#no bag can contain me | cosmog

[uncle-dusknoir]

cosmog mail! the little puff of stardust places a present on basils porch very carefully, rings the bell, and teleports away.

the gift is somewhat sloppily wrapped with pumpkaboo and phantump themed wrapping paper. atop the package are a letter and a spell tag. the letter reads as follows:

"merry arcmas basil. sorry this shits so late.. was busy with family stuff a while. hope you like it. was pretty damn hard to get my hands on. also thought itd be funny to stuff the package with basil but. didnt have much basil and bolt said itd be a waste anyway. uh. dont know how to end this so. have a nice day? or night probably by the time this gets out to you -rs"

within the package is a few things.. a small bag of homemade cookies, a little container of basil, and something very large at the bottom, wrapped in many layers of old newspaper. a krookodile skull!

hello connie! you're doing very well at delivering!

see. sure it's not the average delibird but at least it makes SENSE that connie can teleport everywhere for delivering presents!!! banette don't even learn teleport normally! mine is just a DOUBLE freak. (affectionate) (i love her).

anyway. liveblogging the opening process. i love the halloween ass wrapping paper i think we need MORE seasonal spill in this direction honestly. and i get it, dw. as long as you had fun, yk?

COOKIES... oh i haven't made any at all this year. im gonna munch the hell out of these. as long as toothy's tongue doesn't get to them first. lemme... ...these are good...

this makes two people to send me basil. i appreciate it (genuine). i've been meaning to make pesto again at some point... it makes me wonder though. i have relatives who's names are poisonous herbs. if i had a poisonous herb name would you still send it to me

oh shit, this last thing is heavy, though... is it glass or s-

YOOOOOOO

[refractment]

@mxstball​ X

Cosmog simply stares at the two strangers. They grab a pom-pom’s worth of bananas... which is only two.

“Pew?” They offer the bananas.

[yanderes-galore]

Hello! I recently got Pokémon Ultra Moon, so if it’s alright may I please request headcanons for Yandere!Human!Lunala with a trainer S/O please? Thank you, your blog is amazing!

Of course! Thank you for liking my blog :) Lunala will be depicted as female due to the Pokemon Sun entry saying "Female Evolution of Cosmog". Also, this is technically Nebby in this concept.

Yandere! Human! Lunala (Nebby) with Trainer! Darling

Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Yandere behavior, Kidnapping, Obsession at first sight, Possessive behavior, Deception.

- As a Cosmog traveling around with Lillie, she knew your fates would be intertwined when you saved her on that bridge.

- Lillie always struggling to keep the young galactic being still whenever you were near.

- Nebby often hopping around, wanting to play with you and your Pokemon when you met up with Lillie.

- "I'm so sorry, (Y/N)! Nebby is just such a handful...."

- "It's fine! I don't mind, my team actually enjoys playing with Nebby."

- Nebby's fixation was small until she fully matured into the moon deity, Lunala.

- Finally able to use proper moves and wishing to challenge you.

- She found such battles with your team exhilarating compared to the past play times she'd do with your team as Cosmog.

- You fascinated the moon deity ever since she was young....

- Lillie wouldn't mind if she stayed with you, would she?

- "Human, no, (Y/N). Allow me to battle alongside you on your journey. With my help, you'll even be able to explore other worlds."

- Lillie trusts you with Nebby, knowing you're a true friend who'd take care of the newly matured moon deity.

- Yet, was Nebby to be trusted with you?

- Nebby hides her obsession well.

- Waiting for the right moment to act upon her thoughts.

- Your team trusts Nebby in this new form at first.

- But they can tell by the aura and how Nebby acts later on that she may have changed.

- Red tinted eyes looking at you with an unreadable look.

- Getting awfully too close to you at some points.

- In this new form, Nebby was giving red flags.

- Soon barely hiding her fixation.

- Which was concerning due to the amount of power Nebby held as Lunala.

- Nebby didn't care what the others thought of her 'affectionate' gestures.

- All that mattered was she got to keep you now that she is under your care.

- "What do you mean I'm scaring the others? I mean no harm, I only wish to please you."

- While in reality, Nebby is planning.

- Scoping out dimensional worlds with her new powers to take you there.

- When the time comes, she'll wait until you're asleep.

- Rummaging through your bag to find your Pokeballs that contained your team.

- Tossing them aside gently as to not cause suspicion.

- Then, Nebby carries you bridal style outside.

- With a spread of her wings she opens a dimensional portal.

- Smiling a fanged grin at the human in her arms, she sighs.

- "Within this world I picked we shall live peacefully. No distractions, only us. Perhaps some days I'll invite my dear friend Lillie for a temporary visit...."

- Your world is quite literally changed once she steps through.

- A small michevious laugh leaving her lips before the portal closes.

- It'll now just be you and the moon deity, living out a fantasy of her design.

[goldenvicious]

Vs: Team Skull Leader Guzma/Aether President Lusamine + Evo: Draco

After we infiltrated the Aether Foundation, we snuck around trying to find a way down. Along the way, I managed to find the TM for Toxic. Might be useful later.

We found the elevator, but we were unable to go down, leaving us with only one option: going up. When we did, we encountered Branch Chief Faba. He challenged us to battles, but lost. He agreed to send us down, but I saw a mischievous smirk on his face on the way down. I wonder what goes on in that brain of his...

Once we entered the Secret Labs, we split in order to cover more ground. A trio of scientists tried to stop us, but Godzilla was able to sweep through them. Once I entered one of the labs, two workers spotted me and were about to challenge me to a double battle, but Hau got here just in time to help me. After winning, we read some of the materials nearby. Turns out Nebby-or Cosmog, I should say-is an Ultra Beast capable of creating Ultra Wormholes. We hurried back to Gladion and told him the info. Once we talked over the "plan" (Gladion wasn't good with details), we went back up with the elevator.

