have to stop my cupcakes to read a santa list??? How old are you five?" He knows you aren't mad which is why he holds out the red envelope for you to take.
He watches you intently as you gently tear open the envelope. You pull out a piece of paper, which reads:
Dear Santa,
It's me. Bakugo.
The only thing I want for Christmas is a pretty wife who will stay with me through thick and thin. Who's also annoying and banned from going to sleep after me because of her terrible pranks.
Thanks.
As you finish reading it you're in shock. You lower the letter from your view to see your boyfriend on one knee, a pretty ring being presented to you in a very exquisite box.
"So.. will you help Santa out? Make my wish come true?" He's shaking and he looks so vulnerable it touches your heart.
You already know your answer but who would you be if you didn't give the man a run for his money.
"Well I don't know, Santa still needs to receive the letter then he'll probably come to me and we'll talk." You say crossing your arms. Katsuki glares at you and you smile back.
"Of course I will!! I mean who else would do it if not for me?" He rolls his eyes so hard you feel it.
"I could get anyone to marry me in seconds." He scoffs while putting the ring on your finger.
"All this talk and it took you 7 years to finally pop the question." Before he even gets another word out you lean down to press a soft kiss onto his lips.
"Merry Christmas, hubby." You say with a snort.
"Way to ruin a romantic moment and hubby is not going to be a new nickname."
jokes on him hubby stuck around for a long time :3
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spicyicetea · 9 months
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So I got the new Pokemon DLC for Christmas and I’m on a big Pokemon kick currently so I’m going to give a gift to my fellow Pokémon lovers. Now I’m more well known for Yandere work but I also do love doing more soft romantic stuff. It heals my traumatised self. So I’ve decided to go through all Pokémon games I’ve played and write romantic and yandere sfw+slight Nsfw headcannons for every character I personally like. [No DLC content because I haven’t played any of them yet]. If there are any characters I haven’t done that anyone wants, either comment or request and I can add it onto this post. Merry late Christmas!
As mentioned before, these posts will contain NSFW topics like violence and sexual references, so if you’re triggered by these topic please be careful. The reader in this is also a Fem reader, I can redo this post for a Masc or GN reader if wanted but I’m writing it as Fem currently is just easiest for me. I don’t describe appearance like skin colour or hair but I do write the Y/N with a curvy figure in mind (I can’t help myself, I love thick thighs IM SORRY-)
Kanto
Red
Ah the original silent protagonist. I love this man so much, even more after his cameo is Sun and Moon. I’m not sure what it is about him but he has this strange allure to him, although I doubt that’s a unique opinion on silent characters. Anyway, onto the headcannons.
This is almost a given with the silent types but I feel like he is an amazing listener, only ever nodding to show he’s still listening or giving small “mhms”
You’re probably the only one he comfortably talks to other than Blue.
In public he likes holding your hand, he often communicates through squeezing your hand or fiddling with your fingers.
Psychic boyfriend No.1
This man can just tell what you need, when you need it. Whether it’s comfort cuddles after a bad day of for period troubles.
Speaking of period troubles, this man not only will buy you whatever you need, he’ll wash the sheets, run you a bath and let you use him as a personal heater.
Yandere + NSFW
This man doesn’t open up to people easily yet you made him fall apart.
You made him stutter, drop things and slip up in battles when you cheered for him, he’s whipped.
You were the only woman that’s ever caught his attention and you aren’t leaving him anytime soon.
So get used to him possessively having a hand on you at all times, glaring daggers at any other person you pay attention to.
He’s a very private person so isn’t one to leave marks on you openly, but he does take great pleasure in leaving dark marks on your thighs.
Speaking of thighs… he’s a giver, do what you want with that.
Blue
Ah the smug bastard rival, and I promise you… he’s still insufferable, but in a loving way.
Bullies you playfully. A day doesn’t go by where he doesn’t mess up your hair and trip you up.
But he loves you truly.
You could not have asked for a more cuddly man, I didn’t expect to have this headcannon but I imagine this man is very eager to stay cuddled up to you as much as possible.
Although he talks a lot and loves it when you compliment him, I also think he’s a good listener, but like I’m a hype man way.
He’ll sit by the bathroom door while you’re in the bath letting you vent about anything you want just egging you on. “Wow she sounds like a bitch-“
A man who loves PDA, it’s his favourite way of staking his claim on your beautiful self.
Yandere + NSFW
Has dated his fair share of girls, but he wants you so bad.
He will fight for you, no matter what. This man will abuse whatever position he has to impress you. A relative of the professor’s, ex Champion, and a gym leader. He will do whatever he can to have you.
He is incredibly touchy, the moment other people aren’t looking, his hands are under your shirt. Nibbling your neck and kissing your earlobes. Actually he’d do that even with people watching,
Although he’d be mighty mad if someone watched your gorgeous body, he might even hurt someone.
Brock
This man is underrated.
The most loveable family man you’ll ever meet.
He loves to cook for you. Everyday. Please let this man make you breakfast in bed.
In fact no, he wants you to cook with him. All romantic. His chest to your back, whispering sweet nothings in your ears while you chop up vegetables.
If you get along with his siblings, he will propose to you on the spot.
Very openly affectionate, but never goes further than a hug in public… ok maybe you can get a kiss on the cheek.
Yandere + NSFW
This man has a breeding kink… you can’t change my mind.
He wants a nice big family and the idea of you, heavy and round with his baby. Not to mention how your… other assets will change.
Will happily suffocate in your tits, and if you’re pregnant, he will help relieve any discomfort you have.
If another man hurt you in any way, he’s going to go… missing. He’d break a man in half over his knee for you, and his Onix is very strong.
Lance
Am I the only one who would smash? Yes? No? Alrighty-
He’s always hits me as a someone who likes spending time with his lover in silence.
Not opposed to PDA but gets worried about his fans potentially harassing you, let’s you borrow his dragonite to escort you between towns.
Away from the public and just with his friends (elite four mainly) he loves to have you by his side, often whispering things about his day to you, information he only shares with you.
Also a man who is very hot, like he’s warm constantly, will be the best snuggler when it’s cold.
Yandere + NSFW
Originally I thought this man would be rather… vanilla but I feel like he’d be into wax play. I can’t explain it, but I can picture him loving to spill wax all over your tits.
For the more yandere side of things, he’s the strongest dragon trainer in Kanto. He will use his influence to make himself your only option, not that you’d realise, he’s not an idiot.
Giovanni
BARK BARK BARK GRRR MAFIA DADDY-
Your relationship is hidden very well from most people, you don’t get to villain status with a clean record and no enemies.
Despite that, you love a life of luxury baby.
He loves nothing more than to pamper you. His beautiful girl sat on his lap, with her hair all done up and nails all pretty. Now that’s the life.
Yandere + NSFW
I think he has great Yandere potential.
You sat comfortably on his lap in his office, his hands trailing comfortably under your skirt.
He loves watching you squirm as his fingers traces tight circles- well that’s all you get for now.
As I mentioned before, I believe he’d default to yandere to be honest.
He would not hesitate to kidnap but I like the idea that he’d try and woo you first. Dinner dates… wine… murdering his competitors.
Yeah, he’d be a yandere.
Johto
(I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never played these ones so I have no significant opinion on any of the characters)
Hoenn
Steven
This is just a crow in a human form, mr I love shiny rocks (me fr fr)
His love language is most definitely gift giving. Your shared house is littered with crystals and shiny things he’s found over his travels.
He loves to press kisses all over your fingers, buying you as many rings as possible for you and him to match. If he buys himself a new ring you’re getting one too.
Loves showing you off to the elite four, and begs that his dad approves. Not that he needs his approval but it’d be awkward if he didn’t.
Yandere + NSFW
Possessive as fuck.
You ain’t getting away from him easily. He will track you down as long as he needs to before you calm down and quit running away.
Loves pampering you once you behave though.
He kisses up your legs to your thighs, such passionate loving words followed by the mantra of “dirty girl” and “slut”
Maxie
Ok all the villains just radiate Yandere energy- so they’re all gonna be pure yandere + NSFW warning
This man doesn’t have it in him to kidnap someone… oh wait that’s a lie.
When he met you that all changed
He needs you, he would hurt anyone to get you to himself.
He’d leave dark bites on your neck, massaging your hips to tangle you together.
Another man I think would be into wax play, also a corruption kink. (No I won’t elaborate)
Archie
Big brute of a man… he’s going to make you beg for his mercy.
He loves holding you in his lap, cradling you delicately while he peppers kisses along your neck.
Will bite you, this man is a shark and will leave slightly bloody bite marks all over your body.
This man eats pussy for breakfast, you will never not cum first, a truly good man.
He is far more eager to kill a man to prove his love for you than he should be.
Sinnoh
I’ll be honest I tried to but I’m tired and I’m just going to be writing Yandere and NSFW headcannons. I’m sorry people-
Barry
This boy is so happy to finally have met someone who loves him… you’re not allowed to leave, he’ll cry.
For some reason I see this mans as wanting a family… he wants to be a more present father than his own.
Not one to leave marks on you but will beg you to stay home so he can cuddle and pamper you all day.
When he eventually takes over the battle frontier (he so would you can’t tell em otherwise) he will use that position to “protect you”.
Cyrus
Ah yes, the cold emotionless man who falls for a sweet woman and kills all competition… I approve!
PDA? Who is that? The most you’ll get from him is his hand on your shoulder moment before he orders team galactic to handle someone who was making moves on you.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. You’re the only woman he could ever love.
He lays awkwardly in bed but melts when your head rests on his chest, that was when the yandere switch flipped and he locked you in his apartment.
At least the man lays some good pipe, also this man has a bondage kink cause I said so.
Unova
Elesa
You think that the world won’t notice the famous model and gym leader with a girl on her arm. You’re going to end up centre of the Unova news for the next month.
She loves this though, now everyone knows you belong to her, and anyone who ignores that will just get zapped.
Prepare to share clothes, and prepare for her to watch you undress, she can’t help herself.
The woman loves to zap you, just lightly though, you’ll live… and probably cum.
Emmett + Ingo
Yes you get both, these two are a package deal ok?
Now… prepare to never leave their sight.
They want you at every battle, cheering them on, cuddling with the Joltiks or napping in their office using their coats as blankets.
Now… ok these two are kinky. They just are-
Ingo is 100% a family man, big breeding kink.
I think Emmett is more, adventurous, bondage and impact play seems right in my opinion.
Love to… “threaten” to throw people on the tracks when they flirt with you.
N
Aww what a sweet little thing, come and give me a hug- now time to hide you away where no one can ever see you again!
Honestly, he probably fell for you after seeing your relationship with your Pokemon. Almost every Pokemon you see likes you.
He’s very possessive over you. It’s no secret that he was raised in an incredibly unhealthy way, so he can’t exactly discern between inappropriate and appropriate behaviour in pursuing his courtship with you.
Now onto more NSFW art themes, he 100% praises you constantly and makes sure you’re tended to first. Often ends up super pent up because he wants to take care of you but sometimes go so far and overstimulates you. Don’t worry, the aftercare is amazing though.
Ghetsis
. . . Bastard
I’m only including this mother fucker because he’s so evil he’d be one of the most extreme Yanderes out of all of them. And because if still smash because I’m sinful-
The moment he sees you and falls for you, you can bet you’re getting kidnapped, sorry you just are.
I would bet money that he is the most possessive out of all of them but, and hear me out, would also be kinda attentive?
I can totally picture him being cold and accidentally upsetting you only to spend the rest of the next day showering you on gifts.
You’d also be seen as a god to the rest of team plasma, so enjoy being worshipped.
Oh and NSFW… spanking, degrading and tying you up, enjoy
Colress
Ah yes, my adorable scientist that I think is a kinky motherfucker-
He would make a collar to track you when you leave his side, he isn’t too keen on the idea of locking you insider after all.
Wouldn’t kidnap you but would murder the competitors.
Anyway onto the kinks I think would suit him…
He’d 100% make different types of vibrators so he can cuff you to the bed and watch you squirm. Considered making you a ball gag but he gets off on your moans, that does mean he ends up edging you before fucking you himself.
Kalos
Lysandre
Sugar daddy
I could leave that like that but fine fine I’ll feed you horny bastards.
He parades you around more than any of the others, always making sure you’re wearing the finest clothes. Usually also wearing his jacket, he can’t stand gawkers staring. Admiring your beauty he can handle, but staring at his woman is punishable by a flamethrower.
You live the luxury life. Fancy bath soaps and massages. Cafe trips daily so he can make sure you’re eating well. Sex in the back of his car in secluded car parks when you’ve been misbehaving at dinner.
He’s a rough lover but amazing with aftercare, so there’s that.
Alola
Nanu
Dilf energy… and I’m hungry for it I’ll be honest.
So tired, but you give him energy. Energy to do crime to keep you to himself but still energy. But hey why argue, you get to cuddle his cats all day.
Also, if you’re a trainer that has cat Pokemon… he’d probably marry you. Proposal on sight. Already on one knee.
He isn’t very openly affectionate but as long as no one is around he’ll always have an arm around your waist. You’re well protected.
Another man that I believe would make sure you cum first every time. Just make sure you have a warm bath after for your back, he hits me as a rough lover.
Guzma
Oh you poor girl… not because he’s going to treat you bad but he’s obsessed.
You’re probably kidnapped by team skull but you had no idea it was a kidnapping, it was more of a scooby-doo chase.
Yeah you now have like 50 babies to care for but don’t worry, big sis Plumeria and your new husband will help you. What you don’t remember getting married? Oh silly, you belonged to him the moment your eyes met.
He’s very inexperienced with relationships so give him a little time to learn. He’s a fast learner in bed so he won’t leave you unsatisfied. Will pamper you anyway he can.
Oh and have mercy on this man… don’t wear his clothes, he can’t handle it.
Hisui
Volo
Little shit… he’s going to try and use anything he can to claim you.
Whether that be advances in front of people to scare them off and stake his claim over you.
He does have a decently good reputation so no one would expect him to be dangerous, so you’re kinda fucked, Cyllene would protect you if she needed to though.
He talks down to you all the time, you’re not his equal, you are his property in his eyes.
Adaman
This man is smitten. No more smooth and confident Adaman, this man is a stuttering mess.
He wants to marry you so badly, please let this man marry you… and then put a baby in you but marriage first.
This man gives you jewellery, clothes, helps you befriend Pokémon or catch them depending on which method you prefer.
Cuddler, he will snuggle and cuddle as long as you want, so what he has duties? His pretty little wife wants his attention and you will get it.
Irida
Had noooo idea how to handle her feelings. Probably started as a childish crush at first but it developed into something much more.
She wants to spend the rest of her life with you by her side.
Glares at everyone who speaks to you, even people from her clan. She’s very jealous very easily.
But she loves you, and will let you spend unsupervised time with some people she trusts… only her Wardens, although she doesn’t trust Ingo as much as she doesn’t know him as well, not with you at least.
Warden Ingo
Dilf energy again
His memory may be strange and shaky but he remembers how to treat a woman he loves. Remembers things Elesa told him and Emmet, although to him it’s more echos of voices he thinks he knows.
He loves cuddling up to you while watching the newly hatched sneasels learn how to live. Although this does awaken a want for family he forgot he had.
He isn’t the most trusting person, but he is a good judge of character… and has gotten into a fistfight with Volo when he hit on you. Blood was drawn.
He throws a good punch, but would never hurt you, he adores you, you make him feel good in a familiar way.
Anyway you freaks want NSFW- this man lives up in the mountains, them rough hands can do wonders. And he loves making you feel good, people pleaser but only for you.
Paldea
Arven
Aw what a sweet boy, who will strangle anyone who tries to take you from him.
This boy lost both his parents and nearly lost his best friend/dog… he is terrified he’ll lose you too.
He cooks he cleans and then makes sure to rub your back and give you love so you’ll love him back
Please give this boy some affection or the boys around you will pay the price of you don’t.
Professor Sada
Mommy?
This woman is feral, not only did she basically throw you over her shoulder when she met you but you never don’t have bite marks all over your skin. It’s her way of telling everyone your hers.
I feel she’d give more freedom than Turo, only if Robo Sada was with you for safety… and to break the arms of whoever looked at you the way she did.
Also this woman is a mosterous pussy devouring fiend, don’t argue, you know I’m right.
Professor Turo
Oh daddy Turo- criminally underrated daddy let alone Yandere daddy.
I feel like Turo most definitely would have kept you locked down in his lab with him, convincing you that you help him with his research. I mean… he isn’t wrong, you motivate him to keep going.
However girl has needs and he often get consumed by his work. It wasn’t until he caught you handling problems yourself on your shared bed that he decided robo Turo should take over his research a little bit more.
It’d be a shame if you fell in love with a toy he so kindly made for you than him himself.
Larry
Ah my favourite ordinary business man… I’m so normal about him.
He is very normal about you too, except the fact that he has pocketed any handkerchief you’ve used while eating with him.
Oh and many dates that are just trying new food, oh and bird watching.
Again, call me weird but I think this man wants a family, total breeding kink.
Also I feel like he likes a rather feminine woman, not in the frilly skirt way but in the way of “I don’t N E E D a man but I like you”. You like him, right?
