#looking forward to the teal disk

[saaltskies]

just finished the teal mask dlc story i am devastated

[taruchinator]

🍎 General Audiences

🍎 3.5k Words

🍎 For all Juliana/Kieran shippers!

“She should be on the plane back home by now…” Kieran frowned at the thought. Because Juliana was missing or Ogerpon, he wasn't sure. He just knew he didn't like it.

He was done with being the crybaby, and was actually looking forward to the next day so he could return to the academy and get back to his training—he needed to get stronger. He would never let anyone look down on him like this again.

Kieran didn't need friends.

He didn't need the Ogre.

And he certainly didn't need—

"Juliana?!"

To think my first 3k+ fic of the year would end up being me basically gushing over Kieran from Teal Mask/Indigo Disk DLC. Not in my 2024 bingo card lemme tell you.

As many before me, I'm here to right the wrongs of GF who just took this boy's character and yeeted him out the window, cause honestly he's so sweet and gentle and psycho he deserves better than what he got, so that's what I'm giving him. Hopefully ya'll enjoy!

It wasn't fair. Life was never fair to him.

Kieran shoved his last pair of shorts into his navy blue backpack, finally completing the tedious task of packing to head back to the academy. When Ms. Briar told him and Carmine they had to return earlier than expected, in a way, he was kind of relieved.

He wanted to get away from this place. Away from the excruciating pain in his chest.

To think that after finally having the people of Kitakami accept Ogerpon just the way he always had, not only would he be forced to see her bond and form a deep connection with someone else—someone who wasn't him—but also see her be taken away.

Juliana’s smiling face instantly flashed across Kieran's mind, her cheeks pink as she proudly called him her friend when they were running around completing their silly assignment. He could feel his face starting to heat up at the memory, but immediately swatted it away as if it were an annoying Yanma in his head.

“I hate it here…” The raven mumbled as he was sprawled across his bed, covering his face with one hand and fisting his hair with the other.

It didn't take long for him to realize he was developing a small crush on his new Paldean friend. She was so strong, both as a trainer and in spirit, and it was something he greatly admired her for from the moment they first met, and only pushed him to try and become better himself. The fact that she always took him seriously without judgment and was willing to lend a hand in a situation she had no stakes in was just the icing on the cake.

Well, that and the fact that she looked absolutely adorable in the green Jinbei his grandma set her up with, but that was something he'd take with him to the grave.

And yet now, after having Ogerpon choose Juliana over him, those feelings had turned into something bittersweet. The fond memories that once brought butterflies to his stomach now made him question if she was secretly laughing behind his back the whole time.

With a deep sigh, Kieran turned towards his bedroom’s open window. It was already nighttime.

“She should be on the plane back home by now…” Kieran frowned at the thought. Because Juliana was missing or Ogerpon, he wasn't sure. He just knew he didn't like it. He scoffed. “Whatever! It's not like I'm ever gonna see them again!”

He was done with being the crybaby, and was actually looking forward to the next day so he could return to the academy and get back to his training—he needed to get stronger. He would never let anyone look down on him like this again.

Kieran didn't need friends.

He didn't need the Ogre.

And he certainly didn't need—

“I'm so sorry sweetie, but Kieran's not feeling very well right now. If you'd like, I can give it to him on your behalf.”

The voice of his grandma along with the mention of his name perked the boy's ears slightly. After slowly sitting back up on the bed, he made sure to pay closer attention. Who would be here at this time of night anyway?

To say the voice that replied shook him to his core would be an understatement.

“I see… To be honest, I was hoping I could give it to him myself.” Juliana's gentle voice cut through his wooden door. “Could I perhaps try and talk to him? I'm sorry if I'm intruding!”

Kieran jumped and made his way to the door, hand instinctively reaching for the handle to open it, but his mind quickly caught up with his body and stopped it before it did something he would regret. Instead, he placed one ear against the barrier, waiting for whatever came next as his fists began to tremble with rage.

What was she doing here? Was humiliating him not enough? Did she have to come and rub salt on the wound by letting his grandparents know of his failure too?

“Oh sweetheart…” Kieran's grandmother spoke in sympathy, and sounds of shuffling were heard from the tatami flooring. “I don't think—”

“Juliana?!” Carmine's voice was unmistakable, coming from the right side wall of his room. She was probably done packing too and had just wandered into the scene. “What are you still doing here?!”

More shuffling and a gasp, followed by a moment of silence. Then the Paldean gave her answer. “I just… I really need to talk to Kieran. He's still here, right?”

“Well, yeah, but we're both busy getting ready to head back to Blueberry Academy in the morning! You can't just waltz into people's homes like you own the place!” For the first time in a while, Kieran was glad his sister was easily fired up and spouted nonsense out of her mouth when people ticked her off. But then, her tone leveled down, almost in pity. “It's already dark outside. You should be heading back home. Did you book a later flight?”

Juliana replied in a somewhat nonchalant tone. “That doesn't matter. And I know it's not polite of me to just show up uninvited but this is important!”

“What do you mean it doesn't matter, you little pipsqueak?!” Carmine was getting fired up again. “I already told you that Kiki isn't answering to anyone so can you just—?”

“I need to apologize!”

The room fell silent, with only the sounds of rustling trees proving that time hadn't frozen in place. Kieran was holding his breath, not quite sure how to react to the whole situation. It wasn't until he heard the knock on the door that everything seemed to go back in motion.

“Kieran? It's me.” The girl spoke softly, almost shyly and not wanting to be heard. Was this really Juliana? Pride be damned, his curiosity was piqued.

Slowly, he turned the knob and pulled the door towards him, ready to see who greeted him on the other side.

As expected, there she was. The brunette had tied her hair into a side ponytail and was sporting her Jinbei once again, holding what seemed to be a basket as she shuffled from side to side. She jumped slightly, probably not expecting him to answer at all—honestly he didn't know why he did either. But then came the smile, lopsided and filled with nothing but warmth. His stomach was doing backflips again. “Hey…”

“Hey yourself.” He was surprised his voice came out calmer than he actually was.

“Can I come in? I've got something for you.” The girl gently lifted the basket to prove her point. Arceus, he was gonna regret this wasn't he?

“Sure.” Kieran stepped to the side and motioned for her to proceed. He could see both his sister and grandma giving him looks, but at the moment he could care less. His attention was elsewhere as he closed the door behind them.

Juliana stood in the middle of the room, giving it a good look with curious eyes. She cleared her throat as she motioned at the posters on the wall. “Nice decor...”

It was an awkward attempt at starting a conversation, Kieran being familiar out of personal experience. The room was pretty much bare bones now that all of his stuff was packed away, leaving only a few Ogre posters he'd collected from past festivals plastered on the walls. Now that he thought about it, he should probably take them down one of these days. “Thanks, I guess?”

He went to sit down on the bed again and gestured for Juliana to do the same. She complied, sitting on the very edge with the basket placed between them.

Silence consumed the air.

This was getting ridiculous.

Why was she acting so withdrawn all of a sudden? This was the same girl who waltzed into an unfamiliar village, fought possibly the closest thing to Legendary Pokémon—three of them, to be precise—, and even managed to gain the trust of one and catch it in the span of a few days.

Juliana was strong, friendly and confident. And yet here she was, not even knowing how to initiate eye contact.

For the first time in his life, it was up to Kieran to break the ice.

“Why are you still here? Didn't your classmates decide to head back early too?” That came out harsher than intended, but was still a legitimate question.

“Actually, Director Clavell gave me permission to stick around for a few extra days.” The brunette finally seemed to snap out of whatever weird trance she was in, since she finally turned to look at him. “On ‘important research’ pretenses. The faculty wants me to catch Kitakami Pokémon for our Pokédex.”

That made him snort. “Shouldn't they leave that kinda stuff to a teacher?”

Juliana shrugged with a hint of amusement in her eyes. “They say it's cause I'm a Paldea Champion, but I like to think it's an excuse to not send out anyone else. Not that I'm complaining.”

“Wowzers,” Kieran couldn't stop the small smile that spread across his face, “with all the adventuring you do, you should start charging for your services.”

“What are you talking about? This is already a business, my good sir!” Juliana straightened up and pretended to fix an imaginary tie as she extended her hand toward him. “An upfront payment of 5,000 LP is required. But I'm also open to compensation in the form of a s-a-n-d-w-h-i-c-h for my mode of transportation.”

Laughter erupted between the duo, and Kieran couldn't help but think that it just felt right. This was how things were supposed to be—two kids giggling about the silliest of things, with one of them having their heart going a thousand miles per hour just because he could see the girl he liked smile.

But of course, the negative thoughts always liked to butt their ugly head whenever they pleased. How she probably thought he was weak, being his friend out of pity, and coming to rub it all in his face in some way he still wasn't quite sure of.