Faba was waiting for us upstairs with a few grunts and more of his own pokemon. Through the power of friendship and a gun I found overleveling, we got by with no problems. Hau was even able to trick Faba into conforming where Lillie and Lusamine where. How do you get duped by fricking Hau? Anyways, Faba handed over the keys to Lusamine's location.

Once we got there, Team Skull grunts were scattered around the place. Turns out that Team Skull and the Aether Foundation were working together! But why? Heck if I know. Gladion rushed right by all the grunts to fight Guzma, leaving me to fight them. It was an easy sweep for three of them, and the last one just let me through. When I arrived, it turns out Guzma and Gladion fought, with Guzma coming out on top. Guzma is acting as Lusamine's bodyguard. He challenges us to another battle, and I accept.

Vs: Team Skull Leader Guzma

Guzma leads with Golisopod, and I lead with NES. One Discharge is enough once again.

Next is Pinsir. I'm playing it a bit safer and sent out Bwark. Pinsir missed a Stone Edge (Thank Arceus), and was knocked out by a Choice Specs Boosted Moonblast.

Next was Vikavolt. I sent out Draco for this. I taught him Rock Slide just before this fight. You can guess what happens next. Yup, easy 2-Hit KO.

Finally was Masquerain. Once again, Micky was able to knock it out in one clean Rock Slide, despite the Intimidate. It was an easier win then before, but I'm glad that Pinsir missed the Stone Edge.

hey, guess what?

DRACO REACHED LEVEL 50! Yup, it's evolution time! Enter: Draco, the Salamence!

I entered Lusamine’s Mansion, and the first thing I spot was the Ultra Recon Duo. One of them challenged me to a battle in order to defend Lusamine, but lost to Godzilla. I entered Lusamine’s room, and found Lusamine emotionally harming Lillie, breaking her down. Fortunately, I got there just in time to stop her. She started talking about how I’m “Too good for Lillie”. Bull... 

Before I could give her a piece of my mind, she left through a teleporter hidden behind a mirror. I healed up my team a bit, changed some of the items I had on pokemon, and followed her into her trophy room. Everyone else also followed. Me, Hau, Lillie, Gladion, and even Guzma. Lusamine reveals her plan to go into Ultra Space to capture the powerful being of light, Necrozma. Lillie and Glaion verbally show their concern for their mother, but Lusamine isn’t having any of it. She challenged me to a fight in order to prove that she’s strong enough to defend herself. I accept, and we start to fight.

Vs: Aether President Lusamine.

She leads of with a Clefable, and I sent out Godzilla. Clefable used Charm, I used Bulldoze. I knew Godzilla could take a few hits, but I knew that it couldn’t knock out Clefable on it’s own. After one more Charm and Bulldoze to lower Clefable’s speed, I switched out Godzilla for NES. At the same time, Lusamine switched out Clefable for Lilligant. Lilligant was faster than NES and used Teeter Dance, confusing NES. Fortunately, NES was able to paralyze it with Thunder Wave. I switched out NES for the newly evolved Draco afterwards, but Lilligant confused them too. After one confusion check, I was able to get a Supersonic Skystrike off, knocking out Lilligant. One down, four to go.

Next up was Clefable (again), and I sent out NES. I outspeed and land a Flash Cannon, but it’s not enough. Good thing is that Clefable goes for Moonblast, and It’s not even close to being enough. A second Flash Cannon is enough to KO Clefable. Two down, three more left.

Up next on the chopping block battlefield was Bewear. Oh, poor Bewear. I sent out Bwark to deal with them. I outspeed Beware and OH-KO it with Moonblast. Two left to deal with. 

Next was Lopunny. Honestly, I feel a little bad for sending Chad out to fight it. It was able to get one Fire Punch off (Probably trying to burn me), but failed and got Knocked Out by Cross Chop.

To end it off is Milotic. It’s able to outspeed me, and you know what it goes for? Dragon Pulse. Not once, but TWICE. Milotic, I love you. I really do, but you’ve got such a dumb trainer. Anyways, I was able to knock out Milotic with two Discharges from NES. I have emerged victorious, with no new casualties as of right now. 

After losing, she admits defeat, but continues with her plans anyways. She orders Guzma to follow her, and he DOES. She activates a machine that puts Cosmog under heavy stress, opening an Ultra Wormhole. Cosmog refuses to cooperate, so Lusamine just amplifies the stress, like the monster she is. Eventually, a semi-stable Wormhole opens up, and Lusamine just hops right in, like a madwoman. And of course, Guzma follows right behind her. 

We approach the container that holds Nebby and free them. The problem: Nebby doesn’t look the same. It looks smaller, and it’s no longer moving. We put it into a bag and go back to the main room. After the whole Aether Incident, we decide to take a nap on the beds available. I sure hope nothing bad happens the next day.

[lilyswrittenworks]

Opposites Attract| Guzma Love Story

VII| Ghost Trail and a New Addition to the Team

    The journey to Acerolas trial sight was a long way. Running into Trainers can be quite exhausting after awhile. Along the way, she ran into Hapu and her trusty Mudsdale. She handed her a Mudsdale Pager as a Thank you gift from when she was back in Akala Island. Yes, when she and Hapu fought against the Team Skull Grunts. Hapu's Mudsdale approached her and gave her a gentle nudge on her cheek. Bethany stroked Mudsdale's muzzle then faced Hapu, thanking her for the pager.