Rika
M m mommy?
Dominatrix… owns a whip… bondage. ANYWAY-
Not above using their position as elite four to scare off competition and keeping you in line.
Oh don’t cry, you won’t escape anyways.
She only uses PDA to send a message to other women or men, “hands off”
Jacq
Teach me about biology bb-
ANYWAY… loves to discover new Pokémon with you.
Will happily teach you about your favourite Pokémon for your attention.
Please don’t look away, he’ll have a breakdown.
Miriam
Ah cute little nurse… she has access to so many dangerous drugs.
She will scream and cry if you choose someone else, don’t do it, she’s an ugly cryer.
She loves to give you “check ups” when no one is looking.
On a side note, don’t you know that orgasms are good for your health? You didn’t? Oh silly let Miriam help you out, her fingers can work wonders.
THIS TOOK FOREVER…
But it was worth it enjoy animals. I want to get more serious with Pokemon x reader writing so I hope some people enjoy this… I’m never doing this big of a post again… this was meant to be a Christmas post- way to many bloody tags to add :,)
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yestrday · 2 years
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— BLUSH BLUSH ! anemo | hydro | geo | pyro 
⤷ yan! hybrid! aether, venti, kaedahara kazuha, xiao, kunikuzushi/scaramouche, shikanoin heizou
summary ! a young heir like you probably needs a breath of fresh air every now and then, and who better than your beloved hybrids to give you a taste of what the outside world is like? bringing with them the scent of the wind and their coy yet laid-back personalities, you can barely notice the possessiveness gleaming in their eyes.
content ! reader collects these boys like Pokémon, manipulation, mentions of murder, once again venti is a pervert, obsession, toxic behavior, 
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AETHER is your first partner. he's been with you ever since your dad dropped you off in one of his fancy but hauntingly lonely villas and never again bothered with you. it was your first day, it was lonely, and it just so happened that it had been raining.
you still remember scooping him up from the rain and declaring that you’d keep him, despite the protests of your servants. but you were rather spoiled and also obsessed with how beautiful this catboy looked. so now aether roamed the halls of your manor proudly ever since, cat bell around his neck as proof of your ownership. 
AETHER is always eager to help you. it doesn’t make sense for such a being as yourself to be scurrying around and making a mess of yourself! he’s no pushover but he covets your praise and regards it as the highest honor. so whenever irritation at being ordered around by the others starts to build up, he remembers your soft praises and approving looks and steadies himself to work his hardest! you, oblivious fool that you are, don’t know that he’s doing this for you. all you see is your good kitty being helpful and generous as he always is. 
your house is a treasure coven, full to the brim with riches the commoners wouldn’t even dare to touch, and among these are your dear catboy’s golden locks. you pride yourself in taking good care of them. a common sight is aether leaning against you as you stroke and brush his hair, humming a tune as you braid them. sometimes the others join in and place little trinkets (flowers, golden clips, pretty rocks they found by the lake) to further accentuate his beauty. he blushes at the attention, but after all that he’s done for the household, he deserves nothing less.
AETHER is one of the milder yanderes in your household, even holding back the more violent ones when needed. he’s content with your attention and presence. if you pat him lovingly and tell him that he’s a good boy, then he wants nothing more. if others hog you too much, he’ll get pouty, but other than he’s happy that everyone knows just how amazing you are. he feels more than blessed to be living here under your protection and around his newfound family.
still, you’re a young heir. in high society, there are bound to be those who will attempt to sully you for their own benefit. as the longest-staying boy, he knows more than anyone the hardships you face. plenty of nights he’s curled up beside you as you cry yourself to sleep, the victim of many cruel sneers and underestimating remarks. you’ve been framed and scandalized repeatedly, and he knows that you’ve grown stronger because of that. that doesn’t mean he wants to see you go through that again.
if perchance there might be a competitor strong enough to leave a permanent mark on your records, aether will finally bare his claws. he’s smart enough to not make the media connect the murder to you. there is no dirtying your name as long as he’s around. he makes sure that no one, not even you or the family, knows about the deed. once the news hits television, he looks just as clueless as all of you. 
RELATIONSHIPS : aether likes everyone and everyone likes aether! everyone has some sort of kinship with the boy and while he knows all their secrets and feelings, no one can say the same about him. when you were younger he’d mumble a name in his sleep, although that doesn’t happen quite often anymore. the longing and melancholy look still stay the same.
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VENTI is the poor little thing you found hanging half-dead from one of your garden’s tree branches, still in his dove form. he was a quiet thing when you rushed him to your room and mended his broken wings. for a few days, there was no response from him, just subtle breathing and occasionally soft whimpers. sympathies and goodwill came from you and aether, and each day you both wished for his quick recovery. 
peace and quiet were soon disturbed when one of your maids screamed from the kitchen. hurriedly running to the scene, you and aether found a distressed maid on the ground while a young man lay sprawled on your island with a bottle in hand. laughing sheepishly with an apologetic smile, he raised an open wine case to you and grinned.
congratulations, you now have a doveboy added to the party! VENTI’s accident has now rendered his wings useless, much to his dismay. his regret and dejection are still obvious to you even as the years go by, shown to you by the sad flicker in his eyes as he stretches his wings. most of the time his wings lay tucked at his sides, useless and paralyzed, but you wish to appease his apparent melancholy by making sure his wings are in top form. the feathers are downy and soft in your hands as you prune them, while venti hums and chirps contentedly under your touch.
his beautiful voice still remains, and there is not a day when his beautiful singing echoes through the grand halls of your manor. as expected of a dove hybrid! his nimble fingers pluck the lyre you gifted him (meticulously and tastefully adorned with gems you personally picked), singing ballads of adventures that make you wish you had a world outside your chained position in society. many of your family members, although irked at his eccentric and shameless nature, appreciate and praise his talents.
VENTI is very non-violent, although he can pull his punches when he really needs to. his yandere tendencies tend to fall under obsession, viewing you not only as his savior but also as a poor and sheltered lamb. he pities you and your position in life because as someone who used to roam freely, who would ever want a life shackled to a destiny they cannot change? the fact that he cannot tear you away from this life due to so many eyes on you aches him to the core.
but again, isn’t that exactly what makes you so beautiful? locked away in a home, half-forgotten by an apathetic father, why you’re just ripe for the taking! you can only look at him, be happy with him, and spend the rest of eternity with him! VENTI loves freedom above all things… now he has the freedom to do whatever he wants to you! 
he feeds you with purposely false information, making your reality further and further detached from the world beyond the walls of your home. you are his master, no? you saved him from death so it makes sense how much he praises you, even if you feel that they’re too extreme. he runs his fingers up your delicious thighs, fondles and caresses your skin, and pecks loving kisses all over— all in the name of love and devotion. this is normal, after all. this is how people show their gratitude. you don’t want to argue with someone who actually has experienced the real world, so you nod hesitantly and go along with his whims and wishes. venti grows drunker and drunker with every squirm and whimper that comes from you.
RELATIONSHIPS : venti hangs out with zhongli most of the time, sometimes annoying him with pranks and other times joining him in his old man laments. diluc is one of his most prominent victims, venti pestering him for drinks and food or just simply annoying him. kaeya more often than not joins him, while aether stands by to make sure that diluc doesn’t end up clawing the dove’s eyes out.
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KAZUHA first makes himself known when you spot a flying squirrel hanging upside down from your tree. it’s a fluffy little thing, white fur striped with an unnatural orange-red. it detects your presence even at a far distance, but as it blearily opens its eyes and lets out the cutest yawn, it doesn’t shy away from you. instead, it stares at you with its wide eyes before finally gliding out of the tree and right in front of your face.
pop! smoke appears out of nowhere, and a handsome boy takes the place of the cute flying squirrel! “hello to you, my liege,” warmly says the stranger. “i see that your home is a place of rest for beings such as i.” his hand grasps yours and he presses a gentle kiss on it. “hopefully it wouldn’t be rude to ask if i could seek shelter under you?” his pure and sincere eyes make you bashful, and so you nod.
everyone takes a liking to him, especially those who have a special connection to the wind. KAZUHA is after all very polite and helpful, and the poetry that he writes is very beautiful. he tells stories of his homeland, a land full of maple leaves and cherry blossoms far, far away. alas, he cannot go back anymore, and his loneliness and nostalgia pushes you to renovate your garden into a splitting image of his homeland. after being banned for so long from the garden (the scent of the wind told him what you were doing, but he’ll let you have your fun), his wide eyes as he sees the towering maple and cherry blossom trees make you grin in pride. 
KAZUHA, then and there, swears his utmost loyalty to you. kneeling in front of you and gingerly taking your hand in his, he looks up at you with those upturned eyes as if you’re his entire world. it’s not because you planted a couple of trees for him, but because your warmth is everything a lonely wanderer could dream of.
KAZUHA’s touch is gentle, and his words are cotton-soft, but don’t be fooled– he’s every bit as lethal as your other hybrids. he’s overprotective and intimidating when you’re not looking. some of your rowdier housemates have been at the edge of his sword after their antics have put you in danger. on the rare occasion that you do go out of the house, he tends to shadow you (with, like, five other hybrids) and incapacitate anyone who goes after you. which is many, seeing as you are the heir of a multimillion company.
sometimes KAZUHA runs his fingers over your sleeping face and sighs wistfully. if you weren’t chained to such a life, would you be free to roam the world with him? free to explore, free to witness what life is all about. he knows he could easily run off and go back to his old life, but he can’t imagine leaving you here all alone.
then again, maybe your father did the right thing. after all, the outside world is full of dangers a being as soft as you couldn’t stomach. he tenderly rubs your wrist and presses a kiss to it. his heart would hurt seeing shackle bruises on them, but it may be a necessity. or he could shackle you to him, like a red string of fate.
RELATIONSHIPS: it’s adorable seeing the flying squirrel perch itself on gorou’s puppy head as he runs around being chased by itto. despite the chaos, kazuha seems perfectly calm as he takes a nap on the brown fur. the only time he wakes up is when heizou pops into the frame and scurries off before the self-proclaimed detective can catch him again.
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XIAO came to you after finding out that zhongli’s been mooching off you for quite some time. it comes as a shock when a brilliant vermillion bird barges into your home and pleads with his father figure about why in the world would he be idling his time away with a hybrid slaver. you’re a bit offended at that, especially since most of the time it’s the hybrids who come to you, not the opposite. he insists on staying after finding out that zhongli cannot be convinced to leave.
he regards you with suspicion at first. you’re the first human he’s met who has a house full of normal and mythical hybrids alike. time passes and he realizes… you don’t exactly have the guts to be a slaver. you’re naive about how things work and you foolishly give away your money to these hybrids without asking for anything in return. ruffling his hair, he sighs in exasperation and flicks your head. you need to stop being so selfless.
XIAO is part of the security team that the hybrids just happened to make. it’s not like they assembled themselves officially, it’s just a group of overprotective guys who think you’re too weak to defend yourself. you laugh nervously as xiao scolds you for going along with the others’ whims– for the love of morax, you are not as sturdy as the others. do you not know not a bull hybrid’s mere hug can snap you?
it’s embarrassing for him to admit, but he’s grown to be somewhat reliant on you. you can’t really do anything for him– he’s more than capable of doing things for himself. but your presence soothes him like no other remedy could. the puppet strings of the guilt he’s been carrying for centuries seem to snap whenever you run your hands through his feathers. you’ve become his balm, his only chance at being saved. you’re someone he cannot part with.
his all-seeing eyes darken when you sleep. sometimes, he suddenly appears on your windowsill in a cloud of black and green. aether, who is always by your side, doesn’t mind and shares the silence with him as they both watch you. paranoia itches at him, even if he can see the rise and dip of your chest. he’s had many comrades lie the same way you do now, albeit in the bloody aftermath of war and a spear in their chest. he reaches a hand out for you but shirks when he’s just an inch away. you’re… too fragile. too fragile for your own good.
he worships you differently from how he worshiped morax. morax was a stone pillar for the foundation of a country, and XIAO was his best general. you are a plum blossom, whose buds sway precariously in the wind. he tends to you, as gently as he tries to be, but instinct tells him to snap off a branch if to preserve the most beautiful parts of you forever.
RELATIONSHIPS: xiao is only ever seen around two hybrids: zhongli and aether. he tends to perceive the dragon’s smallest actions as wisdom beyond mortal comprehension, even though everyone around him seems to think he's exaggerating. he trusts aether with his life and yours, and is especially close to him. venti also seems to sense that a certain shadow lingers whenever he plays his tunes, but he smiles to himself and lets them listen without bother.
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KUNIKUZUSHI wanders into your life… literally. on a day when the night sky is in its deepest shade of purple and thunderbolts strike and shake the earth, someone knocks on your door. the man wears a wide-eyed, friendly expression as he requests shelter for the night. eager to help and meet someone new, you do, but the moment he steps through the doorway, everyone’s hairs are on end. especially your partner, aether, isn’t his usual easygoing self.
he stays for several nights, and you think him a charming young man. the others aren’t fooled though, and the moment you’re gone, he’s going head-to-head with your protective hybrids. it’s your fault that you’re such a naive idiot, anyway. so what if he’s gonna take advantage of it? a fight breaks out in the middle of the night, and you wake up and rush down to see that aether has his claws out. with one slash, your guest stumbles back, and a cloud of smoke puffs…
… and it reveals a daurian redstart, a cute little bird that aether could easily squish between his sharp claws. with a gasp, you rush in to save the poor thing. aether is stunned and tries to convince you that he spells bad news, but you’re already cuddling him into your palm. kuni is mortified– the shame of showing his weaker form makes him lash out– but he is cowed by a dangerous look from everyone else in the house. fine, he’ll relent.
KUNIKUZUSHI is snippy at first, with everyone, especially you. he doesn’t trust anyone with his hybrid form, and the mere mention of it will have him biting at their ankles. everyone thinks that being a cat suits him better, which aether takes full offense at. you’re a bit disappointed because his jōbitaki form is soooo cute! nevertheless, you continue to take good care of him, feeding him his favorite foods and brushing his hair. one day he gets too comfortable that– pop! – his bird form appears and slowly flutters into your palm. it’s the day when he’s claimed you as his.
most of the time, he mocks and jeers at you. usually, you just smile and laugh– after all, this is kuni’s way of expressing his feelings! however, when things get too much you either blubber or glare or both, and he then falters. the sadistic side of him wants to keep bullying you forever, but the weaker, more detestable side of him, is up in a panic. he doesn’t know how to deal with whining brats, dangit, so he pops into his bird form and silently plops himself into your lap so you’ll shut up.
KUNIKUZUSHI is possessive and clingy– though he’ll never admit the latter. he can’t bear the thought of you leaving him alone. you have a chokehold on him already, and archons be damned you were gonna abandon him when he’s already a mess for you. spend time with him, play with him, look at him, worship him as he worships you. your gentle touch has him gasping for more, and archons does he hate himself for being so weak for a mere human.
KUNIKUZUSHI is crazed and deranged. he loves the fact that you’re trapped in this large, yet solitary manor. how easily he can dominate and break you in, to make sure that you’ll want nothing with your father’s business and stay with him, him, and him alone. you want that, don’t you? it’s a blessing to stay with your favorite little bird? why would you want to be the center of such a corrupt business, when he can chain the both of you together, just as like mortals and their marriage rites <3
RELATIONSHIPS: kuni is not someone that can easily get along with, so he’s usually hanging out around you or by himself. he and aether do fight a lot, but that has long mellowed down to playful and cheeky banter. other than that, kuni can be seen talking down to the others, even the mythical beasts. however, he gets eerily silent whenever kazuha is around.
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HEIZOU is your beloved, cheeky owlboy who just flapped in through the window and never left! he was originally curious as to why so many hybrids stayed here, but he took one good look at you and quickly solved the mystery. you’re sooo cute and naive! a little fighting spirit you’re kindling there, but nothing the real world can immediately stamp down. he has the urge to stay by your side now, captivated by your beliefs and kindness when you know nothing about the sinister feelings of your own beloved hybrids.
some days he just disappears to who knows where, but then you find him in the middle of a crime scene within your home. whenever conflict arises (or someone’s been stealing from the cookie jar), HEIZOU is almost always on the case. it used to be challenging for you to determine which party was lying, but he quickly tears down all their clever-made lies. he puffs out his chest whenever he can feel your sparkling eyes on him as he humiliates the other hybrids with his wits and smarts.
if you haven’t guessed it yet, HEIZOU really, really loves to show off. he doesn’t admit it, but his feathers preen whenever you praise and compliment him. when he’s in his owl form, he makes cute little sounds whenever you’re eating, just to make you acknowledge him. once he does, he opens his beak and blinks at you expectantly. he usually does this when you’re holding fried food. you’re not sure if it actually affects him, but you still try not to give the owl too much fried food.
he doesn’t mean it, really, but the cruel yet nonchalant words just tend to… slip! things like ‘you stupid little thing,’ or ‘you wouldn’t last one moment outside’ may seem casual, but they hurt you in your weak spots. and he’s keenly aware of this, even anticipating with sparkling eyes as your face winces and your mouth hesitates to call him out on his behavior. he just loves, loves, loves seeing someone as stupid as you be in the same room as him and make you feel as insignificant as possible.
sin is rampant in this world, and HEIZOU knows that fact well. sometimes jealousy swells within him when he sees the glittering gold and sparkling food you always have at the ready. maybe it’s why he can be sometimes cruel to you. but this is a teacher teaching their student a lesson! a cute little thing dreaming of a life beyond the walls, not knowing that reality is where hopes get crushed to pieces… it’s enough to make him cry! he tells you it is not safe, and it’s really up to you whether or not you listen.
if enough curiosity fills your head, or your father has summoned you, you’ll have to go outside and live through cruel reality. what do you think of the world now, without your boys to guide you and warn you of all the potential dangers? don’t worry, HEIZOU will always be by your side… though the sparkling tears makes him smile in glee even as he hugs you tight to his chest.
