#orange champions league ball

[thequattlebaumstore]

The Evolution and Impact of the American Soccer Ball

The American soccer ball has come a long way since its early days, evolving from traditional leather to high-tech, smart, and sustainable versions. These advancements have not only improved the quality of the game but also made soccer more accessible and enjoyable to millions of players across the United States.

[mead-iocre]

Free Kick | Alexia Putellas x Reader

synopsis: you help alexia practice her free kicks

warnings: none

wc: 2.3k words

The sun hung low, casting a warm, golden hue over the pitch. The air was filled with the strong smell of freshly cut grass, the aroma so strong it nearly stung your nose but you were used to it. The goal stood lone— silent and imposing— the net hanging still. 

You cast your eyes over to your girlfriend in her natural habitat. You still weren’t used to seeing this side to her. Alexia Putellas, the footballer. La Reina. Champions League Champion, Balloon d’Or winner, the list goes on. But to you, she was just Alexia. The woman you kissed goodnight, and woke up beside the next morning. The woman who would stop in the middle of the street to bend down and tie your shoelaces for you. The same woman, who after a long day of practice, would never forget to stop by your favourite bakery to bring you a box of freshly made Ensaimadas. 

So seeing this side of her still stunned you sometimes. You watched as the Barcelona captain stepped back a few paces, her bright orange cleats pressing lightly into the grass. She rolled her shoulders back, shaking off any tension, and stared straight at the goal. She once told you that whenever she was practicing her free kicks, she would picture an imaginary wall of defenders– never letting herself work with an empty net. She would tell you that in real matches, players rarely get a shot at a free net so they should not get used to training with one. 

With a nod to herself and a quick deep breath, you watched on as she began her run-up. Her steps were measured and deliberate, graceful and agile. As she reached the spot, her non-kicking foot planted firmly on the turf, she swung her right leg in a powerful arc. The impact was solid, a satisfying thud that sent the ball soaring over the space in place of defenders. Hazel eyes followed its flight, watching as it curved gracefully, spinning toward the top corner of the net. The ball brushed the inside of the post and hit the back of the netting with a satisfying swish. You could imagine how addicting it must be as a football player, seeing your shots kiss the back of the net– like a sort of dopamine release every time they score goals. 

It was a good goal, impressive even, but your girlfriend was far from done. 

You’ve been sitting there for some time. For a while, you were content to fiddle with your phone. However, it’s been close to two hours and your girlfriend did not look like she was finished any time soon. You were, quite frankly, getting bored. Standing up and dusting yourself off of any remnants of turf, you walk towards where the midfielder was chugging a bottle of water. 

“Hey baby,” You hand her a towel, noticing just how sweaty she was up close. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, a few loose strands sticking against her damp forehead. Her tan skin shiny with perspiration, glistening under the bright sun. Her cheeks flushed red, droplets of sweat ran down her temples. 

But she gives you a sweet smile anyway. 

“Todo bien?” Alexia asks you as she accepts the towel, one hand coming up to squeeze your hip in thanks.

You hum in reply, taking the time to admire her while she’s preoccupied with the towel. “Pero soy aburrido” 

Alexia laughs lightly, the towel over her mouth. She’s been teaching you little bits of Spanish and you’ve been picking up on it fairly well— most of the time. She has the sudden urge to love on you. Her hand comes up to squeeze your cheeks together until your lips form a pout. She kisses your lips once, and then again, her lips curved up against yours. 

“estoy aburrido, amour”, She corrects gently, looking at you with warm, affectionate eyes. You love the way her eyes light up every time you put your Spanish learning to use. 

“Ahh si. Estoy aburrido” 

You don’t notice the way she observes you quietly as you mumble the Spanish word a few more times to yourself. That familiar concentrated expression on your face, the scrunch of your eyebrows and the slight tilt of your head, as if you’re trying to tuck away the new word in your brain for later. Alexia loves that you are so eager to learn her language. It’s just one of the many, many things she loves about you. 

“Hace mucho calor. You can wait inside if it’s too hot here…”

You shake your head. “The sun is setting soon and besides– maybe I can help you train again?”

Alexia smirks knowing exactly what happened the last time you helped her with her free kicks. But maybe “helped” wasn’t the right word. You didn’t really do much– all you had to do is gather the balls, kick them to her, and gather them again. You would argue your presence was Alexia’s good luck charm, and she probably wouldn’t refute that.

“Vale. How many?”

“Hm,” You tap your finger against you chin, looking deep in thought. Alexia watches you with a small smile on her face, but the smile vanishes the next moment. “score ten and I’ll give you a kiss.”

“joder. Ten?! The last time we did this you only asked for five,” Alexia starts, but you were already walking away and gathering a few balls, taking your position to the side of the goal. 

“Yeah, well I want ten today.” 

Your girlfriend rolls her eyes as walks to take her place by the free kick line– but not before muttering “do you even know how to say ten in Spanish?” under her breath.

She probably didn’t mean for you to hear it, but you did, so you answer her anyway. “Diez.”

Alexia shoots you a look, unimpressed by your sass, but she doesn't try to fight the smile threatening her lips. You flash her a bright smile of your own and signal to her that you were about to start passing her the ball.  

"Vale. Let's start," Positioning a ball by your feet, you wait until she gives you a thumbs up before kicking the ball towards her. She receives it easily; lightly tapping the ball with the outside of her boot, letting it bounce high, before sending it rocketing towards the net.

Alexia turns her head to look at you, one eyebrow raised, a corner of her lips turned up slightly. A quiet victory. She was taunting you almost, an air of confidence in her stance. She was going to score 10 free kicks, and she was going to get that kiss.

1

“See, easy. No idea why you were whining about scoring 10” You clap, pointing at the ball in the net, with another ball posed by your feet.

“I do not whine,” She calls out to you, a slight whine in her tone ironically. “Hurry— I want my kiss”

Being the girlfriend of a footballer meant you were familiar with the basics, thanks to the countless amount of times your girlfriend would beg you to join her for a kick around the park. Memories of her nagging you about your foot placement and techniques ring around in your head as you pass her the next ball.

She scores that one too.

2

Alexia received the next ball from your pass easily, nudging it slightly to the left this time with her foot. She was varying her technique, making small changes to make sure she was ready for whatever position the ball would be coming from. Whenever you would ask about why she would repeat the same drill over and over again, she would tell you that she needed to be versatile, unpredictable. You kick the next ball.

3

The midfielder repeated the same process, focusing on differenting her technique—sometimes curling the ball with the inside of her foot, other times going for a powerful, straight shot. 

Swish 

You kick another ball towards her, using the inside of your foot just like she taught you. 

4

“I’m quite good at this,” You raise your voice slightly from your spot, shielding your eyes from the blazing sun. The wind picks up slightly, the breeze lifting the stray strands of your hair.

It was quiet but you catch it-- your girlfriend's non-committal hum in reply. Her focus right now was solely on the ball. She kicks and this time the ball rocketed off the inside of her right foot. It arched gracefully mid-flight, dipping just in time to kiss the underside of the crossbar before nestling into the back of the net.

5

“I’m a great– what do you call it again– rebounder!” You gleefully kick the next ball towards her. You don’t mean to disrupt her concentration, but you were a yapper by nature.

6

Luckily your girlfriend has enough focus for the both of you.

Alexia signals to you that she’s ready for another ball, her focus on perfecting her technique unwavering, but seems willing enough to entertain your ramblings. “That’s basketball, mi amour. All you’re doing is passing me the ball”

7 

You huff, rolling your eyes. Leave it up to your girlfriend to concern herself about the semantics. “…well, I’m a great passer then”

When you don’t hear a reply you turn your eyes to her, but she is already looking at you. The ball you had just kicked over to her now sitting still beneath her boot. You raise a hand up, shielding your eyes from the glaring sun, squinting at her. She has that soft look on her face, a familiar one that she reserved only for you. She looks at you for a moment, the corners of her lips turned up slightly at the ends, head tilted slightly to the side. Nursing her bottom lip underneath her teeth, she looks as if she is trying to stop herself from saying something. Like a child with a secret they are close to bursting to share. 

“What?” You raise you voice slightly so she can hear you over the distance. 

She raises her head, hazel eyes locked on yours, her smile warm and familiar. “Nada. I just love you.”

“Oh.” 

The words send a wave of warmth through your entire body. Your cheeks flush, and you can feel the corners of your lips stretching into a shy smile. You look down at your old, worn converse shoes. It's these little moments that always catch you off guard, that make you feel like you’re experiencing love for the first time. You once thought love was fleeting, that it comes and goes, but since meeting Alexia you discovered that love was steady– it was constant. But it was also easy. Falling in love with her was the easiest thing you have ever done. Even after a year of dating the Barcelona captain, those words still make your heart swell with a familiar warmth. Those three words have become a daily affirmation, a constant in your life that has never lost its significance. After all this time, hearing "I love you" still makes your chest tighten, but in a way where you can breath easier. It’s not just a declaration anymore; it’s a quiet, steady truth.

“Oh? Que oh” The spaniard raises a perfect eyebrow at you, her tone light and teasing. “I tell you I love you and all you can say is “oh?”

You huff audibly, rolling your eyes at her. You run your hand through your hair, trying to brush away the embarrassment. “You’re only at 7 so far. Apúrate! Or else no kiss”

Alexia shakes her head but goes back to position. She toes the ball carefully, aligning it with the spot where she wanted to take her shot. She kicks.

8

Alexia turns to you, a grin settled on her mouth. She cups her hands around her mouth and shouts. “I’m getting that kiss, amour!” 

You kick another ball towards her, trying to hide the growing smile on your face. This playful side to her was exclusive only to you, a side of her that she kept separate from the footballer persona.

9 

When you kick the final ball towards her, you were panting slightly. But seeing your girlfriend launch the ball into the net was worth the unplanned exercise.

10

The net rippled, shaking with the impact as you watched the ball settle behind the line, your lips break out into a a smile and you excitedly turn to look at Alexia, but she was already making her way towards you.

She moved towards you with deliberate slowness, the soft thump of her boots pressing into the grass was the only sound you could hear. Your pulse quickened, every inch closer making you more aware of the way her eyes never left yours— her hazel eyes darker than usual.