The Mudsdale Pager came in handy, after going through the many rocky slopes up to the mountain. This meant that she would avoid the majority of Trainers and took a well-needed stop to feed her team some Poké beans: Brionne (female), Mudsdale (male), Salazzle (female), Wimpod (male), and Tsareena (female). They were all relieved to be out of their Poké Balls for awhile and spend some quality time with their Trainer.

Bethany continued her trek up the mountain, riding on the Mudsdale Pager. Since Wimpod is barely out of its Poké ball, she decided to keep him out for the time being. Wimpod was having a blast, letting out a happy chitter.

She finally reached up to Route 13. As she walked, Hau came sprinting pass her. He startled her so bad that all the color of her face drained, and her pale skin became even paler! The energetic boy apologized but she only waved him off and telling him it was all right. He soon talked about Sophocles trial about how he might've gotten stronger. Hau then mentioned how she passed the trial with ease and gave her a Max Potion.

Suddenly, Gladion spoke which was directed at Hau about how he never keeps his mouth shut. Well, that's not exactly what he said but you get the idea. He tells them about Team Skull searching for a Pokémon called Cosmog and asking if they knew anything. Hau was quick to deny it, yet somehow Gladion knew; stating that Cosmog isn't a strong Pokémon, to begin with, but has the capability to summon a Pokémon so strong it's terrifying. She was confused when hearing him say: "If something like that happened, it would be a disaster for Alola..."

She promised him that they will do whatever it takes to protect Cosmog even though she was a little lost. He said nothing and walked away, yet she could've sworn her mumbled something about how he didn't understand how they found out about Cosmog. Hau questioned Gladion but didn't receive an answer and expressed his concern about Cosmog and Lillie's well being.

                                                   ******

A downpour came down at the Tapu village. It's a good thing she brought an umbrella! She met up with Hau at the PMC (Pokémon Center), offering him to come with her and to avoid getting soaked from head to toe. He then began to express his excitement about the Pokémon League.

During his rambling, Phyco and Soliera appeared talking about the village where The Blinding One, Necrozma, battled the islands deities. Telling them about their stories of their ancestors abusing Necrozma, in its fury took their light away from their world and how it is contained for now. They even asked them if they had learned anything new that might help them later on.

After that, Both Hau and Bethany now made their way towards the Aether House on Route 15. Entering the Aether House, they were greeted by two young children and their Yungoos, itching for a Battle and to protect their home while Acerola was away. They battled the young kids and won.

The young boy looked up at her. "I tried really hard! I am a kid, you know!" she smiled down at the boy.

"You did great! I'm really impressed." This caused the young boy to perk up.

"Phew... so I won, yeah? Then why's this little fellow still gnawing on me?" Hau glanced over to Bethany with a desperate look on his face. He was mouthing his words, asking for her help but she only waved him off.

Acerola then came in and made sure her presence was known by a sing-song voice. "I'm ba-a-ack, everybody! ~" Her right hand hovering over her mouth. "Ha Ha Ha! Looks like I finished up my shopping spree right on time! You've already met everyone?"

Bethany smiled; a tiny sweatdrop appeared on the side of her head while Hau responded with a shrug.

"Oh yeah, we met them all right... In battle anyway." Hau said. "But... Hey, where's Lillie?"

"I left her with Hapu. They should be here soon." Acerola said, walking pass Bethany before turning around. "So why don't we get those trials done first? You did know I'm the captain, right?"

Hau was certainly taken back by this, but not her. Bethany approached Acerola asking her where the trial will be and told her it will be at the abandoned supermarket. She nods and turns to Hau, bidding him farewell for now, and then exited the building. She didn't expect to see Lillie standing outside and was shooing off a Team Skull grunt, who claimed to take whatever was in her bag.

Bethany dashed down the set of stairs and was now standing in-between them. She waved off the grunt telling him to kindly leave but he just couldn't take no for an answer. He challenged her to a Battle to which he lost and ran off.

Lillie thanked her and told her how the whole incident happened after Nebby tried to come out of its bag. Bethany laughed as Nebby poked its head out of the bag. Lillie zipped the bag shut and proceeded to give her five Luxury Balls, stating that she had bought them without thinking.

Acerola came running down the stairs and offered Lillie to rest at the Aether House, the blonde was very thankful for this. The purple haired girl ran a couple feet away before turning around; telling Bethany to follow her towards the trial site then sprinted off.

                                             ******

She now stood before the abandoned supermarket, just the air around the place felt eerie. Wimpod was trembling; she could literally feel her shoulder shaking as well. She comforted him in every way she could.

Acerola, who had been standing right before her, guided her up the steps and proceeded to explain what kind of trial it is. Inside the building is filled with many Ghost-type Pokémon, which was quite obvious but she kept it to herself. Acerola then asks her to investigate the abandoned site, using her Poké Finder to take photos of the Ghost-type Pokémon making mischief inside. Plus, she has to take a photo of the Totem Pokémon who happens to be a trickster and loves to play hide-and-seek... and mess around... grea-a-at.

Once she stepped inside the building and all kinds of paranormal activity happened. The conveyor belt turning on by itself when it's clear that there it doesn't have any signs of electricity in the building, and a Pikachu running away from her. A shopping cart shaking violently on its own, seeing the same Pikachu running across the collapsed shelves, and levitating stuffed Pokémon. At some point, Wimpod hid inside her small, but roomy backpack not wanting to see any further of the building.

She turned managing to catch a glimpse of the Pikachu running into a back room. But as she approached the door Acerola appeared staring blankly at the door before her.