RELATIONSHIPS: heizou sometimes teams up with aether to arrest any rowdy members, but only when he finds the case interesting enough. he likes to play pranks on kazuha, by swooping into the poor rodent with outstretched claws and pretending he’ll gobble him up with his beak. your bullboy guffaws, but the pup barks and yips at the sheepish owl endlessly.
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factual-fantasy · 1 month
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29 asks! Thank you! :)) 🍕
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This is a good question :00 and it kind'a got me thinking..
If there's a situation effecting Ingo only, and its making him feel down... it'll be easier to tell. His frown is more genuine, and he doesn't talk as much. Emmet will notice pretty quickly..
But if Ingo and Emmet are sharing a stressful or upsetting situation? Ingo will go big brother mode and put all his emotions aside to comfort and calm Emmet down. After all is said and done, Ingo will find time to himself to cry it out or vent his frustrations alone. Just so Emmet doesn't have the extra stress on his shoulders.
I can imagine Emmet is aware that Ingo might bury his emotions or brush them aside sometimes.. but I can see Emmet not being aware that Ingo does it this often or with this intense of emotions. If he knew I'm sure he would make an effort to reach out to Ingo more often and comfort him too..
That makes for a good comic idea ngl.. 👀
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Howdy and Poppy actually need the most work out of all the neighbors <XDD
I have this general idea that Poppy's house was built by her parents when she was little, and she's lived there ever since. I have- I'm sure a very common headcannon- that she struggles with anxiety and usually deals with it by staying on her peaceful little property.
For Howdy I mainly have ideas for his friendship with Barnaby. I imagined when he first came to the neighborhood he was kind'a nervous about meeting his new neighbors..
But thankfully Barnaby came along and broke the ice. He came on in, complimented the shop, cracked some jokes, bought a few things and had a chat with Howdy. In the end they learned a bit about each other and he made Howdy feel relaxed and welcome. :))
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tbh I have no idea <XDDD I'm assuming there's hair gel, hair curlers and prayers involved XDD
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Wally thankfully isn't so tired he's at risk of passing out- but I can see him frequently falling asleep on benches or tables <XD In that case Barnaby will likely be the first to find him and gently wake him up
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@littlebluemew
He'd probably be spooked out of his mind might and go straight to Ratchet for help <XD
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@milk-powrit
You know? I actually haven't thought much about them.. I considered that they knew about Julies wishes to become a neighbor an just didn't stop her. I should work on them more tbh..
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@glitchhayden418
WAIT NO LETS TALK ABOUT THIS--
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(In response to this post)
<XD Boy do I need all of those things- 💀💀 also thank you! :))
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@holly-opal
:DDD Thank you!! :)))
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@babqftim-questers
<XD In my pinned post I explain that I cant really draw my FNAF Au stuff atm,, nor do I feel like I have the mental energy to do so..
But hey I'd thought about coming back to Deltarune so that's something.. <:DD
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oooo neat! :00 I've doodled some of the Unova Pokémon as slimes recently.. perhaps I should give the Conkeldurr line a go! :00 Maybe I can make the veins work <XDD
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Boy have I, its all over tumblr XDD
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THATS THE COMFORT IN THE HURT/COMFORT RIGHT THERE BABY LES GOO 💪💪💪
But for real, thank you! :DD I'm so glad to hear you like hurt/comfort too! And that you feel I do it really well!! :DDD 💞💞
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In my AU, Eddie and Frank are just friends. Mostly because I don't like drawing or writing lovey dovey content for characters that aren't my own.. ehgk- 💀💀
Also thank you! :))
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I have no plans for him to discover the truth, but i have plans for Eddie to eventually go "something is very wrong with this neighborhood, and something is very wrong with me."
I do have plans for Home to be the culprit behind Eddies predicament. Mostly because I want Home to be the main/only powerful and seemingly malicious entity in the neighborhood <XD
As for Frank and Eddie, I explain in the ask above that they are just friends in my AU :0
And thankfully, no. My Barnaby does not chase Eddie for being a mailman. XDDD
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My version of the koopalings didn't look after JR, Kamek and Kammy did mostly- :00
And I cant remember the order of ages I gave them.. but I know I made JR the youngest, and Ludwig the oldest :00
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Thank you!! :DDD I'm glad :}}}
So far I don't have any plans to for Wally to find out home is alive- and the house never does anything to make Wally suspect its alive :00
If you kept waking up at night, you wouldn't assume your house is alive- you would probably be just like Wally and assume you have some kind of weird insomnia problem..
If you heard strange groans and cracks in your house, you wouldn't assume its alive. You'd be like Wally and think "ah, makes sense. This house is super old, weird creaks and groans in the floorboards is normal." ..Get the idea? :0
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@gummy-wyrmonastring (I cut out the images because they're not mine <XD)
(Slime rancher comic in question) AAAAA thank you so much!! :DD I'm glad you liked my comic!! :))
And I've heard of Undertale yellow,.. I cant say I'll play it- but I've heard good things about it that's for sure! And I've seen a lot of cool fanart for it too.. 👀👀
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@whereismycupofcoffee
I cant recall ever having a dream that was better than reality- and so far this summer has been the worst in my life.. 😅👍
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WAAHGHGG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THIS IS SO SWEET!!! 🥺🥺💞💞💞💞
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@cry-stals
Ahh sorry, Y/N isn't apart of my Au <:/ And neither is the welcome home website- My AU is through the perspective of the puppets world being a real world :))
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The text is google translated to-
"Hello! I just wanted to say that I really love your art! Your Slime Rancher AU and Welcome Home AU are very good! I hope you continue to create great works for us! Sincerely, - Japanese followers"
My response:
AAAAA Thank you so much! :DD Im so glad to hear that you like what I make!! :)))
ああああ、本当にありがとう! :DD 私の作ったものが気に入っていただけてとても嬉しいです!! :)))
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@hershelwidget (Ask was sent after this post I think)
Thank you!! :DD And I believe I know the movie you're talking about!! :DDD Its with the 9 little doll people right? I don't remember much of the movie- but I remember thinking "what on earth is happening-" and "wow this just got super dark what the heck--" XDD think it was a great movie!
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@minnesotamedic186
Oooo! It sounds horrifying! :DD I'll have to look into it.. 👀👀
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The only thing I can recommend is references, references, references. <:/ That's what I do!
Also thank you!! :)))
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@nerdy-aroace (Referencing thins post)
AWWW THAT'S ADORABLE YOU'RE SO RIGHT FOR THATTTTT 😭😭💞💞💞
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Well that's simple, Arceus created all the slimes, evolutions and all. Probably 100s and 100s of each line. And then they just filled up the planet. The final evolutions created more slimes and the first stage evolutions ate the plorts of the bigger ones.
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(Sorry for the late reply! This got buried💀)
WAAHGGGG THANK YOU!! :DDD
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elyvorg · 7 months
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Kieran Part Bonus: I AM SO PROUD OF MY BOY
And now for my really actually final analysis post about Kieran, covering both the epilogue and also his scenes in the League Club room once you’ve finished that. Somehow both of these relatively short pieces of content still managed to be packed with delightful nuance showcasing both how Kieran’s still struggling with his issues and yet also how much he’s grown since his main arc. They are absolutely lovely and fill me with so many warm happy feelings about my boy.
Honestly, it’s remarkable, not just from a Pokémon-writing perspective but as a piece of fiction in general, to have this kind of satisfying follow-up for a character arc. Usually once a character’s arc reaches a resolution, their story just ends there, and we don’t get to see more of how they’re processing what they’ve been through and learning to grow further in the aftermath. So it’s a really wonderful breath of fresh air to get to see something like that for once here with Kieran! The Pokémon writers absolutely did not have to make the epilogue and postgame content focused on showcasing this, and yet they did. I am, once again, pleasantly boggled by how much they cared about doing Kieran’s story justice. Just, wowzers, man. There really is no more appropriate word for my amazement than that.
(This is an epilogue, if you will, to my previous two analysis posts discussing Kieran’s character arc in The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk! Reading those before this is probably recommended.)
Before even getting into things that are strictly from the epilogue itself, can I just say: I really love that Kieran took a mental health break from Blueberry Academy to give him some time to process things? (Okay, the game only calls it a “break”, but let’s be real, it is for his mental health, and this is Good.) It just makes me very happy that the writing acknowledged that he’d probably need something like that after what he’s been through instead of going straight back to business as normal at school – and in an in-story sense, it’s lovely that Kieran realised he needed this and didn’t try and force himself to just keep going as if nothing had happened. He’s starting to learn to take care of himself and not push himself way too hard!
Making new friends
The first lovely sign of Kieran’s growth that we see in the epilogue is that, not only does he want to catch up with you, he also wants to meet your friends from Paldea! He must have spent some time during his break thinking about the fact that you mentioned you had friends from there.
And the thing is, with Kieran’s insecurities, it would have been so easy for him to slip into a mindset of “your friends are probably way cooler than me, why would you need me”. But instead of letting himself get caught up in that jealousy spiral again, he fought against it and did the healthy thing of asking to meet them himself. Hopefully he can become friends with them too and then he’ll have nothing to feel jealous about! He outright says when he meets them, “Any friend of [yours] is a friend of mine!” Look at him go. (Arven should take notes on how not to act insecure about one’s best friend having other friends, because damn, Kieran’s managing to be more well-adjusted than him now.)
All this is also just a sign that Kieran’s hoping to try and make more friends in general. He’s such an introvert that he must have figured that’d be easier for him to do with people for whom he has a mutual friend to get to know them through. Plus, if they’re your friends, then he already has a guarantee that they’ll be good and nice people. Way more manageable for him than trying to approach complete randos.
And really, it’s such a huge remarkable thing for Kieran that he is trying to make friends now. Friends, plural! This is the kid who used to be so lonely and shunned by others that his big dream was to one day be like the ogre who, according to him, doesn’t care that it’s all alone. And maybe then, if he managed that, he’d be able to befriend the ogre – just that one other person who is also alone and outcast. It never even crossed his mind to try and imagine that one day he could be confident and worthy enough to just… have some human friends. That wasn’t even an option in his head – it was “learn to not care that he’s alone” or nothing.
And yet look at Kieran now, actively reaching out to try and make new friends! I am so proud of him.
Learning to ask for help
Soon after you meet up with Kieran, it becomes apparent that something is Very Wrong with his sister. According to Kieran’s account, it was shortly after he sent you the letter that Carmine became possessed, so it’s not that the letter was secretly a call for help in which he couldn’t bring himself to admit the actual problem.
And even now that you’re here… Kieran wasn’t going to tell you about this problem at all until Carmine happened to wander up and start mochi-dancing in front of you. He tries to play the whole thing off like it’s totally normal and she’s definitely just… excited to see you???, even though he has to know that doesn’t make any sense at all. On some level this is just because it’s really scary to admit to himself that something is very wrong and he doesn’t have a clue how to fix it. But it’s also because… he still doesn’t feel like he has the right to ask you and your friends for help.
This is one of the ways in which Kieran’s issues and low sense of self-worth from before are still lingering and have not just been magically, instantly fixed. While he may be making a conscious effort to fight through his insecurities to try and make more friends, he hasn’t started consciously tackling everything that was holding him back just yet. It seems like he imagines that asking your friends for help, these people he’s only just met, would just make him a burden on them and maybe spoil any chance he had of actually becoming their friend himself. (Although, even if you’d come to visit him alone, I suspect he’d still struggle to ask even just you for help, simply due to his old ingrained mindset that he’s not worthy enough to deserve it.)
Happily for Kieran, your friends are all good people who instantly unthinkingly offer to help without him even needing to ask them! Kieran’s sheer surprise and gratitude when this happens is so telling about his insecurities for why he didn’t feel he could ask, but it’s also lovely to see him starting to realise that his instinctive way of thinking about this is mistaken. Welcome to having friends, Kieran, this is how it works actually! Most people are good and will be happy to help out a friend in need! It’s okay to need help sometimes!
There’s another very innocuous line that I find interestingly telling about Kieran’s mindset regarding this. When you’re all at the community centre wanting to use the TV, Kieran laments that it’s stuck playing the tourism ad because the caretaker hid the remote, so Arven immediately suggests you all look for it. And Kieran reacts, in surprise, “Why didn’t I think of that?” It reads as largely rhetorical, but… it’s a good question.
Why didn’t Kieran think of just trying to find the remote? Because he’s spent so long stuck in a mindset where, if things are bad for him, it’s just what he deserves for being weak and there’s nothing he can do about it. His response to his problems during the main storyline was to completely separately fixate on making himself Stronger so that, in theory, problems would just stop happening to him entirely. It never occurred to him to try and just face and deal with his problems directly – at least not until the climactic battle with Terapagos, which was the first time he ever found the courage to take such an approach – so the notion to do so still isn’t quite habitual in his mind just yet.
Hopefully Kieran asking why he didn’t think of that wasn’t quite so rhetorical, and he was reflecting on it himself a little when he said it. He ought to realise that actually, taking action to directly solve his problems is a good thing and something he should strive to do more! He has already begun to do so in some ways by reaching out in an attempt to make more friends, at least.
Solving the problem
Kieran sure does get a lot more practice at Directly Solving Problems thanks to the events that go on to occur that night, doesn’t he. I love that the epilogue’s plot, while ostensibly just there to give players an opportunity to catch Pecharunt, is also a narrative that exists to let Kieran get to be a hero alongside you.
It’s somewhat low key, but Kieran definitely gets pretty freaked out about everything that’s happening. Which is really perfectly reasonable – though the effects of the possession are incredibly silly, it’s still got to be genuinely frightening to see people he knows getting controlled against their will by some unknown force, especially when this includes his own family. (One detail I love is that the game uses that lack of a highlight in his eyes during certain lines to communicate the fear he's feeling and trying not-so-successfully to hide; it’s a small thing, but it works so well.)
Once you’ve fought off his possessed grandparents, Kieran starts to panic, convinced it’s only a matter of time before it gets him (even though the evidence of how exactly the possession occurs is right there if he’d just stop to think about it for a moment). On some level, he must still have this sense that, if it can get all these people he looks up to, surely it’ll get him too who’s so much weaker than them. His inferiority complex is still there and affecting him, especially in this stressful situation.
Good thing Kieran has you by his side, the strongest coolest friend ever whom he knows he can rely on! If you hadn’t been there to reassure him and snap him out of it, he really might have lost himself to his panic. Or he might have just not even tried to battle the possessed people and do something about all of this in the first place – see the earlier point about how him facing problems directly is still not instinctive to him. He’s able to do so here, but a lot of that is probably thanks to being able to follow your lead. Still, this is bound to help him get better at doing so on his own in future!
Kieran’s also still a bit too liable to feel like things are his fault even when they really aren’t. He blames himself for not warning Arven and Penny about the mochi in time, even though he was literally about to do so when Pecharunt showed up and sniped mochi directly into their mouths. That can’t be called Kieran’s fault at all! He tried! (And, hey, it’s not like you made any attempt to warn them either.) But he still feels responsible for it anyway.
And he’s also still rather defeatist when it comes to facing Strong Opponents in battle. Kieran couldn’t defeat Nemona earlier in the day, so when it comes down to facing off against her in order to get to Pecharunt, he just feels like he can’t do it, end of. Really, that’s not necessarily the case – since this is an emergency and not a friendly battle for sport, there’s no reason you have to beat Nemona in a fair 6-on-6. Anything to get past her will do; the two of you could have taken her on in a 12-on-6 double battle, perhaps! Kieran did not need to momentarily feel useless in this situation, but he did, because not being able to win against someone still equates in his mind to being No Good At All. Kieran, nooo.
Happily, the narrative provides Kieran with something else to do with himself while you fight Nemona so that he is very decidedly not useless in the slightest – fighting off the entire town’s worth of people behind you??? That is equally as necessary as taking down Nemona, something without which you’d never have managed to get to Pecharunt, and it must take some incredible battling skill to be able to hold off that many opponents at once. Like, dang, Kieran. I really hope he’s able to reflect on this in the aftermath and realise how incredibly strong and cool that was of him, because it was.
(He was holding his own one-against-many, just like he always admired Ogerpon for doing!)