Whatever she had in store for him, he'd rather get it over with sooner rather than later. “You said you wanted to give me something?” His tone shifted back to icy cold as his gaze lingered on the floor.

“Oh! Yeah, right…” Juliana fumbled with the basket in her hands, digging through its insides as she rambled. “I… I had a whole speech planned and everything but my mind is totally blank right now. Guess it's best if I just show you.”

After a minute of shuffling, the girl extended her palm forward, causing Kieran to look up at what she held.

It was… a Pokéball?

“You can come out now…” The girl smiled at the round object, and a flash enveloped the room in an instant. And after opening his eyes, Kieran could only stare with a slack jaw.

Ogerpon stood in front of them looking rather confused—probably since she was in an unfamiliar environment. After those starry eyes locked on Kieran though, the little Grass-Type grinned and ran over to him, immediately wrapping herself around his left leg with a hum.

Huh?

What was going on?

“W-What is this? Why is the Og- I mean! Why is Ogerpon here?” His gaze was fixated on the Pokémon before him. Was she… happy to see him? After what he'd done?

Juliana smiled, and then went to gently slide the Pokéball over into Kieran's trembling hands. “She wanted to meet her new partner as soon as possible.”

“N-New partner? What are you talking about? You're her trainer!” He went to give the ball back, but Juliana held his hands firmly in place.

“I was her trainer. But I'm giving her to you. I know you'd do a much better job than I ever could…” The smile never left her lips, yet despite all of that and the words coming out of her mouth, Kieran refused to believe any of it. It was too good to be true. Life was never good to him.

“I don't know what you people in Paldea think is funny, but this prank is definitely not!” He could feel a hot sting in his eyes but refused to cry. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction. “So if you just came over to make fun of me, get out!”

The brunette's smile faltered, causing her to immediately let go of his hand. “This isn't a prank. I would never joke about something like this—especially with you!”

Kieran could feel the world starting to spin as he began spitting acid without thinking. “Liar! You and Carmine are just the same—lying and then making fun of me behind my back! Well not anymore! Just leave me alone!”

“Po?”

A tiny voice cut through their discussion, and the duo had almost forgotten that Ogerpon was still there. She was giving Kieran a look that he just couldn't handle. He looked away, not wanting her to see him like this—like the true monster that he was. “Just get back in your ball and go with her…”

A few moments passed, but to his surprise, Ogerpon didn't make a move to leave. If anything, she hugged his leg even tighter, almost refusing to let go as she buried her face against his clothes. “Pon… Pon-Pon…”

The warmth the Pokémon provided was full of comfort and reassurance. He didn't know how to describe the feeling, but it was almost like… she understood what he was going through. Because of this, Kieran was reminded once more of what caused him to love the Ogre so much in the first place—he could relate to it. He knew what it was like to be an outcast, all alone in a world where no one bothered to get to know the real you, and then snarling your teeth at anyone you perceived as a threat in an attempt to protect yourself.

He didn't realize he was crying until he felt Juliana's thumb wiping the salty droplets away.

“I told her about everything you did.” The girl was looking at him with concern, nothing malicious hidden in her eyes. “How because of you the people of Kitakami now see her for who she really is. About how much you've looked up to her all your life, and that you only want what's best for her.”

Turning her attention to the Grass-Type Pokémon hugging his leg, she smiled softly while patting her head. “I also told her how flattered I was that she wanted me to be her partner, but I knew I didn't deserve it…”

“W-What do you mean?” Kieran found his voice once more despite the tears flowing across his cheeks. “She chose you for a reason. You're like, super strong and brave and kind. The total opposite of me…”

“That's just the thing,” the Paldean Champion looked him in the eyes with what could only be described as regret. “I'm only strong because I've trained with people who were kind enough to help me on my journey. I'm ‘brave’ whenever my friends are around cause I don't feel like I'm alone. But I'm definitely not nice…”

“Why would you say that?” Kieran couldn't wrap his head around that statement. How could she say that after everything she's done for him?

“Nice people don't hurt those that matter to them. And that's exactly what I did to you.” Juliana lowered her gaze, the guilt most likely turning into shame as she gripped the hem of her Jinbei. “I knew how much Ogerpon meant to you and I took her anyway. Carmine may have suggested it, but I should've known you wouldn't be okay with that. I was a bad friend… and I'm really sorry. That's why I wanna make things right.”

Kieran could only stare in disbelief, with his eyes shifting from Ogerpon to Juliana and vice versa. All this time he'd been wrongfully accusing the first person to ever treat him with kindness, and yet here she was, blaming herself for something that wasn't entirely her fault to begin with.

The raven had spent so long thinking that the world was against him that he never once considered that just maybe, there were good people aside from his family who wouldn't make him feel worthless.

Man, he was a total jerk, wasn't he?

Still, he had to give her a response, otherwise she'd keep beating herself over nothing, and that just wouldn't do. “It's not all your fault… I shouldn't have tried to claim Ogerpon as if she was an object. She doesn't belong to anyone, same as with any other Pokémon…”

That was one of the first things he learned about Pokémon when he was a child—they were creatures meant to be respected, and had feelings that made them wonderful companions both on the battlefield and in their daily life. His first Pokémon was a prime example of someone who stayed by his side through thick and thin no matter what he went through—Furret.

Earning a Pokémon’s trust is the first rule for any trainer, and Kieran had completely forgotten all about it over his obsession.

Juliana could probably see the conflict of emotions swirling in his eyes, since she scooted closer and tried giving him a sympathetic smile. “Guess that means we both messed up? If anything, I think the important thing we do is learn from our mistakes. At least that's what my mom always says.”

Learn from his mistakes… Yeah, that's something he could work on.

“Pon-yo!”

Ogerpon once again made herself known, this time finally untangling herself from Kieran's leg and spinning around in circles with a huge smile on her face. If Kieran had to guess, she must have sensed that the duo of trainers needed a little something to cheer them up.

Unfortunately, the tiny Grass-Type must have miscalculated her velocity, since it only took a couple of twirls for her to fall on her behind with dizziness clear in her eyes.

Kieran and Juliana couldn't hold the snickers that escaped their mouths at the display. This felt… nice.

Almost completely turning back into her regular self, the brunette started rummaging through her basket one more time as she spoke eagerly. “Now that we got that outta the way, I was hoping maybe we could spend one last day at the festival before you guys have to head back tomorrow?”

Juliana pulled out both a small money pouch, along with an Ogerpon mask that she gently tied to the side of her head. When Kieran wouldn't stop staring, she sheepishly looked at the ground with a blush staining her cheeks. “O-Oh! Um, I bought this at one of the stands earlier. Figured it might be cool if we matched, maybe?”

How could she manage to be so cute without even trying?

A smile spread across his face, and for the first time that day, he didn't feel like he had to hide what he was truly feeling. “I…I like that idea. T-The festival, that is! As for Ogerpon, the only way I'd feel comfortable with taking her from you is with a trade.” Kieran could see her about to protest, but was quick to counter. “Later, though! It's already dark so if we don't hurry we're gonna miss all the cool shows and stuff…”

Juliana blinked a few times, but eventually her golden smile lit up the room as she nodded. “That works for me!”

The brunette left the room to give Kieran space to change into his own Jinbei, and the overall positive atmosphere that came out of her must have been pretty obvious since Kieran could hear her getting interrogated by Carmine and his grandparents through the door.

Thankfully she seemed to brush it off as things just going well and slipped her way through with a quick comment of going to Kitakami Hall. He'd have to thank her later for sparing him the embarrassment.

And so, there he stood, staring at himself in the mirror while fixing his hair and mask properly.

He had room to grow, that was for certain.

He had a long way ahead of him when it came to learning about friendships and giving others the benefit of the doubt. One thing was for certain. Perhaps not everyone in the world was out to get him—and the energetic, sweet, bubbly girl waiting for him outside his home was proof of that.

And so, as he rummaged through the various Pokéballs in his backpack, a gentle thump resonated in his chest as he finally found his beloved Applin among them.

Who knew? If he was brave enough, he might be able to go through with this very special trade he had in mind. He could only hope his feelings would reach the Paldean over this seemingly innocent gesture.

But there was no need to rush it—they had the whole night ahead of them.

✦ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬!✦

[nabateaprodigy]

So Today I finished playing The Teal Mask story for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet! And honestly, it surprised I'm in love with it! So one thing I have to say is I'm surprised by how quickly Carmine grew on me as a character!

At first, while I didn't hate hate her but didn't like her either. But that soon changed after playing through the story and getting to know her!! Kieran is 100℅ right she's not as bad as she seems.