"...Who are you?" Acerola asked

.

Bethany looked over her shoulder then back to Acerola... or is she? "Um... Acerola?"

She shook her head. "Oh... Never mind that." Something is not right here.

"Looks like you're done with the trial, right? We should hurry up and leave this place." Yeah, something is definitely not right here.

"I'm not done yet, you of all people should know that." Bethany affirmed, but this 'Acerola' was not having it.

"This place is dangerous. You should give up on your trial and get out."

"I'm not leaving."

"I told you to get out."

"No."

"Get out."

"No!" Bethany yelled at the fake Acerola who then lost it.

"Get out. Get out! Get OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!!!"

Ohh, light bulb! Bethany took out her Rotom and asked it to take a photo of the fake Acerola -- *SNAP* -- The apparition disappeared from where it once stood.

A relieving sigh escaped her lips but right as she did that the lock on the door clicked open. This made her jump back from fright, and her Rotom was kind enough to snap a photo of that moment. She gave it a glare before it disappeared inside her backpack.

Bethany walked over to the door and opened it, stepping into a narrow room filled with drawings, posters, and pictures on the walls. She couldn't get this shaky feeling off and felt that someone or something was watching her. A pair of eyes sizing her up from somewhere, suddenly her Poké Finder fired up all on its own.

All right, this is giving her the heebie-jeebies.

She looked around the room through the Poké Finder, curiously inspecting the photos on the wall. There was one thing that they all had in common, it was all Pikachu related. She just pictured herself in one of those tense and nerve-wracking moments that happen in like... every horror movie ever with the eerie soundtrack playing in the background.

There was a sound echoing throughout the small room she was in and she was certain that it belonged to a Pokémon. This is the part she hates the most in horror films when they slowly turn around and find something horrific... or their untimely and unexpected death. Well, she did just that. Slowly turning around to face the door, but there was nothing there. That was until she heard the Pokémons cry coming from below.

She looked down and was now staring right at this new Pokémon which in some way resembled a lot like Pikachu. The only difference between this Pokémon was that it had a cloth covering its body with a Pikachu face drawn on it with what appeared to be crayons, along with a fake Pikachu tail.

What... is this really the scary moment she was anticipating? This little cutie is the most adorable thing she had ever laid eyes on! Without any hesitation, she snapped a photo of this cute Pokémon. Its appearance flickered, revealing that it was the random Pikachu she saw earlier.

"Seeeeee meee?!"

                                          ******

She exited the building, a wide smile on her face. Acerola welcomed her back. "All right! Let me check your pictures right away." Her Rotom came out of her bag, hovering in front of Acerola.

"Now let's see how you did..." Acerola inspects the picture and smiled in delight. "Yup! That's Mimikyu all right! It's pretty hard to catch it on film, so this is a really great attempt! Which means..."

Acerola handed Bethany the Ghostium Z, then proceeded to show her the movement. "And since you passed my trial, Bethany, you now have my permission to catch Pokémon in the trial site. So, in that building there. Here you go!" she handed Bethany a couple of Dusk Balls. "It's not a bad idea to have some Ghost-type Pokémon on your team!"

Bethany turned to glance over to the building. "Actually, I've already considered in adding one to my team."

Acerola was delighted to hear this. "Really? That's great!"

"Say, Acerola...?" Acerola hummed. "There was a room in the back of the building, you were there and when I entered the room my Poké Finder started up on its own during my trial."

Acerola perked up at this, and then covered her mouth with her hand. "Oooh, cut it out, Bethany! You're trying to scare me, huh? You'll have to come up with something a bit more believable than that! I was here the whole time, and there's not even a room in the back of that shop, for starters! How gullible do you think I am?"

Bethany looked over to Acerola, noticing her wide expression. "Brrr! I feel like I'm getting chicken skin...Like a chill going through me for some reason..."

Acerola walked away, but Bethany couldn't help but feel like someone had been watching them. A soft creak came from behind, turning her head; she caught a glimpse of a Mimikyu's ear before it retreated back inside. The door to the build was left halfway opened and Bethany made her way inside.

                                 *patter* - - *patter* - - *patter*

She passed the conveyor belt until abruptly stopping where she saw a glimpse of Mimikyu walking behind the fallen boxes before her. Bethany called out its name.

"Mimikyu?" the Pokémon's footsteps stopped, almost like it was surprised to be called by its name.

Walking further down the path and stopping where the stuffed dolls were. She could hear something approach her from behind, turning around she glanced down at Mimikyu. It cried out to her: Mi! Mi! And then it stared steadily at her way.

A smile graced her lips as she gently picked up the Mimikyu in her arms without the slightest hint of fear for it. This caught Mimikyu by total surprise and responded by nuzzling up against her. She let out a soft laugh and watched Mimikyu jump down from her arms as it guided her to the back of the shop. She followed and was once again inside the small room but this time stood two Pokémon: to her left was a Pikachu and on her right was Mimikyu.

'It wants a decision from me?' She mentally said to herself. 'Well, the answer is obvious!'

She chose Mimikyu and it let out a happy cry before disappearing. It left something behind for her, a Mimikium Z. Never had she seen a Z-crystal like this one, it must be extremely rare then. 

Bethany walked out of the room and stood there other a slight frown on her face. Wimpod came out from her backpack nudging her neck in a comforting way. She looked over at him, smiling softly.

                            *Patter* - - *Patter* - - *Patter*

Her mood perked up and then peeks her head out from the corner of the shelves. There stood the same Mimikyu staring up at her expectantly. She walked over to it and crouched down to its eye level, outstretching her hand to it. Mimikyu, curiously, moved closer to her hand then nuzzled on it longingly.