Kieran’s fear and pessimism also show through just a tiny bit as you’re fighting Pecharunt at the end, when he reacts to the fact that you were able to damage it. Apparently he was afraid that this thing would be completely invulnerable and it just wouldn’t be possible for even someone as amazing as you to beat it and stop the curse. Yikes, that must have been a scary thought. But still, it all worked out in the end! Kieran’s learning that even when things are scary and feel overwhelming, by facing up to them and doing his best, it’ll usually turn out okay! Especially because he’s not alone and has friends by his side to support him now.
And, hey, one way or another, it seems like the events of the epilogue did help give Kieran that last little push he needed to decide to go back to Blueberry Academy! I imagine he was already thinking about doing so – he is actually a very stubborn and determined person at his core, so I don’t think he could ever have been considering just giving up on it – but all of this probably helped give him the confidence to make that leap. The thought of apologising to everyone for how he acted must still be incredibly daunting – but, he’s begun to realise that he can face scary things!
His old Kitakami team
During the epilogue’s battles, I was absolutely delighted to see Kieran send out Poliwrath, one of the Pokémon he used in Teal Mask but not in Indigo Disk – because this is proof that he’s been reconnecting with the Pokémon friends he left behind back then! As it turns out, the rest of his team for these multi battles is the same as his Champion team, with only the Polis switched, but even so, Poliwrath’s presence is enough to be a promising sign for all of his old Pokémon friends.
And this gets further confirmed by his dialogue with Arven in the clubroom! Arven asks Kieran which of his Pokémon he’s closest to, and he mentions his Hydrapple (which has been with him since it was an Applin), his Poliwrath and Politoed, his Yanmega, and his Furret! This accounts for all of the Pokémon Kieran had in his Teal Mask battles up to the third one, after which he started to fixate hard on getting stronger to prove himself to you, so these are likely all of the Pokémon that were friends of his from the start. And he still considers them friends now, which means he reconnected with them all and apologised as necessary for any leaving them behind/thinking they were weak/etc that he might have done! Yes good, Justice For Furret was had, I could not be happier.
(Okay, we never saw the second Poli back then, but the way he talks about both Polis together suggests they’re a pair, so I imagine they were both his friends back then, too. He also never used Applin against you before evolving it into Dipplin – which is fair, Applin is very not good in battles – so the lack of us seeing another Poliwag/whirl is probably because he felt he needed to use a diverse team that didn’t have two of the same species. He doesn’t have to battle with all of his Pokémon for them to still be his friends, after all! He still doesn’t battle with most of them now in the clubroom battles either, which use his same Champion team, but that doesn’t stop them from being his precious pals!)
(On the other hand, since there is no sign nor mention of them in the postgame, I suspect that, like Cramorant before them, his Gliscor, Shiftry and Probopass from the final Kitakami battle got released. Kieran would have only had them for like a day or two during the events of Teal Mask, since he only caught them after he fixated on getting stronger, so I doubt he’d grown very attached to them during that time. Still, that’s okay, because hey, he did make them stronger, which is probably all they ever expected from him when they joined his team.)
Nemona is Good
One extremely delightful aspect of the epilogue and beyond is Kieran’s interactions with Nemona. It turns out that her outlook on battling is exactly the kind of thing Kieran needed to help regain a healthier view on it himself!
His feelings about his own battling skills are still very all-or-nothing at the beginning of the epilogue. When Nemona excitedly declares that she’s heard he’s really good at battling, Kieran’s pretty dismissive of that idea. He couldn’t beat you, therefore that means he’s Not Good At It, right? (Kieran, no.) He also says that Nemona “destroyed” him once they’ve battled – but based on the fact that she has nothing but praise for how good he is, I very strongly suspect that he actually gave her a really tough fight, and he only framed it that negatively because losing at all still makes his inferiority complex blow things way out of proportion.
Happily, delightfully, Nemona tells Kieran exactly what he has always needed to hear this whole time, which is that it shouldn’t matter whether you win or lose, because battles are fun either way! And with a moment to reflect on that, he agrees… yeah, they are, he had a lot of fun!
We’d heard from Drayton that Kieran was always a kid who’d deeply enjoyed battling, from the very beginning. But it seems that somewhere along the way he’d stopped loving it so much, at least when he’s the one battling - probably because he’d often lose, which would trigger his inferiority complex and make him feel bad. We only saw a small glimpse of his passion for battling ourselves at the beginning of Teal Mask, mostly when he watched you battle his sister, and a little bit in his own early battles with you, but he still felt bad over losing, poor kid.
But with Nemona’s help, Kieran’s been able to remember just how much he always loved battling and can just enjoy himself with it again! In your clubroom battles with him, he has a line just before he Terastallises where he says “these feelings never change” – and though he doesn’t specify what feelings he’s talking about, the one thing about Kieran that has never changed this entire time, even if he sort of lost sight of it for a while along the way, is the thrill he gets from battling! He also says in another line that he’s “having a blast” – which is phrasing that Nemona uses that Kieran never has before, so apparently he picked that up from her? Aww. I am so glad he could meet her; she is exactly the breath of battle-loving fresh air he always needed.
Kieran’s clubroom conversation with Nemona is also very good and helps him let go of his all-or-nothing mindset a little more. Nemona praises him for how quickly he climbed the ranks of the BB League, which he insists is meaningless because he pushed himself unhealthily hard and then still couldn’t beat you in the end. But Nemona helps him reframe it and think of it as: he was incredibly dedicated, and it must mean he really loves Pokémon and battling, which is true! This has to help Kieran view his training arc in a more positive light instead of focusing on the negative aspects like his toxic obsession and lack of self-care. Hopefully if/when he starts training hard again, he’ll be able to feel better about it and not associate it with all the bad things, thanks to Nemona! (But also, Kieran, please remember to not neglect self-care again, that was bad. I imagine he has indeed got the message about that, since the way he talks about that aspect in this conversation seems tinged with regret.)
Carmine is Trying
Another thing we see in the epilogue – admittedly only a small glimpse near the end, but it’s something – is that Kieran’s relationship with his sister seems to have gotten a little bit healthier? They each make equal-opportunity Sibling Banter jabs at each other, and Kieran doesn’t slump and shrink and look so defeated when she bites back against one of his. There’s probably still some ways to go here on their dynamic becoming completely truly healthy, but it’s definitely progress from before, which is good to see.
I think Carmine really must have reflected on her role in Kieran’s breakdown and is trying in her own fumbling awkward way to do better by him now. A delightful sign of this is one of her scenes in the clubroom, in which she resolves to be less protective of Kieran, even if it’ll make her lonelier without him around as much. That’s exactly what she needs to do! After all, this whole thing started because Carmine couldn’t bear to let her brother endure even the tiniest amount of badfeels that would have come from learning he happened to miss out on meeting the ogre. Carmine has realised on some level that she needs to have more faith in Kieran and his ability to endure and get through stuff on his own, rather than trying too hard to protect him from everything ever, which just results in coddling him and stifling his possibility for growth. She still does want to look out for him from a distance and be able to help if he really does need it, but she’s trying not to overdo it any more. Yes good, I am proud of her too.
Reconciling with his schoolmates
I said already in the Indigo Disk post that it’s incredibly brave of Kieran to resolve to apologise to everyone he hurt and make amends, and this is still true. That has to have been so scary, but he went and did it anyway! It seems he even apologised to the people who cared about him, such as his sister and Amarys, for worrying them with his behaviour – which also means he has managed to comprehend the fact that people cared about him, even back then when he was at his most unlikeable.
And by the sounds of what he says in his clubroom scenes, most people took his apologies well and are talking to him like normal now, which has to have been such a relief. It means a lot that Kieran wasn’t expecting anything of the sort and apologised anyway despite expecting backlash, simply because it was the right thing to do – but hey, most people are nice and can probably tell he was decidedly Not Himself during that time and are willing to put the past behind them! Social interaction isn’t quite as scary as he’d used to think, it turns out!
Even then, some things are still a bit weird, and with how far-reaching his impact as Champion was, Kieran’s bound to keep having to deal with this for a while. There must keep being more people he was a jerk to that he still hasn’t apologised to yet, people being intimidated by him because they don’t realise he’s changed, constant reminders of some of the hurtful things he said and did back then. Making amends is going to be a pretty long-term thing, but Kieran is putting in the effort to do so all the same, because it’s the right thing to do, and he is so brave.
Someone who is making this harder than it needs to be is Drayton, because of freaking course he is. He still insists on rubbing in the “ex-Champ” thing, even though Kieran has made it clear he does not appreciate being called that (of course, he no longer minds that he’s not Champion any more, but the fact that Drayton insists on constantly reminding him of his past self has to sting). On the one hand, Drayton is still concerned about Kieran in his own way, because he does effectively ask if Kieran’s eating better meals now, but on the other hand their entire clubroom interaction features him deliberately dodging Kieran’s genuine attempts to just engage with him in an effort to make amends, and, geez. This is exactly what he wanted from Kieran all along, and yet he is somehow still not satisfied. Seriously, Drayton.
At least Drayton is the only one of the Elite Four to be like this, and the others seem to be on good terms with Kieran now! Look at Lacey insisting that the past is in the past when Kieran acts confused that she’d want to help him after he was such a jerk to her. (Someone needs to take notes there, Drayton.) And it seems like Kieran’s got another good friend in Crispin, who’s in the same class as him! Our boy is making so many new friends and it is wonderful.
Of course, his insecurities are still around, and he’s still a little too liable to assume he’s doing something Wrong in social situations, as we see in a couple of his clubroom interactions. That one with Arven about his Pokémon is an example, as Arven phrased things as if he expected Kieran to have just one single closest Pokémon buddy, and Kieran seemed to feel bad that he actually had multiple candidates and couldn’t pick – but happily, Arven reassured him that it’s cool to not be able to choose, too! And in Kieran’s interaction with Crispin, he reflexively apologises for not having watched the latest episode of a show, but Crispin calls him out on the apology, and Kieran is able to question himself as to why he apologised and conclude that he didn’t need to, because it’s not like Crispin’s going to mind.
He is learning! He does not need to feel like he has to perfectly match his conversation partner’s expectations in order to be their friend! Kieran’s approach to his own issues has become so healthy and filled with self-reflection and growth, and I am so proud of him.
Friendship with you
Kieran is also able to be a whole lot healthier about his friendship with you, now that you’re properly friends again after everything! Possibly my favourite completely innocuous line in the epilogue is when he casually mentions that you and he became friends during the school trip to Kitakami. This is actually huge, because Kieran had spent so long utterly convinced that you couldn’t possibly have meant it when you called him a friend back then, not after the lie and all of his issues about being too weak to deserve it. But now, he’s been able to reflect on that and realise… of course you meant it. Of course you always wanted to be his friend, right from the very beginning! It wasn’t on purpose of you that he got left out of meeting Ogerpon at all, because you’re a good person and you wouldn’t do something like that, and he never actually deserved that after all.
(Perhaps sometime during his break, he had a proper talk with his sister about what happened and why she lied, and Carmine finally got to fully express that you and she never meant to hurt him and shun him with that.)
Kieran is still not over his idolisation of you, mind you. He reacts to you being the one to find the TV remote of all completely mundane things with “Wowzers! ‘Course you found it first!” – which, really isn’t a wowzers or an of course? Your magical protagonist powers do not and should not extend to this, and yet they still do in Kieran’s head. But even though he still views you this way, Kieran is so much healthier about it now. He’s no longer bitter and jealous and beating himself up for not being as perfect as he thinks you are, since nobody is (not even you, not really) – instead, he’s just so incredibly thrilled that he actually gets to be friends with someone so cool!
I really love that the devs went and gave Kieran a new losing animation for his clubroom battles, too. His previous ones always had him being varying levels of upset about losing, but not any more! He just stares in wide-eyed awe at your amazingness, and then breaks into a big smile and thanks you for the battle, because he still had great fun even though he lost! And he’s able to freely admit that he looks up to you because you’re so strong, or, in an optional line in the epilogue, he admits that he’s jealous that your friends are all really good people. He still has those feelings, but he’s able to healthily express them now without letting them twist him into something harmful.
It seems like he’s still a little insecure about if he deserves to be friends with you, though, based on a few small things. When he asks you for a trade in the clubroom, he appears hesitant to ask, as if he’s not sure he has the right to, and if you say no – even though there’s every chance this is just because you want some time to decide on an appropriately special Pokémon to give him – he slumps, probably having had his sensitivity to rejection triggered. And even once you’ve traded, he can later ask if you’re absolutely sure he can really keep the Pokémon you traded him, because he can’t quite believe he could get to have such a cool gift from you of all people. Aww, Kieran. Hopefully his hypothetical future interactions with you will help squash this insecurity of his further, because he deserves to feel comfortable in his friendship with his best friend!!!
Ogerpon
Another seemingly-innocuous but extremely good line in the clubroom is that Kieran can ask you if Ogerpon’s doing well and say that he thinks she’ll be pretty happy with you. He says this in a completely casual way, with no hint of bitterness – which tells us that he’s no longer jealous that you caught Ogerpon! It makes sense that he wouldn’t be, because he doesn’t need her acknowledgement any more like he used to think he did in order to feel worth something. He’s already got acknowledgement and self-worth and happiness now for so many other reasons, after all! So he can just be selflessly happy for Ogerpon that she’s found a trainer she can feel safe and happy with too, without being irrationally preoccupied over what she thinks of him.
It is interesting to see in this dialogue that Kieran initially calls her “the ogre” before correcting himself to “Ogerpon” – apparently, he’s only quite recently made an effort to shift what he calls her in his head. It’s true that in his reaction to her in the Champion battle, he did indeed just call her “the ogre”. It’d make sense that he didn’t actually work to shift his mental idea of what to call her during his Indigo Disk arc, despite knowing her species name, because the name “Ogerpon” likely brought back too many painful reminders of everything that happened in Kitakami. It was probably easier for him to just stick with “the ogre” and try to forget anything had changed. But he’s okay with what happened now!
And maybe Kieran trying to make a habit of using her name now is a sign that he’s started to realise that Ogerpon is her own individual who’s not quite the same as the mental image he always had of what “the ogre” was like? Maybe. It’s hard to be sure. Unfortunately the epilogue/postgame can’t do much with Ogerpon because it’s always optional for her to be on your team or even in your game at all (since you could in theory have released her or traded her away). But we can at least hypothetically imagine that in Kieran’s continued interactions with you, he’ll get the chance to hang out with Ogerpon a little and come to understand her better. It certainly seems now that he’d be able to hang out with both you and her without feeling uncomfortably jealous, which is a good start! (And Terapagos is on the list of ‘people’ he owes an apology to, so let’s imagine he gets a chance to do that, too.)
Moving forward
The “climax”, such as there is one, of Kieran’s mini-arc of scenes in the clubroom is him excitedly telling you that he’s had the BB League drop him from their rankings. Although your character seems a little bewildered by it (they are still a bit of a social dumbass), this is in fact an extremely good thing for Kieran! He’s taking a step back from the competitive side of things for the sake of his mental health, so that he can untangle himself from the toxically-obsessive mindset that he was in back when he was only focused on winning! Look at Kieran doing all this good self-reflection and self-care, it is so lovely to see. He doesn’t even seem to view this as any sign of him failing, either – he’s just comfortably acknowledging that he needs to do this for now for his own sake and there’s no shame in that.
Kieran seems pretty sure that he is going to want to get back into competing once he’s cleared his head a bit, but he’s already so much more casual and healthy about it! He says he’s going to shoot for the Champion title again, and even if you respond with a friendly taunt of “You still won’t beat me!”, he takes it so well. He’s genuinely okay now with the thought that he might never quite be good enough to beat you – he just wants to have fun trying. Look at how far he’s come!
In the meantime, while he sorts his head out, he just wants to spend time with his Pokémon (who mean a lot to him as far more than just sources of battling strength!) and his human friends (whom he has so many of now???) and figure out what he really wants to do with himself from here. Good for him!
Kieran’s still just a kid, and seeing him already learn how to grow from his mistakes and face up to his lingering issues and be just so emotionally healthy about things now is such a promising sign for wherever he’s going to end up in future. I love that the epilogue and these postgame clubroom scenes put so much effort into showing us this about Kieran now, reassuring us that he really is going to be okay. I truly could not be more proud of or happy for my boy.
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i-write-boop-spoops · 7 months
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N Harmonia with an affectionate! S/O
hey besties! ya girl boopy is BACK with some short but fluffy N content!
features: gn! reader, fluff, very slight angst. just very cute and sfw! not proofread.
Enjoy!
N doesn’t dislike affection
Quite the opposite, really
It’s just so new to him
He’s used to it from Pokémon
Nuzzles and cuddles and the like
But from people?