You stood rooted, hands clenching and unclenching by your sides, watching her approach. There was a haughtiness in her demeanour as she moved towards you. Her chest rose and fell slightly, but her focus is unwavering. The space between the two of you shrank until she was just inches away, close enough to feel the warmth of her body, but still holding back.

She stopped in front of you, breath hitching, her lips parted, hazel eyes flicking down to your mouth. You feel her finger slip into the band of your sweatpants, tugging you into her so that there is barely any space between the two of you. Her other hand grips your chin, nudging it upwards until her your breath mingles with hers. She leans in, daring you. "Now give me my kiss, amour."

Without waiting a moment longer, you stand on your tiptoes and close the gap, your hands coming up to cradle her face as your lips crashed into hers.

The kiss was fierce, almost desperate. Her hands slid into your hair as your fingers gripped her red and blue training top. You pull her, moulding your body into hers, completely, wholly, lost in the kiss.

You break away slightly, your eyes inadvertently falling to her bottom lip that was now red and swollen from your kiss. You bite your own lip, loving the slightly dazed look in her eyes. Leaning back into her, you whisper "You better score the next free kick you take" into her smiling lips.

this was inspried by alexia's free kick vs nigeria. hope this was worth the wait <3

・❥・- kisses, butter

*This work is my original creation. Please don’t copy, share, or translate it without asking for my permission first. Thanks for respecting that!

[girlgenius1111]

resistance & persistence

angst, fluff, injury / injury recovery. claudia pina x reader.

R suffers and injury during a game, and struggles in the aftermath to accept help from Claudia.

You knew it was bad the moment you went down; if the pain wasn't enough of an indicator, the crack you heard definitely was. The game had been going well; a champions league group stage game against Benfica at home in Barcelona, that your team was leading by several goals. You might have been about to score again, having just nutmegged a defender. You had one defender left to beat, streaking towards the goal, when she decided to foul you. Instead of just tripping you up, though, she threw a foot out, stomping down on the inside of your ankle, sending it bending the complete wrong way.

You fell hard onto the ground, immediately rolling up into a little ball on your side, grasping at your ankle. You let out a cry of pain that could be heard across the field, and much to your dismay, you could feel tears pricking your eyelids. You kept your face pressed into the grass, it poking harshly against your skin, even as you felt a hand on your back, trying to roll you over.

"Come on chica, let me see," Patri spoke softly, her hand patting your back lightly to prompt you to move. Fighting back a sob, you shook your head into the grass, a few tears escaping.

You'd never felt pain like this before. You played a professional sport, and you were a pretty aggressive player too, not a stranger to injuries. The pain radiating from your ankle was mind numbing, sharp and hot, throbbing under where your hands wrapped tight around it.

A new voice spoke, firmer than Patri's: "Si, y/n, vamos," and Mapi's hands pulled your shoulder, forcing you onto your back. Your eyes were still squeezed shut, and you let out another whimper of pain at the slight movement . Your senses were slowly returning to you as you got used to the pain, and you could hear loud voices arguing with the ref. Cracking your eyes open, you saw Mapi and Patri leaning over you, both looking concerned.

"What hurts? Do you need the physios?" Mapi questioned, and you could only nod your head, looking up at her through tear-blurred vision. Taking a deep breath, you answered her first question.

"Ankle. It's bad," was all you could get out before you clenched your jaw back together, another wave of pain washing over you. Mapi motioned to the sidelines, calling for the physios, before she turned her attention back to you, grabbing one of your hands and holding tightly.

"How bad?" she asked. You opened your mouth to try to speak, but a sob came out before you could stop it, and suddenly you were crying. "Okay, okay, you're alright, everything is gonna be fine." Mapi's voice was soft, and you could hear worry bleeding into her tone. You never cried, and you never stayed down long after a tackle, even if it hurt. For you to still be on the ground, openly crying, and asking for the physios, it was clear that your injury was bad.

You brought a hand up to cover your eyes, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. You tried to control your tears as the physios arrived, taking Mapi's place by your side, forcing you to answer their questions. When they called for the heinous orange stretcher, you felt yourself dissolve into another wave of emotion; not being able to walk off the field meant that this was as bad as it felt, as bad as you thought it would be. As they moved you onto the stretcher, every worst case scenario was flashing across your brain; crutches, months away from the game, surgery, each thought worse than the last.

The medical team lifted you into the air, and you tried to muster a smile to your teammates as they patted your arms while you were walked by them. The stretcher came to a halt, though, before you reached the sidelines, and Alexia's face came into view, her brow furrowed with worry. She must have been able to tell what you were thinking, because she pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, and paired it with a "don't spiral; whatever it is, we've got you." The words of your captain did not really do much to make you feel better, but you appreciated the effort.

You were walked back into the facility, a flurry of activity following you. You felt your mind shut down as the medics worked around you, manipulating your ankle and asking questions. The feelings bubbling up inside of you were too much, so you pushed them down, instead focusing on the pain in your ankle. You were whisked off for an x-ray, which would be the real test as to how bad it was.

-----

You lay with your eyes shut on the exam table, the room empty. 2 and a half months. Maybe 3. The words the doctor had spoken were rattling around inside your brain, and you willed yourself to feel nothing, to be strong. You heard the door open, and someone slip in, and you knew who it would be before you opened your eyes; the one person guaranteed to ruin your perfectly crafted mask of stability, and at the same time, the person whose presence you craved more than anything.

A hand came to lightly cup your cheek, and you opened your eyes to see your favorite striker looking down at you, her usual dimples absent from her face, replaced with a frown of concern.

"Hi, hermosa. How are you feeling?" Claudia questioned, voice dripping with care.

"Hurts." Your response came out choked, and you felt a tear slip down your cheek. Claudia carefully wiped it away, still looking into your eyes, as if she could take your pain away if she only knew the extent of it.

"I'm sorry, amor. Let's get you home, yeah?" You nodded, and allowed her to help you sit up. She helped you strap the boot onto your foot, and she chuckled lightly when you glared at the crutches, instead of taking them from her outstretched hands.

"You want me to ask Ingrid if she'll carry you?" Claudia teased, knowing you would rather crawl to the car than ask someone to carry you. You sighed, taking the crutches from her and standing, already hating the feeling of being so off balance. Claudia pressed a light kiss to your lips, before grabbing both of your bags, which you hadn't noticed her come in with. You headed to the car, and you quietly thanked her for grabbing your stuff, appreciating that she knew you wouldn't want to face the team right now.

You moved slowly, the standing position forcing blood to rush into your foot, and you winced in pain at every movement. Claudia patiently kept pace with you, opening the car door and helping you slide in. She put the crutches in the back, and made sure you were comfortable before climbing into the drivers seat. It was a fairly practiced routine; Claudia had spent a lot of time in a boot and on crutches last season, and now the roles were reversed.

As she drove, she reached over, grabbing one of your hands in hers, and brought it to her lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it. You smiled weakly at her, and she squeezed your hand, keeping a hold of it in her lap. You settled in for the drive, focusing on taking deep breaths. You stared out the window at the pink-orange sunset, and actively worked to shove every single feeling you had down, locking your emotions into a little box. By the time you arrived home with Claudia, you felt numb, completely shut off from your feelings. You knew she could tell, and you knew she was actively trying to think of ways to bring you out of this shell, get you to be vulnerable.

You'd always struggled with showing your emotions, and allowing yourself to properly feel them. It had taken months before you allowed yourself to admit you liked Claudia, and several more months before you let her see you in any state that wasn't happy. Whenever something bad happened, she was forced to watch you retreat back into yourself, your first instinct to hide away any weakness. She hated it, but she knew you were just trying to protect yourself, and she had promised herself a long time ago to never let you push her away.

-----

It had been two weeks, and Claudia was practically bouncing off the walls in frustration. Two weeks of you resisting her help, of answering all her questions with one word answers. Two weeks since she'd since anything but a blank, straight face on you. She knew you were hurting; just like any player, you hated being injured and being forced to sit out. More than that, though, you really struggled with feeling useless. You couldn't DO anything, your broken ankle putting you on crutches for weeks. It was impossible to get around, to do most tasks without help, and you hated, hated, that Claudia had to take care of you. Of course, she didn't care, but her efforts to convince you of this had failed, and she could tell that you spent every waking moment trying to figure out how to be as little trouble as possible.

Claudia noticed the way you leaned into her every touch, even when you told her you could do something by yourself, and the way your hand would reach out to grab hers almost desperately in your sleep, as if afraid she would disappear . The only time Claudia had seen you consciously act like yourself, though, was when she had a nightmare, waking you up with her squirming. You had woken her up, pulling her into your arms and cradling her gently, wiping away her tears and soothing her back to sleep. The next morning, you had asked her if she was okay, and when she said that she was, you had gone back to acting like an emotionless robot.

She'd talked to some of your older teammates, and they'd stopped by, trying to get you to open up. All of them had failed; Lucy and Mapi with jokes, almost doing a standup routine in your living room, before blindsiding you with questions of how you were feeling, really. Ingrid with her sweet, comforting words, trying to melt your frosty exterior with kindess. Even Alexia and Irene's joint tough love approach hadn't worked. They'd all given up and left, but not before making you promise to reach out to them, day or night, if you needed anything.

Claudia was at a loss- she'd truly never seen you like this before, and she was going crazy worrying about you. You should have known, really, that it would only be a matter of time before she snapped.

-----

You were trying to get up off the couch, and get a snack from the kitchen when the tension between the two of you came to a head.

"What do you need? I can grab it for you." Her voice came from the doorway, having heard your clumsy movements.

"I got it," you replied, just as your crutch caught on the edge of the carpet, almost sending you tumbling forward. You caught yourself just in time, as Claudia lurched across the room to help steady you.

"Bebe, just tell me what you need, I'll grab it," she was almost begging at this point, and she could see you getting annoyed.

"I said I got it, Claudia," your tone was harsh, and Claudia felt all sense of restraint leave her body.

"Well, excuse me for trying to help, it seemed like you just almost face planted onto our carpet."