"People are always judging a Pokémon when hearing rumors about them. Not even giving them a second chance to prove themselves that they mean no harm." Bethany smiled warmly. "You're a sweet Pokémon and you deserve to be loved and accepted." she pulled out a Poké Ball from her backpack as it hovered above Mimikyu's head.

"What do you say? Will you be a part of my team, Mimikyu?"

Mimikyu looked like it was on the verge of tears, not sad tears, and happy tears. It moved closer to the Poké ball bumping its head on the button, disappearing inside. There were no shakes like it would normally do, it was an immediate catch.

Deep inside her, she was certain that Mimikyu had already chosen her to be her Trainer when she first stepped into the building. She couldn't have been more grateful.

(2,568 Words)

[the-kawaiifan]

Sun and Moon Prisoner AU

"But it doesn't matter now. ​None ​of that matters now!" Lusamine roared. The mad woman in front of me turned around, walking back to that control panel. It was this moment when I noticed a diamond shaped container, roughly the same size as Lillie's bag, sitting on the floor in a way that defied physics. "I was able to open the Ultra Wormhole using just the gases we'd extracted from Cosmog when it was in Aether Paradise, wasn't I?" she rhetorically asked. My mind immediately flashed back to the last time I was here. Seeing that creature come from the wormhole was an amazing experience. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The fact that that experience only occurred through Nebby's abuse made me feel sick. That feeling of awe and wonder was tainted. ​ ​"Pew!" ​a familiar cry came from that container. Lillie gasped. "But now I have Cosmog itself inside this crate here... If I use its entire body, how many Ultra Wormholes will I be able to open? How many sweet beasts will come to me then?" Lusamine wondered. Shaking her head, Lillie marched forward. ​"Please... Stop... If Nebby isn't- If you use up too much of it's power... you don't understand what will happen!" Lillie stuttered out her plea. ​ "Like when we ran away from the Paradise... it couldn't even move for ages after that..."​ I watched as the girl closed her eyes in recollection, before shaking her head again. "If you use too much of it's power, it will die!" she screeched, trying to get through to her. "Please, Lusamine! Listen to her!" I pitched in. "You don't have to do this!" ​ Our pleas only fell on deaf ears. Lusamine picked up the crate, a wicked smile present on her face. She raised the case into the air tauntingly. She has won. And she knows it. "Watch..." she instructed. ​ I don't know what came over me. Normally when difficult things happen, I just try to smile through it. That's what Dad always told me. Keep a positive attitude, and everything will be fine. ​This wasn't fine. I couldn't just stand there and smile. There was no way I was going to watch. ​ I sprung forward, unable to contain my fury any longer. Blood roaring, heart pumping, adrenaline rushing, sitting still was practically impossible for me. With a loud thud, I tackled Lusamine to the ground. Everyone gasped at my actions, Nebby's crate plunking onto the floor. ​ "You little-" ​"I got her down! Grab Nebby and run!" I instructed, trying to my best to keep the flailing woman pinned. ​"B-but -" "I said ​run​!" there was no room for protest. ​ Understanding the situation, everyone complied. Lillie snatched up Nebby, while Hau and Gladion escorted her. They'd fight off waves of grunts and employees, trying to escape the paradise safely. I watched as they disappeared through the teleporter. One by one they left, blinking away from this room. Lillie paused, looking back at me. The two of us made eye contact, and for a moment time seemed to stop. ​ There was no time for such romantic tension though. Lillie too teleported away, leaving me behind.

"You little twerp!" "Yeah! Take that!" "This is what you get for fuckin' with Team Skull, yo!"

Many trials worth of anger and frustration were channeled into this beating. Kicks pounded into me again and again, and all I could do was curl up in a fetal position. "Alright, alright, that will be enough" a voice cut through the crowd. The grunts backed off immediately, satisfied with their revenge. I uncurled, breathing nothing but ragged breaths. I've tried to fight them off. I've tried to escape this place myself. Simply put, my Pokémon couldn't keep up. Two entire organizations against one measly little trial goer? Turns out potions and revives can only get me so far.

I tried to get back up, to keep on fighting. My body was covered in bruises, and everything hurt. I didn't get far, two grunts already subduing me. They held onto my arms, holding me back. I was much too weak to fight. My head drooped down, defeated. Somehow through the blood pumping in my ears, I could hear the sound of clicking heels. Lusamine grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at her.

"I hope you're happy now, you little brat" she glared menacingly into my swollen eyes. "Thanks to you, Cosmog got away. I got no beast, and everything is ruined" she hissed out accusation after accusation. "Y-you were gonna kill Nebby" I quivered out through fat lips. "You were gonna let the beasts wreak havoc on all of Alola!" "Congratulations. I hope you feel like a hero" she shut me down. "You disgust me" Lusamine roughly threw me down, walking away.

"What should we do with em?" "Guzma. Quiet that child for me" Lusamine spat. "Take them somewhere I never have to see them again"

I sat alone in my cell, with nothing but glaring white walls to keep me company. My body ached from earlier violence. My heart ached at the bigger tragedy. I saved Nebby's life. I prevented the Ultra Beasts from causing destruction across Alola. I brought an end to the plans of one psychotic bitch. I was a hero.​ An unsung one, but still a hero. I should be ecstatic. Proud even.