This kind of comforting, positive touch makes him very flustered
The feelings are intense and strange, good but overwhelming
It takes him time to warm up to it
Being affectionate is part of who you are
You love giving hugs and kisses to your loved ones
And your Pokémon
Any excuse to snuggle or hold hands is good enough for you
You thrive off that touch being reciprocated
All that being said, you totally understand and respect his apprehension and boundaries
No one likes being touched without permission, and your boyfriend’s comfort is paramount
In his time in Ghetsis’s “care”, he didn’t receive much affection
Certainly not from his “father” bleugh hate that guy
All he really got was his hair brushed and played with by Anthea and Concordia
Which he still really enjoys
Playing with his hair is one of the first kinds of affection you gave him
Some fell in his face and you gently brushed it back
It was light, it was subtle, it was gentle
It made him blush
But it also made him melt
Now, you don’t go a day without playing with his hair
Sometimes when he’s having a bad day, he likes to lay his head on your lap or chest and have you play with his hair
It’s so soothing
Cuddling is another thing he’s really come to love, but it took a long time for him to get used to that as well
For a while the extent of your cuddling was a prolonged hug
Or a ­­(stiff) arm around you
The warmth and softness of you against him was short-circuiting his brain a bit
And he was nervous he was doing something wrong as well
He knows affection is important to you, and he’s trying his best to ease himself into it
Eventually though, he comes to properly embrace and hold you
Though his embraces tend to be on the looser side
Aside from holding hands, N doesn’t really like PDA
He really doesn’t like being so flustered in front of others
But he is proud and happy to hold your hand, and squeeze it tight, whether it’s just you two, or in front of the world
He might even occasionally give you a little smooch in public
Just one on the lips or the cheek
Smaller, subtle touches is how he conveys his love physically to you
Brushing his knuckles against yours as you walk abreast of each other
Intertwining your pinkies together
Things like that
You’re much more likely to initiate affection
Which he very much appreciates
He finds it hard to ask for it, so he loves how often you want to be affectionate
You’re always coming up to him, looking to snuggle and kiss
And he definitely reciprocates
Much easier now that he’s much more comfortable with it
You two often end up in a cuddle pile at the end of the day
Smothered by Pokémon of all shapes and sizes (and level of furriness)
It reminds him of being a kid actually
Before Team Plasma and Ghetsis and all that
When he and his family of Pokémon would huddle together for warmth and comfort
Now, it’s all the better, with you by his side
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ultram0th · 4 months
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Wolfe Glick's New Career
Part 1 │ Part 2
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"Damn it!” Blue, working in his home office, heard Kevin groan from the front door.
He pushed himself away from his desk and walked downstairs, trying to figure out what was wrong. In the entryway of their home, he saw his shirtless, hairy boyfriend clad in nothing but a skimpy jockstrap that struggled to contain his massive bulge. He was frowning as he glanced at the porch, the door swinging wide open so that the whole neighborhood could see his buff frame.
“What is it?” Blue asked, placing a tender hand on Kevin’s hairy pec, trying to fight back a smile as the other man shuddered at the touch, his jockstrap-clad bulge twitching.
Kevin tried to focus on the issue at hand, even as he leaned further into Blue’s touch. “Someone stole our package,” he whined. “Again!”
At the sound of the ruckus downstairs, Nick made his way down and over to the other two. He was still naked from his interrupted stream, his hard cock bobbing out in front of him with every step he took. The only thing he wore was a cowboy hat— something that was a permanent fixture of his wardrobe. “What’s goin’ on?” he asked, his thick country boy accent as prominent as ever.
Blue crossed his arms in front of himself. “It seems that there’s been some porch pirates in the area,” he mused, trying to think up a solution.
Kevin snorted, “Maybe if we had a guard dog to scare the thieves away.”
Nick nodded in agreement. “Some big fella who would scare any of them robbers away. That’d do the trick.”
An idea started to form in Blue’s mind and he began to smirk to himself. “A big, strong guard dog?” he hummed. “That’s a pretty good idea…”
— — —
“…so make sure you like and subscribe for more Pokémon content,” Wolfe Glick said into his webcam, giving his usual sign off for his next video. He clicked on the red circle icon, stopping his recording.
He glanced at the time on his computer, and shot out of his seat once he realized that he was running late for his appointment. The World Champion Pokémon player was an avid streamer, and with Worlds coming up, he was starting to feel the pressure a little bit. It wasn’t anything too terrible, but Wolfe figured that the smartest thing to do would be to talk to a professional before any of his anxieties grew.
After doing some Internet searching, Wolfe had stumbled upon the homepage of a certain hypnotherapist named Blue, who claimed to specialize in work-related anxiety. After one phone call, he’d made an appointment with the hypnotherapist, hoping that he could use his expertise to help him dominate at Worlds and maintain his top position as the World’s Greatest Pokémon Master.
After leaving his place, Wolfe made it to the hypnotherapist’s home office just in time. He parked his car in back and made his way up to the front door.
He barely had time to knock before the front door swung open, revealing the doctor. “Welcome, Wolfe,” Blue grinned. “I’ve been expecting you. Please come in.”
The streamer followed Blue inside the home, noting how cozy it was. There was the faint smell of musk, as if there was an at-home gym on the premises. Plus, he could see a variety of consoles and gaming memorabilia.
“You game?” Wolfe asked, finding playing video games a safe way to form a connection with a new person.
Blue nodded as he led the other man into his office, gesturing towards the sofa for him to relax on. “From time to time,” he said. “My boyfriends play a lot more than I do. They actually stream for a living.”
Wolfe nodded to himself as he took the offered seat.
“But you didn’t come all the way here to discuss gaming with me, did you?” Blue asked, grabbing his notebook and pen. “Tell me, Wolfe, what’s on your mind?”
The streamer shrugged his broad shoulders, and the bottom of his polo lifted with the action, giving Blue a sneak peek of his happy trail. “I’ve just been feeling a little stress and anxiety over this competition that’s coming up,” he admitted. “It’s nothing too much, but I just wanted to talk to someone to make sure I stay grounded.”
Blue nodded, humming to himself in thought. “You know,” he finally said, “there are some hypnosis treatments that I can offer you to help keep your stress levels down.”
“Sure, let’s try it,” he said, leaning back into the sofa.
The hypnotherapist fought to hide his mischievous smirk as he grabbed his pocket watch out of his coat. “Now, just focus your attention on the watch and listen to the sound of my voice,” he said in a smooth tone. 
Wolfe did as instructed, and he instantly felt relaxed as he watched the pocket watch swing left and right. The sounds of the Blue’s melodic words lulled him into a deep sleep, and eventually his eyes glazed over and his jaw was slack as he fell under Blue’s control.
A wide grin stretched out Blue’s face. “Now Wolfe, I want you to listen to every command I give you,” he said, his voice slow and deep. “Tell me if you understand.”
“I understand,” Wolfe repeated in a monotone, his eyes still fixated on the swinging pocket watch.
“Now, Wolfe, you may continue your streaming career, but you’re also going to take up another passion: Bodybuilding.”
“I will take up bodybuilding,” Wolfe repeated.
“You will look into bodybuilding and you will grow consumed with the thought of getting bigger. And you won’t listen to anyone who questions this new desire of yours.”
“I want to get bigger.”
Snap! Blue snapped his fingers, jolting Wolfe out of his daze.
Wolfe jerked back in his seat, rubbing at his temples in confusion. The last thing he’d been able to vividly recall was arriving at the doctor’s home. Yet, after that, everything was fuzzy. He struggled to recall anything during the hypnosis session, but a thick fog seemed to solidify in his brain, effectively blocking it out.
The streamer continued to massage his foggy head as he tried to piece together anything. However, he soon realized that the mild panic he’d felt earlier in the morning was gone. Whereas, he’d felt a little apprehension about the upcoming Pokémon tournaments, he didn’t feel worried in the slightest now as he sat in front of Blue.
The man perked up. “It worked!” he gasped in surprised. “Holy crap, it actually worked!”
Blue smiled to himself. “Of course it did,” he chuckled. “Now, let’s go ahead an schedule you a follow-up…”
After scheduling another session, Wolfe left the doctor’s office with his head held high. The cute streamer was in awe that the hypnotherapy actually worked, and he was planning on telling all of his friends about the miracle worker that Dr. Blue was. However, all of his elation fell down to the ground when he saw his reflection in the tinted windows of his car.
Wolfe deeply frowned when he examined his body.
He’d worn a simple polo and some shorts for his session, so his limbs were easily visible. However, the man grew self-conscious when he saw how stick thin and tiny his arms looked. He flexed one arm, feeling immense disappointment when his bicep barely created a lump. Looking down at himself, his chest seemed embarrassingly flat, showing absolutely zero traces of muscle whatsoever. And his legs were like toothpicks: thin and simple.
Never before had Wolfe ever felt self-conscious about his body. Being a streamer, he tended to not get as much exercise as he’d preferred to; however, all he seemed to be able to think about as he stared at his slender reflection was that he was so small and tiny.
Without a second thought, Wolfe got into his car and sped down the road to one of the local gyms in the area. He hurried inside and paid for a membership, immediately heading towards the weight pile…
— — —
There was a knock on the door, and Dr. Blue left his office to go answer it. He swung it open widely, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull as he saw his altered client.
“Good morning, Dr. Blue,” Wolfe smiled as he entered the house for his follow-up appointment.
It’d been about two months since his last visit, and although he’d known that the results would be drastic, Blue still wasn’t fully prepared for what he saw.
Whereas before, Wolfe had been rather slender and toned, this new hunk was packed with solid muscle. Still wearing the same sized clothes as before, Wolfe’s new muscles stretched every fabric to the limit. His arms had grown, making the tight sleeves of his polo bunch up near his rounding shoulders. The bottom of his shirt was lifted a little bit due to his growing pecs that were now so big that the streamer couldn’t button up the polo at the top. His legs had grown a bit too, forcing his usual strut to take on a little bit of a waddle.
“Wow, Wolfe, you’ve been working out, haven’t you?” Blue mused, quite literally drooling over the growing gamer.
Wolfe blushed a little bit. “Yeah, a little bit,” he said, flexing a sizable bicep, causing the fabric around his arms to rip a little bit. “I’m still nowhere near as big as I’d like to be though.”
Blue smirked a little as an idea formed in his head. “Well, I can help you out with that too,” he offered. “If you’d like, of course.”
Wolfe eagerly agreed and nearly threw himself down onto the couch, sitting up straight as he readied himself for another hypnotherapy session. His stress levels were already at an all time low, so if Blue could help him out with his workouts, then he’d feel one-hundred percent at peace. Over the past few months, Wolfe still streamed and prepared for Worlds; however, whenever he wasn’t playing Pokémon, the stud was in the gym. He worked out religiously all in attempt to bulk up. Although he was gaining some impressive muscles in such a short amount of time (and he’d already gained about twenty pounds of pure muscle), he was nowhere near feeling big enough. He still felt tiny, despite having outgrown all of his clothes that were now plastered against his growing frame.
“Just pay attention to the pocket watch,” Blue ordered, swinging it to and fro.
Again, it didn’t take long before Wolfe was lost in a trance, his jaw slacked as the growing muscle stud was put under.
“Wolfe,” Blue smiled, “you’re making some nice progress, but we can speed things up a bit. You’re now going to feel an urge to take steroids so that you can get as inhumanly big as possible.”
“I will take steroids,” Wolfe repeated, his voice robotic and slow.
“And once you’re all big and bulky like a bodybuilder, you’ll come move in here to be our good guard dog.”
“I will be a big guard dog…”
— — —
Over the next few months, Wolfe practically lived in the gym. He still focused on his streaming career, and even won Worlds. However, now that that was out of the way, the growing hunk was able to devote all of his time to working out and growing his muscles.
At his gym, he’d managed to make some connections to get a hold of some fast-acting steroids that were guaranteed to bring about drastic results. At first, Wolfe noticed the side effects more than anything. His body hair grew in thicker with all of the extra testosterone in his system, leading to his chest hair growing in at a faster rate and covering up all of his budding muscles. And his libido was in hyperdrive. The streamer was constantly horny, and after each workout session, he had to excuse himself to the locker room to take care of his throbbing member.
Whereas Wolfe had started out his hypnotherapy sessions weighing in a regular 180 pounds, the stud was now topping the scales at 320 pounds of pure, solid muscle. His arms had packed on so much size that he had trouble bending them past a ninety degree angle, and whenever they were relaxed, they rested atop his new flaring lats. His pecs had inflated to large proportions, looking cumbersome and heavy as they jutted off his torso. The hairy mounds were so large that they forced his nipples to point downward; and his large pecs and arms kept pushing against each other whenever he tried to told a game controller for his streams which led to a lot of his videos showing him struggling to get comfortable in his tiny chair with such a large bulky body. His legs were so large now that the streamer waddled everywhere he went, his massive thighs rolling over each other with each step. Thanks to his steroid usage, his stomach pushed out slightly, giving him the beginnings of what would eventually turn into a large, round roidgut.
Wolfe was huge! His large hairy muscles were professional bodybuilder size, and the stud still wanted to get bigger. He had trouble finding clothes that would fit over his enormous bulk, resulting in his wardrobe consisting of numerous tanks and loose shorts. Still, at their largest size, his shorts appeared shrink wrapped around his big quads, and his pecs constantly spilled out over the tops of his tanks.
It was dressed like this that Wolfe made his way back to Blue’s place for what was supposed to be their final session. Although Wolfe felt as if his anxiety was under control, he still felt compelled to venture back to the hypnotherapist’s office.
When he entered, he felt an odd surge of pride when he saw how wide Blue’s eyes got when looking at his muscles.
“Wow, Wolfey,” Blue genuinely mused. “You’re huge!”
Wolfe felt his face stretch out into a joyful smile at being called huge, and he couldn’t resist forming a double biceps pose on the spot. His mountainous biceps flexed with power, and since he’d come straight to the doctor’s after his workout, his hairy pits were all sweaty and musky, filling the small office with a locker room aroma.
Blue ran an admiring hand over one of Wolfe’s large muscletits, giving the round muscle a playful squeeze. “You must’ve been working out a lot,” he teased. “Such a big, strong guy you are!”
Wolfe couldn’t help but preen at the compliments he was getting. For some strange reason, they seemed to bring about a joyous sensation deep within him, and he felt himself growing more and more excited by the second. His hard cock started to tent out his workout shorts, and he moved to another pose. This time, forming a side chest pose to illustrate just how much work he’d put into building up his massive body.
“Is that him?” Wolfe heard a deep voice with a country accent ask.
Still posing, he looked over to the stairs to see two men descend. One was wearing cowboy hat while the other had grown out what looked like a porn stache. Both were hairy and left their impressive (yet way smaller than his) chests on full display.
Instead of being self-conscious at being caught showing off his muscles for another guy, Wolfe loved having more guys look at him. The streamer leaned forward to form a most muscular pose, loving every second that the three guys were gawking at his humongous muscles.
“Yep,” Blue said, clapping Wolfe on the back. “This is Wolfey, our new guard dog. With muscles as big as his, no one will dare to steal our packages anymore. Watch…”
The hypnotherapist pressed a button on his phone, making the doorbell ring.
Something inside of Wolfe clicked and the large bodybuilder streamer felt a fierce protectiveness grow inside of himself. Looking at Blue, Nick, and Kevin, Wolfe started to view the men in a different light. Suddenly, instead of strangers, the three of them were the most handsome men in the world to Wolfe, and he could feel an almost animalistic instinct form in the pit of his gut.
At the thought of someone being at the door, Wolfe dropped onto all fours with a loud thud. The large bodybuilder crawled over the door, his massive muscular arms slamming onto the floor intimidatingly as he moved. He felt himself bare his teeth, letting out a low, bellowing growl.
“Grrr…” Wolfey growled as he protected his new home like a guard dog. He puffed out his hairy, muscular chest with power. Had someone really been at the door, then no doubt, they would’ve been scared away by the sight of the growling bodybuilder.
Blue smirked and walked up to Wolfey. He fastened a leather collar with spikes adorning it around his neck. Attached to it was a metallic tag in the shape of a dog bone that read out: WOLFEY.
Wolfey flinched at the feeling and for a moment, something inside of his foggy brain screamed at him that something was wrong. It said that he shouldn’t be on the floor of the hypnotherapist’s office, and that he shouldn’t be this big. However, as he looked up into Blue’s eyes, he felt the panic quickly evaporate and he flexed his large muscles with pride.
“Who’s my good boy?” Blue teasingly asked, patting Wolfey on the head.
The bodybuilder streamer straightened his posture and flexed his large arms again. “Me,” he beamed widely. “I’m a good boy!”
Over the next few days, Wolfey blended into the new dynamic at Blue’s household seamlessly. In the morning, he would wake up and stream some Pokémon, showing off his massive muscles for his viewers and flexing whenever they tipped him. Then he’d start to work out in the home gym, grunting loudly as he lifted heavy weights like they were nothing. He also proved to be quite the guard dog too, fiercely protecting his new house and its inhabitants. There were no more porch pirate incidents, especially after Wolfey came bounding out the front door, barking and displaying his massive muscles to scare the would-be robber away.
The massive bodybuilder guard dog loved his new life with Blue, Kevin, and Nick. He was such a good boy.
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tsuutarr · 3 months
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Pairing: Hop x GN! reader
Word count: 8.5K
Content: fluff, growing up, a Hop character study, kind of a fix it fic (basically I feel bad for constantly beating Hop in the game and had to write this LOL)
Summary: From a young age, Hop knew that he wanted to be the next Champion, just like his older brother. But as he goes on his journey, he's not sure what he really wants. Despite all that, though, he's grateful you're by his side.