"Jesus, I don't need you hovering over me all the time, I'm FINE." You were almost shouting now, glaring at Claudia. You knew you were being unreasonable, but suddenly you were filled to the brim with anger and annoyance, and it had to go somewhere. Unfortunately, your sweet girlfriend seemed like the only option.

She shouted back. "Fine? You're fine? Fine is completely shutting down and refusing to talk about what you're going through? Fine is pushing yourself so hard on your physical therapy exercises that they had to tell you to take a break before you did more damage? Fine is treating me like you hate me any time I try to help you? Y/n, you are clearly not fine, and I am losing my mind trying to get you to admit it, it's infuriating."

Your reaction to her words was as if she'd hit you, and she realized her mistake a second too late. Your biggest fear was being a burden to her, and she'd just made it sound like you were exactly that. She took in your appearance, your messy ponytail, baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants, and the dark circles under your eyes. Your expression made her heart hurt, one of fear and hurt. She was still angry, though, and she knew if she didn't stop this fight right here, you would lash out at her, and she would do the same.

"Alright, I need some air. I'm gonna go for a drive, maybe stop by Patri's for a bit, and we can talk when I get back," she turned away from you, grabbing her keys, and walking to the door before pausing, and facing you again. You were standing stock still, supported by your crutches, staring at the ground. "Please stay downstairs, and if you need something or something happens, call me. Please." You nodded, in response, avoiding eye contact, and she left the house, closing the door tightly behind her.

You stood in the same spot for a couple minutes, mind racing through the past couple weeks. You hadn't meant to be so distant and cold; you felt so guilty for needing her help with everything, you didn't want to make her deal with you emotions too. More than that, you didn't want to deal with how upset you were; you worried that if you let yourself feel it, it would swallow you whole.

Claudia was the most important thing to you though; more than football, more than anything. You'd give it all up for her, without a second thought. So, you promised yourself you'd try to do better, try to let her in more.

You still wanted a snack, so you headed into the kitchen. You went to open the fridge, but you'd positioned your crutches in the wrong spot, and the fridge door swung open, knocking one of the crutches out from under you. Off balance, you grabbed for the counter, but missed, your other crutch shooting out from it's spot next to you, and you tipped sideways, landing hard on your boot, before ending up sprawled on your back.

You groaned in pain, pounding your fist on the floor in frustration after a minute. Sitting up, you tried to take stock of your injury- it ached, but not to the extent that you were worried you'd made the break worse. You scooted back against the cabinets, and reached for your crutches, before realizing one of them had snapped during the fall. You hand't even know that was possible. You looked around for anything else to help you get off the cold hardwood floors, and found nothing. The counters were too high, one crutch wasn't enough. You were stuck.

Your foot hurt, you were hungry, you couldn't get up, and you just wanted Claudia. Tears welled up in your eyes again, and you didn't know if it was from pain, frustration, or if everything was finally just catching up to you. Taking a deep breath and forcing yourself to think logically, you tried to decide who to call. You knew Claudia had told you to call her, but you couldn't help but think that she deserved a break, and she'd much rather hang out with Patri than come pick you up off the floor.

You were left to decide between Ingrid and Mapi, and Alexia; you knew any of them would drop everything to come help. Although Alexia was fully capable of helping you, and she lived closer than the other girls, you knew she'd call Claudia, and probably drag you off to a doctor to get your ankle checked again. So, with a shaky hand, and the thought that you were incredibly glad you'd had your phone in your pocket, you dialed Mapi's number.

"Hola nena, what's up?" You noted a hint of concern already present in her voice, and you knew it was because you calling her on the phone was not a normal occurrence. You'd text, or facetime, but never call.

"Um... are you and Ingrid around?" You tried to keep your voice steady, but you don't think it worked.

"Si, we're just at home. Why, what's wrong?"

"I um. Fell in the kitchen. And one of my crutches broke, and I can't get up. And Claudia is out and I don't want to bother her. Could you guys come and help me?" You felt your insides twist in embarrassment ; you hated this, hated it more than anything.

"Shit, of course. Are you okay?" She sounded frantic suddenly, and you hated that you'd worried her.

"Yeah, my ankle hurts a bit from how I landed, but I'm fine."

"Good. We're on our way, just hang tight until we get there, vale?" Mapi sounded reassuring, and you let her words wash over you, trying to relax.

"Si, thank you Mapi." Your voice was thick, and you felt yourself losing your tight grip on your mask of stability. You willed yourself to hold it together for a little longer, just until Claudia got home.

Your friends must have broken several traffic laws because they were at your house within 10 minutes when it normally takes 20. They came bursting through the door, rushing into the kitchen. They came to a stop at the sight of you, taking in your dejected form sitting on the ground. Your crutches lay next to you, one broken, and you looked up at them pathetically, eyes glossy.

"Oh, honey," Ingrid cooed, before walking forward and gathering you into her arms. They'd never really seen you like this before; it was clear you were growing more and more emotional with every passing second. This was emphasized by the way you curled into Ingrid as she carried you to the couch. She set you down, and you buried your face in your hands, trying to take slow, deep breaths, and stave off the breakdown you felt coming.

Ingrid sat next to you, rubbing circles onto your back, as Mapi crouched in front of you, taking off your boot gently, and inspecting your ankle.

"It looks okay. If it feels worse or different tomorrow, you should go in, but I think you're fine for now," she stated confidently .

You wanted to make a joke and ask her where she got her medical license from, but when you opened your mouth to speak, the only thing that came out was a choked sound, before you dissolved into loud, pained sobs. The couple looked alarmed at the strength of your cries, but not really surprised at the appearance of them. Their immediate instinct was to let you cry it out, but it quickly became clear that you were only growing more and more upset, your cries becoming louder, and your breaths falling shorter and faster.

They tried to calm you down, but nothing seemed to work. Ingrid wrapped her arms around you, holding you tightly against her, while Mapi gently stroked her thumb up and down where her hands sat on your knees. They took turns talking to you, trying to guide your breaths, and get you to relax, but none of it seemed to help. You brought your hands to your chest, really hyperventilating now, trying in vain to slow your breathing down. You didn't know what was wrong with you; you were filled with anxiety and anguish and you couldn't, for the life of you, pull yourself together and stop crying.

"Cariño, what can we do," Mapi asked rather desperately.

You wracked your brain for something that would make you feel better, and your mind could only come up with one thing.

"Claudia. Please," you managed to gasp out, and Mapi was whipping her phone out, speaking rapidly to Claudia on the other end. You were only getting more and more panicked, resting your head against the Norwegians chest, trying to focus on her heartbeat. You closed your eyes tightly, only opening them when you felt yourself being pulled out of Ingrid's arms and into another set.

Opening your eyes, you saw Claudia looking down at you, anxiety written clearly across her face. More time must have passed than you thought, and if you hadn't still been so panicked, you would have wondered if you'd passed out. You collapsed against her in relief, and she pulled you to lay against her chest, propping herself up against the arm of the couch. You rested between her legs, ear pressed over her chest, as she wrapped her arms around you, bring one up to tug your ponytail out and lightly run her fingers through your hair.

It took a while, but the sound of her heartbeat, the comforting motions of her hands, and the smell of her laundry detergent and perfume, invading your senses from where your nose pressed against her sweatshirt, all managed to calm you down. Your tears came to a slow stop, save for the occasional sniffle, and your breathing returned to normal. You realized Claudia was talking quietly to you then, and you tried to focus on her words.

"-got you. I'm right here, you're gonna be okay. I love you. So much. You're gonna be just fine." Her voice was soothing, and you felt the last of the tension leave your body. You were content to just lay there, surrounded by Claudia, but after a couple more minutes, she nudged you and sat up, keeping both of her hands on you, not willing to let you go.

"How are you feeling, amor? That was pretty intense." She spoke quietly, and you appreciated it.

Clearing your throat, you responded, allowing yourself to be honest for the first time in a while. There was no reason to pretend to be fine anymore- it was abundantly clear that you weren't.

"Tired. Better, I think though? Especially now that you're here." Your response was shaky, and she leaned in closer to you, pressing her side up against yours. It was only then that you noticed that Ingrid and Mapi were gone. You made a mental note to thank them, profusely, later.

"Good. I'm glad you feel better," she paused. "I'm sorry I yelled earlier. It's just really hard for me to see you like this, completely shut off from everything."

"I know, I'm sorry I yelled in the first place. I haven't been handling this very well," she scoffed at that, and you managed a smile. "I know that how I've been handling it isn't healthy, and I'm gonna try to do better." You made eye contact with her as you spoke, and you could tell she was hopeful that you were being genuine.

"I love you. You aren't ever a bother, or a burden. Taking care of you is something I am happy to do, always." She sounded so earnest, so eager for you to believe her, that you didn't really have any other choice. "I know it's really hard for you to accept help, but I'm not going anywhere, so you're gonna have to get used to it." You smiled then, a real smile, pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, I love you. Te quiero mucho." She pressed several kisses to the side of your head in response before pulling back.

"Nap?" She asked, taking in the way your eyelids drooped, and the way you sagged against her.

"Si, por favor," you responded, and without another word, she pulled you back into her arms, nestled against her chest. She tugged the blanket folded over the back of the couch down on top of the both of you, and you snuggled into her, letting out a sigh of contentment. You were already falling asleep, and Claudia was finally relaxed, truly believing that you were going to be better about letting her in.

[pokeshippingweek]

POKESHIPPING WEEK 2024!

It's that time again, pokeshippers!

Last year, we announced that the format of Pokeshipping Week - one theme per day - was getting retired. We also said that we'd still put on a celebration of some kind going forward. Well, the time is here, and I'm happy to announce that we are planning a pokeshipping zine...next year!

If you'll forgive the bait-and-switch there, we have seriously talked about doing a zine, but time got away from us this summer. So, while we do hope to tackle that undertaking in 2025, for this year, we're planning what you might call an open Pokeshipping Week!

How does it work, you ask? Simple: over the years, you all have submitted a lot of potential themes for Pokeshipping Week. For every seven that got chosen each year, plenty were left behind. Well, now you can fill November 1 to 7 with art, fics, AMVs, GIFs, graphics, etc., all about our favorite Poke-couple, using any seven you'd like from the unused themes list.