At first, she's kinda a jerk but not outright rude or anything. So I enjoyed having her as a rival and later on in the story a partner as well! (Also Carmine trying to find a mask for the MC was so cute and wholesome she's the best.) Nice to see her realize the skill and the talent the MC has for battling.

OH AND HER BATTLE THEME IS A BANGER IT'S SO GOOD!!!

One thing I loved is that we got to team up with her and spend a good chunk of time together that way! (Also NGL Carmine carried me in a lot of battles 💀) It was really fun to go around Kitakami and beat the crap out of The Loyal Three and her reactions to them.

Honestly can't wait to see more of her in The Indigo Disk! ^^ (Oh and of course I love Kieran as well!! Known about him for ages and was looking forward to getting a know him. But I'll talk about him more after I play the Indigo Disk.)

Oh, and she probably has one of the best lines in the entire series.

[pikatrainer99]

So...I figured I should probably elaborate on Kieran after my last reblog so you all get where I'm coming from with my stance on him...

(Basically the TLDR of this post is this: I like Kieran much better when he's like this, look how happy he is, it's adorable 🥺)

(He legit terrifies me when he's like this though...😖)

My thoughts on him changed drastically throughout my playthrough of the DLC multiple times...and I'm gonna explain why.

First, when I first met him in the Teal Mask, I thought he was an adorkable socially awkward shy bean and I loved him because I'm very much the same way. Being (what seemed to me like) his first friend reminded me of how much of my childhood I spent friendless and the joy I felt at finally having one friend back in my last year of elementary school. As the Teal Mask story went on though, Kieran started to change...and I didn't know how to feel about the direction his character was headed...because it triggered traumatic memories in me...memories of that friend I had finally made...well...one day suddenly revealing that the friendship was never genuine and that they hated me the whole time, and they betrayed me...in a HARD-HITTING WAY...completely out of the blue, too...I had no idea what was happening with them or what I had done to deserve that awful treatment, but it didn't matter because I still got that treatment. I'm not going to go into the details because it's still terrifying to think about...but it was BAD...bad enough that I have severe PTSD because of this person. So, as you might expect from what I just told you, the way Kieran just suddenly turned on me in the Teal Mask story really made me have to make sure to use my coping skills and calming strategies in order to not have a PANIC ATTACK over a VIDEO GAME. And the ending of the Teal Mask where Kieran seemed to HATE me made me feel really scared for the Indigo Disk story and I tried my best to not think about it too much until it came out because I always felt nauseous if I thought about it. And even when it came out it took me a long time to be able to bring myself to finally play it... Kieran's new look reminded me even more of my real life friend turned bully I mentioned above, who also changed their look and even dyed their hair to a similar purple-ish color after the whole incident (yes I know Kieran didn't dye his hair, it's naturally purple-ish underneath, but my point still stands, it was similar enough to trigger me further), and I had a panic attack over it when I saw it in the trailer before the Indigo Disk came out. My thoughts were basically 'This is middle school all over again...' and I was not looking forward to facing the memories again, it was making me feel more and more anxious and sick as each day passed and it got closer to the release of the Indigo Disk. I also had more and more nightmares about that real life person which made me more and more tired and irritable, so that was not fun either. But...I knew I had to play it eventually, so to prepare myself for my own playthrough, I decided to prepare myself both physically and mentally by watching other people's playthroughs of the story first...multiple times. You have no idea how relieved I was when I found out that the story had a happy ending and Kieran was able to snap out of it, feel serious remorse, and resolve to change his ways and make everything right again. As you can probably guess from how visceral my reactions to this entire thing were, that did NOT happen with my real life friend turned bully...I'm pretty sure that individual still hates my guts to this day and I still to this day have absolutely NO CLUE what I did to make them turn on me so viciously like that. Anyway, I watched probably ten or twelve playthroughs on YouTube before I finally worked up the courage to play it myself. I finally finished it yesterday and I am glad that everything ended all well and good. I am so relieved and I am back to being a Kieran fan again now that he is back to his normal adorkable self. Now I only have the epilogue left to do in Violet and then I have to go through the entire DLC again in Scarlet...but I think I'll be fine for the DLC playthrough in Scarlet now that I've experienced everything in Violet.

So yeah, lots of complicated emotions and visceral reactions and stuff with my view of this fictional video game character...but I couldn't help it since he was a legit PTSD trigger for me during the last bit of the Teal Mask and the majority of the Indigo Disk...at least he's back to normal now though.

Anyway, what are you guys' thoughts on Kieran? How did you react throughout his arc? Which look do you like better on him, hair up or down? Feel free to let me know your thoughts on Kieran in the comments below!

[doubleddenden]

According to people who got to play Indigo Disk early LEGALLY after being invited by Nintendo/TPC, we know a few things

Spoilers below but nothing story related, just mechanics, difficulty, visuals, and performance.

Positive:

1. The difficulty is apparently very high and there's a reason they want you to beat the rest of the story first.

To elaborate, someone mentioned trainers with level 80 and HIGHER pokemon- keep in mind only a small handful of trainers- such as Red or Barry- have had pokemon anywhere NEAR that level.

Second, it seems that Double Battles take a big priority, which is interesting because we only had a handful in Rime's gym prior.

Third, opponents will apparently use items and Competetive strategies- think like the Elite Four in BDSP that full use of items and creative movesets or battles in Colosseum that make use of specific strategies- in their case things like swapping Slaking's ability or explosion and earthquake with a levitating Misdreavus.

All of this sounds like it's meant to replicate competitive play to some extent- which makes sense, given BBA is meant for the best of the best battlers. On a personal note, this excites me, because it sounds like we'll finally have to use strategy, and I'm somewhat hopeful after Teal Mask's spike of difficulty towards the end.

Continuing on:

2. We apparently have access to 4 new uniforms akin to N/U Academy- probably expected but it's good to have confirmation.

3. Graphics apparently APPEAR improved- at least, if I understand correctly, various people who played have at least complimented the textures and colors.

4. Music is interesting :)

5. The Terarium is apparently a tad bigger than Kitakami but not as big as Paldea.

The bad:

There's still problems with performance, to nobody's surprise, and this was even pointed out by Serebii himself. It's something that should be pointed out, because we're now a year after release and have dlc, and still have slow downs and performance drops. Of course, they probably won't fix that. After all, once ID drops, they'll probably wrap things up and move production to the next project.

I'm not gonna sugar coat it. I'm excited for the good, increasingly frustrated with the bad and I just feel embarrassed. I can hope that maybe there will be some slight stability patch like they did to make PC loading better, but I highly doubt it'll be the performance overhaul the majority of us want.

But from what good there is, I do look forward to that. Despite performance somehow being worse in Teal Mask than base game, I actually did enjoy it and was pleasantly surprised by its difficulty spikes, and like Crown Tundra to IoA, this sounds like more of the good.

[chicaseptic]

AHH ABOUT YOUR POST WITH THE CARMINE AND KIERAN EDITS.

IM SO CURIOUS ABOUT THEIR STORY.. SO im guessing carmine is fezendipiti and kieran is pecharunt..? is this an au where they ARE the pokemon or just... like corrupted by them ? idk. and wheres the other two :000

FKJLDSLKF I AM SO INTRIUGED. I WANT THE LORE IF YA HAVE ANY TO GIVE🥺

OMG FIRST ASK! YIPPIE! *bursts with happiness* Ok so: The untold story of Pecharunt happens but Fezandipiti uses its last bit of strength and takes Pecharunt to the crystal pool for safety. In there, their wish was to be reborn together. So Fezandipiti is reborn into Carmine and Pecharunt is reborn as Kieran. Up till the Teal Mask events, their lives are normal but the personalities in Teal Mask are nothing but a front. Pecharunt almost forgets about Ogerpon till the story is retold. ('Kieran' feeling a ping of guilt cause he didn't want Ogerpon's human partner to die.) So when Ogerpon and Florian plan to get the masks from the hall, Kieran and Carmine beat them to it(moreso Carmine as he uses his special mist to charm the town), and Kieran gets mad at Carmine for executing the plan too early. Florian and Ogerpon find the two with the masks and confront them. Ogerpon then realizes that 'Kieran' and 'Carmine' are Pecharunt and Fezandipiti. Florian fights them and gets the masks back. Kieran just hums and tells the two to wait for a bit. As a token of apology to Ogerpon, Kieran tells the true tale of Ogerpon but doesn't reveal his and Carmine's true identities to the town. He knows the risks but at this point, Kieran knew too much time has passed and sees no point in stealing the masks anymore....however, what Florian said to Kieran drives the other angry yet he also becomes infatuated with Florian, as his desire to be loved coming back like a storm...he hates just how weak he is in his human form so he goes back to Blueberry Acadamy and becomes champion, just like in canon. He also trains with his Pokemon to be able to use his chains more and more. Over time Fezandipiti gets visually worried so he tries his best to get Pecharunt to stop this nonsense but fails. Pecharunt wants not only to beat Florian but make the human his 'most prized treasure'.Kieran tries to make his moves on Florian at night, as to avoid any suspicious/unwelcome interruptions with a calm demeanor and slight insanity, Florian resists but struggles while doing so. Of course, Pecharunt loses to Florian and just...gives up altogether (Taking the break)but gets called by the director along with Fezandipiti. Since their identities as Pokemon were revealed, the director asks them what will they do. Both just agree to keep living as humans and keep attending the academy. The director is hesitant but seeing as they didn't really break any major rules, allows them to roam the academic grounds. The elite 4 are really scared of Kieran after that but eventually, warm up to him again. (Except for Drayton, their rivalry remains). Kieran just does his own thing and gets jealous when Fezandipiti admits she's in love with Amarys(The steel-type elite 4) and begins to date her. He wishes he could have Florian but knows he's selfish and can't have it all so he just minds his own business.