But now I'm a prisoner to the enemy. I'll probably never see my friends again. I'll never get to see Mom neglecting to unpack the boxes. I won't be collecting beans with Mohn ever again. They confiscated my pokémon, so I may never see them again. Who knows what they'll do to them. I'll never get to hear any of Rotom's little quips anymore. I'll never get to challenge another trial again, or challenge that League Kukui is setting up. No more battling with Gladion, no more errands for Kukui, no more eating malasadas with Hau, no more shoving Nebby back into a bag, none of that. It's over. I'll never even get to tell Lillie how I feel. I may have won this battle, but I just lost a lot.

[mortivern]

Holy fuck. I don’t even know where to start.

Well, first of all, we’re okay. Neither of us are hurt, so there’s at least that going for us. But otherwise…what the fuck.

Early the next morning we took a Charizard Glide back to Malie City, grabbed some coffee, fruit, and breakfast sandwiches at some place called Bewear Boba before heading over to the pier. Gladion and Hau were both waiting at the dock, ready to board the Aether-emblazoned boat, but before we could board Nanu called out after us, saying that we couldn’t consider Ula’ula “complete” without battling him, the grand Kahuna. I looked around and asked….here? Now? To which he just shrugged and said “I doubt you’re coming back after anyway, so…yeah.”

It was a tough battle for me—those fucking Alola Persians and their thick fur make them a REAL pain to take down, especially with a mostly physically-oriented team like mine. Tesla was the one who ended up FINALLY taking down that purple cat with a powerful Thunder. Vera and I were both given Darkinium Z. Vera didn’t even ask why she was being given this Z-Crystal without having to battle him, so I did instead. Nanu shrugged again and said “You beat me and I think she could beat you. Plus, I don’t want to battle again. Have fun at Aether, or whatever.” Charming guy.

Gladion was quiet the whole way over. I kept asking him exactly who he was involved with, and how he knew both Aether and Skull, and how he knew Lillie, but he doggedly ignored me. Vera was pretty quiet, too. Seemed pensive. Staring out the window. Only Hau was talking, babbling like a fountain. He was trying to play it off like he wasn’t nervous at all, but I could hear the strained laughter and see his hands fidgeting and shaking. Mine were, too.

Once we arrived, we were greeted by Faba and a team of Aether scientists, who all said that it didn’t matter if we were here, we’d never make it through to the President anyway, that there were already “plans in action that we were powerless to stop,” etc etc. All these big words coming from someone who’s so easy to push over in battle! As a “courtesy” to us, Faba unlocked the elevator, which was SUPPOSED to go to the top floor but instead led us to the basement. We split up and poked around the different research rooms, hoping to find some information on Nebby/Cosmog and what they were planning to do with it. The room I was in contained information on a prototype they were working on called “Type: Full,” which was intended to serve as a Beast killer with a plate system similar to the one Arceus uses. But apparently the three prototypes went berserk and had to have a mask put on them to nullify their powers. They were renamed “Type: Null” and cryogenically frozen. How in the fuck did Gladion have one of these Type: Null creatures?

I scoured the rest of the room, but it was just filled with case studies and notes on Type: Null. I eventually left, but I was filled with a burning curiosity as to where the other two Type: Null were. I hated to think of them frozen. But then again, was it better to have them out with someone like Gladion, who just pushes it to fight constantly? I don’t know. I hoped they were okay, wherever they were.

Turns out Vera found the information that we needed to know about Cosmog: it has the ability to open wormholes to another dimension. That’s when the research I read on Type: Null made sense. Aether was deliberately trying to capture these Ultra Beasts that people keep talking about. To what end I’m not entirely sure, but I didn’t trust that it was for any good reason. This whole Aether Paradise was probably just a front.

We were ambushed by scientists on our way back to the elevator. When we finally reached it, Wicke was waiting for us. She greeted Hau, Vera, and I warmly, but was especially kindly with “young Master Gladion,” who for once wasn’t scowling. She used her ID to badge us up to the top floor of the foundation. Before I left, she grabbed my arm and asked me to look after Gladion, that what we were about to encounter wasn’t going to be easy for him. May I remind you that at this point NOBODY has told me anything about what’s going on with Gladion, and I’m starting to get tired of it.

A tall, sterile building stood before us; we had to battle our way through Skull grunts and Guzma to get in. This bug dude just does not know when to quit. As we went to open the door he shoved Gladion, asking him if he was ready to face his mom and sister after a few years apart. Wouldn’t you know it! Lusamine is his mom and Lillie is his sister. I looked over at Vera, who in turn just rolled her eyes and shook her head and mouthed “I know.” Gladion had his fists up, shaking all over with anger, ready to beat down on Guzma. I put a hand on his shoulder and led him inside with us.

You remember those total weird beards that I keep running into? The Ultra Recon Squad? These fashion space bitches? I shouldn’t say bitches, they’re actually pretty nice. But they were there, and they were super upset that they’d been double-crossed by Lusamine, who had recruited them under the premise that they’d be helping protect the Ultra Beasts. They challenged me again with their Poipole, just to make sure that I was prepared to take on Lusamine. I won and we pressed on to Lusamine’s laboratory.

The first things you see when you walk into this lab are the Pokemon suspended in ice, cryogenically preserved. The rest of the room is harsh and sterile, just aggressively white and clean. Lusamine was standing with Lillie and Nebby in the center of the room. Lillie was desperately pleading with her mother to leave Nebby alone, that it would expend all its energy, perhaps fatally, if she were to use its power in the state it’s in. Lusamine paid no heed, and said that since her own rotten children did not love her that she would lavish her love upon these Ultra Beasts instead. Yikes! She then turned her gaze on me and said, “And you? What would your mother think about you interfering in family business like this?” And I was suddenly unaware if she knew about who Mom was specifically (very possible, Mom’s a well-known businesswoman) or if she was just referring to my mom, generally speaking. I didn’t care. Hau pulled Lillie off to the side as Lusamine and I squared off in battle.