Any and all contributions are welcome, and if they're tagged #pokeshipping week 2024, we'll reblog them here and on the main @pokeshipping blog. Besides Tumblr, we’ll keep our eyes out for the tag on Twitter and DeviantART for artwork, for fanfics on FF.Net and AO3, and for AMVs on YouTube (no NSFW, please).

The full list of unused themes (from years 2020 through 2023) is below the "Read More" break. Use, combine, and create as your heart desires, and we'll see you November 1!

A bad fight A day in the life  A never-ending road A ship full of shippers Alola sunset scene Amusement park Anime characters meet their game/manga counterparts Anniversary Art classes together/Drawing each other Ash and Misty in Sinnoh Ash’s hat Avatar: The Last Airbender AU Birthdays  Breakup Cameran Palace ball (as in Movie 8) Celebrating Celebrities Champions/Masters  Cheerleader Misty Childhood sweethearts Chocolate Comfort during a natural disaster Comforting each other Competition Confiding in one another Cooking disaster Costumes Criminal/Detective Crossover Crossover with game/manga-verse D&D Dealing with Team Rocket’s teasing in “A Scare in the Air” Dewpider/Araquanid Different hairstyle Disaster dates  Disney AU Double dating Elder years  Elders Ash and Misty Evolution Fairy tales/Fantasy AU Fankids Fireworks First day on the job Food Fortune-telling/foresight Game of Thrones AU Giving advice to a younger generation Grey hair Gym leader Ash/beginner Misty Halloween/horror/ghost story Hanahaki disease Handkerchief Happily Ever After/Fairy Tales Hiding Hogwarts AU Horizons Hot tub/Hot springs If Ash heard Misty’s Song If Ash or Misty weren’t from Kanto If Ash started his journey at 16 or older If Ash’s journey had ended after winning the Indigo League (in season 1) If Misty caught Lapras If one came from another region If their parents met If they didn’t meet on Ash’s first day In-universe Pokéshippers Intimacy Japanese-style confessional love letter JRPG AU (ie, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, etc.) Karaoke Ladybug and Chat Noir Last goodbyes Learning a different language Lost Pikachu Love Letter  Love triangle Lovers across the multiverse Lovestruck (if Ash acted like Brock) Meeting the parents/relatives Mewtwo Strikes Back alternate ending Misty and other Pokégirls discuss their loved ones together Misty meets Goh and Chloe Misty overcoming her fear of Bug-types Misty the coordinator Misty’s Bug-type phobia Mixtape/playlist  Mystery dungeon Nervous Ash  Never have I ever Other Pokemon games AU (Detective Pikachu/Pokemon Masters/etc) Out of their element  Overprotective Misty  Perspective of Oak Ranch Pokémon on their relationship Photo shoot Pirates Plot twist Pokemon daycare Pokémon Mystery Dungeon AU PokéNav communication/Video calling Possessed/evil Misty Pregnancy/Birth Pro-gamers Puberty Reappearance of Ash’s father and/or Misty’s parents Regency Era Romance  Return to Orange Islands Romeo and Juliet Sci-fi AU Scuba diving Secret identity/superhero AU Slow Slumber party Spies AU Stargazing Studio Ghibli AU Sunshine and Rain  Superhero AU Swimming lessons Sygna suits Tabletop RPG AU Taller (height differences)  Tauros ranchers Ash and Misty Time capsule Training together Umbrella Vacation Visiting Oak’s ranch  Water and electricity/water and fire What if Ash didn’t take Misty’s bike? Yoga together Z-ring/Mega Stone

[pavardscherie]

omg could you just write anything abt playing w benji’s hair😭😭🙏🏻it just looks so softttt

please, i could do this the entire day, i swear

the dim hues of orange and yellow illuminated the bedroom, announcing the arrival of another morning. but you were awake for almost an hours, another series streaming on the television on the wall while listening to the quiet snores of benjamin.

after an exhausting week, the first match against manchester city and another bundesliga game against Hoffenheim in the span of five days, the defender enjoyed the longer mornings. his head placed on your chest, a thin layer of red over the span of his cheeks, and the side of his face pressed against the soft material of one of his shirts.

you knew he needed each minute of sleep he could gather. the training sessions would start tomorrow again, he would leave the house early and get back too late, and too exhausted. securing the top of the chart was an important task, and obviously, staying a part of the champions league as well. it all seemed so complicated to win this year and benjamin always found a loophole to blame himself for a goal, scored by the enemy.

relaxing has never been benjamin greatest strength. even on his days off, he trained in the backyard with a ball balancing on his foot.

your delicate fingers brushed through the soft mess of brown curls on top of his head. the sides were shorter than you were used to, he‘s been to the hairdresser a week ago and got them shaved. strands wrapped perfectly around your digits, the corners of your mouth lifted with a gentle smile.

those moments were too rare to not bath in the warmth from benjamin‘s muscular arm, draped casually and loosely over your stomach. dressed in a pair of comfortable jogging pants, his naked torso pressed against the side of your body.

when your delicate fingers brushed over his forehead and returned to his hair, the fingernails softly scratching over his scalp, a deep but almost inaudible groan escaped his throat. between the soft snores, and the occasional twitch of his lips, the little sounds were the only ones that filled the warm air.

minutes passed, and the calmness and comfort felt like hours flew by way too quickly. benjamin recovered while calming down in your embrace, and you couldn‘t help but watch once again how your fingers disappeared in the mess of curls. somehow, no matter in which situation, your hands always ended up on his head. sharing a passionate kiss, you stroke over the short hairs on his neck which would grow back into curls in a couple of weeks.

„good morning, cherie.“ benjamin‘s raspy voice pulled you out of the trance, the memories you reminisced in about the many times, you comforted the defender. entangling the confusing strings of thoughts, he pulled you back into the reality and the bedroom filled with the brightness and warmth of the morning sun.

hooded eyes, infiltrated by the hard days he went through, watched your gentle features. mouth curled with happiness at the sight of the beautiful man, benjamin tilted the head back to place a featherlight kiss against your collarbone. „good morning, darling.“

benji‘s hands immediately started small circles over the smooth skin around hip bone. circles, and infinity eights, sometimes irregular shapes that never got a specific name. it was his way of showing admiration, sharing his genuine affection, and endless love for you. „you know, cherie. i sleep way better when you play with my hair.“

you giggled, nodding repeatedly with a smile. „that makes two of us.“ benjamin‘s lips curled upwards, a tired smile plastered over his face as you agreed without hesitation.

[ex-champion-mad-scientist]

[Another video has been posted, available to view.] [three hidden videos are also available, albeit it locked behind a passcode each.]

*She sat on the roof of the league. The building, shrouded in mystery to the rest of Therium, sat on the tallest hill in Capital. Surrounded by rangers, guarded by the strongest of mons.*

“…Ah. There they are.”

*She watched as the pair of Lin and Lilac approached the league, accompanied by a blue haired man, and a girl in green. Fennec seemed to recognize them all.*

“…Well, I hate to do this… but I’ve been left no choice.”

*The clinking of glass can be heard from her pocket as she moves over to the skylight above the champion’s room. She can spot a man in orange and blue there, the puppet of the league.*

“Feh. What a loser. “

*She waits until the group arrived in the room, signaling their defeat of the elite four.*

“It’s time.”

*The glass shatters and breaks, as Fennec falls through it. She gets splinters from the glass- but she doesn’t show any care for it.*

“ALRIGHT! I’VE HAD ENOUGH WITH THIS NON-SENS-“

*She looked at Draco, and then at the kids, before seeing the elite four coming through.*

“My, my Fennec, making a dramatic entrance just like always, are we?”

*She turned her head to the elite four. Eleyta. Menna. Fyrien. Arsene. The four who betrayed her.*

“You really are insane, aren’t you? That brilliant brain of yours gone off the edge?”

“Quiet Eleyta. She is not our focus. Lin. Lilac. You two are aware of the prepared broadcast. You are not aware there’s two versions.”

“Huh? Two versions?!”

“Yes. If you fight Fennec and win, we’ll crown one of you Champion, and broadcast a slightly edited version that makes her seem like the villain. If you lose, we’ll go with plan A.”

“What?! That’s a lose-lose either way! Fennec is our mentor!”

“Fight. Or else we call in the special rangers. Oh, and Fennec? We know you’d just let these brats win anyways. So, if you lose, we’ll actually complete the extermination programme, and I think handing you back over to Vincent is a fun idea.”

“…No… no- you can’t do this!”

“Oh, but we can. You gave us the power when you chose us as the elite four. We simply took what you gave us and used it. So, either fight to win, or we’ll use lethal force.”

“Lin! You can’t lose!”

“We have your back!”

*Lin was clearly conflicted. He couldn’t let them air his secrets, but Fennec was the only one to help them… grabbing his balls, he made his decision.*

“Fennec, I’m sorry. I can’t let them do this to us.”

*The battle was over soon after it began. Fennec had even resorted to the nightmares… Grey lied in a corner of the room, damaged.*

“Heh… you’re strong, kid. I’m proud. Maybe you can do what I never could.”

*She could feel it. Her being… it was unstable. She made a grab for a nearby vial, but-*

“Oops, sorry. You didn’t need that, did you?”

*Arsene’s foot was now where the serum was. Fennec’s eyes widened.*

“NO! NO-“

*She was cut off by Arsene being blasted by a slash of energy. She looked over to where it came from. She saw Lin with his now evolved Feralnat. He walked over, and stood in front of her.*

“LISTEN HERE! I don’t care who you are! You aren’t taking her, or Lilac, Walt, Elyx- NOONE!”

“You didn’t even notice the fact we broadcasted everything! All of Therium saw your monologues everytime we fought you!”

“WHAT?! NO! THATS IMPOSSIBLE-“

“YOU.”

*Eleyta pointed at Draco. He sat upon the champions seat.*

“YOU BETRAYED US?! HOW DARE YOU?!

”I never wanted to be champion. And all of this… everything you did, everything I let happen. It’s so wrong, and I’m tired of it.”