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From a young age, Hop was introduced to a path paved of gold, lying in front of him with a polished glimmer. His older brother was the Champion of Galar! It was only right that Hop would take on that mantle, too. In fact, Hop knew he’d be even greater than his brother– he’d make sure of it. After all, that was what everyone expected of him, right?
When asked what he wanted to be when he was older, Hop confidently proclaimed that he’d be the next Champion. His statement wasn’t met with scorn because people were aware of who his brother was. Since his brother was the Champion, Hop would obviously be an excellent trainer, too. That was what everyone said, so it had to be true, right?
“So, what do you want to be when you’re older?” Hop asked you as you made flower crowns. You were  his new neighbor that moved to Postwick about a year or two ago, but with how often you played with each other, Hop felt like he has known you for years and years.
“I dunno. I think I’d like to go on a journey, though. See the world, you know?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Hop responded, watching as the wind tousled your hair. “If you wanna go on a journey, maybe you should go on a Pokémon journey! A rival would be good for me, just like Sonia and Lee.”
You blinked at him curiously. “Sonia and Lee?”
“Yeah, I guess you haven’t met them yet, huh? Lee’s – or Leon, I guess – my older brother and Sonia’s his childhood friend.”
“Wow, they are like us, then,” you laughed, placing a flower crown on Hop’s Wooloo. Seeing Wooloo bleat at you made Hop’s heart warm. There was a sense of peace whenever he was with you. Unlike the rest of Galar, you didn’t place much stock in him being the Champion’s brother. You just saw him as Hop.
Hop’s eyebrows furrowed.
When did being known as Leon’s brother bother him? He was proud to be Leon’s little brother! The Champion’s brother! But… maybe it did sting a little when that was what he was referred to as constantly. Sometimes, he felt like he didn’t have an identity outside of his brother–
“Hop?” you called, making Hop turn to you in surprise. Wooloo bleated at you, ordering you to continue brushing its fur. You laughed, but obliged anyway. “You looked lost in thought. What’s on your mind?”
“I got that Wooloo from Lee,” Hop responded, making you hum in acknowledgement.
“Wow, how lucky!”
“Yeah, lucky.” Hop knew that he was lucky. Not a lot of people had a brother like him, he knew that. But sometimes he wondered if he’d be able to reach the throne his brother sat on and live up to his brother's name. Everyone said Hop would be good, just like his brother. So he had to be. He had to–
“Hop?” you called out again, and this time, when Hop snapped out of his thoughts, he came face to face with yours, looking at him with concern.
He gulped. “Yeah, mate?”
Gently, you placed a hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. “You’re no warmer than you should be…”
“I’m fine,” he huffed, though he didn’t make any moves to remove your hand from his forehead. “I was just… thinking.”
“Be careful there,” you teased. “Don’t want to blow a fuse, eh?”
“Oi, stop that,” he grumbled without any bite. “...Are you leaving today?”
“Ah, yeah,” you nodded, finally pulling your hand away from his forehead. He kind of missed it.
“Shame, you could’ve met Lee.”
“Oh, he’s coming back today?”
“Well,” Hop huffed out a laugh. “If he doesn’t get lost, then yeah.”
“Aw, that’s a shame. I wanted to meet him.” You scratched behind Wooloo’s ear with a pout on your lips. “Send him my regards?”
“Of course I will,” Hop agreed. “And you’ll see him eventually.”
“Eventually,” you nodded, before standing up at your name being called by your mother. “Well, that's my cue.”
“See you. Have a good spring break!”
“You too, Hop!”
He didn’t know why, but he kind of wished you could’ve stayed for the spring break.
--
Hop’s meals with his family were always boisterous, even when his older brother wasn’t there. His family would always turn on the TV to watch Leon’s matches. Hop always loved watching Leon’s matches, but having his brother there, right beside him, was even better.
“Leon, your match was fantastic!” Hop’s mother beamed, clasping her hands together in glee. “You’re such a talented trainer.”
“Charizard and the rest of my team are the ones that deserve all the praise,” Leon said, modestly, eyeing his Pokémon lingering outside his house. His house was too small to fit his large Pokémon inside – sometimes, he envied how small Sonia’s Yamper was!
“One day I’ll have a team as awesome as yours!” Hop grinned, his Wooloo bleating next to him. “Watch out, Lee!”
Leon laughed loudly at his little brother’s eagerness. “You don’t understand how excited I am for that, Hop. I can’t wait to battle you!”
“I’m sure you’ll be as good as Lee,” Hop’s mom agreed. “After all, Leon’s already done it himself, so he can help you.”
There was a weird pang of bitterness that stung Hop at the insinuation that he couldn’t be a brilliant Pokémon trainer by himself, but he crushed it down. “I wanna earn my place,” Hop said, patting Wooloo’s head. “I’ll get to the top where Lee is without his help. That way, we can truly be equals!”
“There’s nothing wrong about asking for help, Hop,” Leon said, gently. “And besides, you don’t want the Pokémon I’ve been reserving for you?”
Hop’s eyes grew wide as Wooloo bleated in protest.
“I’m not trying to get rid of you, Wooloo!” Leon laughed, tossing the sheep Pokémon a piece of lettuce. “Just, when it’s time for you to take on the Gym Challenge, I’ve got a Pokémon for you.”
“Wow, thanks, Lee!” Hop said, eyes wide with excitement, “But I can't do the Gym Challenge for another few years.”
“Hah, I know,” Leon responded with a laugh. “It’ll come soon enough.”
Anticipation thrummed through Hop’s veins. It couldn’t come fast enough.
--
Now, four years later, at age sixteen, he’s sitting in a train that is leaving Postwick. It all still feels so surreal to him. He has waited for this moment – the moment he’d get to go on his own Pokémon journey – for years. Changes seem to be happening so quickly, and despite his confident demeanor, he’s still nervous. But when he sees you, he feels better, like there’s still something consistent in his life. His eyes linger away from the window, instead opting to look at you. You sit in front of him, idly watching the scenery pass by.
“Exciting, isn’t it?” you ask, suddenly turning to him. It makes him jolt in surprise, before his face eases into a grin.
“Exciting,” he agrees, feeling nervous at how your knees brush against each other. “You know, I wonder what that Pokémon was – the one we saw at Slumbering Weald.”
You hum thoughtfully, your fingers tapping against the wooden table between you two. “Whatever it is, it must be powerful. I’m glad you were there with me.”
“I couldn’t do anything, though,” Hop says, but you only shrug in response.
“Neither could I. But your presence was good enough to keep me grounded.”
“Heh.” Talking to you always eases Hop’s nerves. He wonders if you’re aware of that, but decides you probably aren’t as you shove a cookie in your mouth.
“Want one?” you offer, making Hop nod.
“Thanks, mate.”
You nod, eyes going back to the scenery outside. Hop’s eyes stay on you, though, because he wants to burn you into his memory. After all, he won’t be able to see you in a while and you’re kinda like… his good luck charm. He thinks he’ll be able to do better when he thinks of you.
--
With all the excitement thrumming in his veins, the events prior to arriving at Budew Drop Inn feels like a blur. Still, you both managed to sign up for the Gym Challenge, so he thinks of that as a win. He’s ready to kick back and relax, but when he sees Sonia staring at the statue in Budew Drop Inn, Hop is surprised. 
 As Sonia explains her reason for being here, Hop can’t help but be intrigued. He’s still set on being Champion, but… Sonia’s research is just fascinating. Not to mention the events that had occurred in Slumbering Weald – a part of Hop is curious if the Hero in the legends wielded a Pokémon like that.
Maybe it’s Hop’s curiosity that prompts him to say, “If we hear anything about the hero or whatnot, we’ll tell you!”
“You will? That’d be fantastic!” Sonia responds, clapping her hands together.
“Sure, I’d be happy to,” you agree, eying Hop out of the corner of your eye. Hop looks at you curiously.
“What is it?”
“You just seem really excited,” you give him an easy grin, “it’s a good thing we left for our journey, after all.”
“Well, I’ll be the new Champion, you know,” he responds, easily, but inside his heart is running laps in his chest. The implication that his happiness is why you’re so excited to be on a journey makes him feel oddly warm. He doesn’t dwell on it, though, because Sonia is shooting the two of you a cheeky look. “You better do your best to keep up, mate! A good Champion always needs a good rival.”
You nod with a laugh, “You’ll see, Hop. I’ll be the best rival the world’s ever seen.”
--
And a good rival you are – Hop still hasn’t been able to beat you. There’s a lingering frustration that rattles him as he withdraws his fallen Pokémon, but there’s also this sense of… freedom. Sure, losing sucked, but it was exhilarating thinking about how Pokémon can use their moves and abilities to fight.
“Good match, Hop,” you say, approaching him.
“Good match,” he agrees. “Looks like I better keep my guard up! You’re excellent at using type match ups to your advantage, you know. I didn’t realize your Pokémon had that ability, either – that was awesome to see in battle.” Hop continues his little tangent about your battle, before shifting to the Pokédex you two had obtained from Professor Magnolia. “And not to mention – did you know that Wooloo’s wool is so strong that it could roll down a cliff and not get injured? Maybe that’s why our Wooloo are so rambunctious! They don’t think they can ever get hurt.”
“Wow, no wonder that one Wooloo rolled into Slumbering Weald, then. It probably should’ve been protecting us,” you laugh, making Hop grin.
“Probably!” he crosses his arms, letting out a hum. “I’ve had Wooloo for years and I’ve never known this – I’d have probably never known if I didn’t go on this journey. It’s fascinating to know how broad our world is. Now I’m curious about how dynamaxing fits into all of this, you know? It’s such an interesting concept.”
“Yeah, it really is!”
 “Isn’t it?” Hop continues talking about his findings, spurred on by your attention. You’ve always been the sort to look at him and only him when he talks, so it's easy for Hop to talk about his newest fixation. You always listen to him when no one else does, which he appreciates. Especially since Hop isn’t really sure why, but he’s been very into researching Pokémon lately. Sure, in part it’s because researching leads to understanding Pokémon better, which leads to being a better Pokémon trainer, which then leads to helping him become a Pokémon Champion… But sometimes he’ll sit down and read pages and pages of Pokémon facts just because he finds it interesting. 
“You’ll be a fine Champion with all that knowledge,” you say, and Hop feels kind of off when he hears that statement. He’s not sure why, but he just nods.
“Yeah, I will be.”
--
Going on a journey is a lot more fun than Hop anticipated. It helps that he runs into you frequently and that he’s won all his gym battles so far (the grass, water, and fire badges he’s spent hours shining proving that). But what really makes him love traveling is learning. He’s found out so much and he continues to find out even more. The world is so much more vast than he ever imagined and it's all fascinating. Not to mention the fact that he’s picked up bits and pieces of knowledge to help Sonia and well…
Hop sometimes wonders if being a Champion is what he really wants. Sometimes, he’ll be so entrenched in his research that he won’t notice time slipping by. Of course, he still trains and battles and enjoys it, but there’s another form of enjoyment that comes with research.
But he’s set out to be the Champion – it’s what he’s always wanted. It’s what he thought he’d always want. It’s what everyone else expects of him as the Champion’s brother…
“The Champion really must have been off his rocker to endorse the likes of you,” Bede says, looking awfully smug as he always does. Hop has never really liked the guy.
“Rubbish. More like you don't know enough to recognize greatness when you see it. My throws are the greatest, and my bro is the finest Champion the world has ever seen! I'm not gonna listen to you insulting him!” Hop yells, readying his Poké Ball.
“How tiresome... Fine. I'll battle you over there. Maybe that will help you finally understand just how weak you are.”
The corners of Hop’s lips dip down further, displeased. “You’re on then!” Hop turns to you and motions for you to go. “Let's meet up in Hammerlocke when I'm through with him!”
You look hesitant to leave, but say, “Good luck, I’ll see you in Hammerlocke,” to Hop, before leaving.
Bede watches Hop, chin held high and pose nonchalant. “All this prattle about your friend and the Champion and whatnot... Do you not have anything of your own to show?”
Hop’s lips purse. He’ll show Bede.
--
The fire flickers, lighting up Hop’s face with shades of gold and amber. His Pokémon lay around him, sleeping soundly by the campfire after the battle with Bede.
There isn’t a lot to say, really. Hop lost – he lost badly.
“You’re just dragging the Champion’s name through the mud,” Bede had said, haughtily, and Hop couldn’t come up with any response because Bede was right.
“What am I supposed to do now?” he murmurs, eyes trained to the flickering fire in front of him. Leon’s always been Hop’s role model – Hop has always wanted to be Champion because that’s what Leon is. But did Hop actually want to become Champion, or was it all just because of Leon’s inspiration? Does Hop’s dream really belong to him? But even if his dream doesn’t belong to him, what else can he do…?
Is he having doubts because he has other avenues he wants to explore or is he having doubts because he lost? Is someone like him, who is dragging his brother’s name through the mud even able to become Champion?
Hop thinks and thinks, unsure of what to do. He kind of wishes he could see you – you’d be able to talk him through some things, to encourage him. But you’ve always been strong, Hop realizes. Unlike him, your dream is your own – it’s something that you’ve crafted and you’re certain of. Hop envies that. 
A bleat to his side draws his attention, his Dubwool nudging him. Hop looks over, noticing the book in his Dubwool’s mouth. 
“Ah, thanks…” he says, and Dubwool nudges him. “What, you want me to read this? To you?”
Dubwool bleats again, looking at Hop with its big eyes. Despite evolving, Dubwool’s eyes are the same as they were when it was a Wooloo.
Hop wants to say, “Not now,” but seeing his partner Pokémon’s curious look, Hop decides to oblige, settling into his warm jacket. He flips open the book, reading the various mythologies he’d been reading up on. Initially, he’d read this book to help find some information for Sonia, but the book itself fascinated Hop. While his bitter defeat still lingered in his mind, somehow, reading the book with Dubwool’s head in his lap helped make the fire in front of him feel cozier.
--
When he sees you again, your reunion is interrupted by some Team Yell grunts that you ceremoniously destroy in a Pokémon battle. Hop would’ve joined in, but he can’t seem to get himself to battle just yet, Poké Balls feeling heavy in his pockets.
You turn to him, “Hop–”
“Wow, you and your Pokémon were brilliant together!” he interrupts, making you blink in surprise.
“Ah, yeah, thank you…” you chew your bottom lip. “But that aside, are you okay?”
“Ah? Yeah, I’m fine as always.”
You give him a flat look, knowing his tells and when he’s lying. To be fair, Hop has always been pretty bad at lying.
“...See, Bede really wiped the floor with me the last time we battled… And don't get me wrong—I can take a loss! Battling means you've got to lose sometimes,” Hop says, though he doubts you’ve ever lost. Or that Leon has ever lost. He’s just not… good enough. “...But he said that I was dragging Lee’s good name through the mud, being so rubbish like I was… And I just can’t get those words out of my head!”
There’s a conflict in Hop – his desire to not mar Leon’s name, his doubts of who he is and what he wants, his envy towards you… It all muddles inside of him in some incomprehensible ball of self-loathing. Hop just isn’t sure what to do. He feels lost.
“...Hop,” you say, gently, “Can we… hang out for a bit?”
“Huh?”
“Just. I feel like when we’re on this journey, we’re so busy battling and trying to get stronger that we haven’t really had time to hang out, y’know. I want to catch up, if you’re okay with it.”
At first, Hop wants to say he’s not in the mood, self-loathing clutching him like a vice, but he realizes that you’re asking to hang out because of him. You’re worried, and it’s because you care about him. The thought makes Hop’s self-loathing deteriorate slightly. “Okay, I’d like that.”
You sleep soundly beside him, cozied up in your sleeping bag. Hop can’t really seem to sleep, though. Talking to you had abated some of his worries, especially with how patient you were. You also listened to him ramble about Pokémon research again, which made him feel a lot better.
He turns, looking at your sleeping face. You’ve always been someone he treasured, but nowadays, you’re more than that. You’re someone he admires, too. Someone he envies. Someone he wants to be closer to.
Hop closes his eyes, remembering how you looked by the campfire, how your eyes lit up when you two ate your curries together. He remembers you affectionately cuddling his Dubwool as if it were still a Wooloo. He remembers you making flower crowns for all his Pokémon and even him. 
“A crown looks good on you, I think,” you said, making him huff a laugh. You bow, saying, “Your wish is my command.”
“Then I command you to eat your dinner,” he responded, grinning. You’d always find a way to make him laugh.
“Ah, is it done?” 
Of course, food was something that always drew you in, making you drop your role immediately.
“It is, now c’mon, it’ll get cold,” Hop said, “Or I’ll eat it, if you don’t want it!”
You gasped in mock horror. “Don’t you dare!”
Hop snickers at the memory, before he remembers another memory with you. Different memories of you play inside his head like a movie, lulling him to sleep, shoulders lighter than before.
After talking with you, Hop feels a little better, though his doubts still linger. When you part ways, it’s hard not to let him sink back into his negative thoughts. Still… Hop decides that he’s not going to lay there without doing anything – sure, he may not know what he wants to do exactly, but he’ll figure it out. He’ll get stronger.