Still tryna to figure out how the second half of the Indigo Disk(The trip to the deeper part of area Zero with Terapagos)will play out in this AU.

I can't wait to draw/write the story to the best of my abilities and I hope you look forward to it! Some things may change in the future but only time can tell really.

[millenniumdueled]

The End of the World, Again: part 2

Yugi

The group emerges from the rift to find themselves in the crumbled remains of an ancient, tiered city, long forgotten. Before them stands a massive door to the uppermost level, from where that great pillar of teal light seems to be projected.

"that must be where dartz is..." Yugi speculates, craning his neck as he follows the light upwards.

Seto

"No time like the present, then."

Seto opens the door to fated destiny's destruction, nothing but confidence and irritation.

Yugi

Yugi nods in agreement and makes his way to the large door. It leads the Duelists to an open courtyard, stone pathways leading to a central domed structure over a shallow pool. The pillar of line eminates from the top of the dome, and a crystalline statue of a familiar foe sits below.

"Careful, Partner..." his Other Half warns as Yugi approaches the crystal statue.

He steps up onto the platform of the domed structure, glancing over his shoulder at the others, and around the courtyard. But as he reaches out to touch the statue, suddenly the crystal falls apart to nothing more than dust on the wind. Yugi's eyes widen, and Dartz's laugh echoes around them again

Seto

Upon hearing the laughter that grates on his nerves and his ears, Seto readies his Duel Disk to play monsters for the fight. He takes a defiant step forward, knees bent slightly for poise.

"Dartz! Where are you, snake food?! Show yourself!"

Yugi

"I'm with my god now. Don't worry, Seto. You'll join us soon enough," echoes Dartz's voice from the dome overhead. As his words finish, that bright pillar of light splits into four, each arcing in a different direction over the side of the island and plunging deep into the ocean far, far below.

Joey

It's a good thing he's focusing on the task at hand. The emptied soul squares were creepy, the portal was weird, this empty city is creepy as hell, and the life-sized glass Dartz that just disintegrated for no reason? You guessed it, creepy!! The disembodied voice is not helping, though at least Joey only jumps a little when all that light goes shooting outwards again. He heads to the edge of the domed area to try to look over, see where it went.

His jaw drops as a massive green serpent winds and twists its way out of the ocean, into the sky, flying towards them. It's big enough to coil around the entire floating city. "Holy-! That thing could pick its teeth with any of the Egyptian God monsters! That's the Great Leviathan!?" Well. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. But damn.

"...Is it just me or does he have a pimple?"

Yugi

At Joey's comment, the Other Yugi squints at the enormous snake that looms over the Duelists. He gasps when he realizes.

"That pimple is Dartz!"

The Leviathan roars in response.

The Pharaoh wastes no time, immediately drawing and summoning the first three monsters in his deck: Dark Magician, Summoned Skull, and... Kuriboh. As the monsters appear, as flesh and blood rather than projections of light, the Other Yugi pulls one more card, and the dragon Timaeus joins them.

Joey

"Eugh!?"

Joey follows Yugi's lead, summoning Flame Swordsman, Jinzo, and, of course, Red-Eyes Black Dragon. He's liking these battles that don't stick strictly to the rules. To top it off, he's got Hermos next in his deck, and he wastes no time bringing him out as well. "ALRIGHT!! We got this!"

Seto

Seto bares his teeth at the monstrous creature, pulling from his Extra Deck to summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Gadget Soldier, and Vorse Raider, who has been loyal to him through this entire ordeal- and, finally, Critias. Seto feels the monsters all share a smiliar dedication to their Duelists, and to the world those Duelists live in; they have to give this battle their all.

Dartz looks down at the humans and their Duel Monsters and gives his heartiest, cruelest laugh yet, mocking them. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Is this all the Chosen Duelists have to muster?!"

"Shut it, hood ornament! Prepare to get blasted into next week!"

Yugi

Once all three legendary dragons are summoned, the Other Yugi feels a pull in his heart that tells him to draw another card. And so he does. He immediately slides Legend of Heart into place in his DuelDisk, and the three dragons regain their human, knight forms.

He stares that enormous snake down with all his rage as he calls on all of their monsters to attack as one. A bright, white light encompasses the battlefield, leaving the Duelists temporarily blinded by the united front.

But when the spots clear from his vision, the Other Yugi gasps.

The great Leviathan still stands, seemingly unaffected by the all powerful attack.

Dartz laughs again. Though his torso and head look so small protruding from the massive monster's face, his guffawing still echoes.

The Pharaoh grits his teeth, plants a foot in the ground below him. He draws another card and plays Multiply. Outside of the rules of Duel Monsters, he uses the spell card to amplify the knight Timaeus's attack. Once again, a great burst of light errupts.

And once again, the serpent stands as the lights fade. Completely unharmed by the mighty affront.

Seto

Seto shields his eyes from the massive onslaught's discharge of light, having no time to marvel at the Knights who came from the Dragons. He supposes it makes sense, in a way... but he did prefer their dragon forms to these humanoid Knights. Joey seems far more surprised, at least, until they're all blinded again by Timaeus's follow-up attack.

Which, still, does nothing.

"Oh, is that it? Your magnificent mosquito bite?" Dartz giggles, which somehow stings more than evil laughter. "Then I suppose it's my turn!"

The great snake rears up, gathering negative light into its huge maw...

Yugi

As the Leviathan draws energy for its attack, the Other Yugi thinks quickly. He pulls another card, and holds it into the air as he calls for Timaeus. The knight absorbs the powerful defense of Big Shield Gardna into his sword, projecting a barrier of light that shields the Duelists.

But the other monsters aren't so lucky.

When the Leviathan's attack fades and the Full Barrier Shield finally disappears into a cloud of glitter, the Duelists stand with only their Knights left to protect them.

As the snake stares them down, those iridescent auroras begin to glow overhead once more. The great beast raises its head, pausing to investigate the colorful lights.

Glowing bubbles seem to emerge from the aurora, and the Other Yugi gapss as he recognizes a voice coming from one. The Dark Magician Girl, who he had met the night he freed Timaeus, calls out to her fellow monsters to unite against the serpent. One after another, dozens of those bubbles of light crash into the snake.

"Help from the other side--!!" the Pharaoh gasps as he realizes.

Seto

Seto stares for a moment where the Duel Monsters are hitting the Leviathan, watching for any damage that may occur... but it's not enough. He turns back to the other two Duelists. "Hey- Yugi, Idiot, we should take this opportunity to regroup, while he's still surprised enough not to attack us again!"

Which leads to Seto summoning his XYZ Dragon Cannon, Blade Knight, and Kaiser Seahorse. They're less than his best monsters, but with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in the graveyard... it's what he has available.

Yugi

The Other Yugi nods in determined agreement with his rival. He tosses him a quick smirk, but in a fraction of a second, his focus is returned to the great beast.

The futility of the monsters' attack won't shake his confidence. He summons forth three new monsters, Black Luster Soldier, Buster Blader, and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior. A stark upgrade from his last pulls.

Joey

"Don't call me idiot, jackass." There's no heat to the little jab, though, as Joey summons a new lineup. Gearfried, Rocket Warrior, and Gilford the Lightning. "I got your back, Hermos! All you hit him at once! Ain't no way it can stand up to us plus the help of those monsters up there!"

Yugi

Once each Duelist has summoned their next wave of monsters, the Other Yugi orders them to attack. Their monsters leap at the Great Leviathan as one, giving their all as they slash, stab, and blast into the snake's throat.

The massive beast roars, throws its head back, but it shows no signs of damage still. Blade-like spines shoot from its hide, piercing the monsters that hack and slash hopelessly against its thick scales.