“I relinquish the title of champion to Lin. No matter his past. He deserves it.”

“NO!”

“And for my first act as champion…”

*Lin makes a signal with his hands, and some of Therium’s ACTUAL rangers come in.*

“I charge you four for all the hurt you’ve brought to this region!”

“Heh…heheh… Lin… you planned all this… didn’t you?…”

“Fennec-“

*The man turns his attention to Fennec, who’s currently on the floor.*

“You’ll make a great champion. You can save this region, I know it.”

“Don’t talk like that! We’re getting you to a hospital, ASAP!”

“Yeah- Fennec, You aren’t going anywheres on our watch.”

“…If I may… I have it here.”

*The Green woman, Elyx, holds out a vial.*

“The feral cure! Of course! Why didn’t we think of that sooner?”

“Here- Fennec, hold still.”

*She administers the serum to the feathered woman.*

“Ough… i feel… really… tired…”

*Fennec collapses into Elyx’s arms.*

“IS SHE DEAD?!”

“No- no. She’s just out cold. She’ll be like this until tomorrow while the feral stuff gets out of her system. I’ll keep her at my place in the meantime.”

*Elyx picks up Fennec, and balls Grey. She leaves the room.*

“Wow… that was all… so awesome! And did you see those crazy strong Pokémon She used?!”

“Yeah Lin! Congrats on winning!”

“You haven’t seen the last of us! We’ll be back!”

“Shut it, Grandma! You’re going to jail for a good while!”

“Pfft, grandma.”

“So, what do you guys wanna do now that we’re not under the threat of the league?”

“…could go for some poutine.”

“Sounds great! Let’s go!”

[Video end.]

[hetalia-club]

Tsunami Titans vs. Freedom Fighters- Inning 1/9

Blue text Freedom Fighters at bat- link to their team and positions Orange Text Tsunami Titans at bat- link to their team and positions Pink Text = my commentary

Inning 1 link Inning 2 link Inning 3 link Inning 4 link Inning 5 link Inning 6 link Inning 7 link Inning 8 link Inning 9 link

(Game is completely generated using the stats, characters, traits and abilities given to them by me that I've already shared with you, I do NOT know the outcome ahead of time and I am simply adding my own commentary along side the generated innings. It is generated one inning at a time. Whoever've wins will be just as much as surprise to me)

Announcer Voice:

Welcome to the Uzumaki Dome here in the heart of Tokyo, Japan! Tonight, we have a thrilling matchup between the hometown Tsunami Titans and the visiting Freedom Fighters from New York City. The stadium is buzzing with excitement as fans eagerly await the first pitch. Let's dive right into the action!

In an interview before the game Japan said that his team has been running drills on fast balls all week to prepare for America's fast pitches. He feels confidant that his team is ready and he seemed pretty serious about holding onto that 'World Champion' title as long as he can.

On the other side of the field America said that his team is MORE than ready for the face off today, he did mention that they have been focusing on fielding in their practices but didn't seem like he wanted to talk much about it, he was eating a hot dog from the food court so that could be why he wasn't too keen on talking about the game right now.

Without further delay let's hit off the first inning.

First Inning:

Top of the First Inning:

Leading off for the Freedom Fighters, we have England, wearing number 4 and playing third base. Stepping up to the mound for the Tsunami Titans is Japan, also known as 'The Tsunami.' This should be an exciting matchup right from the start.

England vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan starts with a fastball, 90 mph, right down the middle. England takes a swing and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Next pitch is a curveball at 78 mph. England swings again but misses. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan throws a slider at 85 mph. England makes contact, but it’s a ground ball to shortstop. Prussia fields it cleanly and throws to Canada at first. "Out number one!"

Next up, we have Romano, wearing number 16 and playing first base. He’s just back from a suspension for fighting a ref, so you know he’s got something to prove tonight.

Romano vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a changeup at 82 mph. Romano swings and fouls it off. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Fastball at 92 mph, and Romano swings and misses. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan delivers a curveball at 79 mph. Romano swings and misses. "Strike three! That’s two outs!"

Now stepping up is America, the ace pitcher and the best player in the league. He’s known for his cocky and confident attitude. Let’s see if he can back it up.

America vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 91 mph. America watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 93 mph, and this time America swings and sends a line drive to center field at 105 mph. Scotland races back, leaps, and makes an incredible catch! "Out number three! What a play by Scotland! Those long legs of his make him a hell of an out fielder

End of the Top of the First Inning:

Freedom Fighters: 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

Bottom of the First Inning:

Leading off for the Tsunami Titans is Japan, wearing number 8 and also pitching. The fans are on their feet. Facing him is America, 'The Show,' known for his blazing fastball.

Japan vs. America:

Pitch 1: America throws a fastball at 98 mph. Japan swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 99 mph. Japan fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: America delivers a curveball at 85 mph. Japan makes contact, but it’s a grounder to third base. England fields it cleanly and throws to Romano at first. "Out number one!" What quick reflexes by England over at third!

Next up is China, number 68, playing third base. Steady and reliable, let's see what he can do.

China vs. America:

Pitch 1: America throws a fastball at 97 mph. China swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball, this time at 98 mph. China fouls it off. "Strike two!" Made a bit of contact there but he was a little late, just chipped it. He seems intimidated by those fast balls. I don't blame him either!

Pitch 3: America throws a slider at 87 mph. China swings and misses. "Strike three! That’s two outs!"

Now it’s time for Spain, 'Matador,' wearing number 12 and playing left field. He’s a powerhouse at the plate.

Spain vs. America:

Pitch 1: America starts with a fastball at 99 mph. Spain swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 100 mph. Spain fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: America delivers a curveball at 86 mph. Spain connects and sends a towering fly ball to left field at 110 mph. Sweden tracks it down and makes the catch. "Out number three!" America has got to keep an eye on those curve balls. He's already starting to get messy with them. The coach will swap him early if he keeps it up, he can't keep sending them easy hits like that.

End of the First Inning:

Tsunami Titans: 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

And that concludes the first inning here at the Uzumaki Dome. It's a tight game so far, with both teams showing strong pitching performances. Not much action in the field but the teams are just getting a feel for each other. Stay tuned for more exciting action as we head into the second inning! We'll pick up with the second inning shortly.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super 015

Finally, a good episode.

Okay, let me start off by saying that I have occasionally defended the Flanderization of Videl in Dragon Ball Super, but now that I’m rewatching this show, I realize what people have been complaining about.  Every time we see Gohan and Videl on this show, they’re way too saccharine and dull. 

In Gohan’s case, I don’t mind it as much, since he’s been a nerd since Day One, and without an enemy to fight, he’s not going to suddenly rock the orange gi and kick ass like he does on all the promotional art for this series would like you to believe. 

But in Videl’s case, being a baby-maker is pretty much her entire role in this show.  At least 18 gets to tease Krillin and look for big cash payouts wherever possible.  Videl doesn’t get any of that here.  And my defense of this has always been that Videl’s character arc started with her as a teenage vigilante, but she doesn’t have to stay there, and she’s allowed to become something else over the course of the story.  But Dragon Ball Super never settles on what that something else is.  Gohan has his biology career, but what does Videl want outside of her home life?

The closest we’ve ever seen to a payoff for this was in the Super Hero movie, where they needed a reason for Piccolo to have to pick Pan up from school, and that meant Videl had to be busy with something else, something as important to her as Gohan’s studies are to him.  And that turned out to be a martial arts class that she teaches, which makes plenty of sense.  For some reason, I kept wanting to say it was a self-defense class, but she told Piccolo they were in a tournament that day, which sounds more advanced.  Then again, this is Videl we’re talking about, and I can imagine how she started out wanting to teach women basic self-defense skills, and it turned into this badass dojo getting into rivalries with other schools. 

I have a whole head canon about Videl’s school, but I don’t have time for that right now.  In DBS #15, she’s about to cook dinner, when Gohan makes a big deal about wanting to cook for her, only he’s really bad at it, and they both talk to her belly, which gets pretty cloying after a while.

Meanwhile, Vegeta’s been standing on a mesa for several hours.  Days?  Long enough that dust has piled up on his boots.  How is this training?

Meanwhile, Goku wants to go back to training on King Kai’s planet, but Chi-Chi refuses to let him go.  She’s already spent and saved all the money they got from Mr. Satan in Episode 1, and so she wants Goku to go back to his career as a farmer.  Even if they don’t need the money, she still wants him to be a regular working joe, especially now that he’s about to be a grandfather. 

I should point out that Cynthia Crantz’s performance as Chi-Chi gets a lot easier on the ears in this one.  Crantz has played Chi-Chi since way back in 1999, and she’s always been excellent, but she sounded like she was recovering from a cold in Episodes 1-14, and it feels like she got back in the groove around here. 

But the real meat and bones of this episode is a press event held by YOUR World Champion of Martial Arts, Mister Satan.  During the Goku/Beerus fight, the public could feel shockwaves from the punches, and everyone wants to know what that was all about.  So Mr. Satan weaves a tall tale about how he rescued the world from a dangerous criminal syndicate, only to discover that they were secretly in league with...

Beebus, the God of Destruction!  Naturally, Mr. Satan challenged this menace, but he wasn’t strong enough to defeat him, until...

... Mr. Satan discovered a divine power of his own, and transformed into a god himself!  Fuck yeah!

WELCOME TO EARTH, YOU BAT-EARED JERK!

GET HIS ASS!

YEEEEAAAAAAHHHH!

Then some aliens show up.  Turns out they somehow learned of the real Battle of Gods that took place on Earth, and they wanted to congratulate the hero who fought Beerus and lived to tell the tale.  Mr. Satan accepts the credit, but then the alien crew’s strongest warrior challenges Mr. Satan to a match.  According to the tradition on their planet (Planet Snack), he can’t properly honor Satan’s heroics until he’s experienced his power firsthand. 

So Mr. Satan uses the old stomach ache trick to excuse himself.  He calls Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan, hoping to find someone to fight in his place, but can’t reach any of them.  By the time he comes out of the restroom, everyone’s assembled a fighting stage, so he can’t back out.