She was a tough fight, but not anywhere close enough to beat my amazing team. I reached over to pick up the bag holding Nebby, but this bitch steps on my hand, then kicks it away! Takes the bag, shakes it until a wormhole opens up behind her. Yells something about how they’ll miss her once she’s gone, once they can’t feel her love…something to that extent. Jumped in the wormhole and disappeared from sight. Before it closed, Guzma leapt through after her. The wormhole collapsed on itself behind them and suddenly the room was eerily still, except for the humming of the cryogenic machines. Lillie ran over to the bag and unzipped it; Nebby was in a catatonic state, completely unresponsive. She put it back in the bag and held it close.

Lillie and Gladion regarded each other wordlessly before they hugged. He said that we were welcome to stay for a night or two to recover. The Ultra Recon Squad greeted us back in the main building, where they said that in order to find Lusamine and stop Necrozma that we’d need to head over to the Altar of the Moone over on Poni Island and summon one of the legendary Pokemon. I thanked Gladion for his hospitality, took my room key, and as soon as I was alone took the longest, hottest shower that I could. This all felt super unreal. A few weeks ago I was getting drunk at a hotel, and not to sound to trite about it, didn’t have a care in the world! Now it was beginning to feel more and more like the weight of the world was resting on my shoulders.

A few hours later and I was drinking from the mini bar in the room, watching a Johto sitcom that Dad sometimes watches when he’s cooking, when I heard a knock on my door. It was Vera, freshly showered, looking so sad and tired! I invited her in. I made her a Pinap cocktail and flopped back onto the bed. We talked about what had happened today, whether or not we were willing to traverse different dimensions to chase after a terrible mom and the grown man she adopted as her child (very tentative yeses from both of us), what the next steps were. Poni Island seemed inevitable, even if we were just going there to finish our Island Challenges. We agreed that we were in no rush to find Lusamine, but that the threat of Necrozma emerging from a wormhole and…eating the sun? Stealing the light? Was a pressing issue we could not avoid.

I kinda miss my job. Or more accurately, I miss doing work. I don’t think I’m built entirely for leisure like this. I need to be active, be doing something. I think I’ll start to look for jobs next week. You know! If the world as we know it doesn’t come to an end. I should be asleep right now. Vera’s totally conked out in the bed next to me. She came to just lie down for “just a little bit” before she headed back to her room, but once she laid down she said that it felt strange to be in such a quiet and empty room, that she was used to sharing a bed with Leon and sometimes Julian and sometimes that stupid Rockruff, Biscuit. I for one am still super uncomfortable about the thought of Leon sharing a bed with my sister, but that’s not a Here And Now problem and besides, I kind of like having her here, too. Nice to not feel so alone. Guess it’s time to turn off the TV and try to sleep, too. If! My thoughts can turn off long enough for me to do that!

[retrorendum-blog]

Pokemon Sun and Moon - Review

Pokémon is a franchise that's been in my life for pretty much as long as I can remember. Pokémon Pearl was my very first real video game, (so yes I'm a Sinnoh baby) and since then I've purchased nearly every new main series game on/ near launch day, or eventually buying them later.  The existence and names of the Gen 7 games were leaked by a German copyright website the day before they were officially announced, but how Nintendo and Game Freak released new info on the games in the following months really pumped my hype levels nearly to higher than they've ever been. It's the 20th anniversary of Pokémon as a franchise, so let's see if the newest games hold up to the impossible standards of quality for this immensely popular series.

Title: Pokémon Moon

Available On: Nintendo 2DS, Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS

Reviewed On: Nintendo 2DS

Info: Game Freak, 2016

WARNING MINOR SPOILERS FOR POKÈMON SUN AND MOON

Story: The tale of a new Pokémon trainer is one that hasn't developed very much over the years, and it doesn't deviate a ton in 2016's iteration. You're the new kid on the block, arriving to a new region with your mom, at the perfect age to begin your journey as a Pokémon master. Meet the professor and his assistant, choose your starter Pokémon, battle your rival, and get ready to catch em' all. This time however, it's a little different. The game opens to a fully rendered 3D cutscene of a young girl with a bag running for her life through a pristine, sterilized compound while being chased by men in white suits. She gets cornered eventually, and when all hope seems lost, her bag begins to glow and she disappears in a flash of colorful light. After an introduction to the regional Professor Kukui, and the Kahuna of Melemele island Hala, you find yourself on the edge of a ravine with a bridge, standing near the young girl from the earlier cutscene. Her bag begins to rustle, and out jumps a small purple Pokémon named Cosmog. Cosmog, or "Nebby" as the girl calls it, floats out onto the bridge, and proceeds to be attacked by a small band of Spearow. You, being the hero you are, dash out onto the bridge to protect Cosmog from harm. As you're covering Cosmog, it begins to glow like it did in the opening cutscene, and it explodes in a bang of light. The explosion destroys the bridge beneath you, and the two of you plummet into the dark recesses of the ravine, supposedly to your deaths. Right before you hit the ground, a yellow streak appears and whisks you up to safety. The yellow streak turns out to be the legendary Pokémon Tapu Koko, the guardian of Melemele island. It flies away before you can react, leaving behind a magical stone for you to keep. The girl helps you up and introduces herself as Lillie, Professor Kukui's strange assistant. This chain of events sets you on your course to completing the Island challenge; a child's right of passage in the Alola region, and thus you begin your journey. The story in Gen 7 scratched that slightly deeper Pokemon lore itch that I’d been craving ever since I played Pokemon Pearl a decade ago, and left me craving more. Story gets a 10/10