--
So he battles and he researches and repeats the same thing over and over again. He switches out his Pokémon and experiments with different team compositions. It’s tough having to train so many Pokémon, but researching different strategies is fun. He likes learning about more Pokémon. Besides, battling… It’s fun, too. Slowly, as the wins stack up, he’s gaining a bit of confidence in himself again. He’s not sure if his strategies are working fully, but at least it seems like he’s winning consistently… Until he battles you. When he battles you, he can see that chasm that forms between your skills and it’s hard to crush the doubts that arise again.
“Good match, Hop,” you say, approaching him with an extended hand. He gives your hand a firm shake.
“Yeah, good match, mate.” He hesitates, before he inhales deeply. He’s still a mess of emotions, but you’ve always been willing to listen. Talking to you has helped him a lot before. “Before we ever started out on this journey... I remember watching Lee on the telly. He was like a bright star, so strong I could hardly bear to look right at him. But now, I can tell just how strong he really is... And what he's got that I haven't…” He looks at you, not sure what to expect – disappointment, maybe.
But instead, you look at him kindly, encouraging him to continue.
“But I’m getting stronger, too. Maybe not as fast as you, but fine. Whatever! Thanks for letting me battle you again. And here. I'll heal up your team for you, too!”
“...Yeah, thanks, Hop.”
Hop waves off your thanks, instead focusing on your Pokémon. While healing them, he says, “...I still don’t know what I want fully. It’s like I’m torn between different sides of me. I like battling because it's fun, but I also want to win. I like research, but I also want to battle. It’s odd because I thought being Champion was what mattered to me, but now I don’t know.” Hop inhales. “But what I do know is that I want to battle Leon – I want to take on my bro. But not just that; I want to beat him! And I'm going to! My mind's made up! You and me are going to have another battle once I get my Gym Badge in Circhester!”
You grin at him. “I’m looking forward to it, Hop.”
There’s still a heaviness that lingers on Hop’s shoulders, but he feels a little better now that he’s more intune with what he plans to do and wants to do. He wants to battle, he wants to improve. He wants to beat Leon and he wants to beat you. He wants to research and learn about Pokémon. He wants to do it all and while he may not be able to do it all at once, he’ll take things step by step.
--
When Hop sees you again, he tries to battle by following Leon’s strategies, but somehow, that still doesn’t help him win against you. He just doesn’t know what he’s doing wrong. It’s frustrating, but he’s made up his mind to research as much as he can and train as much as he can, so he’ll just have to see what works best for him. It won’t be a quick process, but Hop is motivated enough to keep going. Step by step, he’ll surely get to where he wants to be.
“I know you probably don’t want to hear this from me,” you say, softly, snapping Hop out of his thoughts. There’s a frown on your face and for the first time, Hop sees the guilt that lingers in your eyes. “But I… don’t think you should be battling like Leon. That is, I think it’s best to find out how you work best, Hop. And most importantly… You’ve ought to stop doubting yourself.”
“Huh?”
“I saw that last move, you know. If you had just went through with your plan, you could’ve knocked my Pokémon out, but you were too focused on what you thought I might do that you doubted at the last second.” You shake your head. “Sorry, I know I’m overstepping. I’ll see you later, Hop.”
“Wait–”
But you’ve run off before he can get a word out. Hop can’t help but stare at your retreating figure, stunned at what you’d just said to him. 
Oh…
He was so focused on himself that he had never realized what you might’ve been going through. Now that he thinks about it… What is your dream, anyway?
--
When he sees you again, he expects stiffness, but you greet him kindly and warmly. You’ve always been supportive and friendly to him, he’s realized, regardless of his flaws. But he's also very acutely aware about how worn out you look. The best thing he can do right now is to talk to you like he always would – that somehow seems to pep you back up. It makes him smile at how much kindness you hold for him, patiently waiting for him to reach out when needed.
He wonders if he needs to wait for you to reach out when you need him, or if he can take the first step and offer you his hand first. He’s not even really sure if he can support himself, but he wants to be there for you. After all, your words from before helped puzzle pieces snap in place for him. His self doubt, his hesitation – those were holding him back. 
He realizes now that he needs a proper balance in his life of battling, researching, and having fun, but he was so focused on winning that he’d forgotten why he wanted to win in the first place. Winning to him isn’t just a sign of his competence as a battler – winning also signaled how much effort he had put into training and research.
That effort is why he liked battling so much – he would put in the work and get rewarded. And he believes he’ll continue to get rewarded if he continues to try hard. 
Of course, that doesn’t mean he can’t sit down and relax for a bit, chattering with you and Sonia about the Legendary Heroes. It’s all so interesting, and Sonia seems to agree. For the first time, seeing Sonia’s passion for her work, Hop thinks that being a professor might not be a bad idea at all.
Of course, battling is still his number one priority, so he challenges you to a battle at the Hero's Bath. You, again, wipe the floor with him, but this time, he doesn’t feel as heavy as he did before. This time, he battled like he would, not how Leon would. His strategy and battle style aren't perfect yet, but he feels like he's getting there. 
“I still can’t even beat you, my true rival… But I think I’m starting to see the light!” he says and this time, he means it.
The smile you give him at his words is brighter than any light. It draws him in and makes him want to burn that smile in his memories forever.
“I’m glad.”
--
Finally, as he watches Raihan’s last Pokémon go down for the count, there’s a feeling of ease that settles inside him. Hop still doesn’t have all the answers, but he feels like he’s closer than he’s ever been. As he does his best to catch up with you, he realizes that you’ve always been patiently waiting for him.
As you two ride the train to Wyndon, both of you with eight shiny badges, Hop realizes that the journey’s changed you a lot. You’re more assured, more confident. But you’ve always remained just the way you are in some ways, too. You’re kind, you’re wonderful.
“We’re finally headed for Wyndon, huh?” he says, making you look up from your book.
“Yeah.” You place a bookmark between the pages of your book, and Hop recognizes it as the Wooloo shaped one he gifted you years ago. “It’s kinda unbelievable, huh?”
“You think?” Hop says, earnestly.
You huff out a laugh. “You’re right, I guess it might not be for you. I always did think you’d make it this far.”
At your words, Hop’s heart throbs with affection. He wonders if he knows what you mean to him, what you’ve meant to him throughout this journey.
“I knew you’d get this far too, y’know,” he grins. “Sure, I reckon I’m still the favorite to win, but… You’re my true rival, mate.”
You snort. “I’m glad because I won't let someone else have that spot, y’know.”
“No one else can take it,” he says, watching as you give him a smile he’s never seen more. It’s… more bashful, a little more soft. It’s not a smile you give to your Pokémon nor is it one you give to your mom. Heck, it’s not even one you’ve given to him yet. It’s hard to explain, but the way your lips flit upwards slightly, the way your eyes crinkle – it makes him feel like time is stopping.
“Hop?” you call out, your smile turning into a look of concern.
Hop inwardly curses, embarrassed that he was caught staring. “There’s a lot I want to check out at Wyndon, actually. There’s that big tower… and the monorail… And Wyndon Stadium– it’s where the whole world’s gonna be watching us!”
You exhale softly, fingers lightly tapping against the hardcover of your book. “Nerve wracking, honestly.”
“You’ll do great!” Hop encourages. He wonders if his words will mean anything to you like your words mean to him. “You and me are gonna make our match the greatest match that ever was!”
You blink at him, before a small smile curls at your lips. “Yeah, you’re right,” you give him a grin. “You and I… We’re gonna show the entirety of Galar!”
Hop beams back at you, knowing in his gut that you two will surely make history.
--
Hop’s heart thuds in his chest as he watches you on the television, commanding your Pokémon with so much power that he can’t look away. You blaze so brilliantly that Hop doesn’t know how you haven’t consumed everything whole. But there’s something else he notices – something he knows no one else but him sees. The way your hand trembles, the way you close your eyes and breathe to calm yourself. Whenever you’re on the battlefield, it’s not just your Pokémon that you command, it’s your emotions.
Hop realizes that you have your own doubts, your own fears – it’s just that, unlike him, your dream is crafted by you. It wasn’t crafted like his where he wanted to be Champion because it was all he knew. It wasn’t crafted like his where it felt like his dreams were being crushed by his doubts. Instead, your dream is crafted like his new one – built slowly and lovingly over the course of his adventure. As he finds himself, his dream shifts and molds into something that grows with him. He no longer wants to be Champion because it was all he knew or because he wanted to be like his brother – no, it’s because he wants to win and prove himself. It’s because he wants to showcase that his strategies, that his research, is meaningful. 
More than anything, he wants to battle you. He wants to battle you so you can see that he finally knows what he wants – so that you can finally see that he’s no longer doubting who he is.
“After seeing the way you battled, I can’t accept any outcome besides winning this match,” Hop says, meeting you in the locker room. You grin at him, offering him a hand to shake, which he does gladly. Your warmth alights adrenaline in his blood but it also comforts him.
“I’m not going to take defeat laying down, you know,” you say, making him laugh.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
You both stare at each other, a mutual understanding passing through you two. As the intercom calls for you two, you two smile at each other, before getting to your spots to battle. As you two meet on the field with millions of eyes on the two of you, Hop is suddenly hit with the realization of just how far the two of you had come.
“I just had this sort of flashback, you know. Remember? Back when we were still in Postwick,” he says, making you huff out a laugh. 
“I’d never forget.”
He smiles, before inhaling deeply. “When we got our Pokémon from Lee that day, I never would’ve dreamed that I’d end up standing here… facing you. But I’m glad it’s you.” Before you can respond, he smacks his cheeks lightly to get himself into the proper mindset. “But it’s time I finish what I started that day… Got it? The one who’ll win is me!”
--
The one that wins is you. After the intense battle, the one that claims victory is you. Somehow, Hop knew this would happen. You had something about you that was similar to Leon. Yeah, he knew you’d win…
But that didn’t mean it didn’t sting when he lost.
Still… Hop watches your shoulders heave in exertion. He watches as your Pokémon runs to you, proud. He watches as the crowd cheers madly, the match you two held having a lasting impact on all that watched.
He watches and he sees the unshed tears in your eyes as yours meet his. He watches as you open your mouth to speak, but close it, teeth clenching in uncertainty of what to say. You don’t pity him – that’s not the type of person you are – but he knows you feel guilty. He knows that his dreams weigh heavy on your own shoulders. He knows, and he wishes you knew that he’ll be okay.
He wishes you could know that somehow, despite losing, he doesn’t mind. He tried his best, his Pokémon tried their best, and that’s what matters to him now. He’s not going to take this loss as him losing an opportunity to become Champion. Instead, he’ll take it as a new start where he can dedicate himself to combining his love for battling and research. He wants you to know all of this and more – so, so much more.
“Thanks, mate,” he says, approaching you. He gives your Pokémon a sitrus berry, earning a delighted purr from it. He smiles at it, before he grins at you. “I’m really glad you were the one here with me.”
“Hop… I–” you swallow the lump in your throat, your voice wobbling. He sees himself reflected in your eyes so clearly that he wonders if you see your reflection reflected in his. “I’m… glad I could battle you. You’ll always be my greatest rival, for the end of time.”
“Good,” he says. “I’m not letting anyone take that from me.” With a grin, he offers his hand for a handshake, which you just look at.
Hesitantly, you reach out. Hop shakes your hand firmly, trying to emphasize everything he wants to say with his actions. But he knows he can’t so he decides to say everything instead.
“You know, even when Sonia was saying that you and me looked like we could become heroes, I never really felt like one…” he says, “But you, mate! I think maybe you really could do all sorts of great things! Good on you and all the rest of your team!”
“I think you can do all sorts of great things, too, Hop,” you say with so much passion that it blows Hop away. Your lip wobbles as you hold his hand with both of yours. “Hop – you don’t see what I see, that much I can tell, but I want you to know that you’re amazing. Your passion, your knowledge, all of it. I’m so grateful that you’re the one that’s my rival. I could have never asked for anyone better.”
Hop is stunned into silence, unsure of what to say. But what he does know is that your words are close to bringing him to tears. He’s already decided not to doubt himself, he already knows what his real dream is, but hearing words of encouragement just makes everything in the world shine differently.
Hop wishes that he could see how you look at him. He wishes that you could see how he looks at you. 
“...Thanks, mate,” he says, voice cracking in the middle. “I– just, thanks.”
“Yeah,” your murmur softly, the guilt in your eyes clearing away slowly. You squeeze his hand and Hop wonders if you’d be willing to hold his hand forever and ever. He wonders if you’d be willing to talk to him on lazy mornings and listen to his ramblings. He wonders if you’d travel with him, camping and having Pokémon battles together. He wonders if you’d be willing to–
Oh.
Oh.
Arceus.
He thinks he’s in love with you.
--
Hop has little time to revel in the realization that he loves you, what with Director Rose acting odd as well as your final battle with Leon coming up. You’re the one that’s fighting, but for some reason, he’s the one that’s more nervous. Still, he decides to greet you brightly.
“All right? The big moment’s here, eh? I came just to cheer you on, you know!”
When the nervousness eases from your face, Hop doesn’t know why that makes his heart soar. “Hop,” you say, softly. “You came.”
“Yeah, ‘course I did,” he says, sitting next to you. “Mate, you feeling all right?”
“Not really,” you admit, sheepish. “It’s just… So much.”
“Yeah, it is,” Hop agrees easily, placing a kind hand on your back. He rubs soothing circles, feeling the tenseness in your back. “I’m cheering for you, you know.”
“Thank you,” you say, and Hop grins.
“Still, it’s not easy picking sides… After all, it’s the showdown between my big brother and my rival… Who should I really want to win more?”
“Hey!”
“I’m joshing you!” he laughs. “I’ll be cheering for you, promise. After all, we did start this thing out together, way back in Postwick.”
“Yeah.” You breathe in deeply, before nodding. “Yeah, we did.”
“Yup, so you better beat Lee, you hear? If anyone can beat him, it’s you.”
“...Hop, can I ask you for something?”
“Hm?” he looks at you, feeling the nervousness roll off your shoulders.
“Can you hug me?”
Hop almost chokes in surprise, but opens his arms silently, not trusting himself to speak. He hopes you can’t hear the way his heart thuds so strongly against his chest. Oh Arceus, did he smell okay? Maybe he shouldn’t have agreed to his hug – he’s not sure what to do with himself and the nerves are about to kill him. Still, as he feels you squeeze him tightly, his embarrassment ebbs away slowly. He hugs you back, cradling you close to him.
There’s not much he can do for you, but he hopes that, at the very least, you’re aware that he’ll always stand by you. That he’ll always be there to support you.
--
Hop’s head is a mess. He was supposed to watch you and his brother’s battle, but Director Rose had interrupted the fight, going on about the Darkest Day or some other baloney that Hop could care less about. Currently, Hop’s more worried about his brother who has run off to stop Rose. 
“I want to help my brother,” he mutters, watching Leon leave on his Charizard. He’s feeling so useless that he’s not sure what to do. All the doubts from months ago come crashing back into him, Bede’s words ringing harshly in his ears. “I’ve got to!”
“You can help!” you encourage, tugging at his sleeve. “Let’s go, Hop!”
“That’s easy for you to say,” he snaps, frustrated. “ I can’t even manage to beat you, so what sort of help could I ever be…?”
As soon as the words leave Hop’s mouth, he freezes, knowing that he messed up.
“I mean–”
“You’re right,” you say, face perfectly neutral. “With that attitude, you can’t do anything!” Your tone is heated, “But– Leon needs you, Hop. I need you. We need to help Leon and I won’t be able to do it on my own. You might think you’re not good enough or that I can do everything on my own, but I can’t!” Your shoulders heave as you try to catch your breath, your tears wetting your cheeks. “Arceus, Hop… Can’t you see? I need you. I–”
“You’re right,” Hop says quickly, guilt settling into his brain. He tries to think back to his epiphany. He thinks back to what his real dream and goal are. He thinks back to why he wanted to battle, to why he wanted to beat you. He thinks about how you mean the world to him and that he wants you to know that he has your back like you have his. He wants you to know that he’ll always support you. 
Shame overwhelms him as his head gets clearer, his worry for his older brother being replaced with determination to help him. “You're right, I was saying rubbish. I’m sorry.”
“You were saying rubbish,” you snip, sniffling. 
Hop wipes off your tears with his thumb, saying, “Sorry.”
“If you are, you better help me.”
Hop nods at you, determined to make things right. “Let’s first start with how we can help Lee. Director Rose said something about the Darkest Day, didn’t he…?” The gears in Hop’s head turn, making him gasp as you come to the same realization. 
The statue of the hero, the tapestries, Slumbering Weald…
You and Hop nod at each other, determination settling in both of your bones.
--
As you two enter Slumbering Weald, Hop can’t help but remember the first time you visited the place together. Thick fog hung over the place like a shield, trying to block out any intruders that may dare to step into the holy ground. Back then, Hop was terrified. Now, though, Hop is surprised with how safe he feels with his Pokémon and you by his side.