Then Goku flies along, carrying his tractor.  It broke down, and Bulma’s not in to fix it for him, so he’s just sort of been flying around town, hoping to find someone else to help him.  Satan offers to help him out, but first he wants Goku to take his place in this fight, and Goku’s down to clown, just as long as his wife doesn’t find out.

Except his wife does find out, because she’s passing by this same area after grocery shopping with Piccolo.  Uh-oh.

So Goku’s busted, and he asks Satan to punch him so he can pretend to get knocked away so no one will notice him flying.  But he has to grab his tractor on the way, so it looks really awkward and hilarious.  Also, this doesn’t fool Chi-Chi at all.  He might as well have fought the alien.  I mean, in for a penny...

So now Mr. Satan is completely cornered, so he has no choice but to fight.  He psyches himself up, but as the alien strikes, he sees something that takes all the fight out of him...

... which would be Mr. Satan’s dog, Bee, who had been waiting in the car, like a good boy.  Then he crawled out of the car window, like a good boy and walked up to the ring, like a good boy.  And now he’s frightening the aliens, like a good boy.  Bee is a good boy, is what I’m trying to say here.

I guess the aliens were like cat people or something?  I mean, they kind of look like cats, but not enough for the joke to land, I think.  Then again, Beerus also looked like a cat, so maybe they had to adjust the design so these aliens wouldn’t be mistaken for Beerus.  Anyway they hate dogs, so they impose a quarantine on Earth.   There’s some lines that suggest they were planning to conquer Earth, but I don’t understand why they would even consider such a thing when the planet had just repelled Beerus.  Anyway, it’s full of dogs, so they’re not going back. 

But they left behind the medal they presented to Mr. Satan, and Bee picks it up for him, like a good boy.  Every frame of Bee in Dragon Ball Super looks like it was drawn by someone who only saw a dog once in his entire life, and he’s trying to recreate the image from memory, and it looks awesome. 

Meanwhile, Goku’s back at his house, but he doesn’t dare go inside to see his deformed son...

... because Chi-Chi will shove this pole up his butt if she sees him.

So now Goku has to sleep in the yard.  Is this some sort of kinky thing they do?  You be the judge.

And that’s it.  Let’s check out one more shot of Super Saiyan Mr. Satan before we go.

Yeah, that’s the stuff.

[eliteoftheskies]

Pelipper mail! A nightmare. It isn't yours, but of someone who was very much like you.

You're soaring through the dusky sky. The soft orange and pinks of the sunset are quickly being replaced by the suffocating darkness of night. Below you, you hear the faint screams and high-pitched buzzing of Guardian beams, white-hot and illuminating the flames with blue.

Bile rises in your throat, but you know you cannot stop for even a second. Vah Medoh is waiting patiently for you. Waiting desperately for you.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity of straining your wing muscles to fly at maximum speed, you reach the Divine Beast. Its flickering blue lights are the only thing you can clearly see now-- night has swallowed the sky, and with difficulty, you land in front of the main terminal.

Gasping for air, you fumble with the controls, when something burns your wing. If you could see much better, blackened feathers would be drifting to the ground.

In front of you, strings of blue light swirl, like a tornado, to form a monstrous beast. Or... you think it's a monstrous beast. The only thing you can see are three circles of pulsing energy, and a single, soulless, neon blue eye.

When the three circles raise in unison to fire a ball of searing energy directly into your chest, you see now, as you stagger back over the edge, that Medoh glows a violent, cruel magenta.

You summon your Gale and blast into the sky. You try to aim your Great Eagle Bow at the monster, but those taunting blue lights swim this way and that, and your shot misses by an embarrassing distance. Your stomach drops when a sudden, fierce blow of wind scoops you up and whirls you around and around and around, before another bullet of energy knocks you out of it. The pillars crumble as your body is thrown into them again and again, and you hear your bones snap and the blood rushing in your ears.

You have never felt so afraid of death as you have now.

It's only natural, that when you finally succumb to your weakness, and frantically jam in the SOS code to join the chorus of your fellow Champions' cries for help, you collapse to the ground sobbing. Crying for the first time in what feels like too long.

Is that why he straight up didn't show to the League today.

That's. Hm. Yikes!

...I can only access his slate remotely and it seems like he's got the camera facing down. I'm gonna just... send someone to go check in on him.

(And add a section to my multiverse notes on "Pelipper Mail.")

[antihibikase2]

"So, I was offered to be the headmaster-"

Nate hangs upside-down from the Mankey bars; he was no longer as small as he used to be when he was twelve, but he was happy he could still find himself enjoying the playground as if he was.

"Headmaster? For the school?"

"Yes. The league has been thinking of renovating the school to be bigger, and finding new staff,"

Cheren pushes his feet against the grass- embarrassingly enough, it doesn't do so much as lightly sway him and his swing like a delicate feather at Driftveil Drawbridge.

"Something about offering a similar experience as the massive academy in Paldea."

Nate thinks for a bit.

He's seventeen now, months away from hitting eighteen and having more responsibilities on his plate; becoming champion at twelve was an ideal he had reached and made into his truth, and he would forever be thankful for big bro Cheren (and Hilbert, he supposed) for holding his hand through the entire ordeal.

The thought of big bro Cheren finally being rewarded for his long wait, his patience, it made Nate smile a little.

"Why not!" He chirps. "Our little city of Aspertia is gonna be bustling like Driftveil if we do! Well, and you'll be getting an amazing opportunity!"

"I mean, yes, it would greatly be beneficial for our city, but-"

"You'll do great, big bro! After all," He grins cheekily. "You had a hand in raising this champion, right?"

From his Master Ball, Nate could just feel the way that Zekrom rolled his eyes at him.

Cheren snorts slightly.

"You know that's not what I'm worried about."

"I know."

He was no longer as downcast as he was when Nate met him five years ago, no longer plagued by horrors that none of them were able fully to grasp- he had been quite content living his quiet, simple life as a humble teacher and gym leader, having had enough of the brief time he was momentarily thrusted into the spotlight against his will.

Nate knew full well his insecurities were not stemming from his own lack of confidence in his abilities- but his fear of being gazed upon, only to be perceived as something that was anything but him.

The revered Heart, the pure Vessel, the ruined Ghost-

"Do people still bother you for that?"

"Of course. There was only so much my brother and the rest of the league could do after all,"

The mention of his brother brings a feeling of warmth- he had just received a present from him from Alola, he should open it as soon as he got home.

"And I can't blame people for being curious. Beebee's books mentioned every nook and cranny. Of course people connected the dots and assumed she was involved in something deeper involving the legends- and that included her friends."

Not to mention The Order of The Heart- as far as the league was concerned, their members were still scattered about the region.

"But,"

He smiles slightly.

"I think it's getting easier to handle. I've been skirting my way around it. People just assume I'm too busy for their nonsense- besides, between us, who looks more ridiculous? The guy that barges into a school to ask its teacher about rumors of him being a human sacrifice? Or the human sacrifice itself standing before him, alive and well?"

It no longer burns his tongue when he says it like it is- just as how it had been when he was fourteen, naive and unsuspecting.

"Big bro, you should definitely pick up lying-"

"Oh I do,"

"You do?!"

"If they insist on getting a firsthand interview from 'The Heart' reborn," He knows he has full permission to utilize his memories as he wishes- The Heart would have gladly let him. "They shouldn't be surprised when he starts cursing them out for 'awakening him from his slumber'- what do they think, that the dead would be content with constantly being badgered about the way they died?"

"Hell yeah, stick it to 'em, big bro!"

"Language."

The orange sky fades into purple, the lights from the city accompanying the stars that slowly start to fill the sky. Very soon, the Illumise and Volbeat would join, and Aspertia would become a city of lights- different from Nimbasa at the mainland.

"..would you take it though?"

"Hm?"

"Bein' headmaster! I think you'd do great at it- and it's not just for Aspertia and future trainers, but.."

He feels like he's twelve again, looking up at the podium where the newly assigned sixteen year old Cheren Slater stood before him, ready to partake in their first gym battle.

"..I really think you deserve it. You've worked as hard as everyone else, and you've waited long enough."

"Nate.."

"Champion's orders," He grins again. "You can't turn it down!"

He can- he knows full well that he has the choice to.

Being the mentor of the champion meant that he had the power to influence his decisions- but Cheren wasn't willing to do such a thing.

He had enough of wanting more; whatever hand he was dealt with, whoever he was now, he learned to be gracious- though that didn't mean he held his tongue when he felt he deserved better.

He definitely did- he knew that much.

But he could never turn back time, just as The Heart could never take back his wish.

The silence in his chest, stillness like water, his cold palms; the tranquility that came with his embrace, his soothing, wintry touch-

It had grown to be a part of him; something that those he loved accepted.

"I suppose I can't,"

He chooses to entertain Nate's inner child- goodness, he was taller now, and in a few months, he would be an adult.

He couldn't be any prouder.

"Stay by my side?"

There's no hesitation. "Of course!"

"Even through the paperwork?"

"Well, maybe not that- that's what you have big bro Hilbert for!"

He expected that much. He doesn't mind.

Nate offers to walk him back to his apartment, and in turn, Cheren offers for him to stay for dinner with him and Hilbert- though he makes an exaggerated expression, there's a skip in his step as Nate thinks about sinking his teeth into big bro Cheren's delicious cooking, sharing a meal with both him and the half-brother he had finally grown to love.

As they pass by the trainer school, closed down for the night, Cheren could not help but smile, warmth blooming in his chest.

[debbiechanclub]

do you think it's kinda shady that tony paid for mark's surgery out of nowhere? bc ao regularly work for njpw and only went to aew several times , so Tony really being generous out of his pure heart? this happen when wwe starts showing interest in AO 🤔 if i was mark i'd totally pick aew for this ..also this is just like jay's case , suddenly out of nowhere he chose aew after it was strongly rumored he is going to wwe.....

So, I personally haven't seen any reputable sources report that TK paid for Mark's surgery. It's all been hearsay from random people on Twitter and then smaller dirtsheets just parroting that narrative, so. Until Cageside Seats or WrestleVotes or (eyeroll) Meltzer or SRS says it happened―or better yet, TK or Mark themselves―I'm going to take that "news" with a HUGE grain of salt.