Visuals/ Music: Pokémon Sun and Moon are the best looking and sounding entries in the main series franchise to date, and they push the limitations of the 3DS's hardware to it's very limits. This push becomes obvious when you enter a double battle, where the DS framerate slows to a crawl every few seconds. The most impressive aspect of the visuals in the game are the aforementioned 3D cutscenes, which happen every once in a while as you progress through the story. While the constant switching between classic gameplay and unskippable story sequences may get frustrating for some who are just there to catch Pokémon and battle, I found it to be a refreshing change of pace in the games, because lore and plot have always been some of my favorite parts of video games. The cutscenes are detailed eye-candy, and each one contains people and Pokémon acting as though they were in a movie. The sound design is top-notch as well, each route and town has it's own catchy and recognizable tunes, and occasionally you hear old classic songs from earlier games remixed for a quick burst of nostalgia. The songs are all well mixed as well, with guitars, flutes, and base drums all coming together to create the soundtrack. I don't think people will be talking about the soundtrack much in the future, at least not compared to the god’s breath that is Kanto, Johto and Sinnoh soundtracks, but we can enjoy it for what it is now. The visuals and music in Sun and Moon get an 9/10

Gameplay: Pokémon's gameplay is tried and true, whittle down the opponents health in turn based combat and capture and level your monsters to become the very best like no one ever was, and all of that is in Sun and Moon as well. There are just under 100 new creatures to catpure, battle, and bond with, and with a national dex 300 strong, the wide variation in Pokémon is apparent from the very beginning. There are also two new types of Pokémon, Ultra Beasts and Alolan Variants. Ultra Beasts are Pokémon from another dimension, and are extremely tough in battle. Alolan Variants feed into the nostalgia the game creates by taking Pokémon from the original 151 in Red and Green, and giving them a new look, new typings, and new abilities. The object of the game is to complete your island challenge, and take on each Trial and their subsequent Trial Captains. The Trials are Sun and Moon's replacement for the classic Pokémon Gym system, and is a welcome breath of fresh air to veterans and a neat way to bring in newcomers. Each trial is extremely different, from finding ingredients to playing spot the difference in the dancing Pokémon, and as you play you don't know what to expect next. The trials themselves are pretty simple to complete, some of them are honestly childish, and I wish they could've been harder, but the real challenge comes right after you complete the trial. At the end of every trial is a Totem Pokémon, a larger more powerful version of an already strong monster who has the ability to call upon allies in battle. These battles can be extremely tough if you don't come prepared for them, so expect to black out a few times before actually moving on in the story. Pokémon Sun and Moon also implement some new gameplay mechanics as well. Pokémon refresh is a mode where you can feed, clean, and pet your Pokémon to bond with them, Poké Pelago is a set of islands each with their own helpful services, and the Festival Plaza is a place where you can meet and interact with the people you have street passed with. Pokémon Sun and Moon also get rid of the archaic and obnoxious HM system, instead using Poké Rides where you can surf on a Lapras, fly on a Charizard, or gallop on a Mudsdale. These games are much more difficult than in past installments, as each trainer uses their own fighting techniques and wild Pokémon can now call for help when they are in danger. All these new gameplay mechanics may not seem like very much to the average gamer or one who hasn’t played much Pokemon, but to hardcore fans like myself, it’s a pleasant surprise that really broke up the formula just enough to feel new, while still retaining the classic Pokemon feel. Sun and Moon’s gameplay gets a 10/10.

Verdict: Pokémon Sun and Moon are the breath of fresh air the franchise has been in desperate need for for years. Delivering a story unparalleled by any in the series, brand new gameplay mechanics and stunning graphics and music, Sun and Moon have the strong potential to become the new best in the Pokémon world. Having been the most preordered game in Nintendo's history and selling over 10 Million copies in 2 weeks following the launch, the games are already becoming classics. They've already become some of my favorite games of all time, I've logged 110 hours on my copy of Pokémon Moon and captured all 300 Pokémon available in the Alola dex, and it's only been a month since release. The game suffers from serious framerate drops in some places and it might not have much in the way of postgame content, but overall Pokémon Sun and Moon are my personal favorite games in the Pokémon series, and are strongly deserving of a 9.5/10.

[refractment]

Baby is sleeping.

[refractment]

“Pew?”

It’s waving around a stick of dynamite.

[refractment]

^The dad.

^The mom.

^The child.

[refractment]

@kcrtanaled​ liked for cosmog

“Peeeeeew!” They somehow teleported inside a beach ball. The ball rolled around a straight stretch of Route 2.

[refractment]

@ask-team-searchlights​ liked for cosmog

The outskirts of this town looked gloomy to Cosmog. They look for colorful fruit and berry bushes but saw nothing. Clearly, they had to remedy this situation.

“Pew pewpew pew!” Twirling their pom-poms around, they generated a wormhole. And out of the portal came a load of... durians. The spiky fruit fell to the ground and rolled down the hill.

[refractment]

@illusionar-pantomime​ X

Cosmog floats toward the tiny fox’s damp head. They poke it with a pom-pom. A damp squelch sounds.

“Pew!” They continue to poke.

[refractment]

“Why have a bunch of dumb puppies awkwardly call you a father when you can actually have a child and love them instead?”

“Pew!”

[refractment]

Since it's a day of SIN, Suzy is going to say the fuck word out loud. Will Sammy join in or be a good kid?

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Good going, Suzy. You dropped an F-bomb in front of a baby and made them cry.

“Who hurt my baby?”

... and now the mom is here...