“Ready for this?” he asks you, and you nod.
“I’ve got you and my Pokémon by my side. I’m not scared of anything.”
Your words make Hop’s heart flutter in his chest and he wants to wheeze physically at how you knock the breath out of him with your words. Instead, he says, “Going into the forest after Wooloo that day... That was the start of everything, wasn't it? A legendary beginning, really…”
“That’s true,” you nod, “and I’m glad we had such a legendary beginning.”
“I reckon whatever we're about to see will be pretty legendary itself!” he beams, “Well, let’s head in and add another page to our tale!”
His heart almost stops when you grab his hand, but he doesn’t say anything in fear that you’ll pull away. Instead, he squeezes your hand back.
--
Hop feels like he’s going to die. Everything before this moment, finding the rusted sword and shield, going up the Energy Plant, reaching the Tower summit… all of it feels like a blur, hazy in his mind as he stares at the beast in front of him. Leon does his best to hold his own, but the new Pokémon – Eternatus – is too strong. 
But he can’t give up here. He wants to protect Galar, his mom, Leon, and you. He’s put in so much effort to be strong. He’s put in so much effort to find out what he really wants. You’ve put in so much effort to get this far. You’ve put in so much effort to pull him out of his own doubts.
Yeah. He’s not going to let the Darkest Day come. There’s no way.
With a deep breath, he stands up, extending a hand to you. “All right. Let’s take it on together!”
“Gladly!” you say, grasping his hand to stand up yourself. You two stand side by side, rusted sword and shield in your hands, looking like the heroes from the tales of old.
--
After all that excitement, Hop’s not really sure how things will return to normalcy, but they do. After dinner with his family, he’s reading in his bedroom, Dubwool resting its head on his lap. There’s a knock at his door, causing Hop to look up in curiosity.
“Come in,” he says, and the door opens to reveal his older brother.
“Hey, Hop,” Leon says, closing the door behind him. “Got your nose in a book, eh?”
“Yeah,” Hop says, putting his book down as Leon makes his way over. “...How are you feeling, Lee?”
“Ah?” Leon looks surprised, before he laughs. “Fair question. I’m not entirely sure. I’m kind of frustrated, I think, but… I also feel exhilarated. Your friend truly battles like no other.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Hop says, feeling a sense of happiness at Leon acknowledging you. Yeah, you are strong.
“...How about you, Hop? Feeling all right?”
“Yeah!” Hop responds, genuinely feeling lighter than before, like another pathway has opened up for him. “It’s kind of like a new path has opened up for me, you know?”
“Hah, I get that!” Leon claps his hand on Hop’s back, bellowing out a loud laugh. When Hop looks into Leon’s eyes, he can see the pride his older brother carries for him. “Look at my brother – strong and smart. I’d have expected nothing less.” With a grin, Leon musses up Hop’s hair, making Hop laugh as he tries to get out of his older brother’s headlock.
“You messed up my hair, Lee!”
“Sorry, sorry,” Leon says, letting Hop go. “...But seriously. I’m glad you seem to know what you want to do. I have things I want to do that I’m no longer Champion, too. Looks like we’ll both be busy.”
“Yup, sounds like it!”
Leon grins, before stretching and falling back on Hop’s bed. “Man! Time sure flies quickly, huh? I feel like it was only yesterday that I was losing battles and getting helped as a child.”
Hop blinks, looking at Leon curiously. “You… Lost battles before?”
“Yeah, when I was starting out.” Leon lets out a small hum in thought. “I also refused to get help because I was kind of overconfident, too. Once I started getting help from people like Master Mustard, though, well… I guess I kind of unlocked a hidden potential in me and I stopped losing. Well, until now, that is.”
“Oh,” Hop says, looking surprised. His older brother, who he thought was the pinnacle of strength, had struggled too. His brother needed help, too. His brother is human, too. “...Thanks, Lee,” Hop decides to say, finally.
Leon lays on Hop’s bed for a few more beats, before he tackles Hop into another headlock, making Hop’s hair even messier than before.
“Hey!” Hop laughs, pushing Leon off of him.
“I’m proud of you, Hop,” Leon says, once Hop escapes the headlock. “I hope you know that.”
Without missing a beat, Hop responds with, “Yeah, I know.”
--
The next day, Hop finds himself back in Slumbering Weald, taking in the mystical atmosphere. He looks at how the trees reflect against the lake, clear and bright. 
“Hop?” At your voice, Hop turns around, looking at you curiously.
“Huh? What’re you doing out here in the woods?”
“Well… I just felt like something was calling me here, I guess?” you say. “And it’s quiet.”
“Hah, yeah, I guess it must be loud around you, huh?” Hop pauses, looking at the lake that’s as clear as his heart. “Congrats on the Championship, by the way! You’re amazing, I hope you know that.”
“Thank you,” you say, eyes trained on the lake before you. You watch as leaves leave ripples on the surface of the water.
“I should be thanking you,” Hop responds, making you turn to him curiously. “I… Have something to confess.”
“What is it?”
“I actually stopped wanting to be Champion a while ago.” Hop put up a hand. “Wait, let me rephrase – it was more like… I found out that becoming Champion wasn’t my end goal. Sure, it’d have been nice to be Champion, but more than that, I wanted to win and be strong. Being Champion would just signify my strength.” Hop skips a flat stone across the lake, causing ripples to form. “I also realized that while I loved battling, I loved research, too. The stuff Sonia’s doing? It fascinates me.”
He looks at you, and you look at him, patiently waiting for him to continue.
“...The reason I was able to find myself and stop doubting myself so much is because of you.” His voice is so quiet that he doubts you heard him. But the softness in your eyes tell him otherwise. “So, yeah, thank you.”
“You’re so silly, Hop,” you laugh. “You’re the one that’s done that, you know? Sure, maybe I gave you a push here and there, but you’re the one who discovered all of this. You’re the one who decided to take the steps to meet your goals. You’re– you’re amazing, you know that?”
Hop wonders briefly how you can make him love you even more than he already does. He wonders briefly if he’s loved you long before he even realized it because how could he not? He briefly wonders, but then he realizes he doesn’t care because he loves you now and that’s what matters to him.
“I have one more confession,” he says. He can feel his heart about to jump out of his throat but he feels like his heart will stop entirely if he doesn’t tell you his feelings. “I like you. I’ve liked you for a while now, actually. I know I can be a pain sometimes, and I’m not trying to force my feelings on you, but if you’re okay with it, can you give me a chance?” Hop’s eyes are closed during his confession, scared of what expression you’ll have on your face.
When you’re silent, he feels himself sweat, unsure of what to do with himself. Taking a chance, he cracks an eye open to at least assess what expression you might have on your face. What Hop sees takes his breath away – you, underneath the dappled sunlight, the wind in your hair. You, with a bright smile, all the affection you can muster in your eyes. You, who is looking at him with so much emotion that he’s not sure what to do with it all.
“I’ll give you as many chances as you want,” you say, reaching out to grab his hands. “So, will you give me a chance?”
“Arceus, yes,” he laughs, relief flooding the adrenaline out of his veins. Arceus, he loves you. He really, really loves you. And with the way you look at him he can tell you love him too.
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r0-boat · 11 months
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Hello! I hope ur well. I’m abit new to Tumblr and stumbled across ur blog because the Submas content :3.
If you still do requests rn, and something ur comfy with, could I ask for Self Aware AU Ingo discovering his newfound consciousness interacting with reader who play Pokémon Masters? Maybe the reader struggles with self-esteem/depression and Ingo comforts them completely by surprise after a rough day? (Sorry it’s a mouthful to read lol, I appreciate ya!)
-🪴 anon
😭 ingo just wanting to comfort you.
Self aware Ingo x depressed!reader
Hi, just a little reminder before we get started here: if you're ever feeling thoughts of self-esteem or issues with depression, please know that you are loved, and you are beautiful on the inside and out! Make sure you eat a snack and drink some water while reading this.
If this ever made your day even a little bit better, then I did my job, and thank you for reading!
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He didn't know when or how he gained consciousness. All he remembered was the first thing he saw when he "woke up" familiar faces in a usual place, the calm music that the Pokemon Center plays every night. Pokemon was standing right next to him, but as his eyes looked forward into what he perceived was a giant portal created by Palkia and Dialga themselves. And a smiling face looking down upon the world he inhabited.
He had thought you were one of Arceus's angels, and this was about a dream, but soon, he had realized that only half was the case.
It all seemed to click who you were. You are not some dead fish-eyed child with a robotic Pikachu like what this world had portrayed you as no far from; instead of that kid with the permanent smile, you always seem to have a tired look on your face with either a small half-smile or a Blank Stare. But to Ingo, he always preferred to you behind the screen. Even when you were no longer watching the world, he could still hear your faint voice going about your day. You seemed more lively and more human than the blank slated avatar they gave you. How could he not be drawn to you even though you seem so sad? Your eyes and your being just seem so full of life that he felt an urge to protect and care for you.
Even though the fake Island had tons of people and, he felt more alone than he ever did, especially when he realized he was the only one different from the rest. He can't help but respond to every little question or reaction in his head, afraid of what you might do if he ever breaks away from the game's script.
But on a particular day that was a rough one for you mentally and physically, when Ingo saw you opening up the app instead of that same expression, your eyes were red from crying. No, you were still crying. His heart sank. If he could, if he could touch you, he would hold you close and Whisper nothing but good things in your ear until you calm down, but he can't do that. He couldn't do anything!! He felt sick with worry as he watched you cry, your lip quivering as you vent to yourself, saying the most horrible things about yourself !! And for a moment, he threw away his worries of the consequences.
" Are you okay?"
A simple three-letter sentence that made you freeze; your heart's practically stopped as you didn't know that you were being watched. It took you a while for your brain to process who the voice was coming from, looking down at your phone to see your favorite character stare back. Huh... Odd you didn't know he had that line before.... and not only that, you didn't remember clicking on him. Usually, characters say their lines after you click on them, yet you don't even touch them. As you were Gathering your thoughts, Ingo spoke again.
" I truly wish I could wipe away those tears, I regretfully can't do much but if it helps tell me about your day and I'll listen."
Ingo speaks again... no text box appears; nothing; he just talked to you, mentioning your crying. In that first moment, you didn't know how you felt. Your favorite character coming to life and talking to you was almost a dream come true, but the thought just seemed so impossible and unrealistic that you doubted the fact that you were awake. And your feelings are already all over the place, having no one to turn to, no one to comfort you, craving that comfort, your heart exploded. You can't stop the tears rolling down your face, even if is just a dream; what a beautiful dream it is.
"I-i don't know." You stuttered you were far too gone to even articulate what you are feeling all your emotions swelling for the past month or two bubbling up into a mess of emotion. You want us to tell him tell him that your day was crap tell him how crappy you looked right now tell him that he can't believe he saw you like this that your first meeting with your favorite character your favorite person in the world was like this red in the face tears falling from your red and puffy eyes.
But Ingo did not seem fazed; he was not disgusted, he was not angry at you. He understood if he was there if he wasn't trapped behind the screen, he would have wished you in his arms and laid his lips on your forehead. He knew how you felt; he listened to your angry ramblings about yourself; he listened to the times people had treated you like you were less than human or misused your kindness, manipulated and used you for their own gain. He wanted to hold you close, make you something you like, and tell you that the word you know about yourself is not true; he wanted to tell you how much you mean to him and how nice and loving you are, how kind and thoughtful and how gorgeous you were. Those people who mistreated you are not good people, and you deserve to be respected, you deserve happiness, and you deserve to be loved.
You deserve to be told that you're beautiful every day, to be made breakfast in bed and kissed at every waking moment. Because that's what he would do for you; that's what his heart ached for him to do.
But he did what he could do which was listen to your broken sobs as you pour your heart out.
" It sounds like you had quite a day... I wish I could do more than just listen and speak to you, but what I can do is tell you what the things you say about yourself is not true... and I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Could you stay with me for a while? I wish to talk to you, and we start from the beginning, shall we? Now, my dear, please tell me what's bothering you and wipe away those tears. Pretend that it's my fingers swiping across your eyes."
His voice, usually loud and booming, was surprisingly soft, warm, and welcoming. From his calming voice to your Outburst earlier, you felt your heart slow down and your tears dry as you wipe them from your face; those steel gray eyes light up for a moment when he sees just a piece of a smile flicker on your lips.
" there's that smile~"
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ateez-himari · 20 days
Text
[240902] NOTHING BUT A G THANG
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[NEW INSTAGRAM STORY FROM MIN.HIMEEE]
♫ G-Dragon • 무제(無題) (Untitled, 2014)
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Caption; 'Thank you for inviting us this evening @/xxxibgdrgn'
@/xxxibgdrgn reposted this story
'The pleasure was all mine, I've been wanting to meet you for some time now so I hope you enjoyed yourselves. I see you enjoyed the venue's trespassers at least ㅋㅋ'
@/eyesmag reposted this story
'ATEEZ members Song Mingi and Min Himari, current IT couple of the South Korean music industry, attended Paradise Art Night in custom Versace outfits.'
@/koreadispatch reposted this story
'BIGBANG leader, G-Dragon, reportedly sent a private invitation to ATEEZ member, Himari, to attend his art & archive exhibition. According to on-site sources, he took time to walk her through some of the artwork personally.'
@/_zyozyo reposted this story
'omg it's actually happening, my precious little baby is growing up so fast wow 🤧so much hard work lead to being recognized by one of our industry's biggest artists (and one of your role models), I really couldn't be more proud of you!'
@/himarry.me reposted this story
'Imagine being so much of a social butterfly that THE King of K-Pop himself wants to meet you 🫠She's collecting older gen idols like Pokémon-'
@/teezify reposted this video
'call me delusional all you want but I feel like we might get more content with the two of them than just this 👀 maybe some kind of friendly interview like she did with Yongguk...I'M JUST SPECULATING HERE'
Translated by Google • See Original
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What are the gangs favorite type of video games to play? Weather it’s Mario, Pokémon, sports, rhythm games, horror games, etc etc.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. YOU ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD!!!! Now...
Poppy prefers tabletop games more, but she can be often caught playing or seeing someone else playing The Sims. She LOVES that game - Angel has The Sims 2 installed on their computer, and when they all move to a bigger house Poppy gets her own PC so she can play TS2 as much as she wants.
Kissy doesn't play much on her own, but she really loves 3D platformers and adventure games. Her favorites are the og Spyro the Dragon trilogy! I think she loves watching others play pokémon as well.
Huggy loves racing games. Get anything with a car and he's instantly in love with it.
I can Mommy Long Legs making super over-the-top stories on The Sims 2 as well, so she and Poppy often share news of what their sims are doing. They are both active in forums and are trying to make their own custom content for the game!
Bunzo is a pokémon guy.
PJ Pug-a-Pillar doesn't like playing games in general but he LOVES watching others play, esp if there's lots of cutscenes. It's like watching a movie!
Miss Delight falls in love with Portal 2 when it's released, but I think she's really picky with her puzzle games. She likes being a bit creative on her solutions! She's also really into RPGs. I think the Fallout franchise is her comfort game.
Catnap and Craftycorn are walking Silent Hill encyclopedias, but they LOOOOVE survival horror. Catnap's fav is the original SH1, while Craftycorn loves Haunting Ground (PS2) and SH3.
Bobby on the other hand prefers Resident Evil and Clock Tower 3, but when it's not horror it's definitely a more experimental game. She cries everytime she plays Shadow of the Colossus but she loves it.
Bubba, much like Miss Delight, is SUPER into RPGs and puzzle games, but pokémon and Ace Attorney have conquered his heart. He LOOOVES gushing about it!
Picky's favorite is Animal Crossing! It makes her feel safe and she loves just walking around her town. She made a really impressive one and everyone wants updates from her villagers, Picky loves giving them.
Kickin can't get enough of any FPS or action-adventure game, and he can and WILL ragequit if he's playing online and his teammates start being rude to him or each other. Thankfully he learned really quick how to deal with the more toxic players so now he can truly relax. Unfortunately doomed to become a League of Legends player when it comes out.
Hoppy also loves FPS, but 3D platformers and open-world games are her favorites. Anything that gives her plenty of freedom to move around or just be silly immediately catches her attention! I think she becomes a Team Fortress 2 player.
Dogday prefers to watch rather than play and he gets SO invested. I think Miss Delight likes playing puzzle games with him because they figure out solutions together, but if Dogday were to chose a game for himself to play it would probably be a rythimn game. It gives him the zoomies.
The other smaller toys all have their own individual preferences, so talking about them is more complicated!
Everyone becomes obsessed with Minecraft when it's released. Catch Catnap pranking everyone on their shared beta server by pretending to be Herobrine.
When Angel gets them an Xbox 360 they have many game nights where they play on the Kinect.
Speaking of which, Angel is down to play literally everything, but all the toys know they aren't very keen on anything horror-related. Not because it's scary, it's just that Angel finds them boring after surviving Playtime Co. They probably have an encyclopedia-level knowledge of pokémon, tho.
Prototype doesn't play videogames, but enjoyes watching the others play. Just don't put ANY war games in front of him and we're all good, otherwise he stops watching.
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