But what has made me raise an eyebrow is the rapid-fire timing of it all. Like just look at the timeline:

Sunday: Kyle announces at Resurgence that AO have to vacate the titles because Mark is injured, but they don't yet know the extent of the injury or how long he'll be out.

Tuesday: It's reported that Mark underwent surgery for a torn meniscus and will only be out 6 weeks or less.

Wednesday: It's reported mere hours before Dynamite that AO have WWE and AEW interest... Kyle loses to Orange... AO are #AllElite

Like how fucking froggy does TK have to be to make it happen that quick???

But look. Aussie Open deserve to be signed somewhere, and NJPW 100% dropped the fucking ball by not signing them after World Tag League. And honestly, I don't blame them for jumping to sign with another promotion, especially because I don't believe they should have had to vacate the titles if Mark is only expected to be out 6 weeks. Meanwhile, other champions have sat on NJPW titles for longer than that without defending them (I'm looking directly at a certain member of The Elite).

But AO also deserves success. And I'd be lying if I said I'm not worried (and even assuming) that they're just going to be woefully underbooked and misused like Jay has been so far 🙃

[thequattlebaumstore]

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[wevelocityteampresents-blog]

Pokémon Journeys Mega Rant

I originally uploaded this rant to Deviantart. But nobody really cared about it besides my watchers.

That’s why I’m pasting the entire thing right here. Any fans of the latest Pokémon saga or the spoiled mary sue named Goh should steer clear because like Leon, I don’t hold back. (When it comes to sharing my opinions, that is.)

When it come to Pokémon Journeys, I was always neutral towards it. I didn't find myself liking most of the new characters and I never felt compelled to watch any reruns. However, as I began to watch newer episodes, I realized that this saga was riddled with problems.

One of the main gripes I have with Journeys is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. Every saga in the anime at this point focused on the main titles then. With Journeys covering the 8th generation, you'd assume that they'd stick with Galar (with some new Sinnoh/Hisui elements being written in later). What we get instead is an amalgamation of different games. This saga is supposed to focus on Pokémon Sword and Shield. But we also have Pokémon Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee (from the look of the Kanto region alongside Chloe's Eevee), Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (from the recent focus on Sinnoh), and Pokémon GO. That's 7 different Pokémon games packed into this one saga of the Pokémon anime. My guess for the inclusion of these different titles is due to the story of the Sword and Shield versions.

As you may know, the story for Pokémon Sword and Shield isn't the best. It's a bit shorter than most Pokémon games and has much-missed potential. And it shows. When they focus on Sword and Shield, it's just some story arc that goes on for 4 episodes.

Going back to Journeys, another complaint I have with it are the characters.

Starting with Ash, he's nothing like how he used to be during and before Sun and Moon. He's nowhere near as witty as before and feels kind of bland sometimes. He's also kind of dumb. Extremely dumb. (Not to mention a tad too modest.) As I mentioned in an old status update, there was an episode in Master Journeys where Ash is standing in front of a class of students. Goh gives a presentation about him and messes with him by saying that the only thing he thinks about is Pokémon. Ash contradicts Goh's statement by saying that the only other thing he thinks about is his next meal. This right here felt like a shot to Ash's character. The Ash I know would've bragged on and on about how great of a Trainer he is. Since Journeys focuses so much on the Pokémon world, he could've brought up some of his achievements over the years such as him being the champion of both the Orange Islands and the Alola region. But, no. The writers just had to have Ash make a fool out of himself. They referred to Ash's achievements in the second episode. But I say that's just a poor excuse for fan service.

Speaking of which, what's the deal with the lack of focus on Ash's new champion title. Back then, the internet was excited to find out that Ash won the Alola League. Now that he's a champion, life just goes on. The show rarely acknowledges Ash's Alola champion title and ditches it in favor of a new plot that doesn't rely too heavily on the show's canon. Another thing I hate about this Ash is that he doesn't feel like Ash. He isn't interested in catching any new Pokémon and does the bare minimum when it comes to training for battles in the Galar region that might require the use of Dynamaxing. The lack of catching is all due to one specific character: Goh.

I loathe this kid. I don't know why people love him so much. He's just so incredibly unbearable. Remember when I said that Pokémon GO was one of the many games that was thrown into this series? Well, the incorporation of that game is largely due to Goh. Every episode, he runs around and catches Pokémon with just one Poké Ball. The perfectness of his captures would've been nice for 1 or 3 Pokémon (or half an episode). But when you have this character catch Pokémon without failing just once, it doesn't make him look cool. That just makes him look like a Mary Sue. (And way too much like the Ash from this MAD skit: https://youtu.be/Nr-V6sAxA3g)

Still not convinced Goh is a Mary Sue? The episode "Serving Up the Flute Cup" shows how awful Goh is as a Trainer. (As well as how bad the series' writing is.) Ash enters him and Goh into this tournament in Hoenn. (Keep in mind that at this point, Goh had never been in a Trainer battle before.) Goh manages to lose in his first match. This loss looks like it really hit Goh hard. And after his Pokémon are healed at the Pokémon Center, he gets mad about his loss, says that catching Pokémon is better, and runs off. You might think that Goh would learn the importance of losing in a game and how you could take those losses and learn from them to improve your skills. But he doesn't. The episode mostly focuses on showing off Ash's skills in Pokémon battles and Goh is rarely in the spotlight. When Goh meets up with Ash again, he just smiles and says how Pokémon battles are a lot of fun. That's it. No lesson learned. No improvement to his character. He just runs off like a baby so he can catch more Pokémon, returns to the stadium, and ends the episode without having learned a thing from his loss earlier. According to the writers, Goh is just a perfect little angel who doesn't need to learn any lessons or face any challenges. Why focus on things like fair play when you can catch a Suicune in a regular Poké Ball (in one throw) or a flying Pidgey. (Just a reminder that Pidgey was the first Pokémon Ash wanted to catch. He struggled to catch it. Yet, Goh managed to catch the same species with no trouble at all. Which shows that Goh BARELY faces any challenges.)

Another thing that bugs me about Goh is how he steals the show away from Ash most of the time. Even in the first episode, Goh manages to have more screentime than Ash. It's gotten to the point where Goh isn't just one of Ash's friends. He's a protagonist who is being juggled with the actual one who's been in the show for over 26 years. And all that juggling makes for stories that can run into various writing mistakes.

Moving on from Goh, I'll talk about Chloe.

There is no reason for Chloe to exist. She barely offered anything new to the show until Master Journeys. For a female lead in Pokémon, she's as forgettable as a math subject. She has no personality other than being smart. Chloe only improves as a character during Master Journeys and even then, she still feels like a walking advertisement for Let's Go! Eevee. Speaking of which, I don't see what's so special about Chloe's Eevee. It can use the moves of its evolutions. But other than that, it's just as forgettable as its Trainer. The show builds up Eevee's powers as it'll lead to something big. (Do we really have to meet all of these Trainers who own an evolution of Eevee?) Personally, the only outcome I see coming from this is that Eevee will learn some powerful new attack. I don't even know why we're still focusing on Let's Go! Eevee since we already did that with Lana's Sandy in Sun and Moon. (Not to mention, Meltan and Ash's Melmetal filled in for content from Pokémon GO.)

While we're talking about Chloe, why do her and Goh have to attend regular school? Most schools we've seen in the show revolve around Pokémon or teach you how to be a proper Pokémon Trainer. But Chloe and Goh's school seems like the type that teaches you about English, or Science, or Algebra. (Like any school you'd go to in real life.) They never explain why kids like Goh still go to regular school even though they're Pokémon Trainers. I just assume that their parents don't think they're ready to go out into the world yet. But why should I, the viewer, have to speculate all of this? As writers, it's your job to explain how things in this world work through a little thing called world-building. (I know the answer might be in one of those old books written around the time of the original series. But why should I have to consult an external piece of media for an answer that could've easily been given in the show itself?)

This entire series feels like a complete mess. All they had to do was write a story that continued from where Sun and Moon left off. But what we were given instead were unneeded characters, the most badly written Mary Sue I've ever seen, missed opportunities,  and ruined characters. All of these qualities make Pokémon Journeys what I consider to be THE worst series in the Pokémon anime.

You know what stinks about all of this? The fact that Journeys has already been done before. In the 2000s, a Pokémon spin-off called Pokémon Chronicles began airing. This program focused on different characters in different regions. Most of these characters are old faces (like Misty and Tracey) while some of them are new characters made exclusively for this spin-off (such as Jimmy and Marina). The characters are given more depth. And sometimes, we get to see how certain things in the anime came to be (like how Team Rocket got together and how Brock decided to travel to Hoenn during the events of Pokémon Advanced). And while Ash and Pikachu aren't in it, this show is still as entertaining as the main one. I highly recommend this program as opposed to whatever Journeys has to offer.

I'm glad that Ultimate Journeys is here because that means we're almost done with this garbage saga. As far as I'm concerned, this series doesn't deserve the recognition people on Twitter constantly give it. I hope that the Scarlet and Violet series will be as much of a palate cleanser as Pokémon Brilliant Diamond was.