Enraged but unharmed, the divine serpent turns its venomous gaze to the legendary knights.

Seto

The Legendary Knights are fearless in the face of this immense God-creature, but, unfortunately for their Duelists, they are but Duel Monsters, nothing more.

Even with all the bolstering in their decks, these Knights cannot withstand a blow from such a monster. They, too, are destroyed.

Dartz then sends tendrils of darkness toward the Chosen Duelists, effortlessly entangling them and pulling them toward his God's obsidian skin. "Don't you see? Even your Legendary Knights have failed you, Chosen Duelists; resistance is futile. All will be consumed by the great Leviathan, and it will drown the world in the darkness of humanity's hearts! Take a moment, now, while you can: hear them inside its belly!"

Joey

Joey watches their monsters get skewered with a wince. "Okay... Maybe we need a plan B." Well they still have their Knights!

And. Now they don't.

"No!! Shit, nothin's workin' on this thing!" he cries out as they get snatched up. He still tries to fight, even aiming a punch at the tendril that grabs him. "Bring it on, you freaky mutant! Ain't no god has kept me down yet, you ain't about to break that streak!!" But then he freezes. Looks around. "...Mai? Valon? Rex??" He looks back up at the Leviathan. Where the voices are coming from. "...I hear you. I HEAR YOU!! I AIN'T GIVIN' UP ON YOU, WE'LL GET YOU OUTTA THERE!!!"

Somehow.

(( as always!!!!! thank you x10000 to @redeyesandchilifries and @blueeyesking !!!!! ))

[dannyknowscomics]

2

Hey there everyone! Can y’all believe we are only 2 days away from the Kitakami Festival?

Todays theory will be setting away from the teal mask and instead looking forward toward the Indigo Disk and who the mysterious champion of The BB League will be

It’s a bit weird that they never showed us there face.

Some people (way too many) assumed the champion is

Kieran, but I don’t know if it was going to be Kieran I think they would have just showed it to us, Gamefreak has never hidden the champion before so I don’t get why they’d do so now

Who I think the champion is….

Florian or Julianna, the player character who wasn’t selected, they would be the elusive final member of the BB league and the most powerful

Due to who’s the champ they might have character or even version exclusive teams, perhaps with a paradox mon or two?

[zecroswe]

Long Post: A theory about the Paldea Region; Part 2. Scarlet and Violet DLC

(All gameplay footage isn't my own and have been taken from other peoples playthroughs)

TURTLE! TURTLE! I LOVE IT!

Well it seems parts of my theory had some basis tho other things are up in the air. I was correct about the fact that the Imaginary Pokemon in the Scarlet and Violet book was probably gonna be released. But they look quite different than the books describes them

Still, Its fascinating that these Pokemon even exist, especially Walking Wake. From the lore in the Johto reigon, Suicune was created by the blessings of Ho Oh when it revived a pokemon. So how does a Suicune from the past even exist? How is it a dinosaur looking creature? (By the way, I LOVE WALKING WAKE, IT IS SO FUNKY AND CUTE!) Well we don't have any clear answers, but I think it supports the Imagination theory more than the time travel one. Considering the entries in the book being made from the artists imagination and the fact that Walking wake and Iron leaves exist as they do. It is likely that they are created by the Disk as artificial dream Pokemon, peoples imagination come to life. It could also explain the reason they aren't a one to one recreation form the book. The disc Pokemon clearly gets influence from a lot of sources so It's quite likely it just mashed things it sensed together into these two Paradox Pokemon.

Another thing that could support that is this.

The image from the scarlet book depicting Great Tusk isn't fully accurate to the real thing. It lacks some spikes, Its tails seems longer and It seems to lack certain details. So If the imagination than the Great tusk we see could be partially influenced by how Sada imagined them. I haven't compared to see if the same can be said for Iron Threads and the Violet book depiction, but if its similar there, than It could be the same phenomenon with Turo.

Though this is wild speculation and could easily be because the artist of the scarlet and violet books didn't get a good enough look to make a fully accurate depiction.

But to the main course, The DLC announcement.

I'm honestly unsure on how the Teal Mask fits in the grand scheme of things. Its clearly connected to Area Zero in some way based on the title of the DLC, but I'm unsure how.

From what we have gotten so far, the new Pokemon seems to be based on a old Japanese folktale and the main legendary Pokemon, Ogerpon has crystals in It's design that reminds me of Tera crystals. So It could be possible that these pokemon was only a legend until the Tera crystals brought them into existence, If the dream theory is true. Otherwise It could be that the Tera crystals brought them into the future! We can only wait and see!

Now, It is the Indigo Disk that really caught my attention. Especially this guy!

THE DISK POKEMON IS ADORABLE! *Cough* anyway...

Terapagos is the Pokemon name and It sure is a turtle. Now the real thing I need to know is how big this thing is. Becuase the picture makes it look small to me. But if It's huge in game, like as huge as a island or a entire region perhaps, then my theory has some basis too It. Right now though we can only speculate. Even if that theory isn't true, I still think the turtle shape of the Paldea region itself could be very clever foreshadowing either way.

Though Its design makes me wonder If it's doing all It does on purpose or If It's accidentally causing paradoxes by existing. It looks really Innocent and cute, but maybe It's really menacing on the inside! It also seems my crown speculation form my previous post isn't unintentional on the developers part, considering the hexagon in the middle of the shell that is sticking out!

I also just want to say that I really love how It's crystal shell has the symbols of the 18 types, It's just perfect.

Well that's all I have! I really look forward to the DLC later this fall!

Thanks for reading!

[scraftyisthebest]

More Rambles on SV DLC News

Anyway, now that I've had a day to let everything sink in from yesterday's Pokemon Presents, a bit more of a ramble on SV DLC.

Seems we are getting more new evolutions, including a new alternate evolved form of Applin in Dipplin and surprisingly, a Duraludon evolution called Archaludon. They seem like pretty cool new additions. Dipplin is a candy apple, which is an interesting spin on Applin's apple theme. Stat-wise I'm curious how it will differentiate itself from Flapple and Appletun.

Duraludon is not what I expected to gain an evolution, though Archaludon admittedly looks pretty cool, being a bridge. Duraludon already possesses a naturally high base stat total so how Archaludon changes from that is going to be interesting.

We also have two new Paradoxes, Raging Bolt being Ancient Raikou, and Iron Crown being Future Cobalion. Seems Suicune and Virizion weren't the only ones to get them. Raging Bolt's long neck is something though...kinda goofy there. Entei and Terrakion will have Paradox counterparts of their own as well I imagine at this rate, to complete them as trios.

Seems the mysterious turtle we saw from Liko's pendant in Horizons is just Terapagos itself, in its Normal Form, while the bigger type-shelled form is its "Terastal Form". Notably this isn't necessarily a Terastallized state, and since Terapagos is implied to be the harbinger of the Terastal phenomenon that raises some interesting ideas for what role it may play in the story. Terapagos may have even more forms that we don't know about which I look forward to seeing.

Ogerpon seems to have a different appearance when Terastallized, in this case it seems to have special ties to Terastal itself.

From a story structure standpoint this DLC seems to be mirroring SwSh's DLC in terms of how the halves are placed and structured. The Teal Mask being Part 1 seems to be like the Isle of Armor, being able to be accessed as soon as the main story kicks off and being an additional side story intended to be slotted into the main story while expanding on the original base story and lore in a way. Kitakami like the Isle of Armor will be its own mini-storyline with the festivals and whatever we do there on the field trip much like how the Isle of Armor was a training quest in the Master Dojo that ends with raising Kubfu into a great Urshifu.

Meanwhile The Indigo Disk being Part 2 is like the Crown Tundra, being intended as a post-game quest after completing both the main story and DLC 1, only this time it's actually hard-locked to only being unlocked after completing both. It seems it's a post-game quest, while with the Crown Tundra it was a legendary catching expedition, this time we're an exchange student at the Blueberry Academy and we're taking part in the BB League and the tests to challenge each of the BB Elite Four. Like Galar's Crown Tundra it seems to be looping back to mainland Paldea for the finale of the overall story, and as we all know it'll be Area Zero, and returning to there for the final story segment, akin to how the Crown Tundra looped back to Wyndon Stadium for the Galarian Star Tournament. In both cases going back to where the base story's finale ended, with SwSh it was the Champion Cup and beating the undefeated Leon, in SV it was exploring Area Zero and taking down the Zero Lab, and for SV's DLC the final Area Zero visit may be something related to Terapagos and a finale we may not know about.

Based on the above speculation this also ties into how the anime and Horizons, with Liko's story, may build up and what its finale may be. While both Journeys and Horizons are multi-region and doing their own thing, they do take story elements and plot beats from SwSh and SV respectively, especially with Ash's and soon to be Liko's finale. Ash's finale in his Journeys story (and his story overall) was the Masters 8 Tournament in Wyndon, ending off with a grand final battle between him and Leon with Ash emerging victorious, mirroring SwSh. Liko's story already has the pendant, which we now know is Terapagos, as a major plot point, and the finale of her story in Horizons may have its climax take place in Area Zero, especially with Liko taking down the Explorers and maybe AI Sada/Turo will be involved as well alongside Koraidon and Miraidon, and of course Terapagos, in some sort of climax that will establish Liko as the new hero of legend and a legendary herself, much like how Ash himself ended off his story becoming the World Champion, the strongest battler who ever lived. I'm definitely very interested in how both SV's DLC and Horizons will pan out in that regard and what kind of story they're trying to tell with Area Zero and its mysteries in both the games and the anime at present.

Lots of rambling but there you go.

[satoshi-mochida]

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC ‘The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask’ launches September 13

Gematsu Source

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet downloadable content “The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask” will launch on September 13, The Pokemon Company and developer Game Freak announced.

As previously announced, “The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero” will launch in two parts—“Part 1: The Teal Mask” on September 13, followed by “Part 2: The Indigo Disk” this winter.

Get the latest details below.

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask

The first adventure in “The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero,” the new downloadable content for the blockbuster Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet video games, will launch on September 13, 2023. In “Part 1: The Teal Mask,” players take a school trip to the land of Kitakami, where they join an outdoors study program held jointly between their academy and another school. Players can look forward to meeting Pokemon not found in the Paldea region while unearthing the mysteries behind an old Kitakami folktale.

“Get Mew & Mewtwo!” In-Game Event

A special in-game event, “Get Mew & Mewtwo!,” will take place in Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, marking the debut of the Mythical Pokemon Mew and the Legendary Pokemon Mewtwo in the Paldea region. Beginning today through September 18, 2023, at 7:59 a.m. PT, players can add Mew to their team by entering the password GETY0URMEW in the Mystery Gift menu. In addition, a special Tera Raid Battle event will take place between August 31, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. PDT and September 17, 2023, at 4:59 p.m. PT. In this event, players can challenge and catch a Mewtwo with the Mightiest Mark.

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are available now for Switch.

Watch a new set of trailers below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Explore Beyond Pladea’s Borders In “The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero” 

English

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUlcN6y4n90

Japanese

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXyiNN86_2c

“The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero” - New Pokemon, New Story 

English UK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGK9tay8sZk

Japanese

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNQE-63ibhU

Get Mew and Mewtwo 

English

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdzIDCjQM_E

Japanese

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSf97ChIxLY

[dunwichhoarder]

Pokémon: The Indigo Disk

After a bit of a gaming slump — which is really just about me reading a bunch of books instead — I bought the Pokémon Violet DLC as a birthday present to myself. I played through The Teal Mask, but I’ve really been looking forward to The Indigo Disk so I could transfer Anzor into my game.

The Venusaur is one of my oldest Pokémon, having traveled from the Kanto region in Pokémon LeafGreen on the Game Boy Advance. I couldn’t wait to pose for a selfie with him. I plan to breed a shiny Bulbasaur soon.

[taiblogcomics]

For Every Pony, There is a Season (Turn Turn Turn)

Hey there, teal masks and indigo disks. How's the weather for ya? Me, it's chilly as all heck. So why don't we try to claim back a little of that ealier feeling? Got just the issue to warm you up and have you feel something again. And if you're in the opposite hemisphere, well… Then this will just be appropriate anyway! Let's get into it~

Here's the cover:

Hang ten! Gnarly! Surfer lingo! As usual, these MLP covers aren't really anything spectacular. The art of Sunny in the middle is a pretty nice and detailed pic, soI guess that's what'll sell this one! Coz if you look, this is cover A. This is considered the main cover. If you were checking IDW news six months ago, you probably saw glimpses of cover B. That's the one that links together with three other comics also in the Endless Summer event(?) and was kind of cool. That's the real selling-point cover (as most alternate covers are). But this is the "canon" one, and thus the one I have to talk about!

We open in the summer, where a butterfly flies through the window and reminds Sunny that she ought to live up to her name and spend summer outdoors. Like she used to do with her dad. Except now with her friends. And she does that! They get ice cream, they pick fruit, they hold a picnic! I notice a lot of these involve food in some way. And then while her friends play volleyball, she sits out to make the teams even. This is so she can get to the activity she'd really been looking forward to: reading a book. Yeah, no, Sunny, you coulda done that one indoors.

Hey, remember when I suggested this issue be a welcome change from the current season? Well, as Sunny reads her book, suddenly a chill breeze ruffles through the air and a leaf drops off the tree and onto the open pages. Yeah, so this story I selected to put you in the mood of summer is about summer ending. I think that's my bad for not checking, but the event is called "Endless Summer", can you really blame me for making certain assumptions~? Sorry, this review is now about Sunny experiencing seasonal depression~

Fortunately, all of her friends notice Sunny's change in mood and also her suddenly going home, drawing the same conclusion that she likes summer best. So, as friends, they resolve to think of some activities to help her adjust to the changing of the seasons. That's actually really nice. So of course, they then take it to a ridiculous extreme and resolve to have her adjust to all seasonal changes at once. This feels like an Izzy plan. So they all stake her out, and watch at a distance as she runs her smoothie stall. Normal friend behaviour!

So as Sunny walks home, thinking dangerous thoughts of "I wish summer could last forever (like this comic event title implied)", she notices a detour blocking the road leading home to her lighthouse. She decides to take the scenic route, despite the fact that she could probably just walk around the "road closed" signs. First she comes all up ons Hitch, who is being very un-subtle about his use of "fall" as he leads her up to a tented section of the woods. I dunno how he tented off a whole section of the woods, but never underestimate ponies on a ridiculous mission, I guess~

To be fair to Hitch, though, after he asks Sunny what her favourite fall-related activities are and shows his setup, he is then up front with her about the plan. Like, other episodes, the whole "we noticed you seemed down about the change in weather" part wouldn't happen until the episode's denouement, you know? It's actually refreshing to see them just come out and tell their friends the plan. Hitch and Sunny make some candied apples and reminisce about doing so with her father, and it really shows how Hitch is her oldest friend. Good stuff!

Of course, to be unfair on the other hand, Hitch didn't tell her the whole plan either. After the pair of them frolic in a leaf pile he set up (comparing it to swimming as well), Sunny leaves with refreshing memories about her father and thanking Hitch for helping her remember fun things happen in fall, too. As soon as she's out of sight, though, Hitch radios in for phase two to begin. And no sooner has she left Hitch's neck of the woods does Sunny stumble into "Snowball Territory". Even if there's a chill in the air, it's still the end of summer. I'd be surprised by snowballs in this weather too!

Piles of stuff seem to be the theme of this plan, since Zipp and Pipp have somehow prepared a pile of snow and are pelting Sunny with packed spheres made from it. Turns out snowball fights are also something she used to do with her dad. The trio spend a few minutes propelling frozen projectiles at each other, then go for a rest. Pipp brings out hot chocolate, and Sunny muses on how each season has its own sort of drink associated with it. Somehow she forgot this fact, despite running a smoothie stand. And Zipp points out that being too focused on one thing can make you lose sight of other things. Much like this comic lost sight of being summer-themed~

Sunny passes yet another sign, one reading "Spring Forward This Way". She calls this a clever pun, thus proving Daylight Saving Time does not exist in Equestria. In keeping with the theme, though, there is a distinct pile (this time of flowers) that Izzy has prepared. As it is Izzy, though, she's overdone it and made an entire hedge garden. She and Sunny are going to make flower crowns. And once again, Sunny drifts into memories of the good things she likes regarding the season, in this case watching the flowers bloom.

Sunny leaves feeling good, and when she wakes up the next day, she realises it's actually the last day of summer. She goes to the door to find all her friends decked out in beach gear, ready to help her live it up for this season too. Because what Sunny realised is that all her happy memories for each season involved her dad, who isn't around anymore. But her friends are! So she can make new memories each season with them. And the comic ends with something properly summery at last, with a photo of their crazy adventure on jetskis, which is, like, one of the last things I'd ever associate with MLP.

Despite my poking fun at it for failing to provide an eternal estival solstice, I do actually like this issue. Sunny's feelings regarding the seasons changing are actually pretty common, and none of the things her friends do are particularly over the top or intrusive. Other than Zipp and Pipp materialising snow out of nowhere, nothing her friends plan is particularly unrealistic, and they help Sunny recall some very precious memories. Some of my favourite stuff in G5 is when Sunny reminisces about her father. It's always very genuine, and is kind of unique compared to FiM. The characters' parents were frequently absent and rarely spoken of, and as beautiful as the eventual episode was, it took entirely too long to address the elephant in the room regarding Applejack's folks. So whenever Sunny misses her dad, it feels like something real, you get me?