[ledenews]

Bo Still Knows Baseball … and a Whole Lot More

This year's Edgar Martin 'Beast of the East' Baseball Tournament will be July 4-7 He was a kid growing up in "Goosetown," a neighborhood scratched away by a highway known as “Progress” back in the ‘70s, and he played some sort of sport every second he could. He cussed, played hard, bloodied noses, swam in orange creeks, and, back in the day, that street-smart boy named Bo McConnaughy was all-everything at Wheeling Central Catholic.  He was a state champion in basketball and baseball for the Maroon Knights and was a four-year letterman in both hoops and on the diamond at West Liberty State College. McConnaughy was the Hilltoppers’ primary playmaker on the court, but there wasn’t much in baseball he didn’t master before signing with the Baltimore Orioles in 1970. “Baseball just makes sense to me … always has,” he said. “It sounds easy … three outs for each team every inning and the team with the most runs at the end wins. Easy, right? But it’s not, now is it?” After just three minor-league seasons, though, pro ball’s unfeeling filter washed him out so McConnaughy came home, kept playing in a local semi-pro league, and began a 30-year coaching career at West Liberty that would lead him to more than 500 wins, five conference championships, and he was a six-time Coach of the Year, too. Bo and his wife, Kim, have two boys, Justin and Jeremy. Once he retired from WLU, McConnaughy returned to his high school alma mater to coach the Maroon Knights for three seasons, and he’s continued to direct the Edgar Martin "Beast of the East" Baseball Tournament since he co-founded it with B.A. Crawford in 1989. The 36th annual event is scheduled for July 4-7 and will include three age brackets for more than 30 teams. “We had built the Beast to be a pretty big deal. We had more than 160 teams a lot of years,” he explained. “But we got hacked … the (online) server got hacked, I should say, and we didn’t know about it before it was too late and a lot of the travel teams went somewhere else. “We started back after the pandemic and we have a lot of very good teams coming. But these days, most of these young players have only played on turf. Some have never played on a dirt and grass field,” McConnaughy said. “Can you believe that? I get the need for the artificial surfaces because of the weather, but baseball was invented on dirt and grass.”  He’s not only a local Hall of Famer, McConnaughy currently serves as the president of the Elm Grove Civics of the Ohio Valley so he can help resurrect the non-profit that has supported him for decades. “The Civics have been a great organization that’s fallen on hard times, so I’m trying to increase memberships and have events at our building on Sycamore (Avenue) so we can do repairs that are long overdue. It's just something I gotta do." Bo was signed by the Baltimore Orioles following his senior year at West Liberty State College and he played for three minor-league seasons. Baseball and Life, Too His West Liberty players mostly were local student-athletes from the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, and his teams were most successful in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McConnaughy attributes much of his success to the high school coaches and their players during an era when professional baseball scouts – and their radar guns - could be found at ballfields on both sides of the Ohio River.   “This valley was rich in players who could really play the game. The communities had their teams, and the midget leagues we had were really development leagues. And there were a lot of great ballplayers,” McConnaughy said. “Every high school team and all of the legion teams had guys who were moving on to the next level, and we’ve had a lot of guys from this area who had nice college and pro careers. “It’s a great game and those players knew it,” he added. “That’s why they had success.” But it always takes a team that’s working like a team, McConnaughy insisted, and it doesn’t matter if it’s baseball, the staff and volunteers with the Beast of the East," or if he’s working with the growing membership of the Elm Grove Civics of the Ohio Valley. “To accomplish goals as a group, you have to believe in each other, pick each other up, and don’t care who gets credit for anything,” he insisted. “There’s always some point in everything where your team has an opportunity, and a team has to do that together. For example, in baseball, you have to get runners on base, and then someone else has to come up with the big hit. “When you win, you win, and when you lose, you lose, but if you have a true team, you're always going to win more often. That’s because a team can talk about why they lost, and then worry about what happens next,” he said. “And I don't care what kind of a leader you are; if the team members don't believe what you're trying to do with them is going to be best for them and the team, forget it.” McConnaughy's father, Charles "Chibe", was a non-nonsense youth coach in the "Goosetown" area of Wheeling. Talking Turkey “Goosetown” was a blue-collar neighborhood of families where the fathers worked hard, the mothers raised the children, and the kids ran the streets, camped in the woods, and dodged the daily trains on the tracks that ran through East Wheeling’s Hempfield Tunnel. There were bars mixed in with more than 100 homes, and also a garbage incinerator and city dump, a mechanic’s garage, a trolley and bus barn, and a ballfield with home plate tucked in the northeast corner near Wheeling Creek. Once the state of West Virginia purchased the properties to make room for W.Va. Route 2, only McColloch and Baltimore streets remained. These days. a dog park, Tunnel Green field, and an event shelter rest where Bo was raised. McConnaughy’s father was known as “Chibe,” and when it came to everything in life, he was considered as “old school” as they came. He was a ballplayer, too, and a coach, and, according to his son, he taught his little league players the basics. Following his three years with the Orioles organization, he came home and played semi-pro ball for the Warwood Redbirds and started his coaching career. “The fundamentals are still the same no matter what terminology they use these days,” McConnaughy said. “When my dad coached, baseball is baseball, and it’s still that way and I love it more than ever. I still try to teach kids how to play it the right way like my dad did. You have to be able to catch it, throw it, and hit it, and not be afraid of it. If you can do those four things, you’ve got a shot at playing the game. “It all takes development over the years, but people want their kids to be good right now, not later,” he said. “That’s not how it works, and you would think someone would have realized that by now.” The same goes with coaching no matter how you go about it. “The good thing about coaching is that everyone has a different style and a different way of doing it. Each coach has his or her own style. And if it works for you, you stay with it,” McConnaughy explained. “And it works the other way, too, because if your players don’t buy in, you’re not going to have very much success at all. “I’m sure I had some players later in my career who believed the game had passed me by and that I didn’t know what I was talking about because they wanted to go about the game a different way. There were times when some players played, but they didn’t compete,” he said. “I was raised to play the game as hard as you could, and that’s still the way you have to play the game of baseball.” Read the full article

[yutopia-eleftheria]

Pokémon Sword & Shield OC : Solana Shieldmilia

Solana's League Card

Gender : Female

Age : 14 years old (physically)

Eye Color : "Coquelicot" (Red, Orange and Yellow Tie'n'Dye)

Hair Color : "Violine" (Pinkish Purple)

Hometown : Kickenham (Hammerlocke)

Place of Residence : Winscor (Wyndon)

Region : Galar

Relatives : Éthernatos (Eternatus) ("Mother") / Tarak Leon Landon ("Father") / Shehroz Peony Rose (Father), Nabil Hop Landon ("Uncle-In-Law") / Dhilan Peony Rose (Uncle) / Paige Vernon Peony (Aunt-In-Law) / Pivonia Peony Rose (Cousin) / Unnamed grandfather (Deceased) / Liv Oleana (Adoptive Mother)

Trainer class : Elite Trainer, Macro Cosmos' and Former Gym Challenger

Generation : VIII

Games : Sword and Shield

Specializes in : All types

Member of : Macro Cosmos, Galar League

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solana is a young Pokémon Trainer and is part of both Macro Cosmos and the Galar League. She was endorsed by the chairman, just like her predecessors Tarak Leon Landon and Travis Bede. It is revealed that she was created by Éthernatos (Eternatus) by combining it's DNA with those of Shehroz and Tarak, after it managed to, at one point, having a contact with them. However, her real appearance is completely different, looking more like the Pokémon itself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solana first appears in the battle against Éthernatos (Eternatus), right after the Pokémon managed to escape from Tarak's Poké Ball, but it was only for a brief moment. As soon as she was awake, she took refuge in the Reactor Room, but she was still very weak and couldn't go any further. She will consequently meet Shehroz, the chairman who couldn't believe what he was seeing, and seeing how afraid she was, he decided to help her.

Shehroz took a Dynamax Band and modified it in order to help them, and thus will help her have a human body. However, Shehroz will turn himself in the authorities afterwards, but Solana will stay hidden in the Reactor Room, as she was afraid of what was outside and she doesn't know anything about the World. But before he left, Shehroz managed to calm her down a little, and will even give her a name before ultimately leaving her, which was "Solana Shieldmilia".

She will be found again by his assistant Liv Oleana, who decided to take her as she actually remembers Shehroz very well, which made her curious about her. At first, she was only able to say hers and the chairman's names, but after spending time with Liv, she will quickly be able to learn her name, and she will feel safe by her side as she will understand that Liv has a close bond with him too, as she is his secretary.

She may not be able to speak that much at first, as she can only say a few words (most of the time she uses one word for a sentence), but she is very smart nonetheless, and she is a quick learner. Liv will teach her sign language to be able to "talk" to others with more ease.

Around a week later, after the chairman was saved from Éthernatos' poison, Solana will from time to time, use her abilities to try and help him out as he was terribly weakened by the poison that was on his body. Little did she knew that she was giving him some of her powers while wanting to help. This further shows that she doesn't know how to use her powers yet.

While searching for her origins, it will be discovered by the company that she has some of the chairman and the now ex-champion's DNA, on top of Éthernatos', which explains a lot of her personality and behaviour : She is really curious and eager to learn when she sees some Pokémon, starting with Liv's and then Shehroz's. She will even grow found of a little female Cufant just like the chairman, except hers is shiny.

It was discovered that she has a great talent with Pokémons in general, and therefore she became a Pokémon Trainer and participates in the Gym Challenge a year after Victor, Gloria, Nabil, Travis and Rosemary. Her main team for the Gym Challenge is composed of a male Cinderace, a male Corviknight, a female Flapple, a male Toxtricity (high pitched form), a male Sirfetch'd and a female Glaceon. However, she will try different teams after she did the Gym Challenge, and is said to be rather unpredictable.

As soon as she saw Rosemary when she had to face her in Smashings (Spikemuth) as she became the new Dark Type Gym Leader, they instantly fell for each other. They were pretty much meant to be. Bonus point for same height (as humans of course).

Her team for her journey through the Galar Region :

Syon (Cinderace, ♂)

(Corviknight, ♂)

(Toxtricity, ♂)

(Sirfetch'd, ♂)

Applejack (Flapple, ♀)

Gwladys (Glaceon, ♀)

Her "mains" (as she uses lots of different Pokémon) :

Strandead (Shiny Copperajah {GIGANTAMAX}, ♂)

Shiny Keldeo, ♂

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Facts about her ! :

Pretty much nobody knows what she really is. The only ones who knows are Shehroz, Liv, Travis (though they don't believe her), Pivonia, Dhilan and Rosemary. Of course when she will be with Rosemary, Peterson will know what she really is, though he was a bit concerned at first.

In her Pokémon form, she is said to be half the size of Éthernatos.

Her Jersey number, 271, correspond to her "birthday".

We don't know the extent of her powers, but since she is the offspring of Éthernatos, it's no doubt that she got a lot of power she has yet to master.

Solana's True Form Concept Art