[doubleddenden]

As for my review of Teal Mask, I think its fine enough, but could have used a bit more story to it and a few small towns. I feel like I tried to pad out the experience as much as I could on my own, but it was still a lot shorter than expected.

What's still unacceptable is the performance and glitchiness. Slow downs, clip ins, and other glitches are still present- some are a little worse than you'd expect. Now granted, it's not as bad as SV at launch, but it's still very, VERY noticeable when they didn't even bother to polish shadow pop ins or map clipping in actual cutscenes or important trainer battles. And this is the thing- slow downs had been fixed a little until they dropped Teal Mask, so idk what's wrong. They could have waited til October and polished it up a bit, but I guess they REALLY wanted to catch the tail end of summer. At this point, they must no longer give a damn about performance at all and just want it to be done and over with- which on a certain level I can say "mood," but on a level of someone that bought the game, I can say "hey what the fuck???" And no, boycotting wouldn't have worked- Pokemon is at the point where saying "i'm gonna boycott" actually helps their sales, so there's no point in bothering.

But still, I will point it out again, and so will others so that the next games will be polished a little better.

As for the actual content- I did enjoy what was here, but again, I feel like they could have added more.

More under the cut:

Carmine and Kieran are the main new characters you'll be focused on, and they're decently entertaining and likeable for different reasons.

Carmine is a bitch- She hates you because you're a foreigner tourist, she's vain, she's full of herself, she's cocky- and it's enjoyable actually getting to go from such a rough welcome to becoming her friend. She's a fun asshole that made me laugh more than once, and it's always fun to knock her down a few pegs. In a way she's similar to Klara, except Carmine isn't quite as much of a pushover and has valid reasons to be a bitch. But again, her growth is fun to watch- not in the sense she ever stops being a bitch, because thankfully she just stays that- No she just becomes Bitch, but Friendly, and that's fine, great even! She's snide, rude, and competent, and I like it.

Kieran, however, is a rival that does something I've wanted Game Freak to do for YEARS- but unfortunately, it's just for a small time dlc rival. Still, his growth is unique for a "friendly rival" in that he goes full reverse, and you get to watch him just actively lose his god damn marbles. It's great! :D I look forward to seeing him again one day, because his team was actually super strong.

The rest of the characters- if we can call them that- are just basically NPCs- with the exception of Briar.

Briar doesn't really do too much, but she's... suspicious. Thats about how I can describe her.

Now I'd also add Ogerpon here- I was shocked with how on the mark I was with my predictions. I won't spoil anything but I do like him a lot.

OH SHIT, I forgot Perrin, which is weird because I actually really liked her. Perrin doesn't get a whole lot of stuff, she's literally for a mission, but she is entertaining in that she finds cuteness in any Pokemon she sees. Her whole side mission is really fun too, and I think she might be hinting that she'll return in a future game? Unsure.

Oh, there's also an annoying side quest with rich people- they're annoying, but you'll want to do it for another side quest. trust me.

Story is decent enough- definitely not as in depth as the base story, but unlike IoA and CT, Teal Mask actually sets itself up properly for Indigo Disk to be a continuation of the story. The story here is pretty small though, but its interesting to see how Carmine and Kieran grow and interact with the main character. The story of Ogerpon and The Loyal Trio, while not the most eloquently written, is actually not quite as front and center as we were led to believe. Kieran's obsession with Ogerpon is actually weirdly refreshing- I can't think of a single rival that actually competed with us for the right to catch a legendary Pokemon.

That being said, again, it is short lived and not nearly enough was done to justify all the promotion. I think we could have had The Loyal Trio be alive and living in the lap of luxury and see how they're actually jerks- that would have helped cement the "alternative story" we were told, and could have padded out story by giving us missions to either rein them in or fix problems they cause. Maybe have Perrin play a slightly bigger role in helping us find Ogerpon, have Briar actually do something besides be a suspicious chaperone-

Hell, instead of the 3 nameless NPCs that come with us, more could have been done story wise by having Arven, Nemona, and Penny with us as a group trip instead of it being "a lottery." Nemona could have been a battling menace, Arven could have been looking for new ingredients, Penny could comically struggle to find good signal, etc. Or heck, make them actually characters that have smaller arcs. I guess they couldn't do that because technically you can play Teal Mask as soon as you begin the treasure hunt, and in fact you can battle Ogerpon at both level 30 or level 70, so I guess maybe they couldn't outright connect it too much to them- but I still say maybe a post SV main story bit could have been added for those three plus us, and maybe Carmine.

I think all of this is going to pick up a tad more with Indigo Disk- I just hope it's not as quick as Teal Mask was.

Now as for other things:

Music is good- I think though they swapped to some older music making style that doesn't sound as good quality wise as Paldea music. But I absolutely LOVE Carmine's theme, and the wild battle music is a cool mix of Hisui and Paldea. The legendary music is also fun, and I'll definitely go back to listen to Ogerpon's. But Carmine and Kieran's music sounds a lot like it was made with the same DS soundfont style that you'd hear in Bede's theme or something. Crystal Pool, though, is hauntingly pretty and reminiscent of Area Zero.

Graphics have a more saturated color and are improved in some areas- but other than a few locations, there's just not really a lot to look at. Crystal Pool, however, is a really pretty place, and there's some very strangely unique cave areas that look like you're supposed to DO something in there, but nothing came of it. There's certain areas where textures look great, certain where they look bad. Actually, I find that I have similar issues as I did with Legends Arceus, where the textures and graphics just don't load until you're right in front of them, and you can visibly see the bubble range when grass, trees, and mountains just suddenly appear or gain texture. Hell, flowers just spawn less than 2 feet from you. Again, shadows and textures clip and glitch sometimes too- even in talking scenes, and that just isn't acceptable. Overall, texture work feels like they stretched out certain outdoor textures to make them look gross and pixelated or really realistic in others.

That being said, I think Indigo Disk might look better- I only saw a snippet right at the end, but there's a room I think I've seen as part of Blueberry Academy in the trailers and it actually looks like it comes from this decade, so I hope it looks that good when it eventually comes, because a lot of the rest looks unfinished. Charming enough in some places, just... could be better.

Now that's the environmental graphics- character and Pokemon models look pretty decent and have some good texture work. I suspect that's a different studio making those, though. But god damn, someone was paying attention to Perrin's ass and legs, and Briar's ass too. Not a complaint, I'm glad they had fun- you can just see the creases in the pants though is all I'm saying lol. The new character models look really good overall, and Carmine, Kieran, and Briar have really interesting eyes.

Animation isn't really much to write home about except what I think are mocap animations in regular talking- which is about par per course for base SV. That being said, it's kind of stiff in some scenes, particularly in some scenes with The Loyal Trio, where you can practically see them moving robotically as they move in scene to run away. It gets a bit worse when you see the frames drop from npc's within very close range.

the new Pokemon and forms are... Okay, I guess. Ogerpon is definitely one of my favs and her masks are very fun, and Okidogi is easily the better of the trio. Blood Moon Ursaluna also looks great, although I do prefer og Hisuian. The rest are... ehh to bad. I have slight hope for Dipplin since, apparently, it can use Eviolite- Pokemon that can't evolve further can't use it, ergo it must be able to evolve, just not until Indigo Disk.

One more complaint is that I feel like the map being smaller than Paldea probably helps it run better, but I think a few towns or villages are necessary, just full stop. Kitakami having 1 town just doesn't vibe right with me. In that regard, it almost makes Paldea feel smaller in comparison, because this one village has all of this land, you know?

I know I've done a lot of complaining, but I did honestly find stuff I liked. First of all, once you progress enough in Carmine and Kieran's story, you can get the Teal Card which unlocks more hair styles and a shit ton of more accessories to Paldean stores- Clothes wise, though, you only get new Jinbei outfits, and you don't get the other two until you beat the main story, and then a special one until you do one more side quest. But, more customization is always nice. and I finally have a hairstyle that I'm somewhat okay with.

The pokemon variety in Kitakami is also surprisingly done well. I've used Pokemon I wasn't really expecting to use, such as Poliwrath, Yanmega, and Morpeko. Even then, I'm surprised to see some Pokemon like the Conkeldurr or Tandemaus families here- mainly because this is WAY far away from Paldea and back in Japan.

That's another thing I like- outright confirmation that this is way, WAY far away from Paldea and not just a repurposed European area to the north. A plane and bus ride are required to get here- this makes it the furthest new area a main character has ever traversed, and to me? That's really cool. Further still, they tell us point blank at the beginning that Blueberry Academy is in UNOVA, which I am excited and a little scared for, but don't expect to really get to explore all that much. Idk, stuff like that feels very soulful to me.

Speaking of Soul, there's a decent amount of Hisui love in the Blood Moon quest. I won't spoil it, but something happens that made my jaw drop, and it was really, REALLY amazing.

Finally, difficulty is subjective to each player and how they approach this dlc, much like IoA. I think, however, they tweaked it way better to be beginner friendly AND very challenging for post game content with npc characters and wild pokemon you can encounter VERY EARLY (if you're not careful or go venturing too far off) being around level 70+. Personally, I brought along some Pokemon around level 60 and 50 to get me started and had some difficulty, then I went further and caught local pokemon and trained them up too with even more difficulty. But it was still pretty fun, the fights were challenging, Carmine and Kieran actually use strategy to win, and the NPCs can kick your ass if you're not prepared. I actually lost a battle to a bitch in a cave of all things.

Overall, a 6/10 is passing, even if barely. I dock points because of lack of polish and glitches, and then dock a couple more because of things I wish they'd have done differently. I enjoyed it, but they seriously needed to let it cook longer. No, you did encounter glitches and I am not exaggerating or making it up, you're just not paying attention to the slow downs or floor clipping in battles or you're just outright lying to yourself. Make your concerns heard so GF will actually do something about it- They do listen sometimes, believe it or not, even if most of the time they plug their ears up and hum gen 1 music to silence most criticism.

I actually look forward to Indigo Disk. At this point, I hope it releases in January and not November. They need to take their time with it, because I have a feeling things are going to be a bit more story heavy.

[yaldev]

Meeting With His Past

One last day in Origin before his flight. Decadin spent it seeking out the Oracle. He didn’t need to travel with a caravan to keep safe from bandits, and that almost felt wrong. The State had a monopoly on violence now.

Only the trees were the same. The path was paved, he didn’t see a single crystal bug, the gas-powered trip had far less charm than a horse ride, and when he reached the cavern, it was more intimidating than he remembered. A stream of enchanted mist poured from the mouth of the tunnel, and the teal light at the end was already lit.

If this were Decadin’s first time, he might have backed down. But the Oracle knew him, and he knew that she knew he would return someday. He stepped inside, up the mild incline toward the chamber. The Acolyte had no choice but to breathe some of the mist as he walked, and vivid colors swirled at the edges of his vision. Again he considered turning back, but this time he knew much more about the impacts of mana on humans. If he didn’t stay for long, the damage would be temporary.

Decadin kept his chin up, his gaze forward. He was ready to face the Oracle as an equal. But it wasn’t her face that greeted him. It was Lhusel’s. He staggered back at the sight.

“Lhusel?! What are you…?”

“No no, child,” she said in the Oracle’s voice, “it’s still me.”

“You’re stealing her face?!”

The Oracle shook her head. “You’re seeing what you want to see, you… caught me in the middle of something.”

She was standing at the source of the smoke: a crevice in the rock whose glow was the only source of light.

“Something to manipulate me?” Decadin’s eyes narrowed. “To put me off-guard?”

She spoke slowly: “Not everything is about you.”

“Then what is? What else is going to happen? You told me the future, it came and went, and now I’m right where I started. Lhusel’s gone, I can’t sleep at night, and the Nation’s become something I never wanted it to be.”

“But child,” she whispered, “you did want this.”

The Acolyte ventured toward the Oracle. “No, I didn’t! I never wanted war! I wanted to give peace.”

She spoke up, but her voice was missing its energy. “Not all of us are so generous, Deh-cah-din. I have no more prophecies to offer you.”

His brow furrowed. “You don’t have any, or you just don’t want to share them?”

“You broke them, Acolyte!” At the second word, all the mist in the cavern jolted up an inch. “Your floating disk forced all the natural mana from the world! Do you have any idea how many hours you’ve taken from my days, now that I have to replenish my source?”

“I’m—”

“No, you’re not sorry!” She closed her eyes. Her illusory face was starting to fragment. “This was everything you wanted!” Teal energy emitted from the cracks in Lhusel’s skin. 

Decadin took a deep breath. The colors at the edges of his vision swallowed everything but the Oracle. “Don’t you tell me I’m not sorry. You see the future, but I know the present, and I know how I feel. You can say what I’ve done is hypocritical, and maybe you’re right, but that doesn’t change—”

“Leave!” She yelled, and the force shattered her face.

Decadin had no memory of leaving. Next he knew he was outside, gasping fresh air into his lungs and coughing out the smoke.

---

Yaldev is a sci-fantasy worldbuilding project by Ulysses Maurer, with art by Beeple. By looking at narratives, stylized loredumps, bad poetry and little details, we'll witness the story of a planet filled with magical power, the nation which tried to conquer it, this empire’s dramatic collapse and the new world which emerged in its wake. Along the way we'll meet the characters who live here, and we'll explore questions about nationalism, rationalism, the natural world and the quest to master it. For all stories in chronological order, check out the pinned posts at r/Yaldev!

[beansprean]

Some old doodles from a Monster Of The Week campaign! Starring Víctor Osorio-Beltrán, my out-of-time gay 1860s cowboy and legacy monster hunter; Mari, a documentary podcasting Jewish Yankee and baby-werewolf; Bea, a trans e-girl conspiracy theorist and probable monsterfucker; and John Johnson, A Guy Who Likes Mushrooms.

(ID in alt and under cut)

[ID 1: Bust of Víctor, a Mexican man in his 30s with brown skin and dark curly hair, overgrown at the neck and forehead. He is wearing a stetson-style hat, teal cotton shirt, faded red kerchief, and brown leather duster coat. He is holding up a Colt revolver with one hand and gazing at it with interest.

2a: Mari, a 20-something woman-going-on-werewolf with pale skin, curly brown hair, and large red glasses over golden eyes, lays on her back in what looks like the hollow trunk of a tree. She is gazing up past the viewer in absolute horror, eyes wide, fanged mouth gaping open as if preparing to scream.

2b: What Mari was looking at in such horror. The face of a young boy frozen in a mask of fear, fashioned by the bark of the tree, mouth wide open in a silent scream as sap tears flow from his wide wooden eyes down his cheeks.

3: Waist up of Bea, a stout almost-20 white girl with shoulder length pink hair and bangs, blue eyes, a nose stud, freckles, black nails, rouge around her eyes, and big round glasses, wearing a tee shirt showing bigfoot in the tractor beam of a UFO under a denim jacket. She is cupping her chin thoughtfully between the forefinger and thumb of one hand, mouth curled in a mischievous little smile. "Yup. Definitely aliens," she declares.

4: Víctor stands next to John, a 30-something white man with close-shaved brown hair, grey eyes, a sparse goatee, and thick square glasses. John is holding a smartphone and is wearing a blue zip up hoodie over a tee shirt with a cartoon floppy disk declaring "I am your father" to a USB stick that replies "Nooo!". Víctor points uncertainly to the phone and says "Yeah, send him a, uh, telegram." John squints skeptically back at him and replies "Sure, 'time travel guy'," clearly believing it's all an act.

5a: Back in the 1860s. A Navajo man with long back hair, dimples, and a scar on his chin smiles softly at the viewer. He is wearing a flat-brimmed hat with a beaded band, patterned scarf, tan cotton shirt, and denim coat. His hair is pulled back in a tsiiyeel with white thread, two long beaded braids in front. 5b: The Navajo man sits at a bar with Víctor, smirking slightly as he says "Well right now, I'm a mite curious about the man sitting next to me." Smiling back, Víctor responds flirtatiously, "Oh?"

6: John, standing next to Mari in a white dress shirt and orange tie, frowns and fiddles nervously with his fingers. "I personally would like to not get eaten." Mari, lifting her upper lip to display an impassive fang, replies "I will do my best, man."

7a: A shadowy figure in a hoodie runs in fear, pursued by Mari, claws out and face in deep shadow other than the bright hungry yellow glow of her eyes. 7b: Close up of Mari as she snaps out of it suddenly, looking frightened of herself as her claws freeze mid-attack.

8a: Víctor and Bea sit together in the backseat of a car. Víctor is explaining something about vampires, his speech bubbles containing drawings of first a animalistic naked half-bat creature with stone-gray skin and wings and then a purplish humanoid in a waistcoat hissing as his skin smokes in the sun. Bea listens with rapt excitement, leaning forward with a giant grin. 8b: John in the driver's seat looking nervous and uncomfortable, hands at ten and two as he stares pointedly out the front windshield. He says, "Crazy day today, huh guys?" Looming behind him is the "are ya winning, son?" meme. /end ID]